And You Shall Call His Name...

                          ...Y’HOSHUA!   יהושע    
...for He shall save His people from their sins.      Matthew 1:21

(The English transliteration of the name Y'hoshua has come up with several variations in spelling: Yeshua or Yahshua, etc.  The common substitute in English for the Hebrew name Y'hoshua is Joshua.)


Matthew 1:21 tells us exactly what YHVH meant 
for His Son's name to be...         Y'hoshua! 


(Look it up in the Strong's Concordance...the English word in this verse says Jesus, but the Strong's reference tells us that the name given to the Messiah, the newly born boy, was the Hebrew name Y'hoshua.)


What does Y'hoshua mean?


YAH is salvation!

I have touched on this topic several times in recent blog posts.

Recently some people have asked me why I insist on using the Hebrew name for the Messiah instead of referring to him as Jesus Christ.  I have had some people hint recently that I am being legalistic by using the name Yahshua, or even antagonistic by insisting on the usage of Yahshua instead of Jesus.  I've even had a person express concern that I no longer believe in Jesus because I choose to use the Hebrew name of Yahshua!

So today I want to explain more of the deeper reason why this name is so SPECIAL…not just to me, but to all of us!

If you look at any version of the Scriptures that has the Strong’s reference to the original Hebrew word, then you can easily see the name of our Messiah used throughout the Old Testament! 

(And by the way, you can download several versions of the Word which include Strong's references embedded in the text to your computer for free...see the E-Sword link on the right side menu bar or click here.)

Let me be a bit more specific now about how our Messiah shows up BY NAME in the Tanach (Old Testament)...
You might already know that the Hebrew word yeshua is the same as the English word salvation.  If you read the Hebrew version of the Word of YHVH, you will see the word yeshua frequently.

To let the importance of this sink in a bit more, allow me to list some scriptures where I replace the English word with the Hebrew word.

Look for the word yeshua as well as the related and very similar words yesha and yasha (all meaning salvation).

Exodus 14:13  
(the Israelites had just been released by Pharaoh, but now Pharaoh was chasing after them)

And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the yeshua (salvation) of  יהוה (YHVH), which He does for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you are never, never to see again.

Exodus 15:1-2

Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to יהוה (YHVH), and spoke, saying, “I sing to יהוה, for He is highly exalted! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!

Yah is my strength and song, and He has become my yeshua. He is my Ěl, and I praise Him – Elohim of my father, and I exalt Him.

1 Samuel 2:1-2 
(the song Hannah sang to YHVH for giving her Samuel, the child she prayed for)

And Ḥannah prayed and said, “My heart rejoices in יהוה (YHVH), my horn is exalted in יהוה. My mouth is opened wide over my enemies, for I have rejoiced in Your yeshua.

There is no one set-apart like יהוה, for there is no one besides You, and there is no rock like our Elohim.

Psalm 14:7

O that the yeshua of Israel would be given out of Zion! When יהוה turns back the captivity of His people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Psalm 27:1

  יהוה is my light and my yesha; whom should I fear?  יהוה is the refuge of my life; of whom should I be afraid?

Psalm 51:10-12

Create in me a clean heart, O Elohim, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your yesha, and uphold me, Noble Spirit!

Psalm 62:1-8

My being finds rest in Elohim alone; from Him is my yeshua.

He alone is my rock and my yeshua, my strong tower; I am not greatly shaken.

How long would you assail a man? You crush him, all of you, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence… My being, find rest in Elohim alone, because my expectation is from Him.

He alone is my rock and my yeshua, my strong tower; I am not shaken.

My yesha and my esteem depend on Elohim; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in Elohim.

Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; Elohim is a refuge for us. Selah.

Psalm 98:1-4

Sing to יהוה a new song! For He has done wonders; His right hand and His set-apart arm have brought Him deliverance.

 יהוה has made known His yeshua; His righteousness he has openly shown before the eyes of the nations.

He has remembered His kindness and His trustworthiness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the yeshua of our Elohim.

Raise a shout to יהוה, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.

Psalm 119 (such a beautiful picture of the fullness of the Word… obedience to the Word of YHVH and the relationship with the Living Word of YHVH, Yahshua the Messiah!  These two things cannot be separated...Yahshua reminds us of this in John chapters 14 and 15.)

Verse 123:  My eyes have longed for Your yeshua, And for the word of Your righteousness.

Verse 155:  Yeshua is far from the wicked, for they have not sought Your laws.

Verse 166:  יהוה, I have waited for Your yeshua, and I have done Your commands.

Verse 174:  I have longed for Your yeshua, O יהוה, And Your Torah is my delight.

Isaiah 12

And in that day you shall say, “I thank You יהוה, though You were enraged with me, Your displeasure has turned back, and You have comforted me.

See, Ěl is my yeshua, I trust and am not afraid. For Yah, יהוה, is my strength and my song; and He has become my yeshua.”

And you shall draw water with joy from the fountains of yeshua.

And in that day you shall say, “Praise יהוה, call upon His Name; make known His deeds among the peoples, make mention that His Name is exalted.

Sing to יהוה, For He has done excellently; this is known in all the earth.

Cry aloud and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!

Isaiah 24:23; 25:7-9

And the moon shall blush, and the sun shall be ashamed, for יהוה of hosts shall reign on Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before His elders, in esteem! …

And He shall swallow up on this mountain the surface of the covering which covers all people, and the veil which is spread over all nations.

He shall swallow up death forever, and Adonai יהוה shall wipe away tears from all faces, and take away the reproach of His people from all the earth. For יהוה has spoken.

And it shall be said in that day, “See, this is our Elohim. We have waited for Him, and He saves (yasha) us. This is יהוה, we have waited for Him, let us be glad and rejoice in His yeshua.”

