"If I shut up the heavens and there is no rain; if I command the locusts to ravage the land; or if I let loose pestilence against My people, when My people, who bear My name, humble themselves, pray, and seek My favor and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear in My heavenly abode and forgive their sins and heal their land." II Chronicles 7:13-14 |
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adapted from an article by Ken Graydon
Introduction
Samuel tells the ancient story of the time the Philistines captured the land of Israel and got rid of the blacksmiths. None of the Hebrews had a sword, or the means to make or get one. The Tanakh is the Sword of ETERNAL and we live in a time when the "philistines" have tried to take away our sword and likewise the means to learn about it.This booklet is a tough read. IF you have the courage to read it through. IF you have the curiosity to check the details in your Scriptures. IF you are strong enough to stand against the accepted dogma of the day. Then you will know that you are being called by the CREATOR of the Universe to a new level of obedience and understanding.
Can you turn your back on things that you, your family and friends, have probably believed for years or even generations? Can you be the one in ten thousand who will respond to the truth? Are you part of the remnant? Will you make a stand for the ETERNAL? Will you worship His way, on His day? Will you keep His Feasts at His times?
In these pages, you will see proofs, demonstrated in Scripture, about The Redeemer, The Savior, and The Mashiach (Messiah) that will be truth - not pagan imitations. You will see how the ETERNAL has tested us and most of us have failed! You will see things that will help you understand why the ETERNAL is so angry with the shepherds (pastors, ministers, priests, popes, rabbi's etc.).
This is a trail of tears - there will be hurt and loss, there will be anger but once you come through that you will be among the blessed and protected. Out of change and repentance comes healing and understanding.
You are now facing a critically important decision - once you see the truth, you have to act on it - or suffer the consequences. If you read from this point forward, you will never be the same again. Pray for guidance and strength.
The Day Test
Does it not strike you as odd that the vast majority of people who claim to worship the ETERNAL ignore His Commandment "To honour the seventh day"? The King James Bible mentions keeping the Sabbath 144 times. Do you think the ETERNAL is trying to tell us this is important?Exodus 16:25-26. 1 Moses said "Eat it [manna] today, for today is a Sabbath for ETERNAL; 2 today you shall not find it in the field. Six days shall you gather it, but the seventh day is a Sabbath, on it there will be none."
...16:26-30 It happened on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather, and they did not find any. ETERNAL said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to observe My Commandments and My Teachings? See that I have given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day I give you a two-day portion of bread. Let every man remain in his place; let no man leave his place on the seventh day." The people rested on the seventh day.
ETERNAL delivered manna for six days, with a double portion on the sixth day, for the FORTY YEARS of the exodus.
Exodus 20:8-11. Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it. Six days shall you work and accomplish all your work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath to ETERNAL; you shall not do any work -- you, your son, your daughter, your slave, your maidservant, your animal, and your convert within your gates -- for in six days ETERNAL made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day. Therefore ETERNAL blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.
Exodus 31:12-17. ETERNAL said to Moses, saying: "Now you speak to the Children of Israel saying 'However, you must observe My Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you for your generations, to know that I am ETERNAL, Who makes you righteous. You shall observe the Sabbath, for it is set apart to you; its desecrators shall be put to death, for whoever does work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among its people. For six days may work be done and the seventh day is a day of complete rest, it is sacred to ETERNAL; whoever does work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death.' The Children of Israel shall observe the Sabbath, to make the Sabbath an eternal covenant for their generations. Between Me and the Children of Israel it is a sign forever that in a six day period ETERNAL made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed."
There you have it. The Sabbath is an Eternal Covenant - a sign forever between the Children of Israel and ETERNAL. The Jews are just one thirteenth of the Children of Israel. The ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom were taken away into captivity and have never returned. Their journeys and intermingling with the European and Middle Eastern peoples have spread them throughout the world. The Children of Israel have a weakness for worshipping other "gods" or idols and you would expect to find their descendants involved with the various religions around the world, but waiting on a call that will reveal to them their need to worship ETERNAL. Keeping the Sabbath is the first test of obedience. Remember that ETERNAL's days begin at sunset so the Sabbath begins at sunset, wherever you live, each Friday and runs through to sunset Saturday. You will find that as you keep the Sabbath ETERNAL will bless you and increase your understanding. There is nothing in the inspired writings of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament or Tanakh) that gives any reason to think that the Sabbath day has been changed or ever could be. Will you pass this first test? Will you keep the Sabbath as ETERNAL commanded?
