False gods are not the appropriate translation of elohim in Gen. 6:2. In this translation the elohim of this verse is translated “leaders.” False gods do not have incarnate, fleshly, bodies. The false gods exist only in wood, stone, metal, or some other material, being made and fashioned by human beings and having only the qualities that humans give to them. We are not to accord any powers to false gods. See footnote on Gen. 1:1.

Fanatic Islam is a great danger at this time. Their shout of “Allah Akhbar” is usually translated as “God is great” but that has two errors: First, Allah of fanatic Islam is a god, not the King of the Universe, the Creator of everything. Second, Akhbar does not mean great, but greatest! They are saying Allah, one of about 360 Canaanite gods, the god of war, is the greatest, greater than the God, the One we worship. As the god of war, no act is too cruel or too inhuman, with no love for anyone, even his own followers. That is why the leaders can recruit innocent children for suicide attacks. It encourages the barbarism of leaders and the corruption of political leaders. Also, Humanism encourages its followers to let each one decide for himself what is proper, so Western European leaders had no problem doing business with Saddam Hussein of Iraq – that was very profitable.

Sadly, the Church is barely aware of spiritual warfare, either for individuals or for effecting changes in the powers and principalities. Those who are able to fight this war need to band together with like-minded congregations or groups of intercessors, making a concerted effort to win this battle in the here and now.

Fear is the opposite of Faith. We are not to have any trace of fear, so God commands us frequently in the Hebrew text, Do not fear! More often it is Do not be in Awe! In the Hebrew this is a very strong command that has no direct English translation. We are absolutely forbidden to entertain even the least speck of fear. We overcome fear by staying closer to God, worshipping, reading Scripture, making the good confession, and not dwelling on negative consequences.

We are not to fear the LORD* because He is our loving Father. Where Scripture has fear of the LORD* it is talking about heathens or backsliders, as in Deut. 31:13. and so their children, who have not known anything, may hear and learn to revere the LORD* your God, as long as you live in the land where you are crossing over the Jordan to possess it. Where other bibles have “fear the LORD” the correct translation is “revere the LORD!” See Never, Never, Never Fear God elsewhere in Glossary.

The expression, “spirit of fear” does not appear in Scripture, though some translations have that in 2 Tim. 1:7. There the correct translation is “spirit of timidity” in an exhortation to Timothy to use the spiritual gifts. We are to be bold in the things of the Lord, and bold in taking authority over evil spirits attacking us, but we are not to be awed or afraid of them. Where other Bibles have “fear the LORD” the correct translation is “revere the LORD!”

Fire and Glory of the Lord, as visible signs of the Divine Presence, are found in various times as His people are obedient or as they worship Him. There are many today who are seeking to have the Glory of the Lord come down to them, but in Scripture there are many instances of the Glory and the Fire, not necessarily coming down, but manifested by His Abiding Presence. There are several other examples of the Cloud or Fire, but those do not involve the full power of the Abiding Presence when priests or others could not stand or enter because of His power. These examples are all relatively short term experiences with the Abiding Presence. We really want Him to stay permanently, to be able to walk continuously in His Presence, but until His reign on Earth we have to settle for shorter periods.

The Glory is the Abiding Presence of YHVH, brought at times of dedication and consecration, first for the acceptance of the Torah in Exodus 19.

Congregation first has the Abiding Presence in Exodus when the Torah is given. In Exod. 19:6 the LORD* tells the people they are to be a kingdom of priests, then in verse 8 all the people stood at the foot of the mountain and said All that the LORD* has spoken we will do. Exod. 19:16. And it was on the third day in the morning that there were thunders and lightnings (Rev. 4:5) and a thick Cloud upon the mountain, and the sound of the shofar was exceedingly loud, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God and they stood at the base of the mountain.
18. And Mount Sinai was altogether in smoke, because the LORD* descended upon it in Fire and its Smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. So the peoples’ response in unison to all the words of the Torah paved the way for the Abiding Presence.

