Tag Archives: Yehovah

There is Power in The Name

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In my first posting on this topic (What’s in a Name?), I established through a chain of scriptural references that God wants His Name to be known and spoken, although it has been hidden from the majority of Jews and Christians for 2,000+ years. The true pronunciation of God’s (Yehovah’s) Name was hidden before Yeshua (Jesus) came to earth the first time, as the Jewish leaders had decided it was too holy for the common people to speak. Yeshua said that one of the main reasons Abba had sent Him to Earth was to reveal the true name of the Father (Yehovah) to His disciples while He was on the earth (John 17:6).

Since there were no vowels in Hebrew scrolls at that time, there was no way to know the pronunciation of God’s Name from reading the scrolls. However, Jewish scribes painstakingly transcribed the scriptures in the 10th and 11th centuries into what are now known as the Aleppo and the Leningrad Codex. These scrolls are unique because vowel points were added so that unfamiliar words, such as God’s Name, could be pronounced properly. The image at the top of this posting contains the Hebrew letters for God’s Name, including the vowel points as found in the two Codexes mentioned above. According to 100+ instances in these two Codexes, the Name is clearly pronounced as Yehovah or Y’hovah.

What is even more crucial, though, is how we use His Name. In Zechariah 13:9, YHVH says to His people that they will call upon His Name and He will answer them. In the Aaronic blessing, Yehovah spoke to Aaron through Moses and told him what words he was to speak to the people of Israel to bless them (Num 6:23-26). Very few people know that what YHVH said in the next verse is the most important part of the blessing. He was explaining the significance of the blessing when He said: “So shall they [the priests] put My Name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them” (Num 6:27). Each verse of the blessing contains God’s holy Name, and YHVH was saying that if they would place (speak) God’s Name over the people, He would promise to bless them.

God loves to hear His Name spoken and there are so many different ways to speak His Name: in praise and worship (Ps 8:1, 66:4, 148, etc.), in blessings (as in Num 6), in prayers (Isa 1:4, Ps 105:1) and in the joys and sorrows of everyday life (as a greeting in Ruth 2:4). There is power in God’s Name; the greatest power in all the universe. In Isa 45:22, Yehovah is telling everyone to look to Him and be saved; He is saying that He Alone is God and there is no other god. Then in the next verse (Isa 45:23) He says “That to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess.” Finally in Verse 24 He says that all Israel will glorify Yehovah as the true Creator and Redeemer God of the universe.

The power of YHVH’s Name is best seen through His attributes that are contained in His compound names in scripture. One of the most powerful is in the graphic at the beginning of this posting: “Yehovah my Miracle [YHVH Nissi]” – this illustrates that we can call on the Name of Yehovah and trust Him to work miracles in our lives, and then give glory to His Name once again when they happen. Another descriptive name for God is Yehovah Yireh (sometimes written as Jevohah Jireh). This is usually translated as “The LORD my Provider”; however, a more accurate translation is “Yehovah who sees”, meaning in essence that He not only sees and knows our needs but that He satisfies them.

The many other names for God in the scriptures powerfully illustrate YHVH’s mercy, forgiveness, and unconditional love for His people. To know God’s Name is important, but it is more relevant to experience the power and beauty of using His Name when we pray. Such prayers are like sweet fragrant incense rising up to our Father in heaven (Rev 5:8).

For instance, when we are interceding for another who is suffering from illness, we can speak His Name along with the attribute of His character that relates to healing: “Yehovah Rapha (The LORD our Healer)”. When we do this, we can sense the Holy Spirit going into action, bringing healing. In the same way, when we cry out to God that He is our Rock (Yehovah Tsuri) we feel comforted in our soul that we can lean on him as our solid Rock and He will never leave us or forsake us. Many people have experienced peace and comfort when they recite the 23rd Psalm, but when you realize that “The LORD our shepherd” is actually “Yehovah Ro’i” in Hebrew and we can call our Shepherd by His Name, then it makes Yeshua’s words in John 10 so much more personal. Yeshua said in John 10:27: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (Isn’t it easier to hear His voice and discern it from all other (false) shepherds when we know His Name as well as His voice? Finally, He says: “I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) How comforting to know that our Creator and Lord is willing to lay down His life for us (and did just that when He died on the cross)?

I will leave you with the words that Yeshua spoke to His disciples near the end of His first mission to the earth: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27) If you want to see more about the Hebrew Names for God, see this Web site (remember that “Y” is usually written as “J” in English translations): Names of God – Blue Letter Bible

What’s in a Name ?

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They know My Name

When we meet someone, one of the first questions we ask is “what is your name”? Jesus (Yeshua) died for our sins, to restore our relationship with our Father. We relate to God as our heavenly Father, so it is good to call Him Abba (Aramaic for Father or Daddy). But we also know from scripture that He has a name, and that His children are even called by His name – see II Chron 7:14 and Isa 43:7 (“…everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory…”). And should you believe that knowing and speaking God’s name is only for Israel, see Amos 9:12 where God speaks through Amos and says “…And all the Gentiles [nations] who are called by My name, says the LORD…”.

