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Tracking the Messiah's Lineage...
One of the most interesting categories of Messianic prophecies pertains to the consistent and ever more precise predictions of the Savior’s nature and lineage. They begin very broadly in the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 3 God predicted that the consequence of sin would be undone by the "seed of a woman." In other words, the Savior would be born rather than just appear out of the thin blue sky. God could have shed dimensions and emerged from the clouds, radiant and full grown. In fact, in His final advent as the King of Kings, He will do this very thing. But for Genesis 3 to be fulfilled, the Savior in redemptive mode would have to be born to a woman. As we shall discover, Isaiah also confirms this in his 9th chapter. As a consequence of being "the seed of a woman" the Messiah would have a lineage. That process begins with the Semitic people, known today as the "Hebrews." After the flood, the path to the Messiah was narrowed down to one of Noah’s three sons, specifying Shem, thus eliminating Ham (Middle Eastern and African peoples) and Japheth (Europeans and Asians). "Noah said: "Blessed (barak - praised and adored) is Yahuweh, the God of Shem (Semitic peoples, specifically the Hebrews; from shem, meaning name, reputation, renown, nature, report, and status). [Ham’s son] Canaan (kana’an - people East of the Mediterranean including the Canaanite/Phoenicians; from kana’, meaning humbled and subdued, brought into subjection) shall be his servant. Japheth (Yepheth - people of the southern and northern Mediterranean rim, Europe and Asia; from patah, meaning open) shall spread out, be open and easily persuaded (patah - spacious, enticed, and naïve; easily seduced and deceived), and shall abide in Shem’s tabernacle (‘ohel)." (Genesis 9:26-27) Prophetically, this tells us more than the Redeemer will be a Semite, or Hebrew. While that is narrow enough, recognizing that Semites have seldom represented more than two-tenths of one percent of the planet’s population, we’re told something about the heritage of all people. We discover that the Europeans and Asians, and by their spreading out, the peoples of the Americas and Pacific, will be open minded. Some will be easily seduced and deceived by men’s schemes while others will choose wisely, electing to tabernacle with the Semites and their God. True to His word, the Yepheth became the people of choice, of freedom and democracy. Many have chosen wisely as this is where the ekklesia-calling out has grown the most aggressively. The Yepheth are also the people of sinister schemes, of secular humanism, socialism and fascism wherein people are seduced by sex, power, and money. However, for the peoples of the Middle East, the Nation of Islam today, their destiny is to be subdued. True to His word, most all Muslims serve under the tyrannical hand of dictators touting a religion named "Islam/Submission." Later, God told Abraham, a descendent of Shem, "I will bless those who bless you, and I will dismiss (qalal - slight, be unconcerned with, viewing as of little account, see as despicable and treat with contempt, dishonoring) him who curses (‘arar - invokes harm or injury by word or deed against) you. And in you all the families (mishpachah - people and nations) of Adam and the Earth (‘adamah) shall be blessed." (Genesis 12: 3) There is but one universal blessing: the Savior, the Messiah Yahushua. With this passage we learn that He will be a descendent of Abraham, narrowing the field considerably. And since the Hebrews, soon to be Yahuwdym, would bring forth this ultimate blessing, Yahuweh puts us on notice. Invoke harm or injury on Yisra’el, by word or by deed, and you shall be ignored by God, at best, or treated with contempt depending upon the severity of the offense. We have and continue to see this prophecy play out the world over. Those nations who raise the sword over the heads of Jews lose wars and are ultimately destroyed. As an interesting aside, to be dismissed by Yahuweh is to have one’s soul extinguished upon death. It is like a child who is stillborn, and thus unknown to his or her parents. Those who are not born anew in Yahweh’s Spirit from above are essentially of little account and of no concern to God. But those who advance deceptive and destructive doctrines in the role of priest, politician, journalist, and teacher, are treated with contempt, earning the perpetual condemnation described in Matthew 23. The Messianic line passed through Abraham’s son Isaac/Yitshaq: "God said: "Truly, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac/Yitshaq (Yitschaq - from tsachaq, meaning laughter). I will establish (quwm - stand upright and arise, come onto the scene, establish and confirm) My covenant (beriyth - relationship, agreement between parties, alliance, constitution, and marriage) with him for an everlasting (‘owlam - perpetual and eternal) relationship (beriyth), and with his seed (zera’ - descendants and offspring) after him." (Genesis 17:19) Beyond the narrowing of the lineage to one of Abraham’s two sons, there are lessons here. First, by naming Isaac/Yitshaq "laughter," Yahuweh inferred that this relationship was designed to be fun. Second, quwm is Messianic. Yahushua is the one who stood upright for us and then rose so that we might take our stand with God and rise up to meet Him in the end. He came unto the scene to establish the way to God, confirming the Covenant prophecies regarding salvation. Third, the relationship is eternal. And that would mean that once established, it never ends - nationally with Yisra’el or personally with us. Fourth, by using the Hebrew word for "seed" in Genesis 17, Yahweh defines his use of seed in Genesis 3. Next we are told that another second son, this time Isaac’s/Yitshaq’s son Jacob/Ya’aqob, was given the nod: "Yahuweh said to [Isaac’s/Yitshaq’s wife Rebekah]: ‘Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated (parad - divided and parted) from your body; one people shall be stronger (‘amats - prove superior, have a higher status so as to establish and persist) than the other, and the older and more numerous (rab) shall serve (‘abad - be reduced to servitude before) the younger.’" (Genesis 25:23) Once again, more than just narrowing the list of potential Messianic forefathers, Yahuweh established the scene upon which the act of redemption would play out. Ya’aqob’s eldest son was Esau. He married Ishmael’s daughter, becoming the patriarch of the Nation of Islam and thereby earning Yahuweh’s hatred. While Muslims are one hundred times more numerous, when they are together, Esau’s descendents usually serve Ya’aqob’s. In one of the most interesting and poorly translated passages of Scripture, the patriarch Jacob/Ya’aqob became Yisra’el, giving birth to Yahuwdah - the fourth of his twelve sons. He was anointed to be the bearer of the Messianic line. "Judah/Yahuwdah (Yahuwdah - one who confesses Yahuweh’s name, thanking and praising Yah, one who belong to Yah), your brothers (‘ach - kin, relatives and tribe) shall praise you..and your father’s children shall bow down... The scepter (shebet - ruling staff or branch of power) shall not depart (cuwr - be removed) from Yahuwdah, nor the governor’s and lawgiver’s engravings (chaqaq) from between his feet, until Shiyloh (from shalah, the Councilor, the one who brings safety, tranquility, prosperity, rest and ease; an epithet of the Messiah) comes; and to Him shall be the cleansing and blamelessness (yiqqahah - gathering, guiding, and authority) of the people." (Genesis 49:8-10) So far, God has narrowed the field six times, effectively eliminating hundreds of millions of people from consideration as Messiah’s ancestor. The prophecies are getting more specific and detailed as time progresses. Now we know that the Savior will bring tranquility by way of gathering, cleansing, and guiding, and that He will come while Yahuwdah still possesses some governing control over the nation of Yisra’el. There’s a particularly interesting prophetic twist about Judah’s/Yahuwdah’s scepter - the symbol of royal authority. Israel’s first king, Saul, was from the tribe of Benjamin, not Judah/Yahuwdah. But once David succeeded him, 640 years after the prophecy was issued, the throne of promise was never occupied by a king from any Jewish tribe other than Judah. The ruling scepter didn’t depart Yahuwdah until Herod, the mercurial Roman-bribing king who ruled during the first few years of the Messiah’s redemptive advent. Herod was not actually Jewish, but Idumaean - a descendant of Esau. He was placed and maintained in power by a foreign gentile government. Had Yahushua been born just