MORE YEA NEWSLETTERS
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In the book of Genesis chapter one we learn that the earth was in a state of emptiness and destruction. In six successive days, Elohim refashions, remolds the earth so that it no longer is in a state of destruction. It is now able to sustain life. As the crowning apex of His creative efforts, Elohim creates man (Adam) in His own image as male and female to be sovereigns over the earth.

Genesis chapter two gives us a little more detail concerning the institution of the seventh day Sabbath rest as a memorial to Elohim’s creative efforts. It also fills in a little more detail concerning the creation of Adam and Eve as well as the planting of the garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were to be the sovereigns over YAHWEH’S creative efforts. They were to live in the garden of Eden, dress and keep it, be fruitful and multiply replenishing the earth and to subdue it. The garden of Eden was to be the focal point, the base of operations for YAHWEH’S government on the earth.

YAHWEH had promised the man that he could live in the garden and eat of all of the trees of the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This tree was forbidden. YAHWEH warned Adam that in the day that he ate of that tree he would surely die (Gen. 2:17).

We know the story. Eve was brought forth from Adam to be his wife. One day an unwelcome visitor arrived and enticed the woman to eat of the forbidden fruit. When she examined the tree, she couldn’t find anything wrong with it and besides, it looked like it was perfectly good for food and that the food would even make one wise. So she took of its fruit and ate and her husband with her also ate of it. Suddenly a change came over them. Their eyes were opened and they realized that they were naked. They needed to be covered so, of all things, they sewed fig leaves together making aprons for themselves.

But when YAHWEH came for a visit they ran and hid from Him. Why? Adam said, "I heard Thy voice in the garden and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself," Gen. 3:10. Something had happened to the man and his wife. Before they took of the tree they could stand before YAHWEH naked and not be ashamed, but now they were afraid and even though they had covered themselves with fig leaf aprons, the man still declared that he was naked, so he ran and hid.

YAHWEH immediately knew what the man and woman had done because He asked, "Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?" v. 11. Adam replied, "The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat," v. 12.

After collecting all of the evidence, YAHWEH pronounced curses upon all individuals involved. He cursed the serpent above every living creature also declaring, "…upon your belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life…," v. 14. He multiplied the woman’s sorrow and conception declaring that she would bring forth children in sorrow and that her husband would rule over her (v. 16). And to the man was dealt a curse upon the ground that he was supposed to till. He would have to deal with thorns and thistles bringing forth his bread, his food by the sweat of his brow.

The garden of Eden had been a place which produced a life of ease and pleasure, but now the man was to be banished from the garden which also had been the focal point of YAHWEH’S government on earth. The life of pleasure and ease was over with. It was going to take a lot of hard work, a lot of sweat, toil and tears in order for the man to provide for himself and his family.

But something else was said which may get a certain amount of attention in some ways because of the truth in the words, however another facet is overlooked. YAHWEH told the man Adam, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return," Gen. 3:19. Most people look at this verse and proclaim, ‘Yep, it’s a fact. We are made of the dust of the earth and when we die, we return to dust again.’ This certainly is a true statement, but one other thing is overlooked concerning these curses which needs to be brought forth for our scrutiny. The man, Adam, was "dust!" The serpent’s food became "dust!" In other words, man became food for the serpent!

Peter was inspired to write, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour," 1 Pet. 5:8. We know that Satan the devil was the serpent of Genesis chapter 3. The Psalmist declares, "Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? Who eat up My people as they eat bread, and call not upon YAHWEH," Psa. 14:4; 53:4. Jeremiah proclaims, "Pour out Thy fury upon the heathen that know Thee not, and upon the families that call not on Thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate," Jer. 10:25.

While all of mankind is in the same boat, we, our flesh, is consumed by the effects of the serpent’s deception through sin, corruption and death, it is also obvious that Satan’s followers, the wicked evil doers also devour, eat up, consume Jacob, YAHWEH’S chosen people.

The whole earth became filled with wickedness and violence until YAHWEH repented that He had made man upon the earth. He brought a great deluge, which destroyed all flesh that walked upon the earth, but He saved one man and his family in order to repopulate the earth after the flood. After the great flood man quickly fell into rebellion against YAHWEH which caused YAHWEH to divide and confuse their tongues fulfilling His purpose of dispersing them throughout the earth.

He eventually called and worked with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in order to begin the restoration of His government upon the earth. The family of Jacob/Israel went down into Egypt where they were eventually enslaved by Pharaoh and the Egyptian people. However, Egypt was not the land of YAHWEH’S promise for the descendants of Abraham. The land of Canaan was the area that YAHWEH had promised to him, "Now YAHWEH had said unto Abram, ‘Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed," Gen. 12:1-3.

"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, YAHWEH appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the El Shaddai; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and Elohim talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be an Elohim unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their Elohim," Gen. 17:1-8.

Eventually, YAHWEH remembered His covenant that He had made with Abraham and He turned His hand to bring Israel back into the land of Canaan, "And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of their bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto Elohim by reason of the bondage. And Elohim heard their groaning, and Elohim remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And Elohim looked upon the children of Israel, and Elohim had respect unto them," Ex. 2:23-25.

YAHWEH called Moses and sent him to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt and their bondage. He brought them into the wilderness of Sinai where He proposed to make a covenant with them, "And Moses went up unto Elohim, and YAHWEH called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which YAHWEH commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that YAHWEH hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto YAHWEH," Ex. 19:3-8.

Notice what YAHWEH promised. They would be a "kingdom of priests!" In other words, they would be royalty and priests. The people promised that they would do all that YAHWEH would speak. After YAHWEH gave His commandments and judgments, Moses brought them to the people and they promised to do and obey them, "And Moses came and told the people all the words of YAHWEH, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which YAHWEH hath said will we do. And Moses wrote all the words of YAHWEH, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto YAHWEH. And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that YAHWEH hath said will we do, and be obedient," Ex. 24:3-7.

Moses was called up into the mountain in order to receive further instructions concerning the building of a tabernacle, the priesthood, the tables of stones containing the commandments, etc. He was there for forty days and nights communing with YAHWEH. During his absence, the people became restless and doubtful. They came to Aaron demanding, "And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us elohims, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy Elohims, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to YAHWEH. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play," Ex. 32:1-6.

Israel had quickly broken their own word and the covenant that they had made with their Elohim YAHWEH.

