The Silver Trumpet, Vol. 1, Nos. 10-11

THE SILVER TRUMPET
Let Elohim arise, let Their enemies be scattered; and let

those who hate Them fee from Their Presence. - Psalm 68:1
Vol. 1, No. 10-11
Passover (April 4-11)

New Moon (April 21)
2015
Abib-Zif
Yahweh spoke to Moses, Make two trumpets of silver; you are to make
them from a single hammered piece. And they shall be for assembling the
community and for directing the traveling of the camps. When they blow
them both, all the community must come to you to the entrance of the tent
of meeting. But if they blow with one trumpet, then the leaders, the heads of
the thousands of Israel must assemble themselves. When you blow an
alarm, then the camps that are located on the east side must begin to move.
And when you blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that are
located on the south side must begin to move. An alarm must be sounded
for their journeys. But when you assemble the community, you must blow,
but you must not sound an alarm. The sons of Aaron, the priests, must blow
the trumpets; and they will be to you for an eternal ordinance throughout
your generations. If you go to war in your land against an adversary who
opposes you, then you must sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will
be remembered before Yahweh your Elohim, and you will be saved from
your enemies. Also in the time when you rejoice, such as on your appointed
festivals and at the beginnings of your months, you must blow with your
trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifces of your peace
offerings, so that they may be a memorial for you before your Elohim: I am
Yahweh your Elohim. - Numbers 10:1-10
The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11
The Graciousness of Glory

by Trent Wilde
During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and also on the new moon
of the second month (Zif), a number of us Branches met on the
conference call1 to feast on the truth and to study whatever Wisdom
placed on our table. The passages to which our attention was drawn
include Ezekiel 1-11, Psalm 8, 74, 89, 99, and 104. Though time did
not permit us to enter into the study of these passages during our
meetings, we want to encourage you all to closely investigate what
they have to say in light of present truth.
The passage which we were more specifcally directed to, and
which dominated our studies during the feast and the new moon, was
Isaiah 40-52, or more fully, Isaiah 40-66. Considering the length of
this section though, we were not able to cover it in its entirety during
our studies. In fact, we were only able to cover chapters 40:1-42:9.
What we found is that the truth contained within these verses is both
abundant and timely. During the whole feast, from beginning to end,
we could not help but praise our Heavenly Family for revealing to us
such magnifcent realities.
Before entering into the study of the passage itself, we want to
briefy mention a need which we have seen, along with the beginnings
of what has been done in an attempt to meet that need. Namely, we
see a need for new and better translations of scripture. While it is true
that most translations give a fair enough representation of the basic
meaning of any given passage, it is also true that, in many instances,
wonderful truths contained in those passages have been obscured.
Additionally, there has been, in recent decades, many archaeological
fndings and much historical and textual research which enlightens
our understanding of scripture. For this reason, we have put together
a new translation of the passage under consideration, making use of
some of the best available resources.2
1
2
See p. 79.
These include The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible, The New English Translation (with footnotes),
Isaiah 40-55: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary (Anchor Yale) by
Blenkinsopp (translation and textual notes), Deutero-Isaiah: A Commentary on Isaiah
40-55 (Hermeneia) by Baltzer (translation and textual notes), Biblia Hebraica
Stuttgartensia (MT of Hebrew Bible), The Hebrew Bible: Anderson-Forbes Analyzed Text,
Biblical Dead Sea Scrolls (Lexham Press) (DSS transcriptions), The Great Isaiah Scroll
(dss.collections.imj.org.il/isaiah), and The Lexham English Septuagint.
Isaiah 40:1-42:9
40 Comfort, comfort my
people, says your Gods.3
2 Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and tell her that her warfare
is fulflled, that her punishment
is accepted for she has received
from the hand of Yahweh
double for all her sins. 3 A voice
of one calls: In the wilderness
prepare the way of Yahweh!
Make in the desert a straight
highway for our Gods! 4 Every
valley must be raised up, and
every mountain and hill brought
low. The crooked must be made
straight and the rugged landscape a wide valley. 5 The glory
of Yahweh will be revealed and
all fesh shall see her together,
for the mouth of Yahweh has
spoken. 6 A voice of one speaks,
Call! Then I said, What shall
I call? All fesh is grass, and all
their goodliness like the fower
of the feld. 7 The grass withers,
the fower fades, for the Spirit of
Yahweh blows upon them.
Truly, the people are grass;
the grass withers, the fower

fades, but the word of our Gods
will endure forever.
9 Go up on a high mountain,
Zion, you Heraldess.4 Lift up
your voice with strength, Jerusalem, you Heraldess. Lift it up,
don't be afraid! Say to the cities
of Judah, 'Behold your Gods!
10 Behold the lord Yahweh will
come with strength. His arm
rules for him. Behold his reward
is with him, and his work before
him. 11 Like a shepherd does he
pasture his fock. He gathers
nursing lambs with his arm and
carries them in his bosom. He
leads the ewe lambs that give
suck.
12 Who has measured the
waters of the sea in the hollow of
his hand, and estimated the skies
with the span of his hand, and
who holds the dust of the earth
in a third part, and weighs
mountains in a scale and hills in
balances?13 Who has estimated
the Spirit of Yahweh and the
man of his counsel, whom she
3 The word here is elohikem () ,
teaches? 14 With whom has he
which is a variation of elohim ()
counseled, and to whom has he
and simply means your elohim. This given understanding, and taught
word is plural and contains a combination of the masculine and feminine him in the way of judgment, and
taught him knowledge, and
grammatical genders. For more on
why we have here, and throughout this shows him the path of insight?
article, translated it in the plural,
15 Behold, nations are like a drop
please see our study Divine Plurality,
Vol. 1, No. 1.
This is the feminine form of herald.

from a bucket and are regarded carry them away as chaff. 25 ''To
as dust on scales. Behold, the whom will you compare me?
coastlands weigh as much as Whom do I resemble?' says the
powder. 16 And Lebanon is not Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes
enough for kindling, its wild on high and see Who created
beasts are not enough for burnt these? The One who brings out
offering. 17 All the nations are as their host by number and calls
nothing before him. And they all of them by name. Of those
are regarded by him as at an great in power and mighty in
end and void.
strength, not one is missing.
18 And to whom will you liken
27 Why do you say, Jacob, and
5
God, and what image will you speak, Israel, My way is hidden
compare to him? 19 A craftsman from Yahweh, and from my
makes an idol, and a metalsmith Goddess6 my case passes away.
overlays it with gold and 28 Do you not know even if you
fashions silver chains. 20 One do not hear? The Goddess of all
who is impoverished offers wood time is Yahweh, creating the
that does not rot and seeks for a ends of the earth, not growing
wise craftsman to set up an idol weary, and not growing faint,
that will not totter. 21 Do you not Whose understanding is unsearknow? Do you not hear? Has it chable - 29 the Giver of strength
not been reported to you from to the weary and might to those
the beginning? Have you not lacking in strength. 30 Youths
understood from the found- may faint from exhaustion, and
ations of the earth? 22 He dwells picked men may stumble and
above the circle of the earth, fall, 31 but those who hope for
and its inhabitants are like Yahweh will renew their strengrasshoppers. He spreads out gth and they will rise up with
the skies like a curtain, and they wings like eagles. They will run
are pitched like a tent to dwell and not grow weary. They will
in. 23 He gives dignitaries over to walk and not faint.
nothingness; the judges of the
41 Be silent before me,
earth he has made void. 24 Hard- coastlands, and let peoples
ly are they planted, hardly are
they sown, hardly has their 6 The word in Hebrew is elohi () ,
which is the possessive form of the
shoot taken root in the earth.
word elah (), the feminine for of el
He blows on them and they
(), meaning Goddess. See Divine
Plurality, Vol. 1, No. 2 for our reasons
wither, and the tempest will
5 Heb. el (( )sing. masc.)
for translating this word as feminine

here and elsewhere.

renew strength. Let them draw
near then speak. Let us draw
near together for judgment.
2 Who was it that raised up from
the rising of the sun one righteous at every step? He will give
nations to him, and beat down
kings beneath him. He will
make their swords like dust and
their bows like windblown chaff.
3 And he will pursue them, and
he will pass over in peace, and
the path of his feet, they will not
discern. 4 Who has brought this
about? Who has done it? - The
one who calls the generations
from the beginning. I, Yahweh,
am the frst, and am with the
last it is I. 5 See, coastlands,
and be afraid. The ends of the
earth will draw near together
and come.
6 Every man helps his friend
and says, Be strong. 7 The
craftsman encourages the metalsmith, and the one who smooths
with the hammer, the one who
strikes the mallet, saying of the
welding, It is good! - and he
fastens it with nails so that it will
not totter. 8 But you, Israel, my
servant, Jacob, whom I have
chosen, seed of Abraham, my
friend 9 whom I am bringing
from the ends of the earth and
from her most distant parts, I
have called you saying, You
are my servant. I have chosen
you and not rejected you. 10 Do
not be afraid for I am with you.

Do not be perplexed for I am
your Goddess. I strengthen you.
I help you. I hold you up by the
right hand of my righteousness.
11 Behold, all who rage against
you will be ashamed and
humiliated. Those who contend
with you will be as nothing, they
will perish. 12 Those who strive
with you will be as nothing and
those who war against you will
come to nought. 13 For I am
Yahweh, your Goddess, who
clasps your right hand and says
to you, Don't be afraid, I am
here to help you. 14 Do not be
afraid you worm, Jacob, people
of Israel, says Yahweh your
Redeemer, the Holy One of
Israel. 15 Behold, I have appointed you to be a sharp threshing
sledge the new master, for,
double-edged, you will thresh
mountains and grind them and
you will make hills like chaff.
16 You will sift them, the Spirit
will carry them away, and the
whirlwind will scatter them. And
you will rejoice in Yahweh, and
in the Holy One of Israel will
you praise.
17 The needy and the poor
seek water, but there is none.
Their tongue is dry from thirst.
I, Yahweh, will hear them. I, the
Goddess of Israel will not
forsake them. 18 I will open
streams on the bare hills and in

the midst of valleys, springs. I
will set in the wilderness a pool
of waters and on the dry land
waters breaking forth. 19 I will set
in the wilderness cedar, acacia,
myrtle, and oil trees. I will set in
the desert cypress, fr, and box
together. 20 This is for the
purpose that they may see, and
observe, and consider, and
understand that the hand of
Yahweh has done this and the
Holy One of Israel has created
this.
21 Present your case, says
Yahweh. Bring forth your strong
arguments, says the King of
Jacob. 22 Let them come forward
and tell us what is going to happen. The former things what
are they? Tell us so that we may
examine them and know their
outcome, or tell us of things to
come. 23 Tell us what will happen hereafter so that we may
know that you are gods. Do
anything, be it good or bad, to
fll us with awe and fear.
24 Behold, you are nothing and
your deeds are nothing. An
abomination is the one who
chooses you. 25 I have stirred up
one from the north, and he
comes from the rising of the sun
and he calls in my name. He
shall trample rulers like mud
and as a potter treads clay.
26 Who has declared this from
the beginning that we may
know? And beforehand, so that

we may say, 'He is righteous'?
Indeed, none of them declared
it! Indeed, none of them announced it! Indeed, no one heard
you say anything! 27 I, the First,
declared to Zion, Behold,
behold these things! And I gave
to Jerusalem a herald of good
news. 28 I look, and there is no
one among them; no one
counsels or responds when I ask
of them. 29 Behold, they are all
nothing and their works are
nothing. Their molten images
are wind and confusion.
42 1 Behold, my servant whom
I uphold. My chosen, in whom
my whole being delights. I have
put my Spirit upon him so that
he may establish a just order for
the nations. 2 He will not shout,
and he will not raise his voice,
and he will not cause it to be
heard in the streets. 3 A bruised
reed he will not break, and a
dim fax he will not quench for
truly he will establish a just
order. 4 He will not be quenched
and he will not be broken until
he has set up a just order in the
land. The islands wait for his
decree. 5 Thus says the God of
the gods,7 who created the skies
and pitched them, who pounded
out the earth and her produce
and gave breath to the people
upon her and life to those who
7 Heb. ha-el ha-elohim ()

walk in her: 6 I, Yahweh, have
called you in righteousness. I
have grasped you by the hand. I
keep you and give you for a
covenant of the people, for a
light to the nations, 7 to open the
eyes of the blind, to bring out
from the dungeon those who are
bound, and from the prison
house, those who dwell in

darkness. 8 It is I, Yahweh, my
name and my glory I will not
give to another, nor my praise to
images. 9 The former things have
come to pass, and new things I
now declare. Before they spring
up I proclaim them to you.
Seeing as these verses defnitely speak of the regathering of the lost

tribes of Israel (41:8-9), the overthrow of the nations (40:17; 41:2-3),
and the judgment of the wicked gods (40:23-24; 41:21-29), and since
none of these things have as yet taken place, we can be assured that if
they are to take place at all, they must take place in the future. This
too is in harmony with the other prophets, since they all wrote of these
things as taking place in the last days (Eze. 36-39; Joel 2-3; Ps. 82).
With this in mind, let us diligently search out the meaning of this
passage with humility and with remembering to ask the Spirit for
guidance each step of the way.
A Message of Comfort
Comfort, comfort my people, says your Gods. 2 Speak to the
heart of Jerusalem and tell her that her warfare is fulflled, that her
punishment is accepted for she has received from the hand of
Yahweh double for all her sins. - Isaiah 40:1-2
1
Our passage begins undoubtably with a message of comfort. Not

only does our Heavenly Family give a command to comfort, but They
identify Themselves with those who are to be comforted. They do this
by employing typical covenant language, such as you are my
people, and I am your Gods.8 Evidently, this message comes at a
time when the heart of Jerusalem has been in warfare and under
punishment for her sins, thus making it evident that she had broken
the covenant and was therefore not Yahweh's people and Yahweh was
not her God (see Rom. 6:16). This prophecy, then, must meet
fulfllment at about the same time as the prophecy by Hosea:
8
See Ex. 6:7; Lev. 26:12; Jer. 30:22; 31:31-34; 32:36-44; and Eze. 37:23, 26-27.
9 Then God said, Call his name Lo-ammi: for you are not my
people, and I will not be your God. 10 Yet the number of the
children of Israel will be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be
measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place
where it was said unto them, You are not my people, there it shall
be said unto them, You are the sons of the living God. 11 Then shall
the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered
together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up
out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel. . . 14 Therefore,
behold, I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness, and
speak comfortably unto her. 15 And I will give her her vineyards
from thence and the valley of Achor for a door of hope. And she
shall sing there as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when
she came up out of the land of Egypt. - Hosea 1:9-11; 2:14-15
It is while in the lands of the gentiles (the wilderness) 9, prior to

returning to the land of Israel, that we are to have this message of
comfort proclaimed to us and it is there that we are to be invited to
enter into a covenant with our Gods, as were the children of Israel
while in the wilderness at Mt. Sinai.10 While it is true that the full
establishment of the infant Kingdom takes place in the land and that
the majority receive the change of heart and the new covenant there
(Eze. 36:24-28), we have the clear declaration in this prophecy of
Isaiah, and others, that Heaven offers the new covenant to those who
are willing to receive it even now.11
The heart of Jerusalem (Zion) is guilty of sin and thus cannot be
the geographical center of Jerusalem, but must represent people. Since
this message of comfort is for this people, it is imperative to
understand who this people is, for they are the ones to whom the
covenant is to be fulflled. As we have seen in our previous studies, 12
the prophecy of Ezekiel 16 points out for us, with incredible exactness,
just who it is that will receive the everlasting covenant. Samaria,
Sodom, and Jerusalem the Daughter (represented as sisters) are the
9
See Isa. 14:17; Rev. 12:6; 17:3; The World Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, p. 40-41 by
Victor Houteff.
10 See The Pentecost by Ben Roden.
11 See also Isa. 55 and our studies on Ps. 139.
12 See Ezekiel 16 Three Sisters and Their Mother by Doug Mitchell and the following
videos:
Ezekiel 16 Pt 1 Jerusalem the Mother, Worse Than a Whore
Ezekiel 16 Pt 2 Like Mother, Like Daughter
three main characters of the last third of that chapter (Eze. 16:44-63).
The things said concerning these fgures is decidedly contrary to the
historical records, which fact was well known to Ezekiel. Ezekiel
clearly uses these titles to refer to latter-day groups of people which
were typifed by those ancient cities and their populations. As has been
demonstrated in the aforementioned studies, these three sisters
represent three movements namely, the SDA, the DSDA, and the
BDSDA.
The Branch movement has done worse than both the Adventist
movement and the Davidian movement. Her sins are described and
her punishment prescribed in Ezekiel 16. The prophecy declares that
although she has done worse than her sisters, and although she would
have to undergo shame and reproach as a result, the mercy of the
Lord would be extended to her and with her would be made an
everlasting covenant (Eze. 16:60, 62).
In Isaiah 40, we are brought to the time when this movement has
undergone enough shame and reproach, when her punishment is
satisfactory and her warfare is fulflled. This is not to say that she will
not experience any more reproach or shame, but it is to say that the
reproach and the shame which she has received is suffcient for her to
learn the lesson and that any reproach or shame she may experience
from this point on is as a result of stubbornness and/or fresh rebellion.
Since the time of Zion's reproach (Eze. 16:57) was not brought
about until the dreadful events of 1993, and since her experience since
that time has been one of shame, both because of the discovering of
her wickedness to the nations and because of her seeing her own
deplorable state in the sight of God, then this message of comfort must
be proclaimed at some point after those events. And since it is only
now being unfolded in clarity, the message of comfort is necessarily
the present message. This fact will be all the more clearly borne out
when considering what it is to be comforted.
9 Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem, for
Yahweh has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. - Isaiah
52:9
For Yahweh will comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places.
He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of
Yahweh. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the
sound of music. Sorrow and mourning will fee away. - Isaiah 51:3
3
12 I, even I, am the one who comforts you. Why are you afraid of
men, who will die, and the sons of men, who are like grass? 13 You
have forgotten Yahweh who made you, who stretched out the skies
and founded the earth, and you have been continually afraid all the
day of the wrath of your oppressor when he sets himself to destroy.
And where is the wrath of your oppressor? 14 The captives will be set
free. They will not die in prison. They will not go without bread. - Isaiah
51:12-14
From all these verses we see that to comfort is to redeem (Isa. 52:9),
to restore (Isa. 51:3), and to liberate (Isa. 51:12-14). The people who
Elohim identifes as Their own, then, are to have all these things take
place to them. They have been bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20)
they have been redeemed. They are offered restoration the
recreation of a pure heart (Ps. 51:10) the restitution of the moral
image of God in man. They are offered liberation from bondage and
captivity in sin (Isa. 61:1-3; John 8:32-36). This message of comfort is
none other than the message of Justifcation by Faith which is now
being declared unto us in fresh revelations of pure truth.
The repetition of the word comfort in verse one is by no means
redundant. The latter part of verse two lets us know that the heart of
Jerusalem has received double for all her sins. She has done worse
then her sisters, and therefore has received double punishment, but in
order to be restored she must then be given double comfort. An
understanding of the double punishment will help us to understand
the double comforting.
17 Awake, awake, stand up Jerusalem, who drank from the hand
of Yahweh the cup of his wrath. You have drunk the goblet, the
cup of staggering; you have drained it out. 18 There is no one who
guides her among all the children she has borne, and there is no
one who grasps her by the hand among all the children she raised.
19
These two things have come upon you. Who will show you
sympathy? Devastation and destruction, and famine, and sword. By
whom will I comfort you? 20 Your sons have fainted, they lie at the
head of all the streets as a wild bull in a net. They are full of the
fury of Yahweh, the rebuke of your Goddess. Isaiah 51:17-20
Here, Jerusalem is said to have received a double punishment from

the hand of Yahweh just as we have already seen in Isaiah 40. The
two things that have come upon her relate to how her children are
10
being no children at all to her they are not guiding her and they are
not grasping her hand. Isaiah 54 refers to this curse in terms of
barrenness (Isa. 54:1) and widowhood (Isa. 54:4). This becomes all the
more clear, however, when the tables are reversed and the curses
which have been on Jerusalem are placed upon Babylon.
8 Therefore now, hear this, O luxuriant one who sits in security,
who says in your heart, I am, and beside me there is none other. I
shall not sit as a widow, and I shall not know the loss of children. 9 But these
two things shall come upon you in a moment, in one day the loss of
children and widowhood. They shall come upon you completely, in
spite of your many sorceries and in spite of the power of your great
enchantments. Isaiah 47:8-9
This message of double comfort means the end of childlessness and