three years later, the scepter prophecy would have been invalid, placing all Scripture in question. But there is more to the story. Yes, Yahushua was a Yahuwd of the tribe of Yahuwdah. He could trace his lineage all the way back to David because the genealogical records were still extant. Yet within a generation of the Messiah’s sacrifice, these archives were up in smoke along with the rest of Jerusalem. This means that after 70 CE, no Jew could prove, or even credibly demonstrate, his lineage. From that time on, it has been impossible to present a legitimate Messianic claim. Therefore, either the Messiah’s salvation advent had to have occurred prior to the destruction of the genealogical records or all of these Messianic predictions are rendered meaningless - impossible to substantiate or refute. Returning to the predicted forbearers of the Messiah, King David was the next to be pinpointed. The prophet Nathan said: "Yahuweh announces and makes known to (nagad - declares and makes conspicuous to, reports and proclaims to, heralds, publishes, confesses and avows to) you [David] that He will do the work to make (‘aasah - prepare, accomplish and produce through, put in order so as to institute, establish, celebrate, and assign to) you a family, house, and home (bayith - place where people live and belong; a temple; a family line or lineage; also symbolic of a royal dynasty)." (2 Samuel 7:11) David is an interesting sort. His behavior was often bad, but his attitude was most often good. He is the exemplar, not of proper conduct, but of proper relationship. David demonstrates that Yahuweh’s family, His eternal home, has a giant welcome mat out for flawed people. And that’s because this is the only kind of people there really are. David is proof positive (as am I and probably you as well) that Yahweh loves rascals so long as we are passionate about Him. We are invited to serve God and live in His home based upon who He is, not who we are, based upon what He did, not upon what we do. The second aspect of David that is interesting is his conspicuousness. For 3,000 years the weak and the powerful, the big and the small, have admired David and recounted the story of his life. And yet by most any criterion, David was a nobody, and his kingdom was insignificant. So it is once again that we are confronted with what actually matters. It is not what we do or what we own that counts, but who we know. The Hebrew word for house, home, and family, bayith, is an intriguing term. As we shall discover when we dive into Jeremiah’s introduction of the Renewed Covenant, bayith is us just one letter removed from beriyth, the Hebrew word for covenant, relationship, and marriage in the actual text. Bayith and beriyth are: families and homes, places where people live and where they belong; both represent temples, family lines and lineage. They are both symbolic of the royal rule of the Messiah. Nathan’s conversation with David continued with one of the most Messianic of all Hebrew words - quwm. "Indeed therefore, when your days are finished and you lie down with your fathers, I will come onto the scene, fulfill, confirm, establish, stand upright, and rise through (quwm - rise up, endure, be validated and proven, stand up, demonstrate power, arise, and persist through) your seed (zera’ - descendants and posterity) after some time (‘achar), He who (‘asher - a relative reference used as a marker of linkage and association) will come (yatsa’ - go forth, proceed to accomplish a purpose and a result, lead and deliver) from your body. And I will form and firmly establish His enduring (kuwn - set up and make permanently stable His, prepare and fashion the finished arrangements to provide direction and restoration to His) sovereign reign (mamlakah - rule, dominion, realm, royal power, authority, and kingdom)." (2 Samuel 7:12) Hebrew seems to have the perfect word for every occasion. While every aspect of quwm is Messianic, so is kuwn, but from a different perspective. Quwm describes the Messiah’s life here on earth from our perspective looking back. Yahuweh came onto the scene, fulfilled the prophecies, confirming, validating, and proving that He was God in the flesh. He demonstrated His power through miracles. And He established the means of salvation by standing up for us, then proving that His solution defeated death by rising up again. With kuwn we see the same process but from Yahweh’s perspective in anticipation of what He had planned. God would make temporary atonement achieved by the Miqra rehearsals permanent - enduring forever. He would prepare the final, firm, and finished arrangements to provide direction to us so that He could restore us. As good as that is, Nathan’s prophecy to David gets even better: "He shall build up and establish (banah - rebuild, restore, and reestablish) a family, home, and house (bayith) in My name (shem - personal name, renown, reputation, report, status and authority), and I will form and firmly establish His enduring (kuwn - set up and make permanently stable His, prepare and fashion the finished arrangements to provide direction and restoration to His) throne (kicce’ - seat, royal dignity, authority and power) of His sovereign reign (mamlakah - rule, dominion, realm, and kingdom) even unto eternity (‘ad ‘owlam - continuously to the extent of space and time, until forever, perpetually and indefinitely without end)." (2 Samuel 7:14) Solomon, David’s most notorious son, built the first Temple based upon Yahuweh’s Scriptural directions. But it wasn’t "firmly established and enduring." It would be destroyed and rebuilt not once, but three times. And Solomon’s kingdom disintegrated right after his death. So this passage is Messianic, alluding to David’s seed "‘achar - after some time." Moreover, what comes next confirms this conclusion, because as has been the case throughout this prophecy, Yahuweh is speaking in first person. "I will be (hayah - I was, I am, and I will be) His Father (‘ab - head of the family and household), and He shall be (hayah - He was, He is, and He shall be) My Son (ben)." (2 Samuel 7:14) The ben-son nature of the Savior is most easily understood when we turn to ben’s root, banah, the word which was used in the previous verse to describe our eternal family and home. The definition of banah explains the mission of the Messiah and encapsulates the Renewed Covenant: "to build up and rebuild, to establish and reestablish a pattern and a plan, to repair and to restore, to stand upright establishing a firm basis for a standard, and to create prosperity in abundance." Yahuweh’s reference to "His Son" as Messiah and to Himself as "Father" is replicated in Isaiah 9, Isaiah 40, and confirmed throughout the Renewed Covenant Scriptures. This designates the kind of relationship Yahweh wishes to develop with us. Since it is important, let’s examine a few of the places Yahuweh uses ben-son in reference to the Messiah and His eternal family. In Isaiah 9 we find that the Son and the Father are one, as are God, the Set-Apart Spirit, and the Savior. "For unto us a child (yeled - young boy) is born (yalad - is given birth and brought forth), unto us a Son (ben) is given (nathan yatan - eternally bestowed, entrusted and granted, delivered up, allowed to pay, and assigned to be afflicted)... His name (shem) will be called out, recited and read aloud (qara’ - proclaimed and summoned): Wonderful (pele’ - marvelously performing, separate, powerful, and extraordinary; miraculous and astounding non-verbal sign or portent pertaining to one’s attitude) Counselor (ya’ats - advisor, consultant, one who speaks and urges), Almighty (gibor - mighty man; from gabar, one who prevails and is great, confirming and giving strength) God (‘el), Eternal (‘ad - perpetual and continuous) Father (‘ab - head of family), Prince (sar - overseer and patron) of Redemption (shalowm - favor and salvation, the blessing of completeness, soundness, health, prosperity, tranquility, contentment, friendship, companionship, and relationship; from shalam, to pay recompense, to reward and to restore, to provide a means of return by redemption, restitution and making amends)." (Isaiah 9:6) Savior and Son are One. Father and Son are God Almighty. The next verse goes on to confirm that there shall be "no end to the abundance and greatness of His dominion and redemption." It confirms that the "Son, Counselor, God, Father, and Savior" will rule "upon the throne of David and over his kingdom to firmly and perpetually establish it (kuwn), sustaining and upholding justice, righteousness, and vindication forever." Yahuweh confirms the reason for all of this in Hosea 1:10. Yahushua would later quote this verse to stymie the rabbis. Speaking of Yisra’el, Yahweh