A Personal Note
My wife and I kept the Sabbath, with varying degrees of success, for three years while still going along to Sunday church. We found that the ETERNAL honored even this token effort and added to our understanding. The Pastor at a Perth 'charismatic church' actually forbade us to discuss our Sabbath-keeping with other members saying, "It's not our doctrine." He was right; it is the ETERNAL's doctrine.Why You?
You are reading this because you already keep the Sabbath to some extent. This is a very important sign that you are obedient to the CREATOR of the universe, as you understand His word.This booklet comes out of a series of teachings at our home group. It is an answer to the prayers of people wanting to be available for the ETERNAL and serve Him. This booklet based entirely on the Tanakh is a series of revealed truths. If you will read the scriptures (see them in context not just in this booklet) and pray and seek the revelation of ETERNAL you will know how to proceed from here.
You are not being asked to join anything or believe anything. What you join or believe is between you and the CREATOR of the Universe and not between you and me. However, should you wish to contact us please do so, as we will be praying that the ETERNAL will bless you with understanding:
Joshua 1:7. Only be very strong and courageous, to observe, to do, according to the entire Torah that Moses My servant commanded you; do not deviate from it to the right or to the left, in order that you may succeed wherever you will go.
The Savior Test
If you have been caught up in one of the great deceptions you may very well be amazed and astonished to find out that ETERNAL is our REDEEMER - SAVIOR*, and is The Rock**.* Psalms 106:21; Isaiah 41:13-14; 43:1-3,11-12,25-26; 45:15,21; 47:4; 49:26; 54:5; 60:16; 63:8; Jeremiah 14:7-8; Hosea 13:4.
** Deuteronomy 32:3-4,15,18; 2 Samuel 22:2-3,47; Psalms 144:1; Isaiah 44:5-6,8; 46:9; Habakkuk 1:12.
Let us first spend a brief time discussing the Scriptures. The Tanakh, the Hebrew Scriptures that are the basis of the Old Testament, was first written in Hebrew with a small portion in Aramaic. The Hebrew language does not have numbers in it so letters have a numerical value. If you copy a line of Hebrew you can add up the value of the letters to ensure that what you have written is identical to the line you copied. This is how the Hebrew writings of the Tanakh have been preserved over time so that they are always the same. A committee of three men checks the writing of the scribes of the Tanakh - if there is one error, the whole scroll is discarded. This method of checking does not apply to English or the source languages used for other translations of the Scriptures. A further complication is that, in order to obtain a copyright for a 'new' translation of the Scriptures it is necessary that it is different from other translations - this does not lend itself to accuracy.
Through the word of the prophets, ETERNAL speaks to us. In each of the following extracts, ETERNAL is making it abundantly clear that He is the only Redeemer, the only Savior, and the only Mighty One of Israel. If you believe there is more than one being in the godhead you are in error. In addition to just being in error, if you teach other people that there is more than one being - their blood is on your hands. This is where the rubber hits the road, there is nowhere to hide; the ETERNAL will find you.
Savior and Redeemer
Part of ETERNAL's test for us is to determine if His Hebrew Children of Israel will remain faithful to Him as their ONLY Savior and Redeemer.Isaiah 41:13-14. "For I am ETERNAL, your CREATOR, who grasps your right hand, Who says to you: 'Fear not, for I help you!' Fear not, O worm of Jacob, O men of Israel, for I help you - the word of ETERNAL and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel." There is no prophecy in the Hebrew scriptures of a 'Savior' coming to cleanse the sins of humankind because there is, in place already, a Day when our sins against ETERNAL are forgiven. 4 That is The Day of Atonement, described in Leviticus 23 as a Law for all time, throughout the ages. No one who is obedient to the CREATOR of the Universe needs any other 'god' or a sacrifice - particularly since human sacrifice is strictly forbidden in the Tanakh. The Eucharist with its partaking of the flesh and blood of a supposed savior man-god is a TOTAL ABOMINATION to ETERNAL and is nauseating sight for Him to see.
