News Letter 5845-031
14th day of the Sixth month 5845 years after creation
The Sixth Month in the Sabbatical Year
The Second Sabbatical Year of the 119th Jubilee Cycle

This Sabbath is the End of the 21st course of Gamul [rewarded] and the Beginning of the 22nd course of Delaiah [Jah has delivered] for those who are to serve in the Temple starting on the first day of the week, Sunday.

It is also the end of the course of Giddalti [I have made great] and the beginning of 22nd course of Mahazioth [visions] for those who are to serve in Music in the Temple

September 5, 2009

Shalom Brethren,

We have the following three headlines this week which are helping to fulfill prophecy.

BOGOTA – Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has the swine flu and officials have advised other South American leaders who met with him at a summit of the infection, authorities said Sunday.

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – Jimena strengthened into a dangerous Category 4 hurricane off Mexico’s Pacific coast Sunday, and forecasters said it could hit the Baja California peninsula as a major storm in the coming days.

LOS ANGELES – Wildfire threatened 12,000 suburban homes and rained ash on cars as far away as downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, spreading in all directions in hot, dry conditions. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urged those in the fire’s path to listen to authorities and get out. And some of our readers have asked for prayers for them and their families who are in the path of this fire.

Also we have had brethren and there are others who are in the line of these fires. Some have had to evacuate on short notice. Others have had the fires change direction for no apparent reason other than brethren praying for each other. Please keep each other in prayer before Yahweh.
Once again I would like to share with you a couple of emails I have had the pleasure of reading.

Shalom Joe, you’ve done it again!! Incredible email: full of teachings, filling in the holes, or contra wise the “bricks missing in the wall” of faith.
On Wednesday morning [19th] as we left early, we did see the last sliver of the moon!! My son was as excited as I was. And I am so inspired by what you wrote of not knowing the day or the hour, and that the moon was not seen in Jerusalem on the Friday night

Oh Joe, please do not become discouraged, where on earth would those of us who love truth be, if it were not for what you are researching and sending the Spiritual Food on to both feed us and most importantly at these latter times to “heal us.” So many Scriptures on healing, I have struggled to have the belief, when anointed with the “salad oil” in times past. Only once in my life and once in my son’s life in Father’s inordinate love and mercy, we experienced healing. The realization now, is that this was His Will, for us to still be here; trudging on, to learn now these amazing truths and be refined, and refined in these latter times. All I can say is, thank you Joe and thank you for loving us and being a true brother to us in the faith.
Australia

Thanks for the great tidbit on Yeshua and when the forty day fast in the wilderness began and ended. Your site is truly amazing!

Oregon

Every month I get one or more emails from people condemning me for using the names of God as found in the King James Bible. Some have even condemned me to hell for doing so. We have all grown up using Jesus and God and Lord to reference the Creator of all things.

I use the name of Yahweh for God and Yeshua for Jesus, when I speak in the first person, and I do not change the King James Version, or articles that I have copied to the site, so that those who are just learning can do so and not have the name jammed down their throats. Let them learn at their own pace.
I have received three articles from Brethren trying to persuade me which way the name should be pronounced, all this past week after I had prepared this article. All three have different spellings for the name.

I am not going to argue with you exactly how it is to be said. I have an article on the web site at https://sightedmoon.com/sightedmoon_2015/?page_id=119 which I believe. Is it right, I do not know? But I am not going to condemn someone who is growing and learning, nor should you.
This week we will see just how great it is to know the name of Yahweh and what it means. We will also answer the question of exactly where in the Tanach is the name of Yehshua told to us. Not the prophecies about the Messiah, but where does it tell us His actual name. I am sure you will find this a most informative study.

I have been studying the teachings of the Hebraic Roots Teaching Institute under Professor WA Liebenberg. http://www.hrti.co.za/default.aspx One of the lessons he has provided is about the birth of Yeshua. I thought this was going to be a boring study as we have all heard of these things each year at Christmas. I was wrong, I was so wrong!!

Many of you are well aware of the pagan teachings during the saturnalia that are mixed in with the biblical birth of Yeshua. Some of you know that Yahshua was born on Sept 11, 3 BC as we have shown you in other articles. Conjunction or Sighted Which? https://sightedmoon.com/sightedmoon_2015/?page_id=22 And last week you were able to learn just how big an event the birth of Yeshua was as it nearly caused a major war between Rome and Parthia.

But what many do not realize or understand and I am included in this group, is just how significant the birth of Yeshua was at the Feast of Trumpets and his being named and his circumcision and how all of this ties into the Day of Atonement, which has huge meanings and insights.

I want to quote WA Liebenberg at length and then add my comments to share these great teachings that have been so clouded up by pagan teachings.
But first let me share with you some thoughts.

Zec 13:9 I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say” ‘Yahweh is my God.”
Zechariah is talking about the one third that survives the great tribulation in the last days which we are racing towards. They will call upon Yahweh and use His name to do so. So we all should know what His name is.

Mal 1:6 “A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’
Here in Malachi Yahweh tells the Priest that they despise His name. Even today they will not say the Name of Yahweh. They will say Yeh or Jeh or G-d or Y-h or they some other version and leave out a letter. But they will not say Yahweh. You will even notice this in the following article.
We are warned that there are prophets who would try to cause us to forget Yahweh’s name.

Jer 23:27 who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor, as their fathers forgot My name for Baal.
And indeed we are also told that Judah would not pronounce the name of Yahweh.

Jer 44:24 Moreover Jeremiah said to all the people and to all the women, “Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt! 25 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘You and your wives have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands, saying, “We will surely keep our vows that we have made, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” You will surely keep your vows and perform your vows!’ 26 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: ‘Behold, I have sworn by My great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that My name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “The Lord God lives.”

The Septuagint translation was done in Egypt, and it was in Egypt that the Jews were to forget God’s Name: they began to use the Greek equivalent for “Lord” instead of the Hebrew YHWH or Yahweh.

So on one hand we have Judah who will not say the name. Instead they use Adonis, LORD, GOD and HaShem as we are told in Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_God_in_Judaism

In Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title. It represents the Jewish conception of the divine nature, and of the relation of God to the Jewish people. To show the sacredness of the names of God, and as a means of showing respect and reverence for them, the scribes of sacred texts took pause before copying them, and used terms of reverence so as to keep the true name of God concealed. The various names of God in Judaism represent God as he is known, as well as the divine aspects which are attributed to him.

