Much as happened in the last week in Israel and in the nations surrounding us.

Hamas Reaches a New Low— Arson Birds

Gilad Gabai, who works for Israel’s Park and Authorities, discovered a falcon in a tree not far from Gaza. The bird was dead, but flammable materials were tied to its legs. It had been sent by Hamas into Israel, with the hope that it would start a fire.

Gabai said, “Animals are already being burned as a result of the fire kite and balloon terrorism. Now we see that [Hamas] have moved on to using animals as a weapon. This is very distressing.”

On the same day, a balloon carrying a flammable device was sent from Gaza and landed in a preschool courtyard while the kids were outside. The children were taken inside, but it could have turned out differently, if the balloon landed near one of the children.

The world is largely silent regarding Hamas’ terror against Israel. Maybe they will speak out, now that they are torturing animals in their efforts to harm Israel. While PETA would never side with Israel over Hamas, I imagine they will have something to say about this.

Since March 31, the terrorists’ burning kites and balloons campaign has claimed more than 8,200 acres of Israeli lands—forests and farms—with over 1,000 attempts. The damage is costing Israeli citizens tens of millions of dollars.

Russian Forces Attack Innocent Syrians—200 Syrians Come to Israel’s Border

Russian forces attacked (by air) a school that was being used as a shelter for displaced Syrians. There were 10 causalities. More and more Syrians are fleeing to the south, as the Russian-backed Syrian army plows through the country. Already, tent cities have been erected in the ceasefire zone—a narrow 80-kilometer strip on the Israeli/Syrian border. In 1974, Israel and Syria agreed that this would be a demilitarized zone, if Israel would cede lands back to Syria that it won after Syria attacked Israel in the Yom Kippur war.

Some 200 civilians, who survived the attack, fled to the border, holding up white flags. The IDF soldiers told them to go back, as there are still live mines that Syria planted many decades to ago. Israel is committed to getting aid to the innocent civilians as part of their Operation Good Neighbor. Israel has treated more than 5,000 wounded Syrians, both in field hospitals set up in the Golan Heights, and in Israeli hospitals.

Israel Targets Iranian Base in Syria

The Israeli Defense Forces are staying true their promise that they will not allow Iran to gain a foothold in Syria. Last week, Netanyahu urged Putin to get the Iranians out of Syria. Putin does not want Israel involved in the conflict because of her superior military power. He needs Syria to remain a paying client of Russia.

But, just a few days ago, Israel reportedly bombed a military base housing Iranian soldiers. According to rebel forces, 22 soldiers were killed – including nine Iranians. But the Syrian official news agency denied the deaths saying,

“The Zionist enemy (Israel)… targeted with its missiles one of our military positions north of the Nayrab military airport, but the damage was only material.”

“The Israeli missiles targeted an Iranian Revolutionary Guard center, near the Nayrab military airport,” said the spokesman for a Syrian human rights group.

Note to Tourists

Despite what you read here, Israel is safe! I live here and have no plans to leave. If you are considering coming to Israel for a tour, you should! All of the violence is way in the north or deep in the south. Fortunately, it is does not touch Jerusalem, Tel Aviv or the Sea of Galilee. Since we built the Security Fence, starting in 2005, terrorist bombings in Israel have virtually ceased.

In the past two years, Israel has broken all of its tourism records. If you are interested in coming on our next tour, the dates are May 29th through June 8th. We have added an extra day in Tel Aviv, without raising the price! Click here for more info.

Help Us Help Tel Aviv!

Messiah’s Mandate seeks to support our congregation each month with roughly $10,000. This goes to pay salaries, our building rent, outreach, gives help to the needy, renovations and more. This year, we have had three months where we could not give or only give partially. We are seeking to raise $10,000 in fixed monthly support for Tiferet Yeshua. As our way of saying thank you, anyone who pledges $20 a month or more, will be included in a raffle this November, where we will give away a free trip to Israel on our 2019 tour. Just go to www.standwithmmi.org to make your pledge!

Disclaimer: Believers fighting over names and pronunciation, letting it divide us is something Paul warned against (2 Timothy 2:14). But that doesn’t mean that we should not be educated.

While English versions of the New Covenant refer to Yeshua by His Greek name, Iesous, which, when transliterated into English, becomes Jesus, His parents never called Him either of those names. Joseph, His stepfather, was given very specific instructions as to what His name was to be and why.”

An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Miriam home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Yeshua, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:20-21).

The name Yeshua, in Hebrew actually has a meaning. Just about every Hebrew name has a meaning and the angel, was very specific about the name that the Son of God, the Messiah, should have: His name should be Yeshua. Pronounced slightly differently, putting the emphasis on the last syllable instead of the middle, Yeshua means salvation.

The angel told Joseph, “His name is to be ‘salvation’ because He will bring ‘salvation’ to His people.”  It is impossible to pick up on this prophetic word play in the Greek or English versions.

And that of course was the mission of the Messiah, to bring salvation to His people and to be a light to the nations. Indeed, Simeon, the old prophet who had been told he would not die until he saw the Messiah, prophesied as much.

Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles, 
and the glory of your people Israel. (Luke 2:29-32)

His name was salvation because He would bring salvation.

Jesus vs. Joshua

The name Yeshua is really the same name as Joshua, which in Hebrew is pronounced Yehoshua. Over time, the pronunciation changed. In later books in the Hebrew Bible we find the Hebrew name Yeshua and it is translated in English as Joshua or in the KJV as Jeshua. Joshua means The Lord is Salvation or The Lord Saves. Now, as someone seeking to present the gospel in its original Jewish context to Jews, the name Joshua sounds a whole lot more Jewish than Jesus.

