THE ISSUE - II

 

PREFACE

A literal translation from the love chapter reads:

For now we see by means of a mirror, in a riddle ... (1 Corinthians 13:12).

In the New American Standard Bible, this would read - "in a mirror dimly," with a margin note that "dimly" is literally, "in a riddle." How is it that now we see "by means of a mirror, in a riddle"? Yahweh God seldom wholly reveals what He is doing or will do until the work is at hand or already done. Yes, the Jews knew Messiah was coming; but, not in the way that He came! His coming and work were entirely unsuspected. And then, after almost 1,500 years of a relationship with God seemingly predicated entirely on the commanded Laws of Yahweh, including sacrifices and temple worship, suddenly all of that was no longer that way! And what a dramatic and unsuspected change it was! Can you imagine being a Jew, and suddenly everything you had believed to be pleasing to God was changed? The very things God had commanded were suddenly set aside! Try to imagine what it would have been like to have been raised in a religion that you knew was true, then suddenly those who had once before loved, taught, and supported you, were now your enemies (Romans 11:28)! And this not because you changed gods (i.e., going to a different god-based religion), but because God seemingly changed His plan (though not really changing, only changing what was obedience; actually fulfilling what He had foreshadowed). Did, then, Yahshua's disciples, or anyone at the time He walked on this earth, suspect what was happening? Clearly - No! Yahweh had not laid out in overt language what He was doing, or going to do. But today, in hindsight, His "mystery," as Paul called it, His plan concerning the Lamb of God, is obvious. Could Yahweh do this again? Could He once again plan a dramatic change and hide it, yet all the time it was actually recorded in His Scriptures, as was His first coming? Would He now do this again at His second coming? You can be sure He would. In fact, it has already begun!

What ever Yahweh does, or what He is going to do, one can be certain it is already revealed in the Scriptures. In hindsight, we now see what the Jews prior to the birth of Yahshua (and afterwards) failed to see. Nonetheless, it was already delineated in the Scriptures. And even as the Jews were blind to the plan of Yahweh, so Christians are blind to what Yahweh is undoubtedly doing now. Thus we see, as spoken by Paul, that in order to know, to perceive, to understand, what Yahweh is doing and will do, requires that we examine "the mirror" or the "riddle" message of Yahweh. Yahweh is a God who must be sought; and as written by Solomon - "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter" (Proverbs 25:2).

What exactly does it mean when we read - "we see by means of a mirror"? What is a mirror? A mirror is something used to reflect an image. It is not the true substance, lacking all the qualities of the true substance, but only reflects an appearance of the true substance. So, while the mirror image is not the substance, it is though a representation of the substance. Such are the accounts and the teachings of the Scriptures. And equally, such is history, as it foretells the "nothing new under the sun" evidences of that which will be. Through the teachings and all the stories and accounts recorded in Yahweh's word, as well as in history, we see in these a representation, an image, of what Yahweh will do. Let us look at a simple, obvious, and accepted example of this.

Every Passover, the Jews witnessed the death of the Passover lamb; yet, when Yahshua came and was crucified on Passover, very few, if any, saw or even recognized at the time the true fulfillment or true substance that was being carried out as foretold in the mirror riddles in the Scriptures - Yahshua, our spotless Passover lamb. While the image is now clear to us (since man has beheld the substance, providing clear definition and complete meaning to the mirror riddle), the more difficult task (in fact impossible, outside of the set-apart Spirit) is to examine an image and "search out" its meaning before the substance is fully revealed. That is why gaining knowledge by means of a mirror is equally called a "riddle." What is a riddle? It too is an image - a very much in-part image - and its meaning is initially hidden, requiring much needed discernment. Let us look at an example of a riddle. In Judges 14:14 Samson propounded a riddle to the Philistines, saying:

"Out of the eater came something to eat,
And out of the strong came something sweet."

If you had not previously read Judges 14, could you have revealed the meaning of Samson's riddle? Undoubtedly not! And neither could have the Philistines, had they not "plowed with my heifer," as Samson said. Samson had killed a lion, and when he returned to it, a swarm of bees were in its body. He then scraped out some of the honey and ate it. Thus was the meaning of Samson's riddle.

Equally, the riddles of Yahweh are impossible to discern, apart from plowing with the "heifer," the espoused bride. And His riddles are hidden throughout the Scriptures. Even this riddle of Samson's is a riddle within a riddle. And if one discerns it, they too will receive the prize of "thirty linen wraps and thirty changes of clothing." Yahweh's riddles are everywhere. There are riddles that are not only in the texts of the accounts of people, but even in the numerous contradictions of Yahweh's perfect word. And all of these riddles are mirror images of that which He will do.

How then can one discern the image or the riddle? Proverbs 14:6 says - "But knowledge is easy to him who has understanding." Continuing in this matter of the image versus the substance, if one gets a glimpse of the substance of what Yahweh will do or is doing, this makes for easier discernment of the image or riddle. Or, as we see in this passage in the Proverbs of Solomon - if one can gain an understanding of what Yahweh is going to do, then a knowledge of what God is saying and presenting is "easy." Such was the case with the first coming of Yahshua. Knowing the truth of Yahshua's first coming, has now made the understanding of all the before undiscerned mirror riddles "easy."

The purpose of this writing is to examine the mirror, the riddle, of what Yahweh is doing and will do in the days ahead. Countless verses - not to speak of the confirming testimonies of history, creation, geography, the heavens, even maps - reveal that Yahweh is effecting another change comparable to that at Yahshua's first coming. Once again, it is a "new" and, before now, undisclosed work; and there are numerous images/riddles attesting to this work.

Let us now look at some of these images, these riddles, which Yahweh has propounded in His word. And of course this writer cannot understand all the truths of these pictures covered herein - only fragments. Only One holds all the truth to these; and we will not have perfect understanding until we have perfect bodies, possessing the perfect law that restores the soul (Psalm 19:7). Until then, we see "by means of a mirror, in a riddle;" and we seek to understand the riddle so that we too may obtain the promised "thirty linen wraps and thirty changes of clothes" foreshadowed per the discernment of Samson's riddle - linen priesthood and the change from being clothed in a natural body to a spiritual body.

And one final comment before moving on. This is a very comprehensive writing affirming the already awesome and marvelous revelations of the two-part Remnant, but taking the reader even beyond those marvelous truths. The intentions of writing this were to pull out the stops and record the marvels of what is being seen. Some supporting points are added in brief one and two-line statements, deserving far more understanding. Add to this that the material is almost entirely new to the reader, and that it is rather lengthy in content; all-in-all, this writing is nothing to try to just breeze through. It must be thoughtfully and prayerfully and carefully studied. May Yahweh open your mind so that you may understand.

 

Continue to page 2 of THE ISSUE - II for INTRODUCTION

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