The numerous names of God have been a source of debate amongst biblical scholars. Some have advanced the variety as proof that the Torah has many authors (see documentary hypothesis). It is also held that the only “name of God” in the Tanakh is Yahweh (the English rendering of YHWH). Whereas words such as Elohim (God), El (mighty one), El Shaddai (almighty God), Adonai (master), El Elyon (most high God), Avinu (our Father), etc. are not names, but titles, highlighting different aspects of YHWH, and the various roles which He has. This is similar to how a man may be called by his name, or by ‘Dad’, ‘Husband’, ‘Boss’, ‘Sir’, ‘Son’, etc, but his personal name is the only one that can be correctly identified as his name. In the Tanakh, YHWH is the personal name of the God of Israel, whereas the other words are titles which are ascribed to Him.

Most modern denominations of Judaism teach that the four-letter name of God, YHWH, is forbidden to be uttered except by the High Priest in the Temple. Since the Temple in Jerusalem no longer exists, this name is never said in religious rituals by Jews, and the correct pronunciation is disputed. Orthodox and some Conservative Jews never pronounce it for any reason. Some religious non-Orthodox Jews are willing to pronounce it, but for educational purposes only, and never in casual conversation or in prayer. Instead of pronouncing YHWH during prayer, Jews say Adonai.
Substituting Adonai for YHWH dates back at least to the 3rd century BCE.[3] Passages such as:

“And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, YHWH [be] with you. And they answered him, YHWH bless thee” (Ruth 2:4)
strongly indicate that there was a time when the name was in common usage. Also the fact that many Hebrew names consist of verb forms contracted with the tetragrammaton indicates that the people knew the verbalization of the name in order to understand the connection.
And on the other hand we have the mistranslation of the name of Yahshua which those of the Tribes of Israel are now using.
Here is one slide of a power point presentation one brother sent me.

? So, where did we get the form “JESUS” from?

? The name Jesus came from the name Yeshu NOT the name Yahushua or IESOUS. The Jesuits have defended the form using the Greek and Latin, hoping you’ll never discover what you are about to read. “YESHU” is not found anywhere but in the Talmud as a way of casting disrepute upon Yahushua.

? Where did Yeshu and subsequently, Yeshua come from???

? The form “YESHUA” is from the acronym “YESHU”, a mutilation of Yahushua’s Name used by unbelieving Yahudim (Jews) in the Talmud and during the late 1st and 2nd century.

? The letters in “YESHU” stood for the Hebrew sentence, “Yemach Shmo u’Zikro” = YESHU meaning:
“may his name be blotted out” (from the scroll of life). A rabbinic word-play, from the original Hebrew words: “Yemach Shmo u’Zikro”. The Talmud records Yahushua’s Name as “YESHU” (seen in modern translations as JESCHU), a form which denigrates Him and promotes the “secret” acronym’s meaning.
In 2005 I first began to use the proper name of our Messiah and of Yahweh. One sister told me this when I first used Ye instead of Yah. It is for this reason that I choose not to use the name Yeshu or Yehshua. And I also do not use Y’shua as it too can be said as Yeshu.

David Rohl renowned Egyptologist has said that the oldest version of the name of God was in Summer. They wrote the name which was pronounced Ea. This is before the flood of Noah. Ea has the same sound when spoken as Yah.
The following verse is one I give to those who deny that Yahshua can be found in the Tanach. When they read this they stop writing me.

Pr 30:4 Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, If you know?
To answer this question we are going to rely on Professor Liebenberg

If you go to http://www.hrti.co.za/default.aspx The Hebraic Roots Teaching Institute you can order the book by Professor WA Liebenberg titled the Hebraic Biography of Y’Shua. I am going to copy by permission a very significant section about the name. Please read carefully and prayerfully. I have tried to edit out some sections that are not relevant to the subject but I have left some areas for your own edification. So please get through them all so you can get to the parts where the Professor shows you where the name of Yeshua is found in  the Tanach.
CHAPTER 11

A 21ST- CENTURY EXEGESIS ON THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES OF THE BOOK MATTHEW

Please take note that this exegesis if focused on the Gospel as seen by Matthew,
but I will make use of the other three Gospels to explain some areas which are not mentioned in Matthew, or which is not clear in Matthew.
The King James Version Bible will be the primary text presented in this study for no other reason than it is popular and well recognized. If another version is used, it will be cited.

In each section, the text of the chapter will be shown in full, followed by commentary on selected verses.
In some cases there may be multiple verses that are not discussed. In others, a single verse (or even a single word) may merit a great deal of study.

SECTION I
INTRODUCTION TO MESSIAH

MATTHEW 1:1-25

Text:

(1) “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
(2) Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
(3) And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
(4) And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;
(5) And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
(6) And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
(7) And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
(8) And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;
(9) And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;
(10) And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;
(11) And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:
(12) And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;
(13) And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;
(14) And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;
(15) And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;
(16) And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
(17) So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
(18) Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
(19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
(20) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
(21) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
(22) Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
(23) Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
(24) Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
(25) And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS”.

1:1 Titles & Names

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Messiah Y’shua), the son of David, the son of Abraham”.

From the Hebrew Scriptures (Tanach – Old Testament):
“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh (a description of the Messiah) come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be”. (Gen 49:10)
(5) “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
(6) In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS”. (Jer 23:5-6)
“And in thy (Abraham’s) seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice”. (Gen 22:18)

From the Rabbinic Writings:
“UNTIL SHILOH COMETH; this alludes to the royal Messiah. AND UNTO HIM SHALL THE OBEDIENCE (YIKHATH) OF THE PEOPLE BE: he [the Messiah] will come and set on edge (maketh) the teeth of the nations of the world”. (Midrash Rabbah, Genesis 98. 8)
“Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise up to David the MESSIAH, who is righteous, and he will reign a King, and shall prosper, and execute the judgement of truth and justice in the earth”. (Targum Jonathan)
“And they shall worship before the Lord their God, and they shall hearken to MESSIAH, the Son Of David, their King, whom I will raise up unto them”. (Targum Jonathan on Jeremiah 30:9, 21)
“The germ of the idea underlying the fuller conception of the messianic Age was in existence from the time of the founders of the race of Israel. In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed, was the promise given both to Abraham and Isaac. It was a promise that reached far beyond the lifetime of each, farther than the limits of the temporal kingdom their descendants founded”. (R. Samuel Singer, quoted in The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, ed. J.H. Hertz)

The Exegesis:
“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ”. To be aware of one’s past was essential for establishing confidence about the future. This is a verification of Y’shua’s lineage. The Mishnah speaks of how important this is as it lists 10 classes of definite genealogy that came from Babylon (Kiddushin 4:1-6).

