TruthInvestigate

“Oh, the unspeakable greatness of that exchange,—the Sinless One is condemned, and he who is guilty goes free; the Blessing bears the curse, and the cursed is brought into blessing; the Life dies, and the dead live; the Glory is whelmed in darkness, and he who knew nothing but confusion of face is clothed with glory.”

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Location: Kingsland, Georgia, United States

A person God turned around many times.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Pagan prayer and the science of salvation

 “Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god. The LORD will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the LORD of hosts. And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.” (Mal. 2:11-13).
 
“And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.” (1Ki. 18:26-29).
 
The fallen human race has a terrible problem. Sin has given us a dilemma of dilemmas. The separation from God is a separation from His Spirit of peace. We are troubled.
 
“Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.” (Psa. 104:29). The troubling from the Creator upon the animal kingdom causes almost immediate death. But with humanity, we can smooth over the curse of God with some intoxicant, a physical vice or some ideal to fight for; and multitudes do this. Then we don’t sense the wrath of God, His withdrawal from our presence of mind, that burns against us. But, His withdrawal still exists, and the intoxicants eventually bring us to the edge of the pit. Then it is that we must choose to surrender to His vacating our soul, or continue in rebellion and die.
 
But, there are those who choose not to intoxicate and ruin their bodies with a chemical or with idealisms that unbalance their minds; and that’s when Satan brings them to use a religious opiate to intoxicate their soul. Who would ever think that religion could be an evil? Yet, all over the world the devil plays on the harassed soul that is troubled by the wrath of God. By Adam’s choice to sin, our race has been cursed with the troubled soul, the “evil conscience” (Heb. 10:22), which can never find peace.
 
The adversary amplifies the dreaded anxiety and hides the grace which God has placed in the natural world and in His precious promises for those who will come to Him and obey His holy laws. But, the devil plays on our natural rebellion toward God’s Law and tries to drive every rebel into religious seclusion rather than see the beauty of obedience which would heal the rift between God and man.
 
Satan can’t have another champion of faith rampaging through the land proclaiming the science and method of salvation, the steps to Christ. Practical religion is his undoing, so he moves his victims to perform religious rites or good deeds, whereby his or her nature can be redeemed from the pangs of sin. Even prayer, the opening of the heart to God as to a friend, the evil one transforms into a dungeon of bondage.
 
When used to atone for sin, prayer becomes a sacrament by which the sinner who is demolished in guilt attempts to propitiate the most high Judge. Whenever a human takes this holy office upon himself, instead of accepting Christ’s propitiation in his place, he takes an unrelenting, ravaging cancer upon his soul. No sinner can ever bridge the chasm between the most holy God and the foul, sinful human nature. To satisfy the most High, He has provided for us a propitiator—His Son. He lets no one else intercede before Him. Certainly, no vile sinner no can represent his own case before the supreme Judge; no raucous swine can intercede for himself. His only begotten, beloved, sinless Son alone can represent humanity and stand for us in His presence.
 
“It pleased the LORD to bruise Him [Christ]; He [God] hath put Him to grief: when Thou [God] shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He [God] shall prolong His [Christ's] days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand [Christ's heavenly ministry]. He shall see of the travail of His [Christ’s] soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall My [God's] righteous Servant [Jesus] justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I [God] divide Him [Christ] a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and [Christ] made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isa. 53:10-12).
 
“Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 5:31). “Being justified freely by His [God's] grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” (Rom. 3:24, 25). “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1Jn. 4:10).
 
Only Christ can mediate for us through His sinless life and His perfect, infinite death. We cannot pray enough, even with whips and chains, to make our pleading acceptable to God. In fact, we make our case more detestable to Him. But, simultaneously, His great heart of mercy yearns to bring the truth home to everyone seeking to save himself. When it comes to salvation we need to let go of the reins and let the oxen go wherever they will; and they will return us to God (see 1 Samuel 6:11-14).
 
“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” (Rom. 4:4, 5). As long as we are at the controls of our redemption, no matter how hard we work to get God’s benediction, we will never receive His Holy Spirit of grace, like a dove sent down from heaven. In our sinful condition, we will naturally believe that God is obligated to reward all of our hard work to get His attention. But, the Creator never accepts any obligation to satisfy the puppets of the devil. Not only would He therefore be enslaved to the wicked devil, but He would leave His dearly beloved creatures in the clutches of their masterful puppeteer.
 
We must surrender the reins that steer for heaven. This effectively cuts off the strings that Satan uses to keep us under his dominion. We must trust God to save us by Himself without any of our “salvific” help.
 
