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John 1:1. In the beginning was the MILTHA
and that MILTHA was with Elohim and ELOHIM was that MILTHA. [2] This was
in the beginning with Elohim. -Younan Peshitta Interlinear(1)
MILTHA is an Aramaic word used in the Peshitta NT which has no
direct English equivalent. Besides meaning "word", as the Greek text translates,
it also takes the meaning of "instance", "substance", or "manifestation". John's
purposeful usage of the word, MILTHA (in contrast to MEMRA, which only means
"word"), as we shall see, is to reveal that Yahshua of Nazareth was the
substance through whom Elohim was working in first century Judea to manifest
Himself.
[Vs. 4] In Him (the MILTHA) was the QNOMA (Life or
occurrence of Divine Nature), and the QNOMA was the Light of men. [5] And the
Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it... [14] And
the MILTHA (Manifestation or Substance) became flesh, and pitched His tent among
us...
John 14:6. Yahshua said, "I am the Way and the
Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. [7] If you had
known Me, you would have known My Father too. From now on you know Him, and have
seen..... [9b] (for) he who has seen Me has seen the Father.... [10] Do
you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The
words which I speak to you I do not speak from Myself. But the Father who
stays in Me does His works.
The PASHAT or literal interpretation of this passage is that
the Father is manifested through His Son. Thus Yahshua's appearance upon the
earth was a manifestation of Elohim in a physical form, as Yahchanan (or John),
several verses later, so clearly declares:
John 1:18. No one has ever seen Elohim (the
Father). The only brought-forth (or manifested) Son who is in the bosom of the
Father, He did make Him known.
John 14:11. Believe Me that I am in the Father and
the Father in Me, otherwise believe me because of the works
themselves."
An outstanding example of Elohim manifesting Himself through
the preincarnate Son is found in the account of Jacob's wrestling match with
Elohim in:
Genesis 32:24. And Jacob was left alone, and a Man
wrestled with him until the breaking of day. [25] And when He saw that He did
not overcome him, He touched the socket of his hip. And the socket of Jacob's
hip was dislocated as He wrestled with Him. [26] And He said, "Let me go, for
the day breaks." But he said, "I am not letting you go until You have blessed
me!" [27] So He asked him, "What is your name?" And he said Jacob. [28] And He
said, "Your name is no longer called Jacob, but Israel, because you have
striven with Elohim and with man, and have overcome." [29] And Jacob asked
Him saying, "Please let me know Your Name." And He said, "Why do you ask about
My Name?" And He blessed him there. [30] And Jacob called the name of the place
Peni'El, For he said, "I have seen Elohim face to face and my life is
preserved."
Jacob's new name of Israel means "to strive, to overcome, then
rule with El"(2),
evidencing that both the Hebrew words, "EL" and "ELOHIM" are used in reference
to the Father and the preexistent Son. And just as Elohim manifested Himself
through the "Man" of Genesis 32 to Jacob, He manifested Himself again in the
Apostolic Scriptures through the Man, Yashua of Nazareth, fulfilling His promise
to "come down".
Isaiah 64:1. Oh, that you would tear the heavens
open. Come down that mountains shake before you [2] as when fire burns twigs, as
fire makes water boil -- to make Your Name known to Your adversaries, so that
nations tremble before you. [3] When You did awesome matters, which we did
not expect, You came down, mountains did shake before You! [4] Since the
beginning of the ages they have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the
eye seen any Elohim besides You, who acts for those who wait for
Him.
2 Samuel 22:7. In my distress I called upon
Yahweh, and to my Elohim I cried. And from His Temple He heard my
voice, and my cry was in His ears.... [10] And He bowed the heavens and came
down, and thick darkness (death) was under His feet. [11] And He rode upon a
Cherub, and flew, and was seen upon the wings of the wind (His resurrection)....
[17] He sent from above, He took Me, He drew me out of many
waters.
Accordingly Solomon asks the question in:
Proverbs 30:4 "Who has gone up to the heavens
and came down?... What is His Name, and what is His Son's Name if you
know it?"
But before we discuss His coming in 32 C.E. we want to touch
base some more on the visual appearances and bodily manifestations of Elohim in
the Tanakh.
WHO DID THEY SEE?
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Genesis 17:1. When Abram was
ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Him and said, "I am El Shaddai (the
Almighty). Walk before me and be perfect."
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Genesis 18:1. And Yahweh appeared
to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre.
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Genesis 26:2. And Yahweh appeared
to (Isaac) and said, Do not go down to Egypt, but live in the land which I
command you.
-
Genesis 26:24. And Yahweh
appeared to him the same night and said, I am the Elohim of your Father
Abraham.
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Deuteronomy 31:15. And Yahweh
appeared at the Tabernacle in a column of cloud.
-
2 Chronicles 7:12. And Yahweh
appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him, I have heard your prayer, and
have chosen this place for Myself as a house of slaughtering.
-
Exodus 33:11. Yahweh (also) spoke
to Mosheh (or Moses) face to face, as a man speaks to his friend....
