Faith, Mountain, and Sea Matt 21:21/Mark 11:3

[LittleLambofJesus]

I have always been intrigued with these passages in Matt 21 [and Mark 11:23].
In Matt 21, Jesus brings up the word "Faith" being able to lift up a mountain.
[In Matthew 17:20/Luke 17:6 He compares faith in conjunction with a "mustard seed"]

I would like to first focus on the word "faith" used in that verse:

Matthew 21:21 [Mark 11:23]
Jesus answering said to them, "Verily I am saying to ye, if ever ye may be having Faith/πίστιν<4102>, and no may be doubting, not only the of the fig-tree ye shall be doing,
but even-ever to the mountain/ὄρει<3735>, this, ye may be saying, 'Be being lifted! up/ἄρθητι<142>! and be being cast! into the sea'/θάλασσαν<2281>,
it shall be becoming"
NT:

4102. pistis from 3982;
persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation;
Strong's Number G4102 matches the Greek πίστις (pistis),
which occurs 244 times in 228 verses
OT:
The equivalent hebrew word is H539:

539 'aman aw-man' a primitive root; properly, to build up or support; to foster as a parent or nurse; figuratively to render (or be) firm or faithful, to trust or believe,.............
Strong's Number H539 matches the Hebrew אָמַן ('aman),
which occurs 108 times in 102 verses

It is 1st used in Genesis 15:6.
KJV)

Genesis 15:6 [Romans 4:3-22, Galatians 3:6, James 2:23]
And he believed H539 in Yahweh;
and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Jonah 3:5
So the people of Nineveh believed H539 God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

Last time used

Habakkuk 1:5
Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously:
for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, H539 though it be told you.

Some verses from the NT:
1st time used:

Matthew 8:10
When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, G4102 no, not in Israel.

Hebrews 12:2
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; G4102 who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Last time used:

Revelation 14:12
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith G4102 of Jesus.

Next post I will research deeper into the word "faith" used in Matthew 21...................

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Matthew 21:21 [Mark 11:23]
Jesus answering said to them, "Verily I am saying to ye, if ever ye may be having Faith/πίστιν<4102>, and no may be doubting, not only the of the fig-tree ye shall be doing,.........

Using a greek interlinear [ISA], I looked up where the exact word form of #G4102 is used in Matt 21:21 that occurs in the NT.
It is used dozens of times, so I will quote just a few passages:

1st time used:

Matthew 8:10 [Luke 7:9]
And Jesus having heard, did wonder, and said to those following,
"Verily I say to you, not even in Israel so great a faith/πίστιν<4102> have I found"

Hebrews 11:7 [Genesis 7:23]
7 By faith Noah, having been divinely warned concerning the things not yet seen, having feared, did prepare an ark to the salvation of his house, through which he did condemn the world,
and of the righteousness according to faith/πίστιν<4102> he became heir.
13 In faith/πίστιν<4102> died all these, not having received the promises, but from afar having seen them, and having been persuaded, and having saluted them,
and having confessed that strangers and sojourners they are upon the land

Exact form of #G4102 used in only 3 verses in Revelation:

Revelation 2: [Assembly in Pergamum]
13 I know where thou dwell, where the throne of Satan is; and thou hold fast to My name, and thou have not denied My faith/πίστιν<4102>
even in the days of Antipas My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

[Assembly in Thyatira]
19 I know thy works, and thy love and faith/πίστιν<4102>and service and perseverance;
and thy latter works are greater than the first.

Last time used in NT

Revelation 14:12
12 Here is the endurance of the Saints, those keeping the commandments of God,
and the faith/πίστιν<4102> of Jesus.

Next up, MOUNTAIN

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Matthew 21:21 [Mark 11:23]
Jesus answering said to them, "Verily I am saying to ye, if ever ye may be having Faith/πίστιν<4102>, and no may be doubting, not only the of the fig-tree ye shall be doing,
but even-ever to the mountain/ὄρει<3735>, this, ye may be saying, 'Be being lifted! up/ἄρθητι<142>! and be being cast! into the sea'/θάλασσαν<2281>,
it shall be becoming"

The hebrew word for mountain occurs in 485 verses
compared with the greek word, 65 verses.

In this post I will show where the 1st and last times "mountain" and "mountains" are used in both the OT and NT

2022 har har a shortened form of 2042; a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively):--hill (country), mount(-ain), X promotion.
Strong's Number H2022 matches the Hebrew הַר (har), which occurs 546 times in 485 verses.

