Here the translations of the verses use the words:
govern and rule as well as dominion:
Genesis 1:16 HEB:הַמָּא֤וֹר הַגָּדֹל֙ לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת הַיּ֔וֹם וְאֶת־ NAS:light to govern the day, KJV:light to rule the day, INT:light the greater to govern the day light
Genesis 1:16 HEB: הַמָּא֤וֹר הַקָּטֹן֙ לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת הַלַּ֔יְלָה וְאֵ֖ת NAS:light to govern the night; KJV: light to rule the night: INT: light and the lesserto govern the night the stars
1 Kings 9:19 HEB: וּבְכֹ֖ל אֶ֥רֶץ מֶמְשַׁלְתּֽוֹ׃ NAS:and in all the land underhis rule. KJV:and in all the land ofhis dominion. INT:all the land his rule
We are most familiar withGenesis 1:26: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness and let them have dominion over fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
During the last 2,000 years Christianity followed in their own way and not the way of their Hebrew/Jewish/Israelite heritage and have missed out on special blessings as well as spiritual experience.
The Hebrew word yiredu is translated into our English Bible as dominion but the Hebrew language has a different rendering for this word. Without exception all the modern translations of the Bible follow the common teaching that the word yiredu comes from the root word radah; which means:
dominion, or to subdue,
to rule over,
to tread upon like in a winepress.
It has been suggested that the root word is really yarad.
Here it would follow, that as the original inspired Word of God had no vowel dots, it would seem more correct to the original by using the root word yarad – to lower oneself,
rather than radah – to rule over.
In the original Hebrew, the word starts with a letter Y – Yod
which is a picture of a heavenly messenger
or yarad which means to lower oneself
and not an R – Resh in radah,
which means to rule over…something to chew on at least!
A King makes it his domain, his own.
Melek מלך
Melech (מלך) is a Hebrew word that means king and may refer to: Melech (name) a given name of Hebrew origin. The title of king in ancient Semitic culture.
a male monarch; member of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation.
The word me•lech is mentioned over 1,000 times in the Bible, but only a handful of references refer to our Heavenly Father. Interestingly, the title me•lech is a part of God’s name in every Hebrew prayer.
All Hebrew prayers begin with
Blessed are You Lord, King of the universe.
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu,melekh ha’olam
ברוך אתה ה’ אלהינו מלך העולם
It raises a question as to why we see only a few references to our Heavenly Father as a King. An interesting note is that many of the Hebrew prayers were inspired by the Book of Psalms, where King is most frequently used in reference to Adonai.
“Thus says the Lord the King of Israel…”
Isaiah 44:6
“The Lord is King for ever and ever”
Psalm 10:16
“and the Lord sits enthroned as King forever”
Psalm 29:10
“For the Lord Most High is awesome; he is a great King over all the earth”
Psalm 47:2
All other references of me•lech/king are of the many human kings mentioned throughout scripture.
It is noteworthy to mention that Messiah is also called
King Messiah.
In Luke 23:2 “They began to accuse him, saying, ‘We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king’”
that’s what the Greek wordeuangélionmeans – good news.
And what exactly is thegood news?
In western Christianity the answer is usually something like,“Jesus died for our sins and we are forgiven.”
That is good news, however, it isn’t exactly the biblical euangélion.
The realgood newsis clear in Mark’s introduction of Jesus/Yeshua’s ministry in this verse.
The good news is this:
God’s Kingdom is close and its time to repent.
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,[ the Son of God,[2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:“I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”[— 3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.
The writers of the new testament understood this. In Paul’s opening statement in his letter to theRomans he says:
Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, . .” Not, the
good news of forgiveness
but ratherthe good news of God.
The kingdom is close to arriving.
It’s worth a second thought that Yeshua/Jesus preached the kingdom, while the church/ecclesia mostly preaches Jesus/Yeshua. It is important to be aware that we may be preaching and teaching about Jesus/Yeshua, however we may lose the vision of the kingdom that He came to bring?
We first hear John speak In Matthew 3:2repent because the kingdom of Heaven is here.
The word heaven in this verse is shamayim and it is used as a reverent and respectful way of avoiding speaking the divine Name/Hashem – YHVH/YHWH. Notice Heaven has a capital H when it’s referring to our Heavenly Father, while heaven refers to the sky or in some cases paradise. When reading, we often miss the use of the capitalized letter which is not a typo or misprint but indicative of the above observance.
Yeshua/Jesus instructed His listeners about the kingdom of God, however the phrase kingdom of God is not anywherein the Torah/Towrah. It does have parallels in the Torah, (first 5 books); however, and it became more popular as the rabbis taught it so when Yeshua/Jesus spoke about the kingdom, it was familiar to the people because they knew what the rabbis taught.
What is the definition of the Kingdom?
Matthew 6:33…..
The kingdom of heaven /the kingdom of God
is tikkun ha’olam,
God’s redeeming work in this world.
We are not simply waiting for heaven to come to earth and neither is it an escape from our earthly life. It’s not just the hope of some special reward after our bodies die; rather it is doing with our Heavenly Father what He is doing right now.
InLuke 4
it’s, as Yeshua/Jeus tells us, healing the sick, visiting prisoners, forgiveness of sins, encouraging those in despair, bringing light to the blind both physical and spiritual and caring for the poor. It is giving hope in times of darkness, food to the hungry, health and deliverance to the captives; and making disciples. The reason the Kingdom of God is close at hand, is because all of these godly actions are only as far away as our willingness to do them. The gospel, the good news, is NOW, it is for everyone who has ever known the sadness and desperation of living in this broken sin sick world. The Kingdom of our Heavenly Father can be manifested anytime we choose to yield ourselves and experience His redemptive power. One day His Kingdom will be obvious and it will be manifest everywhere, until then, His Kingdom comes when we allow our Heavenly Father’s character to be shown to the world through our lives.
The Kingdom of God
אלוהים – elohim
מלכות האלוהים
The Kingdom of Heaven – מַלְכוּת הַש .
sha•ma•yim,
mal•choot ha•sha•má•yim
מַלְכוּת הַלְמַוּם
ממלכה
kingdom –
A nation having as supreme ruler a king and/or queen
Hebrew word מַּלְכוּ, malku (Strong’s 4437) translated ‘Kingdom’.
מַּמְלָכָה ‘mamlakah’ meaning Kingdom
Hebrew word מַּמְלָכָה, mamlakah (Strong’s 4467) translated kingdom, king’s, reign, royal
From malak ; dominion, i.e. (abstractly) the estate (rule) or (concretely) the country (realm) — kingdom, king’s, reign, royal.
In ancient times kings were kings over cities and smaller areas. Often called empires.
Nowadays there are only a few countries who have a royal family or a king /queen ruling over them; and most are in name only, not having the full control or dominion over the land they are king/queen over.
In His conversation with Pilate, the scripture tells us that Messiah stated His kingdom is not of this world
His kingdom is the kingdom of the heavens
and is not yet visible to us and we live in it by faith because… it is an unseen realm, one purely spiritual in nature. There is a scripture that tells us that…
the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ/Messiah and He shall reign for ever and ever. Revelation 11:15.
This tells us that it is yet to come and meanwhile, the adversary has Gods’ permitted rule and dominion as the prince of the power of the air and as Yeshua/Jesus said, in John 14:30 the prince of this world cometh…. He could not have offered them to Messiah during the wilderness temptations, if they were not his to offer.
The question is.. if we are children of light and the kingdom of the heavens is within us which kingdom are we living in and for?
They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
John 17:11, 15–16
We are in the world but not of it so……
where are we dwelling?
Ps 91:1 states that He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide …
so where are we dwelling?
