The Lost Old Syriac Aramaic Reading of Acts 1:4 By James Scott Trimm
In the King James Version we read in Acts 1:4:
And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. (Acts 1:4 KJV)
The Peshitta Aramaic version has “And he ate bread (לחמא) with them…” where the KJV has “And, being assembled together with them…”
Here the Earliest Greek manuscripts may reflect a more original Old Syriac reading.
There are a number of variant readings in the Greek for this phrase. The Alexandrian text reads “kai sunalizomenus” Greek scholars have found this a difficult word to deal with in this text. With a long “a” sunalizomenu was used in Classical and Hellenistic Greek to mean “collect or assemble”. With a short “a” sunalizomenu means literally “to eat salt together”. According to Bruce Metzger the meaning “to eat salt together” is a rare and late meaning of the Greek word which did not appear until the end of the Second century A.D.. Most of the early versions do take the word to refer to eating (The Old Latin, the Latin Vulgate; the Coptic, the Armenian, the Ethiopic and the Armenian for example). About thirty-five late Greek manuscripts read alternately sunaulizomenos “to spend the night with”.
Aramacist Dr. Daniel L. McConaughy has noted that the Ancient Aramaic “Church Father” Ephraim (“Mar Aprim” (early 4th Cent.) quotes the passage in Aramaic in his Hymns on Virginity hymn 36. This is very important because Ephraim’s quotations from the Gospels often agree with the Old Syriac against the Peshitta text and because the Old Syriac of Acts has been lost. Ephraim’s quote uses the word אתמלח “salted” or “ate salt” here. McConaughy suggests that this is the lost Old Syriac reading which would refer to an ancient Semitic custom of eating salt together in ritual meals (Num. 18:19; 2Chron. 13:5).
There is obviously some kind of scribal error here between the roots לחמ (“bread”) as in the Peshitta and מלח (“salt”) as in the Old Syriac.
( See An Old Syriac Reading of Acts 1:4 and More Light on Jesus’ Last Meal before His Ascension; Daniel L. McConaughy; Oriens Christianus; Band 72; 1988; pp. 63-67)
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1Corinthians and the Counting of the Omer Part 4: The Words of Elohim By James Trimm
The Lower Triad
The balance between tongues and interpretations of tongues is prophecy: tongues + interpretation of tongues = prophecy. Prophecy is our foundation.
Kinds of Tongues
Man was created in the image of Elohim. One of the ways that man was created in the image of Elohim was in being “male and female” (Gen. 1:26-27). But there is also another way in which man was created in the image of Elohim.
In Gen. 9:6 we are told that killing a man is a sin because man is “in the image of Elohim”. The preceding verses (9:2-5) tell us that man may kill and eat animals. Since many animals are “male and female” there must be more to man being “in the image of Elohim” than his being “male and female”. What is it that distinguishes man from animals?
The element about man that makes man “in the image of Elohim” while animals are not “in the image of Elohim” is the gift of speech.
The first two verses of Book of Jasher read:
1:1 And Elohim said, let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness,and Elohim created man in his own image. 1:2 And YHWH Elohim formed man from the ground, and he blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul, endowed with speech. (Jasher 1:1-2)
Note that Jasher 1:1 parallels Gen. 1:26-27 and Jasher 2:7 parallels Gen. 2:7 but adds the phrase “endowed with speech”.
Now Targum Jonathan to Genesis 1:26 has “And the Word of YHWH said, let us make man in Our image.” And Targum Onkelos to Gen. 2:7 adds a phrase at the end “and man became a spirit with speech”.
Thus it would appear that man’s gift of speech is the difference between man and animals so that man is “in the image of Elohim” while animals are not. It should also be noted that man was GIFTED with speech, Adam did not have to learn speech.
Isaiah prophesied about the manifestation of tongues:
Paul quoted directly from this scripture while teaching the assembly at Corinth about the gift of tongues. (1 Cor 14:21-22).
The gift of the manifestation of tongues is well known in the Rabbinic literature. The Talmud and midrashim both speak of this gift.
The outpouring of the Ruach HaKodesh event of Acts chapter two was a repetition of an event that took place at the first Shavuot (Shavuot is the aniversary of the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai). According to the Midrashim when the Torah was given at Mount Sinai the Torah message was divided up into the seventy languages of the Gentiles:
“Elohim’s voice, as it was uttered, split into seventy voices, into seventy tongues [leshonoth], so that all the nations should understand.” (Midrash from Exodus Rabbah 5:9)
The Talmud says:
“Every phrase which issued from the mouth of the All-powerful divided itself into the seventy languages.” (b.Shabbat 88b)
The Midrash also describes this event in even more detail:
In the occasion of Matan Torah [the giving of the Torah], the Bnai Yisrael [children of Israel] not only heard Hashem’s Voice but actually saw the sound waves as they emerged from Hashem’s mouth. They visualized them as a fiery substance. Each commandment that left Hashem’s mouth traveled around the entire Camp and then to each Jew individually, asking him, “Do you accept upon yourself this Commandment with all the halochot [Jewish law] pertaining to it?” Every Jew answered “Yes” after each commandment. Finally, the fiery substance which they saw engraved itself on the luchot [tablets]. (The Midrash Says; Rabbi Moshe Weissman. Benei Yakov Publications (1980) p. 182)
Thus the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh and the manifestation of tongues in Acts chapter 2 was a repetition of the gift of Torah and the manifestation of tongues that took place then.
Moreover the Talmud tells us that Yosef (Joseph) the patriarch was also given the gift of “kinds of tongues”:
Rabbi Hiyya ben Abba said in the name of Rabbi Johanan: “At the moment when Pharaoh said to Joseph, And without thee shall no man lift up his hand, Pharaoh’s astrologers exclaimed: ‘Wilt thou set in power over us a slave whom his master bought for twenty pieces of silver!’ He replied to them, ‘discern in him royal characteristics.’ They said to him, ‘in that case he must be acquainted with the seventy languages.’ Angel Gabriel came and taught [Joseph] the seventy languages, but he could not learn them. Thereupon [Gabriel] added to his name a letter from the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and he knew [the languages]…” (b.Sotah 36b)
The same story appears in the Book of Jasher:
And the angel roused him from his sleep, and Joseph rose up and stood upon his legs, and behold the angel of the Lord was standing opposite to him; and the angel of the Lord spoke with Joseph, and he taught him all the languages of man in that night, and he called his name Jehoseph. (Jasher 49:14)
The name Yosef is sometines spelled in the Tanak Yahusef. According to the Talmud the extra letter “H” (hey) from the name of YHWH was added to his name thus giving him the knowledge of the seventy languages which he had been unable to learn. It is significant that in Jewish tradition the first HEY in the name of YHWH represents the Ruach HaKodesh. Thus Yosef received the Ruach HaKodesh and the gift of tongues.
TZERUF: Permutations of Letters
Each of the 22 Hebrew letters represents one of twenty two paths which connect the Sefirot of the Tree of Life. Each of these 22 letters represents a relationship between two of the Sefirot and a combination of two of the Sefirot. These 22 letters are part of the image of Elohim and they took part in the creation. Messiah said that he is the ALEF and the TAV. The ALEF and the TAV are the first and last letters of the Hebrew Alphabet and are intended as an abbreviation to indicate that Messiah the incarnate “Word” embodied the 22 letters. When Elohim created the heavens and the earth he did so through words. Elohim “said” things and they were so. Elohim created the universe by his Word.
Each Hebrew word is more than a word, it is a matrix of dynamic relationships within the Godhead. Hebrew letters are also the building blocks of creation. In the upper worlds all things exist in their prime-material state as the strings of Hebrew letters and words which were the building blocks of creation. As we read in the Sefer Yetzirah:
Twenty-two Foundation letters: He engraved them, He carved them, He permuted (TZIRUF) them, He weighed them, He transformed them, And with them, He depicted all that was formed and all that would be formed. (Sefer Yetzirah 2:2)
This brings us to what is called in Rabbinic Judaism “Khokhmat HaTziruf” (Wisdom of Permutation) or simply “Tziruf” (permutation). This practice utilizes the letters of the alphabet in various permutations. By immersing oneself in various permutations of letters and names one empties ones mind of the carnal thoughts that might interfere in focusing on the things of Elohim. Thus ones nefesh (soul), neshoma and ruach are freed from their natural constraints and opened to the influx of the Ruach HaKodesh. Through this process the believer is communing directly with the upper worlds and accessing the permutations of letters which are the creative substance of the universe, thus connecting with the worlds of formation and creation and the “Word”, the ALEF and TAV through which all was created.
This practice is described in the Talmud:
Rab Judah said in the name of Rab: Bezalel knew how to combine (TZIRUF) the letters by which the heavens and earth were created. It is written here, And He hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom and in understanding, and in knowledge (Ex. 35:31), and it is written elsewhere, The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens (Prov. 3:19), and it is also written, By His knowledge the depths were broken up (Prov. 3:20). (b.Ber. 55a)
And in the Zohar:
R. Eleazar began here with the verse, “Ask thee a sign [Hebrew: OT “sign” or “letter”] of the Lord thy God, ask it either in the depth or in the height above” (Isa. 7:11). He said: ‘We have compared the former with the latter generations, and found that the former were conversant with a higher wisdom by which they knew how to combine (TZIRUF) the letters that were given to Moses on Mount Sinai, and even the sinners of Israel knew a deep wisdom contained in the letters and the difference between higher and lower letters, and how to do things with them in this world. For every letter that was transmitted to Moses used to ascend as a crown upon the heads of the holy celestial Hayyoth, who with them flitted through the ether which is under the refined and unknowable supernal ether. There were large letters and small letters; the large letters came from the most high and hidden Temple (hekhal) and the smaller letters from another lower Temple; and both kinds were transmitted to Moses on Sinai, along with their hidden combinations. (Zohar 3:2a)
Tzeruf is comparable to “machine language” in computer programming.
The Hebrew word for “tongue” (LASHON) and the Hebrew word TZIRUF (permutation) have the same gematria (numerical value) (386) which is also the gematria for the word YESHUA.
It is the practice of Tziruf which Paul speaks of when he writes:
For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to the sons of men but to Eloah, for no man understands a thing that he speaks; yet in the spirit he speaks a mystery. (1Cor. 14:2)
If I were to pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is without fruit. (1Cor. 14:14)
When man was created he was given the gift of speech that he might manifest the image of Elohim. Through the manifestation of the gift of tongues man is able to manifest the image of Elohim on an even deeper level.
Interpretations of Tongues
I have identified this manifestation with HOD placing it under the pillar/column BINAH because “interpretation” of tongues adds an element of understanding to tongues.
