Chapter 3–The Secret Name By Which God Swears In Genesis 22:15-16

Gods Encrypted Revelations in Genesis 22:15-16
As you look over this text you must ask, it has to be asked, "Why would God Who dictated His scripture to His servant Moses 'letter by letter' - as Jewish faithful assert’ – do so in such a way , that with nothing more than a simple 'box alignment' of the text, core Christian doctrines instantly become clearly visible – so much so, that they seem to jump right off the page in the sight of even the most casual observer?

Here's the text:

 

At the center of the Christian faith is the person of Yeshua, i.e., Jesus and here is His Name centrally located in the text. The theme and context

of these two verses is obvious. It is the theme of God swearing His Mighty Oath to Abraham.

Surprisingly, the text also contains several hidden revelations regarding God’s Appointment of the name Yeshua – ישוע - and its relationship to the person of Messiah. In these two short verses God indisputably reveals the Name by which He swears His Mighty oaths and reveals this Name is ‘Yeshua’.

Contained within Genesis 22 vs. 1–15 is the story in which God asks Abraham to sacrifice His beloved son Isaac upon Mount Moriah. The Name מוריה, Mōriyyā means, "ordained or considered by God” and  is the name given to the mountain range intended to be the place for sacrifice of Isaac to occur. As it happens, it is also the place where the temple of Solomon is located.^{Wiki. October 21, 2001} Therefore, Moriah is location of Golgotha as well  – the Place of the crucifixion. The teaching is, Yeshua was crucified just outside of the temple area. One who knows the story of the crucifixion need not ‘stretch too far’ to immediately grasp the connecting themes between the Akedat Yitzchak עקידת יצחק – The Binding of Isaac and the story of the atoning sacrifice of Yeshua. Although Jewish faithful protest, saying, there is no Messianic implication nor connection to Yeshua in these verses we shall shortly see God Himself has much to say about their position. He has much more to say.

Akedat Yitzchak עקידת יצחק – The Binding of Isaac, is a powerful story. It is a story of faith tested past endurance and rewards beyond conceivability. Some refer to this story as the story of the ‘Sacrifice of Abraham’, others as ‘The Sacrifice of Isaac’. The Jews refer to this story by the title Akedat Yitzchak עקידת יצחק – The Binding of Isaac.

In addition to the startling, embedded, revelation just mentioned the story also provides proof that the that the secret Name by which God swears Is Yeshua, Jesus – ישוע. Because this is so, the rabbinic method discussed in prior chapters almost requires the Jewish reader to ask, ‘Why did God encrypt Yeshua’s Name in this text since he is our enemy?’ And, if God did not encrypt Yeshua’s Name, then who did it – and also ; ‘why would God allow this inter-pollution to happen’? Indeed, normal human curiosity would ask the same types of questions sans the enemy observation. God’s Himself, answers these types of rabbinic musings in a most amazing way. This, He has done in the remarkable arrangements of letters in the ‘box aligned text’ of the story of the Akedat Yitzchak עקידת יצחק.

The Akedat Yitzchak is God’s reply that it is Yeshua’s Name which God invokes when He swears His mighty oaths, that Yeshua is not the enemy that some have made Him to be and that in the final analysis – Yeshua is the Messiah of both Jew and Gentile.

So rejoice! In your sight, today, salvation has come unto your house! For the non believer, God’s proofs should be good news – perhaps now you too can come to faith in Yeshua.  For the Jewish believer, the Father is Himself revealing Messiah to you in such a way that all doubts may be erased.  You have been waiting for Him for a long, long time, and He is here today – not just for one moment or for one action but eternally.

