A Toast

I recently read Revelation 7:10 in the NASB version and had a question. It reads, "... and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, 'Salvation to our GOD who sits on the throne, and to The Lamb.'" I asked Holy Spirit why it was translated 'salvation to' instead of 'from' or 'through.'

I checked some of the other versions. The GNT and ESV both read, "Salvation comes from ..." and the NLT asserts, "Salvation belongs to ..." The SBL Greek New Testament reads, "καὶ κράζουσι φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγοντες· Ἡ σωτηρία τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν τῷ καθημένῳ ἐπὶ τῷ θρόνῳ καὶ τῷ ἀρνίῳ." 

The Greek translation is most accurate, of course, and the phrasing 'salvation to' is correct. Worship is what was going on in heaven in this particular record and GOD was being saluted. If you know Spanish or French you're familiar with the terms, "Salud" or "Salut" which roughly mean "to health" and are often spoken before sharing a drink with others [get your mind outta the gutter; it doesn't have to be alcohol]. 

Picture a scene from a movie when an audience is about to toast a king and they declare that he live long or something about His greatness. That's what was being professed before Yahweh in this instance. He was being toasted or cheered for His awesomeness. I can think of two such scenes immediately. In The Twin Towers (Lord of the Rings 2) they toast Theoden after Gandalf administers deliverance to him, and he's restored to his right mind and throne. Another is in One Night with the King, when the feasting begins that leads to Vashti's banishment. Admantha raises his chalice to Xerses and proclaims, "Great king!"

Does this matter? In the scheme of things probably not. But, I prefer to worship and pray the way I find it laid out in The Holy Scriptures because it's effective. But I also want to understand what that worship and prayer actually mean. I want to refrain from vain repetitions (Matthew 6:7), and one way of doing that is having proper revelation of God's protocols. The Word tells us we perish for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6), but with all of the resources we have at our fingertips (deliverance is right there *snap*) that shouldn't be the case. And I will not be one of those who doesn't take full advantage of everything I can get my hands on to learn more about God and His ways. I don't want to know more about anything else on this earth than about Elohim and His Kingdom

​I bless you in the name and authority of Yeshua ha'Mashiach.

Copyright © 2016 Zari Banks, M.Ed