So, how do we know that God wants us to know and speak His name? There are over 100 scriptures in the Torah, Psalms and Prophets where God says that He wants all the earth to know, speak, and praise His name (e.g. Ex 9:16; Num 6:27; Ps 9:10; Ps 66:4; Ps 91:14; Ps 105:1,3; Ps 105:1,3; Ps 119:132; Ps 148:13; Isa 42:8; Isa 52:6; Jer 16:21; Mal 4:2). The other question that pops up is whether God’s name is to be remembered by everyone for all time? This question is answered soundly by David in Ps 45:17 “I will cause Your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore nations will praise You forever and ever”. A prime example of God blessing His people when they remember His name is in Ex 20:27 “In every place where I cause My name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.”

What does Yeshua have to say about the name of God? In Matt 23:39, when He was weeping over the people of Jerusalem because they had not recognized Him as their Messiah, He said “for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ ”. “The LORD“ in this verse is actually YHVH (Yehovah), not Adonai (the Hebrew word for Lord). Yeshua was quoting directly from the prophecy in Ps 118:26, which was talking about the future end times when people would speak those words, and use God’s true name in place of the generic title of “The LORD”. In John 17:6, when Yeshua was praying to Abba Father on behalf of his disciples, He said “I made your name known to the people you gave me out of the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.”

In Acts 2:21, Peter quotes Joel 2 when he says “And it shall come to pass that all who call upon the name of the Lord [YHVH] shall be saved”. Just as in Matt 23 above, “the Lord” in this verse is not the generic title for Lord, but rather YHVH (written as The LORD in the Old Testament). In the end times (as reported in Zech 13:9), YHVH says “They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; and each one will say, ‘The LORD [YHVH] is my God.’”

So now that we have established that YHVH wants His name to be known, spoken, praised and glorified in all the earth, how can we know how to speak and pronounce His name? I will go into this in more detail in future blogs in this series, but in summary we know the following to be true:

  • God always wanted us to know His name (from the time He spoke His name to Moses in Ex 3:15)
  • God’s name (the full pronunciation of YHVH) was spoken regularly by people up until the time of the Second Temple, after the return from Babylon – see Ruth 2:4
  • The speaking of God’s name was progressively restricted to a smaller and smaller group of Jews during the Second Temple period (first only the priests, and eventually only the high priest, before and during Yeshua’s time)
  • As stated in John 17:6 above, Yeshua revealed the true name of YHVH to His disciples while He was on the earth (which had been hidden from the common people for several hundred years)

As far as the actual pronunciation of God’s name, there is great dispute, but through our research over a number of years, we believe that His name (YHVH), which is written 6828 times in the Hebrew scriptures, is pronounced as Yehovah (or Y’hovah). We also believe that His name is being revealed to many in this age, as another of the many signs of the approach of the end times that are now unfolding. Finally, we believe it is all part of Yehovah’s plan, that His name would be hidden for a time, and then revealed again to His remnant when the time was right. Stay tuned for further chapters in this story and why we and others believe as we do.

Who Is Yeshua?

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Yeshua is everything to us:  our salvation, our hope, our future, to name a few. It is important to get to know Him as well as possible.  We can do this by interacting with Him and also by reading the Bible.  It is the word of Yehovah and Yeshua is the living Word of Yehovah.  This series, entitled “Who Is Yeshua?” will consist of twenty-one articles. Each article will explore a different section of the Bible to discover different titles and roles of Yeshua and our response to each role. In the nineteenth article in the series, Yeshua is Yehovah’s Son.

For to which of the angels did He ever say, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again,“I will be a Father to Him And He shall be a Son to Me”? (Heb 1:5)

In order to understand who Yeshua is, we must first understand who His Father is. Yehovah is our Creator (Neh 9:6; Ps 139:14), our Provider (Ps 34:10, 81:10), our Rescuer (Ps 34:19, 37:4), our Protector (Nah 1:7, Ps 118:6-7), our Healer (Ps 147:3, Jam 5:15), our Teacher (2 Tim 3:16, Ps 32:8), our Redeemer (Gen 22:13-14, Ps 19:14) and so much more.  Yehovah’s ways are excellent (Ps 18:30, Is 26:7-8).  He is the source of wisdom (Prov 2:6, 1 Cor 1:25) and righteousness (Ps 48:10, Is 45:21).  Yehovah is King forever over all creation (1 Chron 16:31, Ps 45:6, Ps 103:19).

