The concept of a God-man savior preceded the pagan counterfeits, when God revealed the woman (no mention of a man, since God is His Father) would give birth to One who would suffer and die but would be resurrected and crush the snake and defeat his purpose against mankind (Gen. 3:15).

The suffering servant of Isaiah 53 is the Jewish nation.

Many Jewish people are self-righteous enough to consider themselves worthy of atoning for mankind, but only One from the Jewish nation - Yeshua - qualifies, having died and been resurrected, atoning for many, seeing his spiritual descendants, since He is alive. How else could someone who died - as the The Suffering Servant did (Israel is still alive - remember Am Israel Chai? The Nation/People of Israel lives), see the travail of His soul was well worth the sacrifice?

Isaiah 53:

1 “Who has believed our report? (most of Judah and Israel - professing Christianity - haven’t believed the Report and either reject Yeshua or accept a Gentilized version)

And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,

And as a root out of dry ground.

He has no form or comeliness;

And when we see Him,

There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

3 He is despised and rejected by men,

A Man (not a nation, a man) of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And we (collective Israel, especially Judah) hid, as it were, our faces from Him;

He (one man) was despised, and we (Israel/Judah) did not esteem Him.

4 Surely He has borne our griefs

And carried our sorrows;

Yet we (collective Israel/Judah) esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten by God, and afflicted (and curse His holy Name).

5 But He was wounded for our (Israel/Judah) transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we (Israel/Judah) are healed.

6 All we (Israel/Judah) like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He opened not His mouth;

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

So He opened not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment,

And who will declare His generation?

For He was cut off from the land of the living (just as Daniel foresaw He went “missing”);

For the transgressions of My people (the sins of Israel and Judah - they can’t be their own savior) He was stricken.

9 And they made His grave with the wicked (Am Yisrael Chai - Israel has never died or God’s Word would have been broken to the Fathers)

But with the rich at His death,

Because He had done no violence,

Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him;

He has put Him to grief.

When You make His soul an offering for sin (something Judaism denies possible but God’s Word and Yeshua prove true),

He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days (having been resurrected to see and enjoy his spiritual seed),

And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.

11 He shall see the labor of His soul,and be satisfied.

By His knowledge My righteous Servant (One Savior) shall justify many,

For He shall bear their iniquities (which Judaism denies but the Bible teaches).

12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,

And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,

Because He poured out His soul unto death (Israel and Judah never died),

And He was numbered with the transgressors,

And He bore the sin of many (which Judaism denies but the Bible teaches),

And made intercession for the transgressors (as our resurrected High Priest in Heaven, at the right hand of the Ancient of Days).”

Remember Moses lifted up the snake on the pole in the wilderness and all who looked to it were saved? “…the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all…”. Yeshua knew it foreshadowed His death.

John 3:14

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up…”.

Yeshua took all the sins of Israel and Judah and the world upon Himself on the stake as THE Suffering Servant, crucified for all mankind - ONE whose life meant more than all, died that the nation might live, as the High Priest prophesied in His day:

John 11:50

“… it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.”

The entire nation wasn’t crucified, wasn’t upon the pole, but Yeshua is the One who we’re to look up to and perceive that He is the Pierced One who is our Lord and Savior, our Priest and King, the One who has died in our stead:

Genesis 22:13

“Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.”

Joseph’s brethren were also blind to his identity his first appearance before them. The second time their eyes were opened to recognize His revealed identity. Zechariah foresees Judah and Jerusalem will learn to look up and recognize the ram Yeshua as the Firstborn Son of God and Savior-King of Judah and mourn their former rejection of Him and prepare for His imminent arrival to liberate Jerusalem and save klal Yisrael, as encouraged by the Two Witnesses (in the spirit of Elijah) who announce the coming of our King (Zech. 12:8, Matt. 23:39).

Zechariah 12:10

10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.”

Come Lord Yeshua! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the LORD!

David Ben-Ariel is a Christian-Zionist writer and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe’s Rise and Fall. With a focus on the Middle East and Jerusalem, his analytical articles help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out the Beyond Babylon blog.

In this world of anti-Christmas sentiment and increasing oppression against Christians, it becomes more vital every day that the Church do all in her power to reach people with the message of love and hope that is in Jesus. That being true, there is a largely untapped potential for outreach that is being virtually ignored by the majority of pastors and congregations. The Internet.

Yes, there are hundreds, or thousands, of Christian Websites online, but so few of them represent the organized Church. The majority are personal sites or Christian businesses. While there is plenty of room online, and a need for this type site, the Church is almost conspicuous by her absence.