YAHWEH told Moses, "Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy Elohims, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And YAHWEH said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation," Ex. 32:7-10.

This could have appealed to Moses’ vanity. He had already suffered many things at the hands of the unbelieving Israelites, but Moses was firstly focused on YAHWEH and His honor and secondly on the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, his own people and kinsmen. "And Moses besought YAHWEH his Elohim, and said, YAHWEH, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. And YAHWEH repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people," Ex. 32:11-14.

Moses was a type of YAHshua. He was willing to stand in the gap for his people Israel. He was able to avert the anger of YAHWEH. YAHshua is the One Who stands in the gap for His people today (Gal. 3:19-20, 1 Tim. 2:5, Heb. 8:6, 9:15, 12:24).

But when Moses went down the mount with the tables of the covenant in his hands and saw the riotous orgy that was in progress, his anger waxed hot (vv. 15-19). He cast the tables out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mount. (v. 19).

The Scriptures are written in types and parables. The broken tablets represented the broken covenant. There would eventually have to be a new covenant made with Israel and the nations of the world. That new covenant would be made and mediated by a second Moses, YAHshua the Mashiach.

What Moses did next was another type that generally escapes the eyes of most people who uphold the Scriptures, "And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it," Ex. 32:20.

What does this action of Moses’ represent? What is the meaning of this parable? Water is a type of the Spirit, "In the last day, that great day of the feast, YAHshua stood and cried, saying, ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of His belly shall flow rivers of living water.’ (But this spake He of the Spirit, Which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that YAHshua was not yet glorified.)" Jn. 7:37-38.

Moses ground the golden calf (an image of idolatry) into powder and cast it into the water (spirit) making the Israelites drink of it. In other words, Moses gave them over to a spirit of idolatry!

The ensuing history of Israel and Judah reveals that such is the case.

We know that the whole generation of Israelites who were twenty years of age and upwards had to wander in the wilderness for forty years until they had all died off. Only Joshua and Caleb were allowed to enter into the promised land of Canaan. After a period of conquest, Israel had rest until after the death of YAHshua ben Nun and the leaders of his generation. Afterward, Israel had periods where they would fall away into idolatry. YAHWEH would send grievous enemies into their midst who would rule them harshly until they would cry out to YAHWEH Who would send a deliverer (called a Judge) taking them out from under the heavy hand of the oppressors and give them a period of rest. This series of falling away and then coming back under a deliverer continued until the period of kings began.

Israel suffered no better under the hands of the kings. King David was faithful, but his son Solomon fell away into idolatry leading Israel with him. The kingdom was divided into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. The northern Israelites were led into idolatrous practices under their kings who placed a golden calf in Dan and Samaria. They were eventually removed from the land by the hand of the Assyrians, a very cruel, hard hearted people.

The southern kingdom of Judah suffered the same consequences. There would be a righteous king and an evil king. Finally, there was a most evil king, Manasseh. So many continue to focus on Antiochus Epiphanes who placed an idol of Zeus in the Holy of Holies, but Manasseh , a Jewish king, preceded this abominable practice by placing a statue of Ba’al in YAHWEH’S temple, "And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of Elohim, of which Elohim had said to David and to Solomon his son, ‘In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put My name for ever," 2 Chron. 33:7.

Even though the righteous king Josiah followed Manasseh, the nation had gone too far. YAHWEH determined that the kingdom of Judah would also go into captivity.

The prophet Isaiah was inspired to proclaim, "Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers. Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots: Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not," Isa. 2:6-9.

Ezekiel also prophesied, "And the word of YAHWEH came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign YAHWEH; Thus saith the Sovereign YAHWEH to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols. And I will lay the dead carcases of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars. In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished. And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am YAHWEH," Ez. 6:1-7.

Hosea also prophesied, "O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth. For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of Elohim more than burnt offerings. But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me," Hos. 6:4-7.

When Hosea is inspired to proclaim, "…they like men have transgressed the covenant…" The Hebrew word that is translated as "men" is, in actuality "Adam." Adam transgressed the covenant that YAHWEH had made with him and had to be cast out of the garden of Eden. Israel, like Adam, transgressed the covenant YAHWEH made with them and had to be cast out of Canaan, the land of promise.

Both Israel and Judah had fallen because of their tendency to turn to idolatry. YAHWEH raised up Gentile, non-Hebrew kingdoms to rule over the earth. The first world ruling Gentile kingdom was Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar. Babylon was utilized to inflict YAHWEH’S punishment on Judah. The prophet Daniel was one of the Jewish youths who had gone into Babylonian captivity. Daniel and his companions Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were chosen to stand in the king’s palace.

King Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream which when he woke, he couldn’t remember (Dan. 2:1). He called for his magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and Chaldeans demanding that they tell him what he had dreamed and the interpretation of it. His advisors urged him to tell them what he had dreamed so that they could interpret it, but he told them that it had gone from him and he demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed and the interpretation of it upon pain of death. They explained that what he was demanding of them no man on earth could do except the Elohim whose dwelling place is not with flesh. The king became angry and ordered all of them to be destroyed, but Daniel asked for a little time and he would reveal the matter (Dan. 2:2-16).

Daniel explained the dilemma to his companions and they all sought the mercies of the Elohim of heaven who revealed the dream and its meaning to Daniel (vv. 18-19).

Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar that he had dreamed of a great image whose head was gold, chest and arms silver, belly and thighs brass, legs of iron and feet part iron and clay (vv. 31- 33). A stone was formed without hands which smote the image on its feet breaking the image to pieces which became as chaff. The stone made without hands became a great mountain that filled the whole earth (vv. 31-35).

The interpretation given to Daniel by YAHWEH was that King Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom of Babylon was represented by the head of gold. Another kingdom inferior to him would rise up after him which was represented by the chest and arms of silver. This was the Medo-Persian Kingdom. A third kingdom of brass (Macedonia/Greece) would follow the Medo-Persian Kingdom and finally, a fourth kingdom of iron (Rome) would follow the Macedonian/Greek Kingdom. Rome (iron) was to become amalgamated with potter’s clay (v.41) and then iron and miry clay (v. 41). In the days of the mixture of iron and miry clay YAHWEH is to set up His kingdom which shall never again be destroyed. This will be done through the stone that was cut out without hands, which will break the iron, brass, clay, silver and gold to pieces.

