Steven Ben-Nun: Shabbat Shalom chaverim! It is a pleasure to get to speak with you on this Sabbath Evening. And I don’t know exactly how we’re going to go with this message here but I think it’ll be a blessing to you. It’s something that I wanted to share kind of like a highlight of the different revelations God has given me over the years here. Some of the revelations may not have been heard by newer listeners, however you can listen to some of the older videos and find them. The book that I’m writing now “Moses a prophet liken unto me”, is where you will be able to find these revelations and insights. We’re looking at the different prophetic insights throughout the scripture that identity Yeshua as being the Messiah. I’m compiling those in the book and of course there’s many of them I forgot I’d have to go back and listen to the video’s myself. I just thought I would share a bunch of these with you that I can remember off the top of my head this evening. And if you know someone Jewish maybe; it might be a blessing to them as well. Let’s get started.
I’d like to begin with the Book of John in the Christian Bible. The Gospel of John (chapter 1 verse 1), in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
(Verse 2) The same was in the beginning with God all things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was Life and the Life was the Light of men, and the Light shined in the darkness and the darkness comprehended it not. This was the passage that really got my attention early on because John’s revelation was very interesting. He says in the beginning was the Word and I remember going back to Genesis because it is obvious that John is referring to Genesis by stating in the beginning (בְּרֵאשִׁית) literally in Hebrew it means “at the first” but it’s what we would call the beginning or Genesis I begin to think: what is the first word that God spoke because John notices in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with GOD and the Word was GOD …and the Word becomes the Light of men. But the real question in my mind was “what was the first WORD” from GOD’s Mouth
This had to have been one of the greatest revelations that I believe the Lord ever showed me was the first Words spoken by our Creator.
(בְּרֵאשִׁית, בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים, אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ)
At the first God created the Heavens and the earth; Genesis 1:1
(וְהָאָרֶץ, הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ, וְחֹשֶׁךְ, עַל-פְּנֵי תְהוֹם; וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים, מְרַחֶפֶת עַל-פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם.)
Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:2
the darkness was upon the face of the deep you might say and the Spirit of God hovered over or walked over the surface of the waters. Need to save this one here it is a revelation within itself. But we are looking to find in the Torah where GOD actually speaks for the first time.
(וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, יְהִי אוֹר; וַיְהִי-אוֹר.)
And God said: ‘Let there be light.’ And there was light. Genesis1:3
It is translated; let there be light but this translation does not do the scripture justice. The Hebrew rendering is Eternity coming into existence, so that He can have fellowship with His creation. We must remember GOD is invisible. GOD the Eternal One or as some would say; GOD the Father is an invisible GOD; and Christ is the expressed Image, He is the Form in which GOD chose to make Himself known to man to be the essence of man’s life. John claims that the Word that was in the beginning was the; Light of men. So the Son of God as we see was there in the beginning but He was first born of all and yet existed before the birth of creation. In the beginning was God; the Word, and the Word was with God.
So the first Word that proceeded from GOD’s Lips was “let there be light” and that light was the light of men according to the Apostles writings. So John was right on it when he said in Him was Life and the Life was the Light of men. God says the (וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, יְהִי אוֹר) and God said let there be light. Wow it’s incredible so God became Light, and the Light was the Light of men.
So how did GOD make this happen becoming one with His creation? GOD takes and He breathes into the nostrils of Adam first He formed Adam from the dust of the earth. This is reflected in the Life of Yashua when He was on earth. In the story of the blind man that Yashua anoints with clay. Yashua takes and He spits on the ground till He makes a clay puddle, takes the spit and dirt mixes it until it turns into clay, see and He forms that clay puts it on his eyes and tells him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam. What was Christ doing? He was showing He was the same GOD in Genesis that took and formed Adam from the dust of the ground.
So GOD first formed man from the dust of the ground;
(וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו, נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים)
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; Genesis 2:7
GOD breathed in his nostrils the Breath of Life. Chayim (חַיִּים) is the word Life in a plural form. So why does GOD breathe Life in a Plural into a singular body? He created both of them as one unit; “…in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.” Genesis 1:27 And He called their name Adam.
So Adam and Eve as we would know them, were contained in the self-same body. The name Adam comes from the word Adamah (אֲדָמָה) which is ground in Hebrew. Eve is not given this name at first; Chavah (חַוָּה) the mother of all living. This name is prophesy of the role woman would play in bringing Life into the World. Before the fall GOD calls her Isha and He calls Adam Ish.
