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The City Of Zion Part 7
The Stairway of Steps
Introduction
This article is a transcribed sermon given to a local fellowship group in December 2005, and the subject addressed in this sermon is an unusual subject, but a very interesting subject; which I have called the "Stairway of Steps". I am involved with the study of the meanings of the original Hebrew and Greek words that our Bibles were translated from. The very important point is that the English words found in our Bibles are NOT the original inspired words. They are translated words and therefore can be flawed, and this fact should never be taken for granted. But in out Christian world it seems only "normal" for most believers to be under the impression that our Bibles contain the inspired words of God. But understand, our salvation does not require believers to study Hebrew and Greek words. Our salvation was made secure only by the works and faith of Jesus Christ. But when believers are truly sincere in studying the meanings of God’s original words it is simply the best way to build their theological "houses" on the "rock" of Jesus Christ, and the "winds" and "rains" of deception will not bring their houses down (Matthew 7:25-27). In Psalm 125 I looked at the meaning of a certain word, and this was the premise of why I named this subject called the "Stairway of Steps". The theme of this sermon is simply that believers are in a sense on this "stairway of steps"; whether they realize it or not. The spiritual goal for all believers should be to reach what is called spiritual maturity and perfection, which can only be achieved on this "stairway of steps". The basic law of nature is that all life on earth is in a GROWING process, and then all life is destined to die. The true Christian faith is also to be in a spiritual growing process, and should not stay in "neutral". Please read this transcribed sermon very carefully…..
I’m doing a series on the subject of Zion, and in my last lesson if you recall I more or less talked about spiritual blindness, instead of on the subject of Zion. Today I want to continue with the subject of Zion, and we’re still in the book of Psalms. This will be part seven on the city of Zion and I’ve entitled this lesson "the stairway of steps".
Psalm 125:1-5 KJV A Song of degrees. They that trust in the LORD [shall be] as mount Zion, [which] cannot be removed, [but] abideth for ever. 2 As the mountains [are] round about Jerusalem, so the LORD [is] round about his people from henceforth even for ever. 3 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. 4 Do good, O LORD, unto [those that be] good, and [to them that are] upright in their hearts. 5 As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: [but] peace [shall be] upon Israel.
Shall we pray? When I prepare my lessons (I don’t like to say sermons); I consider these as teaching lessons; not necessarily as sermons. Anyway I usually do not know what my subject or title of my lesson will be until I’m maybe half way through typing it out. But on this lesson as soon as I looked up the word "degrees" I knew instantly what the subject and title would be; the stairway of steps. Psalm 125 is called a song of degrees. The word "degrees" is no. 4609 and it means elevation; the act of literally going a journey to a higher place; the condition of a literal step or grade mark. It figuratively means thoughts that arise. It specifically means a climactic progression of things that come up.
This Hebrew word no. 4609 was translated many times as "stairs" or "steps." Degrees could be explained as a stairway of steps that come up in elevation in a climatic progression. It is things that come up. In other words, it implies things that are drawn or led up the stairway of steps; it is NOT things that are pushed up the steps. Climate is generally referred to as weather conditions in different regions of the earth. In other words, the climate or condition of each step is different on this journey to a higher place. Degrees was also translated as "stories" in Amos 9:6 which says: "It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven".
Abraham looked for a city whose builder and maker is God. God is building a city with stories that elevate to a higher place. There are a numbers of Psalms called songs of degrees and all make reference to Zion in some way. These Psalms were written for degrees of learning on a journey of our thoughts arising step by step in elevation to a higher place. I don’t know why certain Psalms were singled out as songs of degrees of learning. I suppose the whole Bible itself can be called a stairway of steps of degrees in a climatic progression of learning, and there are grade marks on that journey to a higher place.
Now before we get into this lesson I would like to make a disclaimer. The phrase "stairway of steps" is not found in the Bible. I invented that phrase, and my comments in this lesson showing how the stairway of steps could fit with scripture are also just my own personal views. If I were to ask all of you what you would consider is the most important understanding you learned in all your life; an understanding that came up in a progression of steps with grade marks. In other words, what understanding did you learn that means the most to you in a personal way that effects how you think in every day life? I remember in the first grade when I started school, I had no concept as to why I was even there. My mom just told me I was old enough and it was time for me to start going to school. I was told this was the start of my education, but I did not truly understand why I had to be educated.