widowhood. It means redemption, restoration, and liberation. It is the
reestablishment of Zion, the making of a new covenant, and the
sprouting of the Kingdom in the wilderness! Branches, look at what
our Heavenly Family is offering to us! Rejoice!
3
A voice of one calls: In the wilderness prepare the way of
Yahweh! Make in the desert a straight highway for our Gods! Isaiah 40:3
Here, another entity is introduced. The voice which here calls is

not the same as the Gods of verse one, for this one says, Make in the
desert a straight highway for our Gods! What is this voice describing?
This is the work which is accomplished as Zion receives the
everlasting covenant. It is in the wilderness, in the gentile lands, that
we are to prepare the way of Yahweh. It is here that we are to make a
straight highway for our Gods. Earlier in Isaiah, the language of a
highway was used to describe the latter-day exodus (Isa. 11:16).
This is the work to be done preparatory to returning to the land of our
fathers. This same work is also described in the following passage:
Let the desert and dry region be happy; let the wilderness
rejoice and bloom like a lily! 2 Let it richly bloom; let it rejoice, yes,
with rejoicing and shouting! It is given the glory of Lebanon, the
splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of Yahweh,
the splendor of our Gods. 3 Strengthen the hands that have gone
limp, steady the staggering knees! 4 Say to the hasty of heart, Be
1
11
strong! Do not fear! Look, your Gods come to avenge! With

retribution they come to deliver you. 5 Then blind eyes will open,
deaf ears will hear. 6 Then the lame will leap like a deer, the mute
tongue will shout for joy; for water will burst forth in the desert,
streams in the wilderness. 7 The dry soil will become a pool of
water, the parched ground springs of water. Where jackals once
lived and sprawled out, grass, reeds, and papyrus will grow. 8 And
there will be a road, a way, and it will be called the Way of
Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it. It will be for them
those who walk in the Way. Fools will not stray into it. 9 No lions
will be there, no ferocious wild animals will go up on it they will
not be found there. Those delivered from bondage will travel on it.
10 The redeemed will walk on it and those whom Yahweh has
ransomed will return on it. They will enter Zion with shouts of
happiness. Unending joy will be on their heads. Happiness and joy
will overwhelm them; grief and groaning will fee away. - Isaiah
35:1-10
Over the past couple of years, these prophecies have been

presented to the branches and you are all well aware of the fact that
they speak of the 9T reformation, the revival and reformation, the
sealing of the 144,000, etc.13 The Way of Holiness which is made in
the wilderness is the true faith. John the Baptist proclaimed the
message of making the way in the wilderness in his day in
preparation for the establishment of the Kingdom of God and then
subsequently, the followers of Christ and their whole viewpoint and
practice were known as the Way. 14 Since Isaiah 40 has its perfect
fulfllment in the last days, however, we can see that the Way of the
frst century, which was the sect of the Nazarenes, was a type for the
Way of the last days, which is the Branches (Heb. Netzarim
Nazarenes). In both instances, it is the true faith, which is defned by a
freshly revealed message of repentance, calling people to righteousness
and holiness before our Heavenly Family and before the world.
Every valley must be raised up, and every mountain and hill
brought low. The crooked must be made straight and the rugged
landscape a wide valley. - Isaiah 40:4
4
13 See our videos Shekinah on the Move part 1 and Shekinah on the Move part 2.
14 See Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22 (Compare Acts 24:5 with 24:14 to see how
the Way and the Nazarenes are spoken of synonymously).
12
Evidently, the results of this work today is that those who are low,
outcast, and humble are to be made high and exalted, whereas those
who are lifting themselves up and are proud will be brought low. The
mountains and hills (churches and sects) are to be humbled while
those who are drifting in the valleys are to be lifted up. Since that
which is crooked is morally polluted (Deut. 32:5; Isa. 59:8; Mic. 3:9),
then to be made straight is to be morally upright. This is speaking of
the restoration of righteousness. Moreover, in Hebrew there is a wordplay which foreshadows what is to come later in the passage. The
word for crooked is he'aqov ( ) while the word for straight is
yeshr (). Let us now read another passage in Isaiah in order to
understand the wordplay:
1 But hear now, Jacob my servant, and Israel whom I have
chosen for myself. 2 These are the words of Yahweh who made you,
who formed you from the womb, and who will help you - Do not
be afraid, Jacob my servant, and Jeshurun whom I have chosen. 3 I
will pour out water on the thirsty ground and streams of water on
the parched land; I will pour out my spirit on your descendants, my
blessings on your offspring. 4 They will spring up like that which
grows among grass, like willows by watercourses. 5 This one will
say, I belong to Yahweh, another will take the name Jacob, and
yet another will write Yahweh's name on his hand and take on the
name Israel. - Isaiah 44:1-5
This passage describes the reformation in the wilderness using

some of the same language we have seen already in previous passages.
As it does this, it speaks of the fact that some will be going by one
name, while others are going by another. There is a mixture of who
has the old name and who has the new, and since a name change
represents a change in character, we see that this passage describes the
condition of things during a purifcation in which some are purifed
but others are not. One of the names which is used to symbolize the
new name is Jeshurun, which is a prophetic name indicating
uprightness.15
The wordplay is found when we see that Jacob, in Hebrew, is
ya'akov ( ) which corresponds phonetically with crooked he'aqov
() . Likewise, Jeshurun is yeshurun (
)which corresponds
phonetically to straight yeshr (). Therefore, for the crooked to be
15 See also Deut. 32:5; 33:5, 26.
13
made straight is for Jacob to be made Jeshurun; or, to put it another

way - for the supplanter to be made upright, or righteous. The
imagery of the passage demonstrates that this revival and reformation
is to turn everything on its head, so to speak. We can expect changes.
The glory of Yahweh will be revealed and all fesh shall see her
together, for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken. - Isaiah 40:5
5
Just as John prepared the way for a manifestation of Yahweh in the

person of Jesus Christ, just so those who fulfll this mission are
preparing the way for a manifestation of Yahweh, but this time, it is
the glory of Yahweh who is revealed. The glory of Yahweh is the
Shekinah of Israel, the only begotten Daughter of God. 16 This verse
comprehends both the revelation of Her as well as Her own
manifestation.17 Thus, the Shekinah is among this movement just as
She was among the children of Israel while they spent their time in the
wilderness.18
A voice of one speaks, Call! Then I said, What shall I call?
All fesh is grass, and all their goodliness like the fower of the feld.
7
The grass withers, the fower fades, for the Spirit of Yahweh blows
upon them. Truly, the people are grass; 8 the grass withers, the
fower fades, but the word of our Gods will endure forever. Isaiah 40:6-8
6
Here we have another voice introduced. The voice of verse three

called, but the one here speaks. The difference is that the frst voice is
further away whereas the second voice is close to the one being spoken
to. Another point of difference is that those being spoken to in verses
1-5 are a plurality of persons, as indicated by the plurals in Hebrew.
In these verses, though, the one being spoken to, the one being told to
call, is a single individual.
The way this individual responds shows that he was a part of the
group being spoken to in the frst fve verses and that he heard the
declaration that all fesh will see the glory of Yahweh. He responds
by declaring that all fesh is grass 19 and that they and their goodli16 See our video studies Tabernacle Among Us and The Only Begotten Daughter.
17 See Eze. 20:35; 43:7; Zech. 2:5, 10-11; Joel 2:27; 3:16-17; Zech. 8:3, 22; Isa. 4:5;
2 Esdras 7:26; 2 Mac. 2:8; Rev. 10:1
18 See Ex. 16:7, 10; Num. 14:10; 16:19; 20:6.
19 See also Ps. 37:2; 90:4-6; 103:15; 129:6.
14
ness are all perishable and that the Spirit of Yahweh blowing upon
them will surely cause them to be vanquished. There are a few more
things we can learn from this response. First, we can see that the one
who is being told to call understands that the glory of Yahweh
and the Spirit of Yahweh are the same. Second, we fnd that he
understands that any call that he gives is equivalent to the Spirit of
Yahweh blowing upon the grass, which shows that he understands his
command to call as being a commission to bear an inspired
message. Third, we see that he understands that his message is to
cause all the goodness and righteousness of men to perish. With that
gone, he fears that there will be nothing left.
The one who commissions him then responds and tells him that it
is indeed true that people are as grass, and as such, they shall wither,
but the word of our Gods will endure forever. The message is clear
all the goodliness and righteousness of man (which is as flthy rags
Isa. 64:6) is to fade away, but the word of Yahweh, and all who abide
in it (and allow it to abide in them), will always stand.
What we see in this passage is what might be called a prophetic
installation scene. There are certain characteristics which are common
place when a prophet is being called. These include (1) a divine
encounter, (2) calling and the giving of the task, and (3) an
encouragement, typically following some expression of doubt or fear
expressed by the one being called. 20 All of these elements are present
in this passage. Isaiah 40:1-5 shows a divine encounter, verse 6 shows
the calling and declaration of the task, and verse 8 contains the
encouragement. The whole thought is further confrmed when it is
kept in mind that the one being installed into prophetic offce
understands the message he is given to bear to be the breath of the
Spirit of Yahweh, which naturally indicates that the one speaking to
him and telling him what to say is the Spirit Herself.
Before moving on, it will be helpful for us to briefy look at one
more aspect of the verses already covered. Keep in mind that we have
seen a series of doublets. First, the heart of Jerusalem has committed
double sins, then, she received double punishment, and as a result of
this, she is offered a double comforting. It is then no accident that we
have a doublet of voices conveying that comforting message. We have
already seen that the voice of verse six is close to the one being called
while the voice of verse three is further away. Isaiah 40:22 tells us
20 For more examples of prophetic installations, see Isa. 6, Jer. 1, and Eze. 1.
15
where God lives; namely, heaven. Therefore, the Elohim of verse one
is pictured in Heaven and since there is no change of scene from
verses one and two to verse fve, we can know that the voice of verse
three is also in heaven. So, we have at least two beings, one male and
one female, represented by the Elohim of verse one, and then another
being represented by the voice of verse three, and yet another by the
voice of verse six. The frst three are in heaven, whereas the last one is
on earth.
In the light of the New Testament, we know that the Heavenly
Father and Mother have given two Comforters to humanity (John 1416). The frst Comforter is Jesus Christ, Branch He, who is now in
heaven. The second Comforter is the Holy Spirit Daughter, Branch
She, who is now on earth. Since we have already seen that the latter is
the one issuing the divine commission in verse six and that both She
and the voice of verse three refer to the Elohim of verse one as our
Gods the subject is made clear. The Elohim of verse one is the Father
and Mother; the voice of verse three is our brother, Branch; and the
voice of verse six is our Sister, Branch, or, otherwise known as
Wisdom (Prov. 7:4).
Zion the Heralding Woman

9 Go up on a high mountain, Zion, you Heraldess. Lift up your
voice with strength, Jerusalem,21 you Heraldess. Lift it up, don't be
afraid! Say to the cities of Judah, 'Behold your Gods! - Isaiah 40:9
Let us briefy summarize what we have already learned: The frst

two verses of the chapter describe the instruction by Elohim for the
heart of Jerusalem to be comforted. This commission was fulflled by
the two Comforters of verses three and six. The message of the frst
Comforter (vs. 3-5) was given to a group of people of which the one
being called in verse six is a part. Since this instruction was to be given
to the heart of Jerusalem (the Branch movement), then that is
necessarily the group being spoken to. The way in which they are
comforted is by being given a mission and being told that they have
the opportunity to fulfll the 9T reformation and, to top it off, they will
thus be preparing the way for the manifestation of the Shekinah.
21 The poetic parallelism here shows that Zion and Jerusalem, in this context, are
equated.
16
In verse six we see the second Comforter turn to an individual

within that group and call him to give an inspired message. After this
divine encounter, calling, and encouragement, we have the commission for Zion to bear the message that we fnd starting in verse
nine. The section starting here is the answer to the question What
shall I call? in verse six, and thus is the breath of the Spirit of
Yahweh which is proclaimed by the one just called to the heart of
Jerusalem (Zion). This passage is written in such a way as to be
intentionally ambiguous as to who is speaking so that it can carry both
the thought that it is the one who was commissioned in verse six, but
also the Spirit who commissioned him speaking through him.
This passage presents the commissioning of Zion by the Spirit
through the one told to call in verse six. Zion herself is represented
as a woman heralding a message of truth as an imager of the Spirit
who called her. Her command to go up on a high mountain is a
command for her to enter into heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 2:6):
But you are come unto mount Zion, the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23 to the general assembly and congregation of the frstborn, who
are written in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the
spirits of the righteous, who have been made perfect, 24 and to Jesus,
the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling,
that speaks better things than that of Abel. - Hebrews 12:22-24
22
Zion is thus invited to come into the very assembly of the Gods and
is from there to lift up her voice. This heavenly mission places Zion in
a position of responsibility and also advantage. When tests and trials
come her way, she can say, as did Nehemiah, I am engaged in an
important work, and I am unable to come down (Neh. 6:3). Though
Zion may be tempted to fear, she is given every reason to lift up her
voice with strength and proclaim the truth with holy boldness, saying
to the cities of Judah, Behold your Gods!
Since we are dealing with latter day entities, the cities of Judah
must represent groups of people here in these last days. Since the
Adventist Church was denominated by God to be His latter day
Israel,22 and since the kingdom was divided in the days of Victor
Houteff in a similar way to how it was divided after the death of
22 See 5T 455; 9T 17-18; 19MR 38-39.
17
Solomon, then the southern kingdom (Judah) must represent what we

today call Davidia.23 The sad reality is that the people of Judah
[Davidia] have as many gods as they have cities [associations] (Jer.
11:13). This sad state of things makes it absolutely necessary for the
truth of the true Elohim to be proclaimed to them. Thus, the message
Behold your Gods! is to go to Davidia declaring to them our
Heavenly Family in truth and in righteousness.
Behold the lord Yahweh will come with strength. His arm rules
for him. Behold his reward is with him, and his work before him. Isaiah 40:10
10
The message which Zion is to proclaim to the cities of Judah

continues on to say that Yahweh is coming with strength. He is
declared to be lord and he is said to be ruling. This is announcing
Yahweh as making his entrance as King of the kingdom. His reward
with him is salvation and the kingdom. His work before him indicates
that salvation is still to be wrought and the kingdom still needs to
grow.
The obvious meaning of Yahweh's arm in this verse is that it
represents the one through whom he is ruling. Victor Houteff
commented on a number of scriptures referring to the arm of the
Lord and in those various contexts he said, He calls the Exodus
Movement His arm, His servants, therefore, are His arm, and the
arm of the Lord that rules for Him must be fgurative of those through
whom He works.24 In this context though, Zion is speaking to the
cities of Judah of someone distinct from either group and distinct from
Yahweh. The next verse will further enlighten us on this point.
Like a shepherd does he pasture his fock. He gathers nursing
lambs with his arm and carries them in his bosom. He leads the
ewe lambs that give suck. - Isaiah 40:11
11
Here we fnd that not only does Yahweh rule with his arm, but he
also gathers his lambs with his arm. Since later in Isaiah we fnd that it
is Yahweh's servant who is to gather his people (Isa. 49:5-6), then it is
certainly that same servant who is here referred to as his arm. As we
shall see, that servant is also called Cyrus and David.
23 See our studies on Ezekiel 16 mentioned in fn. 12.
24 See Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 37, p. 14-15 and Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 9, p. 6.
18

The "certain nobleman" in this parable is Christ, Himself, Who,
soon after His resurrection, departed to the heaven of heavens, "the
far country," to be crowned King of kings and Lord of lords. His
ten servants, who are to occupy till His coming, represent, manifestly, the ministry at the closing of the gospel dispensation. And
His citizens, accordingly, represent the laity -- the subjects of His
kingdom. Together, then, His servants and His citizens make up
His entire kingdom -- church.
As they "sent a message after Him, saying, We will not have this
man to reign over us," the only conclusion admissible is that shortly
before His return, Christ shall inform His "citizens" that He is
taking "the reins in His own hands" to set up His kingdom, and
that they, upon hearing the announcement, shall refuse to submit
themselves to the one through whom He is to rule.
Observe that in the message which they "sent after Him," his
servants did not say, "We will not have You to reign over us," but
rather, "we will not have this man to reign over us." What they
objected to was Christ's reigning over them through someone else. Clearly,
then, before He is coronated, and prior to His return to reckon
with His servants, He appoints a "man" to reign over them in His
stead. Whereupon they say to Him, by their attitude and stand
toward His message, "We will not have this man to reign over us,"
although "this man," as we now see, is the antitypical David (the
"simple means"), the visible king.25
Most Davidians expect to not witness the appearing of the antitypical David until he is seen in kingly glory in the land of Israel,
where he will be subduing all nations beneath him. The idea is that
the Kingdom which Jesus set up in his day was the kingdom of grace,
but today we are to expect the establishment of the kingdom of glory.
Again, many Davidians think that the Jews of Christ's day were only
wrong as to when they expected the establishment of the kingdom.
When Adventists object to the Davidian teaching of the premillennial
kingdom by saying things like, You Davidians are expecting the same
thing as did the Jews, Davidians commonly reply by saying that the
Jews were right in their expectation, they were only wrong in regard to
timing. What we learn in this passage, though, is that that is absolutely
not the case.
Christ and his kingdom are the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Christ came to show the true nature of his kingdom. He did not
25 Mount Sion at the Eleventh Hour, p. 70-71 by Victor Houteff
19
operate one way 2000 years ago and is now going to operate in some
other way. Here is the truth of the kingdom: Christ's kingdom is
always grace unto glory. It is not true that there are two kingdoms
one of grace; one of glory. His kingdom is the gloriousness of grace
and the graciousness of glory. When Christ walked the earth 2000
years ago, he proclaimed that the kingdom of God was at hand, and
indeed it was. His kingdom was grace reigning through righteousness
unto everlasting life (Rom. 5:21). The new covenant was truly being
established in that day (Heb. 8) and if those who had accepted the
truth had not fallen away from righteousness, the kingdom would
have grown in glory and encompassed the whole earth. Unfortunately
though, that is not what happened.
Today, the kingdom is being established the same way it was in the
days of Christ. Today, Yahweh is pictured as triumphantly entering
Zion as King in the kingdom (Isa. 40:10). Yet, at the same time, He is
pictured as a Shepherd, gathering his sheep and even carrying them in
his bosom. What gentleness! As he enters his kingdom, then, he is not
rushing forward at chariot speed destroying everything in his path;
rather, he is traveling more slowly, at the pace of the herds and the
children (Gen. 33:14). This is the ever abiding character of our
Heavenly Family and Their kingdom. The prophecies which met a
partial fulfllment at the time of Christ's frst Advent will meet their
complete fulfllment with the establishment of this latter-day, premillennial kingdom. This is true even of those prophecies which
present humility and lowliness as the nature of the kingdom. For
example:
An oracle of the word of Yahweh concerning the land of
Hadrach, with Damascus its resting place: The eyes of all
humanity, especially of the tribes of Israel, are toward Yahweh, 2 as
are those of Hamath also, which adjoins Damascus, and Tyre and
Sidon, though they consider themselves to be very wise. 3 Tyre built
herself a fortifcation and piled up silver like dust and gold like the
mud of the streets! 4 Nevertheless, the Lord will evict her and shove
her fortifcations into the sea she will be consumed by fre.
5 Ashkelon will see and be afraid; Gaza will be in great anguish, as
will Ekron, for her hope will have been dried up. Gaza will lose her
king, and Ashkelon will no longer be inhabited. 6 A mongrel people
will live in Ashdod, for I will greatly humiliate the Philistines. 7 I will
take away their blood from their mouth and their abominations
from between their teeth, then those who survive will be a remnant
1
20

for our Gods, like a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the
Jebusites. 8 Then I will surround my house to protect it like a guard
from anyone crossing back and forth; so no one will cross over
against them anymore as an oppressor, for now I myself have seen
it. 9 Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold! Your king is coming to you: he is righteous and bringing
salvation, humble and riding on a donkey on a young donkey, the
foal of a female donkey. 10 I will remove the chariot from Ephraim
and the warhorse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be
removed. Then he will announce peace to the nations. His
dominion will be from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to
the ends of the earth. - Zechariah 9:1-10
Who can deny that these things have not yet met their perfect
fulfllment? Who can deny that this refers to the establishment of the
pre-millennial kingdom? This prophecy, along with the one in Isaiah,
declare for us, in unmistakable terms, the nature and character of the
kingdom. Let us remember, too, that the ancient king David did not
suddenly show up as a conquering king. No, he was a mere shepherd
boy, harping with his harp, and singing prophetic songs. He was
anointed at a young age, yet remained in obscurity. This is our type,
and Davidians should expect nothing different. Read Ezekiel 34:2325.
12 Who has measured the waters of the sea in the hollow of his
hand, and estimated the skies with the span of his hand, and who
holds the dust of the earth in a third part, and weighs mountains in
a scale and hills in balances? 13 Who has estimated the Spirit of
Yahweh and the man of his counsel, whom she 26 teaches? 14 With
whom has he counseled, and to whom has he given understanding,
and taught him in the way of judgment, and taught him knowledge,
and shows him the path of insight? 15 Behold, nations are like a
drop from a bucket and are regarded as dust on scales. Behold, the
coastlands weigh as much as powder. 16 And Lebanon is not enough
for kindling, its wild beasts are not enough for burnt offering. 17 All
the nations are as nothing before him. And they are regarded by
him as at an end and void. - Isaiah 40:12-17
After the cities of Judah hear what Zion declares to them

concerning the character of the kingdom and the nature of the Gods,
26 Feminine in 1QIsa (Dead Sea Scrolls)
21
they are evidently set back at the thought. To put it another way, it
seems to them that a kingdom and Gods of this nature and character
stand no chance at being established. After all, who would accept such
Gods and such humble beginnings for a kingdom? Zion is declaring
that the everlasting covenant is being established, that the kingdom
has sprouted in the wilderness, and that Yahweh is ruling with his
arm, but the cities of Judah say, in short, It doesn't look like anything
special to us. That won't ever go anywhere. Just as Jesus so often
replied to the thoughts of those with whom he dealt, here, the Spirit,
through the message which Zion is to bear, replies to the thoughts of
the cities of Judah.
Let us consider a few of the parallels within this section in order to
better understand the reply:
12
Who has measured the waters of

the sea in the hollow of his hand,
15
Behold, nations are like a drop

from a bucket
and estimated the skies with the

span of his hand,
13
and who holds the dust of the earth

in a third part,
15
and weighs mountains in a scale

and hills in balances?
Behold, the coastlands weigh as

much as powder. 16 And Lebanon is
not enough for kindling, its wild
beasts are not enough for burnt
offering.
Who has estimated the Spirit of