Is it IN the kingdom of heaven?
The Kingdom of Heaven – מַלְכוּת הַש.
This phrase is very important to every believer.
It is made of two words:
kingdom and of heaven.
Recall Hebrew is written from right to left, therefore
kingdom is on the right followed by of heaven on its left.
If heaven is sha•ma•yim, then what is the ha in front of it?
It’s the definite article the. The word the is not a separate word in Hebrew as it is in English, but is a prefix that is a part of the word that it is defining.
The wordsha•ma•yimwas given by our Heavenly Father…
“And God called the firmament Heaven…”
Genesis 1:8
..after He divides the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. Therefore, this word in Hebrew only speaks of the biblical narrative; the word
water –má•yim
is a part of the word for
heaven – sha•ma•yim!
Recall that there are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet. The kingdom of heaven is mentioned 22 times in the New Testament when searching for whole words (not combinations).
kingdom of heaven
מלכות השמים
malkut or mamlakah shamayim
mamlakah meaning Kingdom
Strong’s 4467
מַּמְלָכָה
used in
2 Sam. 7:13.
He shall build a house for my name,
and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
Hebrew wordמַּלְכוּת, malkutStrong’s #4438
translatedKingdomused in
2 Chron. 7:18. Then will I establish the throne of your kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David your father, saying, There shall not fail of you a man to be ruler in Israel.
מַּלְכוּ malkumeaningKingdomStrong’s #4437
used in Ezra 7:13 Levites, in my kingdom, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with you.
Kingdom of Heaven & Kingdom of God.
We read of two different phrases in the gospels:
kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God.
InMatthew, kingdom of heaven is used, while in Mark and Luke, kingdom of God is used. This is because in the Israelite culture of Messiahs’ day, and today, people show respect for our Heavenly Father by not pronouncing His Name. Another word is often substituted, e.g., heaven, the name (Hashem), or the mighty one.
For example, the prodigal son says to his father,“Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.”The son is using the word heaven as a reference to God. Here, Matthew is preserving the culturally-correct quote kingdom of heaven while Mark and Luke are explaining that heaven is a reference to God.
The words that Messiah spoke were probably
Malchut shemayim – mahl-KUT shuh-MAH-eem;
which was a phrase used then in the rabbis’ teaching.
The word malchut is related to the word
melekh which we have noted means king.
Malchut is associated with the
actions of a king: his reign and authority,
and also anyone who is under his authority.
and shemayim is Hebrew for heavens.
(Shamayim is sometimes spelled Shemayim).
A simple way of translating it would be:
God’s reign,
or
how God reigns
or
those God reigns over.
But what does it really mean?
The basic understanding of the kingdom of heaven was
God’s reign over the lives of people who enthrone him as king.
We might think that God by default as its creator, is king over everything He created. In scripture, however, it’s assumed that after the fall and the tower of Babel, the world began to serve other gods and here, God ceased from being their king. Much of the world did not know God, however the Bible promises that one day,The LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one. Zech 14:9.
The main question of Messiah’s day was when and how God would establish this kingdom over the world. It was believed that when the Messiah came, the Kingdom of God would arrive at the same time and all at once be established with great glory. Yeshua/Jesus clearly disagreed:
On one occasion, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He replied,The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:20.
Yeshua/Jesus meant that: an individual is brought into the kingdom of God when they repent and choose, deciding to accept God as their King, this is something that happens in a person’s heart; it is not a political movement nor a visible display of God’s power. Messiah agreed with the teaching of the other rabbis who said that; when a person committed himself daily to love God with all of his heart, soul, mind and strength, (by saying the Shema), he had received upon himself the kingdom of heaven. Meaning: the person had put God on the throne over their life and entered under God’s king-ship, giving Him dominion and rulership.
One of the reasons Yeshua/Jesus preached about the Kingdom of God was to proclaim the fact that He is the Anointed King (Messiah) and this Kingdom is His Kingdom. The good news of the kingdom is that when Messiah, the Son of God arrived on earth, the Kingdom had arrived with Him. Yeshua/Jesus told His disciples to go out and heal the sick, and say that thekingdom of heaven is near,meaning: this Kingdom is arriving NOW on earth, not that it isn’t quite here yet…. fulfilling Balaams 4th prophetic word..
in Numbers 24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel…..
A Star out of Jacob is believed to be what the wise men allude to when they search for Messiah as a child and report,
We have seen his star in the east. Matt. 2:2.
The word Sceptre used in Numbers 24:17 relates to rulership; Jacob used the word when he predicted that the sceptre would notdepart from Judah until Shiloh comes; Shiloh was a name used to identify the Messiah, Gen. 49:10. Messiah’s birth, accompanied by the unique cosmic/heavenly sign/signal, was in Bethlehem of Judea. Matt. 2:1.
For us the message is that Messiah Yeshua/Jesus, the King, has arrived, and He is continually establishing His Kingdom as people repent and follow Him. He always described His Kingdom as One which was gradually expanding using descriptions with which we are familiar: like a mustard seed or a tiny bit of yeast that grows and grows. He is describing the groups of believers that start small, and grow as people join. The finale will be when every knee shall bow, and every tongue will confess that Yeshua/Jesus is THE King of all Kings!
Note that the basic understanding of the Kingdom of heaven is our Heavenly Father and Messiah’s reign over people in this world. Often we understand it by likening it to heaven itself, leading us to think that Yeshua/Jesus was always talking about the place heaven, when in fact He was talking about His Father’s work in people’s lives. This leads us to understand that our Heavenly Father cares very little about the lives we live in the here and now, and that He is primarily focused on and cares very deeply about us and our final destination in heaven with Him.
We are not to always interpret the kingdom in terms of Messiah’s return; although of course when He does return His Kingdom will be beyond glorious. Sometimes in the 4 gospels we read the use of the word kingdom where Messiah’s return is referred to, or about His future Heavenly Kingdom, however, much of what He says about His Kingdom is about its’ reality in the here and now.
Which kingdom are we a citizen of/ a part of?
Which kingdom are we looking forward to?
Which kingdom has us in its grip?
Which kingdom have we given our heart, mind, life & strength to?
From David to Yeshua/Jesus, the everlasting kingdom rules and reigns; His kingdom is pure, righteous, holy and is without end.
Obviously we understand the connection between seeing and light.
In Hebrew the biblical prophet, the seer, is called
ro-eh, which also comes from or, light.
LIGHT – NOOHRA (ARAMAIC)
‘OR (HEBREW) אור נהר
The Hebrew word is spelled Aleph, Vav, Resh.
The Hebrew word forlightexpresses
aconnectionbetween thenaturaland thesupernatural.
No doubt that many reading this will have felt at one time or another that we are square pegs trying to fit in round holes! Our core values, convictions, responses, beliefs and feelings never seem to find a perfect equal and it’s in those times we must remember… this world is NOT our home and we are just passing through. We are not to build our piece of paradise here on this earth. The only firm foundations we are to lay down must be in our knowledge, understanding of our Heavenly Father and any building must be one of faith in the creator of all things, including the 1st paradise and the one into which we shall one day come.
Dwellsis not a common word that we use every day. Once in a while we may hear someone say…
it’s time to stop dwelling on that.
Meaning In other words, that we are stuck on an issue that has bothered us.
However the Biblical definition reveals another perspective.
Genesis 4:20 HEB: הָיָ֔ה אֲבִ֕י יֹשֵׁ֥ב אֹ֖הֶל וּמִקְנֶֽה׃ NAS: he was the father of those who dwell in tents KJV: he was the father of such as dwell in tents,
Dwells is defined as:
to sit down, to remain, to settle, to marry,
make to keep [house], and to return.