Perhaps it’s because of fear?

So much has been said of the dangers and temptations of surfing the Web that many Christians feel there is an inherent evil to be found online.

While there is danger and temptation available, in the form of increased exposure to pornography, identity theft, fraud, etc., the Internet is no more “bad” - in and of itself - than television or radio. And look at the potential we’ve found there.

Radio has been instrumental in reaching millions of people world-wide who might never have heard the gospel. And while television is abused by those who seek to profit from God’s Church, there is still much good being done through that media. Few would argue its value as an outreach tool. The same is true of the Web.

As Christians, we must guard our hearts and minds against the enemy’s attacks, whatever format they take… through sound-waves, video waves or a computer screen. That will never change. But what must change is the Church’s fear of, and aversion to, using the Internet to win souls.

Utilizing a common sense approach to develop an online presence, the Internet can provide an extremely low-cost method of sharing the gospel, ministering to the hurting and poor in spirit, maintaining contact with prospects, and encouraging deeper fellowship among believers and members.

If with Paul, we can say that we “have become all things to all men, that [we] might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22, NKJV), then let us recognize the Internet for what it is… a relevant method for sharing Christ in the 21st Century.

Article copyright © 2005 by Darlene Bishop. All rights reserved worldwide.

Darlene Bishop is a Nazarene pastor, creative designer and writer. Visit her Website at http://christiansitesolutions.com to see how she can help your church create an affordable Internet presence and develop effective online solutions today.

Matthew 12:31

“Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.

Matthew 12:32

“Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

Luke 12:10

“And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.

Wow! This is very serious. Maybe we would be wise to learn about this Holy Spirit. Let us see if we can find Him in the Old Testament. How about the second verse of the Bible?

Genesis 1:2

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.

Genesis 41:38 So the king said to them, “No one could possibly handle this better than Joseph, since the Spirit of God is in him.”

1 Samuel 10:10

When they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

1 Samuel 19:20

Then Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing [as] leader over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

1 Samuel 19:23

So he went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

Job 33:4

The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Psalms 143:10

Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

Isaiah 61:1

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because Jehovah has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;

Daniel 5:14

“Now I have heard about you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you.

Could this be the same Holy Spirit that is referred to so much in the New Testament? Let’s look at the conception of Jesus and the virgin Mary.

Luke 1:35

And the angel answered and said to her, “[The] Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

Matthew 1:18

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:20

But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of Jehovah appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

So, Jesus was the son of god, conceived by the impact of the Holy Spirit on Mary. Yet, He had not yet received the Holy Spirit himself. When did Jesus receive the Holy Spirit? All four gospels record the event as happening when Jesus was baptized by His cousin, John.

Matthew 3:16

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.

Mark 1:10

And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.

Luke 3:22

And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”

John 1:32

And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.

Now that Jesus had received the Holy Spirit, what was the impact on Him?

Matthew 4:1

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Luke 4:1

Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

Hebrews 4:15

Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin!

Does that mean that when we accept Jesus, we are immediately empowered to resist temptation and not sin? I wish! Even after, we still fall short.

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

I think that all includes us ~ even after we accept Jesus ~ too. Fortunately for us, He knew that we would need some time to get cleaned up so we could more effectively serve.

Matthew 9:13

“But go and learn what [this] means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Mark 2:17

When Jesus heard [it,] He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call [the] righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Isn’t that good news? When the Apostle John was writing to the churches, who were made up of Christians, he said :

1 John 2:1

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Do we receive the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus or are baptized in His name? Wow, this is a much disputed question that has been a cause for division. I feel that we receive “Salvation,” certainly “Saving Grace,” perhaps a measure of the Holy Spirit when we publicly embrace Jesus ~ but not the “Gift” of the Spirit.

Aren’t the “Fruits of the Spirit,” manifest in our lives, proof that we have received the Holy Spirit? Those who have put to death the “Works of the flesh?”

Galatians 5:19-21

(NKJV)

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told [you] in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Is this the way we are to know who is really one of God’s? Is this a clue as to whom we should listen to?

Matthew 7:16

“You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

Matthew 7:20

“Thereforeby their fruits, you will know them.

The fruit of the Spirit is manifest by many fine believers who have worked diligently to discipline themselves, even though they might not ever have received the “Gift” of the Holy Spirit. These fine lovers of Christ are to be commended. So what is the difference? Perhaps by examining a number of scriptures we might see:

John 20:22

And when He had said this, He breathed on [them,] and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 2:33

“Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.

Acts 2:38

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:15

who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:17

Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 9:17

And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 10:43~7

Acts 10:43 “To Him all the prophets witness that, through Jesus name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.” While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we [have?”]