Yahweh and the man of his
counsel, whom she teaches...
... and are regarded as dust on
scales.
From this we can see that verses 12-16 have a pattern in which
elements from the frst part are repeated and explained by the
elements from the last part. So, who has measured out the waters in
the hollow of his hand? Well, not any man, and not Marduk, 27 rather,
it is Yahweh, for the nations before him are only as a drop of water
from a bucket. This declares that Yahweh is not only able to measure
them, but that he has measured them and found them to be only a
drop.
27 Marduk, commonly known as Bel (Isa. 46:1) is said to be the one who measures
the waters of the sea and cultivates the felds. - ANET 332, II. 240-41
22
The nations are not only as a drop of water from a bucket, but are
also as dust on scales. They weigh as nothing. They are held in a third
part measure, classifying them as wicked.28 Since wickedness is only a
product of lies, and since lies have no part in reality, we can see why
wickedness is equated with nothingness.
The last part of verse 12 fnds its explanatory parallel with the end
of verse 15 and all of verse 16. From this we learn that the mountains
and hills (churches and sects) are equated with the coastlands.
Lebanon was, in fact, a heavily forested coastal mountain range,
elsewhere in Isaiah used as a symbol for Assyria (Isa. 2; 10). Our
Heavenly Family intends to use Lebanon as kindling and for offerings,
but even this is not enough. Indeed, the whole world is to be taken as
an offering for Yahweh. The whole of verses 12-17 is ftly summed up
in the last verse of this section:
All the nations are as nothing before him. And they are
regarded by him as at an end and void. - Isaiah 40:17
17
Note: every element of verse 12 has its parallel in verses 15 and 16,
even in its correct order. This is true with but one exception. The
second part of verse 12 fnds no parallel in verses 15-16, but instead, it
fnds its parallel in verse 13. This breaks the pattern which the rest of
the section follows. A broken pattern such as this is designed to draw
our attention to this point,29 which is the central point of this section
(vs. 12-17). What is the connection between the questions, Who has
estimated the skies with the span of his hand? and Who has
estimated the Spirit of Yahweh and the man of his counsel, whom she
teaches? Let us look at the frst aspect by considering another related
passage:
13 You are tired out from listening to so much advice. Let them
take their stand the ones who see omens in the sky, who gaze at
the stars, who make monthly predictions let them rescue you
from the disaster that is about to overtake you! - Isaiah 47:13
28 See Final Warning, p. 43 by Victor Houteff.

29 Another example of breaking a pattern for the purpose of drawing one's attention
is found in the parable of Matthew 20 where laborers are called at three hour
intervals, with the exception of the last, which were called only two hours after the
laborers before them.
23
You see, in Isaiah 40, estimating the sky is parallel with estimating
the Spirit, and since the Spirit is the One who gives insight and
prophecy, estimating the sky is in some way connected with divining
the future. Isaiah 47 only serves to confrm this. The ancient practice
of astrology was rooted in the idea that the stars were divine beings,
even gods,30 and that by discerning their movements, one could
understand the future. So, in our passage, the wicked gods and their
false prophecy through their false prophets is set at odds with Yahweh
and his Spirit and the man of Yahweh's counsel, whom his Spirit
instructs.
Again, the context of this is the message which Zion is to give to
the cities of Judah. Judah is said to be guilty of the worship of wicked
gods as well as of false prophecy, which is a product of spurious
inspiration from these wicked gods. So, the challenge is:
Who has estimated the Spirit of Yahweh and the man of his
counsel, whom she teaches? 14 With whom has he counseled, and to
whom has he given understanding, and taught him in the way of
judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shows him the path of
insight? - Isaiah 40:13-14
13
The truth is, no one can fgure out the Spirit. She is as the wind,
blowing where she will. Likewise, no one can estimate the man whom
she teaches.
The Spirit blows wherever she will, and you hear the sound she
makes, but do not know where she comes from and where she is
going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. - John 3:8
8
That said, who dares think they can limit the Spirit to say that she
cannot come in this way or cannot come in that way? This is a
challenge to Davidians. Verse 14 asks Davidians to declare who God
has counseled with. To whom has He given understanding, and
taught the way of judgment, and knowledge, and insight? In other
words, the message to Davidians is, Has God given you a knowledge
of these things? Are you inspired of God? Is the Spirit speaking through
you? If not if you make no claim to inspiration, then who has the
Spirit inspired? Point him out. Our Heavenly Family issues these
30 The idea that stars are to be equated with gods is even to be found in biblical
tradition. See Deut. 4:19-20 (cf. Deut. 32:8-9); Job 38:7; Isa. 14:13; Jer. 8:2; 19:13.
24
challenges in order to point Davidia to the fact that They have indeed
chosen one to inspire, to teach, and to show the way of judgment
unto, as well as the path of insight. The fact is though, that among
them, there is none who can answer:
I look, and there is no one among them, no one counsels or
responds when I ask of them. - Isaiah 41:28
28
Yahweh declares that He is the one who summons a bird of prey

from the rising of the sun. From a distant land, the man of his counsel.
Yes, I have spoken it. Yes, I have brought it about. I have conceived
it, and yes, I will do it (Isa. 46:11). Clearly, in context, the man of his
counsel is the same in both passages, and that man is none other than
the latter-day Cyrus (Isa. 45).
All the various elements of what is said concerning the man of his
counsel in verses 13 and 14 are later said concerning Cyrus, and that,
in addition the phrase man of his counsel being applied to Cyrus
directly in 46:11. For example, chapter 42:1, 3, 4 speak of Cyrus as
having learned the way of judgment and 50:4 speaks of him as being
taught knowledge. In Isaiah 40:12-17, the cities of Judah are told that
this fgure is on the scene. Being Davidians, they should expect this
already as the very name Davidian indicates this truth. Unfortunately
though, they have given themselves over to other gods and false
prophecy, and as a result, must have this message proclaimed to them.
What Image? Why Worship Idols?

And to whom will you liken God, and what image will you
compare to him? 19 A craftsman makes an idol, and a metalsmith
overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains. 20 One who is
impoverished offers wood that does not rot and seeks for a wise
craftsman to set up an idol that will not totter. - Isaiah 40:18-20
18
The nature and character of God has just been declared to be very
different from what the cities of Judah have thought. They have not
thought God to be how Zion is telling them God is. Therefore, the
question is asked of them, ... to whom will you liken God, and what
image will you compare to him? Verses 19 and 20 portray the answer
given by the craftsman, the metalsmith, and the impoverished in an
effort to show the cities of Judah that they are doing the same thing in
25
principle. The hope is that by seeing their own idolatry they will cease
and begin to worship the true Gods.
Most today do not literally craft idols to be an image of their god(s).
Idolatry, nonetheless, exists today just as much as it did in ancient
times, and the ancient idol serves as a type for the modern idol. Both
are the product and fashioning of man only one is a fgure, the
other, an idea. These idols are inwardly unattractive and so must be
covered in such a way as to give it the appearance of outward purity.
The lesson of this is that the idolater's conception of God looks good
on the surface, but when one gets beneath the surface, only base
material is found. One example of this sort of view (among many) is
the idea that God is outside of time and space. On the surface it
sounds good and seems as though it is presenting such a pure and
exalted view of God, but when examined more thoroughly, it is found
to present a perverse and twisted God, if it can be said to truly put
forward a God at all.31
Ancient idols were sometimes secured with chains to keep them
from tipping over. In like manner, people today attempt to secure
their idols by fashioning silver chains with which to bind them.
Silver is a symbol for the word of God (Ps. 12:6), but in this instance
the silver chains are fashioned by men and so represent the words of
men, or, mere human inspiration. The thought is that people use their
words (thinking they are inspired) to prop up their false theories and
misperceptions of God (their idols).
It is as easy to make an idol of false doctrines and theories as to
fashion an idol of wood or stone. By misrepresenting the attributes
of God, Satan leads men to conceive of Him in a false character.
With many, a philosophical idol is enthroned in the place of
Jehovah; while the living God, as He is revealed in His word, in
Christ, and in the works of creation, is worshiped by but few.
Thousands deify nature while they deny the God of nature.
Though in a different form, idolatry exists in the Christian world
today as verily as it existed among ancient Israel in the days of
Elijah. The God of many professedly wise men, of philosophers,
poets, politicians, journaliststhe God of polished fashionable
circles, of many colleges and universities, even of some theological
institutionsis little better than Baal, the sun-god of Phoenicia.32
31 See The Silver Trumpet, Vol. 1, No. 9, pp. 23-28.
32 The Great Controversy, p. 583
26
Understanding a little of the logic behind ancient idolatry will

help us to understand this principle and these verses even more:
Ancient people called both the spiritual entity and its
corresponding religious object a god, and they fashioned the idol in
the gods likeness, but they did not necessarily consider the statue
or object to be identical with the god itself. Rather, ancients
believed the spiritual entity inhabited the idol; in other words, the
deity resided in or attached itself to the physical object. The person
who fashioned the idol and made offerings or sacrifces to it did so
to beckon and localize the deity, so that they could be in
communication with it and have a relationship with it.
Ancient idolaters distinguished between the statues themselves
and the deities they represented. Ancient texts make this
distinction. For example, in an Akkadian inscription, the idol of the
god Shamash of Sippar was destroyed. The incident did not,
however, spell the death of Shamash, who was still alive. His
devotees thus could still worship him, so they simply made another
statueassuming that he would inhabit it as well. For the idol to be
destroyed was tragic, but not threatening to the religion.
The parodies and denunciations of the gods and idolatry in the
OT function the same way: The Israelites understood that a statue of
Baal being destroyed did not entail him being destroyed. They too
believed that idols focused someones attention on the otherworldly
deity the idolater sought to manipulate or appease. From this
perspective, the biblical prohibition against making any likeness of
Yahweh takes on an even more pronounced signifcance: Yahweh
could not be brought to earth, cajoled, and tamed. It also brings
further signifcance to the problem of idolatry of other divine beings
worshiping the idols meant calling these gods to Israel, rather
than calling on Yahweh; it meant dependence on inferior beings
that were in fact evil and enslaving in their rule.33
The ancient idea of idolatry depended on a mystical or

spiritualistic view of reality. It was believed that a god could somehow
dwell within an idol. The motives for making an idol were entirely
centered on self. The thought was that one could summon a god into
an idol and then one could manipulate or appease that god in order to
obtain certain blessings. Christians today, including Adventists,
Davidians, and even professed Branches, have created images in their
33 Faithlife Study Bible, art. The Logic of Idolatry
27
minds as to what God is and then try to make God ft into their
conception. People hold their views of God near and dear to them
because by retaining those certain views, they obtain some beneft for
themselves, if even only comfort. For example, the belief that God is
immaterial implies an immaterial realm, allowing for the thought that
humans have some sort of immaterial component to their being such
as a spirit or soul. Perhaps then, one might think, when the
physical body dies, the soul lives on, and therefore my deceased loved
one is in heaven with God. This is a comforting thought, and in
order to beneft from the thought, one must retain their view of God.
So, they create their image, tie it down as frmly as they can with their
words (which they think are God's words) acting as silver chains, lest it
totter. Then they try to call God into their image that they may be
comforted. This though, as this chapter has already revealed, is not
where true comfort lies (see vs. 1).
While there are many examples which could be given of false
images of God, which are similar to what we have already discussed,
we will now turn to another sort of false image, that being the kind
mentioned in verse 20. Here, an impoverished person is said to take
wood that does not rot and fnd a wise craftsman to set up an idol that
will not shake, or totter. The fact that the person is said to be
impoverished is showing that the cities of Judah ought to avoid, or if
necessary, put away, similar behavior lest they too be found
impoverished.
Interestingly, when the passage says that he offers wood, the
word used for offer is the word for giving an offering. In the ancient
world, selecting wood for an idol was not viewed as giving the wood as
an offering. There is, though, a context in Jewish thought for wood
being given as an offering. Here are some of the relevant passages:
We the priests, the levites, and the people have cast lots
concerning the wood offerings, to bring them to the temple of our
Gods according to our families at the appointed times year by year to
burn on the altar of Yahweh our Gods, as is written in the law. Nehemiah 10:34
34
Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I

established the duties of the priests and levites, each in his work,
31 a n d the wood offering at the appointed times, and for the frstfruits.
Remember me, my Goddess, for good. - Nehemiah 13:30-31
30
28

saying, when you come to the land which
I am giving you for an inheritance, and you dwell upon it
securely, you will bring wood for a burnt offering and for all the wo[r]k of
[the H]ouse which you will build for me in the land, to arrange
it upon the altar of burnt-offering, and the calv[es
] for Passover sacrifces and for whole burnt-offerings and for
thank offerings and for free-will offerings and for burnt-offerings,
daily [
] and for the doors and for all the work of the House the[y] will
br[ing
] the [fe]stival of fresh oil. They will bring wood two [
] the ones who bring on the fr[st] day, Levi [
Reu]ben and Simeon [and on t]he fou[rth] day [ - 4Q365 23:41134
These passages speak of some sort of annual wood offering, and

more specifcally (in 4QRP and The Temple Scroll), a festival of wood
offerings. 4QRP and The Temple Scroll are both within a single line of
scripture tradition, along with other books such as Jubilees35 and
Aramaic Levi. One passage from each of these latter works, respectively,
is especially of interest. The passage from Aramaic Levi is actually a
description of Isaac explaining the laws of the priesthood to Levi
(which he says he learned from Abraham), 36 while the passage from
Jubilees is a record of the instructions concerning the priestly laws as
given to Isaac by Abraham himself.
and make the offering splitting logs, and examine them frst for
worms. And then lift them up, for like so did I see Abraham my
father taking pains. From all twelve kinds of wood, 37 he said to me
34 This is from a document found at Qumran near the Dead Sea in cave 4. It is part
of a work known as 4QReworked Pentateuch (4QRP). The quotation as we have
it here is taken from Sidnie White Crawford's article, The Rewritten Bible At Qumran,
published as chapter six of The Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls, Vol. 1 (see p. 143). On
page 144, Crawford points out that this festival of wood offerings is also spoken of
in The Temple Scroll, and gives the following translation of columns 23-24, lines 1-3:
[...and on the frst day Levi] and Judah, and on [the second day Benjamin]
[and the sons of Joseph, and on the third day Reuben and Simeon, and} on the
fourth day Iss[achar and Zebulon]
[and on the ffth day Gad and Asher, and on the sixth day Dan] and Naphtali [ 11Q19 23-24:1-3 (See also column 43:4)
35 It is worth noting that Jubilees is from the same tradition as Enoch.