How do we know that Yeshua is Yehovah’s Son?  The angel Gabriel announced it to Yeshua’s mother, Miryam, twice (Luke 1:32, 35). “…therefore the child to be bornwill be called holy—the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). The prophet, John the Baptist testified that Yeshua is the Son of Yehovah.  “And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God” (John 1:34).  His followers declared that Yeshua is Yehovah’s Son.  “And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’” (Matt 14:33).  “He said to them, ‘But who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God’” (Matt 16:15-16i). Yeshua identified Himself as the Son of Yehovah (John 10:36; 11:4, 16:28, Matt 27:43).  On at least two occasions, the Father publicly proclaimed that Yeshua is His Son (Matt 3:16-17, Matt 17:5).  There are many instances recorded in the Gospels of Yeshua healing and teaching.

Yeshua demonstrates that He is his Father’s Son by His actions.  Yeshua worked with His Father and the Holy Spirit to create the heavens and the earth (John 1:3, Col 1:16).  Yeshua provided wine at a wedding (John 2: 1-12) and food to the crowds (Matt 14:13-21). Yeshua is our Rescuer (Matt 1:21, Heb 7:25) and Protector (John 10:28, 17:12). Yeshua has paid the debt for our sins and has redeemed us (1 Cor 7:23, Eph 1:7).  Yeshua’s ways are His Father’s ways (John 5:19-20, 6:38). Yeshua is the source of all wisdom (Col 2:3, 1 Cor 1:30).  Yeshua is our righteousness (2 Cor 5:21, Rom 5:19). Yeshua will reign as our King (Heb 1:8; Col 1:13).

Although Yeshua is eternal and is equal to the Father, when He came to earth as a human He became the firstborn of both the Father and His mother.  A firstborn son in ancient Near East times was considered the strongest of His siblings. He had authority over his younger siblings.  When his father died, the firstborn son was expected to take care of his mother and his unmarried sisters and became the head and spiritual leader over his family.  The firstborn son was also entitled to a double portion of the inheritance. 

Although our Father is eternal and will never die, Yeshua is not replacing His Father but is acting in His Father’s stead. Yeshua has assumed responsibility for those of us who welcome Him as our Lord and Redeemer.  We are considered His younger siblings.  We have the privilege and blessing of having a truly righteous Brother who teaches us, protects us and loves us.

In ancient times a man could redeem his relatives who had been sold into slavery.  He could also buy back property that had been sold. Yeshua is our Kinsman Redeemer.  Through the fall of Adam and Eve we became slaves of hasatan.  Yeshua has purchased our freedom not with money but with His own blood.  Just as Abram recovered Lot, his family and all that had been stolen by the enemy, Yeshua has rescued us and recovered all that has been lost or stolen from us (Gen 14:14-16, Heb 2:14-15, Acts 3:21). Yeshua’s sacrifice and resurrection as the Son of Yehovah ensure our eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven!

This is an excellent time to ask forgiveness for your sins and invite Yeshua (Jesus) to be Lord of your life.  When we commit sin, we incur a debt that none of us can ever pay on our own.  It cannot be paid with earthly currency or even with great sacrifice on our part.  This debt can only be paid for by the blood of Yeshua which has already been shed for us. This is the greatest gift to ever be offered.  Don’t miss out.  After you have accepted Yeshua as your Lord and Savior, ask for baptism in the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will be your constant companion and Counselor and will equip you for Kingdom living.

Who Is Yeshua?

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Yeshua is everything to us:  our salvation, our hope, our future, to name a few. It is important to get to know Him as well as possible.  We can do this by interacting with Him and also by reading the Bible.  It is the word of Yehovah and Yeshua is the living Word of Yehovah.  This series, entitled “Who Is Yeshua?” will consist of twenty-one articles. Each article will explore a different section of the Bible to discover different titles and roles of Yeshua and our response to each role. In the eighth article in the series, Yeshua is our Wisdom.

It is [Yehovah’s] doing that you are united with the Messiah Yeshua. He has become wisdom for us from [Yehovah], and righteousness and holiness and redemption as well! (1 Cor 1:30)

Yeshua is our wisdom.  He illustrates this by the words He speaks and by His actions while He was here on earth.  We learn Yehovah’s wisdom from following Yeshua’s example.   The better we know Yeshua personally, the deeper our understanding of Yehovah’s heart and mind.  Yehovah’s thoughts and ways are far above our ways, but we can learn more about them by sitting at the feet of our Teacher, Yeshua. 

We can learn from Yeshua by spending more time with Him in prayer and by focusing on His words in Scripture.  This helps to ensure that we are not easily swayed by others’ words.  For example, the religious leaders of Yeshua’s time had great influence on the Jews.  They portrayed themselves as righteous and far more knowledgeable than others.  They were leading people astray from Yehovah and Yeshua confronted them on this matter repeatedly.  This was an opportunity for the religious leaders to repent and humbly learn from the Master.  Perhaps some did listen to Yeshua.  But the majority sought to kill Yeshua and continue following their own wisdom. 

Many in leadership positions today in both government and church settings are much like the Pharisees and Sadducees in Yeshua’s time.  Oftentimes, their words may seem reasonable.  When we focus on such leaders, we block out the wisdom and truth of Yeshua and Yehovah and we stray from the narrow path that leads to everlasting life. Sometimes our brothers and sisters fall into the same trap.  Do we lovingly confront others who have strayed or are we fearful of some type of retribution? See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to [Messiah] (Col 2:8).

