Continuing from the previous post

https://www.minimannamoments.com/i-will-put-my-name-here/

and keeping the Hebrew letter Shinin mind while looking

at an old map… 

we’ll follow through to an amazing conclusion.

In the old biblical map of Jerusalem.

There are three significant valleys that make up this city.

Two that flank its outskirts and one that runs near the middle of the old city they are called Kidron, Hinnon and Tyropean.

Some significance has been applied to the fact that there are three valleys that comprise the city of Jerusalem’s geography:

The Valley of Ben Hinnom, Tyropoeon Valley, and Kidron Valley, and these valleys converge to form the shape of the letter shin, and the Temple in Jerusalem is located where the dagesh, (horizontal line) is.

This is seen as a fulfillment of passages such as Deuteronomy 16:2 that instructs Jews to celebrate the Pasach at “the place the LORD will choose as a dwelling for his Name” (NIV).

You can see a remarkable geological phenomena as these 3 valleys converge to also form the shape of the letter shin, and where the Temple in Jerusalem is located.

The map below identifies the geography of ancient Jerusalem during the times that the scriptures reference above.

Three valleys surround Jerusalem, the Kidron Valley on the east, The Refaiim Valley, just east of the City of Zion, and the Hinom Valley south and west of the City of Zion.

There are three mountains in Jerusalem

from base to top are Mt. Ophel, Mt. Zion, and Mt. Moriah.

 

Mt. Ophel is where the pool of Siloam was.

This symbolizes cleansing.(2 Chron 27:3).

Also where Jesus/Yeshua healed the blind man.

John 9:7-11

Mt. Zion is where David’s tabernacle sat.

This symbolises deliverance (Ps 2:6, Oba 1:17).

Mt. Moriah is where the temple sat.

This symbolises God’s Glory (2 Chron 3:1, 7:1-4).

These three mountains represent salvation, separation unto God (worship), and the power of Holy Ghost/Ruach HaKodesh.

 Kidron Valley (Valley of the Shadow of Death)

During the Feast of Tabernacles at night, four enormous oil lamps burned in the Temple courtyard.

Each lamp had four large bowls of oil on tall stands, with wicks made from worn-out garments of the priests.

It is written in a Hebrew commentary, that “there was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that did not reflect the light” (Mishnah, Sukkoth 5:3).

The lights could be seen throughout Jerusalem; however due to the depth and angle, the Kidron Valley remained in shadow.

The Kidron Valley has many burial sites, since many believe that the resurrection will begin there.

For these reasons, it is said that the Kidron Valley was called the “Valley of the Shadow of Death,” as in Psalm 23:4.

David likely wrote Psalm 23 when fleeing from his son, Absalom (a type of the False Messiah), across the Kidron Valley – 2 Samuel 15.

Psalm 23 is likely a prophetic reference to the Messiah, Yeshua, who was arrested at the Garden of Gethsemane, then brought to Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley.

 Tyropoeon Valley

The rugged Tyropoeon Valley separates Mount Moriah from Mount Zion and was spanned by bridges, most notably Zion Bridge, connecting the royal palace on Mount Zion to the Temple.

A fragment of an arch of this bridge, called “Robinson’s Arch”, was discovered by historian Edward Robinson in 1838.

 Hinnom Valley

The name of the Hinnom Valley in Hebrew is GeHinnom, “Gehenna.”

Gehenna became associated with eternal torment (the lake of fire) because detestable infant sacrifices to Molech took place there.

Gehenna is translated “hell” in the KJV (Matthew 5:22, 29).

Gehenna is the valley of slaughter that will be used in the future (end times) as a place of slaughter, flames, and punishment for the wicked:

“Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter.” – Jeremiah 19:6.

Amos 4:12-13  He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth –  the LORD God Almighty is his name.

It is only El-Shaddai, God Almighty, who can do such amazing wonders.  He is an almighty, all powerful, unlimited-authority, omnipotent God.  No words come close to describing His infinite wonder.

An Olive Tree near Jerusalem shaped like a letter SHIN

Together with the Temple Mount and Jerusalem in their midst, they form the Hebrew letter Shin (high-lighted in red).