Isaiah 45:1-8 (YHVH says this about Koresh/Cyrus, King of Persia)

Thus said יהוה to His anointed, to Koresh, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and ungird the loins of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that gates are not shut:

 ‘I go before you and make the crooked places straight; I shatter the gates of bronze and cut down the bars of iron.  And I shall give you the treasures of darkness and hoarded wealth of secret places, so that you know that I, יהוה, who are calling you by your name, am the Elohim of Israel. For the sake of Jacob My servant, and of Israel My chosen, I also call you by your name, I give you a title, though you have not known Me.

I am יהוה, and there is none else – there is no Elohim besides Me. I gird you, though you have not known Me, so that they know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none but Me. I am יהוה, and there is none else, forming light and creating darkness, making peace and creating evil. I, יהוה, do all these.’

Rain down, O heavens, from above, and let clouds pour down righteousness. Let the earth open, let them bring forth yesha, and let righteousness spring up together. I, יהוה, have created it.

(Have you really read YHVH’s words to King Cyrus before?  
Have you seen the important implications that fill this passage?) 

Isaiah 49:3-9 (spoken about both Israel and Yahshua the Messiah…one of those mysteries of YHVH, the combination of Israel and Yahshua the Messiah)

And He said to Me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, in whom I am adorned.’

 And I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for emptiness, and in vain. But my right-ruling is with, יהוה  and my work with my Elohim.’ ”

 And now said יהוה – who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, though Israel is not gathered to Him, yet I am esteemed in the eyes of יהוה, and My Elohim has been My strength – and He says, “Shall it be a small matter for You to be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved ones of Israel? And I shall give You as a light to the gentiles, to be My yeshua to the ends of the earth!”

Thus said יהוה, the Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, to the despised , to the loathed One of the nation, to the Servant of rulers, “Kings shall see and arise, rulers also shall bow themselves, because of יהוה who is steadfast, the Holy One of Israel. And He has chosen You!”

Thus said יהוה, “In a favorable time I shall answer You, and in the day of yeshua I shall help You – and I guard You and give You for a covenant of the people, to restore the earth, to cause them to inherit the ruined inheritances, to say to the prisoners, ‘Go out,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’

Isaiah 52:6-10

“Therefore My people shall know My Name, in that day, for I am the One who is speaking. See, it is I.”  How pleasant upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings good news, who proclaims yeshua, who says to Zion, “Your Elohim reigns!”

The voice of your watchmen! They shall lift up their voices, together they shout for joy, because eye to eye they see the return of יהוה to Zion.  Break forth into joy, sing together, you waste places of Jerusalem! For יהוה shall comfort His people, He shall redeem Jerusalem.  יהוה shall lay bare His set-apart arm in the eyes of all the nations. And all the ends of the earth shall see the yeshua of our Elohim.

Isaiah 61:10

I greatly rejoice in יהוה, my being exults in my Elohim. For He has put garments of yeshua on me, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Isaiah 62:1-2  (another one of those chapters where Israel and Yahshua the Messiah are both referenced!)

For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I do not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her yeshua as a lamp that burns.

And the nations shall see your righteousness, and all kings your esteem. And you shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of יהוה   designates.

Zechariah 9:9

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!  See, your King is coming to you, He is righteous and endowed with yasha, humble and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Jonah 2:9 (Jonah’s prayer from the belly of the fish)

…But I offer to You with the voice of thanksgiving, I pay what I have vowed. 

Yeshua is of יהוה




Luke 2:27-32  (Simeon’s prayer to YHVH in the temple…this is the word used in the Hebrew version of the New Testament!  See how it all comes together!!)

And he came in the Spirit into the Set-apart Place. And as the parents brought in the Child יהושע(Y'hoshua/Yahshua), to do for Him according to the usual practice of the Torah,

 then he took Him up in his arms and blessed Elohim and said,

 “Now let Your servant go in peace, O Master, according to Your word, for my eyes have seen Your Yeshua, which You have prepared before the face of all the peoples, a light for the unveiling of the gentiles, and the esteem of Your people Israel.”

Luke 3:2-6

…the word of Elohim came to John the son of Zeḵaryah in the wilderness.   And he went into all the neighborhood of the Jordan, proclaiming an immersion of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it has been written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, “A voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of יהוה, make His paths straight.  Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough become smooth ways, and all flesh shall see the yeshua of Elohim.’ ”

Acts 4:8-12

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:

If today we are called to account for a good deed towards a sick man, by whom he has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that in the Name of יהושע (Yahshua) Messiah of Nazareth, whom you impaled, whom Elohim raised from the dead, by Him this one stands before you, healthy.

This is ‘the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’

 “And there is no yeshua in anyone else, for there is no other Name under the heaven given among men by which we need to be saved.”

Revelation 12:10-11

And I heard a loud voice saying in the heaven, “Now have come the yeshua and the power and the reign of our Elohim, and the authority of His Messiah, for the accuser of our brothers, who accused them before our Elohim day and night, has been thrown down.  And they overcame him because of the Blood of the Lamb, and because of the Word of their witness, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

Isn't it interesting and encouraging and exciting to see Yahshua the Messiah, the Salvation of YHVH throughout the Word of Adonai from beginning to end?!


And this is only a partial list!


Perhaps now it is more clear to people why I feel so strongly about using the Hebrew name given by YHVH to His Son, the Messiah.  It is so much more than just a cultural name!


When I read the Name of Yahshua throughout the promises of His Word (and remember that He wrote the Word and He IS the Word), I realize even more how much our YHVH loves us!  And I also see that YHVH has put Himself and His Messiah, the Salvation, in front of His chosen people in every way possible.  When their eyes are opened and they see the TRUTH of YHVH's salvation through Yahshua the Messiah, what a day of rejoicing that will be...when all of Israel shall be saved!  (Romans 11)


But that is another topic for another day.  :o)




Thank you for joining with me on this part of my journey!