Hostility and violence are increasing.  There are more hate groups than ever.  Road rage is rampant and shootings are everyday occurrences.  Our brothers and sisters in Messiah are being persecuted for their faith in at least 150 countries around the world. In Nigeria, a Christian is killed on average of every two hours for his or her faith.  Even within the Body of Messiah, there is growing hostility and intolerance.  We seem to be surrounded by enemies.  What should we do?  Should we join in the fray and retaliate against those with whom we disagree?  What does Yeshua teach us? You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matt 5:43-48)

Some of us today have grown lukewarm in our relationship with Yehovah and Yeshua.  We take our relationship with Yehovah for granted.  We become complacent and hide out in our comfort zone.  Do we think that there is nothing else to be learned?  Have we stopped earnestly seeking Him?  Are we helping to build His Kingdom?  Or have we become like the church in Laodicea?  I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other!  But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!  You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.  So, I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.  I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference (Rev 3:15-19).

Our world grows increasingly evil and unstable.  Do we worry about the future?  What will happen to our economy?  How will we provide for ourselves?  What if products become scarce or too expensive for us to afford?  How will we provide for ourselves and our families?  “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?  Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?7 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? (Matt 6:25-27)

For every situation that confronts us, Yeshua supplies the answer by His words and His actions. Yeshua has experienced all that we experience. He lived in a hostile world while He was on earth.  He was persecuted and ridiculed for His words and actions even though He lived in total obedience to His Father.  Yeshua understands our fears and weaknesses.  He will help us through any situation if we seek His wisdom.   For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin. (Heb 4:15). Let us forsake the foolishness of the world and seek Yeshua, our true source of wisdom.

This is an excellent time to ask forgiveness for your sins and invite Yeshua (Jesus) to be Lord of your life.  When we commit sin, we incur a debt that none of us can ever pay on our own.  It cannot be paid with earthly currency or even with great sacrifice on our part.  This debt can only be paid for by the blood of Yeshua which has already been shed for us. This is the greatest gift to ever be offered.  Don’t miss out.  After you have accepted Yeshua as your Lord and Savior, ask for baptism in the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will be your constant companion and Counselor and will equip you for Kingdom living. 

Clean Reflections

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This is the eleventh article of our Living Tabernacles series, where we study the Tabernacle in depth. It is exciting to see how each element symbolizes some characteristic of Yeshua.  It is also challenging when we examine what each element means for us, since each of us is now a living tabernacle of YHVH [Yehovah].  We are posting two articles each month as part of this series. YHVH is building His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.  Our King reigns from His throne and also pronounces judgment from there. 

This article focuses on the significance of the Bronze Laver (basin) that YHVH instructed His people to build and place between the Brazen Altar of sacrifice and the Tabernacle. In Exodus 30:18, YHVH [Yehovah] said to Moshe: “You are to make a basin of bronze, with a base of bronze, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it” [CJB].

In verses 18-21, YHVH explains to Moshe how this basin is to filled with water and used by the priests for washing before they come into His presence and before they bring sacrifices to the Altar: “Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet there when they enter the tent of meeting — they are to wash with water, so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by burning an offering for Yehovah, they are to wash their hands and feet, so that they will not die. This is to be a perpetual law for them through all their generations”.

To help the priests see their dirty places more clearly, YHVH also instructed the Israelites to embed mirrors into the bronze laver: “Bezalel made the bronze washbasin and its bronze stand from bronze mirrors donated by the women who served at the entrance of the Tabernacle” (Ex 38:8).  Since YHVH wants us to come before Him without spot or blemish (as in Ephesians 5:27), the bronze mirrors from the women helped the priests to clean up those physical spots that would keep them from full immersion into YHVH’s presence.

These instructions that YHVH gave to His people show the importance He places on purity.  When His people come before Him to minister to Him, they are to be “clean”.  So, what does Yehovah mean by clean in this context?  He has given us many examples of cleanliness in the physical world, such as His instructions to the priests to wash themselves before coming into the Tabernacle or Temple, for His people to eat clean instead of unclean foods, and to cleanse ourselves after touching a dead body or being healed of leprosy.

However, these are only physical object lessons that point to His more crucial message that we need to cleanse and purify our hearts and minds before coming into His presence, as in Psalm 24:4: “The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up their soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully”.  The importance to YHVH of purity of hearts and hands is also shown in Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” and James 4:8: “Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded”.  After David committed his most flagrant sins, he cried out to God in Psalm 51:10: “Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me”.

