1. Fourteen personal names are referenced in the narrative
2. The disciple whom Yeshua Loved is a type of all believers
3. Five Greek, Two Aramaic, and Seven Hebrew personal names are referenced
4. The House of Stone and the Rock Man
5. The Living Word is the most durable building material imaginable:
6. Man is transformed by Adonai’s Grace and not his own efforts
7. Philip’s name speaks of the Messiah’s Glorious Appearing
8. What the phrase Lover of Horses means
9. The Shekinah follows the Messiah
10. The Shekinah will be present with the Messiah upon His return

Fourteen personal names are referenced in the narrative:

In the beginning of the Testimony of Messiah fourteen personal names are referenced. Seven of these names are of Hebrew origin. Five of these names are of Greek origin. Two of these names are of Aramaic origin.

This balanced international representation is due to the fact that Yeshua is Messiah of the entire world.

The Savior of the World (HaMoshia HaOlam) is responsible to teach the Word of Adonai to the whole world. Therefore, His Hebrew name and titles have been translated into every Gentile language. However, it is still important to point out that among the world languages the language of Hebrew is assigned the highest place of (royal) honor. It is important to point out that all of the writers of the Greek Septuagint version of the Tanakh and of the Greek version of the Brit Chadashah are Hebrews (Yehudim-Jews).

Therefore, all of the sacred writings of the Testimony of the Law and the witness of its fulfillment through Messiah are conveyed through the chosen people of Adonai who are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is in accord with Adonai’s promise to father Abraham that all the families and peoples of the world would be blessed through his (*miracle) son Isaac’s physical descendants (*Sarah gave birth to Isaac at the age of 90).

The disciple whom Yeshua Loved is a type of all believers:

When Andrew (Adam-Man) brings his brother Shim’on (Hearing) to the Messiah a “Divine imperative” emerges: imperfect man must bring his damaged Hearing to Adonai for healing (restoration). This must be done before he can be transformed into the likeness of the Perfect Man that Adonai Loves. This rebirth and transformation of the imperfect man into the likeness of the Righteous Son and our Righteous Father occurs only by the Endowment (זַבְדִּי-from Dowry זֶבֶד) of the Indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit. In the Testimony of the Messiah we learn that the the name of the father of Adam and Hearing (Andrew and Shimon) is “Jonah” which means in Aramaic the Grace of Adonai. This Aramaic personal name is phonetically very close in sound-vocalization to the Hebrew word “Jonah,” meaning the Dove, which is the symbol of the work of the Holy Spirit. We believe this very close phonetic connection between the two words and their meanings, of the Grace of Adonai (Aramaic, Jonah) and the Dove (Hebrew, Jonah), is not a coincidence. Providentially, I believe the Spirit of the Holy One is making it emphatically clear that both Adam (Man) and his faculty of Hearing are creations of Adonai. Therefore, what we hear in the sound-vocalization of the two Semitic languages (Hebrew, Aramaic) and their related meanings to the Testimony of Messiah is the Holy Spirit. The Divine Spirit is the actual progenitor of both Man (Adam, Andrew) and Hearing.

Five Greek, Two Aramaic and Seven Hebrew names are referenced:

As stated above there are fourteen personal names in all referenced in chapter one of this Besorah account. Five names are Greek (Jesus, John, Andrew, Peter, and Philip), two names are Aramaic (Yonah and Keifa) and seven names are Hebrew (Moses, Elijah, Israel, Shimon, Nathanael, and Joseph). As just stated previously Jonah’s Aramaic name translated into Hebrew is Yochanan (the same name and meaning as the Prophet Yochanan Zechariah and the Shaliach Yochanan ben Zebedee). The five names in Greek and two names in Aramaic are:

1.  Ἰησοῦς  (Jesus),
2.  Ἰωάννης (John),
3.  Ἀνδρέας (Andrew),
4.  Πέτρος (Peter),
5.  Φίλιππος (Philip),
6.  כֵּיפָא (Keifa), and
7.  יונה (Yonah).

The seven Hebrew personal names out of the total of fourteen names are:

1.   מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh),
2.   אֵלִיָּה (Eliyahu),
3.   יְשַׁעְיָה (Yeshayah)
4.   יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra’el)
5.   מְעוֹן (Shim’on),
6.   נְתַנְאֵל (Netan’el and
7.   יוֹסֵף (Yosef).

The House of Stone and the Rock Man:

When the Messiah, the Salvation of Adonai, looked at Shimon (Hearing) He pronounced on him an incredible blessing. Hearing would become Keifa. Keifa in Aramaic means Stone or Rock. The Messiah was saying to all who will listen, understand and obey I will make you into a Stone House (בית אבן), a Rock Man, who is a fortified dwelling place for the Spirit of Adonai to dwell in that is constructed out of the most durable, reliable and incorruptible building material imaginable, Adonai’s Word!