Blessings in our yeshua, our salvation, Yahshua the Messiah,


Gina Dittmer

The Kingdom of God

Before I get into this blog post, I want to point out that I have chosen not to include a photo or graphic with this particular blog post.
I googled the phrase "kingdom of God," and the results did not surprise me.
A wide gamut of extremes in images comes up with an internet image search for "the KINGDOM of GOD."
I think the choice to have NO image represent this blog post is the perfect representation of exactly what this post is about.
Read more to find out why...


Want to be a New Testament Church?
Throw out the New Testament.

Does that sound like a harsh and heretical statement?
Perhaps if you read the rest of the blog, you will know more of what I mean by this statement. You might even think it makes sense.

One of the leaders of the Intercessors for Israel prayer group that I have been involved in for 3 years says, "If you want to be a New Testament church like the church in Acts, throw out the New Testament - they didn't have it either."

As much as this statement grates against mainstream Christianity, the deeper point it makes is really the truth.

The early believers in Yeshua were Hebrews. They did not have the B'rit Hadashah (New Testament). They knew and lived the Tanakh, the revealed Word of YHVH, the commands of the King of the Kingdom. Many of them lived during the events of the gospels. Many of them were recipients of the letters and the ministries of Paul and the other apostles. But their "Bible" was the Word of God - the Torah (Law or Books of Moses), the Nevi'im (Prophets), and the Ketuvim (Writings: Psalms, Proverbs, etc) - the Ta Na Kh (Tanach, or what Christians call the Old Testament). Their example was the Living Word - Yeshua the Messiah.

They knew that their King, YHVH, was going to send a Messiah for the salvation of all in the Kingdom. They recognized Yeshua as that Messiah...the true KING of Israel. He fit in perfectly as the fullfillment of all YHVH said in the Tanakh, His Word. Yeshua IS the Word. The early believers recognized this...they had read all about Yeshua throughout the Tanakh. They did not have to renounce another religion. They were not asked by Yeshua to give up their adherence to the Torah and Prophets. In fact, Yeshua also preached the Torah and Prophets - the Tanakh. He LIVED it! He wrote the Tanakh; he IS the Tanakh.


Fast-forward to today's "new testament church," who calls itself the "kingdom of God."

I think I'll begin with a story.

Recently, I was sitting around a table with a group of people ranging in age from early 20's to mid-50's. None of them knew me and most did not know each other. As the "get to know you" chit chat began, it became clear that one common factor among all of us was that each of us had past or present experience with a certain church from a well-known mainstream Christian denomination. I am not much of a chit-chat person; I prefer to listen. So I was not really an active participant in the conversation. I was working on something else, but I was listening to what was going on.

This group of people began to compare notes of their experiences with this particular church. The conversation went from the preferred type of music and songs in the worship services to who is a good singer and who is not. From there the conversation turned to what the church was like before "so-and-so" left and when "so-and-so" was there. Sunday school teachers were analyzed; church practices were judged; youth pastors were critiqued; worship service styles were discussed. And then the conversation turned to comparing this church with other area churches...none of which stood up to the group's scrutiny.

Finally, the conversation turned to the latest "Twilight" movie premier screening happening that very night. The conversation moved just as easily into discussion of which character was the favorite and how many times a certain Twilight book had been read in the last few weeks. (For those unfamiliar with this series called Twilight, it is based on a relationship between a vampire and a human.) Then the conversation turned to other recent movies, and then to other activities happening during the weekend.

Never ONCE did anyone talk about YHVH or Yeshua (or their "English" names). No one ever spoke of anything to do with the Kingdom of God, His Word, His relationship with those in His Kingdom.

At the end of the conversation, I was asked directly why I did not attend this particular church. Several people in the group showed surprise that I did not attend a church where so many other people I know go. This surprise turned to silence and a complete change of topic when I answered that I attend several Messianic congregations and that I'm involved in a prayer ministry for Israel.

I have attended many "New Testament" churches from many denominations during my lifetime (in at least 7 cities on 3 different continents) . Each speaks of the "Kingdom of God" and each has their own bit of a different spin on what exactly that means.

From my personal experience, I think it would be safe to say that the "kingdom of God" that Yeshua spoke of and that the church wants to be is something that has been confusing and elusive in much of the history of Christianity. I think this is because we have taken our focus off of the truth and foundation of YHVH's Word and instead we are guilty of making up our own rules and theological foundations, which we base on only a small part of YHVH's Word.

To be honest, I know I have spent much of my Christian life holding to and repeating the teachings that surrounded me. I only noticed that these teachings might be off track when I began to experience different and contradictory teachings from different churches and teachers/pastors. I have come to realize that the ONLY foundation I should stand upon is the Word of the KING, YHVH, whose Kingdom I want to belong to. I have also come to realize that many who say they are in the Kingdom of God don't actually stick to the laws of the Kingdom and don't teach the King's ways according to His own Word.

Now, before I continue into the real purpose of this blog post, let me clear up any doubt about what I believe about the New Testament (B'rit Hadashah). The statement I made at the beginning of this blog, "throw out the New Testament," should not be taken at face value only. I hope you can see that my point behind the statement (and the point of my friend in Intercessors for Israel) is that the New Testament CANNOT be taken alone as the basis for living in the Kingdom of God. It MUST stand on the foundation of the Tanakh. Of course the B'rit Hadashah is important! It completes the Word of YHVH...it tells the rest of the story! But to try to stand on the New Testament alone does NOT work because it is not a foundation. The Torah is the ETERNAL (everlasting, unending, for all generations to come) foundation for everything relating to the Kingdom of YHVH. If you throw out any part of YHVH's foundation, you have nothing left upon which to stand.

