MARK – TOKEN - SIGN
First let's look at the many different uses of the word 'mark'.
Genesis 4:15 And Yahweh said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And Yahweh set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
H226 'ôth
BDB Definition: mark
1) sign, signal
1a) a distinguishing mark
1b) banner
1c) remembrance
1d) miraculous sign
1e) omen
1f) warning
2) token, ensign, standard, miracle, proof
Part of Speech: noun feminine
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: probably from H225 (verb) properly to come, that is, (impliedly) to assent: - consent. (in the sense of appearing)
Ruth 3:4 And it shall be, when he (Boaz) lieth down, that you shalt mark (H3045- notice) the place where he shall lie, and you shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay you down; and he will tell you what you shalt do.
Mark in verse 4 is H3045- to make known, and H853- sign of the definite direct object.
We shall mark (know, notice, discern) where our allegiance lies.
This is where we must be bold and declare ourselves for Yahshua Christ only!!! We, His Remnant, the future Bride of Christ, must submit ourselves humbly to Him, laying ourselves down AT HIS FEET, waiting for Him to return (awaken).
In verses 4-7, Ruth represents Israel understanding what she must do in order to prepare herself as the Bride of Christ (Boaz). Naomi represents the Old Testament (RIGHTEOUSNESS) wisdom that urges her on.
1Samuel 20:20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark (H4307- target).
2Samuel 13:28 Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark (H7200- look, see, observe, consider, regard, watch, perceive) ye now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.
1Kings 20:7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark (H3045- know), I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not.
H3045- to know, learn to know, perceive, consider, see, distinguish, recognize.
1Kings 20:22 And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark (H3045- know), and see what you doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against you.
H3045- to know, learn to know, perceive, consider, see, distinguish, recognize.
Job 7:20 I have sinned; what shall I do unto You, O You preserver of men? why hast You set me as a mark against You, so that I am a burden to myself?
H4645- target, object of assault.
The difference between Job and Cain was that Cain did not repent.
Job 16:12 I was at ease, but He hath broken me asunder: He hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for His mark.
H4307- target (figuratively of chastisement).
Job 18:2 How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak.
H995- discern, understand, consider.
Job 21:5 Mark (H6437- look upon) me, and be astonished (appalled), and lay your hand upon your mouth.
H6437- to turn toward or from or away.
Job 33:31 Mark (H7181- Pay attention) well, O Job, hearken unto me: hold your peace, and I will speak.
H7181- to hear, be attentive, heed, listen.
Job 39:1 Knowest you the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst you mark (H8104- observe) when the hinds do calve?
H8104- to keep, guard, observe, give heed, protect, attend.
Psalm 37:37 Mark (H8104- Watch) the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
H8104- to keep, guard, watch, observe, give heed, protect, attend.
Psalm 48:13 Mark (H7896- Set) ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following.
H7896- to put, set, appoint, consider.
Psalm 56:6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark (H8104- watch) my steps, when they wait for my soul.
H8104- watch, to keep, guard, observe, give heed, protect, attend.
Psalm 130:3 If You, Yahweh, shouldest mark (H8104- watch) iniquities, O Yahweh, who shall stand?
H8104- to keep, observe, give heed, protect, attend. To hedge about (as with thorns).
Lamentations 3:12 He hath bent His bow, and set me as a mark (H4307- target) for the arrow.
H4307- target (figuratively of chastisement).
Ezekiel 9:4 And Yahweh said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
H8420- signature, desire, mark (as a sign of exemption from judgment).
9:5 And to the others He said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
9:6 Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
H8420- signature, desire, mark (as a sign of exemption from judgment).
Ezekiel 44:5 And Yahweh said unto me, Son of man, mark (H7760- set your heart) well, and behold with your eyes, and hear with your ears all that I say unto you concerning all the ordinances of the house of Yahweh, and all the laws thereof; and mark (H7760- set your heart) well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary.
H7760- to put, place, set, appoint, make, attend. H3820- inner man, heart, mind, understanding.
Romans 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark (G4648- watch out for) them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
G4648- observe, take heed, watch.
Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark (G4649- goal) for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
H4649- goal or end one has in view. An observer, a watchman. Noun
3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark (G4648- look to) them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
H4648- observe, look at, regard, consider. Verb
Revelation 13:16 And he (a beast coming up out of the earth- Mystery Babylon) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
G5480- a stamp (as a badge of servitude), an imprinted mark. Noun
Birth certificate, SS#, DL#, credit cards, fiat paper notes ($), etc.
Revelation 14:9 And the third angel (messenger) followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
G5480- a stamp (as a badge of servitude), an imprinted mark. Noun
14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels (set-apart messengers), and in the presence of the Lamb:
14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
G5480- a stamp (as a badge of servitude), an imprinted mark. Noun
Revelation 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
G5480- a stamp (as a badge of servitude), an imprinted mark. Noun
Revelation 16:2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
G5480- a stamp (as a badge of servitude), an imprinted mark. Noun
Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
G5480- a stamp (as a badge of servitude), an imprinted mark. Noun
Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads (countenance), or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
G5480- a stamp (as a badge of servitude), an imprinted mark. Noun
'in their hands' – hands G5495- by the help or agency of any one, by means of any one.
From the base of G5494 to pour; akin to base of G5490 vacancy (through the idea of hollowness for grasping); the hand (literally or figuratively [power]
mark H226 used 79x.
7 + 9 = 16. 1 + 6 = 7. 7 means completion.
Completion of what?
When Satan fell from heaven, it was because of disobedience, lack of loyalty and allegiance to Yahweh. It is evident that the angels were given a chance to do it their way. They were the original superintendents of earth during the time of the creation to Genesis 2:5. During that time, the species of awdawm (H120) that was created (bara) had been defiled and corrupted by the rebel angels. Much like today's scientists that genetically modify food, animals and chemicals, the fallen angels tampered with the original creation. It is evident that the comet Phaeton was the latest 'game changer' when it smashed the continent of Atlantis into the sea and the earth became void and without form.
The survivors of this catastrophe started to repopulate the earth as the earth itself began to heal.
Chapter 2 of Genesis goes on to record the planting of Adam on the earth to relieve the fallen angels of their evil work and to establish the kingdom of Yahweh. Adam was the first of our race to receive the breath of life, the DNA, or Spirit of Yahweh, breathed into him.
The Adversary (Satan, serpent, fallen angel, Lucifer, Devil) moved right in on Eve and corrupted her by deception. The result was Cain, who was not Adam's son, and found nowhere in Adam's genealogy. Because Adam chose to accept Eve in her sinful state, he also fell. The fall of both the angels and Adam and Eve, demonstrates that there is only one WAY. Yahweh's Way. Yahweh tries His children. To do this He needs stumblingblocks. Yahweh does not do evil, but He created evil. We have free choice. When free choice chooses anything other than the right choice, the result is falling.
This mortal life is our test. We are born from above into this mortal body into this corrupted disobedient world and our duty is to remain separate and pure. To follow The Way and the law of Yahweh. We do this by studying and practicing true scripture. Following and proclaiming The Way. Loving our God and our brethren. Keeping His Shabbaths and feast days. Eating clean, living clean, thinking clean. The key is knowledge and understanding. We must have allegiance (faith).
So completion of what?
The way of Cain is the way of devils. The way of darkness. The way of death.
By following The Way, we come through this trial. We are preserved (saved) through it. By striving for the allegiance to our God by obedience, when our time is up and our mortal test is completed, we will either fall and be destroyed with the wicked, or we will shine and come through the fire.
After the test of completion (7), comes 8, renewal. This would be us putting in our Shekinah Glory, our incorruptible bodies.
Now let's observe the word used for Cain's mark. H226.
H226 'ôth oth
Probably from H225 to come, to assent;- consent (in the sense of appearing); a signal (literally or figuratively), as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.: - mark, miracle, (en-) sign, token.
The distinction between assent and consent seems to be this: assent is the agreement to an abstract proposition. We assent to a statement, but we do not consent to it. Consent is an agreement to some proposal or measure which affects the rights or interest of the consenter.
Cain assented by bringing a sacrifice. He did not consent to it because it was not a proper or worthy sacrifice.
Abstract
1. To draw from, or to separate; as to abstract an action from its evil effects; to abstract spirit from any substance by distillation (act of falling in drops); but in this sense extract (draw out, take from) is now more generally used.
2. To separate ideas by the operation of the mind; to consider one part of a complex object, or to have a partial idea of it in the mind.
Cain had his own ideas and went his own way.
These are all the verses which use H226, mark, which is the word used for Cain's mark.
Let's briefly examine each of the 79 uses to understand how it is used and it's meaning.
Genesis 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven (the sky) to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs (H226), and for seasons, and for days, and years:
These 'signs' are distinguishing marks for dividing the days, months and years.
Genesis 4:15 And Yahweh said unto him, Therefore whosoever (H3605) slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And Yahweh set a mark (H226) upon Cain, lest any (H3605) finding him should kill him.
H3605 BDB Definition:
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
This is not necessarily referring to a man. There were wild beasts in the wilderness as well.
Cain served a purpose. Cain was the first Jew, the first murderer, and the father of the stumblingblocks that are laid before us in this test called mortal life.
Some say the mark is the hook nose, which is a feature Jews have. Some say the v-shaped smile, which is also a mark. The mark is also his ways and actions. As Christ stated, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”
Some say the mark is the symbol of the cross, which is a pagan symbol. Some say the mark was his size, being a giant, as Cain was a fallen angel hybrid.
Let's keep all these possibilities in mind as we proceed.
Genesis 9:12 And God said, This is the token (H226) of the covenant which I make between Me and you (Noah) and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
9:13 I do set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token (H226) of a covenant between Me and the earth.
9:14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth (land), that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
Hint of Christ? Clouds often are metaphors for groups of people, divine beings. When Christ returns, He will cleanse the earth of evil, but by fire.
9:15 And I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood (deluge) to destroy all flesh.
9:16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth (land).