God Swears His Oath Invoking His Own Name 
It is absolutely understood by Jews and Christians alike that the phrase “by Myself I have sworn…’, vs.16 means: God swore this oath to Abraham by invoking His Own Name. This understanding resides within both camps. It is summed up in the very clear Jewish teaching which happens to be found in the Christian scriptures which state: “For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, "I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply you." And thus, having patiently waited, he [Abraham] obtained the promise. For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us”. Hebrews 6:13-18

Obviously we point to the revelation that it is Yeshua’s Name which is invoked by God when making His oath to Abraham. Also we note this is the unique Name appointed by God for this purpose.

The Story: Akedat Yitzchak עקידת יצחק
Before going much further into the many other things God has layered in on top of the straight read of the story, let’s look at the story itself since the primary Jewish rule of scriptural exegesis is: ‘when reading at the ‘pashat level’ – which is called the ‘straight read or the literal text’ by the Jewish commentators – one is experiencing both ‘the sense and context of the passage’. The pashat sets the backdrop for any deeper commentary or extrapolation i.e., exegesis of the text. In other words all commentaries, all analogies and all exegetical discussion MUST in some sense have direct relevance to the text being read.

The Akedat is the story of how Abraham was tested by God, he, being told to offer his beloved son, Isaac, as a whole burnt, ‘sacrificial’ offering upon the rocky peak of Mount Moriah - (Mount Moriah is the location of of present day Jerusalem). Abraham bound the wood to be burned in the sacrifice upon the back of his son Isaac and then had him bear its weight up to the place of sacrifice. At the last moment, God stops Abraham from going through with the sacrifice and provides a substitute, a substitutionary sacrifice, i.e., a sheep which is caught in a thorn thicket by its horns.

The Akedat Yitzchak עקידת יצחק is one of the most widely read passages of Scripture in the Jewish liturgy and daily prayer. It is recited during every morning service and also during Rosh Hashanah (In Judaism Rosh Hashanah is celebrated as Jewish New Years Day and begins a special ten day period of prayer, fasting and intense personal introspection culminating in the dread Day of Yom Kippur or ‘Day of Atonement’.  On Yom Kippur the sins of Israel are laid upon the lamb of offering and are forgiven.  These days are referred to as the ‘Days of Awe’ and are ushered in by blasts upon the sheep’s horn as commanded in Lev 23:24).  The following prayer is liturgically recited before the reading of Genesis 22:1 –19:

“Our God and God of our fathers, remember us in good remembrance before You, and recall,…... the oath that you swore to Abraham our father on mount Moriah, and the Akedat when he bound Isaac his son on top of the altar as it is written in Your Torah”.

Obviously the much belabored point being made is it is God who swears the oath to Abraham. Also, Jewish teaching makes an impressive connection between this event, the Akedat Yitzchak, and the arrival of the promised Messiah. the connection being typologically revealed in their regarding the two horns – shofars - of the ram, the ram provided by God as a substitution offering in the stead of Isaac. The shofar blown at mount Sinai, when the Torah was given, came from the ‘substituted ram’ which had been sacrificed in place of Isaac. The left horn was blown for a shofar at Mount Sinai and its right horn will be blown to herald the coming of Moshiach. The right horn was larger than the left, and thus concerning the days of Moshiach it is written, “on that day, a great shofar will be blown. ” Tz'enah Urenah) The smaller horn proclaims the advent of the Torah and the larger horn proclaims the advent of Messiah. The connection between the ram, the male sheep, and the Messiah, Who also was entrapped within a horrendous wreath thorns round about His head, is stunning and unmistakable.