Now the Rabbis have always known that their names are both from the same compound word; Ish (אִיש) which is what the man is called, derived from the word fire (אֵשׁ) and GOD’s Divine Name (יהוָה) In the middle of his name is the letter Yod (י) The first letter for the Divine Name of God. Isha (אִשָּׁה) his wife who is inside of Adam at this time will be called by the feminine of this compound word that gives her life. The first two letters of course is the fire or the light as was given to Adam (אֵשׁ) the Light of men. And the last letter in her name is the Hey (ה) put these two letters together from Ish and Isha we get GOD – Yah (יה). GOD is written right there in their names as long as they are one they are in His image.This fire that was in them was The Holy Spirit the light of men. Now God when He breathes in this body, He breathes not only the Light but the Life into them and that Life as John said was; “…and the Life was the Light of men;” mankind in this case here.
So He doesn’t have to breathe; (וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו, נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים) the second time for Isha (Eve) when she is takien from the Ish (Man) because she is already filled with this life that came to this body of Adam in a plural form from the Tree of Life (וְעֵץ הַחַיִּים). This Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden is Christ. What is the Tree of Life? It’s the Olive Tree of course because He (Yashua) is typed in the Bible as the Olive Tree. So the Olive Tree or Christ that is there, the Tree of Life as it is called is in the midst of the Garden. And The Tree of Life breathes in Adam and Eve a part of The Life of GOD a free gift from Our Creator, and they become living souls and they are called Ish and Isha which literally is the Life or the Fire or the Light of Almighty GOD living in them a portion of His Life. This incredible revelations was one of the first that the Lord shared with me.
Another wonderful one that I saw was in the story of Joseph. Joseph is like a window into prophecy of the Life of the Messiah. I speaking about insights that are beyond what you hear most scholars speak about. Most everyone knows that Yashua was sold out for 30 pieces of silver much like Joseph was sold by his brother as well. And he was thrown in the ditch supposing to be dead just as Yashua was delivered up to death by the House of Judah. Common to us are these wonderful insights from the life of Joseph. But the one thing that really got me is when his brothers come to buy the corn and Joseph had been exalted in the land of Egypt. This is in regards to the seven years of famine that is recorded in Genesis about the story of Joseph. Before Joseph’s brothers came he had already feed the entire Gentile world of which were also affected by this global famine. The mere fact that the Gentiles are first feed during the famine is a type that Israel will be seemingly last to recognize who Yashua is. They did not recognize him to be their true brother, neither did The House of Judah recognize that Yashua was there brother anointed for this purpose – to save life. Instead they rejected Him, sold Him out to the Romans crucified Him then after his resurrection He goes to the Gentiles and feeds the entire world. Once the Jews finally realize they were dying, there was no food, a famine was in the land, they sought out the only source left which was in Egypt their own brother, and he was the source for the Bread of Life.
They were unworthy of his mercy and even though he accuses them of being spies at the first he still gives them grain – sustaining their lives. It appears that Joseph wants to bring them to a place of repentance. So he puts the grain in their bag, and returns their money back in the sack as well, why? The Bread of Life is a gift, it’s a free gift of God and you cannot purchase Eternal Life and this grain represented this life. This was the reason he puts their money back in their bag. But on their way home they stop at an Inn at a hotel malon (מָּלוֹן) in Hebrew. One of his brothers discovers that his money had been returned to his sack as he was feeding the donkeys. When he makes this discovery, he’s troubled greatly, he shares this with his brothers and they are all perplexed and recall the evil they did to Joseph. This is symbolic in the story of Christ, at His birth. The first time He was rejected was when He was in His mother’s womb. Joseph was looking for a proper place for Mary to give birth to Yashua and Joseph goes to a hotel but is turned away – rejected.
“…there was no room for them in the inn…” Luke 2:7
. Joseph, Yashua‘s adopted father was forced to take Mary to a barn for his birth. He was the Lamb of God and lambs are born in stables not in hotels. The irony of the parallel is that as Yashua was first rejected at a hotel so too Joseph’s brothers begin to see their errors first at the hotel in their own lives, a parallel we should have recognized as Jews.
Jacobs’s sons return home and relay the story to their father oblivious to Joseph’s true identity. Yet another parallel in the Life of Yashua His brothers never recognized who He really was. Jacob is forced to send his sons once again to Egypt for their survival yet this time he sends Benjamin because Joseph made it clear that all the brothers must be present if they were to receive the Life giving Grain. On their return the brothers are invited to Joseph home for supper very much like Yashua and his disciples at his last supper. Joseph seemingly does a very odd thing to Benjamin at this supper; he hides his cup in his little brother’s bag and then commands his servants to fill their bags with grain, and once again returns their money to each sack. Joseph’s action are a sign to Israel a sign that would manifest in the Life of Christ when He would be rejected at His last supper; the whole story of Joseph is set in symbology letting us know who the Messiah would really be.
