In Reply to: Re: NOW FOR THE CHRISTIAN "AMEN"... posted by Tamar on September 14, 1997 at 22:30:47:
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: Shalom Lou:
: I am sitting here puzzled, please can you help me here. Are you saying that I must not use the word "Amen" at the end of my prayer?
: I did look it up in my dictionary..The Merriam Webster..this is what it says.
: Used esp. at the end of prayers to express solemn ratification or approval.
: It has me thinking....Often I listen to a christian radio broadcast..and I will hear the Pastor say after making what he felt to be a good point....Amen???? and then the folks will chorus...AMEN!!! Now, to me thats like saying..ya'll agree? and the folks saying Aye that we do!
: Then there is the "Amen" that follows prayer. Yes some folks shout it out like..We are in agreement with your prayer.
: I never did give it much thought until today. I was raised...what does the word Amen mean?
: Amen means it is true and certain, For YHWH has much more certainly heard my prayer that I feel it in my heart that I desire this of Him. The texts given me were Is. 65:24, 2 Cor 1:20, 2 Tim 2:13.
: Now..I go to the NT and look at the prayer our Father taught His disciples to pray...
: From Matt. 6 and Luke 11
: Is it wrong to end with Amen? is there a right way to end? must we have a closing word? How bout, thank You for hearing YHWH...
: Your post left me uncertain if it is proper to use Amen anymore.
: love in Yahushua,
: your confused sis,
: Tamar
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Dear Tamar...
Originally, the Hebrew word "amen" only means "so be it"... nothing wrong with that... But WHY DO THEY USE A CAPITAL "A" for "Amen"? "Amen" is printed as a proper name in practically every single Bible version that I checked, including in the Hebrew/English copy of the Tanakh that I have.
Attaching an "amen" at the end of each prayer became an absolute necesity... Maybe, according to HaSatan no prayer gets anywhere unless it is addressed right and he made sure that it was addressed to him... He loves to be worshipped by many names... That probably why the Christians, and Jews, insist that it is not a matter of names...
Why don't the Christians use "so be it!" simply because the truth doesn't square with the traditional paganism that is predominant in the religious world... Have you tried to picture the preacher asking "So be it?" or "let it be so?" people would be more careful to respond... For many Christians "Amen" doesn't mean "so be it!" They think that it is an important part of a prayer formula that if you don't recite... you don't get the answer!!! (I was taught that from childhood, in Sunday School -- it is like sealing an envelope, they said)...
I want you to notice how David prayed...
Psalm 72:17-20 * May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed. Praise be to Yahweh Elohenu, the El of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen. So be it! So be it! This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.
Have you noticed how in the above Psalm they capitalized "Amen" and made it a proper name? Now check this other Bible versions...
Rev. 19:4 (ASV) And the four and twenty elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped Yahweh that sitteth on the throne, saying, Amen; HalleluYahu.
Rev. 5:14 (ASV) And the four living creatures said, Amen. And the elders fell down and worshipped.
2 Cor. 1:20 (KJV) For all the promises of Yahweh in him [are] yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of Yahweh by us.
I want you to notice also how strategically placed is the "Amen" in the above quotes... I'm amazed at HaSatan... Wow...!!!
The Thayers lexicon has a long explanation for the word "Amen" -- none of them tell you why they didn't translate it simply as "so be it!" and forget about it! ... Ahhh... but they tell you that it is a Jewish thing that came out of their synagogues... I still think that all this has to do with HaSatan who is about to be booted out of Heaven... and I know he is mad at me for telling you all this. Abba Yahweh is letting us know who is our real enemy... I wouldn't have guessed all this by myself...
HEBREW
BDB/Thayers # 543
0543 'amen {aw-mane'}
from 0539; TWOT - 116b; adverb
KJV - amen 27; truly 2, so be it 1; 30
1) verily, truly, amen, so be it
GREEK
BDB/Thayers # 281
281 amen {am-ane'}
of Hebrew origin 0543; TDNT - 1:335,53; particle indeclinable
KJV - verily 101, amen 51; 152
1) firm
1a) metaph. faithful
2) verily, amen
2a) at the beginning of a discourse - surely, truly, of a
truth
2b) at the end - so it is, so be it, may it be fulfilled. It was a custom, which passed over from the synagogues to the Christian assemblies, that when he who had read or discoursed, had offered up solemn prayer to God, the others responded Amen, and thus made the substance of what was uttered their own. +++ The word "amen" is a most remarkable word. It was transliterated directly from the Hebrew into the Greek of the New Testament, then into Latin and into English and many other languages, so that it is practically a universal word. It has been called the best known word in human speech. The word is directly related -- in fact, almost identical -- to the Hebrew word for "believe" (amam), or faithful. Thus, it came to mean "sure" or "truly", an expression of absolute trust and confidence. -- HMM
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Now when you are told that "Amen" is an expression of absolute trust and confidence... you must wonder... absolute trust and confidence in a word that obviously is the proper name of a pagan mighty one???... What kind of trust and confidence can you place in "so be it!?" Watch for part II of this post... I'll put it out shortly.
Shalom Aleichem,
Lou