Isaiah 42:5-8. Thus said the CREATOR, "Who created the heavens and stretched them forth; Who formed the earth and its produce, who gave a soul to the people upon it, and a spirit to those who walk on it: I am ETERNAL. I have called you with righteousness; I will strengthen your hand; I will protect you; I will set you for a Covenant to the people, for a light to the nations; to open blind eyes; to remove a prisoner from confinement, dwellers in darkness from a dungeon. I am ETERNAL that is My Name; I shall not give My praise to another, nor My praise to graven idols." There is not only no other "Savior" and there is no other "god!" 5 That is the basic message of Isaiah Forty-three:
Isaiah 43:1-3. "And now, thus says ETERNAL, your Creator, O Jacob; the One Who fashioned you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through water I am with you; through rivers, they will not wash you away; when you walk through fire, you will not be singed, and no flame will burn you. For I am ETERNAL your CREATOR, the Mighty One of Israel, your Savior."
Isaiah 43:11-12. I, even I, am ETERNAL, And besides Me there is no savior. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, and there was no foreign god among you; therefore you are My witnesses," Says ETERNAL, "that I am Sovereign."
Isaiah 43:25. "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.
ETERNAL is adamant that only He removes and forgets your sins - no third party is needed for this and He is the only CREATOR and Redeemer:
Isaiah 44:6,24. Thus said ETERNAL, King of Israel and its Redeemer, ETERNAL, Master of Legions: "I am the first and I am the last, and aside from Me there is no god." ...Thus said ETERNAL, your Redeemer and the One Who formed you from the womb: "I am ETERNAL, Who has made everything; Who spread out the heavens by Myself, and firmed the earth of My own accord."
The Tanakh is the story of ETERNAL's relationship with us and a series of Covenants that He put in place which enable us to relate directly with Him, communicate with and, even more important, worship Him as He demands. In addition, He abhors an idol of a graven image on wood:
Isaiah 45:20-22 Gather yourselves, come and approach together, O survivors of the nations, who do not know, who carry about the wood of their graven image, and pray to a god who cannot save. Proclaim and approach; even let your leaders take counsel together: Who let this be heard from aforetimes, or related it from of old? Is it not I, ETERNAL? There is no other god besides Me; there is no righteous god beside Me and no Savior other than Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am ETERNAL and there is no other.
ETERNAL makes and keeps His promises to us. If it is written in the Tanakh, it will happen. If you are obedient you will be strengthened, blessed, and protected. Even more, you will be a blessing to other people because of your obedience.
Isaiah 54:5. For your Master is your Maker, ETERNAL, Master of Legions is His Name; your Redeemer is the Mighty One of Israel; CREATOR of all the world will He be called.
Hosea 13:4. I am ETERNAL your ETERNAL since the land of Egypt, and you should not have known any god besides Me, for there is no Savior but Me.
Joel 2:27. Then you will know that in the midst of Israel am I, and that I am ETERNAL your CREATOR, there is none other; and My people will not be shamed evermore.
Spend time in prayer, and study of the Scriptures - Quest for the truth of the Scriptures and grow with it, for the life you save may be your own!
David - The Once and Future King
The Scriptures speak often of a Messiah - the word means an "anointed one" or "Mashiach" 10 - and Satan is trying to mislead you concerning the identity of the Messiah (Mashiach). The prophecies about the Mashiach are in the Tanakh because the promise is to Israel. The Jews (i.e. the Judah) are just one-thirteenth part of Israel. The first time the word Jew is used in the KJV (2 Kings 16:5-6) the Jews are at war with Israel! There are no prophecies that the Mashiach was to be born of a virgin (that's paganism) or that he would be killed and come back for a second effort (that is also paganism). The Mashiach is prophesied to be raised up from the grave (there is no Hebrew word for resurrect) at the end of days.1 Samuel 16:12-13. He [Jesse] sent and brought him [David]. He [David] was ruddy, with fair eyes and pleasing appearance. ETERNAL then said, "Arise and anoint him, for this is he!" Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers, and the spirit of ETERNAL passed over David from that day on. Then Samuel arose and went to Ramah. You will understand the significance of the spirit of ETERNAL coming on David from that day on as you, yourself, dig into these verses in your scriptures. 11
Isaiah 11:1-5. A staff will arise from the stump of Jesse and a shoot will sprout from his roots. The spirit of ETERNAL will rest upon him - a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and strength, a spirit of knowledge and fear of ETERNAL. He will be imbued with a spirit of fear for ETERNAL; and will not need to judge by what his eyes see nor decide by what his ears hear. He will judge the destitute with righteousness, and decide with fairness for the humble of the earth. He will strike the wicked of the world with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips, he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be the girdle round his loins, and faith will be the girdle round his waist.