Jewish faithful believe Isaac willingly goes to be sacrificed , trusting in his father, in obedience to his fathers will. They also place an enormous emphasis upon the idea that Abraham ties the wood, which is to be used in the sacrifice, upon the back of Isaac requiring him to carry the wood to the place of his death by himself. About this, the Jewish Publication Society writes: The image of Isaac’s carrying the wood on which he is to be burned adds enormous power to the story. A midrash relates this practice to be a Roman (not Jewish) method of execution that was sometimes used on Jewish martyrs. Jewish sages have also written about Isaac’s burden: It is like a person who carries his cross upon his own shoulders.^{The Torah Rabbas, John F. Boylan, Gen Rab. 56:3, 2008}  Certainly the Messianic implications of this story abound. One need not strain too hard to demonstrate the story of the Akedat Yitzchak עקידת יצחק is thematically as much a story of Abrahams and Yitzchak’s courage and faith as it is also a typological story of the substitionary sacrifice effected in the passion of Yeshua. Yeshua was also required to carry the wood of His execution upon His Own back. He too went voluntarily to His death in obedience to His Father’s Will; and, He too was to die upon Moriahs craggy slopes. He too after three days journey emerged alive spared from eternal death - having overcome death by death.

It is ironic that while Jewish anti-Christian apologists balk at according to the Akedat Yitzchak עקידת יצחק Yeshuan significance, they non the less see in it the story of a Roman execution upon Mt. Moriah and obedience of a Son to willingly die in accordance to His fathers will (God’s will) while downplaying the significance of the substitution sacrifice, the ram, which Christians understand to typify the very ‘lamb of God provided by the Father.’ We are therefore obligated to mention anti-Christian factions in Judaism have gone to great lengths to explain away any hint of Messianic implication in this incredible story. Unfortunately, most people paying attention to these anti-Christian apologists are unversed in theology, typology and scripture and hence are easily convinced. Especially ironic is the obvious New Covenant symbolism we find in the Akedat. It would be nice if the non-Christian inquirer had access to what is contained in the New Covenant because, even in this tiny reference to the tying of the wood, it is hard to miss the Yeshua centric overtones. We are therefore quite grateful that God has herein clarified the matter for all believers, be they Jews or Christians. God reveals He has appointed Yeshua’s Name to be the one by which He Himself Swears. Hear is the text stating that it is ‘by Himself’ that he swears: Remember, there is no dispute between Jews and Christians that the One Who is swearing is God and that the Name He invokes in so doing is His Own.

 

 

 

 

 