But, here is where the mastermind of all deception comes against us again. He gets us to lay back and do nothing toward our salvation. Yet, there is something for us to do—we must cooperate with God’s salvation. While He needs none of our wretched, sin-originated help, we must cooperate with God. We must come to Him just as we are. We must choose to find Him where He says He would be found—in His Law and His word.
 
As we study His description of Himself written in His Bible, we must trust His expertise to remake the lines of communication with our soul; “that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.” (Eph. 5:26). As we read the Holy Writ and if we are patient with Him, our thinking slowly changes; our requests revolve less around begging for His acceptance and more of thanking Him for helping us to finally trust in His acceptance. Trust is being developed; a deep trust which doesn’t pop into existence overnight. But, justification finally happens as soon as faith happens, and heals the curse of the evil conscience. The soul abides in the God of peace, as He sanctifies the redeemed saint’s body, mind, and soul. The battle is over; God has won another son of thunder, another champion of faith and truth.
 
But, without surrender and the cooperation with God which He has outlined in His word, the seeker for God is left to appease the devil, who sits in the temple of God showing himself that he is God. He gets his prey involved in an endless round of pleading for mercy, never to the satisfying of the soul. Evangelicals pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Israeli Jews wail at the Wailing Wall. Devout Muslims bow down repeatedly three times a day. Hindus live in cloisters to feel cleaner where they approach God amongst clouds of incense and the sound of gongs. Catholic nuns waste their lives away in convents, pouring out their souls for lost humanity. Wickans pray over a smoldering altar of burning leaves and twigs. Most accomplishing little more than a head rush.
 
“We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.” (Isa. 59:11).
“Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?” (Isa. 58:5).
 
“Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?” (Zech. 7:5, 6).
 
Jesus came to Earth to show us the wrong and the right way to approach God. “And it came to pass, that, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said unto Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And He said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.” (Luke 11:1, 2). “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.” (Matt. 6:7, 8).
 
Jesus’ communion with His Father was simple and a blessed experience. Don’t we love to talk with our earthly parents? So did Jesus with His Father; and we can be adopted into Their family and find the same blessing that Jesus always had with His Father.
 
But, we must cooperate with His work of adoption. We must come to Him on our knees before His open word. We will find its high standard somewhat distressing. “The scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe…. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Gal. 3:22, 24). The Law of His mouth will challenge our natural pride and our innate rebellion. Thus, His written word will cleanse us and lead us to our full surrender of the heart.
 
But, we can always opt out of the crucible; and the Lord keeps the devil on the loose just to make sure we have that offer made to us. If we continue to stay in the frying pan of His written word, then we keep the fellowship of His sweet Spirit. That’s fair. “Said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.” (John 8:31). Then He holds out the promise for continued trust and obedience, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32). Freedom! No more bondage! No more chicanery by the master deceiver!
 
Yet, if we do opt out of the chastening of Christ’s discipleship program, then we must leave Christ also. “But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye [illegimate], and not sons.” (Heb. 12:8)
 
Illegimacy is why the churches are so full of salvation by works with no power to overcome sin or the mockery of the world. Most do not stay in the purifying crucible, and are left with Satan’s option. That is, in bondage to sinful habits and a devil-inspired, endless weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, the worship of Baal.

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt. 7:13, 14).

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.” (Matt. 16:25).

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Jesuits versus zealots

“And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.” (Dan. 8:12).
 
Much has been written and said against the Jesuit power. And no doubt it is a plague to planet Earth. Their purpose is to destroy everything in their path, souls, societies, nations, Protestantism and the blessings that our Protestant Constitution has brought to the world.
 
To do this massive undertaking, temptations, traps, intrigue, and many forms of death have been essential equipment. Under the cover of duplicity, fraud, and pretence they have stolen a long march on the world. Protestantism has been easy prey, and, the Jesuits have been like an insidious fox in a shut up hen house.
 
But, how did it come to this? Why has the Lord forsaken His Reformation children? The Bible has the answer.
 
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake Me, and break My covenant which I have made with them. Then My anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us? And I will surely hide My face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.” (Deut. 31:16-18).
 
Shortly before telling Moses this, Moses had reiterated to the people that God would not forsake them. “And the LORD, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” (Deut. 31:8). And it is true, the Lord wouldn’t forsake His people, if their heart was for Him. Like no one else on earth, Jehovah loves to keep His promises and see people blossom and bloom under the sunshine of His love.

“Know therefore that the LORD thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations.” (Deut. 7:9). But, likewise, and for good cause, He “repayeth them that hate Him to their face, to destroy them: He will not be slack to him that hateth Him, He will repay him to his face.” (Deut. 7:10). Not spiteful or vindictive, Jehovah knows the scandalous work of Satan in the hearts of fallen man, and He sees the hearts that are true and the ones that are pretending to love Him.
 
