Definions of Biblical Words – Part 1 (English)
For the Afrikaans version, click here.
Let’s examine how the people of the Old Testament and the New Testament understood these words, from their Hebrew culture. Let’s investigate and determine if the teachings of Father from the Old Testament of both the Torah (teacher) and the Prophets (future) are consistent with the present (New Testament).
Let’s suppose you lived in the Messiah’s era, about 49 years before the destruction of the temple, and you heard a teaching directly from the Messiah’s mouth or one of his disciples. What would you have referred to, to determine if their teaching was the truth? You would have referred to the scriptures. Let us determine what these writings would be in Messiah’s era.
What is The Scriptures?
Here are the verses we are going read in search of Father’s definition of the Scriptures. Please study it for yourself before you go to the summary of our findings.
Acts 17 v11
Luke 24 v4
Galations 3 v8
2 Timothy 3 v16
Matthew 21 v42
Matthew 22 v29
Luke 24 v27
James 4 v5
2 Peter 1 v20
2 Peter 3 v15-16
Luke 11 v49-51
Matthew 23 v34-35
Luke 24 v44
Let’s read together…
“These were more noble than those in Tasloniqiy (Thessalonike) in that they received the word With all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
Acts 17 v11
Of course, they consulted their scriptures which were the Torah, Prophets and scriptures of what we call the “Old Testament” today. Keep in mind that they did not call the Hebrew scriptures in their era the “Old Testament” and that there was no “New Testament” written yet. Messiah spoke about this:
“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spoke unto you, while I was yet with you, that al/ things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Torah (law) of Mosheh (Moses), and in the prophets, and in the Tehi//iym (Psalms), concerning me.”
Luke 24 v44
“And the Scripture, foreseeing that Elohiym would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the Besorah unto Avraham (Abraham), saying, In you shall all nations be blessed.”
Galatians 3 v8
“All Scripture is given by the Ruach elohiym, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”
II Timothy 3 v16
If you lived in Messiah’s era now what would it mean to you? It could only mean one thing, are what we know today as the Torah, Prophets and Writings the “Old Testament.”
YaHUsHa said unto them, ‘Did ye never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the sarne is become the head of the corner: this is YaHUaH’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?'”
Matthew 21 v42
This clearly comes from the prophet Yashayah (Isaiah).
“YaHUsHa answered and said unto them, ‘Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of Elohiym.'”
Matthew 22 v29
“And beginning at Mosheh and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”
Luke 24 v27
“‘Do ye think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Ruach that dwells in us lusts to envy?'”
James 4 v5
“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.”
II Peter 1 v20
“And account that the longsuffering of YaHUaH is salvation; even as our beloved brother Pa ‘al also according to the wisdom given unto him has written unto you; As also in all his cepheriym (letters), speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable pervert, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction.”
II Peter 3 v15-16
“Therefore also said the wisdom of Elohiym, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this nation; From the blood of H’avel unto the blood of Zakaryahu, which perished between the altar and the Temple: truly I say unto you, It shall be required of this nation.”
Luke 11 v49-51
“Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous havel(Abel) unto the blood of Zakaryahu son of Berekyahu, whom ye slew between the Temple and the altar.”
Matthew 23 v34-35
“And he (YaHUaH) said unto thern, These are the words which I spoke unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Torah of Mosheh (law), and in the prophets, and in the Tehilliym (Psalms), concerning me.”
Luke 24 v44
It is clear that when the writings are spoken of, it is the Torah, the prophets and the other writings that were known to the people in Messiah’s era as the Hebrew writings and not as the “Old Testament”, because in their era there a had not yet been penned.
If you now look up the word writings in the Hebrew writings (“Old Testament”), you will not find it there, the Hebrew writings (“Old Testament”) are in their entirety the writings, and will therefore only be found through the books which do not form part of the scriptures, point to it.
What is…
How many times have you said: “the word of Father is powerful.” or “we must study the word to see how we should live.”
What will we have used in the age of Yahusha to find out what the word is. The Hebrew scriptures, and now we already know what they are, so let’s take a look.
What is The Word?
Here are the verses we are going to read in search of Father’s definition of the Scriptures. Please study it for yourself before you go to the summary of our findings.
Numbers 15 v29-31
Deuteronomy 5 v2-3
Deuteronomy 5 v5
Isaiah 1 v10
Isaiah 5 v24
Isaiah 2 v2-3
Micha 4 v2
John 1 1-3
John 1 v14
Isaiah 44 v24
Nehemia 9 v6
Let’s read together…
“Ye shall have one Torah (law) for him that sins through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Yashar’e/ (Israel), and for the stranger that sojourns among them.”
Numbers 15 v29-31
“But the soul that does ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproaches YaHUaH; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he has despised the Word (Torah) of YaHUaH, and has broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.”
Numbers 15 v30-31
Above the word is compared to HIS commandment.
“YaHUaH Elohaynu cut a covenant with us in Chorev (Horeb). YaHUaH cut not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.”
Deuteronomy 5 v2-3
It refers to the peace covenant at Mount Sinai.
“I stood between YaHUaH and you at that time, to show you the Word of YaHUaH: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount, saying”
Deuteronomy 5 v5
“Hear the Word of YaHUaH, ye rulers of Cedom (Sodom); give ear unto the Torah of our Elohiym, ye people of Amorah (Gomorrah).”
Isaiah 1 v10
Above the word is compared to listening to the Torah.
“Therefore as the fire devours the stubble, and the flame consumes the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the Torah of YaHUaH Tseva’oth, and despised the Word of the Holy One of Yashar’el.”
Isaiah 5 v24
Above the Torah is compared to the word.
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of YaHUaH’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and Shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.”
Isaiah 2 v2
“And many people shall go and say, ‘Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of YaHUaH, to the house of the Elohai of Ya’aqov; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Tsiyon (Zion) shall go forth the Torah, and the Word of YaHUaH from Yerushalayim (is the imagery of Father’s earthly kingdom).'”
Isaiah 2 v3
Above the Torah is compared to the word. And the Torah is called YaHUaH’s ways and paths.
“And many nations shall come, and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of YaHUaH, and to the house of the Elohai of Ya’aqov (Jacob); and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the Torah shall go forth of Tsiyon, and the Word of YaHUaH from Yerushalayim.'”
Micha 4 v2
Above we see again that the Torah of the heavens (Mount Zion) is compared to the word (Jerusalem).
According to the Hebrew writings of those who lived in Messiah’s era, we now know that the word is the Torah and commandments of Father.
So, when we were in an audience where the speaker brought the following teaching, what would we have deduced according to the Hebrew scriptures (“Old Testament”)?
“In the beginning was the Word (the Torah), and the Word (the Torah) was with Elohiym, and Elohiym was the Word (the Torah). The same was in the beginning with Elohiym. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.”
John 1 v1-3
So, the Torah of Father is his words, and if Father, for example, had not spoken and said: “let there be light,” there would not have been light.
“And the Word became flesh and pitched His tent among us, and we saw His esteem, esteern as of an only brought-forth of a father, complete in favour and truth.”
John 1 v14
Many people learn from John 1 that Messiah created the heavens and earth with the Father because of their interpretations of it.
Let’s look at the following two witnesses and reconsider what some people teach.
“Thus says YaHUaH, your Redeemer, and he that formed you from the womb, I am YaHUaH that makes all things; that stretches forth the heavens alone; that spreads abroad the earth by myself”
Isaiah 44 v24
“You, even you, are YaHUaH alone; you have made the heavens, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and you preserve them all; and the host of heaven worships you.”
Nehemia 9 v6