That was basically the understanding that was told me and I totally believed and had faith what my mom told me, but I did not understand. Then my teacher Mrs. Overholser took over, and I remember how she first introduced me and all my classmates to the letters of the alphabet, and how she carefully traced and wrote the letters on the blackboard, and we also carefully practiced how to write the letters. Then she wrote simple three and four letter words on the blackboard, and we were also to write these words on a piece of paper as an assignment to be graded and we all got a grade mark.
Then we learned the numbers 1 to 10, and we were told what one plus one equals, and two plus two and so forth. We learned how to add and subtract and we were given assignments and tests, and then were graded on how we solved very small arithmetic problems. We were learning the very small basics of the alphabet; spelling and putting letters into small words, and we learned the very small basics of the purpose of the numbers 1 to 10. We were not only taught that two plus two equals four, but we soon learned WHY two plus two equals four. Other subjects such as history, biology, science, algebra, etc came later in the following grades or a stairway of steps in a climatic progression of learning. Each grade was theoretically a step on a stairway of our journey to a higher level of learning.
As we reflect back in our first few grades we did not know the real reason WHY we had to learn the first steps of our education. We only went through the motions but we believed and had faith what was told to us. It didn’t dawn on us until in later grades WHY we had to go through a climatic progression of learning. In the first grade we were proud to be able to spell small words, and we felt a true sense of accomplishment when we were able to solve small arithmetic problems. But they kept getting harder and there were setbacks and failures, and the teacher took the time to explain why we made mistakes, and she explained the corrections.
Then there was the second grade, and the third, and so on, and over the years we tried to absorb the different studies and subjects, and we had to do all the tests and were graded to see how we progressed in our journey to a higher place in this learning process. But understand something; the stairway of steps on this journey to a higher place was done only to prepare us in a world that communicates by a system of words and numbers, and only for this life. We learned how to best fit ourselves in the scheme of things in an uncertain evil world.
Our elevation to a higher place educated us on how to function in the real world, and later in college we learned how to make a living. We were educated on history, but maybe not on true history, but we learned how nations and governments came about. We learned how human governments are set up with laws that have to be honored and how government effects our every day lives. We learned a lot of things, but the point is this; all this progression of learning on this stairway of steps was only for this time and for this life; but what about the next life?
Our thoughts did not arise and were not guided one step at a time to understand spiritual things or to understand how a government called Mount Zion also affects our daily lives. We did not learn in a progression of steps what truly is death, and what truly is life, and what really is truth compared to lies and deception. We were taught how to make a living, but we were not taught how to live. We had no textbook that explained righteous living, or what sin is and how to avoid sin. That training was left to the Churches, but the Churches generally failed in that kind of teaching to elevate our thoughts on a spiritual journey to a higher place. We were never told in our schools about the next life and how to live forever. We were never graded on this stairway of steps on why we have to experience sin, evil, sickness, disease, and death.
We were taught that we came from a brew of cells that somehow mysteriously came out of the sea, and it took millions of years for these cells to actually develop into animals to finally grow legs to stand on its feet and to walk. Our schools had textbooks that explained how humans are biologically linked to animals and that’s why it was implied that we could just be called educated animals that gradually learned how to think and speak.
We were never told of a textbook that explained how to spiritually think and how our thoughts can arise and be elevated to a higher place of spiritual understanding. But our schools easily had access to that kind of textbook but it never entered in the minds of our educators to actually use this textbook to train us to think in spiritual ways in a progression of steps. Today this textbook is even forbidden to use in our schools and colleges, but at one time in this nation’s history this textbook was required to cause students to be on a spiritual journey to a higher place. As we all know this textbook is called the Holy Bible, and the teacher of this textbook is called the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of God has to be very careful on how take us through all the steps and degrees to elevate our thoughts on this journey to a higher place. The Spirit does not teach a first or second grader to learn what a sixth grader is to learn. That is how the climactic progression of understanding works, and we are all led or drawn by the Spirit to come up the stairway one step at a time.
