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Sunday, July 30, 2023

Immortal; Remember Immortality; Righteousness is Immortality; Fruit of the Tree of Immortality


Why do people want immortality? The elites want immortality so that they can forever rule and reign on the earth. We know this to be a fallacy as they are not the Creator and do not have a final say as to the events of the earth. Others are simply scared of the afterlife as they recognize that they are not in control of their future. Many people attempt to hold tight to the world and their life as they age but in the end they will lose it anyway. Humans are three part beings, spirit, soul, and body. Some people mistakenly believe that they can preserve their life if they preserve their body, as if cryogenics will help them return to life one day. Others believe they can transplant their head to another body, and somehow evade death. But the body is dust and will return to dust, the spirit and soul will live on, until they either become incorruptible and immortal, or they are incinerated in the lake of fire. To simply point out, no one can control the destiny of ones’ spirit or soul unless they are born again. And then, the only control one has is to know which direction they are going in, heaven or hell, because Jesus is the one who decides what we do after death.


Christians look toward immortality with the understanding that they will rule and reign on the earth, under the authority of Jesus Christ. Immortality is something promised to one group of people, believers in Jesus Christ as Lord who also believe he rose up on the third day, and who have also confessed their belief before others. No other being is promised immortal (eternal) life. We do not know exactly what the fate of the other sons of God will be, but we see that there are angels who will perish along with Satanas and Drakōn. This means that they do not have immortality but corruption. It is a choice that manfaced is given and possibly that angels are given as well. 


Before the captivities there was an entire month on the Hebrew solar calendar called “Immortalities”. It was the seventh month of the solar calendar year. It is the way that Yahweh chose to explain the offer of immortality to his people. It does not necessarily mean that people will become immortal during that month but it does point to the solar calendar feasts that were to take place to ensure people kept their soul and body clean and holy. All these things became distorted. The feast that is scheduled for the first day of the year, the Feast of Trumpets, became distorted to a new moon celebration when the calendar changed to a lunar calendar. The new moon celebration was the celebration of life or pregnancy in animals and humans. In all females ovulation took place on the full moon and by the new moon (two weeks later) menstruation would either start or not. The beginning of the seventh month was suppose to be a preparation because this was the month of immortalities, meaning people were to atone for sins and remember the wilderness, Sukkoth.


Lev 23:23  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Lev 23:24  Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.

Lev 23:25  Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

Lev 23:26  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Lev 23:27  Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

Lev 23:28  And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.

Lev 23:29  For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.

Lev 23:30  And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.

Lev 23:31  Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

Lev 23:32  It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.

Lev 23:33  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Lev 23:34  Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the .| unto the LORD.

Lev 23:35  On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

Lev 23:36  Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.

Lev 23:37  These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:

Lev 23:38  Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.

Lev 23:39  Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.

Lev 23:40  And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.

Lev 23:41  And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

Lev 23:42  Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:

Lev 23:43  That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

Lev 23:44  And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.


We should take a step back. We have to ask why people would hide the name of this month? Isn’t immortality important to the Israelites? Shouldn’t the Israelite people know that Yahweh is directing their attention to living with Him in an uncorrupted state? A study from 2019:



The word Athanim is a derivative of athanasia, and means immortalities, or imperishability. This was the name given to the seventh month of the year, the very same month that we have the Feast of Trumpets/Rosh ha Shanna, the Day of Atonement, and The Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkoth. This was a solar month that was later changed to a lunar month. Then the entire name of the month was changed after the captivity. The name Athanim is a plural (im) which in Hebrew means three or more. 


1 Kings 8:2 G1722 in G3376 the month G110.1 Athanim G1722 during G1859 its holiday, G1473   G1473 this G1510.2.3 is G3376 [2month G1442 1 the seventh]. G2532 And G2064 [5came G3956 1all G3588 2the G4245 3elders G* 4of Israel]. 


110 LSJ Gloss:ἀθανασία immortality

Dodson:ἀθανασία immortality immortality, imperishability, freedom from death.

