Help Meet

Genes 2:18 http://www.womeninthescriptures.com/2010/11/real-meaning-of-term-help-meet.html

One of the most frequently misunderstood terms in the bible is the term "help meet" in the book of Genesis. In Genesis 2:18 it says, "And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him."
The common way in which the term "help meet" is interpreted is to mean that Eve, unlike the other beasts of the earth, was "appropriate for" or "worthy" of Adam and was to be his helper or companion on the earth. While there are some really good things about this interpretation it doesn't do full justice to what the term "help meet" really means. The term, in it's original Hebrew, means something much more profound and powerful than just a "helper" and when we understand what God was saying to Adam we come to see Eve's role and the role of women on this earth in a much different light. In Hebrew the two words that "help meet" are derived from are the words "ezer" and the word 'kenegdo". Ezer which is commonly translated as "help" is really a rich word with a much deeper meaning. In her book Eve and the Choice Made in Eden, Beverly Campbell explains,

According to biblical scholar David Freedman, the Hebrew word translated thee into English as help is ezer. This word is a combination of two roots, one meaning to rescue, to save, and the other meaning to be strong. Just as the roots merged into one word, so did their meanings. At first ezer meant either to save or to be strong, but in time, said Freedman, ezer  was always interpreted as to help a mixture of both nuances. Diana Webb in her book Forgotten Women of God also clarifies this word by explaining, "The noun ezer occurs 21 times in the Hebrew Bible. In eight of these instances the word means savior. These examples are easy to identify because they are associated with other expressions of deliverance or saving. Elsewhere in the Bible, the root ezer means strength.... the word is most frequently used to describe how God is an ezer to man. "
For example, the word "ebenezer" in 1 Samuel 7:12 is used to describe the power of God's deliverance. "Eben" means rock and "ezer" means "help" or "salvation". Ebenezer therefore means "rock of help" or "rock of salvation". The root "ezer" is the same word that God used to describe to Adam who Eve was. She was not intended to be just his helper or his companion, rather she was intended to be his savior, his deliverer.
The other part of the term "help meet" which is commonly translated as "meet for" or "fit for" is the word "kenegdo". It is hard to know exactly what the word kenegdo means because it only appears once in the entire Bible. Yet Diana Webb explained that,
"Neged, a related word which means against, was one of the first words I learned in Hebrew. I thought it was very strange that God would create a companion for Adam that was against him! Later, I learned that kenegdo could also mean in front of or opposite. This still didn’t help much. Finally I heard it explained as being exactly corresponding to, like when you look at yourself in a mirror."
Eve was not designed to be exactly like Adam. She was designed to be his mirror opposite, possessing the other half of the qualities, responsibilities, and attributes which he lacked. Just like Adam and Eve's sexual organs were physically mirror opposites (one being internal and the other external) so were their divine stewardship designed to be opposite but fit together perfectly to create life. Eve was Adam's complete spiritual equal, endowed with an essential saving power that was opposite from his.