Hebrews 5:14 KJV But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Chapter 15:1-3) Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit.
The word "principles" mean commencement, a beginning, and it explains what the beginning and commencement teachings of the doctrine of Christ are. The teaching of baptisms (plural), the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and the teaching of eternal judgment are the teachings that we are to LEAVE. These teachings do not belong to them of full age, and we are to leave these teachings in order to go on to perfection. That is what it says. Eternal judgment is judgment aionion no. 166; meaning a judgment pertaining to past or future ages. This would mean it has nothing to do with what we would call eternal. "Full age" simply means complete, or it could be called spiritual maturity.
We are also not to lay again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. What is wrong with repentance and having faith toward God? Are we not to repent daily and to believe in God daily all of our lives? As we all know there are some scriptures that seem to not make any sense and are very hard to explain. Well, these are some hard scriptures, but I want to offer a possible solution.
We must repent from dead works at the foundation of our faith that started our journey to a higher place. But when we are of full age and about to go on to perfection what possible reason is it to go back and again lay that foundation? This is the same as when we first had that faith in God during the first few steps, but in a climatic progression our thoughts are to arise to a full age and a mature understanding of God.
Why have faith and belief in God when the understanding of God is about to be full and complete? We have to get past these commencement and beginning teachings of Christ that are on the first few steps as we journey up to a higher place. We are to leave these first beginning teachings of Christ in the same sense and for the same reason we had to leave the first, second, and third grades and so on of our earthy schooling. It is not that we forgot or reject what we learned in our first few grades in our schools but we must not go back to those first few grades, or steps, and degrees.
We have to build on each step as we go up that stairway and every step we take we must leave the last step behind. But God has to give us passing grades, because as we read, it says in verse 3 "if God permit". God has to permit us to leave each grade and the Spirit knows when we are ready to leave these first teachings of Christ. Both the terms "full age" and "perfection" mean completeness, and that full age and completeness is at the top of the stairway of steps. Now let’s continue on in Hebrews 6:4-8, and let’s not assume anything that is not said.
KJV For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame. 7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8 But that which beareth thorns and briers [is] rejected, and [is] nigh unto cursing; whose end [is] to be burned.
It is very obvious what these scriptures are saying, but what are they NOT saying? Notice the words "for it is impossible". The word "for" means because; which refers back to who this is talking about. It other words, it refers to those ready for strong meat and ready for full age to know both good and evil which would also include truth from error. They are ready for the full age of maturity and notice; they were once enlightened.
They have tasted salvation fully and the good word of God fully, they were made partners fully with the Holy Spirit, they have tasted the powers of the age to come. Did you notice it was all in the past tense that they tasted these things? Those that are still climbing the steps are not able to taste fully. They can only taste partially because they are not ready for strong meat and their senses do not FULLY understand the purpose of good and evil simply because they’re still going up those steps of a journey. Hebrews is talking about those that have truly left the first teachings of Christ and patently took one step at a time up that stairway, and they are now ready for strong meat and the full age of maturity.
Now I ask; why would anyone choose to fall away from Jesus Christ when they have already tasted (past tense) the full maturity and completeness in Christ? But as the writer of Hebrews said if (there is that big word if) IF they were to fall away from that full age of maturity it would be impossible to renew repentance. Why? What is impossible is to crucify Christ again. Could this mean that those of full age and are complete in Christ would hypothetically fall away? In other words, it would be supposed that if they were to again try and lay that foundation with the beginning teachings of Christ; then it would be AS IF Christ would to be crucified again and that would put Christ to an open shame.
But those that are still climbing the steps if they are bearing works of thorns and briers those works will be burned up in the end if they are not repented of. They would suffer the shame of losing their rewards that they could have had for eternity; not the loss of their salvation. The people that Hebrews was written to had not yet reached perfection, because the writer said "let us go on to perfection", and do you think God would deny salvation to these people while they were still climbing those steps? In no way, but they were warned not to go back to the first principles, the first grades, the first degrees of the doctrine of Christ, and they were warned not to have works of thorns and briars.