So, what is the cause of enemies to succeed at destroying the church of God? It is their own departure, the turning away of their hearts from the merciful kindness of God to spend their lusts on the devil, to his religion of self-exaltation and self-indulgence. “An host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.” (Dan. 8:12).
 
“And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love Him, and to them that keep His commandments;
We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from Thy precepts and from Thy judgments:
Neither have we hearkened unto Thy servants the prophets, which spake in Thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto Thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against Thee.
O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against Thee.
To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against Him;
Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets.
Yea, all Israel have transgressed Thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey Thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him.” (Dan. 9:4-11).
 
Protestantism has fallen prey to the multitudinous temptations that came out of the bottomless pit in 1849. Protestants had lived detached from their Lord for too many generations for Him to allow this imposture to continue. So He let loose His scourge upon them. Their old enemy was given divine resuscitation. Satan was freed to bring an unlimited attack against the Protestant world. Having been bound up since 1527, when the Reformation received royal protection and then 1798 when the final public rejection came to the Papacy, Satan and his human workers had been symbolically chained up in a bottomless pit.

While the descendents of the Reformation would remain true to the gospel the beast must stay locked up. “Unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.” (Rev. 2:24, 25). “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” (Rev. 3:11).
 
But, we failed to keep sober and vigilant against backsliding from the gift of God. The work of righteousness is all of God’s work. We can’t comprehend the gift of God; much less accomplish it of ourselves. We can only know His work and its fruit after we have experienced them.
 
“As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1Cor. 2:9, 10).
 
Yet, we tried; and we failed. And worse, after having failed, we pretended that we had achieved the work of God. And rather than repenting and going to God for His mercy and help, we went on, generation after generation, pretending to be saved. Our traditions and extra-biblical religious practices abounded. So the need arose to cleanse the church and begin anew with a few faithful Protestants. The Advent movement was born.
 
And the Protestants have continued departing further and further away from the Reformation, until today most have caved to the excitement of the world in a massive apostasy, in the church as much as outside of it. Convenience and entertainment, business and the cares of the world, fill their lives. Identically to the northern tribes of Israel, they have blended in with the pagan world around them. Unabashedly, they wear the look of Rome and her corrupting army from Ignatius Loyola. They have forgotten their resting place and what they are protesting against.
 
The warning comes to Protestantism for its abandonment of the God of mercy and truth, which was espoused to in the Dark Ages. “Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand. The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway: so that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.” (Deut. 28:32-34).
 
Many will attempt to defend all the privileges and blessings which heaven poured upon the nations of Protestantism, especially in apostate America, but which they forfeited when they cut themselves off from heaven. All of their freedoms are going away and will soon leave them enslaved to another nation—their old enemy from the Dark Ages. But, will heaven stand behind the Protestants who try to fend off this old enemy, who is speaking very boldly these days? No. Deuteronomy 28 and 29 declare what God will permit for spiritual Israel’s punishment and discipline.
 
When the Jews remained under the foreign rule for centuries, and the Roman yoke was the final evidence from above that God was still unfavorable to them, they would take the work of God into their own hands, and began to plan how to overthrow the Roman power. The Jews would fight to regain sovereignty and then after ridding their land of the Romans, they would continue to rid the whole earth of them. But, we know what happened to this strategy. A.D. 70 and 135 saw the Romans completely destroy the Jew’s nation and send them into perpetual wandering without a home. The Jews couldn’t come up with enough weapons to stand against the Roman legions and armament.
 
Until the end, zealots hid among the people, ready to pounce upon Rome when the trumpet was blown. Did Jesus join this work of national defense? Did He teach His disciples to join it? Never. He even included Simon the Canaanite, a zealot, into His inner circle of twelve. But this He did to win Simon’s soul to His Father, and then to steer his zeal into holy endeavors. The zealot would fight for a heavenly kingdom, preaching the word of God and receiving a crown that would be laid up for him, his reward not a temporary earthly booty, but an eternal weight of glory.
 
Let every Protestant zealot find the love of God with which He so much loved the world, and be changed by it. Let us fall before the Lord and plead for His work to happen in our hearts, and repent for taking His holy work into our unholy, corrupted hands. Let us, every American and those around the world, heed the example of Christ in the light of the punishment coming our way, excessive, Inquisition-style punishment for our infidelity to our fathers’ Reformation covenant with Jesus. And let us not fight for earthly things and freedoms at a time when they must all go away in preparation for our eternal home in the heavens. Otherwise, we will run into the thick of battle without His protection, and fall there.
 
“Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the LORD of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. And He shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.” (Isa. 8:12-15).

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Two enslavements


How is it that Satan has the power to control the world? What is the evil one’s methodology?

He has used the modified-crayfish method. To catch a crayfish one must put the trap behind the creature, and then approach it from the front. It flees the frontal threat and runs backward into the trap.