I've pondered a lot about this clarification of Eve's role and how it is that she has been given a saving power equal but opposite to Adam's saving power. As I've thought about it I realized that while women do much to help and assist men in their stewardship they have been given a stewardship that is uniquely theirs and which is every bit as important as men's stewardship.
Women are "saviors" to men by the fact that they give them life and nurture them towards the light of Christ. By conceiving, creating and bearing mortal bodies women make it possible for God's children to start on their mortal journey and have the opportunity to become perfected. Without women there would be no gateway into this world and no opportunity for progress or exaltation. In addition, by being willing to sacrifice (their very lives if necessary) to bring children into this world women demonstrate the true meaning of charity. From the very first breath a child takes he or she has been the recipient of charity and unconditional love. This is a powerful gift that a mother gives her child and it is her love which first reminds the child of God and points them towards Christ. Each woman, regardless of her ability to give birth, is a savior to mankind when she loves men and nurtures a child closer to Christ.
Even Adam, whose physical body was not created by a daughter of Eve, was saved and delivered by a woman. For it was through a woman, Mary, that Jesus Christ came to conquer the bonds of death and sin and atoned for Adam's transgression. Without a woman to bear the body of Christ mankind would have been lost and fallen forever and Adam's work and purpose on the earth would have been meaningless. Mary was the gateway that made Christ's work possible and her nurturing the catalyst for his success. Even though Eve didn't give physical life to Adam she literally saved him from spiritual death by opening the way for the Savior and Redeemer to come into the world. Salvation, in the form of Christ, literally came to the earth through a woman.
This perspective on Eve is so powerful for me. It is so different from what we normally hear about her and about women's roles in the world. I love how Beverly Campbell concluded her remarks about the term "help meet", she said,
"Thus, it seems that through imprecise translation, our understanding of the powerful words used originally to describe Eve’s role have been diminished. As a result, our understanding or Mother Eve has also been diminished. Suppose we had all, male and female alike, been taught to understand Genesis 2:18 as something like the following, “It is not good that man should be alone. I will make him a companion of strength and power who has a saving power and is equal with him. "I know that understanding the real meaning of the term "help meet" earlier in my life would have made a huge difference in how I understood my role and mission as a woman. I think that if I had caught the vision of who we are as women and what a marvelous stewardship the Lord has given us I wouldn't have wasted so many years and so much energy being angry that I couldn't have a man's stewardship. I realize now that true power come when men and women understand that they have been blessed with different gifts, abilities and stewardship's and truly work together as equal partners to help each other be successful. Men and women need each other and it is only when they are united, body, soul and mind, that God's work moves forth. We are nothing without each other and nothing without Christ.
It is not good that man should be alone. I will make him a companion of strength and power who has a saving power and is equal with him.

