3.4 Here’s your God!

Learn who the God of Israel is…

Introduction

Matt. 11:2 “Now John (The Baptist) in his prison had heard what Messiah was doing and he sent His disciples to ask Him: ‘Are You the One Who is to come, or do we have to wait for someone else?’ ”

John was the son of a Hebrew Temple priest in the House of YHVH in Jerusalem (Luke 1:5-15). Having grown up in a priestly family, he was well versed in the Promises of the Old Testament prophets. In fact, his was a specific, prophetic, divine calling “to prepare a way for YHVH”.

Mal. 3:1 “Look, I am going to send My messenger to prepare a way before Me.” (YHVH speaking).

The fact that John was that ‘Messenger’ is confirmed in Matt 3:3 as well as by Messiah Himself in Matt, 17:7-11.

John’s very active and successful preaching mission ended abruptly when he was cast into prison. The dark, cold and lonesome hours in the dungeon soon cast its shadows over his mind. Although he had the honour of baptising the Messiah; although he saw and heard the divine confirmation that it was truly the promised Messiah, the ‘Lamb of God’ Whom he had baptised (Jo.1:29-34), doubt now set in. Was this ordeal in the prison cell his reward for having been divinely called to ‘prepare a Way for the coming of YHVH’?  Or had he perhaps mistakenly identified the wrong person as the ‘Salvation of YHVH’? Do they perhaps have to wait for Someone else?

Messiah, well aware of John’s knowledge of the Scriptures, returns His answer with the enquiring disciples to John –  an answer which not only confirms His Messiahship, but, in ‘secret’ scriptural code reveals an astounding and glorious Truth:

Matt. 11:4 “Go back and tell John what you hear and see: The blind see again and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear…”

To those who have little knowledge of the Old Testament scriptures, this answer would be quite meaningless. But to John and those who wish to ‘search the scriptures’,  it holds a clue – a breathtaking Revelation – for this answer by the Messiah was a direct quotation from a much repeated Old Testament Prophecy, the fulfillment of which had been Israel’s dream for centuries.  We quote:

Isaiah 35:5, 6 “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf unsealed; then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy …”

When?  When the promise of the foregoing verse in this chapter is fulfilled:

Isa. 35:3,4 “Look, YOUR GOD is coming. He is coming to save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened…”etc.

Isa. chapter 40, the chapter which contains the main prophecy of John the Baptist’s coming (as referred to by Luke 3:4-6; Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:2,3; Jo. 1:23) repeats this Revelationary Truth in even clearer terms:

Isa. 40:9-11 “Go up on a high mountain, joyful Messenger to Zion. Shout with a loud voice… say to the towns ot Judah: ‘Here is your God! Here is the Lord YHVH coming with Power… He is like a Shepherd feeding His flock’ “(Write for our booklet ‘The Good Shepherd’).

This was Messiah’s answer in Scriptural code to John: that John may be assured that he was dealing here not only with the promised Messiah of the ages, but also with the Most High YHVH Himself, in human form!

Could this 40th chapter of Isaiah have referred to another occasion when YHVH would personally come?   Although there is indeed a dual application to these prophecies – firstly pointing to His presence at this time of John the Baptist, but secondly, pointing certainly to a future time, when He would come as the Judge of mankind, at the End of Time. In confirmation of its application here, to the time when John the Baptist questioned it,  verse 3 identifies this very same enquirer, John the Baptist, as that Messenger  ‘to prepare a Way for YHVH’ at His Coming!

Isa. 40:3-5 “A voice cries,  ‘Prepare in the wilderness a Way for YHVH, make a straight highway FOR OUR GOD…’ Then the Glory of YHVH shall be revealed and all mankind shall see it, for the mouth of YHVH has spoken.”

Mal. 3:1 “Look I (YHVH) am going to send My Messenger to prepare a way before Me. And the Lord you are seeking will suddenly enter His Temple. ..”

Matt. 11:4 “Go back and tell John what you hear and see: The blind see again and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear…”  Messiah’s answer in code to John the Baptist, was to prove to him that He, YAHU’SHUAH the Messiah, was indeed the Promised One – but more:  That He was YHVH the Eternal in Human Form

The King enters His Temple

The New Testament wonderfully describes the fulfilment of the above Prophecy given through Malachi. The occasion is in Jerusalem, when Messiah, shortly before His crucifixion, at the time of the Jewish Festival of Pesach (Passover),  triumphantly entered the city on a donkey (in fulfilment of Zech. 9:9).