Since the beginning, the people of God have stressed the importance of understanding their uniqueness, of knowing from whom they have come. Roots were always important for Israel’s faith and were deeply imbedded in history. Thus knowledge of beginnings is central to biblical thought. To a Jewish person in the time of Y’shua, reading the Holy Scriptures was like reading a family album. This is one of the reasons why the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70 was so traumatic. All of the genealogy records were stored there and were burnt up in that fire, losing all of that precious information forever.

The name “Jesus” is an English transliteration of the Greek Iesous, which is a transliteration of the Hebrew Y’shua. Greek has no “sh” sound and the custom then was for men’s names to end in “-us” or “-os” or “-es” (i.e., “Apollos”).

“Y’shua” is from Y’shuaos, which is from the root chrio, meaning “anointed”. This is tied to the Hebrew word Mashiach (Messiah) also meaning anointed, having to do with being the “Anointed One”, given God’s priestly and kingly authority. It should be noted that Cyrus (Koresh), in the book of Isaiah, was also called God’s “messiah”, as He was anointed to do God’s work in smiting Babylon.

The Messiah’s proper name, Y’shua (Yeshua as some write it), is a contraction of Y’hoshua (Joshua) meaning “YHVH (God) saves”, having a similar root to “Yoshia”, meaning “He (God) will save”. This is key to understanding verse 21 (see below).

That Y’shua was born Jewish is one of the least contested truths of the Bible. The very first verse of the New Covenant reads: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Messiah Y’shua), the son of David, the son of Abraham”. Who were Abraham and David?

Abraham was the first Hebrew. God changed his name from Abram (Gen 17:5). In Gen 14:13 he is called “Abram the Hebrew”. So we can see that Y’shua is descended from “Abram the Hebrew”. Even to this day, Jews are also called “Hebrews”, and the language of the Jews is “Hebrew”.

Abraham and his descendants were given the unconditional covenant of the Promised Land (Gen 17:8) and the covenant of circumcision (Gen 17:10). Abraham is the father of the Jews (Acts 3:12-25). Isaac was his son and Jacob was his grandson (Mat 1:2). Thus, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are known as the Patriarchs, the fathers of the Jews.

Jacob’s name was changed by God to “Israel” (Gen 35:10-12) and he had twelve sons (Gen 35:23-26) from whom come the Twelve Tribes of Israel. All of their descendants are known collectively throughout the Bible as the Children of Israel (Exod 1:6-7).

One of those twelve sons was Judah (Gen 35:23, Mat 1:2) and it is from his name that we get the word ‘Jew’. Although Yehudah (Judah) was only one of the twelve, by 700 B.C., because of the course of Israel’s history, the word Yehudee (Jew) came to mean any person descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Jer 34:9). So, for instance, Saul haShaliach (the Apostle Paul) was of the tribe of Benjamin (Rom 11:1) yet he self-identified as a Jew (Acts 22:3).

Nevertheless, according to the Bible, the Messiah must be descended from the tribe of Judah (Gen 49:10) as King David was (1Sam 17:12, 1Chron 28:4) and descended from King David himself (2 Sam 7:12-13, Isaiah 9:6-7, Jer 23:5-6). That is why the Messiah is called “Son of David” (also in Mat 21:9).

Y’shua is from the Tribe of Judah (Heb 7:14). His earthly father was descended from David (Mat 1:6-16) and His mother was as well (Luke 1:27, 32-34, 3:23-31).

The term “Son of David” is a then a Messianic title found throughout Jewish literature. Davidic references are found throughout the Tenach (Old Testament), i.e.: 2 Sam 7:12-13,16; Isaiah: 11:1; Jer 23:5-6; Zech 3:8; Ezek 37:24; Amos: 9:11-12; Psalms 89: 4-5, 36-37; 132:11.

Supplementary Information:

“Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ”. (Gal 3:16)
“Of this man’s (David) seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:” (Act 13:23)
(8) “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
(9) Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows”. (Heb 1:8-9)
(4) “And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
(5) And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof”. (Rev 5:4-5)
“For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood”. (Heb 7:14)

Y’shua’s genealogy represents a key facet of the necessary credentials for His Messianic claim. One might expect impeccable ancestral credentials from the Messiah – a high sense of “yichus” (Yiddish for “pedigree”). After all, if He’s a king there had better be some impressive family history there. Let’s consider Y’shua’s genealogical record presented by Mat 1:1-16 again, let us read it again.

Now be honest… how fast did you go through it? Granted, such a reading doesn’t always inspire. But remember that Matthew composed his book during a time of severe opposition to the legitimacy of this fledgling Messianic movement. There were plenty of Jewish religious zealots bent on discrediting Y’shua. If Y’shua’s Israeli and specifically Judean ancestry were not both verifiable and credible, that alone would have been sufficient grounds to dismiss both the Man and His Movement. Let’s examine this genealogy again (a little more slowly and attentively this time), a genealogy spanning nearly 2 200 years.

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Y’shua the Messiah), the son of David, the son of Abraham”. These are very first words of the New Testament yet, amazingly, there are still those who refuse to acknowledge the Jewishness of the Book! What we have at the outset is the assertion of the legal and tribal basis for the claim that Y’shua is the Messiah. In this one verse we have three remarkable claims; the first being the confident assertion that Y’shua was, and is, the Messiah; the second claim, that He is legally and rightfully heir to the throne of David and the fulfillment of the prophecies of 2 Samuel 7 and Isaiah 9; and third, that He is a descendant of Abraham, the progenitor of our people. That might seem insignificant to some, but in accordance with the Torah (Negative Law 362, Deut 17:15 – Not appointing a king who is not of the seed of Israel) the king of Israel must be an Israeli.

“Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren”. That seems straightforward enough, and certainly would have been elementary to any first-century Jew. It would also have been easy to gloss over, save the fact that in this one verse we’ve just covered 270 years of ancestral history, not to mention 49 of the 50 chapters of Genesis! But of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Judah we have no problems. Well… almost none. There is the matter of Abraham lying (twice!) about his wife; Isaac playing favorites with his children, Jacob deceiving his father; Judah conspiring with his brothers to rid themselves of Joseph (it was Judah who suggested they sell Joseph to the Midianites). Remember, though, that this is a very real, very human genealogy. Matthew is setting out to establish, not the impeccable moral quality of, but the undeniable Israeli identity of Messiah’s human ancestors. And to that extent, there’s no problem here.