Genesis 2:18 be translated as "I will make a power [or strength] corresponding to man." Freedman even suggests on the basis of later Hebrew that the second word in the Hebrew expression found in this verse should be rendered equal to him. If so, then God makes for the man a woman fully his equal and fully his match. In this way, the man's loneliness will be assuaged. Genesis 2:23 where Adam says of Eve, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,' for she was taken out of man." The idiomatic sense of this phrase "bone of my bones" is a "very close relative" to "one of us" or in effect "our equal.

In Gen 1:26-28 God gave both male and female dominion over creation:
they are the King and the Queen.  God has not changed His mind.
 How different our world would be if men and women really understood that!

 

The Seven Churches of Revelation

Where do you find yourself?
While exiled on the island of Patmos, the apostle John received a revelation from Y’Shua HaMashiech. That we now call the book of Revelation. In this vision, Messiah gave John seven messages for seven first-century churches in Asia Minor. Read on to discover why Messiah wanted to speak to these seven churches and what the messages mean for us today.
1. Ephesus - The Loveless Church (Revelation 2:1-7)
The church of Ephesus had many positive qualities; Messiah commended them in five specific ways—they were dynamic, dedicated, determined, disciplined, and discerning (Revelation 2:2-3). But verse 4 reveals where they went wrong. “Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Everything about the Ephesian church looked good on the outside, but inwardly they had heart trouble. Their devotion to Messiah was wanting.
If you find yourself in this place with your relationship with Messiah, here is a three-part formula on how to return to your first love.
“Remember therefor from where you have fallen” (Revelation 2:5). The next logical step after remembering where we started and realizing where we are now is to repent. This means to reverse course and go in the opposite direction. “. . . repent . . .” (Revelation 2:5).
Repeating to the original good works will help you get back to the place where you began. “. . . do the first works” (Revelation 2:5). Return to what you did when you first became a Believers—the spiritual disciplines that kept you close to Messiah and motivated to follow Him.
2. Smyrna — The suffering Church (Revelation 2:8-11)
Believers in developed countries today think little about being persecuted for their faith. But there are churches in the world where such persecution is a daily reality. Such was the case for the ancient church in Smyrna. They suffered because of pressure, poverty, and persecution (Revelation 2:9). Messiah’s words to that church can prepare all believers for what might come.
Believers in developed countries today think little about being persecuted for their faith. But there are churches in the world where such persecution is a daily reality. Such was the case for the ancient church in Smyrna. They suffered because of pressure, poverty, and persecution (Revelation 2:9). Messiah’s words to that church can prepare all believers for what might come.
“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer” (Revelation 2:10). Because Messiah is L-rd over all of life’s circumstances, we have nothing to fear. Paul wrote that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of G-d in Messiah Y’Shua (Romans 8:35-39). Fear is a natural human response, but we live supernatural lives through the power of Messiah in us.
“Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). Given the intensity of the persecution in Smyrna, I believe Messiah was saying, “Yes, you may lose your life for My sake, but be faithful until the end.”
3. Pergamos — The compromising Church (Revelation 2:12-17)
Pergamos was nicknamed “Satan’s City.” The Believers in Pergamos were surrounded by pagan beliefs and practices. In spite of their faithfulness in some areas, the Believers in Pergamos had compromised their faith in others. They had allowed idolatry to creep into their congregation.
Pergamos was nicknamed “Satan’s City.” The Believers in Pergamos were surrounded by pagan beliefs and practices. In spite of their faithfulness in some areas, the Believers in Pergamos had compromised their faith in others. They had allowed idolatry to creep into their congregation.
Satan is still employing the strategy he used in Pergamos: What you can’t curse and crush, you can corrupt through compromise.
Speak the Truth in Love Believers should not be combative or antagonistic. Wherever corruption or compromise tries to gain a foothold, we need to be vigilant, sober, and on guard and speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
Remember the Lesson from Pergamos Guard against the dilution of true doctrine by false teaching and authoritarian leaders. If that makes us intolerant in the eyes of some, then so be it. Messiah will commend us just as He did Antipas, His “faithful martyr.”
4. Thyatira — The adulterous Church (Revelation 2:18-29)
There are Believers and churches today who feel a need to be relevant and all-inclusive when it comes to spiritual and moral boundaries. The ancient church in Thyatira must have felt that way as well. This church allowed an immoral individual to lead many others away from Messiah (Revelation 2:20). What does Messiah say to a church that is tolerating immorality in her midst?
The Threat of Distress (Revelation 2:22) When the prophetess refused the chance to repent, Messiah warned of His judgment: “Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed.”
The Threat of Death (Revelation 2:22-23) This warning is not just to the prophetess but also to “those who commit adultery with her.”
The Message to the Believers (Revelation 2:24-25) This is a message to those who would choose to remain faithful to Messiah “until the end”.
