Messiah in Yom HaBikkurim Chapter 94 Part 8
- Part 8: Four names and their meanings
- Yeshua
- Shim’on Keifa bar Yona
- Andreas(Adam)
- Pillipos, whose name is a symbol of those who Love His Appearance:
Four names and their meanings:
Pillipos, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” Andrai, Shim’on Keifa’s brother, said to him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?”
There are several wonderful layers of deep meaning in this narrative of the Messiah.
There is the simple, straight forward meaning and there are subtle hidden meanings. It is not enough to just study the D’var HaShem like it is some kind of tech-manual or cookbook; although there exists clear tasks to hear and do in this teaching of Messiah. There is also the added issue of just plain enjoying the study of this narrative. Boring study is not the highest compliment to Abba Avinu. “Play is!” If we do sacrifice and suffer it is “all for Joy!”
What is love to a child? it is play.
Do you have fun when you search out the Scriptures? We do. We look for the Presence of the Holy One mainly to have fun with Him. Yes, we also seek to serve the Holy One by sacrificially doing His will in the world. And, yes at times that is very hard. But we long for the times when we can be in His Presence. He “is” our Greatest Joy!
Did you know that Abba Avinu is incredibly playful?
“In your Presence is fullness of Joy, at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” The deep meanings in the Divinely artistic subtleties of His Word are no more than an expression of His form of instructional play. Do you like games? We do. We like cross-word puzzles and chess. Maybe you do not enjoy solving riddles and searching for treasure. We live exploring for treasure–the treasure of God’s Presence. The search for meaning in the Tanakh and Brit HaChadashah is like the treasure hunt for the coin in the bread, the afikomen. It is important to the Holy One that we His children have fun in our learning about Him and in our experience of Him.
Afikoman means “that which comes after” or “dessert.”
The afikoman is a half-piece of matzo which is broken in two during the early stages of the Passover Seder and set aside to be eaten as a dessert after the meal. The afikoman is a substitute for the Korban Pesach, which was the last thing eaten at the Passover Seder. This being the case during the eras of the First and Second Temples and during the original period of the Mishkan (lit. “dwelling place;” Tabernacle).
In many Jewish families the head of the household hides the afikoman for the children to find, and rewards them with a hidden silver coin–silver is the metal that symbolizes “redemption”. The afikoman is a device, therefore, for keeping children awake and alert during the Seder proceedings, until the time it is needed for dessert.
This is why we must daily search throughout the House of God’s revealed word—to search for and find the Simcha of Abba Avinu—to be playful and have fun! Such pure motivations are a reflection of the wonderful (HIP) harmlessness, innocence, and playfulness of Abba Avinu. Question: Why do we subject ourselves to sacrifice and suffering “all for His name”?
Answer: We do it all for Joy (Simcha)!
We who formerly are transgressors of the Law who once feared God’s wrath now rejoice in His Presence. Through our faith in His Messiah God has delivered us from sin unto His righteousness. Now we have become like father Abraham; by faith we grow to become God’s friend? Why has God gone through so much grief to make us His friends? Yes, for love. But also for Joy! All for joy. For It is for the eternal Joy of returning things back to the way things were before sin that Abba Avinu went through all of this trouble.
All for JOY!
No doubt the prize of the eternal Joy that is ahead in the new heavens and the new earth is so great that Avinu Shebashamayim considers all of this loss as nothing. For in that day beyond time we will forget completely this time of sin, suffering, and death. We will remember it no more. Isaiah (65:17) reminds us that the taint of it will be completely removed from our conscious being.
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness. It will be to Me a Shem Sason (שֵׁם שָׂשֹׂון), a Name of Joy, praise and glory before all the nations of the earth which will hear of all the good that I do for them, and they will fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace that I make for it.”
Jeremiah (33:11) similarly informs us that the reasons why our heavenly Father has endured the insults and the shame, why He sacrificed so very much is–All for JOY!