said: "It will be said of them: ‘You are sons (ben) of the living (chay - active and reviving, life sustaining and maintaining, nourishing and promise keeping) God (‘el).’" Yahuweh’s only begotten Son revived us, nourishing and sustaining our lives, keeping His promises, so that we could be God’s children. We are invited to be part of Yahweh’s family and live eternally in His home. That is what Yahweh means by ben-son, beriyth-marriage relationship, and beiyth-family home. This is reconfirmed in Deuteronomy 14:1. God restates: "You are the sons of Yahuweh, your God." This intimate relationship is presented again in Psalm 103:13: "Just as a father (‘ab) deeply loves and shows mercy (racham - demonstrates tender affection and is compassionate) to his sons (ben), so Yahuweh loves and is merciful (racham - demonstrates tender affection and is compassionate) to those who revere (yare’) Him." Since the entire Psalm is Messianic and prophetic, we’ll return to it later. In Psalm 2, God is confronting "rulers who speak and league against Yahuweh and against His Anointed Implement (Mashiyach or Masehyah - Messiah, the Anointed Implement of Yah)." He says: "I have anointed and installed My King upon My Set-Apart (qodesh) Mount Zion. I will surely recount and relate the prescribed task (choq): Yahuweh has said, You (‘attah - an emphasized and emphatic You) are My Son (ben). Today I have brought You forth. Ask and I shall give (yatan nathan - eternally grant and bestow, forever devote, consecrate and entrust) the Gentiles (Goy) to You to inherit (nachalah - to receive and possess by way of inheritance and association) to the ends of the earth, to grasp, hold, and enclose (‘achazah - possess through purchase, gift or inheritance)... Happy, blessed and upright (‘eser) are all who seek refuge, trusting in Him for protection (chacah)." Yahuweh sent His ben-Son into the world so that Gentiles could be adopted into His family, receiving Yahushua’s inheritance. It is one of the most beautiful uses of the father-son metaphor. Isaiah 40:5 says the same thing in different words: "The glorious presence and the manifestation of power, the person of Yahuweh is revealed and made known for all mankind to observe, consider and learn from the only begotten son of God." Now that we know why Yahuweh used ben-son in reference to the Messiah, and understand its implications on us, we can finish the prophecy Nathan was sharing with David. Speaking of the Messiah, Yahuweh said: "When wrongdoing and sin (‘awah - distortion and perversity) are associated with (‘asher - linked to) Him, I will punish Him with a kindly intent (yakach -correct and make right by Him, vindicate, having a reasoned legal dialogue so as to resolve the dispute) with the rod (shebet - staff or scepter, offshoot or branch) of men and with the blows (nega’ - stripes and wounds) of the sons of ‘Adam." (2 Samuel 7:14) The phrase, "when wrongdoing and sin is associated with Him I will punish Him," has been corrected to comply with the original Hebrew text. Most English translations render this verse "when he commits iniquity I will chastise him." The Messiah didn’t commit iniquity, for if he had, He would have suffered chastisement for His own sin, not ours. The key to the correction is in the Hebrew word ‘asher, often translated "if or when." ‘Asher provides "a relative reference and a marker of linkage or association that affects a result." Strong’s notes that "as it is indeclinable, ‘asher is often used to show a connection." Therefore, the phrase really means, "When sin is associated with, linked or connected to, Him God will chastise Him with a kindly intent." The prophet is predicting, actually confirming, that Yahushua would suffer for our sins! The iniquity of all mankind would be associated with the Messiah just as the prophets had foretold. Yakach is especially meaningful in this context. It is first used in Genesis 31:37, where yakach means "to evaluate, decide, and judge." In other words, Yahuweh is going to consider the stripes, blows, and wounds inflicted upon Yahushua as punishment for our sins. Our transgressions will be associated with Him so that they won’t be associated with us. That is why the "punishment had a kindly intent." The legal dispute against us was resolved in our favor, vindicating us, making us right with God. The Messianic prophecy concludes with: "But My unchanging love and mercy (checed - faithfulness, steadfast goodness, and unfailing kindness) shall not depart from (cuwr - turn away from, be removed from, forsake or abandon) Him... Your family, home, and house (bayith) and your kingdom shall be supported, confirmed, upheld, established and nourished (‘aman) forever and ever." (2 Samuel 7:15-16) Grace is forever so we shall always be part of Yahuweh’s family, living in His home. David continued to be the last Messianic forefather designated in Scripture until Judah’s declining years. Yahuweh finally had enough of their rebellion and allowed Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, to haul the flower of Judean society into captivity. The king that evoked such wrath was Jeconiah. Jeremiah prophesied, "As I live," says Yahuweh, "though Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the seal on My right hand, yet I would tear you away. I will give you into the hand of those who seek your life, and into the hand of those whose presence you fear - the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon and the Chaldeans. So I will throw you out..into another country where you were not born. There you shall die. To the land which you desire to return, you shall not return. This man Jeconiah is a despised and contemptible broken idol, a vessel in which nothing exists. On what account are he and his descendants cast out and thrown into a land which they do not know?" (Jeremiah 22:24-28) Now the only way the Messiah could reign in harmony with the predictions would be if He were to legally occupy the throne of David without being a descendent of Jeconiah. His seed had now been disqualified. That is why there are two genealogies of Yahushua in the Renewed Covenant. The first is in Matthew. Sure enough, there’s Jeconiah, ugly as sin, right between Josiah and Shealtiel. This lineage runs through Joseph, the legal line of Yahshua as calculated through the male heir. But Yahshua was born of a virgin; the prophets predicted it, and the apostles reported it. Mary’s genealogy, recorded in Luke, shows that Yahshua was a descendent of David, but not of Solomon. Mary’s line went through David’s son Nathan. While it looked like the Messiah lineage predictions had hit an impossible snag, God had a plan. A virgin descendant of David was miraculously inseminated, giving birth to a son while betrothed to Judah’s legitimate heir, thereby fulfilling the prophecies and avoiding the taint of Jeconiah. Messiah was expected to come from Judah’s royal line, the family of David: He was also to be a priest, but not of the order of Aaron, for that would have required Him to be of the tribe of Levi, not Judah. David wrote of Him, "Yahuweh has sworn, and will not relent, ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.’" (Psalm 110:4) This was something unique: no one had ever been prophet, priest, and king - much less eternal. The length of Messiah’s reign, described here as "forever," was restated in dozens of places, such as Psalm 89:3-4: "I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to My servant David: ‘Your seed I will establish forever, and build up your throne to all generations.’"
