What change, big or small, would you like your blog to make in the world?
Looking at the world, being sad, noticing that so many people are misled by big institutions that claim to be the only right church, whilst they do not follow at all the Bible teachings, nor Christ his teachings and do worship another god then the God Christ worshipped.
Disenchanted with the choice many people make regarding their faith, I have found enough reasons to create more than one website where I take a look at matters of faith. For example, I think it is important for people to know that they are saved and that there is an opportunity for them to obtain a better life.
Life is so short, often it comes to an end before we are aware of it. In the meantime we have run from one side to the other, made contact with a lot of people but also lost contact with lots of people. We have to number our days and make the best out of them. When we wait until we reach our end, then we would be shamefully much too late. We must make wise use of the time allotted to us. Many parables of the Nazarene master storyteller go about the time many lose and how they are too late when the master returns.
With this website, I hope to make a small contribution to making Jesus Christ the Messiah known. If after a while more people come to see who Jesus really is and what this man has done for us, I will be very satisfied.
The vast majority of those who call themselves Christians are blinded by their denomination which has led them to believe that Jesus is God, rather than the send one of God, a flesh-and-blood man who willingly surrendered himself to the heavenly Father. Multiple denominations have minimized and trivialized the act of Christ by making him a deity who is immortal.
I would like to make it clear to people that Jesus was indeed a man of flesh and blood who fully desired to do the will of his heavenly Father, the Almighty God, and therefore completely set aside his own will. If Jesus were God, his praying to himself was simply a farce, and he certainly did not have to ask that not his will be done but the will of God. For if Jesus is God, the will of Jesus is the Will of God anyway. But few people seem to think about that or want to question their spiritual leaders about it.
To expose the misunderstanding as well as to make clear how many churches have departed from true biblical teaching, I designed this blog (and a few other blogs) to make clear that the doctrine of the Trinity is a false doctrine, contrary to biblical teaching.
On this platform, then, I hope to make clear how Jesus is that long-awaited prophet spoken of in the Old Testament. and how God’s promise in earthly Paradise to Adam and Eve became a reality with the birth of that man so that the Word of God became flesh and a reality of salvation for the whole world.
Thus, with the preaching about that Saviour Jesus, I hope that several people will come to see and follow that true Jesus, so that they too will be able to take the true path to the kingdom of peace, and shall be able to enter the small gate to the Kingdom of God.
The Old Testament (OT), as we have seen in the previous chapters, points ahead to the person God was going to send for bringing an end to the curse of death. From the Hebrew Scriptures we also come to know that this special messenger of God, a prophet, would come to call people to return from their bad way of living and to return to the Only One True God, Who is One.
Hundreds of years before the birth of the Nazarene man Jeshua (Jesus Christ), numerous prophecies concerning him had been given and were preserved in the Hebrew Scriptures (commonly called the OldTestament). Christ’s fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy is often noted by New Testament writers as a demonstration of God’s faithfulness to his promises of salvation and as confirmation of the divine authority of Jesus Christ.
Throughout the ages, we can see that some people do not seem to desire to advance in the knowledge of God. But Jehovah God wants to give everybody the opportunity to get to know Him. For that matter, He sent out many prophets to tell about Him and to warn about future events. It were those Hebrew prophets, chosen ones from God, who also told about some Savour to come. Those leaders for the Chosen people of Israel spoke about signs to come, first so that people would come to know that a saviour would be at hand and secondly that people would come to see that the present sinful world would come to an end, by a great battle destroying the averse world and having the returned Messiah taking his throne in the Kingdom of God.
People got warned they had to look out for the man being called Immanuel.
14 For this, Jehovah he will give to you a sign: Behold, the virgin conceiving, and she will bare a son, and call his name Immanuel.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Js 7:14). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
We are told a child to be born and to grow up, without being contaminated by wrongdoing.
And thou, house of bread, of Ephratah, for being small among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall come forth to me he being ruler in Israel; and his goings forth from of old from the days of eternity.
2 For this he will give them up even till the time she bearing will bring forth: and the remainder of his brethren shall turn back to the sons of Israel.
3 And he stood and fed in the strength of Jehovah, in the majesty of the name of Jehovah his God; and they shall dwell: for now shall he be magnified to the ends of the earth.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Mi 5:1–3). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
15 Curdled milk and honey he shall eat, for his knowing to reject in evil, and to choose in good.
16 For before the boy shall know to reject in evil and to choose in good the land which thou abhorrest shall be forsaken from the face of its two kings.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Js 7:15–16). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
People could come to recognise him who is presented as a gift to mankind, by putting all ancient prophecy stories together, knowing him also to come from the Tribe of David.
5 For a child was born to us, a son was given to us, and the dominion shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, everlasting Father, Captain of Peace.
6 To the increase of his dominion and to peace no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to prepare it and to support it in judgment and in justice from now and even to forever: the zeal of Jehovah of armies will do this.
7 Jehovah sent a word into Jacob, and it fell upon Israel.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Js 9:5–7). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
The OldTestament (OT) passages (Mal. 3:1 and Isa. 40:3) are furnished to show that John the Baptist and Jesus are to be understood in the context of the prophecies regarded by ancient Jews and Christians as Holy (or set-apart) Scriptures and divine revelationofGod’s purposes. That is, in the writer’s view, neither Jesus nor John appeared “out of the blue” but, rather, as a fulfilment ofGod’s planofredemption. This attitude, that the OT is a record ofGod’s work and plan and that Jesus must be interpreted as fulfilment of the work and word of God in the OT, is reflected throughout the New Testament (NT) writings and received continuing expression as the church used the OT writings as Scripture in its subsequent history. This view is, of course, formally reflected in the inclusion of the OT as part of the Christian Bible – a decision still accepted by all the major branches ofChristianity today.
Behold me sending my messenger, and he looked upon the way before my face: and suddenly Jehovah whom ye seek shall come to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in: behold him coming, said Jehovah of armies.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Mal 3:1). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
3 The voice of him calling in the desert, Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, make straight in the sterile region a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the acclivity was for evenness, and the mountain ranges for a valley:
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Js 40:3–4). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
At the same time, there was spoken about another man who would prepare the way for the chosen one from God who would show the people the right path to the Kingdom of God. The voice of one calling out in the wilderness was pointing to John the Baptist. He announced that soon there would come someone more important than him, to prepare the way to the Elohim. That man of flesh and blood would take away the stumbling block for mankind and liberate them of the chains of death.
14 And he shall say, Lift ye up, lift ye up; clear the way, take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Js 57:14). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
The apostle Matthew when he wrote his gospel had become totally convinced that John the Baptist and the Nazarene rabbi Jeshua were the ones spoken from old.
In these days John the Baptist is present, proclaiming in the desert of Judea;
2 And saying, Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.
3 For this is he spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, A voice of him crying in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Mt 3:1–3). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
The other disciples, like Mark, Luke and John were also convinced that in the scrolls was spoken about those who they knew and met in their lifetime.
2 As it has been written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.
3 A voice of him crying in the desert, Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make his beaten paths straight.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Mc 1:2–3). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
2 Upon Annas and Caiaphas being chief priests, the word of God was upon John, son of Zacharias in the desert.
3 And he came into all the country round about Jordan, proclaiming the immersion of repentance for remission of sins;
4 As it has been written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, A voice of him crying in the desert, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his footpaths straight.
5 Every ravine shall be filled up, and every mount and hill shall be lowered; and the crooked shall be into straightness, and the rough into smooth ways.
6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Lc 3:2–6). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
6 A man was sent from God, the name to him John.
7 This came for testimony, that he might testify concerning the Light, that all might believe through him.
8 He was not that Light, but that he might testify for the Light.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Joh 1:6–8). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
14 And the Word was flesh, and dwelt with us, (and we beheld his glory, as the glory of the only born of the father,) full of grace and truth.
15 John testifies for him, and he cried, saying, This was he of whom I said, He coming after me was before me: for he was before me.
16 And of his completion we all received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses; grace and truth were by Jesus Christ.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Joh 1:14–17). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
Many people knew that it very well could be in their time that the Messiah would come and were curious if perhaps John was the man spoken of. Under inspiration, John applied Isaiah’s words about the voice in the wilderness to himself.
19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem that they might ask him, Who art thou?