ק֣וֹל שָׂשׂ֞וֹן וְק֣וֹל שִׂמְחָ֗ה ק֣וֹל חָתָן֮ וְק֣וֹל כַּלָּה֒ ק֣וֹל אֹמְרִ֡ים הוֹדוּ֩ אֶת־ה’ צְבָא֜וֹת כִּֽי־ט֤וֹב ה’ כִּֽי־לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּ֔וֹ מְבִאִ֥ים תּוֹדָ֖ה בֵּ֣ית ה’ כִּֽי־אָשִׁ֧יב אֶת־שְׁבוּת־הָאָ֛רֶץ כְּבָרִאשֹׁנָ֖ה אָמַ֥ר ה’׃
“The voice of gladness and the voice of Joy, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those saying, “Give thanks to the LORD of Hosts, for the LORD is good, for His mercy endures forever,” as they bring thanksgiving offerings into the house of the LORD; for I will restore the fortunes of the land as at the first, says the LORD.”
We have learned that the Messiah for the Joy that was set before him endured the suffering on the accursed tree, and despised the shame. The suffering of an atoning death was considered as nothing to the Father and the Messiah in comparison to the Great Immeasurable Joy of returning us to a righteous, joyous loving relationship with Him and each other. This is why the Messiah said just hours before His time of sacrifice: “Amen, amen, I say to you that you will weep and wail, and the world will rejoice. Yes, you will be grieved; but surely your grief will be turned to SASON-JOY (שָׁשׁוֹן).
“The woman who is about to give birth has pain, but after she gives birth to the child she no longer remembers her pain. She is SIMCHA-HAPPY (שְׂמֵחָה) because a person was born into the world. You too will now be grieving, but I will return and see you, and your heart will rejoice, and nothing will take your happiness away from you!”
The Spirit of the Holy One is how Abba Avinu empowers this endeavor.
The Spirit is the One who affects (administers) the rule of Messiah in the daily lives of His followers. Rabbi Yeshua, the Messiah, will return to earth a second time to usher in the rule of the Kingdom of God and the Golden Age of Israel. He will return in His glorified body exercising all His Divine authority. Immediately upon His return He will begin His deliverance of Israel through a series of judgments.
Thereafter, in the messianic age the final restoration of Israel will occur. The kingdoms of Judah and Israel will be reunited so that the two sticks “will once again flourish as one” (cf. Ezekiel 37:15-17). At this time, armed conflicts around the world will completely cease, because Israel and its neighbors will live in peace. People will come from around the world to worship HaShem in the land of Israel. Isaiah describes this time when he says (Isaiah 2:2-4):
“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mount of God’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways and we will walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of God from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.’”
When God has stored up treasure from this age and the messianic age to come, a new age will dawn.
This will follow the destruction of the old creation. The new age will follow the Great White Throne Judgment and the wicked “going to their own place.” Glimpses of the new heaven and new earth have been provided us. In the future there will be a spectacularly ornate new Jerusalem “coming down from heaven.” There will be no temple for El Shaddai. For the Lamb will be our temple. The glory of God will illuminate the city, so there will be no need for a sun or moon.
Nothing that defiles will be allowed to enter the holy city.
The tragic narrative of sin will be remembered no more. There will be a continual Presence of the heavenly Father’s eternal life, readily accessible through the river of life and the Tree of Life located in the eternal Jerusalem. In addition to these easily accessible natural resources the “leaves” of the Tree of Life will be available. They are described as possessing healing, therapeutic properties. The leaves will promote a happy emotional life, for the leaves are endowed with the Joyful life of our heavenly Father.
Shim’on Keifa bar Yona:
Simon Peter is the son of Yona. In Aramaic Yona is the same as “Yochanan” In Hebrew.
This means he is the son of the Grace of God. The root meaning of Shimon’s name is “shama.” This supremely important word in Hebrew means to listen, understand and obey. In the Torah children are told to obey (shama) their parents. Grace is God’s love language to humankind. Obedience through the grace of HaShem is humankind’s love language to God. In the Torah all Israel is instructed: Shema Israel Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad! “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD!” (Deuteronomy 6:4). The word shema (hear) means more than just the English word to listen.
Shema means Israel will listen, understand and obey everything Adonai says.
Therefore the name Shimon speaks of what man is to do. For instance, each person reciting the Shema is committing his or her entire body, soul, and spirit to act as an ear that hears. Therefore each person who is reciting the prayer is promising he or she will always perfectly obey whatever our heavenly Father tells us. In this sense the hearer becomes a physical extension of our Father in heaven. We become His Temple. For all except the Messiah perfectly fulfilling the prayer-promise of Shema to HaShem has been impossible!
