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Some Things You May Not Know About the Spirit of Elohim
The mainstream Christian church talks a lot about the Holy Spirit, and we can learn much from them on this subject. However, it important to review the church’s understanding of this member of the Godhead in light of a more holistic, whole Bible, Hebraic perspective. In so doing, we might make some important discoveries that we have previously overlooked.
Let’s first make sure that our terminologies are correct. In Hebrew, the words for Holy Spirit is Ruach haKodesh meaning “Set-Apart Spirit.” Set-Apart Spirit is a better translation of the Hebrew than is “Holy Spirit” because of the pagan origins of the word holy, as we will discuss below. The Torah forbids the saints from taking on their lips the names of pagan deities (Exod 23:13). This is pretty hard to do, since there are many English words that have pagan derivations. If at all possible, to follow the command of the Torah, we should endeavor not to use any of names of pagan deities in reference to Elohim. Holy, God and Lord would be examples of names that have pagan connotations.
How the Holy Spirit Fits into the Godhead
Where does the Christian concept of the trinity fit into the biblical concept of the “Godhead” (for lack of a better term)? The doctrine of the trinity is an ancient Christian concept that goes back to the early church fathers. Suffice it to say, the term trinity isn’t found in the Bible. The one Bible verse that some Christians will use to try to substantiate this doctrine is 1 John 5:7. In fact, this verse was added to the Bible by a misguided Christian copiest in about the ninth century, and is not found in the earliest Greek versions of the Testimony of Yeshua (New Testament). Christian scholars recognize this as any will honest Bible commentary. This verse is the one and only verse in the Bible that should be crossed out and removed.
It is beyond the scope of this paper to discuss or critique the Christian doctrine of the trinity. All this author cares about is what the Bible has to say on the subject, which we will Continue reading
I’m back…! No, I didn’t die
Shalom everyone! Sandi and I just got back from a four day trailer camping trip up in the high mountains of south central Oregon that stretched into a five day, then into an eight day trip.
Usually when I’m gone, I pre-schedule blog posts to fit with the scripture for the day according to our Bible reading schedule. However, I decided to give myself and you a break this time.
You see, keeping this blog up requires a lot of time and effort—many hours each week. Sometimes we all need a break. It is my privilege to do serve the body of Yeshua through this blog, and YHVH Elohim commissioned me many years ago to “feed his sheep.” This is a responsibility I take very seriously, and dereliction of duty is not something that pleases him. However, he does allow his servants breaks once in a while, so they can recoup, get energized in him and hopefully come back refreshed and ready to serve him with intensified vigor. This we did when we parked our travel trailer by a 5,100 foot elevation mountain lake for the past week and just chilled. More on all of this later, but in the mean time here are several photos. Enjoy!
The view from our trailer.
The view of the lake from our campfire.
Sandi poking her head out from our home on wheels.
The ever changing moods of Diamond Lake—a veritable movie screen as viewed from our front door!
Natan cooking dinner over the campfire.
We made a quick trip to nearby Crater Lake National Park.
Diamond Lake early in the morning.
Blog Scripture Readings for 7-31 Through 8-6-16
Aside
THIS WEEK’S SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION:
Parashat Matot-Masei — Numbers 30:2 (1)* – 36:13
Haftarah — Jeremiah 2:4-28; 3:4
Prophets — Ezekiel 32:1 – 38:23
Writings — Ezra 9:1 – 10:44; Nehemiah 1:1 – 4:23
Testimony — 2 Corinthians 12:1 – 13:14; Galatians 1:1 – 5:26
Most of this week’s blog discussion points will be on these passages. If you have general comments or questions on the weekly Scripture readings not addressed in a blog post, here’s a place for you to post those. Just use the “leave a reply” link below.
The full “Read Through The Scriptures In A Year” schedule, broken down by each day, can be found on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links.” There are 4 sections of scripture to read each day. One each from the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings, and from the Testimony of Yeshua. Each week, the Torah and haftarah readings will follow the traditional one-year reading cycle.