36 See Aramaic Levi 22, 57.
37 The lists of the twelve kinds of trees here and in Jubilees differ slightly. This is most
29
that it is proper to take of them to the altar, the scent of whose

smoke rises sweetly. And these are their names: cedar, juniper,
almond, fr, acacia, pine, cypress, fg, oleaster, laurel, myrtle, and
asphalathos. - Aramaic Levi, 22-24
And take caution with the wood of the offering that you do not
bring wood for the offering except of such as these: cypress, bay,
almond, fr, pine, cedar, juniper, fg, olive, myrtle, laurel, and
asphalathos. 13 But place some of these trees under the burnt
offering on the altar with their appearance tested. And you will not
place any slit or dark wood, but wood strong and pure which has no spots,
perfect, and new growth. And you will not place old wood there because its
aroma has gone out because there is not, therefore, an aroma upon
it as before. 14 Except for these trees, there is none other that you
will put on the altar because its aroma has separated and the smell
of its aroma will go up to heaven. - Jubilees 21:12-14
12
In both of these texts, there is a prohibition against rotten wood

being placed upon the altar. The stated reason for this is that the
wood must burn to produce a sweet aroma, and therefore cannot be
old, but must be new still containing the sap.
But thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph in the
Messiah and who reveals through us the fragrance that consists of the
knowledge of him in every place. 15 For we are the sweet aroma of Christ
to God among those who are being saved and among those who
are perishing 16 to the latter an odor from death to death, but to
the former a fragrance from life to life. - 2 Corinthians 2:14-16
14
Notice here that the truth which was revealed through the apostles
is referred to as the fragrance which they gave off. Likewise, they
themselves were the fragrance which Christ gave off to God. The
fragrance of an offering, then, represents the truth and those who
embody it. This is why the twelve kinds of wood, which correspond to
twelve tribes of Israel,38 were to be the kinds which give off a sweet
likely due to the two-fold fact that (1) they are being translated from different
languages, and (2) the exact identity of the trees referred to by many of these
words in their respective languages is unknown. That said, the parallels between
these two works, together with the fact that the lists are nearly identical, leaves one
with the inevitable conclusion that they are indeed the same list.
38 This thought is also seen in the wood festival of The Temple Scroll and 4QRP,
where the wood is offered according to the tribes.
30
aroma, for unto them were committed the oracles of god (Rom.
3:2).
So, what does all this mean in relation to Isaiah 40:20? It means
just this: The wood which does not rot, which the impoverished
person offers, represents an acceptable offering, but the fact that he
takes it to have it made into an idol shows that it is not put to its
proper use. Why is the wood that does not rot a proper sacrifce?
Because it can give the sweet aroma, showing that it contains truth
(sap). The truth is more specifc than even this, however, for the text
does not simply say that the wood is not rotten, but that it does not
rot. This shows that the truth symbolized here is everlasting truth, the
pure truth, which can only come through Inspiration. Sadly though,
this truth is not put to use giving off its aroma to God and to men.
Instead, its use is corrupted and it is turned into an idol.
Now that these symbols are understood, let us apply them. And
since the message here is to the cities of Judah (Davidia), let us
consider an example that is applicable to them. Again, the symbol
itself is of an acceptable offering of pure truth being turned into an
idol. The most advanced pure truth which Davidians have is the Rod
message. The sorrowful reality, which has been testifed to by the
history of Davidia, is that the thing which holds the truth of the Rod
message, namely, the Rod literature, has not been put to its proper use
being burned by the fre (Spirit) in order to give off its sweet aroma
(a symbol of proclaiming the message in the power of the Spirit), thus
pleasing God and men. Davidians have instead made the Rod
literature into an idol, taking it to one wise craftsman or another
(their leaders) and having them set it up in such a way that it becomes
as static and unchanging as a piece of stone or wood, and this, in spite
of the fact that the message was to be ever unfolding and ever
progressive.39
When new truth is presented as a sweet aroma the cry from
Davidians is show me in the Rod despite the fact that the Rod itself
teaches that the main question therefore is not as to whether Sister
White's or Moses' or this one's or that one's writings contain all the
messages for this day, but rather simply as to whether they are found
39 See The Shepherd's Rod Tract, p. 85; Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 26, p. 17; Timely
Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 44, p. 10; Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 49, p. 9; Timely Greetings,
Vol. 2, No. 5, p. 11; Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 45, p. 7; Symbolic Code, Vol. 1, No.
6, p. 10; and The White-House Recruiter, p. 29.
31
in, and supported by, the Bible. 40 (Answerer Book 2, p. 82). When the
truth of the need for the living Spirit of prophecy is declared to
Davidians, the typical response is, the Rod literature is the living Spirit
of prophecy.
While Davidians are the ones specifcally being addressed in this
passage, the passage itself is referring to those who are impoverished
as a group broader than just the cities of Judah. In fact, the passage
indicates that the cities of Judah are to consider others who are
impoverished in order to see their folly that they may avoid the same
mistake. Since the impoverished must seek for a wise craftsmen, it is
apparent that what they are impoverished in is wisdom. Since true
wisdom only comes from God, and that, through the Spirit (Wisdom),
we can see that they lack present truth as manifested through the
living spirit of prophecy. Yes, Davidians are guilty of turning the Rod
literature into an idol, but they are not alone. Adventists have done
the same thing with the writings of Ellen White, and all the various
Christian sects have done the same thing with their various Bible
canons. Holding a lie as an idol is one thing, but turning the truth
into one is an even greater offense. The word to the idolater is:
30 I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense
altars, and I will stack your dead bodies on top of the lifeless bodies
of your idols. I will abhor you with my whole being. 31 I will lay
your cities waste and make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will
refuse to smell your soothing aromas. - Leviticus 26:30-31 (See also
Amos 5:21.)
The True Image

Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been reported
to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the
foundations of the earth? - Isaiah 40:21
21
40 The word Bible here is best understood in light of the Rod's teaching of Joseph
typology where the grain put into the storehouse represents the truth gathered
into the scriptures before the time of Christ and John the Baptist. In contrast with
this, the prophets after John the Baptist were simply to take the grain (truth) out of
the storehouse (the writings of the prophets prior to John). Therefore, to say we
should ask whether they are found in, and supported by, the Bible is more
scripturally understood as in the writings of the prophets prior to John the
Baptist.
32
These questions point back to those of verse 18, And to whom

will you liken God, and what image will you compare to him? The
new questions introduced (those of vs. 21) are designed to show people
that the answer has already been given that it has been told from the
foundation of the world. This idea is also put forward in Romans 1,
and since it also describes the origin of idolatry, it will be benefcial for
the purpose of our whole study to at least briefy examine it:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth
by means of unrighteousness, 19 because that which can be known
of God is manifest in them, because God made it manifest in them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, even
his everlasting power and Godhead, so that they are without
excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as
God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts
and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Thinking themselves to
be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the
incorruptible God for an image resembling corruptible human
beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles. 24 Therefore God
gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to
dishonor their bodies among themselves. 25 They exchanged the
truth of God for the lie and worshiped and served the creation
rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this
reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. For their
women exchanged the natural sexual relations for unnatural ones,
27 and likewise the men also abandoned natural relations with
women and were infamed in their lusts for one another. Men
committed shameless acts with men and received in themselves the
due penalty for their error. - Romans 1:18-27
18
Those who suppress the truth by means of unrighteousness are

here said to have exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an
image resembling corruptible human beings or birds or four-footed
animals or reptiles. By thus doing, they exchanged the truth of God
for the lie. Notice that these men and women are said to have
originally been in possession of the truth, for how else could they
exchange it or suppress it? Besides, we are specifcally told that that
which may be known of God is manifest in them, because God made
it manifest in them.
33
The fact that they exchanged the truth for a corrupted image of
God makes it clear that the truth which they had is the truth of the
image of God. This is specifed in verses 19 and 20 since that which
may be known of God is necessarily the same as that which is
clearly seen and understood through what has been made. This
truth of God, according to verse 20, is made known by observing
the things that were made from the creation of the world, and in verse
19 it is said to be manifested in the men and women who corrupted
the image and subsequently went into homosexuality (vs. 26-27).
To put it another way Paul is in this passage explaining the
corruption of the image of God, its wicked results, and the
inexcusability of those results. The results of corrupting the truth of
the image of God are clearly homosexuality. Paul not only states that
this is unnatural and unrighteous, but he explains why it is so. He tells
us that homosexuality only came about because of the suppression of
the truth of the image of God. The reason that he gives as to why
there is no excuse for this sin is that the truth of the image of the
Godhead can be seen by looking at the things that were made from
the creation of the world. Thus, according to Paul, there should be
something that we should be able to clearly see and understand by
looking at the things which were made from the creation of the world
that will teach us the truth of the image of the Godhead that leaves no
excuse for homosexuality. The part of creation we should specifcally
look to is pointed out by the fact that he said that the truth is
manifest in them (those men and women who later went into
homosexuality). In other words, this truth is manifested in male and
female human beings. Let us look at the record of the things that were
made from the creation of the world and see what we can learn about
the truth of the image of the Godhead that might show us why
homosexuality is inexcusable:
26
Then Elohim41 said, Let us make humankind in our image,
41 We have here transliterated the word Elohim rather than translating it for the
following reason: There is no one English word which fully captures the thought
of Elohim. Most simply translate it as God, but this makes no distinction between
El, Elim, Elah/Eloah, Elohot, and Elohim. If we translate it as Gods, as we have
elsewhere, we at least gain the beneft of the plural, thus distinguishing it from El
and Elah/Eloah, but since Elim and Elohot are also plural we are still left with less
precision than what actually exists in the Hebrew text. Elohot can be accurately
translated as Goddesses since it is feminine plural and Elim can be translated as
Gods since it is masculine plural, so long as one understands that grammatical
34

after our likeness, and give them dominion over the fsh of the sea
and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and
over all the creatures that move on the earth. 27 Elohim created
humankind in their own image, in the image of Elohim they created
them, male and female they created them.42 - Genesis 1:26-27
This truth really could not be stated more plainly. Human beings,
both male and female, were made in the image of Elohim (male and
masculine simply means not specifcally feminine (females may be included), but
Elohim is plural in number and in gender. The most accurate way that we know
of to translate the meaning of Elohim is male and female mighty ones or male
and female gods since both of those convey the idea that there is more than one
being, at least one of whom is male, and the other of whom is female. But, since
this translation would be very new and surprising to most readers, we have simply
transliterated Elohim to keep the fow of the passage. For more information on the
nuances of the various forms of the word El, see Divine Plurality, Vol. 1, Nos. 1-2.
42 This verse contains many pronouns referring to either Elohim or humankind.
Many translators accurately render the pronouns referring to mankind as them
even though the Hebrew is singular and masculine (he). The NET Bible
footnotes give the following explanation as to why them is an accurate
translation: The third person suffx on the particle ( et) is singular here, but
collective. Collective masculine singular pronouns are extremely common in
Hebrew and any ancient Hebrew reader would have immediately understood
them as a collective and inclusive of both genders depending on context. The
English translation he created him does not convey the same thought to a
modern English reader as what the ancient Hebrew reader would have understood reading the passage in Hebrew. To illustrate this principle, we will look at
another example from Psalm 7:1-2 where David says, Deliver me from all who
chase me [clearly a plurality of persons]... otherwise he [Heb. - sing. masc.] will
rip me to shreds... The NET Bible renders the latter phrase, they will rip me to
shreds and offers the following footnote:
The verb is singular in the Hebrew text, even though all who chase me in v. 1 refers to a
whole group of enemies. The singular is also used in vv. 45, but the psalmist returns to the
plural in v. 6. The singular is probably collective, emphasizing the united front that the
psalmists enemies present. This same alternation between a collective singular and a plural
referring to enemies appears in Pss 9:3, 6; 13:4; 31:4, 8; 41:6, 1011; 42:910; 55:3; 64:12;
74:34; 89:2223; 106:1011; 143:3, 6, 9.
What the ancient Hebrew reader would have understood when reading Psalm 7 is
far better translated into english as they will rip rather than he will rip since
the singular masculine he simply does not convey the thought that one male
individual is being spoken of. It is a generic usage which is designed to point to a
collective of individuals (which may or may not include females).
Where our translation differs from most is that we also translate the pronouns
referring to Elohim as they rather than he. We do so simply by following the
same principles used to translate other collective pronouns. The only objection
which may be raised is that Elohim should be understood as singular, but this is
35
female mighty ones gods). The truth that we can learn about the
image of the Godhead, then, is that the Godhead (Elohim) is male and
female. This is the truth which Paul refers to in Romans 1:20 which
leaves no excuse for homosexuality. The reason why it leaves no
excuse is because morality is based upon reality. The reason why lying
is wrong is because it goes against what is true (real). The reason why
stealing is wrong is because the object being stolen does not, in reality,
belong to the robber. Many more examples could be given, but the
point is that everything that is immoral is wrong, not because someone
decreed it to be wrong, but because it works against reality. The
reality of human sexuality and sexual relationships (Gen. 1:28), then,
demonstrably not the case (See Divine Plurality, Vol. 1, Nos. 1-2). Elohim is indeed
plural and the us of Gen. 1:26 is also plural. Scholars have noted the various
interpretations of the word us as follows: (1) it refers to the trinity, (2) it is a
plurality of majesty, (3) it is a plurality of deliberation, (4) it is a reference to the
divine council. The reasons why none of these explanations work is (in order), (1)
this would be imposing later trinitarian theology back onto a time when it did not
exist, (2) as the NET bible points out, plurality of majesty is not used with verbs,
(3) this is simply unsupported, and (4) this interpretation contradicts the understanding of early Jewish and Israelite thought (even though they accepted the
notion of the divine council) as well as the passage itself. Just one example of the
contradiction with early Israelite thought is Isaiah 40-55 where one of the key
things which distinguished Yahweh from the other lesser gods of the divine
council is that Yahweh created, whereas these other gods were themselves created.
Other examples can be found in the statements from biblical and noncanonical material that puts forward the idea that we were made in the image of
God (Gen. 5:1; 9:6; Sir. 17:3; Test. Isaac. 6:34; 2 En. 44:1; Jub. 6:8; James 3:9),
and the lack of material stating that we were made in the image of angels or other
divine beings. One of these lines of tradition such as found in The Life of Adam and
Eve and Questions of Bartholomew even assume that the image of God, which humankind was created in, and the image of angels (who are part of the heavenly host)
are two very different things (see L.A.E. 13-15 And QB 4:25).
Ultimately, Gen. 1:26 tells us that Elohim is the one who said, Let us make...
and it is Elohim (the same Elohim) in whose image humankind was made in 1:27.
It does not say that humankind was made in the image of Elohim and the divine
council or and those to whom he was speaking when he said 'Let us make...' The
simple and straightforward interpretation is that Elohim is a word which describes
multiple distinct beings, some of whom are male and some of whom are female,
and that it is in Their image that we are made. This all just goes to show with
more clarity that the translation he created them (he referring to Elohim)
does not do justice to the meaning of the phrase. In order to capture the thought
of the Hebrew singular collective pronoun with its gender inclusiveness, one must
necessarily translate the phrase they created them for the English word they is
not gender specifc, and rightly conveys the plurality of Elohim, just as them
conveys the plurality and gender inclusiveness of humankind.
36
must be the determining factor for discerning what is right and wrong
sexual behavior. The fact is this: according to both revelation and
nature, humankind was made in the image of Elohim and Elohim is
indeed male and female. So, to have male with male or female with
female only distorts and corrupts the image of God.
So again, ... to whom will you liken God, and what image will you
compare to him? (vs. 18). Answer: Do you not know? Do you not
hear? Has it not been reported to you from the beginning? Have you not
understood from the foundations of the earth? (vs. 21). In other words,
Can you not see that stone and metal and wood are not the image of
God, but that the true image of God is humankind male and
female? Do you not see that you are made in the image of Elohim?
The point is to call the attention of the cities of Judah to the truth of
God (the Godhead) and to show them their honored place in being
made in the image of God. By beholding this true image and by seeing
how they have corrupted this image by unrighteousness, the cities of
Judah have an opportunity to seek the true Gods and receive Their
strength and thus have the fullness of the image of God restored in
them.
When Adam came from the Creators hand, he bore, in his
physical, mental, and spiritual nature, a likeness to his Maker. God
created man in His own image (Genesis 1:27), and it was His
purpose that the longer man lived the more fully he should reveal
this imagethe more fully refect the glory of the Creator. All his
faculties were capable of development; their capacity and vigor
were continually to increase. Vast was the scope offered for their
exercise, glorious the feld opened to their research. The mysteries
of the visible universethe wondrous works of Him which is
perfect in knowledge (Job 37:16)invited mans study. Face-toface, heart-to-heart communion with his Maker was his high
privilege. Had he remained loyal to God, all this would have been
his forever. Throughout eternal ages he would have continued to
gain new treasures of knowledge, to discover fresh springs of
happiness, and to obtain clearer and yet clearer conceptions of the
wisdom, the power, and the love of God. More and more fully
would he have fulflled the object of his creation, more and more
fully have refected the Creators glory.
But by disobedience this was forfeited. Through sin the divine
likeness was marred, and well-nigh obliterated. Mans physical powers
were weakened, his mental capacity was lessened, his spiritual vision
37
dimmed. He had become subject to death. Yet the race was not left
without hope. By infnite love and mercy the plan of salvation had
been devised, and a life of probation was granted. To restore in man
the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the perfection in which
he was created, to promote the development of body, mind, and soul,
that the divine purpose in his creation might be realizedthis was
to be the work of redemption. This is the object of education, the
great object of life.43
Elsewhere, Ellen White states:

It was Satan's studied effort to pervert the marriage institution, to
weaken its obligations and lesson its sacredness; for in no surer way
could he deface the image of God in man and open the door to misery and
vice.44
This statement teaches us that the marriage institution, more than

any other institution, was designed to show forth the image of God,
for there was no surer way Satan could deface the image of God in
man than to pervert it. Thus, to restore the image of God also means
to restore marriage.
All together, what our Heavenly Family here commissions Zion to
declare to the cities of Judah is the truth of Themselves and the truth
of Their image. This calls to mind the very purpose of redemption as
well as the very purpose for humanity and for life. This message
declares the truth of God and brings to our awareness the members of
the Godhead with whom we have formerly not been acquainted. We
must meet the Spirit, for She must become our intimate friend, for
She is the life-giver (Prov. 3:18; 8:35-36; John 6:63).
22 He dwells above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are
like grasshoppers. He spreads out the skies like a curtain, and they
are pitched like a tent to dwell in. - Isaiah 40:22
Once again, we are pointed back to creation and to the Creator.

Yahweh is not a god that can be brought down to dwell in an idol, as
if we were greater than Him and could manipulate Him to our own
advantage. No, He dwells above the circle of the earth (see Isa. 66:1;
43 Education, p. 15
44 Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 338
38
Ps. 2:4; 29:10). He is not an immaterial essence, but is a real being

who dwells in a real locality. He is material and glorious! He made the
heavens and the earth He pitched the skies as a tent to dwell in. This
touches upon other subjects which are too broad for the scope of this
study.45 That said, we do want to at least quote Psalm 8 here for your
consideration in connection with the above quoted verse:
1 Yahweh, our Lords, how glorious is your name through all the
earth! You reveal your majesty in the heavens above! 2 With the lips
of children and sucklings you built a fortress for your habitation,
having silenced your adversaries, the foe and the avenger. 3 When I
see your heavens, the work of your fngers, the moon and the stars
which you created: 4 What is man that you should think of him, or
the son of man that you should care for him? 5 Yet, you made him a
little less than the gods, with honor and glory you crowned him.
6 You gave him dominion over the works of your hands and put all
things under his feet. 7 Small and large cattle all of them, yes, even
the beasts of the steppe. 8 The birds of heaven, and the fshes in the
sea and everything that moves through the paths of the sea.
9 Yahweh, our Lords, how glorious is your name through all the
earth. - Psalm 8
************
He gives dignitaries over to nothingness; the judges of the earth
he has made void. 24 Hardly are they planted, hardly are they sown,
hardly has their shoot taken root in the earth. He blows on them
and they wither, and the tempest will carry them away as chaff. Isaiah 40:23-24
23
The frst thing one needs to acquire in order to understand this

passage is knowledge of who the dignitaries referred to really are.
First, we are told that He, God, has given them over to nothingness
and that He has made them void. So far, the thing which has been
declared to be nothingness and void in this chapter is the nations (vs.
12-17). Second, we learn that these dignitaries are the judges of the
earth, even though they have hardly taken root in the earth, implying
45 Please study the scriptural creation accounts in the light of the wilderness
tabernacle and the temples (and vice versa). Consider also Isa. 42:5; 44:24; 51:13;
Job 9:8; 37:18; 28:4-9; Ps. 102:25-26; 104:2; Jer. 10:12; Zech. 12:1; Heb. 1:10-12;
and the whole of Psalm 8, 74, 89, and 104.
39
that their provenance is somewhere other than the earth. This can be
better understood by a look at Psalm 82 and the other passages which
refer to the divine council and the wicked gods.46
Elohim stand in the council of El; in the midst of elohim they
render judgment: 2 How long will you act unjustly and lift up the
face of the wicked? (Selah) 3 Defend the poor and the orphaned!
Vindicate the oppressed and suffering! 4 Rescue the poor and
needy! Deliver them from the hand of the wicked! 5 They neither
know nor understand. They wander about in darkness. All the
foundations of the earth are shaken. 6 I said, 'You are elohim (gods);
and all of you are children of the Most High.' 7 Yet, you will die like
humans; you will fall like all the other rulers. 8 Rise up, Elohim,
and execute judgment in the earth! For you will inherit all the
nations. - Psalm 82
1
Let us summarize the various elements of this psalm. We have (1)

the frst Elohim the ones who stand in the council in the midst of the
second elohim, (2) El - who is the Most High God (vs. 6), the one who
presides over the council, (3) the council itself, which includes both the
frst and second elohim, (4) the frst Elohim render judgment against
the second elohim (vs. 2-7) for ruling the nations unjustly, and (5) a
call for the frst Elohim to execute judgment in the earth and to inherit
all the nations. The wicked elohim are defnitely said to be gods (vs. 6),
and children47 of the Most High. Since they will die like humans, it is
clear that they are not humans (see Ps. 89:6-8).
8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when
he divided up the children of humanity, he set the boundaries of
the peoples according to the number of the children of Elohim.
9 For Yahweh's allotment is his people, Jacob is the lot of his
inheritance. - Deuteronomy 32:8-9
46 See our video studies 11QMelchizedek and The Wicked Gods and Gods of the Council of
El on youtube.
47 In the scriptures, one can be a child of God in at least three different ways: (1) by
being begotten, such as the Son (Ps. 2) and the Daughter (Prov. 8); (2) by being
created, such as Adam (Luke 3:38); and (3) by being adopted (Eph. 1:5). Since
there are only two begotten children of God and since being adopted means to
serve God in righteousness, also, since these wicked gods are said to be created
(Ps. 33:6; Neh. 9:6), it is apparent that they are only children in the second sense,
that is, by creation.
40
At the tower of Babel, the Most High divided the nations

