Tag Archives: Isaiah

One of the coolest Messianic prophecies in the Bible

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Yeshua—YHVH Elohim’s gift to mankind from heaven!

Read and study the Bible and discover the genius of the Creator’s mind breathed into its words. Fall in love with the Elohim and his Word as you read it, and let it transform your life and thinking! — Natan

Notes from Natan’s Bible commentary:

Isaiah 7:11–17, A sign. This is an amazing prophecy—a twofer prophetically showcasing the genius of the Creator’s ability to accomplish so much by saying so little. Here Isaiah prophecies to the rebellious Jewish king his kingdom’s (and hence his own) downfall, but at that same time, the rising up of the King Messiah to be born of a virgin woman as well as being deity. So while Isaiah prophesies judgment upon the apostate southern kingdom of Judah, at the same time he is giving a message of hope in predicting the coming Messiah—the ultimate and eternal hope of Elohim’s people even in the midst of darkness and judgment.

Isaiah 7:11, A sign … either in the depth, or in the height above. Sign is the Hebrew word owth (Strong’s H226) meaning “sign, token, signal, a beacon, a monument, evidence, prodigy or omen.” Traditionally, Christians have viewed this passage along with the following verses as a prophecy concerning the Messiah would be born of a virgin. Some who are opposed to the virgin birth interpretation of Isaiah 7:14 will say that owth is never used in Scripture in reference to a miraculous sign. To the contrary, there are numerous examples in the Scriptures where owth is indeed used in reference to a miraculous sign (e.g. Exod 4:8, 9, 17, 28, 30; 7:3; 8:23; 10:1, 2; Num 14:22; Deut 4:34; 6:22; 7:19; 11:3; 2 Kgs. 20:8–11; Neh 9:10; Isa 20:3; Jer 32:20, 21). For example, owt describes such supernatural occurrences as rods becoming serpents, the Nile turning to blood, the death of the Egypt’s first born, the splitting of the Red Sea or time moving backward ten degrees on Hezekiah’s sundial. So when Isa 7:11–14 uses the word owth to describe a virgin miraculously giving birth to a child, such an interpretation is not a biblical hermeneutical twist on this scripture.

The word depth is the Hebrew masculine noun aymek (Strong’s H6009 from H6010) meaning “valley or depression.” This same Hebrew word in its adjective form (same spelling, different vowel points) refers to the depths of sheol or hell (Prov 9:18; Job 11:8). In Psalm 139:15, David in reference to his formation in his mother’s womb (verse 13) says, “I … was curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth (Heb. aretz). Aretz (Strong’s H776) is the commonly used word for earth or land in Scripture. A valley or depression is the lowest part of the earth. Here David figuratively likens his mother’s womb to a low place or depression in the earth. Though the Hebrew words for depth in Isaiah 7:11 and lowest parts in Psalm 139:15 are different, the Hebraic concepts seem connected and analogous.

Height is the Hebrew word gabahh (Strong’s H1361) and means “to soar, to be lofty, to exalt.” This root word in its adjective form is also gabahh (Strong’s H1362) with the only difference between the two words being a slight vowel pronunciation difference in the second syllable. This word means “lofty or high.” We see this adjective used in Job 35:5 as a poetic reference to heaven (Heb. shamayim) as well as in Isaiah 55:9; Psalm 103:11 (“For as the heaven/shamayim is high above the earth …” or “according to the heights of heaven” (alternate Hebrew rendering, KJV marginal notes).

Above, which is opposite the word height in the passage under analysis, is the word ma’al (Strong’s H4605) meaning “upward, above, overhead, from the top, exceedingly.” Thus, the phrase in this verse could be rendered as highest heaven (where YHVH abides). The word ma’al can be used as an adjective to refer to heaven above where YHVH dwells (Deut 4:39; Josh 2:11).