None of us are ready for the full age of maturity and perfection, and it is possible that we could be judged on works of thorns and briars. Most Christians will say yes they can taste salvation and God’s Spirit. But at the same time they are willing to obey the customs of false gods believing they’re doing this in honor of Jesus Christ. The problem is they THINK they taste these things and they THINK they taste the powers of the age to come. They are content to stay in the first or second grades; the first steps of a journey up to a higher place. But they are being graded and the grade marks are written in books in Mount Zion and these books will be opened on judgment day.
They fully expected to be resurrected at Christ’s coming, but they NOW understand the things they did not understand before, and they NOW know they will have to be judged on their works of thorns and briars. They will say; Father we prayed for understanding; so why didn’t you answer our prayers? The Father will say; I did answer your prayers. I gave you many tools to understand my words. I caused certain men to do the research of my words and to publish all the lexicons, concordances, dictionaries and yes many translations, but you seemed preoccupied and you ignored all these tools that I gave you. I gave you my gifts, teachers, and many helps that you chose to ignore. The Father will say; of course I didn’t push these helps and tools in front of you; you had to choose to seek and to reach out for them.
Most of God’s people will say on judgment day, but Father we did not trust all these teachers, helps, commentators, lexicons, and yes all these many translations. The Father will say, I know all these helps were written by men subject to mistakes. You were right; teachers and men with their opinions and writings and all these many translations cannot be trusted. But you did not use the Spirit of discernment that I gave you to sort through these many helps with all the mistakes. I had to prove and test you to see if you put your trust and faith in my words or in the words of men. All my words were completed and preserved 1400 years or so before the translations and helps were ever printed. The Father will say; even though men added to the meaning of my words with lexicons, dictionaries, and commentators; the true meanings of my words were never lost and were still reserved in the time you lived.
The Father will say; long before your time many of my people did not have access to my words and I will excuse them for that and will judge them on their faith. I judge only according to what men have; not according to what they don’t have; but they must have willing minds (2Cor 8:12). The Father will say; but you had access to my original words that I inspired. In the time you lived many had easy access to my helps that were available to the meaning of my words; but you choose to ignore these helps and I graded you on that premise; and I will have to judge you according to what you did have but chose not to use. I could be wrong but I believe these types of comments could be said to most of God’s people that will find themselves resurrected on the other side of the 1000 year rule of Christ. We all know that God will not judge us on the depth of our understanding, but he will judge us on our DESIRE to understand and the effort and works we put forth. God knows our hearts by our works.
Personally every time I kneel down to pray I pray for understanding, but I know I would be praying to the wind if I would not do the research. I also know to understand God’s words I must believe the meaning of His words. Why should God give me understanding if I don’t make the effort to reach out to use the tools that God has given me in the first place? Since God wants us to understand His words anyhow; why would He not answer our prayers, and He does answer in ways that we are not even aware of.
It’s like the man that stood on his housetop as the flood waters came up to his feet, and he prayed very earnestly for God to send a miracle to save him. And you all know the story how God told him after he died that He did answer his prayer. He sent a helicopter and a boat, but the man was expecting a miracle; so he did not reach out and grab those helps and he drowned.
Brothers and sisters, don’t ever think that God will give the understanding of His words if we do not reach out, grab, and hang onto that boat or helicopter that God has already given us, and then to use those helps to grow to the full age of maturity. I believe one of the most urgent needs we could ever prayer for is for the understanding of God’s words. It is obvious in today’s Christian world most do not consider it necessary to understand the meaning of God’s words. We should consider it very necessary and it should be our priority; that is if we choose to take the steps to the full age of maturity. Most are not interested to grow to that full age because they are generally content to not take the steps of understanding, and would rather just put aside that type of study.
Proverbs 2:1-6 KJV My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, [and] apply thine heart to understanding; 3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, [and] liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as [for] hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth [cometh] knowledge and understanding.
How important is it to understand Gods words? To seek for understanding is like seeking for silver and for hid treasures. It is not easy to find understanding, wisdom, and the knowledge of God because it is hidden as treasures. The very nature of treasures means that they are very precious and that is why they are kept secret and deliberately hidden. How do we locate buried treasure? We have to carefully study the map where these treasures can be found, and to be WORTHY of those hidden treasures of understanding we have to make sure we find the right trail and then stay on that trail.
