Yahshua, the True Light of Revelation
“YAHveh is calling a chosen people to depart from the familiar, yet dimly lit, crooked paths of religion to make a pilgrimage on the Highway of Holiness, illuminated by the full truth and light of YAHshua the Son””
Darkness is upon us; the Enemy has hidden the holy name and deflected the radiant glory of the Holy One of Israel. The prophet Isaiah exclaimed, “No one calls on Your name or strives to lay hold of you; …” (Isa 64:7 NIV — emphasis added). Throughout the ages, most of us, including the historical multitudes, have addressed the Savior by the Greek-formed name “Jesus,” and addressed the heavenly Father by the generic titles “God” and “Lord.” The redeemed have walked in the only light available. Man’s Greek rendering of the Messiah’s name was all that was commonly known and wholeheartedly accepted. For those who believed in Him, the Savior responded to our heart’s cry and saved us. We must, however, heed the words of Paul regarding man’s ignorance of YAHveh’s holy decrees. “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, YAHveh is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man [YAHshua] whom He has appointed, …” (Ac 17:30-31) Hear the words of YAHveh as spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “I have kept silent for a long time, I have kept still and restrained Myself. Now … I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, In paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them and rugged places into plains …” (Isa 42:14-16) Now YAHveh is calling a chosen people to depart from the familiar, yet dimly lit, crooked paths of religion to make a pilgrimage on the Highway of Holiness, illuminated by the full truth and light of YAHshua the Son. Let those who seek the full light of YAHshua join the psalmist in proclaiming, “O send out Thy light and Thy truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Thy holy hill, And to Thy dwelling places [the Holy of Holies]” (Ps 43:3).
When YAHshua first dwelled among men, He was called “the Sunrise from on high … To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, …” (Lk 1:78-79). Indeed, for a brief time the full countenance of the “root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star …” (Rev 22:16) brought the full intensity of YAHveh’s divine radiance. John said, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (Jn 1:4).
However, “men loved the darkness rather than the light; …” (Jn 3:19). YAHshua understood the propensity of human nature to prefer the darkness of traditions over His bright light of truth. YAHveh inspired Paul to pen these words: “… the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel [the Good News 1] of the glory of Messiah, who is the image of YAHveh. … For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of YAHveh in the face of [YAHshua] Messiah. (2Co 4:4-6)
John adds, “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (Jn 1:5). He continues, stating that YAHshua is “the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. … as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of YAHveh, even to those who believe in his name” (Jn 1:9-12).
YAHshua, emphasizing His oneness with YAHveh, states: “He who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of YAHveh. And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness [including faulty traditions] rather than the light [truth]; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the light, …” (Jn 3:18-21)
“YAHveh is bringing to light much that has been hidden, calling us to return to the “ancient paths,” brightly lit through YAHshua, the true light of revelation””
Messiah prophesied that His departure would bring the waning of His light on earth. Before His return to the Father, YAHshua admonished His disciples: “For a little while longer the light is among you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness may not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the light, believe in the light, in order that you may become sons of light.” (Jn 12:35-36) Not long after His ascension to His Father, that supreme brightness of the full “Son light” began to be hidden by the doctrines and traditions of men. Just as the moon eclipses the full light of the sun, so have many untrue traditions eclipsed the light of the “Son.” Consequently, throughout the centuries, the majority of those who truly sought the Savior did so by the “light of the moon” and walked in sincerity of heart by the dimness of that light. YAHveh is bringing to light much that has been hidden, calling us to return to the “ancient paths,” brightly lit through YAHshua, the true light of revelation.
Hear the heart cry of Isaiah as he grieved over the sins of Israel. May the fear of YAHveh lead us to join with the prophet in godly sorrow, accompanied by true repentance over the Gentiles’ similar transgressions of His righteous commands. “We hope for light, but behold, darkness; For brightness, but we walk in gloom. We grope along the wall like blind men, We grope like those who have no eyes; We stumble at midday as in the twilight … For our transgressions are multiplied before Thee, And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And we know our iniquities: Transgressing and denying YAHveh, And turning away from our God, Speaking oppression [against the Jews] and revolt, Conceiving in and uttering from the heart lying words [including doctrines and traditions of men]. … And righteousness stands far away; For truth has stumbled in the street, and uprightness cannot enter. Yes, truth is lacking; … Now YAHveh saw, and it was displeasing in His sight … He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle. According to their deeds, so He will repay, … So they will fear the name of YAHveh from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun, … (Isa 59:9-19)
Now, at the close of the Gentile age, YAHveh is stripping away the results of Satan’s massive Gentilization program. The true Hebraic root and YAHveh’s ancient seeds of truth are being unearthed from under the centuries of men’s compromises and faulty teachings. The psalmist spoke prophetically of the time when YAHveh’s favor would shift back to His Jewish people.