20 And he acknowledged, and denied not; and he acknowledged, That I am not the Christ.
21 And they asked, What then? Art thou Elias? And he says, I am not. Art thou a prophet? And he answered, No.
22 Then said they to him, Who art thou? that we might give answer to them having sent us. What sayest thou for thyself?
23 He said, I the voice of him crying in the desert, Make ye straight the way of the Lord, as said Esaias the prophet.
24 And they having been sent were of the Pharisees.
25 And they asked him, and said to him, Why immersest thou then, if thou art not Christ, neither Elias, neither a prophet?
26 John answered them saying, I immerse in water: but he stands the midst of you, whom ye know not;
27 This is he coming after me, who was before me, of whom I am not worthy that I might loose the strings of his shoes.
28 These things were in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was immersing.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Joh 1:19–28). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
Several events would take place before the apostles came to see more and more how what happened with their master was in agreement with what was told in the ancient prophecies. For many, the entrance in Jerusalem should have been a final clear sign.
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; make a loud noise, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king shall come to thee: just, and saying; he is humble and riding upon an ass, and upon an ass’s colt the son of asses.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Zach 9:9). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
Many had been looking for the one shoot who would come out from the stump (Choter) of Jesse, and the branch (mig·Ge·za / Netzar) which will bear fruit out of his roots, [(Jer 23:5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12, Ezra 3:8) which give as Moshiach’s Namesake Yahushua/Yehoshua/Yeshua or Jeshua; compare Mt.2:23] shall bear fruit of his roots:.
5 Behold the days coming, says Jehovah, and I raised up to David a just sprout, and a king reigned and prospered, and he did judgment and justice in the earth.
6 In his days shall Judah be saved, and Israel shall dwell with confidence: and this his name which he shall be called: Jehovah Our Justice.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Jr 23:5–6). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
And a rod shall come forth from the stock of Jesse, and a sprout shall blossom from his roots:
2 And the spirit of Jehovah resting upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of Jehovah:
3 His sweet odor in the fear of Jehovah: and not according to the seeing of his eyes shall he judge, and not according to the hearing of his ears shall he decide.
4 And he judged the powerless with justice, and he decided in straightness for the humble of the earth: and he struck the earth with the rod of his mouth, and by the spirit of his lips he will slay the unjust.
5 And justice was the girding of his loins, and truth the girding of his loins.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Js 11:1–5). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
14 Behold, the days coming, says Jehovah, and I raised up the good word which I spake to the house of Israel and for the house of Judah.
15 In those days and in that time I will cause the sprout of justice to spring up to David; and he did judgment and justice in the land.
16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell with confidence; and this is what shall be called to her: Jehovah our Justice.
17 For thus said Jehovah, I will not cut off to David a man sitting upon the throne of the house of Israel;
18 And to the priests, the Levites, I will not cut off a man from my face bringing up burnt-offerings, and burning the gift, and doing sacrifice all the days.
19 And the word of Jehovah will be to Jeremiah, saying,
20 Thus said Jehovah, ….
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Jr 33:14–20). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
And thou, house of bread, of Ephratah, for being small among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall come forth to me he being ruler in Israel; and his goings forth from of old from the days of eternity.
2 For this he will give them up even till the time she bearing will bring forth: and the remainder of his brethren shall turn back to the sons of Israel.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Mi 5:1–2). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
8 Hear now, O Joshua the great priest, thou and thy friends sitting before thee, for they are men of wonder: for behold me bringing my servant the Sprout.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Zach 3:8). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
12 And say to him, saying, Thus said Jehovah of armies, saying, Behold the man, The Sprout his name; and he shall spring forth from his place and build the temple of Jehovah.
13 And he shall build the temple of Jehovah; and he shall lift up the majesty, and he sat and ruled upon his throne: and he was priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them two.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Zach 6:12–13). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
For those living at the time after the death of Christ, other writings should pull the attention and should make it clear that this man who was betrayed, nailed at the stake and after him being laid in a grave having risen, is that one spoken of in the OT.
23 In the beginning of thy supplications the word came forth, and I came to announce; for thou art desires: and understand thou in the word, and consider in the sight.
24 Seventy seventy were divided upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to close the transgression, and to seal up sins, and to expiate iniquity, and to bring in eternal justice, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the holy of holies.
25 And thou shalt know and understand, from the going forth of the word to turn back and to build Jerusalem even to Messiah the leader, seventy weeks, and sixty and two weeks: and the street shall turn back and be built, and the ditch, in the trouble of the times.
26 And after sixty and two weeks, Messiah shall be cut off, and not for him: and the people of the leader coming shall destroy the city and the holy place; and its end with an overflowing, and even to the end of the war desolations were determined.
27 And he made strong the covenant to many one week: and half the week he shall cause the sacrifice and gift to cease, and upon the wing of abominations laying waste, even to the completion, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolation.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Da 9:23–27). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
10 The rod shall not depart from Judah, and a leader from between his feet, till that Shiloh shall come: and to him the obedience of the nations.
11 Binding his colt to the vine, and to the purple vine the son of the she-ass; he washed in wine his garment, and his clothing in the blood of grapes.
12 The eyes flashing from wine, the teeth white from milk.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Gn 49:10–12). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
10 And I will take my rod Beauty, and I will cut it off, to break my covenant which I cut out with all the peoples.
11 And it shall be broken in that day: and the poor of the flock watching me knew that it was the word of Jehovah.
12 And saying to them, If good in your eyes, give ye my hire; and if not, desist. And they will weigh my hire, thirty of silver.
13 And Jehovah will say to me, Cast it to the potter: a splendor of price which I was prized of them. And I shall take the thirty of silver and cast it in the house of Jehovah, to the potter.
14 And I shall cut off my second rod, Cords, to break the brotherhood between Judah and between Israel.
15 And Jehovah will say to me, Yet take to thee the vessels of a foolish shepherd.
16 For behold, I raise up a shepherd in the land, he shall not review those being concealed; the youth he shall not seek, and he shall not heal the broken, and he shall not nourish the standing firmly: and he shall eat the flesh of the fatling, and he shall break their hoofs.
17 Wo! to the empty shepherd forsaking the sheep; the sword upon his arm, and upon his right eye: and his arm being dried up, shall be dried up, and his right eye being dim, shall be dim.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Zach 11:10–17). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
6 My back I gave to those smiting, and my cheeks to those tearing out the hair: and my face I hid not from shame and spittle.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Js 50:6). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
7 And I a worm and not a man; a reproach of man, and the people despised me.
8 All seeing me will deride me: they will gape with the lip, they will shake the head.
9 He rolled upon Jehovah, he will deliver him: he will deliver him for he delighted in him.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Ps 22:7–9). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
21 He watched all his bones: one of them was not broken.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Ps 34:21). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
From birth to death, Jesus fulfilled numerous prophecies recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures.
The spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah anointed me to announce good news to the afflicted, he sent me to bind up to the broken of heart, to call freedom to the captives, and the opening of the prison to the bound.
2 To call the year of acceptance to Jehovah, and the day of vengeance to our God; to comfort all those mourning;
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Js 61:1–2). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
17 And the book of Esaias the prophet was given to him. And having unfolded the book, he found the place where it was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for which he anointed me to announce good news to the poor; he has sent me to heal the broken in heart, to proclaim a remission to the captives, and a recovery of sight to the blind, to send away with remission the bruised,
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
20 And having folded the book and given back to the servant, he sat down. And the eyes of all in the assembly were looking attentively upon him.
21 And he began to say to them, That this day has this writing been filled up in your ears.
22 And all bore him testimony and wondered at the words of grace going out of his mouth: and said, Is not this the son of Joseph?
23 And he said to them, Directly will ye say to me this proverb, Physician, cure thyself: what things we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
24 And he said, Truly I say to you, That not any prophet is accepted in his country.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Lc 4:17–24). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
13 And having left Nazareth behind, having come, he dwelt in Capernaum, near the sea, in the boundaries of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14 That it might be completed having been spoken through Esaias the prophet, saying,
15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, the way of the sea beyond Jordan, Galilee of the nations:
16 The people sitting in darkness saw a great light; and to them sitting in the room and shadow of death, light has sprung up to them.
17 From then Jesus began to proclaim, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Mt 4:13–17). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
Looking at the New Testament we shall come to see there are many more phrases which refer to what prophets said in the ancient days and words of Jesus which have to remind us about what is said in the OT for what is going to happen in the future, when the sings of the last days would be at hand. (When presenting the writings from Jesus’ disciples we shall discuss such referrals.)