There are Believers and churches today who feel a need to be relevant and all-inclusive when it comes to spiritual and moral boundaries. The ancient church in Thyatira must have felt that way as well. This church allowed an immoral individual to lead many others away from Messiah (Revelation 2:20). What does Messiah say to a church that is tolerating immorality in her midst?
The Threat of Distress (Revelation 2:22)
When the prophetess refused the chance to repent, Messiah warned of His judgment: “Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed.” Whether taken figuratively or literally, we should take those words as a warning. G-d is holy and will not abide rebellion forever. As Hebrews 10:31 says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living G-d.”
The Threat of Death (Revelation 2:22-23)
This warning is not just to the prophetess but also to “those who commit adultery with her.” They would find themselves in “great tribulation” unless they repented of their immorality.
The Message to the Believers (Revelation 2:24-25)
The message for those that stood their ground and did not engage in the cult of immorality is to “Hold fast what you have till I come” (verse 25.)
The Message to the Conquerors (Revelation 2:26-29)
This is a message to those who would choose to remain faithful to Messiah “until the end”. Messiah promised that they would reign and they would be raptured.
5. SARDIS — The dead church (Revelation 3:16)
With this church there are no commendations; Messiah begins immediately with a denunciation: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” The church was full of what we today would call “nominal Believers”—Believers in name only. Messiah gives five specific directions for the church that is dead.
Be Sensitive to the Inroads of Sin in the Church (verse 2)
Be Supportive of Those Who Remain True to Messiah in the Church (verses 2, 4)
Be Submissive to the Control of the Holy Spirit in the Church (verse 3)
Be Subject to the Authority of G-d’s Word in the Church (verse 3)
Be Sorry and Repent for the Sin of the Church (verse 3)
With this church there are no commendations; Messiah begins immediately with a denunciation: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” The church was full of what we today would call “nominal Believers”—Believers in name only. Messiah gives five specific directions for the church that is dead.
Be Sensitive to the Inroads of Sin in the Church (verse 2)
Be Supportive of Those Who Remain True to Messiah in the Church (verses 2, 4)
Be Submissive to the Control of the Holy Spirit in the Church (verse 3)
Be Subject to the Authority of G-d’s Word in the Church (verse 3)
Be Sorry and Repent for the Sin of the Church (verse 3)
6. Philadelphia — The Faithful Church (Revelation 3:7-13)
Messiah commended the church in Philadelphia for four things: 
They have an open door, they have a little strength, they have kept the Word of G-d, and they have not denied the L-rd. If we want to be commended by Messiah like this church, we will go through open doors of ministry, depend on His strength, and be true to Him and His Word. What does this mean for us today?
The Potential of the local church - if Messiah is present and the church is committed to Him, there is going to be a door of opportunity for ministry. Every church should pray for those doors to be recognized, open, and walked through.
The people of the local church - many churches today think there are too few people, there is too little money, there are too few gifts, and there are too few opportunities. Remember this simple truth: when we are weak or little, Messiah is strong and big. Building the church of Y’Shua HaMashiech is not up to us. We depend on the head of the church to give His body the strength we need.
The principle of the local church - in verse 8, Messiah summarizes three principles that apply to every church: open doors for ministry, and keeping the Word of G-d, being faithful to G-d's word will lead to open doors for ministry and depending on Messiah's strength since they are both taught in the Bible. When the Word of G-d is the first priority, everything else will fall in place.
The priorities of the local church - because the church of Y’Shua is His church, we are the boldly identify with Messiah regardless of the cost. We must proclaim Messiah as the Bible does - the only name whereby we can be saved (Acts 4:12).
7. Laodicea - the lukewarm church of (Rev. 3:14-22)
The church in Laodicea was lacking in every way. It was a compromising, conceited, and  the Messiah said that it made Him sick (v.16). Today's church should take note: those words may apply to us as well. We would be well advised to apply this counsel to our lives and churches today.
The prescription for spiritual poverty - the Laodiceans were rich, but their riches were worldly, not spiritual. They needed spiritual wealth which can only come through Messiah (v. 18).
The prescription for spiritual nakedness - nakedness in Scripture is a metaphor for defeat and humiliation, therefore Messiah counsels them to procure "white garments" from Him that eh shame of their nakedness might be covered (v. 18).
The prescription for spiritual blindness - the only salve for spiritual blindness is repentance and submission to the L-rd Y’Shua HaMashiach, asking Him for the fullness and wisdom of His spirit to restore our spiritual sight.
The prescription for spiritual compromise - there is only one "Therefore be zealous and repent" (v. 19). G-d doesn't love us only when we are doing the right things. He loves us all the time and He wants us to repent when we need to. 
Messiah has this to say for any without Him: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). When Messiah is moved to the margins and pushed outside the Church altogether, He stands knocking and seeking to be invited back in.