according to the number of these gods. Each god was allotted a nation
which he (or she) was to rule. Consider a few more passages:
this is what the king of Assyria says, 18 Hezekiah is
misleading you when he says, 'Yahweh will rescue us.' Has any of
the gods of the nations rescued his land from the hand of the king of
Assyria? 19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the
gods of Sepharvaim? 20 Who among all the gods of these lands have
rescued their lands from my hand? So how can Yahweh rescue
Jerusalem from my hand? - Isaiah 36:16, 18-20
16
He appointed a ruler for every nation, but Israel is Yahweh's own

portion. Sirach 17:17
But he chose Israel that they might be a people for himself.
And he set them apart and gathered them from all the children of
humanity because there are many nations and many people and
they all belong to him, but over all of them he caused spirits to rule
so that they might lead them astray from following him. 48 But over
Israel he did not cause any angel or spirit to rule because he alone
is their ruler and he will protect them and he will seek for them at
the hand of his angels and at the hand of his spirits and at the hand
of all his authorities so that he might guard them and bless them
and they might be his and he might be theirs henceforth and
forever. - Jubilees 15:30-32
The prince49 of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one
days, and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help
me, and I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia. Daniel 10:13
48 The idea here is that after the food people began to worship these wicked gods
and so the Most High gave them over to them. This is not supposed to be taken as
a statement of Yahweh's wish for the nations, for all the scriptures testify to the
fact that They intend to use Israel to rescue the other nations and free them from
the dominion of their gods.
49 The prince of Persia here is defnitely some sort of divine being, or god. We
know this from the fact that the being who is speaking (along with Michael)
contended with this prince and from the fact that Michael is said to be one of the
chief princes. Also, 8:11 refers to Christ as the prince of the host and Josh. 5:14
uses the title to refer to the Angel of Yahweh.
41
And now I will return to fght with the prince of Persia, and
behold, when I go out the prince of Greece will come. - Daniel
10:20
Now that we have identifed these dignitaries, we can understand

what our passage in Isaiah says concerning them. They are declared
to be void, their kingdoms are at an end. It may appear that they have
settled and that they are frmly fxed on the earth, never to leave, but
Yahweh declares that they are barely rooted and that He is well able
to remove them. In their place, Israel will be the ones frmly rooted
(Hos. 14:5).
25
To whom will you compare me? Whom do I resemble? says
the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high and see Who created
these? The One who brings out their host by number and calls all
of them by name. Of those great in power and mighty in strength,
not one is missing. - Isaiah 40:25-26
Here, the questions of verse 18 are again asked, but this time, it is
not Zion who asks the cities of Judah, it is the Holy One who asks
these questions in the frst person. Since this still is part of Zion's
message to Judah, however, we can see that at frst Zion asks the
question and then Zion informs the cities of Judah that the Holy One
Himself is asking the question.
Lift up your eyes on high and see what will they see? They will
see the sky will they not? The sun, moon, and stars, the whole host of
heaven. As we have already seen, this represents the divine council
(Deut. 4:19; 32:8-9). Here, the Holy One is said to have created these
other gods and calls them all by name (Ps. 19). Not only this, but He
brings them out by number and leads them. We are told that among
them are those great in power and mighty in strength and none of
t h e m have gone missing. This once again portrays Yahweh as a
Shepherd, but this time in a cosmic context. One of the lessons here is
that if Yahweh can rule his cosmic kingdom as a Shepherd, surely he
can rule his earthly kingdom as a Shepherd as well, and there is no
need to fear going astray so long as one is great in power and mighty
in strength. The question one needs to ask, then, is, How can I be
sure to become great in power and mighty in strength?
42

27 Why do you say, Jacob, and speak, Israel, My way is hidden
from Yahweh, and from my Goddess my case passes away. Isaiah 40:27
The dialog suddenly turns from the specifc address to the cities of
Judah and speaks to the broader group of Jacob/Israel, of whom the
cities of Judah are only a part. In view of the greatness of Yahweh as
being the God of the gods and ruler of the universe, the troubles of
Jacob seem to shrink into insignifcance. Jacob sees that they are not
great in power nor mighty in strength and so they see themselves as
lost sheep, having gone missing. They think that their way is hidden
from Yahweh they are unable to be found. As such, they think their
way of life is hid from Yahweh as well he is too busy to pay attention
to their works. They have come to think that their Goddess, who they
only know as The Holy Spirit is no longer dealing directly with
them. Evidently, they are ignorant of the fact that the message which
they have had borne to them is indeed the Spirit speaking to them
through Her messenger.
28
Do you not know50 even if you do not hear? The Goddess of all
time51 is Yahweh, creating the ends of the earth, not growing
weary, and not growing faint, Whose understanding is unsearchable - 29 the Giver of strength to the weary and might to those
lacking in strength. - Isaiah 40:28-29
Even though the message is being borne to Judah and Israel

concerning the truth of the image of God, it is implied that they
should know this truth even without having to be told. This teaches us
that the truth of the female members of the Godhead is evidenced and
observable in something other than revelation. As we have seen,
50 The word for know means to know, observe, learn, etc. It communicates the
idea of learning by observation. Thus, we are to gain an experimental knowledge.
51 The word here translated of all time is olam and means a long duration. It could
be translated of the distant past, of the distant future, of eternity, etc. We
chose the translation of all time since it encompasses the distant past and the
distant future, which is in harmony with the intention of the words usage here, but
we want to qualify the phrase by stating that it does not need to be translated with
that exact phrase and does not literally mean of all time. It is our duty to
mention this lest anyone receive the mistaken impression that this verse conveys
the thought that this Goddess has existed as long as time has existed. As we have
seen in previous studies, time has always existed, but this Goddess was at one
point brought forth (Prov. 8).
43
humanity (both male and female) was made in the image of Elohim.
In the language of Paul, that which can be known of God is manifest
in them, because God made it manifest in them (Rom. 1:19). Thus,
we are expected to come to our conclusions as to what is truth not
only by what we are taught through divine revelation, but by what we
can observe from nature.
This Goddess is evidently one of those great in power and mighty
in strength for She is always and ever not growing weary and not
growing faint. She is the Giver of strength to the weary and the
giver of might to those lacking in strength. She is absolutely the One
we need to be acquainted with then, if we are to never go missing
never go astray.
Youths may faint from exhaustion, and picked men 52 may
stumble and fall, 31 but those who hope for Yahweh will renew their
strength and they will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run
and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. - Isaiah 40:30-31
30
Whether youths or picked men, all who have only the strength of
fallen humanity will stumble and faint. The only ones who will endure
to the end will be those who hope for Yahweh who put their trust in
Her. To hope for Yahweh is to be tense, frm, or strong (as indicated
by the Hebrew word) it means to be persevering.
Though left alone by family and brethren, those long in the
service at God may be comforted by communication with the
heavenly family that transcends that of the closest of earthly
relationships.
None need feel alone and unappreciated while basking in the
atmosphere of heavenly communion.
The race is not always to the young and the swift, but to those
who persevere regardless of age or infrmity.
Abraham and Sarah realized the promise of God in their later
years after severe trial and long waiting. Jacob was not young when
he was permitted to return to the promised land. "When John was
exiled to the Isle at Patmos, there were many who thought him to
be past service; an old and broken reed ready to fall at any time.
But the Lord saw ft to use him " Christ's servants who are true
and faithful may be unrecognized; and unhonored by men ... but ...
52 Picked men is a phrase that is used especially of those who are chosen because
of exceptional strength, agility, and stamina.
44

They will not be forgotten by God. He will honor them by His
PRESENCE... (because of their faithfulness). MS 109 1897.53
Our strength lies not in fesh and blood; our work is not
accomplished by might nor by power but by the Spirit (Zech. 4:6).
Let us cry, Grace, Grace unto Her! (Zech. 4:7). Those who trust in
Her will have strength, just like Her; they will run and not grow
weary, just like Her; and they will walk and not grow faint, just like
Her. Yes indeed, we are to have the image of Elohim restored within
us! This is the divine will which the Most High has purposed from the
foundation of the world. Read As An Eagle by Lois Roden.54
Isaiah 41 Judgment Trials

Be silent before me, coastlands, and let peoples renew strength.
Let them draw near then speak. Let us draw near together for
judgment. - Isaiah 41:1
1
The new scene introduced is clearly one of judgment. The coastlands and the peoples are two different groups as seen from the fact
that one was to stay silent while the other was to speak. The coastlands
are the religious bodies referred to earlier in 40:12-17, but the peoples
are those Israelites who are willing to receive strength from the
Goddess of 40:28-31. So, while it is a new scene, it is also a continuation of the subject of the previous chapter.
Who was it that raised up from the rising of the sun one
righteous at every step? He will give nations to him, and beat down
kings beneath him. He will make their swords like dust and their
bows like windblown chaff. 3 And he will pursue them, and he will
pass over in peace, and the path of his feet, they will not discern. Isaiah 41:2-3
2
This passage presents three main characters the one who raises
someone up, the one risen up by the frst person, and the kings of the
earth along with their nations. The primary focus is on the frst
person, since that is who the question concerns: Who was it that raised
up from the rising of the sun one righteous at every step? Since the
53 Monthly Field Letter, March/April 1986, p. 13 by Lois Roden
54 See also 2 Sam. 1:23; Ps. 103:5; Ex. 19:4; Deut. 32:11.
45
next verse explicitly identifes that one as Yahweh, we have no need to

either guess about the who it is or examine the issue further till we
come to that verse.
What is striking about these verses is that they identify Yahweh by
certain actions which He is said to do. The frst three actions relate to
the second fgure of the passage the one risen up from the rising of
the sun. The actions are as follows: raising one up, giving him nations,
and beating down kings beneath him. As we have seen, the entire
context of this passage is the coming to an end of the nations and their
gods and the setting up of the kingdom of Yahweh. In the previous
chapter we saw that Yahweh has someone rule for him, though that
person was not identifed. Here though, the person begins to be
identifed, but not yet explicitly, as we fnd later:
28 Concerning Cyrus he says, He is my shepherd; he will fulfll
my purpose to say about Jerusalem, 'It will be rebuilt' and about
the temple 'Its foundations will be laid.' 1 This is what Yahweh says
concerning his anointed one, Cyrus, I have grasped him by his
right hand, to beat down nations before him, depriving kings of their
strength, to open doors before him; no gates will be closed to him.
- Isaiah 44:28-45:1
What is said covertly concerning Cyrus in chapter 41 is said openly

in chapter 45. Though we will not be getting into chapter 45 at this
point, we mention it to bring out the truth that the one being referred
to here is indeed Cyrus, though, as we shall see, not the ancient Cyrus.
Now, what of the phrase 'from the rising of the sun'? This phrase is
also used in relation to Cyrus in 41:25 and 46:11. The latter says,
Calling a bird [Cyrus] from the rising of the sun, the man of my
counsel from a distant land. Isaiah 13 speaks of Yahweh calling His
army who He will use to destroy Babylon in the day of the Lord.
There it says that they will come from a distant land, using the same
Hebrew phrase as in 46:11 (which is its only other occurrence). Verse
17 tells us that his army is the Medes. This is just confrming for us
that the distant land (which is parallel to the rising of the sun) is, in the
type, the land of the Achaemenide (Medo-Perisan) Empire, which
Cyrus founded. Moreover, the symbol of this empire, which was also
the symbol of Cyrus, was a bird:
46
55
Notice how in the image on the left Cyrus is pictured with a sun
disc rising above the bird's head. In the image on the right Cyrus is
depicted wearing an Egyptian crown. According to Isaiah 43:3 and
45:14, Egypt was to be given over to Cyrus. Egypt being a symbol of
the world, one can see how Cyrus bore the titles King of Babylon,56 King
of Sumer and Akkad, and King of the four corners of the world.57 This is further
borne out by the fact that Cyrus's empire ruled a greater percentage of
the population of the world than any known empire before or since. 58
In Egyptian tradition, the rising sun was connected with a falcon,
which was also identifed with pharaoh, king of Egypt, or, king of the
world. Likewise, Near Eastern traditions connected the legendary
Anzu bird with the sun and with the ruler. 59 Finally, to really make the
point clear, the name Cyrus is from the old Persian Kru, which
literally means like the sun.
So, what does all this mean? It just goes to show that this passage
is, without a doubt, referring to Cyrus the literary context, the
55 The image on the left is the Standard of Cyrus the Great and the image on the right is
an illustration of a bas-relief found at Pasargadae which shows Cyrus as a fourwinged guardian.
56 See Ben Roden's study 11th Hour Extra Riddle #1.
57 http://www.iranchamber.com/history/cyrus/cyrus_charter.php
58 http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-empire-bypercentage-of-world-population/
59 See Deutero-Isaiah (Hermeneia), p. 263 by Baltzer.
47
social-historical context, and the linguistic context all testify to this

same fact. Since Cyrus is said to be Yahweh's shepherd (Isa. 44:28),
His anointed one (Isa. 45:1), the one through whom He rules (Isa.
40:10), the one He will use to regather the tribes of Israel (Isa. 40:11;
49:6), and the one through whom He will rebuild the the temple and
the city (Isa. 44:28; 45:13), there can be no doubt that this fgure is the
anti-typical David, just as Victor Houteff also taught. 60 And since
David is the visible king it shows that he is to be Christ's representative on earth. Since the sun is a symbol of Christ (Mal. 4:2), Cyrus
being like the sun is for him to be like Christ. Thus it is said that he
is righteous at every step (Isa. 41:2).
The idea of Cyrus being like Christ should greatly inform our
understanding of the rest of the things it says concerning him. For
example, when it says that nations will be given to him and kings will
be beaten down beneath him, should we understand that as a violent
and harsh rule on his part, or should we understand that as a sort of
ruling which exemplifes the character of Christ? The answer is found
in what Yahweh is shown doing next.
The next set of Yahweh's actions are as follows: (1) making the
weapons of the foreign kings like dust and windblown chaff, (2)
pursuing them, and (3) passing over them in peace. Notice how our
Heavenly Family does not respond by pulling out bigger weapons and
engaging in war. Instead, they turn weapons of these kings into
nothingness rendering them void. This greatly lessens the chances of
combat. Next, They pursue them. Of course, the kings, not
understanding the character of our Heavenly Family, will think that
they are being pursued to be killed or have something worse happen
to them, but instead our Heavenly Family passes over them in peace,
giving them an opportunity to see Their true character, and by
beholding, becoming changed into the same image. Thus, these kings
fail to discern the path of Yahweh's feet. Since David is Christ's
representative on earth and since Yahweh's feet represents his
prophets (Nah. 1:15), then the not discerning the path of Yahweh's
feet demonstrates their inability to predict the way he leads his
prophets, and in particular, David. Everything that Yahweh does is
contrary to their expectations.
60 See Mount Sion at the 11th Hour, p. 60-61 where Houteff quotes Isaiah 41:2, 3, 25
and then immediately quotes Isaiah 55:4-6 for the specifc reason of connecting
the one called from the rising of the sun with the anti-typical David.
48

4 Who has brought this about? Who has done it? - The one who
calls the generations from the beginning. I, Yahweh, am the frst,
and am with the last it is I. - Isaiah 41:4
As we have already mentioned, this verse tells us quite clearly that

the one being spoken of in the previous verses as accomplishing all
these acts is Yahweh. Since there are four Yahweh's however, 61 it will
help if we can be a little more specifc. This Yahweh calls the
generations from the beginning, and this Yahweh is the frst (Heb.
sing.) generation and is with the last (Heb. plur.) generations. In the
scriptures, a generation is simply one generating of offspring. To be
the frst generation, then, is to be the frst generating of offspring. In
other words, this Yahweh is spoken of as being the offspring of some
other. With this in mind, we know that the Yahweh here must be
either the Son or the Daughter. The last phrase, it is I, would be
more accurately translated I am He or I am She, but since we do
not have the necessary knowledge of Hebrew grammar on this point, 62
we must, for the time being, refrain from making a judgment.
To say that one is with the last generations of the earth rather than
will be with the last is to say that one is presently with the last
generations. Being present truth, this prophecy is simply one more
among many that lets us know that we are indeed in the last days, in
the fnal generations.
See, coastlands, and be afraid. The ends of the earth will draw
near together and come. - Isaiah 41:5
5
The coastlands are told to observe everything which was just

spoken of in the previous verses and to be afraid. Evidently then, the
events spoken of in the previous verses have their bearing on the
coastlands. And how could it be otherwise? The kingdom of God is
indeed being set up. Yahweh will gather his elect from the ends of the
earth (Isa. 41:8-9).
61 See our video FOT'13 S4 Multiple Yahwehs?
62 This is mostly due to the reading of this passage in the Dead Sea Scrolls. There,
the form of the word which usually means he has a hey ( ) at the end of it,
which commonly indicates a feminine noun, but we are hesitant to come to
conclusions, knowing that the Qumran scrolls sometimes go by different spelling
rules than later Masoretic Hebrew. Due to our lack of knowledge about these
differences, we think it is best to translate the phrase with the more generic, It is
I, until we have a better understanding of the principles involved.
49
6 Every man helps his friend and says, Be strong. 7 The

craftsman encourages the metal-smith, and the one who smooths
with the hammer, the one who strikes the mallet, saying of the
welding, It is good! - and he fastens it with nails so that it will not
totter. 8 But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen,
seed of Abraham, my friend 9 whom I am bringing from the ends of
the earth and from her most distant parts, I have called you saying,
You are my servant. I have chosen you and not rejected you. Isaiah 41:6-9
Instead of fearing Yahweh and renewing their strength, people

foolishly choose to go on in their idolatry. Not only that, but they
encourage others to do so, all the while not realizing that they are
committing blasphemy declaring it is good as if they were gods.
Israel is set in contrast with idolaters in hopes that he will not make
himself one of them. The names Israel and Jacob are both used to
show a mixed company some of whom have overcome, and some of
whom have not. The message to them is that they are now being
gathered, that they have been chosen as Yahweh's servant, and that
they have not been rejected. Seeing that this prophecy is applicable to
the last days, we can know for a surety that the ones being spoken to
here are the latter-day Jacobites, the 144,000. This then, is the
message they are to hear, and since we are called to be the frst of the
frst-fruits, then we must be the ones to bear it to them.
10 Do not be afraid for I am with you. Do not be perplexed for I
am your Goddess. I strengthen you. I help you. I hold you up by
the right hand of my righteousness. 11 Behold, all who rage against
you will be ashamed and humiliated. Those who contend with you
will be as nothing, they will perish. 12 Those who strive with you will
be as nothing and those who war against you will come to nought.
13 For I am Yahweh, your Goddess, who clasps your right hand and
says to you, Don't be afraid, I am here to help you. - Isaiah
41:10-13
The message is simple. This Spirit-sent message is to repeat and

repeat to the Jacobites that their Goddess has not forsaken them, but
is strengthening them and helping them. She is holding them up by
the right hand of Her righteousness (see Ps. 4), which is the message of
justifcation by faith. They are not to think that their enemies will have
victory over them, for it has already been declared that they will come
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to nought.63 Fear not, our Heavenly Family is with you. Wisdom is

here to help you.
Do not be afraid you worm, Jacob, people of Israel, says
Yahweh your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 15 Behold, I have
appointed you to be a sharp threshing-sledge the new master, for,
double-edged, you will thresh mountains and grind them and you
will make hills like chaff. 16 You will sift them, the Spirit will carry
them away, and the whirlwind will scatter them. And you will
rejoice in Yahweh, and in the Holy One of Israel will you praise. Isaiah 41:14-16
14
Jacob is a worm (nothingness and despised), but he will be made

into a sharp threshing-sledge. A threshing-sledge is a heavy board with
jagged stones embedded on the bottom side of it which an ox would
pull around on a threshing-foor overtop of the grain. This would
separate the chaff from the grain. Being made into a threshing-sledge
also means that they will be the new master, for they will thresh those
who formerly ruled over them.
The mountains and hills, as we saw in the previous chapter, are
paralleled with the coastlands, and represent churches and smaller
religious sects. To state this more accurately in its ancient context, we
must understand that gods were perceived to live on mountains and
hills and that those who worshipped them necessarily gathered there,
especially for religious festivals. With this understanding, we can see
how mountains and hills are symbolic of religious centers rather than
civil ones. In modern terms, we can fairly say churches and
religious sects. That said, there is one aspect we lose when we use
these modern terms, namely, we lose the thought that the gods
themselves dwelt upon the mountains. When one says churches
today, he thinks of groups of people bound together by certain
theologies and creeds. The thought of different gods simply doesn't
come to mind because our modern culture has been greatly infuenced
by philosophical monotheism, which results in the belief that these
other gods do not really exist. Whatever terms we use, let us keep in
mind that the gods are included, and that they, along with their
worshippers, must be threshed.
The threshing, being double-edged, indicates that those who make
up the threshing-sledge have chosen to abide in the word and have the
63 For more on this subject, please study Psalm 2.
51
word abide in them, for the word of God is... sharper than any
double-edged sword (Heb. 4:12). In other words, they and their
righteousness have faded away (Isa. 40:6-8), but the Word of Yahweh
endures forever, thus they can all say,
I am crucifed with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but
Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the fesh I live by
the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for
me. - Galatians 2:20
By thus witnessing, the 144,000 will be able to accomplish the

harvest in the churches, being joined by 200 million and then
subsequently, the second fruits from the churches. 64 The way this takes
place is illustrated in verse 16. Israel (144,000) separates the chaff
(error and unrighteousness) from the grain (the truth and those who
abide in it), the wind (Spirit) carries the chaff away, and the tempest
(trouble) scatters them. Thus, the children of Israel shall rejoice.
The needy and the poor seek water, but there is none. Their
tongue is dry from thirst. I, Yahweh, will hear them. I, the Goddess
of Israel will not forsake them. 18 I will open streams on the bare
hills and in the midst of valleys, springs. I will set in the wilderness a
pool of waters and on the dry land waters breaking forth. 19 I will set
in the wilderness cedar, acacia, myrtle, and oil trees. I will set in the
desert cypress, fr, and box together. 20 This is for the purpose that
they may see, and observe, and consider, and understand that the
hand of Yahweh has done this and the Holy One of Israel has
created this. - Isaiah 41:17-20
17
Once again we are brought to a scene which we should all be

familiar with by now. This is the 9T reformation, the revival in the
desert, the kingdom sprouting in the wilderness prior to our returning
to the land of our fathers. Isaiah 35, Isaiah 40, Isaiah 61, Psalm 68,
and many more passages all speak of this same thing. Verse 20 is both
self explanatory and signifcant since it declares the purpose of this
reformation in plain terms it is so that people may know the truth,
and that they may know it by an experimental knowledge.
64 See Merkabah 3 by Lois Roden.
52
Divine Challenge in the Heavenly Courts