Even today we see that lots of people still reject this given man of God, who has become the cornerstone of a (re)new(ed) people of God.
22 The stone the builders refused will be for the head of the corner.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Ps 118:22). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
10 Also the man of my peace whom I trusted in him, eating my bread, magnified the heel against me.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Ps 41:10). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
18 I say not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the writing might be completed, He chewing bread with me lifted up his heel against me.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Joh 13:18). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
42 Jesus says to them, Have ye never read in the writings, The stone which the builders disapproved of, this was for the head of the corner? This was from the Lord, and it was wonderful in your eyes.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Mt 21:42). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
10 And have ye not read this writing; The stone which the builders disapproved of, this was for the head of the corner:
11 This was of the Lord, and is wonderful in our eyes?
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Mc 12:10–11). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
17 And having looked upon them, he said, What then is this written, The stone which the builders disapproved of, this has been for the head of the corner?
18 Every one having fallen upon that stone shall be crushed, and upon whomsoever it should fall, it shall winnow him.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Lc 20:17–18). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
Like in old times, today as in the time of Jesus, many won’t see nor hear as is written in the OT.
9 And he will say, Go, and say to this people, Hearing, hear ye, and ye shall not understand; and seeing, see ye, and ye shall not know.
10 Make the heart of this people fat and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes, lest they shall see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and their heart shall understand and turn back and be healed to them.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Js 6:9–10). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
13 For this I speak to them in parables: for seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And the prophecy of Esaias is filled up in them, saying, In hearing shall ye hear, and not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive.
15 For the heart of this people has been thickened, and with their ears have they heard heavily, and their eyes have they closed; lest perhaps they should see with the eyes, and hear with the ears, and understand with the heart, and turn back, and I should heal them.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Mt 13:13–15). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
The early Christians not only saw Jesus prefigured in certain OT propheciesof a coming redemption, but in addition, they regarded Jesus as the culmination of all God had done in the OT. In this sense, virtually everything in the OT seemed to have anticipated and pre–figured Jesus and thus gained its “fulfilment” in him.
What Jesus said and did, fulfiled many of the Hebrew Scripture prophecies. When we see how all those prophesies became fulfiled, we should understand that behind all those words written in those scrolls was a Particular Hand, mightier than any human being. As such we should be convinced that the “OldTestament,” had been given to the nation of Israel by God through the inspiration of his servants, and that his greatest servant is that Immanuel, God with us, Jeshua the promised Messiah (Jesus Christ).
The fulfilment of these above-mentioned prophecies and other prophecies proves that Jesus was the Saviour sent by God. In the Bible, the Old and New Testament, we have “all the counsel” or “the whole purpose (will) of God” for everyone to read. (Acts 20:27)
27 For I concealed not to announce to you all the counsel of God.
Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Hnd 20:27). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.
In the Old Testament we read that Elohim blessed Noah and his sons, and spoke to them, saying to branch off and become numerous, and fill up the land.
God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
(Genesis 9:1 NHEBJE)
The sons of Noah: Shem, Ham and Japheth by James Tissot 1904.
The sons of Noah, that went out of the ark, were Shem, and Ham (the father of Canaan), and Japheth.
Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him. He said, “Canaan is cursed. He will be servant of servants to his brothers.” He said, “Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.
(Genesis 9:24-26 NHEBJE)
There is spoken about the “servant of servants.” This is a Hebrew superlative meaning “lowest servant.” This was first fulfilled in Joshua’s conquest of Palestine! Later too we come to see there was born a servant of servants who was going to put his own will asideto do the Will of his heavenly Father the Only OneTrue God, The God of Abraham and Shem. According to Luke 3:36Jesus is a descendant of Shem. That servant of servants would have also a great faith in his God, like Noah had.
“son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad, son of Shem, son of Noah, son of Lamech,”
(Luke 3:36 CSB17)
Jeshua or Jesus being connected with Shem and Abraham, we may see later that blessing upon earth would come by this seed of Abraham.
Now Jehovah said to Abram, “Get out of your country, and from your relatives, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. In you will all of the families of the earth be blessed.”
(Genesis 12:1-3 NHEBJE)
Jesus considered Abraham his patriarch and was well aware how he had to behave to be a worthy successor and new sprout for an entirely new generation or “renewed” people, a New World what was going to be the world of the living.
We are told that it is that “Seed of Abraham”, so some one born after Abraham, who will bless all nations.
“Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and proclaimed the gospel ahead of time to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed through you.”
(Galatians 3:8 CSB17)
The followers of Jeshua (Jesus Christ) would then be considered sons or heirs of the prophets and of the arrangement of God, the ones blessed by the man who was raised by God, having loosed the pangs of death: because it was not possible that death would hold him in its power. People could come to live with the hope that by the fulfilment of the prophesies that the Spirit of God would come to live in them that might walk in newness of life.
“You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, And all the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring.”
(Acts 3:25 CSB17)
“God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death.”
(Acts 2:24 CSB17)
“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.”
(Romans 8:11 CSB17)
By those ancient stories we can see that the historical figures in the Old Testament as such come to bear witness to the one who would come after them. In Scripture, all things are directed towards him in whom people should come to have faith. First we saw the connection with Eve and her seed, and now with Abraham of whom we also should become like Jesus, a child of Abraham.
Already early in history of mankind we learn that there shall come one, coming from seed of a human being, who shall be bruised in the heel.
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”
(Genesis 3:15 NHEBJE)
That woman God is referring to is a young Essene girl, who lived some two millennia ago. By her was found kindness but also favour by God. The Bible tells us also that this child was going to be called “the Son of the Most High”, though it was going to be born out of man and as such also be a “son of man“, him always going to be the “Son of God“.
The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and will call his name ‘Jesus.’ He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?” The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born will be called the Son of God.
(Luke 1:30-35 NHEBJE)
The Gospel dispensation opens with a dismissal of fear and a promise of salvation. For what shall come, we too, shall not have to fear. The girl is also told what should be the name of the child. The name was to be Jeshua, in full Jahushua or Jehoshua, often shortened to Joshua or Jeshua and signifying to have a role as saviour. As such we find an other Joshua in the Old Testament being the deliverer of Israel into the promised land. The original name of that Joshua was Hoshea, and Moses (doubtless by divine inspiration) changed the son of Nun his name to Joshua, in order to make it signify the salvation of God.
These are the names of the men who Moses sent to spy out the land. Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua.
(Numbers 13:16 NHEBJE)
Thus the name was given to indicate the reality that Joshua should be God’s saviour of Israel from their enemies, and their establisher in Canaan. As antitype to this, the same name is given, by the same divine direction, to the Nazarene man who has become our Saviour, because he shall save his people from their sins. As Joshua is redeemer of Israel from their enemies, and their establisher in Canaan, so Jesus is the Redeemer of believers from their sins, and their establisher in the heavenly Canaan.
The other name proposed to her, it being a nickname, was Immanuel. or Emmanuel, signifying “God with us“, not because he truly would be God as so many think but because his being to be a blessing of the Most High and his name a recognisance of the grace of God giving such a person. As such all those being called Immanuel or Emmanuel running around on this world are not God or an incarnation of a god.
Those names where asked to be given to the child because the angel brought the message of his Master God that this child was going to save people. In later writings we shall come to see that it would be a liberation or salvation from their sins.
The Jews expected a political Messiah to save the nation from the Romans. The angel promised a Jeshua (Jesus), who should save his people from their sins. (Modern neologists, who maintain that Jesus started at first with the purpose of forming a temporal kingdom, are contradicted by the very earliest declarations in the Gospels to the contrary.)
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son. They shall call his name Immanuel;” which is, being interpreted, “God with us.”
(Matthew 1:23 NHEBJE)
Jesus, being the promised one from the early days was to present his heavenly Father and as such brought God under the people, like the many prophets before him, presenting God’s Word.
It is from such a prophet that we do know that the promised one would come from a young girl or a virgin. He spoke in the times when Ahaz, king of Judah, was invaded by the combined hosts of the kings of Israel and of Syria. He was reduced to the last extremity. Jehovah then sent Isaiah the prophet to offer him a sign that God would bring deliverance. The object of the command was to bring Ahaz to repose his faith in Jehovah. But though the prophet offered him a sign either in heaven or in earth, yet the idolatrous king refused to accept any sign. Whereupon the prophet, rebuking the king for wearying God, declares that God will give a sign, whether the king ask it or not, and whether it should be to him a sign or not.