Could it be that God constructed the geography of the region to fulfill the verses above and actually, and physically, put His name on Jerusalem?

Is the fingerprint of God on Jerusalem for all to see?  Maybe.  Just an unusual occurrence.. perhaps, perhaps not, but it is something quite remarkable to meditate on.

God chose this little mark, out of all the letters in the Hebrew alphabet, to be used in a mighty way God also decided to use the Shin ש, this small humble marking, to carve His name into His chosen city, Jerusalem.

1 Kings 11:36  I will give one tribe to his son so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put my Name.

Maybe this scripture is not figuratively speaking but literal.

Look on the map below, follow the valleys, shaded in grey, to see God’s signature upon Jerusalem:

It is interesting to remember, when King David had conquered this area and settled it as his capital city, he would have had no way of knowing that the city was seated on top of the name of God.

Yet it was the place that God took him and told him,”This is the place where I have put my name” ( I Kings 11:56).

In a way, the city sits on the top of the name of God.

The standing geographical significance does not end with the sign of the sheen.

As the city is also made of three mountains hills Moriah, Ophel and Zion.

It actually sits on the top of the mountain called Zion which is why it is sometimes called Zion or the city of Zion

But it has three heads the upper most head is called Moriah, the centre one is called Ophel and the bottom head of the mountain is called Zion. Zion refers to the whole range.

There is one mountain out of the 7 that surround Jerusalem, it has three different heads or hills, it sounds very like our reference to One God and the similarity does not end there. The three heads have three significant names, these significances could not have been known by the Hebrews, who gave them their names originally. This in light of the fact that the full revelation of Jesus Christ the Messiah, Yeshua Ha Mashiach and the new Testament had not yet been given.

Consider These Names

Ophel – in Hebrew   0-fel

My Fortress, tower stronghold.  Our Stronghold. The word opel in Hebrew means “a hill, to build a wall, to keep.” It refers to the hill to the east of Zion which was surrounded and fortified by a separate wall.

All of them are names for Yahweh God, Our Father God.

Zion – in Hebrew tsee-yoon it means The mark.

The sign the waymark the guiding pillar

Ephesians 1:13

Marked with a seal the promised holy spirit that means our father God the Holy Spirit.

Zion refers to the whole range, but it also refers to a specific area.

It means “stronghold, fortress.”

It also means “to show the way, to be white and to be pure.”

Moriah – to see God to be seen of God mo-ree-yaw

The first mountain that we will consider is Moriah. Already noted that it was in this area that the first and the second temples were built however, there are some other interesting things.

Jewish scholars say that Moriah was the first land to appear during creation.

It is further taught that it was from the red dirt of Moriah that Adam was created.

Moriah was the top of the range known as Zion.

Rabbinical legend also states that Moriah was in the center of the Garden of Eden and that this exact center of Eden was the location of the future Holy of Holies.

It is also taught that Moriah was the place where Adam was buried.

Moriah, from the root marah, was the place of God’s presence.

Where Abraham was asked to sacrifice his only son Isaac, thousands of years later, the temple was constructed there on Moriah. It was also within a stone’s throw of the place that Jesus was crucified. So God provided a lamb once again on Moriah.

It is in Jesus Christ / YeshuaHa Mashiach, that we saw God, (If you have seen Me you have seen the Father), and it was in Him, that we were seeing God face to face.

Ophel –

Our Fortress, Our Stronghold Yahweh, Our Father God



Moriah –

To see God or to be seen of God. It is Jesus Christ, God the Son.

Zion –

The mark that means our Father God the Holy Spirit.



Here is something worth a look..

It appears that

1 Kings 11:36

the city where I chose to put my Name,

may be more literal than simply a reference.  The amazing photograph (below) taken from high above Israel, seemed worthy of further inspection. Maybe just a trick of the light on the mountain terrain but nonetheless curious and fascinating, simply because until recently in the modern era of satellites no one had been able to see it.

This satellite picture shows some Hebrew letters formed from the shadow of mountains on top of Israel.

The shadow looks exactly like Hebrew letters in an order as a sentence.