Likewise, Satan designed the Papacy such that there is a “white pope”, a popular pope. He and his priests represent peace and purity and hope. But, in the background his system has an army of monks, bishops, arch-bishops, and cardinals who control the secular powers of the world to enforce that system. The masses feel the prodding of the sword and are educated to accept it as the requirement of God. But, human nature can’t love and worship a force that causes pain and death.

So, Satan has the pope. He is the person who the masses can idolize and worship, since they have no faith in God. The “black pope” or the general of the “white pope’s” military power, that punishes the masses for disloyalty to the Church, knows that he cannot be the object of love and worship. But, he accepts his duty to stay in the shadow of the “white pope” who receives the love of the masses. Both popes rule the masses; both act for absolute power; and, both abuse and take advantage of the masses’ confidence and worship.

Satan knows the habit of the human mind to need propitiation and worship. So, his system of deception and power works by harnessing this natural tendency in humanity, giving them a moral figure and a celebrity who lives the life of the rich and famous, from whom they can obtain absolution of guilt and upon whom they can pour their celebration and applause. Thus, by proxy, they are free from a troubled conscience and they relive in themselves their own celebrity status, in lieu of a hopeless justification with God.

This is an age-old system that reaches across all types of human minds. Even the hedonistic secularists cannot escape it. The television shows and movies they watch are filled with an identical system to the religious ones around the world. The atheistic masses are caught in a trap because they all fall into the same category of needing acceptance and worship, and, failing to obtain faith in their Creator, they inevitably worship a thing created. It may be a drug, a food, a work of art, the scientific community, a philosopher, the rich and powerful, the talented, the philanthropist, the poor monastic type, the musician, the actor, a comedian, a politician, a victim of some abuse, and on and on. The pantheon is endless. Avowed atheistic people flock to some person or object to worship (but, they won’t call it worship), so long as the object of their affection and that which draws their emotions, is secular, rather than religious.

They thought they escaped evil by fleeing from the Church and all of her many Protestant daughters. But, they nonetheless land in the other trap of the mastermind.

Their secular system is no different than the religious one, which is his masterpiece. The first receives Satan’s mark in their hand, and the latter receives it in their forehead. But, both receive the mark. At the end, the mastermind of evil sweeps them all into spiritualism and under his direct, absolute control. Absolute power over all who would not be humbled by God’s Law, and love their Creator and Redeemer. They become slaves of the devil. “And the people shall labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary.... Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary.” (Jer. 51:58, 64).

“Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?
She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.
She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.
Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.
O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.” (Prov. 8:1-5).

Friday, June 13, 2014

Michael, "who is like God"

Michael

The following expressions are strong, vibrant, personal praises to “my God”.
Exo 15:11  WhoH4310 is like unto thee,H3644 O LORD,H3068 among the gods?H410 whoH4310 is like thee,H3644 gloriousH142 in holiness,H6944 fearfulH3372 in praises,H8416 doingH6213 wonders?H6382
Psa 35:10  AllH3605 my bonesH6106 shall say,H559 LORD,H3068 whoH4310 is like unto thee,H3644 which deliverestH5337 the poorH6041 from him that is too strongH4480 H2389 forH4480 him, yea, the poorH6041 and the needyH34 from him that spoilethH4480 H1497 him?
Psa 71:19  Thy righteousnessH6666 also, O God,H430 is veryH5704 high,H4791 whoH834 hast doneH6213 great things:H1419 O God,H430 whoH4310 is like unto thee!H3644


Num. 13:13  Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.
1Chron. 5:13  And their brethren of the house of their fathers were, Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jachan, and Zia, and Heber, seven.
1Chron. 5:14  These are the children of Abihail the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz;
1Chron. 6:40  The son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchiah,
1Chron. 7:3  And the sons of Uzzi; Izrahiah: and the sons of Izrahiah; Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, five: all of them chief men.
1Chron. 8:16  And Michael, and Ispah, and Joha, the sons of Beriah;
1Chron. 12:20  As he went to Ziklag, there fell to him of Manasseh, Adnah, and Jozabad, and Jediael, and Michael, and Jozabad, and Elihu, and Zilthai, captains of the thousands that were of Manasseh.
1Chron. 27:18  Of Judah, Elihu, one of the brethren of David: of Issachar, Omri the son of Michael:
2Chron. 21:2  And he had brethren the sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah: all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
Ezra 8:8  And of the sons of Shephatiah; Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him fourscore males.


