Messiah Yahshua is quoted as saying this in John 6:51: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat this bread, he shall live age-abiding: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I give for the life of the world.”
Yes, this quote came from Messiah Yahshua. However, before he was born, he was pre-existent with his Father, Yahweh. (John 17:5) After accomplishing his purpose as a human being, he returned to be with his Father. Messiah had a body prepared for his incarnate existence on earth. (Hebrews 10:5) This plan had been in effect from the foundation of the world. Through this plan, there is hope for all mankind in the new heavens and earth. Not one human being is left in the grave.
Yahweh loves all mankind. Eventually every knee will bow to YahwehShua. (Philippians 2:10)
Messiah was given the name of Yahshua at birth. He was destined to not only lose his human life, but also his human name. When he died on a tree (Acts 5:30; 10:39; 13:29), he fulfilled the prophecy given about him in Deuteronomy 21:22- 23:
“And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: But thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of Elohim) that thy land be not defiled, which Yahweh thy Elohim giveth thee for an inheritance.”
Messiah was impaled on a tree. The Bible uses the word cross and calls it crucifixion. This is a mistranslation of the Greek word carried over from the Vulgate. The Greek word for which the translator used the word, cross, is actually stauros. (Strong’s 4716) This word definitely does not mean cross. Stauros is often described as an upright pole. But, the prophecy in Deuteronomy says a tree. (Strong’s 6086) Messiah was definitely raised up on a tree, and not a pole or cross.
When you examine all the scriptures using Strong’s 6086, you will see this word is used of a tree and not a cross. The first occurrence of this word is in Genesis 1:11 which says: “Let the earth bring forth grass, herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree (Strong’s 6086) after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.”
The Bible must be read with caution. The translators often disguised the truth with the wrong word. For example, the name of our Creator was not “LORD”, but Yahweh. Yahweh’s name, the tetragrammaton, yod hey waw hey, is used nearly 7000 times in the Hebrew Scriptures. Note what the Creator said to Moses in Exodus 3:15:
“And Elohim(not god, again a translators error) said moreover unto Moses, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, Yahweh Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name age-abiding, (not forever, another error, Strong’s 5769) and this is my memorial unto all generations.”
The Hebrew scripture in Deuteronomy 21:22-23 is a twofold prophecy. It indicates that whosoever dies in sin will be hung on a tree, and that they must be removed that same day. Only the Messiah fulfilled these prophecies. 1 John 1:7 provides an answer for one of these prophecies: “The blood of Yahshua Messiah his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” Messiah was made sin for us. (2 Corinthians 5:21) No other human being must die in sin and be hung up on the tree. Messiah has already accomplished this. He took upon himself the sin of the entire world.
What about the second prophecy which says that that person must be removed from the tree that same day? Messiah died on the preparation day, the day just before the first high day of unleavened bread. That high day began at sundown, the same afternoon Messiah was hung on the tree. The leaders of the Pharisees and Sadducees did not want to defile themselves, and not be able to keep that special high day. They were therefore very happy to approve Messiah being removed from the tree and placed in the tomb before the end of the day. This is recorded in Mark 16:43-46. Messiah was placed in the tomb by his disciples before sundown on that Wednesday, the preparation day.
There is another prophecy in Deuteronomy that is connected to the two revealed in Deuteronomy 21:22-23. This one is found in Deuteronomy 29:20 and says:
“Yahweh will not spare him, but then the anger of Yahweh and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him and Yahweh shall blot out his name from under heaven.” Was this prophecy fulfilled? Did Messiah bear all the curses and have his name removed or blotted out?
According to Galatians 3:13, he became a curse for mankind: “Messiah hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree.” Yes, he became a curse for us. He was also removed from the tree the same day on which he died.
What about Messiah’s name being blotted out? The fulfillment of that prophecy was confirmed in Hebrews 1:4: “Being made so much better than theangels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they.”
What more excellent name did he inherit? There is only ONE more excellent name as revealed in Psalm 148:13: “Let them praise the name of Yahweh:(not LORD) for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heavens.” It was his birth name, Yahshua that was blotted out. That name identifies his blood that covers all the sins of the world. That name is so defiled he could not be resurrected and appear before the Father with it. He received a new name, a more excellent name, which had to be YAHWEH! Since he became Yahweh the Savior, his new name was YAHWEHSHUA!
It was his inherited name, YAHWEHSHUA, not his birth name, that Peter referred to in Acts 2:38. Messiah’s human name was blotted out by the Father. Peter was speaking on Pentecost, 50 days after Messiah’s resurrection. The truth had been revealed to him. He again referred to this new name in Acts 4:12: “There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
We have just completed our observance of the 14thof the first Hebrew month. It was on this day, at night, Messiah shared the bread and fruit of the vine with his disciples. It was on the daylight portion of the 14th that Messiah died on a tree at 3 PM in the afternoon.
