PART II
THE MEMORIAL NAME
When Yahweh appeared to Moses,
enlisting him in the service of bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt,
Moses asked Him what His name was. Yahweh responded, “I AM THAT I AM: and he
said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto
you. And Elohim said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children
of Israel, Yahweh Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of
Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever,
and this is my memorial unto all generations,” Ex. 3:14-15.
He said that the name Yahweh is
His memorial to all generations! What does memorial mean? Doesn’t it mean to
remember? Every year in America we observe Memorial day. Why? To remember those
who have died in service to this country down through our generations keeping us
free from tyranny.
The Hebrew word for
“memorial” is zeker, which is defined as: memento,
recollection, commemoration. It comes from the primitive root word zakar, which
is defined as: to mark (so as to be recognized), to remember; by implication, to mention; also to be male.
Since His name Yahweh is a
memorial to all generations, then shouldn’t we mark it so we can recognize it?
Shouldn’t we do all we can to remember it to the point of mentioning it on a
regular basis?
Don’t we remember people by
thinking about them? Don’t we remember people by mentioning them from time to
time? (Shouldn’t be for gossip though.) Don’t we remember people by seeing,
or marking them from time to time?
Aren’t there people that we
have known in the past that we eventually forget about them and their name
because we haven’t seen, or thought about them, or heard from them for quite
some time? Then, when we see them, we might know who they are, but we can’t
remember their names? (chaos [see above]) Then we either have to listen closely
to the conversation of others hoping against hope that we will hear someone say
their name and then we can remember? Or we might have to slink around asking
others what their name is. After all, we don’t want to be embarrassed in front
of them by telling them that we don’t remember their name….right?
What about our Great and
Awesome Creator? Shouldn’t His name be important enough to us to not only know
it, but to love it enough to never forget it?
The Psalmist declares, “Thy
name, O LORD, endureth for ever; thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all
generations,” Psa. 135:13. (KJV; Power Bible)
This would better be translated as, “Yahweh, your name Yahweh is a memorial
for generation to generation.”
The Prophet Hosea is inspired
to write, "Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he
daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the
Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt. Yahweh hath also a controversy with
Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will
he recompense him. He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his
strength he had power with El: Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed:
he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he
spake with us; Even Yahweh Elohim of hosts; Yahweh is
his memorial," Hos. 12:1-5.
Our name is our memorial, our
remembrance. We are known by our name. The proper noun Yahweh is the Creator's
name, His remembrance, His memorial.
Finally, it is written,
"But thou, Yahweh, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all
generations," Psa. 102:12. This should read, "And you, Yahweh, dwell
forever and your remembrance/memorial is for generations and generations."
Yahweh is eternal. He lives
forever. His memorial name, the name by which He is remembered and known is also
His forever! If all generations are to have mercy then they must come to know
the name of mercy. It is the only way that we ourselves can endure eternally.
THE NAME OF SALVATION
The Prophet Joel is inspired to
declare, "And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood,
and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the
moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of Yahweh come. And it
shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the
name of Yahweh shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in
Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as Yahweh hath said, and in the remnant whom
Yahweh shall call," Joel 2:30-32.
The Apostle Peter refers to
Joel's declaration to the people of His day, "But this is that which was
spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith
Yahweh, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men
shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in
those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in
heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of
smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before
that great and notable day of Yahweh come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name Yahweh shall be saved,"
Acts 2:16-21.
Even the Apostle Paul confirms
this, "For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the
same Sovereign over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of Yahweh shall be
saved," Ro. 10:12-13.
Joel utilized the name Yahweh
in his prophecy. Both of the apostles, Peter and Paul, would have also utilized
His name in their repetition of the Scriptures written by him. After all, they
were all under inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
The Savior, Himself, came in
the Father's name, "I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not:
if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive," Jn. 5:43.
Yes, Yahshua came in the
Father's name, authority, character, honor, etc. But the first three characters
in His name also match the first three characters in the Creator's name. The
first three characters of the Creator's name are the Hebrew yod (y), hei
(h), and waw
(w); to wit (why). The name Yahshua in the Hebrew is yod (y),
hei (h),
waw (w),
shin (v),
ayin ([).
This name Yahshua (([vwhy) is the only name given under heaven
among men whereby we must be saved! (Acts 4:12)
But the deceiver never rests!
Just as the name of the Creator, as revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures of the Old
Testament, has been taken away from the people's knowledge, so has the true name
of the Creator and Savior in the New Testament.
The Apostle Paul writes,
"Paul, called to be an apostle of Yahshua the Messiah through the will of
Yahweh, and Sosthenes our brother, Unto the Assembly of Yahweh which is at
Corinth, to them that are sanctified in the Messiah Yahshua, called to be
saints, with all that in every place call upon
the name of Yahshua the Messiah our Sovereign,
both theirs and ours: Grace be unto you, and peace, from Yahweh our Father, and
from the Sovereign Yahshua the Messiah," 1 Cor. 1:1-3.
The fact of the matter is that
the Savior was never called Jesus during the whole time of His life on this
earth! Yahshua was Hebrew, born to Hebrew parents, and was given a Hebrew name.
It was the same name equivalent to Yahshua son of Nun who succeeded Moses
(commonly called Joshua in today's world).
The fact of the matter is that
there has never been a letter "J" in the Hebrew, nor the Greek, and
there wasn't even a "J" in the English language until the 17th
century. The first King James Bible had no "J" in it from cover to
cover, even though they still presented an erroneous name for the Savior.