TBESG:ἀθανασία immortality

G:N-F

ἀθανασία, -ας, ἡ  (< ἀ-θάνατος, undying; V. MM, VGT, see word), [in LXX:

Refs

Wis.3:4 4:1 8:13,17 15:3, 4Ma.14:5 16:13* ;] 

immortality:

Refs

1Co.15:53,54 1Ti.6:16 (cf. Cremer, 285 f.).†

(AS)

Thayer:

1) undying, immortality, everlasting

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

Immortal, Immortality

[ 1,,G110, athanasia

lit., deathlessness" (a, negative, thanatos, "death"), is rendered "immortality" in 1 Corinthians 15:53-54, of the glorified body of the believer; 1 Timothy 6:16, of the nature of God. Moulton and Miligan (Vocab.) show that in early times the word had the wide connotation of freedom from death; they also quote Ramsay (Luke the Physician, p. 273), with reference to the use of the word in sepulchral epitaphs. In a papyrus writing of the sixth century, "a petitioner says that he will send up 'unceasing (athanatous)' hymns to the Lord Christ for the life of the man with whom he is pleading." In the NT, however, athanasia expresses more than deathlessness, it suggests the quality of the life enjoyed, as is clear from 2 Corinthians 5:4; for the believer what is mortal is to be "swallowed up of life." 


ἀθανασία 

athanasia ath-an-as-ee'-ah From a compound of G1 (as a negative particle) and G2288; deathlessness KJV Usage: immortality.


Interestingly Athanim/Ethanim is only used once in its derivation, and as athanasia only once in the old testament. Athanim/Ethanim is a plural proper noun, while athanasia is a general feminine noun. What does this tell us? The ancients named a month using a word that was rarely used again in scripture. Or was it? It is a proper feminine plural noun meaning immortality, or more correctly “immortalities”. Why was an entire month called Immortalities? Were we supposed to know something about immortality? 


The Old Covenant people knew a little about immortality from Solomon. Daniel also mentions eternal life, but then after the captivity Daniel’s words were ignored, Daniel 12:2. Ezra, who rebuilt the temple after the captivity, talked about immortality as well. So did Jesus son of Sirach and Tobit. Do you see a pattern emerging? Someone dismissed all these books (including Daniel which people contend with because it is partially written in Aramaic, and several parts of Daniel’s book were thrown out). Why then did they do away with the entire subject? Aside from these authors, we don’t see immortality talked about until Jesus comes to earth. It seems someone wants us to think that immortality is an unsubstantiated idea only shared by a false Messiah and his followers. However, at the time of the first century, people knew the words of the apocryphal writers, and understood immortality was available for them. 



What we know is that up to the time of Solomon bringing the ark to the temple people called the seventh month “Athanim”. There is something insidious about hiding the word Athanim. The name that Yahweh gave to this month is not irrelevant, the name of this month is important. Immortality is not a new covenant doctrine, it is an old covenant doctrine. The key to receiving immortality at the time of the old covenant was to atone for sin. If prophets under the old covenant wrote about immortality, then why hide it? Why not allow people to make that decision as to whether they want immortality from Yahweh or attempt their own version of immortality by having  someone stick their body in a freezer for a couple hundred years or attempt to attach their head onto someone else’s body? What would most people choose? Most people would choose immortality with Yahweh.



Why would the religious leaders change the name of the month after captivity to Tishri? Tishri means “beginning” as for the first month of the civil year. The meaning of the name of the month went from the word “immortalities” to “beginning”? The Greek gives us the accuracy of the original word, the Hebrew definition of this word was changed to “enduring”. 


1 Kings 8:2 H6950 ויקהלו assembled themselves H413 אל unto H4428 המלך king H8010 שׁלמה Solomon H3605 כל And all H376 אישׁ the men H3478 ישׂראל of Israel H3391 בירח in the month H388 האתנים Ethanim, H2282 בחג at the feast H1931 הוא which H2320 החדשׁ month. H7637 השׁביעי׃ the seventh https://studybible.info/IHOT/1%20Kings%208


H388 איתנים 'êythânı̂ym ay-thaw-neem' 

Plural of H386; always with the article; the permanent brooks; Ethanim, the name of a month KJV Usage: Ethanim.

Brown-Driver-Briggs' Hebrew Definitions

BDB3847

איתנים

Ethanim = "enduring" 

 1. seventh Jewish month, corresponding to modern Oct. to Nov.; so named because permanent streams still flowed Origin: plural of H386

TWOT: None Parts of Speech: Proper Name Masculine

TBESH:

אֵיתָנִים

e.ta.nim

N:N-M-T

Ethanim Ethanim = “enduring" 1) seventh Jewish month, corresponding to modern Oct. to Nov.; so named because permanent streams still flowed


The Greek Septuagint is far more accurate than the Masoretic Text. The understanding here is the Father hid a concept of a future event, immortalities, or deathlessness’, in the name of a month that was later changed. Why? Is it possible they did not believe Solomon, Daniel, Ezra, Jesus son of Sirach, or Tobit? At the time of the writing of the Septuagint the people had access to all of these writing. Let’s notice what Solomon wrote over three hundred years before the captivity into Babylon.  