Shimon’s Greek name Peter (Petras) and Aramaic name Keifa means “Rock” or “Stone.”
Whereas the name Shimon bears witness to what God wants humankind (Adam) to do, Petros reveals what Elohim universally expects us to be. Humankind must be remade out of incorruptible material. Man is to be made in the Image of HaShem. Man’s virtue is to harmonize perfectly with the perfect virtue of our heavenly Father. Abba Avinu’s goodness, righteousness and truth are unchanging. He is incorruptible. So must we be.
Humankind (Adam) is meant to exist in a fortified state of perpetual compliance with God’s will.
Therefore, the human race is to live a life of unending conformity to the virtue of the Holy One… Although steel is a good metaphor for strength it carries with it the unfortunate possibility of rusting (corruption). Therefore, in antiquity the most ancient, durable and change resistant (incorruptible) substance known to humankind was stone. Stone is the ultimate building material. Stone construction assures a builder that his building will be fortified to the highest possible degree. Abba our Father wills that His permanent dwelling place–redeemed humanity–must compliment His own perpetual, unchanging strength and reliability. Redeemed Humanity is destined to be the heavenly Father’s immortal, incorruptible, unassailable House of Stone. Peter’s name reveals that we must become what Messiah already is—immortal, invincible and incorruptible.
Andreas (Adam):
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?” Andrew’s name in Greek is Andreas. The root meaning of his name is “Man” (in Hebrew Adam). Andrew is identified as being Simon Peter’s brother. Like his brother, Andrew-Adam is a Son of the Grace of God. Therefore, although it may be obvious, it must be pointed out:
These two brothers, “Hearing ” (Shimon) and “Man” (Adam) come form the same womb.
So from what same womb do these two men come from? They come from the womb of a woman and this woman comes from the womb of Sarah. Furthermore, there is more to this womb of Sarah than physical birth. According to the Messiah to be born out of the womb of Sarah involves more than just physical birth. It involves spiritual birth.
First we are born physically (naturally) from this world. Then we are born spiritually, supernaturally, born from heaven above. Thereafter, as the children of God we are to be drawn out of this world to one day exodus out of this creation into eternity. Therefore, we are born initially born into creation so that one day we might be re-born out of creation into eternity.
If you truly are of Hebrew ancestry then you are physically born of Sarah.
She is the mother of us all. From Abraham and Sarah we are recipients of the earthly blessings. However, according to the Messiah whether you are Jew or Gentile all of us must be born from above to inherit the heavenly blessings. It is our re-birth in the womb of heaven, the “Jerusalem above,” that affords us the privilege of the heavenly blessings.
The Jerusalem above is the heavenly mother of us all.
Isaiah revealed this truth in his riddle of the barren woman whose supernatural children would ultimately be greater in number than the children born only in the natural way; that are born only in the physical way; without the re-birth of the Spirit (cf. Isaiah 54:1): “Shout for Joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child; break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed; for the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous than the sons of the married woman,” says the LORD.
For the will of God to be done here on earth, as it is in heaven, Hearing (Shimon) and Adam (Andrew) must be joined together (united). The two must become as one. HAndrew-Adam, Man must be re-united with his brother Hearing (Shimon). This unification of Hearing with Man reveals what is of first importance to our Father in heaven. Redeemed humankind must put our hearing, understanding and obeying God before all else.
The hearing one must be as the firstborn and all of redeemed humankind. Our humanity must above all be defined by shema—Hear O Israel!
The word used for first in the Septuagint and the Brit Chadashah is “proton”. This term means first in succession, time, rank, influence, or honor. Above all else we must hear His Voice. As sons and daughters of the Father of Mercies we must come to be disciplined in His Word.
In the beginning, before sin had ever occurred in the race of Adam, humankind was created with an innate ability to hear, understand and obey our heavenly Father. The Father of All (Avi-khol) requires perfect obedience. Adamn was first conceived in the womb of the Eternal One’s mind. HaShem alone was Rabbeinu—Our Teacher.
The word brother literally means from the same womb.
The word “adelphos” (brother) used in the Brit Chadashah to describe the relationship between Shimon Peter and his brother Andrew (Adam) originates from the word “delphos” (womb). The word brother literally means from the same womb. Hayotzer (the Creator) made Man to have Perfect Hearing. The Creator has always meant for (the two brothers) Hearing and Man to remain together (and never for the two to separate from one another). The Firstborn is called by the name of the “Hearing One.”