For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by Himself Heb. 6:13 The word ‘swear’ occurs fifty seven times in the entire bible. Sometimes the verses speak about how to swear, other times how not to swear, but overall the theme is the same; that, somehow swearing involves God’s Name and should not be done cavalierly. So this begs an important question, ‘what Name does God invoke when He swears this oath to Abraham? Obviously Genesis 22:16 answers this question; it is His Own Name. But, what is this Name? The encrypted[130] text reveals the Name God calls upon when He swears is Yeshua ישוע i.e., Jesus. How I arrive at the observation, ‘God swears by the invocation of Yeshua’s Name’, is the subject of this chapter and also the subject of the revelations which The Most Holy God of Israel is sharing with us today. The Obvious It’s hard to not take extreme notice of the revelation that Yeshua’s Name ישוע is deeply embedded within a statement which has God saying … , “… by Myself have I sworn saith YHVH”[131]. The intersection of Yeshu’s Name and the verse ‘by myself I have sworn …,’ is compelling. It is hard to argue that the Name Yeshu is any thing else than that Name which God invokes when He swears His mighty oaths. One would have to have a hardened will and a mind closed to truth to do so. But, God’s revelation does not end here. Here’s why. The Name Yeshu actually appears four times in these two verses of text; and, in each of its appearances it either proceeds forth from Godhead or recedes back into the most Holy Mystery of Divinity. Therefore, critics must ask, ‘why would God dictate His text in such a way that these revelations are so easily found’? ‘There must be a reason for this’. And, there is a reason. In fact they’re several reasons. Foremost of these is, Yeshu’s name is essential to the text - both to the very structure of the text and to the presence of the Name of God, found in these two short verses! Without Yeshu’s presence in the text the very Name of God would disappear from our sight! We witness God in the text only because Yeshu is there also. Doctrinally, we witness God teaching us Yeshu and Yahweh are each One echad, and each are God. What a majestic paradox! What an impossibility with is more than possible but is ‘fact’. In short, God is not God without without His Word, the Divine Word ,‘Yeshua’ / ‘Yeshu’ – may His Name be blessed and Sanctified!. Yeshu’s Unity Within Godhead, Yahweh. The context of the verses wherein Yeshu’s Name is found corroborates His inextricable, consubstantial unity within Godhead. In verse 15 we witness the "Malakh Yahweh" - יהוה מלאכ, - the ‘Angel of Yahweh’ calling out to Abraham. It might be surprising for some readers to learn that scholars agree that in these verses the ‘angel of the Lord’ spoken about in the text is the Lord Himself. They teach: “This one ‘angel of the Lord’ stands apart from the rest of the malakhim - מלאכמ - angels. This One is the ‘King of Angels’. He is the supreme manifestation of the message of God Himself! His Word or Voice is ‘ONE’ with the Person of God. Just as the Spirit of God is One with the Person of God.”[132] That the Bible refers to an ‘angel of the Lord’ rather to one of the Names of God is not at all unusual and this type of idiomatic phraseology can be found in several Biblical passages. I believe what we are witnessing in these verses is Yeshua, the Angel of God, calling forth from the clouds. Again, a question almost instantly comes to Mind “Why would God not use Yeshua’s Name if it were Yeshua Who is calling forth from the clouds? I think the answer to this question is obvious. The Person, Nature and Messianic work of Yeshua had not at the time of Abraham been revealed. For that matter the Torah had not even been transcribed; and, the exodus was still a future, and undisclosed event. In short it was too soon to reveal Yeshua. So Yeshua is referred to as ‘the angel of the Lord - the "Malakh Yahweh" - יהוה מלאכ. Since the box aligned text already supports this thought, i.e., Yeshua’s Name being deeply embedded onto the primary context of the text, lets take a deeper look at what other things are being revealed in these passages regarding Yeshu. To do this we’ll simply focus on the text and see what it contains. First, have a look at the four places where Yeshu’s Name is found in the text. Here they are : Lets take the text apart to see what is revealed about Yeshu in each of the four times His Name appears. One need not search too hard to find this Hebrew letters arrangement in the above box aligned text. It reads ‘out of ‘The Name’ – (HaShem) - , Yeshu.’ Of course, the understanding is, every time one encounters the title ‘HaShem’, it is to be understood the reference points directly to God. Therefore we can now understand the text to read, ‘Out of God, Yeshu’. Yeshu proceeds forth from God![133] Holy is our God Who reveals Himself! Now locate the following phrase in the box aligned text. This text reads ‘and cried out the Angel, ‘Yeshu’ – (note: it has already been established, the Angel referred to here is understood to be God!) It is Yeshu Who is crying out to Abraham! It is Yeshu Who is ALSO God! Thus Yeshu’s unity within Godhead is clearly established! In a similar fashion look for this text: It reads ‘out of ‘The Name’ – (HaShem) - , Yeshu.’ i.e., ‘Out of God, Yeshu’. Again we witness Yeshu proceeds forth from God! Now we have to pause for a second and ask an important question. Why would God who dictated this text to Moses letter by letter be so repetitive? Hasn’t He made this point once before? Why yes, He Has Made this point before! Yeshu does seem to proceed from God! Notice however, the Holy Tetragrammaton shows up twice. The Holy One, May His Name be ever Blessed, is teaching us ‘where the Father is, there also is the Son’! There are no exceptions Both are One because He is Echad.[134] In these verses the point is made Where the Father is His Only Begotten Son is as well.[135] In this fourth Revelation we witness Yeshu’s Name inserted almost as a footnote clarifying the verse “…by myself I have sworn saith the Lord” to wit, “…by myself I have sworn saith Yeshu - God”. This last finding of the Name Yeshu unites both the first reference to Yahweh’s Name in verse 15 and the last reference to the Name found in verse 16. In both findings, the Name Yeshu shares the letter Yod with the Holy Name Yahweh. The significance of this might be explained by the fact the letter Yod is the tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The number ten is considered the divine number and also carries the meaning of work or activity. Yeshu once again is revealed as the Holy Paradox within Godhead. He is the actively manifesting ‘Inner Flame’ – the ‘White Fire hidden within Dark Fire’[136] - the ‘paradoxical latent presence of the power of change’ within the changeless. He is the One Who is unique within the One Who is eternally the Same. He is the Flame, the ‘I Am’ ( the Name revealed to Moses)[137] and that one perfect lamb of God. Certainly, the statement ‘I Am that one Sheep Yeshu’ can be read into this revelation. There can be no doubt, it is Yeshua Who is ‘He Who breaks forth from and recedes back into the eternal Coal’ – The Holy Oneness in Divinity, God, amen. God leaves no stone is left unturned in making these points. The reader might want to take a moment to explore these four Holy revelations. Repeatedly, in each revelation, Yeshu is shown to be He Who either emanates from Yahweh or recedes back into the Holy Mystery of Godhead. Yeshu is revealed to be ‘the angel of Yahweh and He who is come out from Yahweh and finally as He Who swears invoking His own Name – a secret Name appointed before all the ages. Not By Accident We Now Go Deeper The diagrams above reveal Yeshua’s Name to be deeply embedded in Genesis 22: 15-16. However, there is an even deeper embedding, an encrypted hidden phrase, which clearly states, ‘My Name is Appointed (in/by) Yahweh’. Only by box aligning the text can this revelation be seen. An ELS code will not reveal it – indeed were we to content ourselves only with ELS code searches this wondrous marvel of Holy Revelation would remain hidden. Before the origins of all things, secreted in the depths of eternities long past, the Holy One had Yeshu in Mind. Incredible! Can anything be more clear than this? Can anyone continue to doubt? Can any non-believer after looking at what is now before his eyes come away from this text without admitting this is no accident; this is God’s Own revelation. Before We Close on this Chapter, we need to point out there are many more amazing revelations which still need discussion. In particular there is one utterly astounding prophetic, Messianic revelation which we will discuss but save for last. The Patterns in the Text We’ll turn now to point out several of the ‘patterns’ which seem to abound in Genesis 22:15-16. Each of these patterns reveal some aspect of the inner relationship between Yahweh, Yeshu and the title HaShem. The reader has already encountered a couple of these patterns although we have not discussed them as such. Firstly there is the ELS pattern[138]. This pattern is the one which pointed to the Name Yeshua running through the phrase, “by Myself I have sworn…”. It is ironic that the ELS pattern is the only pattern which Bible Coders look for while contenting themselves with the evil practice of ‘divination’[139] – an activity forbidden by the very Bible itself! If they would but take a few moments to follow the advice