The Ebed YHWH of the End Times
Excurs
During a meeting that Messiah Yeshua had with some of his disciples,
shortly before his sacrificial death in 33 AD, they put the question to him: "What will be the sign of your presence
[parousia] and the
completion of the age?"
Yeshua’s answer was in part:
Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master
appointed over his domestics, to give them their food in due season?
Happy is
that slave if his master finds him doing so when he arrives!
Verily I
say unto you, he will appoint him over all his belongings.
It is generally recognized that Yeshua, by mentioning the slave that would serve to Messiah’s
Jewish servants during his presence [Greek: parousia],
referred to the Isaiah prophecies about a future Ebed
YHWH, a special servant of YHWH Elohim who would perform duties in the interest
of his fellow Jews. Especially during the End times, the
final part of the days, that also were predicted by the prophet
in Is 2:2-5, the period in which the Servant would fulfil his duties >>
It shall be in the latter days that the mountain of the
house of YHWH shall be established as the highest of
the mountains, exalted above the hills, where all nations shall flow. Many
peoples shall go and say, Come, let us go up to the
mountain of YHWH, to the house of the God of Jacob. Then he will teach us
about his ways, and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go
forth law, and the word of YHWH from Jerusalem
...House of Jacob [the slave], come, let us walk in the light of
YHWH.
In particular from Chapter 40, Isaiah is continuously
making mention -in prophetic language - of the restoration of Israel and in
conjunction therewith the prophetic appointment of the "Servant of
Yahweh", often referred to by God as "My servant."
One of his features making that Servant special is the fact that the
Messiah also is included in the term and that even in the first place.
Actually, not at all illogical. Why?
Because Yeshua, by birth, also became part of national Israel, but as the
Messiah, he became the most prominent member of that Servant Nation. Looking
back on his incarnation, Paul noted that Yeshua took the form of a Slave, or a
Servant shape: He emptied himself and took a slave’s form and
came to be in the likeness of man! (Fp
2:7).
Upon
further investigation, it is clear that Yeshua, in his role as the Messiah, is
the real Self of Israel, especially of the faithful part of the
nation, an always reappearing Rest or Remnant.
The result is that the Servant Prophecies may refer either to the future
activities of the Remnant, or to the effects of Yeshua's ministry; with emphasis either (almost) exclusively on the nation,
or on Messiah’s performances.
In this respect, it is good pointing out further that it is really unthinkable for YHWH Elohim to finally reject Israel
as his chosen people. That is utterly impossible, because in that case he would
be obliged to reject the main member of the nation, the Messiah, as well; and
such action is of course totally excluded.
Now, some examples of the Servant prophecies in the book of Isaiah:
But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob whom I have
chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend, you whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth,
and called from the corners of it, and said to you, You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you away.
Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you; do not be
dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen
you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my
righteousness. Behold, all those who are incensed against you shall
be disappointed and confounded: those who strive with you shall be as nothing,
and shall perish.
The double name Jacob-Israel is characteristic
in Isaiah 40-66, the second part of the Book, by some referred to as Second Isaiah,
assuming that there would be a second Isaiah figure, a presupposition that
lacks a solid basis.
Jacob-Israel characterizes the relationship
between Yahweh and his chosen people, the seed of Abraham, but also seed of
Jacob; a powerful reference therefore to the patriarchs. It too is the basis
for the Ebed YHWH position. Both for Israel and for
her principal representative, the Messiah: In your seed all
the Goyim of the earth will be blessed (Gen 22:18).
And also, as was explained by
Yeshua himself: Salvation is out of the Jews
(John 4:22).
The mention of Abraham fits well in the
context, since the calling from the ends of
the earth refers concretely to the call of Abraham, first from
Ur and later from Charan. Israel’s election and her calling as YHWH’s Ebed,
thus acquires historical depth.
In Romans 11:28-29 the apostle divinely
ascertains: Concerning the election,
they are beloved for the fathers’ sake. For the gifts and the calling of
God are irrevocable.
Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my
chosen, in whom my soul delights: I have put my spirit on him; he will bring
forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry, nor lift up his voice, nor
cause it to be heard in the street. A bruised reed will he not break, and a dimly burning wick
will he not quench: he will bring forth justice in truth. He will not
fail nor be discouraged, until he have set justice in
the earth; and the islands shall wait for his law.