Daniel had told King Nebuchadnezzar that he saw and behold a great image. The Hebrew word for "image" is "tselem" which is defined as "an idolatrous figure" (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, #6755). Nebuchadnezzar had not only been shown a thumbnail sketch of the world’s history, but also a history of idolatry as it would filter down through the nations.

The first nation would be the chief and best even though it was an idolatrous. This was Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar represented by the gold. Gold is pliable and malleable. When YAHWEH dealt with Nebuchadnezzar he would repent and change, glorifying the Elohim of heaven as revealed in Dan. 2:47, "The king answered unto Daniel, and said, ‘Of a truth it is, that your Elohim is an Elohim of elohims, and a Sovereign of kings, and a Revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret."

When Nebuchadnezzar became angry with Shadrac, Meshach and Abed-nego casting them into a furnace of fire, YAHWEH delivered them by sending one like unto the Son of man to intercede and protect them from the flames of fire (Dan. 3). After the ordeal and great deliverance, Nebuchadnezzar proclaimed, "Blessed by the Elohim of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, Who hath sent His angel, and delivered His servants that trusted in Him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any elohim, except their own Elohim. Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the Elohim of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other Elohim that can deliver after this sort," Dan. 3:28-29.

Daniel chapter four is another chapter dealing with Nebuchadnezzar’s madness for a period of seven years, but afterward when his reasoning returned, he praised, extolled and honored the King of heaven. The point is that Nebuchadnezzar, like gold, was malleable and also able to be cleansed of impurities when put under the flames of tribulation.

The second kingdom, Persia, was likened unto silver. While silver is inferior to gold, it is still a metal that can be worked with, and sure enough, when it was time to restore Judah and the temple at Jerusalem so the Mashiach could be brought in, the kings of Persia were willing to do so.

The third kingdom was a kingdom of brass or bronze. It typified the Macedonian/Greek kingdom. Brass or bronze is a very hard metal. Once it is founded into its shape, it becomes hardened and rigid. The Aramaic term for brass utilized in Dan. 2 is "nachash." The Aramaic term "nachash" is related to the Hebrew term for brass, which is "nechushah." Nechushah ultimately comes from another Hebrew term "nachash" which is translated as "SERPENT!"

The Macedonian/Greek kingdom was raised up by Alexander the Great, but after his death, the kingdom was divided up into four kingdoms ruled over by his generals. These kingdoms worshipped the Greek God Zeus and all of the mythological deities including the pagan deities of Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, Persia and even India.

The Greeks hated anything Hebrew. The episode with Antiochus Ephiphanes bears this out. Antiochus made it unlawful to continue circumcision of the Hebrew children on pain of death. Sabbath keeping was forbidden. He desecrated the temple at Jerusalem by placing a statue of Zeus in the Holiest place, sacrificed a pig on the altar, boiled its flesh and spattered the temple with its vile brew.

This is the unbending, rigid spirit of the SERPENT (nachash)! The serpent hates the truth because he loves lies. YAHshua told the Jews of His day, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it," Jn. 8:44. Truth and lies are in opposition to one another. The Greek spirit was this type of spirit.

The fourth kingdom (Rome) was at first iron. Iron is another rigid, unbending metal. The Romans also worshipped false pagan deities. Much effort was made to incorporate all of the religions of the nations, kingdoms, city states, etc., that Rome conquered into the Roman religion and way of life. The Roman Caesars were Pontifex Maximus over all paganism. This meant that they were the great high priest or bridge builder or mediator between heaven and earth.

Iron in Aramaic is "parzel." In Hebrew it’s "barzel." The word "parzel" can be broken down into two distinct words "par" and "zel." "Barzel" breaks down into "bar" and "zel." The Hebrew word "par" has to do with an "ox." "Bar" has to do with a son or heir. "Zel" is related to "zalal" which has to do with being "morally loose," "worthless," "vile," or "prodigal!" Remember that it was the image of an ox or golden calf that Aaron had made for the children of Israel to represent YAHWEH. Rome, the final kingdom to rule the earth would inculcate the worship of the ox into its adherents. They would be the sons (bar) of worthless idolatrous worship.

Idolatry has to do with immorality and sexual impurity. We have come down to the latter stages of idolatry and what we see is immorality being exhibited before us all around the world. It is in the movies, the music, the television, advertising, politics, etc. Not only is heterosexual immorality portrayed, but the worst kind of immorality is being pushed and pursued today and that is homosexual immorality. Beastiality will not be too far behind.

The prophet Isaiah was inspired to prophesy, "Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of YAHWEH, and make mention of the Elohim of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness. For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the Elohim of Israel; YAHWEH of hosts is his name. I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass. Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them," Isa. 48:1-5.

Notice the metallic references! Iron and brass were the metals of the last two kingdoms, Rome (iron) and Greece (brass). YAHWEH had declared that Israel was a "stiff necked" people. A neck of iron sinew is a very stiff neck indeed. The brow represents the intellect of a person and even the place of a person’s worship. It is the neck that turns the head, but if the sinews of the neck are iron then the neck is greatly stiffened, rigid, unable to turn. Thus, Israel’s intellect is set on the worship of the serpent (nachash/nechushah/brass). They cannot and will not repent until YAHWEH gives them the ability to do so.

Jeremiah was also inspired to prophesy, "To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of YAHWEH is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it. Therefore I am full of the fury of YAHWEH; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days. And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith YAHWEH. For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith YAHWEH. Thus saith YAHWEH, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it. To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me. Therefore thus saith YAHWEH, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish. Thus saith YAHWEH, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth. They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion. We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail. Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side. O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us. I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way. They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters. The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away. Reprobate silver shall men call them, because YAHWEH hath rejected them," Jer. 6:10-30.

Both Greece (brass) and Rome (iron) were great corrupters. Notice here that the brass and iron is related to corruption.

YAHWEH had issued a series of blessings and curses on Israel. They would receive great and tremendous blessings for obedience, but terrible curses for disobedience. Moses was inspired to record these blessings and curses in Deuteronomy. Notice the curses, "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of YAHWEH thy Elohim, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store. Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out. YAHWEH shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me. YAHWEH shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it. YAHWEH shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish. And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron," Dt. 28:15-23.

