One of the changes that has occured is what I call Him. For years I have read from an English translation of a King James Version Thompson Chain-reference bible and used a Strong's Concordance to look up the original words from which the English words were translated from. The general rule is that the Old Testament was translated from the Hebrew language and the New Testament was translated from the Greek language. Here I've been making this a practice for years and years and it never really settled in my understanding of what I was truly doing. I'm limited to the English language and yet, the Scriptures I've been reading for years and years have been born from a language of another culture that has its own customs, manners, meanings. Every person's name means something. If you go to Israel and you ask them what the name "Jesus" means in Hebrew, they would tell you that it doesn't have a meaning. That name is not in their vocabulary. In fact, the Orthodox Jews and some others have a name nearly close to it that means, in their language, "He, whose name will not be mentioned". And it's not "Yahweh". It's "Yesu". Which sounds similar to the Greek's: "Iesous". Which sounds similar to their pagan god "Zeus". Which reminds me of the time that Paul went to talk to them in Athens about their altar with the inscription "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD."
The name "Yeshua" or "Yahushua" would properly be translated in English to "Joshua". The Son of God's name on earth was a compound name in their tongue, combining "Yahweh" and "Yasha" into "Yahushua" which means "Yahweh, our savior"... or combining "Yahweh" and "Hoshea" into "Yahoshea" which means "Yahweh, our deliverer".
We see that name "Jeshua" (or the one spelling of "Jeshuah") in the Old Testament as the name of a few Levites - some who helped in the building of Jerusalem after the captivity (told in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah). And isn't that just prophetic? For Who is restoring the tabernacle of David? He is building his house. He has laid his foundation. The foundation was laid and the wall was built and on the seventh month, on the first day, what was the first thing they did? On the Day of Trumpets *smile* they brought out the book of the law of Moses and it was read to all the congregation that could hear with understanding. One could read all about it in Nehemiah 7 and 8.
Just reading it brings me back to that first day when the LORD God Almighty had Moses assemble together the congregation of Israel for the first time on the third day. They assembled at the base of the mountain Sinai. They'd spent two days sanctifyng themselves and washing their clothes per Yahweh's commandment to Moses. Suddenly, on the third day, a trumpet sounded *big huge grin* and they knew what to do! This "set apart" people put on their white garments that had no spot or blemish, because they were clean from having been washed, and ... well, they followed Moses to the base of mount Sinai to meet with God for the first time. See, they knew they were to assemble at the base of the mountain, but they were trembling from fear so they needed a little guidance. Moses brought them forth out of the camp to meet with God. I mean, these people knew that nobody was on the mountain. Moses and Joshua were in the camp so they weren't up on the mountain. Yet, here was a trumpet sounding within a thick cloud upon the mountain... and it was getting louder and louder as it sounded long... as though someone didn't need a breath while they blew it. {There's a guy named Kenny G who figured out how to do circular breathing so that he could hold a saxophone note for a long time... but I don't think anyone like him was up on the mountain that day. I think whomever was sounding the trumpet DESIGNED circular breathing into our human bodies!} As soon as they got to the mountain, the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain. The people were standing there listening to this and watched as Moses went up. They didn't move though. They were already full of fear. But, God didn't say anything special to Moses once he got up that mountain. Basically, he obeyed God - went up the mountain. As soon as he did, God told him to go back down. God just wanted the people of Israel to see that Moses obeys the voice of God and to hear that God talks to Moses with an audible voice... not in his head. Not in his imagination. Not in his dreams. But with a clear, unmistakeable voice. So, Moses went down to the people. When he did, God addressed Israel who were assembled together for the first time as a congregation.
What was the first thing God did when He addressed the congregation of Israel??
He gave them the law. Verbally. Every word from His mouth was His law. The ten commandments were first given to the people of God by His own voice. One can read it in Chapter 20 of Exodus. Start with Chapter 19 to get the preparation for this day.
The people of God could not handle it. In fact, the account indicates that in addition to this - "all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw [it], they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die." And Moses answered them (verse 20) but their response to that was standing "afar off". Only Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was."God told Moses to tell the people "Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven." (Exo 20:22).