That sign is the standing sign for Israel for all ages, the future Messiah. As that Messiah should come, so Judah should be preserved until his coming. And when he should be born of the virgin, he should not grow to years of intelligence in a shorter time than would be required to sweep away those two invading kings from their power.
The prophet Isaiah speaks about a virgin who shall conceive and bear a son, and who shall be called Immanuel. We are also told that the child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, giving us an indication that this child when growing up would be able to withstand temptations and would be able to continuously do good, which we also call “not sinning”.
Therefore Jehovah himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. He shall eat butter and honey when he knows to refuse the evil, and choose the good. For before the child knows to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land whose two kings you abhor shall be forsaken.
(Isaiah 7:14-16 NHEBJE)
We shall see that several prophets tried to tell the people around them about signs God was going to give. Signs for when the saviour or messiah would come and signs for when the end-times would come. In their time as in our times there are lots of people who did not and do not want to see the signs, though it are the Signs from Jehovah the God above all gods.
In the previous article you could read how a woman (some call “Virgo Deipara”) is truly predicted in the first promise in Eden; and that the expectation was familiar to the ancient world. and we are told it would be some girl from the despised stem of Jesse. Miriam or Mary belonging to the Essenes being considered as part of a sect and as such not so much liked.
A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit.
(Isaiah 11:1 NHEBJE)
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this; for after his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, intended to put her away secretly. But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to yourself Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.” Now all this has happened, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son. They shall call his name Immanuel;” which is, being interpreted, “God with us.”
(Matthew 1:18-23 NHEBJE)
That Immanuel, the predicted seed of the woman, was not yet born in Isaiah ‘s time and it would take some more centuries before it would be there that promise of God coming into the flesh.
From the several books assembled in the bible we learn that there were many “man of God” or “men of God”, people who gave themselves for God. Several men were chosen by God to bring His Words to the people. They were necessary to reveal the Plan of God. All those stories were necessary to show how Jehovah God was wiling to be by those who were willing to be with Him. The Book of books shows also how people who were prepared to walk in accord with God, could be taken by God, them suddenly not being here on earth any more. In such happenings we can find also what happened to Jesus after his death and resurrection.
Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
(Genesis 5:24 NHEBJE)
The one promised in Eden would also be a servant for the God of Shem or Shemi and would be son of God, taken into heaven by God, after he was bruised, impaled and cursed, like a murderer and thief, as a damnable.
He said, “Canaan is cursed. He will be servant of servants to his brothers.” He said, “Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth. Let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.”
(Genesis 9:25-27 NHEBJE)
Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about thirty years old, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Eli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Shimei, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, the son of John, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, the son of Jesus, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan, the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
(Luke 3:23-38 NHEBJE)
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,”
(Galatians 3:13 NHEBJE)
You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us; and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross {in the original text “piece of wood”}; having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
(Colossians 2:13-15 NHEBJE)
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps, who did not sin, “neither was deceit found in his mouth.” Who, when he was cursed, did not curse back. When he suffered, did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously; who his own self bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to his righteousness; by stripes you were healed. For you were going astray like sheep; but now have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
(1 Peter 2:21-25 NHEBJE)
In that son of man who is called the son of God, born in Bethlehem and brought up in Nazareth we find the servant of God who was been told about in the Garden of Eden, to be the one bruised.
But Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Many followed him; and he healed them all, and commanded them that they should not make him known: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit on him. And he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not strive, nor shout; neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets. He won’t break a bruised reed. And he won’t quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory. And in his name, the nations will hope.”
(Matthew 12:15-21 NHEBJE)
In the previous chapter we have seen that already soon in history Jehovah God promised a solution against the curse of death.
Already in the first book of the Bible (third chapter) there is spoken of the “Seed of a woman” (virgin birth) what would become a reality many centuries later, God His saying or His Word becoming a reality, His Word becoming into the flesh, Jesus being that sent one from God, born in Bethlehem.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
(John 1:1 NHEBJE)
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children.
(Galatians 4:4-5 NHEBJE)
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this; for after his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
(Matthew 1:18 NHEBJE)
Satan or the adversary of God going to be bruised by the one who would be born to help and even save the seed of Abraham.
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”
(Genesis 3:15 NHEBJE)
Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For, truly, he did not come to help the angels, but to help the seed of Abraham. Therefore he was obligated in all things to be made like his brothers, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.
(Hebrews 2:14-18 NHEBJE)
He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.
(1 John 3:8 NHEBJE)
Because of the many sins of all people it was necessary to reveal to the world who would be the one to follow and to have the relationship between God and man restored. Jehovah God declared Himself to be well-pleased with him.
A voice came out of the sky, “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.”
(Mark 1:11 NHEBJE)
Since the dove was a symbol of peace or freedom from judgment (Gen. 8:8-12) many people there around the river Jordan could see the Holy Spirit’s presence like a dove signifying that this man standing there (Jeshua or Jesus) would bring salvation to those who were willing to turn to him. The Voice of God authenticated Jesus by alluding to Psalm 2:7 and Isaiah 42:1.
I will tell of the decree. Jehovah said to me, “You are my son. Today I have become your father.
(Psalms 2:7 NHEBJE)
“Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delights?I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout, nor raise his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street. He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a dimly burning wick. He will faithfully bring justice. He will not fail nor be discouraged, until he has set justice in the earth, and for his law the coastlands will hope.” Thus says God Jehovah, he who created the heavens and stretched them out, he who spread out the earth and that which comes out of it, he who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk in it. “I, Jehovah, have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a light for the nations; to open the blind eyes, to bring the prisoners out of the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness out of the prison. “I am Jehovah. That is my name. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to engraved images. Behold, the former things have happened, and I declare new things. I tell you about them before they come up.”
(Isaiah 42:1-9 NHEBJE)
Jehovah could have made an end to Adam and Eve there in the Garden of Eden and/or could have created straight ahead new people who would be willing to be faithful to Him. Straight there in the Garden Jehovah God could have made an end to those sinful people and could have made and end to the punishment He had given to the first man. God is not such an unrighteous non-loving god He would have had so many people suffering, to come to earth in a later stadium (as so many believe God would have come to earth in the form or guise of Jesus) to fake His temptation (because God cannot be tempted) and to fake His death (because God can not die, Him being an immortalEternalSpirit) and after such a theatre act, leaving the people still suffering for many centuries (like we still have to suffer). No, God wanted people to see His creation and His works, letting the world see that His creatures also could be clean of heart and spirit and that a man could be faithful to the Will of God. The world had to come to see that Jesus is that person of flesh and blood who is able to do the Will of God, and to live accordance His Will and regulations.
The other servant of God, king David, is the predecessor of Jesus. Out of his seed Jesus would be born. When David made his songs for His Most Beloved Master Creator he seemed to intended to speak of his own case and experience but the Holy Spirit led him to use language, which in its full meaning can be applied to none but the servantJesus himself.
Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you have prepared for me. You have not required burnt offering and sin offering. Then I said, “Behold, I have come. It is written about me in the book on the scroll. I delight to do your will, my God. Yes, your Law is within my heart.” I have proclaimed glad news of righteousness in the great assembly. Behold, I will not seal my lips, Jehovah, you know. I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart. I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation. I have not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the great assembly.
(Psalms 40:6-10 NHEBJE)
Jesus also did not pray to himself nor asked people to pray to him. Jesus taught people to pray to his heavenly Father, the Only One True God.
Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
(Matthew 6:10 NHEBJE)
He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and he knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
(Luke 22:41-42 NHEBJE)
Jesus was fully aware of his predestination and the task given to him by the Divine Creator. In the Old Writings, we shall see, the Most High gave His Word to mankind to come to see and hear His many servants, like Moses,Joshua, Samuel, Gad, Nathan, Jeremiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, David, Solomon, Isaiah Ezekiel, Daniel, Joel Amos, Obadiah, Micah, Zephaniah, Zechariah, Malachi who would prepare the world for the one to come and to tell the people what they had to do to live according to the Will of God. They all prepared the way for the prophet who would further explain the Will of God and who would live according to that Will. Jesus was going to make all those previous teachings clearer to understand, for those who by that time still did not see what God wanted from them.
Heavens declare God, but not many people come to see it. The ancient prophets therefore told about the one servant who would be sent by God to declare the Good News.
But Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Many followed him; and he healed them all, and commanded them that they should not make him known: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit on him. And he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not strive, nor shout; neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets. He won’t break a bruised reed. And he won’t quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory. And in his name, the nations will hope.”
(Matthew 12:15-21 NHEBJE)
He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the scroll, and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
(Luke 4:16-19 NHEBJE)
God is an immortalSingular Spirit Being, to Whom no man can do something, but Jesus being a mortal being is that one spoken about whose heel would be bruised with nails on the wooden stake. The world had to come to see that there was that man of flesh and blood, like all of us frail, apparently destructible or possible to be put to death, now becoming both a lamp and a reed, humble, but not to be broken, and the “light of the world“.
Being killed, God was going to take him out of the dead, so that the world would have a proof that man can step out of death. In case God would have come to the world and would have faked His death and having come out of the dead, we naturally would still have no proof at all that man can resurrect. Now with the resurrection of Jesus we should have no doubts at all. What God did with him He is willing to do with us also. That is one of His promises.
For those who would have doubts, Jesus after his resurrection showed himself, proving it was him, who is of flesh and blood and not a spirit like his heavenly Father is a Spirit.
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
(John 4:24 NHEBJE)
As they said these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be to you.” But they were terrified and filled with fear, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. He said to them, “Why are you troubled? Why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.”
(Luke 24:36-39 NHEBJE)
They not only could see Jesus, they also could touch him and feel the wounds he had endured. In his resurrection we should have the hope for our resurrection and should have faith that Jesus is that sent one from God, who is the Way to God and for the whole world the light.
When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be to you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.”
(John 20:19-21 NHEBJE)
Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
(John 8:12 NHEBJE)
We all should come to believe in him who is that sent one from God and the Messiah, the giver of life.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, God’s Son, he who comes into the world.”
(John 11:25-27 NHEBJE)
Genesis 3:15 NHEBJE I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”
Here, because of the serpent’s seduction which brought separationbetween man and God, we see that God had already set in motion His grand plan for sending the Messiah (aseed) to redeem us back to Himself. This is what He tells the crafty serpent:
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring [seed/ zera] and her offsprin g [seed/ zera]. He will pound your head, and you will bite his heel.” (Artscroll Tanach)
Banished from the garden with Adam and Eve, we follow Cain and his descendants to determine if he carries this promised seed. But as we emerge from the waters of the Great Flood, we find that they have perished.
Adam and Eve Forced to Labour – Schedelsche Weltchronik or Nuremberg Chronicle
Though the world had to be on the look out for a woman bringing forth a child, born under the law, all the descendants of Adam and Eve having flesh and blood in common, the child of that woman would also share those.
Hebrews 2:14 NHEBJE Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
That devil or adversary of God would become bruised, damaged in such way that each adversary of God would be able to recognise that they are wrong to go against the divine Maker of the universe. For that reason God provided the solution of a man proving that man can keep pure and honest to Its Maker unlike the first human beings (from the beginning of times) and many of their descendants.
1 John 3:8 NHEBJE He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.
Though the world had to see that this child of that woman would not receive everything like that. It also had to work for his living and had to be tempted like any body else. He also had to suffer, but this time even more than many other people. He was not the only one to be brought to death by others; He also would also not be the only innocent one to be brought to death.
God is an eternalSpirit Being Who can not be tempted, not be killed by any living being or something else. He is also a loving God Who had a wonderful Plan for mankind and wanted it to be fulfilled. Therefore he gave man a second chance, by providing some one with the same attributes as Adam, being created from the nothingness, made to be a living soul with flesh and bones and blood. Jesus said
Luke 24:39 NHEBJE See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.”
Whoever does not do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who does not love his brother. {1 John 3:10} The one born from that woman showed the world he was righteous and loving, even so much loving the others, that he was willing to give his life as a payment for the sins of mankind.
1 John 3:7 NHEBJE Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
Romans 2:13 NHEBJE For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified
Adam and Eve had heard God telling what they where allowed to do and what not. They heard His Law, but did not take it at heart. They were no doers of the law of God. It can well be that they were listeners, but their own inner voice was stronger for their heart than the Voice of God. they ignored His wish not to eat from the tree of knowledge.
By their disobediencesin came into the world and by it death came over them and their descendants. by their act of disobedience posterity was now also damned. But from their offspring would come some one who would have a stronger mind, a stronger will able to put his own will aside, for doing the Will of God.
Romans 5:12 NHEBJE Therefore, as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; and so death passed to all men, because all sinned.
Luke 22:41-42 NHEBME He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and he knelt down and prayed, (42) saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
In the hour of his death he may have had it not easy and could have preferred to avoid him to be taken prisoner and condemned to death, but much more the favour of the Most High Elohim, he gave himself to that Only One God, having faith in Him. And by himself offering himself up for others, the gift in favour of the one man, יהושע Messiah, overflowed to many.
Mankind has to know that the favourable gift is not as by one having sinned, for indeed the judgement was of one to condemnation, but the favourable gift is of many trespasses unto righteousness. Because the first Adam sinned or trespassed, the divine Maker kept to His warning that they surely would die. From that moment of taking the wrong decision man brought knowledge of good and evil to man but also knowledge of feeling fear, pain and death. By the first Adam death did reign over man but when the temptation was shown the real face of the righteous man, those who receive the overflowing favour and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life through the promised one, יהושע Messiah.
Romans 5:15-17 NHEBME But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Yeshua the Messiah, abound to the many. (16) The gift is not as through one who sinned: for the judgment came by one to condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses to justification. (17) For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Yeshua the Messiah.
The first human beings had chosen to go their own path. As any good father would do when his children had done something wrong, God punished them. But as a lovingFather He in His great mercy promised for a solution and preserved David’s bloodline and the Messianic promise.
Mankind had chosen Yet, we each must recognize the adversary’s strategy to lure us into desiring and acquiring pride, glory, power, anything more than God Himself — and understand the dire consequences of choosing to follow those desires.
In Scriptures we can find sayings which should come to recognise the one who God sent to the world to show the Way to God and to brake the curse of death which came over Adam and Eve. God provided some one, people can follow as an ideal example, namely the Messiah, who we shall see is Jeshua, who in certain countries is better known under the name Jesus, or Jezus, Jésus, Jeesus, Chesu, Jezis, Xesus, Isus or Ishi/Isha.
Throughout the Brit Chadashah, we find satan tempting, prowling, seeking whom he can destroy. That sent one from God became even his primary target. God is the only one Who cannot be tempted, but all other beings can be tempted. Also Jeshua or Jesus Christ was tempted more than once, but he resisted every temptation even during great physical weakness.
How? He confronted every satan he encountered with the Word of God, while being full of the Spirit of God. In doing so, he exited the wilderness victorious and empowered and left Peter ashamed.
When he did not succeed in destroying Jeshua, the adversary focused his slander and deception toward luring others away from God’s Word and His Kingdom. Knowing what went on and what shall come, we should not have to fear the serpent‘s schemes to destroy our eternal destiny.
Though we will certainly die physically, we don’t have to die spiritually. God placed hope for our spiritual victory over death back in the first pages of Genesis.
Who Is Our Hope?
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring [seed/ zera] and her offspring [seed/ zera]. He will pound your head, and you will bite his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)
In the previous posting you could already read how God first revealed the hope for all mankind against the adversary when he promised that Eve’s seed / offspring (zera) would pound or crush the head of the serpent.
When we talk about an offspring, literally “those who spring off (someone,)” from off + springan “to spring” (see spring (v.)) we think of progeny coming from Old French progenie (13c.) and directly from Latin progenies “descendants, offspring, lineage, race, family,” from stem of progignere “beget,” from pro “forth” (see pro-) + gignere “to produce, beget” (see genus) and look at descendants or a posterity.
It can be that it is about a (singular) person’s child or the young of a person, an immediatedescendant or descendants of a person or animal. Though it also may mean more than one person of one pair of people, in that instance talking about a lot of people, such as a nation of Israel or all humankind. When we look at Jewish theologians or scholars their writings we may find lots of debate going on about that.
For most Christians the seed mentioned several times in the Pre-Messianic Scriptures or Old Testament refers to a coming Messiah — Jeshua (Jesus Christ). To know for sure we shall look not only at the first mention of such seed but look at the further writings given to mankind to get to know what God His Plan is with mankind and in which The Master Maker reveals how we can see who shall be the Messiah.