Here a beautiful
picture is presented of the future action of Elohim's
foremost Ebed, the One who is in the first place YHWH’s faithful and
discreet servant of the End times, but on earth represented by
the Jewish Remnant. The passage is also commonly known
as the First Servant Song, in its entirety quoted in Matthew 12:18-21. From verse 14 we read in that chapter about the response to Yeshua’s
ministry, both by his friends and enemies:
The Pharisees went out,
and conspired against him, how they might destroy him. Yeshua, perceiving
that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them
all, and charged them that they should not make him known: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the
prophet, saying:
“Behold, my servant whom I
have chosen; my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit on
him. He will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not strive, nor
shout; neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets. He won’t
break a bruised reed. He won’t
quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory. In his name, the
Gentiles will hope.”
His main task? Establishing Justice in the earth! That specific part of
Elohim's purpose is repeated three times. That is the
God-willed World Order under Messiah’s Millennial Kingdom, marked by peace and
justice as was already previously announced in Isaiah:
For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and
the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be
called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty god,
Everlasting father, Prince of peace. Of the increase of his government and
of peace there shall be no end, on the throne of
David, and on his kingdom, to establish it, to uphold it with justice and with
righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies
will perform this.
Therefore, the prophecy in Mt 12:18-21 was applied by the evangelist to the Principal one among
all Israel, the Messiah.
In the First Century, he laid the foundation
for the establishment of that New order. No wonder that in
due time, at the appearance of the Ebed, the Jewish
Remnant of the last days, the Devil will bring about on its members such a great tribulation as never was since there was a nation
even to that same time: and at that time your people shall be delivered,
everyone who shall be found written in the book (Daniel 12:1).
For that purpose
the Devil will then have his special tool: Israel’s Pseudo Messiah, adhered to
by the Jewish majority. However, that majority will then act as the evil
slave, who too was foreseen and announced
by Yeshua during his Olivet speech:
But if that
evil servant should
say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his
fellow-servants, and eat and drink with the drunken, the lord of that
servant will come in a day when he doesn’t expect it, and in an hour when he
doesn’t know it, and will cut him in pieces, and appoint his portion with
the hypocrites; there is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be (Matthew
24:48-51).
That unfaithful part of Israel - that evil servant –
was also foreseen by Isaiah and the punishment by their Lord as well. In 66:5
he describes them prophetically as your brothers who hate you and exclude you
[the faithful minority]. Clinging to their Messiah of their own choice, the
Antichrist, they are too happy to support that tyrant in suppressing the
Remnant. However, that contemptible action will bring no blessing to these
enemies. In their own supposed 'sanctuary' Elohim will recompense their
apostasy against him with the vengeance that is pictured in Isaiah
66:6 >> A sound from the
temple! The sound of YHWH, rendering recompense to his
enemies!
It is certainly no coincidence that Isaiah the outcome for that evil slave
captured in verse 66:6 of his book, the number 666 after all being the 'number'
of that Anti-christian power, the Beast of Revelation
13.
However, for the sake of the faithful ones
among Israel, the days of that Great tribulation – Jacob’s
trouble as mentioned in Jeremiah 30:7 - will
be shortened.
That faithful and
discreet Ebed on earth will not be destroyed, nor bruised
[quoting Yeshua’s own words].
It is actual impossible for YHWH Elohim
allowing that happen! Why not? Otherwise no flesh would be saved; but for the sake of
the chosen ones, those days will be shortened (Matth
24:22).
The entire Gentile world is dependent on the
fact that the new, peaceful and just World order is
established through that Ebed of him on earth.
Also when the Davidic Millenium Kingdom is coming
into action, the nations can only ‘walk’ in safety and security by the light of that Messianic
administration, on earth represented by that faithful Ebed.
Indeed, he was appointed over all the
belongings of the Master! (Isaiah 60:1-2)
Hear, you deaf; and look, you blind,
that you may see. Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as he who
is at peace, and blind as Yahweh’s servant? You see many things, but do not
observe. His ears are open, but he does not hear.
This concerns nothing less than a sharp
indictment of the Ebed nation. Certainly
a striking transition in Isaiah, chapter 42.
