Waxing Hot And Cold

The English word "wax" originated from an Anglo-Saxon (of which both English and German are related - Saxony is in Germany; the Anglos, from which comes the word "English," were a tribe of the Saxons) word weaxen which meant to grow, or increase. The English word "wax," for the substance that is used to "wax" floors, cars, and many other objects, originally meant the natural substance produced by bees in their hives - which came to be used by humans (and still is) for "wax" until synthetic waxes were produced. Nevertheless, wax of bees originated from the same Anglo-Saxon word because bees steadily increase their hive wax.

A number of different Hebrew and Greek words of the Holy Scriptures have been translated by the single word "wax" (or "waxed"). In the Hebrew, the most-frequent is (pronounced) haw-lawk; it has a broad meaning, all involving an increase, but not necessarily as one thinks of it with the English word. Although the Hebrew word means increase, "wax" (as it is translated) is used to mean either an increase in increase, or, seemingly paradoxically, but nevertheless logically, an increase in decrease. Consider this example where "David waxed stronger and stronger" while "Saul waxed weaker and weaker."

"^3:1 Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David [see The Civil War]: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker." (2 Samuel 3:1 KJV)

In the Greek (see also Translation Of Translations), the most-frequent word translated as "wax" is (pronounced) psoo-kho. It too has a wide meaning, but it primarily means a chilling breath. It was that word that was used in Christ's end-time warning of how "because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold" (see Instructions To The End-Time Church). In doing so, those "offended" by the Truth may some day have their salvation "off-ended" (pun intended) into the lake of fire, like trash off a garbage truck (an appropriate analogy because the original "hell" was literally a city dump - see The Valley Of Hinnom).

"^24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. ^24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. ^24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. ^24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." (Matthew 24:10-13 KJV)

"The child grew, and waxed strong in Spirit"

"Waxed old" was used as a term for aging (which, for God's true people, is merely a "ripening" toward a birth i.e. "^4:35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. ^4:36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together" John 4:35-36 KJV). In this example, Sarah was miraculously enabled to have the child (Isaac) that she wanted.

"^18:10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife [see Abram and Sarai] shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. ^18:11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. ^18:12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?" (Genesis 18:10-12 KJV)

After a lifetime of service to the LORD (see 'Before Abraham Was, I AM'), "Joshua waxed old and stricken in age."

"^23:1 And it came to pass a long time after that the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua [see Joshua's Warning and Joshua's Timnath] waxed old and stricken in age." (Joshua 23:1 KJV)

"Wax" is used many other ways in the Bible. Consider that the LORD destroyed Sodom (see The Day That Christ Incinerated Sodom) because "the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD."

"^19:12 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: ^19:13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it." (Genesis 19:12-13 KJV)

Like his father Abraham, righteous Isaac "waxed great" in flocks and herds - given to him as a means to support the large family from which would come the Messiah.

"^26:12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. ^26:13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: ^26:14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him." (Genesis 26:12-14 KJV)

Later however, "famine waxed sore" through the land - which was the reason that the LORD had the Israelites go to Egypt (see The Goshen Refugees and The Israelite Egyptians).

"^41:56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph [see Joseph, Prime Minister Of Egypt] opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. ^41:57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands." (Genesis 41:56-57 KJV)

Ironically, it's because the Israelites were so blessed in the land of Egypt ("the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them") that the Egyptians began to fear them as a security threat to their nation (see The Goshen Genocide).

"^1:6 And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation. ^1:7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.

^1:8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. ^1:9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: ^1:10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land." (Exodus 1:6-10 KJV)

After the Exodus, the LORD fed the Israelites with manna, which had to be gathered early in the morning because "when the sun waxed hot, it melted" (which would indicate that manna had a tenderflake "melt in your mouth" consistency; see also Manna For The Children).

"^16:21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. ^16:22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day [see The Sixth Day] they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. ^16:23 And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning." (Exodus 16:21-23 KJV)

As plainly stated above, the Israelites were already observing the Sabbath of the LORD before they got to Mount Sinai (which, as its name plainly says, is in the Sinai Peninsula - see Why Did Paul Say That Sinai Was In Arabia? and Crossing Sinai). The written delivery of the Ten Commandments was made on Mount Sinai, when "the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder" (see The Mount Sinai Prophecy).

"^19:18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. ^19:19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.

^19:20 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up." (Exodus 19:18-20 KJV)

The Israelites frequently caused the LORD to "wax hot against them" in anger. In this example, Moses was successful in pleading for the anger to cease.

"^32:9 And the LORD said unto Moses [see The Prophets: Moses and The Trysting Tent], I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: ^32:10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

^32:11 And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? ^32:12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. ^32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. ^32:14 And the LORD repented of the evil [the actual Hebrew word usage that was written means harm, or destruction, not "evil"] which he thought to do unto his people." (Exodus 32:9-14 KJV)

Moses nevertheless had his moments of anger with the Israelites too, for the same reason as the LORD. When Moses saw them dancing around the calf idol at the foot of Mount Sinai, "Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount" (see The Second Tables of Stone).