Acts 19:2

he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”

1 Thess 1:6

And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit.

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Russ Miles is an author. For more information visit his website MilesBooks.com. Coments to milesruss@gmail.com

This is not any attempt to show off some knowledge of Greek or to be superior in any way. But the above expression is found only 5 times in the Bible, and all five are found in Ephesians. And since Ephesians opens up a great mystery or secret, we look at every new thing that comes up in order to find light on the hope and calling of today.

Four times it is translated, In heavenly places, and once high places.
This realm is mentioned in other parts of the Bible, but under different names. Here are a few of them;
1. Heaven of heavens. Deuteronomy 10:14.
2. Far above all. Ephesians 4:10.
3. Holies, Holiest of all. Ephesians 2:19.
4. Glory. Colossians 3:4.
By using a concordance, one can find the other occurrences of these terms.

This place is not the third heaven of 2 Corinthians 12:2 for that heaven does not now exist. It is the new heaven of Revelation 21. As you find in Peter’s writings, there was a heaven and earth that then were (Genesis 1:1), the heavens and earth that are now (Genesis 1:6), and the heavens and earth to come, the new ones.

So John was caught up to see something that does not yet exist. We know little about the heavens above us now, and much less about those that then were.

But our subject is the heaven of heavens. As far as we know, no one has ever traveled from the earth into that sphere, except the Lord Himself. He ascended far above all heavens.

There is no description to be found anywhere of this realm. It is far beyond the stars. That would put it many billions of miles away. It would take some time to make the trip in earthly physical bodies. The citizenship of the church which is the body of Christ is there. Philippians 3:20. And from that homeland, or commonwealth we are to look for the Savior, when He appears or shines forth. That is the hope of the members of the church which is His body. See Colossians 3:4. Note also Titus 2:13.

It is not hard to discern the things that differ, and here is a case that needs that discernment, if one is to rightly divide the Word of truth. The millennial kingdom here on the earth is not to be compared with this glorious abode of God and of Christ, the future home of the church.

There is no possible way that the great sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7) could have any relationship with this place far beyond the stars. Also, one soon notes that things connected with this hope and sphere have no relationship with things on the earth, or any kingdom on the earth. You might do well to study these things and then make up your mind which would be preferred as a future hope and abode. Do this in light of Colossians 3:1-4. Set your affection on things above, in en tois epouraniois.

Deuteronomy 10:14. Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s the God.
1 Kings 8:27. Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee.
Nehemiah 9:6. Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host.
Psalms 8:1. O Lord our Lord…Who hast set Thy glory above the heavens.
Psalms 57:5. Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens.
Psalms 57:11. Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens.
Psalms 108:5. Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens.
Psalms 113:4. The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens.
Psalms 115:16. The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s.

Psalms 148:4. Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens. We have already written about The Three Earths, and The Three Heavens. But here we find something far outside these two spheres. It is far beyond the heavens and the earth. So far, astronomers have not explored this territory. We have set out above the 10 references to this realm which appear in the OT.

Five times we find this realm mentioned in Ephesians. The Greek is en tois epouraniois. Literally, it is in the above heavenlies. So this is a continuation of the 0T terms. Briefly, the structure is;
A. 1:3. Blest in.
B. 1:20. Christ in.
C. 2:6. Church enthroned in Christ in.
B. 3:10. Principalities and powers in.
A. 6:12. No wrestling in.

Definitely this sphere outside of the creation is the home, the destined resting place of the Church which is His body.

Other references in the NT are as follows; Ephesians 4:10. Far above all heavens. Ephesians 1:18. In the saints. Holy of Holies. Ephesians 2:19. The saints, household of God. Col 1:12. Partakers of the inheritance of the saints, the holiest of all. Colossians 3:4. Appear with Him in glory. Philippians 3:20. Our commonwealth in heaven. Now you will note that in all the OT references, there is no thought of anyone inhabiting the heaven of heavens except God Himself. There is no mention of it being a hope for any believer. There is the one reference where Satan planned to set his throne above all. Note what he says in Isaiah 14:13,14. I WILL ascend into heaven, I WILL exalt my throne above the stars of God: I WILL sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I WILL ascend above the heights of the clouds; I WILL be like the Most High. Satan was a WILFUL creature, who would set himself above his Creator.

But God, in His wonderful grace, has already set the Church in the heavenlies.

About the Author

Paul Griffitts has been a Bibical Researcher for over 30 years
Currently Paul is the Editor of The Good News Letter for Believer.com
Free eBook The Two Natures in the Child of God