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Genealogy to King David
Matthew 1:1 “The book of the genealogy of Yeshua, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham”
From 1 Chronicles 1 we did a post on “Genealogies” and the meaning of the word, and why it is always a recurring theme throughout Scripture (click here to read more). Matthew 1 starts with Yeshua’s genealogy from Joseph’s lineage. Luke 3:23-38 gives Mary (actual name is Miriam)’s lineage. Both these lineagies goes back to King David, who lived and ruled about a 1000 years earlier. King David united all the fragmented tribes into one single kingdom, and He established Jerusalem as the Capital. He was seen as the ideal King for Israel, as he had a heart for YHWH. He was also a born in Bethlehem and a shepherd’s heart, and he also face many persecutions and rejections. Back in 1 Samuel 17 we read how David cut off the head of Goliath (click here to read more), who was born of the serpent seed (fallen angels). And as prophesied, we know that Yeshua would also crush the head of the serpent seed, satan.
Name of Jesus, Translation issues
Matthew 1:25 “And he called His name JESUS“. The translation is from the greek manuscriptus, and the name in greek is Iēsous G2424 – iēsous. However Hebrew manuscripts were also found and does exist, and from those the translation says, “and he called his name Yeshua“.
Back in Numbers 13, which was right before Israel were to enter the promised land, two men stood up for their faith in YHWH, Caleb and Joshua. We posted how the name Joshua in Hebrew is the exact same name as Yeshua from the new testament, and how translators mix the names between Jesus and Joshua (click here to read more). If it is the exact same name, even in Greek (Joshua in Greek is also Iesous) – then why use two different two names in the bible translations? History tellers would explain Iesous was translated to Jesus in english, but when did they decide Iesous could also mean Joshua? This is why we should be careful with accepting english words, and do some effort in researching the original languages used, especially starting with Hebrew.
It is interesting to learn also what other languages around the world call Yeshua, it ranges from Jesus, Chesus, Isuthi, Jisas, Yesu, Jezi, Jesuh, Iesu, Gesu, Yeso, Ihu, Isa, Gesus and many more. There are however a lot of languages, especially african languages that use “Yesu“, which is really the closes one to the original. Some languages like greek, does not have the alphabet letters like “Y” or “SH”, but instead changes the Y to OU and the SH to S.
Mary or Miryam
Matthew 1:18 “After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph”. The greek word is Maria G3137 – maria, but in the hebrew manuscripts it is Miryam (מרים). This exact same name can be found in the old testament, as Miriam and Aaron from Numbers 12:1, “Then Miriam and Aaron spoke”, where Miriam in Hebrew is Miryam H4813 – miryām.
As we will also see later in Matthew chapter 2, with the story of Yeshua been taken to Egypt, and the similarities between Yeshua and Moses, here too both Miryams were woman of faith who guarded a great child. Both these woman were not made primary figures, but you know they were always there in the background right with Moses and Yeshua.
Star of Bethlehem from the East - Date of Yeshua's Birth
Matthew 2:2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
Click here to see a previous post about the importance and awesome ancient meaning of the word “East” from Numbers 3. Also, there are many prophesies about Yeshua coming from the East. Isaiah 41:1-4 “… “Who raised up one from the east? Who in righteousness called him to His feet? Who gave the nations before him, And made him rule over kings?…”
One of the most amazing bible verses we have, is from Creation, Genesis 1:14 says “Then Elohim said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years”. Translators use the word “seasons“, but the actual Hebrew word is Moedim H4150 – môʿēḏ, which means an appointed place and an appointed time! A signal, a sacred meeting or congregation. The sun, moon and stars are used in all of YHWH’s appointed 7 meetings/appointments/festivals (click here to learn more about the 7 meetings every year, from Leviticus 23)
Here with Yeshua’s birth, the promised Messiah, another signal is given from heaven for YHWH’s appointed time. Now today, there are much speculation on when exactly was this event. Some say it was when planets aligned (Jupiter, Saturn, sun and moon), which occured both in 6BC and 4BC. Well.. this cannot be correct, as the event talks about one star, and it was not an alignment, especially with planets/stars and sun/moon. Also, planetary conjunctions lasts for about a day, and then they drift “apart” – they don’t move together.
