TRUTH

      The pattern of the Sabbath readings is that once the reading portions have finished with the end of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible), which is Deuteronomy 34, the readings immediately circle back to the beginning of the Torah with Genesis 1. So, we begin again this Sabbath with the Book of Genesis, which I think has a very timely message for us. I am already looking forward to what the LORD will teach us in this new cycle of Sabbath readings.

     This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled B'reshiet, meaning "In the Beginning." The "B" that is joined with the Hebrew word reshiet, or "beginning", can mean "in, at, with, when." 

     As we know, Genesis 1 begins with these words: "In the beginning (resit/ro's - beginning, firstfruits, first in place-time-order or rank, chief/head, top, beginning, captain, first, ruler, height, choicest, excellent) God created (bara'- create, creator, choose, to shape or form, transform, of miracles, of the birth of something, pare a reed for writing or a stick for an arrow, to cut, carve out, separate, break out) (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-heavens (and) (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-earth. The earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, 'Let there be light ('or - light, bright, clear, light of life, illumination, light of day, light retained, become light, shine);' and there was light. And God saw (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day." (Gen. 1:1-5).

     The Hebrew meanings of the words used in the description of the condition of the earth as shrouded in deep darkness, point to an earth held captive in the darkness and misery of death. The Father, God, and the Son who is present in the *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega attached to the heaven and the earth and the light in written Hebrew, and the Holy Spirit, would resurrect the dead planet with the spoken Words: "Let there be light." The "light" spoken and produced is also the light of life (see Jn. 1:1-5, see also Col. 1:15-18), according to the Hebrew meaning, which is Messiah/Christ as the Word of God. 

     The creation of God continued from this first day as the earth was filled with life.

     The first unequivocal truth is that there was no other beginning factor in the creation of the heavens and the earth other than GOD - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Secondly, resurrection power and authority by the attachment of the name and rank of the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-Son of God played an essential part in the creation. There may be other theories and fables of men regarding creation, but none of those theories or fables have the power and authority to be able to resurrect a dead planet, as was described here in the Hebrew meanings. 

     Another principle of truth of the authority and power of God seen in creation is that although heaven and the dry land of earth are separate creations of the second and third days of Genesis 1:6-13, they are eternally connected as one in Genesis 1:1 under the name and authority of the *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega, which is Messiah/Christ Jesus (see *note at the end of the entry). We know that the will of God rules over and in both heaven and earth as Jesus taught His disciples to pray: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven..." (Mt. 6:9-10). Jesus also told His disciples: "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." (Jn. 1:51, speaking of Himself as the fulfillment of the vision of "Jacob's Ladder," the connection between heaven and earth, from Gen. 28:10-15).

     Another truth laid out by God in Genesis 1 is that all that is created by God has life within itself. God has placed the seed of life in each living thing and that seed will bring forth the same form as the form of its origin. Grasses, trees and herbs have seed within them that will produce the same types of grasses, trees and herbs. All created life of the air, land and sea have seed within themselves to produce their own likeness. A tree cannot produce a bird. The seed of a plum tree cannot even produce an apple tree. A bird cannot produce a rhinoceros and so forth. Although there are mutations and variations that may occur, there are not enough billions of years contained within time, and there are not enough mutations in the universe that will result in the reproductive seed of one species producing a totally different species. (v. 11-13, 24-25). They were created and commanded by God to produce seed after their own kind. Man was created by God as a separate creation and not as coming forth from any other species. Man was formed by God after God's own likeness. As this specific and separate creation of the image of God, man would not be of the same stature as the other creatures but would have rule and dominion authority over them. (v. 26-28). This is the truth of God's creation, regardless of what man may say. The LORD unapologetically and uncompromisingly lays these truths before us for a reason, which we will see. The LORD set forth these details of His creation because it is so important for our lives and purpose on earth for us to know and to trust in the truth of God concerning the origin of all things, including man, and His absolute power and authority to redeem and resurrect His own creation (through His Son, Jesus), that God made these the first words which He had written to all mankind.