Most of the words used to describe Dwell, point to it as a permanent address/place. It’s not like a hotel/motel or a type of travel trailer used during holidays/vacations.
To dwell means: to set up housekeeping, plant flowers, grow trees, hang pictures, to marry and set up a home/ housekeeping.
All the promises of this psalm rest on this first few words and therefore Dwelling is not an optional choice. Dwelling is an essential component for a believers lifestyle if we want to experience the benefits listed inPsalm 91.
It may be a good opportunity to reflect on exactly what this word means to us individually and furthermore, what does it mean to our Heavenly Father?
Looking at the Hebrew spelling of the word Dwell.
and remembering in Hebrew to read it from right to left
Bet Shin Yod….
Recall from previous posts that every Hebrew letter has a name, a picture, a number value, and a meaning. Interestingly, scientists have discovered that each letter also has a unique sound frequency. No surprise that our Heavenly Father’s chosen language is the only language known with ALL of these qualities!
The very 1st book tells us that His spirit moved upon the face of the waters…
Genesis 1:2 HEB:וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־ פְּנֵ֥י NAS: of God was moving over KJV: of God moved upon INT: and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface
The word moved is:
merachapheth – me·ra·ḥe·p̄eṯ – מְרַחֶ֖פֶת
which means:
to move rapidly, to flutter or to vibrate…
The Spirit of God vibrated over the earth and whatever were His vibrations which came from the sound of His kol/voice as He spoke.. all particles, atoms etc., vibrated in a symphony, synchronized with Him in perfect harmony and creation literally came into being. WOW!
Deeper look at the word: Dwell.
יָשַׁב
Bet Shin Yod….
YOD יָ numerical value of 10
has a meaning of:
The outcome, the completion of something.
Also Means: Hand, Right Arm, Power – Right hand of God’s power, a Deed Done, to Work, to Cover, Allow, Hollow, Open Hand, and also refers to His Spirit of Holiness as is always hanging in the air overseeing.
SHIN שַׁ numerical value of 300
has a meaning of:
Victory of good over evil, Holy Spirit.
Is the picture of: Teeth or Fire and
means: Teeth, Fire, the Fiery zeal of God to consume all His enemies, Devour, Destroy, Something Sharp.
BET ב numerical value of 2
has a meaning of:
Divide or Division.
Is the picture of: House.
Means: House/Family; God’s word, God’s dwelling place
A deeper meaning behind the wordDwell could be said to be:
He who Dwells is one who has made the choice to live permanently in God’s house/BET– trusting in God and honoring His Word
There he will experience the activation of God’s right hand YOD of power covering him.
And God in His fiery zeal will consume SHIN all that tries to keep or draw him away from Dwelling.
We are His dwelling place and He is ours and when we choose to trust and obey Him, we live secure in His Presence.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
Colossians 2:9-10 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
BECAUSE…
HE IS OUR BET/HOUSE—OUR SAFE/SECURE HIDING PLACE
2 Corinthians 12:9 But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me! Amplified.
He will pitch a tent over us and dwell – covering us with Himself.
Isn’t this a more preferable place to be, than in the adversary’s kingdom where stress is at an all time high and fears of every imaginable flavor abound? That kingdom, whose promises are always and inevitably too good to be true and those ventures that end in disaster and ruin. Luck and chance NEVER lead to victory and everlasting peace. The true kingdom is where the true shalom of a Heavenly Father with unconditional love is.
He longs to place us under that canopy where we can not only dwell in His kingdom but His kingdom can dwell in us too. We just have to do our part and make the choice to not just visit a couple of times a week…
but to live permanently to dwell in God’s house –
trusting in God and honoring His Word.
Thrones, dominions, powers, rulers, principalities and spiritual wickedness described in Ephesians 6.
1Tim. 1:17 so to the KING, eternal, imperishable, invisible…
One day we will hear the declaration of complete and total victory….
The kingdoms of this world
have become the kingdoms of our God and His Christ.
Revelation 11:15
Yeshua/Jesus said when He was here…
My kingdom is NOT of this world!
A principality is an area presided over by a Prince.
Jesus/Yeshua’s own words we
Can’t serve two masters ..god and mammon.
The world systems are comprised of commerce, buying and selling which requires some kind of currency; i.e. money/mammon and uses mens’ form of governments.
Trade – buying and selling, wealth, riches and pleasures.
The end times list includes
lovers of pleasures – not lovers of God.
The kingdoms are opposed to one another
The kingdoms of darkness and light…
good and evil…
holy and profane…
The world encourages a lifestyle of taking care of self FIRST.. self serving ..to save self, to better self, to advance self.
Are we building our own kingdom?
…trying to make our own paradise here on earth?
Are we continually trying to re establish our lost authority and dominion by building and creating our own kingdom where we are the king in control and safe within our domain?
This, by definition is seeking to save self and preserve our own life apart from Messiah who wants us to…. leave it all and go…seekig His Kingdom and His Way….
No where does scripture tell us to build our own kingdom; instead, we are to lay down our life and take up our cross.
So which kingdom are we in
and
in which one are we serving?
How does this understanding of the
kingdom and king and dominion
affect how we read the scriptures
when Jesus/Yeshua is teaching?
If we read Yeshua/Jesus’ sayings in terms of what our Heavenly Father is doing on earth, rather than in terms of heaven, it may give new insight to his words. When He said:
Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Matt. 19:14.
Childlike trust is a model for a believer’s commitment to God. Those who are humble, know they can’t live without His care and direction, and they approach Him as children would to their father; these individuals are the ones that He really can teach and have a relationship with. Proud people who feel they have everything under control have a very hard time being under God’s king-ship.
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matt. 6:33
If we devote ourselves allowing our Heavenly Father to direct our lives and do His will, He promises He will take care of our physical needs.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matt. 6:10
Tavo Malkhutekha.
When we say this in what we term as the Lord’s prayer,
we often assume that your kingdom come
means we are waiting for you to return.
We interpret it as a request for Messiah to return quickly.
The two phrases
your kingdom come and your will be done on earth
are really synonymous and are saying :
May all the peoples of the earth enthrone you as king! May everyone on earth know you and do your will!
There is no doubt we are all waiting for Messiahs return; however this is really a request for our Heavenly Father to use us in spreading the gospel/good news and establish His Kingdom on earth within every believer!
We cannot straddle both kingdoms with one foot in each and there is NO fence upon which to sit…we must decide and then live wholeheartedly in and for the kingdom we choose.
The words of this song should be our hearts cry for us not only to be within His Kingdom but to have the fullness of His Kingdom within.
Shalom shalom mishpachah/family
and cheverim/friends!
You are loved and appreciated and prayed for daily.
… and…
it’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
NOT SURE?
YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.
This of course is a very familiar verse from Torah (Tow-rah). However in the course of research looking at the original Hebrew and Aramaic languages, and the translations of some of the words; the following meanings were revealed, which are not only interesting but further help to illuminate the scriptures.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
4 And God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.
Berean Study Bible.
3 And Elohim said: Let there be light: and there was light.
4 And Elohim saw the light, that it was good. And Elohim divided the light from the darkness.
(An Original Translation Made Directly from
Ancient Hebrew and Aramaic Sources.)
“3 ¶ And God said, Let there be light; and there was light.
4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
Lamsa Bible – English Peshitta translation.
Above is Dr. George Lamsa’s famous Peshitta Old Testament English translation.
The Peshitta Old Testament is the Aramaic version of a Hebrew Old Testament version (older and superior to the current accepted Massoretic Hebrew version).
The Massoretic Text –
Nusakh Ham’mas’sora: נוסח המסורה,
refers to the authoritative Hebrew manuscript and Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) in Rabbinic Judaism.