Thou wilt arise and have compassion on Zion; For it is time to be gracious to her, For the appointed time has come. … the nations will fear the name of YAHveh, … that men may tell of the name of YAHveh in Zion, And His praise in Jerusalem; When the peoples are gathered together, … To serve YAHveh. (Ps 102:13-15, 21-22)
The psalmist was prophesying of the distant day when YAHveh’s holy name would be feared and worshiped by the Gentiles. When the redeemed Gentiles from many nations assemble to worship YAHveh, the God of Israel, then Israel will truly be provoked to jealousy. As the Jews hear the ineffable name of their God proclaimed from the righteous lips of one new man, then a remnant of Jews will be mercifully drawn from darkness to the light and truly again worship YAHveh, the Father, as they embrace YAHshua, the Son.
The Gentilization process has been a stumbling block to YAHveh’s purposes. He has mercifully tolerated this, for it has not been discerned, even by the elect, as a tare of the Enemy. With the bright morning star rising to give full light on this blighted harvest field, a holy remnant will discern Satan’s strategies (fruitless tares) and his stumbling blocks to the Almighty’s sovereign purposes. They will worship the Son of Righteousness in spirit and truth.
Sowing toward Success
“Grievously, however, the name Jesus Christ has been a banner under which millions of Jews have been hated, tortured, killed, and continually persecuted. The Greek substitute for Messiah’s true name has not, by and large, brought salvation or blessings to the Jews, but rather, alienation, death, and destruction””
There is a double issue regarding the Jews and the God of the Jews, resulting from the Greek rendering of Messiah’s name, “Jesus Christ.” As stated earlier, the majority of the non-Hellenistic Jews vehemently shunned anything of Greek origin. To add to this offense has been hundreds of years of Christian history riddled with Satan’s odious trail, spewing venom against the Jews in the name of Jesus Christ. Messiah YAHshua weeps over the slain of His people and grieves that the majority of redeemed Gentiles have neglected His mandate to mercifully and lovingly draw His Jewish brethren to their Messiah. Over many centuries, eternal life has come to masses of Gentiles and even to a remnant of Jews in the name of Jesus Christ. Grievously, however, this name has been a banner under which millions of Jews have been hated, tortured, killed, and continually persecuted. The Greek substitute for Messiah’s true name has not, by and large, brought salvation or blessings to the Jews, but rather, alienation, death, and destruction.
Messiah said, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). He is calling out a remnant who will lay aside their own religious agendas and self-interests, that the full truth flowing from the holy Hebraic root and love of YAHshua will be manifested on earth in His biblical order, to the Jew first.
Zechariah foresaw a symbolic ratio of Gentiles following redeemed Jews. “… ‘In those days ten men from all the nations of every language will grasp the garment (tallit, prayer shawl) of a Jew saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you”’” (Zec 8:23). This serves as an inspiration for those who long for the great ingathering of Jewish and Gentile souls.
“When we have the full power and light of YAHshua in the magnitude of His Jewish identity and heartbeat, we will have a truth so pure that it will draw a remnant of Jews to their Messiah with a potency so great as to attract many Gentiles””
The beloved John wrote, “By this we know that we are in Him; the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1Jn 2:5-6). Those who are faithfully co-laboring with YAHshua in the harvest field of men’s souls will wholeheartedly desire to follow in the footsteps of the Great Harvester. YAHshua’s path and method for sowing and reaping of the eternal harvest of a righteous remnant had a divine order; the wise will follow their Master’s ways to reap OPTIMUM BOUNTY.
Messiah came to the Jews first to manifest YAHveh’s name, glory, and salvation. Through this remnant of redeemed Jews who believed, salvation spread to multitudes of Gentiles. Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel [Good News], for it is the power of YAHveh for salvation to every one who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Ro 1:16). Going in YAHveh’s order of salvation “to the Jew first” requires and releases the fullest measure of truth embodying the holy Hebrew root and its nourishing sap. When we have the full power and light of YAHshua in the magnitude of His Jewish identity and heartbeat, we will have a truth so pure that it will draw a remnant of Jews to their Messiah with a potency so great as to attract many Gentiles. As we have seen, a religious system going in man’s order, to the Gentiles first and foremost, has been stripped of this full power. It has not drawn many Jews and appeals to fewer and fewer Gentiles of this day and age. To the Jew first releases the power of salvation, but it does not imply the neglect of Gentiles in order to search out the Jews.
Messiah’s proven method for harvesting souls is beyond compare. YAHshua and His disciples sowed and reaped, going to the Jews first in the name of YAHveh, the Father, and YAHshua, the Son.
“Ten Gentiles per Jew,” as prophesied by Zechariah, is a worthy harvest to the glory of the Almighty! Such are divine dividends!
Reference
1 The word gospel, commonly used in New Testament Gentile translations, was originally referred to by early believers as the “Good News.”