Heaven is the throne of YAHWEH, but YAHWEH said for their disobedience their heaven would become as brass. In other words, they would be given over to the worship of the serpent (nachash). Their earth would become as iron. In other words, their government would be given over to the Roman kingdom, the Roman style of government. Rome amalgamated the Greek style of government into its own system for Greece was the perpetrator of Democracy, but Rome was a Republican form of government. We proclaim that we are a Democracy as do also so many of the governments of the world, especially Europe, while we also declare that our form of government is Republican in nature. Thus, the two controlling parties of our western nations are the Democrats and Republicans.

Even the religion is a form of Greek and Roman mixture.

The progression of the Roman kingdom from iron to iron and potter’s clay first speaks of division for Daniel declared to Nebuchadnezzar, "And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay," Dan. 2:41-42.

The prophet Isaiah cried out, "But now, O YAHWEH, Thou art our FATHER; we are the clay, and thou our Potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand," 64:8.

The prophet Isaiah was speaking primarily of Israel being the Potter’s clay. The addition of the Potter’s clay to the iron kingdom is a witness that Israel, the Potter’s clay, was added to this fourth and last kingdom, the Roman kingdom.

This was begun when Julius Caesar turned his hand to defeat the Celtic and Gaulic peoples, descendants of the northern kingdom of Israel under the Ephraimite kings, incorporating them into the Roman Empire. Also, after YAHshua’s ministry and the beginning salvos of spiritual warfare waged against the newly raised assembly of believers, the Judean Kingdom was destroyed and many of the Jewish remnant enslaved. This took place in 70 CE. The final blow to the Jewish element came in 135 CE during the Bar Kochba rebellion.

Israel, the clay, had been completely amalgamated, absorbed into the kingdoms of brass and iron. YAHWEH had brought to pass the descent into idolatry, turning their heaven into brass and their earth into iron, which He had prophesied and promised.

During YAHshua’s ministry, the land of Judea was under the yoke of the Roman Empire, the kingdom of iron. The Hebrew Scriptures had also been converted into the Greek (brass) language called the Septuagint. We know that YAHshua came to the Israelites, especially Judah, first. YAHshua declared, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel," Mt. 15:24. The Israelites, of course, were Hebrew and still spoke the Hebrew language. When YAHshua appeared to Saul, who later became the Apostle Paul, He spoke to him in the Hebrew tongue, "Acts 26:14. However, the scholastic world seeks to declare that the New Testament was inspired in the Greek (brass) language. The problem is that the spirit and mind (brow) of the overall preponderance of the Israelites is still set in brass. Their neck is still an iron sinew.

The last stage of the Roman Empire, the fourth kingdom that was to rule until the kingdom of heaven is established, was to be iron and miry clay, "And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay," Dan. 2:42.

The word utilized for "miry" is the Aramaic word "tiyn." The Hebrew equivalent is "tiyt," which is defined as: from an unused root meaning apparently to be sticky (rath. perb. a demon. from 2894, through the idea of dirt to be swept away); mud or clay; figuratively, calamity.

The Psalmist cried out, "Deliver me out of the mire (tiyt), and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters. Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me," Psa. 69:14-15.

Notice that the word "mire" is translated from the Hebrew word "tiyt." Notice also that the trouble that David is speaking of here has to do with deep and overflowing waters (spirit).

Now, let’s look at the first two verses of this Psalm, "Save me, O Elohim; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me," vv. 1-2.

The Hebrew word utilized for "mire" in verse 2 is "yaven." "Yaven" is defined as: from the same as 3196; properly, dregs (as effervescing); hence, mud (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, Hebrew Lexicon, #3121).

Notice that "Yaven" is from the same as #3196. So is the word "Yavan" which is the preceeding word (#3120) in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. "Yavan" is defined as: probably from the same as 3196; effervescing (i.e. hot and active); Javan, the name of a son of Joktan, and of the race (Ionians, i.e. Greeks) descended from him, with their territory; also of a place in Arabia.

Amazingly, Rome was divided between east and west in accordance with the prophecy given to Daniel. Constantine effectively divided the empire when he transferred the Roman government from Old Rome to Roma Nova or Constantinople in the east. The western empire remained Latin (iron) in nature, but the eastern empire was GREEK (brass/nachash/serpent/Yavan/miry) in nature.

Notice also that both "yaven" and "Yavan" are related to #3196 which is the Hebrew word "yayin." "Yayin" is defined as: from an unused root meaning to effervesce; wine (as fermented); by implication, intoxication. Yayin is WINE!!!

The Apostle John is given a prophetic vision of the last kingdom to rule the earth, "And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of YAHshua: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is."

This completes the history of the fourth empire or world ruling kingdom, Rome. It was at first iron. Then it became iron and clay. This has to do with all of the Israelites being amalgamated into the Roman Empire. Then it progresses to Iron and miry clay. In other words, Rome (iron) becomes amalgamated with the Greek (brass) system.

YAHWEH’S WARNINGS MADE REALITY

YAHWEH had warned Israel that if they wouldn’t obey Him, He would make their heaven to be brass and their earth iron. Scripture and history, when followed carefully reveal that YAHWEH has perfectly brought about that which he warned and prophesied.

Today’s Christian religion and even Judaism, believe it or not, is derived from the Roman Caesars who headed the kingdom that became both Latin (iron) and Greek (brass). The latter Caesars (from Constantine onward) pretended repentance, and simply entered into the corrupted remnants of the New Testament assembly in order to take over and utilize the strength of this religion in order to increase their power over the kingdom and people.

Here is what YAHWEH prophecies concerning this, "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against YAHWEH and against His anointed (His Mashiach), saying, ‘Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us," Psa. 2:1-3.

The leaders and rulers reject YAHWEH and YAHshua and present to them a false vain faith in order to break the bands and cords that would unite the people to them. Paul says that none of the princes of this world understood the mystery of YAHWEH for if they had, they wouldn’t have crucified the Sovereign of glory (1 Cor. 2:8). According to Psalm 2, the people imagine a vain thing and the kings and rulers are there to aid the people to realize that vanity.

In the above Scriptures from Revelation, the woman commits fornication with the kings of the earth in order to turn the people to blasphemous and abominable ways. The woman utilizes the wine (Heb. = yayin from whence we get Yavan/Greek/yaven/miry) of fornication in order to keep the people intoxicated, deceived and walking in error.