"^32:17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. ^32:18 And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.

^32:19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. ^32:20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strowed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it." (Exodus 32:17-20 KJV)

From a child, John the Baptist "grew, and waxed strong in spirit" (see Rabbi John).

"^1:76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; ^1:77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, ^1:78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, ^1:79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

^1:80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel." (Luke 1:76-80 KJV)

The Spirit Of God is the "spirit" spoken of for John in the quote above. The very same term was used for Jesus Christ as He grew from a child i.e. "the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit."

"^2:39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth [see The Prophet Of Galilee]. ^2:40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him." (Luke 2:39-40 KJV)

The primary reason that so many did not recognize the Messiah when He came was because they did not yet have the Holy Spirit; their "heart is waxed gross" in fulfillment of the prophecy.

"^13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

^13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias [i.e. see The Prophets: Isaiah], which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: ^13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

^13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear." (Matthew 13:13-16 KJV)

As explained, "waxing" can be an increase in decrease. In this case, the end-time will be marked by hearts that have waxed cold (see How Long Will 'The End Time' Last? and Instructions To The End-Time Church).

"^24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. ^24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. ^24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. ^24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. ^24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. ^24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

^24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet [see The Prophets: Daniel], stand in the holy place, whoso readeth, let him understand: ^24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: ^24:17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: ^24:18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. ^24:19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! ^24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: ^24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." (Matthew 24:9-21 KJV)

The Messiah's reference in the quote above to the prophet Daniel ("spoken of by Daniel the prophet") involved the original abomination of desolation which was committed by Antiochus IV, the king of The Seleucids, who had inherited one of the four sections of the Greek kingdom after the death of Alexander the Great - in the prophecy of Daniel referred to as "the he goat that waxed great" but when he died at an early age, his kingdom was broken into "four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven."

"^8:8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven [see Alexander The Great In Prophecy].

^8:9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. ^8:10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. ^8:11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. ^8:12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered [see Abomination of Desolation - Where?]" (Daniel 8:8-12 KJV)

The true people of Christ have always lived with the animosity that the carnal world has with the Truth - and with the great many self-worshipping frauds that call themselves "Christian" (calling them frauds of course just makes them even more angry, but it's as true as the Biblical Truth that they still choose to defy - see Is Your Religion Your Religion? and What's Your Angle?). But while "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived," God's true Christians look only to "the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

"^3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. ^3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. ^3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; ^3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. ^3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ^3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:12-17 KJV)

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This Day In History, February 17

1461: During the Wars of the Roses, the Yorkists were defeated by the Lancastrians at the Battle of St. Albans.

1600: Giordano Bruno, scientist and mathematician whose theories were ahead of his time, was burned as a "heretic" in Rome during the Inquisition.

1759: General Wolfe sailed from Britain to capture Quebec.

1772: The first partition of Poland, by Russia and Prussia (Prussia is in Germany), also later by Austria.

1776: The first volume of Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of The Roman Empire" was published.

1864: A Confederate hand-propelled submarine, armed with a ram torpedo, sunk a Union ship off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. It is considered the first successful attack by a submarine.

1875: Friedrich Argelander died at age 76. The Prussian (Prussia is in Germany) astronomer established the study of variable stars as an independent branch of astronomy. He is renowned for his catalog which lists the positions and magnitudes of 324,188 stars - the Bonner Durchmusterung was the result of 25 years of observational work.

1909: Apache chief Geronimo died at age 80.

1919: Sir Wilfred Laurier died. He was the first French-Canadian to become Prime Minister of Canada (1896-1911).

1934: Albert I died at age 59. As Belgian king from 1909 to 1934, he commanded Belgian army during the First World War. He refused the German ultimatum of August 2 1914, demanding free passage of German troops across Belgium; the German invasion followed 2 days later. Albert was the son of Philip count of Flanders and Princess Marie of Hohenzollern. He married Elisabeth, the daughter of the duke of Bavaria.

1955: Britain announced that it had hydrogen bombs.

1957: The Suez Canal reopened.

1969: Russian-born, US-raised, Golda Meir was sworn in as Israel's first female Prime Minister.

1972: The British House of Commons voted to join the European Community.

1998: Voyager 1 became the most distant human-made object in space as it passed the distance set by the previous record holder Pioneer 10. On that day it was 6.5 billion miles from earth, traveling at 39,000 mph. It had been launched just over 20 years previous, on September 5 1977.

1998: Ernst Juenger died at age 102. The German writer was involved in the July 20 1944 plot to kill Adolf Hitler.