The story of the Magi, who travelled from the east, probably came from Arabia, which was Babylonian area before. These Magi would have had a history with the Jews/Israels and knew about their prophecies. Also, frankincense and myrrh are mostly harvested from trees coming from the Arabian, east side of Israel. For these Magi to have reached Jerusalem from Arabia, would have take about 1-2 months in travelling time. Which means, the star must have appeared and finally ended in a range of 2 months.
Another thing to consider with the dates, is that Herod died in 4BC. Matthew 2:1 says Herod was king when Yeshua was born, and after Yeshua was born they fleed to Egypt for some time until Herod died (Matt 2:19). This means Yeshua had to be born anything around 5BC and earlier.
The only explanation for this star that moves over a couple of months, is a Comet. Comets can be visible anything from a few days to even over a year. There are evidence in Chinese records today talking about a “broom star” that was visible for 70 days, in 5BC around March and April. Also, it is recorded that the star moved from the east, towards the south-west towards Jerusalem. (70 days is also a significant number). Matthew 2:1 says the “wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem”, and then they enquired where is the king of the Jews? At this point, Herod knew there was a prophecy, and he actually asks the chief priests where the Messiah is supposed to be born (Matt 2:4)! They tell him in Bethlehem, so Herod points the wise men to Bethlehem (Matt 2:7-8). The wise men found that the star actually stopped right on top of where Yeshua was born.
In the story of Yeshua’s birth, we read in Luke 2:8-20, that there were shepherds in the field. Shepherds do go out at night, only during spring and summer months to protect the flocks from predators and thieves, especially as it is a lambing season. Again, a “lambing season” would be the perfect season for the Lamb to be born. March and April is lambing/spring season in Jerusalem, as well as when the new year begins for Israel, which all fall together with Passover. December and January is mid winter and extremely cold at night. Daytime alone temperatures are around 5-13 degrees celcius (40-55 fahrenheit), so there is no way the shepherds were out in December month. It is also interesting to note that all of YHWH’s appointed times happen between March/April until September/October.
It is interesting to note also, that nowhere in Scripture anyone’s birthdays are celebrated. Even with this comet, there is no one exact date that can be pinpointed, only a period. We know it was around March/April spring and new year for Israel in 5BC. The only time birthdays are mentioned in Scripture, is with Egypts’ Pharaoh in Genesis 40:20 and King Herod in Matthew 14:6 (a different Herod from when Yeshua was born, Herod the great and his son Herod Antipas). Matthew 14 recalls the story of Herod Antipas, and how he had John killed on his birthday. On the Pharaoh’s birthday, he had the chief baker killed. In those years, birthdays were celebrated for kings who believed they were like gods, and killing was a normal activity. The only Scripture we have about the day of our birth is in Ecclesiastes 7:1 which says, “the day of your death is better than the day of your birth”. The origin of celebrating birthdays do have a very dark meaning and history. Today everybody celebrates their birthdays, but we should be careful not to celebrate ourselves or the day we were born, but rather to be thankful for each year we have, and to use our years in order that we can celebrate what we have reached at the end of our lives. We are also not commanded to celebrate Yeshua’s birth, and Yeshua also never talked about His birth. The gospels were written as proof of His birth and prophecies being fulfilled.
What we do know, is that Yeshua was probably born around Israel’s new year in March/April – which is the exact time for Passover (the 1st Appointed Time/Moedim), and a new lamb to be offered as a sign of YHWH’s covenant and protection.
Prophecy verses
Matthew 2:5 “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet“
In just today’s post, we have listed a few of the prophecies and Scriptures from the old testament, however there are a lot more! Here are just a few:
- Matt 1:20 – Jer 23:5-6 ““Behold, the days are coming,” says YHWH, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness”
- Matt 1:23 – Isa 7:14 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel”
- Matt 2:5 – Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting”
- Matt 2:11 – Psalm 72:9-10 “Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him, And His enemies will lick the dust”
- Matt 2:15 – Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son”
- Matt 2:17 – Jer 31:15 “Lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more”
- Matt 3:3 – Isaiah 40:3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of YHWH”
- Matt 4:4 – Deut 8:3 “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the YHWH”
- Matt 4:6 – Psalm 91:11-12 “For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone”
- Matt 4:7 – Deut 6:16 “You shall not tempt YHWH your God as you tempted Him in Massah”
- Matt 4:10 – Deut 6:13 “You shall fear YHWH your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name”
- Matt 4:14 – Isa 9:1-2 “The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined”
Gold,Frankincense and Myrrh
Matthew 2:11 “they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.“
- Gold – symbolizes kingship, but also YHWH’s provision. We have actually made a few posts on gold (click here to see more), especially the one from Job 22, as Scripture has a lot of verses and meaning to gold.