What is the point we are trying to make here? YHVH prophesies, through Isaiah, that he will give a supernatural, miraculous sign to the house of Judah from both the depths (or womb of a woman) and the highest heavens. In verse 14 Isaiah speaks of the (the Hebrew uses the definite article the) virgin or the young maiden (depending on your Bible translation) giving birth to a son named Immanuel meaning “El With Us.” Now great controversy has raged as to the meaning of the word virgin (Heb. almah). Does it refer simply to a young maiden or to an actual virgin? Much has been written by scholars on both sides of this hotly debated issue and it is outside the scope of this work to deal with this particular subject. Both sides (the pro-virgin birth side and the anti-virgin birth of Messiah side) have valid points to their credit. This author maintains that if Isaiah 7:14 were to stand alone, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to prove the virgin birth of the Messiah either way. However, with the context of verse 11 considered (not to mention the other references in the Tanakh referring to the virgin birth of the Messiah (e.g., Gen 3:15; Isa 9:6–7; Pss 2:7; 110:1–7), it seems that Isaiah had one thing in mind in penning verse 14: the Messiah would be born of a virgin. He would be formed in the womb of a woman (without the seed of a man (see Gen 3:15) and at the same time would originate from the highest heaven. This seems to be a clear reference to the incarnation, that YHVH would miraculously fuse (by the Spirit of Elohim [Matt 1:20]) with the physical egg of a woman to form the Yah-Man (God-Man) referred to in Christian theology as the incarnation or the hypostatic union.

 

“Children are their oppressors…women rule over them.”

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Isaiah 3:1–5, 12, YHVH…takes away…children…insolent…women rule over them. When YHVH’s judgment comes on a sinful nation, godly leadership and his protection is removed from that nation leaving a moral and spiritual vacuum. When the fear of Elohim is gone, so goes wisdom. With the absence of the wise, fools and the foolish rise up and take over a nation. This godless vacuum will soon be filled with ungodly, silly and rebellious youth and feminized male leaders and masculinized female leaders—Ahabs and Jezebels! Children who are insolent against their parents and elders are proof of the spiritual declension of a nation and YHVH’s hand being taken off that nation and his resulting judgment against it are the result. Isaiah clearly lays out this process in this passage. The cause and effect results were as true then with ancient Judah as they are today with modern America.

Since my youth (growing up in the 1960s and 70s), I have seen children go from acting respectfully to their parents and adults in general (“Yes sir,” “No Sir,” “Mr.” and Mrs.”) to total foul-mouthed disrespect and mocking scorn for older people. Correction and discipline of these rebellious brats has gone out the window, been tossed in the trash can of political correctness. When was the last time you saw a paddle in the school principal’s office? It was the norm in my day. Now such a school leader would be fired and convicted of “child abuse.” Moreover, gender roles, in many cases, have been reversed. The term “house husband” now has common currency. Many women have become masculine and men have become feminized. As an example of this, names that have been traditionally reserved for the male gender or now popular for girls along with woman smoking cigars, sporting tatoos, men wearing hair buns, earrings, painting their toenails, and the list goes on. Now there’s even gender identity confusion and “gender reassignment” operations. Is it any wonder?

This process has been horrendously sad and deeply painful for those of us in the older generation to watch, but it is merely symptomatic of a nation that has turned its back on Elohim. We know what things used to be like when families still went to church, there was prayer in schools, patriotism was taught in our institutions of education, mothers raised their children at home, divorce was rare, godly masculinity was a virtue and the fear of Elohim and adherence to biblical values still, to one degree or another, was the norm societally.

This is much more than looking back and waxing eloquent for the good old days. It’s about mourning for a nation that has lost its moral and spiritual compass and has gone from a God-fearing nation to one that loathes to keep Elohim in its memory, and is too blind by its own pride and self-absorption to recognize that two plus two equals four.

May YHVH Elohim help us to be children of his light in these times of gross darkness. Do not become weary in well-doing!

 

Isaiah: “I am a man of unclean lips…”

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Isaiah 6:5, Man of unclean [Heb. tamay] lips. Profanity, cursing and swearing—foul and unclean words from the lips of ungodly people—surrounds and overwhelms us like a tidal wave of barnyard manure! Nowadays it’s the norm, not the exception—even for women. This can have an adverse influence on the saint, too.

Like barnacles attaching themselves to a ship or a whale, the bad habit of unclean words can attach themselves to the otherwise righteous saint. The downward, magnetic pull of Baalism is ever with us and is powerful. The upward pull toward Elohim and righteousness…well, that’s another thing—is not always so strong!

Was this the case in Isaiah’s day as he found himself surrounded by apostate, backslid Israel? Did he struggle with profanity and impure words? Is this why he had to ask YHVH to cleanse his unclean [Heb. tamay] lips? Tamay means “polluted, impure or defiled both ethically and religiously.”