The Masoretic Text defines the Jewish canon and its precise letter-text, with its vocalization and accentuation known as the mas’sora/the Massoretic Critical Edition of 1894.
The name comes from the word masora, the Hebrew textual tradition of the Hebrew Masorites (or Masoretes). These Masorites were Jewish rabbis who took extreme care to copy the Hebrew text of the Old Testament without error.
The Hebrew texts of the Bible were originally written with only the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which only represent consonantal sounds; meaning there were no vowel sounds a,e,i,o,u.
The Peshitta New Testament is believed to be the original New Testament and if nothing else, deemed far closer to the original than the Greek texts.
The Lamsa Bible utilizes this version,
containing the 22 books shared by the Eastern Peshitta
and the Western Peshitto, plus the extra 5 books
(2Peter, 2John, 3John, Jude, Revelation)
that are included in the Western Peshitto.
The Designation/Name – Peshito/Peshitta…
The word itself is in grammatical form, feminine,
meaning:
simple, easy to be understood.
It seems to have been used to distinguish the version from others which are filled with reference marks and signs.
As regards the Old Testament, the age of the Version is commonly agreed upon.
Returning to the verses in
Genesis/ B’resheet…
Let there be light then it was that God saw the light and it was good.
The sun, moon and stars were created on day 4 so this light was not from them.
LET THERE BE = yehi
which expresses:
a desire or wish (let)..
I desire that there be light.
LIGHT – OHR
and also means:
understanding.
As our idiom says of letting light in to our minds/thinking:
the light (bulb) came on.
The word SAW as inGod SAW the light
is the word RA’AH
which has a secondary meaning of:
EXPERIENCING.
Finally the word for GOOD is TOV
which means: to be in harmony with God.
So it could read as:
God said I desire to understand and there was understanding.
God experienced this understanding and SAW that it was in harmony with Him.
Jesus/Yeshua – the Word and Wisdom,
were with Him in Genesis – the beginning – B’resheet.
Did God really command us to overpower animals? Sometimes we are so one dimensional in our western thoughts and mind set, giving a singular, one thought narrow answer.
The root word here is apparently YARAD not RADAH
YARAD means
to DESCEND
to lower oneself and show respect.
Proverbs 12:10. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast.
Amplified Bible A righteous man has kind regard for the life of his animal,
God did not give us His creation to exert our control, cruelty and to overpower His creation; shooting it just for sport to hang trophies on our walls! But rather to
HUMBLE us…
To bring us down from our lofty prideful perch and to learn a few things about Gods’ beauty, character, love and mercy.
Our Heavenly Fathers’ creation is
HIS revelation of love to us.
It’s not there for us to do with as we please, to abuse and exert selfish desires and agendas with.
If we lower ourselves and show His creation respect –
if we YARAD –
His creation will speak to us and draw us
to the creator to love and respect Him with all our hearts.
He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end. King James Bible He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:
Ecc. 3:11.
Not only did he make everything…….
He made it all beautiful in its time.
We have a sense of eternity because God exists.
Romans 1:20.
The narrow gate leads to life
The difficult way leads to life
Many don’t offer this as an evangelistic tool to win souls!
Many times, we hear and give only good news that God saves people by His sovereign grace through the atonement of Messiah Yeshua/Jesus and it’s Him who works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Here again we see the truth that we are not the one in overall charge our dominion and authority is imparted to those who believe and trust and obey! Its His good pleasure not ours!
We need to get the dynamics of this relationship inn its correct proper perspective. He made us for His pleasure He saved us to be His child and be part of His family and dwell eternally in His presence.
Ps 100:3 Know that the Lord he is God; he made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Below is a link to a free online site for the Aramaic Bible.
Stand therefore in that liberty with which The Messiah has set us free, and do not be yoked again in a yoke of bondage.
Gal. 5:1…..
He set us free to serve Him
The Israelites groaned in their labors (avodah) and cried out, and their cry for help because of their labor (avodah) went up to God. Ex. 2:23
“Let my people go, that they may serve (avad) me in the wilderness” (Ex. 7:16).
In this sentence the same word for labor and slavery
is being used to describe worshipping God.
The reason for this is that:
the same word, avad,
can mean
to serve or
to worship.
Exodus 20:22-24:8
To love Him and worship Him – to have a relationship with Him.
We did not do anything other than rebel against ignore and sin against Him.
If we are to live as His talmidim/disciples, we must remember that all efforts that have any worth or excellence are difficult. This chaim/life, is in fact glorious but at the same time, difficult, it is not to cause us to give up and be weak willed; it should stir us up to be those over-comers.
The question is do we really appreciate the salvation He provided?
Do we comprehend the miracle of new birth spiritually enough, to totally lay down everything and give our all to Him?
We have to work out that salvation Phil 2:12 everyday; and if He is not our life….. then it will be a constant struggle, trying to do things ourselves.
We must begin on the foundation of His redeeming life, now working in us and do what He commands us.
These commands are not grievous if we truly love Him.
If we spurn them, ignore them, choose to disobey them; then we are not truly a loving child whose grateful heart is fully given to Him; and we will remain full of our own ways – preferring them to His and will wander off track onto the broad way.
Interesting that Broadway is the NewYork name to its’ entertainment center. His way is THE WAY… we will fulfill all we are called here for and we will find we can do it HIS WAY.
If we fail, it’s probably due to us not walking in, and operating by the things He has placed within us. Obeying His spirit and practicing in our day to day lives, that Spirit which has been placed there. When a crisis comes, we will find the combination of His nature and ours will stand and not crumble.
The difficult things are the tests of our faith, not for Him, but for us; for us to see exactly where we are and what we truly believe.
Salvation requires
bravery and courage
and above all
holiness,
and will test us for all we are worth.
Why?
Because Hebrews 2:10and He as a good father will not shield us from the requirements of son ship. God’s children who have a strong family traits to Jesus/Yeshua, are not weaklings, not pampered or spoiled children. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live the life of a disciple/talmidim, and to be worthy leading a life like Daniel, with a spirit of excellence and faithfulness enduring in the ever-pressing harsh realities of lifes’ worldly temptations.
This life requires effort – our whole hearted participation and if it’s not born out of relationship rooted in love, joy and peace (ahava, simchah and shalom) together with total trust/faith in a GOOD Heavenly Father… that narrow door will seem unreachable.
It’s not hard if you love Him and that love should inspire our heartfelt thanks.
Thanksgiving in Hebrew isTodah =
heartfelt thanksgiving in today’s modern Hebrew.
it’s simply used for thank you Todah raba
תּוֹדָה רַבָּה
The word comes from the root word;
YUDAH or JUDAH יהודה
From yadah; meaning celebrated;
Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites;
also of the tribe descended from the first,
and of its territory –
pronounced ye-huw-dah
From the verb הוד ( hod ), meaning:
to be praise-worthy,
comes the noun הוד ( hod ), meaning:
splendor, majesty, vigor, glory or honor.
The importance of this name and its meaning rests in the fact that it is the source of the name of the people of Israel:
‘Ye•hu•dim’ = Jewish
The name “Yehudah”
(“Judah” in English)
in Hebrew it is spelled
“yud, heh, vav, dalet, heh”.
In the Torah, God has many names, however the most common is the Tetragrammaton – YHVH
as we pronounce it in English.
Judah means: a heartfelt thanksgiving or praise.
And of course was the name of one of the 12 sons of Israel.
Judah always led the WAY and went first on their journey.
Praise and heartfelt thanksgiving was first.
Spelled
Taw Daleth Hei Tav Dalet Hay
Taw letter represents the heartfelt thanksgiving
Dalet letter represents a doorway
Hei letter represents the presence of God.