“And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar (woman A); and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram”. Any problem here? Yes. A big problem! …and to Judah were born Perez and Zerah by Tamar (woman A), for those who have never studied Genesis, or for those who have forgotten, let me point out that Tamar was not Judah’s wife. She was his daughter-in-law! The whole distasteful affair is found in Genesis 38. Granted, Judah didn’t know it was his daughter-in-law; he thought she was a prostitute. That doesn’t make me feel a whole lot better about it. Already we have in Y’shua’s genealogical record at least one ancestor (Perez (Phares) – whose name means “breach”) born of an incestuous relationship (a relationship to closely related to marry). But this too would have been common knowledge to any first-century Jew – though perhaps not so well-known among Jewish people today, owing largely to our biblical illiteracy. You may be relieved to know that of Hezron (Esrom – whose name means “enclosure” – perhaps signifying that the breach had been healed and the damage contained) and Ram (Aram – whose name means “exalted”) we find no particular problems. The biblical record says very little about their lives, and perhaps it’s just as well.

“And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon”. There are no problems with any of these individuals, and we’re still on track as pertains to the thoroughly Israeli ancestry of Messiah Y’shua. The same cannot be said, however, of the next group. We will need to consider the next verse a section at a time.

“And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab (woman B)”. Yes, that Rahab! The Rahab (Rachab) described in Joshua 2. Does that really mean Y’shua’s ancestry included a former Gentile prostitute? Yes, it does. Of course, that also means that at some point Rahab must have married within Israel. Can you imagine the scene from a Jewish perspective..? “Mom, I’d like you to meet my fiancee, Rahab. She used to be a prostitute, and… well… she isn’t an Israeli, mom. Wait, Mom, listen – she’s given up that way of life and has become one of us. In fact, she was our point-person at Jericho and even saved the lives of our two spies. Yes, mom, that Rahab!” The Scriptures not only commend Rahab for her role in the Jericho encounter, but in both Old and New Testaments, she is shown to be an example of how non-Jews might join themselves to the community of Israel. Still, did she have to be included in Y’shua’s genealogical record? Wouldn’t it have been a lot less controversial if Matthew had simply omitted her name? This is admittedly not the world’s most pristine family line, but it is the family line of God’s choosing, and the theme running through it will become increasingly evident. For now, let’s consider other names in this section.

“…and Booz begat Obed of Ruth (woman C)”. Many people are familiar with the story of Ruth, but it has special meaning for Gentiles (non-Jews) within the messianic movement. In Ruth we read of a Moabite woman who is drawn to, and ultimately attaches herself to the people and the God of Israel. It is evident that both Boaz and Ruth were righteous individuals. Nevertheless, the fact remains that Ruth was a Moabite woman – part of a people who were specifically excluded – in eternity – from the assembly of Israel (see Deut 23:3-6) for their part when the Midianites attempted to have Israel cursed by Balaam. Solomon married Moabite women and was condemned by the writer of 1 Kings for it. In Ezra 9 and Nehemiah 13 the Jewish men who had married foreign wives (including Moabite wives) were rebuked and urged to break off those marriages. How is it that this particular union between an Israeli and a Moabitess becomes the exception? How can we deem acceptable an ancestry which includes a Moabite woman? Wouldn’t this alone negate the genealogy and thus disqualify Y’shua as Messiah?

The answer is “no” for two important reasons: first, Ruth joined herself to Israel and to Israel’s God (thus forsaking Moabite culture and Moabite religion). She is considered, both by biblical writers and in Jewish tradition, as having become a proselyte, a convert to Judaism, and a full-fledged member of the Jewish community. The barring of intermarriage and Moabite participation in Israel’s assembly didn’t have as much to do with ethnicity as with the issue of maintaining the purity of Israel’s doctrine and practice. Ruth was clearly a singular person of proper faith. Second, Ruth was a direct ancestor of King David. Consequently, if anyone would disqualify Y’shua on the basis of having a non-Israeli in the genealogy, they would also have to disqualify King David! And who would dream of doing that? Clearly, God is trying to communicate something to us through Y’shua’s genealogy. Let’s wait a little longer before taking up the “grand theme”.

“And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias (woman D)”. Clearly there is no problem with Jesse or David as pertains to their national origin. They were a Judean family from Bethlehem. The problem is that Solomon was born to David by “her who had been the wife of Urias”, Uriah in Hebrew. Her name was Bat-shevah, and she was a married woman when David first set eyes on her. David committed adultery with Bat-shevah, got her pregnant, and then conspired to have her husband killed to cover up their affair, and to create the illusion that she was a war widow, and eligible for him to marry. David committed adultery with Bat-shevah, and yet she is named in the genealogy of Messiah. Well, not exactly “named” – she is referred to as her who had been the wife of Uriah. Does this genealogy seem to be going from bad to worse? As we pointed out earlier, this is a very human genealogy!

Consider the implications – thus far we’ve seen in Y’shua’s genealogy one ancestor born of an incestuous relationship, two foreign women, one of whom had been a prostitute and the other part of an enemy people forever excluded from the Israeli community. Now we have an adulterous man and woman becoming the parents of Solomon! How can this be? One might justifiably ask, “Why would God allow such sinful people to be part of Messiah’s lineage?”

David might have fooled the people, but he hadn’t fooled God. When confronted by Nathan the prophet David acknowledged that he had sinned against the Lord, to which Nathan replies, “The Lord has also taken away your sin; you shall not die”. Sin? Yes. But also, and more importantly… redemption. In each of these representative members of Y’shua’s genealogy, we witness the theme of redemption. The situations themselves may have been difficult, even disastrous, but not one individual, no circumstance, was beyond God’s power to redeem, to restore and from which to create good! The God of Israel can, and does, use imperfect people – people like you and me, to accomplish His will. Though in some cases these individuals suffered the earthly consequences of their actions, it does not diminish the fact that God redeemed their lives and situations, turning them to good, and He can turn your life around for good, too.