Prophecy
The Torah regulations concerning prophecy and prophets can be found in Deut. 13:1-6 and Deut. 18:15-22. From these texts we learn that a prophet is a false-prophet if he:
1. Prophecies of a thing that does not come to pass. (Deut. 18:20-22) 2. Prophecies in or through false gods (Deut 13:2-8) 3. Is not Torah observant (Deut. 13:5-6) 4. Detracts from or adds to the Torah (Deut. 13:1).
This means that even if prophet prophecies events that comes to pass 100% of the time but is not Torah Observant, he is a false prophet. His prophecy is mere divination.
As we continue counting the omer toward Shavuot I will be posting much more about the gifts of the Ruach. Get ready for a great move of the Ruach HaKodesh this Shavuot.
Inthese uncertain times, we need your support more than ever. The time is short, and there is much work to be done. As you might imagine, donations are low. If you can, please donate. This is no time to pull back from the great work in front of us!
Help us to continue to do important work, like posting important Hebrew and Aramaic texts at Scripture Nexus
As you know we have been digging ourselves out of a budget shortfall. As I have said to you many times, I look on this work as a co-operative one with me, and all of you combining our resources together in order to get the job done of helping to teach this great truth to all in the world who will listen. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for your continued support, you are the ones who make it all possible by your contributions and your prayers for our work. I truly appreciate your help in every way.
If you can make a one time donation of $500 or $1,000 dollars to support this work.
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1Corinthians and the Counting of the Omer Part 3: The Works of Elohim By James Trimm
The Middle Triad
Gift of Healing
For obvious reasons this manifestation is closely associated with the Sefirah known as CHESED. It is associated with the right hand of Adam Kadmon (the right hand being on the right hand side of the chart, as if Adam Kadmon had his back toward the viewer.) For this reason Healing is often associated with laying on of hands as described in the Dead Sea Scrolls:
So I prayed for him… and laid my hands upon his head. Thereupon the plague was removed from him, the evil [spirit] exorcised [from him,] and he was healed. (1QapGen. Col 21; Lines 28-29)
A good example of this gift in the Tanak occurs in 2Kings 5:10-14 where Elisha the prophet heals Na’aman the captain of the host of the King of Syria.
The Prophet Isaiah speaks of Messiah saying, “…our diseases he did bear… with his stripes we are healed” (Is. 53:4-5). Both Matthew and Kefa apply this passage to healing through Yeshua (Mt. 8:17; 1Kefa 2:24).
Ya’akov tells us:
And if one is sick, let him call for the elders of the assembly and they will pray for him and will anoint him [with] oil in the name of our Adon. And the prayer of trust will heal him who is sick and our Adon will raise him; and if [any] sins were committed by him, they will be forgiven. (Ya’akov 5:14-15 HRV)
Notice that this gift is associated with anointing with oil. In the Scriptures olive oil is commonly symbolic of the Ruach HaKodesh. At the moment of his anointing the Ruach HaKodesh came upon Saul causing him to “be turned into another man” (1Sam. 10:1, 6, 9). David was anointed with oil by the prophet Samuel and “from that day forward… the Spirit of YHWH came upon David” (1Sam. 16:13-14; cf 1Sam. 18:12). Isaiah again speaks prophetically of Messiah saying “The Spirit of YHWH is upon me; because YHWH has anointed me…” (Is. 61:1 cf. Lk. 4:18, 21) Some other passages in which the Ruach HaKodesh is symbolized by olive oil are: Acts 10:38; 2Cor. 1:21-22; Zech. 4 & Rom. 11). There is therefore a Scriptural basis to anoint someone with oil when exercising this gift, symbolizing the anointing of the Ruach HaKodesh.
The connection this gift has with the Yayin HaMeshumar is clear, in my blog on the Yayin HaMeshumar we explained its connection with the Suffering Servant Song of Isaiah 53, a line of which reads “by his stripes we are healed” (Is. 53:5)
There is one major element of this gift which is often misunderstood. Just as the gift of tongues is not the gift to cause others to speak in tongues, and the gift of prophecy is not the gift to cause others to prophecy, the gift of healings is not the gift of healing others, it is the self realized gift of being healed oneself. A person manifests this gift, not by healing others, but by being healed.
Note also that Ya’akov 5:14-15 refers to “the prayer of faith” in connection with this gift. This gift flows from the gift of faith and as you will find in our discussion of the gift of faith, the gift of faith manifests itself in being guided to observe Torah. So if you seek a gift of healing, you should first make sure that you are following the path of Torah.
Power
The Aramaic word here is KHAILA, which means, “power, miracles, authority”. This is the very Aramaic word, which the Peshitta Tanak uses to translate Hebrew GEVURAH in 1Chron. 29:11 (the Tanak text from which the lower seven sefirot are derived) and is obviously associated with the sefirah called GEVURAH.
The gematria (numerical value) of (KHAILA) is 49 (7 x 7). This is the same as the gematria of the MAT ”the rod” of Aaron and Moses, which was so closely related to many of their “miracles”.
Khaila includes the power to perform “miracles”:
And Eloah was doing great miracles (KHAILA) by the hand of Paul. (Acts 19:11)
And the power to exercise authority over spirits and shedim (demons):
And Yeshua called his twelve and gave them power (KHAILA) and authority over all the spirits and shedim and to healsickness. (Luke 9:1)
The word Khaila in Aramaic can also denote “courage” and may therefore also indicate the strength to endure trials, tribulation and torture. Thus Khaila can also refer to a supernatural ability to endure these tortures, like the martyrs of 2nd and 4th Maccabees.. As such Khaila is especially associated with the Armor of Elohom.
Khaila is often exercised (like healing) through the evocation of the “Names of Power” which are discussed below. Khaila is associated with the left hand of Adam Kadmon and thus it is often exercised in connection with a ritual of laying on of hands, especially when exercising authority over shedim (demons).
Acts 1:8 says: But when the Ruach HaKodesh comes upon you, you will receive power (KHAILA) …
Paul tells us that the effecting of Khaila comes from “the hearing of faith” (Gal. 3:5) because this gift flows from the gift of faith, a gift which itself manifests itself in Torah observance.
There is a good example in the Torah of this gift being expressed in the effecting of miracles when YHWH, through Moshe parts the red sea (Ex. 14:16-22). It was also manifest when David, through his Psalms, drove a shed out of Saul (1Sam. 16:14-23) and when Toviyah exercised Khaila over the shed Asmodeus (Tobit 6). Finally Khaila was exercised by Eleazar and Hanna and her seven sons, when they endured the tortures inflicted upon them by Antiochus Epiphanies (2Macc. 6:18-31; 7:1-42; 4Macc.).
Trusting Faithfulness
This manifestation is known as Haimanuta, which in Hebrew is Emunah (faith, trust). This manifestation is associated with tiferet (beauty, harmony) and is at the center of the tree. The other manifestations must proceed from “trusting faithfulness”. According to the Tanak the Torah is the way of faith (Emunah) (Ps. 119:29-30)
Yeshua calls the Ruach HaKodesh the “Spirit of Truth” which will “guide us in all truth” (Jn. 16:13). The Psalmist tells us “the Torah is truth” (Ps. 119:142, 151). One of the promised manifestations of the Ruach HaKodesh was that the Ruach would guide us in observing Torah:
And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My ordinances, and do them. (Ezek. 36:27)
Since Torah is “the way of faith” the manifestation of “faith” is that of guidance to observe Torah as described in Ezekiel 36:27.
Both Ya’akov (Ya. 2:14-26) and Hebrews (Hebrews 11) lay out a tendency for faith to be accompanied by works.
This manifestation is at the center of the three triads, all other manifestations of the Ruach are tied to this one. This manifestation is the one which is the true evidence of the immersion of the Ruach. You can now say “I have the immersion of the Ruach with evidence of walking in statutes and keeping of ordinances”!
(to be continued in Part 4: The Words of Elohim)
Inthese uncertain times, we need your support more than ever. The time is short, and there is much work to be done. As you might imagine, donations are low. If you can, please donate. This is no time to pull back from the great work in front of us!
Help us to continue to do important work, like posting important Hebrew and Aramaic texts at Scripture Nexus
As you know we have been digging ourselves out of a budget shortfall. As I have said to you many times, I look on this work as a co-operative one with me, and all of you combining our resources together in order to get the job done of helping to teach this great truth to all in the world who will listen. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for your continued support, you are the ones who make it all possible by your contributions and your prayers for our work. I truly appreciate your help in every way.
If you can make a one time donation of $500 or $1,000 dollars to support this work.
Donations can be sent by paypal to donations@wnae.org.