Let’s examine the prediction of the virgin birth. It’s in Isaiah 7, the 14th verse. To set the scene, Yahuweh is speaking to King ‘Achaz, the father of Hezekiah, by way of His prophet Yasha’yah. He is trying to bolster the king’s faith because the monarch had chosen to form a protective alliance with Assyria rather than Yahweh. The year is 734 BCE. "Ask for a miraculous sign (‘owth - a wondrous symbol which God gives to demonstrate his power, a witness which serves as proof, an example from which to evaluate, consent, and agree) in association with (‘im -indicating something done together with) Yahuweh your God." (Isaiah 7:11) The use of ‘owth is significant. The "miraculous sign" that follows "demonstrates God’s power and provides a witness that proves" His existence and plan. It will be something that we can "evaluate and consent to." ‘Owth is never used in the context of ordinary things. For example, Isaiah uses ‘owth to describe Yahuweh’s miraculous dealings with Yisra’el during the last days. Yahuweh selected ‘im to describe His beriyth-covenant with Abraham. Hebrew dictionaries tell us that ‘im is "used to convey something that is being done together: walk together, eat together, converse together, and live together." Yahuweh, via the Messiah, would do all of these things with man which is why ‘im is used in this verse. Additionally, "‘im is often used to indicate the origin of something." For example, in Genesis 41:32, Yahweh is communicating with Joseph, a man whose life predicts and models Yahshua’s: "It is because the word (dabar) is prepared, established, and made firm, standing upright (kuwm) apart from (min) and together with (‘im) God." Yahuweh put the miraculous sign He was offering to perform in an eternal life and death context. Isaiah told ‘Ahaz: "Ask profoundly (‘amaq - pertaining to a condition which is deeply thoughtful and insightful, difficult to understand), either of She’owl (she’owl - the place where the dead reside; from sha’al, meaning to ask and enquire, to seek and request) or of the upward extent (gabah - highest elevated spatial position or dimension) of the highest dimensions (ma’al - the highest countable unit of measure or entity pertaining to a spatial position or orientation, based upon ‘alah, to increase, ascend, and be superior)." (Isaiah 7:11) A cursory reading of the king’s reply would seem to indicate that ‘Ahaz wasn’t keen on the idea of putting Yahuweh to the test. He didn’t capitalize on the opportunity to be the first to know what would be asked of those in She’owl or, more profoundly, didn’t enquire about the dimensions which exist beyond the three mankind knew at the time. But I think the issue was deeper than that. The king rejected Yahweh and refused His sign. ‘Ahaz had already aligned himself and his nation with the Adversary, putting Yahweh’s chosen people into a covenant with the sungod Assur. ‘Ahaz didn’t want a miracle from God because he was expecting one from Satan. So God volunteered a sign that would lead less corrupted and more faithful humans out of She’owl and into His realm of gabah ma’al - the higher dimensions. "Therefore (ken - this is honest and correct, pertaining to being in a right relationship and standing), the foundation of the upright pole (‘dn - vocalized as ‘eden meaning firm and strong base which holds pillars upright; used as part of the Tabernacle design) Himself (hu’ - a declaration of emphasis and association) will give (nathan yatan - permanently bestow a gift, durably consecrate, eternally entrust, deliver up, and produce with certainty and continuity) a miraculous sign (‘owth - a wondrous symbol which God gives to demonstrate his power, a witness which serves as proof, an example from which to evaluate, consent, and agree), behold (hinneh - pay attention and look, noticing the details; at that time and at an adjacent site) a virgin girl (‘almah - a maiden, young female who is unwed and has yet to mate) shall conceive (harah - become pregnant and be with child), giving birth to (yalad - delivering, bearing and bringing forth, begetting) a Son (ben), and shall call (qara’ - recite and proclaim, appoint and endow) His name (shem) Immanu’el (‘Immanu’el - With us is God)." (Isaiah 7:14) Every word in this sentence is worthy of closer inspection. The verse begins with "Therefore," from ken, telling us that what follows is "honest and correct," that "it pertains to establishing a right relationship and standing" with "the Foundation and Upright One." That brings us to ‘dn (Aleph Deleth Nun). The consonant root ‘dn (אדן) has become the root of great corruption and misunderstanding because ‘dn can be pointed: ‘adon, and translated "mighty, master, and father," or ‘edon/’eden, meaning "the foundation, the upright pillar, and base of the Temple." As you may recall from the "Taruwah" chapter, the Masoretes elected to vocalize ‘dn as ‘adon (אָדוֹן). These same rabbi/masters, choosing to present themselves as "lords" to rule over men, then said ‘adon meant "Lord." But that can’t be true since Hebrew already had a word for "lord," that being ba’al. Ba’al is also the name of the satanic sungod named "Lord," the false god of the Babylonians and Canaanites. So it is certain Yahuweh would not have applied that title to Himself. While we have been over this material before, the subject is vitally important. As we discovered, the alternative vocalization of ‘dn is ‘edon or ‘eden. It has very specific Messianic connotations. ‘Edon/’eden is "the foundation in which an upright timber is placed, it is the upright pillar itself, and it is the base of the Tabernacle." These associations give ‘edon prophetic symbolism, purpose, and meaning in the context of the miraculous virgin birth leading to a son named "God is with us." Daniel tells us that Yahuweh’s Tabernacle, His Qodesh of Qodesh, is synonymous with Yahushua’s body. Most all Messianic prophecies either present the Savior as the "Upright One," or have "stands upright" listed among His characteristics. Further, Yahshua’s willingness to be nailed to an "upright pole" is significant because the Messiah’s base or origin, His foundation is God Himself. If the Upright One were not based upon the foundation of God, the sacrifice would have been irrelevant rather than a "permanently bestowed and eternally consecrated gift." The Scriptural text only shows ‘dn, a word which can be vocalized in just two ways. One is pertinent, prophetic, and profound. The other is irrelevant and potentially misleading. We know the rabbinical religious establishment chose irrelevant and misleading so that they could become relevant by misleading. It’s just a hunch, but I don’t think that was Yahuweh’s choice. In the midst of this Messianic prophecy God transitioned from using "Yahuweh your ‘elohym" to ‘eden, "the firm and strong foundation in which the upright timber is held." I believe He did this to demonstrate the significance of the ‘owth-miraculous sign of a virgin giving birth to a son named ‘Immanu’el. The selection of ‘eden tells us to whom the Son belongs as well as His purpose for being sent. As an interesting aside, had ‘dn been pointed ‘adon and then been translated "father," rather than "lord," it would have been relevant, albeit significantly less so than "foundation of the upright one and temple." It is the combination of errors that became so deadly. First, Yahuweh’s name was errantly replaced by ‘adon 7,000 times, inclusive of the one in this verse. Second, ‘dn was errantly vocalized ‘adon rather than ‘edon every time it was used in reference to Yahuweh and Yahushua. And third, ‘adon was errantly translated "Lord," rather than "master or father" in each of those occurrences. Collectively, the result was and continues to be disastrous - the most heinous crime ever perpetrated against man’s soul. Men acting as if they were God, vocalized ‘dn as ‘adon and translated ‘adon "Lord." Thinking they were smarter than God, better communicators than God, more important than God, the Rabbinical/Master Masoretes substituted Lord/Baal’s name for Yahuweh’s name 7,000 times in His Scripture. By errantly vocalizing ‘dn, by errantly translating ‘adon, Lord, and by errantly replacing Yahuweh’s personal name with it, Jews and Christians alike have been deprived of a personal first name relationship with Yahuweh. They unknowingly pray to Satan rather than God. Mankind has been robbed of the significance, the meaning, and the Old Covenant context of "the One who stands upright." Further, the correlation between the Old and Renewed Covenant was torn asunder when these rabbinical mistakes were compounded by Constantine’s priests. They completed the sungod deception by rendering the Greek word stauros, "cross," rather than "upright pole." Combined, these errors cause us to miss the fact that stauros is based upon histemi, "to stand upright and to establish a covenant." Yahuweh was renewing, confirming and fulfilling while man was busy destroying, corrupting, and deceiving. I don’t want to give the impression that ‘dn, pointed ‘adon, isn’t accurate when translated appropriately - at least on certain occasions. To know when it’s appropriate and to translate it accurately, we must understand the etymological root of ‘dn. Etymology is: "the history of a linguistic form of a word shown by tracing its development since its earliest recorded occurrence in the language where it is found, by tracing its transmission from one language to another, by analyzing it into its component parts, by identifying its cognates in other languages, or by tracing it and its cognates to a common ancestral form in an ancestral language." With that in mind, the Ugaritic and Akkadian uses of ‘dn when vocalized as ‘adon, mean "father, master, and mighty." There are times when these applications are intended in Scripture. ‘Adon pointed this way usually refers to men who are regarded as "masters or