The first five books (the Chumash or Pentateuch), written by Moses speaks of a male. Also in other ancient Jewish sages we find the mention of a “he”. enlightened by the Highest Ruach (the Power of God) Moses did not only wrote about the beginning of times. In 1300 BCE, Moses wrote about the last days (acharit-hayamim, בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית הַיָּמִֽים), which indicates that he likely understood a final deliverance and deliverer would one day arrive. (Genesis 49)
“So now, here, I am going (back) to my people; come, I will advise you as to what this people will do to your people in future days.”
(Numbers 24:14 SB)
“When you are in distress because there befall you all these things, in future days, you shall return to YHWH your God and hearken to his voice.”
(Deuteronomy 4:30 SB)
At the days of Jeshua people also got to hear what God said in the Garden of Eden
“I put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed: they will bruise you on the head, you will bruise them in the heel.”
(Genesis 3:15 SB)
They heard it in their common language of Aramaic, the language Jesus also spoke. In that language we can still find it in the translation, known as Targum Yonatan [Targum Jonathan (תרגום יונתן בן עוזיאל)], the official eastern (Babylonian) targum to the Nevi’im. In that “Translation,” or “Interpretation” Book (hence “Targum”) unlearned Jews to whom the Hebrew of the Old Testament was unintelligible, could hear how we all are in a power struggle with the adversary in choosing to do good while resisting our selfish, evil desires. When Scripture was read aloud in the synagogue, it was translated aloud by a meturgeman, or professional interpreter, for the benefit of the congregation. The translator tried to reproduce the original text as closely as possible, but since his object was to give an intelligible rendering of the biblical text, the Targums eventually took on the character of paraphrase and commentary, leaving literal translation behind. The read text was utilized as a vehicle for conveying homiletic discourses, traditional sayings, legends, and allegories is abundantly illustrated by the later Targums, as opposed to the more literal translations of the earlier Targums. In both of them there is also spoken of that time to come and more in particular of that person to come. The Targum Jonathan affirms that the world was waiting for the coming of “King Meshiha” (Messiah in Aramaic) to heal the wounds caused by the adversary when we sin, and to win us an everlasting freedom.
It is from the Targum Yonatan that several Jews in later years also came to see a Messiah in certain people, like we may find followers of Simon Bar Kokhba, Nehemiah ben Hushiel also known as Mashiach ben Yoseph or Messiah ben Joseph, of als Mashiach bar/ben Ephraim, Sabbatai Zevi or Sabbatai Zebi/Shabsai Tzvi, Jakob Frank (Jankiew Lejbowi) or the contemporary adored Menachem Mendel Schneerson. They and their followers where taken by the text
“they shall make a remedy for the heel in the days of the King Meshiha.” (Genesis 3:15, Targum Yonatan, which is attributed to the work of Jonathan (Yonatan) ben Uzziel, c. 50 BC)
Today still like in the past, Orthodox worshippers pray, sing, play the violin, and dance in the synagogue at what they consider King David’s Tomb.
Title page, Midrash Tehillim
When we look at the first and second century Rabbinic commentary (known as a Midrash) the seed as Messiah is defined as:
“Rabbi Tanchuma said, in the name of Rabbi Samuel: Eve had respect to that seed (“offspring”) which is coming from another place. And who is this? This is the King Messiah.” (Midrash Genesis Rabbah 23:5)
“As You went forth for the salvation of Your people by the hands of Meshiha, the Son of David, who shall wound satan, who is the head, the king and prince of the house of the wicked…” (Commentary on Habakkuk 3:13)
And yet, with all this evidence pointing to a single man, the Messiah, as the seed, some Bible translations have led us toward a very different understanding of “the seed.”
Altered Identity
A problem with certain translations is that sometimes translators did not have an equivalent for the Hebrew word in their language or thought something to be a particular figure or person, instead of a situation or any person who took on a certain attitude, like a satan who is an adversary but became in many translations the Satan, a devilish figure. Or the temptation “nachash” , our battle or struggle against inner thoughts, (the fencing in life) becoming a literal snake or serpent.
Concerning the seed certain writers or bible-translators where too much carried away by their own doctrinal visions and tried to translate their version from that doctrinal viewpoint, hereby creating confusion, like for example using the word Lord for Jehovah God as well as for Jesus, the son of God, so that people could not any more see clear about whom was be spoken and could come to consider Jesus to be the same as God, which he naturally is not.
Sometimes, ideas about the identity of the seed are so deeply held that, to support those ideas, even basic Hebrew words are mistranslated in Jewish Bible versions.
One such translation tells us the seed is not a single person:
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; they [in Hebrew, hu] shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise their [instead of ‘his’] heel.” (Jewish Publication Society (JPS), 1917)
Even though the original Hebrew text uses the word “hu”, which means “he”, the JPS Bible version uses the word “they.”
So, instead of a single man doing the bruising and being bruised, we read that a multitude of people, the nation of Israel, are involved in the struggle with the serpent as well as the victory over him.
Though most Jewish translations do not make this grave translation error, it illustrates how important it is to diligently search for the truth of God’s Word and how it is best not to stick to just one translation or even not to just one language.
This is true regarding Christian translations of the Bible as well.
St. Jerome, who, in 382 CE was commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Vetus Latina (“Old Latin”) collection of biblical texts in Latin then in use by the Church > widely adopted and eventually eclipsed the Vetus Latina and, by the 13th century, was known as the “versio vulgata” (the “version commonly-used”) or, more simply, in Latin as vulgata or in Greek as βουλγάτα (“Vulgate”).
Page from the Dutsch Professorenbijbel (“Professors Bible”), a translation of the Latin Vulgate of the Books of the New Testament. This part, covering the Pentateuch, was published in 1904. – De Heilige Boeken van het Oude Verbond. Vulgaat en Nederlandsche Vertaling met Aanteekeningen, part I – Petrus Laurentius Dessens (1851-1929)
When we look at the early Church’s official translation of the Bible completed in 400 CE by Jerome, we read in that LatinVulgate translation that “he” has even become a “she”, though in the Vulgate of Hieronimus we find ‘yours’ (though also referring to “the seed of the woman” allowing it to be male or female):
“inimicitias ponam inter te et mulierem et semen tuum et semen illius ipsa conteret caput tuum et tu insidiaberis calcaneo eius” (Genesis 3:15 VULGATE)
“I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed and she [in Hebrew, hu] shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.” (Douay-Rheims Bible, which is based on the Latin Vulgate manuscript)
Here again we have to note that looking at the Hebrew text which uses the word “hu” (meaning “he”) the Latin Vulgate and those working form that work translate it to “she.”
Protevangelium of James, pseudepigraphal (noncanonical and unauthentic) work written about the mid-2nd century ad to enhance the role of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in Christian tradition. Mary crushes the serpent.
Several of the early Church fathers, such as Justin Martyr (160 CE) and Irenaeus (180 CE) regarded this verse “as the Protoevangelium, the first messianic prophecy in the Old Testament.”
For centuries, the above mentioned one little pronoun change led to the false teaching that Miriam (Mary) either on her own or as a co-redemptrix with her son Jeshua, crushed the serpent and claims the victory. In many Christian denominations we find such confusion and paintings referring to that crushing by the “blessed” virginMary.
Fortunately, more recent translations of the Catholic Bible correct this error. The 1997 Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd edition) tries to correct it as well by stating:
“This passage in Genesis [3:15] is called the Protoevangelium (“first gospel”): the first announcement of the Messiah and Redeemer, of a battle between the serpent and the Woman, and of the final victory of a descendant of hers.” (Par. 410)
From the masculine singular Hebrew pronoun in Genesis 3:15, we see that the seed of the woman is a man, to whom may be referred to in in Romans 16:20 him being called a god, or higher/important person of peace, which identifies him as the Jesus Christ.