The letters spell this sentence “Because of Bethel the Lord God have made me fruitful.” The word ‘fruitful’ is ‘Ephraim’. These words appeared right in the area where the tribe of Ephraim was.

Recently a satellite picture discovered five rock structures that formed in a shape of a shoe on a foot in Gilgal 

This is related to Ps 108:8-9 and Ps 60:8.

Gilgal is the place where the Israelites camped before they entered the Promised Land.

The shape is formed by five structures.

It is also where they were circumcised – Jos 4:19-22.

‘Gilgal’ means ‘to awheel’ or ‘to recircle’.

More pictures of the ‘Name’, in the mountains.

Zion refers to the whole range of hills.

A Note About The Eastern Gate,

 also known as the Beautiful Gate, or the Golden Gate, has been blocked for 1,000 years.

Many people believe the gate will be opened again when Messiah comes. Moslems see it as standing upon the threshold of heaven and hell. By being buried there they wanted to be first in line for resurrection.

When God said Jerusalem was where he put His Name He meant it literally.

The very valleys declare His Name and the mountains that the city sits upon calls out His Name.

This could be very well what Jesus meant when He said as He entered the city through the eastern gate, recorded in Luke 19:37-40

‘And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed [be] the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.’

‘And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.’

 

When the Jews told Jesus to silence his disciples Jesus replied that even if they are quiet the very rocks will cry out My Name.

He could not have spoken more literally or more truly.

How much more can we be assured that He cares for each of us who have His Name written on our hearts as He repeatedly touches Israel, Jerusalem and His children saying, “Mine, mine, mine.”

What is much more wonderful is that we can say we are His, His, His!

PLEASE Don’t leave this page without assurance in your heart that you are saved.

Do you remember when you were a child, and somebody would take something from you?

Sometimes, you would say, “Hey, that’s not yours!”

Then the reply would come:

“I don’t think so, it doesn’t have your name on it!”

This is often a battle between siblings when both want the same thing, and there isn’t enough to go around.  No doubt we’ve all heard that at least a few times in our lives! Many will recall repeatedly touching the disputed item while saying ‘Mine, mine, mine’!

 

There are scriptures in 1 Kings 11:36, telling us that God has chosen to put His ‘NAME’, on the location of the place we know as

 

 JERUSALEM

The  word ‘NAME’ in Hebrew is Hashem

and the holiest name of God also known as the ineffable/unspeakable name is

read in Hebrew from right to left above

Hey <Vav <Hey< Yod<

YHVH

with the letters

Yod Hey Vav Hey

(reading from right to left in English and is also sometimes  translated as Jehovah.)

Below is a look at Jerusalem, its location and the place where Jesus/Yeshua will appear when He returns and where the New Jerusalem we all look forward to will be located.

Hebrew: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם Yerushaláyim

pronounced Yeh-roo-sha-la-yim

Looking at Israel from space and focusing in on the city.

In the verses shown below, God states that He has chosen Jerusalem and would put His name there.

And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.    1Kings 11:36

And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name. 2 Kings 21:4

And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son,

In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put My name for ever: 2 Kings 21:7

But I have chosen Jerusalem, that My Name might be there; and have chosen David to be over My people Israel.  2 Chronicles 6:6

Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall My Name be for ever.          2 Chronicles 33:4

Located on a plateau in the Judean Mountains between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea, is one of the oldest cities in the world.

It is considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Israelis and Palestinians both claim Jerusalem as their capital, as Israel maintains its primary governmental institutions there and the State of Palestine ultimately foresees it as its seat of power.

During its long history, Jerusalem has been destroyed at least twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times.

The oldest part of the city was settled in the 4th millennium BCE.

In 1538, walls were built around Jerusalem under Suleiman the Magnificent.

Today those walls define the Old City, which has been traditionally divided into four quarters—known since the early 19th century as the Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Quarters.

The Old City became a World Heritage Site in 1981, and is on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Modern Jerusalem has grown far beyond the Old City’s boundaries.

In tradition this is where it is believed

Adam was created from the red dirt of the ground

and where Noah brought an offering after the flood.

