Anna

Did Anna gather men and women to the Temple, get up on a platform and preach to them? Yes, claim two groups from Arkansas. Nearly three years ago, I offered this group and three hundred other male Ministers who believe in woman preachers, $10,000.00 to produce the Scripture to prove this. They have refused to send the proof! They could not collect the money because they do not have the Scriptures. Like the entire women preacher doctrine, they have created a fantasy and twisted the Word of God to support it.

Anna is recognized on the Temple scene around 4-5 B.C., at the time of the birth of Messiah. She was a notable Jewish woman. After her husband's death, she dedicated her life to fasting and prayer. She was no doubt among those few believers who held on to the hope that a Messiah would appear and redeem the faithful of Israel.

Luke records the story of Anna at 2:36-38. He identified her as a prophetess. He records that after Anna heard Simeon reveal Jesus was the Messiah, that she "spake" to all in Jerusalem, who looked for redemption, about him. The Jezebel boys and girls take the word "spake" and turn it into preaching. But is this correct?

The word "spake" in the Anna account, is the Greek word "laleo". This word is translated into seven different English words in the King James Version. The seven words are: "preach, say, speak, spake, talk, tell, and utter."

Context, internal agreement, and true hermeneutics, determine what English word should be used in translating the Greek word. By context, we mean, that the passage specifically describes how a person is using the tongue. Only one of the seven qualifies how a New Testament Minister exercises his Priesthood under the anointing as he Preaches. At all other times outside of this office, the Minister is exercising the other six definitions. In the oldest manuscripts of the Bible available, the word "laleo" in this text is translated to mean "talked, told, reported, spake, " and the setting is outside of a religious service. If a true Minister is not preaching when he is holding a general discussion with others about Biblical things, why is it that Anna is made into a woman preacher when her talking to others is also outside of the Temple and religious services?

By internal agreement, we mean that the Bible as a whole can not contradict itself. It must agree internally from lid to lid, on a certain issue without contradiction.

By true hermeneutics, we mean, that all words in their first use in the Bible, originally had a specific meaning. Hermeneutics demands that a word, when interpreted, must always contain the meaning first ascribed to it in its first use in the Scriptures. The Scriptures are thereby secured from some false prophet or prophetess changing the interpretation of any word in the Bible. To prove a doctrine false, research the root of words used to support a falsehood. Hermeneutics has proven to be useful to expose many false teachings. Herein, the spirit of a doctrine must agree with the written Word. This is the application of hermeneutics.

A point of reference is here demonstrated. The Scriptures record the first use of the word "wine" where Noah drank fermented grape juice and was drunk in his tent. The Hebrew word for wine in this account is "yayin" James Strong's #3196; which means effervesce; wine (as fermented). Each and every time the Hebrew word "yayin" is used afterward in the Scriptures it must imply fermented grape juice, or grape juice in a stage of fermentation with anticipation of it becoming "yayin" in its end product. If anyone attempts to make "yayin" unfermented grape juice, you will see that hermeneutics will expose that person as a fabricator. This is what is meant by "wrest of Scripture:" To make words mean what they did not originally mean, and thereby alter God's Word.

From the foregoing, it is established that we may determine the correct rendering of the Greek "laleo" used in the case of Anna, as simply talking. There is not a single Scripture in all of the Bible where the Greek word "laleo" is applied to a woman preaching. NOT A SINGLE PLACE. That is astounding! It proves conclusively that there is no such thing in the whole Bible as a woman preacher.

Contrary to the falsehoods being propagated by many Pastors and women preachers, the Jews did not have a platform for women to preach from in the Temple in Jerusalem. Twelve semi-circle stairs ascended out of the court of the women up into the Court of the men of Israel. On each side at the top of these stairs, stood two huge pillars. One had the name Boaz inscribed upon it and the other having the name Jachin. Stepping past these pillars, there were two more stairs leading up to the actual patio where the Priest sacrificed on the altar. To the right of the altar in Herod's Temple was an area identified as a platform. It was merely the floor surface of the upper level patio. Only the Priests were allowed here. The raised platforms in our Churches were patterned from this example.

Women were not permitted to minister on this platform. The floor level of this platform rose to a height of approximately ten feet above the floor level of the Court of the women. The height of a normal Jewish woman was around five foot eight. This means the floor level of the Court of the men of Israel, was a space of nearly forty six inches above the heads of all women of Israel. This signified that the man was over the head of woman.

The area of the Gentiles was outside of the Temple. From here it was three feet up to the Temple level. The Court of the Women was three feet higher than the first Temple level, and now six feet higher than the Court of the Gentiles. The Court of the Men of Israel was ten feet higher than that of the women. The Court of the Priest was three feet higher than the Men of Israel. The Holy of Holies was eight feet above that of the Priest. See #4319 Thompson Chain Bible.

The Court of the Women being six feet over that of the Gentiles signified that the Jewish woman had privileges the Gentiles did not have. The Court of the Men of Israel was ten feet over that of the Court of the Women. This signified that all women of Israel and all Gentiles were under the authority of the Men of Israel. The Holy of Holies was eleven feet over the Court of the Men of Israel and signified that God was over all.

If a person was to stand in the Court of the Gentiles, Court of the women, Court of the Men, Court of the Priest, and look toward the Holy of Holies, they would have to look up to the Glory of God! You may look at the floor plan of the Temple and a side view of the Temple layout and see this graphically illustrated. The purpose of pointing this out, is to demonstrate that headship was incorporated into the Tabernacle and Temple plans and designs, and women did not have a place set aside for them to be priestesses in the Tabernacle or to be preachers in the Temple, as falsely reported.