Congregation, watching from a distance, saw the Cloud, then the devouring fire. Exod. 24:9. Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up. 10. And they saw the God of Israel and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of brilliant sapphire and as it were the body of heaven in its clearness. 11. And He did not lay His hand upon the nobles of the children of Israel: they also saw God, then they ate and drank. 12. And the LORD* said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there, and I shall give you the tablets of stone, the Torah (Teaching), and the commandments which I have written so you can teach them.” 13. And Moses and his minister Joshua rose up, and Moses went up on the Mountain of God. 14. And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you, if any man has any matters to do, let him come to them.” 15. And Moses went up on the mountain and a Cloud covered the mountain.
16. And the Glory of the LORD* stayed on Mount Sinai and the Cloud covered it six days, and the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the Cloud. 17. And the sight of the Glory of the LORD* was like a Devouring Fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. 18. And Moses went into the midst of the Cloud and went up on the mountain: and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Congregation: The next to have the glory come down is Exod. 40 at the dedication of the Tabernacle, 40:34. Then a Cloud covered the Tent of Meeting and the Glory of the LORD* filled the Tabernacle. 35. And Moses was not able to enter the Tent of Meeting, because the Cloud stayed on it and the Glory of the LORD* filled the Tabernacle. 36. And when the Cloud was taken up from over the Tabernacle, the children of Israel went on in all their journeys. 37. But if the Cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey until the day that it was taken up. 38. For the Cloud of the LORD* was over the Tabernacle by day and fire was on it by night, in the sight of the entire House of Israel throughout all their journeys.

The Cloud remained with the children of Israel for thirty-nine years while they journeyed to the Promised Land, but the Abiding Presence, His Glory did not. The Abiding Presence made another appearance at the dedication of the priests, Leviticus 9, with both the Glory and the Fire.

Congregation at the Consecration of the Priests: in Leviticus 9, showing that consecration is important to God. Verse 24 cites the Fire coming down and consuming the offering. Lev. 9:20. And they put the fat on the breasts and he burned the fat on the altar. 21. And Aaron waved the breasts and the right shoulder for a wave offering before the LORD*, as Moses commanded. 22. Then Aaron raised his hands toward the people and blessed them, and came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offering.
23. And Moses and Aaron went in the Tent of Meeting, and came out and blessed the people, then the Glory of the LORD* appeared to all the people.
24. And a Fire came out from before the LORD* and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar and all the people saw it, and they shouted and fell on their faces. This is the first time the Fire consumes the offering.

The Abiding Presence is next seen at the dedication of the Temple, reported in both 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. In 2 Chronicles the Glory came twice, first at the close of praise and worship, then after Solomon’s prayer.

Congregation at the dedication of the Temple, 1 Ki. 8:10. And it happened when the priests came out of the Holy Place that the Cloud filled the House of the LORD*, 11. so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the Cloud, because the Glory of the LORD* had filled the House of the LORD*.
(Rev. 15:8). Then Solomon spoke, The LORD* said that He would dwell in the thick darkness. 13. I have surely built a House of Habitation for You, a settled place for You to abide in forever.

Congregation in the second report of the Temple dedication, 2 Chr. 5:11. And it was, when the priests came out of the Holy Place, for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not wait by divisions. 12. Also the Levites who were the singers, all of them of Asaf, of Heman, of Jeduthan, with their sons and their brothers, arrayed in white linen, having cymbals, psalteries, and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them a hundred twenty priests sounding with trumpets. 13. It was, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD* and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD* saying, For He is good: For His loving kindness endures forever! The House was filled with a Cloud, the House of the LORD*, 14. so the priests could not stand to minister because of the Cloud, for the Glory of the LORD* had filled the House of God. Then Solomon prayed and at the end of the prayer the Glory was there and Fire, 2 Chr. 7:1, came down from heaven.

Congregation in the second report of the Temple dedication, 2 Chr. 7.1. Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the Fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices and the Glory of the LORD* filled the House. 2. And the priests could not enter the House of the LORD*, because the Glory of the LORD* had filled the LORD’s* House. 3. And when all the children of Israel saw how the Fire came down and saw the Glory of the LORD* upon the House, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement and worshipped and praised the LORD* saying, For He is good! For His loving kindness endures forever! This is the second time the Fire came down and consumed the offering.

Glory is seen in Isaiah’s vision, Isa. 6.1. In the year that king Uzziah died I saw the LORD* sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the palace. 2. Above Him stood the seraphim: each one had six wings, with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3. And one cried to another and said, Holy! Holy! Holy is the LORD* of Hosts! The whole earth is full of His Glory! 4. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of the one who cried, and the house was filled with Smoke. Here the Glory is called Smoke as the palace is filled with the Divine Presence and the LORD* is on His throne.

Congregation took the Holy Spirit in Acts 2.1. And when the day of Shavuot had come they were all in one place together. 2. And a sound came suddenly out of heaven as bringing a violent wind and it filled the whole House where they were sitting 3. and dividing tongues like Fire were seen by them and the flames sat upon each one of them, 4. and all were filled by the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages just as the Spirit was giving them to speak out boldly.