Mt Moriah is also the place where Abraham met Melchizedek,

where Abraham brought Isaac to be offered as a sacrifice. Genesis 22. In Hebrew called ‘the akedah’.

Scholars have identified that the same mountain is actually the mountain of myrrh (Song 4:6). Myrrh is mentioned more than any other single plant in the Bible and it held great value for the owner.

Myrrh comes from the word ‘morr’ in Hebrew, the root can refer to something that is a little bitter.

It is used in the anointing oil (Exo 30:23-25) and also for perfume on the priest garment (Ps 45:8).

Esther was soaked with myrrh for 6 months (Esther 2:12). It was one of the gifts given to Jesus/Yeshua.

Mt. Moriah is named after the moriah plant that looks like a Menorah.

                      

A 9 branched Chanukkah menorah

The plant name is similar to the root word for ‘Moriah’. The plant grows in Mt. Moriah. When it is squeezed, beautiful fragrance will come out. This is a picture of Jesus being crushed.

           

A 7 branched Temple menorah

The area on top of Mt. Moriah, the place where the temple used to sit, was in the shape of the letter ‘yud’

(the tenth letter of Hebrew alphabet).

This is the first letter of Gods Name, YHWH. Also the 1st letter for Jacob, Jerusalem, and Judah. So God put the first letter of His Name to things that are related or special to Him.

David bought the threshing floor

from Jebusite King Aranuah

David said he wouldn’t make an offering to God that cost him nothing.

Mount Moriah is also where the Temples were built. These were all at the same location!

 The site of the 1st Temple

built by King David

and 2^nd Temple

built by King Solomon

and the very place which was the site

Golgotha, ‘Gol-go-tha’, Hebrew for ‘the place of the skull’, just outside the city walls. John 19:17-20

where

Jesus/Yeshua was crucified

The elevation of Golgotha, Calvary at the North of Jerusalem interestingly is 777 metres. According to topographical maps the highest point of Mt Moriah.

Above: Skull Hill as seen in 1901 from the northern walls of Jerusalem’s Old City.

777 could also be seen as representing three areas of perfection in body, soul, and spirit.

How else might God put his name on Jerusalem?

It begins with a remarkable letter “Shin” in Hebrew alphabet and it is the 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

 

The Shin letter is shaped much like the English letter w.

It is pronounced like “Sheen”. It is the one letter that represents the unspeakable name of the one and only God “YAHWEH”. This letter holds great significance to the Hebrew People.

Shin (also spelled Šin (šīn) or Sheen) and literally means “teeth”, “press”, and “sharp”; It is the twenty-first letter of the Semitic abjads , including Phoenician Shin, and Hebrew ‫ש‎Shin,

Shin also stands for the word Shaddai, a name for God.

One meaning of Shaddai is, “the keeper of the doors of Israel”, and also:
The letter Shin is often inscribed on the mezuzot placed on all the doorways of Jewish buildings. as God told the Israelites to do in Deut. 6:9.

Because of this, a Kohen (priest)

forms the letter Shin with his hands

as he recites the Priestly Blessing from the Book of Numbers 6:24-26

 

Jerusalem was the place they came to offer their gifts and sacrifices.  This is where the tabernacle was, (and the Temple built later), where sacrifices and offerings were made daily.   There is great significance to this place.

God was known to Abraham in Genesis 17:1

Isaac and Jacob as

El Shaddai. in Ex 6:3

El = God is the strong or first authority

The word El is made up of E/alef and L/lamed

Alef Means Ox, bull, strength, leader, first.

Lamed means Staff, cattle, goad, prod, toward, control and authority

Shaddai means ‘almighty’

Shad =Breast  –  Dai = Sheds forth

and put together El Shaddai =

The Strong Breasted One -The Almighty God- Mighty to Nourish and Supply

To them, God was called the ‘Almighty God’.

The letter Shin is often inscribed on the case containing a mezuzah, a scroll of parchment with Biblical text written on it.

The text contained in the mezuzah is the Shema Yisrael prayer, the scripture portion from Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21; Num 15:37-43. which calls the Israelites to love their God with all their heart, soul and strength.