On the night of the 14th, following the supper, he revealed to his disciples a new remembrance. First he washed their feet. Then he distributed bread and fruit of the vine to his disciples. He told them, “This do in remembrance of me.” Religionists have taught that the bread he gave his disciples was unleavened. However, this is another example of a false teaching. He gave them leavened bread, as the Greek word, artos, indicates. This word, Strong’s 740, is translated as leavened bread. The Greek word for unleavened is azymos, Strong’s 106.
Messiah, the firstfruit, (1 Corinthians 15:23) would have used the bread of the firstfruits, which is leavened. (Leviticus 23:17) This night was 24 hours before the Jews’ Passover would begin. Leaven was not to be removed until the following day at noon. He was giving the bread of the firstfruits to those who were to become firstfruits on the following Pentecost. All firstfruits must remember Messiah on the night of the fourteenth.
The night of the 14th and the day of Pentecost are very significant. On the night of the 14th, Messiah, the bread of life, spoke to his disciples with a parable. He used figurative language when he described the bread as his body, and the fruit of the vine as his blood. The Catholic Church took this parable literally and believe that the bread and juice actually became Messiah’s body and blood. They are blinded to the truth.
Only those who are called to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven will understand what Messiah really did that night. (Matthew 13:11) Messiah spoke to the multitudes only in parables. He is still doing this today. Consider what we are told in Matthew 13:13: “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.” These words describe the condition of the world today. Unless the Father calls you, you cannot know the truth.
Messiah’s use of parables was also a fulfillment of a prophecy revealed in Psalms 78:2: “I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:” What he said to his disciples in Matthew 13 was also a fulfillment of a prophecy found in Isaiah 6:9-10:
“And he said, go, and tell this people, hear ye indeed, but understand not, and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of the people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with her ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.”
These prophecies were fulfilled when Messiah spoke to the multitudes. Today, when his words are spoken or read, the multitudes respond the same as they did in the day of Messiah.
Those who read Revelation 7 and 14 and are able to understand that only 144,000 are resurrected when the Messiah returns, are surprised at such a small number.
The prophecies quoted above explain the condition of the world today. Only a small number of people are called during this age. The rest of mankind will have their opportunity on the last great day or white throne judgment. Yahweh does not want to lose one human being. All who have ever been conceived will live again. Each person will be resurrected but only in his own order. (1 Corinthians 15: 23)
How are the firstfruits able to be in the resurrection when Messiah returns? First, the Father must call them. (John 6:44) Next, they must be baptized in the name of YahwehShua. At that time they will receive the earnest or down payment of the Spirit of Messiah. Each person baptized in this manner receives a spiritual piece of the bread of life. This is what Messiah was revealing to the disciples through a parable on the night he was betrayed. On that night, they received leavened bread. However, on Pentecost they would receive the spiritual living bread that came down from heaven. It is the indwelling Spirit of Messiah that is developed over time (Galatians 4:19) that allows the firstfruits to be resurrected at Messiah’s return.
In John 6, Messiah spoke with a parable when he told those listening that they had to eat his flesh and drink his blood. (verse 53) This scared many of those who called themselves his disciples, and they no longer followed him. This was no surprise to Messiah, for he knew who would remain and who would abandon him. (verse 64) In this way, he was able to choose the twelve who would be with him on the night of the 14th.
Even the presence of Judas that night was revealed in prophecy. Let us review Psalm 41:9 first: “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.” This was fulfilled in John 13:18:
“I speak not of you all: I know who I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, he that eateth my bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.”
A second prophecy regarding Judas is found in Psalm 69:25: “Let their habitation be desolate: and let none dwell in their tents.” This was fulfilled in Acts 1:20: “For it is written in the book of Psalms, let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.”
Why are these prophecies and their fulfillment of importance to us? Perhaps what we read in Ephesians 1:4 will be of help: “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.” Who is the “us”? This is a reference to the firstfruits or saints. As firstfruits or potential firstfruits, we must be assured that what Yahweh promises he accomplishes. When you are baptized in the name of YahwehShua, you are staking your spiritual future on a name that is not revealed in scripture. You must learn to know and trust scripture, not the Bible.
Every year the firstfruits observe the 14th of the first month by washing each other’s feet and sharing leavened bread and fruit of the vine. While these are only symbols or figurative references of what occurred at Pentecost, and when each firstfruit was baptized, nonetheless, Messiah said, “This do in remembrance of me.”
One is not able to see beyond the parables unless called by the Father. Many are called, but few are chosen. (Matthew 22:14) This is how Yahweh is limiting participation in the resurrection when Messiah returns. This is what he did when only Aaron and his sons were designated for consecration in the Tabernacle, which lasted seven days, before they could serve as priests. The firstfruits are being selected to serve Yahweh as priests. (Revelation 1:6 ; 5:10; 20:6)
Do you wish to be one of Messiah’s at his coming? You must receive a piece of the living bread. This is a spiritual truth that is fulfilled when you are baptized in the name of YahwehShua. Perhaps next year on the night of the 14th, you can join other firstfruits to remember the sacrifice of the lamb of Yahweh who was slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8)
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