I have had many people in the faith tell me that they can proclaim the truth about YAHWEH and YAHshua until they are blue in the face, but even though some may admit that they are speaking the truth, none will even begin to repent and change their ways. This is YAHWEH’S doing. He has given the world and Israel over to a spirit of idolatry. Only those few that He calls out of this false pagan system are able to see and understand the truth. We are frustrated at what we see. We speak out against what we see, but are powerless to do anything about it. We see the paganism and falsehood practiced by Christianity, Judaism, Islam and other religions, but these things will simply continue to deceive the masses until YAHWEH truly turns His hand to overthrow and destroy them completely.

The Psalmist David cries out, "I waited patiently for YAHWEH; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings," Psa. 40:1-2.

The Hebrew words for "miry clay" utilized here are "miry = yaven" and "clay = tiyt." This miry clay has caused the Psalmist to descend into what is called a "horrible pit." "Horrible" is translated from the Hebrew word "sha’own" which has to do with destruction, and/or desolation. "Pit" is translated from "bowr" which also has to do with a dungeon, cistern, pit hole, etc. The ultimate pit of destruction or desolation is the grave. But through YAHshua, YAHWEH has power over the grave an will bring His people up out of it in order to turn His hand to save them. This is revealed in Ezekiel chapter 38 wherein YAHWEH promises to restore the whole house of Israel and to put His Spirit in them.

He promises, "Thou (Israel) shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I YAHWEH am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thy gates Praise. The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but YAHWEH shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy Elohim thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for YAHWEH shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy People also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I YAHWEH will hasten it in his time," Isa. 60:16-22.

Here is what YAHWEH promises for those who turn to Him in today’s world, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and He shall speak peace unto the heathen: and His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee; when I have bent Judah for Me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man. And YAHWEH shall be seen over them, and His arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Sovereign YAHWEH shall blow the trumpet, ad shall go with whirlwinds of the south," Zech. 9:9-14.

Few people ever refer to these Scriptures and what they really mean. This is speaking of the day of resurrection when YAHWEH’S kingdom will begin its rule on the earth. Notice that YAHWEH will raise His sons of Zion up against the sons of Greece.

The Babylonian/Persian/Greek/Roman kingdom will be no more. YAHWEH will restore His kingdom, which will be ruled over by His own people. It will not be left to the kings, princes, rulers, leaders and people who continue to imagine vain things. It will be ruled by those whom YAHWEH has called out of this world and have proven to be faithful and loyal to Him, His Son and His Word. May YAHWEH speed that day!!!!

Genesis 1 (26) And Elohim said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (27) So Elohim created man in HIS own image, in the image of Elohim created HE him; male and female created HE them.

From the following two scriptures, it becomes evident that YAHWEH, the INVISIBLE Elohim, was speaking to Something that was called the Word, Elohim, the Light, and the Firstborn of all Creation. That Something became YAHshua (Many pronounce His name as "Yeshua."), HIS Son in the flesh. It was in their image and their likeness that we were created.

John 1 (I) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with YAHWEH, and the Word was Elohim. (2) The same was in the beginning with YAHWEH. (3) All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. (4) In Him was life; and the life was the Light of men. (5) And the Light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (6) There was a man sent from YAHWEH, whose name was John. (7) The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through Him might believe. (8) He [John] was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. (9) That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (10) He [the Light, the Word] was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. (11) He [the Light, the Word] came unto His Own, and His Own received Him not. … (14) And the Word [also the Light] was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the FATHER,) full of grace and truth.

Colossians 1 (12) Giving thanks unto the FATHER, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in Light: (13) WHO hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of HIS dear Son (YAHshua): (14) In Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (15) Who is the image of the INVISIBLE Elohim, the Firstborn of *every *creature [all creation]: (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.

*Translated as: "all creation" by The Interlinear Bible by J. P. Green Sr. & Young's Literal Translation.

According to the above scriptures, YAHWEH, the INVISIBLE Elohim, created mankind in the image and likeness of HIMSELF and YAHshua.

What does the YAHWEH, the INVISIBLE Elohim, look like? YAHshua revealed to Thomas the answer to that question.

John 14 (5) Thomas saith unto Him, Sovereign, we know not whither Thou goest; and how can we know the way? (6) YAHshua saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the FATHER, but by Me. (7) If ye had known Me, ye should have known My FATHER also: and from henceforth ye know HIM, and have seen HIM. (8) Philip saith unto Him, Sovereign, show us the FATHER, and it sufficeth us. (9) YAHshua saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the FATHER; and how sayest thou then, Show us the FATHER? (10) Believest thou not that I am in the FATHER, and the FATHER in Me?

With the above in mind, YAHWEH'S Son, YAHshua, is surely the perfect pattern that YAHWEH had in mind when HE created mankind before the fall in the Garden of Eden.

After YAHshua was manifested in the flesh with earthly physical features, He was the visible pattern that had already been used to create Adam in the image and likeness of YAHWEH.

Adam was formed of the dust of the earth, but YAHshua was formed of a different substance before He became flesh and blood.

In point #1 of this next scripture, we find a very significant way that we were patterned after the image and likeness of YAHWEH with YAHshua being the perfect pattern.

In point #2, we will also find a very significant way that we will be re-created from the very same substance that YAHshua was formed of before He was born of flesh and blood.

Hebrews 1 (1) YAHWEH, 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; (3) Who being the Brightness [Effulgence-Brilliant Radiance] of HIS GLORY, and the express image [G5481-engraved character or exact copy] of HIS person [essence] [some translate as substance], and upholding all things by the word of HIS power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (4) Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Those points are:

#1: YAHshua is the express image [engraved character or exact copy] of HIS [YAHWEH’S] person [essence].

#2: YAHshua is the Brightness [Effulgence - Brilliant Radiance] of YAHWEH'S GLORY [Splendor or Magnificent Appearance].

Point #1 will be divided into two parts.

Part A: Let us look at the words "express image" from the Greek word #[G5481 meaning- "engraved character" or "exact copy."