“Shema” in Hebrew and “To Hear” in English. It says ” Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord (KJV)”.

The mezuzah is situated upon all the door frames in a home or establishment. Sometimes the whole word Shaddai will be written on it. The exhibition of the Hebrew letter Shin is prominently displayed on the cover.

The sanctity of the home is symbolized by this small scroll and covering.  It is a solemn reminder to all who enter and leave the home that the house is Jewish and those who live there are devoted to the ideals of the scripture passages appearing on the scroll.

Interestingly each home, so configured with the mezuzot, could be said to have the name of God on it.

So if we are called by His name and He has formed us, would He sign His name upon us?   Isaiah 43:7 (KJV) Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

Throughout Psalm 119 the letters of the Hebrew alphabet are listed.  The letter Shin is posted at 119:161.

There is one other place God has chosen to write His Name.

The shape of the letter Shin mimics the structure of the human heart:

the lower, larger left ventricle (which supplies the full body) and the smaller right ventricle (which supplies the lungs) are positioned like the lines of the letter Shin Follow the curve going under the right and left ventricles, and the ‘finger’ going up in the middle.

Once again, the letter shin…

the first letter of Shaddai.

God’s Name is not only written in the land of Israel, but physically on our hearts!

Humanity has the undeniable mark of being God’s creation.  Each of us have to choose whether to give our hearts totally to Him or not.  But, when we do, and the enemy comes against us, God can in effect say, “You can’t have them, because My Name is written there!”

Keeping this letter in mind while looking at an old map… 

To be continued.

Amazing conclusion coming in Part 2

 

We can say with the Psalmist..

Psalm 18:2  The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God, my keen and firm Strength in Whom I will trust and take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower.

Because

the Lord is my rock I shall trust in Him who is also my fortress and deliverer, my shield, the horn of my salvation and my High tower.

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

PS 18:2  KJV

The reference to rock in this verse can have the meaning of both a large rocky area,

and also of a huge sheer cliff.

Cephas is the Latin spelling of an Aramaic word for rock ‘Kefa’, which is a ‘small hand sized rock’. (which is used in John 1:42, 1 Corinthians 1:12, 3:22, 9:5, 15:5, and Galatians 1:18, 2:9, 11, & 14.)

The Hebrew word for rock is סלע kaf, which is used well over 100 times in the Hebrew Scriptures, most often with its basic meaning as sole of the foot or palm of the hand, but not with the meaning of rock.

Kaf is simply a rock, small enough to be lifted in one hand.

In 1 Cor 10:4 the Greek word translated ‘rock’, is ‘petra’ meaning rock or large rock.

It does not convey the depth of the Hebrew words for ‘rock’, that refer to Messiah.

Three Hebrew words speak of God or Messiah as a rock. They are: 

צוק סלע תלול

TSOR

referring to a sheer rock cliff. 

צוק סלעי ענק

SAIL

referring to a huge craggy rocky cliff

and  אֶבֶן

EVEN or EBEN pronounced Eh-Ven

speaking of a cut stone

as used in construction

particularly the cornerstone.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not be confounded. Is 28:16

Rocks and cliffs always make us think of an enduring and immovable place, something and somewhere that will not change, break or crumble under the weight of pressure.

When we are in a precarious or vulnerable position, when danger lurks in its many forms, we can trust the Lord to be our protection.

The only truly safe place is in Him, like being inside a huge impenetrable fortress.

He is the deliverer from all our situations.

The horn/power of His salvation both physical and spiritual is like a high tower.

Whenever you look down on something

it always appears reduced in size

and we are not so overwhelmed

BECAUSE we are above the problem..

and

Because

He is ALL these things..

He is worthy of our complete and unquestioning trust. For He is the Rock of our salvation and the chief corner stone which keeps our faith in Him stable and strong. Eph 2:20  1Peter 2:6,7

Be encouraged BECAUSE He will never ever fail us nor crumble under us.