     The other reading portions for this B'reshiet Sabbath, Isaiah 42, Job 38, and Psalm 139, confirm the truth that it was God the LORD who created the heavens and the earth and all of its inhabitants, including man. The LORD even uses the truth of Himself as Creator as His identity:

     "Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb: 'I am the LORD, who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens all alone, who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;" (Isa. 44:24). And:

     "For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens, who is God, who formed the earth and made it, who has established it, who did not create it in vain, who formed it to be inhabited: 'I am the LORD, and there is no other." (Isa. 45:18).

     It is the LORD who forms man before he is born. It is the LORD who determined to give His Servant (Messiah/Christ) to His creation as a Savior and Redeemer:

     "Thus says God the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it: I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light (see 'or above) to the Gentiles (also meaning "nations")." (Isa. 42:5-6).

      The truth is that God calls lies and liars abominations (see Prov. 6:16-19) worthy only to be thrown into eternal fire (Rev. 21:6-8), and we will see why later. God's Word assures us that God is not a liar, and is impossible for Him to lie. (see Num. 23:19-20, Rom. 3:3-4, Titus 1:1-2, Heb. 6:17-18).

      However, it didn't take long for man to choose to believe that God is a liar. The serpent questioned the woman about the truth of what God had said to Adam in Gen. 2:15-17: "Then the LORD God took (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Eve repeated to the serpent the command given by God to the man as she understood it or misunderstood it. Somewhere between the time that the man received the command and the woman heard of the command, an untruth was added to the command. Not only were they to not eat of that tree, but the woman told the serpent that they were also forbidden to even touch the fruit of that tree, which was not included in the original command. (see Gen. 3:2-3). The serpent immediately took advantage of this untruthful statement and said to the woman: "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Gen. 3:4-5). The serpent told the woman, and her husband who was with her (v. 6) that God had lied to them when He warned them that they would die - that God had lied to them in order to withhold His divinity and authority from them.

     The LORD God later asked the man and then the woman what they had done. The woman answered: "The serpent beguiled/deceived me." (Gen. 3:13). Here we come to the important point concerning lies: they are connected to witchcraft and occultic powers. The word "serpent" in Hebrew is nahas which means "hissing serpent, snake, viper, enchantment, enchanter, practice divination or fortunetelling, whisper a magic spell, the whisper of a soothsayer, to use sorcery." We can see here in the Hebrew meaning, the connection between the serpent and witchcraft, including the casting of spells. This does not mean that the woman and her husband would not be held responsible for their choice, even under "beguilement," to believe the lying words of the serpent instead of the true words of God.

     It is at this point that the LORD expelled the man and woman from the Garden, and cursed the serpent, promising He would cause the woman to bring forth the Seed, referring to Messiah/Christ, that would crush the serpent's head. (see Gen. 3:14-15).

     Jesus said this to those who were offended by and refused to hear the life-saving salvation truth from Him: "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of myself, but He sent Me. ...you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your Father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him...he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me....He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God." (Jn. 8:42-47).

      In a reference to the events of Genesis 3 above, Jesus often told the religious leaders of His time that they were snakes, vipers and serpents (see Hebrew meaning above) because they refused to receive the truth themselves and they withheld God's truth from the people. (see Mt. 12:33-34 and Mt. 23:33).

     As it is with the Father, it is also impossible for Jesus to lie. He came full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14), and He came to testify of the truth (Jn.18:37). He said that His Father sanctifies us with the truth, with His Word of truth (Jn. 17:16-17). The Holy Spirit of the Godhead is called by Jesus, "the Spirit of truth" who will guide us into all truth." (Jn. 16:13-14). It is the truth brought by the Son of God, Jesus that sets man free in every way. (Jn. 8:31-32). It is imperative to God that we know that He does not lie to us. He is a God Who not only tells the truth, sends the truth, but IS the truth. It is the knowledge of the truth that delivers us from the beguilement associated with the serpent/Satan.