G5481. charakter, khar-ak-tare'; from the same as G5482; a graver (the tool or the person), i.e. (by implying) engraving ["character"], the figure stamped, i.e. an exact copy or [figuratively] representation):--express image. STRONGS

char·ac·ter (k²r"…k-t…r) n. 1. The combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another. See Synonyms at disposition. 2. A distinguishing feature or attribute, as of an individual, a group, or a category. … --char·ac·ter tr.v. charac·tered, charac·ter·ing, charac·ters. Archaic. 1. To write, print, engrave, or inscribe. 2. To portray or describe. --idioms. in character. Consistent with someone's general character or behavior: behavior that was totally in character. out of character. Inconsistent with someone's general character or behavior: a response so much out of character that it amazed me. [Middle English carecter, distinctive mark, imprint on the soul, from Old French caractere, from Latin charact¶r, from Greek kharakt¶r, from kharassein, to inscribe, from kharax, pointed stick.] --char"ac·ter·less adj. AHD (American Heritage Dictionary)

Part B: We will look at the phrase "of HIS person" G5287 meaning- essence.

(Note: The Interlinear Bible by J. P Green Sr. reads, "the express image of HIS essence.")

G5287. hupostasis, hoop-os'-tas-is; from a comp. of G5259 and G2476; a setting under (support), i.e. (fig.) concrete essence, or abstr. assurance (obj. or subj.):--confidence, confident, person, substance. STRONGS

es·sence (µs"…ns) n. 1. The intrinsic or indispensable properties that serve to characterize or identify something. 2. The most important ingredient; the crucial element. 3. The inherent, unchanging nature of a thing or class of things. AHD

Again, we come right back to the word character. It seems that the Greek words from which "express image" and "of His person" were translated are actually synonyms having to do with Character i.e. characteristics or attributes.

YAHshua Ha Mashiach has YAHWEH'S Essence, Characteristics, or Attributes engraved in Him and He also engraves them in the Believers.

Special note: YAHWEH'S Essence, Characteristics, or Attributes are collectively personified in the scriptures as HIS Holy Spirit. They are: HIS Wisdom, HIS Understanding, HIS Counsel, HIS Might, HIS Knowledge, HIS Reverence, and HIS Righteousness. (See my article on "The Spirit of YAHWEH.")

Here again, YAHshua was the pattern. Adam was only patterned after His image and likeness, but not an exact copy. YAHWEH gave Adam the spirit of man which is only a spirit in the image and likeness of HIS own Spirit.

As I stated earlier, in point #2 we will find a very significant way that we will be re-created from the very same substance that YAHshua was created from before He was born of flesh and blood.

Point #2: YAHshua is the Brightness [Effulgence - Brilliant Radiance] of YAHWEH'S GLORY [Splendor or Magnificent Appearance].

Since YAHshua is the "Brightness (Effulgence- Brilliant Radiance) of YAHWEH'S GLORY," we need to define the word "GLORY" which comes from the Hebrew word "kabowd."

Strong's: H3519. dwbk kabowd, kaw-bode'; rarely kabod dbk, kaw-bode'; from H3513; prop. weight; but only fig. in a good sense, Splendor or copiousness:-- (":--" means - also translated in the King James Version as:) glorious (-ly), glory, honour (-able).

From The American Heritage Dictionary, the word "Splendor" means:

1. great light or luster; brilliance. 2. a. Magnificent Appearance or display; grandeur. b. Something grand or magnificent. 3. Illustriousness; glory.

Special note: Please keep it in mind that Appearance is synonymous with Presence and Manifestation.

EXAMPLE #1 of the Magnificent Appearance, Presence, or Manifestation of YAHWEH:

Moses asked YAHWEH to show him HIS Glory.

Exodus 33 (18) And he said, I beseech thee, show me THY glory. (19) And HE said, I will make all MY goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of YAHWEH before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. (20) And HE said, Thou canst not see MY face: for there shall no man see ME, and live. (21) And YAHWEH said, Behold, there is a place by ME, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: (22) And it shall come to pass, while MY glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with MY hand while I pass by: (23) And I will take away MY hand, and thou shalt see MY back parts: but MY face shall not be seen.

Moses did indeed see a Magnificent Appearance, Presence, or Manifestation of YAHWEH! There was a shape, form, or likeness of hands and back parts. There was also a face which Moses did not get to see. As can be seen in verse 20, YAHWEH does not manifest HIMSELF in the fullness of HIS entire, supernatural Being. Therefore, man can see only a portion of HIS Magnificent Appearance, Presence, or Manifestation. (The Appearance, Presence, or Manifestation of YAHWEH in any shape, form, or likeness would always be Magnificent to behold!) HalleluYAH!!!

EXAMPLE #2 of the Magnificent Appearance, Presence, or Manifestation of YAHWEH:

When Moses conversed with YAHWEH he always saw a Similitude of HIM. That Similitude was also only a portion of the Magnificent Appearance, Presence, or Manifestation of YAHWEH.

Numbers 12 (6) And HE said, Hear now MY words: If there be a prophet among you, I YAHWEH will make MYSELF known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. (7) MY servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all MINE house. (8) With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even *apparently [by an appearance], and not in dark speeches; and the **Similitude [likeness, form] of YAHWEH shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against MY servant Moses?

*Translated as: "an appearance" by The Interlinear Bible by J. P. Green Sr. & Young's Literal Translation.

*H4758. mareh, [909c]; from H7200; sight, appearance, vision:-- appear(1), appearance(48), appears(7), desires(m)(1), face(m)(2), form(m)(2), good-looking*(1), impressive(m)(1), like(m)(1), looked(2), looked like(1), looking(1), openly(1), pattern(1), saw*(m)(1), see*(m)(1), sight(5), something(1), some thing(2), vision(10), what they see(2), who(1). NASC

**H8544. temunah, [568b]; from the same as H4327; likeness, form:-- form(7), likeness(3). NASC

EXAMPLE #3 of the Magnificent Appearance, Presence, or Manifestation of YAHWEH:

YAHWEH manifested HIMSELF to Moses in either the likeness or form of an angel (messenger) in a flame of fire or in the likeness or form of a flaming fire in a burning bush that was not consumed by the fire. Again, this had to have been a Magnificent Appearance or Presence of YAHWEH.

Exodus 3 (2) And the angel of YAHWEH appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. (3) And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. (4) And when YAHWEH saw that he turned aside to see, Elohim called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I (5) And HE said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. (6) Moreover HE said, I am the Elohim of thy father, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon Elohim.

Moses was on holy ground as a portion of YAHWEH'S Presence manifested as an angel in a flame of fire was there! He saw only a portion of YAHWEH'S Magnificent Appearance, Presence, or Manifestation manifested as something that his natural eyes could see and his mind could comprehend. It was still so awesome that he was afraid to continue looking.