Yet there were several reasons why Joseph put his cup in Benjamin’s bag; one was because Christ would be rejected, the greater Joseph would be rejected at the Communion Table.
Secondly he put it in Benjamin’s bag, the innocent brother and his innocence signifies two different things; He was not part of the evil against his brother Joseph yet he becomes responsible for their sins when Joseph puts his own cup to Benjamin’s bag. History has begun to repeat itself the Jews of today were not part of the rejection of Yashua 2000 years ago but GOD has placed His cup in our bag placing the burden on us to accept Him or reject Him. Secondly it was a prophecy of the Benjamites attitudes towards the Messiah when he would come – they would reject Him. The Benjaminites would be the ones that rejected Him as part of the House of Judah; the House of Israel had already gone into captivity. But the House of Judah, consisting of the families of Judah, Benjamin and the Levites were all present and they all three rejected Yashua, and the Benjaminites were calling for His blood just like in the story of David yet another prophetic story.
In the story of David we see the same parallels that clearly were prophetic of the Messiah. Yashua sits on the Mount of Olives and He weeps over Jerusalem:
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Mathew. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Mathew 23:37-39
. Well you know David did something very similar to that when he was rejected of his own people; when his son, his very son Absalom, his name literally in Hebrew means; my father is peace. And he does not recognize or have the revelation that David is the anointed King of Israel but Absalom lifts his-self up as if he’s someone. David he could have put the coup down he had the great warriors among him that could have easily stopped this rebellion, but he didn’t do it.
Remember what happen with Jesus’ followers, with the disciples when they come to take Jesus by force. Peter took out his sword and cut off the ear of High Priest’s servant? Yashua said; Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?
Notice with David’s men, like that of Yashua’s disciples they are ready to fight. They said we’ll take care of this right now if you just say the word David. However David would not permit the bloodshed, he was typing out the life of the Messiah that GOD had write about in the Psalms. The question still left unanswered is why would David leave behind ten of his wives? He instructs them to care for his house while he’s gone. And those ten concubines were representatives of the ten virgins written about in the Christian Testament.
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. Mathew 25:1
In the Christian story that we read five are wise, five are foolish but nonetheless the ten virgins are representative of engaged women, they are true Gentiles believers in this day that would believe that Yeshua is the Messiah. And they were left behind to do what? David said care for my house in my absence. And so the Gentiles were given the charge to care for Israel in His absence. And of course Absalom he has abused them very much so publically and right before everyone’s eyes. Well it’s no different today; it’s exactly what has happened with the Jews to the Christian people today many of them abuse Christians not knowing the revelation of the Messiah.
And then again we can understand in some regards though why Jews have hated Christians. There is a false church that is not true to Messiah like the Catholic Church and different organizations that have hated and murdered the Jews for the past 2,000 years. But the true Christians have always stood by Israel; these are the type of the ten virgins the true concubines and I use the term concubines here too for a purpose. A concubine is a wife that has not had a proper marriage as of yet and of course the Bride of Christ is still to be married. So it’s another interesting parallel.
The story of Joseph, and his brother Benjamin having the cup in his bag is linked with the story of David too, both prophetic revealing the coming Messiah. When David leaves Jerusalem after having wept over the city on the mount of Olives like Yashua did he and his men start on their journey out and encounter Shimei – a very interesting story with David.
And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out, and kept on cursing as he came… And the king said: ‘What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him: Curse David; who then shall say: Wherefore hast thou done so?’ And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants: ‘Behold, my son, who came forth of my body, seeketh my life; how much more this Benjamite now? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him 2 Samuel 16:5 &10-11
Shimei is of the Tribe of Benjamin interestingly enough he curses David spits on him and accuses him of robbing the kingdom from Saul. David’s men were ready to kill him too but David said let him alone the Lord has told him to do this. The same thing with Yeshua He was spit on and cursed by whom? By the Benjaminites rejected by the Benjaminites they said let His blood be upon us and upon our children. Now they meant it in a derogatory sense just like Joseph’s brothers meant it in a derogatory sense as well when they decided to take and kill one of their own rams and pour the blood upon Joseph’s coat to go and lie to their father and say tell us is this your son’s coat or not? And of course when Jacob saw it he wept bitterly. He said yes it is my son’s coat. But yet Joseph bore in his body the iniquity of his brethren like the scapegoat and the sacrificial goat that was commanded to be offered on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) in The Law of Moses. The goat that was killed by Joseph’s brothers was used as a sacrificial goat placed on his coat and God accepted that sacrificial goat that was offered by Joseph’s brothers was recognized by GOD as a sacrifice for their sins else GOD would have killed them for their sins; Joseph became the scapegoat baring the sins of his brothers in his body during his exile.