1Corinthians and the Counting of the Omer Part 2: The Mind of Elohim By James Trimm
The Upper Triad: The Mind of Elohim
The gifts of the upper triad relate to the mind of Elohim. These relate to the Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding of Elohim. The Torah tells us that YHWH used these gifts to reveal to B’tzal’el (Bezalel) just exactly how each of the furnishings of the Tabernacle was to be made:
and I have filled him with the spirit of Elohim, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, (Ex. 31:3; 35:31 HRV)
Since the Upper triad corresponds with the Mind of Elohim, it is also therefore closely associated with the SOD level of understanding. Paul describes this “Mind of Messiah this way:
1 My brothers, when I came to you, I declared to you the mystery of Eloah, not with great words or with wisdom…. 4 And my words and my proclaiming was not by persuasion of words of wisdom, but by demonstration of the spirit and of power, 5 That your faith would not be by the wisdom of the sons of men, but by the power of Eloah. 6 Now we speak wisdom among the mature, not the wisdom of this world nor of the authorities of this world who come to naught, 7 but we speak the wisdom of Eloah in a mystery that was hidden and [that] Eloah had before separated from before the ages for our glory,… 9 But as it is written, The eye has not seen, and the ear has not heard, and into the heart of a son of man has not entered that which Eloah has prepared for those who love him. 10 But Eloah has revealed [it] to us by his spirit, for the spirit searches into everything, even the deep things of Eloah. 11 For who is the son of man who knows what is in a son of man except the spirit of the son of man that [is] in him? So also, that which is in Eloah, no man knows except the Spirit of Eloah. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the spirit that is from Eloah, so that we might know the gifts that were given to us from Eloah; 13 Which also we speak, not in the teaching of words of the wisdom of sons of men, but in the teaching of the spirit, and to spiritual men we compare spiritual things. 14 For the son of man who is in the nefesh does not receive spiritual things, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to know that which is judged spiritually. 15 Now the spiritual man judges all things, and is not judged from man. 16 For who knows the mind of YHWH that he might instruct him? But we have the mind of the Messiah. (1Cor. 2:1-16)
Compare this with the words of the Zohar: Behold, these are three names, how can they be one? Is it because we call them one? (Literally: And also concerning the proclamation that we call them one?). How these are one can only through the vision of the Holy Sprit be known? And these are through the vision of the closed eye (or the hidden eye) To make known that these three are one (i.e. a Tri-Unity). (Zohar 2:43b)
Note also that Paul quotes Isaiah 64:3 (4):
For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither has the eye seen, O Elohim, beside you, what he has prepared for him that waits for him. (Is. 64:3 (4)) (See 1Cor. 2:9)
According to the Talmud this refers to the yayin ha-meshummar, the wine kept from the creation:
What is the meaning of ‘Eye hath not seen’? (Is. 64:3(4)) R. Joshua b. Levi said: This is the wine, which has been preserved in its grapes from the six days of Creation. (b.Ber. 34b)
What does ‘the eye hath not seen’ (Is. 64:3(4)) refer to? — R. Joshua b. Levi said: To the wine that has been kept [maturing] with its grapes since the six days of Creation. (b.San. 99a)
The Hebrew word for “wine” is YAYIN which has a gematria of 70, which is also the gematria of SOD (mystery, secret, hidden)
The Word of Wisdom
Paul writes:
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each man, as it is profitable for him. There is a word of wisdom that is given for it by the Spirit: and for another, a word of knowledge by the same Spirit. (1Cor. 12:7-8 HRV)
Now this term “Word of Wisdom” appears only here is the Scriptures and in no other passage. Neither does the term appear in the Talmud or Midrashim. The phrase “Word of Wisdom” does however appear in the Zohar on several occasions. Just as Paul tells us that the “Word of Wisdom” is a “manifestation of the Spirit”, the Zohar tells us that the “Word of Wisdom” is a “manifestation of the Shekinah”:
Said R. Jose to R. Hiya: ‘Did I not say, perhaps he is a great man?’ Then he applied to him the words, “Blessed be the man that finds wisdom and the man that gets understanding” (Prov. 3:13), saying: ‘Such are we who found you and acquired from you aWord of Wisdomand were inspired with understanding to wait for you! We are of those for whom the Holy One prepares a present when they are journeying, to wit, the manifestation of the Shekinah, as it says: “The path of the righteous is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day” (Prov. 4:18).’ (Zohar 2:50a)
The Zohar also gives a good definition of the “Word of Wisdom”:
IN THE BEGINNING. R. Simeon opened his discourse with the text: And I put my words in your mouth (Isaiah 51:16). He said: ‘How greatly is it incumbent on a man to study the Torah day and night! For the Holy One, blessed be He, is attentive to the voice of those who occupy themselves with the Torah, and through each fresh discovery made by them in the Torah a new heaven is created. Our teachers have told us that at the moment when a man expounds something new in the Torah, his utterance ascends before the Holy One, blessed be He, and He takes it up and kisses it and crowns it with seventy crowns of graven and inscribed letters. When a new idea is formulated in the field of the esoteric wisdom, it ascends and rests on the head of the “Tzaddik, the life of the universe”, and then it flies off and traverses seventy thousand worlds until it ascends to the “Ancient of Days”. And inasmuch as all the words of the “Ancient of Days” areWords of Wisdomcomprising sublime and hidden mysteries, that hidden Word of Wisdom that was discovered here when it ascends is joined to the words of the “Ancient of Days”, and becomes an integral part of them, and enters into the eighteen mystical worlds, concerning which we read “No eye has seen beside You, O Elohim” (Isaiah 64:3). From there they issue and fly to and fro, until finally arriving, perfected and completed, before the “Ancient of Days”. At that moment the “Ancient of Days” savors that Word of Wisdom, and finds satisfaction therein above all else. He takes that word and crowns it with three hundred and seventy thousand crowns, and it flies up and down until it is made into a sky. And so each word of wisdom is made into a sky, which presents itself fully formed before the “Ancient of Days”, who calls them “new heavens”, that is, heavens created out of the mystic ideas of the sublime wisdom. (Zohar 1:4b)
This manifestation corresponds to the sefirah of Wisdom. The term “Word of Wisdom” is a Semitic idiom for a “matter of wisdom”. This wisdom consists of revelation and flashes of insight or intuition. Unlike Knowledge, Wisdom is not analytical; it does not classify and divide. It is instead total unity of thought without any division whatsoever. Wisdom cannot be put into words, it is beyond words and its idea cannot be divided up into words. The Word of Wisdom is direct access to the Wisdom of YHWH.
An example of the Word of Wisdom can be found in the Torah in Exodus 18. In this section of Torah, Yitro (Jethro) comes to Moshe with the advice to create the Council of Elders to hear cases and sit in Moshe’s seat. This advice did not really come from Yitro, but it came through Yitro from YHWH. Yitro received it as a “flash of insight”, a Word of Wisdom. Moshe subjected this Word of Wisdom to Spiritual Discernment (the next gift we will discuss).
Discerning of the Spirit
Many translated this “discerning of spirits” because “spirits” is plural in the Greek, but in the original; Aramaic itr is singular, which is the Aramaic grammar for “Spiritual Discernment”. This manifestation corresponds to the sefirah of Understanding. Understanding is analytical. It divides and classifies and discerns. The Aramaic term for “discerning here comes from the root P-R-SH meaning “to divide”. This manifestation is a manifestation of the Understanding and discernment of YHWH.
This gift of the Spirit is mentioned in the Tanak in the Book of Job:
But it is a spirit in man, and the breath of Shaddai, that gives them understanding. It is not the great that are wise, nor the aged that discern judgment. (Job 32:8-9 HRV)
There is an excellent example of this gift in the Tanak in 1Kings 3:5-15. Here Shlomo (Solomon) asks YHWH for “an understanding heart … that I may discern between good and evil…” (1Kn. 3:9) and YHWH gave him this gift as well as the additional gift of the Word of Wisdom (1Kn. 3:10-13).
The Word of Knowledge
This manifestation corresponds to the sefirah of Knowledge (which is the flip side of the Sifira known as KETER or “crown”). The term “Word of Knowledge” is a Semitic idiom for a “matter of knowledge”. The Word of Knowledge occurs when the Word of Wisdom is subjected to the Discerning of the Spirit, thus harmonizing the two opposing pillars.
Knowledge naturally fills the structure created by the gifts of Wisdom and Understanding (Discernment) as the Psalmist writes:
Through wisdom is a house built; and by understanding it is established; And by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant riches. (Prov. 24:3-4 HRV)
A good example of this gift is found in the Tanak when Natan (Nathan) comes to Daniel with a parable expressing his knowledge of David’s sin (2Samual 12:1-12). Natan had received a Word of Knowledge concerning David’s actions that allowed him to approach David on the matter.
Inthese uncertain times, we need your support more than ever. The time is short, and there is much work to be done. As you might imagine, donations are low. If you can, please donate. This is no time to pull back from the great work in front of us!
Help us to continue to do important work, like posting important Hebrew and Aramaic texts at Scripture Nexus
As you know we have been digging ourselves out of a budget shortfall. As I have said to you many times, I look on this work as a co-operative one with me, and all of you combining our resources together in order to get the job done of helping to teach this great truth to all in the world who will listen. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for your continued support, you are the ones who make it all possible by your contributions and your prayers for our work. I truly appreciate your help in every way.
If you can make a one time donation of $500 or $1,000 dollars to support this work.
Donations can be sent by paypal to donations@wnae.org.
1Corinthians and the Counting of the Omer Part 1: Introduction By James Trimm
Last year while studying the book of 1stCorinthinans I saw something I had never seen before. The Book of 1stCorinthians was written shortly after Passover, as Paul criticizes the handling of a recent seder at Corinth (1Cor. 5) and looks forward to the coming Shavuot (1Cor. 16:8). This letter is written during the counting of the omer and that theme prevails throughout the letter.
The counting of the omer is described in the Torah as follows:
15: And you shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: 16: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and you shall offer a new meat offering unto YHWH. 17: Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto YHWH. (Lev. 23:15-17)
The counting of the omer begins at the firstfruits wave sheaf offering during Passover and ends with the firstfruits wave loaf offering at Shavuot.
The first counting of the omer marked the time from the exodus from Egypt and redemption of the firstborn to the receiving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai.
At the time of the death of Messiah the counting of the omer marked the time from the resurrection of Messiah to the outpouring of the Ruach HaKodesh in Acts chapter 2.
IT STARTS WITH PASSOVER
The counting of the omer begins with Passover and Paul begins 1st Corinthians with a discussion of the Yayin HaMeshumar, the wine that has been kept in its grapes since creation for the great Messianic Feast (see my recent blog on The Yayin HaMeshumar).
Paul again addresses the Passover in 1Cor. 5 even saying “our Pesach is the Messiah, who was slain instead of us, Because of this, let us observe the feast…” (1Cor. 5:7-8).
Again in 1Cor. 11 Paul addresses the Sader discussing Yeshua’s Sader at the time of his death and stressing that our hearts be right in receiving the elements of the sader (1Cor. 11:20-34)
In 1Corinthians 12:13 Paul alludes again to the Yayin HaMeshumar and the Passover wine when he says “And all of us drank of one spirit.”
Finally Paul alludes to the firstfruits offering of the counting of the omer when he says in 1Cor. 15:20 “Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep”.
TAKING STOCK
The counting of the omer is traditionally a time of taking stock of ourselves. It is a time of reckoning. It marks the time of preparing to receive the Torah, and of preparing to receive the outpouring of the Ruach HaKodesh. In fact the Hebrew word for “count” can also mean “reckon”.
It was during the time of the first counting of the omer that Moshe wrote Psalm 90 (and 91) in which he writes:
8 You have set our iniquities before You; our secret sins in the light of Your countenance. 9 For all our days are passed away in Your wrath: we bring our years to an end as a tale that is told. 10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten, or even by reason of strength, fourscore years. Yet is their pride, but travail and vanity: for it is speedily gone, and we fly away. 11 Who knows the power of Your anger and Your wrath, according to the fear that is due unto You? 12 So teach us to number our days: that we may get us a heart of wisdom. (Ps. 90:8-12 HRV)
In the past I have spoken of the first three chapters of Revelation and their connection to the counting of the omer. According to the Aramaic text of Revelation the vision of Rev. 1 takes place on “the first day” (Rev. 1:10 HRV). In this vision Yochanan sees seven menorahs each of which would have seven branches totaling 49 branches. These represent seven assemblies and they represent a counting of the omer from the first day (the day of the firstfruits offering during Passover, i.e. the morrow after the Sabbath) to the day of Shavuot. In the following two chapters Yochanan writes seven letters to these seven assemblies giving them each a reckoning or accounting.
