Children of God

 

… in our ongoing analysis of the Holy Bible we have come to an understanding that the definition for … the  children of God … extends to quite a few different categories of folks in a time frame that extends from the time when Adam and Eve left Eden to now … including …

 @ all unborn of humankind who die in the womb for any reason …

@ all children who die before they reach the age of reason … the age of reason is when an individual of humankind becomes accountable for the consequences of their free will decisions …

@ all adults of humankind who die after they have reached the age of reason however cannot be held accountable for the consequences of their free will decisions because pf some physical or mental infirmity which has impaired their ability to make free will decisions with an understanding of both the  ramifications and/or consequences of those free will decisions …

@ all Hebrew ( Jewish ) people who are older than the age of reason and fortunately for a life attentive to the Word of God and His will … do not meet the Biblical criteria … cut off from the people of God …

@ all other adults of humankind who are older than the age of reason and who confess that Jesus Christ is their LORD and Savior … and … who believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day …

@ folks who meet the sheep criteria as noted by Jesus Christ in Matthew chapter 25 …

 

… the pre-Tribulation Rapture will be the Rapture of the Children of God made righteous by the … life … death of the cross … and … resurrection from the dead … of … Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior …

 

Revelation chapter 21, vs 6 - 7                        Jesus Christ speaking

… it is done … I AM the ALPHA and the OMEGA … the Beginning and the End … to the thirsty I give water without cost from the spring of the Water of Life … everyone who is victorious inherits all this … I AM their God and they are My children …

 

Revelation chapter 22, vs 16 - 17                   Jesus Christ speaking

I Jesus have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches … I AM the Root and the Offspring of  David … I AM the bright Morning Star … the Spirit of God and the bride say … Come … let everyone who hears say … Come … let everyone who is thirsty … Come … and … let everyone who wishes take the free gift of the Water of Life …

  

John chapter 1, vs 12 - 13

… to everyone who receives Him … to everyone who believes in His Name … He gives the right to become the children of God … children born … not of natural descent … not of human decision or a husband’s decision … but … born of God …

 

Romans chapter 8, vs 8 - 23                              select verses in sequence

… we are living in the realm of the Spirit of God ( Holy Spirit ) … remaining in the realm of the flesh cannot please God … the Spirit of God lives in us … Jesus Christ is in us … and … though these current bodies that we have are still subject to death because of sin … the Spirit of God gives us life because of the righteousness purchased for us by Jesus Christ … the Spirit of God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and that same Spirit of God lives within each of us who believe that the Spirit of God raised Jesus Christ from the dead … we therefore have an obligation to the Spirit of God in the way we live … everyone who is led by the Spirit of God is a child of God … the Spirit of God living within each of us has brought about our adoption as children of God … the Spirit of God testifies to our spirit that we are God’s children … we are the children and heirs of God … we share in both His sufferings and in His glory … all of God’s creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed … for all of God’s creation was subjected to the frustration of our current world by the sin of humankind … and … that creation itself will be liberated from its current bondage to decay when it is brought to freedom and glory with the revealing of the children of God … all of God’s creation has been and now groans as in the pains of childbirth up to this present time … during which Jesus Christ leads us as the first fruits of this redemption and salvation to everlasting life with God forever … and … at this time … we also groan as we wait eagerly for the revealing of our adoption as the children of God by the redemption of our bodies to be the children of God …

 

… there are two interesting related Greek nouns utilized in the New Testament which are often translated in many English translations as … son … or … sons … they are … HUIOTHESIA … Strong# Greek 5206 … and … HUIOS … Strong# Greek 3207 … with English translations of the New Testament the use of the English word son or sons is certainly acceptable and certainly within a followed translation tradition … the root for these two words in Greek actually means … foal … the young baby of a female horse that has given birth … in the Greek and English languages no matter what time frame you look at the meaning for the term foal it can be applied to a male or to a female foal … in our analysis this indicates the better literal meanings for these two Greek nouns include … descendants … or … children … so … the sons of God … is actually … the children of God … a little more inclusive of a meaning for those scriptures in which these words occur …

  

1 Corinthians chapter 15, vs 20 - 54                            select verse segments

… Jesus Christ is raised from the dead … He is the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep … Jesus Christ is coming for everyone who belong to Him ( we are the children of God ) … then … the end will come for He will destroy all dominion authority and power … the last enemy to be destroyed is death … some ask … how will the dead be raised and with what kind of body will they come … know therefore … just as you plant a seed and harvest a plant … so also … God did not plant in us the body that will live with Him forever … there are heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies … the heavenly body is of one kind and our earthly body is another … just as people have one kind of flesh which animals have another and fish another … the splendor of a heavenly body is of one kind and the splendor of our earthly body is another … so also it will be with the resurrection of the dead … the earthly body which God has sown with each of us is perishable however it will be raised imperishable … our current bodies were sown in weakness but they will be raised in power … we are sown in our mothers womb in this current natural body and we will be raised in a spiritual body … for … flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God for our life with God forever … the perishable cannot inherit the imperishable … we will not all sleep but we will all be changed … from this body of flesh to one that is imperishable … it will occur in a flash … in the twinkling of an eye … at the last trumpet … the trumpet will sound … first the dead will be raised imperishable and then we will be changed … for … the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable … our mortal bodies must be clothed with immortality … death has been swallowed up in the victory …