21 Present your case, says Yahweh. Bring forth your strong
arguments, says the King of Jacob. 22 Let them come forward and
tell us what is going to happen. The former things what are they?
Tell us so that we may examine them and know their outcome, or
tell us of things to come. 23 Tell us what will happen hereafter so
that we may know that you are gods. Do anything, be it good or
bad, to fll us with awe and fear. - Isaiah 41:21-23
We have seen our Heavenly Family give a message of comfort

through Their own appointed means (40:1-8). We have seen Them
commission Zion to bear a message to the cities of Judah (40:9-26).
They have spoken to Jacob (40:27-41:20), and in so doing they have
brought a test upon the coastlands (41:1-5). All that we have seen is
declaring that the end of the nations, and their gods, is at hand and
that our Heavenly Family is now establishing Their kingdom in the
lands of the gentiles. They have shown the character of their kingdom
to be that of love, grace, peace, and righteousness. Force is not Their
mode of operation and therefore, They spend a lot of time pleading
with their wayward sheep to hear Their voice.
In this new scene, we are brought from the earthly to the heavenly.
The divine council is in session and the King of Jacob is speaking. The
gods of the other nations are challenged to bring forth their strong
arguments, to present the best evidence that they can that they are
indeed gods (mighty ones). Yahweh is called the King of Jacob to
indicate that although the Jacobites may not have yet overcome and
had their name changed, He has bought them with a price and
claimed them as His own.
By the phrase, Let them come forward and tell us what is going to
happen, Yahweh invites those who have identifed themselves with
Him and have been seated together with Him in heavenly places
(Eph. 2:6) to participate in this courtroom scene and to judge whether
or not the gods of the nations are truly mighty.
The issue at hand is whether these gods are able to show the
future. If they can, then they prove themselves to be in control of
history and should then be considered gods in the full sense of the
word. If not though, they reveal themselves to be only frauds
demons putting themselves forward as gods, though not being gods by
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nature (Gal. 4:8). The test is not simply whether they can tell us what
is going to happen, however. The challenge to them is, The former
things, what are they? Tell us so that we may examine them and know
their outcome. The challenge here is not so very different from the
challenge Nebuchadnezzar issued to the magicians, astrologers,
sorcerers, and wise men of his day. The wise men were not simply
expected to tell him what is going to happen, but they were expected
to tell him what he had already dreamed along with the interpretation
of the dream so that what is going to happen may be known from it.
These so-called wise men of Babylon replied saying,
What the king is asking is too diffcult, and no one exists who can
disclose it to the king, except for the gods whose dwelling is not with
fesh. - Daniel 2:11
The challenge to the gods here in Isaiah is that if they really are
gods, they should be able to do what the magicians of Daniel's day
could not do. The former things which these gods are to tell us about
include both past events as well as earlier predictive oracles (which
is how the NET bible translates the phrase). The challenge to show us
what the former things are, is not merely a challenge to say what
happened, for anyone can do that. It means the same thing here as it
does in Ezekiel where the same phrase is employed (Eze. 24:15). The
situation in Ezekiel is that Ezekiel's wife died and he was to wear
certain things and act in a certain way as a sign to the Jews of his day.
When they saw him doing what he was doing they said, Will you not
tell us what these things are that you are doing? In asking what they are,
they were asking what they mean. Thus, the wicked gods are
challenged to accurately interpret past events and oracles in such a
way that their outcome can be clearly seen. In other words, they are
supposed to show types and their antitypes as well as prophecies and
their fulfllments.
Our Heavenly Family is able to declare the future because they
control the future, as is also shown in the book of Daniel:
Then in a night vision the mystery was revealed to Daniel. So
Daniel praised the God of heaven, saying, Let the name of God be
praised forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to him.
21 He changes times and seasons, deposing kings and setting up
kings. He gives wisdom to the wise; he imparts knowledge to those
20
54

with understanding; 22 he reveals deep and hidden things. He knows
what is in the darkness, and light resides with him. - Daniel 2:20-22
The very things which They declared to Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar They later brought about, but it took warfare with the gods of
the nations (Dan. 10). In other words, to predict the future, one must
be able to bring about the future, and to bring about the future as one
desires, one must be able to have victory over his enemies. The
challenge to the wicked gods is for them to show that they have done
that that they have shown in types and symbols, or in prophecies,
what was to happen and that it subsequently happened. Again, in
order to show this they must bring forth the former things and show
what they are.
If the wicked gods are unable to do this, perhaps they can tell us
what will yet happen in the future. This next part of the challenge is
expressed in the words or tell us of things to come. But if they
cannot do that Yahweh says, almost sarcastically, Do anything, be it
good or bad, to fll us with awe and fear. The thought is, If you can't
do that, at least do something. The fact that Yahweh had to progressively lower the standards of evidence to give these gods a chance
shows that they were not able to meet these standards of evidence.
Again, to recapitulate the challenge let us view it in three parts. First,
the gods were challenged to declare the former things and show what
they mean so that they can be examined and their outcome made
known. Evidently, the gods of the nations were unable to do this.
Second, they could simply declare the future. Knowing that they were
unable to fulfll the frst condition of evidence, it would be foolish for
them to declare a new prophecy with no evidence that they are able to
bring it to pass. Evidently then, in the face of their inability being
pointed out to them (and while standing before God in judgment),
they remained silent instead of bringing forth a new prophecy. Third,
since they were unable to fulfll the frst two conditions of evidence,
they are given the opportunity to show that they are gods in any way
to simply do something that would show them to be powerful and
divine. Their lack of response is shown in Yahweh's next statement:
24 Behold, you are nothing and your deeds are nothing. An
abomination is the one who chooses you. - Isaiah 41:24
55
Now that these so-called gods have failed to produce evidence for
their power and might, Yahweh declares evidence concerning Himself:
I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes from the
rising of the sun and he calls in my name. He shall trample rulers
like mud and as a potter treads clay. 26 Who has declared this from
the beginning that we may know? And beforehand, so that we may
say, 'He is righteous'? Indeed, none of them declared it! Indeed,
none of them announced it! Indeed, no one heard you say
anything! 27 I, the First, declared to Zion, Behold, behold these
things! And I gave to Jerusalem a herald of good news. - Isaiah
41:25-27
25
This is the evidence that Yahweh presents in the divine council to

demonstrate His own might and power, and thus, His Kingship. The
reason why it is so important for Yahweh to demonstrate His
authority is because by so doing, the so-called authority of these
wicked gods is exposed for what it is a facade. By exposing the
wicked gods, our Heavenly Family can regain rulership over the
nations, bringing the reign of the wicked gods to an end, and freeing
all who are in bondage under their yoke.
As we have already seen, the one risen up from the rising of the sun
is Cyrus. Here though, not only is he said to come from the rising of
the sun, but also from the north, indicating that he is sent from the
throne of God (Isa. 14:13). Isaiah 41:2 had its focus on Yahweh and
what he will do in reference to Cyrus, but this verse has its focus on
Cyrus and what he will do, as directed by Yahweh. He, as the
vicegerent of Yahweh, will trample the vicegerents of the wicked gods.
The focus now turns again to asking, Who has declared this?
similarly to what we saw in verse two. Whoever declared it ahead of
time surely is righteous. Yahweh, turning to those witnessing this
judgment scene says, Indeed none of them [the wicked gods]
declared it! Indeed, none of them announced it! And to the wicked
gods he says, Indeed, no one heard you say anything! Yahweh
indisputably states that He is the one who declared it to Zion by giving
a herald to Jerusalem.
The language of verse 27 intentionally mirrors chapter 40:9, but it
is also intentionally different. In Isaiah 40:9 Zion herself is called a
herald and she declares, Behold, behold... But in 41:27, Yahweh
56
declares that He declared t o Zion, Behold, behold... and sent a

herald to Jerusalem. Since in Isiah 41:26-27 these things were said to
be declared beforehand and in Isaiah 40:9, Zion declares these
same things as a present reality, it is evident that Isaiah 41:27 is
looking back to the time Zion initially heard these truths prior to her
proclamation of them to others. This is also natural and necessary
since one could not proclaim a truth that he had not previously heard
and received. Since Isaiah 40:9 is the message which Zion is presently
being instructed (by Inspiration) to give to the cities of Judah, the
message spoken of in 41:27 is one which came prior to the present
message. On the one hand, what is symbolized here is the message of
The Shepherd's Rod, since it is that message which frst announced the
coming of the anti-typical David to the church. In a broader sense
though, what was declared in vs. 27 is just a more specifc declaration
of what has been declared from the beginning (vs. 26). To put it
another way, we understand that what the Rod message declared in
the 1930s, '40s, and '50s concerning the anti-typical David (vs. 27) was
actually declared by Yahweh from the beginning (vs. 26).
I look, and there is no one among them; no one counsels or
responds when I ask of them. 29 Behold, they are all nothing and
their works are nothing. Their molten images are wind and
confusion. - Isaiah 41:28-29
28
These verses state plainly what has been implied all along. The
gods of the nations are speechless. They have no way to gainsay that
Yahweh is God. The evidences that Yahweh had required of these
other gods, He has now put forward to prove Himself. The raising up
of Cyrus, one righteous at every step, who calls on the name of
Yahweh, demonstrates Yahweh's ability to have victory over the other
gods. This is truly so, and here is why it is so:
for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23
23
16 Don't you know that if you yield yourselves as servants to obey

someone, you are indeed servants to the one you obey, whether of
sin unto death, or of obedience, unto righteousness? - Romans 6:16
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to
beings that by nature are not gods at all. Galatians 4:8
8
57
All, including Cyrus, have been in bondage to wicked gods. While

serving wicked gods, one necessarily serves sin and is thus free from
righteousness (Rom. 6:20). But now, these scriptures declare that
Cyrus is righteous at every step free from sin (Rom. 6:7, 18, 22).
Thus, he is a servant of righteousness and of Christ and is no longer in
the dominion of the wicked gods for, no man can serve two masters
(Matt. 6:24).
Taking Israel out of Egypt is one thing, but taking sin out of a man
is another. By this act redeeming a sinner among sinners Yahweh
has shown that He can redeem the human race; He has shown that
He has power over the wicked gods they cannot keep sinful man
locked up in the grave. Thus, these verses declare that Yahweh has
proven himself in the heavenly council: First, He has shown the
former things (both types and prophecies) and has declared what they
are (their true interpretation) that we may all know their outcome
(their fulfllment). Second, He has declared the future He has shown
what is to come to pass as a result of what has already been fulflled,
and has used the fact of their fulfllment as evidence that what is to
come will likewise be fulflled (Isa. 42:9). Third, He has done
everything to fll us with awe that we may fear. Yahweh is indeed
Mighty our Heavenly Family are the true Gods. They have created
a new thing in the earth, they have appointed a new order. In
contrast, all that the wicked gods have is smoke and mirrors.
Isaiah 42 - The New Order

Still in the divine council, Yahweh declares:
Behold, my servant whom I uphold. My chosen, in whom my
whole being delights. I have put my Spirit upon him so that he may
establish a just order for the nations. - Isaiah 42:1
1
Read Isaiah 45 and 49 along with this passage and you will see
without a doubt that they are all speaking of the same person. Also, in
Isaiah 61 he speaks in frst person:
The Spirit of the lord, Yahweh, is upon me; because Yahweh
has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek: He has sent
me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the
1
58

captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 to
proclaim the acceptable year of Yahweh, and the day of vengeance
of our Gods; to comfort all that mourn; 3 to appoint unto them that
mourn in Zion, to give unto them a turban instead of ashes, the oil
of joy instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of the
spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness,
the planting of Yahweh, that he might be glorifed. - Isaiah 61:1-365
This just order is established not by might, nor by power, but by

the the Spirit of Yahweh (Zech. 4:6). Our Heavenly Family will fnally
have Their nation of priests (Ex. 19:6) who will serve the people by
bringing them liberty, truth, and righteousness.
2
He will not shout, and he will not raise his voice, and he will not
cause it to be heard in the streets. 3 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a dim fax he will not quench for truly he will establish a just
order. - Isaiah 42:2-3
The character here portrayed is none other than the character of

our Heavenly Family. It is the character of Their kingdom. Read
again Isaiah 40 and Zechariah 9.
4 He will not be quenched and he will not be broken until he has
set up a just order in the land. The islands wait for his decree. Isaiah 42:4
The only sure victory is to reign in grace and righteousness. In the

gentleness of Christ there is strength that lasts forever. Cyrus will not
quench a dimly lit wick and so he will not be quenched. He will not
break a bruised reed and so he will not be broken. So let it be with all
those who profess the name of Christ. The islands wait for an order
such as this.
Thus says the God of the gods,66 who created the skies and
pitched them, who pounded out the earth and her produce and
gave breath to the people upon her and life to those who walk in
her: 6 I, Yahweh, have called you in righteousness. I have grasped
you by the hand. I keep you and give you for a covenant of the
people, for a light to the nations, 7 to open the eyes of the blind, to
5
65 See The Silver Trumpet, Vol. 1, No. 3, p. 5.

66 Heb. ha-el ha-elohim ()
59
bring out from the dungeon those who are bound, and from the
prison house, those who dwell in darkness. - Isaiah 42:5-7
Here, the God of the gods, the Creator of the world and the Giver
of life speaks to Cyrus. The commission he is given is to fulfll the work
we have already seen in Isaiah 61. Cyrus is given as a covenant for the
people (Isa. 49:8). This is a new order with a new and everlasting
covenant (Isa. 55:3-4; 61:8). The everlasting covenant includes
Yahweh being our Gods and us being Their people, the reception of a
new heart, the restoration of the priesthood that all the nations of the
earth might be blessed, the return to the land of Israel, and the reestablishment of theocracy under our Heavenly Family through Their
appointed vicegerent the anti-typical David. 67 Thus understanding
the new covenant, one can easily see how Cyrus is himself said to be a
covenant of the people, for his experience is to be their experience.
Indeed, just as the ancient Cyrus was the new heart of the world
empire in ancient times,68 just so will the latter-day Cyrus be the new
heart (covenant) of the new order today.
It is I, Yahweh, my name and my glory I will not give to
another, nor my praise to images. 9 The former things have come to
pass, and new things I now declare. Before they spring up I
proclaim them to you. - Isaiah 42:8-9
8
Amen!
O Yahweh, Goddess of our father Israel, you deserve praise
forevermore! 11 O Yahweh, you are great, mighty, majestic,
magnifcent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You
have dominion and exalt yourself as the head of all. 12 You are the
source of wealth and honor; you rule over all. You possess strength
and might to magnify and give strength to all. 13 Now, our Gods, we
give thanks to you and praise your majestic name! - 1 Chronicles
29:10-13
10
67 Read Gen. 17:7-8; 23:5; 1 Chron. 16:16-18; Ps. 105:8-11; Isa. 55:3-4; 61:8; Jer.
32:40; 50:5; Eze. 37:26, their surrounding contexts, and other connecting verses.
68 See The Shepherd's Rod, Vol. 2, p. 44-48.
60
All Things Are Now Ready
The snow is gone and the warm weather is here in Way, Ontario.
There is much to do at the property here, as you are all doubtless
aware. Some of our frst duties are to improve the driveway and
gather building materials. Our Heavenly Family pleads with all who
believe the message to come up to the help of the Lord (Judges 5:23).
Questions and Answers

SHOULD WE KEEP THE SEDER MEAL?
Question No. 18:
I'm reading through the Gospels and I see that Jesus only talks
about drinking the cup of wine before the meal and after the meal. I
know that the Jews and most Messianic Jews drink four cups. Is this
tradition, or is there scripture commanding us to do that?
Answer:
The idea of a seder meal, as seen in modern Jewish and Messianic
Passover celebrations, is nowhere to be found in scripture. The
scriptural accounts of the last supper present a simple and genuine
meal with no forms of ritualism or traditions of men. Read Matthew
26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; and Luke 22:7-20, along with 1 Corinthians
11:17-34.
61
While we do not, in principle, reject the idea of oral law (since that
is how the law was at frst given), 69 we do reject the idea of accepting
the traditions of men, for they have no foundation in Inspiration our
only guide. The historical reality of the seder meal is that it comes
from the Haggadah, a rabbinical text which was frst compiled in the
late second century CE at the earliest, but which continued to be
added to and revised for many centuries following, even up into the
ffteenth century. The four cups tradition is also mentioned in the
Mishnah, which is the frst major work of Rabbinic Judaism. The
Mishnah is a written form of the oral traditions of the early rabbis after
the destruction of the temple in 70 CE. It was not completed until
around the beginning of the third century.
The reason why we mention some of this history is to point out
that all these traditions came about at a time when there were drastic
changes taking place in Judaism. Second Temple Judaism was very
diverse, with no central authority to determine what was and what
was not normative Judaism. Some of the main sects were the
Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes, each of whom had sub-sects. But
there were also many other sects who are less known by modern
people, such as the Zealots, the Sicarii, and the Nazarenes (the
followers of Jesus). After the destruction of the temple, certain leaders
recognized that they needed to do something in order to preserve
some sort of unifed identity of Jews so that they didn't all just scatter
and become indistinguishable from the other nations. This is when
Rabbinical Orthodoxy emerged. Essentially, Rabbinical Judaism is
the outgrowth of the Pharisees, and their emergence practically meant
the end of the other sects of Judaism. Their rejection of the Messiah
and the destruction of the temple meant that they now had to reinvent
Judaism to function without either an earthly temple, or a heavenly
temple with a heavenly priesthood.
Ever since that time, Judaism has been defning and refning
their religion by the ever increasing amount of rituals, minute details,
and rigorous laws, which amount to nothing more than the vain
traditions of men. Read Matthew 15:1-9.
69 Paul also said, Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand frm and hold on to the
traditions that we taught you, whether by spoken word or by letter (2 Thess. 2:15).
62