Lion of Judah

aryeh shel yehudah

(יהודה של אריה)

 

Most instinctively our thoughts will go to Jesus/Yeshua as He is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah and we are familiar with that connection. However, the name of the tribe also gave rise to another more commonly known name as a way to reference the people – Jew.

Therefore Jew= a member of the tribe of Judah.

(The Lion of ‘Jewdah’)

As christians and believers, we happily associate ourselves with the scriptures and their emblems as a visual identity and by association being ‘grafted in’, we need to have an understanding and an appreciation of that which we are grafted into.

We cannot annex ourselves from truth, specifically that the Bible and Jesus are not inventions of western denominations  that originate from the 11^th century around 1054.

The origin of our faith is thousands of years older.

יהודה

The word  יְהוּדָה  Yehudah    “Judah”

(Note the letter ‘J’ does not exist in the Hebrew (alphabet) Alef Beit (see other post on this subject, link below) and is always pronounced Y. It does not exist in the Greek either and is written as a letter ‘I’. This was changed much later into the letter and with the pronunciation we know as ‘J’. Other languages e.g. Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish etc., have the same sound as Hebrew for J/Y).

ALEF BET Our Alphabet

 

The term “Jew” is derived from the name of Jacob’s fourth son with Leah. Genesis 29:35. Judah –Yehudah, in the Hebrew

and may have originally applied only to Judah’s descendents, who comprised one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

View larger chart at http://www.biblechronology.org/charts/Geneology.jpg

(12 sons and 1 Daughter Dinah by Leah)

Jacob/Israel said in his blessing:

You and your brothers will acknowledge Judah will be the source of Jewish leadership and royalty of the Davidic dynasty and Messiah.

Chart  Showing The Line From Judah To King David and King Solomon

Chart above enlargement at:

http://www.cookancestry.com/Biblical%20Genealogy/images/06%20Lineage%20of%20Judah.JPG

The word Jew comes from the blessing, Judah, so admired will you be by all your brothers that Jews will not say I am a Rubenite or a Simeonite but I am a Yehudi – Yudahite: Jew. Genesis 49

We read in the book of Esther that Mordechai, of Purim fame, was known as a Yehudi, even though he was from the tribe of Benjamin.

He was the first individual to be called a Jew (Yehudi) in the Scriptures.

“There was a man, a Yehudi, in Shushan the capital, whose name was Mordecai . . . a Yemini” (Esther 2:5)

Mordecai the Guardian

From the scriptures, we know that Mordecai was Esther’s elder cousin who raised her after the demise of her parents and became Mordecai the Guardian.

Mordecai sat in the king’s gate or court which meant that he was a man of intelligence and knowledge; very likely a scribe.  His wisdom of the Medo-Persian culture and palace life gave him the wisdom to counsel Hadassah into taking a Babylonian name, and not disclosing her lineage or religion.  It was also this wisdom—coupled with his palace access—that allowed him to save the king’s life. 2:21-23).

There is a passage in the Talmud (Tractate Megillah 12b) which asks on this: “He is called a Yehudi, implying that he descended from Judah; he then is called Yemini, implying that he is a Benjaminite!” Rabbi Jochanan responds: “He was a Benjaminite. Yet he was called a Yehudi because he rejected idolatry–and anyone who rejects idolatry is called a Yehudi.”

 

But there is also a deeper meaning to the name ‘Jew’.

The commentaries explain that the name Yehudah shares the same root as the Hebrew word hoda’ah, which means acknowledgement or submission.

One who acknowledges God’s existence and submits to His authority – to the extent that he is willing to sacrifice his life for the sanctification of His name – he is called a Yehudi.

 

Hence Abraham is commonly referred to as The First Jew.

As the first person to use his own cognitive abilities to discover and recognize the one God, reject the idolatrous ways of his ancestors and contemporaries, actively publicized the truth of God and was prepared to give his very life for these goals. Abraham epitomized Jewishness many centuries before the term came into common use.

A cub of a lion in the future Judah would be like a lion, the King of beasts that when Jacob blessed him he was still a cub, for his greatest moments when he would reign over the nation was still in the future.