 

1 Thessalonians chapter 5, vs 15 - 24

… let us pursue what is good for both ourselves and for all others … rejoice always … pray without ceasing … give thanks to God in everything … test all things … hold fast to what is good … abstain from all forms of evil/sin … encourage the Spirit of God among us to lessen the gap between ourselves and God … for … this is the will of God in Jesus Christ for us … so … may the God of peace Himself sanctify us completely … so … that our whole … spirit … soul … and … body … will be preserved blameless … through the grace of Jesus Christ … for … the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ … for … He Who has called us is faithful … and  … He will do it …

 

1 John chapter 3, vs 1 - 2

… what great love the Father has lavished on us … for … we are the children of God … what we will be has not yet been made known to us … but … we know that when Jesus Christ appears … we will be made like Him … and … we will see Him as He is …

  

1 John chapter 5, 1 - 5

… everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God … everyone who loves the Father also has love for the children of God … this is how we know that we love the children of God … by … loving God and following His teaching … to love God is to follow His teaching … His teaching is not burdensome … because … everyone born of God overcomes the word … our faith in Jesus Christ is the victory that has overcome the world … everyone who believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God overcomes the world …

 

… three times you will note that in our translation of these five verses we have used the English word … teaching … the occurrences are in verses two and three … many English translations will use a commonly accepted translation … commands or commandment … however we find that somewhat misleading … God is not commanding anyone to be His children … rather … He is inviting everyone to come and accept the redemption purchased for everyone of humankind by Jesus Christ on the cross and be His child … the Greek noun used in all three occasions is … ENTOLE … Strong# Greek 1785 … we feel the best literal meanings include … instruction … or … teaching … however when you review the ENTOLE in an interlinear Greek-English lexicon you will also note other literal meanings … command … order … precept … law … requirement … we do not dispute the other English translations choice however we again perceive God’s purpose as an invitation to live with Him forever not a command … the root of ENTOLE is Greek verb … ENTELLOMAI … Strong# Greek 1781 … in an interlinear Greek-English lexicon the literal meanings are similar to ENTOLE … however … ENTELLOMAI has two roots … the first is Greek noun … TELOS … Strong# Greek 5056 … the best literal meaning vary however most properly the literal meaning means … the point aimed at as a limit … a good definition of instruction and teaching … the second root is Greek preposition … EN … Strong# Greek 1722 … wile used in quite a few different applications that pretty much coalesce to what we feel is the best literal meaning … about … again consistent with the concept of teaching …

 

… the Greek verbs in these two verses associated with the nouns we have reviewed are … first in verse 2  …  POIEO … Strong# Greek 4160 … the best literal meaning is … to engage and do … and second in verse 3 … TEREO … Strong# Greek 5083 … the best literal meanings include … to hold fast to … to keep … or … to guard from being lost … interesting …

 

Matthew chapter 11, vs 28 - 30                       Jesus Christ speaking

… come to ME … everyone who is weary and burdened … I will give you rest … take up My yoke and learn from Me … for … I AM gentle and humble in heart … you will find rest for your souls … My yoke is easy and My burden is not heavy …

 

Hebrews chapter 2, vs 5 - 18                             a selected verse

… here I AM … and the children which God has given to Me …

Isaiah chapter 8, vs 17 - 18                 select verse segments

                                                                                not necessarily in sequence            

8:17 וחכיתי ליהוה המסתיר פניו מבית יעקב וקויתי-לו

8:18 הנה אנכי והילדים אשר נתן-לי יהוה לאתות ולמופתים בישראל מעם יהוה צבאות השכן בהר ציון

… here I AM … and the children the LORD ( YHVH ) has given ME … I will wait for the LORD ( LORD ) … Who is hiding His face from the descendants of Jacob … in Him I will put my trust … for … we are signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD ( YHVH ) Almighty who dwells on Mount Zion …

 

Deuteronomy chapter 14, vs 1 - 2

14:1 בנים אתם ליהוה אלהיכם לא תתגדדו ולא-תשימו קרחה בין עיניכם למת

14:2 כי עם קדוש אתה ליהוה אלהיך ובך בחר יהוה להיות לו לעם סגלה מכל העמים אשר על-פני האדמה