fathers." Also, for those more familiar with "adonay," than ‘adon, the only distinction between them is vowel pointing designed to make ‘adon first person singular. But that leads to another can of worms - actually it’s the same can. Adonis is the alternate name for Lord/Baal, the Satanic sungod. Therefore, using ‘adon, rather than ‘edon, in association with Yahuweh is equivalent to calling God Satan or Satan God. The use of ‘Adon in Hebrew is identical to English speaking people using Lord in reference to Yahuweh or Yahushua. It is an abomination. At best, by using ‘adon rather than ‘edon, we miss the tabernacle connection and all that conveys related to the prophetic implications of the Miqra of Tabernacles, of God living with us, and with our bodies being His tabernacle, tent, and abode. At best we miss the connection of Yahuweh being Yahushua’s foundation and Yahshua being the upright pillar. That leads to ignorance of the Upright One’s Messianic significance and the upright pole’s connection to the Renewed Covenant. At worst, we confuse God with the Devil and serve the wrong spirit. Moses in Exodus 34:23 combines ‘dn with Yahuweh, ‘El, and Yisra’el: "ha ‘dn yhwh ‘elohe yisra’el," meaning either, "the Mighty Master, and Father," or "the Foundation of the Upright Pillar," followed by "Yahuweh, God of Yisra’el." Yahushua bears this title in Psalm 110:1: "Yahuweh reveals and declares to the foundation of the temple and the upright pillar (‘dn), sit, dwell, and remain (yashab - be seated and abide, inhabit as your home, be settled and stay, restore and renew) at my right hand." In this context, "master, father, and lord" are senseless. The standard excuse for the reckless use and vocalization of ‘dn as ‘adonay is encapsulated by The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. "To avoid the risk of taking God’s name (YHWH) in vain, devout Jews began to substitute the word ‘ădōnā(y) for the proper name itself. Although the Masoretes left the four original consonants in the text, they added the vowels ĕ (in place of ă for other reasons) and ā to remind the reader to pronounce ‘ădōnā(y) regardless of the consonants. This feature occurs more than six thousand times in the Hebrew Bible [actually, 7000 times]. Most translations use all capital letters to make the title ‘LORD.’ Later the Jews substituted other words such as ‘the name, the blessed, or heaven.’" But there is no Scriptural reference to "vain" in connection with the use of Yahuweh’s name. The Third Commandment had to be rewritten to justify the unjustifiable. "You shall not take the name" isn’t how Yahuweh began. Nasa’ doesn’t mean "take." It means "lift up, carry forward, and bear." Today, we would use, "promote, advocate, or tolerate," to convey nasa’s meaning. "‘Adon-Lord your God" isn’t actually in the text, either. Yahweh said, "Yahuweh," not Lord, so who are we to edit our Maker? Then God engraved shav’ in stone. It means "desolate or lifeless" - the worst of all possible consequences. He did not use the Hebrew words for vain in the sense of lightly, frivolously, arrogantly, or failed. Had He wished to do so, He could have chosen perfectly good Hebrew words to communicate any or all of those thoughts. To "lightly esteem" in a "frivolous" way so as to "disregard or ignore" is nabel. To lightly esteem in the sense of "trifling with" in a "contemptible fashion" is qalal. Vanity in the sense of "arrogance or pride" is ga’avah. "Failure," in the sense of having tried in vain, is raphah or karath. So why would Yahuweh say that the advocacy and tolerance of "shav’-desolation and lifelessness" in His name was unforgivable if He meant frivolity, disregard, arrogance, or failure were unforgivable? If these things are beyond redemption, why bother with salvation? All of us are guilty of failing to keep the standard, of being frivolous, ignorant, and arrogant. But we are not all guilty of advocating lifeless religious and political doctrines or of arrogantly disregarding Yahuweh’s name. Rabbis and Priests are, however. Enough about ‘dn. The third word of Isaiah’s prophetic revelation to king ‘Ahaz is hu’. It tells us that this is important, and that Yahuweh "Himself" is "associated with" the "miraculous witness" of "‘Immanu’el." "Will give" is from nathan yatan. This "gift" is "permanently bestowed." ‘Immanu’el-God With Us is "eternal" and "set apart." He is "durably consecrated and eternally entrusted." He was "delivered up," so that we might "continue to exist with certainty." "A miraculous sign" is repeated here. ‘Owth was also used in the introductory sentence. It means that "a virgin giving birth to a Son named ‘Immanu’el" will be "a wondrous symbol of God, demonstrating His power." ‘Immanu’el will be "a witness who serves as proof, as an example from which to evaluate, consent, and agree" with Yahuweh. Yahushua is as ‘Immanu’el implies, the means to know and be reconciled unto God. "Behold" is from hinneh, urging us "to pay attention," to take a close "look, noticing the details." For there will be a "time at an adjacent site," Bethlehem, nine months before the Miqra’ of Tabernacles in 2 BCE, "a virgin girl shall conceive." Ignoring the details and the inspiration, Rabbinical/Masters want us to believe that God chose the wrong word here and that he meant to say bethuwlah (בְּתוּלָה), not ‘almah (עַלְמָה). Thinking that they were smarter and more important than Yahweh, the misguided clerics have told generations of Jews that God meant to say that the great miraculous sign was that a "young woman" would give birth to a son. Some miracle. Some god. ‘Almah always means "virgin or maiden, a young female who is unwed and has yet to mate." Bethuwlah can mean "maid" or "virgin," although even bathuwlah is translated "virgin or maiden" forty-three of the fifty times it is used in Scripture. So the problem is simple. There is but one claim to virgin birth: the Messiah Yahushua. If He were "born of a virgin, a young woman who was unwed and had yet to mate," He would have uniquely fulfilled the prophecy and be the Messiah, ‘Immanu’el, God With Us. While that is good, it’s bad if you denied Him, spat at Him and nailed Him to a pole. And the crime became shav’-desolation because these rabbis have prevented millions of Jews from knowing Yahuweh and being saved by Yahshua. Hitler may have extinguished six million Jewish lives, but they annihilated sixty million Jewish souls. "A Son" is the Son of God. This is obvious because He "shall be called, recited, proclaimed, appointed and endowed" with a most important and unique shem-name. "His name" is "Immanu’el." ‘Immanu’el means "With us is God." The Hebrew word which precedes, ‘el or "God," is based upon the consonant root ‘mm, meaning "to comprehend and to include," the ministry and mission of the Messiah. The ‘mm root provides the basis of many derivative vocalizations. Let’s consider each of them. ‘Im means "is with and is among," consistent with the Messiah’s status. ‘Im is used to "emphasize inclusiveness and togetherness," consistent with the Messiah’s mission. ‘Umma is "set apart and beside," concepts that would be contradictory outside the context of Scripture. The Messiah was Qodesh-Set Apart so that we might also be "set apart" from sin and death, living "beside" Yahuweh. ‘Am is "people and kinsmen with an emphasis on relationship." Yahuweh manifest Himself as a person, but not just any person. Yahushua was a Yahuwdy, of the tribe of Yahuwdah, a direct descendant of David, Ya’aqob, Yitschaq, and Abraham, making Him "kin." As Messiah and Savior, Yahushua is not only the way to the restored and renewed "relationship," He is the embodiment of the beriyth-covenant relationship. ‘Ammi confirms all of this, as it "is used of the descendants of Abraham whom God chose in association with the covenant."