1st time used in OT
Pural

Genesis 7:19
And the waters have been very very mighty on the land,
and covered are all the high mountains which are under the whole heavens

Singular

Genesis 12:8
And he removeth from thence towards a mountain at the east of Beth-El, and stretcheth out the tent (Beth-El at the west, and Hai at the east),
and he buildeth there an altar to Jehovah, and preacheth in the name of Jehovah.

Last time used in OT:
Singular

Zechariah 14 [Matthew 26:1, Mark 14:26, Luke 22:39, John 8:1,
4 And stood have His feet, in that day, On the mount of Olives, That is before Jerusalem eastward, And cleft hath been the mount of Olives at its midst, To the east, and to the west, a very great valley,
And removed hath the half of the mount towards the north. And its half towards the south.

Plural

[Matthew 24:16, Mark 13:14, Luke 23:30]
5 And ye have fled to the valley of My mountains, For join doth the valley of the mountains to Azal,
And ye have fled, as ye fled before the shaking, In the days of Uzziah king of Judah,
And come in hath Jehovah my God, All holy ones are with Thee.

NT:
3735. oros probably from an obsolete oro (to rise or "rear"; perhaps akin to 142; compare 3733); a mountain......
Strong's Number G3735 matches the Greek ὄρος (oros), which occurs 65 times in 65 verses.

1st time used in NT:
Singular:

Matthew 4:8
8 Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

Plural

Matthew 18:
12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray,
doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

Last time used -
Singular

Revelation 6:
14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

Plural:

Revelation 17:
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom.
The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Matthew 21:21 [Mark 11:23]
Jesus answering said to them, "Verily I am saying to ye, if ever ye may be having Faith, and no may be doubting, not only the of the fig-tree ye shall be doing,
but even-ever to the mountain, this-one, ye may be saying, 'Be being lifted! up! and be being cast! into the sea',
it shall be becoming"

What mountain is Jesus referring to?

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Any comments or feedback from anyone about this thread?

 

[Dave L]

Any comments or feedback from anyone about this thread?

Interesting. It's a lot to bite off for me, but I'm in that area of Revelation this week and I need to go back over it with this in mind. The mountain = Old Covenant (Sinai) makes sense.

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Jesus answering said to them, "Verily I am saying to ye, if ever ye may be having Faith, and no may be doubting, not only the of the fig-tree ye shall be doing,
but even-ever to the mountain, this, ye may be saying, 'Be being lifted-up! and be being cast! into the sea,
it shall be becoming"

Interesting. It's a lot to bite off for me, but I'm in that area of Revelation this week and I need to go back over it with this in mind. The mountain = Old Covenant (Sinai) makes sense.

Yes it is.
It jumped out at me when I was studying on "mountain and sea" in Matt 21:21.
Mt Sinai also makes scriptural sense to me.
Because of that, I created a new thread here.

Hebrews 12:18 - Revelation 8:8 "mountain of fire burning, cast into the sea, trumpet blast"

Hebrews 12
18 For ye have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind,
19 and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them.

Revelation 8:8
And the second Messenger trumpets,
and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea:
and the third part of the sea became blood;

Deuteronomy 4:11
and ye draw near and stand under the mountain,
and the mountain is burning with fire unto the heart of the heavens -- darkness, cloud, yea, thick darkness:
Exodus 19:16
Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain;
and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Interesting. It's a lot to bite off for me, but I'm in that area of Revelation this week and I need to go back over it with this in mind. The mountain = Old Covenant (Sinai) makes sense.

Thanks for your response.
I forgot about this thread

 

[icxn]

Imo the mountain in this context (Matt 21 and Mark 11) is the will of the flesh and the law of sin, which has become so ingrained in us that is likened to a huge and immovable mountain. Yet, if we have faith, we can easily cast in aside by throwing it into the sea of God's mercy. Or if you want to understand sea as the mystery of baptism, in which those who believe (have faith) wash away their sins and receive the power to overcome the will of the flesh that would also be a valid interpretation.

Having said that, the word mountain or mountains can have many other meanings based on the context. It can mean the heights of virtue or virtues or that of knowledge and even the opposite that of passions and vices. It can mean the saints or the sinners i.e. those who exalt themselves, the proud even the demons. It can mean the Lord's body, physical and spiritual i.e. the Church (Isa. 2) etc.