You know what happens when a root sprouts - a branch (staff) comes out of the ground. Where is King David at this time? He is in the ground. As we noted the spirit of ETERNAL rests upon him.
Isaiah 55:3-5. "Incline your [David] ear and come to Me [ETERNAL]; listen, and your soul will be rejuvenated; I will make an Eternal Covenant with you, the enduring kindnesses promised to David. Behold I have appointed [you] as a witness over the regimes, a prince and a commander to the regimes. Behold, you will summon a nation you had not known, and a nation that had not known you will run to you, for the sake of the ETERNAL, your CREATOR, for the Mighty One of Israel, Who has glorified you."
ETERNAL made an eternal Covenant with David. This covenant and prophecy was not fulfilled in David's lifetime, but will be at the time of his rising from the grave (or if you would, at his second coming).
Jeremiah 23:5-6. "Behold days are coming--declares the of ETERNAL--when I will establish a righteous sprout from David; a king will reign and prosper and he will administer justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. This is the name people will call him: ETERNAL is our righteousness.
ETERNAL speaks against the shepherds and then says that David would rise to reign as king with great power.
Jeremiah 33:14-15. "Behold days are coming--declares the of ETERNAL--when I will fulfill the favorable matter that I spoke concerning the House of Israel and the House of Judah. In those days, at that time, I will cause a sprout of righteousness to sprout forth for David, and he will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
This repeats the prophecy that David will reign over a period of righteousness and prosperity over a combined Judah and Israel. Will you be there too? You can!
Ezekieliel 34:22-25. "So I will save My sheep, and they will no longer be for spoils, and I will judge between lamb and lamb. I will establish over them a single shepherd and he will tend them - My servant David; he will tend them and he will be a shepherd unto them. And I, ETERNAL, I will be Sovereign to them, and My servant David a prince among them. I, ETERNAL, have spoken. I will seal a covenant of peace with them and abolish evil beast from the land; and they will dwell securely in the wilderness, and sleep in the forests."
ETERNAL will severely judge the shepherds who have mislead or exploited the people in their care. The end of days will be secure for the people who find and seize the truth and practice it. Do not just talk about it, you must live by it!
Ezekiel 37:21-26. 'Thus said ETERNAL: Behold, I am taking the Children of Israel from among the nations to which they have gone; I will gather them from all around and I will bring them to their soil; I will make them into one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel, and one king will be a king for them all; they will no longer be two nations, and they will no longer be divided into two kingdoms, ever again. They will no longer be contaminated with their idols and with their abhorrent things and with all their sins. I will save them, taking them, from all their dwelling places in which they had sinned, and I will purify them; they will be a nation to Me, and I will be the ETERNAL to them. My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them; they will follow My ordinances and keep My decrees and fulfill them. They will dwell on the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, within which your fathers dwelled; they and their children and their children's children will dwell upon it forever; and My servant David will be a leader for them forever. I will seal a covenant of peace with them; it will be an Eternal Covenant with them; and I will emplace them and increase them, and I will place My Sanctuary among them forever.
The Hebrews, those of us being called out now to make a stand for ETERNAL's Laws, Feasts, and Ordinances have these wonderful assurances. You will have to decide if you will obey the CREATOR of the Universe and do His will or will you be lost in the mire of pagan beliefs and do what the majority of people are doing. It is simple, but it is not easy! Why? Because you have to stand against the tide, but ETERNAL provides support and you can make it.
Hosea 3:4-5 For many days the Children of Israel will sit with no king, no officer, no sacrifice, no pillar, and no Ephod or Teraphim. Afterward the Children of Israel will return and seek out ETERNAL and David their king and they will tremble for ETERNAL and for His goodness in the end of days.