Next comes a list of Israel’s kings: “And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; And Josias begat Jechonias (it must actually be Jehoiakim (Jehoiachim) be mentioned in Jechonias’ (Coniah) place Jechonias was cursed as explained at #5 above and in the text below), and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:” Do you see the problem? It’s Jeconiah (Joconias who was supposed to be omitted), a wicked king who lived during the Babylonian invasion; a contemptible man who sold his people out, and was cursed by God to the effect that not one of his descendants would ever rule on the throne of David! “As I live”, declares the Lord, “even though Coniah (Jechonias) the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a signet ring on My right hand, yet I would pull you off…” O land, land, land, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord, `Write this man down childless, a man who will not prosper in his days; for no man of his descendants will prosper, sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah'” (Jer 22:24, 29-30 NASB).

Matthew declares what anyone investigating Y’shua’s genealogy would have eventually come upon – Jeconiah. Didn’t Matthew know about this curse? Of course he did! How then does he reconcile a curse upon the line of this wicked king with the fact that Y’shua is descended from him? The answer comes to us from a prophecy in Haggai 2:20-23:
(20) “And again the word of the LORD came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying,
(21) Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth;
(22) And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.
(23) In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts”.

Whereas God had described Jechonias’ (Coniah) as a signet ring He would pull off His hand, to Zerubbabel, his descendant. The Lord promised to treat Zerubbabel as a treasured signet ring!

How is this possible? The answer is found in the forgiving and redeeming nature of God. True, Coniah (Jechonias) was cursed, and God’s word fulfilled, but God, in His time, and by His rightful authority, reversed the curse on His family-line, describing Zerubbabel as a chosen servant! The same Lord of righteousness is also the God of mercy, who graciously restored the line of David.

Here is the last section of Messiah’s genealogy: “And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias (who should have been left out, and Jehohoiakim should have been included here) begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary (woman E), of whom was born Jesus (Y’shua), who is called Christ (Messiah)”. In this list of kings and their descendants, there are several about whom we know very little, other than their mention here. One thing that does stand out is that it does not say “to Joseph was born Y’shua”. Later in his book Matthew will make the case for the Divine origin and virgin birth of the Messiah. Nevertheless, Y’shua is the legal heir of Joseph, and therefore entitled to sit on David’s throne. In conclusion, several main points come out in Y’shua’s genealogy recorded by in Matthew:

First, Matthew makes abundantly clear that Y’shua is the Divine, virgin-born, prophetically announced Messiah, legally entitled to sit on David’s throne.

Second, there is universality to the Good News about Y’shua – it is Good News for Jew and Gentile alike. Both Jews and Gentiles were ancestors of the Messiah, and God continues to redeem people from all nations.

Third, our Redeemer God can use imperfect people like you and me to accomplish His purposes. God can redeem even the most troubled, questionable circumstances, and turn them around for good, and to His glory. Ordinary, even flawed human beings, so prone to err, can be used by God to do wonderful things. If anyone imagines himself beyond the scope of God’s redemptive power, I encourage you to take the message of this otherwise scandalous genealogy to heart.

Consider those whose lives the Lord turned around, and who ultimately were privileged to be part of Messiah’s ancestry. Whoever you are, and whatever you have been, you are within God’s reach. You have only to turn to Him and be embraced in His love and forgiveness.

About the Women & the Gentiles:
Matthew breaks Jewish custom in that he adds the names of women which was forbidden by Jewish custom for genealogies. In verse 3, he mentions Tamar, in verse 5 Rachab, in verse 6 Ruth, and also in verse 6, not by name, but the pronoun “her” refers to Bat-shevah.

Three of Women were gentiles in Matthew’s genealogy. As said this is highly unusual in texts of that era. Tamar (A – Thamar), Rachab (B – Rachav) and Ruth (C) were born gentile, but considered to be Jewish through conversion. Bat-shevah (D – wife of Urias (Uriah)) was born Jewish.

Miryam (E – Mary), the mother of Y’shua is of course Jewish. It is interesting to note that Miriam is also the name of Moses’ sister. Christian Bibles refer to the latter by her Hebrew name, but call Y’shua’s mother, “Mary”. This was done to make the “New Testament” sound less Jewish (similar to calling Y’shua, “Jesus” and His brother Ya’acov “James”, – though the latter is quite absurd as the English should be “Jacob”.)

Matthew is bringing out by including Gentile women that although Y’shua’s primary mission is to the Jews, Gentiles will also benefit from His coming.

Another point that he brings out by the mention of these names in violation of Jewish custom is that He came to save sinners. Three of these four women (A, B, C & D) were guilty of sexual sins. One was a prostitute, one was guilty of incest and one was guilty of adultery.

About Who Was and Is Y’shua?
He would have been known as Y’shua ben Yoseph (Jesus son of Joseph). His mother’s name was Miriam or Miryam (Meer-ee-ahm’), known as Mary in English. Y’shua was born of a fleshly mother, but Yoseif (Yo-afe’) was actually his stepfather.

You all know the story so it need not be recounted here. Just let it be said that He was the Son of Man and the Son of God. Of this we must not doubt if we wish to be counted among His Believers.

1:17 The Generation and the deeper meaning

“So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations”. The mention of 42 generations (3 x 14) are very interesting. 14 are the numerical value of “David”, and 42 are the numerical value of God (Eloah) in the Hebrew, let me explain.

Matthew uses the numerical equivalent of names to identify Y’shua with King David. The numerical value of the three Hebrew letters of the name David (DVD) is fourteen. The letter ”dalet” (D) has a value of four. The letter “vav” has a value of six. The final letter in David’s name is another “dalet” (D) with the value of four. Matthew records in detail that fourteen generations elapsed between Abraham and David, fourteen generations between David and the Babylonian Captivity, and fourteen generations between the Exile and Y’shua. This was a Jewish method of connecting Y’shua with King David, the anointed king who was prototype of the Messiah to come. The same principal applies of 42, which is the numerical value of God (Eloah).

1:18 Yoseph & Miriam’s relationship

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost”. Engagement/Betrothal was considered as good as being married in Jewish culture. In fact any children conceived during this time were considered legitimate.

To dissolve the betrothal, it was necessary to acquire a “get” – a bill of divorce. The penalty for fornication with a betrothed woman was more serious than that for fornication with a fully married woman. (This is found in Talmud Sanhedrin 7:4 and 11:1.)

