The Great Commission # 2 – In-depth Exploration of the Word “Behold”

Please read: The Great Commission, Part 1 – Am I “beholding Jesus with me at all times”? (Available here). What does it mean when Jesus says in the Great Commission: "Behold I am with you always." Does "behold" involve seeing Him present with me as I walk down the road of life? What is the definition of the Greek word (Strong's G2400) which is translated "Lo" or "Behold"? 

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Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries for G2400

• Definition: “behold, lo, see”; Greek spelling is: ἰδού;  English spelling is: idou; Pronunciation is: id-oo.” The tense is the imperative which means this is a command. Jesus is commanding me to do this.
• Jesus is commanding us to see Him always with us, and this will be a key to equipping us with His anointing so we can accomplish His Great Commission.

Kittle's Theological Dictionary of New Testament Words

• G2400 ἰδού idou (used as imperative) behold!
• Root word is: G1492 εἴδω eido (ei'-d̮ō)
• (properly) to see (but not limited to the eye).
• (by implication, in the perfect tense only) to personally know (i.e. to have seen or have experienced something by firsthand observation).

How does the KJV translate G2400 in the New Testament?

180 times the KJV translates G2400 as “behold,” meaning this is the main way it was translated. G2400 shows up five more times in Matthew 28 (in addition to the Great Commission in Matt. 28:20). Let’s review these other occurrences and see how the KJV translates it.

1. And, behold (G2400), there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. (Matt. 28:2)
   • Yes, this is something they saw and experienced.
2. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold (G2400), he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo (G2400), I have told you. (Matt. 28:7)
   • Yes, they had seen and experienced the angel speaking to them and when they got to Galilee, they saw that Jesus was there.
3. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold (G2400), Jesus met them, saying, "All hail." And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. (Matt. 28:9)
   • Yes, they saw and personally experienced Jesus.
4. Behold (G2400), some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. (Matt. 28:11)
   • Yes, the guards were sharing what they saw and beheld at the grave… Jesus had disappeared!

Lo / behold – defined by Dictionary.com

• Look! see! (frequently used in Biblical expressions; now usually used as an expression of surprise in the phrase lo and behold).

Lo / behold – defined by Merriam-Webster:

• Lo - used to call attention or to express wonder or surprise
• be·​hold - 1) to perceive through sight: see 2: to gaze upon: observe
• Mark Virkler's comment: I understand "perceive" as the  experience I have when the Holy Spirit grants me revelation. This comes through intuition and/or flow. It is enlightenment. "Were not our hearts burning within us as He was opening Scriptures to us on the road?"

Other Greek words that are also translated “behold” in the KJV New Testament

1. emblepo (G1689) Behold the fowls of the air (Matt. 6:26)
2. blepo (G991) In heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father (Matt 18:10)
3. epide (G1896) Lord, behold their threatenings (Acts 4:29)

Above are just some of the Greek words in the NT that are also translated “behold.” So you see that “seeing” is key to the concept of beholding.

In Hebrew, several common words are translated as “behold” in the King James Version. These include hineh, ra’ah, and chazah. These words have the sense of directing one’s attention to see, observe, or gaze at something. Again, “seeing” is key to beholding.

How often does the word “Behold” show up in the Bible (a LOT!)

• KJV                 1326 occurrences
• MKJV              1324 occurrences
• NASB             1172 occurrences

Summary: So when Jesus in the Great Commission tells us, “Behold I am with you till the end of the age,” He is clearly desiring that we are using the eyes of our hearts (Eph. 1:17,18) and looking and seeing Him in action, and we will often be surprised and in wonder at the things we see Jesus doing. His actions are so different from the ways we generally approach situations. When I invite Jesus to show me how to share the gospel, I behold in wonder that, in place of the memorized speech I planned to give, He speaks words that reach the heart. I see Jesus pouring healing oil into a person’s wounds, and I do what I see Him doing and say what I hear Him saying.

It is clear to me that when Jesus says “Behold I am with you always” He wants me to see Him at my side just as King David did (Ps. 16:8; Acts 2:25). Pictures are part of the language of the heart (1 Chron. 29:18 KJV). My relationship with Jesus involves Him granting me a new heart and a new spirit and restoring me to the experience of the Garden of Eden where He walked together with mankind and communed with them. Seeing and experiencing Him with me is exactly what He wants to do for me today.

As stated above in Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries for G2400, the tense is the imperative which makes this a command.  Jesus is commanding us to see Him at our side always….

My culture and my church pushed me away from seeing and hearing in the spirit world

• They said that I was to establish truth by leaning on my own understanding, rather than “lean not on your own understanding" (Prov. 3:5).
• They said to avoid pictures, vision, and imagination as these were New Age and Eastern mysticism and coming from my heart which was evil and untrustworthy. However, Jesus has given me a new heart and a new spirit, and I am a partaker of the divine nature. My spirit is joined to His Spirit (Ezek. 36:26; 2 Pet. 1:4; 1 Cor. 6:17).

As we have seen from the above, God uses a host of Greek and Hebrew words to describe all the different ways we can see into the spirit world as we use the eyes of our heart.

My repentance and restoration

I was born with a leaning to be left-brain and depended on my reason and logic. I was taught to scorn pictures and flow in favor of living in my rational thoughts. So deep repentance, renunciation, and restoration needed to take place within me so I could honor and “behold” My Lord and Savior at my side doing amazing things continually.

To come to faith in God’s River which flows within me has taken years of persistent effort. Since this is the Spirit's anointing, I will not cease until the flow of the Holy Spirit is the central moving force in my life.

I invite you to join me. Step out of Western Rationalism and into daily, continuing Spirit encounter, and release God and His revival out through all you touch and all you do. The world needs revival. God needs you to be modeling this revival flow. We all need the Church to rise up and become the fully functioning, anointed Church God has called us to be.

Will you join me? Will you disregard the Pharisees and legalists who will attack? Will you say with Jesus and with me, “I only do what I hear and see My Father doing"? Join me, and let God bring revival to His Church through us as we enter into this current move of God's Spirit.

May God be glorified in His Church! Amen.

Journaling

Lord, what would You speak to me about beholding You and releasing Your anointing through me to disciple those whose lives I touch?

Additional thoughts from online articles on “behold”

• https://bibledictionarytoday.com/words/behold/
• https://www.christianwebsite.com/what-does-behold-mean-in-the-bible/

Great Commission” series

1. The Great Commission # 1 – Am I “beholding Jesus with me at all times”?
2. The Great Commission # 2 – In-depth exploration of the word “behold”
3. The Great Commission # 3 – What does it mean to be a witness? (available soon)
4. The Great Commission # 4 – Yield godly imaginations to Spirit flow (available soon)
5. The Great Commission # 5 - Seeing Jesus, alive and with me always IS true reality (available soon)

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