Category Archives: Yeshua/Jesus

Who or What is the Word of Elohim/God?

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John 1:1, The Word was Elohim.Is Yeshua or the Father the God (Elohim) of the Old Testament (Tanakh)? For many believers in Yeshua, there is confusion as to who it was in the Godhead who interacted with the Israelites in the Tankah. Was it the Father or the Son? In the minds of the apostolic writers, there was no confusion about this. Yeshua, in his preincarnate state, was the One that YHVH Elohim the Father used to both create (John 1:3; Col 1:16; Heb 11:3), and then to interact with mankind. He was the Word of YHVH Elohim, the Father, who become flesh and dwelt among men (verse 14). This truth is easily confirmed in several passages in the Testimony of Yeshua (New Testament).

First, Yeshua himself claims to be YHVH or the I Am of the burning bush (see John 8:58 cp. Exod 3:14). The Jews viewed Yeshua’s claim to be deity as blasphemous, which is why they picked up stones to kill him (John 8:59). Next, Yeshua in declaring to the Jewish religious leaders that “I send you prophets, wise men and scribes: some you will kill…” (Matt 23:34), he is claiming the rights and prerogatives of YHVH — a right and role that solely belonged to YHVH in the Tanakh.

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Yeshua, the Light of the Morning and Born of a Virgin, Prophesied in Psalms

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Psalm 110:1–7, From the womb of the morning. We have once again before us another one of the classic Messianic passages in the Hebrew Scriptures and this has been so recognized by both Jewish and Christian theologians for millennia (Heb 1:13; Acts 2:34; 1 Cor 15:25; Eph 1:21–22; Matt 22:41–46). For example, the medieval rabbinical sages Rashi, Ibn Ezra and others recognized the Messianic implications of this Psalm The Messiah in the Old Testament, p. 123ff, by Risto Santala).

The phrase, “from the womb of the morning/dawn” is an interesting one. Christian exegetes have interpreted this to be speaking of the virgin birth. Early church father, Justin Martyr, understood this phrase to be a reference to the virgin birth (Dialogue, chap. 63, ca. a.d. 160). Adam Clarke, apprentice to and then associate of John Wesley, in his notable commentary (1810-1826), writes: “As the dew flows from the womb of the morning, so shall all the godly from thee. They are the dew of thy youth; they are the offspring of thy own nativity. As the human nature of our Lord was begotten by the creative energy of Elohim in the womb of the virgin; so the followers of Elohim are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, but by the Divine Spirit” (Clarke’s Commentary, vol. 3, p. 582).

The word womb is the Hebrew word rechem (Strong’s H7358) and the KJV translates this word as womb in 21 of 26 times it occurs in the Hebrew Scriptures. Quite frankly, womb is what this word means both literally and figuratively.

The next word under consideration is morning which is the Hebrew word mishchar (Strong’s H4891) meaning “day-breaking or dawn.” Psalm 110:3 is the only occurrence of this word’s usage in the Hebrew Scriptures, therefore, there is no linguistic backdrop against which to juxtapose this word to ascertain easily its meaning.

Let us therefore take another approach to unlocking the mystery of this phrase. Are there other Scriptures which express parallel ideas relating the Messiah’s coming to being similar to the sun’s rising which may give us an expanded meaning? 

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A Gift for Yeshua: Why I Love Him—Reflections on His Nativity

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In December, many people think of the birth of Jesus (Yeshua). Most people who are knowledgable know that he wasn’t born in December, but in the early fall. But nine months before the actual time of his birth puts us at the end of December when Yeshua was conceived—when the life of our Savior began in Mary’s womb. It was at this time that the heaven-sent Yeshua, miraculously pierced the spiritual darkness of the this world at the darkest time of the year. This divine spark of life in the womb of a woman would become the spiritual light of this world to lead men out of the darkness of sin and evil and to the supernal light of his Father, Elohim, and to eternal life.

Whether you celebrate the birth of the babe in the manger in December or in the fall, Yeshua’s arrival is still heaven’s ultimate love gift to humanity as John 3:16 says. “For Elohim so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Please stop for a moment and quiet your heart and mind to reflect on the significance of this momentous event that occurred in the tiny town of Bethlehem some 2000 years ago.

For years since I was a child, my mind fully believed what the Bible tells us about the birth of Yeshua. But it wasn’t until much later, as an adult, that, while I was alone one night and quietly seeking Elohim, that the revelation of the priceless nature of Elohim’s love gift to me literally pierced my heart like a lightening bolt from heaven. As a result of this supernatural revelation and an overwhelming sense of Elohim’s love that accompanied it flowing through me like warm oil, I fell to my knees in worshipful and reverential awe as my heart came alive to just how much Elohim loved me personally—a sinner who deserved death. That night changed my life forever. They say that the eighteen inches between the head and the heart is the greatest distance in existence. My head and heart know this is to be true. Now they were united!

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