Congregation in I Kings 18. Elijah challenged the priests of Baal, who tried to call down fire from the false god, then Elijah soaked the wood under his offering and Elijah called down fire from heaven, 1 Ki. 18:36. And it was at the time of the afternoon burnt offering that Elijah the prophet came near and said, LORD* God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel, and that I am your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. 37. Answer me, LORD*. Answer me, so this people can know that You are the LORD* God, and You have turned their heart back again. 38. Then the Fire of the LORD* fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. This is the third time the Fire has consumed the offering, but here it was summoned by Elijah, not spontaneous.

All these were congregational appearances, but there were two private signs of Divine Presence with fire, with Gideon and with Elijah.

Gideon in Judges 6:20. And the angel of God said to him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes and lay them upon this rock and pour out the broth. And he did so. 21. Then the angel of the LORD* put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes and there rose up Fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD* departed from his sight.

Elijah in 2 Ki. 1:9. Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him and, behold, he was sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him, You! Man of God, the king has said, Come down! 10. And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty. And fire from heaven came down and consumed him and his fifty. (Rev. 11:5; 20:9) 11. And again he sent another captain of fifty with his fifty to him. And he answered and said to him, O man of God, thus has the king said, Come down quickly! 12. And Elijah answered and said to them, If I am a man of God, let Fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty. And the Fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. 13. And he again sent a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up and came and fell on his knees before Elijah and beseeched him and said to him, O man of God, I pray you, let my life and the life of these fifty your servants be precious in your sight.
14. Behold, Fire came down from heaven and burned up the two former captains of the fifties with their fifties, therefore let my life now be precious in your sight. 15. And the angel of the LORD* said to Elijah, Go down with him. Do not be in awe of him! And he got up and went down with him to the king.

These examples show the drawing of the Abiding Presence is not something planned, but the result of God ordained events or of spontaneous worship. The exception is with Elijah, where the congregation was there for the test. The fire came to prove the LORD*, as the congregation worshipped in response to an event called by God. With Gideon, it was his obedience in responding to the call in very intimidating circumstances. Elijah’s calling down of fire on the captains of the fifties is the second time he calls down the fire of God.

The passages in bold type in the chart have both the Fire and the Glory. All these passages brought the Abiding Presence by simply seeking to please God with all their might, by complete obedience and honoring Him. It was not a matter of crying out, saying “We want Your Abiding Presence!” It was a matter of pure worship or simply of obedience at some event of importance to God.

Fish Nets. The Greek word for net in Matt. 13:47 is Sag’ene, referring to the large net used in commercial fishing, which was done at night. For weights this net used round stones, each stone having a hole drilled through the middle, resembling a doughnut or bagel. The stones were usually flint, which is very hard and how the holes were drilled is not known. Thousands of these 2,000 – 2,500 year old stones have been found around the lake we call Galilee. Sag’ene is used only once in the New Testament, but there are other references to this net, referred to by the Greek word diktuon, which is a generic reference to nets, not specifying the type of net used. The twenty-first chapter of John describes the use of a large net that would have been a sag’ene, because only the commercial net would have held 153 fish. Mark 1 and Luke 5 also have descriptions of nets, but those cannot be identified with certainty as to type.

The other type of net was used by one person for daytime fishing. It was round, about twenty feet in diameter, and had lead weights. This type was used until the 1950’s when nylon nets replaced it. It is not directly referred to in the New Testament, but probably was used by some of the New Testament fishermen, either in Mark or Luke. A Galilean fisherman named Mendel Nun has for years studied the fishing on Galilee. He believes that the nets described in Luke 5 are the small casting nets, so while it cannot be proven from the Greek text, the net used could well have been the smaller net. A net 20 feet in diameter can hold quite a few fish.

Footstool is a tough place for an enemy to be. The LORD* says to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’ (Ps. 110:1) Y’shua referred to this several times, in Matt. 22:44, Mk. 12:36, Lk. 20:43, and others. The full meaning of making your enemies your footstool is .. And it was when they brought out those kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel and said to the captains of the men of war who went with him, Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet on their necks. .. 26. And afterward Joshua struck them and slew them and hanged them on five trees, and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening. (Jsh. 10:24,26) When he struck them he cut off their heads, completely removing the enemy – the meaning of “make your enemies your footstool.”

Future Tense is frequently translated as a command of God. The Ten Statements (Commandments) are in the future tense and some say that is because once we have made a commitment to God that our behavior will change and we will do those things that our Heavenly Father tells us to do and we will no longer do those things He tells us not to do. It is too bad that people committed to God have not been perfected so that would be absolutely true. Nevertheless, thinking positive, throughout this Bible commandments in the future tense are usually translated in the future tense.