The Living Word is the most durable building material imaginable:

The Messiah, the Salvation of Adonai is HaShem’s eternal word. When Messiah says to His new disciple, “you shall be called Keifa,” the Messiah is promising to make him into a mighty stone edifice (a Temple-בית מקדש) that is constructed out of His Word. Keifa is more than a specific historical figure. Keifa is an all-inclusive name that describes what the entire global community of believing humanity will one day become: an indestructible, incorruptible eternal Temple for Adonai to dwell in.

Man is transformed by Adonai’s Grace and not his own efforts:

The next day He purposed to go forth into Galilee, and He found Philip. And the Salvation of Adonai (Yeshua) said to him, “Follow Me!”

This event occurs on the fourth day since the Prophet Yochanan had first notified the Jerusalem religious leaders that the Messiah was in their midst and that they did not know Him. Previously the Prophet of the (Promise and Remembrance) of the Grace of Adonai directed two of his disciples (Andrew and another unnamed disciple) to follow Rabbi Yeshua. Thereafter Andrew assisted the Messiah by bringing his brother (the one of the ‘same womb’ called Hearing) to Him. Therefore:

Adam brought His Hearing to Messiah!

לְמָחֳרָת רָצָה יֵשׁוּעַ לָלֶכֶת לַגָּלִיל. הוּא מָצָא אֶת פִילִיפּוֹס וְאָמַר לוֹ: לֵךְ אַחֲרַי!פ

The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and he found Philip. And Yeshua said to him, “Follow me!”

In contrast to the symbolic (prophetic, providential) action of Andrew bringing His brother Shim’on to the Messiah, in the case of Phillip above, the Messiah finds Philip. The region where this encounter occurs is in Galilee. The place name Galilee (Hebrew, Galil-גָּלִיל) means “circuit,” “circle” or “ring.”

Philip’s name speaks of the Messiah’s Glorious Appearing:

Geographically Galilee  refers to the circuit of towns and villages in Northern Israel whose boundaries are:

Boundary #1.  Syria to the North;
Boundary #2.  The Territories of Sidon, Tyre, Ptolemais, and Carmel in the West;
Boundary #3.  Samaria to the South; and
Boundary #4.  The River Jordan to the East.

What the phrase Lover of Horses means:

Philip’s name is a compound word in Greek that literally means, Lover (Philos-φίλος) of Horses (Ippos-ἵππος). This personal name of one of the Twelve chosen shlichim of Messiah does not make any didactic prophetic sense until one searches out what the biblical meaning of horses is in reference to the Messiah; both in the Tanakh and the Brit Chadashah. When the word horse (or horses) is associated with the Messiah it is always used in reference to his second coming as the returning Conquering Messiah, the Messiah ben David:

רָאִיתִי אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם פְּתוּחִים וְהִנֵּה סוּס לָבָן וְהַיּוֹשֵׁב עָלָיו נִקְרָא נֶאֱמָן וַאֲמִתִּי; בְּצֶדֶק הוּא שׁוֹפֵט וְלוֹחֵם.פ

I saw the heavens open and behold a white horse (סוּס לָבָן) and he who sat upon it is called Faithful and True (נֶאֱמָן וַאֲמִתִּי); and in righteousness (בְּצֶדֶק) he judges (שׁוֹפֵט) and wages war (וְלוֹחֵם).

The Shekinah follows the Messiah:

In the Greek version of the above passage the same verb used in the Messiah’s command to Philip to follow him (in the imperative mood), is used to describe the company of glorified believers (and angels) who will continuously follow (imperfect tense) him at his future glorious return to earth.

צִבְאוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹצְאִים אַחֲרָיו, רְכוּבִים עַל סוּסִים לְבָנִים וּלְבוּשִׁים בּוּץ לָבָן וְטָהוֹר.פ

The hosts of heaven (צִבְאוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם-army of heaven) were following him (יוֹצְאִים אַחֲרָיו) riding on (רְכוּבִים עַל) white horses (סוּסִים לְבָנִים), clothed in fine linen (וּלְבוּשִׁים בּוּץ), white (לָבָן) and clean (טָהוֹר-pure).

The verb used here for follow is used “seventy-seven” times in the Four Faces of Ezekiel, the Four Jewish Gospels that function as a centerpiece to the International testimony of Messiah that is included in the Proceedings of the Heavenly Court (regarding the “Four Faces of Ezekiel” cf. chapter five, sections 16-18 of this document). Only in one other instance is this term to follow used otherwise in the four Jewish Gospels and that is a subtle reference to the Messiah’s disciples (talmidim, talmadin-תלמידם) following after the Holy Spirit. This word follow conveys the meaning of a follower, or a companion (expressing “union” or “likeness”) and going in the same way (to move quickly and straight). Further study also reveals that horses are not the only symbolic mode of transportation that the Messiah and his glorified saints are depicted as using when he triumphantly returns to earth.