Yahshua prayed for the Father
to, "....keep through thine own name those whom
thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are," Jn.
17:11. But that isn't all, He told the Father in that very prayer that He had
declared His name to His disciples, "These words spake Yahshua, and lifted
up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that
thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that
he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life
eternal, that they might know thee the only true Elohim, and Yahshua the
Messiah, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have
finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me
with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world:
thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they
have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have
given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and
have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou
didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which
thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are
mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these
are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy
Father, keep through thine own name those whom
thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy
name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them
is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled,"
Jn. 17:1-12.
Why did Yahshua have to declare
the Father's name to His disciples? Because the practices of the Pharisees and
Sadducees caused the people to forget Yahweh's name. Through the tenets of
Freemasonry, the name of the Creator was deemed "ineffable," that is,
unknowable, and unpronounceable. Freemasonry stems from Egypt and Yahweh warned
that He would take His name out of the mouth of all who go into Egypt,
"Therefore hear ye the word of Yahweh, all Judah that dwell in the land of
Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith Yahweh, that my name shall
no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt,
saying, The Sovereign Yahweh liveth. Behold, I will watch over them for evil,
and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall
be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them. Yet a
small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into
the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of
Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or
theirs," Jer. 44:26-28.
Why did Moses have to ask
Yahweh what His name was? "And Moses said unto Elohim, Behold, when I come
unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The Elohim of your fathers
hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I
say unto them?" Ex. 3:13. It is because Israel had gone into Egypt and
while they were there they had forgotten Yahweh's name.
In the two to three hundred
years before Yahshua's appearance, the practices of the Pharisees (Freemasonry)
had caused the knowledge of Yahweh's name to be suppressed. Therefore, Yahshua
had to declare His name to the disciples.
It is the same in our world
today. Freemasonry is practiced by the world's leaders. America herself was
founded by Freemasons. The symbols of Freemasonry are evidenced on the back of
our one dollar bill. The depiction of the great pyramid of Giza with the
all-seeing eye of their sun god Horus should alert us to the fact that we are
under ancient Egyptian influence. Therefore, the world has forgotten the name of
its Creator and His name, the name of salvation, has to be declared over, and
over again, and again.
BLOTTING OUT ONE'S NAME
Yahshua warns that there is a
book of life from which a person’s name can be blotted out, “He that
overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not
blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name
before my Father, and before his angels,” Rev. 3:5.
Even the book of Psalms speaks
of blotting out people’s names, “Hear me, O Yahweh; for thy lovingkindness
is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies. And hide
not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily. Draw nigh
unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies. Thou hast known
my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before
thee. Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked
for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.
They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to
drink. Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have
been for their welfare, let it become a trap. Let their eyes be darkened, that
they see not; and make their loins continually to shake. Pour out thine
indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. Let their
habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents. For they persecute
him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast
wounded. Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy
righteousness. 28 Let them be blotted out of
the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous,”
Psa. 69:16-28.
The book of Revelation reveals
a day of judgment, "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it,
from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place
for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before Elohim; and the
books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and
the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books,
according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and
death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of
life was cast into the lake of fire," Rev. 20:11-15.
Are you beginning to understand how important names are, and also how
important it is to build a good name?
But here is the situation. The God of this world, called the devil and Satan
has sought to have the name of our Creator, the name of salvation, the name of
mercy blotted out of His own book, which is the book that teaches us how to live
and to inherit eternal life. Why? Because he has sought to ascend into the
heavens to be worshipped as the Most High Elohim, "How art thou fallen from
heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground,
which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend
into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of Elohim: I will sit also
upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend
above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High," Isa.
14:12-14.
He is the one who has deceived the whole world (Rev. 12:9) into disbelieving
Yahweh's word, leading so much of the world to disbelieve the Scriptures and
cast them aside. But for those who do desire to maintain faith in a Creator,
faith in an Elohim, he has caused the religious leaders to conjure up a false
worship, with false names, false ways, etc.
Scripture reveals that this great deceiver will be reduced to ashes,
"Moreover the word of Yahweh came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a
lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Sovereign
Yahweh; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of Elohim;
every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the
beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle,
and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee
in the day that thou wast created.
Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast
upon the holy mountain of Elohim; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of
the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast
created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise
they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned:
therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of Elohim: and I will
destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine
heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by
reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before
kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the
multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I
bring forth a fire from the midst of
thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the
sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee
among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more,"
Ez. 28:11-19.
Just as the book of Revelation shows that the wicked will be cast into the
fire, which is called the second death, not life in an ever burning hell, this
great being will be cast into the lake of fire, will be reduced to ashes and
never exist anymore. It is his name that will be blotted out of the book of life
forever, and also the names of those who will not repent of their evil works, as
the book of Malachi proclaims, "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall
burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be
stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith Yahweh of hosts, that
it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of
righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go
forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye
shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your
feet in the day that I shall do this, saith Yawheh of
hosts," Mal. 4:1-3.
THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE
We hope that at this point you are beginning to understand the importance
not only of a person's name, but especially the name of our Awesome Creator. As
the book of life is mentioned in Psalms and Revelation, Malachi speaks of a book
of remembrance, "Then they that feared Yahweh spake often one to another:
and Yahweh hearkened, and heard it, and a
book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared Yahweh, and that thought upon
his name. And they shall be mine, saith Yahweh of hosts, in that
day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own
son that serveth him," Mal. 3:16-17.