We must cry out to YHVH to deliver us from the often involuntary habit of profanity and polluted words. By his Spirit, he can and will. But, again again, like barnacles on a ship’s hull, this habit often tries to reattach itself to our lips. From time to time, a ship has to have its hull scraped of these pesky and unclean crustaceans, or seek the cleansing waters of a fresh water port. Barnacles can’t survive in fresh water and fall off. Likewise, may the cleansing waters of YHVH’s Word wash our minds and mouths of foul, unclean words that leaven our souls and contaminate our spirit man.

Here’s another example of the struggle against barnacles. Barnacle encrusted whales catapult themselves out of the water not merely to show off, but to knock the barnacles off of them through the slapping action of the water against their bodies.

Similarly, sometimes we have to take determined action and cry out to Elohim for his strength to break the curse of the bad habits of unclean words coming from our lips. This is part of the deleavening process that we will spend a lifetime engaged in! May YHVH give us help and strength to overcome this tidal wave of evil!

Can I be honest with you without getting stoned? Yesterday I slipped on a wet rock, and went tumbling to the ground. I hit my thumb against another rock and almost broke it. It was bent backwards so far that I’m shocked the bone didn’t break. O the grace of Elohim…! A broken thumb on my right hand would have prevented me from working for weeks. No income…not a good thing for me! I wish that I could tell you that “bless Yeshua!” were the first words that came out of my mouth when I took my spill. Sadly, they weren’t. Can anyone relate? Or are you all walking on water 24/7? My thumb is much better this morning, and I’m planning to go to work. Again, the grace of Elohim. I praise him!!!

Time to deleaven for the upcoming Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

 

Will You Be Deluded into Following “the Big Lie?”

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Isaiah 66:4, I choose their delusions. When people who know the truth of YHVH apostatise from his truth, in an effort to bring them back to him, he will discipline them as a loving parent to bring his children back to him. This process begins when people allow false gods or heart idols to replace devotion and obedience to YHVH (Ezek 14:1–5).

Many times, people seek YHVH’s blessings and favor, while at the same time worshiping the idols of their hearts. When a person is in this spiritual condition and they ask for YHVH’s guidance in a matter, a person isn’t able to clearly hear the will of YHVH, since any light of truth they may receive from him will be filtered through the tinted windows of their idolatrous hearts. They will hear only what they want to hear from him. In fact, YHVH promises to answer a person “according to the multitude of his idols” because he is “estranged from me by [his] idols” (Ezek 14:5). This is part of the humbling and testing process YHVH puts his people through as they trek through the wilderness of life en route to the Promised Land of their spiritual inheritance. He wants to see what’s in their hearts and determine whether they will obey all of his commandments whole-heartedly or not (Deut 8:2–3).

As a judgment against his wayward people, YHVH will allow them to come under spiritual delusion in an effort to bring them back to him in hopes of helping them to see that the proverbial grass isn’t greener on the other side of the fence.

This is what happened to the prodigal son in Yeshua’s parable when he returned to his father’s house after having lived riotously for a season.

When people turn from YHVH and choose to serve other (or foreign) gods (or idols), YHVH may allow those gods to rise up to enslave his people (Jer 5:19).

Sometimes YHVH will even send a deluding or lying demonic spirit to further deceive his hard-hearted and rebellious people (2 Chr 18:22).

During the end times apostasy, YHVH will send a strong delusion to his saints who don’t love his truth enough to fully obey him. They will end up believing “the big lie”  of the man of sin. This man of sin is the agent of Satan and whom Paul characterizes as the lawless or Torahless one (2 Thess 2:8–12).

 

What Scripture Says About the Messianic Era or Millennium

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Lion& Lamb 1

The Millennium or Messianic Era lasts for a 1000 years. (Rev 20:2–7)

The regathering back into the land of Israel (the Promised Land) of Israelites who have been scattered throughout the earth in fulfillment of YHVH’s promises to Abraham is to occur. (Jer 32:36–38; Isa 14:1–2; Isa 60: 4, 9)

Ancient Israel entering the Promised Land is a type of believers entering into the Millennium. (Heb 3–4)

During the Millennium the following is to occur:

Elohim will live with his people. (Ezek 37:26–28)

David will rule as King over Israel. (Ezek 37:24–25)

YHVH’s annual feasts will be kept by all people. (Ezek 46:3–6; cf Col 2,16–17)

YHVH’s government will be established on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. Torah will go forth from Mount Zion and the nations will go up to Mount Zion to worship YHVH in the house (temple) of YHVH. (Mic 4:1–2)

A highway of YHVH, or a highway of holiness will lead to Zion. (Isa 35:8–10)