Yeshua, the Cornerstone of YHVH's foundation, warned us that many would think they were in the Kingdom based on their own definitions of "Kingdom of God," but they would find out that the King of the true Kingdom did not know them and they would not be allowed in.

Matthew 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only those who do what my Father in heaven wants. On that Day, many will say to me, `Lord, Lord! Didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we expel demons in your name? Didn't we perform many miracles in your name?' Then I will tell them to their faces, `I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!'"

We are only fooling ourselves if we base our relationship with the King on a false definition of "Kingdom." We MUST live according to the laws and commands of the King in order to be counted in His Kingdom. This means that we MUST read the King's Word and live according to His Word. Yeshua stated very clearly in John 14:10 that He was united with the Father and the Father with Him and that His words were not His own initiative but that the Father living in Him was doing His own works. Yeshua continues by saying, "If you love me, you will keep my commands....Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me, and the one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him" (verses 15 & 21).
It is clear that if Yeshua is one with the Father and only speaks the Father's words, then He is talking about the Tanakh, as well as what He, as the Son of YHVH, revealed about the Tanakh in His teachings during His ministry.

If that is true, then it is also true that we cannot understand the Kingdom of God unless we understand that Israel was and is the Kingdom of God!

This brings me to the purpose of this blog post:

ISRAEL - YHVH's Chosen People.
ISRAEL - YHVH's Light to the nations.
ISRAEL - YHVH's Kingdom of priests for the nations.

Take a look at YHVH's own words on this very important topic:
(and don't just gloss over the Scriptures)

Genesis 12:1-3
"Now YHVH said to Avram, 'Get yourself out of your country, away from your kinsmen and away from your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you are to be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, but I will curse anyone who curses you; and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed.'"

Already YHVH has promised Avram that the nation of His descendants will be a blessing to all the world (a light to the nations).


Exodus 19:5,6
[YHVH speaking to the Israelites in the desert just after the exodus from Egypt], "'Now if you will pay careful attention to what I say and keep my covenant, then you will be my own treasure from among all the peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you will be a kingdom of priests for me, a nation set apart.' These are the words you are to speak to the people of Isra'el."

What is the point of having a nation of priests who are to serve YHVH and serve the people if there are no other people to serve? A nation of priests is to serve the other nations...a LIGHT to the nations!


Isaiah 49:1-7
Coastlands, listen to me...YHVH called me from the womb; before I was born, he had spoken my name. He has made my mouth like a sharp sword while hiding me in the shadow of his hand; he has made me like a sharpened arrow while concealing me in his quiver. He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, through whom I will show my glory." But I said, "I have toiled in vain, spent my strength for nothing, futility." Yet my cause is with YHVH, my reward is with my God. So now YHVH says - he formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, to have Israel gathered to him, so that I will be honored in the sight of YHVH, my God having become my strength - he has said, "It is not enough that you are merely my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the offspring of Israel. I will also make you a light to the nations, so my salvation can spread to the ends of the earth." Here is what YHVH, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, says to the one despised, whom the nations detest, to the servant of tyrants: "When kings see you, they will stand up; princes too will prostrate themselves, because of YHVH, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."


Isaiah 51:1-11
"Listen to me, you pursuers of justice, you who seek YHVH: consider the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were dug - consider Avraham your father and Sarah, who gave birth to you; in that I called him when he was only one person, then blessed him and made him many. For YHVH will comfort Zion, will comfort all her ruined places, will make her desert like Eden, her Aravah like the garden of YHVH. Joy and gladness will be there, thanksgiving and the sound of music. Pay attention to me, my people! My nation, listen to me! For Torah will go out from me; I will calm them with my justice as a light for the peoples. My righteousness is at hand, my salvation goes out, my arms will judge the peoples. The coastlands are putting their hope in me, trusting in my arm. Raise your eyes toward the skies, look at the earth below. The skies will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like clothing. Those living on it will die like flies; but my salvation will be forever, and my justice will never end. Listen to me, you who know justice, you people who have my Torah in your heart: don't be afraid of people's taunts, don't be upset by their insults. For the moth will eat them up like clothing, the worm will eat them like wool; but my justice will be forever, and my salvation for all generations. Awake! Awake! Arm of YHVH, clothe yourself with strength! Awake, as in days of old, as in ancient generations!... Those ransomed by YHVH will return and come with singing to Zion; on their heads will be everlasting joy. They will acquire gladness and joy, while sorrow and sighing will flee..."


Isaiah 2:1-3
This is the word that Isaiah the son of Amotz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of YHVH's house will be established as the most important mountain. It will be regarded more highly than the other hills, and all the nations will stream there. Many peoples will go and say, "Come, let's go up to the mountain of YHVH, to the house of the God of Jacob! He will teach us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For out of Zion will go forth Torah, the word of YHVH from Jerusalem.

(This is also found in Micah 4:1-2.)


Zechariah 8:20-23
"ADONAI-Tzva'ot says, 'In the future, peoples and inhabitants of many cities will come; the inhabitants of one city will travel to another and say, "We must go to ask YHVH's favor and consult ADONAI-Tzva'ot. I'll go too." Yes, many peoples and powerful nations will come to consult ADONAI-Tzva'ot in Jerusalem and to ask YHVH's favor.' ADONAI-Tzva'ot says, 'When that time comes, ten men will take hold - speaking all the languages of the nations - will grab hold of the cloak of a Jew and say, "We want to go with you, because we have heard that God is with you."'"