1Corinthians is very much about a reckoning of the of the assembly of Corinth in much the same way that the seven letters to seven assemblies in Rev. 2-3 are such a reckoning. One need only look over this letter to see that the entire letter is a reckoning and criticism of the assembly at Corinth. Note especially the criticism of the handling of the sader in 1Cor. 5 and the encouragement of self reckoning in taking the sader in 1Cor. 11.
GETTING READY TO RECEIVE THE RUACH HAKODESH
Messiah tells his Talmidim during the counting of the omer:
For John truly immersed with water; but you shall be immerseded with the Ruach HaKodesh not many days hence… But when the Ruach HaKodesh comes upon you, you will receive power (KHAILA)… (Acts 1:5, 8)
The Aramaic word here is KHAILA, which means, “power, miracles, authority”. This is the very Aramaic word, which the Peshitta Tanak uses to translate Hebrew GEVURAH in 1Chron. 29:11 (the Tanak text from which the lower seven sefirot are derived) and is obviously associated with the sefirah called GEVURAH.
The gematria (numerical value) of KHAILA is 49 (7 x 7). This is the same as the gematria of the MAT ”the rod” of Aaron and Moses, which was so closely related to many of their “miracles”.
Khaila includes the power to perform “miracles”:
And Eloah was doing great miracles (KHAILA) by the hand of Paul. (Acts 19:11)
And the power to exercise authority over spirits and shedim (demons):
And Yeshua called his twelve and gave them power (KHAILA) and authority over all the spirits and shedim and to heal sickness. (Luke 9:1)
The word Khaila in Aramaic can also denote “courage” and may therefore also indicate the strength to endure trials, tribulation and torture. Thus Khaila can also refer to a supernatural ability to endure these tortures, like the martyrs of 2nd and 4th Maccabees.. As such Khaila is especially associated with the Armor of Elohom.
Khaila is often exercised (like healing) through the evocation of the “Names of Power” which are discussed below. Khaila is associated with the left hand of Adam Kadmon and thus it is often exercised in connection with a ritual of laying on of hands, especially when exercising authority over shedim (demons).
Paul tells us that the effecting of Khaila comes from “the hearing of faith” (Gal. 3:5) because this gift flows from the gift of faith, a gift which itself manifests itself in Torah observance.
There is a good example in the Torah of this gift being expressed in the effecting of miracles when YHWH, through Moshe parts the red sea (Ex. 14:16-22). It was also manifest when David, through his Psalms, drove a shed out of Saul (1Sam. 16:14-23) and when Toviyah exercised Khaila over the shed Asmodeus (Tobit 6). Finally Khaila was exercised by Eleazar and Hanna and her seven sons, when they endured the tortures inflicted upon them by Antiochus Epiphanies (2Macc. 6:18-31; 7:1-42; 4Macc.).
The outpouring of the Ruach HaKodesh event of Acts chapter two was a repetition of an event that took place at the first Shavuot (Shavuot is the aniversary of the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai). According to the Midrashim when the Torah was given at Mount Sinai the Torah message was divided up into the seventy languages of the Gentiles:
“Elohim’s voice, as it was uttered, split into seventy voices, into seventy tongues [leshonoth], so that all the nations should understand.” (Midrash from Exodus Rabbah 5:9)
The Talmud says:
“Every phrase which issued from the mouth of the All-powerful divided itself into the seventy languages.” (b.Shabbat 88b)
The Midrash also describes this event in even more detail:
In the occasion of Matan Torah [the giving of the Torah], the Bnai Yisrael [children of Israel] not only heard Hashem’s Voice but actually saw the sound waves as they emerged from Hashem’s mouth. They visualized them as a fiery substance. Each commandment that left Hashem’s mouth traveled around the entire Camp and then to each Jew individually, asking him, “Do you accept upon yourself this Commandment with all the halochot [Jewish law] pertaining to it?” Every Jew answered “Yes” after each commandment. Finally, the fiery substance which they saw engraved itself on the luchot [tablets]. (The Midrash Says; Rabbi Moshe Weissman. Benei Yakov Publications (1980) p. 182)
Thus the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh and the manifestation of tongues in Acts chapter 2 was a repetition of the gift of Torah and the manifestation of tongues that took place then.
Paul speaks in 1Corinthians 12:13 of being immersed by the Ruach HaKoesh because this is what happens at the end of the first counting of the omer in Exodus and also at the time of Messiah’s death in Acts 2.
The Book of 1Corinthians encourages us to spend the counting of the omer in self reflection of our worthiness to drink the Yayin HaMeshumar (1Cor. 11:27-28) for one is drinking in the Ruach (1Cor. 12:13).
THE IMMERSION OF THE RUACH HAKODESH
Paul writes of the immersion of the Ruach HaKodesh:
For as the body is one, and there are in it many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also the Messiah. For all of us also are baptized by one spirit into one body, whether Jew or Aramaean, whether slave or son of freedom. And all of us drank of one spirit. (1Cor. 12:12-13 HRV)
This seems to some to come into direct conflict with the immersion of the Ruach HaKodesh coming subsequent to salvation in several passages in Acts such as:
And they went down and prayed concerning them so that they might receive the Ruach HaKodesh. For it was not yet upon a man from them, for they were only immersed in the name of our Adon Yeshua. Then they placed a hand on them, and they received Ruach HaKodesh. (Acts 8:15-17 HRV)
What is the resolution to this apparent conflict?
Now let us look at Exodus 12:43-49:
And YHWH said unto Moshe and Aharon: ‘This is the ordinance of the Pesach: there shall no alien eat thereof; but every man’s servant that is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat thereof. In one house shall it be eaten; you shall not carry forth aught of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall you break a bone thereof. All the assembly of Yisra’el shall keep it. And when a stranger shall sojourn with you, and will keep the Pesach to YHWH, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land; but no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. One Torah shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourns among you.’ (Ex. 12:43-49 HRV)
Now there are a number of things we can learn from this passage:
All the “Assembly” of Israel must eat the Passover.
No uncircumcised male can eat the Passover.
From these two facts we may conclude that:
If all the Assembly eat the Passover, and if no uncircumcised males eat the Passover, then no uncircumcised males are part of the Assembly.
This is an inescapable categorical proposition drawn from the plain statements in Exodus 12:43-49.
Now from Acts 15 we also know that one does not have to be circumcised to be saved. Thus we can add another fact to our reasoning:
Some uncircumcised males are saved.
Now if no uncircumcised males are part of the Assembly, and if some uncircumcised males are saved, Then some saved persons are not part of the Assembly.
Again this is an inescapable categorical proposition draws from the facts plainly laid out in Ex. 12:43-49 and Acts 15.
There are in fact some saved persons who are not part of the Body of Messiah, the Assembly of Israel.
Thus also Acts refers to “…the Ruach HaKodesh which Elohim has given to them which obey him.” (Acts 5:32).
It stands to reason that if one were to become conformed to the image of YHWH that one might manifest he Ruach HaKodesh in the world that we live in. In 1Corinthians 12 Paul lays out the nine manifestations of the Ruach HaKodesh. Paul describes the believers as an allegorical “Body of Messiah” made up of various body parts (1Cor. 12:12, 27). These nine manifestations are likened to the various body parts of the Body of Messiah (and as we learned in an earlier chapter that body is the Adam Kadmon—the Tree of Life). This is immediately made evident by the first three manifestations: The Word of Knowledge; the Word of Wisdom and Spiritual Discernment. Paul instructs us:
Pursue love and be zealous about the gifts of the spirit… (1Cor. 14:1)
THE SEFIROT
There is also a parallel between the counting of the omer and the sefirot of the Tree of Life. Of course the root word for sefirot comes from the Hebrew verb “to count” and the sefirot are themselves the qualities and characteristics which we have as being made in the image of YHWH.
In the Siddur (traditional liturgy) during the counting of the omer on each of the 49 days a combination of each of the seven lower sefirot is recited and meditated upon. The first day is “CHESED that is in CHESED” the second day is “GEVURAH that is in CHESED” and so on until over 49 days all 49 (7×7) combinations have been recited.
In Part two of this blog (coming soon) I will discuss each of the nine manifestations of the Ruach HaKodesh as they parallel the upper nine of the ten sefirot.
Thanks to all who have donate thus far! We must still raise at least $500 by the end of the day Monday, or our account will go in the negative!
In these uncertain times, we need your support more than ever. The time is short, and there is much work to be done. As you might imagine, donations are low. If you can, please donate. This is no time to pull back from the great work in front of us!
Help us to continue to do important work, like posting important Hebrew and Aramaic texts at Scripture Nexus
As you know we have been digging ourselves out of a budget shortfall. As I have said to you many times, I look on this work as a co-operative one with me, and all of you combining our resources together in order to get the job done of helping to teach this great truth to all in the world who will listen. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for your continued support, you are the ones who make it all possible by your contributions and your prayers for our work. I truly appreciate your help in every way.
If you can make a one time donation of $500 or $1,000 dollars to support this work.
Donations can be sent by paypal to donations@wnae.org.
Counting of the Omer and Psalm 91: Preparing for the Gift by James Scott Trimm
The days between Passover (particularly the First Fruits offering) and Shavuot are the days of the Counting of the Omer. Passover commemorates the redemption of the firstborn (firstborn and firstfruits are the same word in Hebrew) by the blood of the lamb. Shavuot commemorates the receiving of the gift of Torah at Mount Sinai. The Counting of the Omer recalls the journey to Sinai, getting ready to receive the gift at Mount Sinai. First comes redemption, then a time of purification, and then we may received the gift. This parallels the redemption of the believer. First we are redeemed, then we must prepare ourselves to receive the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit).
During these days of preparing to receive the gift Moshe Aveynu (Moses our Father) before the Torah was even given on Mount Sinai, Moshe wrote what is now the oldest part of our Bibles (unless one includes the Book of Enoch) the 90th and 91st Psalms. A tradition recorded in the Midrash Rabba says of this Psalm “it was composed by Moshe at the time when he ascended Mount Sinai because he was afraid of the harmful spirits.” (Num. R. xii, 3)
The Jerusalem Talmud indicates that Psalm 91 was traditionally used to give relief to those stricken by shedim (demons):
In Jerusalem they used to recite “The Song of the Evil Spirits” on the Sabbath for the relief of a stricken person. Which is it? Psalm 91. (b.Shab. 8b)
The Sefer Shimmush Tehillim (Book of the Use of the Psalms) says of Psalm 91:
After speaking this Psalm and the preceding one (Psalm 90), over a person tormented by an evil spirit, or one afflicted by an incurable disease, in the name of El Shadai, then pray humbly, “Let it be your set-apart will, Oh my Elohim, to take from son of the evil spirit by which he is tormented, for the sake of your great, mighty and set-apart name El Shaddai. May you presently send him health and let him be perfectly restored. Hear his prayer as you once did that of your servant Moshe when he prayed this Psalm. Let this prayer penetrate to You as once did the set-apart incense arose to you on high. Amen! Seleh!”