9:17 And God said unto Noah, This is the token (H226) of the covenant, which I have established between Me and all flesh that is upon the earth (the land).
Here the sign or 'mark' (token) is between Yahweh, Noah and the creatures that were with Noah.
Genesis 17:10 This is My covenant, which ye shall keep, between Me and you and your seed after you; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
Acts 7:8 And He gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.
17:11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token (H226) of the covenant betwixt Me and you.
This was the Abrahmic Covenant between Abraham, his seed, and Yahweh. The act of circumcision of the flesh, a distinguishing mark, a remembrance and a sign of the covenant with Yahweh.
This is the foreshadow and schoolmaster of the circumcision of the heart.
Yahweh chooses Moses.
Exodus 3:10 Come now therefore, and I will send you unto Pharaoh, that you mayest bring forth My people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
3:11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
3:12 And He said, Certainly I will be with you; and this shall be a token (H226) unto you, that I have sent you: When you hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
Moses was on Mount Horeb receiving instructions from Yahweh. The token, or 'sign' that Yahweh is with Moses will be demonstrated by the fulfillment of bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt and to Mount Horeb and serve Yahweh.
Moses says that the people will not believe Yahweh sent him.
Yahweh demonstrates to Moses his rod turning to a serpent, and his hand turning leprous.
Exodus 4:8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe you, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign (H226) (the rod/serpent), that they will believe the voice of the latter sign (H226) (leprosy).
4:9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs (H226), neither hearken unto your voice, that you shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which you takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
4:10 And Moses said unto Yahweh, O my Elohiym, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since You hast spoken unto Your servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
Moses had burned his mouth with a hot coal in infancy and had a speech impediment from the injury. (Jasher 70:29)
4:11 And Yahweh said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I Yahweh?
4:12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shalt say.
4:13 And he said, O my Elohiym, send, I pray You, by the hand of him whom You wilt send.
Septuagint: 13 And Moses said, I pray Thee, Yahweh, appoint another able person whom Thou shalt send.
4:14 And the anger of Yahweh was kindled against Moses, and He said, Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet you: and when he seeth you, he will be glad in his heart.
4:15 And you shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.
4:16 And he shall be your spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to you instead of a mouth, and you shalt be to him instead of God.
4:17 And you shalt take this rod in your hand, wherewith you shalt do signs (H226).
The Septuagint has: '...wherewith you shalt work miracles.'
4:28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of Yahweh who had sent him, and all the signs (H226) which He had commanded him.
4:29 And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:
4:30 And Aaron spake all the words which Yahweh had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs (H226) in the sight of the people.
4:31 And the people believed: and when they heard that Yahweh had visited the children of Israel, and that He had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
These 'sign's were miracles, tokens of proof that Yahweh is God.
Exodus 7:3 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs (H226) and My wonders in the land of Egypt.
Yahweh showed many 'signs' and miracles of His power in the land of Egypt.
Exodus 8:23 And I will put a division between My people and your people: to morrow shall this sign (H226) be.
8:24 And Yahweh did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies (mosquitoes) into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies (mosquitoes).
These 'signs' were miracles of pestilence and punishment to the Egyptians.
Exodus 10:1 And Yahweh said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these My signs (H226) before him:
10:2 And that you mayest tell in the ears of your son, and of your son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and My signs (H226) which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am Yahweh.
Yahweh demonstrates more 'signs' of His wrath upon Pharaoh.
Yahweh makes sure Moses knows that all of this is to be recounted to all the posterity of Israel.
Exodus 12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token (H226) upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
The blood on the doorway was a 'sign' or mark that identified the children of Israel from the Egyptians. The plague of death passed over them. This is also a foreshadow of Christ's sacrifice.
After the Passover, we are to celebrate the feast of unleavened bread. Seven days we shall eat unleavened bread, as a memorial of our ancestors that were brought out of Egypt (captivity).
Exodus 13:9 And it shall be for a sign (H226) unto you upon your hand (repetition), and for a memorial between your eyes (showing mental qualities), that Yahweh's law may be in your mouth: for with a strong hand hath Yahweh brought you out of Egypt.
The 'sign' is keeping the feasts, in repetition, every year.
The memorial is keeping the allegiance (faith) both in thoughts, acts, deeds and words.
13:10 Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his (it's) season (appointed time) from year to year.
13:11 And it shall be when Yahweh shall bring you into the land of the Canaanites, as He sware unto you and to your fathers, and shall give it you,
13:12 That you shalt set apart (be holy) unto Yahweh all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which you hast; the males shall be Yahweh's. (Lev 27:26)
13:13 And every firstling of an ass you shalt redeem with a lamb; and if you wilt not redeem it, then you shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among your children shalt you redeem.
13:14 And it shall be when your son asketh you in time to come, saying, What is this? that you shalt say unto him, By strength of hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:
13:15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that Yahweh slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to Yahweh all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.
13:16 And it shall be for a token (H226) upon your hand, and for frontlets between your eyes: for by strength of hand Yahweh brought us forth out of Egypt.
Frontlets are defined in Strong's as phylacteries. These have a small piece of scroll inside, with these scriptures on it. This is a big thing in “Jewish” tradition, and the scroll/boxes are made in the state of Israel and cost big dollars.
Metaphorically, the 'sign on your hand' means to do the works commanded by Yahweh, and 'between your eyes' means to keep your mind on Yahweh's laws.
The 'traditions of the elders' has substituted rituals for following the intent of the words of Yahweh. Christ scolded the elders (Jews) for this. Yahweh's law should be in your heart, not in a box or put on as a show, but be a truth to live by. Symbolism over substance.
Exodus 31:13 Speak you also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily My sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign (H226) between Me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am Yahweh that doth sanctify you.
Yahweh is speaking to our race, not all races. This is our history and heritage and God.
31:14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul (person) shall be cut off from among his people.
31:15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy (set apart) to Yahweh: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. (Lev 23:3 Deut 5:12-14)
This is serious stuff.
31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
Who? Everybody? No. Nowhere does the Bible extend the promises and covenants made to the children of Israel to everybody else. This is the book of the generations of Adam.
31:17 It is a sign (H226) between Me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days (ages, eons) Yahweh made heaven (the sky) and earth (the land), and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed.
31:18 And He gave unto Moses, when He had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
The Sabbath was for man to rest one out of seven days. It is a commandment and a sign of the covenant with Israel.
Numbers 2:1 And Yahweh spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
2:2 Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign (H226) of their father's house: far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch.
The ensign was the flag, or symbol of each tribe. Such as Judah the lion, Reuben the man, Simeon a sword, Naphtali a deer, etc.
Numbers 14:11 And Yahweh said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke Me? and how long will it be ere they believe Me, for all the signs (H226) which I have shewed among them?
Yahweh showed the children of Israel many miracles.
14:22 Because all those men which have seen My glory, and My miracles (H226), which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted Me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to My voice;
14:23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked Me see it:
Ezekiel 20:15 Yet also I lifted up My hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;
16 Because they despised My judgments, and walked not in My statutes, but polluted My sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.
Numbers 16:38 The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before Yahweh, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign (H226) unto the children of Israel.
This 'sign' would be for a remembrance of challenging Yahweh's authority.
16:39 And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:
16:40 To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before Yahweh; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as Yahweh said to him by the hand of Moses.
Stranger here is zur. Not of family lineage. Here it refers to the lineage of Aaron.
Korah was a Levite, as was Aaron, but Yahweh chose Aaron's direct lineage as the High priests. Korah and his sons had other priesthood duties. Korah challenged Yahweh's choice and was destroyed for it, along with those that followed his rebellion.
Yahweh had Moses have each tribe bring a rod and laid them before Yahweh in the tabernacle of witness.
Numbers 17:8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
17:9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before Yahweh unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.
17:10 And Yahweh said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token (H226) against the rebels; and you shalt quite take away their murmurings from Me, that they die not.
Yahweh showed them that He chose Aaron of the tribe of Levi as His priesthood. Putting to rest the murmurings of who is in charge of the priesthood, and that Korah and his men were rebels.
Moses teaches the children of Israel that obedience is commanded, idolatry forbidden, and that Yahweh chose Israel as His people and His nation. Moses reminds them of all the things Yahweh did for them.
Deuteronomy 4:34 Or hath God assayed to go and take Him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs (H226), and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that Yahweh your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
Yahweh showed Israel these signs, miracles and wonders.
Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: Yahweh our God is one Sovereign:
6:5 And you shalt love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.
6:6 And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart:
6:7 And you shalt teach them diligently unto your children, and shalt talk of them when you sittest in your house, and when you walkest by the way, and when you liest down, and when you risest up.
Psalm 78:4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of Yahweh, and His strength, and His wonderful works that He hath done.
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:
6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
6:8 And you shalt bind them for a sign (H226) upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
The words of Yahweh and the obedience of those words shall we keep in our hearts, minds, thoughts, actions and words. We shall bind His words into our countenance as a sign and token of our allegiance to Him.
6:22 And Yahweh shewed signs (H226) and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes:
Signs are fruits of proof. Yahweh has proven His allegiance to us, we must show Him signs and wonders that we have allegiance to Him. “Just believing, and accepting Him into your heart, and declaring yourself saved” are not signs of proof or allegiance.
Deuteronomy 7:12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, if you hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that Yahweh your God shall keep unto you the covenant and the mercy which He sware unto your fathers:
7:13 And He will love you, and bless you, and multiply you: He will also bless the fruit of your womb, and the fruit of your land, your corn, and your wine, and your oil, the increase of your kine, and the flocks of your sheep, in the land which He sware unto your fathers to give you.
John 14:21 He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.
7:14 You shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.
7:15 And Yahweh will take away from you all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knowest, upon you; but will lay them upon all them that hate you. (Ex 15:26)
7:16 And you shalt consume all the people which Yahweh your God shall deliver you; your eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt you serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto you.
7:17 If you shalt say in your heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?
7:18 You shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what Yahweh your God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;
7:19 The great temptations which your eyes saw, and the signs (H226), and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby Yahweh your God brought you out: so shall Yahweh your God do unto all the people of whom you art afraid.
