Seal vs. Oath and What It Means (Who is the Bride?)
by MBPSTB
19 August, 2014
29th day, 5th month
The verses below have been transcribed faithfully from a translation which has been more consistently preserved in the Hebrew. Even the use of HASHEM with which personally I do not ascribe to, but for the sake of integrity of keeping the actual whole wording intact and exact, it is included and not replaced with the more proper YHWH.
Deuteronomy 29:9-13:
9 You are standing here today, all of you, before HASHEM, your God: the heads of your tribes, your elders and your officers - all men of Israel;
10 your small children, your women, and your proselyte who is in the midst of your camp, from the hewer of your wood, to the drawer of your water,
11 for you to pass into the covenant of HASHEM, your God, and into His imprecation that HASHEM, your God seals with you today,
12 in order to establish you today as a people to Him and that He be a God to you, as He spoke to you and as He swore to your forefathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob
13 Not with you alone do I seal this covenant and this imprecation,
14 but with whoever is here, standing with us today, before HASHEM, our God, and with whoever is not here with us today.
24 And they will say, "Because they forsook the covenant of HASHEM, the God of their forefathers, that He sealed with them when He took them out of the land of Egypt; *
* Before we press on, the above verse 24; If you enter into a “contract” with another, it is legally binding, even if you walk away breaking the rules of that contract. Just ask any bookie whose mark welches on paying back money owed. There are consequences.
Israel entered into the Covenant with YHWH. That contract was BINDING, even right up until today and for tomorrow and forever. The Northern Ten Tribes were scattered to the four corners of the earth. Assimilating into other lands, cultures and peoples, losing their identity and their heritage. BUT --- just because that happened, it did not mean that YHWH’s Covenant was not still binding. A King’s WORD Stands, a Royal Edict is binding. Just read about King Darius and his love for Daniel and how he as king could not go back on his royal edict. That is only one example we are given to help us understand and grasp the full concept of what it means when a king gives his word as did YHWH and His Torah to Israel.
DEATH was the consequence for breaking any part of that contract, yet God loves His Children Israel and desired to save them. Enter in Jesus. By and through His birth into flesh, having a Divine, Eternal, Flawless Father, Jesus carried His Father’s Blood in Him and His ATONEMENT as the Lamb of God was needed for ALL (of Israel who became scattered, lost and forgot their contract and broke it time and again).
In the Torah, in Leviticus is provision for the High Priest once a year to atone for the sins of Israel, those known and unknown. This is what Jesus did. HE accomplished through HIS BLOOD and allowed for those mentioned in Deut 29:24 to be COVERED and SAVED through His BLOOD, that is the propitiation for our sins.
Below are the same verses from other more common translations:
(JPS) (29:11) that thou shouldest enter into the covenant of the LORD thy God - and into His oath - which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day;
(KJV) That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the LORD thy God, and into his oath, which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day:
(KJV+) That thou shouldest enterH5674 into covenantH1285 with the LORDH3068 thy God,H430 and into his oath,H423 whichH834 the LORDH3068 thy GodH430 makethH3772 withH5973 thee this day:H3117
We find that this word OATH is Strong's H423:
H423 "oath"
אלה
'âlâh
aw-law'
From H422; an imprecation: - curse, cursing, execration, oath, swearing.
H422
אלה
'âlâh
aw-law'
A primitive root; properly to adjure, that is, (usually in a bad sense) imprecate: - adjure, curse, swear.
In the Deut 29:11 we also find the word "imprecation" which even appears in the above definition of the word "OATH". And if it is to suffice for the word OATH and compared to "IMPRECATION", then where is the word for SEAL?
If we look up the word SEAL in the Strong's, this appears to align well with the meaning of the word as it appears in context of the entire set of verses:
H226
אות
'ôth
oth
Probably from H225 (in the sense of appearing); a signal (literally or figuratively), as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.: - mark, miracle, (en-) sign, token.
To SEAL something is to set a mark upon it, one that shows proof of who put it there and to maintain the integrity of the item that has been sealed.