     John 1 identifies Jesus as the Word of God, who was with God, and who was God in the beginning. Everything that was created was created through Jesus as the Word of God. Proverbs 30:5-8 tells us: "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield (magen/ganan - shield, buckler, armed, defense, ruler, protector/to defend, to cover over, surround, to hedge about, protect) to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words (see also Rev. 22:18-19), lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies far from me..." The truth of God, who IS truth, and His Word which is the Person of truth, serves as a protective covering over and surrounding us if we will trust in Him as truth.

     It is never just a "simple" lie. Jesus told us that Satan himself is the father of lies. He is a liar, and the father of it. Satan, who deceives the whole world, (see Rev. 12:9), like the serpent in the Garden, uses his occultic powers to generate and empower the deception. We will see some more examples.

     We are given an account in Luke 4 in which Satan tried to tempt and deceive Jesus for forty days into abandoning His purpose as the Son of God, as the Savior and Redeemer. We are told that Jesus was in the wilderness. However, while attempting to deceive, seduce and tempt Jesus with improper interpretation of scripture, Satan also combined this attempt with witchcraft and sorcery (see the definition of "serpent" above). Satan supernaturally took Jesus from the wilderness to a high mountain to show Him all of the kingdoms of the earth "in a moment of time." (v. 5-7). Then, supernaturally, Satan took Jesus to Jerusalem from the wilderness and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple there. (v. 9-11). Satan used these occultic arts to empower the lies and misrepresentations that he would tell. We know that Jesus resisted these attempts to lure Him from the will of His Father by using truth - the pure, correct application of scripture that overrides the twisting of scripture by men and devils to suit their own purposes. Both Peter and Paul warn believers about this practice of deception (see 2 Pet. 3:15-18, and 2 Tim. 4:2-4).

     In another example, the apostle Paul wrote the following to the church in Galatia: "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched (baskaino - to bring evil, the evil eye, to charm, bewitch, to fascinate by false representations) you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?" (Gal. 3:1). The word "fascinate" is used here as part of the Greek meaning of "bewitched." The word "fascinate" in our English dictionary means: "spellbind or transfix, enchant, bewitch, cast a spell, a magical or irresistible pull, to draw another by exerting a powerful influence." Paul recognizes that something evil has exerted an occultic influence in combination with a lie being falsely represented as truth to this church.

     The Galatians had fallen away from the truth of the salvation of Christ by grace through faith and began to believe that salvation was "earned" by obeying and doing the works of the law of Moses instead. The lie and the liar were attempting to rob this church of its salvation faith. Paul countered this to this church with a repetition of the truth of God.

     We may be skeptical of such things as being beguiled, bewitched or spellbound, but Jesus warned, and it is important for us to know, that before His return mass deceptions and delusions will be very powerful. The deceptions will be so powerful that even the elect can be deceived by them. (Mt. 24:4-5, 11, 23-27). Paul also wrote of a strong delusion sent by God that will cause people to believe a lie. These people had already chosen to believe and accept lawlessness and the lawless one who comes with "the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception", and they did not believe the truth of God. However, God has chosen us to have "belief in the truth." (2 Thess. 2:7-13).

     Many are perplexed by the current mass belief in outright lies (those things that stand counter to the Word of God) that we are seeing today. Not only are lies supported with zeal, but some of the lies have been incorporated into the law of the land. Not only do masses of people believe the lies, but they also demand that all others must honor the lies as well. We often hear the bewildered words being said, "It's as if the world has gone crazy!" Even "common sense", or foundational innate human knowledge and understanding, is being removed. Are we seeing what Eve realized when she said, "The serpent beguiled me"? Are we seeing some of the mass deception and delusion about which Jesus and the apostles warned? Nevertheless, we have been provided by God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with the only shield and defense against it - the truth, if we will remain in it and trust that God is true. Those who do not love and cling to the truth will be led further into the lies. (2 Thess. 2:10-12).