7:20 Moreover Yahweh your God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from you, be destroyed.
7:21 You shalt not be affrighted at them: for Yahweh your God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.
7:22 And Yahweh your God will put out those nations before you by little and little: you mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon you.
7:23 But Yahweh your God shall deliver them unto you, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.
When we obey Yahweh, we witness His signs of blessings towards us and curses towards our enemies.
When we disobey Yahweh, we witness His signs of curses towards us and punishment from our enemies.
Deuteronomy 11:1 Therefore you shalt love Yahweh your God, and keep His charge, and His statutes, and His judgments, and His commandments, always.
11:2 And know you this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of Yahweh your God, His greatness, His mighty hand, and His stretched out arm,
11:3 And His miracles (H226), and His acts, which He did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land;
11:18 Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign (H226) upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
His words (laws) should be in our intellect, our inner being-emotional center, a perpetual remembrance.
Verse 18 is misused by Talmudists (Jews), and instead of a metaphorical passage, it is taken literally by them. It was never intended by Moses (or Yahweh) to literally bind little boxes of scripture on your arms and head. You are to DO these commandments with your hands, and KEEP them on your mind.
Deuteronomy 13:1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth you a sign (H226) or a wonder,
13:2 And the sign (H226) or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto you, saying, Let us go after other gods, which you hast not known, and let us serve them;
13:3 You shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for Yahweh your God proveth you, to know whether you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
2Thessalonians 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
13:4 Ye shall walk after Yahweh your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him, and cleave unto Him.
13:5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from Yahweh your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust you out of the way which Yahweh your God commanded you to walk in. So shalt you put the evil away from the midst of you.
Signs and wonders can be performed by false preachers, but the test is to discern if it agrees with Yahweh or leads you away from Yahweh.
Deuteronomy 26:8 And Yahweh brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs (H226), and with wonders:
Yahweh showed miracles and warnings, and proofs of His power and will.
Chapter 28 details the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience.
Deuteronomy 28:46 And they shall be upon you for a sign (H226) and for a wonder, and upon your seed for ever.
Yahweh has a special relationship with the seed of Jacob. We are the only family that Yahweh has a relationship with. We agreed to covenant with Him, we are married to Him, and we are either blessed or cursed depending on our obedience or disobedience of this covenant.
Keep the covenant
Deuteronomy 29:1 These are the words of the covenant, which Yahweh commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which He made with them in Horeb.
29:2 And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that Yahweh did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land;
29:3 The great temptations which your eyes have seen, the signs (H226), and those great miracles:
29:4 Yet Yahweh hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.
Isaiah 6:9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
29:5 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and your shoe is not waxen old upon your foot.
29:6 Ye have not eaten bread, neither have you drunk wine or strong drink: that you might know that I am Yahweh your God.
29:7 And when you came unto this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us unto battle, and we smote them:
29:8 And we took their land, and gave it for an inheritance unto the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half tribe of Manasseh.
29:9 Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.
Deuteronomy 34:11 In all the signs (H226) and the wonders, which Yahweh sent him (Moses) to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land,
34:12 And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel.
Rahab, the inn keeper, hid the Israelite spies.
Joshua 2:12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by Yahweh, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token (H226):
2:13 And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
2:14 And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when Yahweh hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.
Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
2:17 And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which you hast made us swear.
Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of Yahweh thy God in vain; for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.
2:18 Behold, when we come into the land, you shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which you didst let us down by: and you shalt bring your father, and your mother, and your brethren, and all your father's household, home unto you.
2:19 And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.
The spies agreed to preserve Rahab and her family if they 'mark' their home with the said sign.
Joshua commanded each tribe to take a stone out of the Jordan and carry it over with them.
Joshua 4:6 That this may be a sign (H226) among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
4:7 Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
This act was of setting up a memorial of crossing the Jordan.
Joshua 24:17 For Yahweh our God, He it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs (H226) in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:
The covenant is renewed before the death of Joshua. Before his death he gathered all the tribes and gave them a history lesson, reminded them of the miracles and signs of Yahweh, and reiterated the importance of obedience.
Judges 6:17 And he (Gideon) said unto Him, If now I have found grace in Your sight, then shew me a sign (H226) that You talkest with me.
Gideon was talking with a messenger of Yahweh about the Midianites and needed encouragement that Yahweh would be with him. He brings an offering, and the messenger shows an undeniable sign.
6:22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel (messenger) of Yahweh, Gideon said, Alas, O Yahweh GOD! for because I have seen an angel (messenger) of Yahweh face to face.
6:23 And (the messenger of) Yahweh said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: you shalt not die.
1Samuel 2:34 And this shall be a sign (H226) unto you, that shall come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.
Eli was a priest. He had two sons that were unrighteous priests that took advantage of the people.
Eli is being chastised for allowing his sons to go astray.
The 'sign' was a warning and proof that Yahweh's standards were not being met.
Saul anointed by Samuel
1Samuel 10:1 Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because Yahweh hath anointed thee to be captain over His inheritance?
10:2 When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?
10:3 Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine:
10:4 And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands.
10:5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy:
10:6 And the Spirit of Yahweh will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
10:7 And let it be, when these signs (H226) are come unto you, that you do as occasion serve you; for God is with you.
10:8 And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do.
10:9 And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs (H226) came to pass that day.
These signs, described in verses 2-6, were proof that Saul was marked as Yahweh's choice.
Jonathan and his armourbearer went to fight the Philistines, without telling his father and the others.
1Samuel 14:6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that Yahweh will work for us: for there is no restraint to Yahweh to save by many or by few.
14:7 And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.
14:8 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.
14:9 If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.
14:10 But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for Yahweh hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign (H226) unto us.
14:11 And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.
14:12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for Yahweh hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.
Yahweh gave Jonathan the 'sign' that He was with them and that was the proof Jonathan needed to defeat that garrison of the Philistines.
The Assyrians had taken all of the house of Israel and most of the house of Judah, save the inhabitants of Jerusalem, which they were coming for.
Hezekiah prayed to Yahweh.
2Kings 19:20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith Yahweh God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.
Sennacherib blasphemed Yahweh and boasted of his own power and might.
19:28 Because thy rage against Me and thy tumult is come up into Mine ears, therefore I will put My hook in thy nose, and My bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.
19:29 And this shall be a sign (H226) unto you, Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruits thereof. (Isa 37:30)
19:32 Therefore thus saith Yahweh concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it.
19:33 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith Yahweh.
19:34 For I will defend this city, to save it, for Mine own sake, and for My servant David's sake.
19:35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of Yahweh went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand (185,000): and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. (Is 37:36)
The ancient inscriptions of the Assyrians tell that Sennacherib kept Hezekiah “like a bird in a cage”. This was to blur the fact that the king of Assyria failed in taking Jerusalem.
2Kings 20:8 And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign (H226) that Yahweh will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of Yahweh the third day? (Isa 38:22)
20:9 And Isaiah said, This sign (H226) shalt you have of Yahweh, that Yahweh will do the thing that He hath spoken: shall the shadow (of the dial) go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?
20:10 And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.
Nehemiah 9:10 And shewedst signs (H226) and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for you knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst you get you a name, as it is this day.
Upon their return to Jerusalem after Babylonian captivity, Nehemiah reminded the Israelites of Yahweh's miracles that He showed their ancestors when He took them out of Egypt. And that they must keep the covenant, obey His laws, cast out the strange women and children of mixed races, and to follow The Way.
Job 21:29 Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens (H226),
21:30 That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.
Job is speaking about the wicked. Their 'tokens' are their telltale signs. By their fruits shall ye know them.
Psalm 65:8 They also that dwell in the uttermost parts (entire heavens/skies) are afraid at Your tokens (H226): You makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.
Psalm 74:4 Your enemies roar in the midst of Your congregations; they set up their ensigns (H226) for signs (H226).
The Hebrew ends as “...they appoint their signs as Your signs.”
The Septuagint has: And they that hate Thee have boasted in the midst of Thy feast; they have set up their standards for signs,
The Jews have taken our laws and heritage and made them their own, hence 'the traditions of men', and today's “church” doctrine. Judaism.
The Jews have taken the laws of Moses and changed them into Judaism, which is what today's Judeo-Christianity is based on. Today's Christianity is NOT the original Way.
The religion of the Jews and today's “churches” are only deceptive forms of Christianity.
The star of David is not even an Israelite symbol. It is the star of Rempham, a Canaanite god, which Solomon worshiped as a result of taking strange wives not of his race and following their gods.
Today's denominations blaspheme Yahweh every day claiming their religion is Christianity, which it is most certainly NOT. Read Psalm 74:4 again.
They set up 'their' Jewish Jesus, 'their' doctrine, 'their' path to salvation.
Psalm 74:9 We see not our signs (H226): there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
74:10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach (taunt)? shall the (hated) enemy blaspheme Your name for ever?
This Psalm is also an appeal to Yahweh to take action against the destroyers of the temple of Solomon, and the enemies of Israel. Israel was being punished for it's iniquities at the time, and Asaph reminded Yahweh of the former times when He had done awesome works and showed His power.
Psalm 78:40 How oft did they provoke (disobey) Him in the wilderness, and grieve Him in the desert!
78:41 Yea, they turned back and tempted (tested) God, and limited (vexed) the Holy One of Israel.
78:42 They remembered not His hand, nor the day when He delivered them from the enemy.
78:43 How He had wrought His signs (H226) in Egypt, and His wonders in the field of Zoan:
Psalm 86:17 Shew me a token (H226) for good (sign of favor); that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because You, Yahweh, hast holpen me, and comforted me.
David's prayer for forgiveness, preservation and protection. He asks Yahweh for a sign that will demonstrate to those that hate him that Yahweh is with him.
Psalm 105:27 They shewed His signs (H226) among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.
Psalm 135:9 Who sent tokens (H226) and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants.
More remembrance of the miracles Yahweh showed Israel in Egypt.