From the Hebrew Scriptures (Tanach – Old Testament):
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed (Y’shua); it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel”. (Gen 3:15)

From the Rabbinic Writings and Rabbi’s:

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between the seed of thy sons, and between the seed of her sons; and it shall be when the sons of the woman keep the commandments of the Law, they will be prepared to smite thee on thy head; but if they forsake the commandments of the Law, thou wilt be prepared to wound them in the heel. Nevertheless for them there shall be a medicine; and they shall make a remedy for the heel in the days of the King Meshiha (Messiah)”. (Jerusalem Targum.)

“As the incarnation of evil Satan is the arch-enemy of the Messiah he is anti-Christ. God hid the light, which was created before the world, beneath His throne; and to the question of Satan in regard to it God answered: “This light is kept for him who shall bring thee to shame”. At his request God showed Satan the Messiah; and when he saw him, he trembled, fell upon his face, and cried: “Verily this is the Messiah, who shall hurl (bruise) me, and all the princes of the angels of the people” down even into hell. (Pesikta Rabbati. 3:6. ed. Friedmann, p. 161, b.)

The Exegesis from the New Testament explained:

“But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made (born) of a woman, made under the law”. (Gal 4:4)
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused (engagement / betrothal) to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost”. (Mat 1:18)
“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God”. (Luke 1:35)

“Holy Ghost/Spirit” (Ruach Ha Kodesh)

Similar to “Spirit of God” (Ruach Elohim) in Gen 1:2. Also, Gen 3:8, is typically translated, “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day:” Here, “cool of the day” is actually “ruach” in the Hebrew text, suggesting the translation, “in the Spirit of the day”. See also; Isaiah 48:16, 51:13, 63:10-11.

1:21 You shall call His name “Jesus”

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” The old spiritual hymn says, “Jesus, the sweetest name I know”. And, to countless millions of Christians through the centuries, the name of “Jesus” is indeed the most treasured name ever known. Unfortunately, most Christians do not realise that “Jesus” is a translation. In fact, it is a translation of yet another translation. In fact, once we trace the name back to its origins (i.e. Jesus’ original given name), we will find that it has a much richer meaning than the one we have come to know and love so well.

The English “Jesus”, as well as the Greek Iesous are not the proper name for the Messiah, and as such, cause the text to lose some of its meaning. To say; “For you shall call his name “Jesus” for He will save His people from their sins”, carries as much meaning as, “You shall call His name, ‘Frank’ or ‘Ralph’“. However, the Hebrew name “Y’shua” actually means, “God will save”, thus making sense of the text.

Regarding the “name” of Y’shua, it should also be noted that elsewhere is the “New Testament”, we are instructed to pray or ask for things, “in His name”. This is teaching that our prayers, asked for things “in someone’s name”, means “in their authority”, in this case in the authority of Y’shua. What a privilege.

Going back to the origin of the name … For the earliest church, to think “Christianly” was to think “Hebraicly”. This becomes very significant to us when we realize the name, Jesus, is the western, Anglican rendering of the Hebrew name Y’shua. It is unfortunate that the people of the church never thought to wonder if the name “Jesus” might have been derived from another, more appropriate, name or if He may indeed be unlike the man we see depicted in paintings hanging in our homes and churches.

So, how do we get “Jesus”, the name we see in our Bibles? As stated, His Hebrew name is Y’shua (English transliteration). In Galilee, where He lived, the ‘a’ at the end was left silent so the pronunciation would have been Y’shu, in that region. Of course, the Hebrew story of the life of Y’shua was very soon, after His death and resurrection, translated into Greek. In the translation, Y’shu(a) became Iesus. In Greek, there is no ‘sh’ sound thus the ‘s’ in the middle, and in the Classical period, it was typical to add an ‘s’ to the end of male names, thus we get the Greek pronunciation easoos (Iesus). From there it is easy to see how we get “Jesus“ as a transliteration of Iesus. The ‘J’ corresponds to the ‘Y’ in Hebrew and the ‘I’ in Greek. For example, the Hebrew name Yeramiah becomes Jeremiah in English or Yahweh becomes Jehovah. So, Jesus is the name Christians have come to love, but His given and accurate name is actually Y’shua. It is this latter name on which we should focus.

This is important for us because Hebrew is the key to becoming more authentically Biblical. In Hebrew, the phrase, “and she shall call his name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins”, is actually a play on words. “…and she shall call His name Y’shua for He will yoshea His people…” (Mat1:21). Both are derived from the root “y’sha”, to save. So Y’shua means saviour, the implications of which are astounding.

To grasp the full depth of meaning, we must research the Biblical text from the beginning and what we will find is the redemptive plan of a loving and gracious God. Let us have a look by asking the Scriptural question:
“Who hath ascended up in to heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in His fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, if thou canst tell?” (Prov 30:4)

The Answer: His (God’s) name is t r t y, a “Yod”, “Hay”, “Vav”, and a “Hay” in Hebrew, and in English it is represented by the four letters YHVH, the unpronounceable name of God. The translators of the Scriptures added the vowels in-between the letters, and from this we got YaHVeH or YaHWeH, as the “V” and “W” sound in Hebrew is represented by the same sound “Vaw”. Because there is no “J” in Hebrew, the “Y”, “Yod” was replaced with the English “J”, which led to Jehovah – JoHoVaH. As already explained, Y’shua His Son followed the same route. Let’s look at the following passages referring to Y’shua’s name.

“Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins”. As said, the Hebrew word for salvation is “Y’shua” and this calls to mind the Saviour’s main purpose for coming to this earth – to save mankind from sin, from disobedience. (Mat 1:21)
“Baptised in his Name”. (Acts 2:38, see also Acts 8:16, 22:16)
“In the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise up and walk”. (Acts 3:6)
“And his name and through faith in his name hath made this man strong”. (Acts 3:16)
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved”. (Acts 4:12)
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth”. (Phil 2:9)
“If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you, on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified”. (1 Peter 4:14)
“…Ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake”. (Mat 24:9)

We can see from the above passages that the name of our Saviour “Jesus” (written variously by many as Yeshua, Yahshua, or Yahoshua) is important. I am sure you will not appreciate it if your name is Peter, and your friends call you Gary continuously. Ever wondered why Coca-Cola remains Coca-Cola in Japan and not some other name, because the name sells, there is “marketing” power in Coca-Cola’s brand name. Should we not call Jesus by his real name Y’shua?

Why is this “Name” so powerful, was Y’shua there from the beginning or only from his birth?

