The Eternal God
Posted December 15, 2009
Greetings Mike,Hi D____
I wanted to share something with you and perhaps have you expound on it if you have time. I was reading Deuteronomy 33:27 where it refers to God as the "eternal" God, and saw in Strong's Concordance that the Hebrew word translated eternal here is not olam, but quedem. It appears that it's the same word translated "east" on many occasions, particularly Genesis 3:24 where it said that God placed cheribim with flaming swords to the east of the tree of life. I read in your paper on the spiritual meaning of words and saw your entry for the word east and it said that light, truth and righteousness come from the east. My summation is that Jesus Christ is that "eastern" God in Deuteronomy 33:27. Is that correct? I have only recently come to the knowledge that Jesus Christ is the Yaweh of the old testament.
Thank you,
D____
Thanks for sharing this with me. I was completely unaware that the word 'eternal' there in Deu 33:27 was not the Hebrew word 'olawm' and is instead 'quedem', which is generally translated as 'east.' The word 'olawm' is in this verse as 'everlasting.'
Deu 33:27 The eternal [quedem] God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting [olawm] arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
'Light' as a symbol of truth and understanding arises in the east, and the God of all truth could easily be called the eastern God, or the God of truth. It seems that this could easily have been translated 'The true God is your refuge."
All I will add to this revelation is that the cherubim, as type of God's elect, are first shown to us as being "placed at the east of the garden of Eden...and a flaming sword which turns every way, to guard the way of the tree of life." God's "way" is the true way, so it is only fitting that the sword be placed at the east of the garden of Eden.
Gen 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east [quedem] of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
I know there is much more to learn about this word 'quedem'. I am always learning from others in letters such as this. Thank you.
Your brother in Christ,