This was probably one of the Psalms David would sing in order to exorcise demons from King Saul:
Now the spirit of YHWH had departed from Sha’ul, and an evil spirit from YHWH terrified him. And Sha’ul’s servants said unto him: ‘Behold now, an evil spirit from Elohim terrifies you. Let our master now command your servants, that are before you, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the harp; and it shall be, when the evil spirit from Elohim comes upon you, that he shall play with his hand, and you shall be well.’ And Sha’ul said unto his servants: ‘Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.’ Then answered one of the young men, and said: ‘Behold, I have seen a son of Yishai the Beit-Lechemite, that is skilful in playing, and a mighty man of valour, and a man of war, and prudent in affairs, and a comely person, and YHWH is with him.’ Wherefore Sha’ul sent messengers unto Yishai, and said: ‘Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.’ And Yishai took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Sha’ul. And David came to Sha’ul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour-bearer. And Sha’ul sent to Yishai, saying: ‘Let David, I pray you, stand before me; for he has found favour in my sight.’ And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from Elohim was upon Sha’ul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; so Sha’ul found relief, and it was well with him, and the evil spirit departed from him. (1Sam. 16:14-23 HRV)
And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from Elohim came mightily upon Sha’ul, and he raved in the midst of the house; and David played with his hand, as he did day by day; and Sha’ul had his spear in his hand. And Sha’ul cast the spear; for he said: ‘I will smite David even to the wall.’ And David stepped aside out of his presence twice. (1Sam. 18:10-11 HRV)
And an evil spirit from YHWH was upon Sha’ul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing with his hand. And Sha’ul sought to smite David even to the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Sha’ul’s presence, and he smote the spear into the wall; and David fled, and escaped that night. (1Sam. 19:9-10 HRV)
Let us now examine the Psalm itself as we prepare ourselves for Shavuot:
1 O you that dwell in the covert of Elyon, and abide in the shadow of Shaddai:
According to Rashi, this refers to the covering of the wings mentioned in verse four. Shaddai means literally “breasted one” and is a reference to the feminine aspect of Yahweh, the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit). The word for “wing” in the Hebrew is KANAF which also means “corner” and is used to refer to the four corners of the Tallit where the tzitzit are placed. The Tallit represents the Ruach HaKodesh covering us with her wings.
Yeshua said “when you pray, enter into your chamber, and shut the door…” This passage refers to the Jewish practice of using one’s tallit (prayer shawl) to create a private chamber over ones head in which to pray with some privacy even in a public location. According to the Book of Jasher, Enoch often concealed himself in his “chamber” (same word in the Hebew) and his soul was “wrapped up” in the instruction of YHWH (Jasher 3:2, 5)
2 I will say of YHWH, who is my refuge and my fortress; my Elohim, in whom I trust, 3 That He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
Clearly Paul refers to this verse when he writes:
10 Henceforth, my brothers, be strong in our Adon, and in the mightof His power: 11 And put on all the armor of Eloah, so that you may be able to stand against the strategies of Akel Kartza, 12 Because your struggle is not with flesh and blood, but with principalities, and with authorities, and with the possessors of this dark world, and with the evil spirits that are under heaven. (Eph. 6:10-12 HRV)
The Psalm continues: 4 He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you take refuge; His truth is a shield and armor.
This is the earliest mention of the shield and armor of Elohim, which Paul elaborates as follows:
13 Because of this, put on all the armor of Eloah, that you may be able to meet the evil one, and being prepared in everything, you may stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, and gird up your loins with Truth, and put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 And bind on your feet the preparation of the Good News of shalom. 16 And with these, take to you the shield of Trust: by which you will have power to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And put on the helmet of salvation, and take hold of the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of Eloah. 18 And with all prayers, and with all petitions, pray at all times in the Spirit: and in prayer, be watchful in every season while praying continually and making supplication on behalf of all the Set-Apart-Ones; (Eph. 6:13-18 HRV)
The Psalm continues:
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day:
Rashi says that “the arrow that flies by day” refers to “the demon that flies like an arrow.” Paul recalls this phrase when he says:
And with these, take to you the shield of Trust: by which you will have power to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. (Eph. 6:16 HRV)
Psalm 91 continues:
6 Of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday.
According to Rashi “Pestilence” and “Destruction” in this verse are actually the proper names of two demons.
7 A thousand may fall at Your side, and ten thousand at Your right hand; it shall not come near you.
Rashi says that the word for “fall” here actually means in this context “camp”. We have 11,000 demons camping around us, but which the wings of the Ruach HaKodesh shelter us from. In Hebraic thought, the left side represents our Severity while the right side represents our Mercy. HaSatan only assigns 1,000 demons to our left side because it is most vulnerable.
8 Only with your eyes shall you behold and see, the recompense of the wicked. 9 For You, O YHWH, are my refuge! Elyon, you have made your habitation. 10 There shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come near your tent. 11 For He will give His angels charge over you–to keep you in all your ways. 12 They shall bear you upon their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. 13 You shall tread upon the lion and asp; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample under feet. 14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known, My Name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him, and bring him to honor. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, and make Him to behold My salvation.
One of the battles in this war in heaven between Mikha’el (Michael) and HaSatan is related to us in Y’hudah (Jude):
Yet Mikha’el the chief angel, in contending with ‘Akel Kartza, when he disputed about the body of Moshe, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, YHWH rebuke you! (Jude 1:9 HRV)
Notice that Mikha’el defeats HaSatan with the words “YHWH rebuke you”. In Zech. 3:2 YHWH himself invokes this same phrase (in a longer form) to rebuke HaSatan and defend the High Priest Yahushua (Joshua) from an attack of accusation by HaSatan.
There is power in the spoken word. There is power in the very letters themselves. When angels and shedim do battle, they battle with words. We are told that Yeshua cast out shedim by “his word” (Mt. 8:16). Yeshua’s talmidim exercised authority over the Shedim using the name of Yeshua (Luke. 10:17)
One who makes use of such names is called a “Ba’al Shem Tov” (Master of the/a Good Name). This concept appears throughout the NT in which miracles, healings and exorcisms are performed in the name of “Yeshua
The most important Name of power is the Sacred Name of YHWH known as the tetragramaton (four letter name):
The name of YHWH is a strong tower: the righteous runs into it, and is set up on high. (Prov. 18:10 HRV)
From now on, I am not in the world, but these are in the world and I come to you, set-apart Father. Keep them in your name that you gave me (John 17:11 HRV)
Through You do we push down our adversaries; through Your name do we tread them under that rise up against us. (Ps. 44:6 (44:2) HRV)
O Elohim, save me by Your name, and right me by Your might. (Ps. 54:3 (54:2) HRV)
There is none like unto You, O YHWH; You are great, and Your name is great in might. (Jer. 10:6 HRV)
These days of the Counting of the Omer are a special time. A time to prepare for Shavuot and the gift. A time to put on the full armor of Elohim and take up the Shield of Faith. A time to dawn the tallit, be comforted under the wings of the Ruach HaKodesh as you wrap yourself in it. A time to meditate on the Name of YHWH and prepare to receive the gift of power from on high!
We must raise at least $400 by the end of the day tomorrow, or our account will go in the negative!
In these uncertain times, we need your support more than ever. The time is short, and there is much work to be done. As you might imagine, donations are low. If you can, please donate. This is no time to pull back from the great work in front of us!
Help us to continue to do important work, like posting important Hebrew and Aramaic texts at Scripture Nexus
As you know we have been digging ourselves out of a budget shortfall. As I have said to you many times, I look on this work as a co-operative one with me, and all of you combining our resources together in order to get the job done of helping to teach this great truth to all in the world who will listen. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for your continued support, you are the ones who make it all possible by your contributions and your prayers for our work. I truly appreciate your help in every way.
If you can make a one time donation of $500 or $1,000 dollars to support this work.
Donations can be sent by paypal to donations@wnae.org.
Enoch on the Apostasy and Last Days Restoration By James Scott Trimm
The Book of Enoch prophecies of a great apostasy in the last days:
6 And unrighteousness shall again be consummated on the earth, and all the deeds of unrighteousness and of violence and transgression shall prevail in a twofold degree. 7 And when sin and unrighteousness and blasphemy and violence in all kinds of deeds increase, and apostasy and transgression and uncleanness increase, a great chastisement shall come from heaven upon all these, and the Set-apart YHWH will come forth with wrath and chastisement to execute judgment on earth. (1Enoch 91:6-7)
The Book of Enoch tells of how 200 fallen angels led by Shemikhazah and Azazel “saw and lusted after” human females and copulated with them producing a race of giants (1Enoch 6) and taught mankind secrets such as sorcery, the making of weapons (1Enoch 7-8) and how to perform an abortion (1En. 69:12). YHWH’s judgment finally comes. Shemikhazah and “all his associates” are bound fast “for seventy generations” until “the judgment that is forever is consummated” (1En. 9:11-12) (compare Y’hudah 1:6 & 2Kefa 2:2-10). The giants are killed by the flood but their spirits remain on earth as evil spirits (1En. 15:8-12).
The Book of Enoch tells us that Shemikhazah and his associate fallen angels would be bound up for seventy generations:
11 And YHWH said unto Mikha’el: ‘Go, make known to Shemikhazah and his associates who have united themselves with women so as to have defiled themselves with them in all their uncleanness. 12 And when their sons shall die, and they have seen the destruction of their beloved ones, bind them fast for seventy generations in the valleys of the earth, till the great day of their judgment and of their consummation, till the judgment that is for ever and ever is consummated. (1Enoch 10:11-12)
Now if one counts the generations from Enoch to Yeshua one finds there were seventy generations (Luke 3:23-37).
So the seventy generations end immediately after the generation of Yeshua and hit Talmudim. This brings us to an interesting statement made by the Nazarene writer Hegesippus around 185 C.E. as he recounted the beginning of the apostasy:
Up to that period the Assembly had remained like a virginpure and uncorrupted: for, if there were any persons who were disposed to tamper with the wholesome rule of theproclaiming of salvation, they still lurked in some dark place of concealment or other. But, when the sacred band ofEmissaries had in various ways closed their lives, and thatgeneration of men to whom it had been vouchsafed to listen to thegodlike Wisdom with their own ears had passed away, then did theconfederacy of godless error take its rise through the treacheryof false teachers, who, seeing that none of the emissaries anylonger survived, at length attempted with bare and upliftedhead to oppose the proclaiming of the truth by proclaiming“knowledge falsely so called.” (Hegessippus; Memoirs)
The generation which followed the life of Yeshua and his emissaries was the generation in which Shemikhazah and his associates were to be released. And this was the very generation in which false teachers began with bare and uplifted head to oppose the proclaiming of the truth, the very generation in which the apostasy began.