In Yashua’s case He fulfilled both scapegoat and sacrificial goat; when the House of Judah cried out “…Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children…” they like Joseph’s brothers meant it in a derogatory sense but GOD applied that blood in a supernatural sense and pardoned them for their iniquities in both cases.
We see this in every type; the story of Joseph and his brothers found mercy as well as in the story of Shimei. After David leaves and his men and they cross the river Jordan just like Christ He crossed the River Jordan – spiritually. He says to Israel your house is left desolate. What does He mean by desolate? He’s not talking about a destruction of the Temple He’s talking about them personally their own houses – their hearts. Those Jews who did not believe that He was The Lamb of GOD that He was The Rock Christ Jesus that came to restore the Waters of Life – Eternal Life to them. The fulfillment of being born again as He related to Nicodemus.The Water of Life that was in Him was The Holy Spirit The New Birth it was the Life from the Tree of Life as we mentioned earlier from the Etz HaChayim. The Jews in Yashua day should have recognized him with so many Biblical stories that were playing out in His Life.
So David crossed the river and while David is gone he sends two witnesses back, two Priest and their sons. They go back and David says to them; let me know what’s going on in my absence, much like God will do at the very end He’ll have two witnesses.
Now in another place David says have the people all in one mind and one accord so that I can return.
And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house.
Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king?
And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab.
And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants. 2 Samuel 19:11-14
This is exactly what Yeshua is looking for according to Zechariah 12 and isn’t this interesting in Zechariah 12 when they look upon the One whom they have pierced and they mourn for Him as a family that lost their only son.
The Bible says they separate each one to his own family, the House of David apart and his wives, apart the House of Nathan apart and their wives apart, the House of Shimei apart and their wives apart, the House of Levi and their wives apart. And when it names the family it does not name them in tribal order but if you look at the family names David and Nathan are from the Tribe of Judah, Shimei again from the Tribe of Benjamin and of course the Levites are the Levites. God in Zechariah says He gathers the House of Judah first so that they do not exalt themselves above Israel. So everything is falling into perfect place. Shimei in the story of David when David is coming back and crosses the River they; his servants wanted to kill Shimie much like some that call themselves Christians, think that the Jews should be killed today. Many Christians have had their theology corrupted by Church fathers regarding the Jews they say; well Jews don’t believe that Yashua’s the Messiah so therefore they should be just wiped off the earth. David’s men had that kind of same idea as well. But David said no man shall die this day today and he had mercy on Shimei in fact Shimei was the very one that met him at the River first pleading for mercy because why? He had finally recognized that David was GOD’s anointed King and Israel will soon see to that the one man that was rejected by our fathers this Yashua, Jesus Christ is indeed the Messiah – Moshiach Ben-David.
There are so many evidences that we should have seen as Jews, but it wasn’t meant to be.
And one is the crown of thorns. The crown of thorns is so prophetic, Moses meet GOD at the Burning Bush – that Bush was a thorn Bush so the word Sinai means in English. And GOD spoke to Moses from the midst of the Thorn Bush just a Yashua cried out to Israel from the midst of the Thorn Bush. The Angel of His Presence was the light it was the pillar of fire that was the Angel of His Presence, the very same light spoken in Genesis chapter 1.
Now hear it was Christ was hanging on a Cross they put a crown of thorns upon Him. They even smote Him on the head before they put Him on the Cross and said speak! But when He did speak in that unknown tongue there GOD was in the midst of the thorn bush speaking once again to the children of Israel. Consider the prophecy in the Song of Solomon 2:2
As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters
He’s the Lily of the Valley the Bright and Morning Star the root and offspring of David but the “lily among the thorns” shows where we would find Him.
Another one Hosea 2:6 where God says to Israel; I will hedge up your way with thorns. See the children of Israel ever since Adam and Eve were pushed out of the Garden of Eden we wanted to know how to get back to the Tree of Life. Eternal Life is really what being born again is all about. This is why Yeshua was so surprised when Nicodemus did not understand what being born again is really about, he didn’t understand the concept. Jesus said; Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
Why? Because if we’re born of a natural life there has not been any Breathe of Life breathed into us by the Tree of Life; Etz haChayim.
