בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת
בראשית א:א
In beginning God created Alef-Tav
Genesis 1:1
אֲנִי אֲנִי אָלֶף וָתָו
הָרִאשׁוֹן וְהָאַחֲרוֹן
הָרֹאשׁ וְהַסּוֹף
התגלות כב:יג
I am Alef and Tav,
the first and the last,
the beginning and the end.
Revelation 22:13
The Bible and science agree that there was a beginning and there will be an end to life on Earth as we know it. So it makes sense that the Word of God has a book about the beginning and a book about the end. Layers of meaning with patterns and prophecy provide compelling evidence that the origin of Scripture transcends human capacity.
Tanakh (aka Old Testament/Covenant)
begins with creation
tells of the Creaotor's nature and development of covenant relationship with His people
ends with decree for Jews returning from Babylonian exile to rebuild Temple in Jerusalem
Brit Chadashah (aka New Testament/Covenant)
begins with the humble incarnation of Messiah, the Word made flesh, light to the world
tells of God's covenant relationship with His people extending to all nations to form spiritual Temple
ends with return of Messiah in glory to destroy spiritual Babylon and establish the kingdom of heaven on earth
Bible from Genesis to Revelation
begins with the Hebrew letter Bet ב
ends with the Hebrew letter Nun Sofit ן
so the entire Word of God is contained in the Son "BeN" בן
בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ.
בראשית א:א
"In beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
Genesis 1:1
חֶסֶד אֲדוֹנֵנוּ יֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ עִם כָּל הַקְּדוֹשִׁים. אָמֵן.
התגלות כב:כא
"Grace of our lord Yeshua the Messiah with all the holy people. Amen."
Revelation 22:21
The adversary/satan twists the Word of God, often using doctrine that mixes lies with truth and offers absolute answers to profound mysteries. Although traditions of men divide us, the Word unites believers!
Creation happened when the Source of all uttered letters Alef-Tav to construct the universe. God created darkness and formed light. Jewish mystics immersed in Torah conceptualize this light as shattering into sparks that each soul gathers and shares during our unique journeys as spiritual beings in physical bodies.
אֲנִ֤י יְהוָה֙ וְאֵ֣ין ע֔וֹד
זוּלָתִ֖י אֵ֣ין אֱלֹהִ֑ים
אֲאַזֶּרְךָ֖
וְלֹ֥א יְדַעְתָּֽנִי׃
לְמַ֣עַן יֵדְע֗וּ
מִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ וּמִמַּ֣עֲרָבָ֔הּ כ
ִּי־אֶ֖פֶס בִּלְעָדָ֑י
אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה וְאֵ֥ין עֽוֹד׃
יוֹצֵ֥ר אוֹר֙ וּבוֹרֵ֣א חֹ֔שֶׁךְ
עֹשֶׂ֥ה שָׁל֖וֹם וּב֣וֹרֵא רָ֑ע
אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה עֹשֶׂ֥ה כָל־אֵֽלֶּה׃
ישעיה מד:ה-ז
"I am HaShem and there is none else,
beside Me there are no gods;
I engird you,
and you have not known Me.
That they may know,
from the east and the west of the sun,
that there is nothing without Me;
I am HaShem and there is none else.
I form light and create darkness,
I make peace and create evil;
I HaShem do all these things."
Isaiah 45:5-7
The Bible contains many themes that develop from beginning to end, from Genesis to Revelation. For example, let's look at light from Beyond:
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֖ים
יְהִ֣י א֑וֹר
וַֽיְהִי־אֽוֹר
בראשית א:ג
"And God said,
'Let there be light'
and there was light."
Genesis 1:3
נֵר-לְרַגְלִי דְבָרֶךָ
וְאוֹר לִנְתִיבָתִי
תהילים קיט:קה
"Your Word is a lamp to my feet,
and a light to my path."
Psalms 119:105
הוּא הָיָה אוֹר הָאֱמֶת
הַמֵּאִיר לְכָל אָדָם
שֶׁבָּא לָעוֹלָם
בָּעוֹלָם הָיָה
וְהָעוֹלָם עַל-יָדוֹ נִהְיָה
וְהָעוֹלָם לֹא יְדָעוֹ
ההכרזת יוחנן א:ט-י
"He was the true Light
enlightening every man
that came to the world;
he was in the world,
and the world was made through him,
and the world did not know him."
John 1:9-10
כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר אָמַר
יֹפַע אוֹר מֵחֹשֶׁךְ
הוּא זָרַח בְּלִבּוֹתֵינוּ
לְמַעַן נוּאַר
בִּידִיעַת כְּבוֹד הָאֱלֹהִים
בִּפְנֵי יֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ
אגרת שאול השניה אל הקורינתים ד:ו
"For God, who said,
'Light will shine from darkness,'
is the One who has shone in our hearts
to illuminate us
with the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Yeshua the Messiah."
2 Corinthians 4:6
וְלַיְלָה לֹא יִהְיֶה עוֹד
וְלֹא יִהְיֶה לָהֶם צֹרֶךְ בְּאוֹר מְנוֹרָה
וּבְאֵשׁ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ
כִּי יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהִים מֵאִיר לָהֶם
וְיִמְלְכוּ לְעוֹלְמֵי עוֹלָמִים
התגלות כב:ה
"And there will be no more night,
and they will not need the light of a menorah
or the fire of the sun,
for HaShem God will illuminate them.
and they will reign forever and ever."