Aaron and his sons were the appointed priests for the whole nation of Israel, but we know that all of YHVH’s children are to be priests ministering before Him, as in Exodus 19:6: “And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation”.  Yeshua said in Revelation 5:10: “And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God”.  We know that we are to come before YHVH’s throne and into His presence, as in these Scriptures in Hebrews:

  • Hebrews 4:16 – “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most”; and
  • Hebrews 10:22 – “…let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him…”

Now that we understand that we are to be priests before YHVH, be cleansed, and come into His presence, how do we go about cleansing ourselves?  First, look at the second part of the verse from Hebrews 10:22: “For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Messiah’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water”.  While it is true that Yeshua’s blood has saved us from our sins, we still need to be cleansed and made holy by “the washing of water by the word” (Eph 5:26)

In James 1:25 [NLT] it says: “But if you look carefully into the perfect law [Torah] that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it”.  So, YHVH says that we are to study the Torah (the Word of YHVH) and follow what it says.  The living Word is Yeshua.  As it says in John 1, verses 1 and 14: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. And the Word became flesh and dwelled among us…”.

The Word of God (both written and Living) is our water of cleansing – it is His will for us to spend time every day soaking in His Word, being transformed by the renewing of our minds, and being cleansed in our souls so that we can constantly draw closer and closer to Abba and His precious Son, Yeshua.

YHVH’s Sanctuary

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yhvh-is-a-shelterWhat did Yeshua mean when He said in His Olivet discourse: “as it was in the days of Noach” (Matt 24:39)?  In this and other Re(new)ed Covenant Scriptures (2 Pet 2; 2 Thess 2), the authors speak of a future world of great wickedness, such as has not been known since the times of Noach and Sodom.  These Scriptures also speak of YHVH’s judgment on those who are deceived by the lies of hasatan and refuse to turn to the truth of the Creator and Redeemer of the world, Yehovah Elohim.

They also speak of YHVH our Deliverer saving and protecting His people during times of past trials or judgment:

  • Noach and all his family were divinely saved from destruction by the protection of the Ark (2 Pet 2:5). Note that the Hebrew word for ark (tevah) not only means a box or covering, but it also means “word” – so you can think of Noach and his family truly being covered by YHVH’s Word!
  • In the time of Sodom & Gomorrah, we are told that the people were very immoral and ungodly, but also that God [Elohim] rescued Lot from the fiery judgment because Lot was a righteous man who followed the truth (2 Pet 2:6-7)
  • Moses (Ex 44:7), David (1 Sam :14-15) and Elijah (1 Kings 19:4-8) were all protected in the wilderness
  • In the same way, when YHVH brought all the plagues onto the people in Egypt, He spared the Hebrews from the worst of those plagues (Ex 9). Yeshua became our Passover Lamb 2000 years ago, and now we can cover ourselves with His blood for protection from the enemy’s attacks
  • Finally, in speaking about the end of days, Yeshua says in Revelation 12 verses 6 and 14 that YHVH will once again protect His people from both the unbearable attacks from the adversary hasatan, and also from His own judgments against the wicked

From these Scriptures we know that YHVH has protected His people many times in the past, and has said that He would protect us again during the Tribulation period.  We also know from Yeshua’s words in Matthew 24 and Sha’ul’s prophecies in 2 Timothy 3 that the times before the end of this current world will be characterized by great sinfulness and evil.

What will lead the people of the world into such great lawlessness, though?  We know there are plenty of greedy, boastful and wicked people throughout the world now, but Yeshua says the End will be a time like no other that has ever been seen or will ever be seen again.  Several Scriptures speak of a great apostasy, deception, or falling away (2 Thess 2:3, Matt 24:10).  Reading further in these Scriptures we see many reasons for this falling away of believers in Yeshua, so great that even some of the elect will be led astray (Matt 24:24).  Yeshua speaks of many false prophets and teachers, and the great signs and wonders they will use to try to convince believers that they are the Messiah who is prophesied to return.

There is a stronger deception than simple signs and wonders that will be leading the saints away from YHVH, though.  This deception becomes clear when you look at the expanded meaning of apostasy – it means “an abandonment of the truth”.  In spiritual terms, this means that the end times will involve a wholesale rejection of YHVH’s revelation, a further “falling away” of an already fallen world.  This “end times” falling away is confirmed as the sign that will come before the Tribulation ends and Yeshua returns for His saints (the set-apart ones) in several other Scriptures.

When Sha’ul talks about the end times in II Timothy 3, he talks first about all the wickedness that will mark that time, but then he goes on to say in Verse 7 that people at that time will be: “always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth”.  This agrees with II Thessalonians 2:10-12 which states that the ones who will be judged in the latter days will be the ones who did not believe the truth of YHVH, but instead believed the enemy’s lies.  The crux of this passage in Verse 11 says: “…God will cause them to be greatly deceived, so that they will believe these lies”.

Going back to Matthew 24, Yeshua’s first answer to His disciples about the signs of the end was: “Be careful that no one leads you astray! For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will lead many astray” (Matt 24:4-5).  Remember that one of Yeshua’s harshest reprimands of the religious leaders was in John 8:44 when they accused Him of casting out demons and healing people in the name and power of the devil: “For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies”.