I can only imagine that the first thing that will happen -- once the smoke settles and the new heaven and new earth comes down from God -- is that those who have the law bound to their hearts (inward parts) will teach it to those who are remaining. Those who have the law bound to their hearts are those who establish the law through obeying it. They are those who walk after the Spirit, in the new man, who by grace and the Spirit of El were able to keep His law because His commandments were not grievous to them and they loved Him to do so. They loved not their lives to save them, but chose instead to love God's life for them. They could have chosen, like the rest of the world and other believers, to "live their lives to the fullest" as defined by the world's standards. But they chose instead to live the Way, the Truth, and the Life until they came into the fullness of the measure of the stature of Jesus Christ (Jeshuah the Messiah.... Jeshua HaMoshiach). These are those who knew that the law did not save them nor justify them -- only grace did that. But the law was given for a citizen of another kingdom who follow after a certain King and Priest. These citizens sought, during their sojourning here on this earth, for that city whose builder and maker was God. They first sought after the kingdom of God and His righteousness. While other believers argued that the law was for the old testament, these are those who knew that His statutes and judgments were for Israel (the resurrected man in whom God prevailed - overcomers who live after the Spirit)... even though He showed His word to Jacob (the old man/carnal man - still living after the flesh).
Notice that in the Exodus account and in the Nehemiah account, we see a people who have been set apart. They were separated from the rest of the world. They separated the mixed multitude from their midst. They were reckoned by genealogy. We're seeing types and shadows of something that will come on the day that the LORD raises up the tabernacle of David that has fallen, closes up the breaches of it; raising up his ruins and building it as in the days of old. *excited* If one reads Nehemiah 12:27, then they can see that the order of worship was restored. There will be men and women singers and players of instruments. What a joyous day it will be! We will celebrate the LORD!!
There is so much to share. The LORD God Almighty has been opening up His Word and showing me so much that I'm so grateful for. Stuff I've wanted to know for so long. It's not given to me to boast, but that He would reveal Himself to me... and perchance, to others. For so long, I've sat and listened to doctrines of men and women who have had some understanding of things... and could teach what they knew. But of other things, they began "going off" thinking they understood what only the Spirit of God could reveal concerning His penned Words. He truly is the Teacher.
After learning what His names mean to us, I've chosen to make every effort to call Him by His names. Having learned that the "J" is pronounced as a "Y" in the Hebrew language, I can see why my name sounds like "Yohanne" or "John". Actually, it sounds more like "yawn". LOL
Occasionally I'll refer to Christ as "Jesus" or "Jesus Christ", but in my heart and mind I'm calling him "Jeshua" at those times. I refer to him that way when talking to others who have learned as I did to call him "Jesus". But I know what Jesus I'm preaching.
He is the Truth and only He can reveal His truth. If one truly wants truth, then they will receive it. He has proven that. He answered my prayers, though I knew it not at the time. He kept me from being deceived and falling into false doctrines and from the simplicity that is in Christ. It's one thing to run after revelation. But it's another when the Spirit of El, who is the spirit of prophecy, opens up -- or reveals -- the truths in His very own words. When He does it, on His own, in His own time, as He wishes, according to His truth... then it's so much more incredible. It's like... a huge puzzle that puts itself together quickly. Scripture after Scripture floods in and puts the pieces together in other areas that have been obscure for so long when the LORD opens up one area. For example, when He showed me the trumpet... EVERY SCRIPTURE that had to do with the blowing of the trumpet just OPENED. It ALL made sense!! Every old testament prophet was talking about that same thing. And then to have John bring it up again in Revelation: confirmation after confirmation.
When the Spirit of Yahweh opens His word -- two things happen: 1) intense happiness and celebration followed by intense gratefulness, thanksgiving which brings weeping... and leads into realizing how incredible it is to have a Holy God reveal such amazing things to someone like yourself: an unclean person in the midst of an unclean generation. 2) Repentance. Wailing like a person who has seen the devastation of what death brings. That's what it sounds like. It's a grieving that cries out from a place deep inside... and the sorrow is a knowledge that one is trapped in this old wineskin, yet longs to be in a new wineskin near to the Author and Finisher of one's faith. To be found pleasing and acceptable -- one without spot or blemish -- to draw near to Him in the Holy of Holies and abide in His presence daily and He with you.
He is an incredibly amazing God.
After all is said and done -- after all we do or don't do -- the one truth that will hold to the final day is that: He is God and He is good.
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