These examples of 'signs' in the Psalms are signs of miracles, favor, deceptions and false banners.
Isaiah 7:10 Moreover Yahweh spake again unto Ahaz, saying,
7:11 Ask you a sign (H226) of Yahweh your God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
7:12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt Yahweh.
7:13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
7:14 Therefore Yahweh himself shall give you a sign (H226); Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
A proof, a miracle, a standard, a prodigy. Christ was the proof of this 'sign'.
The Israelites were in the process of being taken away captive by the Assyrians. The sign was a reassurance that a remnant would be preserved and return and bring in the Messiah.
The Israelites were going to be punished and carried of into captivity for disobedience to Yahweh. The Assyrians were the rod of His punishment. The Israelites were to accept this punishment, and be preserved through it. They were not to fear the Assyrians, or seek help from the other nations. They were to fear Yahweh.
Isaiah 8:13 Sanctify Yahweh of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.
Psalm 76:7 Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?
Luke 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him, which after He hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
8:14 And He shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin (trap) and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
The houses of Israel and the inhabitants of Jerusalem are two different peoples. The houses of Israel and Judah were the sons of Jacob, our ancestors. The inhabitants of Jerusalem would be those of the house of Esau (Jews).
Ezekiel 11:16 Therefore say, Thus saith Yahweh GOD; Although I have cast them (Jacob) far off among the nations, and although I have scattered them (Jacob) among the countries, yet will I be to them (Jacob) as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.
Luke 2:34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
Romans 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.
8:15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
Matthew 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
Romans 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the nations be come in.
8:16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
8:17 And I will wait upon Yahweh, that hideth His face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for Him.
Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
8:18 Behold, I and the children whom Yahweh hath given me are for signs (H226) and for wonders in Israel from Yahweh of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.
A Messianic prophecy.
Hebrews 2:13 And again, I will be confident in Him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
John 1:12 But as many who received Him, He gave to them the authority which the children of Yahweh are to attain, to those believing in His Name.
The miracles performed by the apostles were the fulfillment of verse 18.
Chapter 19 is the doom of Egypt. The Hamites were consumed through race mixing with the children of Cain.
Isaiah 19:14 Yahweh hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.
19:19 In that day shall there be an altar to Yahweh in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to Yahweh.
Exodus 24:4 And Moses wrote all the words of Yahweh, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
This was when all Israel swore to obey Yahweh's commandments. The Law.
19:20 And it shall be for a sign (H226) and for a witness unto Yahweh of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto Yahweh because of the oppressors, and He shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and He shall deliver them.
Another reference to Christ. Moses was also a 'type' of Christ, as was Joshua and David.
Isaiah 20:3 And Yahweh said, Like as My servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign (H226) and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;
20:4 So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.
The original Egyptians and Ethiopians were white nations. Descendants of Ham.
After generations and generations of idolatry and race mixing with the children of Cain, and later on Negros, the bloodline was changed forever, hence the doom of Egypt. Today's Egyptians and Arabs are the result of centuries of race mixing. America and the other white nations of Jacob are following the same path. Race mixing is the only way the enemy can defeat us.
Isaiah 44:24 Thus saith Yahweh, thy redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb, I am Yahweh that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by Myself;
44:25 That frustrateth the tokens (H226) of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;
Jeremiah 50:36 A sword is upon the liars; and they shall dote: a sword is upon her mighty men; and they shall be dismayed.
1Corinthians 1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
Yahweh breaks the omens and signs of liars.
Isaiah 55:6 Seek ye Yahweh while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near:
55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto Yahweh, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
55:13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to Yahweh for a name, for an everlasting sign (H226) that shall not be cut off.
When we choose Yahweh's Way, He will deal with the thorns and briers, and we will flourish. The sign and token of our obedience will distinguish the mark of blessings.
Isaiah 66:16 For by fire and by His sword will Yahweh plead with all flesh: and the slain of Yahweh shall be many.
66:17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination (unclean), and the mouse (entangler, attacker), shall be consumed together, saith Yahweh.
The false “church” doctrine of personal salvation. “Just believe” and “accept Him” and by your own declaration, you are “saved”. And eating pork and other unclean animals.
The doctrine of Christ. “Just obey” and “seek knowledge and understanding of Him” and do and practice His ways and you will be “preserved”.
66:18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see My glory.
66:19 And I will set a sign (H226) among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard My fame, neither have seen My glory; and they shall declare My glory among the nations.
The nations (wrongly Gentiles) are referring to the nations of Israel. The children of Jacob. Christ came for all the tribes of Israel, near and far. The reconciliation is with the two houses of Israel and Judah. The 'sign' was Christ. The gospel is the message and reminder of the heritage, traditions, prophecies, law and redemption of the children of Jacob.
Jeremiah 10:2 Thus saith Yahweh, Learn not the way of the heathen (nations), and be not dismayed at the signs (H226) of heaven (the sky); for the heathen (nations) are dismayed at them.
Jeremiah 32:20 Which hast set signs (H226) and wonders in the land of Egypt, even unto this day, and in Israel, and among other men; and hast made you a name, as at this day;
32:21 And hast brought forth Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs (H226), and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror;
More reminders of the miracles and signs Yahweh did for our ancestors.
Too bad the “churches” reject the history of our forefathers, and this is why they believe the lies of Judeo-Christianity. The Jews are NOT Israelites. The Jews are children of Cain and of Esau.
Jeremiah 44:29 And this shall be a sign (H226) unto you, saith Yahweh, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that My words shall surely stand against you for evil:
Zedekiah and others tried to flee to Egypt to escape the Babylonian captivity.
Yahweh sent the Babylonians to punish Israel for their disobedience, and He wanted them to accept their punishment and if they did they would be preserved through it. Those that tried to escape it were slain.
These examples also show that the 'rapture' is not a scriptural doctrine. We don't escape our trials and punishment. The lesson is to follow Yahweh even during our trials and tribulations and He will preserve us through it, and we earn our position in the kingdom by allegiance (faith).
A symbol of the siege
Ezekiel 4:1 Thou also, son of man, take you a tile, and lay it before you, and portray upon it the city, even Jerusalem:
He is drawing a picture.
4:2 And lay siege against it, and build a fort against it, and cast a mount against it; set the camp also against it, and set battering rams against it round about.
4:3 Moreover take you unto you an iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between you and the city: and set your face against it, and it shall be besieged, and you shalt lay siege against it. This shall be a sign (H226) to the house of Israel.
A warning to disobedient Israel.
Ezekiel 14:6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith Yahweh GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
14:7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger (sojourning kinsmen) that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from Me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning Me; I Yahweh will answer him by Myself:
14:8 And I will set My face against that man, and will make him a sign (H226) and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people; and ye shall know that I am Yahweh.
The Septuagint has: “...and will make him desolate and ruined,...”
A marked man, a warning, a proof of what will happen to idolaters.
Ezekiel 20:12 Moreover also I gave them My sabbaths, to be a sign (H226) between Me and them, that they might know that I am Yahweh that sanctify them.
20:19 I am Yahweh your God; walk in My statutes, and keep My judgments, and do them;
20:20 And hallow My sabbaths; and they shall be a sign (H226) between Me and you, that ye may know that I am Yahweh your God.
When we keep the sabbaths, it is a proof of our action that we obey Yahweh.
Now that we examined all the places 'mark' (sign, token, miracles, standard, proof, banner, warning) H226 occurs, what have we learned?
Yahweh's signs:
Divides the days
Shows Yahweh's miracles
Shows examples of His curses
Are tests to prove our allegiance and discernment
Shows proofs of His approval and of His disapproval
Shows signs of the wicked
Shows signs of miracles, deceptions, favor
Shows punishment and examples of what happens to rebels
Shows obedience of keeping signs such as the Shabbaths and feasts
Shows signs that Yahweh is with those that obey
Shows signs of blessings and/or curses
So let's look at the verse about Cain again.
Genesis 4:15 And Yahweh said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And Yahweh set a mark (H226) upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
Yahweh did not take vengeance on Cain, ... yet.
Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith Yahweh.
Without Cain and his descendants, this mortal life would not be much of a test to prove our allegiance and loyalty to Yahweh.
The mark must be his countenance, the actions and practices of his satanic seedline.
Matthew 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
The race of Cain and of Esau are satanic. They are oppressors and parasites. Just look at every position of power today. It is held by a Jew. The banks, the media, the government, the large companies and industry owners, corporations, the teachers and professors, judges and law makers, Hollywood. They have infiltrated and taken control. They manufacture the drugs and pharmaceuticals. They own and run the porn industry and kidnap and sacrifice children. They have deceived the world into believing that they are the Israelites of scripture, and that Jesus is a Jew.
Jesus Christ identified them as children of the Devil and descendants of Cain and called them out on it in John chapter 8, as well as other places.
John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning (Cain murdered Abel), and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Let's go over all the definitions of 'mark' again and relate it to Cain.
1) sign, signal
Something by which another thing is shown or represented. A motion, action, nod or gesture.
Cain's Way was a representation of disobedience, wickedness, greed and murder.
1a) a distinguishing mark
Physically - Jews are distinguished by their facial features, the hook nose, v-shaped smile, sloped forehead, and overall health. Jews have some of the worst health issues, and it's because they are the most race mixed people on earth. They are not white yet they claim they are Semites. A Semite is a white person, and the word comes from Shem, son of Noah, and forefather of Jacob/Israel.
Mentally – Jews are deceptive, defiant, crafty, and always have evil intent.
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which Yahweh God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Spiritually – Jews do not have the Spirit (DNA) of Yahweh because they are not of Yahweh.
John 8:47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
1b) banner
Their banner is the 6 pointed star of Remphan, a pagan god. Six is the number of man, human weakness, and the manifestations of Satan. They claim they are of Judah, but they know they are not, and their own writings state they are of Cain and of Esau.