I invite you to join with me in this prayer:

"Heavenly Father of all truth, fill me, shield me and cover me with Your Word, Your Son, and Your Holy Spirit of Truth. Keep me from deception and delusion, from lies and the father of lies. You sent Your own Son, Jesus, to crush the head of the serpent, who beguiles, lies, and leads astray from the truth of life and salvation. Let my ears and my heart only receive Your truth. I pray this with thanks in the name of Jesus for myself and my whole household. AMEN."

*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13. 

Elected

      From the beginning, the LORD was bringing into manifestation the not-yet-seen things that were in Him from before the beginning. One of the greatest promises that existed before the foundation of the world, and would be manifested at the appropriate time, was the promise of the Savior/Messiah/Christ who would rescue mankind from the inevitable consequence of sin, which is death. Titus wrote of that promise from eternity this way: "...in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, but in due time manifested His word..." (Titus 1:2-3). Both Peter and John's Book of Revelation also tell us that the sacrificial Lamb, Jesus, was not slain only on a date in history, but was slain in eternity before the world even manifested. (see 1 Pet. 1:18-21, Rev. 13:8). 

     In the same way, the creation in Genesis Ch. 1 reveals that God set the seed of future generations in every living thing, to bring forth after its own kind. The woman, Eve, contained the purpose that would bring forth all living (see Gen. 3:20). However, especially mentioned in the curse upon the serpent, is the Seed which refers to the Savior, Jesus that had been set within Eve that would crush the lying serpent's head. (see Gen. 3:14-15). Not only would the Seed of the woman crush the serpent's head, but there would be an eternal enmity ('eba/'ayab - enmity, hatred, hostility/to hate as one of an opposite tribe, to be an adversary, to persecute as an enemy, to breathe or blow with anger and hatred) between the woman (and her Seed of Deliverance) and the seed of the serpent/Satan, according to the above verses. We will also see this eternal and violent hatred and persecution again below.

     We must start from this point of knowing that the LORD set every seed of life of every generation from before the beginning. Those who know the LORD are assured by scripture that they were known by Him before they were ever born. (see Ps. 139:13-17, Rom. 8:28-31). 

     This understanding will help us with this week's Sabbath reading portion titled Toldot, meaning "Generations", and begins in Gen. 25:19: "This is the genealogy/generations (toldot/yalad - descendants, results, proceedings, generations, account of men and their descendants, birth, history, origin/beget, be born, bring forth, midwife, child, delivered, birth, labor, lineage, declare pedigrees) of Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham begot (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Isaac." 

     The Hebrew letters that compose the word toldot, or generation/descendants, are very interesting in meaning, and interestingly placed within the word. The letters are tav-vaw-lamed-daleth-vaw-tav. The repeated letters that mean "cross/covenant" and "nail/peg/joining", tav, and vaw, surround the two letters, lamed-daleth, that mean "the shepherd's staff that urges forward to the door." Jesus said, "I am the Good Shepherd (who gives His life for the sheep)," and He also said, "I am the Door of the sheep." (Jn. 10:7-11). He goes before, calling His own sheep, and the sheep follow Him in because they know His voice. (Jn. 10:3-4). So within the word toldot, I see a picture of the cross, the Shepherd, Jesus, and the sheep who follow Him. 

     We can see then that Jesus created a kind of "generation" or "line of descendants" through the work of the cross. As Isaiah Ch. 53 prophesied about the Servant of God, referring to a future Jesus, who would give His life for the sins and transgressions of God's people, the prophet also refers to a "generation" and "seed": "And who will declare (*[vaw]-aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) His generation (dor - age, dwelling, evermore posterity, habitation)? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of My people He was stricken." (v. 8). The question is asked here, "How will His generation be declared when He has been cut off from life, and therefore there are no descendants?" However, Isaiah also reveals the answer: "...When You (LORD) make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see (ra'a, meaning to prophetically see, discern, perceive, foresee) His seed (zera/zara - seed, child, fruitful, offspring, descendants, posterity of moral character and practitioners of righteousness, harvest, produce of fields/sow, bearing, yielding, to scatter seed), He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand." (v. 10). We who have believed and received Jesus' sacrifice for our sins are His spiritual seed, His spiritual fruit, descendants, posterity.