So heartfelt praise and thanksgiving is a doorway to Gods presence!
Ps 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful to him, and bless his name.
In Rev 3:20. Yeshua/Jesus calls the congregation of Laodicea neither hot nor cold …. but what made them that way?
He stands at the door and knocks He’s reminding them of TODAH that heartfelt thanksgiving opens the door to his presence
When He knocks let’s open that door quickly to His presence and give TODAH – heartfelt thanksgiving Todah to our redeemer Mashiach.
Probably the most important meaning of behold I stand at the door and knock is
the heart of Yeshua/Jesus which is:
to desire intimate fellowship with you and me.
Revelation 3:20 says: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
The third Hebrew word for praise, Todah, means thanksgiving.
It also means: Praise and thanksgiving;
The offering of thanks or sacrifice of thanksgiving;
תּוֹדָה.
תּוֹדָה tôwdâh, to-daw’; from H3034; properly, an extension of the hand, i.e. (by implication) avowal, or (usually) adoration; specifically, a choir of worshippers:—confession.
At this time in our walk when seemingly there may not be so much to give thanksgiving and praise for…Lets make sure we have not put out the…
…sign…
…but rather are offering Todah from our hearts…
a true sacrifice of thanksgiving!
Shalom shalom mishpachah/family
and cheverim/friends!
You are loved and appreciated and prayed for daily.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
NOT SURE?
YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.
It’s a word used for a girl or a woman. This word first appeared in Australian English in 1832 with the spelling shelah.
It was initially used in Australia to refer to a woman of Irish origin, but from the late 19th century onwards it became a general term for a woman or girl.
And its also a girls name, sometimes spelled with an i and without the second h sheila;
and in Hebrew it is the word for
a question.
sheelah or shelah: request, thing asked for.
Mark 9:11-13 – And they put a question to him
(put something to someone) – to ask someone a question.
and Matt 22:23-24.
They put to Him a sh’eilah
שאלה
(with vowel points) שְׁאֵלָה
Then one of them, a lawyer,
asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying,
Matt. 22:35 34. And when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they themselves gathered together. 35Oneof them,an expert in the law,testedHimwith a question:36“Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?”…
1905 In Greek eperótaó: to inquire of
Original Word: ἐπερωτάω Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: eperótaó Phonetic Spelling: ep-er-o-tah’-o Usage: I interrogate, question, demand of.
Matthew 22:35V-AIA-3S GRK: καὶ ἐπηρώτησεν εἷς ἐξ NAS: of them, a lawyer, asked Him [a question], testing KJV: [which was] a lawyer, asked [him a question], tempting INT: and questioned [him] one of
Matthew 22:41V-AIA-3S GRK: τῶν Φαρισαίων ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτοὺς ὁ NAS: Jesus asked them a question: KJV: Jesus asked them, INT: the Pharisees questioned them
As noted above in Hebrew a
sh’eilah,sheelah or shelah
means:
request, thing asked for
Original Word: שְׁאֵלָה Transliteration: sheelah or shelah Phonetic Spelling: sheh-ay-law’
a question
or
a question about Torah or halakhah
usually posed to someone who was expected to give
an authoritive answer.
The question posed by the Tz’dukim /Sadducees is based on the law of the ‘Levirate marriage’ (Deut 25:5-10) wherein the brother of a man who dies without children is expected to marry his brothers widow in order to maintain the family line; (as Sadducees correctly state). The firstborn son of the new marriage would count as the dead mans child for inheritance purposes.
The Sadducees were an ultra-liberal, neo-political religious group of Jews who, like many Christians of today, would decidedly pick and choose what they did and didn’t want to believe with regards to their own religion.
They stood in direct contrast to the elite, ultra-conservative Pharisees who read, interpreted, and applied the Scriptures quite literally, practicing their faith upon an extreme “letter of the law” basis.
The Sadducees did not believe in angels, the existence of Hell, and denied the Resurrection – all three of which are firmly rooted in Scripture.
One of the most famous incidents concerning the Sadducees occurs when they approach Messiah with an excessively intricate question about the resurrection (Matt. 22:23-33, Mark 12:18-27, Luke 20:27-40). Although this question was designed to distort, refute, and ridicule Jesus/Yeshua’s teaching about life after death, it ended up revealing the absurdity of the Sadducees’ own reasoning and inability to comprehend Holy Scripture.
It is interesting to note that although the Sadducees and Pharisees were polar opposites, they were each united by one common quest: to plot His demise and death.
The second word is
S’mikhah/Semikhah : סמיכה
Here inMatthew 21:23, we read that they asked Yeshua/Jesus
a sheilah about His smikhah
A question about authority.
NASB: When He entered the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?’
23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said,
By what authority doest thou these things?
and who gave thee this authority? KJV.
When they could give Him no answer He replied.. Matt 21:27.
He went into the Temple area; and as he was teaching, the head cohanim and the elders of the people approached him and demanded, “What s’mikhah do you have that authorizes you to do these things? And who gave you this s’mikhah?” Yeshua answered, “I too will ask you a sh’eilah/question. If you answer it, then I will tell you by what s’mikhah I do these things. The immersion of Yochanan — where did it come from? From Heaven or from a human source?” They discussed it among themselves: “If we say, `From Heaven,’ he will say, `Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, `From a human source,’ we are afraid of the people, for they all regard Yochanan as a prophet.” So they answered Yeshua, “We don’t know.” And he replied, “Then I won’t tell you by what s’mikhah I do these things. Matt. 21: 23-27.
s’mikhah סמכות
In Hebrew means:
leaning or laying on of hands in the ordination ceremony
for a judge elder or rabbi.
S’mikhah has many more meanings and functions in the Kingdom.
S’mikhah can mean:
anointing, ordination, transfer, or even authority.
Exodus 28:41. So you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him.
Yeshua/Jesus, was legitimately challenged by the high priest and the elders of the people about the source of the s’mikhah that gave him the authority to teach in the temple. This authority is traceable back to the time of Moshe and is known as the great succession.
The great succession started in the desert when the children of Israel were discontented with the manna that YHVH had provided for them, in their hearts they longed/lusted for the food left behind in Egypt. They grumbled to Moses continually and by default to Almighty God. This angered Him and He destroyed some of the people by sending fire to the outskirts of the camp.(Ex 18: 1-3). Even after the fire, some among the mixed multitude continued to complain, stirred up God’s anger once again; so He provided an answer to the cry for meat by sending quails and He also addressed Moses’ burden by relieving the load of authority that he carried:
Adonai said to Moshe, “Bring me seventy of the leaders of Israel, people you recognize as leaders of the people and officers of theirs. Bring them to the tent of meeting, and have them stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the Spirit which rests on you and put it on them. Then they will carry the burden of the people along with you, so that you won’t carry it yourself alone. Num. 11:16-17.
Moshe went out and told the people what ADONAI had said. Then he collected seventy of the leaders of the people and placed them all around the tent. ADONAI came down in the cloud, spoke to him, took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy leaders. When the Spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied -then but not afterwards. There were two men who stayed in the camp, one named Eldad and the other Medad, and the Spirit came to rest on them. They were among those listed to go out to the tent, but they hadn’t done so, and they prophesied in the camp. Num. 11:24-26.
This is s’mikhah, the transferring of the power of the Ruach HaKodesh/Gods’ Spirit of Holiness, that was upon Moses by the Almighty, to 70 other individuals.