IS 'COUNTING THE OMER' SCRIPTURAL?
Question No. 19:

Is counting the omer a tradition, or is it something we are to do? If
we are to do it, how are we to do it?
Answer:
The phrases counting the omer and counting of the omer refer
to a tradition which basically states that on each day, from the offering
of the wave-sheaf till Shavuot (Pentecost), we are supposed to count
the day. In this tradition, it is important to count each day while one is
actually in each day. So, for example, during the 16th day, each person
is supposed to count it as being the 16 th day, and then the next day
they are supposed to count it as being the 17 th day. Rabbinical Jews
and Messianic Jews usually connect this with some sort of spiritual
preparation for Shavuot, or Pentecost. What is somewhat odd about
this, however, is that the passage where this tradition is supposed to be
derived from says nothing about counting the omer - the expression
is a little strange since it seems to convey the idea of the omer itself
being counted, when what the passage speaks of is counting the days.
Moreover, the passage says nothing about counting each day as each
day happens. Here is the passage under consideration:70
70 This is Leviticus 23:15-16 from The Lexham Hebrew-English Interlinear Bible.
63
Here are two translations of the above verses. Both are very
accurate, but the frst is designed to more literally convey the form of
the words in Hebrew, whereas the second is designed to more literally
convey the meaning of the words into English:
15 And you shall count for you(p) from the next day of the
Sabbath, from the day of your bringing the omer of the wave
offering there shall be seven full sevens 16 until from the next day
of the seventh Sabbath you shall count ffty days and you shall
present a new grain offering to Yahweh. - Leviticus 23:15-16
15 And
you shall count for yourselves from the day after the
Sabbath - from the day of your bringing the omer of the wave
offering. There shall be seven full weeks 16 until the day after the
seventh Sabbath. You shall count ffty days, then you shall present
a new grain offering to Yahweh. - Leviticus 23:15-16
As you can see, the passage simply says to count ffty days from the
day the omer of the wave offering is presented, and then on the fftieth
day a new grain offering is to be presented to Yahweh. The verse
simply does not say to count each day as each day goes by, and
therefore we cannot advocate for people to do so unless, and until,
someone produces such instructions from Inspiration.
WHEN TO EAT THE PASSOVER THE 14th OR THE 15th?
Question No. 20:
I have been studying the Passover week charts, literature, etc. for
years and still, it doesn't make sense to me. My problem is with the
Passover. Why is the 14th called the Passover if the lamb was not eaten
until the 15th? That makes no sense to me. The night ancient Israel ate
the passover lamb, at midnight the death angel passed over the houses
with the blood on the doorposts. That is the Passover. The 14th, not
the 15th as all your literature and charts state.
Answer:
The confusion here is caused by a misunderstanding of exactly
what the term Passover is referring to, when the Passover is, and
when the death angel passed over in connection with the feast of
unleavened bread. First, let us look at what the term Passover is
referring to in the writings of Moses:
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11 And this is how you will eat it with your waists fastened, your
sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand, and you will eat it
in haste. It is Yahweh's Passover. - Exodus 12:11
And Moses called all the elders of Israel and he said to them,
Select and take for yourselves sheep for your clans and slaughter the
Passover 26 And when your children say to you, What does this
ceremony mean to you? 27 you will say, It is the slaughtering of the
Passover of Yahweh, who passed over the houses of the children of
Israel in Egypt when he struck Egypt; and he delivered our
houses. - Exodus 12:21, 26-27
21
And Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, This is the statute of

the Passover: No foreigner may eat it. - Exodus 12:43
43
48
And when a foreigner dwells with you and he wants to prepare
t h e Passover for Yahweh, every male belonging to him must be
circumcised, and then he may come near to prepare it, and he will
be as the native of the land, but any uncircumcised man may not
eat it. - Exodus 12:48
From these passages, and more,71 it is clear that the term

passover originally applied to the animal itself and the ceremony of
slaughtering it.72 Note, it is not that the term passover applied to the
passing over of Yahweh or the destroyer, but it applied to the lamb
and the slaying of the lamb. Let us see when exactly the Passover is
then:
Speak to all the community of Israel, saying, On the tenth of
this month, they will each take for themselves a lamb 6 It will be
for you for observation until the fourteenth day of this month, and all
the assembly of the community of Israel will slaughter it between the
two evenings. - Exodus 12:3, 6
3
In the frst month, on the fourteenth of the month, between the two
evenings is Yahweh's Passover. Leviticus 23:5
5
Let the children of Israel observe the Passover at its appointed time.
On the fourteenth day of this month between the two evenings you will
perform it at its appointed time according to all its decrees; and
2
71 See Ex. 34:25; 2 Chron. 30:17-18; 35:13; Ezra 6:20.

72 The term later became used for the entire seven-day feast (Eze. 45:21; Luke 22:1).
65
according to all its stipulations you will observe it. 4 So Moses

spoke to the children of Israel to observe the Passover. 5 And they
observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month between the two
evenings in the desert of Sinai. According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses, thus the children of Israel did. Numbers 9:2-5
Notice that the Passover is not simply the fourteenth day, as if it

was the entirety of the fourteen or could be kept at any point on the
fourteenth. Rather, the Passover is specifcally on the fourteenth
between the two evenings,73 which was the specifed time for the
animal to be slaughtered, further confrming that the animal itself and
the slaughtering of it is the Passover.
Now, to examine the two evenings. The evening most commonly
known to people is the evening which begins the night, or dark
portion of the 24 hour day, as in Gen. 1:5. The lesser known evening
is the time of the evening sacrifce, being the ninth hour 74 of the
natural day. These two evenings can be seen in the following passage:
And when evening arrived, his disciples came to him saying, This is
an isolated place and the hour is already late. Send the crowds
away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for
themselves. 16 But he replied, They don't need to go. You give
them something to eat. 17 They said to him, We have here only
fve loaves and two fsh. 18 Bring them here to me, he replied.
19
Then he instructed the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took
the fve loaves and two fsh, and looking up to heaven he gave
thanks and broke the loaves. He gave them to the disciples, who in
turn gave them to the crowds. 20 They all ate and were satisfed, and
they picked up the broken pieces left over, twelve baskets full. 21 Not
counting women and children, there were about fve thousand men
who ate. 22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat
and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dispersed the
crowds. 23 And after he sent the crowds away, he went up the
mountain by himself to pray. And when evening came, he was there
alone. - Matthew 14:15-23
15
73 See also Num. 9:11; and Num. 28:16; 2 Chron. 30:15; 35:1 where the Passover is
on the 14th, rather than being the 14th or after the 14th.
74 See Ex. 29:29; Num. 28:4; 1 Kings 18:36 (cf. Lives of the Prophets 21:9); Dan. 9:21;
Judith 9:1; Matt. 27:45-46; Mark 15:34; Luke 23:44; Acts 3:1; 10:3, 30; Apostolic
Tradition 41:8; Antiquities, 14:4:3 (Josephus).
66
Notice the two evenings of this passage. The frst evening was
evidently a few hours before the second one since they had time
between them to feed over 5000 people and gather up the left overs. It
is also evident that the things described in verses 15-22 could not have
taken place after it was dark. Therefore, the frst evening was the ninth
hour, while the second evening was when the sun set.
With this in mind we can see that the Passover was actually on the
fourteenth day between the ninth hour and sunset. Josephus 75 also said
the following:
So these high priests, upon the coming of their feast, which is
called the Passover, when they slay their sacrifces, from the ninth hour
till the eleventh, but so that a company not less than ten belong to
every sacrifce...76
All of this lets us know clearly that when the scriptures say that we
are to have the Passover in the evening of the 14 th day, it is speaking of
the end of the 14th day rather than its beginning. This is even further
confrmed by the following verse:
18 In the frst month, from the fourteenth day of the month, in the
evening, you will eat bread made without yeast until the twentyfrst day of the month in the evening. 19 For seven days yeast must
not be found in your houses, for whoever eats what is made with
yeast that person will be cut off from the community of Israel,
whether a foreigner or one born in the land. - Exodus 12:18-9
Since the language used for the 21st day is the same as the language
used for the 14th day, we have no choice but to understand them in the
same sense. If we take the fourteenth day of the month in the
evening to mean the beginning of the fourteenth day at the end of
the thirteenth, then we must take the twenty-frst day of the month in
the evening to mean the beginning of the twenty-frst day at the end
of the twentieth. Also, it is important to remember that the feast of
unleavened bread is only seven days, not eight. 77 Here is what the feast
75 Josephus was a frst century Jewish historian, who was a contemporary of Paul,
Peter, James, etc. He also saw the temple while it was still standing and then
subsequently witnessed its destruction in 70 CE.
76 Wars of the Jews, 6.423
77 Ex. 12:15, 19; 13:6, 7; 23:15; 34:18; Lev. 23:6, 8; Num. 28:17, 24; Deut. 16:3-4.
67
would look like if the fourteenth day of the month in the evening
means the beginning of the fourteenth:
Ultimately, this scheme of things ends up making the 14 th the

beginning of the feast and leaves the 21 st entirely out. If one wants to
include the 21st but yet have the Passover meal at the beginning of the
14th, they naturally end up with an eight day feast since the Passover
meal must be eaten without leaven (Ex. 12:8). Not only this, but as we
have already pointed out, one would have to defne in the evening,
relative to the 21st day, differently from in the evening, relative to
the 14th day, even though they are identical expressions in the same
verse (Ex. 12:18). When we keep in mind though that the frst day of
the feast is the 15th (Lev. 23:6; 28:17) and that it is on that day that the
leaven is to be cast out of the houses (Ex. 12:15), and that the feast
lasts seven days, then we are left with this:
With this system, the twenty-frst day of the month in the

evening, being the end of the feast, is necessarily at the end of the 21st
day going into the 22nd day, making it necessary for the fourteenth
day of the month in the evening to be referring to the end of the 14 th
day going into the 15th day. If one attempts to have the Passover meal
as a separate occasion at the beginning of the 14th, but acknowledges
the feast starting on the 15th, then he would be left with a six day feast
because he would be obligated to make the twenty-frst day of the
month in the evening the beginning of the 21 st. The most
straightforward reading of these scriptures, then, is that the Passover
meal is eaten at the beginning of the 15 th. To clear any last doubts on
this issue, however, let us examine some important selections from the
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record of the frst Passover in Exodus:

First, Exodus 11:4 lets us know that Yahweh passed throughout the
land of Egypt at about midnight. This is important to remember since
the Passover itself is always said to be between the two evenings on the
14th, not at midnight. This itself shows us that the passing throughout
the land is not the same thing as the Passover. There is actually no
scripture that tells us that Yahweh passed through the land on the 14 th
day people assume this because it says that the Passover is on the
14th, but as we have seen, this specifcally refers to the slaying of the
lamb, which necessarily preceded the passing over by the destroyer.
Next, in Exodus 12:1-6 we learn that the children of Israel were to
choose a lamb on the 10th day of the month, and they were to keep it
until the 14th day on which they were to slaughter it between the two
evenings, which, as we have already seen, must refer to the end of the
14th day going into the 15th.
Exodus 12:8 tells us that they were to eat the lamb the same
night, being the night of the 14 th going into the 15th. It also tells us
that it was to be eaten with unleavened bread, showing that it is the
beginning of the feast of unleavened bread (which will be confrmed
even more certainly as we progress).
Exodus 12:12 continues on to say, I will pass through the land of
Egypt in the same night. This is the same night as the Passover meal was
eaten as described in the previous verses.
Our next signifcant text, Exodus 12:14-15, tells us that this day,
the day of the Passover meal and the passing over of the angel at
midnight, will become a memorial for you, and you will celebrate it
as a festival to Yahweh you will celebrate it perpetually as a lasting
ordinance. For seven days you must eat bread made without leaven.
Surely on the frst day you must put away leaven... Clearly, the
context reveals that this day is the same day the angel passed over,
which was the same day the Passover meal was eaten. Notice, here we
are specifcally told that this day is the frst day of the feast of
unleavened bread.
Exodus 12:17 puts the matter beyond question, for it says,
continuing on speaking of the same day, So you will keep the feast of
unleavened bread, because on this very day I brought your regiments out
from the land of Egypt... This is further confrmed by Numbers 33:3,
which tells us that the children of Israel departed from Ramses on the
15th day of the 1st month.
69
Now, to review this series of events in reverse: Ex. 12:17 and Num.
33:3 tell us that the day Israel was brought out of Egypt was the very
same day that the feast of unleavened bread began (the 1 st day of the
feast). Ex. 12:14-15 tells us that the frst day of the feast was the same
day as when the angel passed over. Ex. 12:12 tells us that the night the
angel passed over was the same night that the Passover meal was
eaten. Therefore, the Passover meal must be eaten on the 15 th day of
the month in the night after the Passover itself was slain, which was
between the two evenings at the end of the 14 th day. Evidence for this
same truth is abundant in the New Testament as has been brought out
in the Rod and Branch studies on the topic.78
To fnish the answer to this question, we want to quote a section
from the book of Jubilees, which speaks directly to this issue:
491 Remember the commandment which Yahweh commanded
you concerning Passover, that you observe it in its time, on the
fourteenth of the frst month, so that you might sacrifce it before it
becomes evening and so that you might eat it during the night on
the evening of the ffteenth from the time of sunset. 2 For on this
night there was the beginning of the feast and there was the
beginning of joy. You continued eating the Passover in Egypt and
all of the powers of Mastema were sent to kill all of the frstborn in
the land of Egypt, from the frstborn of Pharaoh to the frstborn of
the captive maidservant who was at the millstone and to the cattle.
3
And this is the sign which Yahweh gave to them in every house
where they saw the blood of a year-old lamb upon its doors so that
they would not enter into the house to kill, they would pass over so
that all who were in the house might be saved because the sign of
the blood was on its doors.
4
And the host of Yahweh did everything which Yahweh commanded them. And they passed over all the children of Israel. And
the plague did not come upon them to destroy any life from them
whether cattle or men or dogs. 5 And there was a very great plague
in Egypt. And there was no house in Egypt in which there was no
corpse and weeping and lamenting. 6 And all of Israel remained
eating the fesh of the Passover and drinking wine and praising and
blessing and glorifying Yahweh the God of their fathers. And they
were prepared to depart from the yoke of Egypt and from evil
slavery.
78 See The Sign of Jonah; The Shepherd's Rod, Vol. 2, pp. 17-26; The Symbolic Code, Vol. 1,
No. 6, pp. 5-7; Vol. 2, No. 12, p. 6; Vol. 3, Nos. 8-10, p. 10; The Calendar in The
Heavens; and The Search for Leaven.
70

7
And you, remember this day all of the days of your life and
observe it from year to year all the days of your life, once per year
on its day according to all of its law and you will not delay (one) day
from (its) day or from (one) month to (another) month. 8 For it is an
eternal decree and engraved upon the heavenly tablets for all of the
children of Israel that they might observe it in each and every year
in its day once per year in all of their generations. And there is no
limit of days because it is ordained forever.
9
And (as for) the man who is purifed and does not come so that
he might observe it on its appointed day to bring a gift which is
acceptable before Yahweh and to eat and to drink before Yahweh
on the day of his feast, that man who is purifed and nearby shall be
uprooted because he did not bring a gift of Yahweh in its
(appointed) time. That man shall lift up sin upon himself. 10 So that
the children of Israel will be ones who come and observe Passover
on its appointed day on the fourteenth of the frst month between
the evenings from the third (part) of the day until the third (part) of
the night because two parts of the day are given for light and one
third for evening. 11 This is what Yahweh commanded you so that
you might observe it between the evenings.
12
And it is not ftting to sacrifce it during any time of light except
during the time of the border of evening. And they shall eat it
during the time of evening until a third of the night. And what is
left of all its fesh from the third of the night and beyond, they shall
burn with fre. 13 And it is not ftting that they should boil it in
water. And they shall not eat it raw but roasted in the fre, cooked
with care, its head with its inner organs and with its feet. They shall
roast it in fre without breaking any of its bones within it because no
bone of the children of Israel will be broken. 14 Therefore Yahweh
commanded the children of Israel to observe the Passover on its
appointed day. And it is not ftting to break any bone from it
because it is the day of the feast and it is the day of the command.
And there is no passing over in it (one) day from (its) day or from
month (to) month because it shall be observed on the day of the
feast.
15
And you command the children of Israel to observe the
Passover in their days in every year, once per year, on its appointed
day. And it will come as an acceptable memorial from before
Yahweh. And the plague will not come to kill or to smite during
that year when they have observed the Passover in its (appointed)
time in all (respects) according to his command.
16
And it is not ftting to eat it outside of the sanctuary of Yahweh,
but facing the sanctuary of Yahweh. And all the people of the
71
congregation of Israel will observe it in its (appointed) time. 17 And

all the men who come on its day will eat it in the sanctuary of your
God before Yahweh, whoever is twenty years or older, because
thus it is written and decreed that they shall eat it in the sanctuary
of Yahweh.
18
And whenever the children of Israel enter into the land which
they will possess, into the land of Canaan, they will set up the
tabernacle of Yahweh in the midst of the land, in one of their
tribes, until the sanctuary of Yahweh is built upon the land. And it
will come to pass when they come and observe the Passover in the
midst of the tabernacle of Yahweh that they will sacrifce it before
Yahweh from year to year. 19 And in the days when a house is built
in the name of Yahweh in the land of their inheritance, they shall
go there and they shall sacrifce the Passover at evening when the
sun is setting on the third (part) of the day. 20 And they shall offer up
its blood on the threshold of the altar. And its fat they shall place on
the fre which is above the altar. And they shall eat its fesh cooked
in fre within the court of the house which is sanctifed in the name
of Yahweh. 21 And they shall not be able to observe the Passover in
their cities or in any district except before the tabernacle of Yahweh
or before his house in which his name dwells. And let them not
stray from after Yahweh.
22
And you, Moses, command the children of Israel so that they
shall keep the ordinance of the Passover just as it was commanded
to you so that you might relate to them its annual (occurrence) each
year, both its period of days and the feast of unleavened bread so
that they might eat unleavened bread for seven days so that they
might observe its feast, and so that they might bring its gift, day by
day, during those seven days to rejoice before Yahweh upon the
altar of your God. 23 For this feast you observed with nervousness
when you went out from Egypt until you entered into the
wilderness of Sur because you completed it on the shore of the sea.
- Jubilees 49
HOW DO WE CALCULATE PENTECOST?