1c) remembrance
Cain certainly remembers that he was rejected by Yahweh, and killed Abel for it. Cain remembers that the sons of Adam were sent to replace him and the rest of his father's hybrid children. Cain and his seed are genetically against the seed of Adam. The enmity of Genesis 3:15. Cain's children mixed with Esau's children, who remember that Jacob was given the birthright and blessings. Esau believes he was usurped twice by Jacob, but Esau not only despised his own race and married Canaanite wives, which disqualified him of the birthright, he also sold it to Jacob, which was done in writing among witnesses. Isaac later blessed Jacob, who posed as Esau. This was a divine interception because Isaac was deceived by his belly and did not know of the contract of the birthright.
1d) miraculous sign
Yahweh showed His miracles of blessings to the children of Jacob. And the miraculous signs of curses to the children of Cain and of Esau.
1e) omen
An omen is a sign of some future event. The omens connected to Cain and his posterity was that of wrath and destruction. Zechariah 14:21 is the prophecy of end of the Canaanites. The book of Obadiah is the prophecy of the end of the Edomites.
1f) warning
The scriptures are full of warnings of the ways of Cain and Esau. Every book warns us to remain separate from these curses seed races. To not marry, deal with, promise or covenant with. They were to be exterminated, but our ancestors failed to do it, and now these briers and thorns and tares grow among us and lead us astray.
2) token, ensign, standard, miracle, proof
All these ways of Cain can be discerned from the ways of Yahweh. The tokens, ensigns, standards, miracles and proof of the fruits of Cain and his children lead to destruction.
Flag - Jews are known to orchestrate false flags. These are events that they plan, carry out by covert action and agitation to create a problem, and then offer a solution for that problem. The results include the stripping of our Godly laws, our Constitution, and the adding of regulations and liberal rules.
Beacon – a beacon is a notice of danger. The Jew”s very actions and countenance should be a loud and clear warning, but we have been dumbed down and deceived by their propaganda and can no longer tell the difference between good and evil.
Monument – The Jews sure have their monuments. From the wailing wall of Herod, to their demonic symbols and images, to their repeated lies of the holocaust and impersonation of Israel. Many statues of gods all over our land, on the Capitol building, Ellis Island, UN in New York, Fed Reserve Bank, satanic layout of D.C., are just a few of them. And they sure like to take down our Christian monuments which include the 10 commandments, and national treasures.
Prodigy – The Jews are certainly out of the ordinary process of nature. They are offspring of satan and the fallen angels. They defy nature and constantly seek to pervert it.
Evidence – The Jews are masters at elucidating and disabling the Christian mind from seeing truth. With constant propaganda and deception they have deceived the whole world, just as Revelation 12:9 states. The evidence is against them.
A primitive root; properly to come, that is, (impliedly) to assent: - consent.
Cain assented to bring an offering to Yahweh, but he did not consent, he was not in agreement of Yahweh's Way. He wanted to do things his own way.
The way of Cain was his 'mark', his sign, his standard, his way of being, his countenance.
Some say the 'mark' of Cain was his size. Being the offspring of the fallen angel (serpent, Devil) and Eve, he would have been a hybrid, just like the Rephaim giants.
Below is another interesting possibility.
From Hope of Israel Ministries
There is much more to the story of Cain and Abel than you probably think!
Josephus, the eminent Judahite historian of the first century, gives us much greater insight into this matter. In his Antiquities of the Jews (Judaeans) he records:
"Adam and Eve had two sons. The elder of them was named Cain, which name, when it is interpreted, signifies a possession; the younger was Abel, which signifies sorrow. They had also daughters. Now, the two brothers were pleased with different courses of life; for Abel, the younger, was a lover of righteousness, and, believing that God was present at all his actions, he excelled in virtue, and his employment was that of a shepherd. But Cain was not only very wicked in other respects, but was WHOLLY INTENT UPON GETTING [possessing], and he first contrived to plough the ground.
"He slew his brother on the occasion following: -- They had resolved to sacrifice to God. Now Cain brought the fruits of the earth, and of his husbandry; but Abel brought milk, and the first-fruits of his flocks; but God was more delighted with the latter oblation, when he was honored with what grew naturally of its own accord, than he was with what was the invention of a covetous man, and gotten by forcing the ground; whence it was that Cain was very angry that Abel was preferred by God before him; and he slew his brother, and hid his dead body, thinking to escape discovery.
"But God, knowing what had been done, came to Cain, and asked him what was become of his brother, because he had not seen him of many days, whereas he used to observe them conversing together at other times. But Cain was in doubt with himself, and knew not what answer to give to God. At first he said that he was himself at a loss about his brother's disappearance; but when he was provoked by God, who pressed him vehemently, as resolving to know what the matter was, he replied he was not his brother's guardian or keeper, nor was he an observor of what he did.
"But in return, God convicted Cain as having been the murderer of his brother; and said, "I wonder at you, that you knowest not what is become of a man whom you thyself hast destroyed.' God therefore did not inflict the punishment [of death] upon him, on account of his offering sacrifice, and thereby making supplication to Him not to be extreme in His wrath to him; but He made him accursed, and threatened his posterity in the seventh generation.
"He also cast him, together with his wife, out of that land. And when he was afraid that in wandering about he should fall among wild beasts, and by that means perish, God bid him not to entertain such a melancholy suspicion, and to go over all the earth without fear of what mischief he might suffer from wild beasts; and setting a mark upon him that he might be known, he commanded him to depart" (Ant., I, 2, 1).
Josephus goes on to tell us that after Cain travelled over many countries, he,
"with his wife, built a city, named Nod, which is a place so called, and there he settled his abode; where also he had children. However, he did not accept his punishment in order to amendment, but to increase his wickedness; for he only aimed to procure everything that was for his own bodily pleasure, though it obliged him to be injurious to his neighbors. He augmented his household substance with much wealth, by rapine and violence; he excited his acquaintance to procure pleasures and spoils by robbery, and became a GREAT LEADER OF MEN INTO WICKED COURSES.
"He also introduced a change in that way of simplicity wherein men lived before; and was the author of measures and weights. And whereas they lived innocently and generously while they knew nothing of such arts, HE CHANGED THE WORLD INTO CUNNING CRAFTINESS. He first of all set boundaries about lands; he built a city, and fortified it with walls, and he compelled his family to come together to it; and called that city Enoch, after the name of his eldest son Enoch."
By the fifth generation after Cain, his great-great grandson Lamech had three notable sons -- Jabal, who erected tents and loved the life of a shepherd; Jubal, his brother, who loved music, and invented the psaltery and harp. His name probably is that from which came "jobel," the trumpet of jobel or jubilee. His half-brother was Tubal, who "exceeded all men in strength, and was very expert and famous in martial performances. He procured what tended to the pleasures of the body by that method [war]; and first of all invented the art of making brass."
Lamech, his father, was "so skillful in matters of divine revelation" -- probably consulted demons through witchcraft, the occult, and pagan methods of divination -- "that he knew he was to be punished for Cain's murder of his brother, he made that known to his wives. Nay, even while Adam was alive, it came to pass that the posterity of Cain became exceedingly wicked, every one successively dying one after another, more wicked than the former. They were intolerable in war, and vehement in robberies; and if any one were slow to murder people, yet was he bold in his profligate behavior, in acting unjustly, and doing injury for gain."
Thus, when we combine the Biblical account, with the account of Josephus, we find that Cain was the first man to build cities, and to place people inside them -- obviously so he could more easily "control" them. He became the world's first "tyrant." He was the first political dictator, and founded a society in distinct rebellion against the laws of YAHWEH God. Those laws meant nothing whatsoever to Cain and his followers and his children. The laws of YAHWEH God were considered to be for the weak and foolish, not intended for the intellectual elite of Cain and his leadership.
No doubt, also, that Cain began the world's system of taxation, to compel those in his cities to "pay" for their city services, "protection," and "government," and he and his cronies and aides lived very well of the spoils of the conquests, and the "taxes" they extorted from their followers and slaves. All this, no doubt, in the "name" of Cain, "servant of God," the world's first "benefactor." Thus this whole worldly "Babylonish" system really began with none other than Cain, the son of Adam, who murdered his brother Abel out of a fit of jealous rage!
It was Cain and those following in his steps that Yashua the Messiah was actually referring to when he said to his disciples: "You know that the RULERS of the Gentiles (Nations) LORD IT OVER THEM, and their high officials EXERCISE AUTHORITY over them [and love to do so!]. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:25-28).
The Messiah added, "The KINGS of the Gentiles (Nations) lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves BENEFACTORS. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves" (Luke 22:25-26).
Cain was the first "overlord," the first "benefactor." No doubt that is what he claimed to be, although it was all a charade, a cover-up, a pretense. No doubt he compelled men to virtually "worship" before him, like pagan kings have done for millennia, and professed himself to be a "god." In fact, there is evidence that he considered himself to be the "promised Messiah," and that is one of the reasons he was so outraged when YAHWEH God rejected his offering, but accepted that of his "weakling" brother Abel, who did not have the sheer drive, force, and cunning that Cain did. Cain was ambitious -- and he could not tolerate "loss of face" before his brother and family. He was proud, arrogant, and stubborn. He would not allow YAHWEH God to treat him the way he did; so he rose up and slew Abel, his "competitor" in the sight of the world. Thus he put an end to his "competition," once and for all.
The First False Messiah
Alfred Edersheim in his Old Testament History, gives us further insight into the character of Cain. He writes:
"Of the two sons of Adam and Eve, Cain was the elder, and indeed, as we gather, the first-born of all their children. Throughout antiquity, and in the East to this day, proper names are regarded as significant of a deeper meaning. When Eve called her first-born son Cain ('gotten,' or 'acquired'), she said, 'I have gotten a man from Yahveh.' Apparently, she connected the birth of her son with the IMMEDIATE FULFILLMENT OF THE PROMISE concerning the Seed, who was to bruise the head of the serpent. This expectation was, if we may be allowed the comparison, as natural on her part as that of the immediate return of our Lord by some of the early Christians.