-
Numbers 12:8. I speak with him
mouth to mouth, and plainly, not in riddles (says Yahweh), And he sees the
form of Yahweh So why were you not afraid to speak against My
servant, Mosheh?
We have many examples of Yahwehappearing with visible form.
Notwithstanding His many appearances, what is the dire warning which He
gives?
Exodus 33:20. (Yahweh) said, "You are unable to
see My face, for no man does see Me and live."[21] And Yahweh said, "See,
there is a place with Me! And you shall stand on the Rock. [22]
And it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I shall put you in the
cleft of the Rock and cover you with My Hand, while I pass by. [23] Then
I shall take away My hand and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be
seen.
So first we see that a man cannot see the aspect of Yahweh
which is speaking (His face) and continue to live.
Exodus 3:6. And Mosheh hid his face, for he was
afraid to look at Elohim.
Judges 13:22. And Manoah said to his wife, We shall
certainly die, because we have seen Elohim!
Next Yahweh says, "See, there is a place with ME", and Mosheh
goes to stand in this place (the Rock) which is a picture of the Messiah.
1 Corinthians 10:4. And all did drink the same
spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and
that Rock was the Messiah.
The glory Of Yahweh then passes by, and by standing on the Rock
(which pictures acceptance of the Messiah) Mosheh is able to see the back (or
bodily manifestation) of Yahweh and not die! Notice specifically that it was
Yahweh's glory which passed by, and this was what Mosheh saw from behind. The
glory of Yahweh was also seen on other occasions in the five books of Moses,
specifically surrounding the Tabernacle service.
What exactly was the glory or esteem of Yahweh which
appeared?
IDENTIFYING THE ESTEEM
Isaiah 40:2. Speak to Jerusalem, and cry out to
her, that her bondage is completed, that her crookedness is pardoned,
that she has received from the hand of Yahweh double for all her sins. [3] The
voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way
of Yahweh; make straight in the desert a highway for our Elohim....[5] And the
Glory of Yahweh shall be revealed, and all flesh together shall see it. For the
mouth of Yahweh has spoken... [9] You who bring good news to Zion, get up into
the high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with
strength; lift it up, be not afraid. Say to the cities of Judah, See Your
Elohim. [10] See, the Master Yahweh comes with a strong hand, and His Arm rules
for Him. See, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him. [11] He
feeds His flock like a Shepherd, He gathers the lambs with His Arm, and carries
them in His bosom, gently leading those who are with young.
From these verses we see that the Glory of Yahweh is equated
with the Master Yahweh's right Arm or suffering servant, as is further confirmed
in:
Isaiah 49:1. Listen to me, O coastlands, and hear,
you peoples from afar! has called Me from the womb, from My mother's belly He
has caused My Name to be remembered. [2] And He has made My mouth like a sharp
sword, in the shadow of His hand He hid Me, and made me a polished shaft. In His
quiver He hid Me. [3] And He said to Me, "You are My Servant...IN WHOM I AM
ADORNED (or manifested, or revealed, or esteemed in the flesh)...." [5] And
now said Yahweh who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob
(or Judah) back to Him, though Israel (or Christianity) is not gathered to
Him.... [6] "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 Salvation (or in Hebrew, YASHUA)
to the ends of the earth.
We have seen that Yahweh's Glory appears to men, and now, in
Isaiah's prophecy, the Glory of Yahweh is revealed as the One of whom Isaiah
speaks: the same One who is Yahweh's Arm (see Isaiah
53:1 and John. 12:38), the Hand which
covered Moses (see Exodus 33:22), and the Shepherd who
leads His flock (see Psalm 80:1 and
Matthew 26:31).
Isaiah 63:1. Who is this coming from Edom with
garments of glowing colors from Botsrah, who is robed in Glory,
striding forward in the greatness of His strength? "It is I (said Yahweh), who
speak in righteousness, mighty to save (Hebrew, YASHUA).... [4] For a day of
vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My Redeemer has come. [5] And I looked
but there was no one helping, and I was astonished that there was no
intercessor, so My own Arm saved for Me.... [8b] and He became their
Savior."
But who is this Servant; this right Arm; this Glory of Yahweh
in whom He is clothed or adorned?
John 14:13. Whatsoever you shall ask in My
Name (Yahshua promises) that I shall do, in order that
the Father may be GLORIFIED in the Son
Psalm 104:1b. For You (Yahweh) have put on
Greatness and Glory, [2a]and have wrapped Yourself with Light as with a
garment, and spread out the heavens as a veil.
This "Light" or "brilliance", in turn, is a appellation of the
Messiah, who is the Glory of Yahweh and manifestation of the Father (see
John 14:13), being the "true Light, having
come into the world, which enlightens every man" (John 1:9).
2 Corinthians 4:6. For Elohim who said, "Let Light
shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts for the
enlightening of the knowledge of the Glory of Elohim in the face of Yahshua the
Messiah.
Footnotes:
1. <www.peshitta.org>
2. The Scriptures, ISR, explanatory notes, p.
1224 under Yisrael
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