EXAMPLE #4 of the Magnificent Appearance, Presence, or Manifestation of YAHWEH:

Moses and the Children of Israel saw the GLORY or the Magnificent Appearance, Presence, or Manifestation of YAHWEH! They saw it manifested in the form of a devouring Fire. This was something that they could see with their natural eyes and comprehend with their minds. It was still awesome to see!

Exodus 24 (15) And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. (16) And the GLORY of YAHWEH abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day HE called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. (17) And the sight of the GLORY of YAHWEH was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

EXAMPLE #5 of the Magnificent Appearance, Presence, or Manifestation of YAHWEH:

YAHWEH told Moses that HE would dwell in the sanctuary and commune with him from above the Mercy Seat (Ark Cover).

Exodus 25 (8) And let them make ME a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. … (22) And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the Ark of the Testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

Did YAHWEH'S entire Being dwell in the tabernacle and commune with him above the mercy seat? Again, this must have been only a portion of the Magnificent Appearance, Presence, or Manifestation of YAHWEH for HE dwells in Heaven with the earth as HIS footstool. Therefore, HIS whole Being can not dwell in an earthly man-made building?

Isaiah 66 (I) Thus saith YAHWEH, The heaven is MY throne, and the earth is MY footstool: where is the house that ye build unto ME? And where is the place of MY rest?

It should be clear that YAHWEH speaking out of the midst of the burning bush, YAHWEH speaking to the prophets in visions, the Similitude of YAHWEH speaking to Moses and YAHWEH dwelling in the Tabernacle were all only a portion of the Magnificent Appearance, Presence, or Manifestation of YAHWEH.

One of the reason that I asked the reader to keep it in mind that Appearance is synonymous with Presence and Manifestation is because there is a rabbinic term for the Presence of YAHWEH that shows some light on what the Light (YAHshua) is. (Pun intended!) After you understand what the rabbis and sages wrote concerning YAHWEH'S Presence you will understand why the first century followers of YAHshua understand what John was saying when he spoke of YAHshua being the Light. I think that they write YAHWEH'S Presence or Presence of YAHWEH as hgykv hwhy, but I am not 100% sure.

The term for the Presence of YAHWEH is the Hebrew word "Shekhinah."

The following quotations have been taken from the Encyclopedia Judaica's article on "Shekhinah." (Liberty has been taken to highlight certain points of interest. [Supplementary information will be set off with brackets and in smaller print and mostly in this color.]

SHEKHINAH (literally "dwelling," "resting"), or Divine Presence, refers most often in rabbinic literature to the numinous [presiding divinity] immanence [existence] of God [YAHWEH] in the world. The Shekhinah is God [YAHWEH] viewed in spatio-temporal [existing in both space and time] terms as a presence, particularly in a this-worldly context: when He sanctifies a place, an object, an individual, or a whole people---a revelation of the holy in the midst of the profane. Sometimes, however, it is used simply as an alternative way of referring to God [YAHWEH] himself, such as "The Holy One Blessed be He," or "The Merciful One..".. One of the more prominent images associated with the Shekhinah is that of light. Thus, on the verse, .".. the earth did shine with His glory" (Ezek. 43:2), the rabbis remark, "This is the face of the Shekhinah" (ARN 2, 13a; see also Hul. 59b-60a). Both the angels in heaven and the righteous in *olam ha-ba ("the world to come") are sustained by the radiance of the Shekhinah (Ex. R. 32:4; Ber. 17a; cf. Ex. 34:29-35). This association with light has led to the view that the Shekhinah is some kind of luminous material, a being of light created by God [YAHWEH].

The same article relates Shekhinah as used in the Talmud and in Midrash.

In origin Shekhinah was used to refer to a divine manifestation, particularly to indicate God’s [YAHWEH'S] presence at a given place. This did not imply a limitation of God’s [YAHWEH'S] omnipresence, however, since it is said the Shekhinah is in all places (BB 25a), and that just as the sun radiates throughout the world so does the Shekhinah (Sanh. 39a). Even those special places and objects which God [YAHWEH] imbues with an extra holiness by His presence---such as the thorn bush in which He manifested Himself to Moses, or Mount Sinai, or the Tabernacle in the wilderness---in connection with which the term Shekhinah is most often used, teach us that no place is devoid of His presence:

The same article relates Shekhinah as used in Jewish Philosophy.

In Jewish Philosophy. Unlike the rabbinic sages, who generally identified Shekhinah with the Presence of God [YAHWEH], or even with God [YAHWEH] Himself, the medieval Jewish philosophers were concerned with avoiding any possible anthropomorphic interpretations of this concept, and therefore went to great lengths to point out that Shekhinah refers not the God [YAHWEH] Himself, nor to any part of His Essence, but rather to an independent entity, created by God [YAHWEH]. According to *Saadiah Gaon, the Shekhinah is identical with kevod ha-Shem ("the glory of God [YAHWEH]"), which served as an intermediary between God [YAHWEH] and man during the prophetic experience. He suggests that the "glory of God [YAHWEH]" is the biblical term, and Shekhinah the talmudic term for the created splendor [the magnificent appearance] of light which acts as an intermediary between God [YAHWEH] and man, and which sometimes takes on human form. Thus, when Moses asked to see the glory of God [YAHWEH], he was shown the Shekhinah, and when the prophets in their visions saw God in human likeness, what they actually saw was not God [YAHWEH] Himself but the Shekhinah... [YES, Yes, and yes!!! I totally agree!]

* A famous Jewish philosopher who lived in Babylon around 1000 CE

*Maimonides accepts Saadiah's view that the Shekhinah is a created light, identified with glory. He too associates the Shekhinah with prophecy, explaining that it is the Shekhinah which appears to the prophet in his vision (Guide of the Perplexed, 1:21). Explaining prophecy as an overflow from God [YAHWEH] through the intermediation of the active intellect (ibid., 2:36), Maimonides writes that man apprehends God [YAHWEH] by means of that light which He causes to overflow toward him, as it is written, "in thy light do we see light." Some interpreters of Maimonides believe that the Shekhinah corresponds to the active intellect itself, which is the lowest of the ten intellects (see *Intellect), and which communes with the prophets (Yad, Yesodei ha-Torah, 7:1). However there are also passages in which Maimonides identifies the Shekhinah with God [YAHWEH] Himself rather than with some other being.