Luke 2:32
Simeon says that Yeshua is "a light that will bring revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel."



Acts 13:45-47
...but when the Jews who had not believed saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and spoke up against what Saul was saying and insulted him. However, Saul and Barnabas answered boldly: "It was necessary that God's word be spoken first to you. But since you are rejecting it and are judging yourselves unworthy of eternal life - why, we're turning to the Gentiles! For that is what YHVH has ordered us to do: 'I have set you as a light for the Gentiles, to be for deliverance to the ends of the earth.' "


This brings us to a major question: what about the church in all of this?
If the kingdom really is all about Israel, then how does the church fit in? What about those from the nations of the world who belive in and follow Yeshua?

Good question.
Hard question, if we don't understand who ISRAEL is.
Replacement Theory says that the church has become the "spiritual Israel," and that the Jewish people no longer hold a place in YHVH's plan (or in receiving the promises).

But if we understand the truth of Israel as YHVH's chosen people, then we understand that those Gentiles who choose to follow the KING and live in the Kingdom of YHVH are joined to the Kingdom, the community of YHVH's chosen nation. We Gentiles who follow Yeshua and all He taught (including YHVH's Torah) are grafted into the Kingdom of Israel.

If you really want to begin to dig into the depths of this simple but amazingly unfathomable truth, then study Romans 11. I have included some bits of Romans 11 here, but to really grasp the importance and the truth, of course, takes deeper study (of the entire Word of YHVH).

Romans 11
[1-2] "In that case, I say, isn't it that God has repudiated his people?" Heaven forbid! For I myself am a son of Israel, from the seed of Avraham, of the tribe of Binyamin. God has not repudiated his people, whom he chose in advance.

[7, 11-12] What follows is that Isra'el has not attained the goal for which she is striving...."In that case, I say, isn't it that they have stumbled with the result that they have permanently fallen away?" Heaven forbid! Quite the contrary, it is by means of their stumbling that the deliverance has come to the Gentiles, in order to provoke them to jealousy. Moreover, if their stumbling is bringing riches to the world - that is, if Israel's being placed temporarily in a condition less favored than that of the Gentiles is bringing riches to the latter - how much greater riches will Israel in its fullness bring them!

[15-18] For if their casting Yeshua aside means reconciliation for the world, what will their accepting him mean? It will be life from the dead!...But if some of the branches were broken off, and you - a wild olive - were grafted in among them and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree, then don't boast as if you were better than the branches! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you.

[23-31] Moreover, the others, if they do not persist in their lack of trust, will be grafted in; because God is able to graft them back in. For if you were cut out of what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree! For, brothers, I want you to understand this truth which God formerly concealed but has now revealed, so that you won't imagine you know more than you actually do. It is that stoniness, to a degree, has come upon Israel, until the Gentile world enters in its fullness; and that it is in this way that all Israel will be saved. As the Tanakh says, "Out of Zion will come the Redeemer; he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob and this will be my covenant with them, . . . when I take away their sins." With respect to the Good News they are hated for your sake. But with respect to being chosen they are loved for the Patriarchs' sake, for God's free gifts and his calling are irrevocable. Just as you yourselves were disobedient to God before but have received mercy now because of Israel's disobedience; so also Israel has been disobedient now, so that by your showing them the same mercy that God has shown you, they too may now receive God's mercy. For God has shut up all mankind together in disobedience, in order that he might show mercy to all.


Amazing Truth! What would my understanding of this be if not for the Torah, for the foundation of the Tanakh, for the Word of YHVH and the truth of His Kingdom!


Finally, let me leave you with this encouraging reminder...
Yeshua has made us - Israel and all who are grafted in by believing in Him - to be a Kingdom of priests... a Light to the nations!

Revelation 1:4-6
Grace and shalom to you from the One who is, who was and who is coming; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Yeshua the Messiah, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the earth's kings. To him, the one who loves us, who has freed us from our sins at the cost of his blood, who has caused us to be a kingdom, that is, priests for God, his Father - to him be the glory and the rulership forever and ever.
Amen.



In the Kingdom of Yeshua,

Gina

YHVH's TRUTH . . . Do We Really Want to Know?

Blessed is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose expectancy is in YHVH his Elohim, Maker of the heavens and earth, the sea and all that is in them, who is guarding truth forever... Psalm 146:5-6


Today I want to start off by taking you back to my teaching days.
I used to teach high school English. One of the common themes we studied in high school literature was the theme of "appearance versus reality," which is a common theme not only in classic literature but in all aspects of life (because it is true that art mimics life).


Today's blog topic was sparked by this past week's events in the Mediterranian Sea off the coast of Israel - the widely-publicized situation between the Israeli Defense Forces and the flotilla from Turkey trying to break through the blockade to Gaza.
I was sickened, but not surprised, to find that my own city's newspaper was reporting slanted "truth" about Israel regarding the events surrounding the flotilla of "aid" being shipped to Gaza.



What is truth? Isn't that the question Pilate asked when he had to pronounce a verdict upon Yeshua in John chapter 18?
Isn't that the question that we are all faced with...the question we are all confronted by...the question that will not go away?


Take a look at these three optical illusions.
The first two are illusory patterns using colors and shapes to trick our eyes and brains into thinking the shapes are actually in motion.
Are they in motion?
Look again.
In reality - in TRUTH - they are standing still.


The third one is a sidewalk-chalk art creation by the famous and talented artist of optical illusions - Julian Beever.
Is this really a photo of a rapid whitewater river flowing down the middle of an urban sidewalk?
I'm sure your brain knows the truth, but your eyes continue to try to convince your brain otherwise.

It looks so real, so convincing!