of my old testament professor, Fr. Tarazzi, and, “read the text, look at the text – do not interpret’, just ‘look see’ they too could be witnesses to God revealing His astounding mysteries - most of which almost jump right off the page. Best of all computers are not needed – simply ‘box align’ the text! By observing the text surrounding this ‘core revelation’ The ‘x marks the spot’ pattern quickly comes into view. The ‘X Marks the Spot Pattern It’s startling to find an ‘x marks the spot’ pattern just one time in any scriptural passage, however, it actually appears two times in these two verses, each time interconnecting the letters of the Name of God, Yahweh יהוה - the Tetragrammaton,[140], the Name of Yeshua ישוע (orYeshu ישו ) and the title HaShem השמ. The first of these two ‘x marks the spot patterns’ which we’ll address is the bottom-most pattern which became instantly discernable from our boxed aligned text. Running down the center of this pattern is the Name Yeshu ישו or Yeshua ישוע – depending on the where the reader desires to parse the text. Either parsing produces the same theological conclusion i.e., God is revealing that the Names Yahweh and Yeshu(a) are inextricably united one to the other at the letter vav ו – sharing this one letter in common thus allowing us to say the Divine Beings to Whom they refer are each ‘consubstantial and One’ within each other.[141] Note; if the text is parsed to spell Yeshua then two additional and very correct doctrinal possibilities open up regarding the letters האד which immediately follow the Name Yeshua. The text could be parsed to read ‘Yeshua the vapor i.e., the created being’. Or if the dalet ד is dropped then the text could instead be parsed to read, ‘Behold Yeshua’! These parsings are particularly striking when one remembers the words of the Roman governor Pilate, who condemned Yeshua to the cross, ‘’behold, the man’. Jn 19:5 Now compare Pilates words to what John the apostle says, ‘and the word was made flesh’ - Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο Jn1:14. The full literal translation reads the ‘Logos (Word) was made meat’ - σὰρξ i.e., sarx - (flesh). Clearly the human nature of Yeshu is manifest in these considerations; and, it was He Himself Who said “ … My flesh is meat indeed” ( literally translated ‘ … My flesh is the thing eaten’ - ἡ γὰρ σάρξ μου ἀληθῶς ἐστιν βρῶσις) Jn.6:55 It is important to notice, the title ‘HaShem’ is inextricable as relating to the Name Yeshua only. In analyzing the block aligned text, it quickly becomes apparent one cannot remove the title ‘HaShem’ from the text without doing serious damage to the Name Yeshua. However, this title, HaShem, cannot be said to be consubstantial with Yeshua since ‘HaShem’ is a title and not a name at all. Therefore, what the ‘x marks the spot pattern reveals beside the consubstantiality between Yahweh and Yeshu is that the title HaShem is a title which applies to Yeshua alone. ‘But’, the reader may point out ‘HaShem looks to be inextricable with the Name Yahweh also.’ So, why would I say HaShem is not a title pointing to Yahweh? The answer is found in via the method of the Jewish sages. If one were to remove both the letters ‘hey’ ה from the text and out of the Name Yahweh יהוה, thus apparently expunging the connection between Yahweh and HaShem, the sacred Name of God would nevertheless suffer no harm. The spelling for God’s sacred Name might be different, instead of יהוה we would read the Name Yah יה, however, it is fully accepted by all that the Divine entity referred to as Yahweh is also properly referred to as Yah. יה.[142] In summary, removing the title HaShem from the text destroys the Name Yeshua but it leaves the most Holy Name of God, יה inviolate. Hence HaShem is a title which is affixed to Yeshua’s Name alone! In this case one cannot speak of HaShem without ‘beholding’ Yeshua; however. the Name Yahweh or Yah remains unchanged – immutable in essence since יה is an acceptable variant of the Tetragrammaton. HaShem is the title of the Divine Person, Yeshua! It is sadly ironic that Jewish worshippers have been praying to Yeshua all along; they just did not recognize His Name! Looking at the point of intersections in the ‘x marks the spot patterns’ is also pretty informative. In the bottom-most pattern, the two titles ‘HaShem’ are ‘pinned’ to the Name Yeshua, at the letter shin. One can easily imagine in this regard the following dialogue, ‘ Who is HaShem? – He is Yeshua’. Also, the theological significance of this pattern criss-crossing over the letter shin is stunning. As we have already discussed in chapter 3: …, in the light of the teachings of the Jewish sages: “The secret of the (letter) shin is "the flame bound to the coal [Divine Essence]." A simmering coal