Romans 16:20 NHEBJE And the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Those who look at the offspring and hers find that it is all about human beings and may find that
for in context it describes those who “by smooth talk and flattery” “deceive the minds of naive people”. Particularly, this may mean the Judaizers, who sought to draw other believers — esp Gentile believers — away from their freedom in Christ into an enforced bondage to the Law of Moses. {Agora commentary on Romans 16:20}
To do away with all doubt and confusion over the identity of the seed, we can go to the apostle John who clearly tells us who the victor of the adversary is:
1 John 3:8 NHEBJE He who sins is of the devil [diabolos], for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.
Behemoth and Leviathan, by William Blake
The committer of sin being of the adversary is at the origin or reason to have a foreseen figure having Jehovah with His relentless, large, strong sword will bring judgement on Leviathan, the fleeing and twisted serpent, slaying the monsters of this world
Isaiah 27:1 NHEBJE In that day, Jehovah with his fierce and great and mighty sword will punish leviathan, the fleeing serpent, and leviathan the twisted serpent; and he will kill the dragon that is in the sea.
And unclean men might have questioned what that man from Nazareth, born from the Essene woman Miriam, came to do in the temple, though there was one who told it to those around him. And there was the moment the adversary would fall.
Mark 1:24 NHEBJE saying, “What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!”
Luke 10:18 NHEBJE He said to them, “I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven.
The Nazarene saying to his disciples that he gave them the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, them having to know if they believed in him they should not worry because nothing at all would harm them.
Luke 10:19 NHEBJE Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will in any way hurt you.
For Jesus it was clear that the voices which came from the heavens declared who he was and came, not for him, but for those around Jesus and for us. First there was the Pneuma or Spirit of God telling that he was the only begotten son and secondly there where the angels telling that at the moment, the judgement is of this world, having its own ruler. But that ruler of the world shall be cast out, whilst the seed of the woman shall be lifted up from the earth and will draw all people to himself.
John 12:30 NHEBJE Jesus answered, “This voice hasn’t come for my sake, but for your sakes.
The world has to come to understand that we have man going wrong from the beginning, i.e. sinning, and that it is for this purpose that the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of evil and the trespassers or aggressors.
1 John 3:8 NHEBJE He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.
In the next postings you shall come to see how through later prophecies we can discover that only Jeshua could be the seed of Genesis 3:15 and the one to restore our relationship with the divine Creator, our heavenly Father, and what the importance is of that Nazarene man, who we have to recognise as the Son of God, and not a god son, God dwelling in him, so that God also may dwell in us and we in Him.
1 John 4:15 NHEBJE Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God.
The Victory Is Ours to Share
The 1st Adam, being made in the image of God, was followed up by the 2nd Adam, also made in God’s image, like we are made in God’s image. All being children of flesh and blood, having our own weaknesses. Jesus also a man of flesh and blood who also shared in our humanity, put his own will aside so that he might destroy the originator of evil, the tempter or nachash, the ‘serpent‘ who holds the power of death, most people do know by the name “devil”. By his ransomoffer Jesus could free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Hebrews 2:14-15 NHEBJE Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, (15) and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
It is by Christ offering himself for all mankind that we are liberated and have a prospect for a better future.
“When Christ [Messiah] died for our sins, Satan was disarmed and defeated. The one eternally destructive weapon that he had was stripped from his hand — namely, his accusation before God that we are guilty and should perish with him,” {John Piper (Desiring God)}.
Conclusion
We have seen how the first human beings (the man and mannin) already early at the beginning of times rebelled against their Maker. They had gone in into their own false thoughts that God would withhold something for them, or on purpose kept certain things secret for them,so that they would not get the same power as God. They had everything they could wish for but wanted more.
Having gone wrong they had to learn that there was a severe consequence of obeying the slanderer, destroyer, and adversary of God. It has been mandatory and expensive, namely the separation from direct contact with God, not always seeing and feeling the love of God.
We as descendants of the offspring of the progeny of those who came in the lineage of the children of Adam and Eve, we too have the defects of the damaged cake mould. Today we do have to make our own choice like Eve and Adam had to choose. Today we should be able to come to see who the bruiser is and who the one man is who can bring salvation for us.
While there may also be consequences in our lifetime to obeying the adversary, the eternal consequence of trusting in the Nazarene rabbi Jeshua, son of man and son of God, as our Messiah and Deliverer shall bring us the hope to enjoy a magnificent security, safety, and God’s chesed (merciful love) that can never be taken away from us, even when so many around us may try to destroy us or to make our life agony. whatever may happen to us, serious accidents, horrible things, when we trust Jesus we shall have the assurance of the hope, and then there shall be nothing able to separate us from the love of God that is in Messiah Jeshua our lord.
Romans 8:38-39 NHEBJE For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, (39) nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The answer is foundational to our faith because within this first Messianic Prophecy mentioned in the Bible lies our fate of eternal separation from God. Too many christians limit the Bible to the second main part, the Messianic Writings, forgetting about the first main part which already tells everything we should know.
That big first block of writings also reveals our Father’s promise to send someone who will restore us back into eternal life with Him. All people should be able to find the clues to come to recognise who that promised one, the Messiah might be.
Let’s look at this prophecy in Genesis 3:15 that some Christians for that first mention of the Saviour calls it also the First Gospel.
In that book by Moses, about the beginning of times, telling what went wrong in the Garden of Eden, we find God telling the tempter or serpent:
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring [seed/ zera] and her offspring [seed/ zera]. He will pound your head, and you will bite his heel.” (Artscroll Tanach)
Of course, followers of Jeshua believe the seed refers to him as the coming Messiah and Deliverer. there is the Most High Deliverer Who has provided a deliverer on earth, which we as Christians do believe to be the sent one from God, rabbi Jeshua.
In the coming chapters we shall show you how we can see or find out why that master teacher Jeshua is this deliverer. When you follow the texts in the Pre-Messianic Scriptures or Old Testament you shall see that every prophecy about the Messiah that follows clarifies his mission and reveals a little more about when, where, and how he will be born, live and die.
But many modern Rabbis today believe that the idea of a Messiah did not begin until the late eighth century BCE, about 500 years after Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible.
In the following writings I hope to show you how already from Moses time people came to hear from Adam and Eve their descendants there could be hope and from the messengers of God who also gave them signals to look out for a liberator.
I hope to unravel the many ancient prophecies through Jewish literature and Christian thought and hope you too shall discover who is the seed that would pound on the head of the serpent.
Painting from Manafi al-Hayawan (The Useful Animals), depicting Adam and Eve. From Maragh in Mongolian Iran. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In the previous chapters or blogwriting you could find how Eve got in her the doubt growing of God’s right to govern everything and how she heard a voice wondering
“Did God actually say, ‘You are not to eat from any tree of the garden’?”
That question made Eve ponder the serpent’s question. Though God told her not to eat from that one tree in the centre of the garden, lest she die, she came to pick its fruit, examining it, and considering the serpent’s words:
“You surely will not die,” he says. On the contrary, “your eyes will be opened and you’ll become like elohim.”
The Divine Creator had given each of His creation the free choice. She could have let her thoughts pass but thinking God was hiding something for her she wanted to see what He hold back from her. She did not trust Him any more and followed her own feelings of distrust.
Though God had warned them, the consequence is expensive.
Obey God’s word and live. Disobey and die.
“Why did it have to be snakes?”
asks Indiana Jones.
The Hebrew word for serpent is nachash (נָחָשׁ). If we look at the original word pictures for each of these letters, we can get some insight into the serpent’s mission and purpose.
The picture for nun (נ) is a seed or fish and means life or activity.
The picture for chet (ח) is a fence or wall and means separation or private.
The picture for shin (ש) is teeth and means to destroy, consume, or sharpen.
In this light form of word study, we find that nachash can represent the fencing in of a life for the purpose of destroying it.
Too many people want to see a literal “serpent” or “snake” here and do not see the Hebrew language and “way of speaking” of Moshe (Moses). We must understand that man, created in the image of God, having received a will or way of thinking, able to make their own free choices, it was up to Eve to make choices when she was somewhere or wanted to do something.
She, like anybody now, was free to dream and to have ideas in her head. But when she had certain ideas which went in against the Will of God it was up to her to decide to follow them or to put them away.
In the Bereshit is told how already at the beginning of times, man by letting their thoughts wander got lured into disobedience, the nachash fenced in humanity, placing us in bondage to his world, and sentencing us to separation from God forever.
In Genesis 3:1, we discover that his success as nachash comes by being crafty and cunning:
“Now the serpent [nachash] was craftier than any wild animal in the field which Yehovah God had made.”
We are told in Jewish literature that this serpent is none other than satan, the adversary of God like we can find such adversaries like Peter or the one who “rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.” (1 Chronicles 21:1; as described by the medieval French Bible philosopher and grammarian Rabbi David Kimhi (Kimchi or Qimḥi) CE 1160–1235, known by the acronym RaDaK, in his commentary on Genesis 3:15).
