How Well Do We Know Ruach HaKodesh – Spirit of Holiness?
The Scripture in Romans 8 tells us that if we are led by the Spirit of God, then we are Sons/Daughters of God.
13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14Forall whoare ledby the Spiritof Godaresonsof God. 15For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”…
We know Who our Heavenly Father is and Who Yeshua/Jesus is and we should be able to recognize Holy Spirit; so its important that we understand Who He is and in light of Messiah’s words:
But I am telling you the truth: it is better for you that I go away, because if I do not go, the Helper will not come to you. But if I do go away, then I will send him to you John 16:7
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. John 16:13
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever John 14:16
In the present day, we have entered a season that require believers to not only know Who Holy Spirit is; but we will have to depend on His presence in a way that we have never had to before. It will be essential to survival and critical to enduring to the end; so it is of extreme importance that we learn to operate and live by, in, and with the Spirit of the Living God. This cannot be emphasized enough and we are not to underestimate the wiles of the devil, his tricks and deceptions; but we must be able to discern and hear our Heavenly Fathers voice/kol clearly and without confusion, so we must walk according to:
How can we recognize Holy Spirit Ruach HaKodesh : רוח הקודש?
This post will examine some ways Holy Spirit manifests and reveals Himself to us.
The term Spirit of God, is His Spirit of Holiness or Holy Spirit. It is how the Father and Yeshua/Jesus can abide within each believer, within our human spirit that becomes born again from above when we repent of our sins are forgiven. When we are washed in the blood of the Lamb of God accepting Yeshua/jesus as Messiah Savior and Redeemer.
No one filled with His Spirit should have any fear.1John 4:7 God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.God is Love…There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 1John 4:18.
Holy Spirit
In Hebrew: רוח הקודש, ruach ha-kodesh
refers to the divine force, quality, and influence of God over His Creation, His universe and over His creatures, in the context of scripture.
Eternal Spirit – Ruach Olam –
ROO-akh oh-LAHM Heb. 9:14.
Holy Spirit – Ruach Ha-Kodesh –
ROO-akh hak- KOH -desh
the Holy Ghost
Luke 3:16; 11:13; Eph. 1:13; 4:
Ruach Hakodesh – Divine Inspiration.
Ruach, pronounced roo-akh,
is the Hebrew word for
spirit, breath, or wind.
When spoken, the word engages one’s
breath and lungs.
What is the meaning of the Hebrew word Ruach?
The first mention of Ruach in scripture is in the very 1st chapter.
Genesis 1:2
And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit (Ruach) of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
The Bible translates the word Ruach into all of the previously noted English words. This means that when we are reading, we may not always realize that in Hebrew, these verses shared something very important.
Ruach is described as a wind
e.g., inNumbers 11:31 and Exodus 10:13,
but also as spirit
inJudges 6:34, 1 Samuel 16:14 and 1 Kings 18:12.
in Job 12:10
it’s translated as: breath.
Ruach HaKodesh also known as
the Wind of the Separation,
and is identified as:
the power of the Most High.
In Ruach Hakodesh and the Ruach Elohim the meaning that we should pay closest attention to is spirit. because Ruach HaKodesh, in the Old Testament, is the Hebrew word for the Holy Spirit?
For example, in Psalm 51:11when David prayed
“Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take your Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) from me.”
Similarly, Ruach Elohim means the Spirit of God. In many references in the Old Testament, the Ruach Elohim comes upon an individual and allows him/her to speak for the Lord.
InGenesis 41:38, Pharaoh said of Moses,
“Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Ruach Elohim?”
Ruach Elohim Meaning:
The Ruach Elohim was present when the Temple of the Lord was built. The Lord filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, along with the ability, craftsmanship and skill to execute the creative designs. The Lord inspired all the artistry, according to what He had in mind for His holy Temple.Exodus 31:3, Exodus 35:31
“The Spirit of the Lord even came upon Balaam when he attempted to curse the people of Israel. Instead, he blessed them.” Numbers 24:2
Are Ruach Elohim and Ruach HaKodesh/ Holy Spirit, One and the Same?
In the Old Testament, we see that
the Ruach Elohim, or the Ruach HaKodesh,
quickens,
fills,
comes upon
and comforts.
Which we know Holy Spirit also does in the New Testament.
Eph. 2:2 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience
He quickens us, that means: enlightens and enlivens the inner man or woman and as a result, we are aware of a difference, a change in our soul; and we feel strengthened, being filled with peace and joy. 1Cor. 15:45.