Dan. 10:13  But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
Dan. 10:21  But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.
Dan. 12:1  And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Jude 1:9  Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
Rev. 12:7  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

“But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.” (Dan. 10:21). Why is it that no one else (in heaven) understood “these things”, “these wonders (?)”, except Michael? Does a subordinate angel (as some believe Michael to be) know more of prophecy than Jesus? Or is Christ, “the Word” (Jn. 1:1), “the Word of life” (1Jn. 1:1), “the testimony of Jesus” (Rev. 12:17, cf 19:10; 1Pet. 1:10,11) in charge of prophecy? Is not Michael the precarnate Christ?

“And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river [see Matthew 14:25], How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?” (Dan. 12:6-8).

Who did Daniel see in a vision in the context of Gabriel’s statement of Michael in Daniel 10:13? He saw Yahweh Elohim; he saw the precarnate Jesus before His divinity was clothed with humanity. Jesus was clothed in the same linen in both Dan. 10:5 and 12:7 and He knew the end of “these things”. Is there a link within this Daniel chapter 10 event? Should not we connect Michael to the powerful divine being who appeared to Daniel in answer to his fasting and prayer for Israel and Jerusalem, and who had just warned off Satan and his hosts from attempting to prevent the release of Israel from its 70 year captivity in Babylon, a release which would prepare for the commencement of the newly promised 70 week prophecy?

Why do we in Revelation 12:6-8 again see Michael and his angels in the great controversy against Satan and his angels, and not see Christ overcoming His great adversary, the devil? Only the Son is the Captain of the Lord's host who said to Joshua, “Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy” (Josh. 5:15). And Joshua did so. Is not Michael the holy Lord of hosts who “doeth according to his will in the army of heaven” (Dan. 4:35)? And does this scene in Revelation 12 give us an inside view of the battle Gabriel was up against with the “king of Persia” in Daniel 10:13 before the Son of God arrived (see also Isa. 14:4,12; Eze. 28:12-15)?

Is it not Christ who is like God, as no other? “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person” (Heb. 1:3)? He “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature” (Col. 1:15)? Is not Michael the personal name for the precarnate Lord Jesus?

Prince


H8269 sar From H8323; a head person (of any rank or class):- captain (that had rule), chief (captain), general, governor, keeper, lord, ([-task-]) master, prince (ipal), ruler, steward.

H5057 nâgîyd, nâgid From H5046; a commander (as occupying the front), civil, military or religious; generally (abstract plural), honorable themes: -captain, chief, excellent think, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.
Sar and nâgîyd are synonyms. Both describe the status of the heavenly commander against whom Satan’s earthly power attacks in Daniel 8 and 11.

Dan. 8:11  Yea, he magnifiedH1431 himself even toH5704 the princeH8269 of the host,H6635 and byH4480 him the dailyH8548 sacrifice was taken away,H7311 and the placeH4349 of his sanctuaryH4720 was cast down.H7993
Dan. 8:25  And throughH5921 his policyH7922 also he shall cause craftH4820 to prosperH6743 in his hand;H3027 and he shall magnifyH1431 himself in his heart,H3824 and by peaceH7962 shall destroyH7843 many:H7227 he shall also stand upH5975 againstH5921 the PrinceH8269 of princes;H8269 but he shall be brokenH7665 withoutH657 hand.H3027

Dan. 10:13  But the princeH8269 of the kingdomH4438 of PersiaH6539 withstoodH5975 H5048 me oneH259 and twentyH6242 days:H3117 but, lo,H2009 Michael,H4317 oneH259 of the chiefH7223 princes,H8269 cameH935 to helpH5826 me; and IH589 remainedH3498 thereH8033 withH681 the kingsH4428 of Persia.H6539
Dan. 10:21  ButH61 I will shewH5046 thee(H853) that which is notedH7559 in the scriptureH3791 of truth:H571 and there is noneH369 H259 that holdethH2388 withH5973 me inH5921 these things,H428 butH3588 H518 MichaelH4317 your prince.H8269

Dan. 11:22  And with the armsH2220 of a floodH7858 shall they be overflownH7857 from beforeH4480 H6440 him, and shall be broken;H7665 yea, alsoH1571 the princeH5057 of the covenant.H1285

Dan. 12:1  And at thatH1931 timeH6256 shall MichaelH4317 stand up,H5975 the greatH1419 princeH8269 which standethH5975 forH5921 the childrenH1121 of thy people:H5971 and there shall beH1961 a timeH6256 of trouble,H6869 such asH834 neverH3808 wasH1961 since there wasH4480 H1961 a nationH1471 even toH5704 that sameH1931 time:H6256 and at thatH1931 timeH6256 thy peopleH5971 shall be delivered,H4422 every oneH3605 that shall be foundH4672 writtenH3789 in the book.H5612

Unlike the other visions of the book of Daniel, chapters 8 and 11 are two visions that speak to the same scenario. Both highlight three events: the usurpation of the Prince of princes in heaven by the exaltation of the man of sin, the destruction of the daily sacrifice by the establishment of the abomination of desolation, and the overthrow of the people of God and their captivity.

