John 3:12 Firmament Faith

John 3:12

If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

The word firmament was first used in the 13th century; it poorly explains the expanse of the heavens above the earth. It appears in the King James Version fifteen times, nine times in Genesis chapter 1. Although the Lord’s breath inspires the word of God, the human finger can still make errors, and the ancient world did not have spellcheck or Grammarly. Sometimes, because of personal bias, the translator will use a poor word to substitute its true meaning. The King James Version replaced the word Easter for  Passover in Acts 12:4. Which is relatively poor since Easter is derived from Eostre, or Eostrae, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility. The King James Holy Bible was translated from the  Latin Vulgate, which butchers many Hebrew words of the Old Testament but not the Greek of the New Testament because Latin borrows from the Greek language. So, in Genesis chapter one, the nine times firmament [steré?ma] is used; it does not mean what the expanse of “heaven(s) “(shamayim)—the word firmament. The King James Holy Bible was translated after the Renaissance, and many advancements were discovered, but many others were not. Many cultures thought the Earth was flat but knew it was not. Many thought the Earth was the center of the universe; others knew it was not. Many were superstitious; others had common sense. Even though English is not a romance language, like French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian, translating the King James Bible from the Vulgate sounds romantic. So, the word in firmament used in the King James Holy Bible limits what is above the Earth, and the stiff-necked people who refuse to acknowledge that limit the expanse of powers of the Creator. Another place firmament is used; in the King James Holy Bible, it is not a poor choice of words. In the book of Ezekiel chapter 10, the prophet Ezekiel sees a vision of the kingdom of Heaven and God on His throne. It is similar to Isaiah’s vision in his book, chapter 6, verse 1, and what John sees in Revelation 5:1.

Ezekiel 10:1  Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubim’s there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. 2 And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubim’s, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight. 3 Now the cherubim’s stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court. 4 Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s glory.  

Other parts of scripture in the King James Holy Bible call the kingdom of Heaven a firmament because God dwells there. But the firmament of the sky above Earth is a different expanse than the firmament kingdom of Heaven. All humans, male and female, Jews and Gentiles, live under the sun. God created the firmament, the expanse of heaven, on the second day. On the fourth day, the Lord put the Sun, the moon, stars, and other planets in the expanse (space) of the firmament. Only those who believe in Him will dwell and live in the firmament of Heaven; the word of God tells us this no matter what language or translation you read it in. You can be a conspiracy theorist and believe the world is flat, that is, between you and God. You tell others the King James Holy Bible is the only correct version you can read, but you limit God and the expanse of His power. If your belief is stuck on the word firmament, it grounds your faith to a mistranslated Greek word that means a solid substance, and then there is a good chance you may perish. If you believe the Hebrew word Raiqa(shamayim), which means the expanse of Heaven, you will most likely dwell in the kingdom of God forever. I hope your faith is not flat and limited; I know my is not. God bless you all. The Lord Jesus, Maker of the firmament of Heaven and Earth, loves you, and so do I, His bondservant Samuel Jerry Head.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them, He has set a tabernacle for the sun,

Daniel 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the Earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.