Quicken – חיני
means: to make alive; to vivify; to revive or resuscitate, as from death or an inanimate state.
Psalms 119:25: My soul cleaveth unto the dust,
quicken thou me according to thy Word.
The Hebrew word for quicken is
chani
from the root word: chi
which is: life.
David is literally asking for life from the Word of God, however the word according to is not found in the Hebrew. That’s been used from the Hebrew letter Kap in front of the word davar
which are words from the heart
or in this case
the heart of God. A more appropriate way would be rendered:
like Your Word.
Recall Messiah said: “I am the Word of life.” here it seems to be not only a picture of Messiah but also a prophetic reference to His coming.
The ruach is our helper & comforts us in our need.
Like a flashlight shining in the darkness, the Spirit of God lights our path. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Ps.119:105
Perhaps His light shines on pride, vanity or being overly concerned with the matters of this world. The Ruach shines a light on all our issues and speaks to our need with gentle correction.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises/corrects every son whom he receives. Heb.12:6
The Ruach (Spirit) enlightens our minds to enable to us know, see, grasp and apply the will and purposes of God.
The Ruach reminds us of Messiahs’ words and, leads us to truth in the epistles and shows us the things to come in Revelation.
He is our comforter, our counselor and our helper
When Holy Spirit leads us there is no confusion. We are not to be led by people or their opinions. Our need for confirmation will be answered by His Spirit.
If we need wisdom we can draw from Him within.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5
We should never move into a new situation until we are at peace within because peace is the umpire of our heart and it will be there in our own soul. Holy Spirit harmonizes all action.
And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds Col 3:15.
If we sense discord or turbulence know that there is a spiritual battle already on the scene! Let it be a warning signal, we should look for the root of it and do not blindly forge ahead.
How much do we truly know of His Spirit?
We are probably more familiar with New Testament references, however there are many in the Old Testament. One we may know well is when David pleaded in Psalm 51 in anguish as a result of his trespasses against the Lord. Verse 1 reminds us of some of what King David had done:
To the chief Musician, a Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
David was finally forced to admit his guilt when confronted by the prophet Nathan and then from his heart, he composed Psalm 51 including this in verses 11 and 12:
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
The word spirit here is Ruach and the word holy is Kodesh. This is most often simply stated as Ruach HaKodesh or the Holy Spirit.
Why was David afraid of losing Ruach HaKodesh?
Why was this relationship so important and valuable to David?
Was he aware of Who Ruach HaKodesh was?
The word Ruach which is usually translated as
spirit, wind, or breath
and is spelled with the Hebrew letters
Reysh
Vav
Chet.
Reysh
is the picture of the head
and means:
the master, the leader, or the prince.
Vav
is the picture of the iron nail or the wooden hook
and means: to fasten or to secure two things that are separated from one another.
Chet
is the picture of the fence
and means:
to separate, to protect, or to cut off, and can be a sanctuary.
Ancient Hebrew Pictographs
In these Hebrew pictographs we see that in the word Ruach
there is a leader who will make a connection to a fence or boundaries that are intended to protect and provide sanctuary.
What are the boundaries and what are they protecting?
HaKodesh is actually 2 words,
Ha is the equivalent of the,
and Kodeshmeans:
apartness, holiness, sacredness, or separateness.
HaKodesh is spelled with the Hebrew letters
Hey Qof Dalet Sheen.
The picture/pictographs are:
Ha Hey
is the picture of the man with uplifted arms
and means: to behold, to pay attention to what follows, to reveal, or the Holy Spirit as the revealer.
Kodesh
Ko Qof
is the picture of the back of the head
and means: the least, the last, or behind.
De Dalet
is the picture of the door
and means: a doorway, a place of decision, a place where change can take place, or an entrance to life or death.
ShSheen is the picture of teeth
and means:
to press, to consume, or to destroy, and is the one letter God uses to identify Himself.
The picture meaning is that: Someone unworthy, the last, the least, is being brought through a doorway to a place where God will reveal Himself. Going through this doorway will set this unworthy person apart from those not entering this special place before The Lord. He is going to be given access that obviously he isn’t able to reach by his own merit. The leader can enter because He Himself is Kodesh.
Putting the 2 pictographic messages together, we could say that: the Ruach HaKodesh title is given to the leader who intends to join us and to remove boundaries which will allow the least of us to be set apart, and invited to pass through a doorway; (Yeshua/Jesus) into a place where the Father will reveal Himself to us.