… we are the children of the LORD ( YHVH ) our God … we should not cut ourselves or shave the front of our head for the dead … for … we are a people who are holy to the LORD ( YHVH ) our God … out of all the peoples on the face of the earth our LORD ( YHVH ) chose us to be His treasured possession …

 

Hosea chapter 1, vs 10 + 23               God speaking

2:1 והיה מספר בני-ישראל כחול הים אשר לא-ימד ולא יספר והיה במקום אשר-יאמר להם לא-עמי אתם יאמר להם בני אל-חי

2:25 וזרעתיה לי בארץ ורחמתי את-לא רחמה ואמרתי ללא-עמי עמי-אתה והוא יאמר אלהי

… the people of Israel will be like the sand of the seashore that cannot be measured or counted … in the place where I said to them … you are not My people … they will be called the children of the living God … for My own reasons … I will plant them back into their land … I will show My love to those to whom I said … you are not My loved one … I will say to those whom I once called … no longer My people … I will say … you are My people … and … they will say to Me … You are our God …

 

… note … Hosea chapter 1, vs 10 of the Old Testament in English is Hosea chapter 2, vs 1 in Hebrew … our reference for the verse 23 in our English bible is Hebrew verse 25 due to verse numbering differences …

  

Romans chapter 8, vs 23 - 26                           select verse segments

… God did this to make the riches of His glory known to those upon whom He will show mercy … those whom He prepared in advance for glory … even us … not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles … for it is stated in Hosea … I will call them My people who are not My people … and … in the very place where I said … your are not My people … they will be called the children of God …

 

Galatians chapter 4, 4 - 7

… God sent His Son … born of a woman … born under the law … to redeem those under the law … so that … we can receive adoption as the children of God … and … we because we are His children … God has sent the Spirit of God … the Spirit of His Son … into our hearts … it is the Spirit of God in us who calls our Father … we are God’s children … and … since we are His children … God has made us His heirs …

 

Philippians chapter 2, vs 15                              select verse segment

... let us be blameless and pure … the children of God … without fault … in this warped and crooked generation …

 

… note … from a biblical perspective … there is only one generation from the time that Adam and Eve left Eden until the redeemed … that is the children of God … live with Jesus Christ forever in the new heaven and earth … where the glory of God will be the light and the Lamb will be the lamp … we are that new generation …

 

Revelation chapter 21, vs 22 - 27

… the city has no temple … because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple … the city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it because the glory of God gives it light and the Lamb is the lamp … nations will walk by its light … the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it … on no day will its gates be shut for there will be no night … the glory and honor of the nations will be brought to it … but … nothing impure will ever enter the city nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful … only those that is everyone who has their name written in the Lamb’s book of life … the children of God …

 

Hebrews chapter 2, vs 13

… here I AM with the children God has given to Me …

  

Isaiah chapter 8, vs 17 - 18

8:16 צור תעודה חתום תורה בלמדי

8:17 וחכיתי ליהוה המסתיר פניו מבית יעקב וקויתי-לו

I will wait for the LORD … I will put my trust in Him … here I AM with the children the LORD has given to Me … we are a sign and a symbol in Israel for the LORD Almighty Who abides on Mount Zion …

 

John chapter 10, vs 27 - 30                                 Jesus Christ speaking
… My sheep listen to My voice … I know them … and … they follow Me … I give them everlasting life with God forever … they will never perish … no one can snatch them out of My hand … My Father Who has given them to Me is greater than all … no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand … I and the Father are One …

 

John chapter 17, vs 20 - 26                 Jesus Christ speaking

                                select verse segments not necessarily in sequence

… I  pray for not just for these alone but for everyone who will believe in Me through their message … may everyone be one Father as You are in Me and I AM in You … may they also be in us … so that … the world will believe that We are One … I in them and You in Me … everyone brought into complete unity … so … the world will know that You have sent Me … because … You love them even as You love Me … Father I wish everyone that You have given to Me to be with Me where I AM and to see My glory … the glory that you have given to me because you have loved Me since before the creation of the world … though the world does not know You or Your righteousness Father … I know You … and … everyone whom You have given to me knows that You have sent Me … I have made You known to them and will continue to make You known to them … so that … the love that You have for Me will be in them and I Myself will be in them …

 

Matthew chapter 5, vs 9                         Jesus Christ speaking

… blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God …

 