"It also showed how deeply this hope had sunk into her heart, how lively was her faith in the fulfillment of the promise, and how ardent her longing for it. But if such had been her views, they must have been speedily disappointed. Perhaps for this very reason, or else because she had been more fully informed, or on other grounds with which we are not acquainted, the other son of Adam and Eve, mentioned in Scripture, was named Abel, that is 'breath,' or 'fading away'" (Vol. 1, 1890).
When YAHWEH God showed respect to the offering of Abel, "probably marking His acceptance by some outward and visible manifestation," but showed no respect for Cain's offering, Edersheim declares:
"Instead of inquiring into the reason of his rejection, and trying to have it removed, Cain now gave way to feelings of anger and jealousy. In His mercy, God indeed brought before him his sin, warned him of its danger, and pointed out the way of escape. But Cain had chosen his course. Meeting his brother in the field, angry words led to murderous deed, and earth witnessed the first death, the more terrible that it was violent, and at a brother's hand. Once more the voice of Yahveh called Cain to account, and again he hardened himself, this time almost disowning the authority of God. But the mighty hand of the Judge was on the unrepenting murderer" (ibid.)
But when Cain was banished by YAHWEH, and the ground was cursed to him, he complained that the punishment was too harsh, too severe. Still unrepentant, he professed to be fearful that someone might kill him, just as he had killed Abel. To prevent this, YAHWEH set a "mark" on Cain, setting him apart, so no one would do this.
Thus Cain was the first man in the world to DEPART from the way of the living God, and to literally "go his own way" instead. His way of life became synonymous, in the Scriptures, with the way of evil, the way of spiritual ruin and disaster. Cain became the first of many who would be a "son of perdition," "son of hell," and "son of doom."
Rejected by YAHWEH God, he began HIS OWN RELIGION. Still professing to worship the "LORD," he did so his own way, and began the practice of using manmade "idols" in human worship. The first such idols were figures of a man and female deity, no doubt representing Cain and his wife, with whom he built his first "city" and established his first "government." The first kings of the earth were "priest-kings," and Cain became the High Priest of his own religion. He established his own form of religious empire, with sensual, earthy services, compelling tithes to be paid by his worshippers, creating lavish "temples" with male and female prostitution, the origins of the worship of Canaanite abominations which YAHWEH God condemned in the time of Moses.
Cain, Eve's firstborn, no doubt had been told many times by Eve of the "promise of her Seed" who would bruise the head of the serpent, and bring deliverance to the Adamic race that had been banished from Eden. Her stories, and the thought, fired his imagination, and he thought -- in part because she also believed -- that the promise referred to him, her "firstborn of many brethren."
Was he the promised Messiah? Of course not. But he thought so. At least, he thought he should be -- for he was the eldest, the strongest, the wisest and most cunning and able of the children of Adam and Eve. He was very angry and disappointed when he was not selected by YAHWEH God for this position of honor and glory. So, in his rebellion against YAHWEH and His laws, Cain made himself the "Messiah" of his own religion -- the origin of pagan false Messiah worship before the Flood!
Pride goes before a fall, Solomon wrote, and Cain never learned the value of humility. He was the first world advocate of "self esteem," "pride," and "self assertion." Not for him was the path of humility, meekness, and reverence for YAHWEH God. He would never let anybody walk over him, or take an insult, or allow anyone to besmirch his imagined "honor." Thus in every respect Cain rejected the ways of YAHWEH, and embraced the ways of Satan the devil, who became his real "god," and the "god of this world" (II Corinthians 4:4). He was the first, the pathfinder, of those of whom it is written:
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who SUPPRESS THE TRUTH by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what is made, so that men are WITHOUT EXCUSE.
"For although they KNEW GOD, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were DARKENED. Although they claimed to be wise, they became FOOLS and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for IMAGES made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
"Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things, rather than the Creator -- who is forever praised. Amen.
"Because of this, God gave them over to SHAMEFUL LUSTS. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In this same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were enflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
"Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a DEPRAVED MIND, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of ENVY, MURDER, STRIFE [just like Cain, their pathfinder and pacesetter!], DECEIT and MALICE. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them" (Romans 1:18-32).
This entire passage of Scripture is discussing the WAY OF CAIN -- the way this wicked world has followed to the core.
These very attributes discussed by the apostle Paul were the very things that FILLED THE WORLD prior to the Flood of Noah's time. From the time of Cain's original rebellion, the condition of the world continued to become more and more depraved, violent, and filled with bloodshed. Sensuality ruled the day and night. Greed, hard business competition, strife and ruthlessness ruled the cities and dominions of mankind. Robbers and thieves lurked in the highways and by-ways.
Alfred Edersheim writes: "Cain, as we know, had gone into the land of 'Nod' -- 'wandering,' 'flight,' 'unrest,' -- and there built a city, which has been aptly described as the LAYING OF THE FIRST FOUNDATIONS OF THAT KINGDOM in which 'THE SPIRIT OF THE BEAST' prevails. We must remember that probably centuries had elapsed since the creation, and that men had already multiplied on the earth" (Old Testament History, Vol. 1, 1890)
Edersheim continues:
"Beyond this settlement of Cain, nothing seems to have occurred which Scripture has deemed it necessary to record, except that the names of the 'Cainites' are still singularly like those of the 'Sethites.' Thus we follow the line of Cain's descendants to Lamech, the fifth from Cain, when all at once the character and tendencies of that whole race appear FULLY DEVELOPED. It comes upon us, almost by surprise, that within so few generations, and in the lifetime of the first man, almost every commandment and institution of God should already be openly set aside, and violence, lust and ungodliness prevail upon the earth" (ibid.).
The inventions and pursuits of the Cainites point to the cultivation of the "arts," the introduction of military might and war, and a competitive business system requiring weights and measures, based on distrust -- the old adage of "let the buyer beware" and "never buy a pig in a poke." Even Jabal, Lamech's son, who was the "father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle," actually made even the pastoral life a "regular business." Jubal, the inventor of stringed and wind instruments, undoubtedly perverted the use of good music and introduced music much like our modern "hard rock," and "heavy metal" music. His music had to be the kind accepted and adored by a society bent on sensuality, lust, and depravity -- therefore, just like our modern wild lyrics and deafening music.
Tubal-Cain, Lamech's son by Zillah (Lamech was the originator of polygamy, as he is noted as having two wives!), the inventor of metallurgy and processes using brass and iron to make implements, and weapons of war -- all this shows that the society of Cain was a godless, wicked, wild and depraved, sensual world, which worshiped a false god, and created a false, counterfeit religion, which consulted demons through occult arts and religious rituals.
Says Edersheim of that society founded by Cain:
"Moreover, it is very remarkable that we perceive in the Cainite race those very things which afterwards formed THE CHARACTERISTICS OF HEATHENISM, as we find it among the most advanced nations of antiquity, such as Greece and ROME" (ibid.).
Thus the original rebel against YAHWEH God was Cain -- he was the founder of the world's BABYLON THE GREAT! He was, therefore, the original "Beast" who thought to "change times and laws." One suspects strongly that since Satan deceived Eve as soon as he could get to her, after that first Sabbath day, before she could get to know YAHWEH God through fellowship, and before she could partake of the tree of life, that he must have deceived her on the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK! (For information on the beast from the land in Revelation 13, download or send for our article,The REAL Mark of the Beast).
No doubt, then, that when Cain began his own religion, which was against the laws of YAHWEH God, he did away with the Sabbath command of rest (Genesis 2:1-3). In its place, he inaugurated worship on the First Day of the week -- in honor of the "Great Enlightener" -- Satan, the god of this world -- who brought "the knowledge of good and evil" to mankind -- earthly wisdom. Cain's religion, therefore, was begun in honor of Satan, the "prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2), and the original "sun god." Cain, as his Messiah, took on the attributes of divinity, also, and came to be worshiped as the "deliverer" of mankind, who delivered them from the rulership of YAHWEH God, and His "evil" commandments. Cain's wife became, therefore, the original "Queen of Heaven," the first "Astarte," "Ishtar," or "Easter"!
It is interesting that soon AFTER the Flood, this ancient PAGAN religious mystery system was revived by Nimrod and Semiramis, who took these titles to themselves, and became the "Baal" and "Ishtar" of the pagan religion which spread around the world in different forms and guises, but with the same rituals and beliefs. Nimrod was the counterpart of Cain after the Flood. However, Nimrod was not an innovator; he merely continued to serve as "high priest" and "king" of the pagan world after the Flood, continuing an office which had come down from Cain himself, who was the first "Peter," which by definition means "Interpreter" of the hidden secrets. Nimrod was the first "father," or Pope, after the Flood. But the entire religious and political SYSTEM goes back much further, to Cain himself, who looked upon himself as the true "Father," and first "Papa" or "Pope."
Archaeology reveals that the cities of Babylon go back before the Flood of Noah's time, and the prevalence of pre-Flood idols and idolatrous images, including sun-gods and "goddess mother" images, shows how widespread the worship begun by Cain and his wife had become.
The "way of Cain" has a powerful attraction to human nature. It gratifies the flesh, and excites the senses. It has a compelling allure to the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (I John 2:15).
"The Way of Cain"
The next narrative in the book of Genesis tells us what happened among the sons of Adam and Eve --
"When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful" (Genesis 6:1-2).
In other words, the lustful, wicked "sons of God" saw that the daughters of man -- the females -- were beautiful, lovely-looking women. No doubt, again, that these women stressed physical beauty. They dressed themselves up to look the most alluring and provocative as they could, using all the arts and charms of feminine wiles -- including powder, rouge, lipstick, eye shadow, and the like. The Scriptures inform us that Lamech's wives were named Adah, that is, "beauty," or "adornment," and Zillah, meaning "the shaded" (a reference to the kind of eye shadow later made famous by Jezebel who "painted her eyes"?), and his daughter was Naamah, which means "pleasant, graceful, lovely." For more information about this bizarre period of human history, be sure to write for or download our article, Did Angels Marry Women Before the Flood?
These women were the anti-types of the kind that Peter wrote about when he admonished Christian women: "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quite spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful" (I Peter 3:3-5).