"Remembrance" is translated from the same Hebrew word that
"memorial" is translated from. Yahweh will memorialize, remember those
who feared Him and thought on His name.
But let's take a look at the Hebrew word that the English word
"thought" is translated from. That Hebrew word is chashab, which is defined as; to
think, regard, value,
compute. We are not only to think on His name, but to highly value it.
The third commandment states, "Thou shalt not take the name of Yahweh
thy Elohim in vain; for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name
in vain."
Of course, this has to do with the misuse of His name, but it also has to do
with regarding His name as unimportant, or valueless.
This author made a study of the book of Psalms years ago, and marked all of
the places where they speak of Yahweh's name, and how they encourage us to value
it. I have made a comprehensive list of these places below. I was a member of a
church years ago that just about all of their songs came from the book of
Psalms. So many of the Scriptures below were incorporated into their song book.
They sang the praises to His name, but never considered it important to know or
value His name. That church no longer exists in the form of understanding and
worship that it once had. We would encourage you to look up each of the
Scriptures below and take them to heart as did the ones who were spirit inspired
to write them.
We are to:
Love His Name Psa. 5:11; 69:36
Sing praise to His Name Psa. 7:17; 9:2; 18:49; 44:8; 48:10; Psa. 54:6; 61:8;
66:2; 66:4; 68:4; 69:30; 74:21; 92:1; 99:3; 113:1-3; 138:2; 142:7; 145:2; 148:5,
13
His Name is excellent Psa. 8:1, 9
Know His name Psa. 9:10; 91:14
Call upon His Name Psa. 18:3; 88:18; 99:6; 105:1; 116:All
His name defends us Psa. 20:1
Set banners in His name Psa. 20:5
Remember His name Psa. 20:7; 119:55; 135:13
Declare His name Psa. 22:23
Give glory to His name Psa. 29:2; 86:9; 86:12; 96:8; 105:2; 115:1
Trust in His name Psa. 33:21
Exalt His name Psa. 34:3
Wait upon His name Psa. 52:9
Be saved by His name Psa. 54:1; Psa. 79:9; 124:8
Fear His name Psa. 61:5; 86:11; 102:15
Lift up our hands in His name Psa. 63:4
Bless His name Psa. 72:19; 96:1; 100:4; 103:1; 145:1, 21
His name endures forever Psa. 72:17; 135:13
His name is great Psa. 76:1
Rejoice in His name Psa. 89:16
Declare His name Psa. 102:21
Holy and Reverend is His name Psa. 111:9
Give thanks to His name Psa. 122:4; 140:13
Bless others in His name Psa. 129:8
MEANINGS OF THE HEBREW
The Hebrew language is a most
wondrous language. I am not necessarily speaking of the modern Hebrew, but
rather the original Pictorial Hebrew, and the later Paleo Hebrew. You see, the
Hebrew alphabet not only serves as letters for words, but they are also numbers,
and hieroglyphics (pictures).
The Hebrew letters in the name
of our Creator, and also our Savior will tell us a story if we will allow them
to do so.
I will present the name Yahweh in the Pictorial Hebrew (efei), and describe the story that it tells us.
The first letter in Yahweh's
name is the yod (i), which is an hieroglyphic of a hand (which also
includes the arm). The second and fourth letters are the hei (e), which is an hieroglyphic of the
very word that it sounds like i.e. HEY! It has to do with revelation, to behold,
lo, etc. The third letter is the waw
(f), which is an hieroglyphic of a nail, or tent peg. Thus, we
get the idea of hand (i), HEY! (e), nail (f), HEY! (e), or in effect, Behold the
hand, behold the nail!
Now, this identifies to us Who
the Savior truly is! He is Yahweh just as the Father in heaven is Yahweh! After
His crucifixion (nails having been driven through His hands) and resurrection,
He appeared to the disciples which announced His resurrection from the dead.
However, the Apostle Thomas wasn't with them and when he was told that the other
Apostles had seen Yahshua, he declared, "...Except I shall see (e) in his hands (i) the print of the nails (f), and put my finger into the print of the nails, and
thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe," Jn. 20:25.
Yahshua appeared again eight days later and said to Thomas, "...Reach
hither thy finger, and behold (e) my hands (i); and reach hither thy hand, and
thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but
believing," Jn. 20:27.
What was Thomas' response?
"And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Sovereign (Adonai) and my Elohim,"
Jn. 20:28. Thomas knew the hieroglyphic meaning of the name Yahweh! He now knew
Who He was!
Yahweh had inspired the Prophet
Jeremiah to write, "Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly
afraid, be ye very desolate, saith Yahweh. For my people have committed two
evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of
living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that
can hold no water," Jer. 2:12-13.
Again, He wrote, "O
Yahweh, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they
that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken
Yahweh, the fountain of living waters," Jer. 17:13.
The Psalmist wrote, "How
excellent is thy lovingkindness, O Elohim! therefore the children of men put
their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied
with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of
thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of
life: in thy light shall we see light," Psa. 36:7-9.
The Apostle John wrote of an
incident that occurred between Yahshua and a woman of Samaria, "Then cometh
he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground
that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Yahshua
therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was
about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Yahshua
saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the
city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that
thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews
have no dealings with the Samaritans. Yahshua answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of Yahweh, and who it is that
saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would
have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou
hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that
living water? Art thou greater than
our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his
children, and his cattle? Yahshua answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh
of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but
the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up
into everlasting life," Jn. 4:5-14.
