The Vision of a Serpent Tongue
All idle words will be judged
Yah teaches His children in many ways, but this one was a shocker to me.
So the primary way in which YAH teaches His children is through the Scriptures. From Scriptures we learn the difference between what is truly good and what is evil. We see ourselves not from our own perspective that is tainted with weaknesses, flaws, excuses and even narcissism but from a perfect standpoint, the perspective of YAH Himself. How His holy eyes, which burn 10,000 times brighter than the sun at its highest, sees us.
From Scriptures we learn just how far we fall from our Creator’s standard, how humanity throughout history has failed Him (we have all fallen short of His glory) and how we cannot be truly good without first humbling ourselves, admitting we can never be good in and of ourselves because we are of a fallen nature, and that it is only by His Spirit which transforms our hearts from stony to hearts of flesh that are careful to follow His commands, can we then became good, by the standard set by the Perfect One. The words of Yahusha come to mind: no one is good, only Elohiym is good. [Matthew 19:17] All our goodness comes from Him.
Another way Yah trains His own is through experiences. This I find is for those who knowing the Word and all its teachings, neglect the instructions given therein, still choosing to go after their hearts desires. As an act of mercy, of purging them out of sinful behaviour that will eventually lead to their death, YAH chastises them through harsh experiences they will never forget.
[Hebrews 12:6]
For את whom Yahuah loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives.
We are encouraged not to be worn down by the harsh lessons we learn in this manner knowing that Yah’s discipline is proof of His love for us and the result will be wisdom that guides us to turn away from evil, and eternal life from having turned away from sin that automatically results in death.
[Romans 6:36]
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of Elohiym is eternal life through our Adonai, YAHUSHA HA’ MASHIACH.
[Hebrews 12:9]
Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
[Job 28:28]
And to man He said, “Behold, the fear of Adonai, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil, that is understanding.”
An example of this is Jacob (Ya’aqov) the brother of Esau. He was loved by YAH above His brother and was more favoured in Yah's sight. This is recorded in Malachi 1:2-3
“I have always loved you,” says Yahuah. But you retort, “Really? How have you loved us?” And Yahuah replies, “This is how I showed my love for you: I loved your ancestor Jacob but I rejected his brother, Esau, and devastated his hill country. I turned Esau’s inheritance into a desert for jackals.”
In the Book of Jasher (Yashar) we are given full context of how wicked Esau was from a young age. He committed his first murder at age 15, and no matter how his parents attempted to teach Him the ways of Yah he was openly uninterested, preferring rather to be out in the fields hunting. Jacob on the other hand was submissive to his parents, he listened and was keen to heed his grandfather’s teachings on how to lead a righteous life. But Jacob had one major flaw, he was a liar. He was a trickster, a deceiver, a supplanter. Later in his life he came across a man that was more a deceiver that he ever was, namely Laban, his father-in-law, who cheated him out of the woman he wanted, and made him work 14 years for her which was not what they had agreed on. Yah allowed this to happen to train the son He loved. Jacob learned how it feels to be on the receiving end of fraud, of cheating others out of what is theirs.
Many Christians go through similar lessons because they know the truth but do not pursue it. They carry on with their evil character, therefore Yah directs their paths to meet people who are worse than them in that same character flaw. When they see themselves in these others, if they are wise they learn to hate that character. If they allow themselves to be taught they become disciplined in ways of righteousness.
This other form of training is rather unorthodox and I had no idea it existed until I experienced it myself. Yah is limitless and can be quite unpredictable even we as His children never really know what His full plans for us are.
Isaiah 40:13-14
Who is able to advise the Spirit of Yahuah?[c]
Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?
Has Yahuah ever needed anyone’s advice?
Does he need instruction about what is good?
Did someone teach him what is right
or show him the path of justice?
This other method of training is through: visions.
On an exceptionally ordinary day, at night, I was doing my regular bible study as is my custom. I don’t usually follow any routine or pattern when it comes to reading Scripture. Usually a verse or even verses recur in my mind, these are the verses, chapters, or even books that I will look into and be sure to read in my quiet time with the Holy Father. This particular day I was led to read from the book of James.
On reaching the third chapter which teaches us about controlling our tongue, I read:
Indeed we all make mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. (Another version reads, the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.)
But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole body on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.
It was at this point that I began to see a serpent tongue emerge from my own mouth. First slowly, as though gliding between my lips then really quickly, swiftly flicking up and down in blurry motion, in and out, making that familiar hissing sound of a serpent seeking to strike or poison their prey, or a perceived threat.
I was understandably horrified at what I saw and in distress remarked to myself, “What is the meaning of this?!”
YAH immediately answered me saying, “That is your tongue. It is split into two. With it you worship Me and tell Me how much you love Me, and with the same tongue you slander your brethren and speak evil things.
It was one statement. Short and precise. Yet so blunt and, though I am ashamed to admit this, it was accurate.
The remaining verses read: Sometimes it praises our Adonai and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of Elohiym. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely my brothers and sisters, this is not right! [James 3:2-10]
The Scriptures teach me that spiritual perspective is vastly different from the physical. From Isaiah 1:6 I learn that people who indulge in copious amounts of sin have the appearance of sores all over their spiritual body. They reek of wounds oozing pus. YAH speaks of Yasharel’s sins saying: the whole head is sick. From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. And Psalm 38:4-5: For my iniquities are gone over my head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and they are corrupt because of my foolishness.