Though the Father was the architect of the universe, the builder was His Son, the Word, the Logos.
(1) “In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
(2) The same was in the beginning with God.
(3) All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men”. (John 1:1-3)
(15) “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
(16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
(17) And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
(18) And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
(19) For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell”. (Col 1:15-19)
“Let us make man in our image”. (Gen 1:26)

Note that word “us”. It implies that there was another person with the Almighty when the universe was being created. That other person was the Son, the Word, the Logos, the Spokesman, the actual builder who implemented the Father’s plans. This fact is repeated in the book of Hebrews.
(1) “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
(2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds”. (Heb 1:1-2)

What is Y’shua’s Objective?

(3) “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
(4) That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit”. (Rom 8:3-4)

The Saviour came to earth not merely to pay the price for our past sins, extremely important though that step in our salvation is; but to condemn and conquer sin in the flesh. In other words to slay sin in us, to utterly demolish in the human mind and body the very urge to sin and in its place to put a hunger and a thirst for righteousness (obedience). The Saviour’s ultimate objective is ‘that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us’. Believers must, therefore, constantly examine themselves to see whether or not this purpose is being fulfilled in their lives. Is sin being replaced by righteousness? In other words He came to produce holy and obedient believers

Who is Y’shua?

The Only True God (Rev 1:7-8).
The God of Israel, and of the Universe (Ezek 37:28; Isaiah 45:18-19; Zech 12:10 – 11:1; Ezek 20:5-7, 39; with Isaiah 45:23 and Phil 2:10-11).
God the Father before His Incarnation (Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 45:2b-23; Phil 2:10-11; John 14:8-9; John 10:30).
The Holy Spirit in His Omnipresence (John 17:26; John 14:18, 20; John 14:26 with 17:11).
The Coming Judge of mankind at His Return (Psalm 96:13; Ezek 20:35-37; Rev 20:11; Mat 16:27).
The Coming King of the Earth (Zech 14:1-9; Rev 19:11-17).
The Eternal Ruler of the Universe (Rev 21:1-4; Rev 11:15).
The Creator (John 1:1-3; Isaiah 44:24; 45:12, 21b).

Y’shua is the Creator God Himself – an omnipresent Spirit Being Who manifested Himself as a Human Being, born from an Israelite woman 2000 years ago in Israel to become Y’shua the Messiah

When this world erupts in chaos and Armageddon dawns, God will come as Y’shua the King of the Universe, to judge the world, to save Israel from nuclear or biochemical annihilation and to rule from Jerusalem over all the earth in a Dispensation of Peace! (Mat 24:21-25 & 29-31; Dan 12:1)

How come His name is never mentioned in the Tanach (Old Testament)?

Many Jewish people would always ask this challenging question, “If Y’shua is our Messiah, and the whole Old Testament is about Him, how come His name is never mentioned in it even once?”

I could never answer it satisfactorily to their way of thinking, and I admit I often wondered why His name was not actually written in the Old Bible. Oh, yes, I could show them His divine titles in Isaiah 7:14, 9:6 and Jer 23:5,6, and even the word Messiah in several places; but the Hebrew name that would be equal to Y’shua, that I could not show. Then one day the Holy Spirit opened my eyes. There was the very NAME, Y’shua, found in the Old Testament about 100 times all the way from Genesis to Habakkuk! Yes, the very word – the very NAME – that the angel Gabriel used in Luke 1:31 when he told Mary about the Son she was to have.

Every time the Old Testament uses the word SALVATION (especially with the Hebrew suffix meaning “my”, thy”, or “his”), with very few exceptions (when the word is impersonal), it is the very same word, Y’shua (Jesus), used in Mat 1:21. Let us remember that the angel who spoke to Mary and the angel who spoke to Joseph in his dream did not speak in English, Latin, or Greek, but in Hebrew; and neither were Mary or Joseph slow to grasp the meaning and significance of the NAME of this divine Son and its relation to His character and His work of salvation. For in the Old Testament all great characters were given names with a specific and significant meaning. For example:

• Gen 5:29, Lamech called his son “Noah (Comfort), saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and tell of our hands”.
• In Gen 10:25, Eber calls his firstborn son, “Peleg (Division); for in his days was the earth divided”.
• The same is true of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob (changed to Israel-God’s Prince), and all of Jacob’s sons (see Genesis, chapters 29-32).
• In Exod 2:10, Pharaoh’s daughter called the baby rescued from the Nile, “Moses (Drawn-Forth): and she said, Because I drew him out of the water”. And so we can go on and on to show the deep significance of Hebrew names.

Now then, when the angel spoke to Joseph, husband of Mary, the mother of our Lord, this is what he really said and what Joseph actually understood: “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus (Y’SHUA – SALVATION): for he shall save (or salvage) his people from their sins”. This text was a revelation to my soul that I saw the whole plan of God in the Old Testament, all in that one ineffable and blessed NAME. So let us proceed to show clearly the Hebrew name Y’shua in the Old Testament.

When the great Patriarch Jacob was ready to depart from this world, he by the Holy Spirit was blessing his sons and prophetically foretelling their future experiences in those blessings. In verse 18 of Gen 49 he exclaims, “I have waited for thy salvation, 0 Lord!” What he really did say and mean was, “To thy Y’shua I am looking, 0 Lord”; or, “In thy Y’shua I am hoping (trusting), Lord!” That makes much better sense.

Of course Y’shua was the One in Whom Jacob was trusting to carry him safely over the chilly waters of the river of death. Jacob was a saved man, and did not wait until his dying moments to start trusting in the Lord. He just reminded God that he was at the same time comforting his own soul.

In Psalms 9:14, David bursts forth, “I will rejoice in thy salvation”. What he actually did say and mean was, “I will rejoice in (with) thy Y’shua”.

In Psalm 91:14-16 God says, “Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high (raise him above circumstances), because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life [eternal life] will I satisfy him, and show him my (Y’shua) salvation”. Of course, that promise is realized in Rev 22:3, 4: “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it: and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see HIS face”.

In Isaiah 12:2-3 we have something wonderful. Here SALVATION is mentioned three times. The reader will be much blessed by reading these glorious verses in his Bible, but let me give them as they actually read in the original Hebrew with Y’shua as the embodiment and personification of the word SALVATION:

(2) “Behold, might (or, God the mighty One) is my Y’SHUA (Jesus-in His pre-incarnation and eternal existence); I will trust and not be afraid:, for JAH-JAHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my Y’SHUA (Jesus)…. And the WORD (Jesus incarnate) became flesh, and dwelt among us”.
(3) Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of Y’SHUA (John 1:14). (Jesus – waters of salvation flowing forth from Golgotha)”.

