Pictures from the left:1) Four young children lost in the Amazon jungle survived for 40 days. 2) All of us humans are like sheep lost in the wilderness unless we have a connection to Yehowah Elohim through Adonai Yeshua. 3) Another group of young children were found alive after being lost in the jungle.
We reread the Bible verses in the picture
>>All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Yehowah has laid on him the iniquity of us all.<< Isaiah 53:6
>>4 They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. 5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. 6 Then they cried unto the Yehowah in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.<< Psalms 107:4-6
>>22 Look unto me, and be you saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am Elohim, and there is none else. 23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.<< Isaiah 45:22-23
>>11 For the Scripture says, Whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Adonai over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Adonai shall be saved.<< Romans 10:11-13 (The name of Adonai is Yeshua)
From the beginning, Yehowah Elohim has led the nations to their own areas of residence and according to His timetable to know the only way to the great and final salvation, which leads by faith of the heart through the holy blood shed on the cross of Golgotha and the body crushed to death by His firstborn Son HaMashiach Yeshua, to the Most Holy, to Him.
The truth revealed in the Bible is that Yehowah will complete the salvation plan He has prepared for all fallen humanity through many stages, even though it seems that all humanity will be destroyed. Because of corruption, a large number of righteous people have experienced and are still experiencing martyrdom. The following verses of Bible assure us that the plan of the Almighty will be accomplished:
As an introduction to our topic
The world in which we live is a constant battlefield of spirits much wiser and more powerful than us until the Last Judgment. We humans are like small pieces in a huge puzzle. We do not know what lies ahead of us and how things will develop, because their stages are mostly hidden from us. But for all of us who believe in Yeshua are promised a happy ending.
The world in which we live is a constant battlefield of spirits much wiser and more powerful than us until the Last Judgment. We humans are like small pieces in a huge puzzle. We do not know what lies ahead of us and how things will develop, because their stages are mostly hidden from us. But for all of us who believe in Yeshua are promised a happy ending.
From the beginning, Yehowah Elohim has led the nations to their own areas of residence and according to His timetable to know the only way to the great and final salvation, which leads by faith of the heart through the holy blood shed on the cross of Golgotha and the body crushed to death by His firstborn Son HaMashiach Yeshua, to the Most Holy, to Him.
The truth revealed in the Bible is that Yehowah will complete the salvation plan He has prepared for all fallen humanity through many stages, even though it seems that all humanity will be destroyed. Because of corruption, a large number of righteous people have experienced and are still experiencing martyrdom. The following verses of Bible assure us that the plan of the Almighty will be accomplished:
A) Isaiah 45:5-7 >>5 I am the Yehowah, and there is none else, there is no Elohim beside me: I girded thee, though you has not known me: 6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Yehowah, and there is none else. 7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Yehowah do all these things.<<
B) Isaiah 57:14-16 >>14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people. 15 For thus says the High and Lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. 16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.<<
We humans get lost easily!
Because of the fall of our ancestors in Paradise, we all get lost easily. This is because people without faith do not have the spiritual connection to their Creator. We get lost when traveling in unfamiliar areas unless we are good at navigating with a map, compass, or a map app on our smartphone. To go astray is so easy.
As a child, I got lost easily. Fortunately, I eventually found my way back to the familiar path on my own or with the guidance of strangers. When I was 3 years old, I got lost in Stockmann in Helsinki by grabbing a strange woman by the hem of her skirt, thinking she was my mother. The woman took me to the information desk and my parents found me there with the help of a microphone.
While driving in Stockholm, I got lost because I didn’t know the city and its roads well enough. That’s why I had to drive extra distances to get to people I knew. In Israel, I got lost near Jerusalem by walking off the map. A British couple pointed me in the right direction, east side of the Mount of Olives back to City center.
The many worries and concerns of this world also make us easily waste our time on secondary things. Many people carry in their hearts the worries of their neighbors, and some even the worries of the entire world, such as wars, famines, deadly epidemics, climate extremes, earthquakes, their own family and work worries, etc.
We live in a time of great deceptions
Never before in human history have people been offered so many temptations and truly addictive deceptions as they are today. They have been presented to our eyes in the form of Hollywood movies, reality TV porn, huge lottery winning opportunities, huge capital investment profits and trash music festivals.
In addition, there are deceptions that seem great and spiritually edifying. These include archaeology, familiarization with world arts, classical music, philosophy. Also broadening one's understanding by traveling around the world or just on vacation to countries with foreign religion, nature and culture.
Science is also a deception when it replaces religion. New deceptions are constantly being created, especially through social media. According to the Bible, the goal of all deceptions is that people waste their precious and very short search time on secondary things. They do not seek Yehowah Elohim and his righteousness in order to be saved!
Who is the ultimate cause of those deceptions? Most Christians think that of course Satan. You may be really surprised when I claim that he is Yehowah himself! I will justify it in a different chapter below. Yehowah often uses Satan and his angels only as his instruments to separate the wheat from the chaff, the chosen for salvation from the wicked!