Revelation 22:5
We can do the same with other themes such as water, wind, earth, fire, seed, tree, vine, fruit, lamb, rock, bread, wine, clothing, treasure, mountains, and stars in the Word of God. People, animals, plants, objects, places, and events in Scripture carry both literal and figurative meaning. When we study the Bible in this way we grow in faith that this compilation of 66 books written by about 40 different authors over a span of approximately 1,500 years forms an integrated message inspired from beyond time and space.
We know our bodies are mortal; life in this world is a temporary journey. All of the immeasurably vast universe is creation which shows us that there must be a Creator.
שֶׁהֲרֵי נִסְתְּרוֹת הָאֱלֹהִים
מֵאָז מוֹסְדוֹת עוֹלָם
נִרְאוֹת לִבְרוּאָיו
עַל-יְדֵי הַשֵּׂכֶל וּגְבוּרָתוֹ וֵאלֹהוּתוֹ אֲשֶׁר לְעוֹלָם
בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לְלֹא הִצְטַדְּקוּת
אגרת שאול אל הרומים א:כ
"For God's hidden qualities,
since institution of the universe,
appear to His creatures,
by means of His eternal intelligence and power and divinity,
in a way that they will be without self-justification."
Romans 1:20
God has placed yearning in our hearts for the relationship with eternity for which we were created.
אֶת־הַכֹּ֥ל עָשָׂ֖ה יָפֶ֣ה בְעִתּ֑וֹ
גַּ֤ם אֶת־הָעֹלָם֙ נָתַ֣ן בְּלִבָּ֔ם
מִבְּלִ֞י אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹא־יִמְצָ֣א הָאָדָ֗ם אֶת־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֛ה
אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים
מֵרֹ֥אשׁ וְעַד־סֽוֹף
קהלת ג:יא
"He has made everything beautiful in its time;
He has also given eternity in their heart,
without which man cannot fathom the action
which God has done
from beginning to end."
Ecclesiastes 3:11
כִּי בְּרִיאָה שֶׁלּוֹ אֲנַחְנוּ,
אֲשֶׁר נִבְרֵאנוּ בְּיֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ
לַמַּעֲשִׂים הַטּוֹבִים
אֲשֶׁר הֵכִין הָאֱלֹהִים מִקֶּדֶם
לְמַעַן נִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּהֶם.
אגרת שאול אל האפסים ב:י
"For we are God’s creation
created in Yeshua the Messiah
for the good works
which God prepared from ancient times
for us to walk in them."
Ephesians 2:10
When Jewish leaders approached Yeshua, they often asked about eternal life. He responded that we need to be reborn spiritually.
עָנָה יֵשׁוּעַ וְאָמַר לוֹ:
אָמֵן אָמֵן אוֹמֵר אֲנִי לְךָ
אִם אֵין אָדָם נוֹלָד מִן הַמַּיִם וְהָרוּחַ
אֵין הוּא יָכוֹל לְהִכָּנֵס לְמַלְכוּת הָאֱלֹהִים
הכרזת יוחנן ג:ה
"Yeshua answered and said to him,
'Very truly I say to you,
if a man is not born from the water and the Spirit
he is not able to enter the kingdom of God.'"
John 3:5
Our mortal bodies cannot live forever; our souls need everlasting clothing.
כִּי עָתִיד זֶה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁחָת לִלְבֹּשׁ אַל-כִּלָּיוֹן
וְזֶה אֲשֶׁר מֵת לִלְבֹּשׁ אַלְמָוֶת
אגרת שאול הראשונה אל הקורינתים טו:נג
"For what is corrupted needs to wear what is indestructible,
and what is mortal needs to wear immortality."
1 Corinthians 15:53
Like a child developing from baby to adult in relationship with loving parents, we are meant to grow, during our journey through this life, both more individuated and more deeply connected with our Source.
כַּאֲנָשִׁים שֶׁנּוֹלְדוּ מֵחָדָשׁ
לֹא מִזֶרַע נִשְׁחָת
אֶלָּא מִבִּלְתִּי נִשְׁחָת
בִּדְבָרוֹ הַחַי שֶׁל אֱלֹהִים הַקַּיָּם לְעוֹלָם
אגרת כיפה הראשונה א:כג
"Like people who have been born anew,
not from corrupted seed,
but from undamaged,
in the living Word of the eternal God."
1 Peter 1:23
אמת
"EMeT"
truth
Alef-Tav with Mem in the middle
The Word of God does not end in the middle with repeated cycles of sin-destruction-repentance-salvation as prophets warn of doom and promise hope. The Bible concludes with material shadows illuminated by spiritual realities.
א
Alef
beginning - בראשיתGenesis - creation
separation of spiritual and material realms
מ
Mem
middle - life in material world
desertמדבר waterמים mitzvotמצוות Messiahמשיח
connection with spiritual realm through Word & Spirit
ת
Tav
end - התגלותRevelation - fulfillment
joining in marriage of material and spiritual realms
וְאֶת הָעִיר הַקְּדוֹשָׁה
יְרוּשָׁלַיִם הַחֲדָשָׁה
רָאִיתִי יוֹרֶדֶת מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם מֵאֵת הָאֱלֹהִים
מוּכָנָה כְּכַלָּה מְקֻשֶּׁטֶת לְאִישָׁהּ
התגלות כא:ב
"And the Holy City,
the new Jerusalem,
I saw descending from the heavens from God,
prepared like a bride adorned for her husband."
Revelation 21:2
Comentários