The long night of the apostasy is ending. The Book of Enoch is again coming to light that it may be a cause of joy and uprightness and much wisdom to those who observe the Torah in the last days. The culmination of all things is at hand.
One of the great revelations of the Book of Enoch is that the fallen angels were set loose for a period of time pending their final judgment, beginning with the generation immediately following Yeshua and his Talmidim. In other words, by the late first Century, the apostasy was well underway!
The prophet Enoch continues:
7 And when sin and unrighteousness and blasphemy and violence in all kinds of deeds increase, and apostasy and transgression and uncleanness increase, a great chastisement shall come from heaven upon all these, and the Set-apart YHWH will come forth with wrath and chastisement to execute judgment on earth. 8 In those days violence shall be cut off from its roots, and the roots of unrighteousness together with deceit, and they shall be destroyed from under heaven. 9 And all the idols of the heathen shall be abandoned, and the temples burned with fire, and they shall remove them from the whole earth, and they (i.e. the heathen) shall be cast into the judgment of fire, and shall perish in wrath and in grievous judgment forever. (1Enoch 91:7-9)
According to the Talmud, Elohim has postponed bringing judgment to the Gentile nations because they have at least kept three commandments:
Said Rab Judah: These are the thirty righteous men among the nations of the world by whose virtue the nations of the world continue to exist. Ulla said: These are the thirty commandments which the sons of Noah took upon themselves but they observe three of them, namely,(i) they do not draw up a kethubah document [marriage contract] for males, (ii) they do not weigh flesh of the dead in the market, and (iii) they respect the Torah. (b.Chullin 92b)
The Talmud teaches that Elohim withholds judgment from the nations of the world because they do not give marriage certificates to homosexuals, they do not sell human meat in the market, and while they do not keep the Torah, they do at least respect the Torah. But the world is in these last days descending into a darkness not seen on this planet since the days before the flood, and the time of YHWH’s judgment cannot be far off!
On June 26, 2015 in Obergefell v. Hodges the US Supreme Court plunged this world into an even deeper darkness by inventing is a supposed Constitutional right to a “gay marriage”. (This despite the fact that the US Constitution never mentions marriage and the Tenth Amendment reserves all powers not delegated by the Constitution to the Federal government to the States and the People)
Yeshua warned that the last days would be like the days of Noach:
37 And as it was in the days of Noach, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as they were in the days that were before the flood–eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noach entered into the ark, (Mt. 24:37-38 – HRV)
And this is a major theme of the Book of Enoch. Enoch forewarns of the coming judgment of the flood, and parallels this with the judgment of the last days. The Book of Enoch even prophecies that in the last days:
“women shall become pregnant and abort their babies and cast them out from their midst” (1En. 99:5).
The very same week that the Supreme Court ruled there is a right to a gay marriage a video was released of a Planned Parenthood official chatting about selling human organs from aborted babies… as casual dinner conversation!
Finally Enoch the Prophet prophecies a last days restoration:
10 And the righteous shall arise from their sleep, and wisdom shall arise and be given unto them. 11 And they shall have rooted out the foundations of violence and the structure of falsehood in it, to execute judgment. (1Enoch 91:10-11)
This will be a last days restoration of Torah truth, as the Book of Enoch states that it was written “for those who will come after him, and keep the Torah in the last days.” (1Enoch 108:1)
Enoch the Prophet prophecies that the restoration would include a bonus, a restoration of lost books:
But when they write down truthfully all my words in their languages, and do not change or diminish ought from my words but write them all down truthfully –all that I first testified concerning them. Then, I know another mystery, that books will be given to the righteous and the wise to become a cause of joy and uprightness and much wisdom. And to them shall the books be given, and they shall believe in them and rejoice over them, and then shall all the righteous who have learnt therefore all the paths of uprightness be recompensed.’ (1Enoch 104:10-13)
These words have been fulfilled as the original Hebrew and Aramaic manuscripts of the books of the so-called “New Testament” have been translated and published, and as lost books like the Book of Enoch itself are restored. (This is the work of the Scripture Nexus project)
This is where we are right now in Biblical prophecy! And I am delighted that this ministry has been on the cutting edge of this great last days work of restoration!
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A Rebuttal of Branch Davidian Theology By James Trimm Originally Published in the Watchman Expositor Vol. 11, No. 4, 1994
“…the special issue of the Watchman Expositor that Watchman Fellowship published on Waco contains some of the most accurate analysis of the biblical teachings of the Branch Davidians that has ever appeared in print.” (Why Waco; James D. Tabor & Eugene V. Gallagher; 1995; p. 153)
“The best published explanation of Koresh’s view of the Seven Seals is James Trimm, ‘David Koresh’s Seven Seals Teaching,’ Watchman Expositor Vol. 11 (1994) pp. 7-8. (Why Waco; James D. Tabor & Eugene V. Gallagher; 1995; p. 229 n.2)”
[The purpose of this article was only to document the beliefs of the Branch Davidians and was originally part of a three part series including a rebuttal to Branch Davidian Theology.]
Jesus warned his disciples, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” And again, He said, “And many false prophets shall arise and shall deceive many.” David Koresh claimed to be a prophet and he went so far as to claim for himself the mantle of Christ.
Koresh challenged the world to show him where he was wrong, “If they (the prophets in the Bible) teach contrary to what we think or feel we better exchange our thinking or our feelings for them, because they claim to have the Spirit of the Living God. You see, that’s what the test is… If I’m deceived please, please, show me from the Scriptures, please” (Confusion, by David Koresh [taped message], 18 July 1987).
It is too late to show David Koresh his errors in doctrine but there are many Branch Davidians who are still waiting for the challenge to be answered.
Against Gnosis
The Branch Davidian plan of salvation through gnosis (knowledge) is definitely contrary to the plan of salvation by faith (John 3:14-18; Ephesians 2:5, 8-10; 1 Peter 1:5; Romans 3:28; 4:5; 5:1; 10:9; Titus 3:5, 7; Galatians 2:16, 21) through grace (Acts 15:11; Ephesians 2:5, 8-10; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:7; Romans 3:24; 5:15) taught in the Scriptures.
The “gnosis” (knowledge) plan of salvation is strongly rebuked by Paul who wrote “…keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science (Greek gnosis) falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:20-21). The Gospel of salvation by faith through grace is not temporary, but is an everlasting Gospel (Hebrews 5:9; Revelation 14:6).
Against Exaltation
Another unbiblical doctrine of the Branch Davidian theology is it’s offer of Godhood, a doctrine commonly called “exaltation.” Satan’s original sin was in trying to exalt himself to Godhood (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:11-19). In the Garden of Eden, Satan tempted man to pursue exaltation to Godhood (Genesis 3:5). Later, at the Tower of Babel/Babylon (same word in Hebrew) man again attempted to exalt himself to Godhood (Genesis 11:1-9).
The pursuit of exaltation to Godhood is the very core doctrine of Satan’s Babylonian system. God’s word is very clear on the subject, God will not give his glory to another (Isaiah 42:8; 48:11), God says:
“Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour” (Isaiah 43:10-11).
Against Koresh’s “Other Gospel”
It is evident that David Koresh admittedly taught “another Gospel” (see 2 Corinthians 11:3-4; Galatians 1:6-10). Koresh wrote: “…the opening of the seven seals by Christ is as much or more important for our salvation as any other former gospels.” (The Decoded Message of the Seven Seals of the Book of Revelation; by David Koresh p. 6 emphasis added)
Koresh misuses 1 Peter 1:3,5 in an attempt to prove that a new plan of salvation would be revealed in the last days, but this passage in context really says that the believer’s salvation will be revealed, or displayed, at the last day. The Scriptures have forewarned of those who would claim to teach “another gospel” different from the one already received, particularly one which turns us from grace (Galatians 1:6-10).
Elsewhere Paul compares such an “other gospel” to that of the serpent, who like Koresh, offered exaltation to Godhood (see 1 Corinthians 11:3-4). It should be remembered that Koresh claimed to have “new light” and to have “the seventh angel’s message,” while the Scriptures forewarn that such an “other gospel” should not be accepted even if offered by an “angel of light” (Galatians 1:6-10; 1 Corinthians 11: 3-4, 13-14).
Against “Christ Consciousness”
Another erroneous Branch Davidian teaching is their doctrine that Jesus was not born Christ, but that he later obtained the Spirit or “consciousness” of Christ (this is often placed at his baptism). This doctrine is similar to the heresy of Adoptianism and New Age theories of “Christ Consciousness.” The truth is that Jesus was born Christ (Luke 2:11) and was already Christ at his baptism (1 John 5:6). Jesus has always been, and always will be Christ (Hebrews 13:8)
Against Jesus Failing
The Branch Davidians also believe that Jesus was crucified because he failed in his original mission to teach the seven seals. The Bible, however, is clear on this matter. Jesus’ crucifixion was part of the successful completion of God’s original divine plan (Luke 22:22; John 17:4, 18:37, 19:30; Acts 2:23-24; Hebrews 10:14, 12:2; 1 Peter 3:18, Revelation 13:28.)
Against Koresh as a Christ
The Branch Davidian claim that David Koresh was the Lamb of Revelation 5 and the messianic figure with iniquity of Psalm 40:6-8, 12. The Scriptures reveal to us that Jesus is the Lamb (John 1:29, 36; Acts 8:30-35; 1 Peter 1:2, 19). The Messianic figure of Psalm 40 is also Jesus (see Hebrews 10:5-7 compared with Psalm 40:6-8). His iniquities (Palms 40:12) are not his own but the sins of the world which he bears (Isaiah 53:5-6, 1 Peter 2:24). Furthermore, the figure mentioned in Isaiah 45:1 is not surnamed Koresh (as Koresh argued based on Isaiah 45:4) the surname referred to is that of Israel (Isaiah 44:5). The Lamb that returns in Revelation is Jesus. He declares Himself, “…the root and the offspring of David…”Revelation 22:16).
When he comes it will be in the sky for all to see, not in the “inner rooms” of Mt. Carmel “in the wilderness/country” (Matthew 24:23-27). The Bible plainly teaches that Messiah would not be slain again, and would not reappear as a figure with iniquity. As the Bible says:
“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:28).
It will not be a Messiah from Waco who will return. As the angel told Christ’s disciples at his ascension: “…why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11 emphasis added).