Let's look at the secular dictionary meaning of both SEAL and OATH:
Oath
Traditionally an oath (from Anglo-Saxon āð, also called plight) is either a statement of fact or a promise with wording relating to something considered sacred as a sign of verity. Legal substitute for those who conscientiously object to making a sacred oath is to give an affirmation instead. Nowadays, even when there's no notion of sanctity involved, certain promises said out loud in ceremonial or juridical purpose are referred to as oaths. To swear is a verb used to describe the taking of an oath, to making a solemn vow.
Divine oath[edit]
Usually oaths have referred to a deity significant in the cultural sphere in question. The reciter's personal views upon the divinity of the aspects considered sacred in a predicated text of an oath may or may not be taken in to account. There might not be alternative personal proclamations with no mention of the sacred dogma in question, such as affirmations, to be made. This might mean an impasse to those with unwillingness to edify the dogma they see as untrue and those who decline to refer to sacred matters on the subject at hand.
The essence of a divine oath is an invocation of divine agency to be a guarantor of the oath taker's own honesty and integrity in the matter under question. By implication, this invokes divine displeasure if the oath taker fails in their sworn duties. It therefore implies greater care than usual in the act of the performance of one's duty, such as in testimony to the facts of the matter in a court of law.
A person taking an oath indicates this in a number of ways. The most usual is the explicit "I swear," but any statement or promise that includes "with * as my witness" or "so help me *," with '*' being something or someone the oath-taker holds sacred, is an oath. Many people take an oath by holding in their hand or placing over their head a book of scripture or a sacred object, thus indicating the sacred witness through their action: such an oath is called corporal. However, the chief purpose of such an act is for ceremony or solemnity, and the act does not of itself make an oath.[citation needed]
Historical development as a legal concept[edit]
Making vows and taking oaths became a symbolic concept in law practice that developed over time in different cultures.
Jewish tradition[edit]
The concept of oaths is deeply rooted within Judaism. It is found in Genesis 8:21, when God swears that he will "never again curse the ground because of man and never again smite every living thing." This repetition of the term never again is explained by Rashi, the pre-eminent biblical commentator, as serving as an oath, citing the Talmud Shavous 36a for this ruling.[1]
The first personage in the biblical tradition to take an oath is held to be Eliezer, the chief servant of Abraham, when the latter requested of the former that he not take a wife for his son Isaac from the daughters of Canaan, but rather from among Abraham's own family.
The foundational text for oath making is in the "When a man voweth a vow unto the Lord, or sweareth an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth" (Numbers 30:3). According to the Rabbis, a neder (usually translated as "vow") refers to the object, a shvua (usually translated as "oath") to the person. The passage (Bamidbar 30:2-17) distinguishes between a neder and a shvua, an important distinction between the two in halacha: a neder changes the status of some external thing, while a shvua initiates an internal change in the one who swears the oath.
=========================================================
SEAL transitive verb
1
a : to confirm or make secure by or as if by a seal <seal the deal>
b : to solemnize for eternity (as a marriage) by a Mormon rite
2
a : to set or affix an authenticating seal to; also : authenticate, ratify
b : to mark with a stamp or seal usually as an evidence of standard exactness, legal size, weight, or capacity, or merchantable quality
3
a : to fasten with or as if with a seal to prevent tampering
b : to close or make secure against access, leakage, or passage by a fastening or coating
c : to fix in position or close breaks in with a filling (as of plaster)
4
: to determine irrevocably or indisputably <that answer sealed our fate>
There appears to be a distinct difference between these two words SEAL and OATH. “SEAL” used in the context of entering into a covenant agreement, something that is binding, would require as in the days of old, the King's seal set upon it.
