Welcome to Zephanyah

Our Mission

Our goal is to help others learn to read and understand the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.  We realize our knowledge is imperfect, so we are always willing to receive instruction when offered in the spirit of loving kindness.   

We pray that our work will serve God to increase faith in the Bible and encourage you to approach Christ with all humility, repentance, and hope for eternal life.   

The Bible is a book, comprised of the set of Scriptures that are used by the Jewish and Christian faithful as the basis for all their religious history and doctrine.  The Bible consists of 39 books, called "The Bible" by Jews, and known to Christians as "The Old Testament."  Christians add another 27 books written after the time of Jesus Christ, and we call this collection, "The New Testament."   The Old Testament is sacred to both Christians and Jews, while the New Testament is sacred exclusively to Christians, because Jews reject Jesus Christ as the Messiah promised in the Old Testament.  In addition, the Catholic Church considers a group of books known as  the Apocrypha to belong to the Old Testament Canon, as well, while other Christians do not include them.

The Old Testament is roughly organized into three distinct types of books; Historical Books (including the books of The Law,) Prophetic books, and Poetic Books, although prophecy is a feature of all the Old Testament books.  The New Testament is made up of four sections; The four Gospels (four separate accounts of the ministry of Jesus Christ; the Acts of the Apostles (a single book); The Epistles (Ministerial letters written by Apostles of Christ to various first century churches; and The Revelation (or, The Apocalypse of St. John the Divine.)

The book of Genesis (Beginnings) is the first book of the Bible.  It is held sacred by all Jewish and Christian faithful.

The first premise of Genesis is that God created the Heavens and the Earth. Next, in Genesis Chapter 1, verse 2, we read that "the Earth was without form and void."  Many do not know, and some do not agree, but it is, nevertheless, a fact that the Hebrew word translated "was" in verse 2 can also be translated "became." Furthermore, the phrase "without form and void" could have more properly been  translated,  "waste and empty ruin."  Therefore, in the opinions of some Bible scholars, this line should read, "and the earth became waste and empty ruin."  The next verse, Genesis 1:3 commences the present creation with, "And God said, let there be light."   This is followed by a detailed description of a six-day-long Creation.

So, we see that from the very beginning of the Biblical narrative, a former time -- a former age, if you will -- is implied.

This is supported by other passages in the Bible.  For example,  

Next, we read that one particular man, Adam, who had once been innocent, and immortal, suddenly fell from grace as a result of deliberate deception and temptation by a fallen spirit called "the serpent." 

Because God had warned Adam not to heed this temptation on penalty of death, his fall resulted in the first physical death in the world, that of his son, Abel, of Adam himself, and ultimately of every single person ever born into the flesh. Whereas before that fateful event, there had been no death in the world, after Adam's fall, death would become a permanent fixture of the world.  

Note: throughout the Bible, this fall, and all the lawbreaking subsequent to it is called "sin."

Here we have a problem: 

• God is perfectly just.  
• God ordained the law and the penalty of breaking it.  
• Adam broke the law, so he must pay the penalty. 
• The penalty of breaking the law is death; therefore, all mankind must die.
• End of story.

Not quite.  

Any thinking person would question this logic on its face.  Why did a single sin of one man cause the whole world to die? If God is perfectly just, wouldn't He give everyone a fair chance to obey the law, instead of pronouncing Adam's sentence on all without regard to individual performance?

Obviously, there must be more to it than that.  

The ascendancy of God's Anointed Messiah, and through Him, the Redemption of all mankind, is the central theme and purpose of the Bible.

The Word was given first to ancient Israel in the form of Law, Prophecy and National History, all of which serves as the basis of our faith in Israel's Kinsman Redeemer, Messiah, and much of which still serves as the bedrock of all civilization.   Israel has always posessed the key to understanding God's plan for mankind, and the Bible reveals it to us more and more as we approach the fulness of time.

After its delivery from slavery in Egypt, ancient Israel refused to trust in God's sovereignty over its enemies, abdicated its role as a holy nation of priests, and caused God to set up a priesthood over its own people instead.  Yet, to this day, Israel holds the title of God's Chosen People, and they always will.  Their special purpose began when they were set apart from the rest of mankind (Hebrew: adam) created on the sixth day, when God "formed man" (Hebrew: eth Ha Adam, i.e., this one particular man, Adam) and placed him in the Garden of Eden to "till the field."  Also in the Garden we find the Redeemer and the Adversary, typified by the figures of trees:the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  These are not literal trees, but family trees, headed by the Son of God and the Son of Perdition. 

two powerful families, namely, the children of God and the children of Satan.    Ever since then, the conflict between God and Satan has developed through the history of Adam and his family, culminating in the birth, death and resurrection of the Second Adam, namely Jesus of Nazareth,

Through this lense, we hope to stimulate your appetite for the deeper "meat" of Scripture, which is prelude to the milk of Salvation (Conversion) and gives it foundation.   

When we come to the Table of Truth, it's good to be hungry.