- Frankincense – a very fragrant resin reserved for priests. Leviticus 2 (click here to read more) lists it as one of the ingredients used in grain offerings at festivals, and is also known as the Memorial or Remembrance offerings.
- Myrrh – a very bitter resin used in the set apart/anointing oil (Exo 30:23-33), and is also used for embalming, symbolizing death, cleansing and set apart (holiness).
Egypt, Straits and Copts
Matthew 2:15 “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
In the section above, we already mentioned how Herod the great and Pharaoh played the same role in killing the baby boys. Moses was the leader and shepherd for Israel out of Egypt to the promised land, teaching the Laws and 7 Appointed Times (Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Shavuot, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacle/Sukkot). Yeshua is the shepherd for all out of this world to a new promised land, also teaching and giving understanding about the laws, and fulfilling the Appointed Times.
Egypt symbolize bondage and oppression, enslavement and liberation, a world FULL of many gods, a place of power and riches to distract and entice. The egyptians hated the Hebrews, unless they acted like an egyptian. The same rule counts for living in the world, if you act like the rest around you, they love. Yeshua said in John 15:19, “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” Egypt is mentioned in the new testament by Jude 1:5, “But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that YHWH, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe” and in Revelation 11:8, “And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt”.
There are many old testament scriptures about Egypt, where YHWH even declares that Egypt will be blessed and become a people who worships Him, like in Isaiah 19:18-25, “Then YHWH will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know YHWH in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to YHWH and perform it.” The previous verse says, “He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them”. Did you know, that most of Egypt believed in Yeshua and most converted to christianity? They were called the Copts. Following the Arab conquest of Egypt in the 7th century, the term “Copt” became associated with Egypt’s native population, who were majority Christian at the time. Over time, the term “Copt” came to represent Egyptian Christians as distinct from the rest of the Egyptians who had embraced Islam since the 7th century. Today the Copts constitute about 10% of Egypt and “Copts” refer primarily to the Coptic Orthodox Church, who are direct descendants of the ancient Egyptians.
The greek word for Egypt is Aigyptos G125 – aigyptos, where the Hebrew word is Mitzrayim H4714 – miṣrayim. The word has some similarities to water and heaven in Hebrew. Water is mayim and heaven is shamayim. Think back to creation, and picture these words and their meanings. The “esh” sound in heaven/shamayim means Fire. The “-āyim” means double. So you have water below, fire above and there is two paths. Either one can see it as the physical and spiritual. Or the path of the world and the path of YHWH. As a matter of fact, the direct translation of Egypt in Hebrew says, “double straits”. A Strait is a narrow passage of water. But in Egypt (the world), you are given two straits/paths to choose from. Yeshua said in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter by the strait gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because strait is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Most translations today use the word “narrow”, but the original greek word is Stenos G4728 – stenos, meaning strait. Stenos or stenosis specifically have to do with fluid/water where the path forms a narrowing. As a matter of fact, the “mitz” part in the Egypts hebrew word Mitzrayim, means squeezing or pressure, like squeezing juice out of a fruit. It also has to do with the law and commandments, as the word Mitzvah means commandments. When the Jews have their “bar mitzvahs”, when a boy reaches adulthood, the word means “son of the commandment“. The root hebrew word also for Mitzrayim is Masor H4692 – māṣôr, meaning siege-enclosure, siege, entrenchment, besieged, to be bound, distress, adversary. That is how it feels to live in the world/egypt, but not be of the world – you feel under siege, entrenched, distressed and an adversary.
40 Days and 40 Nights
Matthew 4:2 “And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights“
Back in Deuteronomy 8:2-3 Moses explained to Israel, “And you shall remember that YHWH your Elohim led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, prove you, to know what is in your heart, whether you guard His commands or not. And He humbled you, and let you suffer hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, to make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from the mouth of”. Click here for more on the post from Deuteronomy 8 about Temptation.
We also see 40 days and 40 nights with the rain falling during Noah’s flood in Genesis 7:12, and we also know that Yeshua spent another 40 days with the disciples after the Resurrection and before His Ascension to Heaven in Acts 1:2-3, “until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God”. Whenever we see a period of 40 days, this often resembles a time of testing, purification, or preparation that often leads to transformation, repentance, and new beginnings.