Before we are born we hear the voice of our mother in the womb?
As an infant the very first recognition we have of our mother is when we imprint on her “voice” in her womb. Similarly we discover Messiah who pre-exists creation had heard God’s eternal voice in the “Bosom of the Father” long before anything ever existed; and before he was physically born.
In the narrative of Shimon and Adam, the Hearing One and Man, it is the firstborn who is named Hearing. It is the Hearing One who pre-exists before anyone or anything else. The narrative of the Testimony of the Messiah teaches us that the only Person capable of hearing and obeying God’s eternal voice perfectly is the Messiah Himself!
Messiah ben Elohim is the one who rebirths and re-stories redeemed Humankind.
Messiah’s last thoughts as he left the womb of eternity and entered creation as an infant in the womb of the Jewess Miryam bat David are recorded in Psalm 40. In the Septuagint note that the word “body” is substituted for the Hebrew word “ear” (ozen). Therefore is is written:
“Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; but a body you have prepared for me; in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of me) to do your will O Elohim; Your Law is within my heart.'” “Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears (body) You have opened; burnt offering and sin offering You have not required. Then I said, ‘Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my Elohim; Your Law is within my heart.’”
The Messiah made his entire body to function like an ear.
His human body existed solely to hear ad obey the will of God. Therefore, from Psalm 40 we learn: God does not want perpetual sacrifices for sin. He wants an “end to sin.” If redeemed humankind is made to be like Messiah there will no longer be a need for sacrifice.
The heavenly Father does not desire the old fallen humanity that is forever going to be sinning. He is not happy with us making continuous sacrifices to Him because we are perpetually sinning. Our Righteous Father who dwells in heaven is not happy with the imperfect son. He desires that we all be like His Perfect Son.
The sacrifices were never meant to excuse our remaining in a state of unending disobedience.
So what does Abba our Father really want? He wants a perfect humanity. This is all that the Eternal One has ever wanted. So the heavenly Father has given us the Perfect Man, who is the body of His Strength, His Strong Right Arm that will deliver us from a state of perpetual imperfection. Messiah did not come to earth just to atone for our sins. He came to earth to make a Way for His people to one day be perfect (shelamim) as Abba our Father is perfect (Shalem). We are to be perfect so that sinning will come to an end. Therefore it is a true saying:
Where there is no sin there is no need for sacrifice.
We are all at the first born naturally (physically) in a state of slavery to sin. This is so whether we are a Jew or a Gentile. It does not matter what physical heritage you possess. We are all first born in Egypt as “slaves.” However, when we receive the blessed gift of the New Heart we are guaranteed we will be re-made to be like him who is the perfect, flawless image of the Father.
Pillipos, whose name is a symbol of those who Love His Appearance:
Philip’s name is a compound word that means, Lover (Philos) of Horses (Hippo).
This personal name does not make any didactic sense until one searches out what horses mean in prophetic reference to the Messiah in the Tanakh. When the word horse or horses is associated with the Messiah it is always used in reference to his second coming (return) as the Conquering Messiah ben David:
“And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he who sat upon it is called Faithful and True (נאמן ואמיתי); and in righteousness he judges and wages war. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following him on white horses.”
Philip is a type of the glorified believers who will accompany Messiah at his return to earth.
The verb to follow is used “seventy-seven” times in the four Faces of Ezekiel, the Four Jewish Gospels that function as a centerpiece of the Testimony of Messiah. Scriptural use of the word horse and horses, therefore, in association with Messiah is a reference to the Shekinah of God—the actual indwelling Presence of God (Exodus 13:21; 20:21; Psalm 104:3; Jeremiah 4:13). God’s Shekinah will accompany the Messiah when His Son ben Adam ben Elohim returns from heaven to establish His rule upon the earth (Mattai 24:30).
The meaning of Philip’s name reveals who will accompany the Messiah at His glorious return, those who Love His Glorious Appearance (literally “love horses”). These are the kedoshim (קְדֹשִׁים) holy ones who love the physical appearance of the invisible Presence of the Holy One. Of this Shaul ben Benyamin (Paulus, Paul) testified:
“In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Ha-Shofet (Judge), will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”