This leader from the pictographs, works to show us the boundaries and as already noted, appears for the first time in Genesis 1:2 :
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved/hovered/fluttered upon the face of the waters.
This leader, the Spirit of God, Who is literally, the wind of God, or the breath of God was integral in the act of creation. In the ancient world soul and spirit are both frequently named as wind or breath and it’s very clear that this Spirit was indeed our Heavenly Father God the Creator.
Again as already noted earlier, John 14:26 scripture reveals another role of this leader:
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Here Ruach HaKodesh is called the Comforter, which is the word used for the advocate who goes before the judge on behalf of someone to plead his case. We are told in this verse that this leader, who comes from the Father at the request of Jesus, will teach us all things. Surely this will include the boundaries established by the Father those intended to protect us, revealed in the pictographs.
In Romans 8:1, Paul tells us that Ruach HaKodesh is the advocate of all those who follow Messiah:
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
This is no doubt why David was so concerned to keep his relationship with Ruach HaKodesh, because not only will there be no blame, but again as already noted in verse 11 Paul adds:
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
This leader, Ruach HaKodesh, has wants to demonstrate His power in our lives, not only to guide and teach us how to walk after Yeshua Ha Mashiach/ Jesus Christ, but to also one day by His power raise us from the dead to dwell for eternity with the Heavenly Father. We can be certain that His Ruach knows everything about us, and He will always provide guidance and comfort when we need it.
There are many symbols of Holy Spirit including
wind, fire, water, oil,
and probably the one we are most familiar with, is that of a dove.
From the Genesis account of creation
Genesis 1:2 :
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved/hovered/fluttered upon the face of the waters.
the Spirit of God moved/hovered/fluttered as a dove.
Then later, Noahs confirmation of the floodwaters receding by the dove, as a messenger from heaven, bringing an olive leaf to him. Followed much later by the account of Messiahs water immersion in
Luke 3:22 which tells us that Holy Spirit descended like a dove upon Messiah.
In the Old Testament, the dove was used to search for habitable land and a symbol of peace. Today doves still hold their peaceful picture, and also signify cleanliness and purity.
Dove – in Hebrew is Yonah
יונה yod hei nun vav
In the Peshitta, Aramaic Bible, the word for
dove in Aramaic is
yona
which means:
a messenger of peace and faith from heaven.
It’s the same word for Jonah.
The Hebrew letter Nun
in the word yona (dove)
suggests
the breaking down of barriers between heaven and earth.
Was the immersion of Yeshua/Jesusgiving another confirmation that our Heavenly Father has broken down the barriers between heaven and earth? And furthermore, the acceptance of Jesus/Yeshua as personal Savior means that when we finish our journey, He will be able to open that portal to heaven so we can pass through into His Presence.
Doves bond very quickly with humans and will fly to them and rest on their shoulder. Interestingly, if a person ever speaks harshly to one, they will turn their backs. They seem to be very easily offended, similar to the Spirit of our Heavenly Father.
Matthew 3:16: “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him”
As soon as Yeshua/Jesus was immersed, He went up out of the water.
There is no question that the heavens opening and the Spirit of Goddescending like a dove was a sign of confirmation to John the Baptist that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, but could it have been a sign to other Jews who were taught in Oral Tradition; that a dove would descend from an open portal to heaven and place a crown on the head of the Messiah?
The dove is associated with God’s blessing and His pleasure and expresses the Holy Spirit’s gentleness, innocence, purity, and patience Matthew 10:16; Psalm 68:13.
The Holy Spirit, coming as a dove, is gentle and a symbol of peace. What the dove did is important as well—the dove came and rested on Messiah Matt. 3:16. His Holy Spirit wants to come and rest upon us coming to each of us personally.
The other beautiful image that comes form the dove is in it structure. One is, they are pure white which is symbolic of holiness and purity, clean; and like our sins washed white as snow, as the robe of righteousness is also white, and white as the brightness of His coming. A dove has 9 primary and 9 secondary wing feathers on each side, and if we look at the references to
the fruit of the spirit and
the gifts or workings of the spirit
we can count them on either wing.
What is more significant is that,
wings must be balanced for even flight,
so there must be a balance of both in the believers life for us to follow Him. We are to be consistently walking and living by the Spirit with all His attributes in correct balance, for a healthy, mature halakh/walk.
These 9 spiritual gifts of Holy Spirit were given to believers as they were needed for the fulfillment of their mission and to use in the service of others.