The prophets had even more specific things to say about the Messiah’s birth than that He would come "from the seed of a woman" (Genesis 3), that He would be "virgin born" (Isaiah 7), that He would be "from the seed of Abraham" (Genesis 12), or "a descendant of David" (2 Samuel 7). We were told more than "a Son would be given to us called God Almighty and the Eternal Father" (Isaiah 9 and Psalm 2), or that "Yahuweh exists as Yahushua" (Isaiah 12). We were told more than the Messiah’s, "glorious presence and manifestation of power," would be "the person of Yahuweh revealed and made known for all mankind to observe, consider and learn from, the only begotten son of God" (Isaiah 40). Prophecy tells us more than the approximate time the Messiah had to be born so as to be at least thirty years of age prior to the fulfillment of the "490 prophetic years after the decree to rebuild the city," so that He could be "cut down, but not for Himself" as an adult during Passover in 33 CE (Daniel 9). We know more than "before the scepter departed from Yahuwdah" (Genesis 49) the Messiah would arrive. We know more than the Messiah "would arise from the wilderness," at "the voice of a herald preparing the way" (Isaiah 40 and Malachi 3:1). Yes, we were told even more than the names of His forefathers, His Father, His relationship, His nature, His purpose, His name, and His time. We were also told that He would "come forth from the stem of Jesse" (Isaiah 11:1), be "born in Bethlehem" (Micah 5:2), during a time "innocents would be slaughtered" (Jeremiah 31:15), prompting Him to "flee to Egypt" (Hosea 11:1). Yahuweh often reveals different aspects of a future event as important as the Messiah’s salvation advent with separate brush strokes so as to complete a picture that can be viewed from many perspectives. This kind of testimony is complementary, not contradictory. Each prophet is telling us what they saw at the scene. They never claim to have told us everything; on the contrary, they themselves often seem unaware of the significance of what they’ve witnessed or heard. A good example of this principle is the considerable body of prophecies concerning the Messiah’s youth. Micah said he would come from Bethlehem Ephrathah - David’s home town, a few miles south of Jerusalem. Hosea predicted that he would be "called out of Egypt." Isaiah, in the 11th chapter, referred to Him as a netser, or shoot, phonetically related to the Galilean town, Nazareth. That is why Matthew points out that He was expected to be a Nazarene in addition to being born in Bethlehem, and being called out of Egypt. The three prophecies that appear contradictory, are not. They all fit the actual history of Yahushua - especially in the associated details, the teaching that accompanies the predictions. Sometimes Yahuweh through subsequent revelations progressively defines the prophetic requirements until literal fulfillment is virtually impossible; and only then does He bring it to pass. He delights in doing what we mortals think can’t be done and then makes it absolutely impossible for the feat to be replicated by an imposter. For example, for Jews who are still awaiting the arrival of the Messiah, I have some bad news. Bethlehem is now an Arab enclave; the town and its surrounds are entirely Islamic. There is no chance that a Savior, from the line of David, could be born there, much less flee into Islamic Egypt for safety. But once upon a time, four thousand years from the fall of Adam, and two thousand years from the close of the age, it was all accomplished in precise accordance with Yahuweh’s prophetic pronouncements. "There shall come forth (yatsa’ - appear, be born from, and become known) a branch (choter) out of the trunk (geza’ - stem or root-stock) of Yishay (from yaysh, meaning I exist and I stand up). A shoot (netser - sprout or branch; from natsar, meaning a preserver, protector, and maintainer of relationships; one who watches over, guards with fidelity, and keeps, preserving from danger; a savior) shall be fruitful (parah - produce offspring for a harvest in abundance) from his roots (sheresh - source or base, family line)." (Isaiah 11:1) Born in Bethlehem, Judah, Yishay-Jesse was the son of Boaz and the father of king David. So in this passage we are told that the Messiah shall come forth from someone whose name means "I exist." Yahuweh, perhaps. The Savior will be someone who "preserves, protects, and maintains the covenant relationship." He will "watch over and faithfully guard" His people, "preserving them from danger." And He will "be fruitful, producing" eternal and spiritual "offspring for an abundant harvest." It sure sounds good so far. But there is more to this opening stanza. Netser is phonetically and linguistically related to Nazareth, the town Yahushua lived in for most of His earthly life, the place where He was rooted and became known. Matthew confirms: "He went and lived in the town called Nazareth, fulfilling what was said through the prophets." (Matthew 2:23) That, however, did not make Him a Nazarene, in the sense of the Nazerite vow, irrespective of the fact He embodied its meaning. The Messiah made and drank wine, disqualifying Him as a member of the sect. Let’s turn to Numbers 6 to examine the redemptive foreshadowing God used in choosing Nazareth for the Messiah and the Nazirite vow for the Israelites. "Yahuweh spoke to Moses saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, "When a man or a woman does something wonderful, symbolic of God’s deliverance from judgment (pala), making a voluntary promise to serve God, taking the vow (nadir) of a Nazirite (naziyr - one who is separated onto God, also an untrimmed vine), to separate (nazar - to set themselves apart as a Nazirite and devote) him or herself to Yahuweh, he or she shall separate themselves (nazar) from wine and intoxicating drink.. or eat anything that is produced by the grape vine for all the days of his or her separation (nezer)." (Numbers 6:1-4) Separateness is central to the Covenant, to the Chosen People, to the Calling Out, to the Set-Apart Spirit, and to the Messiah. As the Qodesh of Qodesh, Yahushua was the embodiment of nazar. His blood would be the new wine shed for the remission of sin which is why the Nazirites/Set-Apart-Ones didn’t need the ordinary variety. They were living prophecies, or pala, "wonderful symbolism of God’s deliverance from judgment." They were an "untrimmed vine" whose circumcision would be performed by the Messiah. The closest words linguistically to naziyr-Nazirite all have Messianic connotations. Nazah is "the sprinkling of blood used for cleansing of the soul in the Levitical Miqra." Nasal is "a cistern of flowing waters." Nazar means "to be separated." And nezer is "the consecration and ordination of the highest priest." Even natsar, with an "s," means "a preserver, protector, and maintainer of relationships; one who watches over, guards with fidelity, and keeps, preserving from danger; a savior." Moses continued: "During the entire period (kol yowm) of this vow (neder) of separation (nezer) no razor may pass over (‘abar - cross) upon or beside (‘al) his or her head (ro’sh - summit of your mountain) until (‘ad - even to the end of time when) the days are fulfilled (male’ - finished, satisfied, and completed) in which (‘asher - as a relative reference) he or she are separated (nazar) unto Yahuweh, he or she shall be (hayah) set-apart (qodesh)." (Numbers 6:5) Ro’sh is the root of re’sith, Scripture’s first word. Most every derivative is Messianic. Head of family, chief, cornerstone, summit, and first fruits are among the meanings. Similarly, the use of ‘abar-Passover and male’-fulfillment point to the Savior. As an interesting fact of history, those men and women consecrated in this vow of separation recognized the Messiah whom they were foreshadowing. Up until the time they were hunted into extinction by Constantine’s Catholics, the Nazirites were the most exemplary witnesses to the Way. Returning to Isaiah’s prophecy, we read: "The Spirit (ruach - the breath of God; God’s vivacity (long life), vigor (strength, health, and growth), and disposition (character and personality); divine power, heart, and mind; from ruach, that which is perceived, accepted, and provides relief) of Yahuweh shall rest and remain (nuwach - shall provide the presence of security and final salvation) upon (‘al - used to show God’s providential care) Him, the Spirit of Wisdom (chakam - instruction) and Understanding (biynah - discernment, insight, and revelation), the Spirit of Counsel (‘etsah - advice and purpose; from ya’ats, Spiritual Counselor and Advisor) and Power (gabuwrah - strength and might), the Spirit of Knowledge (da’ath - from yada’, to know relationally) of the reverence and respect (yirah - awesomeness) of Yahuweh." (Isaiah 11:2) The Ruach-Spirit is from Yahuweh. He is the exclusive source and the sole provider of this Spirit. His Ruach is the source of "long life," of "health and growth." Yahweh’s Ruach is the "divine power, the heart and mind" of God. Yahweh’s Ruach is how we "perceive God and accept God." His Ruach is how God "provides relief" restoring us so that He can make His "personality and character" known. And never forget: ruach is a feminine noun because Yahweh’s Ruach is our Spiritual Mother. She provides spiritual rebirth. She cleans us and clothes us; she nurtures us and protects us. She loves us and cares for us. Yahushua was and is the Messiah because "the Spirit of Yahuweh rests and remains upon Him." As ‘Immanu’el, He is the Spirit of Wisdom from whom we receive instruction. Being one with God, Yahushua is both Son