When Moses was about to die, he asked the Lord God to provide continual leadership for the people after his death. God appointed Y’hoshua/Joshua, the son of Nun, to replace Moses and told him to perform s’mikhah so that some of the power of His Ruach Hakodesh that was on Moses may be transferred to Joshua/Y’hoshua:
Take Y’hoshua the son of Nun, a spiritual man, and lay your hand on him. Put him in front of El’azar the Cohen and the whole community, and commission him in their sight. Delegate to him some of your authority, so that the entire community of Isra’el will obey him. He is to present himself to El’azar the Cohen, who is to find out by means of the urim what ADONAI’s will is for Y’hoshua’s decisions. Then, at his word they will go out, and at his word they will come in, both he and all the people of Isra’el with him, the whole community.” Moshe did as ADONAI had ordered him. He took Y’hoshua, put him before El’azar the Cohen and the whole community, laid his hands on him, and commissioned him, as ADONAI had said through Moshe. Num. 27:15-23.
The principle of s’mikhah is that the person who lays hand must have something to transfer, because they can’t transfer what they don’t have. This principle is behind the great succession. The names of the seventy men that the power was transferred to from Moshe were recorded and kept as a document of continuance; so that there would always be seventy men in Israel to whom the people could go to resolve their problems. These men, before they died, would appoint their successor and lay hands on them. The successors name would then be recorded among those that rule and resolve the problems of Israel.
S’mikhah is the laying of hands, an event with an clear history in the Scriptures, as far back as Yitz’chak/Isaac, later, made more formal by Moses. It is a key function of the Body of Messiah Yeshua; S’mikhah is part of the foundation of understanding for all believers. The word itself carries different meanings and values depending on who is using it and for what purpose.
Today, within the Body of Messiah, s’mikhah is concerned with the transfer of power; sometimes called the anointing or shekinah presence. It is impossible to start or transfer divine power, unless it has first been given by His Rauch HaKodesh/Spirit of Holiness.
The laying on of hands in the Tanakh/Old Testament, is a symbolic act that confers or transfers an office. This rabbinic ordination, allows the recipient the right to judge and to decide on points of halakhah, (Jewish traditional law). Here, the cohanim/priests and elders in Matt 21:24are basically asking Jesus/Yeshua.
What kind of ordination did you receive that entitles you to teach as authoritatively as you do? to decide points of halakhah as you do? and to disturb the peace in the Temple courts?
With Messiah there was no obvious evidence of His s’mikhah, so the confrontation by the High priest and elders asking:
What s’mikhah do you have that authorizes you to do these things? And who gave you this s’mikhah?”
was from a legalistic and political stance.
Messiahs reply.
Yeshua answered, “I too will ask you a
sh’eilah/question.
If you answer it, then I will tell you by what s’mikhah I do these things. The immersion of Yochanan — where did it come from? From Heaven or from a human source?” They discussed it among themselves: “If we say, `From Heaven,’ he will say, `Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, `From a human source,’ we are afraid of the people, for they all regard Yochananas a prophet.” Matt. 21: 24-26.
If they say John/Yochanan received his s’mikhah from the Lord God, their position would be completely undermined because Yochanan/Johns mission was to identify the Messiah/Mashiach to Israel but they had not believed him and John/Yochanan had been killed.
The s’mikhah through their covenant had provided the children of Israel with a steady, reliable and controlled form of being governed. It had been their anchor in times of acute distress for example; While under Roman occupation it was deemed pointless trying to change the people of Israel through their authority and laws because the people always referred back to their leaders who had s’mikhah.
After the death and the resurrection of Messiah, a far greater challenge presented itself to the children of Israel. This began when ordinary men and women of h’derek/The Way, who had none of the legal or Tenakh/old Covenant training associated with s’mikhah; suddenly started to lay hands on others and do extraordinary miracles with a new kind of authority/s’mikhah.
The challenge to the established order was obvious. These were ordinary people who performed s’mikhah resulting in miracles by His Ruach HaKodesh/Spirit of Holiness.
An unprecedented change had taken place and everything said about Messiah Yeshua/Jesus, in whose name the s’mikhah were carried out, stood as a testimony against Israel’s leaders.
These leaders would have to realize that not only had they killed the Messiah/Mashiach but that the Lord God had moved His Spirit and divine inspiration from them, and placed it onto ordinary people those who were the believers in Jesus/Yeshua.
The reaction by this group of decision makers was to change the name s’mikhah to minnuy! This made a distinction between the older established tradition and succession of s’mikhah, and the people of h’derek/The Way. They drew very negative conclusions about the power behind the miracles being performed by making this distinction.
The priesthood comprising Aharon/Aaron and his sons were shadows pointing to Another, One that was to come, Who has the glory of the Almighty. We know the fullness of that glory is in Yeshua/Jesus, the high priest/cohen hakadol, in Whom the Father’s glory is reflected in an everlasting priesthood.
It becomes even clearer if a different kind of cohen, one like Malki-Tzedek, arises, one who became a Cohen not by virtue of a rule in the Torah concerning physical descent, but by virtue of the power of an indestructible life. Heb. 7:15-16.
Managing the sins of the people was the exclusive role of the priesthood, who must themselves be cleansed from sin before undertaking that role. In this process, the people confess their sins to the priests over an innocent sacrificial animal, where s’mikhah is performed and the sins of the people are transferred to the innocent sacrificial animal, whether this is performed for an individual or for an entire nation. The Tenakh includes many prophesies that sin would one day be borne by an innocent; One who had committed no sin. They spoke of the innocence of Messiah as the sinless lamb of God Who was prepared from the foundation of the earth for this very specific purpose.
Here is another application principle of the Body of Messiah and of s’mikhah, that one person does for all; and the example is drawn from the role of the High Priest, who once every year, confesses the sins of the whole nation by laying his hands upon an innocent creature, so that the creature may bear the sins of the people:
So it could be said likewise the body of believers in Messiah Jesus/Yeshua perform acts which are for the whole body. The body is intimately joined together as one, so it could follow that the act of s’mikhah performed by one is, the act of the one performing for the many, under the guide of the head/Messiah?
S’mikhah/authority does not come before understanding, it comes after truth and light have been received, the eyes of our understanding being enlightened. The laying on hands, when it happens, is to transfer power of His Ruach HaKodesh/Spirit of Holiness for a particular reason and purpose.
S’mikhah is performed in Jesus/Yeshua’s name:And these signs will accompany those who do trust: in my name they will drive out demons, speak with new tongues, not be injured if they handle snakes or drink poison, and heal the sick by laying hands on them.” Mark 16:17-18.
It is for us a sheilah/question of smikhah/authority because it isessential to know by whose authority do we minister?
Is it our own authority or that conferred by men and institutions; or because we have a title in front of our name and letters after it? Or is it truly smikhah from our Heavenly Fathers Ruach HaKodesh/spirit of Holiness, given, received and imparted to others in the name of Jesus the Messiah/Yeshua haMashiach?
It is indeed a serious ? A Question About Authority!
Shalom shalom mishpachah/family
and cheverim/friends!
You are loved and appreciated and prayed for daily.
… and…
it’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
NOT SURE?
YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.
A Hebrew Hour is defined as 1/12 of the time between sunset and sunrise,
or 1/12 of the time between sunrise and sunset.
Hebrew Day Hours.
The midpoint of the 12 Hebrew Night Hours is called Mid-night. The moment of Mid-night occurs exactly halfway between sunset and sunrise separating the sixth and seventh Hebrew Night Hours. The midpoint of the 12 Hebrew Day Hours is called Mid-day. The moment of Mid-day occurs exactly halfway between sunrise and sunset separating the sixth and seventh Hebrew Day Hours. An easy way to measure Day Hours is by using an equiangular sundial marked with 12 divisions.