The essence, then, of the reason for the great falling away in the end times will be that a great majority of the people (believers and unbelievers alike) will believe the lies of the false teachers and prophets and of the anti-messiah himself.

So how do we prepare ourselves for these perilous times, so that we can discern false from true teaching and prophecy, and resist following the popular path of believing the captivating lies of the enemy’s allies?  As with all temptations and allurements of our society, we need to put all our trust in our Rock and Redeemer, Yeshua HaMashiach, and be filled with Yehovah’s Holy Spirit.  We need to ask Abba for guidance in discerning the truth from the lies, and then follow that truth no matter what are the world consequences.  While it is true that not all believers will be delivered physically through the Tribulation, we know that if we remain steadfast in our trust and obedience, YHVH will help empower us to overcome the world, by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of our testimony.  In this world we will have tribulation, but Yeshua has overcome the world, and greater is He that is in us (the Holy Spirit) than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).

Safe Shelters

Abiding, God's Strength & Character, Peter's blogs, , , , ,

refuge-under-your-wingsIn my blog two weeks ago, I wrote about Yeshua as the Door of the sheep, and how He protects from us from all dangers.  Another closely related Biblical concept is that YHVH shelters us, but how does He shelter us?  In many places in the Psalms, David talks about YHVH sheltering us in His hiding place, for example:

  • Psalm 91:1 – He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty [El Shaddai].
  • Psalm 27:5 – For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His sanctuary; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me (the Orthodox Jewish Bible says that He will keep us safe in His Sukkah and shelter us in His tent)…He is our refuge and our fortress;
  • Psalm 32:7 – You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance;
  • Psalm 119:117 – You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word;
  • Psalm 144:2 – My lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the One in whom I take refuge…

Other scriptures speak about God sheltering us in His high tower, on a rock that is higher than us, or in his fortress, just to name a few of the graphic images He paints.  Many times David and others speak about YHVH as not only keeping them safe in His secret hiding place, but as actually being that hiding place, refuge, fortress, high tower, stronghold, rock, sanctuary, Sukkah, etc.  As an illustration of a high / strong tower, Sh’lomo says in Proverbs: the name of Yehovah is a strong tower; and the righteous run to it [Him] and are safe.  Now we are getting to the purpose of YHVH sheltering us in all these amazing ways: He is keeping us safe from the enemy.  Psalm 32:7 above provides one of the most beautiful word pictures of God’s protection in all of Scripture: He is not only our hiding place, but He protects us from trouble and surrounds us with songs of deliverance.

In Psalm 91, David says that no evil will befall him because he has made YHVH his refuge and dwelling place.  Because David is abiding under the shelter of His wings, YHVH has promised to give His angels charge over David to keep him safe against all physical and spiritual enemies and attacks.  In Verse 14, He says that because we know and trust in His name (Yehovah), He will set us up on high places (a high rock, high tower, etc.).  He also promises that no evil will befall us, no plague will come near our dwelling, and we do not need to fear the arrows by day or the pestilence that comes in the night.  Finally, in Verse 7 He paints an even more vivid picture of how he delivers us in the middle of great battles: “Though a thousand fall at our side and ten thousand are dying around us, these evils will not touch us” (NLT).

Even from the beginning, God has always been there to shelter us and keep us safe.  When He created the Garden for Adam and Eve, He created it as an enclosed garden that was protected on all sides against enemies.  The meaning of the “Garden of Eden” [Gan Eden] from Hebrew is a sheltered or enclosed garden.  There are many examples of how God has provided for our protection in His creation. For instance, the way an eggshell protects the baby chick as the strongest shape in the world, or the way a mother’s womb protects her unborn baby against environmental dangers.

When God saved Noah and his family from the flood, He once again protected them with an Ark that provided their covering and protection from all the devastation that was going on around them.  Another example of YHVH’s protection was the lamb’s blood covering He told the Israelites to apply to their doorposts to protect them from the angel of death.  In the end times, YHVH’s remnant will be sheltered in the protective rocks of Petra (Bosrah in Hebrew), waiting for our King, Messiah Yeshua, to come and usher us into the homeland of Israel.

As you think about all the ways YHVH protects and shelters us in His fortress or high tower, think about the Hebrew letter “tet”, which in the ancient word pictures represented a shelter for protection.  It is used in the word beten to mean the house that surrounds life (the mother’s womb), and in the word for trust (batach), which pictures us being safe inside the surrounding fence.  The word seter means a hiding place or covering, and from the ancient word pictures it literally means a secret hiding place.  Whereas the word for adversary (satan) means the snake that devours life, YHVH provides the seter hiding place which protects us from evil.  Would you rather be under YHVH’s wings which protect your life from harm, or the enemy’s snake-coil which devours your life?