Wisdom 2:23 For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity. 24 Nevertheless through envy of the devil came death into the world: and they that do hold of his (the devil’s) side do find it. 

3:1 But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. 2 In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery, 3 And their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace. 4 For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality. 

5 And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for himself. 6 As gold in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as a burnt offering. http://ecmarsh.com/lxx/Wisdom/index.htm


The concept of man being immortal was known in all Israel. When Solomon wrote this, the kingdom was one kingdom. Later both the northern and southern kingdom would have known Solomon’s words, that man was created to be immortal and that they could have immortality one day. 


In speaking of a wicked generation, Solomon suggests that it is better not to have children because the remembrance of that generation is immortal. 


Wisdom 3:19 For horrible is the end of the unrighteous generation.

Wisdom 4:1 Better it is to have no children, and to have virtue: for the memorial thereof is immortal: because it is known with God, and with men.


A memorial is a remembrance, and it is something known by God and by men. Solomon explains how to obtain immortality. He says he himself will be a memorial/remembrance to those who come after him. He is, isn’t he? Did the Masoretes eliminate the Wisdom of Solomon, and the other books, because they speak of immortality? Did they reject immortality after captivity because they went into captivity and later lost the temple in 70 CE?


Wisdom 8:13 Moreover by the means of her (Wisdom) I shall obtain immortality, and leave behind me an everlasting memorial to them that come after me. 


8:17 Now when I considered these things in myself, and pondered them in my heart, how that to be allied unto wisdom is immortality; 18 And great pleasure it is to have her friendship; and in the works of her hands are infinite riches; and in the exercise of conference with her, prudence; and in talking with her, a good report; I went about seeking how to take her to me. 


We need to realize here that the Holy Spirit seals us to the Day of Redemption, the day we are called up. On that day we will either put on incorruption or immortality. Therefore we have to ally ourselves with the Spirit of Wisdom. Solomon knew this and understood it. If one wishes to become immortal, preserving or enhancing the body will not work. Only the allegiance and the sealing of the Holy Spirit will make someone immortal. 



The people who were allied to Wisdom before Jesus came receive immortality. Remember how horrid the religious rulers and political rulers were, so much so that the kingdom split, and after over 300 years the Holy Spirit left the temple? To know the Almighty’s power is the root of immortality. 


Wisdom 15:1 But thou, O God, art gracious and true, longsuffering, and in mercy ordering all things, 2 For if we sin, we are thine, knowing thy power: but we will not sin, knowing that we are counted thine. 3 For to know thee is perfect righteousness: yea, to know thy power is the root of immortality.


The Almighty, Most High, Eternal Father is gracious, longsuffering, and merciful toward us. He knows that we are unaware of the spiritual battles that surround us. But when we come to know Him, we recognize the beginning of our immortality is to stop sinning so that we can put on perfect righteousness. Ezra says that there will be people who put on immortality.


2 Esdras 2:44-45 (KJVApocrypha) 

44  So I asked the angel, and said, Sir, what are these? 

45  He answered and said unto me, These be they that have put off the mortal clothing, and put on the immortal, and have confessed the name of God: now are they crowned, and receive palms. 


Why would someone want to hide this understanding of immortality? This is good news that should have been shared the last two thousand years. Notice what Ezra suggests, he suggests they were promised immortality. Isn’t that what Solomon told us?


2 Esdras 7:48-49 (KJVApocrypha) 

48  O thou Adam, what hast thou done? for though it was thou that sinned, thou art not fallen alone, but we all that come of thee. 

49  For what profit is it unto us, if there be promised us an immortal time, whereas we have done the works that bring death? 


Ezra is saying that they were promised immortality but it is of no profit because they do the works that bring death. Jesus son of Sirach says if people follow the doctrine of life they will please the Lord and receive immortality. 


Sirach 19:19 (KJVApocrypha) 

19  The knowledge of the commandments of the Lord is the doctrine of life: and they that do things that please him shall receive the fruit of the tree of immortality. 