Interoduction to Revelation

Revelation belongs to a special type of literature, the apocalyptic type. John tells us that he had a series of visions. He says that he heard certain words and saw certain visions. It is clear that John had studied the OT very thoroughly. Of the 404 verses that comprise the 22 chapters of the book of Revelation, 278 verses contain one or more allusions to an OT passage. He expressed himself by using phrases borrowed from the prophets of Israel. Therefore, in attempting to understand his symbolism, we must consider not only the book itself, but also his use of the OT.
For example, the Roman Empire is symbolized as a beast like a leopard with feet like a bear’s and a mouth like a lion’s mouth, for those who were being persecuted by Rome knew well. Such strange beasts were more or less commonplace features in apocalyptic literature – and the book of Revelation is a notable example of that literary genre. We too make use of animals as symbols of nations and groups: The British lion, the Russian bear, the American eagle, the Democratic donkey, the Republican elephant. It is important to recognize that the descriptions are descriptions of symbols, not the reality conveyed by the symbols.
Four persons are mentioned in the NT who bore the name John. Which of these is intended has been extensively debated. The absence of any specific data in the book itself makes it difficult to come to a firm decision. Since there is no qualifying identification (such as John the elder or John Mark), it is probable that the author intends his readers to understand that he is the John, who was so well known that he needed no titles or credentials. From the mid-second century onward the book was widely, though not universally, ascribed to the apostle John, the son of Zebedee.
Some argued on the basis of      differences of vocabulary and grammatical style between the fourth gospel and the apocalypse and believed the latter to be the work of another person named John. The apostolic origin of Revelation was frequently disputed in the East.
The book of Revelation was composed and sent to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia at some point between A.D. 69 and 96 in order to encourage them with the assurance that, despite all the forces marshaled against them, victory was theirs if they remained loyal to Y’Shua.
The book was written about A.D. 90-95.  John called his book an apocalypse, meaning an unveiling, a disclosure.
Jewish apocalyptic literature begins with the book of Daniel, through apocalyptic tendencies can be seen in Isa. 24-27, Ez. 38-39, and Zech. 0-14, where there are frequent references to the approaching day of the L-rd.
Important apocalyptic writings outside the OT are the book of Enoch, the apocalypse of Baruch, the Fourth book of Ezra, the Ascension of Isaiah, the apocalypse of Zephaniah, and parts of the Sibylline Oracles. The apocalyptists receive their revelations in ecstatic or dream visions, which are reported with the stylistic features typical of apocalyptic literature. Persons are represented in the likeness of animals, and historical events in the form of natural phenomena. Colors and numbers have secret meanings. The images themselves often have a history behind them and originate from astrological, cosmological, and mythological tradition of antiquity.
Although there are no formal laws that are applicable to all apocalypses, most of these books have the following basic features:
The authors of such books view the universe as divided into two camps, one good and the other evil. These camps are engaged in a long and fearful struggle. Behind the conflict are supernatural powers (G-d and Satan) at work among people and institutions. In everyday life it is not always easy to distinguish clearly the works of the two, but at the end of time every human being will be found to be one side or the other. The final separation of the two is the meaning of judgment. Apocalypses usually contain predictions about he final outcome of human affairs, focusing on the last age of the world, when good will triumph and evil will be judged. Present troubles are represented as birth pangs that will usher in the end. G-d has set a limit to the era of wickedness and will intervene at he appointed time to execute judgment. In the final battle the powers of evil, together with the evil nations they represent, will be utterly destroyed. Then a new order will be established, when the end will be as the beginning, and paradise will be restored.
The focus on the book of Revelation is the Second Coming of the L-rd Y’Shua the Messiah and the definitive establishment of G-d’s kingdom at the end of time.
There are probably seven of these sections, for John is fond of sevens; he mentions seven golden lampstands, seven stars, seven flaming torches, seven spirits of G-d, seven eyes, seven seals, seven angels, seven trumpets, seven thunders, seven heads on the dragon, seven plagues, seven bowls, seven mountains, and seven kings. Furthermore, without directly enumerating them, John includes seven beatitudes scattered throughout his book as well as seven-fold praise presented to the Lamb. 
Here and there in John’s account of his visionary experiences he uses the word ‘then’. There is no reason to assume that the order in which John received his visions must be the order in which the contents of the visions are to be fulfilled. For example in chapter 12, we will find a vision that takes us back to the time of the birth of Y’Shua. Such features in the book should make us wary of turning Revelation into a kind of almanac or time chart of the last days based on the sequence of the visions that John experienced. Like any good teacher, he knows that repletion is a helpful learning device, so he repeats his messages more than once from differing points of view.              
It should be noted that although most of the events in the apocalyptic writings such as the Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament are seen in the events of the years preceding and following the first century, there are a few which can’t be accounted for by these events and appear yet to be fulfilled.
Things seen in a vision are not physically present, the descriptions are not descriptions of real occurrences, but of symbols of the real occurrences. Die through the imagers is, the overall intention of the sounding of the seven trumpets is not to inflict vengeance but to bring people to repentance.