     There were toldot generations or lines of descendants that were identified as being those that would bring forth the Messiah/Christ even before Israel became a nation in the land. This line of descendants would be challenged severely by the one, the serpent or Satan, who did not want his hated enemy, the Messiah/Christ, to be born from this elected generational line. 

     This Sabbath reading portion will also show us that when the LORD revealed His election of one line of descendants that carried the Messiah/Christ's seed over another, the line not elected would go to war against them. Those who were not elected both coveted and resented the elected.

      In this toldot Sabbath portion, (*Aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Isaac married (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Rebekah, and he pleaded to the LORD that Rebekah would conceive because she was barren. The LORD heard Isaac and Rebekah did conceive. However, Rebekah felt the children (twins) in her womb struggling together (rasas - oppressed, broken, break, bruised, crush, struggle, crush to pieces, grievously oppress, "a crushed reed", to treat violently) and so she enquired of the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) LORD concerning this. The warfare against the elected one had already begun in the womb. The LORD revealed this about the babies in Rebekah's womb: "Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve ('abad - serve, worshipper, serve as a subject) the younger." (Gen. 25:20-23).

     Although the twins would be born together, the people and nations that came from each would remain separated. The election would go to the younger twin, and the older twin would serve that younger brother. 

     The two brothers were born and the first-born twin was named Esau, and the younger twin was named Jacob. Rebekah knew that Jacob, the younger twin, was the elected one because of the prophecy given to her by the LORD. As the twins grew, they were of different characters. Esau, the older, who despised (baza - despise, contemptible, vile person, scorn, worthless, make light of) his birthright, sold that birthright to Jacob, the younger, for nothing of greater value than a bowl of red lentil stew when he was hungry. (Gen. 25:29-34). 

     Rebekah also managed through deception to gain Isaac's paternal blessing over Jacob rather than Esau. This blessing included the words: "Let peoples serve ('abad - see above) you, and nations bow down (saha - worship, reverence, bow down to royalty or God) to you. Be master (gebir - lord, ruler) over your brethren, and let your mother's sons bow down (saha - see above) to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be those who bless you!" (Gen 27:29). This is the royal election of the Messiah/Christ, who is both King and God, passed on from Isaac to Jacob, the younger son, as the LORD prophesied previously to Rebekah.

     As a result of his father's blessing of Jacob, "Esau hated (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Jacob...and Esau said in his heart, 'The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Jacob." (Gen. 27:41).

     Generations later, in another reading portion from this Toldot Sabbath, Esau's descendants, which became the nation of Edom, also sought to destroy Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel, and the judgment of God was rendered against them. The seed of election, the Messiah/Christ, had already been identified as coming down the toldot generations of King David (see 2 Sam. 7:16-18), who was of the tribe of Judah. The LORD condemned Edom for their actions against Jerusalem/Judah: "For violence against your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever...You should not have entered the gate of My people in the day of their calamity...You should not have stood at the crossroads to cut off them who escaped...As you have done, it shall be done unto you; your reprisal shall return upon your own head...But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions...and no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau,' for the LORD has spoken." (Obadiah v. 10-18, excerpt).

     Many generations before, Edom had also refused to help Israel when they were in the wilderness after their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. (see Num. 20:14-21). Moses had requested that Edom allow Israel to follow The King's (melek - king, royal, prince) Highway (derek - journey, manner, path, direction, course of life, way of living), which passed through Edom. Edom had refused to allow them to do this and gathered an army to keep them out.