On the Last Great Day of the
Feast of Tabernacles Yahshua declared, "In the last day, that great day of
the feast, Yahshua stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto
me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his
belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which
they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given;
because that Yahshua was not yet glorified.)," Jn. 7:37-39.
Once Yahshua was lifted up,
crucified, then Yahweh made the Holy Spirit available to His people who truly
believed on Him. The Holy Spirit, living waters from heaven, was poured out on
His disciples on the Feast of Pentecost as is described in the book of Acts
chapter two.
The name Yahshua describes this
very thing! Yahshua's name is osfei in Pictorial Hebrew. Again,
the yod (i) is a hand, the hei (e) means HEY! The waw (f) is a nail. The shin (s) has to do with teeth while the
ayin (o) is a picture of an
eye, well, or fountain. We eat, or consume, with our teeth, or liquids pass
through them. Therefore, once the nails were driven into the hands, those who
believe on Him are able to drink of the fountain of living water!
THE CREATOR
Scripture reveals that
everything was created by Elohim (Gen. 1). The name Yahweh is revealed in the
second chapter of Genesis, which is the name of mercy. The One through Whom all
things were created was made flesh and dwelt among us, "In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with Yahweh, and the Word was Yahweh. The same
was in the beginning with Yahweh. All things were made by him; and without him
was not any thing made that was made.... He was in the world, and the world was
made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own
received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become
the sons of Elohim, even to them that believe on his name:
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of
man, but of Elohim. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we
beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of
grace and truth," Jn. 1:1-3, 10-14.
Paul writes, "And to make
all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of
the world hath been hid in Elohim, who created all things
by Yahshua the Messiah," Eph. 3:9.
Again, it is written,
"Yahweh, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto
the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom
also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and
the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his
power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the
Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by
inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they," Heb. 1:1-4.
The Psalmist proclaims, "By the word of Yahweh were the heavens made; and all the
host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of
the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the
earth fear Yahweh: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For
he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast," Psa. 33:6-9.
These Scriptures reveal that it
was Yahshua, the One Who emptied Himself of the power, honor, authority, and
glory that He had as Elohim, to come down from heaven to this earth and perform
the necessary sacrifice so that we could have life. They also reveal that He is
the Word of Yahweh, the One Who spoke everything into existence.
Yahweh is the name of mercy.
Yahshua literally means Yahweh the Savior. He came to His creation and His
creation recognized Him not. He came to His own people and His own people
received Him not. But for those who can receive Him and believe in Him, they
have the right to have their names recorded in Yahweh's book of life.
We encourage you to learn about Yahweh, the name of
mercy, the name of salvation. Learn about Yahshua the Messiah. Learn to love the
name Yahweh and become one who has his own name recorded in the book of life of
the Lamb.
Yahweh has this to say about those who “think” on His name, “And
they shall be mine, saith Yahweh of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels;
and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him,” Mal.
3:17.
May Yahweh bless you to see and understand these things!
Sunrise worship services, bunny rabbits, Easter eggs,
Easter ham, hot cross buns, do these things honor the resurrected Savior? If we
research into the way Easter is observed today, comparing it with the originally
commanded Passover, what do you think we will find? Let’s take a look to see.
By Jerry Healan
Should a New Testament believer
observe Easter or Passover? We know that the Jews observe the Passover, but that
was part of the Old Testament. What does a New Testament believer have to do
with the Old Testament? Isn’t the Old Testament done away? If such is true,
then why did Paul write, “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a
new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even the Messiah
our Passover is sacrificed for us?” (1 Cor. 5:7)
The evangel accounts reveal
that Yahshua died on Passover day, the very day and afternoon that the Passover
lambs were being slain. When they took Yahshua to the Judgment Hall to hand Him
over to Pilate, the people wouldn’t enter into the hall because they didn’t
want to be defiled and therefore not be able to eat the Passover (Jn. 18:28).
Pilate customarily released a prisoner to the Jews on Passover day. He sought to
release Yahshua, but the Jews called for His death and wanted one named Barabbas
to be released instead (Jn. 18:38-40). When Pilate brought Yahshua forth to the
people, it was the preparation day. The fourteenth day of the month was the day
of preparation. This was the same day that Israel slew the Passover lambs in
Egypt in anticipation of their deliverance out of the house of bondage (Ex. 12).
But one might say, Well, Easter
is mentioned in the book of Acts, “Now about that time Herod the king
stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the assembly.
And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he
saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the
days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in
prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending
after Easter
to bring him forth to the people,” 12:1-4.
Hmmmm… If we just look at
what is written here on the surface, not searching the matter out, then we would
have to admit, Sure enough! There it is! But if we go to the Greek word from
which Easter has been translated, we find that the Greek word is pascha. A little further check will reveal that
in every place where the word Passover
appears in the New Testament, it is translated from
the Greek word pascha.
Therefore, if you want your Scriptures to be consistent, you need to change the
word Easter in Acts 12:4 to Passover. This was a blatant attempt to justify the
observance of Easter by King James and his scholarly interpreters.
Easter is never mentioned in
the Scriptures, neither Old Testament, nor New Testament, as a day or time to
observe. The name Easter comes from a Germanic pagan goddess named Eostre, which
is very similar to the forbidden pagan queen of heaven named Ishtar. Her name is
shown to be pronounced as both Ishtar (eashter) and Istar (easter). The latter
rendering would be perfectly equivalent to the modern day version Easter.