… the English noun … peacemakers … in this verse is a composite Greek word generated and used only one time in the New Testament … EIRENOPOIOS … Greek adjective … Strong# Greek 1518 … we understand the translation to peacemaker … it fits the context well and is understandable in many ways … however … in our analysis … we find the meaning is somewhat closer to the Hebrew noun … SABBATH … each one of the children of God make the SABBATH within themselves with the presence of Jesus Christ within their heart and the Spirit of God ( Holy Spirit ) in their spirit … it is that SABBATH within each of us that provides the peace of God within the individual and it is the peace of God within everyone of the children of God that provides the environment for fostering peace on earth … EIRENOPOIOS as a conjunctive word joins two Greek words … the first word is Greek verb … POIEO … Strong# Greek 4160 … the best literal meanings include … to make … or … to do … or … to bring forth … there are quite a few other very valid meanings all with the same image of an effort and/or energy extended by a person to accomplish a desired purpose like an object or an effect … the second word is Greek noun … EIRENE … Strong# Greek 1515 … the best literal meanings include … peace … or … quietness … essentially … the peace of God is the free grace and favor of God given to His children … however … there is an active process within each of us that needs to accept that grace and favor from God … while … peacemakers … as a translation is correct it often leaves the impression that we as individuals are peacemakers in our environment of the cultures of the world … rather … we are the peacemakers for the peace of God is within ourselves by our acceptance of the freely given grace and favor of God … consequently … it is the peace of God within each of us as individuals has an impact on the world cultures that we live within … essentially … the meaning of SABBATH … the active presence of God’s peace practiced by our free will acknowledgment and worship of God … as the children of God we do not just have peace … rather … we practice peace as received from God …

 

 Isaiah chapter 53, vs 5b

 55:5 הן תקרא וגוי לא-ידעוך אליך ירוצו למען יהוה אלהיך ולקדוש ישראל כי פארך גוי לא-תדע

… the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him …

 

Luke chapter 2, vs 14             Angels speaking to the Shepherds

 … glory to God in the highest … and … on earth … peace to everyone on whom His favor rests …

 

John chapter 16, vs 33           Jesus Christ speaking

… in Me you will have peace …

 

Enoch ch 104, vs 12  -  ch 105, vs 1               Ancient of Days speaking

 Books will be given to the Righteous … they will be a source of … joy … truth … and … wisdom … everyone who believes will rejoice … they will learn the way of truth and they will be glad … they will testify to the people of earth about the wisdom in these books … and … they will have peace …

  

Zachariah chapter 9, vs 10

 9:10 והכרתי-רכב מאפרים וסוס מירושלם ונכרתה קשת מלחמה ודבר שלום לגוים ומשלו מים עד-ים ומנהר עד-אפסי-ארץ

… He will proclaim peace to the nations … His rule will extend from … sea to sea … and … to the ends of the earth …

 

John chapter 16, vs 33                                           Jesus Christ speaking

 … in Me … you will have peace … I have overcome the world …

 

 John chapter 14, vs 26 - 27                Jesus Christ speaking

… peace I leave with you … My peace I give to you … do not be afraid …  

 

Micha chapter 5, vs 4 - 5

 5:4 והיה זה שלום אשור כי-יבוא בארצנו וכי ידרך בארמנתינו והקמנו עליו שבעה רעים ושמנה נסיכי אדם

5:5 ורעו את-ארץ אשור בחרב ואת-ארץ נמרד בפתחיה והציל מאשור כי-יבוא בארצנו וכי ידרך בגבולנו

… He will stand and shepherd His flock … His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth … He will be their peace …

 

 Isaiah chapter 9, vs 6 - 7 

 9:6 לםרבה המשרה ולשלום אין-קץ על-כסא דוד ועל-ממלכתו להכין אתה ולסעדה במשפט ובצדקה מעתה ועד-עולם קנאת יהוה צבאות תעשה-זאת

9:7 דבר שלח אדני ביעקב ונפל בישראל

… to us a Child is born … a Son is given … He will be called the Prince of Peace … of the increase of His governance and peace there will be no end …

  

Isaiah chapter 52, vs 10 - 11

 52:10 חשף יהוה את-זרוע קדשו לעיני כל-הגוים וראו כל-אפסי-ארץ את ישועת אלהינו

52:11 סורו סורו צאו משם טמא אל-תגעו צאו מתוכה הברו נשאי כלי יהוה

… My people will know My name … they will know that I AM He Who speaks glad tidings … and … Who proclaims peace … Who proclaims salvation … Who tells you … God reigns … so … break forth into joy … sing together … for the LORD ( YHVH ) will comfort His people … He will redeem them … the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God …

 

Luke chapter 10, vs 5                              Jesus Christ speaking

 … when you enter a house … first say … peace to this house …

 

 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, vs 16

 … may the Lord of Peace Himself give you peace … at all times … and … in every way …

 

Philippians chapter 4, vs 4 - 7

 … rejoice in the Lord always … let your gentleness be evident to all … the Lord is near do not be anxious … but in everything with … prayer … petition … and … thanksgiving … present your requests to God … then … the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guide your hearts and minds in Jesus Christ …

  

1 Peter chapter 3, vs 10 - 11

 … if you love life … and … wish to see good days … seek peace …