In the Greek both Joshua and Jesus are exactly the same, Iesous. But when referring to the Messiah, they translated Yeshua the Messiah’s name as Jesus. Why? They took the Greek word Iesous and transliterated it to English, Jesus. When Joshua is mentioned in the New Covenant, they do not translate his name as Jesus, even though in the Greek it is the same, but they use the Hebrew transliteration—Joshua—leaving us to think they are two different names. As a result, we lose the Jewish character of Jesus’ name. Joshua is seen as Jewish, and the Jewish Messiah appears as something other.

Yeshua or Yehoshua?

Now, some have claimed that his name was never Yeshua, but Yehoshua all the time. Indeed, the original name was Yehoshua. However we see that it was shortened to Yeshua in the later books of the Hebrew Bible. The name for the high priest to which Zechariah refers, is spelled Yeshoshua in Zechariah, but the same high priest is referred to as Yeshua in Ezra and Nehemiah. (See Nehemiah 7:7 and Ezra 2:2 for examples).

So it appears that the name changed over time from Yehoshua to Yeshua. Yehoshua appears over 200 times and Yeshua appears 29 times in the Hebrew bible. But here is the real proof that the named changed in pronunciation and spelling. Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ successor is referred in Nehemiah, no as Yehoshua son of Nun יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ בִּן־נ֗וּן but as Yeshua son of Nun יֵשׁ֨וּעַ בִּן־נ֥וּן. By the time Yeshua was born, it is probable that Yeshua had replaced Yehoshua completely. But the meaning remained, Yahweh is salvation/Yahweh saves.

Just a quick closing comment. My goal is not to get everyone in the world to refer to the Messiah by His Hebrew name. For someone who has been communing with Jesus for years and loves that name, it would be the height of arrogance for one to expect them to stop using the Greek/English version. I am confident that Yeshua receives all praise from pure hearted believers in whatever language in which they worship him.

One of the greatest flaws of the written word is that we miss the emotion. Even in the Bible. It is a shame that Peter didn’t have a GoPro or selfie stick to record the great moments of the New Testament. Even in most movies that seek to illustrate the New Testament, there is a lack joy in the one who is playing the role of Yeshua.

When I read the Bible, particularly the words of Yeshua, I am seeking His temperament—his emotions. It is not just what He says, but how He says it. While reading John 14 last week, the joy of Yeshua jumped out at me. There was one thing that was most important to him and I think it is going to blow you away!

Hours before His death

Let’s set the stage. In a few hours, Yeshua is going to be arrested and crucified. His disciples, as evidenced in Luke 22, have no clue what is about to happen. Though He has explained it to them many times, they are still convinced He is about to birth a kingdom and that they will be princes. The idea of their possible status as royals is consuming them:

A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. (Luke 22:24)

Mind you, this was moments after Yeshua instituted the Lord’s supper with the matzah and the wine. This was one of the most amazing moments in world history, and they missed it. They were clueless as to what was about to happen. And this was troubling for Yeshua. Three times, in John 14, He expresses this concern:

• “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” v. 1
• “I will not leave you as orphans.” v. 18
• “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” v. 27

The Deep Concern of Yeshua

Can you see His love and compassion for His “friends” (John 15:15)? In a few hours, He is going to disappear. He will be killed in the most gruesome fashion. The same Peter who boldly proclaimed just hours before, “I will lay down my life for you” (John 13:37), will deny any connection to Him. The others will scatter, dazed and confused. They will feel abandoned and lost.

But Yeshua seeks to explain to them that it is good that He goes. For if He goes to His father, something amazing is going to happen. In addition, He is hoping that they will remember these words after He is gone:

“If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.” (John 14:28-29)

Yeshua’s Most Prized Privilege

However, the crescendo comes in verses 19 and 20. The most valuable thing to Yeshua is His relationship with the Father:

“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” (John 1:18)

“…believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” (John 10:38)

(Just click here to see how much this is emphasized in the book of John.)

What Yeshua values more than anything else, He wants to share with his friends—and this is His relationship with His Father. Hear the joy and emotion in Yeshua’s voice when he says,

“Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” (John 14:19-20)

This is Yeshua’s joy. This is His ultimate goal: That we would be one with Him, the Spirit and the Father. This is why He must go. He will lay down His life, but then He will send the Spirit.

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.” (John 14:16)

And through the Holy Spirit, the Father and the Son will dwell in us. That is the great mystery of the New Covenant. It is what Jeremiah referred to when he said, “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts” (Jer. 31:33) and what Ezekiel spoke of when he said:

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” (Ez. 36:25-27)

Paul proclaims, to the Colossians, this great mystery revealed:

“…the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Messiah in you, the hope of glory.”

The mystery of which He speaks is that through Yeshua, we can commune with God. If you are a believer, then you have been afforded the greatest of all privileges, once only obtained by the Son Himself; but through the Spirit, God lives powerfully inside of you. And that is why Yeshua was so excited in John 14.

Hebrews says, “For the joy set before him he endured the cross.” (Heb. 12:2) What was that joy? Communion and intimacy with His bride, with us—restored relationship. Everything else, He already had. There was only one thing lacking: restoration with us, His creation. To see that one thing completed, He went to the cross.

Yes, Yeshua really, really loves you!