Daily Word: The Impossible

The study of the culture and idioms of the first century Hebrews assists us to more completely understand the Scriptures. It is not that we won't get a message from reading independently of Hebraic culture, but it probably won't be the complete message. Today, we want to look at the story of the raising of Lazarus. Yahushua was very good friends with this family: Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Lazarus fell sick and died. While he was living, his sisters sent word to Yahushua hoping He would come and heal their brother. Yahushua gets the message and waits two days before making the journey to see him. By the time Yahushua arrives, Lazarus has been dead four days. Is the number four significant? Why did Yahushua wait the two days before leaving? Without an understanding of Hebraic culture, the numbers don't seem too significant. However, they are very important and the local Hebrews certainly would have understood their significance.

It was the belief and custom of first century Hebrews that when a person died, their spirit hovered above them for three days. On the fourth day, that spirit descended into Sheol, the place of the dead. There was a belief that within the first three days, a miracle could occur and the spirit of the departed could return to the dead. However, on the fourth day, there was no possibility of a miracle because the spirit had departed. Now the four days make sense, don't they. Yahushua waited four days to demonstrate His divinity and power over death. Now read John 11:24-25: "Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Yahushua said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." Martha knows that her brother's spirit has departed and the only hope is a last day resurrection; however, Yahushua is about to demonstrate that with Him nothing is impossible. Yahushua then calls forth Lazarus and he is raised from the dead. This was an impossibility to them, but Yahushua was demonstrating that He is the God of the impossible.

Do you have an impossible situation today? If so, know that He is the God of the impossible. He will not fail you. Even though it may look like He is too late, He is never too late. Trust Him completely today for your every situation!

Daily Word: I Will Be

We are going to continue to spend time developing a Hebraic approach to the Scriptures so that the Word of God will become more meaningful for us. We want the Word of God to be properly understood and interpreted. We will do this by studying the Scriptures from a Hebrew perspective. Today we look at John 18:4,5: "Yahushua therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Yahushua of Nazareth. Yahushua saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them." The crowd was looking for Yahushua and Yahushua responds to them by asking the question in verse 4. Modern translations do not translate what is really occurring. Yahushua's response in the original language is "I AM (and not "I am he")." There is no "he" in the writing. The translators added "he" in attempt to clarify. Their clarification almost serves to mislead us. Instead, Yahushua is making a clear connection to the words spoken by God to Moses in Exodus 3:14: "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." Actually, the better Hebrew translation is : "I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE." This means that our God will be whatever He needs to be to bring Him glory in our lives. He is the great I WILL BE!

Yahushua was identifying Himself with the Father and voicing His authority. The power of this authority is seen in the results: they fell backyard and to the ground. Yahushua repeats the phrase "I WILL BE" in verses 6 and 8. The Jews present clearly understood what Yahushua was saying. Some "scholars" argue that Yahushua never claimed to be the Son of God. If one relied on English translations, one might be tempted to give their claim some consideration. However, once one understands the Hebraic meaning behind the actual words of the text, all claims that Yahushua never identified Himself as Messiah fall backward to!

Today, remember that Yahushua spoke with the power and force of the great I WILL BE. His words are just as powerful today as they were then. His words still bring salvation, deliverance, healing, and protection. He is God; He is our Savior. He has given His authority of I WILL BE to His disciples. May our lives demonstrate His power.

Daily Word: Christ vs. Messiah

We have spent a few days learning the true name of the Messiah. Now, we are going to study why He is called the "Christ" as opposed to the "Messiah" in our English Bibles. The phrase commonly used in referencing the Messiah is "Jesus Christ." Where does "Christ" come from? Is there any significance to the use of "Christ?" The Hebrew word for "Messiah" is Mashiach and it means anointed. Messias would be the Greek transliteration. Christos would be a translation for the anointed. Dr. Bullinger in The Companion Bible said: "Hence, the Noun [Christos] is used of and for the Messiah, and in the Gospels should always be translated 'Messiah'."

In John 4:22, the Messiah said: You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. (NKJV) Philip Doddridge commented: "for truly the salvation God has promised to his people is to arise from the Jews, and the way of obtaining it is with the greatest advantage to be learn among them." Notice the underlined portion of his comment. We would do well to remember that salvation is of the Jews. That is why we seek to reconnect with our Hebraic roots. Yeshua was a Jew; His early followers were all Jews. We need to understand the history and culture of the Jews to better understand our Messiah. But what does this have to do with Christos? There is a similarity between Christos and pagan deities. Chrestos was a common Greek proper name and it means "good." Chrestos was the name for Osiris, the sun deity of Egypt. The similarity in sound is obvious. The word Christos would have been more acceptable to Krishna worshipers, because of the similar sounding of it and Krista the pagan god. This would have made easier to convert the pagans to Christianity.


Today, begin to refer to the Savior as The Messiah. As you do, you are beginning to place Him in the proper Hebraic context. He is Jewish and we should use Hebraic terms to describe Him. As we travel the road away from the Greek model, it will require some adjustments. However, those changes will bring us closer to the Father and His Son.

Daily Word: The Messiah's Name Part 4

We have been looking at the name of our Messiah. We have seen that "Jesus" has pagan ties that lead back to sun worship. So what is the name we should use? The Messiah said in John 5: 43: I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. (NKJV) The Messiah has come in the name of the Father. That is the first clue to examine. Psalm 68:4 says: Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him. (KJV) His name is JAH, which is an abbreviated form of YaHWeH. Adam Clark commented on this verse as follows: "Yah, probably a contraction of the word YHWH, Yehovah; at least so the ancient Versions understood it. It is used but in a few places in the sacred writings. It might be translated The Self existent." Notice that the explanation of YAH does not include any reference to sun worship or fish. The Messiah comes in the name of His Father, YAH.