Anna "spake" to others that Jesus would bring redemption. She only repeated what she overheard Simeon prophesy.

There is no difference in Anna talking to others, than a Church member speaking to others and repeating what he or she might have heard their Pastor prophesy. Such explains Anna speaking or talking to others. This is not preaching. If Anna used the gift of prophecy in speaking to her friends, she would have predicted things to come as did Simeon. If on the other hand, it can be proven that in this instance, Anna "spake" of things she already knew, saw, and heard, from the mouth of a man named Simeon, then she is not prophesying. She is not preaching. She is merely repeating something she heard from the mouth of a Man of God. She is only testifying! She is a witness of those things which she saw and heard.

Simeon had revealed by prophecy, everything Anna was now witnessing to others. So, the Holy Ghost rightfully does not say Anna preached or prophesied about Jesus in the Temple or anywhere else. The Holy Ghost inspired Luke to write that she "spake". This identifies religious conversation in the normal course of talking with those who were anxiously awaiting the coming of Messiah. No where does the Scripture hint or imply that Anna prophesied one word about Jesus. In the Temple along side of Simeon she "gave thanks". She was directing this to God in the form of praise and prayer. No where does the Scriptures hint or imply that even Simeon was preaching when he was prophesying or giving thanks. Therefore, even the prophecy by Simeon does not identity him as a Preacher. If this holds true for a Simeon, it is doubly true for Anna!

The fact that Anna did not prophesy to anyone about Jesus in the form of some alleged preaching, concurs with the previous 4,000 years of internal agreement in the Word of God. The fact that Anna was not permitted to be a co-priestess with Simeon, proves women were still excluded from the Priesthood.

The account of Anna reveals that women were permitted to witness in general conversation about Biblical matters outside of the Temple Ministry. Sanctified gossip is not preaching. In all reality, Anna was only gossiping concerning what she overheard Simeon prophesying about in the Temple. There is evil gossip and there is sanctified gossip. As the late, Bishop C.W. (Dad) Shew once said: "sanctified gossip about what God is doing at the Church, is the way for Saints to help the Pastor get his preaching to the ears of family and friends."

Simeon, a man, blessed Messiah in the Priestly function. Anna did not bless Jesus Messiah or pray over him the dedicatory prayer. No woman has this authority or right. No woman has authority or right to dedicate any child unto God except her own. Even then, she is not permitted to make the dedicatory prayer. She or a proxy may present the child to a Man of God just like Joseph, the step-father of Jesus did. Likewise, no woman has any right or authority to baptize. I rebaptize every person that I can, that has been baptized by a woman. All baptisms by a woman are invalid. I rededicate every child I can, who was dedicated by a woman preacher. Upon everyone I lay my hands, I bind every spirit placed there by a woman claiming to be a preacher. I reverse the Jezebel curse every time I get the chance.

Simeon received Jesus up in his arms and blessed him as God (Luke 2:28)! It was customary at a dedication, for a Jewish husband to publicly accept parental responsibility for the child being dedicated. The act of presenting it to the Priest for dedication was considered a token of requesting God's blessing upon the child in the home. Thus, Jesus was officially enrolled in the genealogical records as a son of Joseph, although we know he only adopted him, since he was conceived by the Holy Ghost. Anna did not hold Jesus or perform any of the redemption Priestly functions. No woman has ever done this throughout the whole Old Testament. Any woman who does it today is committing fraud.

The Word of God in Luke 2:36-38 said Anna "served God in fasting and prayers night and day", not as a priestess or a preacher. Since women were not allowed to be priestesses or to preach in the Temple, Anna was not called of God into a ministry equal to the men of her day, who represented authority in the house of God.

Anna never preached to an assembly of Jewish men or carried on, out of order like the Jezebels are taught and permitted to today in Pentecostal Churches. Again, the Scriptures are authoritative, Anna did not consider herself to be a priestess or a preacher or even equal to a Priest. She did not usurp authority over any man. Her gift of prophecy was outside the office of the Priesthood. No Priest shared his authority with her!

Like Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah, Anna did not believe her gift of prophecy qualified her to a license to preach or enter the Priesthood. The Eve Law still prevails. The woman is excluded from rule and authority in Spiritual matters. She is prohibited from interpreting the Word of God, except she receive that knowledge from those Men ordained by God to be of the true Apostolic Faith. She can have no opinion of her own, concocted out of her own head. If she returns to the Eve idea that she can make Spiritual decisions without consulting her husband or her Pastor, she will eventually bring shame, sin, and death upon her house and children. O Eve, would to God you had run to your husband instead of to the tree, to begin carrying a false message. Perhaps Cain would not have killed Abel, if his mother had not invited upon the family, through rebellion, the spirit of the murderer, the serpent (John 8:44)?

Anna is truly an example of the Apostolic Woman we are searching for. Once we remove from her the unholy accusation that she usurped rule and authority as a preacher, we restore her to the beauty of holiness. She loved the house of God. She respected highly the Men of God in authority. She allowed a Man of God to perform his duty without trying to correct him or take over the service. She loved people. She fasted and prayed. She continued to believe the Messiah was coming, although other generations also believed, but died in faith. Against hope, she had faith. She was a holy woman. She went from friend to friend, and from house to house, testifying about what she had heard Simeon prophesy. She was an encouragement, and lifted up the hearts of the down-cast. She was an example of an Apostolic Woman. She did not preach.

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