Elohim accuses Israel. As his chosen people,
she was highly favoured.
As YHWH’s Ebed she should have paid
attention. In that case, there would have been much to see constantly,
especially in relation to Elohim's dealings. However, with open ears the
majority of the people generally remained inaccessible.
In the First century, the climax came with the rejection of their
Messiah. Therefore, Israel’s position as YHWH's Ebed in the End times can only be
the result of sheer unmerited favour. As we saw above in Is
41:9 >> You are my servant, I have chosen you and not
cast you away.
In Romans chapter 11 Saul of the
tribe Benjamin explains that principle in detail (11:1-2).
Until the rapture of the heavenly part of Elohim's Israel, the earthly
congregation remains in her state of blindness (11:25-27),
shut up in disobedience (11:30-32). Elohim will love again his Ebed nation. Meanwhile their confinement in disobedience
has served its purpose, the fullness of the Gentiles
could come in. Behind this act of YHWH Elohim's a depth of wisdom is hidden,
hard to fathom for us humans (11:33-36).
Bring forth the blind
people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled: Who
among them can declare this, and show us former things? let
them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear, and
say, It is truth. You are my witnesses, says Yahweh, and my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and
believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed,
neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am Yahweh; and besides me there is no saviour.
Here the Ebed of the book
Isaiah, the true Jewish Remnant, appears as the collective Servant of
witnesses. In that capacity they are prophetically
called to testify in favour of their God, YHWH Elohim, during the forthcoming
universal trial of the "last days". In view of that task their eyes,
that times long were blinded, will be opened and so it
will be with their ears that were deaf so long for YHWH’s
truths.
Then that faithful Ebed-body will be in the position to testify that all
the things that happened to them during the many centuries - all misery, all
suffering and mental despair - exactly proved to be what their God Yahweh had
announced far in advance. All other so called ‘gods’ are
definitely proven unable to match the true God only slightly in that weighty
matter.
After thousands of years only YHWH, the Elohim of
Israel, turns out to be the only One who can utter true prophesies which, at
their appointed times, come to their fulfilment. During the ‘trial’ all the
other ‘gods’ fail miserably in that respect in front of their own supporters
among the nations.
Then, for example, it will turn out that the sufferings of Israel
throughout the ages, which (temporarily) reached their climax with the
Holocaust and its 6 million victims, were already outlined in the sufferings of
my ebed Job (Job
1:8; 2:3).
The drama of Job has become the tragedy of the people of Israel. For
that reason, but also because Elohim himself called him regularly "my
servant Job", his life provides an additional angle to precisely
distinguish the identity of the Slave.
But just as Job repented "in dust and
ashes" and thereafter was restored to his former dignity, even receiving twice as much, so too the faithful part of
Israel in time will be able to testify that it happened to them exactly that
way (Job
42:6-10).
A further examination of the sufferings of Job reveals the following:
1. The age-old suffering for Israel was already
outlined in the sufferings of Job.
2. The way his personal tragedy ended was a preview to Israel's future
restoration.
3. Jobs "outcome" helps us to ascertain with even more
sureness the identity of the Slave of Matth 24:45-47,
as well as of the Isaiah-Ebed; at the same time
gaining more understanding of his important role during the parousia,
Yeshua’s presence.
Job could not understand why he - none like him in
the earth, a man blameless and upright, one revering God and turning aside from
evil - had to go through so much suffering.
To get confirmed his own righteousness - justifying
himself rather than God - he came regularly in a dangerous
situation, almost charging Elohim guilty of his trials and tribulations, yes,
even of unfair trading. See, for example Job
27:2; 32:2; 33:8-13.
But with the help of Elihu,
the son of Barachel, the Buzite,
and of course by YHWH himself, speaking to him from a storm, Job came to his
senses, repented and gained really insight. Whether he also understood that
Elohim allows just the ‘very best’ he has on earth being tested to the limit by
Satan, we do not know. In any case, Job repented "in dust and ashes"
and was then restored to his former dignity, receiving
double the things he had lost. Compare Isaiah
40:1-2.
In time, the faithful part of Israel shall be able to testify that she
likewise went through the same experiences (Isaiah
61:6-7).