*A famous twelfth­century Jewish philosopher who lived most of his life in Old Cairo Egypt

Now, let us look again at some of the things that were said about the Shekhinah of YAHWEH. All of these things describe the five examples of the Magnificent Appearance, Presence, or Manifestation of YAHWEH that I have given above. They also describe YAHshua Ha Mashiach, Who was Immanuel or Emmanuel (El with us). (Isaiah 7:14 & Matthew 1:23)

#1: SHEKHINAH (literally [means] "dwelling," "resting"), or Divine Presence.

#2: [The Shekhinah is] a revelation of the holy in the midst of the profane.

#3: [The] Shekhinah was used to refer to a divine manifestation, particularly to indicate God’s [YAHWEH'S] presence at a given place.

#4: The Shekhinah is identical with kevod ha-Shem ("the glory of God [YAHWEH]"), which served as an intermediary between God [YAHWEH] and man during the prophetic experience.

#5: One of the more prominent images associated with the Shekhinah is that of light.

#6: This association with light has led to the view that the Shekhinah is some kind of luminous material, a being of light created by God [YAHWEH].

#7: the "glory of God [YAHWEH]" is the biblical term, and Shekhinah the talmudic term for the created splendor [the magnificent appearance] of light which acts as an intermediary between God [YAHWEH] and man, and which sometimes takes on human form.

#8: Maimonides [A famous twelfth­century Jewish philosopher] accepts Saadiah's [A famous tenth­century Jewish philosopher] view that the Shekhinah is a created light, identified with glory. He too associates the Shekhinah with prophecy, explaining that it is the Shekhinah which appears to the prophet in his vision.

#9: When Moses asked to see the glory of God [YAHWEH], he was shown the Shekhinah, and when the prophets in their visions saw God [YAHWEH] in human likeness, what they actually saw was not God [YAHWEH] Himself but the Shekhinah.

#10: Sometimes Maimonides identifies the Shekhinah with God [YAHWEH] Himself rather than with some other being.

#11: Both the angels in heaven and the righteous in *olam ha-ba ("the world to come") are sustained by the radiance of the Shekhinah.

The Glory or Shekhinah of YAHWEH is the Magnificent Appearance, Presence, or Manifestation of YAHWEH that appeared to YAHWEH'S people Israel in many forms in Old Testament times.

How Beautiful! That same Glory or Shekhinah appeared again to YAHWEH'S people Israel almost 2,000 years ago in the form of HIS own Son, YAHshua Ha Mashiach! YAHshua was only a portion of the Glory or Shekhinah of YAHWEH which was created as a Being of Light, not entirely separated from YAHWEH, to manifest HIMSELF in different forms (including the form of a man) as an Intermediary to communicate with the human race. YAHWEH temporally laid aside the divinity of only a portion of His Glory or Shekhinah to become HIS Son made of human flesh to be the Mediator between HIMSELF and the entire human race! Therefore, YAHshua was & is the Brightness [Effulgence - Brilliant Radiance] of YAHWEH'S GLORY. HalleluYAH!!!

Just think about this! At the Resurrection, our bodies of flesh that was created from the dust of the earth will be exchanged for an eternal one like unto the glorious body of YAHshua! At that time, we will in every way be true Sons and Daughters of YAHWEH in the Kingdom of YAHWEH! HalleluYAH!!!

I Corinthians 15 (20) But now is Messiah risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. (21) For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. (22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Messiah shall all be made alive. (23) But every man in his own order: Messiah the firstfruits; afterward they that are Messiah's at His coming. … (50) Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of YAHWEH; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (51) Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (54) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (55) O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

I Thessalonians 4 (13) But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep [in Messiah], that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. (14) For if we believe that YAHshua died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in YAHshua will YAHWEH bring with Him. (15) For this we say unto you by the word of YAHWEH, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Sovereign shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep [in Messiah]. (16) For the Sovereign Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of YAHWEH: and the dead in Messiah shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Sovereign in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Sovereign. (18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Philippians 3 (20) For our *conversation [citizenship] is in Heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Sovereign YAHshua Messiah: (21) Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His **glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.

*G4175. politeuma, pol-it'-yoo-mah; from G4176; a community, i.e. (abstr.) citizenship (fig.):--conversation STRONGS

**As used in this article, the Greek word "doxa" (G1391) translated as "Glory" was defined by Gesenius as:

I opinion, judgment, view: in this sense very often in professional writing; but in the Bible only in 4 Macc. v. 17 (18).

II opinion, estimate …

III. As a translation of the Hebrew *dwbk, in a use foreign to Greek writing [W. 32], splendor, brightness; 1. properly: tou feggouv, Acts xxii. 11; of the sun, moon, stars, 1 Co. xv. 40 sq.; used of the heavenly brightness, by which God [YAHWEH] was conceived of as surrounded, Lk. ii. 9; Acts vii. 55, and by which heavenly beings were surrounded when they appeared on earth, Lk. ix. 31; Rev. xviii. 1; with which the face of Moses was once made luminous, 2 Co. iii. 7, and also Christ [Messiah] in his transfiguration, Lk. ix. 32; doxa tou kuriou, in Septuagint equivalent to dwbk hwhy, in the Targum and Talmud hgykv, Shekhinah or Shekhinah [see BB.DD. s.v.], the glory of the Lord [YAHWEH], and simply h doxa, a bright cloud by which God [YAHWEH] made manifest to men his Presence and power on earth (Ex. xxiv. 17; xl. 28 (34 sqq. etc.)

*As used in this article, the Hebrew word "dwbk" (kabowd) translated as "Glory" was defined by Strongs as:

Strong's: 3519. dwbk kabowd, kaw-bode'; rarely kabod dbk, kaw-bode'; from H3513; prop. weight; but only fig. in a good sense, Splendor or copiousness:-- (":--" means - also translated in the King James Version as:) glorious (-ly), glory, honour (-able).

From The American Heritage Dictionary, the word "Splendor" means:

1. great light or luster; brilliance. 2. a. Magnificent Appearance or display; grandeur. b. Something grand or magnificent. 3. Illustriousness; glory.

That glorious body will not be of the dust of the earth, but will be of the same substance as YAHshua was, is, and will be, Shekhinah! HalleluYAH!!!

By Arkie Hobbs

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