We, the Children of Israel, will seek out the ETERNAL and our understanding of the facts that we have to keep the Sabbath and that we know who the Mashiach is, are sure signs that we have been Questing for the Ancient of Days and that we are on the way to finding Him.
Psalm 2:7-9 "I (King David) am obliged to proclaim that ETERNAL said to me, 'You (King David) are My son, I have begotten you (King David) this day. Ask of Me and I will make nations your inheritance, and the ends of the earth your possession. You (King David) will smash them with an iron rod; you will shatter them like a potter's vessel."'
I know you have heard this Psalm attributed to others but it is King David sharing the very good news that the ETERNAL had said David is His begotten son.
Psalm 16:8-11 "I (King David) have set ETERNAL before me always; because He is at my right hand I shall not falter. For this reason, my heart rejoices and my soul is elated; my flesh, too, rests in confidence; because You will not abandon my (King David) soul to the grave. You will not allow Your devout one (King David) to witness destruction. You will make known to me the path of life, the fullness of joys in Your Presence; the delights that are in Your right hand are for eternity.
David knows he will not spend eternity in the grave - he is coming back to experience joy for eternity with ETERNAL. That assurance is also for us.
Psalm 89:21-28 "I have found David, My servant; with My special oil I have anointed him; with whom My hand shall be established, My arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not exact from him, nor shall the iniquitous person afflict him. And I will smash his tormentors from before him, and smite those who hate him. And My faithfulness and My kindness shall be with him, and through My Name his power shall be exalted. And I will set his hand upon the sea, and his right hand upon the rivers. He will call to Me, 'You are my Father, my Sovereign, and the Rock of my salvation!' I, too, will make him a first-born, supreme over the earth's kings."
Psalm 110:1-4 (Written about David and Elijah) 12 . "The word of ETERNAL to my master. 'Wait at My right, until I make your enemies a stool for your feet" ETERNAL will dispatch the staff of your strength from Zion; rule amid your enemies! Your people volunteer on the day of your campaign; because of your majestic sanctity from the inception of your reign, you retain the dew like freshness of your youth. ETERNAL has sworn and will not relent, "You shall be a priest forever, because you are a king of righteousness."
David receives the promise that his enemies will be a stool beneath his feet and Elijah receives the promise the he will be a priest forever. Those of us who support him will be volunteers in the campaigns to come. We will want to be on the side of the winners, the scriptures clearly show the ETERNAL's side, with King David and Elijah will be the winning side.
The ETERNAL Offers Healing.
Many of us, on the long walk we have been on, before this revelation of the truth by ETERNAL have been involved in what we have called 'the healing ministry.' I spent twenty years as a priest with the Old Catholic Church and I have used gallons of oil, healing cloths, prayer prescriptions, formula prayers, 'sacraments,' and who knows what else to 'do' healing. There were 'miracles,' but I now know (and have repented of) the powers I was using.Healing has become an industry. Multi-millionaire showmen invoke the pagan deities--at least in one case [by allegedly] having a discussion with the spirit of the late Kathryn Kuhlman--bring about healing and prosperity (mainly theirs). The simplicity of ETERNAL's teaching about healing has become distorted, abused and a deliberate means of hiding the truth.
As with most things taught in Chr-stianity the opposite is the truth. The Torah does not record individuals who had a 'healing ministry'. Healing happened for very specific reasons and no one was taken by surprise. Most people knew why they had become ill and what steps they had to take to seek healing. The major step is always a repentant and contrite heart but you may have to do something to undo a wrong you have committed as the following example shows:Genesis 20:15-18. 13 "And Abimalech said 'Behold, my land is before you: settle wherever you see fit' And to Sarah he said, 'Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold! Let it be for you an eye covering for all who are with you; and to all you will be vindicated.' Abraham prayed to ETERNAL, and ETERNAL healed Abimalech, his wife, and his maids, and they were relieved; for the ETERNAL had completely restrained every orifice 14 of the household of Abimalech, because of Sarah, the wife of Abraham.