Listen, islands, to me;
and listen, you peoples, from far: Yahweh has called me from the womb; from the
bowels of my mother has he made mention of my name, and he has made my mouth
like a sharp sword. In the shadow of his hand has he hid me, and he has made me
a polished shaft; in his quiver has he kept me close, and he said to me, You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be
glorified.
But I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and
vanity; yet surely the justice due to me is with Yahweh, and my
recompense with my God.
Now
says Yahweh who formed me from the womb to be his
servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and that Israel be gathered to him - for
I am honorable in the eyes of Yahweh, and my God is
become my strength -yes, he says, It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and to restore the preserved of Israel; I will also give you for a light to the
Gentiles, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.
Thus says Yahweh, the
Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despises, to
him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise;
princes, and they shall worship; because of Yahweh who is faithful, even the
Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.
This prophecy concerning the Ebed in Isaiah
fascinates in particular, because it is described
within a frame of the nation of Israel as a collective, but at the same time
also in the person of her Messiah. But again,
as was already indicated: the Messiah is the primary, the number One among his
people. While Israel is directly addressed in verse 3 - You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be
glorified –
yet in the verses 5 and 6 YHWH’s Ebed
is marked as distinct of the nation itself: Yahweh who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and that Israel be gathered
to him… It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel.
Obviously, he is primarily holding the Ebed-position,
and as such he will in due course, after the rapture
of his own (Christian) Congregation, re-erect Jacob's twelve tribes to full recovery.
And all this is entirely appropriate, inasmuch as Israel could not in its
restored state act as YHWH’s Ebed
in the earth apart from identification with Yeshua himself as their Messiah,
because of his sacrificial and redemptive work accomplished in 33 AD at
Calvary.
However, here, and further expounded in chapter 53, we have to point out
the malignant attitude of his own ‘Ebed’-brothers,
constituting the majority of Israel. While he is dear to his heavenly Father
himself, honourable in his eyes, being
the One through whom YHWH Elohim becomes the Redeemer of
Israel (verses 5 and 7), by the nation Israel itself he is the despised in soul, completely abhorred by them (verse 7).
Nevertheless, a marvellous outcome will be seen
in the (now very near) future:
1.) The secured ones of Israel will be restored to
their Elohim by his Foremost Ebed, his dearest Son. It is true that they still have to
go through the Great Tribulation, but from
that event, Jacob’s trouble, they will
emerge as saved people.
Just as YHWH’s ebed Job was set up right by Elihu, informing him about the relationship with God
that was appropriate for him, Messiah Yeshua shall raise up the preserved of Israel to full
restoration. For the fulfilment of that part of his Father’s
purpose, he like no other is in the excellent position. Why?
Fully compliant with the prophecy in Genesis 3:15, during his ministry
on earth, he turned out being primarily object of enmity - the meaning of the name Job -
of the Devil. Like him, there was absolutely nobody on earth; however, he too
had his Eliphaz, Bildad and
Zophar.
2.) Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall
worship, foretelling the same things as we can read in
Is 52:15 >>
Kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they
had not heard shall they understand.
About that turning point in history’s affairs Vine wrote:
How great the change of attitude from
that of the present time! How startling will be the revelation of the Lord of
glory in a world that has lain in darkness, superstition and alienation from
God!
For what reason had they not heard? Vine again:
The cause lay with Israel. They – not
the prophet – are the mourning and repentant speakers in
what follows in Chapter 53. They acknowledge with lamentation
their unbelief. As a nation they had refused to
believe the message proclaimed to them.
Therefore, in the concluding part of this Study, the most impressive
chapter about YHWH Elohim's Foremost Ebed, the One who is the real Self of Israel.