and Counselor. This is why the Messiah told His apostles: "I will ask My Father to give you another Counselor to personally remain and dwell inside you eternally, the Spirit of Truth... You know and recognize Her because He lives and exists in your immediate proximity; I shall exist, resting and remaining in you." (John 14:16-17) The Qodesh Ruach-Set-Apart Spirit is the Counselor. The Messiah, the Qodesh Qodesh, is the Son. They are one, both manifestations of the singular character and personality of Yahuweh. They are the means to the "wisdom and understanding," to the "power and knowledge," of Yahweh. The Counselor and Son form the basis of a "relationship based upon reverence" with the "awesomeness of Yahuweh." Isaiah continued.."With righteousness He shall govern, judge, vindicate and punish (shaphat - lead with authority, defend, and condemn) the lowly (dal - weak and poor of status and standing), deciding fairly, reproving, and correcting (yakach - vindicating and disciplining) with uprightness (miyshowr - justice according to the standard; from yashar, to be upright and to make right; to be straight, look straight, and make straight) for the humble and unpretentious, afflicted and meek (‘anv - lowly and needy; from ‘anah, oppressed and downcast) of the earth... With the Spirit (ruach) of His speech (saphah - lips and language), causing the guilty to perish (muwth - to die so as to be absent of life in the realm of the dead)." (Isaiah 11:4) The Savior is a just judge, meaning He will condemn and punish those who violate the standard without the benefit of a redeemer, all those whose debt hasn’t been paid. However, for those who have availed themselves of His services, He will use His authority to defend and vindicate them. The penalty in this example is to be deprived of eternal life. The guilty are not tormented, but extinguished. Yahushua fulfilled the Isaiah prophecy to the letter, as He did this one from Micah.."You, Bethlehem (from beiyth lechem, meaning House of Bread) Ephratah (from parah, place of fruitfulness and productivity), you are insignificant among the thousands of Yahuwdah, yet out of you shall He come forth unto Me, to be ruler in Yisra’el, whose origin has been before time (qedem), from days eternal (‘owlam)." (Micah 5:2) Yahushua was unleavened bread born in the House of Productive Bread. He alone was without yeast, or sin. And that is why He took a piece of bread at the Passover in which He was appointed to be the sacrificial Lamb: "He broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you..’" (Luke 22:19) The one without sin assumed our sin, producing a worthy harvest of souls, who like Him, would live ‘owlam-forever. Yahushua fulfilled this prediction, arranging to be born in a tent in Bethlehem Ephratah during the Feast of Tabernacles in 2 BCE, validating the Miqra, Genesis and Micah prophecies. Not surprisingly, the rest of what Micah had to say proved equally accurate. The Jews were given up until the last days, at which time a remnant returned. "Therefore (ken - this is true and verifiable), He will give them up, abandoning them, until the time of torment and birth pangs (yalad - labor leading to childbirth), then a remnant (yathar - those who remain) of His brethren (‘ach - brothers, relatives, and kin) shall return, believe, change, and be restored (shuwb - be brought back, turn around, and recover) to sons of Yisra’el." (Micah 5:3) For Yahuwdah, the time of abandonment began at the crucifixion. They were given up for the better part of 2,000 years, only to have a remnant called home in the last days, the time of torment and childbirth leading to restoration. Since everyone who is reading this is familiar with the historical confirmation of Jews being called home to Israel, let’s focus on the related prophetic passages. Hosea, speaking of this return and restoration, said, "Come, let us return to (shuwb - turn around, change, restore, and reestablish our relationship with) Yahuweh. For He has torn us (taraph - expelled us, chased us away, and banished us), but He will heal us (rapha - promote restoration, cure our diseased and injured state, thoroughly mend and completely repair us, make us whole). He has stricken us (nakah - smitten and inflicted us, subjugated and chastised us, send judgment upon us to punish us), but He will wrap Himself around us (chabash - healing us and bandaging us, wrap clothing around us, bind us to Him and govern us, encourage us, speaking words which enliven our attitude)." (Hosea 6:1) Then the prophet speaking in the context of "a day is like a thousand years to Yahuweh," said: "After two days He will revive us (chayah - restore us to life and keep us alive, save us, spare, sustain, and preserve our lives, heal us so we can live forever). On the third day He will raise us up (quwm - arise; accomplishing, confirming and fulfilling) and we shall live (chayah - be restored to life, our lives saved, sustained, and preserved; heal us so we can live forever) in His presence." (Hosea 6:2) The second day will end with renewal and restoration on the Day of Atonement in the fall of 2033. The third day will begin five days later on the Miqra’ of Tabernacles. The "time of torment" being equated to "birth pains" is explained by Yahushua in Matthew 24. Speaking of His "return and the end of the age," He said: "See that no one misleads you. Many will come in My name, saying ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars, but don’t be frightened, for they must take place, but that is not the end. Nation will rise against nation and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. These things are the beginning of birth pangs. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and will kill you. And you will be hated by all nations on account of My name. Many will fall away and betray, hating one another. And many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Lawlessness will increase and most people’s love will grow cold..but the Good News of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all nations. And then the end will come... For then there will be a Great Tribulation..and unless those days were cut short, no life would be saved." (Matthew 24:3-22) The Messiah’s arrival, in both His redemptive and ruling advents, follows birth pangs. We have to examine them to know the when and who of salvation. While I’d love to scrutinize every word of Matthew 24, for now understand that this passage speaks of our time, of the last days: "He will give them up, abandoning them, until the time of torment and birth pangs, then a remnant of His brethren shall return, believe, change, and be restored to sons of Yisra’el." Yahushua said "When you see all these things, recognize that the Messiah is near, at the door. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place." (Matthew 24:33-34) The prophet Micah concluded his dual advent Messianic announcement with these glorious thoughts: "He will present himself, stand upright, causing others to rise (‘amad - take a stand focusing on the presentation of a gift and service, be upright, establish, arise, remain, and endure), and He will shepherd (ra’ah - associate with, befriend, teach, nourish, and protect) in the steadfast might and victorious power (‘oz - the personal, physical and material presence or condition needed to do whatever is intended and necessary) of Yahuweh. In the majesty and excellence of Yahuweh’s name, their God (Elohiym). And they will meet, be restored and live (yashab - come near, dwell, remain, and be renewed) at that time (‘atah - now, a point in time simultaneous with that which has preceded it in the narration, a sequential, related, and rational conclusion) because He has grown to be magnified and praised, able to do great things (gadal - come to be exalted and having a high status, enabling nurturing, growth, and a great harvest, triumphantly achieving the goal) to the end (‘ephec - ceasing and finality or extreme boundary) of the earth. This One (zeh) was, is, and will be (hayah) our blessing of peace (salowm - our restoration and redemption)." (Micah 5:4) An alternative meaning for ra’ah is "to be the best man, an attendant at a wedding who is the best friend." Both renderings are appropriate. Yahushua is Yahuweh’s "best man" and our "closest friend," because He is the one who officiates at the wedding ceremony in which we are married into God’s eternal family. Yahshua is also our Shepherd, guiding us, nurturing us, and protecting us, ultimately saving us from predators who desire our premature death. Two youthful Messiah prophecies are found in Jeremiah and Hosea. In the context of Renewed Covenant symbols, Jeremiah speaks of Herod’s attempts to rid himself of