Out of God’s mouth come the inspired words and those words were carefully preserved as manuscripts written by hand thousands of years before any translation was ever printed and published. To understand God’s words is to understand the meaning of the words, and that also was carefully preserved. Lets read Psalm 125 again as we continue the study of Zion.
KJV A Song of degrees. They that trust in the LORD [shall be] as mount Zion, [which] cannot be removed, [but] abideth for ever. 2 As the mountains [are] round about Jerusalem, so the LORD [is] round about his people from henceforth even for ever. 3 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. 4 Do good, O LORD, unto [those that be] good, and [to them that are] upright in their hearts. 5 As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: [but] peace [shall be] upon Israel.
Notice they that trust in God will be as Mount Zion (notice the word "as"); and Mount Zion abides for ever. The word "forever" is olam no. 5769 and it means concealed vanishing point of time; generally time out of mind past or future. It simply means an unknown length of time. Common sense tells us that "forever" has nothing to do with time. There are hundreds of examples of the word olam, and to be consistent; olam simply could NOT mean what we would consider forever or eternal. Just one example is that the old covenant with the Levitical priesthood was said in many scriptures to be "forever." The function of the Levitical priesthood has served its purpose and has vanished; it was not forever.
Mount Zion cannot be removed, but will abide for an olam. Olam is the same as aion in the Greek, or simply an age. As we know, Zion means a parched place or a dry desert but only during time and the ages. But time and the ages will vanish at some concealed point, and then Zion will no longer mean a parched place or a dry desert. After time and the ages have vanished; God will make a new heavens and new earth with a people called "Zion" no longer in a dry parched place.
I know it’s hard for us to switch over to think that forever is only a past or future time that has vanished, or will vanish. There is no way for us to understand what forever, everlasting, and eternal really means. This type of understanding is a part of the secret things that belong to God and these words do not have to be in our Bibles. Eternity belongs in the spiritual realm where there is no beginning and no ending. God had no beginning and He has no ending. Rev. 1:8 says that Jesus Christ is the beginning and the ending. Time and the ages were created and had a beginning and they will all end at some unknown vanishing point. Jesus Christ truly is the beginning and end of all ages because He was manifested AS GOD to God’s children during the ages.
All things were created for Him and by Him (Col. 1:16). Jesus Christ as the creator truly is the beginning and end of the ages; and He is called the king of the ages (1Tim 1:17). It is impossible for us to even comprehend, and it would blow our minds to try to understand how things can have no beginning; things that always were and always will be. How far back in time can our minds go, and how far in the future can we even comprehend?
Brothers and sisters, we are not designed to think in that manner; we are earthy bound and constrained only to think and understand things that can be measured, seen, and felt. To us everything has to have a beginning. That is why the original words of God do not talk about things that do not relate to us during time and the ages, but the words olam and aion do relate to us. That is why the original words are not "forever," "everlasting," "world," or "eternal." Do you think God would inspire words that we have no way to understand or explain even in a converted state of mind? But olam and aion can easily be explained and understood, and when you read the word "forever" just mentally say concealed time instead of forever.
The phrase; "from everlasting to everlasting" is mentioned several times in the Bible as we know, but how can this phrase be understood and explained. Now think about that. How can one everlasting go to another everlasting? Does it mean from one "no beginning" and "no ending" to another "no beginning" and "no ending?" Does it mean from one eternity to another eternity? Does forever and ever mean one forever going to another forever? These phrases can be explained to mean from a part of an unknown point of time to another unknown point of time, or a part of an age to the following age. That is all they mean.
But there’s nothing wrong with quoting these phrases just like they are written in our Bibles. Most Christians are not aware of the words "olam" and "aion" and its best not to confuse them if you choose not to explain these words. Why were the "eternities" and the "forevers" repeated in a single thought and statement, but other times they were not? I have to ask these questions, brothers and sisters, because we’re talking about the words of God.