However, as often happens, in the course of time, the progeny of Seth saw these alluring women among the Cainites, and intermarriage became commonplace. Just as the Midianite women seduced the Israelites in the time of Moses, so these women seduced the righteous line of Seth, who were tempted to forget the pagan upbringing and practices of these women, and began to intermarry with them. This event led to a disastrous result. The truth of YAHWEH God began to die out, and wickedness became supreme in the earth. Eventually, the entire line of Seth became corrupted by the influence of the wicked daughters of Cain, and his family, and they embraced their pagan ways, violence, and vices. They forsook the ways of YAHWEH and turned to the "way of Cain."
What was the result?
"The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that EVERY INCLINATION of the thoughts of his heart was ONLY EVIL ALL THE TIME. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, 'I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth -- men and animals and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air -- for I am grieved that I have made them.' But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD" (Genesis 6:5-8).
The Genesis account could not be more specific in describing a depraved and utterly corrupt and sensual world. But nevertheless, YAHWEH inspired the author to continue: "Now the earth was CORRUPT in God's sight and FULL OF VIOLENCE. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for ALL the people on the earth had corrupted their ways" -- even the children of Seth by now had abandoned the principles of truth and were running rampant after the ways of Cain, greed, and selfish pleasures. "So God said to Noah, 'I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is FILLED WITH VIOLENCE because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth'" (Genesis 6:11-13).
That "world" was destroyed in a cataclysm of water which overflowed the whole "world" of that time. Those who followed the "way of Cain" all perished in the deluge. But today, our world has once again embraced the "way of Cain," and once again YAHWEH God has said that He is going to DESTROY the society around us -- this time be "flaming fire" and divine vengeance -- the judgment of YAHWEH God which will be poured out on this earth during the soon-coming "Day of the Lord"! (Send for or download our article, Did Noah's Flood Cover the Highest Mountains?).
Notice what the apostle Jude had to say about it!
End-Time Rebellion
Jude declared,
"For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have SECRETELY SLIPPED IN AMONG YOU [the Ecclesia of YAHWEH God!]. They are GODLESS MEN [yet obviously "professing" to be sincere, genuine Christian leaders and ministers!], who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord....
"...these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings....Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals -- these are the very things that destroy them.
"Woe to them! They have taken the WAY OF CAIN; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion.
"These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm -- shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted -- twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
"Enoch, the seventh from Adam [who lived during the time of Lamech, descendent of Cain, and the time of great rebellion before the Flood], prophesied about these men: 'See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.' These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves [lie about their own imagined deeds and exploits] and flatter others for their own advantage" [so they could advance in the ministry, and receive higher offices] (Jude 4-16).
What does YAHWEH God Almighty say about the way of Cain?
The apostle John tells us, "This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous" (I John 3:11-12).
Cain, consumed by hatred, violently killed an innocent, righteous man -- his own brother. He had no excuse. His anger was completely unjustified. But because his own deeds were wicked, and he knew it, in his heart he was jealous of his brother's relationship with YAHWEH God, which he could not have so long as he continued in his selfish, greedy, competitive course -- the way of pride, arrogance and self-will. He had no intention of giving up his selfish pleasures. Therefore he simply slew the source of his irritation, the source of his provocation -- his frail, helpless brother.
The apostle Peter writes,
"But there were also false prophets among the people [Cain being the first false prophet!], just as there will be false teachers among you. They will SECRETLY INTRODUCE DESTRUCTIVE HERESIES [just as Cain did for the antediluvian world], even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them -- bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their GREED these teachers will EXPLOIT you with stories they have made up [including false biographical backgrounds, alleging accomplishments they never did, proclaiming themselves as "heroes" when they never fought in military action at all]. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
"For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people [who were following wholeheartedly the way of Cain!], but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the UNGODLY [those who choose the way of Cain instead of the way of YAHWEH God!]; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of LAWLESS men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard) -- if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men froms trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority.
"Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like BRUTE BEASTS [like Cain himself, a brute beast!], creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.
"They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight [engage in sex parties and group sex, at sensual pleasure palaces and the like]. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. With eyes FULL OF ADULTERY, they never stop sinning; they SEDUCE the unstable [young men and women]; they are EXPERTS IN GREED [know how to extort the last penny out of Church goers at holy day offering time] -- an accursed brood! They have left the straight way, and wandered off [like Cain, into the "land of wandering"] to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey -- a beast without speech -- who spoke with a man's voice and restrained the prophet's madness.
"These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they ENTICE people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are SLAVES OF DEPRAVITY -- for a man is slave to whatever has mastered him [like Cain himself, who did not "master" the sin which sought to control him, as YAHWEH God urged him to do].
"If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have KNOWN it and then to TURN THEIR BACKS on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: 'A dog returns to its vomit,' and, 'A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud'" (II Peter 2:1-22).
The attitude of Cain was described by Paul when he wrote: "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal [notice how all these characteristics perfectly describe Cain himself, the progenitor of this evil, lustful attitude!], not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God -- having a form of godliness [religious hypocrites!] but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them" (II Timothy 3:1-5).
Cain was the originator of the Babylonian Mystery Religion. When he left the region of Eden, he migrated EASTWARD, to Babylon, where he began his ungodly civilization. The earliest kingdoms on the other side of the Flood arose in the region of "Shinar," or the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers -- the area of "Babylon." From there the religion and government of Cain, and his way of life, spread around the populated world, enticing people to join their system, become a part of their "way." At first Cain was very subtle, and secretive, promising people new religious knowledge, and divine secrets, and protection from the wrath of YAHWEH God. He devised a man-made religion of works, sacrifices, and worship of false gods, the original "Baals," with himself the chief "god" since he was the progenitor of his race, and considered himself the "Messiah to come."
Earth goddesses and gods, after the custom introduced by Cain, are found by archaeologists throughout Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia. The system of paganism was widespread.
But even as Cain first began his counterfeit religion with subtlety and craft, with secret planning and mystery, as long as Adam was alive, when Adam died the gloves were taken off, and the mystery religion became full-blown. A similar process occurred during the days of the apostles and the early Church. Another such apostasy from the truth of YAHWEH God is prophesied for our end-time, today!
End-Time Apostasy Foretold
The apostle Paul foretold,
"Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us [false letters were already circulating which were purported to have been written by Paul, but were the works of deceivers!], saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way [notice the powerful admonition -- deceivers were rampant, and YAHWEH's people were to be EXTREMELY CAREFUL, lest they, too, become victims of a powerful and highly placed deception!], for that day will not come until the REBELLION OCCURS and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction" (II Thessalonians 2:1-3).
Paul goes on, "For the SECRET POWER OF LAWLESSNESS is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so until he is taken out of the way [a servant of YAHWEH God, who finally is taken "out of the way" by YAHWEH even as Enoch and Noah were protected by YAHWEH from the violence of their enemies, the God-haters and false prophets of that time]. And then the lawless one will be revealed [he will come to full power and influence, without anyone restraining him], whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming" (verses 7-8).
In the early Church, it was the apostles themselves who "restrained" the apostasy. But when Peter and Paul were removed from the scene -- they were both executed during the reign of Emperor Nero -- then the apostasy blossomed and spread without restraint. The visible Church of YAHWEH God was taken over by apostates!
Even so, the same thing is prophesied for the END TIMES. Paul's message is obviously dual. For these things not only were at work in his day, but he clearly says that an APOSTASY from the truth -- a REBELLION of spiritual lawlessness -- was to occur BEFORE the second coming of the Messiah!
Paul goes on to explain that in the end times,
"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the WORK OF SATAN [he will be doing Satan's work, while proclaiming he is doing "God's Work"!] displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe THE LIE and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness" (II Thessalonians 2:9-12).
Consider these warnings from YAHWEH God sincerely, deep within your heart. Will you also be deceived by the coming powerful delusion? It is already here! And many have already succumbed to its deceptive allure, its blandishments, its smiles and profession of love. The "way of Cain" is alive and well on Mother Earth, today! It is rapidly destroying the truth of YAHWEH God, and leading the true people of YAHWEH astray, into bitter bondage and spiritual error. It has exalted itself, and has lifted up its ugly head, and reared up, to devour the unwary and all who don't truly hunger and thirst for righteousness and the laws of YAHWEH God, and who don't sincerely LOVE the TRUTH!
The Mysterious "Mark of Cain"
When Cain was banished from the sight of YAHWEH God, to the land of "Nod," or wandering and unrest, YAHWEH placed a "mark" upon him so that all would know who he was, and would not destroy him lest they suffer seven-fold vengeance.
The Hebrew word for "mark" is simply owth and means "a signal, as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence -- mark, miracle, ensign, token."
It was something that identified Cain, and set him apart from other men. It marked him as NOT being one of YAHWEH's own people, but an outcast, a renegade, a man who had been banished from the society of YAHWEH's people. This mark came to stand for Cain and his way. Could it have been the pagan "cross" or "X" which was a sign commonly used in pagan societies and among the heathens religions? The "cross" or "Tau" symbol stood for the pagan Messiah Tammuz, who was the illegitimate son of Semiramis, wife of Nimrod.
Alexander Hislop tells us:
"There is yet one more symbol of the Romish worship to be noticed, and that is the sign of the CROSS. In the Papal system, as is well known, the sign of the cross and the image of the cross are all in all. No prayer can be said, no worship engaged in, no step almost can be taken, without the frequent use of the sign of the cross. The cross was looked upon as the GRAND CHARM [rememeber Cain? The "mark" was his symbol of divine protection! No wonder its use would become commonplace among his followers!], as the GREAT REFUGE IN EVERY SEASON OF DANGER, in every hour of temptation as the INFALLIBLE PRESERVATIVE from all the powers of darkness. The cross is adored with all the homage due only to the Most High; and for any one to call it, in the hearing of a genuine Romanist, by the Scriptural term, 'the accursed tree' is a MORTAL OFFENCE.