Who wants to know the truth?
Why even try to speak the truth and find the truth? It seems that people don't want to hear it. Too many times too many people are content to follow blindly the lies set before them, the appearances and perceptions of reality rather than looking deeper for the TRUTH.

And who is behind all of this? The Deceiver.
Yeshua said this of him in John 8:44...
"From the start [Satan] was a murderer, and he has never stood by the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is speaking in character; because he is a liar -- indeed, the inventor of the lie!"

It happens every day...in relationships, between people, in business, between nations, in the media...we see and hear what appears to be true, and we believe it without REALLY looking for the truth.

If truth was not absolute, living life according to what appears to be real would be okay. If we could make truth into whatever we wanted it to be or whatever was convenient, then it wouldn't matter if what appears to be real is not really real. (Confused yet? This is how so many people live their lives!)

But, inconveniently for many, TRUTH is TRUTH.
TRUTH is absolute.
TRUTH does not change.
It cannot be morphed into something else.

What is the truth about what happened on the Turkish aid ship?
Will the world really look at the truth and admit it is the truth?
Will it make a difference?
The mainstream media has taken this story, twisted the facts, and fed the world a bunch of lies. And many in the world have believed the lies (including, sadly, many in the church who call themselves believers and say they know the Word of God).

Actually, the reactions of so many around the world toward Israel this past week are not surprising and are in keeping with God's Word of Truth. God said that all nations will eventually come against Israel... Truth that is being played out increasingly as history marches on. And in the end, Israel will still be exactly what YHVH has declared her to be: His chosen people and His chosen land of inheritance, the place He has chosen as the dwelling place for His Name. Nothing will be able to stop YHVH's Word of TRUTH.


Yes, this situation that Israel was thrust into this past week and the lies that have been thrown around are the spark that brought this blog post into being. If you have only been hearing what the media has been feeding you, and you really are interested in knowing the TRUTH about the situation, then I encourage you to look at some truth-based websites.
Here are a couple of places to start:
www.israeltoday.co.il
www.israelprayercenter.org



Now, I want to go further than this one recent situation. I want to seek what it means to know YHVH's TRUTH, because so many who say they have a relationship with YHVH are not actually living according to His TRUTH, but instead are living accoring to what other people call "God's truth" but is really man's idea of what God says. There is a vast difference!

So...what is Truth?
TRUTH is WHAT YHVH SAYS...HIS WORD!

Exodus 34:4-6
Moses cut two stone tablets like the first. Then he got up early in the morning and, with the two stone tablets in his hands, ascended Mount Sinai, as YHVH had ordered him to do. YHVH descended in the cloud, stood with him there and pronounced the name of YHVH. YHVH passed before him and proclaimed: "YUD-HEH-VAV-HEH!!! Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh is God, merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in grace and truth..."

Deuteronomy 32:3-4
For I proclaim the Name of YHVH, ascribe greatness to our Elohim. The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are right-ruling, a God of truth and without unrighteousness, Righteous and straight is He.

Psalm 25:10
All YHVH's paths are grace and truth to those who keep his covenant and instructions.

Psalm 33:4
For the word of YHVH is true, and all his work is trustworthy.

Psalm 43:3
Send out your light and your truth; let them be my guide; let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the places where you live.

Psalm 117:1-2
Praise YHVH, all you nations! Worship him, all you peoples! For his grace has overcome us, and YHVH's truth continues forever. Halleluyah!

Psalm 119:142
Your righteousness is eternal righteousness, and your Torah is truth.

Zechariah 8:3,7,8
YHVH says, 'I am returning to Zion, and I will live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called Truth City, ADONAI-Tzva'ot's Mountain, the Mountain of the Holy One'.... ADONAI-Tzva'ot says, 'I will save my people from lands east and west; I will bring them back, and they will live in Jerusalem. They will be my people; and I will be their God, with truth and righteousness.'

John 8:31-32
So Yeshua said to those disciples who believed Him, “If you stay in My Word, you are truly My taught ones, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

John 14:6
Yeshua said to him, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

John 17:17-19
[Yeshua, to YHVH] “Set them apart in Your truth – Your Word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world. And for them I set Myself apart, so that they too might be set apart in truth."


So, if TRUTH is YHVH's Word, and YHVH's Word is TRUTH, do you think He might have something serious to say about twisting His truth and basing our lives on lies instead of His TRUTH?

YES, He does!

There are so many places in His Word where He warns us about going against His TRUTH. I will just list a few references, and you can look them up yourself.

Isaiah 48
Isaiah 59
Jeremiah 7
Jeremiah 9
Romans 1:16-2:29
2 Thessalonians 2
2 Timothy
1 John


YHVH's Truth...He takes it seriously...we must live in His TRUTH alone. There is no other truth. There is no other reality. Anything else is a lie that only appears to be true. No matter the cost, no matter what it takes, I want to live my life knowing and speaking the TRUTH - YHVH my God through Yeshua His Living Word of Truth.


Seeking YHVH's TRUTH above everything else,

Gina

Yeshua's Death & Resurrection - Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread & First Fruits

Hello!
Shabbat Shalom!

I realize this is a little late...Passover and the Feasts of Unleavened Bread and First Fruits have already passed!
I was so caught up in celebrating these 3 important appointed times of YHVH that I did not take time to sit at my computer and write a blog about them. But now I have some time, and I want to share some of the things I have learned.


As you may know, this is the first year that I am intentionally "hearing and obeying" (sh'ma) all that YHVH says in His word regarding His appointed times, as well as His mitzvot (commands and instructions). So this is the first time that I have spent the week of Pesach (Passover) actually doing what He says in His Word! Even though I stopped celebrating Easter 6 years ago because of the pagan background and traditions, this is the first year I have really begun to practice the TRUTH of all of YHVH's appointed times and how they fit in with each other and with YHVH's Kingdom plan of salvation. This was also the first time I was able to attend a Seder celebration...how awesome it was!