Yeshua is the Door

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the-door-of-the-sheep“Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” John 10:7

In Yeshua’s “I am” statement about being the Door of the Sheep,  He teaches us that He is “the Door”, not just “a door”.  He is saying that He is not only our Shepherd who leads us into the sheepfold of the Kingdom, but He is the only door by which we can enter and be saved and find safe pasture (John 10:9).  There are deeper meanings for understanding Yeshua as our door into the Kingdom of God, so come with me now as we dig deeper into the Word to explore these meanings.

It is helpful to understand more about sheep and shepherding in general and specifically during Yeshua’s time.  Of all domesticated animals, sheep are the most helpless.  Sheep will spend their entire day grazing, wandering from place to place, never looking up. As a result, they often become lost. But sheep have no “homing instinct” as other animals do. They are totally incapable of finding their way to their sheepfold, even when it is in plain sight. By nature, sheep are followers. If the lead sheep steps off a cliff, the others are likely to follow.

Also, sheep are very susceptible to injuries and are utterly helpless against predators. If a wolf enters the pen, sheep won’t defend themselves or run away.  Sheep are totally dependent upon their shepherd for food, shelter, guidance and protection. So close is the bond between shepherd and sheep that to this day Middle Eastern shepherds can divide flocks that have mingled at a well or during the night simply by calling their sheep, who know and follow their shepherd’s voice. The shepherd leads the sheep to safe places to graze and makes them lie down for several hours in a shady place (think of the parallel to Psalm 23). Then at nightfall, the shepherd leads the sheep to the protection of a sheepfold.

In ancient times, there were two kinds of sheepfolds or pens. One kind was a public sheepfold found in villages. It would be large enough to hold several flocks of sheep. This sheep pen would be in the care of a “doorkeeper”, whose duty it was to guard the door to the sheep pen during the night and admit the shepherds in the morning. The shepherds would call their sheep, each of which knew their own shepherd’s voice, and he would lead them out to pasture (see John 10:4).

The second kind of sheep pen was in the countryside, where the shepherds would keep their flocks in good weather. This type of sheep pen was nothing more than a rough circle of rocks piled into a wall with a small open space to enter. Through it the shepherd would drive the sheep at nightfall. Since there was no gate to close—just an opening—the shepherd would keep the sheep in and wild animals out by lying across the opening. He would sleep there, in this case literally becoming the door to the sheep[fold].

Several ancient Hebrew word pictures point to Yeshua as the Door in a powerful way.  The ancient letter for door is dalet.  This meant the tent flap or door originally, but also the “path” or the “way of life”.  Devar in Hebrew means “word”. When we look at the ancient characters for Devar, though, the root meaning is “the Door of the Son”.  Since Yeshua is the living Word, Devar can also be interpreted as “The Word of YHVH”, as in the book of Deuteronomy [Devarim].  Psalm 19:14 says: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, YHVH, my rock and my redeemer”.  In Hebrew, a word for redeem is Padah and the word picture meaning is “redemption comes by the mouth of the door”. The ancient letters tell us that redemption is by the words of the door, and we know that door is Yeshua. Another significant word is the Hebrew word for Righteous, Tsedek, and the word picture tells us that  a person is righteous when their hook is the Door they follow (hook, or fishhook, refers to that which draws you – your passion or desire).

God’s name, Yehovah, is spelled yod-hey-vav-hey in Hebrew. The letter dalet is added to spell “Yehudah” [Judah], out of whose line Yeshua was descended. These 4 letters of the Name of God plus the letter dalet which means “door,” paint a different word picture:  His name tells us that “Praise opens the Door to God“.  Since Yeshua is the Door, and He said everyone must enter through Him, this is a graphic picture of the pathway to YHVH – the key to the Door is praise!

Yeshua tells us that He is not only the shepherd of His sheep, but also the door of the sheep. In doing so, He is inviting us to be part of His sheepfold, where we will never have to fear or want for anything.  All we have to do is praise Him, and follow Him on His path, trusting Him with every part of our lives!

Yom Teruah helps us Remember and Rehearse

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yom-teruahWhen we talk about YHVH’s feasts or festivals, we sometimes think of big celebrations with lots of festive foods along with family and friends.  Although some of YHVH’s feasts are meant to be joyous celebrations (such as Sukkot – the Feast of Tabernacles), others are meant to be more somber and introspective.  Yom Teruah (literally the “feast of the blowing of trumpets (shofarot)”) is a combination of both joyous and somber emotions.  In a previous blog (When Yeshua Returns), we have already dealt with the misconception that Yom Teruah is actually the Jewish new year, or what is called Rosh Hashanah (literally “the head of the year”).  Yom Teruah marks the beginning of the seventh month on God’s calendar, so by definition it cannot be the start of the year.

The Hebrew word used most often for YHVH’s feast days in the Scriptures is Mo’ed (feast) or Mo’edim (feasts plural).  However, this word is much better translated as “appointment” or more accurately “divine appointment”.  YHVH meant for these appointments to be holy (set-apart) times on His calendar to meet with Him.  They were also called “Holy Convocations”, which in the Hebrew is Miqra, meaning an “assembly” but also a “Dress Rehearsal”.