"To say that such superstitious feeling for the sign of the cross, such worship as Rome pays to a wooden or a metal cross, ever grew out of the saying of Paul, 'God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ' -- that is, in the doctrine of Christ crucified -- is a mere absurdity, a shallow subterfuge and pretence. The magic virtue attributed to the so-called sign of the cross, the worship bestowed on it, never came from such a source. The SAME SIGN OF THE CROSS THAT ROME NOW WORSHIPS WAS USED IN THE BABYLONIAN MYSTERIES, was applied by Paganism to the same magic purposes, was honoured with the same honours.
"That which is now called the Christian cross was ORIGINALLY NO CHRISTIAN EMBLEM AT ALL, BUT WAS THE MYSTIC TAU OF THE CHALDEANS AND EGYPTIANS -- the true original form of the letter T -- the initial of the name of Tammuz -- which, in Hebrew, radically the same as ancient Chaldee....That mystic Tau was MARKED IN BAPTISM ON THE FOREHEADS OF THOSE INITIATED IN THE MYSTERIES, and was used in every variety of way as a most sacred symbol. To identify Tammuz with the son it was joined sometimes to the circle of the sun..." (The Two Babylons, Loizeaux Brothers, Neptune, NJ 1959, pp. 197-198).
A clear understanding of the pagan use of the cross can only inspire one to wonder as to its original source. And nothing would suit the purpose better than the "mark," the "sign of protection" which YAHWEH God Himself used to mark the forehead of Cain!
This was further reinforced when the Roman Church accepted the fictitious account of Constantine the Great's so-called conversion to Christianity. According to Finding Dulcinea (Librarian of the Internet) --
"Constantine was the son of Constantius, who had served as a Caesar (a junior emperor) of the Western Roman Empire under Maximian before succeeding Maximian as Augustus (senior emperor) in 305. Constantius’ death in 306 sparked a conflict over who would succeed him. Though Constantine had the support of his father’s army, he allowed Severus, his father’s Caesar, to become Augustus.
"Maxentius, the son of Maximian, was angered that he was passed over and declared himself Augustus. He defeated the Severus and Galerius, the Augustus of the East, in 306 and 307. In 311, Maxentius declared war on Constantine, the greatest threat to his power.
"In the spring of 312, Constantine led his army toward Maxentius in in Rome. After routing Maxentius’ forces in northern Italy, Constantine approached Rome in October.
"According to legend, on Oct. 27, the day before the two armies would battle outside of Rome near the Milvian Bridge, Constantine had a vision instructing him to fight in the name of Christ, with his soldiers’ shields bearing the symbol of Christ. The symbol was either a cross or the labarum, an intersection of the chi (X) and rho (P), the [supposed] letters of Christ.
"Christian author Lactantius, writing several years after the battle, described, 'Constantine was directed in a dream to cause the heavenly sign to be delineated on the shields of his soldiers, and so to proceed to battle. He did as he had been commanded, and he marked on their shields the letter Χ, with a perpendicular line drawn through it and turned round thus at the top, being the cipher of Christ. Having this sign (ΧР), his troops stood to arms.'
"The author Eusebius, a Constantine apologist, also described the event in Life of Constantine, which he wrote after Constantine’s death in 337. According to Eusebius, Constantine saw a vision of a cross rather than the letters of Christ.
"'He saw with his own eyes the trophy of a cross of light in the heavens, above the sun, and bearing the inscription, CONQUER BY THIS. At this sight he himself was struck with amazement, and his whole army also, which followed him on this expedition, and witnessed the miracle,' wrote Eusebius.
"The following day, Constantine’s outnumbered forces defeated Maxentius’ forces, which tried to retreat over the Tiber River on a pontoon bridge. In the chaos of the retreat, the bridge collapsed, leaving only the too-narrow Milvian Bridge as a route to escape. Maxentius and many of his men would drown or be trampled to death in the escape. Constantine rode into Rome with the head of Maxentius.
“'There, at around the age of twenty-four, Constantine was hailed as emperor, of the western half of the empire,' writes historian Frank E. Smitha. “He was hailed as a man of boldness and a man favored and guided by the gods.”
In commenting on this event in Constantine's life, Alexander Hislop writes:
"...I am not without my suspicions that the X may have been intended to have one meaning to the Christians and another to the Pagans. It is certain that the X was the symbol of the god Ham in Egypt, and as such was exhibited on the breast of his image. Whichever view be taken, however, of Constantine's sincerity, the supposed Divine warrant for reverencing the sign of the cross entirely falls to the ground...
"In this view, therefore, it [the cross or Tau] had no very great attraction for the Pagans, who, even in worshipping Horus, had always been accustomed to make use of the mystic Tau or cross, as the 'sign of life,' or the magical charm that secured all that was good, and warded off everything that was evil. When, therefore, multitudes of the Pagans, on the [so-called] conversion of Constantine, flocked into the [Roman] Church, like the semi-Pagans of Egypt, they brought along with them their predilection for the old symbol. The consequence was, that in no great length of time, as apostasy proceeded...the Tau, the sign of the cross, the indisputable sign of Tammuz, the false Messiah, was everywhere substituted in its stead" (The Two Babylons, pp. 204-205).
The pagan "cross" sign or symbol is the MARK OF CAIN!
Those who go about using this sign identify themselves as followers of the "WAY OF CAIN," and the RELIGION BEGUN BY CAIN!
Hislop continues: "...there seems no reason to doubt that that Maltese cross is an express symbol of the sun; for Layard found it as a sacred symbol in Nineveh in such a connection as led him to identify it with the sun. The mystic Tau, as the symbol of the great divinity, was called 'the sign of life;' it was used as an AMULET OVER THE HEART; it was marked on the official garments of the priests of Rome; it was borne by kings in their hand, as a token of their dignity or divinely-conferred authority" (ibid., p.198).
The Vestal virgins of Pagan Rome used it suspended from their necklaces, even as Catholic nuns do now. The ancient Egyptians did the same, as Egyptian monuments show. Wilkinson in his work on the Egyptians (The Ancient Egyptians: Their Life and Customs) notes that it was already in use as early as the fifteenth century before the Christian era (Crescent Books, New York, NY 1988, Vol. 1, p. 277).
Says Hislop:
"There is hardly a Pagan tribe where the cross has not been found. The cross was worshipped by the Pagan Celts, long before the incarnation and death of Christ....It was worshipped in Mexico for ages before the Roman Catholic missionaries set foot there, large stone crosses being erected, probably to the 'god of rain.' The cross thus widely worshipped, or regarded as a sacred emblem, was the unequivocal symbol of Bacchus, the Babylonian Messiah, for he was represented with a head-band covered with crosses. This symbol of the Babylonian god is reverenced at this day in all the wild wastes of Tartary, where Buddhism prevails, and the way in which it is represented among them forms a striking commentary on the language applied by Rome to the Cross" (The Two Babylons, p. 199).
How did the cross get into the visible "Christian" church? Hislop relates, "Now this Pagan symbol seems first to have crept into the Christian Church in EGYPT, and generally into Africa. A statement of Tertullian, about the middle of the third century, shows how much, by that time, the Church of Carthage was infected with the old leaven. Egypt, especially, which was never thoroughly evangelized, appears to have taken the lead in bringing in this Pagan symbol" (ibid., p. 201).
Says Ralph Woodrow, in Babylon Mystery Religion, "It was not until Christianity began to be paganized that the cross came to be thought of as a Christian symbol. It was in 431 A.D. that crosses in churches and chambers were introduced, while the use of crosses on steeples did not come until about 586 A.D. In the sixth century, the crucifix image was introduced and its worship sanctioned by the church of Rome. It was not until the second council at Ephesus that private homes were required to possess a cross" (Ralph Woodrow, Riverside, CA 1982, p. 50).
Woodrow points out that long before the Messiah, the cross was a widely used religious symbol not only in Babylon and Egypt, but also in China, where it was used on pagodas, in northern and southern India, among both Buddhists and Hindus, in Ethiopia, and in Mexico, among the Aztecs.
The ancient Mexicans worshipped the cross as "Tota," or "Our Father." But the Word of YEHOVAH God condemns calling a stock of wood "My father" (see Jeremiah 2:27).
The cross, as an instrument of death and crucifixion, is also of remote antiquity, and pagan. The cross was used in this way by the ancient Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, in Palestine, Carthage, Greece, and by the Romans. Tradition says the originator of this form of execution was none other than Semiramis, the apostate-prostitute wife of Nimrod, shortly after the Flood!
However Nancy L. Kuehl notes in her work, A Book of Evidence: The Trials and Execution of Jesus, that the Messiah was not nailed to a cross or Tau, but to a living tree -- notice!
"Whatever one believes, we must believe Jesus was hanged alive on a living tree. The evidence is overwhelming. From the New Covenant, we have several references to it. Never is the word xulon translated as the 'cross.' The word for 'cross' would have been stauros, and even then the Greek word only reflects the upright nature of the tree! The word xulon, however, is the same that Luke uses in 23:31 for 'moist wood' and refers to a living tree! The Hebrew equivalent would be the 'ets (derived from 'atsah), which is also used as a term for 'gallows' in the book of Esther where Haman is 'hanged' (Esth. 5:14; 8:7). It is the same word used in Genesis 40:19 and Deuteronomy 21:22 to describe the hanging of an individual on a 'tree.'
"These 'gallows' DO NOT refer to a Roman cross. The word is even used to describe the fruit trees of the Garden of Eden, including the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. In the New Covenant, the disciples were QUITE CLEAR about how Jesus was hanged [crucified], and it wasn't upon a Roman cross. The disciples, in fact, confronted the Jewish judicial Sanhedrin later that decade with the ultimate accusation that they had hanged [crucified] Jesus upon a 'living' tree" (Resource Publications, Eugene, OR 2013, p.199).
For more information on how the Messiah was put to death, send for or download our articles, The "CROSS" of the Messiah! And The Messiah's Crucifixion Tree.
Doesn't it make sense, then, that the "cross" was the literal "mark of Cain"? It was his own personal "amulet" of protection; he began to view with with superstitious regard and reverence. And it became the symbol of his way -- his religious institution -- his mystery religious system.