On other occasions not only was it necessary to repent and seek the forgiveness of the injured party, but also there was a penalty to be paid. You do not just 'get away' with it as the next Scripture shows:
Numbers 12:10-15. "The cloud had departed from atop the Tent, and behold! Miriam was afflicted with tzaraas (leprosy), like snow! Aaron turned to Miriam and behold! She was afflicted with tzaraas. Aaron said to Moses, 'I beg you, my lord, do not cast a sin upon us, for we have been foolish and we have sinned. Let her not be like a corpse, like one who leaves his mother's womb with half his flesh having been consumed!' Moses cried out to the ETERNAL, saying, 'Please, CREATOR, heal her now.' ETERNAL said to Moses, 'Were her father to spit in her face, would she not be humiliated for seven days? Let her be quarantined outside the camp for seven days, and then she may be brought in.'"
ETERNAL makes it very clear that He is the ONE who has the power. He does not share that power at all:
Deuteronomy 32:39. "See, now, that I, I am He --and no god is with Me. I put to death and I bring life, I struck down and I will heal, and there is no rescuer from My hand."
Followers of other religions also knew the power of ETERNAL. In the following excerpt from the Tanakh we also see the need for a guilt offering which was to do two things:
First, it would enable ETERNAL to heal.
Second, it would give an understanding of why they had been afflicted.
This is an important point because ETERNAL does not simply afflict us (or allow us to be afflicted), there is a reason, and we are to seek that reason. It is not always a personal failing, as many of the illnesses during the Exodus were a corporate punishment:
1 Samuel 6:2-3. "The Philistines called upon the priests and sorcerers, saying, 'What shall we do about the Ark of the SOVEREIGN of Israel? Inform us how we should send it to its place!' They replied, 'If you are sending back the Ark of the SOVEREIGN of Israel, you must not send it empty handed, but you must certainly send back a guilt-offering to Him. Then you will be healed, and you will realize why His hand would not turn away from against you.'"
Another very important aspect of healing is the spoken word. You will remember that the CREATOR spoke the whole process of creation into being. How often do we speak circumstances into our lives that are not what we wish to experience?
2 Kings 2:19-22. "The people of the city told Elisha, 'Behold, living in this city is pleasant, as my master can see, but the water is bad, making the land deadly.' He said, 'Get me a new jar and put salt in it,' and they brought it to him. He went out to the source of the water and threw salt there, and he said 'Thus said the CREATOR, I have cured this water; there shall no longer be from it death and bereavement." So, the water became cured, until this day, like the word of Elisha that he had spoken."
Continuing to read past this passage you will see the story of some children who insult Elisha and he speaks a curse on them which causes forty-two of them to die. Words have power.
Another very encouraging matter is that ETERNAL will change His mind, for His own reasons. He does ask us to put Him in remembrance of His words and you can only do that if you are studying His Word and know what He says. In this next passage, we see that Isaiah reveals the truth to Hezekiah. Hezekiah confronts ETERNAL who changes His mind. Isaiah has not even left the building before he is sent back to reveal the coming healing to Hezekiah.
2 Kings 20:1-6. "In those days Hezekiah became deathly ill. Isaiah son of Amos, the prophet, came to him and said to him, 'Thus said the ETERNAL; instruct your household, for you shall die; and you shall not live.' Hezekiah then turned his face to the wall and prayed to ETERNAL, saying, 'Please, ETERNAL, remember now that I have walked before You faithfully and wholeheartedly, and I have done what is good in Your eyes.' And Hezekiah wept an intense weeping. And it was when Isaiah had not yet left the middle courtyard: the Word of ETERNAL came to him, saying, 'Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of My people, "Thus said ETERNAL Elohim of your forefather David: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I am healing you; on the third day you will go up to the Temple of the ETERNAL. I will add fifteen years to your life and I will rescue you and this city from the grip of the king of Assyria. I will protect this city for My sake and for the sake of My servant David."'"
As you see ETERNAL has changed His mind, but it was to protect the city and for His and David's sake. There was a reason for Him to change His mind, but Hezekiah had to pray the prayer and shed the tears.
We all have a need to repent. Every day we will have said, done, or thought something that requires our repentance. It is a wonderful thing that the CREATOR of the Universe takes time out to listen to and respond to our repentance with His forgiveness. The healing that comes because of our repentance is not only for ourselves it is for "this people"--Israel.
Isaiah 6:9-10. "He said, 'Go and say to this people, Surely you hear, but do not comprehend; and surely you see, but you fail to know.' This people is fattening its heart, hardening its ears, and sealing its eyes, lest it see with its eyes, hear with its ears and understand with its heart, so that it will repent and be healed."