Ishtar’s consort was her son,
lover, husband Tammuz who died and rose annually as a vegetation god. (Encyclopedia Britannica 14th Edition, Volumes 12 and 21, articles Ishtar
and Tammuz)
Yahweh condemned their worship.
Yahweh told the Prophet Jeremiah, “Seest thou not what they do in the cities
of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, and the
fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the
queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may
provoke me to anger. Do they provoke me to anger? saith Yahweh: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?” Jer. 7:17-19.
THE SANHEDRIN
Furthermore, Ezekiel, who was
among the captives taken to Babylon, was shown in vision what was going on in
the Temple of Yahweh at Jerusalem (Ez. 8:1-3). He was shown the image of
jealousy at the north gate, and then was taken to the door of the temple where
there was a hole in the wall. Ezekiel was told to dig into the wall where he
found a door. He was told to go in and behold the wicked abominations that were
going on there. (vv. 3-9).
Ezekiel continues, “So I went
in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and
all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about. And
there stood before them seventy men of the ancients
of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the
son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of
incense went up. Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the
ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his
imagery? For they say, Yahweh seeth us not; Yahweh hath forsaken the earth,”
Ez. 8:10-12.
These seventy ancients or
elders of the house of Israel are nothing more than the Sanhedrin. They were the
ones who were the supreme religious body of Israel. Yahweh had told Moses to
choose out seventy men who were to accompany him, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons
Nadab and Abihu into the mount to see the Elohim of Israel (Ex. 24:1, 9-11).
In Numbers 16 Moses had
complained about the burden of Israel being on his shoulders, so Yahweh told him
to choose seventy elders and bring them before the tabernacle of the
congregation. He said that He would take of the spirit of Moses that was on him
and also put a portion of it on the seventy elders so they would also bear the
burdens of the children of Israel with him. (Num. 16:16-17)
This body of elders had
continued down to Jeremiah’s and Ezekiel’s day making important spiritual,
or religious rulings for the kingdom of Judah. These men are shown to have
greatly corrupted leading Judah to worship great abominations rather than
Yahweh, the Elohim of Israel.
TAMMUZ
Ezekiel continues, “He said
also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that
they do. Then he brought me to the door of the gate of Yahweh’s house which
was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz,” Ez.
8:13-14.
The Encyclopedia
Britannica has this to say, “Tammuz, a Sumerian, Babylonian and
Assyrian god, who died and rose annually…There are many titles of the youthful
god, loved by his sister, the earth and heaven goddess, Innini (Ishtar), who descends yearly into Aralû
(under-world) at the time of his death to bring him back to earth in her
bosom…He is described as the shepherd who left his flocks, as shepherds sat in fields wailing for Tammuz…It
is obvious that a cult which is based upon
the death and resurrection of a propitiating god, and upon the love of
a divine mother who wails for her son, has direct connection with the facts and
the theological views based upon them, which gave birth to Christianity. But the form of the cult which apparently most directly
affected the origins of Christianity is that in which Marduk of Babylon was
identified with Tammuz. At the Nisan or new year festival at
Babylon, Bêl (Marduk) was said to have been imprisoned in the lower world, and
a priestess weeps at his sepulcher. A malefactor was slain with Bêl and they
descend together to the land of darkness. Beltis, his wife, descends to hell to
seek him, and Bêl’s garments are given Ishtar (mother of Tammuz). Bêl was
laid in a sepulcher, from which he soon comes forth…That
the cult had direct influence upon the origins of Christianity cannot be denied,
and the Greek cult of Adonis owes its essential content to the Sumerian
Tammuz.” (14th edition, Vol. 21, pp.
776-777)
It says that this cult is based
on a “propitiating god.” To propitiate simply means to atone, or the
atonement, the covering of sins. The obvious conclusion here is that Satan the
devil, that old serpent that has deceived the whole world (Rev. 12:9), has done
just that.
The women of Judah were sitting
at the door of Yahweh’s house weeping for Tammuz. The priesthood and Sanhedrin
had become corrupted and were feeding the people falsehoods, false Babylonian
religious ideals that venerated Bel of Babylon who is none other than Ba’al of
the land of Canaan. Christianity has been deceived to follow these same
teachings!
SUNRISE SERVICES
Yahweh continued, “Then said
he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Turn thee yet again, and thou
shalt see greater abominations than these. And he brought me into the inner
court of Yahweh’s house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of Yahweh,
between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their
backs toward the temple of Yahweh, and their faces toward the east; and they
worshipped the sun toward the east. Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O
son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the
abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with
violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the
branch to their nose,” Ez. 8:15-17.
The east, of course, is where
the sun rises. Yahweh’s tabernacle and temple were built so that the entrance
into the temple was facing east which forced the worshipper to turn away from
the east and face toward the west (typifying repentance). The pagan sun
worshippers always faced toward the east to worship because their false pagan
religions, while filled with many abominable gods, were nothing more than the
worship of the host of heaven making the sun and moon the primary objects of
adoration. This practice of facing east for early morning prayer is practiced
daily by modern day Rabbinic Judaism. The excuse is that they are praying toward
Jerusalem, but one could just as easily face west to pray toward Jerusalem. In
other words, nothing has changed since the days of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. The
appearance is that they are being Torah observant when Yahweh reveals that such
is simply not the case.
Notice that it says “they put
the branch to their nose.” This is dealt with in the writings of the prophet
Isaiah who declares, “In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken
bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of
Israel: and there shall be desolation. Because thou hast
forgotten the Elohim of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of
thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips:
In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make
thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of
desperate sorrow,” Isa. 17:9-11.