Lots of Christians have taken the Hebrew word for adversary satan, as a name instead of a subject or title. Lots of people tend to make Satan a proper name by capitalizing it, in Hebrew, it is usually used as a common noun throughout the Tanakh (Old Testament) to mean “adversary.”
In the Brit Chadashah (New Testament) the Greek words satanas (satan) and diabolos (devil) are used interchangeably. In the Kethuvim Bet we do find those people who make false or malicious reports or those who bring injurious deflamation by spoken words or by looks, signs, or gestures, being called diabolos or slanderer. In the garden those thoughts which came up in Eve‘s mind where there to falsely accuse God to malign and destroy His position. Of course, lying about God is part of any adversary of God or satan’s strategic success as well.
Though the adversary won a great victory over humanity in seducing Eve to disobey God, he did not stop there. She having done a fault, having lured Adam also in her conspiracy against God, both broke the good relationship with God and having such fault this came also over their children and their descendants.
The adversary of God having made its entrance in the world of man would further turn its attention to destroy the lineage of the first woman or mannin Eve, and preventing this seed from arriving. In the following years we can even find a by God chosen anointedKing David from whose lineage the Messiah would come (see Micah 5:2) to move his heart toward glorifying himself (1 Chronicles 21:1–17) and even having some one being killed so that he could have that man’s wife. By counting how many men under his command were fit for war, David could for a moment forget that God provided these men for His own glory, not David’s. David’s choice to take a census of Israel was free for him to make. The consequence to Israel was mandatory and expensive.
Seventy thousand men in King David’s kingdom died.
Throughout history we see how many adversaries or satans stood up to fight God and lovers of God. Many tried to defame or to calumniate like a diabolos the Most High Elohim. But the many Bible books show us how the God of gods always was mightier than the other gods or opponents.
From the beginning God gave man (Adam and Eve) just a few rules, to which they had to keep. They could have kept them but choose not. For that it can well be that The Most High has a way of removing from our lives that which we desire more than Him.
We always should remember that God is not a cruel dictator and potentate. Some Christians let others think that by saying that no man is able to live up to the commandments of God. God never required more from man than what they could cope. He even for those who went wrong provided solutions to come back on track.
In His great mercy, though, God preserved David’s bloodline and the Messianic promise.
The Divine Creator of heaven and earth wished not to leave the ones sent out of the Garden of Eden on their own. Though Adam and Eve rebelled against God, Him having expelled them, the Elohim was willing to stay close to them and to help there where He could or where it was appropriate to help them. Like any wise parent God did not want to spoil man and wanted them to learn the matters of life. To help them going through the strugglesof life after a while God gave mankind His Words or Sayings, beginning with the 10 Sayings, or ten commandments, so they could follow them.
Last weekend (6 and 7 Adar) we celebrated ‘Matan Torah‘, that giving of Torah and Moses having written down God’s Words for us, making it possible up to today to read what had happened in the past, and see how the relation between God and man became defiled but also how it can be restored again.
Moses was the first who got the honour to write down the Words of God and recalling the history of God His People. After him God asked also other men to write down His Will and His advice. After some centuries the world got 17 history books where we may find how God made his ways to Moses and His acts unto the children of Israel (Psalm 103:7). After 5 books of poetry, God revealed His Will and what He was planning to do with man. Ten books concentrate on the prophecies and the promises God made recognisable for mankind.
The twin themes of both Old and New Testaments are:
the Kingdom of God
the solution against the curse of death, the Messiah, Christ Jesus
In the next series of this site we shall show that there is a good reason to call this site “Messiah for all” and how this Messiah was already announced from the beginning of times. I shall try to show you that in the ancient writings enough indication was given to come to know who that Messiah might be and what his role would be for mankind.
***
Everett Fox
For the series showing the prophesies around the Messiah I shall use the bible translation of the American scholar and translator of the Hebrew BibleEverett Fox, who holds the Allen M. Glick Chair in Judaic and Biblical Studies at Clark University in Worcester Massachusetts. His Schocken bible is heavily influenced by the principles of the German religious philosophersMartin Buber and Franz Rosenzweig. They started their translation of the Hebrew Bible into German in the mid-twenties and Buber finished it in to 1961 to have it published in 1962. Fox found that translation an unique translation, which tries to hew close to the rhythm and forms of the Hebrew text. He attempted an English translation of Genesis in a similar vein. Over the years, it grew — from a text-only publication in Response magazine to a volume of introduction, text, notes, and commentary, and finally, in 1995, to the publication of The Five Books of Moses by the publishing company of Salman Schocken in New York City, Schocken Verlag (Schocken Books).
The Five Books of Moses, translated by Everett Fox, based on the Buber-Rosenzweig translation of the Hebrew Bible.
Fox co-translated Martin Buber and Franz Rosenzweig their Scripture and Translation into English with Lawrence Rosenwald of Wellesley College (Weissbort and Eysteinsson 562), and presented a new rendering of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, demonstrating the living character of scripture in the modern world.
The guiding principle behind Fox’s translation is that the Hebrew Bible, like much of ancient literature, was meant to be read aloud. Many passages and sections are understandable in depth only when they are analyzed as they are heard. Thus, by preserving such devices as repetition, allusion, alliteration and wordplay, by mimicking the rhythm and the sound structure of the original text, Fox’s translation echoes the Hebrew, conveying ideas and meanings in a manner that vocabulary alone cannot do. His translation is accompanied by extensive commentary and illuminating notes.
Those people coming from the first man and woman in a certain way got infected by the wrong choice these people made.
See No Evil (film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
God gave a free will to the human beings He created. He did not want them to go wrong or to have it bad, but because they objected to His ruling or His position, He gave them the right to take care of the world themselves how they wanted to do it themselves. He had given them the free will and now they were totally responsible for all the choices they were going to make themselves.
God Himself does not causes bad things to happen to His people but He allows the things to evolve like man lets it evolve and as such allows also to happen things which are not so pleasant for man but are consequences of their acts, they had chosen themselves to do. God allowing such things, good and bad, to happen to man sometimes is to remind man of his position and to let them feel that sin has a price.
You should look at the Creator as a Father who does like any parent, wanting to have the best for his kids, also giving them instructions not to be mean, but to help them on their way of growing up. The omniscient God can see what the ravages of man’s sin looks like, and He desires to spare them for such bad things. For that reason He also gave His Word so that man could learn from it, could see how other people in the past lived their way in this world of good and evil.
God knew very well why it would not be good for man to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It was not because He didn’t want them to taste something good or wanted to hold something good back from them. God was well aware of the destruction and devastation knowledge of good and evil could cause to man.
As children of those who chose the other way than God had prepared for man we still have to reap the effects of that choice today. Man should come to recognise that all he has to to endure in life is not placed on them by the Divine CreatorGod, nor by an extraterrestrial devilish being called Satan, but by our own choices and unwillingness to submit to God His direction for our life.
God does not hate man nor does He hate the world, but He would like it that man comes to love Him and comes to recognise Who He is and what He has done for mankind. Throughout history God always has been around and was always ready to be there for those who wanted Him to have Him nearby and helping them.
God has been very patient with man, but He also wanted to limit the time man would be going on his own stupidity. Therefore he offered mankind His Plan with the promise of a saviour, who would shown man Who God is and how to come closer to God. To give mankind a second chance, God provided what is called a second Adam. Again God provided a ‘new’ fresh ‘man‘ of flesh, blood and bones, who could proof that man was able to put his own man’s will aside to come to do the Will of God. Jesus is that promised one who managed to do that. He is the only begottenbeloved son of God who is given to us to show us the Way to God and who made things told in the ancient times clear, giving insight to those who did not see yet.
In the next series we shall look how God kept His first promise made in the Garden of Eden, to bring forth a person who was to bring an end to the sting of death. We shall look how God repeated several times His promise of a solution against the curse of death and how He provided signs to which we could get to know when it was the moment that promise became a reality, so that nobody should doubt that the promise made in the garden had become into the flesh. (John 1:1)
In the next postings we shall show you how in the ancient times God prepared the way for that light for mankind to come and how hope could grow to come closer to the times of the coming Kingdom of God when the best theocratic system would be there to have this world organised in the best way, bringing peace to all people.
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