If you translate from the Hebrew Bible, Isaiah 62:11: “Behold, YaHWeH has proclaimed unto the end of the world. Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold thy Y’SHUA (Jesus) cometh; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him”. SALVATION is a Person and not a thing or an event? “HE Comes, HIS reward is with HIM, and His work before him”.

Then skipping on to Habakkuk, we have the greatest demonstration of the NAME “Y’shua” in the Old Testament; for here we have both the name as well as the title of the Saviour. In 3:13 we read literally from the original Hebrew: “Thou wentest forth with the YESHA (variant of ESHUA-Jesus) of (or for) thy people; with YESHUA thy MESSIAH (thine Anointed One: i.e., with Jesus thy Anointed) thou woundest the head of the house of the wicked one (Satan)”. Here you have it! The very NAME given to our Lord in the New Testament – JESUS CHRIST!

So don’t let anyone – Jew or Gentile – tell you that the Name Y’shua is not found in the Old Testament. And so when the aged Simeon came to the Temple, led there by the Holy Spirit, and took the baby Y’shua in his arms, he said, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation (Y’SHUA (Jesus))” (Luke 2:29-30). Certainly! Not only did his eyes see God’s Salvation – God’s Y’shua (Jesus) – but he felt Him and touched Him. His believing heart beat with joy and assurance as he felt the loving heart of God throbbing in the heart of the holy infant Y’shua.

“And thou shalt call his name Jesus (SALVATION = Y’SHUA)
for he shall save (salvage) his people from their sins!”

May YaHWeH grant us His Spirit so that we may live lives that do justice to the message of salvation. Please read the entire Isaiah 53 to see Y’shua’s work of salvation.

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet

Verse 22 is the first Brit Chadasha (New Testament) reference to prophesy. There have been over fifty people claiming to be Messiah (or having their followers make the claim) since Y’shua’s time. Two of the more famous would be; Simon Bar Kokba (early 2nd century) who lead the failed Jewish revolt against Rome, and the Hassidic leader, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson of Brooklyn New York, who passed away just a few years ago. What is interesting in the case of Schneerson is that his followers believed he would resurrect three days after his death, citing Hosea 6:2, “After two days he will revive us, On the third day He will raise us up”.

Matthew focuses on Tenach prophecy at great length, as we will see later in this exegesis. This is important as for Y’shua to be the promised Jewish Messiah, He must fulfill the conditions set forth by the Jewish prophets and cannot violate any of them. To make a claim that He is the Messiah, separate and apart from what the Tenach says, gives Him no more validity than any other person making such a claim. Y’shua Himself said, “Salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22), claiming legitimacy for Himself as well as the Jewish Scriptures, and the proper Jewish interpretation of those Scriptures.

1:23 A virgin shall be with child

“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us”.

The verse says that it was prophesied by a prophet that the virgin birth of the Messiah would take place, that prophet was Isaiah: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel”. (Isaiah 7:14)

This is a controversial verse due to the use of the Hebrew terms, “almah” in Isaiah as opposed to “b’tulah” used here in verse 23.

Understand the Biblical Root

Before I attempt an answer, let me call your attention to an important feature of the Hebrew language: the shoresh or “root” or “stem” which consists mostly of three consonants on which the meaning depends. These three basic consonants are like the prime root of meaning buried beneath the surface, but always there. Sprouting from this root are the verbs and nouns that pertain to that root and that retain the flavour and colouring of that root.

So let us now dig beneath and expose the root of the word almah. The classical or Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic give the root meaning as ‘to enwrap’, ‘to veil’, ‘to hide’, ‘to conceal’, thus implying something hidden, something concealed, something unexposed; similarly with Modern Hebrew. And incidentally, in Arabic, which is closely related to Hebrew, the same root means ‘ripe and marriageable’.

Now we are better equipped to answer our question. There may be truth in the contention that almah do not specifically mean virginity, but when applied to a human being, the root conveys the thought of one whose conjugal nuptial rights or attributes have remained potential only, and thus unexpressed, hidden, concealed, virgin. Hence the feminine word almah receives justification from its root for the word ‘virgin’.

Then too in Modern Hebrew one of the dictionary meanings of almah is ‘girl’, which does not specifically mean a virgin, but to what else could it apply? Obviously a maiden who is or certainly morally should be a virgin! The same applies to the term b’tulah.

The Hebrew term “almah” in Isaiah as opposed to the Hebrew term “b’tulah” used here in verse 23 can be explained this way. Arguments can be made for either term meaning, “virgin” or “young woman”. Matthew may be quoting from the Septuagint. This is the Greek version of the Tenach, written in 200 B.C. by 70 rabbis. It is also called the LXX after the “seventy” who worked on it. The Jewish writers of the LXX chose the Greek word “parthenos” which is normally used for “virgin”, the word now found in our New Testaments. Y’shua was born of a young girl who was morally pure, a “virgin”, period!

And they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us

Another significant title. Immanuel means “El(ohim) (is) with us”, in Hebrew.

IM = with ANU = us EL = Elohim (God)

Y’shua was never actually called this however. This is an example of a “remez” (a hint at who He is) as explained in chapter 6. Other Messianic names in the Tenach are; Shiloh, Branch, Sprout, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

God has many names

Below are some of the many names and titles of God the Father and Y’shua HaMashiach and the meanings of these names, which show the true character of these two immortal beings.

Hebrew Names Greek Names

Elohim God (male and plural) Kuros Supremacy
EL A Mighty One Theos Lord, God, Deity
El-Elyon Exalted One; Most High God Logos The Word
El-Shaddai God Almighty
El-Olam God the Everlasting One
El-Roi God Who Sees Me
El-Berith God of the Covenant
El-Elohe God of Israel
Immanuel God With Us (Hebrew) Emmanuel God With Us (transliterated)

Names and titles applied to God the Father and Y’shua help describe their individual attributes, character, and authority. When one studies the attributes and character of God the Father and his Son, it becomes clear that it is impossible for any one name or number of names to fully describe the Father and his Son.
“If you love Me, keep My commandments. Bottom Line. May Yahweh bless you and show you His truths as you begin to keep His commandments.

Shabbat Shalom

Joseph F Dumond
www.sightedmoon.com