The Hebrew for the word
“slips” is the exact same word that has been translated as “branch” in
the above quotation from the book of Ezekiel. What Yahweh is saying is that the
Israelites were going to serve strange branches of salvation. In the article
from the Encyclopedia Britannica, look at all of the
false pagan deities that represent Tammuz. There is Marduk, Bêl, Adonis. Then
there is Ishtar, the female pagan goddess who represents Easter, Isis, Ashtaroth,
Astarte, the queen of heaven and many other pagan female deities. Bêl
represented the sun while Ishtar represented the moon, which reflects the light
of the sun.
The shepherds and the women
wailed and wept for Tammuz because of his death. But around the vernal equinox
they began to rejoice because the spring brought back the dead vegetation.
Tammuz revived and they all faced the east in order to rejoice at the
resurrection of Tammuz (Istar/Easter sunrise services).
CONFUSION
Yahweh said that the children
of Israel provoked themselves to the confusion of their own faces (Jer. 7:19).
The Hebrew word for confusion is bosheth
(tcb). It comes from another
Hebrew word that is utilized in Genesis 2:25 which says, “And they were naked,
the man and his wife, and were not ashamed (buwsh/cwb). Buwsh is #954
in the Hebrew lexicon of Strong’s Exhaustive
Concordance and is defined as: a primitive root; properly, to pale,
i.e. by implication to be ashamed; also (by implication) to be disappointed or
delayed. Bosheth is #1322 and is defined as: from 954; shame (the feeling and the
condition, as well as its cause); by implication (specifically) an idol.
To practice idolatry brings one
to shame. It confounds and confuses a person with half-truths, lies and deceit.
You see, Idolatry always falls short of that which is true even though it may
look like it is the real thing.
What people need to realize is
the Satan is a deceiver. He is very, very subtle. He is able to deceive people
into practicing something similar to, a counterfeit of that which is true. They
think that they are practicing the truth but his ways are always counterfeit and
false.
In the article on Tammuz from
the Encyclopedia Britannica, a malefactor is
slain with Tammuz, but there were two malefactors slain with Yahshua, the true
Savior and Redeemer (Mat. 27:38). Satan’s idolatrous paganism has fallen
short.
Yahshua said that He would be
in the grave three days and three nights, (Mt. 12:40), but the Easter
worshippers have been confused to cut that time down to one day and two nights
(order our article entitled The Three Days and Three
Nights for more details). Once again, Satan’s idolatrous
paganism has fallen short of the intended goal.
Yahshua died in the afternoon
of Passover day, was buried later that evening before sunset because the annual
high day was drawing on (the 15th
of Abib, which was to be observed by rest in similar fashion to the Sabbath).
The day that He died would have been on the fourth day of the week (a Wednesday
to the modern day world). His resurrection would have occurred at the end of the
Sabbath (in the evening, Hebrew days go from about sunset to sunset) not early
in the morning on the first day of the week. This, once again, reveals the
confusion of those who have been deceived to serve Tammuz and Ishtar (Easter),
rather than the true Savior Yahshua.
Yahshua commanded His disciples
to observe His death at the Passover annually as a memorial rather than His
resurrection (Mt. 26:17-29; Mk. 14:13-25; Lk. 22:7-20). Since He became our
Passover sacrificed for us (1 Cor. 5:7), we should follow the example that He
set annually partaking of the unleavened bread and cup which represent His flesh
and blood.
Rabbits and eggs were utilized
by the idolatrous pagans to represent fertility. Easter bunnies and eggs are
simply items to cause our children to partake in these idolatrous things. There
is no place in the Scriptures that encourage, nor justify such practices. Yahweh
told Moses, “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am Yahweh
your Elohim. After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye
not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall
ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances…And ye shall not walk in
the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all
these things, and therefore I abhorred them,” Lev. 18:2-3; 20:23.
Yahweh, through the Prophet
Jeremiah, decreed, “Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at
the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of
the people are vain,” Jer. 10:2-3.
It is stated, “For I am
Yahweh, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed,” Mal. 3:6.
“Yahshua the Messiah the same yesterday, and today, and forever,” Heb. 13:8.
Yahshua came to do the
Father’s will, “Yahshua saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him
that sent me, and to finish his work…For I came down from heaven, not to do
mine own will, but the will of him that sent me…And this is the will of him
that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have
everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day,” Jn. 4:34; 6:38;
6:40.
His followers should be
following His example, not the practices of the idolaters.
Are you beginning to see the
confusion that the world has been deceived to follow? For those who continue to
follow the false idolatrous pagan ways, there is only confusion and shame of
face. Satan, the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), the prince of the power of the
air (Eph. 2:2) has, and is certainly fulfilling the Scriptures written about
him! He began to lie and deceive in the Garden of Eden and He continues to
fulfill those deceptive practices to this day (Rev. 12:9).
Are you following his
deceptive, idolatrous, pagan, heathenistic practices? If you are observing
Easter then you certainly are deceived by him, and doing so. We know that the
great majority of today’s world will deny what is written here and continue to
observe his false, deceptive practices because they do not love the truth (2
Thes. 2:1-12, esp. verses 11-12). But this is written for those who will receive
the truth and turn and embrace it to everlasting life. For those who continue in
those things read the verses in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 again. Remember what
happened to the pre-flood world. Remember what happened to Babel. Remember what
happened to Sodom and Gomorrah. Remember what happened to Israel, Yahweh’s
chosen people. We stand at the end of an age when the kingdom of heaven will
soon appear. Prepare yourself by turning away from the prince and god of this
world and his deceptive practices. Save yourselves from this untoward
generation!