Where is the tree of life? Who gives the overcomer the fruit from the tree of life in the middle of Paradise, Revelation 2:7? Jesus son of Sirach also says that there is a book of life and those who explain the Lord shall have everlasting life. 


Sirach 24:22-23 (DRV) 

22  He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. 

23  All these things are the book of life, and the covenant of the most High, and the knowledge of truth.  Moses commanded a law in the precepts of justices, and an inheritance to the house of Jacob, and the promises to Israel. 


If we listen to the Lord and work for Him we will not sin. If we teach people about Him we will have everlasting life. Where do we read about a book of life? Immortality has always been promised to Israel and the followers of Christ. Tobit says to make alms to purge away sin and one will find mercy and life everlasting. 


Tobit 12:8-9 (DRV) 

8  Prayer is good with fasting and alms more than to lay up treasures of gold: 

9  For alms delivereth from death, and the same is that which purgeth away sins, and maketh to find mercy and life everlasting. 


We can start to see a picture emerging of the distortion of immortality, and the month called Immortalities. The first day of the seventh month, Athanim/Ethanim, Immortalities, is supposed to be a memorial, a day to remember the day that the Lord came to earth and spoke to Jacob’s heirs in the wilderness.


https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2019/05/holy-convocation-month-of-immortalities.html



Paul tells us that we will put on incorruption or change to immortality. Paul says it will happen instantly. 


1 Corinthians 15:52 G1722 in G823 an instant, G1722 in G4493 the blink G3788 of an eye, G1722 at G3588 the G2078 last G4536 trumpet. G4537 For it shall trump, G1063   G2532 and G3588 the G3498 dead G1453 shall be raised G862 incorruptible, G2532 and G1473 we G236 shall be changed.

  53 G1163 For it is necessary G1063   G3588   G5349 this corruption G3778   G1746 to put on G861 incorruptibility, G2532 and G3588   G2349 this mortal G3778   G1746 to put on G110 immortality.

  54 G3752 But whenever G1161   G3588   G5349 this corruptible G3778   G1746 should have put on G861 incorruptibility, G2532 and G3588   G2349 this mortal G3778   G1746 should have put on G110 immortality, G5119 then G1096 shall come to pass G3588 the G3056 word G3588   G1125 having been written, G2666 [2was swallowed down G3588   G2288 1Death] G1519 in G3534 victory.



If something happens instantly we can speculate that there will be no time to think about it. It will happen so fast that it will leave people in shock for a few moments as they process what just took place. Once people on the earth recognize that in an instant or an atom of time, two billion people (give or take) have left earth, there will be no remedying it. They will be left behind. 


Solomon reminds us that the Elohim did not make death. Satanas caused death when he enticed the adam to sin. 


Wis 1:12  Seek not death in the error of your life: and pull not upon yourselves destruction with the works of your hands.

Wis 1:13  For God made not death: neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living.

Wis 1:14  For he created all things, that they might have their being: and the generations of the world were healthful; and there is no poison of destruction in them, nor the kingdom of death upon the earth:

Wis 1:15  (For righteousness is immortal:)


If we think of our existence this way; that apart from the Elohim we have destruction, but allied with the Elohim we have immortality, then we sum up all of the dilemma of manfaced. We cannot make ourselves immortal apart from the Elohim. Science cannot save us, only Jesus Christ can. In an atom of time the dead in Christ will rise up and the living will join them. This is why Paul asks what advantage is there to fight wild beasts at Ephesus if he was simply going to perish anyway. Why would anyone want to be martyred for Christ if the is no immortality? But now, death has no sting and the grave has no victory over the believers in Christ. 


Put this together with what we studied last week, that we are the first fruits’, the sacrifice offering. We can see why the believers are taken off the earth first, before the wrath of the lamb. We are the immortal first fruits. 


Joh 3:13  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

Joh 3:14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

Joh 3:15  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.


Believers in Christ will have everlasting life and be immortal. That is the reward for believing now before the wrath of the lamb. The corruptible put on incorruption and the mortals put on immortality and are presented as a first fruits offering to the Father. The purpose of the harpazo is for those who believe on Jesus to be the first offering of saved manfaced from our race. No man has ascended up to heaven yet. But at the harpazo many people will ascend to heaven and will all go together, putting on immortality along the way, in a moment of time. Yahweh gave us the month of immortalities to be something that we looked forward to. But men corrupted it with a different name, and made it a dead work of the flesh. Those who believe that Jesus is Lord will be immortal first fruits.