     The descendants of Esau were the nation of Edom, as mentioned. However, that nation was also called Idumea. The Herods were Idumean kings that took the throne of Israel. The first Herod, Herod the Great of Judea, sought to kill all of the young male children of Bethlehem in order to kill the Messiah/Christ Child, Jesus, after He was born. This event is known as "The Slaughter of the Innocents." (see Mt. 2:16-18). Again, we see the enmity of the serpent for the woman and her Seed, and the despising for the election of God. This enmity is concentrated upon the Savior Messiah/Christ.

     The hatred of Esau for his brother Jacob did not remain between two individuals as we see above, but it was carried down the toldot generations of Esau against the elected of God, who were identified as those who carried the Seed and the promise of the Messiah/Christ. The hatred is about more than the land. It is the hatred that the serpent/Satan of the Garden of Eden carries for the prophesied Seed (of the woman), and the people who have been elected to carry that Seed. The hope in and prayers for the Messiah/Christ, the King of Israel, are still held in the hearts of Israel.

     From another reading portion from this Toldot Sabbath, the LORD reminds Israel/Jacob that He elected them even as He hated (sane - to utterly hate an odious enemy) Esau the twin brother of Jacob.  However, the prophet Malachi wrote that even though the LORD elected Israel/Jacob, they did not appreciate Him as their Father and Master, and they despised (baza - see above) His name. (Mal. 1:2-3, 6). Israel was elected by the foreknowledge of God, yet they treated Him with the same baza contempt that Esau had regarding his birthright. It is very grievous when the elect despise or take for granted their election.

     What does this understanding of election mean for those, both Jew and Gentile, who believe that Jesus is Messiah/Christ, the Son of God?

     Jesus described our direct attachment to Him and the resulting fruit of that attachment. He used the illustration of Himself as the vine, and us as the branches produced by that vine. So long as we remain attached to Him as our Vine, we will produce much fruit. Without Him as our life-giving vine we cannot produce that fruit (see zera/zara above as being His seed/fruit/harvest). (Jn. 15:1-8). This is what it means to be the toldot spiritual descendants of Jesus.

     Jesus also pointed out that because He chose us, we, like Him, will be hated and persecuted by the world (Jn. 15:18-25), which brings us back to that same enmity between the serpent and the woman who has the Seed. This enmity is eternal and ongoing.

     This enmity continues to manifest against Israel and also those who believe Jesus, the Messiah/Christ. The Book of Revelation gives us the prophetic unveiling of this continuing enmity against the royal woman who gives birth to the promised Seed: "...And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne...the dragon...that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan...persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child...And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." (Rev. 12, excerpts).

     One reason that the serpent continues to war so continuously against the woman, who I believe are the elect of Israel/Jacob, and those who are Christ's progeny and fruitful seed in the earth, is because both will play a role in the return of Messiah/Christ to rule and reign on earth. Jesus told Jerusalem: "...for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!" (Mt. 23:39). Jesus was not referring to His entrance into Jerusalem when the crowds previously said: "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest!" (Mt. 21:9), because His words over Jerusalem above are said after that event.

     They will call out to Him again, He will answer, and they will see Him again.

     The Book of Revelation closes with the words of Jesus and this prayer to Him from His chosen disciple, John: "He (meaning Jesus) who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming quickly.' Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev. 22:20).

     The elect, and the seed of Christ are still testifying, and calling out.

     If you would like to learn more about the elect of God in the earth, you can pray with me: "Father, You have elected individuals and generations of descendants in order to fulfill Your gracious plan of Salvation through Your Son, Jesus. Although Satan continues his enmity against You, You have rescued and preserved Your people. You have placed within those whom You elected a purpose and fruitfulness that will yield a great harvest for Your Kingdom, and for Your King of Kings, Jesus. Please Father, I never want to despise Your election, but ask that by Your Word and Your Spirit in me, and Christ in me the hope of glory, that I would show forth the good and miraculous works of Your election through Christ so that others may see them and praise God. Let my testimony and prayers bring Jesus closer to moment of His return. I ask this in the name of Jesus. AMEN."

*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.