When Joseph ‘went missing’, Jacob had suspected Judah more than the others, because he was the one destined for kingship, he thought that he would be the one who felt most threatened by Joseph’s dreams.

Jacob was also referring prophetically to Judah’s greatest descendant David who first displayed his strength and courage as a boy when he killed a lion and a bear. Genesis 49:9

The word יְהוּדָה  Yehudah   is usually translated as “Judah” in English Bibles.

This name has such rich meaning for both Jewish and Christian traditions.

For example, in the Hebrew Bible, God called King David, who came from the tribe of Judah, “the man after My own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14).

In the New Testament, Jesus/Yeshua, a later descendant of David, is referred to as ‘the Lion from the tribe of Judah’ (Rev.5:5).

 

Further, the sons of Jacob and their descendants make up the 12 tribes of Israel. Among them Judah will be supreme. From the tribe of Judah comes King David and from David’s line Jesus Christ is born. In Revelation 5 John describes his vision of the scroll and the lamb. No one is found worthy to open the scroll. Then “One of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed, enabling him to open the scroll with its seven seals’” (verse 5).

The ‘Lion of the Tribe of Judah’ and the ‘Root of David’, are thus Messianic titles given to Jesus the Christ/Yeshua Ha Mashiach, who has been victorious in the struggle with evil.

 

The importance of Judah, therefore, is obvious.

But what does Judah actually mean in Hebrew?

The word Judah comes from the verb לְהודות Lehodot, which simply means ‘to thank’.

In the context of the Hebrew Bible, such thanks are synonymous not just with gratitude, but with praise.

The tribe of Judah is also synonymous with praise, as the praisers always led the Israelites on their journeys and the tribe of Judah was always at the front.

In fact, there was a particular sacrifice called ‘The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving.’ In the Temple in Jerusalem, it was called תּודָה “Todah” – the noun for “Thanksgiving.”

A commentary states that the reason for this was Leah’s motive in giving Judah his name. She gave it to express her gratitude to God for having given her more than her share. Genesis 29:35

It is characteristic of a Jew that he thanks God for everything, never feeling that he is entitled to divine benevolence, quite contrary to today’s attitude of entitlement and taking everything for granted and the expectation and attitude of, ‘ it is my right’.

It is a model for the heathen/ goyim. We would do well to emulate those to whom we are grafted into by grace and mercy.

It is interesting to note that in Modern Hebrew, to simply say ‘thanks’, Israelis use the very same word  תּודָה todah, that was used in the Temple to express gratitude to God.

Middle English,

from Anglo-French ju, jeu,

from Latin Judaeus,

from Greek Ioudaios,

from Hebrew Yĕhūdhī,

from Yĕhūdhāh Judah, Jewish kingdom

Etymology of the name Judah

The name Judah appears to be associated to the verb ידה (yada), meaning to praise noun and הוד (hod), generally meaning splendor, majesty, vigor, glory or honor,:

(This from the Hebrew dictionary Abarim Publications)

הוד  ידה

The two words ידה (yada) and הוד (hod) are formally completely separate, but their forms are so similar that when either of them appear in names, in conjunction with other elements, we can often not be entirely sure which one of the two we’re looking at.

The middle ו (waw) in the word הוד (hod), and the final ה (he) of the word ידה (yada) are allowed to drop out in several grammatical constructions, and the letter י (yod) appears frequently in front of a root to create a form that means ‘he will . . ‘ or ‘let him.. ‘.

In regular texts, the origin of a word can usually be understood from contexts but since names often lack a clear context, we usually can go both ways. Names that contain either of these words must be understood to possess two complete meanings.

הוד

The noun הוד (hod), generally meaning splendor, majesty, vigor, glory or honor, occurs frequently in the Bible, from the authority or majesty of the king (Jeremiah 22:18) or a prophet such as Moses (Numbers 27:20), to the divine splendor of God (Psalm 104:1), and the splendor of Israel due to the blessings of God (Hosea 14:7 – his beauty will be like the olive tree).

If our two words are indeed separate (which scholars assume), the word הוד (hod) is a single child of the identical (and also assumed) root הוד (hwd). And to make the mystery even greater, HAW, the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament reports, that “so far no related root in other Semitic languages has been found for hod. It is uniquely a Hebrew word”.