But here is something that might provoke some further investigation:
(KJV-1611) That thou shouldest enter into Couenant with the Lord thy God, and into his othe which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day:
Please note in the KJV1611 the spelling of the word for OATH as it is OTHE. It can't help but to be noticed that this word is very closely resembling the Hebrew word "OTH" which usually is translated as SIGN:
H226
אות
'ôth
oth
Probably from H225 (in the sense of appearing); a signal (literally or figuratively), as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.: - mark, miracle, (en-) sign, token.
Let's look at the verse in Deuteronomy again:
Deuteronomy 29:9-13:
9 You are standing here today, all of you, before HASHEM, your God: the heads of your tribes, your elders and your officers - all men of Israel;
10 your small children, your women, and your proselyte who is in the midst of your camp, from the hewer of your wood, to the drawer of your water,
11 for you to pass into the covenant of HASHEM, your God, and into His imprecation that HASHEM, your God seals with you today,
12 in order to establish you today as a people to Him and that He be a God to you, as He spoke to you and as He swore to your forefathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob
13 Not with you alone do I seal this covenant and this imprecation,
14 but with whoever is here, standing with us today, before HASHEM, our God, and with whoever is not here with us today.
24 And they will say, "Because they forsook the covenant of HASHEM, the God of their forefathers, that He sealed with them when He took them out of the land of Egypt;
It seems to have a quite different meaning if we plug in place of the word SEAL, the word OATH as it is defined also connected to imprecation meaning a curse.
In fact if we look at the word used SEAL with the understanding that it means SIGN, TOKEN, MARK it appears to fit much better and make much more sense.
So the questions that arise are these:
Was this a mistake? Was it done on purpose to deceive and mislead? This one would be difficult to assess for a couple of reasons:
1. A well meaning, but possibly uneducated (in Hebrew) translator would look at the word in the KJV1611 "OTHE" and translate it to a more modern OATH without fully understanding the context of the verses.
2. The warning words of EHYEHshua against the scribes are found in 62 verses within the New Testament. Since there was no New Testament yet, what do you think He meant?
So why is this relevant? What does it mean? Let's look at the verses found in Revelation regarding who the 144k are:
Rev 7:2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
Rev 7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
Rev 7:4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
Looking further back in chapter 5:
Rev 5:1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
Rev 5:2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
Rev 5:3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
Rev 5:4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
Rev 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
Could there be a connection between the sealing of the covenant in Deuteronomy and the seven seals set upon this book in Revelation? Could there be a connection between the sealing of the covenant in Deuteronomy made with the Children of Israel and the 144k of Revelation?
Only YHWH knows for certain.
20 August, 2014 -
The Book of LIFE is Torah.
The translated word LAW for the Hebrew word TORAH misleads the student of Scriptures. The Hebrew word TORAH means Teaching and Instruction which if we take the time to study Deuteronomy, we find that this is exactly what YHWH gave us this for; to teach and instruct HOW to be His Holy and Set Apart people, Israel. If as He declares, He is a Holy God, if we desire to enter into relationship with Him, in the marriage COVENANT, then we too must be Holy, but because we are in these vessels of flesh, what is required of us, is specific, even if we do not fully understand the whys.
In the Stone's TaNaK we find this word SEAL used alongside the word imprecation, which is clearly defined by the word OATH as it is found in the KJV and many other versions. No mention of, and no translation appears for this word SEAL. We must go back to the KJV1611 to see what might have happened. If we are willing to consider that the word written OTHE is a variant of the Hebrew word OTH rather than the cursing imprecation of allah, then the two separate words SEAL and IMPRECATION are separate concepts, yet are not translated as such in modern translations. This grievous error, whether deliberate or mistake has incredible impact on what the student might comprehend about what is being said and declared by YHWH.
To be SEALED or to SEAL is something that requires a physical action. To STAMP something, to MARK it.
An OATH can be interchanged with the word VOW, both meaning a verbal utterance.
Although both a SEAL and an OATH can take place at the same time, they are clearly not the same thing.
Deuteronomy Chapter 29 reads much differently using TWO words: "SEAL and IMPRECATION". These two concepts are separate, individual, NOT the same - yet in KJV (modern) and other versions, we find only ONE word, that of OATH and the Strong's definition for that word in the Stone’s translation as being "IMPRECATION", could be implied as a curse.