The only Scriptural reference to there being
12 Hebrew Hours in a Hebrew Day
is found in John 11:9
where יהושעthe Messiah asked a famous question,
“Are there not 12 hours in a day?”
The diagram below is a working timepiece where the sun’s position indicates the current Hebrew Hour at Jerusalem. One Hebrew Hour ends and another begins when the center of the sun crosses an hour line.
In the Creation Calendar, Hebrew Hours begin at sunrise and sunset.
Remembering Yeshua/Jesus was present at creation!
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: Col 1:16
A Hebrew Hour occurring between sunset and sunrise is called a Hebrew Night Hour.
A Hebrew Hour occurring between sunrise and sunset is called a Hebrew Day Hour.
Sunset occurs and the First Watchbegins exactly at the beginning of the first Hebrew Night Hour.
TheSecond Watchbegins exactly at the beginning of the fourth Hebrew Night Hour.
Mid-night occurs and the Third Watch begins exactly at the beginning of the seventh Hebrew Night Hour.
The Fourth Watch begins exactly at the beginning of the tenth Hebrew Night Hour, and ends at sunriseat the end of thetwelfth Hebrew Night Hour.
Sunriseis always exactly at the beginning of the first Hebrew Day Hour.
Mid-dayoccurs exactly at the end of the sixth Hebrew Day Hour.
Sunsetoccurs exactly at the end of the twelfth Hebrew Day Hour.
The duration of a Hebrew Hour varies with the season. A Hebrew Day Hour is shorter in duration during winter when a Hebrew Night Hour is longer in duration. A Hebrew Day Hour is longer in duration during summer when a Hebrew Night Hour is shorter in duration.
In Acts 3:1 Peter and John went up together into the temple at
John 13:1, “When Jesus knew that His hour was come, that He should depart out of this world unto the Father,”
John 16:32, “Behold the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered,”
John 17:1, “Father, the hour is come: glorify Thy Son.”—ἵνα δοξασθῇ, that—should be glorified) with the Father:
John 17:5, “And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was,” and in the sight of every creature.
A brief explanation of this reference helps us to understand and appreciate why these times of the HOURS were included.
Devout Jews, living in Jerusalem, went to the temple to pray.
Morning Prayers were from sunup to about 11a.m. any time between sunrise and the first half or third of the day; the earlier the better.
According to Jewish time this is the 3rd hour. Meaning it is the third hour from sunrise sometimes written as the third hour of the day; according to Roman time this is the 9th hour. Roman time for each day began at 12 midnight. This has continued into our western time today.
From halfway through the daylight hours – around 1:00ish to about an hour before sunset. So named for the flour offering that accompanied sacrifices at the Temple in Jerusalem,
Evening prayers
מַעֲרִיב Maariv or arvit עַרְבִית
are recited after dark from sunset to before midnight.
Also spelled Maariv,
plural Maaribim, or Maarivim,
Hebrew meaning: of the evening Maʿariv,
who brings on twilight/ bringing on night
Halachic midnight is the halfway point between sundown and sunrise. This can be before or after – especially during DST – 12 a.m.
The hours and times can be confusing when read in the scriptures unless we understand that our time has been changed from what was originally followed. Some charts below…
and this was also covered in detail in previous post.
Crucifixion was an execution designed by the Romans to kill, torture, and humiliate its victims. Some people suffered for days on a cross before dying. Messiah was on the cross for about six hours before He gave up HIs Spirit.
The Romans started each day’s hours at midnight. Using the Roman system of time, John tells us that Yeshua/Jesus’ trial began about the sixth hour, 6 a.m. (John 19:14).
Matthew, Mark, and Luke use the Jewish system of time, beginning each day at 6 a.m. Mark tells us Messiah was crucified at the third hour, 9 a.m. (Mark 15:24–25).
Matthew tells us the day turned to darkness from the sixth hour to the ninth hour, noon to 3 p.m. (Matthew 27:45).
A Roman soldier confirmed His death by pushing a spear into His side, and He was taken off the cross (John 19:34–38).
The Torah, the Prophets and the Writings do not number specific Hebrew Hours. Only the Messianic Scriptures number specific Hebrew Hours inMatthew, Mark, Luke and Acts.
Thethird hour of the day is referred to in Matthew 20:3-4, Mark 15:25 and Acts 2:15.
The third hour of the nightis referred to inActs 23:23-24.
The sixth hour of the dayis referred to in Matthew 20:5, 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44 and Acts 10:9.
The ninth hour of the day is referred to in Matthew 20:5, 27:45, 27:46, Mark 15:33, 15:34, Luke 23:44, Acts 3:1, Acts 10:3 and Acts 10:30-31.
The eleventh hour of the day is referred to in Matthew 20:6 and Matthew 20:9.
All the detailed prophetic fulfillment was so very significant to the children of Israel and unless we understand their WAYs we miss so much of His WAYs! We have taken our western Christianity at doctrinal face value without its true origins and think that is all we need to know.
Again, it is good to be reminded this Bible is originally a Hebrew book, with a Hebraic mindset, about a God of the Hebrews/children of Israel. We gentiles/heathen, are the ones grafted in to Messiah not the other way around. If we ignore that fact, it leads us to leave out the true foundations and depart from the heritage and of what we say we believe about a Jewish Messiah!
Devout Jews, living at Jerusalem, went to the temple to pray (Luke 18:10Acts 3:1).
Sages tell us that the custom of praying three times a day was originally introduced by the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob/Israel.
Abraham introduced prayer in the morning,
Isaac—in the afternoon, and
Jacob/Israel added one at night.
The regular hours of prayer, as we may glean fromPsalm 55:17 and Daniel 6:10, were three in number.
The first coincided with the morning sacrifice, at the 3rd hour of the morning, at 9 AM therefore (Acts 2:15).
The second was at the 6th hour, or at noon, and may have coincided with the thanksgiving for the chief meal of the day, a religious custom apparently universally observed (Matthew 15:36Acts 27:35).
The 3rd hour of prayer coincided with the evening sacrifice, at the ninth hour (Acts 3:1; Acts 10:30).
The Hebrew verb for prayer— hitpallel התפלל—is in fact the reflexive form of palal פלל, to judge.
Thus, to pray, conveys the notion of judging oneself:
ultimately, the purpose of prayer—tefilah תפלה—
is to transform ourselves.
It is not God that changes through our prayer,
rather it is man himself who is changed.
During the first 1000 years approx., since the time of Moses, there was no set order of prayer. Each individual was duty-bound to pray to God every day, but the form of prayer and how many times a day to pray was left to the individual; by Yeshua/Jesus’ time it had become more clearly defined and more of an institution.
In the HOUR we can find our life or lose it.
This is why He came…
For This I Have Come Into the World
John 18:37
For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice. John 14:13-15
Like our Messiah, who told us to follow Him, not only are we to take up our cross; which is the means of our execution – our means/method of crucifying the fleshly carnal life.…..
and not only are we to die to self through the process…
we are to be willing to drink the cup that He drank.
Are you willing …yes…. then you will …He told His disciples.
If they had known what it would mean would they still have been so quick to accept the cup?
Matt 20:22 Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?” “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”ESVJesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking.
Christianity is not for wimps.
We too are called to walk with Him to Calvary’s hill, to
take up our crosses,
to drink the cup of suffering,
to be conformed to His image.
As disciples, our attitude should not be to ask that times of sorrow and difficulty be prevented or even stopped but that our Heavenly Father protect us and strengthen us in order that we remain true to Him; and to that which He has created and afore determined we should become.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath beforehand ordained, that we should walk in them. & Ephesians 1:11
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.Romans 15:4 & Romans 8:30.