I am sorry that it has taken me so many years to realize these things about YHVH's Word and His eternal plan and His eternal mitzvot!




Leviticus 23:1-16

YHVH said to Moses, "Tell the people of Israel: 'The designated times of YHVH which you are to proclaim as holy convocations are my designated times. Work is to be done on six days; but the seventh day is a Shabbat of complete rest, a holy convocation; you are not to do any kind of work; it is a Shabbat for YHVH, even in your homes. These are the designated times of YHVH, the holy convocations you are to proclaim at their designated times. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between sundown and complete darkness, comes Pesach for YHVH.
On the fifteenth day of the same month is the festival of matzah; for seven days you are to eat matzah. On the first day you are to have a holy convocation; don't do any kind of ordinary work. Bring an offering made by fire to YHVH for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work.'"
YHVH said to Moses, "Tell the people of Israel, 'After you enter the land I am giving you and harvest its ripe crops, you are to bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the cohen. He is to wave the sheaf before YHVH, so that you will be accepted; the cohen is to wave it on the day after the Shabbat. On the day that you wave the sheaf, you are to offer a male lamb without defect, in its first year, as a burnt offering for YHVH. Its grain offering is to be one gallon of fine flour mixed with olive oil, an offering made by fire to YHVH as a fragrant aroma; its drink offering is to be of wine, one quart. You are not to eat bread, dried grain or fresh grain until the day you bring the offering for your God; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations, no matter where you live. From the day after the day of rest -that is, from the day you bring the sheaf for waving -you are to count seven full weeks, until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days; and then you are to present a new grain offering to YHVH.'"

PESACH
UNLEAVENED BREAD
FIRST FRUITS

Three celebrations, three appointed times...all wrapped up together and integrally connected with each other.

To celebrate this week-long time of three appointed feasts, it has helped me to break it down and look at each part separately, and then put them all back together again.


Exodus 12 tells the story of YHVH's salvation and deliverance of His people Israel from slavery in Egypt under Pharaoh. It is worth reading the whole chapter to get the whole story. For now, I have included parts of Exodus 12 to show what YHVH said about Passover and Unleavened Bread:

The PASSOVER

Exodus 12:1-3, 6-8, 11-14
YHVH spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt; he said, "You are to begin your calendar with this month; it will be the first month of the year for you. Speak to all the assembly of Israel and say, 'On the tenth day of this month, each man is to take a lamb or kid for his family, one per household....You are to keep it until the fourteenth day of the month, and then the entire assembly of the community of Israel will slaughter it at dusk. They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the two sides and top of the door-frame at the entrance of the house in which they eat it. That night, they are to eat the meat, roasted in the fire; they are to eat it with matzah and maror....Here is how you are to eat it: with your belt fastened, your shoes on your feet and your staff in your hand; and you are to eat it hurriedly. It is YHVH's Pesach [Passover]. For that night, I will pass through the land of Egypt and kill all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both men and animals; and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt; I am YHVH. The blood will serve you as a sign marking the houses where you are; when I see the blood, I will pass over [Hebrew: pasach] you - when I strike the land of Egypt, the death blow will not strike you. This will be a day for you to remember and celebrate as a festival to YHVH; from generation to generation you are to celebrate it by a perpetual regulation.'"

UNLEAVENED BREAD
Exodus 12:15-20

"'For seven days you are to eat matzah - on the first day remove the leaven from your houses....On the first and seventh days, you are to have an assembly set aside for God. On these days no work is to be done, except what each must do to prepare his food....You are to observe the festival of matzah, for on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt. Therefore, you are to observe this day from generation to generation by a perpetual regulation. From the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening of the twenty-first day, you are to eat matzah. During those seven days, no leaven is to be found in your houses...Eat nothing with hametz in it. Wherever you live, eat matzah.'"

I think it is worth pointing out a few other statements from Exodus 12...

Exodus 12:24-27

[Moses told the people] "You are to observe this as a law, you and your descendants forever. When you come to the land which YHVH will give you, as he has promised, you are to observe this ceremony. When your children ask you, 'What do you mean by this ceremony?' say, 'It is the sacrifice of YHVH's Pesach [Passover], because [YHVH] passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he killed the Egyptians but spared our houses.'"
Verse 42: "This was a night when YHVH kept vigil to bring them out of the land of Egypt, and this same night continues to be a night when YHVH keeps vigil for all the people of Israel through all their generations."
Verses 47-51: "The whole community of Israel is to keep it. If a foreigner staying with you wants to observe YHVH's Pesach, all his males must be circumcised. Then he may take part and observe it; he will be like a citizen of the land. But no uncircumcised person is to eat it. The same teaching is to apply equally to the citizen and to the foreigner living among you." All the people of Israel did just as YHVH had ordered Moses and Aaron. On that very day, YHVH brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their divisions.

Deuteronomy 16 is another place where Moses retells the story and YHVH's commands regarding Pesach, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits.

Deuteronomy 16:1-9

"Observe the month of Aviv [also known as Nisan], and keep Pesach to YHVH your God; for in the month of Aviv, YHVH your God brought you out of Egypt at night. You are to sacrifice the Pesach offering from flock and herd to YHVH your God in the place where YHVH will choose to have his name live. You are not to eat any hametz with it; for seven days you are to eat with it matzah, the bread of affliction; for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste. Thus you will remember the day you left the land of Egypt as long as you live. No leaven is to be seen with you anywhere in your territory for seven days. None of the meat from your sacrifice on the first day in the evening is to remain all night until morning. You may not sacrifice the Pesach offering in just any of the towns that YHVH your God is giving you; but at the place where YHVH your God will choose to have his name live - there is where you are to sacrifice the Pesach offering, in the evening, when the sun sets, at the time of year that you came out of Egypt....For six days you are to eat matzah; on the seventh day there is to be a festive assembly for YHVH your God; do not do any kind of work. You are to count seven weeks; you are to begin counting seven weeks from the time you first put your sickle to the standing grain [First Fruits]."

