MEM

As has been written in past issues, the Book of the Revelation is written to the churches. When reading thru the Revelation we see interesting verses that begs to be understood. For example: Rev 1:2 NKJV (unless noted) who bore witness (G3140) to the word of God, and to the testimony (G3141) of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.

Rev 1:9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony (G3141) of Jesus Christ.

Rev 6:9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony (G3141) which they held.

Rev 11:7 When they finish their testimony (G3141), the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.

Rev 12:11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony (G3141), and they did not love their lives to the death.

Rev 12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony (G3141) of Jesus Christ.

The Revelation seems to be centered around "The Testimony". Is the "Testimony of Jesus Christ" clearly defined? Yes, it is, but let us look at some definitions. In the Greek there are three other words with the same root (Strong’s #G3144), essentially related to giving testimony which is necessary to understand the various references of Testimony/Witness in the given Scripture.

Understanding the Testimony is essential to those that have it - the Greek variations are found in the section called "Testimony". It is recommended to read this at this time and to refer to it when the Strong’s numbers are referenced in any of the Scriptures, if need be.

With this background in mind note some NT scriptures using the word ‘testimony’.

Matt 10:18 "You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony (3142) to them and to the Gentiles.

Mark 1:44 and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony (3142) to them."

Mark 14:55 Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony (3141) against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. … 59 But not even then did their testimony (3141) agree.

Luke 21:12 "But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake. 13 But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony (3142).

John 1:19 Now this is the testimony (record 3141) of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"

John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies (3140); and no one receives His testimony (3141). 33 He who has received His testimony (3141) has certified that God is true.

John 5:32 "There is another who bears witness (3140) of Me, and I know that the witness (3141) which He witnesses (3140) of Me is true. 33 You have sent to John, and he has borne witness (3140) to the truth. 34 Yet I do not receive testimony (witness 3141) from man, but I say these things that you may be saved.

John 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified (record 3140), and his testimony (record 3141) is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.

Acts 13:22 "And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony (3140) and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.' (YHVH testifying of David’s future [foreknowledge])

1Cor 1:4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony (3142) of Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rev 2:13 "I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr (3144), who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

2Tim 1:8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony (3142) of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,

Heb 3:5 And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony (3142) of those things which would be spoken afterward,

Heb 11:39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony (report 3140) through faith, did not receive the promise,

1John 5:10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness (3141) in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony (record 3141) that God has given of His Son.

1John 5:11 And this is the testimony (3141): that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

Brothers and sisters in Christ this is a tall order for those that have the Testimony of Jesus!

Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony (G3141) of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony (G3141) of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

If you have doubts about the testimony of Jesus (Yeshua) consider His whole mission for coming to this earth - not only to redeem us, to free us from the bondage of sin and give us the hope of everlasting life in the ‘Coming Kingdom of God’ but also the whole earth!

As He proclaimed:

Mark 1:14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."

Next issue we hope to cover the aspect of the "Spirit of Prophecy", especially from Yeshua.

Proverbs 6:19 A false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.

Proverbs 19:9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies shall perish.

Proverbs 19:28 A disreputable witness scorns justice, And the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.

Proverbs 12:17 He who speaks truth declares righteousness, But a false witness, deceit.

Proverbs 14:5 A faithful witness does not lie…

Proverbs 14:25 A true witness delivers souls…

"Look at our fathers in the old days, living masterpieces as they are and shining examples of true religion; and see how feeble our own achievement is, almost nothing. Heaven help us, what is our life in comparison with theirs? Holy people these, true friends of Christ, that could go hungry and thirsty in God's service; cold and ill-clad, worn out with labors and vigils and fasting, with praying and meditating on holy things, with all the persecutions and insults they endured."

― Thomas ΰ Kempis, The Imitation of Christ

Witness (Testify/Testimony) - the root word

G3144 (Strong) - Transliteration: Martus - Phonetic: mar'-toos

- Definition:

- TDNT entry: 11:54,6

Total KJV Occurrences: 28

• martyr, 1 • martyrs, 1 • record, 2 • witness, 6 • witnesses, 18

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G3140 - Transliteration: Martureo - Phonetic: mar-too-reh'-o

- Definition:

- Strong's: From G3144;

Total KJV Occurrences: 58

• charged, 1 • gave, 1 • of, 2 • record, 12 • report, 6 • testified, 6 • testifieth, 4 • testify, 3 • testifying, 1 • testimony, 3 • witness, 15 • witnessed, 3 • witnessing, 1

To testify or report of future events: (key usage in Revelation)

G3141 - Transliteration: Marturia - Phonetic: mar-too-ree'-ah

- Definition:

- Strong's: From G3144;

Total KJV Occurrences: 29

• record, 6 • report, 1 • testimony, 11 • witness, 11

- Transliteration: Marturion - Phonetic: mar-too'-ree-on

- Strong's: Neuter of a presumed derivative of G3144; something evidential that is (generally) evidence given or (specifically) the Decalogue (in the sacred Tabernacle): - to be testified testimony witness.

Total KJV Occurrences: 11

• testified, 1 • testimony, 7 • witness, 3

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Testimony - TDNTa

anaginṓskō means " to know exactly," "to recognize," and is mostly used to refer to (public) reading, e.g., a letter (Acts 15:31; 1 Th. 5:27) or the title on the cross (Jn. 19:20); usually the OT (Mk. 2:25, etc.), publicly in Lk. 4:16; Acts 13:27; the Daniel apocalypse (Mk. 13:14); the prophecy of Revelation (Rev. 1:3); and the NT (Justin Apology 67.3-4). anágnōsis, meaning "knowledge" or "recognition," is also used for public reading, as of documents or the OT, and occurs in this sense in the NT (e.g., Acts 13:15; 2 Cor. 3:14; 1 Tim. 4:13) and the early church (e.g., Clement of Alexandria paedagogus 2.10.96.2).

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1   Kimberley  Big Hole - South Africa


Apparently the largest ever hand-dug excavation in the world, this 1097 meter deep mine yielded over 3 tons of diamonds before being closed in 1914.
The amount of earth removed by workers is estimated to total 22.5 million tons.  


2.  Glory Hole - Monticello Dam

A glory hole is used when a dam is at full capacity and water needs to be drained from the reservoir.


This is the glory hole belonging to Monticello dam in California and it’s the largest in the world, its size enabling it to consume 14400 cubic feet of water every second.



The hole can be seen at the top left of the photo above.
If you were to jump in for some reason your slightly damp body would shoot out near the bottom of the dam (below).

Not all items verified by MEM

"You are called to live a life of faith. This is based on the truth revealed to you, and your belief about what is to come. Incorporating this belief into your being affects your behavior now. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. These are not vague and abstract terms. They refer to a visible present reality. For your conduct according to your faith is a bright and shining light, a testimony to the glory of God’s kingdom not yet visible. Those around you cannot see afar off in the spirit to see His kingdom, but they can see you - Matt 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."’

(Adopted from a blog post by Dale Cresap)

ENJOY YOUR COFFEE
A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, and some quite exquisite telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:  "If you noticed, all the nice-looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the
coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and, in some cases, even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups...  And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us." 

HE brews the coffee, not the cups.......... Enjoy your coffee!

Psalm 89:37 It shall be established forever like the moon, Even like the faithful witness in the sky." Selah

Psalm 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;

Psalm 78:5 For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children;

Psalm 119:88 Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.

Blessed be YHVH (Genesis 14:20 And blessed be God Most High…)