actually possesses an invisible flame within it, which emerges and ascends from the surface of the coal when the coal is blown upon. The inner flame is the ‘paradoxical latent presence of the power of change’ within the changeless. The outer flame of the shin is continuously in a state of motion and change.” This outer flame just referred to is none other than Yeshua the Messiah of God. At the same time the most ineffable Name, Yahweh, is nailed[143] to the Name Yeshu, this consubstantial union being revealed via the letter vav ו. Theologically compelling is the fact that both ‘originations’ or ‘begettings’ of the titles HaShem begin deep within the Tetragrammaton i.e., they proceed forth from Yahweh יהוה via the letter ה as the ‘paradoxical latent presence of the power of change’ within the changeless’-Yeshu. In the topmost ‘x marks the spot pattern’ a few similar observations can be made pertaining to the integrity of the Name Yahweh surviving an expungement of the title HaShem. At the same time both findings of the name Yeshua disappear along with the erasure of the title HaShem – once more supporting our claim the title HaShem points only to Yeshua. Just as the bottom pattern had a remarkable revelation following the Name Yeshua so too the top most pattern reveals the interior activity of the Holy One. This revelation precedes the title HaShem! It’s truly amazing that these revelations seem to be reversals of one with the other! In the top pattern, reading down from the top we read the phrase ‘take the Name Yeshu’ – והשמ. This is a most stunning revelation and certainly connects to a revelation we just discussed. How truly marvelous is our God Who would reveal such things to us! So, ‘by what Name does God seal His Mighty oaths’?. There can be no doubt, Yeshu is the name by which God swears. Before leaving the discussion of the patterns involving the title HaShem and the Names Yahweh and Yeshua, I need to point out one more reversed pattern. In this pattern the title HaShem and the Name Yeshu both proceed ‘out from the ineffable Name Yahweh’, yet again. Yahweh’s Secret Purpose As discussed earlier in this chapter, the Yeshua centric messianic themes in Genesis 22:1-19 abound. Yet a Jewish reader, as we have also discussed, does not typically read Messianic significance into the story. But, our God is our God, and the Most Holy One has embedded into these two small verses a two absolutely clear teachings regarding the messiah-ship of Yeshua. This embedding is to be found in the diagonal text running from the bottom right corner of the verses to the top left corner. A nice touch since Hebrew is read right to left. Before we parse out the text lets first understand that Yahweh would have us know that the One spoken of is Yeshua and that Yeshua is the guilt offering. Remembering it is God’s plan to appoint the Name, i.e., Yeshu(a), the One who became the guilt offering – once and for all time. We also see now revealed it is God’s intention to reveal and renew the Name Yeshua – this is what is being done at this very moment. I will renew the Name אחדש השמ Whose Name is God renewing? Obviously it is Yeshua’s Name. A Name seldom used outside of Messianic circles and disparaged by many worldwide. In your seeing this, I truly pray that you understand, you are, right now, participating in Divine Revelation! Behold Yeshua, the Messiah of the Most High God! It is His Name which is being renewed in your sight – right now! Once again, welcome to Sinai. This is a Sinai moment! That He is Messiah is also quite clear. This is demonstrated by parsing the full diagonal text. Remember the text can be parsed two ways. The first has great significance to the Jews, the second to Christians, I see in this a Divine and Holy ‘bridging of the divide’ by God Himself. He is showing all of us the way back home to peace with each other in the ‘prince of peace Yeshua – our common heritage. The first parsing reads אחד שה שמנ הר “That One sheep that became a mountain” i.e., Yeshua To gentile eyes this does not seem like much of a messianic reference. Surely, the phrase, ‘that one sheep’ might work – it could point to the Messiah Yeshua – yet this alone requires too big a stretch to interpret the text in this manner. Instead, one needs to look at the text through Jewish eyes to make sense of ‘that one sheep becoming a mountain’. Lets look to Zech. 4:7 and see what the sages say. Who [art] thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel [thou shalt become] a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone [thereof with] shoutings, [crying], Grace, grace unto it. What in the world can this mean? Truly, one needs Hebrew eyes to make sense of this matter. The messianic reference is to be found in the Rabbinical