Whenever one of YHVH’s divine appointments arrives, we are supposed to look back and remember something that God has done for us in the past, but we are also supposed to look forward to what He will do in the future.  In His Mo’edim, God has essentially given us a “roadmap” of the most important events in human history.  Leviticus 23:24 describes Yom Teruah in this way: “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation (rehearsal)”.  Where it says “memorial” in this verse, another name is being used for the Feast of Trumpets – it is also called Zihk’ron Teruah which means a call for remembering through the loud blowing of trumpets.  So what are we remembering from the past and what are we rehearsing for the future?

By Jewish tradition and ancient calendars, it is believed that Yom Teruah commemorates the first day of Elohim’s Creation of the universe.  This fits with God’s biblical calendar.  When the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt, YHVH then said to them: “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you” (Exodus 12:2).  This was of course the first day (new moon) of the Passover month (Aviv), which had been their seventh month but was now their first month by God’s instruction.  Thus we know that the seventh month (Ethanim) had been the first month on God’s calendar, which is the calendar He created for us at the time He created the world.  We can give thanks to Yehovah Elohim on Yom Teruah for creating the universe and us as His children.

As far as rehearsing the future on Yom Teruah, we need to look to the verses where the shofar blast is described as a warning or announcement of a future event.  There are a number of Scriptures where we see the shofar being blown as a call to repent and turn back (teshuvah) to YHVH, warning us of the God’s great judgment at the end times, in the “Day of the LORD”. (Joel 2:1, Zech 9:14, Rev 11:15)  In Matthew 24, Yeshua tells us of the great shofar blast when He comes in judgment and to gather His remnant together from the whole Earth: “And He will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather His chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven”.

Abba, as we are celebrating your appointed time to be with You on Yom Teruah, help us to remember all that You have done for us in the past, including the great sacrifice of Your Son for our salvation and deliverance.  Help us to also look ahead at what You are going to do in the future, and make sure we are prepared like the wise virgins who had an abundance of oil for their lamps.  We want to be a part of Your remnant, pleasing to you and prepared in our hearts and spirits to receive Your blessing when You return to this Earth to reign and rule.

Ancient Hebrew Confirms Yeshua’s Work on the Cross

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How to live Torah“So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I am He.” John 8:28

We have spoken before about all the amazing prophecies of the Messiah in the Nevi’im (prophets) that foretold the first coming of Yeshua and how He would die and be resurrected to atone for our sins and bring us back into relationship with Abba Father.  When we go deeper into the history of the Hebrew language and look at the paleo-Hebrew word pictures, even more incredible Messianic prophecies are revealed to us.

The most elemental aspects of our relationship with YHVH [Yehovah] are the life instructions He gave us in His Torah, and the covenant(s) He made with us from the beginning of His creation.  Looking at the ancient Hebrew symbols for Torah first, we see that the final letter is hey, which appears like a person with their arms raised, meaning “to reveal or behold”.  As the final letter, it actually means “what is revealed from”.  Looking back at the first three letters, they tell us where the law [Torah] originates from.  The third letter, resh, which looks like a person’s head, means “the man”.  The second letter, vav, means “nail”, and the first letter, tav, means “cross”.  So, putting all these together, torah means “what is revealed from the Man nailed to the cross”.

Covenant in Hebrew is b’rit (pronounced breet).  This word starts off with the letter bet, which means “house” in ancient Hebrew word pictures, and then is followed by the letter resh, meaning a person, man or leader.  When these two letters are placed together, they mean “the man of the house” or more commonly “the son of the house”.  The next letter is yod, which means hand or arm, but when used at the end of the first two letters, it becomes possessive, or “my”.  So the first three letters now give us the meaning of “my son”.  Finally, we have the tav at the end of the word, which we saw above meant “cross”.  Putting these together, we get the awesome prophetic meaning of the word covenant as “the cross of My Son”!  This was prophesied in Psalms 22:16 as “they pierced My hands and My feet.” And Zechariah 12:10 as “they shall look upon Me [Yeshua] whom they have pierced”.  We know that YHVH’s covenant with His people started with Abraham, but it was prophesied that the final covenant would be fulfilled through the Messiah, our Redeemer.  Through Isaiah, Abba Father said to Yeshua the Messiah: “I will preserve You and give You as a covenant to the people” (Isa 49:8).

If we go full circle back to the name of the Hebrew language, iv’rit, in the ancient word pictures it is written the same as covenant [b’rit] with one addition – the letter ayin (meaning reveal) is added to the front of the word.  Putting these letters together, we can see the purpose of the Hebrew language stated in its name, meaning in English “to reveal the covenant”, which is “the cross of My Son”.

These are beautiful insights into the Scriptures and the Hebrew language, but what does it all mean for our lives?  If we study YHVH’s Word, then His Son will be revealed to us more and more, and we will come to know Yeshua and His Father, our Creator and Redeemer, who desires only good things for our lives (Jer 29:11).