• Hebrews 5:

• Hebrews 6:

The Unity of the Bible

The Bible is an endless path that leads from Genesis through Revelation and back again in every direction, a perfect sphere.  When we come to the Bible, we come face to face with The Living Word of God - Jesus Christ.   He is present in the beginning, in the middle and in the end of the Bible, and His story is the one great theme of Holy Scripture throughout.

In English, His name is Joshua, in Greek, it is Jesus, in Latin, it is Yesu, in Hebrew and Aramaic, His name is Yeshuah, translated literally: "YaHoVeH's, or Jehovah's Savior."  

He is Messiah, the Anointed Savior and only begotted Son of the Self-existent, Eternal God, YHVH ^_ whose name was not written with vowels in the ancient Hebrew language.  Its four letters are collectively called "The Tetragrammaton."  Bible scholars know that this refers to the name of God, and many teach it should never be written with the vowel points that were spoken by Moses in Egypt, who first received the name directly from God at the burning bush.  The word, tetragrammaton simply means: a written term of four letters.  In the context of God's name, however, it means the Hebrew name that is translated, "Yahoveh" or "Jehovah."

means: I Am That [which] I Am ^_ or, in modern language: I Am Whatever I Will Myself to Be.

God's name, at least this one, which He first shared with Moses, describes His essence: which is that He is Self-existent, not created or made, but Eternal.  His name also describes His character.  He is a being of Infinite Free Will.

• John 1

1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  

2  The same was in the beginning with God.  

3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  

4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  

5  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
 
9  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

10  He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 

13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

 
Way back in the beginning of the Bible, in Genesis 3, God made a Covenant (a one-sided, or unilateral treaty) with His children that would ensure the true Salvation of mankind, once and for all.  It was, is, and always will be, the most elegant possible design for human redemption, indeed the only possible design that met God's requirement for eternal justice combined with human free will.

The Essence of God's Plan for Salvation

God would condescend to be (Himself) born helpless and vulnerable in human flesh, as we must be.   He did this in order to share with us our human state, so that we can know He loves us, that He is like us, that He understands us completely, and for that reason, that we can trust God to rule and manage every aspect of our human lives for.  When repent of our own wrong-doing, and trust Him in every way to lead us through life, then God initiates the reciprocal part of His plan for our Salvation by sharing with us His own Holy Spirit, so we can eventually become like Him, Holy and Good.  

A stumbling block for many Christians is arrogance, the idea (temptation) that Christians are more holy or good than others, by virtue of their faith. This is categorically NOT TRUE.  

We human persons can ever be holy or good until after we have physically died.  After our flesh dies and God raises us to our goal of Eternal Life, then HE gives us His holiness, and His goodness.  That's the rules.

There is no way we can will or discipline ourselves to be sinless in the flesh.  God can touch us with His Will and prevent us from sinning before we die if He wishes to use us that way, but we cannot do it ourselves.   Furthermore, no merit can be counted to our own poor ledger if God chooses to touch us with a time of sinlessness for His own purposes.   We could not even say that our faithfulness (a virtue) invited Him to do so, because not only the faithful receive blessings, but faithless people have been touched by God, as well.



He would also let Himself die in human flesh. He would give His human self over to betrayal, to be tortured and finally murdered by those who should have defended Him.  There is no worse human fate we could imagine, so none of us could ever say that God cannot understand our suffering.

 and to overcome death by rising again bodily from that corrupt physical state into the incorrupt state of Resurrection, or eternal life.   He did this by transformation (transfiguration) of his own human flesh into an eternally incorruptible state, no longer subject to the natural laws of the physical world.   



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God uses a very appropriate human model for this two-way relationship he designed to share with us.  It's called "Marriage."

Understanding God, His Savior, and our Redemption from eternal death is the most important endeavor we can undertake in this life.  That's why we must study the Bible, the only written Word of God.   In it, we find the pre-incarnate Jesus as King of Salem (Peace,) or in Hebrew, Melchezedek (King of the Just.)  

• Heb 7:1  For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;  [Genesis 14:18-20]

• Heb 7:2  To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

• Heb 7:3  Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

• Heb 7:4  Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

• Heb 7:15  And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, 

• 
  Heb 7:16  Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. 

• Heb 7:17  For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

This ancient appearance of the Savior prophetically reveals the eternal offices of King and Priest that the Savior occupies.  Other kings and other priests, though they have existed, have only substituted for the real, and they cannot compare with our Savior God.  By offering Himself up in our place as the perfect sacrifice to fulfill His own righteous judgment of our sins, He became the Lamb supplied by God for the ultimate sacrifice (See Genesis 22:1-18)  By serving as the perfect Priest of the Most High God, He gave us direct entrance into the Holy of Holies, previously off limits to ordinary mankind, in the Etermal Temple of God.  ( Exo 15:13; Matthew 27:51), and by reigning in truth and justice
He is  the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

• Isaiah 44:6  Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

• Heb 13:8  Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

• Revelation 1:8  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

• Revelation 22:14  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the [eternal] city.
  
  

In order to understand the Revelation at the end of the Bible, we must study Genesis, the book of beginnings - and everything in between.  Nothing in the Bible is kept hidden from those who search for its wisdom.  But, for those who refuse to trust the Word, it will not yield up its secrets.  

• 1 Corinthians 2:

13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

• Proverbs 1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

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