source ' Yalkut' which comments about the one who becomes the great mountain. It explains the phrase 'Who art thou O great mountain?' as follows: "This refers to King Messiah. And why does he (Zechariah) call him the great mountain.... because he (King Messiah) is greater than the patriarchs, as it is said, "My servant shall be high and lifted up, and lofty exceedingly, - He will be higher than Abraham, lifted up above Moses, loftier than the ministering angles"[144] . The King Messiah passage is also found in Midrash Tanhuma to Genesis (perhaps 9th c.), ed. John T. Townsend (Hoboken, NJ: Ktav, 1989), p. 166. The 'servant lifted up' reference quoted in Yalkut is of course found in Is.52-53 and points to the ‘suffering servant’ type ‘Messiah’. As a side note, it's commonly maintained that Isaiah 52-53 does not point to an individual messianic ‘suffering servant’. Instead some say, the sufferer alluded to in these verses refers is the nation Israel as a whole. The fact is that Isaiah 53 (more precisely, 52:13 to 53:12) has been interpreted in messianic terms by a wide variety of Jewish commentators over a long period of time. Other interpretations have certainly been offered as well, including the view first popularized by Rashi in medieval times that the prophet speaks of the nation of Israel. Considering the persecutions the Jews were enduring at the hands of Christians at that time is a cogent argument as to why Jewish apologists in general and Rashi in particular would seek to minimize any favorable teaching concerning Yeshua the Christ of Israel. Nevertheless, the messianic interpretation of Isaiah 52:13-53:12 has a long history in Jewish Bible exegesis, as shown by the quotations below.[145] The Rabbis said: His name is "the leper scholar," as it is written, Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him a leper, smitten of God, and afflicted. [Isaiah 53:4]. Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 98b By the words "surely he hath carried our sicknesses," they mean that the pains and sickness which he fell into were merited by them (i.e., Israel), but that he bore them instead. . . . And here I think it necessary to pause for a few moments, in order to explain why God caused these sicknesses to attach themselves to the Messiah for the sake of Israel. . . . The nation deserved from God greater punishment than that which actually came upon them, but not being strong enough to bear it. . . God appoints his servant to carry their sins, and by doing so lighten their punishment in order that Israel might not be completely exterminated. Yefeth ben Ali -- Driver and Neubauer, pp. 23 ff.; Soloff pp. 108-109. Rabbi Moshe Alshekh (El-Sheikh) of Sefad (16th c.) “I may remark, then, that our Rabbis with one voice accept and affirm the opinion that the prophet is speaking of the King Messiah, and we ourselves also adhere to the same view”. Driver and Neubauer, p. 258. R. Elijah de Vidas (16th c.) “Since the Messiah bears our iniquities which produce the effect of His being bruised, it follows that whoso will not admit that the Messiah thus suffers for our iniquities, must endure and suffer for them himself”. Driver and Neubauer, p. 331. In connection with the idea of 'the Messiah being both the suffering servant' and the substitutionary sacrifice offered in the stead of Israel, I find the ‘guilt offering’ graphic compelling in that in the diagonal text we can clearly see the term guilt offering en-patterned into the text; and, of course, this is exactly the purpose of the offering of the scape-goat on Yom Kippur. I know it seems strange to Jews that the suffering servant role of Messiah is in Jewish thought and teaching yet this understanding is clearly there. Hopefully the ‘great mountain reference clears things up for them. There is however, a second parsing of the same text אחד שה שמנהר – that one sheep that was from the river This rendering speaks to ‘new covenant’ believers through the saying of John the baptizer who proclaimed immediately prior to baptizing Yeshua in the river Jordan, 'behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world'. Hopefully the reader can see Yeshua is the fulfillment of the teachings of the prophets. In either parsing, the use of the word sheep is noteworthy. As it is the sheep which carries the sin of the world making atonement and reconciling mankind to the Holy God of Israel. Yeshua is the One sheep hoped for by both Jews and gentiles. He is the One Who came into the world to make the peace between Man and God and He is the one Who will come again – the triumphant King also spoken about in scripture. God reveals over and over Messiah has come and He is Yeshua! And now God reveals this need not be a point of division but it can be a point of unity.