*Verse numbers in parenthesis refer to the verse number in Christian English Bibles when they differ from Hebrew Bibles or the Tanakh.
Weekly Blog Scripture Readings for 7/31 through 8/6/16.
Blog Scripture Readings for 7-24 Through 7-30-16
Aside
THIS WEEK’S SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION:
Parashat Pinchas — Numbers 25:10 – 30:1 (29:40)*
Haftarah — Jeremiah 1:1 – 2:3
Prophets — Ezekiel 25:1 – 31:18
Writings — Ezra 2:1 – 8:36
Testimony — 2 Corinthians 6:1 – 11:33
Most of this week’s blog discussion points will be on these passages. If you have general comments or questions on the weekly Scripture readings not addressed in a blog post, here’s a place for you to post those. Just use the “leave a reply” link below.
The full “Read Through The Scriptures In A Year” schedule, broken down by each day, can be found on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links.” There are 4 sections of scripture to read each day. One each from the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings, and from the Testimony of Yeshua. Each week, the Torah and haftarah readings will follow the traditional one-year reading cycle.
*Verse numbers in parenthesis refer to the verse number in Christian English Bibles when they differ from Hebrew Bibles or the Tanakh.
Weekly Blog Scripture Readings for 7/24 through 7/30/16.
Beware of Modern Balaams!
Balaam — A Subverter of Divine Gifts and a Prophet of Babylon
The name Balaam means “destruction of people.” The Hebrew word bela means “destruction, confuse, confound.” The Hebrew word am means people, tribe, nation. The name Balak means “waster, to annihilate.” He was king of Moab; distant cousins to Israel through Lot, Abraham’s nephew.
Balaam was from Pethor, a city located on the Northern Euphrates and Tigress Rivers areas called Mesopotamia in modern Syria and including modern Iraq to the south.
Balaam was a soothsayer or diviner (one who foretells or predicts events, Josh 13:22). The ArtScroll Stone Edition Chumash says that Balaam was a sorcerer, necromancer or wizard (one who consults evil spirits) and that the sublime prophecies he uttered over Israel were but temporary aberrations that YHVH granted him for the honor of Israel (Ibid., p. 863). These prophecies also served to glorify YHVH in the eyes of the nations. Other commentators consider Balaam to have been a true prophet of YHVH gone bad. One may consider him to have been a bad prophet going good (i.e. learning obedience to YHVH). One could also consider him to have been a false prophet seeking personal fame and fortune but who, at the same time, had prophetic abilities that he misused by mixing paganism and the truth of YHVH. This seems to be the Scriptures’ view of Balaam, for 2 Peter 2:15 indicates that Balaam had some knowledge of the truth, but turned away from Continue reading
What is passing away—the Torah or the covenant?
2 Corinthians 3:11, Passing away. This is not a reference to the Torah-law itself, but to the old or former covenant (i.e., the agreement or contract YHVH and Israel made with each other) as it phases into the new or renewed covenant.
Yeshua initiated the new covenant at his last supper, but it will be finalized with the two houses of Israel (see Jer 31:31, 33 and Heb 8:8) at his second coming when the two sticks or houses of Israel are reunited (see Ezek 37:15–27) at which time he will finalize the new covenant with a reunited Israel (v. 26; see also Isa 54:10; 55:3; 59:21; Ezek 34:25; Jer 32:40; 50:5; Hos 2:18–23).
We are presently in the intermediate phase between the two covenants. To view it from a different perspective, Yeshua betrothed himself to his spiritual bride (redeemed Israel, spiritual Israel or the Israel of Elohim, see Gal 6:16) at his last supper, but will marry her at his second coming. The saints who are now in Yeshua are under the new covenant as the betrothed bride of Yeshua, but all Israel will be brought into the new covenant at his second coming at which time he will finalize the covenant that he initiated with his disciples before his death.