Against Circular Reasoning
The Branch Davidian’s basic theology is a classic case of circular reasoning. They teach that man must have unity with the Mind of God in order to understand the Scriptures. “Scripture is written from the perspective of God, not man. To truly understand its teaching it is necessary to have the Mind of God” (letter from Livingstone Fagan, 12 April 1994).
But, conversely, one must understand the Scriptures to obtain unity with the Mind of God, as Fagan states: “Through the Knowledge of God, as revealed in the Scriptures, humanity becomes a partaker of the divine nature…. And until they receive that Spirit which was commended in the hand of the Father, they can not have that element of God within them…” (Fagan interview 24 July 1993).
Thus one must have the Mind of God to understand the Scriptures and one must understand the Scriptures to obtain the Mind of God. The error in logic should be obvious. If one wishes to understand the Scriptures, too bad, you can not do that without the Mind of God. If one wants to receive the Mind of God, too bad, it is necessary to understand the Scriptures first.
Many see the Branch Davidians as a tragic footnote in history. Actually they are still a viable and evangelistic movement. They have a mailing list of over six hundred and continue to win converts since the destruction of their home and the deaths of their church family in April 1993.
Christians can learn important lessons from the Branch Davidians concerning the dangers of twisting the scriptures (2 Peter 3:16).
Beyond that, believers must be prepared to give an answer to everyone who issues a challenge and to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered” (Jude 3).
Branch Davidian Theology: A Doctrine onto Death By James Trimm Originally Published in the Watchman Expositor Vol. 11, No. 4, 1994
“…the special issue of the Watchman Expositor that Watchman Fellowship published on Waco contains some of the most accurate analysis of the biblical teachings of the Branch Davidians that has ever appeared in print.” (Why Waco; James D. Tabor & Eugene V. Gallagher; 1995; p. 153)
“The best published explanation of Koresh’s view of the Seven Seals is James Trimm, ‘David Koresh’s Seven Seals Teaching,’ Watchman Expositor Vol. 11 (1994) pp. 7-8. (Why Waco; James D. Tabor & Eugene V. Gallagher; 1995; p. 229 n.2)”
[The purpose of this article was only to document the beliefs of the Branch Davidians and was originally part of a three part series including a rebuttal to Branch Davidian Theology.]
Note: Jailed Branch Davidian theologian, Livingstone Fagan, is believed by many to be the successor to David Koresh.
During the siege, Koresh sent Fagan out of the compound on March 23rd with the mission to present the Message of the Seven Seals to the world through the media. The remaining Branch Davidians are still recruiting new members. They have an active mailing list of over 600. He believes Koresh will be resurrected as a sign to the world by the end of 1996.
Fagan reviewed and verified much of the information in this article in exclusive interviews. He holds a Masters of Theology from Newbold College in England, a Seventh-Day Adventist institution.
The Branch Davidian tragedy received more media coverage worldwide than any other event in 1993. In the confusion of reports, and specials, a mixture of fact, distortion and myth was published by the national media during the siege and subsequent fire. Over a year has passed since the ashes have cooled. Still a number of questions remain. By referring to himself as the Lamb of the Book or Revelation, did Koresh believe he was Jesus Christ? Are the Branch Davidians simply a Christian sect with a narrow focus on prophecy? What do the Branch Davidians really believe?
The Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventists are basically Millerites. They are historical and doctrinal descendents of the Seventh-Day Adventist and a break-off group of reformers, the Davidian Seventh-Day Adventists.
Authority
The Branch Davidians refer to the Bible as their main standard of authority, but often use apocryphal books. They also regard the works and teachings of Ellen G. White, Victor Houteff, Ben Roden, Lois Roden, and David Koresh to be inspired prophecy (Letter from Branch Davidian, Brad Branch).
The Branch Davidians place heavy emphasis on the Old Testament, which they commonly refer to by its Judaic name, the Tenach. According to Livingstone Fagan, the Old Testament, particularly the prophets, expresses the Spirit/Mind of God (Livingstone Fagan interview, p. 17-18) while the New Testament “is just a record of an event. Christ’s coming 2000 years ago — to give that Spirit. That’s all it was” (Fagan, p. 18). The priamary exception to this de-emphasis on the New Testament is the Book of Revelation, as Koresh wrote “…every book of the Bible meets and ends in the book of Revelation” (Seven Seals Manuscript, p. 7).
General Theology
The Branch Davidians do not believe that David Koresh is/was the sovereign God on the throne. There was some confusion concerning this issue. In a Letter to the FBI, Koresh (speaking as a “prophet”) spoke for God in the first person, and referred to himself, in the second person, as God’s servant. The Branch Davidians believe God’s full name is Yahweh Koresh, which is taken to mean “life and death.” David Koresh is seen as God’s servant who has his Father’s surname.
Livingstone Fagan states that “God is Thought” (Fagan, p. 14) and as a result the Branch Davidians are greatly concerned with the “Mind of God.” Their idea of God is not, however, impersonal, as they believe in a Godhead with a Heavenly Father, and with a feminine Holy Spirit as a Heavenly Mother (The Holy Spirit, She, 1979 and other works by Lois Roden).
Salvation
To the Branch Davidians “salvation” entails knowing and understanding the Seven Seals, as Koresh “Prophesied” and wrote:
“Your only Savior is My Truth. My Truth is the ‘Seven Seals'” (letter, 10 April 1993).
“The Seven Seals are the last prophecy to a lost world…You have a chance to learn my Salvation” (letter, 11 April 1993, p. 2).
“…if we disregard the truth of the first seal we really disregard Christ, who opened it and in so doing we disregard God who gave it. This indifference most surely will place one’s Salvation in jeopardy” (Seven Seals Manuscript, p. 9).
Theology of Man
Man is seen as having a divine nature, being made in the image of God. This divine nature is, however, blocked (Fagan, p. 13). Men may use their freewill to surrender to the Mind of God/Will of God, or to continue in their own understanding which is really darkness since it is influenced by the lusts of the body (Fagan, p. 14). The Branch Davidians believe this is what is meant by “The Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).
Theology on the Afterlife
Like traditional Seventh-Day Adventists, the Branch Davidians teach “soul sleep” and do not believe in Hell as an eternal place of torment for lost humanity. The Branch Davidians do not believe that man has an inherently immortal soul, but that man obtains immortality only by receiving the eternal “Mind of God” (expressed in the Seven Seals). As Livingstone Fagan states:
“…the current thinking of man, which is born of the flesh is temporal, and when the body dies it will die too. But the eternal Thought of God…is eternal. To receive God you are actually receiving the Eternal, an Eternal Spirit which enables you to live forever” (Fagan, p. 15).
As a result Branch Davidians do not believe in a pre-resurrection afterlife (with the exception of the 144,000), but believe that the dead remain in the grave without any consciousness or existence until the rsurrection. This belief is evident in two of Koresh’s statements:
“…of course ‘buried’ (in Rev. 5:3) in other words we do have dead in this world, you know…” (3-2-93 tape)
“…dead people don’t know anything…” (“What is Truth?” tape)
According to his tape “What is Truth?” Koresh taught that there are two destinations in the post resurrection afterlife, “Hell” and “The Kingdom to Come.” Those who go to Hell are seen as being annihilated out of existence, since they have not received the eternal Mind of God. By contrast those destined to enter the Kingdom to Come, who have achieved unity with the eternal Mind of God are destined to be exalted to Godhood, as Fagan states:
“…they themselves would become God. That’s where we get the statement in Psalms 82, where he talks about God goes among the gods, and ‘Know ye not that ye are gods?’ Christ mentioned it himself, 2000 years ago, which caused great consternation among the Pharisees…” (Fagan, p. 20).
“You have the family unit which consists first of all of a mother and father…they have children…eventurally these children themselves grow into becoming mothers and fathers themselves…the only difference between those children and the mothers and fathers which bare (sic) them, is that the mothers and fathers were first…in their status of mother and fatherhood…that is the only difference ultimately that was supposed to exist, between God and his children. And anyway, they too are to obtain unto that position. I mean listen, there’s a great big universe out there…and that universe is for His children…And there are going to be provinces that they populate with their own creations” (Fagan, p. 21).
Christology
The Branch Davidian concept of “Christ” is also quite different than that of traditional Christianity. The Branch Davidians recognize the words “Christ” and “Messiah” to simply refer to “an anointed one” rather than as proper nouns. An anointed one is one anointed with the Spirit/Mind of God.
Jesus is seen as having achieved this unity and becoming Christ sometime before his 40 days of fasting in the wilderness, this 40 day fast proved that he was one with the Eternal Mind of God, and could live forever, even without food and water (Fagan, p. 28). Jesus is seen as having come to teach the Seven Seals. But, mankind did not accept the Seals. Jesus had failed in his mission and was crucified. Fagan explains:
“Contrary to popular belief, he [Jesus] did not come to die, albeit he ran that risk, consider John 3:16, notice the operative words, i.e. ‘believed on him’ not ‘kill him.’ Had they believed he was the Christ they would not have killed him, note 1 Corinthians 2:7-8, note also Luke 23:36; they killed him out of ignorance…Christ himself made it clear he did not come to die, consider John 8:34-42.”
When this took place Christ is believed to have commended the Spirit he offered, the Seven Seals, to the hand of the Father (based on Luke 23:46 and Rev. 4:1) and created a temporary system of salvation by grace because of man’s ignorance (based on Luke 23:34).
David Koresh is seen as having also attained unity with the Mind of God, being another messianic figure (Faga comments on rough draft). Koresh is seen as having proved this by opening the Seven seals, which only the Lamb could do (based on Revelation 5), as Fagan states: “…the only one can open that information in the first place. The Lamb. Mankind can not do it, because you’re dealing with information which is synonymous with the Mind of God” (Fagan, p. 11).
David Koresh
“What David actually said was ‘let me address for you the Seven Seals.’…from a knowledge of him unveiling the Book can you make a judgement (sic) of whether he’s Christ?” (Fagan, p. 22).
David Koresh is, therefore identified by the Branch Davidians as the “anointed one” in such places as Psalm 2:2-3, where the “bands” and “cords” (in Ps. 2:3) are regarded as the Seven Seals (Video Bible Study, Koresh, 5 January 1992). Koresh is also seen as the anointed one in Is. 45:1 names “Cyrus” or “Koresh.” Koresh argued that this was not the Persian king Curys because Cyrus (Koresh) was to be the surname of this anointed one based on Isaiah 45:4 (Ibid.).
The Branch Davidians also believe (based on 1 Corinthians 10:4 with Exodus 17:1-9 and Numbers 20:1-13) that since the rock (Christ) was struck twice, at two different times and places, so would Christ (a Christ) be rejected and killed at wo different times and places (Fagan, p. 23).