Our prayers should be that, in spite of all the refining fires and sorrowful challenges we experience; that our faith does not fail us, that we accept our position and realize our purpose in the midst of it all.
This one thing we should look at carefully and not misread the statement He made in these verses; knowing that
He knew
He understood and
He accepted His purpose.
He willingly faced and received Himself by this acceptance, and because of it, in the midst of this incomparable fire of sorrow and ordained purpose….
He was saved NOT
FROM the HOUR but
OUT of the HOUR
and His Father glorified His Name.
This question was rather rhetorical as He says
what shall I say save Me from this HOUR?
And follows it immediately, answering Himself…
But for this purpose I came to this HOUR
When the HOUR has come for us He will not save us
from it
but
OUT of it.
As with
Noah and his family
as in the days of …
He did not save them
from
the flood but
OUT of it
the flood still came but
in the ark they were saved
and lifted out and above it.
Then Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him entered the ark to escape the flood waters. Gen. 7:7
and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;
2Peter 2:5
Genesis 6:18 But I will establish My covenant with you, and you will enter the ark–you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.
Messiah Yeshua/Jesus – the ark of our covenant
lifts us up
OUT of our HOURS
of trouble and testing; just as He was lifted up out of the world both by resurrection spiritually and lifted physically – ascension.
This is the promise for us.
He faced His HOUR and in doing so received/faced Himself in the fires of sorrow in that HOUR.
Many question, and many preach and teach that there ought to be no sorrow – that trials and difficulties are not from a loving Heavenly Father God.
However…He chastens those He loves ..
and there is sorrow, and like the one we say we follow; we are to accept and receive ourselves in these fiery trials.
1 Pet 4:12-14 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13
It is foolish to try and evade and refuse to deal with sorrow because it’s one of the bigger facts of life, so it’s a waste of breath to say it should not be part of our experiences.
Sin, sorrow and suffering are very real and they exist; and we are not in a position to say our Heavenly Father makes mistakes in allowing these things to happen to us.
The work of sorrow in our lives removes a great deal of an individuals shallowness, however it does not always make that individual better. Times of suffering will either help us to face ourselves, or it will destroy us. It is a yielding and a letting go; a total submission and laying down of ones life, in favor of the offered cup and the HOUR of death.
An individual cannot find or receive self through perceived success, that which is calculated by worldly standards.
Why?
So that one will lose their head in pride and self achievement/ aggrandizement by the worlds terms. We cannot receive/face ourselves through the monotonous drudgery of day to day living. Why?
Because that un-dead/un-crucified flesh will give in to griping, complaining, and murmuring.
In the fires of sorrow is the only place we will find ourselves. Wondering why it is this way is immaterial because His ways are past finding out.
We should rather accept in faith and trust in His Word and His Way, which has been written for us historically in all the human experiences recorded. We can always recognize these believers, those who have been through the fires of sorrow and received themselves… we too must receive unto ourselves the HOUR of our laying down our life, to take it up again in Him, just as Yeshua/Jesus did.
Because of this, the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it up again. John 10:17.
When our Heavenly Father has us on our knees, it is there that He can change us.
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” James 1:2-3.
God must test our faith in order to reveal our faith.
We may look knocked down to men yet be exactly where our Father can use us.
“We are persecuted by others, but God has not forsaken us. We may be knocked down, but not out”. 2 Cor. 4:9.
We must empty out our own desires, that we would be filled with His. When we stay right with the Lord and allow Him to change us through our circumstances, then He can bring us forth as the kind of bread and wine that will benefit His other children.
The closer you get to God, the more you realize how He uses your suffering for His purposes. It is a demonic notion born out of the flesh of man, carnal and worldly to think and believe that God will only make us rich and comfortable in this life.
We must get the fleshly thoughts cast out of our mind, thinking that we could serve God better in our comfort than in our suffering. Let Him use our circumstances to teach us how to serve His children. The more we want to serve Him, the harder His lessons are going to be. So we must be willing to count the cost.
1 Pet 4:12-14 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13
First we must be broken, so that He can reshape us into something new. In the midst of God shaping us, we usually pray that our difficulties would be removed or we be saved from them instead of praying that they would change us; and as we are changed, then He saves us out of them.
That which appears to be destroying us, is actually where God is recreating us into the very thing that He can use. We must forget the notion that our Father will make our lives easy and remember that He knows what He is doing.
By allowing Him to break us, He reforms us into bread worth eating. By allowing Him to place us in that winepress; the process of crushing us into wine is never easy.
However we can’t have the bread until it has been broken and we can’t have the wine without first crushing the grape.
If you want to reach the broken, be the broken. “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite [crushed] spirit” (Psalm 34:18).It is when we are broken that the Lord can form us into something new.
Consider that the reason He has broken your heart, is that He then might flow through it onto others.“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart — These, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).
Until we are broken and have yielded ourselves to our Father, are we not just another zealous soul working opposite to the Kingdom of God. Remember Paul …persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. …being more exceedingly zealous… (Galatians 1:13-14). Then his Messiah Yeshua/Jesus broke him.
Sometimes we have to have our feet knocked out from under us and to hit rock bottom in order to get our footing.
Those who have died to self, allow the fire to burn away the carnal shallowness … those who have truly laid down their life.
Losing it during the hour of fire and testing, to find it in Him; taking it up again and yoking that life to His, in permanent submission to the perfect will of our Father.
These are those we recognize as ones we can go to in our moments of trial and trouble and find they have plenty of time for us. A listening ear and an encouraging word from our Heavenly Fathers storehouse of treasures. Ones who make you feel you are the most important person of that HOUR.
This gift of time is often overlooked as we are so busy and we never seem to have enough of it to do all we want to do. By submitting to the life He has for us, in laying down our own, we will find we have all the time we need for Him to accomplish through us His perfect will plan and purpose. One who has not been through the fires of sorrow is more often than not prone to be dismissive, contemptuous of others and their trials; having no respect for and no time for others, turning away with many excuses and reasons for their actions.
If we are willing, and if we will receive/recognize/accept ourselves in the hour of sorrow: accepting our position and realizing our true purpose in light of His calling in the midst of this HOUR of fire…
He will save us
out of it…
NOT from it;
and through it, He will make us instruments /vessels of nourishment for other people – sheep feeders and lambs fodder and then like Peter, He can feed His flock through us,
Yeshua/Jesus states Peter’s task in three words,
“Feed my sheep” (John 21:17)
We should not try to avoid this HOUR
or be saved FROM it
because for this purpose
we also came to this HOUR
and He is faithful and will save us OUT of it.
This is how we become as our Lord and Savior was…
broken bread and poured wine,
that His life be shared and given out
for whosoever will receive Him.
God calls us today..
be broken bread and poured out wine.
Bread must be broken to be consumed and shared,
and grapes must be crushed and poured out to make wine.
If we object to the fingers He chooses to use to crush us…
then He can never make us into wine!
It is He who chooses the people
and the circumstances to crush us,
and it is up to us to allow Him.
How long will it be before we finally get it into our understanding, that we are here to willingly submit to His will, so that He may work through us what He wants?
Just as our savior did and then said follow me…
“Although he was a son, [Jesus] learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation
to all who obey him,
being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrew 5:8
We are to do likewise and once we realize this, He will make us broken bread and poured-out wine with which to feed and nourish others.
Is our glass still empty?
Meanwhile let’s continue
to stay alert and ready,
be in prayer and in His Word
for in an hour we think not
He is coming.
Shalom shalom mishpachah/family
and cheverim/friends!
You are loved and appreciated and prayed for daily.
… and…
it’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
NOT SURE?
YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.
A kingdom is a dom of a king 
A Question About Authority.
What is the purpose of the hour?
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