Much interest has been generated in the Hebrew Alphabet as it should be.
After all, all of the Scriptures, with the exception of portions of Daniel,
Ezra, and Nehemiah were originally written in Hebrew while the above named
versions were written in the Hebrew sister language of Aramaic. Many have
written to us requesting the Hebrew Alphabet, and are also requesting that we
teach them the Hebrew language.
Although this author has taken a course in the Hebrew language, he is far
from being proficient in its pronunciation, and enunciation. However, we can
publish articles on the Hebrew Alphabet utilizing information learned, and also
that which is offered by others. Therefore, we hope to focus on each letter in
the Hebrew Alphabet, one at a time, for however many issues of the magazines it
takes to complete the process. There are 22 (twenty-two) letters in the Hebrew
Alphabet, so there will hopefully be an article in the next 22 issues of this
magazine.
We have several books that stress the importance and meanings of the Hebrew
alphabet and these authors will be continually referred to. Here is what Rabbi
Michael Munk has to say in the beginning of his book entitled The Wisdom in the Hebrew Alphabet,
“In Jewish thought, the Aleph-Beis is unlike any other alphabet; it is not
merely a haphazard collection of consonants whose order was determined by
convention, but that could have been—or still could be—changed without loss
of content. The individual letters, their names, graphic forms, gematriaos [numerical equivalents], and
respective positions in the Aleph-Beis are Divinely ordain-ed.” (Prologue, p.
33)
Our own studies of the Hebrew alphabet, both from Rabbis, scholars, and
Scripture confirm this view.
He continues, “In the popular idiom, something that is expressed or
analyzed in its entirety is said to be covered wyt d[w @lam,
from aleph to tav. Since the very order of the
letters represents profound halachic and philosophic concepts, this expression
is not parallel to “from A to Z” or “alpha
to omega.” (ibid, p. 34)
The Hebrew alphabet begins with the aleph (a) which corresponds with our English letter A,
but its last, or ending letter is the tau (t), which corresponds to our English letter T.
The point also is that there are acrostics in the Hebrew Scriptures, as well
as many other hidden messages that simply can’t be revealed when translated
into other languages.
He continues: “The definite article is expressed in Hebrew by prefixing
the letter h to a word. Often, for extra
emphasis, the word ta,
(or ta;) is employed in addition to
the prefix. Comprising the first and last letter of the Aleph Beis, ta, alludes to completion and perfection. Thus
the Torah uses the emphatic article in describing the beginning of Creation:
In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the
earth (Gen. 1:1). This usage alludes to the fact that the universe was created in
complete perfection, ‘from aleph to tav’.” (ibid, pp 34-35)
Do you get that? The aleph and tau
(-v) (ta) preceding the words “~ymvh” (the heavens) and “#rah” (the earth) attest to the fact that the heavens and earth were created
perfect. This is the statement of Genesis 1:1!
The English translators didn’t know what to do with the aleph-tau (ta) in Genesis 1:1, so the simply disregarded the fact that it was there.
Yahweh, Himself, declares, “For thus saith Yahweh that created the
heavens; Elohim himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established
it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am Yahweh; and
there is none else,” Isa. 45:18.
Therefore, Genesis 1:2 should be translated as, “And the earth became without form, and void;
and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Elohim moved upon
the face of the waters.”
PERFECT WORDS
There are certain Hebrew words that begin with the aleph and end with the
tau. One of the chief words in this category is the Hebrew word for truth, which
is emet (tma). Truth in the Hebrew begins and ends with the first and last letters of
the alphabet. There is nothing that can come before the aleph, and also nothing
that can come after the tau. Truth is all inclusive and can’t ever change.
The middle letter is the mem (m), which is a picture of water. The Pictorial Hebrew, and also the Paleo
Hebrew reveal this characteristic of water. The Pictorial Hebrew’s mem looks
like this “m” and the Paleo Hebrew mem is similar “m”. Interestingly, it is also the middle letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Yahshua likened water to the Holy Spirit, “In the last day, that great day
of the feast, Yahshua stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come
unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of
his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit,
which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet
given; because that Yahshua was not yet glorified.),” Jn. 7:37-39.
Therefore, the truth is perfect from aleph to tau. Truth is the spirit (m) of the aleph (a) and tau (t). Truth is strong from beginning to end. Truth is first, chief, enduring
forever. However, lies are only for a moment, “The lip of truth shall be
established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment,” Prov. 12:19.
Satan is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4). He is the father of lies (Jn.
8:44). This world is built upon Satan’s lies, but thankfully, this world is
but for a moment. Yahshua is the truth (Jn. 14:6). Yahshua is light, Satan is
darkness. When the Yahshua, the truth and light comes, then the liar, the
darkness will flee away.
The first letter of the Greek alphabet is the alpha, which is equivalent to
the Hebrew aleph, and the English A, but the last letter of the Greek alphabet
is omega. The Greek word for truth is alethia. Look at other languages words for
truth: English = truth; Spanish = verdad; Latin = veritas. None of these
languages, including the Greek that so many dearly love in today’s world,
convey the power of the word as does the Hebrew language!
Yahshua declares that He is the aleph and the tau, “I am Aeph and Tau, the beginning and the ending, saith the Sovereign, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the
Almighty,” Rev. 1:8.