After wandering in the desert for 40 years, when YHVH brought the children of Israel to cross over into the Promised Land, it was at the time of Passover!

You can read this story in Joshua chapter 5:

YHVH had just dried up the waters of the Jordan River so the Israelites could pass over into the promised land. They were now in the land, camped out just west of the river in the plains of Jericho.

At this time YHVH commanded Joshua to circumcise all the males who had been born during the 40 years wandering in the desert. After the circumcision, all the Israelites celebrated the Passover.

Verses 10-12: The people of Israel camped at Gilgal, and they observed Pesach on the fourteenth day of the month, there on the plains of Yericho. The day after Pesach they ate what the land produced, matzah and roasted ears of grain that day. The following day, after they had eaten food produced in the land, the manna ended. From then on the people of Israel no longer had manna; instead, that year, they ate the produce of the land of Canaan.

FIRST FRUITS

Now, I don't completely understand all that YHVH commands and says regarding First Fruits at this time (Passover). My understanding is that there are two celebrations of First Fruits: the first one is commanded after Shabbat at Passover...this would be the earliest crop of barley, which is the grain that ripens before any other. Then YHVH commands that a sheaf of this harvest is to be waved before Him AND that the count-down of 7 weeks until the Festival of Weeks (also known as Shavuot or Pentecost) occurs. At this time, the first fruits of the main harvest of grain and other crops is brought before the Lord.

What I do understand is that the first offering of First Fruits at Passover is important because it is necessary to begin counting down to the second offering of First Fruits. I also understand that all the appointed times, the Feasts, the Festivals, Shabbats are ALL a picture of YESHUA and that He is the fulfillment of them all! So even if the Word of YHVH does not mention as much about the day of First Fruits as it does Passover and Unleavened Bread, it is equally as important and is a vital part of understanding all the Feasts and all of YHVH's commands to us, and His desire to dwell in relationship with us.

All First Fruits and all First Born belong to YHVH. They are to be an offering to Him.


















YESHUA...



the PASSOVER LAMB . . .


Matthew 26:19-20, 26-28

The talmidim (disciples) did as Yeshua directed and prepared the Seder. When evening came, Yeshua reclined with the twelve talmidim...While they were eating, Yeshua took a piece of matzah, made the blessing, broke it, gave it to the talmidim and said, "Take! Eat! This is my body!" Also he took a cup of wine, made the blessing, and gave it to them, saying, "All of you, drink from it! For this is my blood, which ratifies the New Covenant, my blood shed on behalf of many, so that they may have their sins forgiven."

The UNLEAVENED BREAD. . .
1 Corinthians 5:7-8

Get rid of the old hametz (leaven), so that you can be a new batch of dough, because in reality you are unleavened. For our Pesach lamb, the Messiah, has been sacrificed. So let us celebrate the Seder not with leftover hametz, the hametz of wickedness and evil, but with the matzah of purity and truth.



YESHUA is the FIRST FRUIT...

1 Corinthians 15:20-23

But the fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died. For since death came through a man, also the resurrection of the dead has come through a man. For just as in connection with Adam all die, so in connection with the Messiah all will be made alive. But each in his own order: the Messiah is the firstfruits; then those who belong to the Messiah, at the time of his coming...




















And those who followed after Yeshua the Messiah are also First Fruits...
His First Fruits!

Matthew 27: 50-53

But Yeshua, again crying out in a loud voice, yielded up his spirit. At that moment the veil in the Temple was ripped in two from top to bottom; and there was an earthquake, with rocks splitting apart. Also the graves were opened, and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life; and after Yeshua rose, they came out of the graves and went into the holy city, where many people saw them.

James 1:17-22

Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father who made the heavenly lights... Having made his decision, he gave birth to us through a Word that can be relied upon, in order that we should be a kind of firstfruits of all that he created. Therefore, my dear brothers, let every person be quick to listen but slow to speak, slow to get angry; for a person's anger does not accomplish God's righteousness! So rid yourselves of all vulgarity and obvious evil, and receive meekly the Word implanted in you that can save your lives. Don't deceive yourselves by only hearing what the Word says, but do it!

Romans 8:19-24

The creation waits eagerly for the sons of God to be revealed; for the creation was made subject to frustration - not willingly, but because of the one who subjected it. But it was given a reliable hope that it too would be set free from its bondage to decay and would enjoy the freedom accompanying the glory that God's children will have. We know that until now, the whole creation has been groaning as with the pains of childbirth; and not only it, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we continue waiting eagerly to be made sons - that is, to have our whole bodies redeemed and set free. It was in this hope that we were saved.

Revelation 14:3 -5

They were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living beings and the elders, and no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who have been ransomed from the world. These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins; they follow the Lamb wherever he goes; they have been ransomed from among humanity as firstfruits for God and the Lamb; on their lips no lie was found - they are without defect.

Isn't all of this exciting?!!
I am only just beginning to see and understand all the depth and richness of YHVH's Feasts, of His mitzvot, of His BIG PICTURE of Salvation and Redemption!
I am so glad to be living this life of hearing and obeying His Word!

And eternal life is this: to know you, the one true God, and him whom you sent, Yeshua the Messiah. John 17:3

In the celebration of YESHUA, our Passover Lamb, our Unleavened Bread, the First Fruits,
Gina Dittmer