If as it tells us in the Gospel of John, that EHYEHshua is the WORD which has been with GOD from the beginning and IS GOD; then as He tells His disciples He is the Way, the Truth and the LIFE, He IS the walking breathing WORD and that WORD -IS-TORAH. Through Him He taught His disciples about being CLEAN through the WORD and if YHWH in Deuteronomy, declared that to keep His WORD, His commandments, statutes and obey His Voice, they would be SEALED, then it is by this very TORAH, the Book of LIFE, that we are SEALED.
If then our High Priest, EHYEHshua entered in and atoned for our sins, that curse of death from sinning both the known sins and those unknown, by the offering up of His own SINLESS blood, without spot and no guile found in His mouth, then believing on Him, on His purpose for coming in the flesh, we are also SEALED by His blood.
Translation Unknown:
Jer 31:32-33 “32 For this is the covenant I shall seal with the House of Israel after those days – the word of Aheyeh- I will place My Torah within them and I will write it onto their heart; I will be The Eternal for them and they will be a people for Me. 33 They will no longer teach- each man his fellow, each man his brother - saying, ‘Know Aheyeh!’ For all of them will know me, from the smallest to the greatest…”
Stone's TaNaCH:
Jeremiah 31:32
For this is the covenant that I shall seal with the House of Israel after those days - the WORD of HASHEM - I will place My Torah within them and I will write it on to their heart; I will be a God for them and they will be a people for Me.
The above unknown translation of the verse containing the same word SEAL as in the Stone's, came to me today from someone in a study that had no connection with this subject. Stone's Tanach is not available in e-Sword and to my knowledge there is no Concordance in order to seek out just how many places we find this word SEAL. It would take the reading and studying of this version alongside a KJV, or even many other translations in order to see if this same omission/error has taken place.
Whether accidental or not, given how the very meaning and phrasing of these SEAL verses are changed and how they appear to be tied to the absolute defining of being obedient to Torah; It seems paramount that the Stone's be read and studied, even if one is fully committed to any other translation.
UPDATE of 25 August, 2014 -
In Stone's Tanach in Deut 29:9-13, the verses read this way:
Stone's Tanach-Deuteronomy 29:9-13:
9 You are standing here today, all of you, before HASHEM, your God: the heads of your tribes, your elders and your officers - all men of Israel;
10 your small children, your women, and your proselyte who is in the midst of your camp, from the hewer of your wood, to the drawer of your water,
11 for you to pass into the covenant of HASHEM, your God, and into His imprecation that HASHEM, your God seals with you today,
12 in order to establish you today as a people to Him and that He be a God to you, as He spoke to you and as He swore to your forefathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob
13 Not with you alone do I seal this covenant and this imprecation,
14 but with whoever is here, standing with us today, before HASHEM, our God, and with whoever is not here with us today.
PLEASE NOTE THE WORD "SEAL". In the KJV1611 edition the spelling of the word found is OTHE. There is no doubt of the intimate connection between Olde English and Hebrew (stemming from both Welsh and Celtic languages as proof of the Hebrews in the British Isles). That this word "OTHE" is none other than "OTH" which means sign, signet, mark, seal. Yet, the deception comes in with the word OATH which is defined as IMPRECATION and is only ONE of the TWO things that YHWH said and declared. This word SEAL/OTH vs. IMPRECATION/allah have been manipulated.
In just about ALL subsequent English translations, only the word OATH is found, yet the Stone's reveals TWO words; that of SEAL and IMPRECATION (which IS the definition of Oath in Hebrew)
This being further proof that scribes either mistakenly erred or did indeed change the WORD. Whether deliberate or not remains to be proved, yet EHYEHshua's own words of scathing warning to the scribes and Pharisees would infer deliberate.
When I read these verses (which I have read countless times over the years in the many translations since) for the first time in the Stone's, I was floored to say the least.