No evil will ever befall us without Yehowah's permission, for he is Almighty!
All tests of faith come from Yehowah!
In the following passages of the Bible, Yehowah has tested or is still testing our faith:
1) The test of faith and obedience given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden: Genesis 3 The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was there deliberately as a test for our ancestors. Then Satan was only an intermediary in the form of a serpent.
2) Noah built a large ark with faith in Yehowah, even though it had not yet rained on the earth. Genesis 6:12 onwards and chapters 7-8. Noah was mocked at the instigation of Satan. That was a prophetic example of how the righteous are separated from the wicked.
3) Job's trials in life as a lesson for us too: Job 1-3 and chapters 38-42
The trust of the righteous in the Creator is also tested.
Here too, Satan was only an intermediary and lost to Yehowah.
4) Yehowah said to Abraham to go and offer up his son Isaac as a burnt offering. Genesis 22 Abraham would have offered him up on Mount Moriah if Yehowah’s angel had not stopped him! There Yehowah foreshadowed His Son as a sacrifice on the same mountain, Golgotha.
5) The trials of the people of Israel in the wilderness as a warning to us too: Exodus 15:24-25 and Deuteronomy 8:10-16. Only two of the adults whom Yehowah delivered from Egypt eventually made it to the Promised Land (Joshua and Caleb). The others, except their children, died in the wilderness because of their unbelief.
6) The temptation of Ahab to go to war at Ramoth Gilead, to avenge him: 1 Kings 22:16-23, 33-35. Yehowah spared the righteous king of Judea, Jehoshaphat, in that war.
But Ahab died because he had wasted his time of search and grace by living wickedly.
7) According to John the Baptist, faith in Yeshua is a test for us: John 3:36a and 36b
36a >>He who believes in the Son (HaMashiach Yeshua) has eternal life;<< 36b >>... but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of Elohim remains on him.<<
8) According to Adonai Yeshua, temptations must come to test us: Matt. 18:7 >>Woe to the world because of temptations! It is necessary that temptations come; but woe to that man through whom the temptation comes!<< Those who tempt other people will be punished!
9) Elohim will send a Great Deception to all nations in the end times: 2 Thess. 2:7-12
Verses 7-10 >>7 For the mystery of lawlessness already is working, only he is holding back now, until it comes out of the midst. 8 And then "the Lawless One" will be revealed, "whom" "the Yehowah" "will consume" "by the spirit of His mouth," and He will bring to nought by the brightness of His presence. 9 His coming is according to the working of Satan in all power and miracles and lying wonders, 10 and in all deceit of unrighteousness in those being lost, because they did not receive the love of the truth in order for them to be saved.<<
Verses 11-12 >>11 And for this cause Elohim shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.<<
Here again, the righteous are separated from the wicked on the basis of their faith.
10) According to the Book of Revelation, the first Beast is given authority to deceive all nations: Chapter 13. Only those who do not receive the mark of the Beast or worship his image will be saved. Their names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world. Those who are deceived by the Beast will be punished in hell forever! Rev. 14:9-10
My opinion is this, because the era and the punishments may refer to the same thing:
Perhaps 2 Thess. 2:7-12 refers partly to the same thing as chapters Rev. 13-14 (?)
Let us not go astray forever!
The most dangerous way to go astray is for a person to be permanently separated from his Creator, even though he is often called to salvation through confession of his sins and repentance! In the world we always manage somehow. But if we do not care about salvation, which is the most important thing and also determines our entire eternal destiny, we will be lost forever!
Hebrews 3:12-19
>>12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living Elohim. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Messiah, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
15 While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.<<
Hebrews 4:1-11 (This is important to read as a continuation of the previous one, to understand the context)
>>1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2 For unto us was the Good News preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, that they shall not enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And Elohim did rest the seventh day from all his works. 5 And in this place again, they shall not enter into my rest.
6 Seeing therefore it remains that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: 7 Again, he limits a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
8 For if Yeshua had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest to the people of Elohim. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as Elohim did from his. 11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.<<
Songs suitable for the topic
Obs. Our Savior's original name in Hebrew is Yeshua HaMashiach HaNotzri
The Old Rugged Cross
Because He Lives
Come Holy Spirit I Need You
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
This Isn't Goodbye — You're Home With the Angels Now
P.S. 1 You can check out the interesting stages of my life from the link below. My life has been a great adventure. There have been successes and setbacks. Adonai Yeshua has always helped me!
https://seventh-river.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-seventh-river.html
P.S. 2 I have also prepared these studies in Finnish. They consist of selected Bible translations and include various hymns:
https://yakov-tutkielmia-sapattina.blogspot.com/2026/07/pohdintaa-sapattina-3172026.html
https://yakov-tutkielmia-sapattina.blogspot.com/2026/07/pohdintaa-sapattina-3172026.html