Who has believed our
message? and to whom has the arm of Yahweh been
revealed? For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out
of a dry ground: he has no form nor comeliness; and
when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He was
despised, and rejected by men; a man of suffering, and acquainted with disease:
and as one from whom men hide their face he was despised; and we didn’t respect him. Surely he
has borne our sickness, and carried our suffering; yet we considered him
plagued, struck by God, and afflicted. But he was
pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the
punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are
healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; everyone has turned to his own
way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed,
yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth; as a lamb that is led to
the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is mute, so he didn’t
open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was
taken away; and as for his generation, who among them considered that
he was cut off out of the land of the living for the disobedience of my people
to whom the stroke was due? They made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; although he had
done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased Yahweh to
bruise him; he has put him to grief: when you shall make his soul an offering
for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the
pleasure of Yahweh shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail
of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant justify many; and he
shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with
the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors: yet he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
In the Study Is the True God a Trinity? the truly
interested reader can check for himself how the One who, in his pre-existence,
is described as
the firstborn of all creation,
the image of the invisible God,
the Son of his love, existing in Elohim’s
form,
could take a slave’s form and came to
be in the likeness of man, thus getting in the position to sacrifice his own soul
and, along that road, providing the precious ransom for redemption of the
Adamitic man. Or, as Isaiah prophesied above: he poured out his soul to
death, boring the sin of many.
In the Introduction of this Study we stated that the
appearance of the faithful and discreet slave whom his
master appointed over his domestics –
the Ebed YHWH in the Isaiah prophecies - will take place at the parousia or the presence of Messiah Yeshua. However, what
is meant by that Greek expression parousia?
We refer to a commentary which the well-known lexicographer William E.
Vine provided on the Greek text of One Thessalonians 2:19, where the Greek word
appears for the first time in the letters written by the apostle Paul.
Addressing the called members of Yeshua’s own Congregational Body
he wrote: For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Isn’t it even you,
before our Lord Yeshua at his parousia?
Vine >>
Parousia,
lit., as marg. "presence."
Parousia, here rendered
"coming", is a noun formed from the verb pareimi = to be present, as in Luke 13:1;
John 11:28; Acts 10:33, etc., and hence = "a being present with".
In a papyrus document it is
used of a royal visit to a certain district; in another, a person states that
the care of her property demands her "presence" in a certain city.
In Philippians 2:12 Paul speaks of his parousia, his
"presence", at Philippi, in contrast with his apousia,
his "absence", from that city.
Always, wherever it occurs, parousia
refers to a period of time more or less extended.
The usual translation (coming) is misleading,
because "coming" is more appropriate to other words, such as
erchomai, Luke 12:45; 19:23;
eleusis, Acts 7:52;
eisodos, 13:24; the difference being
that whereas these words fix the attention on the journey to, and the arrival
at, a place, parousia fixes it on the stay which follows on the
arrival there. It would preferable therefore to transliterate the word rather
than translate it, that is to use "parousia",
rather than "coming", wherever the reference is to the Lord Yeshua.
Where parousia is
used of the Lord Yeshua it refers to a defined period.
Thus in 2 Peter 1:16 it describes, not the daily and general companying of
the Lord with his disciples among the people, but that limited period during
which he was transfigured before them, Matthew 17:1-8.
Where it is used prophetically, parousia refers to a period beginning with the descent of the Lord
from heaven into the air, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17, and ending with his
revelation and manifestation to the world; see note on "with us", 2
Thessalonians 1:7.
During the Parousia of the Lord in the
air with his people, Paul expected to give account of his stewardship before
Messiah’s Judgment Seat,
1 Corinthians 4:1-5; 2
Corinthians 5:10. The presence there of the Thessalonian
converts and their commendation by the Lord, would
mean reward to the evangelists who had been the means of their conversion, and
to the pastors and teachers who had laboured among them.
For a similar thought see 1
John 2:28, and 1 Peter 5:1-4. There, too, all would be
abundantly compensated for the afflictions they were enduring.
The Parousia of the Lord Yeshua is
thus a period with a beginning, a course and a conclusion.
The beginning is prominent in 4:15;
5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:1;
1 Corinthians 15:23; James 5:7, 8;
2 Peter 3:4;
the course here and in 3:13,
Matthew 24:3, 37, 39; 1 John 2:28;
the conclusion in 2
Thessalonians 2:8; Matthew 24:27.
In addition to its use of the Lord in the passages mentioned in the
preceding paragraphs, parousia occurs
of
· the Lawless One, 2 Thessalonians 2:9;
· the Day of God, 2 Peter 3:12;
· Paul, or his companions, 1
Corinthians 16:17; 2 Corinthians 7:6, 7; 10:10; Philippians 1:26; 2:12.
-.-.-.-