That’s obviously a rarity, and raises the suspicion that our two words aren’t separate at all. BDB Theological Dictionary, on the other hand, reports of some Arabic verbs that are similar to our word, one of which means crash, roar, resonance, while the other, oddly enough, means to be gentle, quiet, especially in speech.

Quite a perfect description of Messiah Jesus Yeshua HaMashiach first and second appearances. The first gentle, quiet, especially in speech. and when He returns with more of a crash, roar and resonance.

ידה

The root-verb ידה (yada) means to confess, praise, give thanks.

HAW Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament reports that ‘the primary meaning of this root is, ‘to acknowledge or confess sin, God’s character and works, or man’s character’.

Originally this verb probably meant to cast or throw (and – intuitively – seems to have to do with the noun יד (yad) meaning hand). Yet another by-form of this verb is ידד (yadad), meaning to cast, which is identical to the verb ידד (yadad), meaning to love; as in the name David).

Remnants of this meaning of ‘to cast’, can be found in Lamentations 3:53 and Zechariah 2:4. Then it moved to mean a private or national confession of sin (for instance in Leviticus 16:21, Aaron will praise over the scapegoat), which is the very thing the Law was designed to provoke (Romans 3:20).

Then it evolved to denote gratitude, and only finally it came to indicate what we know as praise. As the theologian Westermann noted, this verb is often translated with to thank, but the Hebrew language has no verb specifically reserved for expression of gratitude.

This verb yields two derivations:

• The feminine plural noun הידות (huyyedot), meaning songs of praise (Nehemiah 12:8 only).

• The feminine noun תודה (toda), meaning confession or praise (Joshua 7:19, Psalm 26:7).

The name יהודה (yehuda; Judah) also comes from this verb, and thus so do:

• The masculine ethnonym יהודי (yehudi), meaning Judaic, Jewish or Jew.

• The feminine ethnonym יהודית (yehudit, hence the name Judith), also meaning Jewish, but only used in the construction “Jewish language” (2 Kings 18:26, Nehemiah 13:24).

The verb יהד (yehud), meaning to become a Jew (Esther 8:17).

Interesting note, that the feminine form of this name, Judith, occurs a generation earlier than Judah and may very well be the original (meaning that the name Judah is derived from Judith and not vice versa). Judith is the Hittite aunt of Judah, married to Judah’s uncle Esau. This also implies that the Biblical meanings of the names Judah and Judith may have been imposed upon these existing names, and the spelling of them altered to fit the meaning.

 

The name Judah transliterated into Greek is Ιουδα, Iouda.

The name Judas (Ιουδας) is the Hellenized version of the Hebrew name Judah.

 

The lion who is still to come.

He came the first time as our submissive Passover lamb

and left His presence with us in

Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh

but

He will come back

and also as Judge.

Lion of Judah and Judaism

The lion of Judah on the emblem of Jerusalem.

 

Within Judaism, the Biblical Judah (in Hebrew: Yehuda) is the original name of the Tribe of Judah – traditionall symbolized by a lion.

In Genesis, the patriarch Jacob refers to his son Judah as a Gur Aryeh יְהּוָדהַאְריֵהּגּור, a “Young Lion” (Genesis 49:9) when blessing him. In the Jewish naming tradition, the Hebrew name and the substitute name are often combined as a pair, as in this case.

As a result of the lion’s link to the tribe of Judah, the dominant tribe among the ancient Israelites and the legendary ancestor of the Kingdom of Judah, Judea and the modern Jews, variations or translations of the word “lion” have been used as a substitute name for Judah (Yehuda) among Jews.

Lion of Judah in Christianity

In Christian tradition, the lion is often assumed to represent Jesus.

Many Christian organizations and ministries use the lion of Judah as their emblem or even their name.

The following phrase appears in the New Testament Book of Revelation 5:5; “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.”

In the fullness of time ..Gods time …Yeshua/Jesus will return as King of Kings

The Lion of the tribe of Judah יְהוּדָה  Yehudah