Dan. 8:10  And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.
Dan. 8:11  Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
Dan. 8:12  And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
Dan. 8:13  Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
Dan. 8:23  And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
Dan. 8:24  And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
Dan. 8:25  And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

Dan. 11:18  After this shall he turn his face unto the isles [Julius Cæsar], and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.
Dan. 11:19  Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.
Dan. 11:20  Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom [Octavion Cæsar Augustus]: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.
Dan. 11:21  And in his estate shall stand up a vile person [the papacy], to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
Dan. 11:22  And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.
Dan. 11:23  And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.
Dan. 11:24  He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time….
Dan. 11:30  For the ships of Chittim [the distant isles of the Gentiles] shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.
Dan. 11:31  And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
Dan. 11:32  And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
Dan. 11:33  And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.
Dan. 11:34  Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries....
Dan. 11:36  And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done....
Dan. 11:44  But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.
Dan. 11:45  And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
Dan. 12:1  And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

The visions are modeled after the experience of Israel’s destitution because they worshiped other gods. But, the real meaning of the visions was to take place during the new dispensation, when the man of sin would rise up. Paul’s warning of this in 2 Thessalonians 2 came straight from Daniel 11:36, 45. So, we can confidently say that the little horn power of Daniel was not Antiochus Epiphanes, but was the Church of Rome and the 1260 year papal supremacy.

The Prince of princes, against whom the great red dragon stood up, was Christ in His heavenly sanctuary (see Heb. 8:1, 2; Rev. 5:5, 6; 8:3-5). This describes in figures the usurpation of Christ by the satanic Vicar of Christ, the wicked popes of Rome. The casting down of the sanctuary describes the replacement of the ministry of our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary by the Mass and its corrupting earthly priests; it shows Christ as a Prince and a Savior, giving repentance and forgiveness of sin, replaced by indulgences, penance, and the whole monstrous system of pagan absolution. The multitudinous hosts that were cast down and led into transgression describe the “falling away” of Christianity that took place shortly after the apostles died, and is taking place again with Protestantism right before our eyes.

Note that Christ holds the title of “Prince of princes” (Dan. 8:25), as in “King of kings”, and “Lord of lords.” (Rev. 19:16). He is the greatest Prince, with lesser great ones surrounding Him.

“Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” (Ps. 45:7). “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by [Me].” (Zech. 3:7). “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes.” (Rev. 5:6). Christ is “Michael,H4317 oneH259 of the chiefH7223 princes,H8269” (Dan. 10:13).


H259 ΄echâd a numeral from H258; properly united, that is, one; or (as an ordinal first: -a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any (-thing), apiece, a certain [dai-] ly, each (one), +eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together.

According to H259, Dan. 10:13 could also read, “First of the princes,” or, “Number one, the greatest of the princes.”

Connecting all of these verses together we see that “MichaelH4317… the greatH1419 princeH8269” (Dan. 12:1) is “Michael,H4317 oneH259 [or, first] of the chiefH7223  princes,H8269” (Dan. 10:13). Why shouldn’t He also be “the MessiahH4899 the PrinceH5057 ” (Dan. 9:25), “the PrinceH8269 of princesH8269” (Dan. 8:25), “the princeH5057 of the covenantH1285   (Dan. 11:22), the “princeH8269 of the hostH6635” (Dan. 8:11), the “LORD of hosts” (Zech. 3:7), “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6)?

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Relevant New Testament lessons from the Nazarite vow


The real lesson from Jesus as a Nazarite or Nazirite is the beauty it shines on Christ’s character. The Nazarite was not an ascetic or hermit living to please his selfish nature. Asceticism was a pagan institution that resulted from religions which knew only the teachings of Satan and his host of darkness. It was Egyptian asceticism that came into the post-apostolic church during the first centuries after the apostle John died that led to the enslavement of many men and women as monks and hermits. “Poverty, chastity, and obedience” was their motto of vainly attempting to prove to God their self-generated devotion to Him. But, He had already made it clear that such human constructs greatly offended Him. Such works of human devising could only keep those souls held in the bondage of Satan.

“Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?” (Isa. 58:5,6).

“Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?” (Zech. 7:5,6).

“Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god. The LORD will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the LORD of hosts. And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.” (Mal. 2:11-13).

Neither was the Nazarite a mendicant monk who shaved his head and was ignorant of every practical duty of life, going door to door begging. As Jesus instructed his disciples, “Into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.” (Matt. 10:11). “And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.” (Luke 10:7). This was the manner their Master also used. As a spiritual Levite, this world was not His home; He had nowhere to lay His head. Jesus had no inheritance in the earth.

