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child would be called Immanuel or “God is with us,” but many questions
remain unanswered. Try wrapping your arms around the reality of the
messianic message, because it’s a distinct reality that most do not
comprehend. Most people accept religious theology that infers Jesus is the
messiah awaiting His return in this age.
Through the Hebrew nation at a prescribed time, an innocent virgin would
give birth, and the Old Testament would in part be confirmed. What about
the spiritual birth or rebirth of a son, as given in the book of Revelations?
Jesus gave those words to John. Was Jesus referring to Himself, and does
the book of Revelations refer to God as the faithful son or to the son of
man, a mere-man? Argument today clouds the issues as most hold fast to
traditional interpretations. Just like the Hebrews of old, such arguments or
assumptions do not deal with reality accurately. Thus, what is spiritually
unseen, although revealed within the scriptures, is not clearly or fully
understood, but it must be made known, or what is the value of prophecy?
Revelations reveals what is hidden, and the standard reply is denial. Or, the
reply is “it’s a mystery” because what is presented is not yet understood;
however, it is no longer a mystery!
The original Hebrew meanings of words do not just reflect on places or
events in times past. These words apply to today, yet they don’t have
geographical or historic significance to known places of times past, even
though some of those places carry the names today. For example, the word
Assyria
in essence means “second son.”
Ephraim
means, “double fruit” or
“descended from”.
Judah
translates to “descended from the first” or “as
applicable to the chosen ones”. These understandings reach beyond a single
ethnic group, because the word is directly conditional on man himself—not
on the physical genetics of the individual. There is no longer a chosen or
predestined nationality as the chosen of God. What is documented about
Isaiah continues to inform the world and offer prophetic vision, and such
prophecy is reflected in the use of those words and is still specific.
“In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the
nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious. In that day
the Lord will
r ea ch ou t h i s hand a s e c ond t ime
to reclaim the remnant that
is left of his people. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the
exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four
quarters of the earth. Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish, and Judah’s enemies
will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile
toward Ephraim.”
(Isaiah 11:10–13)