וַֽ ה’ הֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם יֹומָם בְּעַמּוּד עָנָן לַנְחֹתָם הַדֶּרֶךְ וְלַיְלָה בְּעַמּוּד אֵשׁ לְהָאִיר לָהֶם לָלֶכֶת יֹומָם וָלָֽיְלָה׃

Adonai (the LORD) was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.

Scriptural use of the word horse (and horses) in association with the Messiah is a symbolic reference to God’s Shekinah Glory Cloud (Exodus 13:21; 20:21; Psalm 104:3; Jeremiah 4:13). God’s Shekinah (Presence) will accompany the Messiah, the Salvation of God, His glorified saints and angels when He and His resurrected-glorified-immortal kedoshim, holy ones, return from heaven to establish His (God’s) rule upon the earth.

הִנֵּה הוּא בָּא עִם הָעֲנָנִים. כָּל עַיִן תִּרְאֶה אוֹתוֹ, גַּם אֵלֶּה שֶׁדְּקָרוּהוּ, וְיִסְפְּדוּ עָלָיו כָּל מִשְׁפְּחוֹת הָאָרֶץ. כֵּן; אָמֵן.פ

See he comes (הִנֵּה הוּא בָּא) with (עִם) the clouds (הָעֲנָנִים)! Every eye will see him (כָּל עַיִן תִּרְאֶה אוֹתוֹ). Even those who pierced him (גַּם אֵלֶּה שֶׁדְּקָרוּהוּ); and all (כָּל-the whole) of the families of the earth (מִשְׁפְּחוֹת הָאָרֶץ) will mourn (וְיִסְפְּדוּ-lament, grieve) over (עָלָיו) him.

The Shekinah will be present with the Messiah upon His return:

It bears remembering that the place where the Spokesperson of the sent ones testified that the Messiah was first asked where “he dwelt” was at Beit-Anani (Bethany). This means the Messiah’s true home of origin was literally the dwelling place of the Shekinah Glory Cloud. What do we see here? We see the invisible, ineffable Spirit of the Holy One Indwelling forever His permanent dwelling place, His humble servant, our Messiah. In ancient times we saw the invisible God covered in His Cloud.

Now what do we see?

The invisible God has done a new thing. We see He has covered Himself with a Man! The meaning of Philip’s name reveals who will accompany the Messiah at his glorious return to Israel and who will mourn at his return; these are those who (literally “Love Horses”)—-Love His Glorious Appearing! Philip represents all of us who love the physical appearance (manifestation) of our invisible God; all of us who love the visible form of the glorified Ben Ha-Adam riding upon the miraculous workings of Adonai our Father’s Ma-aseh Merkabh (מעשה מרכבה), His Chariot Throne of Glory; and for all those on earth who at his return will mourn at seeing our  Messiah who was pierced through (sacrificed) for our transgressions that we might be cleansed and reconciled to God our Father; then shall our lament – the mourning of all of the families of the earth – quickly be turned to great joy. Therefore, we look forward to that day, for we know:

וּמֵעַתָּה שָׁמוּר לִי כֶּתֶר הַצְּדָקָה אֲשֶׁר בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִתֵּן לִי הָאָדוֹן הַשּׁׂפֵט הַצַּדִּיק וְלׂא־לִי לְבַדִּי כִּי־לְכָל־אׂהֲבֵי הוֹפָעָתוֹ׃

מֵעַתָּה שְׁמוּרָה לִי עֲטֶרֶת הַצְּדָקָה אֲשֶׁר הָאָדוֹן, הַשּׁוֹפֵט הַצַּדִּיק, יִתֵּן לִי בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא; וְלֹא רַק לִי בִּלְבַד, אֶלָּא גַּם לְכָל אוֹהֲבֵי הוֹפָעָתוֹ.פ

מעתה שמורה לי עטרת הצדקה אשר האדון, השופט הצדיק, יתן לי ביום ההוא; ולא רק לי בלבד, אלא גם לכל אוהבי הופעתו.פ

Now there is laid up (שְׁמוּרָה-reserved) for me {made for us} the crown of righteousness (עֲטֶרֶת הַצְּדָקָה), that the Lord (הָאָדוֹן), the righteous Ha-Shofet (the righteous Judge-הַשּׁוֹפֵט הַצַּדִּיק), will award to me {us} on that day (יִתֵּן לִי בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא); and not just me alone (וְלֹא רַק לִי בִּלְבַד), but also to each and every one of us (אֶלָּא גַּם לְכָל) who have loved his (glorious) appearing. (אֶלָּא גַּם לְכָל אוֹהֲבֵי הוֹפָעָתוֹ-literally: all lovers of the arrival of [His] Presence).

Messiah in Rosh Hashanah & Yom Teruah Chapter 23 >>