God has not breathed that Breathe of Life or the Holy Spirit as Christians would speak about it today; has not been breathed into you because that way was guarded until Redemption was brought forth. And that’s exactly what God prophesies in Hosea 2:6 He says the way of the Tree of Life; let me pull that up for you, the way of the Tree of Life ah; cause this is a really, really good one here. And He says here; for their mother hath played the Harlot she that conceived them hath done shamefully for she said I will go after my lovers. Now by the way this is where God is using Hosea to show how Israel’s going to act. For she said I will go after my lovers give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and mine drink for behold I will hedge up thy way with thorns and make a wall that she shall not find her paths.
The way to the Tree of Life was guarded by God. And she goes after her lovers for what? Water! Wool! Flax! Oil, drink, well you know look at these right here GOD is the One that gives it. (Matthew 6:25) He says think not what you shall wear or what you shall drink or eat. He says for your Father in Heaven careth for these things. What about the water? Yashua is the Water of Life. He is the rock, remember when Moses takes at Meribah and the children of Israel chiding against Moses said you brought us out here to all die. Now they’d only been what? Two or three months into the journey already they’d seen the Red Sea parted and all the plagues in Egypt. All the miracles down in Egypt they saw and God had spared them and separated between them. And now they’re complaining because they don’t have water. Well see GOD knew what He was doing. GOD was setting up signs for Israel all along the way things to teach us what to look for so we would know when the Messiah comes. So they chided with Moses they said whether or not, you know is GOD among us or not? Same things they did when Yashua came, is GOD among us or not?
But isn’t it interesting GOD says to Moses; take the elders of Israel and go out Aaron with you, the Levite and smite the rock. Do you know Aaron was among those speaking against Moses at that time? When GOD takes Aaron’s life GOD says it’s why He takes his life and won’t allow him to go into the Promised Land because he withstood Moses at that time as well showing that the Levites would not believe when Messiah will come.
And they would take the elders of Israel and they would judge him (Yashua) and Moses, as a type of GOD, would smite him when Christ same. And when he smote that rock which that rock represented Christ the water came forth in a huge abundance. It was showing that the only way that the Life Etz haChayim (The Tree of Life) that was in the Garden of Eden could be restored back. The only way they could get a new birth was for the Rock to be judged by Israel, rejected by Israel and then be stricken by Israel so that He could be opened up.
See this is what He did with the woman at the well, remember the woman at the well? (John 4:10-11) He comes to her and He says; if you knew who it was that was talking to you, you would ask Me for a drink I’d give you water you don’t have to come here anymore. (paraphrased) And she said sir the well is deep and You have nothing to draw it with but then she wanted to know give me this water that I don’t come here to drink anymore. He was giving her a sign to look for. He says I’ll give you that water that flows from the belly.
And when He was on Calvary and the Roman soldier pierced His side and the water and blood came out separated as a direct testimony that He was the Rock. He give her the sign to look for, I’ll give you water. I believe she was probably there the day that He was crucified and saw that water come forth.
And when that water came forth it allowed the Life that was inside of Him to be released that the people were restored access to the Tree of Life. The Bible says, He was the Life and the Life was what? The Light of men, what does He do after His resurrection? He comes along and He breathes on His apostles and He says; receive ye the Holy Spirit. Isn’t that interesting? Again He was identifying who He was.
Because He breathed on Adam and both Adam and Eve receive the Holy Spirit, we know this because nowhere does the scripture ever say that God had to breath into Eve’s nostrils the Breathe of Life. She was filled with the Holy Spirit as well, because why? God breathed it in a multiple form inside of the body of Adam. Literally says in Hebrew He took from Ish, from the Fire of Yahweh and He made Isha that’s how we know that she was filled with the Spirit of God. And we see this beautiful type and parallel also in John the Baptist. John the Baptist is a representation of the restoration of Eve coming from the mother’s womb filled with the Holy Spirit. John was filled with the Holy Spirit from his own mother’s womb see? Adam was like a mother so to speak of Eve because God takes her from him not that he’s her mother we know that. But you know you understand what I’m saying just to give you a little bit of an analogy here.
Why did Yashua walk on water that was another beautiful revelation the Lord showed me. I’m sitting there looking at Yeshua walking on the water in the Christian Bible and when I did I remembered the very verse from the Genesis account.
(וְהָאָרֶץ, הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ, וְחֹשֶׁךְ, עַל-פְּנֵי תְהוֹם; וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים, מְרַחֶפֶת עַל-פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם.)
Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of GOD hovered over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:2
See the very same God that could walk on the water in Genesis was here walking on the water showing His disciples who He was. There are so many many more I could share but another time I will.