The Nazarite vow was for the purpose of teaching the children of Israel spirituality, which Egyptian slavery had beaten out of their conceptions. It wasn’t for anyone who wanted to appear that he or she was spiritual; it was for those who truly yearned to know God. The Lord, through the voluntary Nazarite vow, gave opportunity for Him to make Israel a whole nation of spiritual people, a kingdom of holy priests and prophets.

There is a close association between the Nazarite vow and the prophets. Listen to the prophetic parallel poetry. “I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD. But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.” (Amos 2:11,12). Were the sons of the prophets Nazarites? I believe so. “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2Pet. 1:21). Could the cleansing of the body and mind from polluted food and beverages be what permitted the Spirit of God to move upon men and women in a special way? The greatest prophets proved that to be so.

“Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.…  As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams….  And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.” (Dan. 1:8,17,20).

“But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:13-17).

“But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet…. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Matt. 11:9-11). What does this say about Elijah, who John naturally emulated? Was Elijah a Nazarite? What does this say about the schools of the prophets that Samuel instituted? Did Samuel raise up the youths of Israel to be Nazarites while they received a literary education and a practical trade? Was he organizing a Nazarite college?

Abstinence went dead against the lifestyles of the surrounding pagan nations and their satanic religions, but temperance is how Israel slowly attained peculiar characters, higher than all the people of the earth. And, had they remained faithful to the Creator, the other nations of the world would have looked on and desired the same laws that God gave Israel, including the law of the Nazarite.

“Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire.” (Lam. 4:7). Does obedience to the laws of God, including His laws of health, still lead to a more perfect polishing of body and mind, and a fuller consecration to God? Paul says so, “The very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Thess. 5:23).

Jesus did not destroy any of the laws of God. Rather, being “made under the law” (Gal. 4:4), He fulfilled them. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” (Matt. 5:17). He fully obeyed them, on a higher plane than the letter of the law. He lived their principle to the full. As David was special among the educated sons of the prophets, so Jesus stood head and shoulders above every other champion of holiness and wisdom from the Old Testament.

Jesus was the perfect Nazarite; He and John both were throwbacks to purer days. “He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.” (Isa. 42:4, cf Matt. 12:17-20). Even on the cross, tortured and thirsty at the point of shock, He rejected the putrid, corrupting Roman wine. (Matt. 27:34). To offer His Father the perfect sacrifice, His body  must remain pristine, His mind clear, and His soul immaculate.

His first miracle was at a wedding, and He drank wine, but it was heavenly, unfermented wine, like manna better than anything this world could come up with (Jn. 2:10). Flavorful and tonic, it was the choicest refreshing “new wine”—“joy” (Joel 1:10,12) for the joyful occasion. The anointed One was full of joy. “Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” (Psa. 45:7).

He taught His disciples to be new covenant Nazarites and they likewise taught the church to be a peculiar people, a generation set apart from the world. “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” (1Cor. 10:31). “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; not given to wine.” (1Tim. 3:2,3).

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” (Rom. 12:1-3).

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.… But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1Cor. 6:9-11,17-20).

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.” (Heb. 8:8-10).

Could God’s laws written in the heart, after six centuries of pagan captivity, and the pure Nazarite life restored in the mind as Daniel had, have anything to do with the restoration of the Spirit of prophecy in the New Testament church? I believe so. And if we live by the principles of physical and spiritual health given in the Bible, and a real longing to know Messiah Jesus, wouldn’t the same genuine gift of prophecy be restored again today in the church? Wouldn’t this genuine gift from heaven stand up against all the modern false manifestations of prophecy by those who reject the laws of Yahweh, as the true prophets always had to stand against a multitude of prophets of Baal? All the evidences indicate that these things would happen. This gift of the Spirit was promised.

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke [the demolition of Babylon]. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.” (Joel 2:28-32).

“Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (Rev. 14:12).

Tuesday, June 03, 2014

Lord Jesus the Nazarite of Nazarites

Nazarite
 
“And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.” (Matt. 2:23).

Christ's living in Nazareth had important implications if the prophets spoke of it. Why would the holy prophets call the Messiah a Nazarene and not a Nazarite?
 
Num. 6:2 Nazarite Strong’s H5139: nâzîyr (pronounced naw-zeer’) or nazir (naw-zeer’); from 5144; separate, i.e. consecrated (as prince, a Nazirite); hence (figuratively from the latter) an unpruned vine (like an unshorn Nazirite):--Nazarite (by a false alliteration with Nazareth), separate(-d), vine undressed.
 
My contention: Nazarite “by a false alliteration with Nazareth”. What this means is that its wrong to associate Nazarite and Nazareth just because they sound similar. I believe we will see Mr. Strong to be incorrect.
 
