Isaiah has a message for King Ahaz and refers to both "depth" and "height". Ahaz does not want to use this opportunity.

The "sign" can be in the "depth" or the "height" - the two extremes. This "sign" is somewhat like a "wish" that can be granted.
Note that the "sign" or "wish" needs to be in the "depth" or the "height above" and not a meta-wish or wish about a wish (as in "I wish I could have three more wishes").

The "sign" is a change in 10 steps or degrees of the sun, whatever that means. A change of 5 degrees in today's sun dials would amount to adding 5 days a year making the years before about 360 days rather than 365 days.

More: Sundials and the long day of Hezekiah

The ancient Greek word "προσεύχομαι" ≈ "pray, vow, request" as in a request as a wish and comes from two Greek words.

• "πρός" ≈ "to".
• "εὔχομαι " ≈ "pray, vow" and which means, literally, a "good wish".

A double-meaning here is that it can refer to the common idea of a "prayer" but also to a request or bid for something as a "good wish".

The idea of a "prayer bead" or "prayer prayer" goes back to the English word "bid" as in a request or "prayer". The actual "bead" is a reminder of a needed "bid" or "prayer".

More: Prayer beads, Beade, and year dates

More: Luke 18:1-8 Parable of the unjust judge

The ancient Greek word "προσεύχομαι" ≈ "pray, vow, request" as in a request or wish comes from two Greek words.

• "πρός" ≈ "to".
• "εὔχομαι " ≈ "pray, vow" and which means, literally, a "good wish".

A meta-wish is a wish about a wish. A genie usually forbids meta-wishes such as "I wish I had three more wishes" as this ruins the story.

More: Have you ever met a prefix like this?

What is "the ask"? Here are some related words.

• "αἴτησις" ≈ "request, demand".
• "αἰτέω" ≈ "ask, demand".

Here are some related Greek words.

• "αἴτιος" ≈ "cause, responsible for".
• "αἰτία" ≈ "cause, reason" as in the four "causes" of Aristotle.

Greek sayings: (ancient and modern)

• "μη αίτιος χωρίς αιτιώ" ≈ "Don't blame me without reason" (ancient).
• "αίτιο και αιτιατό" (EH-tee-o keh eh-tee-a-TO) ≈ "cause and effect" (modern).

More: Philippians 2:5-8 form of God and Aristotelian causes

More: John 1:1-5 Four causes in a design and implementation model

Can I ask a question? You just asked a question.

A meta-question is a question about questions.
Did you mean, can I ask another question? The first question was a meta-question.

When a new cadet (in the first year) at West Point needed to ask an upper-class cadet a question, one needed to say (before 1976 when women were admitted) "Sir, may I ask a question?".
Some upper-class cadets would respond, "You just did ask a question.". The new cadet was required to ask (that upper-class cadet) "Sir, may I ask another question?".

By continuation, a meta-ask is asking about an "ask" or a request about a request as a meta-request. This idea may be important as we shall see.

More: Have you ever met a prefix like this?

Can the "ordained" be considered a form of "asking"? Jesus as the Christ and Messiah addresses his disciples as "now friends".

In the above verses, one could paraphrase the general theme as the following.

Ask for it and it will be given to you (or made for you).

So the question comes down to what exactly is "it" referring. Such pronouns can be ambiguous. To what might be the "it" in the verses are referring?

Suppose that you were told this three times (pairs) spread over one long discourse. Would you fully understand? Did the disciples understand?

It appears that the unspecified "it" and other sayings by Jesus in this extended discourse may have left the disciples somewhat confused. A few verses later we have a request by the disciples.

More: Pronouns

John organizes John chapters 14, 15 and 16 in a top-down backward-chaining manner that can be confusing. The disciples appear to be confused and want Jesus to speak more plainly.

The "plainly" or "openly" can be translated "bluntly".

The Old English word "spell" ≈ "speak, say" as in to cast a "spell". To "spell" a word one would often say aloud the letters of that word. To "sit for a spell" is to sit and talk (for a while).

More: Parables and secret codes explained by Jesus

In learning, one can search or seek knowledge. But one must know that one needs to search or seek.


In general, the following holds in computer science (and other areas).

• A "search" is looking for something that may or may not exist.
• A "seek" is looking for something that is known to exist, but the exact location of that something is not known.

More: Matthew 6: Seek to eat , drink and be married to Jesus

A stair analogy can be used to help understand top-down design and bottom-up implementation.

• The goal is the top of the stairs.
• The start is the bottom of the stairs.

Implementation:

• Do it: 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 to 5 (same either way)

Design: When it works, top-down tends to be better.

• Think bottom-up: 1 then 2 then 3 then 4 then 5 (start to goal)
• Think top-down: 5 if 4 if 3 if 2 if 1 (goal to start)

More: Top-down vs. bottom-up

Here is one interpretation for the three parts, in top-down backward-chaining order as appears to be used by John in John chapters 14 and following.

• Ask for the opportunity to knock and it will be made for you, if you
• ask for the opportunity to seek and it will be given to you, if you
• ask for the opportunity to ask and it will be given to you.

There are various names for a top-down backward-chaining divide and conquer problem solving strategy.

Topologically they are all the same since one can rotate and change the length of the branches as desired and it is the same tree.

More: Divide and conquer: Top-down and bottom-up

Not all trees have two or more branches. Some problems are best split into just one other part. Such a sequence is called a serial sequence. A tree-structure is needed by many problems in computer science. Most people will only need to understand the linear sequence.

And that top-down or bottom-up sequence can be viewed in any direction.

More: Divide and conquer: Top-down and bottom-up

In John chapters 14 and following, John presents a top-down design and bottom-up implementation of the entire "ask", "seek", "knock" sequence where Jesus provides the implementation example of the design.

Note that chapter boundaries were determined in the Middle Ages and may not fit what John is saying (since the translators may not have fully understood what John was saying).

More: Chapter and verse divisions

John 14-16 deals with the top-down backward-chaining thinking and design.

Jesus will then put that design into practice in the bottom-up forward-chaining doing and implementation .
Design top-down:

• (1) One can ask to "knock" (to the Father)
• if (2) one asks to "seek" (with the Spirit)
• if (3 ) one asks to "ask" (from the Son).

Implement bottom-up:

• 4. Ask: Pray in the garden as the start.
• 5. Seek: Arrest, trial, crucifixion and passive endurance of the hate of the world.
• 6. Knock: Asking the Father to receive him. It is finished.

An interesting hierarchy in John 16:7-11 is as follows, in contrast to the ask, seek, knock progression of believers. The "reprove" is a logical argument and not any "doing" action.

• Sin - asking part (opinion, believe not)
• Righteousness - seeking part (see Him no more)
• Judgment - knocking part ("judge" here means "separating")

As in the game of monopoly, one can be "sent to jail" (for bad behavior) at any point and revert to a prior point. Classic Monopoly game: Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. For this sequence, the end result is the wide gate to destruction.
Think of the parable of the sheep and (kid) goats. Is there a "participation trophy" for whatever effort is made and for whatever is done? A related question is "Does God grade on a curve?".

More: A reproof on the use of the word reproof

The Middle English word "doom" ≈ "judgment" and the Old English word "dome" ≈ "judgment" and are the source of "doomsday" as in "judgment day".

More: Doomsday as judgment day