Mistakes are mistakes and do we choose to just ignore these mistakes and sweep them under the rug, or do we choose to deal with them in a responsible Godly manner? It comes down to how we personally choose to handle these mistakes, and personally I find the meaning of God’s words very interesting. Why; because they don’t line up at all with what’s been spiritually spoon fed to us all our lives in a so called Christian environment. Maybe I shouldn’t even be talking about these things, I don’t know. I’m just trying to be honest.
As I prepare my lessons I type out my thoughts and I find myself compelled to read and share them with my brothers and sisters for no other reason than for what its worth to you. I consider that I’m among friends here because you are my brothers and sisters in the faith. We are united on common ground to build and to be a part of the body of Jesus Christ. I don’t mean to imply that you have to also study the things I’m pointing out. You all can choose whatever you want. It’s all about choices.
But if you do choose to take the steps on the stairway of understanding; then you do need to study the meanings of God’s words; and all you really need to start out with is the KJ Bible and Strong’s Concordance. You just need to begin to form a habit of looking up certain words and then follow the meanings wherever they’re found in the Bible. It’s really very simple but you must believe the meanings, and it helps if you have a computer and some Bible software. Let’s continue with Zion.
Psalm 126:1-6 KJV A Song of degrees. When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. 2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. 3 The LORD hath done great things for us; [whereof] we are glad. 4 Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south. 5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves [with him]
This is another song of degrees and the next eight Psalms are songs of degrees. The word "captivity" means a return or restoration of property. It could read Jehovah returned again the property of Zion. It seemed like a dream when God did that and there was a lot of laughter, singing, joy, gladness, and rejoicing. Even they among the heathen said Jehovah did great things for them. Who are "them?"
The property of Zion is the people of Zion that was returned and restored again. The returned people also said Jehovah hath done great things for us, and they asked God to return again our captivity; not Zion’s captivity. This captivity is a different word and figuratively means a former state of prosperity. Those that weep will rejoice when they come again to Zion. The word "again" is repeated three times. God returned again Zion’s property. Then the prosperity of God’s people was returned again. Then those that weep bearing precious seed will come to Zion again with rejoicing.
Psalm 128:1-6 KJV A Song of degrees. Blessed [is] every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. 2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy [shalt] thou [be], and [it shall be] well with thee. 3 Thy wife [shall be] as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. 4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. 5 The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. 6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, [and] peace upon Israel.
When will Jehovah out of Zion bless Israel to see the good of Jerusalem, and what is the good of Jerusalem? When has Jerusalem in all of history been for the good of Israel to cause families to thrive in true prosperity, true happiness, and lasting peace? This will be the time of eating and living by what is earned in true prosperity. A time of true happiness and it will be well for those truly blessed of Jehovah out of Zion. The wives will be as fruitful vines and the children will be like olive plants. It will be the time a man will see the good of Jerusalem all the days of his life.
"All the days of his life" sounds like those blessed out of Zion will still die. This is not what we would call eternal life, but it obviously is a time of salvation for Israel when they see the good of Jerusalem and are blessed out of Zion. Eternal life is "life aionian" no. 166 and it means perpetual life of the ages. It is the life that Israel will live when they are saved and blessed out of Zion during the next age; the 1000 years, and it is also the salvation and life we live in Christ now during this age. Jesus Christ promised aionion life for this time now, and only a very few are truly living the life of the ages. Most live spiritually dead and will perish for the ages.
Even Moses was willing to forfeit "aionion life" and to have his name plotted out for the ages. This truth is found in Exodus 32:32. Those in the book of life are those living for God now during the ages. We cannot experience true never-ending life until we’re resurrected when it truly will be the end of time for us. One final scripture then I’ll finish.
Isaiah 2:2-4 KJV And it shall come to pass in the last days, [that] the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
This will be the time all nations will also see the good of Jerusalem. The term "last days" would have to extend into the next age that follows this age; which includes the millennium. This is when the mountain of God’s house will be established; which is Mount Zion, and notice it will be on top and exalted above of all others mountains and hills; which means above all other nations. It says all nations will flow unto God’s house in Mount Zion. But notice they will have to be judged and rebuked, and then taught the ways, the paths, and the laws of God as they flow unto Mount Zion.
Questions or comments?... Email: mrwickey7@gmail.com