Matt. 21:8-16 “Great crowds of people spread their cloaks on the road while others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in His path (as a token of honour unto royalty). The crowds were all shouting ‘Hosanna’ to the Son of David! Blessings on Him Who comes in the Name of YHVH!  Hosanna in the highest heavens!” (*Refer footnote below)

“Messiah then went into the Temple and drove out all those who were selling and buying there.  He upset the tables of the money changers …”  ‘According to Scripture’, He said, ‘My House will be called a House of prayer but you are turning it into a robbers’ den!’  There were also blind and lame people who came to Him in the Temple and He cured them. At the sight of the wonderful things He did and of the children shouting ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’ in the Temple, the chief priests and the scribes were indignant. ‘Do you hear what they are saying?’  they said to Him. ‘Yes,’ He answered, ‘Have you never read this: By the mouths of children and babes in arms you have made sure of praise?…”  (Quoted from Ps. 8:2).

Why were the learned theologians so upset?  Were they blinded to the Truth or why did they refuse to believe these great signs in fulfilment of Prophecy?

• Firstly, that HE was the ‘King’ to enter HIS Temple, the One they had been waiting for, for centuries, according to Malachi’s Prophecy (Mal. 3:1-5)
• Secondly, that HE healed the lame and the blind in fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy that ‘GOD’ is coming …’ (Isa 35:4,5) as He had already answered and proven to John the Baptist earlier.
• Thirdly, HIM it was that the crowds honoured with shouts of ‘Hosanna in the highest heavens!’, receiving Him with royal gestures.
• Fourthly, that it would be He Himself Who, at the End of Days, would come as the King of Kings, the Great Judge – YHVH Himself, the Ruler of the universe!

Matt. 23:39 “Your House (Judah’s Temple in Jerusalem) will be left to you desolate, for I promise, you will not see Me until you say  ‘Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of YHVH'”

Ps. 118:22  “It was the Stone rejected by the builders, that proved to be the Key Stone.  This is YHVH’s doing and it is wonderful to see … (v. 25) Please YHVH, please save us (Hoshia nah!) … Blessings on Him Who comes in the Name of YHVH … YHVH is God; He smiles on us.  With branches in your hands, draw up in procession … You are my God, I give you thanks.  I extol you, my God.  I give you thanks for having heard me, you have been my Saviour.  Give thanks to YHVH for He is good; His Love is everlasting.”

No wonder that Jerusalem was ‘in turmoil’ on that day and pandemonium reigned! (Matt. 21:10).  For GOD ALMlGHTY had come to His own!   YHVH was among His people in the manifestation of a human body! (1 Tim. 3:16).

John 1:10,11 “He was in the world that had its being through Him, and the world did not know Him! He came to His own domain, and His own people did not accept Him!”

Zech. 13:6 “And one shall say unto Him, ‘What are these wounds in thine hands?’ Then He shall answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends!

Who is ‘The King’?

Let us now return to our key Scripture in Isaiah for an amazing revelation of Who this King truly is:

Isa. 35:3,4  “Look, YOUR GOD is coming. He is coming to save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened…”

Confirmed again in:

Isa. 40:9-11 “Go up on a high mountain, joyful Messenger to Zion. Shout with a loud voice… say to the towns ot Judah: ‘Here is your God! Here is the Lord YHVH coming with Power… He is like a Shepherd feeding His flock'”

Dear reader, what will you do with this ‘Man’ today?  How does the spirit within you react at the hearing of this Message?   Do you rebel at the thought that He, YAHU’SHUAH the Messiah, is really YHVH, the Eternal Most High?   Can you shout ‘Hosanna in the highest!’  or will you join those who rebuke the ‘babes’ who recognise and praise Him?

John 1:12 “…but to all who did accept Him He gave Power to become children of YHVH, to all who believe in His Name…”

Mal. 3:16,17   “…But YHVH took note and heard them. A Book of Remembrance was written… recording those who fear Him and take refuge in His Name. On the Day which I am preparing, says YHVH, they are going to be My OWN SPEClAL POSSESSION…”

Matt. 11:4-6   “Go back and tell John what you hear and see: The blind see again and the lame walk… the deaf hear… AND BLESSED IS HE WHOSOEVER SHALL NOT BE OFFENDED IN ME!”

(*) “Hosanna” — Hebrew: ‘Hoshia na’ viz. ‘Save us please!’  It is part of the main theme of the Hallel (‘Praises’) section of the Jewish Festival Service. when the congregation (even to this day) cry out: “Ana Adonai, Hoshia na!”  –  Please YHVH, Save us!   It is preceded by:  “The Stone which the builders rejected, has become the chief Cornerstone.” – and followed by: “Blessed is the One Who comes in the Name of YHVH – You are My God , I will exalt you”