(NOTE: we have italicized “the beginning and the ending” because it is
omitted from the texts that are extant. However, it is stated in Revelation
22:13.)
FAITHFULNESS
Another Hebrew word that begins with the aleph and ends with the tau is
faithfulness (tnwma). This word is only utilized as a description of Yahweh. It can only be
found in Psalms 36:5; 40:10; 88:11; 89:1; 89:5; and Isaiah 33:6 (translated as
stability).
Looking at this word, we have the characters for the word “truth” (emet/tma), the Hebrew word for faith (amen/nma), and the word for faithful (emuwn/nwma).
Yahshua is the faithful witness, “And from Yahshua the Messiah, who is the
faithful witness, and the first begotten
of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us,
and washed us from our sins in his own blood,” Rev. 1:5.
Yahweh is the faithful witness, “Then they said to Jeremiah, Yahweh be a
true and faithful witness between us, if we do not
even according to all things for the which Yahweh thy Elohim shall send thee to
us,” Jer.42:5.
The Hebrew word that is translated as “faithful” in Jeremiah 42:5 is
eman (nma), which are the same characters for the English word amen. Yahshua says
that He is the amen/eman, “And unto the angel of the assembly of the
Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the
creation of Elohim,” Rev. 3:14.
Amen in Hebrew would be nma, faithful in Hebrew would be nma, true in Hebrew would be tma (truth).
Yahshua is the Word of Yahweh (Jn. 1:1-14). All things were created by the
Word of Yahweh, “By the word of Yahweh were the heavens made; and all the host
of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together
as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear
Yahweh: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him,” Psa.
33:6-8.
I will sing of the mercies of Yahweh for ever: with my mouth will I make
known thy faithfulness (emuwnat/tnwma) to all generations. For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy
faithfulness (emuwnat/tnwma) shalt thou establish in the very heavens,” Psa. 89:1-2.
Understand this; Yahshua is the Word of Yahweh (hwhy-rbd in Hebrew). Yahshua is the aleph and tau (ta). All of the other letters of the Hebrew language fall between the aleph
and tau. As we study the Hebrew alphabet, we must see how each of these letters
relate to Yahshua.
Yahshua is the faithful (nwma) witness of truth (tma). All His works are done in faithfulness (tnwma). He is the truth (tma), He is the aleph and tau (ta); truth never changes, Yahshua never changes, “Yahshua the Messiah the
same yesterday, and to day, and for ever,” Heb. 13:8.
THE SIGN
Another perfect word to focus on is the Hebrew word for “sign” which is
owth (twa).
The Pictorial Hebrew of this word is quite revealing. It looks like this:
tfa. The aleph is the head of an ox, the tau looks like a cross. The letter in
the middle is a waw which is the picture of a nail, or tent peg. The waw (f) is also a conjunction, the letter which adds or connects, thus in one
instance it gives us the idea of that which the aleph (a) and tau (t) establishes (f).
Yahweh told Israel that the seventh day Sabbath was a sign (owth/tfa) between Him and them, “Speak thou also unto the children of Israel,
saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you
throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am Yahweh that doth
sanctify you….It is a sign between me and the
children of Israel for ever: for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, and
on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed,” Ex. 31:13, 17.
What isn’t revealed in our English Bibles, or any other except for the
Hebrew, for that matter, is the fact that the seventh day was branded with the
aleph and tau, “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host
of them. And on the seventh day Elohim ended his work which he had made; and he
rested on the (ta) seventh day from all his work which he had made,” Gen. 2:1-2.
Isaiah prophesied that Yahshua would be set up as an ensign (sn = banner, flag, etc.) for the people. (Isa. 11:1-12) The serpent on a pole
that Moses set up in the wilderness was branded with this term sn (nec). Yahshua said that He had to be lifted up like that serpent on a pole
(Jn. 3:14).
When the infant Yahshua was taken to the temple, Simeon proclaimed,
“Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel;
and for a sign (owth/twa) which shall be spoken against,” Lk. 2:34.
According to the Jewish Rabbis, the aleph represents Yahweh. The aleph also
represents the head of an ox, which was the greatest and priciest sacrifice on
Yahweh’s altar, because the ox was not only an animal from which food,
clothing, shoes, etc. could be made, but it was also a most important work
animal in the farming community.
Yahshua, Who was Yahweh before His human birth, was lifted up on the tau (t), nailed (f) to it, being lifted up in order to bring all peoples unto Himself, and
therefore to the family of Yahweh Elohim.
Yahshua is the aleph and tau (ta in modern Hebrew, and ta in Pictorial Hebrew). He is our banner (sn = modern Hebrew; xn = Pictorial Hebrew) Who was lifted up as a sign (tfa) for all peoples.
Remember that the Sabbath is branded with the aleph and tau. The Sabbath is
a type of the seventh millennium when there will be peace, rest, holiness and
blessings on the earth. This thousand year Sabbath will be branded by the aleph
and tau, because Yahshua, the true aleph and tau will usher it in.
The aleph and tau represent completion and perfection. There is no
completion, nor perfection without Yahshua the Messiah.
He is certainly the banner (sn/sn) of this ministry. That is why we continue to publish this magazine as a
witness to/of Him.
It is our prayer that we will be able to present a cohesive and
understandable series of articles on each individual letter of the Hebrew
alphabet, and especially reveal how each letter is representative of Yahshua the
Messiah in its own characteristic way.