Exo 49:22Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:
Exo 49:23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
Exo 49:24But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
Exo 49:24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
Exo 49:25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:
Exo 49:26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
 
Doesn't Joseph's sound like Christ's experience?
 
Deu 33:13 And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath,
Deu 33:14 And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon,
Deu 33:15 And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills,
Deu 33:16 And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the headH6936 of him that was separatedH5139 from his brethren.
Deu 33:17 His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.
 
Both Jesus and Joseph could be represented by "a separated one (prince)". Both were separated from their brethren. "For neither did His brethren believe in Him." (Joh 7:5). 
 
Jesus was a greater Nazarite than Sampson because His Nazarite anointing was infinite.

Judges 13:5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
 
Nazarite: consecrated (as prince) 
 
Dan 9:24 SeventyH7657 weeksH7620are determinedH2852 uponH5921 thy peopleH5971 and uponH5921 thy holyH6944 city,H5892 to finishH3607 the transgression,H6588 and to make an endH2856 of sins,H2403 and to make reconciliationH3722 for iniquity,H5771 and to bring inH935 everlastingH5769 righteousness,H6664 and to seal upH2856 the visionH2377and prophecy,H5030 and to anointH4886 the most Holy.H6944 H6944
 
H4886 mâshach to anoint, paint
 
Dan 9:25 KnowH3045 therefore and understand,H7919 that fromH4480 the going forthH4161 of the commandmentH1697 to restoreH7725 and to buildH1129 JerusalemH3389 untoH5704the MessiahH4899 the PrinceH5057 shall be sevenH7651 weeks,H7620 and threescoreH8346 and twoH8147 weeks:H7620 the streetH7339 shall be builtH1129 again,H7725and the wall,H2742 even in troublousH6695 times.H6256
 
H4899 mâshîyach anointed, consecrated (as a king, priest)
 
Jesus was both priest and king. His Nazarite anointing made Him both a Prince and a Savior (Acts 5:31).
 
Zec 6:13 Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
 
Num. 6:2 H5144 nâzar naw-zar to separate, devote, set apart, consecrate oneself
 
Mat_2:23 AndG2532 he cameG2064 and dweltG2730 inG1519 a cityG4172calledG3004 Nazareth:G3478 thatG3704 it might be fulfilledG4137 which was spokenG4483 byG1223 theG3588 prophets,G4396 He shall be calledG2564 a Nazarene.G3480
 
G3478 nazareth, nazaret nad-zar-eth, nad-zar-et
G3480 nazoraios nad-zor-ah-os
 
Mar 1:24 Saying,G3004 Let us alone;G1436 what have we to do with thee,G5101 G2254 G2532 G4671 thou JesusG2424 of Nazareth?G3479 art thou comeG2064 to destroyG622 us?G2248 I knowG1492 theeG4571 whoG5101thou art,G1488 theG3588 Holy OneG40 of God.G2316
 
G3479 nazarenos nad-zar-ay-nos inhabitant of Nazareth
 
My point in all of this is that it is not true that by connecting Nazarite to Nazareth, and thus, calling Jesus a Nazarite, we have committed a false alliteration.
 
The Nazarite’s unshorn locks represented the spreading of Joseph’s vine that the archers couldn’t kill. The uncontrolled hair on his head also is seen by Jacob’s abundant blessing poured upon Joseph's head, and Moses’ blessing upon the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.
 
Taken altogether, the Nazarite represented Jesus, as all the Old Testament types pointed to Christ. He was the prince and priest whose head was full of anointing, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of Thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.” (Psa. 45:6,7).
 
He was One greater than Samson, who was the greatest Old Testament Nazarite; and, by John’s own testimony (Jn. 3:30,31), He was greater than the Baptist, the greatest New Testament Nazarite (Lk. 1:15). Both Nazarites were powerful to cast out the Old Testament enemy of Israel. Jesus, a Nazarite in a new and living way, threw out the devil and saved the preserved of Israel.
 
It was not accidental that Joseph lived in Nazareth and returned there with Jesus. God had planned it that way to help show the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah, the Prince, the anointed One, separated for a holy purpose in the eternal plan of redemption. Christ was the new covenant Nazarite, whose measureless blessings His Father poured upon His head. He was a well springing up forever; out of His belly flowed rivers of living water.
 
He was the staff of life that multiplied perpetually. “The chief things of the ancient mountains, …the precious things of the lasting hills, …the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof” (Deut. 33:15,16) filled His thoughts, His parables, His daily life, and His healings. “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever.” (Jn. 6:51).
 
Jesus is our Nazarite in the heavenly sanctuary, who said, “I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” (Matt. 26:29).