The number 9 has one special meaning for believers, it’s a symbol of miracles. We have the promise that after every dark period in our lives there is a new day, an opportunity for us to repent of our sins and change our ways; and It is this… the promise of eternal life upon fulfilling our spiritual missions on earth.
Another beautiful attributes of doves is that they pair up, staying together for life, they are faithful and trustworthy.
The dove’s 9 main feathers on each of the two wings are used to lift and propel it forward. They also have 5 main tail feathers that act as a rudder to guide them in flight.
What do the scriptures say?
How is His Spirit described?
We can read in the Word about the Father, and we can read about the Son who came and walked among us. But Jesus/Yeshua tells us that when the Spirit comes, He will not speak of Himself; that “whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” John 16:13.
The workings of the Holy Spirit are invisible, glorious, and gentle, and within them, He never tells us about Himself. He comes to glorify Messiah Jesus and helps us to see and to better understand Messiah. Helping us to respond more obediently, and to love Him with a deeper heart of commitment.
The symbols of Holy Spirit are essential for us to gain understanding of what He’s like, both objectively in revealing truth, but also in the way that He comes to work in our lives; the invisible influencing the visible. Just as the Holy Spirit manifested for a moment in a dove and lighted upon Jesus, He wants to penetrate you and me with the glory of the invisible God that becomes visible in us. He wants to flood His life into ours that we might then overflow with His life to others.
The five main stern or tail feathers provide a perfect picture of the fivefold offices or positions gifts of the Church. They are the Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Teacher, and Evangelist. These five gifts are not to do all the ministry, they are to equip the saints for the work of ministry. That is, they are to build up the body of Messiah, which is to be balanced in fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit, until we all attain the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God; mature persons attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature.
Eph. 4:13-15
The dove is unique from other birds in that instead of its wings pointing downward toward its tail, they curl upward toward its head. This represents that the Holy Spirit does not speak of Himself but points believers to Messiah Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest, and the Head of the Ecclesia.
The tail also helps a bird balance when perched on a branch, and while the bird soars, it can spread its tail feathers behind it to create additional lift and stability. Likewise, the five positional gifts are to direct and correct the church so that we stay focuaed on the mission the Holy Spirit has given to us. Ensuring we do not get ahead or behind, nor enter into the left or right ditch as we walk the narrow road of His perfect will.
Spiritual Gifts:
1Cor. 12 :8 To one is given in and through the [Holy] Spirit [the power to speak] a message of wisdom,
and to another [the power to express] a word of knowledge and understanding according to the same [Holy] Spirit;
9 To another [[b]wonder-working] faith by the same [Holy] Spirit,
to another the extraordinary powers of healing by the one Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles,
to another prophetic insight ([c]the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose);
to another the ability to discern and distinguish between [the utterances of true] spirits [and false ones],
to another various kinds of [unknown] tongues,
to another the ability to interpret [such] tongues.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: 9 fruit.
9 is the number of in scripture
The number 9 meaning in scripture represents more than just a numerical value, it holds spiritual meaning and is linked to many significant events.
Messiah Jesus died at the 9th hour, which is also the hour of prayer.
Matthew 27:46 recounts the death of Messiah, “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
Human babies take 9 months to develop in the mothers womb. 9 represents the number of generations from Adam to Noah, and then, from Noah to Abraham. What makes the number 9 so special it’s the most mentioned in scripture?
Sometimes, when 9 is mentioned it led to destruction and sicknesses, other times it prophesied of a new journey or a new life, the coming birth of a child; so it could both be in negative or positive contexts.
9 represents completeness or finality and even with its’ connection to Messiah’s death, it wasn’t thought of as something negative; because HIs death opened up the door, the gates of salvation for us. The number 9 is the number of judgments and It symbolizes patience, harmony, development, and creation. Sometimes, the number 9 is described as the perfect number and is considered sacred to the Egyptians and Greeks.
It was the same time of day that Cornelius, the first Gentile convert, received a vision to reach out to Peter the Apostle. These biblical events associated with the number 9 led to it being thought of as a sacred and spiritual number; and it was also used to represent holiness and was associated with the Holy Spirit, Divine completeness.
Part 2 will cover other symbols of Holy Spirit, meanwhile we should remember that..
שָׁלוֹםעֲלֵיכֶם, Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past. I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
How Well Do We Know Ruach HaKodesh – Spirit of Holiness?
Vav
Ha Hey 
Qof 
Dalet
Sheen 
is the picture of teeth 
and means: 
in the word yona (dove) 