Evil, sinful behaviour goes up to throne of YAHUAH as a stench and a loathsome smell. Isaiah 65:5b, “These people are a stench in my nostrils, an acrid smell that never goes away.”
From this vision I learned that those who slander appear to the Holy Father as bearing a serpent tongue. You pray and the Holy Father sees a poisonous, serpent tongue asking for His favour and help.
I did not receive this rather vivid instruction with grace and humility. I was actually greatly offended. And to hide my affront, I cast off His words immediately, suppressed the vision to the back of my mind, skimmed through the remaining chapters and went to sleep.
Here’s yet another lesson I learned from this encounter: just as much as it is a great offense to lie on Yahuah’s name, claiming that you’ve heard from Him when you haven’t, by the same token, it is a great offense against Him, to pretend you’ve not heard from Him when indeed you have.
Two days later a close relative reached out to me. Her husband had offended her in some way and she was looking to vent. I was busy that day, so I was not really looking forward to having this kind of conversation, and when she noticed my disinterest, she suggested that we should carry on the conversation later. In relief, agreed. As she was about to leave something strange happened to me. I felt a compulsion to call her back and have her disclose everything to me. I followed that compulsion. We ended up talking against her husband, a christian man that I personally knew, for close to an hour. We chopped that man down with our words. Anything that could be said against him, we said it. She would say one thing, I would add another. If she said more, I added even more, stirring her up to expel all that was within her to say. As the conversation approached its climax, a point where she was now fully immersed in her emotions and giving full expression to her frustration, Yah intervened and spoke to me saying, “What did I tell you?”
I remember visibly reacting to this question with a gasp that even stopped the woman in her ramblings. “What?” She asked, “Nothing,” I replied with a sheepish smile. She continued on, but I do not remember what she said from thereon, because all my mind was occupied with, was that vision of a serpent tongue, flicking in and out of my mouth, seeking whom to poison.
Later, when I got time to be alone with the Father, I repented. I confessed to having a slanderous tongue. I confessed to speaking evil things. I asked for forgiveness for all the evil things I have ever spoken. I repented of the evil words I had spoken over other people’s lives that may have left their souls permanently wounded. I canceled all those words and instead spoke a blessing over them saying, “For all that I wounded and harmed with my words, I cancel those words. I now speak Yahuah’s blessing upon them. That their lives may grow, increase and open up according to Yah’s will and what He spoke over them from before they were born. And let it be so.”
From that point, YAH began revealing to me words that fall under this umbrella term: idle words. Slander, gossip, backbiting, not keeping your word, that is, making empty promises and saying things you do not mean. All these are idle words. And they shall be judged.
Slander: the utterance of false charges or misrepresentation which defame another, and also malicious statements against another
Backbiting: Malicious talk about someone who is not present, a synonym of this word is slander
Gossip: casual, unconstrained conversations about other people that are usually unkind, untrue or disapproving.
[Leviticus 19:16] Do not go about spreading slander among your people. “ ‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am Yahuah.
Making empty promises simply means not keeping your word, speaking things you do not intend to carry out, or forfeiting what you had assured another to do, thereby making your word to that person meaningless or worthless.
[Psalm 15:1,3& 4] Yahuah, who shall abide in your tabernacle? Who shall dwell in your holy hill? He that back bites not with his tongue. In whose eyes a vile person is despised; but he honors them that fear Yahuah. He who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change his mind.
Saying words you do not mean appears similar to empty promises but it is slightly different. Here’s an example: suppose a person is having a conversation with a friend and they make fun of… perhaps what the friend is wearing… and the friend takes offense. If the person responds by saying: “It wasn’t that serious, I didn’t really mean it.” The the person spoke an idle word. Avoid saying things you do not mean. If you do not want what you say to be taken seriously, then don’t say it in the first place.
It is an offense to Yahuah to speak evil things against people in general, but it is far worse if the person is a christian: Proverbs 17:15 says condemning the righteous is detestable to Yahuah.
Many Christians insult and speak against fellow Christians, who are their brethren in Christ and I can promise you the Holy Father takes it personally when people speak against His children, even if those people are fellow believers. Many are suffering things caused by what they spoke against their fellow believers.
This also applies to Christians who speak evil things against themselves. A good example would be Rebecca.
And Rebecca said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Cheth: if Ya'aqov take a woman of the daughters of Cheth, who are these local women, what good shall my life do me? Bere'shiyth(Genesis) 27:46 The next she is mentioned in Genesis 49:31 we learn that she already passed on.
[Proverbs 6:2] You are snared with the words of your mouth, you are taken with the words of your (own) mouth.
In Isaiah 58:9 Yahuah speaks of the kind of worship that pleases Him. I will paraphrase: This is the worship and fasting that I want…take away the heavy yoke of oppression from the midst of you, turn away from accusing one another, stop speaking words of vanity.
[Matthew 12:36-37] our Adonai Yahusha says
But I say unto you: That every idle word which men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.