the future king by annihilating babes in the area of Bethlehem. The prophet begins: "Hear the word of Yahuweh, O nations and declare on the coastlands far, far away. He who scattered Israel will gather them and keep them as a shepherd keeps his flock for Yahuweh has ransomed Ya’aqob, redeeming him." The Savior speaks of "Zion shouting for joy, being radiant over the bounty of Yahuweh, over grain (saved souls), new wine (the universal symbol of blood atonement and of the renewed covenant) and oil (symbolic of anointing, of the Spirit and Yahuweh’s Light)." Of these things, Yahweh says "their life shall be like a watered garden, and the virgin shall rejoice in dance, young and old men together, for I will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them." (Jeremiah 31:10-13) In this context of virgins and renewed togetherness, of the radiant bounty of Yahuweh leading to salvation, of new wine and anointing oil, we discover: "Thus says Yahuweh, ‘A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is crying for her children because they are no more..and yet there is hope for the future." (Jeremiah 31:15-17) The children were no more because Herod murdered them. Told of the Messiah’s birth, the king tried to eliminate the competition, slaying every male child in Bethlehem. But he did not extinguish hope because Mary and Joseph took the young Messiah to Egypt. Hosea 11:1 "When Yisra’el was a youth I loved him. And out of Egypt I called My Son." Once was not enough. There would be two Passovers, not one. The first "calling out" was but a dress rehearsal for the second. We are told that "the way" of "a Galilean" will restore Yisra’el, transforming her from insignificant to significant. "There will be no more darkness and gloom (muw’aph - dejection of the soul as the result of abandonment) for those who experienced oppression (muwtsaq - constraint and vexation, distress). On previous occasions He receded, disdainfully humbling (qalal) the land of Zabuwluwn (from zabal, meaning to dwell with honor and dignity; Ya’aqob’s 10th son) and Naphtali (from pathal, meaning to be twisted or to wrestle; Ya’aqob’s 5th son), holding them of little account (qalal - slighting them, viewing them as insignificant; despicable and contemptible). But later, in a subsequent time (‘acharown - in the end, pertaining to the last period of time) I will make them weighty (kabed - significant, seriously considered, distinguished, worthy and honored) by the way (derek - the path) of the Sea of Galilee (Galiyl - the district of the Naphtali tribe, meaning the hinge upon which the door opens), by passing over (‘abar) the Jordan (from yarad, meaning the decline and prostration) of the Gentiles (Gowym)." (Isaiah 9:1) There are many profound truths in this passage worth examining. "Darkness and gloom" are the result of being "abandoned" by God. To be forsaken or damned is to die in darkness. "Oppression" occurs when Yahuweh "recedes" from us, separating Himself from our lives. To live with Yahuweh is liberty but to dwell with Satan is submission. The natural vine that is Yisra’el is comprised of twelve brothers. By listing two of them in this passage, Yahuweh is distinguishing between light and darkness, relationship and separation. People are either zabal, "dwelling in honor and dignity," or pathal, "twisting" revelation and "wrestling" with the Devil. The contrast between kabed, "being weighty and significant, and qalal, "being slighted and seen as insignificant, of little account," lies at the heart of the Fifth Commandment. Since the concept was important enough for Yahuweh to etch in stone, it warrants our review. The Fifth Commandment begins "Consider heavily and view as significant (kabed - weighty, serious, important and worthy) your Father (‘ab - God as Father and head of the family) and Mother (‘em - the one who gives us life, cares and provides for us, protecting us) and your days will be prolonged (‘arak - continuously enduring and growing) in association with (‘asher) the world (‘adamah - land or earth) Yahuweh your God has given you as a gift (nathan - bestowed, entrusted, provided, and granted)." (Exodus 20:12) There is only one way to prolong one’s life in Yahweh’s world, and that is through the redemptive gift bestowed by our Heavenly Father and the protective and cleansing gift of renewal provided by our Spiritual Mother, the Set-Apart Spirit. When we take them seriously, we endure continuously. The lesson here is spiritual, not mundane. Interestingly, kabed (כָבֵד) - "heavy, weighty, and significant," kobed (כָבֵד) - "great, powerful, and mighty," and kabowd (כָבוֹד) - "the glorious presence and the manifestation of power," are all from the same root and look virtually identical in the original Hebrew text. They are distinguished principally by their vowel pointing, something that occurred in the 11th century. Since our earthy parents are seldom "great, powerful, or mighty," and never "glorious," it’s apparent Yahuweh is speaking of Himself and His Spirit as the "glorious presence and manifestation of power" in the Commandment. They are our Spiritual Mother and Father. And they alone are capable of prolonging our days. As an additional confirmation, ‘em-mother is first used in Genesis 3:20: "’Adam called his wife’s name Chavah (chavah (חָוָה) - one who makes the renewal of life known; to proclaim, declare, and demonstrate life; from chayah (חָיָה), the restoration and renewal of life, the means to sustain and preserve life, to save life, and to live forever) because truly (kiy - surely and indeed) she exists as (hayah) the mother (‘em) of all who live (chay - those who are revived and who are alive, are nourished and enjoy a prosperous, bountiful life, those who exist)." The Set-Apart Spirit is the "significance" of ‘em for She is our Spiritual "Mother," the one responsible for our spiritual renewal, restoration, and eternal life. If we want to be renewed, we must take Her seriously. In his prophecy on the "way" of the "Galilean," Isaiah used ‘acharown to establish the timeline. It confirms that the restoration and renewal of Yisra’el won’t occur until "the last period in time." In fact, transformation will not occur until the last five days of the last year of mankind’s last millennia - oh so appropriately on the Day of Atonement in 2033, forty Jubilees from the only "Passover" that actually mattered. In perspective, five days as a slice of 6,000 years is just 0.000002. As a fraction of a day, it represents two tenths of a second. That’s cutting it a little close. "The Way" which Isaiah is referring to is evocative of what those redeemed by the Galilean Yahushua first called themselves. It is what we should be calling ourselves. Yahshua said: "I Am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." There is but one way to God and that is through God. Thankfully, Yisra’el will finally come to understand this profound truth, and finally come to rely upon Passover. When that happens, we Gentiles will be out of the witness business. We will be replaced by the original chosen people. But as we shall soon discover, we will be absolutely giddy about it. Let’s finish Isaiah’s Messianic revelation. He tells us that to live without God’s light is to walk in the shadow of death. "People (‘am - a family or kin, a nation) walking (halak - going about, living and existing) in darkness and obscurity (hosek - blackness, the exclusion of light) shall see (ra’ah - look at, inspect, observe, perceive and consider; pay attention to, discern and distinguish) a great (gabowl - large in magnitude and extent, intense, important and distinguished) light (‘owr). Those who reside in the land (‘eres) of the shadow of death (tsalmaveth - death’s shadow) shall see the light shine, enlightening (nagah - the physical presence of light will make itself known to) them. The Gentile nations (Goy) shall increase in authority, become many, growing (ragah) in gladness and joy (simchah - happy as a result of being lifted up), rejoicing in freedom and gladness (samach) in His presence (paneh), taking great pleasure (simach) at the harvest (qatsiyr - the reaping and the reaper)." (Isaiah 9:2-3) As we shall discover in the next chapter when we examine Ezekiel’s vision of heaven, Yahushua is radiant in His eternal form. This verse seems to indicate that He will retain this "physical presence of light" when He returns in power and glory at the end of the Tribulation. This "harvest of rejoicing" Isaiah is speaking of, is the reaping of souls who will populate the millennial paradise on earth that follows seven years of hell. The Reaper is our Savior and Messiah, the Great Light, is Yahushua - Immanu’el.
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