While scholars debate over the actual name of Yeshua or Yahushua, which literally means "the salvation of Yah," I do not intend to, at this time, enter the argument. Yeshua is short for Yahushua. It is like saying "Mike" instead of "Michael." Since I would not use an informal name for the Messiah, I have decided to use the more formal name Yahushua. However, since Yeshua means "Salvation," it certainly would be acceptable. The point to remember is that "Jesus" has pagan roots and should be avoided.

Today's word may cause confusion initially; however, it is truth. While we would not refrain from sharing the good news of the Messiah because it might cause confusion to some, neither should we restrain the presenting of our Messiah by His correct name. He knows your name and now you know His.

Daily Word: The Messiah's Name Part 3

In John 5:43, the Messiah said: I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. (NKJV) In John 17:11, He said: Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. (NKJV) From these verses we can receive clues as to the real name of the Messiah. First, the Messiah comes in the name of the Father and not the sun-god or fish. Second, the name has keeping power in it. Third, the Father and the Messiah are one so we would expect their names to be similar.

There is no resemblance between the name of Jesus and Yahushua or Yeshua. Yahushua means, "the salvation of Yah or Yahu." "Jesus" is derived from Iesus, derived from Iesous, clearly derived from the Greek goddess of healing, Ieso or Iaso. In addition, the short form of the name Iesous is Ies, the surname of Bacchus, the sun-god. The names Jesus and Yahushua have two different origins and two different meanings. Our Savior's name contains the name of His Father. Additional support can be found in Revelations 14:1: Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. (NKJV) The underlined portion makes clear that the Lamb has the Father;s name written on His forehead. That name does not contain a link to a sun-god.

Tomorrow, we examine the name of a Savior. He has a name and that name brings salvation, deliverance, healing, and victory. We need that name today more than ever. His name has been given to us. Isn't it about time we learned it.

Daily Word: The Messiah's Name Part 2

We are spending a few days looking at the name of our Savior. This is very important because Acts 4:12 says: "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (NKJV) We need to have the correct name, because salvation is only in THE NAME. "Other names" won't work, so we continue our search for truth. Yesterday, we saw that Iesous was Greek for Jesus. Iesous is related to Ieso, the Greek goddess of healing. The abbreviated form of Iesous is Ies, or in capital letters IHS ("H" is the capital for the letter "e" in Greek). Have you ever seen the letters IHS in churches. I have, generally on the pulpit. Some believe it stands for, "In His Service." It doesn't; it stands for Ies the abbreviated form of Iesous.

IHS was the surname of the god Bacchus. Dr. E.W. Bullinger, the editor of The Companion Bible says: "Whatever meanings of...IHS may be given, the fact remains that it was part of the name Bacchus...." Bacchus was a well known sun god and was commonly referred to as Tammuz among classical writers. Calling our Savior Iesous was a way to assimilate sun worshipers into the Christian faith. They were used to giving honor to IHS, so they now would do the same for the expanded version, Iesous. We get Jesus from Iesous. M. Turretin said the following concerning Christianity in the fourth century: "that it was not so much the Empire that was brought to the Faith, as the Faith that was brought over to the Empire; not the Pagans who were converted to Christianity, but Christianity that was converted to Paganism." The reference to Empire was to the Roman Empire.


Do you want YHWH to move in our churches? Do you desire to see real revival? If so, I suggest we need to remove all aspects of sun worship and paganism from our practices. We need to be faithful and true to our heavenly Father YHWH. We need the power of the Name in our lives and that includes having the right Name. (More tomorrow.)

Daily Word: The Messiah's Name Part 1

We are going to spend a few days looking at the name of the Messiah. This is of vital importance because Acts 4:12 says: "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (NKJV) The name is important because there is no other name that brings salvation, deliverance, healing, and victory. We need to get this right. Ask the average Christian and you will be informed that Jesus is his name. Let me state unequivocally that his name is not "Jesus." First, there is not one authoritative source which says our Savior's name was Jesus. Second, there was no "J" in the Hebrew language during the first century. As a side note, the "Jehovah Witnesses" have a problem because the name of YHWH is not "Jehovah," because there was no "J" In Biblical Hebrew. How did we end up with the name "Jesus" anyway?

"Jesus" is the transliteration of the Greek Iesous or the Latin Iesus. The Worterbuch der Antike tells us that: "JESUS: really named Jeshoshua, Iesous (Greek), Iesus (Latin) is adapted from the Greek, possibly from the name of a Greek healing goddess Ieso (Iaso)." According to ancient Greek religion, Apollo, the sun-god, had a son called Asclepius, who was the deity of healing. He had daughters and one of them was named Iaso (Ieso). The name Iesous can be traced back to Ieso, a sun-god. By removing the Hebrew name for the Messiah and replacing it with a derivation of the name of a sun-god, it was easier to make pagans feel comfortable with the new religion of Christianity.

Again, we see the effort to disconnect the followers of Yeshua from His Hebrew roots. This is done to compromise true faith in the name. There is only one name that contains salvation, deliverance, healing and victory, and it is not Jesus. Over the next few days, we are going to reconnect with our Jewish Savior who is closer than a brother. Isn't it time we knew His name. He knows ours.