Isaiah 57:18-19. "But when I see his contrite ways, I will heal him; I will guide him and recompense him and his mourners with consolations. I create the speech of the lips: 'Peace, peace, for the far and near' says ETERNAL 'and I will heal him.'"
Everything we need to know about healing is in the Hebrew Scriptures. We particularly need to know that our healing will come out of our personal relationship with ETERNAL. You do not need anyone else to intercede on your behalf. You are chosen -- or else you would not be reading this and therefore, ETERNAL wants to participate in your life for the good.
Hosea 6:1-3. "Come let us return to ETERNAL, for He has mangled us and He will heal us; He has smitten and He will bandage us. He will heal us after two days; on the third day, He will raise us up and we will live before Him. Let us know; let us strive to know ETERNAL like the dawn whose emergence is certain; then He will come to us like the rain, like the late rain that satiates the earth.
It is a challenge to each one of us, wherever we live, to take on board the Scripture passage that is the 'slogan' of the United Hebrew Congregations:
2 Chronicles 7:14 "If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
Does your land need healing? It surely does and what a good example you will be when your land (or circumstances) is healed and your sins are truly forgiven.
Isaiah 45:18-25 "For thus says ETERNAL, 'Who created the heavens, Who is CREATOR, 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 ETERNAL, and there is no other." I have not spoken in secret, In a dark place of the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, 'Seek Me in vain'; I, ETERNAL, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. Assemble yourselves and come; Draw near together, You who have escaped from the nations. They have no knowledge, who carry the wood of their carved image, And pray to a god that cannot save. Tell and bring forth your case; yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, ETERNAL? And there is no other Sovereign besides Me, A just Sovereign and a Savior; THERE IS NONE BESIDES ME. Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am Sovereign, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath. He shall say, 'Surely in ETERNAL I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, And all shall be ashamed who are incensed against Him.' In ETERNAL all the descendants of Israel shall be justified, and shall glory.'"
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Footnotes
1.
Unless otherwise noted all Scriptures quoted are from the Tanakh 1985. If you are using an Old Testament there may be one or two verse numbering variations in the passages mentioned. We use ETERNAL or CREATOR instead of the words HaShem or "God." respectively.
2.
HaShem means "The Name" and is used to substitute for ETERNAL's Name by those who feel that our CREATOR's Name should not be uttered. Another gimmick to keep from pronouncing it is to misspell it as in "Elokim" or leave the vowels out as in "L-rd" or "G-d."
In the Hebrew Scriptures our CREATOR tells us to call upon His Name, in Modern Hebrew it is 
(Yod-He-Waw-He) and 
(Yod-He-Waw-He) in the older Paleo Hebrew, being translated into English as YHWH and ETERNAL respectively. The Orthodox Jews use YHVH, but I prefer the older rendition YHWH (before Babylon) ETERNAL.
CREATOR tells us to "LET HIS NAME BE ON OUR LIPS and in our minds and hearts" (Psalm. 91:14). So what has humankind done? Just the opposite, no one even knows how many vowels go with the four consonants of the Name, much less which ones and how it should be pronounced. This change occurred while the Jewish people were in Babylonian captivity.
When in captivity in Babylon the Jewish people learned certain practices from their heathen captors. One of these items was the practice of "ineffability." This was the practice of not speaking the name of your mighty one in an effort to avoid making him angry. After adopting this practice, the Jewish scribes removed the name Yod-Hey-Waw-Hey and it disappeared some 6813 times from the Hebrew Scriptures and was replaced by "Adonai." This Babylonian substitution was justified by saying that the name Yod-Hey-Waw-Hey was so reverent that it just could not be spoken. Eventually, "Adonai" was replaced with "HaShem" (the Name). The English "Bibles" have put "the LORD" in all of those 6813 places. (adapted from K. Laymon)The basic meaning or translation of the Tetragrammaton (the four constants ETERNAL) is the "Ever Living One" or simply "ETERNAL." Since the original sound has been lost and cannot be transliterated into English, then the translation of the meaning of the Name is as close to the original as we can get--until the advent of the Mashiach and the Prophet to tell us what it was originally. Until then, We refuse to guess as to how His Righteous Name might sound. We would rather speak the meaning of the Name which is "ETERNAL" than to use a made up or pretend name. Incidentally, ETERNAL is the translation of His Name and IS NOT a title.