Whether literal or spiritual, living waters will flow from Jerusalem and Yeshua’s throne. In Ezekiel’s vision, water was flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east. (Ezek 47:1; also Zech 14:8)

On the banks of this river, there were very many trees on each side. (Ezek. 47:6–9)

People will live to a very old age. (Isa 65:20)

Crowds of people will flock to Jerusalem. (Zech 2:1–4; Isa 49:14)

The temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt. (Zech 6:15; 14:20–21; Hag 2:6–9)

The Messiah will be king over the whole world. (Zech 6:9–13; Isa 11:1–5; Rev 20:6; 5:9–10)

The nations that do not want to serve and obey YHVH will be destroyed. (Isa 60:12; Zech 14:16–19; Isa 9:5–7)

The Millennium is the fulfillment of many glorious prophetic promises YHVH has made concerning his people of Israel (including Christians). Many Christians see the Millennium as the place where the righteous Israelites (i.e. Jews) will reign with Messiah, while the Christians will be reigning spiritually in heaven. In other words, the Jews have a physical inheritance or kingdom on this earth, while the Christians have a spiritual inheritance and kingdom in heaven. For those who believe this way, the Millennium is a symbolic metaphor for heaven.

For those who believe that the Millennium is merely a symbolic metaphor, the 70 or so scriptures in the Tanakh dealing with the Messianic Age are assigned to the “church.” To interpret Scripture in this manner is a form of spiritualization of the peshat or plain meaning of these prophecies and a form of replacement theology where the church as replaced the Jewish people. Much of this confusion stems from not knowing who Israel is as opposed to the Jews (descended primarily from the tribe of Judah, which is only one of the twelve tribes of Israel).

In my understanding of the Millennium, we take literally the words of Yeshua when he said that the meek would inherit the earth (Matt 5:5), not heaven. For us, this means that YHVH’s people, the saints, made up of both the Jews and those of the nations who combine in Yeshua to become the one new man and nation of Israel (Eph 2:11–19) and part of the olive tree of Israel (Rom 11:17ff), and are the seed of Abraham (Rom 4:16; 9:8–11; Gal 3:7,  8,  14,  28–29). These people will rule with Yeshua as kings and priests in his kingdom on earth for a thousand years during his millennial kingdom on earth (Rev 1:6; 5:10).

 

Isaiah 61:10–63:9, YHVH to Defeat Israel’s Enemies and to Give Israel’s Exiles Salvation

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Isaiah 61:10, He has clothed me with garments of salvation … robes of righteousness. The Hebrew word for salvation is Yesha (Strong’s H3468), which forms the root for the word yeshua meaning “salvation,” which, of course is the derivation of the Messiah’s personal name, Yeshua. How does Scripture define the word righteousness? (For the brief answer, reference Ps 119:172.) We see in this verse an interplay between the concepts of being clothed in Messiah’s salvation and works of righteousness, which is Torah obedience. Now relate these two concepts to Ephesians 2:8–9, which describes how we are saved spiritually, and then to Ephesians 2:10, which describes the proof of our salvation.

Now let’s take the next step in our line of logic by turning to Revelation 12:17 and 14:12 to discover what are the identifying marks of the end-time saints. Now relate this to the robes of righteousness the bride of Yeshua will be wearing in Revelation 19:7–9 with special emphasis on verse 8. The KJV reads, “for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints,” while both the NIV and NAS read “righteous acts” for “righteousness.” What are the Continue reading →

 

Did YHVH Create Evil?

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Isaiah 45:7, Create evil [or calamity]. Based on this verse some may be led to believe that all the evil that occurs in the world is YHVH’s fault, therefore, as the creator of evil, how can he be good? Some have even refused to serve and obey YHVH and rejected the truth of Scripture on the basis of this logic. But what is the truth?

Evil 167774

First, let us analyze the Hebrew word for evil/[r (Strong’s H7451; TWOT 2191). It is the generic Hebrew word meaning evil also meaning “bad, disagreeable, malignant, unpleasant, sad, unhappy, wicked, distress, wrong, injury.

As we can see, evil is only one of the many and varied definitions of the Hbrew word ra which can also mean “distress, adversity, unhappiness and sadness.” Can “bad” things happen to people that end up being good for the person? Of course. Such has happened to all of us many times in our lives. Keep this point in mind.

According to The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, the word ra has as its primary definition “the lack of quality or inferior quality of something or someone and is thus unable to meet standards of value or function beneficially.” The word can connote Continue reading →