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Mar 13:31

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ παρελεύσονται, οἱ δὲ λόγοι μου οὐ μὴ παρελεύσονται.

The universe and the earth will be surpassed but my words will not be surpassed.

The statement can be taken to mean that the abstract as expressed in words surpasses the concrete as expressed in the world and the universe.

Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away,

Christ defines the universe and our world as the will of God coming into existence. I have written elsewhere that Christ's use of the term "heaven" does not conform at all to our modern idea of a Christian heaven. Rather it is a way of expressing the idea of existence outside the boundaries of our world. Both our world and the rest of what exists in an expression of God's will.

The line from the Lord's prayer translated as "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." is written from our modern Christian idea of "heaven." The Greek translated as "Your will is coming into existence as in the heaven and earth.' Heaven and earth are understood to encompass all of creation, which is why I prefer to translated as "the universe and our world." 

As the universe and our world continue to change, the fullness of God's design is unfolded over time.  This is understood to be the tangible result of God's will acting in the material world.

Here, Christ is saying that both the universe and our world continue to surpass themselves. It is their nature. The will of God is expressed over time. For God, the moment of creation is all time. When he pronounced the creation good, he was taking about its completeness over time.  His perspective is not our perspective because we can only witness a small slice of that creation taking place during our lifetimes.

Here, however, Christ says that there is a...

οὐρανοῦ "Heaven" is  from ouranos (ouranos), which means "heaven as in the vault of the sky," "heaven as the seat of the gods," "the sky," "the universe," and "the climate."

γῆ "Earth" is from gê (ge), which means "the element of earth," "land (country)," "arable land," "the ground," and "the world" as the opposite of the sky.

δὲ "But" is from δὲ de (de), which means "but." It is the particle that joins sentences and an adversarial way.

λόγοι "Words" is from logos (logos), which means "word," "computation," "reckoning," and "value."

μου  "My" is from mou, which mean "my," or "mine."

οὐ μὴ  "Not" is from mê (me), which is the negative used in prohibitions and expressions of doubt meaning "not" and "no."  It is modified by the preceding word: οὐ (ou) negates fact and statement; μή rejects, οὐ denies; μή is relative, οὐ absolute; μή subjective, οὐ objective.

παρελεύσονται "Shall...pass" is from parerchomai (parerchomai), which means "go by," "pass by," "outstrip" (in speed), "pass away," "outwit," "past events" (in time), "disregard," and "pass without heeding."

Reflection Prayers

The prayer/verse below is designed to demonstrate the wordplay and shades of meaning in Christ's original words in the Greek that are often lost in translation.

Lord's Prayer: As a Subject of the Kingdom

The following prayer is a personal plea that follows the concepts of the Lord's Prayer as expressed in our Pattern of Names Prayer.

Heavenly Father, Shape me to your many Names.

Help me become a subject of Your Kingdom, mastering of the new responsibilities that You continue giving me,
Make me a creator like You, who invents and builds rather than merely mimics or destroys,
Give me the abilities to be a provider like You, who offers what others need rather than what I desire,
Let me become a liberator like You, who lets other choose their own way rather than try to control them,
Show me how to be a teacher of liberty like You, providing an example to others in letting go of the past.
Lead me to be a guide to others, blazing a path away from trials that prove nothing.
Deliver me strength to be a savior to others, rescuing them from what is useless.
In all things, may I be subject to Your reign, a use for Your power, and a reflection of Your glory, forever and ever.

Amen

 

 

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Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. The universe and the earth will be surpassed but my words will not be surpassed. view post
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So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, [even] at the doors. Therefore even you, when you might see this come into being, know that it is nearly at the door. view post
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Mar 13:25  And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. "And the sky's stars shall be toppled and the forces given to the cosmos shall be unbalanced." view post
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Mar 13:2  But take heed: behold, I have foretold you all things. You must just look to see: I have recounted everything beforehand. view post
For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if [it were] possible, ev... Because there shall awaken "false kings" and "false prophets" and "they shall give signs ... view post
Mar 13:14

Mar 13:14 But when you shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that reads understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:

...

Mar 13:13

Mar 13:13 And you shall be hated of all [men] for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Alternative: And you shall be hated by all thanks to my name but he that stands his ground until the fulfillment shall be saved from death.

Wordplay: Christ makes a little joke...

Mar 13:12

Mar 13:12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against [their] parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.

Alternative: But brother will turn in brothers as far as death and father, children and child shall rise against their parents to condemn them to death. ...

Mar 13:11

Mar 13:11 But when they shall lead [you], and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what you shall speak, neither do you premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak you: for it is not you that speak, but the Holy Ghost. Alternative: But since they will fetch [you] to turn you in, don't worry beforehand about what you...

Mar 13:10

Mar 13:10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

Alternative: And among all people, first the reward for bringing good news must be announced.

Wordplay: This statement is highly self-referential in the Greek because the two key words both refer to the task...