This introduced the unique belief which the Branch Davidians have regarding David Koresh, which they support with Psalms 40. David Koresh was to be that messianic figure with iniquities (Psalms 40:12). Thus, Koresh is viewed as the “sinful Messiah” prophesied in the Bible.
The Branch Davidians further support this belief by teaching that the two goats on the Day of Atonement offering (Leviticus 16:7-10, 15-26) allegorically represent Jesus and David Koresh.
The sin offering is seen as Jesus, being without iniquities, while the “azazel” or “scapegoat” is seen as representing Koresh, the messianic figure with iniquities. The goat being sent off into the wilderness is believed to indicate that Koresh would go out to the Gentiles (Fagan comments on rough draft).
Conclusion
In some ways Koresh’s followers were not unlike their predecessors. Davidians under the Rodens and Houteff, and even many early Seventh-Day Adventists saw themselves as God’s exclusive end-time poeple who would be used of God as His sole channel of salvation. Anything outside of their leader and immediate group was seen as being part of Babylon – under the control of Satan.
Unlike his predecessors, David Koresh developed a unique view of his own ministry and personal role in the salvation of the world. David Koresh did not consider hiself to be God on the throne, nor did he claim to be the man Jesus. At the very least, however, Koresh presented himself as a Christ. To this day his remaining followers see him as their “sinful messiah” whose coming and ministry was predicted in the Bible.
David Koresh’s Seven Seals Teaching By James Trimm Originally Published in the Watchman Expositor Vol. 11, No. 4, 1994
“…the special issue of the Watchman Expositor that Watchman Fellowship published on Waco contains some of the most accurate analysis of the biblical teachings of the Branch Davidians that has ever appeared in print.” (Why Waco; James D. Tabor & Eugene V. Gallagher; 1995; p. 153)
“The best published explanation of Koresh’s view of the Seven Seals is James Trimm, ‘David Koresh’s Seven Seals Teaching,’ Watchman Expositor Vol. 11 (1994) pp. 7-8. (Why Waco; James D. Tabor & Eugene V. Gallagher; 1995; p. 229 n.2)”
[The purpose of this article was only to document the beliefs of the Branch Davidians and was originally part of a three part series including a rebuttal to Branch Davidian Theology.]
David Koresh taught that there had been various gospels throughout time (Seven Seals Manuscript, p. 6, Koresh). He also taught that the Spirit or Mind of God had been offered to man at various times in various ways. One of thes was the giving of prophets which comprise the Old Testament (Livingstone Fagan Interview, 7-24-93, pp. 17-18). (This is seen as being pictured in Ezekiel 2:9-3:7).
When God’s offering of the Spirit was rejected, another expression of the Thought or Spirit was given in the flesh as Jesus Christ (Ibid., p. 10). Jesus is seen making this offer in Matthew 16:19 and 18:18 where the keys are seen as “binding or loosing” the seven seals. Koresh taught that when Jesus Christ was rejected another plan of salvation due to man’s ignorance was enacted when Christ said “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34) (Ibid., pp. 15, 17-19). After making this statement, that Spirit which Jesus Christ offered was commended into the hands of the Father (Luke 23:46) (Ibid., p. 8).
Based on 1 Peter 1:3-5, David Koresh taught, that in the last days another new plan of salvation would be revealed (Seven Seals Manuscript, p. 6).
Since the Spirit, or Mind of God which was offered to man had been commended to the hands of the Father, then it must be asked, what is in the Fathers hands? In Revelation 5:1 the Father has a book sealed with seven seals in his right hand, so this must be that same Mind of God (Fagan Interview, pp. 8, 10). Koresh believed that it was significant that Christ/the Lamb in the Heavenly Sanctuary was able to do something at the right hand of the throne because of his having been slain (Revelation 5; Hebrews 8 and 9). In Revelation 5 he is opening the seals, and in Hebrews 8 and 9 he is becoming mediator of the New Covenant, thus the New Covenant, Koresh taught, is a newly revealed plan of salvation as the Mind of God is offered to man through the Seven Seals (Seven Seals Manuscript, p. 6).
According to Koresh, when the Lamb comes he comes with his “reward” (Revelation 22:12) not our reward. This reward is the Lamb’s reward – what the Lamb was worthy of for having been slain. It is the only reward the Lamb receives in Revelation and is, according to Koresh, the Seven Sealed book (based on Revelation 5).
Koresh further supports these claims with Isaiah 40:10 and and 62:11 (Fagan Interview, pp. 9; 30; Second KRLD announcement; 58 min. message). Now according to Koresh, based on Revelation 10:7, his seventh angels message is the contents of this sealed book (see Revelation 10 inclusive) (30 second KRLD announcement; “Divided We Stand – Divided We Fall,” by David Koresh). And since only the Lamb can open these seals (Revelation 5) and it is the Lamb who brings his reward (Revelation 22:12) Koresh must be the Lamb (Fagan Interview, pp. 11, 22).
The First Seal
The first seal (Revelation 6:1-2) according to Koresh, is The Marriage of the Lamb. Koresh said the key to this seal is Psalm 45 and is the same event as Revelation 19. Koresh taught that this seal depicts the marriage of the Lamb to the Holy Spirit (“Eden to Eden,” Seven Seals Manuscript). He derived this concept from the teachings of his predecessors.
Lois Roden taught that the woman in Revelation 12:1 was Eve and that she was created in the image of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the woman of Revelation 12:1 also represents the Holy Spirit (By His Spirit… “Behold Thy Mother,” p. 6). She further identified the Holy Spirit as the “bride” of Revelation 19 (Ibid., pp. 7-8).
Victor Houteff, founder of the Davidians Seventh-Day Adventist Association, taught that the man on the white horse in Revelation 6:2 was Adam (Tract 15, pp. 39-41). Now Christ is the second Adam. This individual is then wedded to Eve (Revelation 19:7-11).
The Marriage of the Lamb, then, is revealing that Koresh is obtaining unity with the Godhead. Those with him in Revelation 19:14 are also on white horses and also dressed in marriage garments. So, they must be about to obtain unity with the Godhead too. Thus the first seal, the marriage of the Lamb, reveals that those who believe that David Koresh is the Christ and accept the Seven Seals will obtain unity with the Godhead.
The Second Seal
The key to the second seal (Revelation 6:3-4) is found in Zechariah 1:8-11 and 6:1-8 and is also depicted in such places as Ezekiel 9 and Revelation 7 and Revelation 19. In this seal, God makes war with man and kills all who do not have the seal (those who have rejected Koresh’s message) (Revelation 7 and Ezekiel 9).
The Third Seal
The key to this seal is Hosea 3; 12:7. In this seal there is a merchant offering something. That something, according to Koresh, has to do with paying for a marriage (Hosea 3). This deal has a very high price which does not seem fair to the ways of man, thus the merchant has “deceitful scales” (Hosea 12:7) and appears to be charging an outrageous price (Revelation 6:5-6). This is also the topic of the parable of the Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:45-46). What is offered is the first Seal (the marriage of the Lamb). The alternative is the second Seal. This merchant offers the Seven Seals, but one must be willing to pay a very high price. The price is one’s self, which leads into the fourth seal, Death (Revelation 6:7-8).
The Fourth Seal
The fourth seal (Revelation 6:7-8) is Death, and the grave follows after it. The language of this seal given in Revelation 6:8 refers back to Ezekiel 5:12, 17. This section of Ezekiel (Chapters 4 and 5) describes the seige on Jerusalem by Babylon. To the Branch Davidians, Jerusalem here refers to Mt. Carmel, and Babylon refers to the world. To the Branch Davidians, this siege is the one which began on 28 February 1993 at Mt. Carmel and lasted 51 days. Brad Branch, one of the Branch Davidians who exited Mt. Carmel, said that in his final, private, Bible study Koresh claimed the Mt. Carmel standoff was also the siege described in Zechariah 14:2. Koresh said those like Branch who left were those who “shall go into captivity” (Zechariah 14:2). Koresh also told Branch that the “chariots” that “come with flaming torches” in Nahum 2:3-4 were the tanks outside.
The Branch Davidians see these events as a microcosm of a final battle between the kingdoms of men and the Kingdom of God. They expect literal Jerusalem to be attacked in a similar battle shortly before the coming of God and the return of the Lamb (Koresh).
The Fifth Seal
The fifth seal (Revelation 6:9-11) reveals the souls under the altar. These are those who died under the fourth seal. They are wearing white robes. Their numbers are being added to and will have a specific number when completed (v. 11). It is apparent that they are the 144,000 (Revelation 7 and 14) and are the ones who are at the marriage of the Lamb in Revelation 19. The 144,000 are called the “first fruits” (Revelation 14:4). They are divided into two parts, the initial group of Seal four, and those added to them. The Branch Davidians call the initial group the “wave sheaf.” This is because there are two first fruits offerings in the feasts of Israel. The first is the “wave shear” made during Passover. The second is the “wave loaf” made during Pentecost.
To the Branch Davidians the fifth seal is a waiting period of 3 1/2 years from the death of the fourth seal (19 April 1993) to the judgement of the sixth seal. A major key to this seal is Psalm 74 obtained in an interview with Livingstone Faga in March of 1993 (before the fire of April 19th). In Psalm 74 individuals are, like those in Revelation 6:9-11, asking how long God will wait before making judgement . In Psalm 74 we are told that the sanctuary and meeting places of God had been burned to the ground (v. 7-8) that their “signs” (the Branch Davidian banner) were no longer seen, and that their prophet (Koresh) is no longer with them (v. 9). But judgement will come from the right hand of God (v. 11) and God will take vengeance. This hand, of course, contains the Seven Sealed book (Revelation 5:1). Thus, by October 1996, the Davidians foresee the Second Coming of Koresh and the final judgement of the world.
The Sixth Seal
The sixth seal (Revelation 6:12-7:17) involves cosmic disturbances associated with the return of the Lamb, and the coming of the day of Judgement . There are several Keys to this seal, Joel 2; Isaiah 13; Habakkuk. 3; Ecclesiastes 12 & Psalm 139 (Compare also Matthew 24:29-31). According to Koresh, the sun would be darkened because it would be eclipsed by the Merkabah (mobile throne pictured in Ezekiel 1). The Seventh Seal
The seventh seal (Revelation 8:1) is the “new song” which the 144,000 have learned (Rv. 14:3) from the messianic figure in Psalm 40 (Ps. 40:3) and is identified with the song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32) and relates to the Kingdom to come. Koresh told his followers that they would not fully understand this seal until his return. Katherine Matson (who had been Lois Roden’s secretary) says that the seventh seal brings us full circle back to the first, so that if one receives the first seal, he is part of the 144,000.
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