Notice He originally told Moses what His name was:
Ex 3:13-15. "Then Moses said to The Mighty One, 'I am to go, then, to the sons of Israel and say to them, The Mighty One of your fathers has sent me to you. But if they ask me what His Name is, what am I to tell them?' And The Mighty One said to Moses, 'I Am [#H1961 I exist] who I Am [I exist]. This,' He added, 'is what you must say to the sons of Israel: "I Am [I exist] has sent me to you.'" And The Mighty One also said to Moses. 'You are to say to the sons of Israel: (Yod-Hey-Waw-Hey ETERNAL) [#H3068 ETERNAL] the Mighty One of your fathers, the Mighty One of Abraham, the Mighty One of Isaac, and the Mighty One of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My Name for all time; by this Name I shall be invoked for all generations to come.'"
Therefore, we will use ETERNAL or ETERNAL in place of "the Lord" and CREATOR, SOVEREIGN, or Mighty One in place of "God."
3.
See our article "The Test."
4.
The blood of the sacrifices in ancient Israel did not forgive sin, nor will it ever will. The sacrifices and thus the Day of Atonement only serve to impress the seriousness of our sin before our CREATOR. The thing that forgives sin is a broken-hearted repentant attitude with a humble and contrite heart. Under those conditions, if we ask ETERNAL for forgiveness - then He will grant it as He did to King David as in Psalm 51.
5.
Deuteronomy 6:4. "Hear, O Israel: ETERNAL our SOVEREIGN ETERNAL is one! You shall love ETERNAL your SOVEREIGN with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
6.
The image could have been sculpted, carved, engraved, or cast (which is the definition of graven). In any event, it could be cross of wood with an image of a dead man hanging on it.
7.
See (Deuteronomy 32:4; 2 Samuel 22:2-3; Isaiah 44:5-6,8; Habakkuk 1:12).
8.
Sacrificial animals were to be unblemished - so a beaten, whipped, and circumcised individual could not be acceptable, further all first-born children and animals were automatically ETERNAL's and could not be sacrificed. See our article "Does Israel's CREATOR Require Blood to Atone for Sin?"
9.
See (Psalm 34:18: 51:17; Isaiah 57:15; 66:2).
10.
Holman Dictionary for Windows, version. 1.0. "MESSIAH (Mehs si' uh) Transliteration of Hebrew word [Mashiach maw-shee'-akh] meaning, "anointed one" that was translated into Greek as Christos. ... Since apostolic times the name 'Christ' has become the proper name of 'Jesus,' the Person whom Christians recognize as the 'God'-given Redeemer of Israel and the church's 'Lord.' 'Christ' or MESSIAH is therefore a name admirably suited to express both the church's link with Israel through the Old Testament...."
Thus, we would rather use the word Mashiach rather than Messiah since word Messiah is a Greek word and is more closely associated with the man from Galilee who is no god.
11.
See our article "New Proof of the Messiah."
12.
See our article "New Proof of the Messiah" for a full explanation of Psalm 110.
13.
Scriptures are from Artscroll Series/Stone Edition Tanach 1996.
14.
Editor's Note: The English word "orifice" comes from the Hebrew word "rechem" (rekh'-em) #H7358. Strong's states it means the womb and is comparable with "racham" (rakh'-am) #H7356 which has sometimes been translated in the KJV as bowels. Gesenius' states it means "inner parts." Thus, the Stone's translation as "orifice" better fits with the context because it states that Abimelech was also healed and he did not have a "womb." In the past I have wondered about Abimelech being healed and that if the wombs were shut, it would take several months for the folks to realize there was no impregnating happening. However, it would attract Abimelech's immediate and undivided attention if his and the other folks "orifices" were closed because there would no way for them to relieve themselves. This incident shows the great sense of justice and humor that our ETERNAL CREATOR has. Since Abimelech was trying to penetrate Sarah's womb orifice, I cannot think of a punishment more suitable to the crime, than to have ALL orifices shut up tight immediately, his and the other folks. Also, notice that when Abraham prayed the folks were "relieved."
