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Writer's pictureCarolyn Hurst

Amen

Updated: Feb 1, 2023


The word amen is found throughout the Bible. Matter of fact, it is even the last word of Scripture!

Did you ever wonder what it means?

The Hebrew word and the Greek word that are translated amen mean “so be it, verily, true,” “truly” or “so it is.” The literal translation is “truth.”

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to everlasting. Then all the people said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord.

1 Chronicles 16:36

And blessed be His glorious name forever; And may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen.

Psalm 72:9

but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

2 Peter 3:18

Jesus often used the word “amen” when He would begin a teaching by saying, “Truly I say to you,”

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Jesus introduces his teaching by saying amen lego humin, [ http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/amen.html ]

that is, "truly I say to you, " on nearly seventy occasions in the Gospels (thirty times in Matthew, thirteen in Mark, six in Luke, and twenty in John, where the amen is always doubled). Where the prophets often said, "Thus says the Lord, " Jesus often says, "Amen I say to you." Although some scholars see the formuLam merely as a method of giving emphasis to a statement, in actuality it constitutes a significant part of Jesus' implicit teaching about Himself. We ought to consider Jesus' use of the term "amen" alongside His other implicit claims to deity, such as His claim of the right to forgive sins and to judge humankind, and His custom of performing miracles on His own authority. No mere human has the right to forgive sins, yet Jesus forgave sins. God is the judge of humankind, yet Jesus judges. God's agents ascribe the will and the glory to God when they perform miracles, yet Jesus performed miracles on His own authority. Likewise, prophets never spoke on their own authority. They say, "Thus says the Lord." Or, like Paul, they say they received a revelation from heaven. But Jesus says, "Truly I say to you" dozens of times, asserting that His words are certainly true because he says them.

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Did you pick up on that? Jesus say "truly I say to you" 69 times in the Gospels! Instead of saying "Thus says the LORD", Jesus is saying, "Amen I say to you." This had to be ASTONISHING to Jesus' disciples, the scribes and Pharisees, and other listeners. Yet Christians today often read it and gloss over it not realizing the significance. It had a huge impact to His listeners at the time because Jesus is claiming to have the authority of God.

I hope as you read the Bible you will notice how all of the patriarchs and prophets say "Thus says the LORD" and Jesus says "truly I say to you." It should jump out at you from now on. This simple phrase Jesus says over and over packs a punch because it speaks to His divinity. Amen.

“Amen” comes at the end of a prayer, a hymn or a statement that is true.

You shouldn't say “Amen” unless you believe what is said to be the truth.

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

Revelation 22:20-21

The Bible is the truth.

So be it, verily, true.

Truly.

And that is why the last word of the Bible is Amen.

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