In Revelation it is written about the 144k being SEALED and the criteria for being SEALED is that they keep the commandments -and- have the faith of EHYEHshua. IOWs----if one wants to be sealed, BOTH are required. This SEALING will protect them when the real crap begins to hit the fan. This criteria of BOTH is found, right there in TORAH, in DEBARIM---the WORD, the 5th book the last one which was written not for the Jews, but for the "SCATTERED" Lost Sheep of the Lost House of Israel for whom YHWH came in the flesh to redeem.....THAT YHWH being manifested in the flesh and declared the WORD in the gospel of John.
So the conclusion here is this: That since the proper and true word OTH/SEAL has been removed from other versions, there is NO WAY anyone just confined to reading one of the many spurious versions out there, could possible EVER make the connection and so by virtue of MISSING that MARK, they ARE NOT SEALED and will have to endure much pain without the divine protection afforded by the declaration we find in Deuteronomy/DEBARIM/WORD.
All of this validates what Jeremiah said about the false pen of the scribes and even more so EHYEHshua's own words of woe against them. The enemy did this, through the scribes, to mislead man, deceive him and cause him to lose out on the abundance of blessings given IF ONLY---we will HEAR HIS VOICE and OBEY.
28 February, 2015, Shabbat -
Exo_39:19 And they madeH6213 twoH8147 ringsH2885 of gold,H2091 and putH7760 them onH5921 the twoH8147 endsH7098 of the breastplate,H2833 uponH5921 the borderH8193 of it, whichH834 was onH413 the sideH5676 of the ephodH646 inward.H1004
H2885 "rings"
טבּעת
ṭabba‛ath
tab-bah'-ath
From H2883; properly a seal (as sunk into the wax), that is, signet (for sealing); hence (generically) a ring of any kind: - ring.
Two rings of which symbolically have "seals". Could these be the two sticks? That is, the House of Judah and the House of Israel and also be that this would be those who are sealed of those two groups?
16 April, 2016 -
Let's revisit this verse:
I was remiss in not further investigating the word "maketh", as this is the word that in the Stone's versions is shown as "sealed" BASED UPON it's postion within the verse. While the above is very relevant and important, so is this:
Deu 29:12 That thou shouldest enterH5674 into covenantH1285 with the LORDH3068 thy God,H430 and into his oath,H423 whichH834 the LORDH3068 thy GodH430 makethH3772 withH5973 thee this day:H3117
H3772 "maketh"
כּרת
kârath
kaw-rath'
A primitive root; to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication to destroy or consume; specifically to covenant (that is, make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces): - be chewed, be con- [feder-] ate, covenant, cut (down, off), destroy, fail, feller, be freed, hew (down), make a league ([covenant]), X lose, perish, X utterly, X want.
CLEARLY, it is to mean that Israel entered into the Covenant, that is vowing to keep the commandments, to keep the Feast days of YHWH and to keep and guard the Sabbath day.
Replies
bump.
They became Hid BRIDE
I saw this typo after I posted this comment. I stopped myself from correcting it because the BRIDE is indeed hidden until such time as YHWH determines as to reveal Her.
The above should have read "They became His BRIDE".
YHWH desired to marry Israel when He gave Moses the Ten Commandments and Israel said "We will do it!" They became Hid BRIDE then and there. But because of adultery(idolatry) He divorced them, so they would not die.
Jesus came later for the nation of Israel, to atone for them as they sinned in ignorance, not knowing who they really were/are. Agaiin, another perfect example of keeping the LAW.
The BRIDE is ISRAEL. The secret of the Bride is found AMONG (what the world calls) Gentiles. They are not Gentile but AMONG the Gentiles. In these last days they are (ISRAEL, the BRIDE) being called out, to wed the Bridegroom by entering into Covenant with Him (keeping His commandments).
The BRIDE are the 144K, are the Children of Israel, twelve tribes who are the saints who keep the commandments AND have the faith of Jesus Christ.