Question No. 21:
How exactly do I determine which day is Pentecost? All the other
feast days are already in my agenda, but I can't seem to pinpoint the
exact day of the feast of Pentecost.
Answer:
In order to determine the correct date for Pentecost, one needs to
72
frst determine the correct date for the offering of the wave-sheaf
and then gain an understanding of Leviticus 23:15-16.
As we shall see, the wave-sheaf was an offering from the very frst
of the year's grain harvest which was the barley harvest. The
offering was of a certain measurement of grain, an omer, and was
always presented before the priest right around the Passover season, as
evidenced from Leviticus 23:4-8 going into 23:9Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 10 Speak to the children
of Israel, and say to them, 'When you come to the land that I am
about to give to you and you reap its harvest, then you shall bring
an omer (sheaf) of the frstfruit of your harvest to the priest. 11 And
he shall wave the omer before Yahweh for your acceptance; the
priest shall wave it on the day after the Sabbath. - Leviticus 23:9-11
9
The Sabbath reference at the end of verse 11 has been a subject

of debate for many hundreds of years. Is it the Sabbath of the 15 th day,
the Sabbath of the 21st day, or the seventh-day Sabbath? The frst two
options are the annual sabbaths of the feast of unleavened bread as
prescribed in Leviticus 23:7-8. The problem with interpreting the
Sabbath here to be either one of those sabbaths is that one would
only have as much justifcation for choosing one, as he would have for
choosing the other. Moreover, neither of those sabbaths is called the
Sabbath but only a sabbath or together, sabbaths. The fact that
the passage says the Sabbath tells us with certainty that it is the
seventh-day Sabbath which is being referenced.
From the context of the passage we can see that the Sabbath is not
just any seventh-day Sabbath, but must be the seventh-day Sabbath
during the feast of unleavened bread. The feast of unleavened bread is
always seven days long and therefore always only has one seventh-day
Sabbath within it. So, whether the seventh-day Sabbath falls on the
15th day, the 16th, the 17th, etc. or even the 21st, it is always the day
after that seventh-day Sabbath that the wave-sheaf/omer is to be
offered.
Now for understanding the instructions concerning calculating
Pentecost itself:
15 And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the
Sabbath - from the day of your bringing the omer of the wave
offering. There shall be seven full weeks 16 until the day after the
73
seventh Sabbath. You shall count ffty days, then you shall present
a new grain offering to Yahweh. - Leviticus 23:15-16
So, from the day of the wave-sheaf/omer offering there is to be

seven Sabbaths, and the day after the seventh Sabbath is the day to
offer the new grain offering it is the feast of weeks
Shavuot/Pentecost (Lev. 23:21-22). So, from this reckoning one has
seven Sabbaths plus one day.
7x7=49
49+1=50
Thus, You shall count ffty days, then...
We will now give an example of calculating Pentecost, in hopes
that it will help to apply what we have learned. This year, the frst day
of the frst month of the scriptural year fell on March 22, 79 since that
was the frst new moon after the vernal equinox. 80 Naturally, Passover
fell on the 14th day of the month (April 4) and the Feast of Unleavened
Bread lasted from the 15th to the 21st (April 5 April 11). April 5 was a
Sunday and April 11 was a seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday). Since the
11th was the Sabbath within the feast, the offering of the wavesheaf/omer took place on following day, Sunday (April 12). So, all one
must do is count 50 days, starting with April 12, and that will bring
him to Pentecost. Here is a chart to illustrate:
81
79 When we use dates from the common calendar it must be understood that the
scriptural date began the night before, at sunset.
80 The frst month of the year is always determined by the frst new moon at or after
the vernal equinox. See our study The Calendar in the Heavens Oct. 22, 1844.
81 Chart Legend: red square = Passover ; light green strip = feast of unleavened
bread ; dark green squares = festal sabbaths ; yellow square = day omer is offered;
blue letters = day count; red letters = week count ; red circle = Pentecost.
74
Quotes of Interest
In this section of The Silver Trumpet, we will be including quotations
that may be of interest to those studying present truth. These
quotations will likely touch on many different topics and be gathered
from many different sources, including apocryphal and pseudepigraphal literature, the writings of the church fathers, rabbinic
sources, adventist literature, the writings of the Adventist, Davidian,
and Branch prophets, as well as the research of archaeologists,
linguists, historians, and other scholars.
THE NAZARENES
As far back as the 1950's, Ben Roden spoke of the time when the
name Christian would be dropped and we would go by the name
Branch and be called Branches. In light of this fact, we would like
to share with you all some quotations from scholars, church fathers,
and even from an Adventist concerning the original name of the
followers of the Messiah. In short, they were not called Christians,
rather, they were called Nazarenes (Acts 24:5, 14), or in Hebrew,
Netzarim meaning Branches.
From Acts 24:5 (the only occurrence of this term in the New
Testament) we know that the term Nazarenes was already used
of the frst generation of Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. Whereas the term
Christians originated in Antioch among Latin-and Greekspeakers (Acts 11:27) and was to become standard in those
languages, Nazarenes must have originated in Aramaic and was
to remain the standard designation for Christians in Semitic
languages. Since in fact it is the only term we know to have been used to
designate Jewish Christians by non-Christian Jews in Jerusalem, it is likely to
have been used from a very early stage, as soon as the frst Christians were a
distinctive and signifcant enough group for others to need a word for them. Richard Bauckman, Jewish Believers in Jesus: The Early Centuries, p. 58
From this point of view it is also worth noting that, according to
Acts, other Jews regarded the Nazarenes as a party ().82 This
82 A footnote at this point in the original quotation says, This term is often
translated sect, but the sociological connotations that now attach to that term
are not appropriate. Whether or not Pharisees, Sadducees or Jewish Christians

is the termnot in itself pejorativewhich Luke also uses of the
Sadducees and the Pharisees (Acts 5:17; 15:5; 26:5). Since this is
also Josephuss usage for the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the
Essenes (e.g., Ant. 13.171), and unless Luke is dependent on
Josephus, it must refect a standard Jewish Greek terminology for
the various parties within frst-century Palestinian Judaism, based on
comparing them, as Josephus explicitly does, with Greek
philosophical schools. Acts 24:5; 28:22 thus clearly depict
Christians [Nazarenes] as one of these parties within Judaism, by no
means necessarily one of which the speaker would approve, but not
a group outside the accepted parameters of Jewish faith and practice. - Richard
Bauckman, Jewish Believers in Jesus: The Early Centuries, p. 61
They did not give themselves the name of Christ, or that of Jesus,
but they called themselves Nazarenes. All Christians were called
Nazarenes once before the disciples in Antioch began to be
called Christians. - Epiphanius, Panarion 29, 1,2-3
However, everyone called the Christians Nazarenes, as I said before.
This appears from the accusation against Paul which was as
follows: We discovered that this man is a pest, somebody
disturbing the people, the leader of the heresy of the Nazarenes [Acts
24:5]. The holy apostle did not deny this name although he was not a
follower of their heresy,83 but he gladly accepted the name which
was inspired by the malice of his opponents because it had been borne
by Christ. For he said at the tribunal: They did not fnd me in the
temple speaking with somebody or causing a riot. Nothing of what
I am accused of did I do. I admit to you that I serve God in that way
which they call a heresy, believing everything which is in the Law and
the Prophets. [6,5] For it is no wonder that the Apostle admitted he was a
Nazarene because everybody called Christians with that name at that time,
because of the city of Nazareth and because at that time there was no
other name in use. Therefore persons were called Nazarenes who came to
believe in Christ, of whom it is written that he will be called a Nazarene
[Matt. 2:23] Likewise the holy disciples of Christ called
themselves disciples of Jesus, which they really were. When they
heard the name Nazarenes from others, they did not reject it,
should be considered sectarian groups, this is not what the term
means.
83 Epiphanius, writing from the perspective of Christianity, which had separated
from Judaism considered the sect of the Nazarenes to be heretical because they
believed in keeping the jewish law, so he is here trying to explain the well
known facts that Paul and the early followers of Christ were Nazerenes.
75
76

because they saw what was meant by those who called them by this
name, viz. that they called them by this name because of Christ,
since our Lord himself was also called Jesus the Nazarene, as appears
from the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. - Epiphanius,
Panarion 29, 6,2-7
they did not call themselves Christians, but Nazarenes, taking this
name from the place Nazareth. But actually they remained wholly
Jewish and nothing else. For they use not only the New Testament but also the
Old, like the Jews. For the Legislation and the Prophets and the Scriptures,
which are called the Bible by the Jews, are not rejected by them as they are by
those mentioned above. They are not at all mindful of other things but
live according to the preaching of the Law as among Jews: there is no fault to
fnd with them apart from the fact that they have come to believe in Christ . For
they also accept the resurrection of the dead and that everything
has its origin in God. They proclaim one God and his Son Jesus
Christ.84 They have a good mastery of the Hebrew language. For the entire
Law and the Prophets and what is called the Scriptures, I mention the poetical
books, Kings, Chronicles and Esther and all the others, are read by them in
Hebrew as is the case with the Jews, of course. Only in this respect they
differ from the Jews and Christians: with the Jews they do not agree
because of their belief in Christ, with the Christians because they are
trained in the Law, in circumcision, the Sabbath and the other things. With
regard to Christ I cannot say whether, misled by the wickedness of
the aforesaid followers of Cerinthus and Merinthus, they believe
that he is a mere man or whether, in agreement with the truth, they
emphatically declare that he was born of the Holy Spirit from
Mary.85 - Epiphanius, Panarion 29, 7,1-6
The brevity of this exposition will also be suffcient for this
heresy. For such people make a fne object to be refuted and are
easy to catch, for they are rather Jews and nothing else. However, they
are very much hated by the Jews. For not only the Jewish children
cherish hate against them but the people also stand up in the
morning, at noon, and in the evening, three times a day and they
pronounce curses and maledictions over them when they say their
prayers in the synagogues. Three times a day they say: May God
84 As we shall see from the writings of the Nazarenes themselves (The Gospel According
to the Hebrews), they also accepted other members of the Godhead.
85 Here Epiphanius reveals how in regard to some things he only had hearsay to go
on. He is not to be taken as an absolute source, accurate in every particular, but
he is a very important witness to the sect of the Nazarenes, and their continuance
into the fourth century.

curse the Nazarenes. For they are more hostile against them because
they proclaim as Jews that Jesus is the Christ, which runs counter to
those who still are Jews who did not accept Jesus. They have the entire
Gospel of Matthew in Hebrew. It is carefully preserved by them in Hebrew
letters, as I wrote in the beginning. But I do not know whether they
also have omitted the genealogies from Abraham to Christ. But
now that we have exposed this heresy as weak and the cause of pain
by wasps poison, and having crushed it with the truth, let us go on
to what remains, Beloved, asking help from God. - Epiphanius,
Panarion 29, 9,1-5
The Nazarenes confess Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, but live
in all things according to the Law. - Saint John of Damascus, On
Heresies, 29 The Nazarenes
It is important to note that the name Nazarenes was at frst
applied to all Jewish followers of Jesus. Until the name Christian
became attached to Antiochian non-Jews, this meant that the name
signifed the entire Church, not just a sect. So also in Acts 24:5 the
reference is not to a sect of Christianity but rather to the entire
primitive Church as a sect of Judaism. Only when the Gentile Church overtook
and overshadowed the Jewish one could there be any possibility of sectarian
stigma adhering to the name Nazarene within the Church itself. This should
be borne in mind when considering the total absence of the name
from extant Christian literature between the composition of Acts
and 376, when the panarion was written. Even after the name
Christianoi had been commonly accepted by Christians as the name
they called themselves, it would require some passage of time until
the earlier name would be forgotten and those who carried it
condemned as heretics. - Ray Pritz, Nazarene Jewish Christianity, p. 15
Thus, as my colleague Donald H. Juel wisely pointed out in his
contribution to the third volume, it is now misleading to talk about
Christians in the frst century C.E. - James H. Charlesworth The Bible
and The Dead Sea Scrolls, p. xxix
Dr. Francis White, lord bishop of Ely, mentions the
Nazarenes as one of the ancient bodies of Sabbath-keepers who
were condemned by the church leaders for that heresy; and he
classes them with heretics as Morer has done. Yet the Nazarenes have a
peculiar claim to our regard, as being in reality the apostolic church of
Jerusalem, and its direct successors. - J.N. Andrews, Advent Review and
Sabbath Herald, April 8, 1862
77
78
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE HEBREWS

It is stated in the Gospel written in Hebrew, which the Nazarenes
read: The entire fountain of the Holy Spirit will descend on him,
for the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there
is liberty. Later in that Gospel that we have mentioned we fnd the
following written: It came to pass that when the Lord came up
from the water, the entire fountain of the Holy Spirit descended
and rested on him; and She86 said to him, 'My Son, in all the
prophets I have been expecting you to come, that I might rest on
you. For you are my rest; you are my frstborn child, who rules
forever.' - Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah 11:1-3
If anyone accepts the Gospel according to the Hebrews, there the
Savior himself says, Just now my Mother, the Holy Spirit, took me by
one of my hairs and carried me up to the great mountain Tabor. Origen, Commentary on John, 2, 12
A Personal Testimony
LONG SUSPICIONS CONFIRMED
I've been collecting verses from the apocrypha and Canon and was
solidly frm on at least 4 YHWHs. I suspected 4 but wasn't all too sure.
I considered mother and daughter to be the same but thanks to your
work the Spirit has led me to, it seems to back up my long suspicions
of 4.
Anonymous - commenting on youtube87
86 This is a restoration of the feminine form, which necessarily occurred in the

Hebrew original.
87 The Only Begotten Daughter part 2 The Bride of Christ
79
Notices
1
Our weekly and festal meetings are being held through a
conference call service known as FreeConferenceCallHD. Here are
the call-in numbers:
Australia: +61 (0) 3 8672 0185
Canada: (712) 775-7060 (Important - This is a US number.)
Kenya: +254 (0) 20 5231033
United Kingdom: +44 (0) 330 606 0527
United States: (712) 775-7035
The access code for all countries is 820382.
The regular weekend meeting times are:
Friday Night 8:00 (EST)
Saturday Night 8:00 (EST)
In order to avoid unnecessary background noises, which can be
diffcult to edit out of the recordings, we request that all participants
keep themselves on mute except when speaking. You can mute or
unmute yourself by hitting *6. Also, if at any point during a meeting
you receive another call on the same phone, please hang up on the
meeting line and then call back when you have fnished the other
conversation. When a participant has the meeting on hold, there is a
beep which occurs every few seconds which would disturb the meeting
and dramatically reduce the quality of the recording.
To join us online go to www.freeconferencecallhd.com and click:
This will bring you to another page where you should
click:
Another window should then appear in which you will see the fash
80
phone:
Select from here the correct number, type in
the access code, fll out your name, then click
place call. You should then be connected
to the meeting and set for learning as well as
fellowship.
2
With each issue of The Silver Trumpet we hope to include
contributions from those investigating and examining present truth.
These contributions may be testimonies of how the message (or The
Silver Trumpet in particular) has impacted you, reports of how the work
is going in your area, or stories of trials you have undergone on
account of the message. It could be health tips, quotes of interest,
recipes, poems, articles, etc. Whatever it may be, please send it in that
it may be published and thus serve as an encouragement to others.
3
For the convenience of our readers, we here provide a number of
references to some of the days the second scriptural month which are
found in the ancient writings of the Hebrews:
Month, no day specifed 1 Kings 6:1, 37; 1 Chron. 27:4; 2
Chron. 30:2, 13; Ezra 3:8; 1 Esdras
5:56; 1 Macc. 9:54; 2 Enoch 1:2
(Slavonic Version B)
1st Day (April 21) Num. 1:1, 18; 1 Esdras 5:57; Jub. 5:23
2nd Day (April 22) 2 Chron. 3:2
14th Day (May 4) Num. 9:11; 2 Chron. 30:15
15th Day (May 5) Ex. 16:1
16th Day (May 6) Jub. 5:23
17th Day (May 7) Gen. 7:11; Jub. 3:17; 5:23, 31
20th Day (May 10) Num. 10:11
23rd Day (May 13) 1 Macc. 13:51
27th Day (May 17) Gen. 8:14
81
Being the second month, we will be having second Passover (Num.

9:9-14) and a Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month (2
Chron. 30) for any and all who were unable to celebrate these feasts in
the frst month. Please read the notices in the last issue of The Silver
Trumpet for more information concerning how to keep the Passover
and Feast of Unleavened Bread.
We will be having meetings during this Feast from the 14 th at even
till the 21st (May 4-May 11), which all are welcome to attend. Here are
the meeting times:
Note: All dates are given according to the common calendar for
sake of convenience. Also, all times are given in the EST timezone.
May 4 8:00pm
May 5 8:00pm
May 6 8:00pm
May 7 8:00pm
May 8 8:00pm
May 9 8:00pm
May 10 8:00pm
We have no planned meeting for the 11th of May since the 8:00pm
meeting of the 10th will fall in the 21st day of the Hebrew month.
4
Please send in names, e-mail addresses, and/or postal addresses of
any you know who would like to receive The Silver Trumpet on a regular
basis.
5
Tithe payers in the United States can make checks payable to
Lynn Gray and have them mailed to:
Lynn Gray
2111 Pleasant Church Rd.
Marshfeld, MO 65706
82
Tithe payers in Canada can either contact us (Trent and Teresa)

directly in order to obtain information for e-mailing funds, or, if
writing checks, make them payable to Branch Association 88 and mail
to:
Branch Association
69 HWY 583 South
Jogues, Ontario
P0L 1R0
88 The name Branch Association is just the name of the bank account. We were
not permitted to have a bank account with the phrase Seventh-day Adventist in
it for copyright reasons and so we used one of the abbreviated forms of the
association's name. The full name of the association remains The General
Association of Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventists.

I ONCE PASSED OVER YOU
Do not be afraid.
I've been sent to comfort you.
Do not be perplexed,
for I will give you strength. (Isa. 41:10)
The mighty rage against you,
but they shall be ashamed. (Isa. 41:11)
Their instruments of war will fail;
aggression will be tamed. (Isa. 41:2)
I will pass over them in peace. (Isa. 41:3)
I once passed over you.
(Ex. 12)
Behold, my servant whom I uphold;
my chosen, in whom my soul delights. (Isa. 42:1)
He will not shout or raise his voice, (Isa. 42:2)
nor seek to quench another's rights.
We have our commission from heaven,
Prepare ye the way of the Lord! (Isa. 40:3)
Proclaim the word of Elohim which is
sharper than any two-edged sword! (Heb. 4:12)
Prepare ye a path in the wilderness!
Look not at the staggering odds!
Make straight in the desolate wasteland
a highway for our Gods! (Isa. 40:3)
Rejoice, O daughter of Zion!
Your king is coming to you.
He rides on a foal of a donkey,
speaking words of comfort too. (Zech. 9:9; Isa. 40:2)
Despise not small beginnings. ( Zech. 4:10)
Look not for pomp and display.
Observe the example of Jesus,
83
84
the Life, the Truth, and the Way. (John 14:6)

I will pursue them and pass over in peace. (Isa. 41:3)
I once passed over you.
(Ex. 12)
The baptist announced the soon coming
of Gods' mighty kingdom on earth. (Matt 3:2)
But Jesus corrected the notion
and pointed to the new birth. (John 3:3-8)
My kingdom is not of this world, he said,
For then would my servants fght. (John 18:36)
Behold my servant whom I uphold;
mine elect, in whom I delight. (Isa. 42:1)
I will pass over them in peace (Isa. 41:3)
as I once passed over you.
(Ex. 12)
How will Gods' kingdom be established?
What picture portrays it in truth?
Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, (Zech. 4:6)
as in the days of thy youth. (Ez. 16:60)
Take no joy in the death of the wicked.
Help them to turn from their bondage of sin.
Why will you die, O house of Israel? (Ez. 33:11)
Why not let righteousness triumph within?
Mount up with wings as eagles! (Isa. 40:31)
Cry out, to the wayward Rods!
Say to the cities of Judah,
Behold! Behold, your Gods! (Isa. 40:9)
Teresa Wilde
NOTES
85

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THE SILVER TRUMPET

Let Elohim arise, let Their enemies be scattered; and let

Vol. 1, No. 10-11

Passover (April 4-11)

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

The Graciousness of Glory

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

the grass withers, the fower

This is the feminine form of herald.

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

for translating this word as feminine

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

not be afraid for I am with you.

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

know? And beforehand, so that

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

house, those who dwell in

Seeing as these verses defnitely speak of the regathering of the lost

Our passage begins undoubtably with a message of comfort. Not

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

It is while in the lands of the gentiles (the wilderness) 9, prior to

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

Here, Jerusalem is said to have received a double punishment from

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

This message of double comfort means the end of childlessness and

Here, another entity is introduced. The voice which here calls is

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

strong! Do not fear! Look, your Gods come to avenge! With

Over the past couple of years, these prophecies have been

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

This passage describes the reformation in the wilderness using

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

made straight is for Jacob to be made Jeshurun; or, to put it another

Just as John prepared the way for a manifestation of Yahweh in the

Here we have another voice introduced. The voice of verse three

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

Zion the Heralding Woman

Let us briefy summarize what we have already learned: The frst

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

In verse six we see the second Comforter turn to an individual

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

Solomon, then the southern kingdom (Judah) must represent what we

The message which Zion is to proclaim to the cities of Judah

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

After the cities of Judah hear what Zion declares to them

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

Who has measured the waters of

Behold, nations are like a drop

and estimated the skies with the

and who holds the dust of the earth

and weighs mountains in a scale

Behold, the coastlands weigh as

Who has estimated the Spirit of

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11

28 See Final Warning, p. 43 by Victor Houteff.

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 Nos. 10-11