Lost In Translation - Part 1 Covenants

  Introduction

Since the World in General or the Christian World has approached Scripture in a purely Babylonian- Roman- Greek perspective so typical of most Bible Students who without question use a system of “Greek hermeneutics,” much misunderstanding has occurred.

Also since converted Greek Philosophers had developed assumptions based on their methods of working on Mythological texts they applied them to the Hebrew texts of the Tanak (Old Testament) & the Brit Chadashah (New Testament) with the false assumption that 75% was creative imagination and only 25% truth giving them much room to interject with their own Bias.

Hebrew Hermeneutics requires the interpreter to agree to a moral standard of unbiased translation. This is the result of recognizing that Scripture is 100% true, exactly as written & operates on all four levels simultaneously such as:

1.      P’shat- direct.

2.      Remez- hinting.

3.      Darash-comparison.

4.      Sod- deep or hidden.

As Netzarim we may have the tenancy to use our own sources to witness about the truths we have discovered while the best proofs when dealing for example with Christians is by far highly respected Christian writers so that is what I will do.

We know that there is a great need to understand the Hebrew Culture, context and language
when dealing with Scripture but the above quote I found by David Bivin & Roy Blizzard Jr PhD was best from their Book “Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus.”

With this in mind we will begin to look at various aspects of Scripture that will help us in our understanding and in our defence of the truth that we know to be true. The first and the most highly important subject is that of Covenant or as we will see Covenants in the plural when it comes to Scripture since Covenant could be seen as the overarching theme of all Scripture.

Sadly it was Greek philosophers who translated scriptures conveying that the Old was superseded by the New. Whether that was part of a plan to see a totally new belief system emerge is not the question here but understanding how confusion could arise is!

The Truth that Yahshua is teaching is that to be a good servant is to go far beyond what is expected. Yoseph demonstrated that sort of attitude when he served his master Potiphar prospering him greatly knowing that his true master was YAHWEH.

It’s worth noting that wine is an acceptable Hebrew alternative for the shedding of blood as it is considered the blood of the Grape.

We see this type of Covenant established with Abraham:

  What is interesting is that in Bereshith (Genesis) 12 YAHWEH promises to bless, protect and make Abram great. This echoes promises that a good master would make to a most faithful servant but we notice that it is not until Bereshith (Genesis) 17 when Abram has shown himself to be faithful after separating himself from Lot his nephew that YAHWEH referring to himself as El Shaddai the Almighty changes his name and ratifies the Servant Covenant with Abraham through asking him & his whole household to be circumcised. Directly after that YAHWEH comes to initiate the next level of Covenant being the Friendship Covenant as we just observed. Following this next step of intimacy we see the result of this relationship being the long awaited promised son Yitschaq (Isaac) who would inherit the promise first given to Abraham. What we discover is that the entering into the different Covenant levels leads to increased relationship and increased blessing. It has even been suggested that Lot was rescued from Sodom not just by Abraham interceding for him but more by him responding to the Malakim (Angels) and taking them into his house and entering into the Friendship Covenant to the point of so protecting the Malakim that he offered the men of the City his daughters. This begins to show us how important & deep is this level of Covenant.       

Ya’acob (James) 2:23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed Elohim, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of Elohim.

This same teaching is represented in the Parable of the sower where the Word finds no roots because of Worldly attachments something that especially today is very relevant.

Rosh Chodesh Series - Time your walk - Part 1

New Moon, New Month, New Opinion
Getting to the truth about Rosh Chodesh

Every living being is an engine geared to the wheelwork of the universe. Though seemingly affected only by its immediate surrounding, the sphere of external influence extends to infinite distance. – Nikola Tesla

One thing you may have never pondered about the Book of Genesis, is the Almighty’s desire to inform the reader of the timing and sequential nature of all the phases of creation. While the nature of each feature is explained with beautiful simplicity, why does the reader have to know what was created on which day? Why is it so important to relay everything in such careful sequence? 

Life revolves around cycles of seven. 4 symbolises the world and 3 the Divine, when merged we get the number 7, a number that symbolises a complete union of man with heaven. The number 7 is used over 700 times in the Bible and 54 times in the Book of Revelation. There are 7 types of congregations, 7 Spirits, 7 stars, 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 vials, 7 personages, SEVEN dooms, and 7 new things. The whole world is founded on 7. It is the number of completeness and perfection. There are 7 notes in the musical scale. Yahweh used these notes in combination to literally sing creation into being and the song continues to this day and it’s up to us if we want to attune to it. 

“And Elohim said, ‘Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years (Genesis 1:14)” Very early on, the Almighty established a sequence of time, a rule of measure, to guide man in his journey through life. Everything in life was established as a vehicle of metaphor to enable man, if he so chose, to attune his life to the orchestral song of Creator of All Things. The unfolding of the passage of time is as crucial to attaining harmony as the timing of musicians is critical in creating a beautiful song. 

To get the most out of life, one must have a good sense of time, in which resides the possibility of living out the deepest of values. Living in Yahshua’s footsteps is a life punctuated by ritual. Not hollow religious observance, but living out deep connection points that should heighten an observer’s awareness of Messiah’s essence. Daily prayer is meant to teach us gratitude for the opportunities of each day, and reinforces one’s sense of responsibility for how that day should be spent. The unique holidays that mark the Creator’s prescribed calendar reinforce numerous core values, such as human equality, the supreme value of life and communal ethics. The High Holidays take a collection of interrelated issues and present them on a grand scale. Chanukah teaches about the importance of religious freedom; Pesach reminds us that though we were held captive by sin, there is freedom and protection in Messiah’s shed blood and Yom Kippur teaches us humility, which cleanses us from sin and brings atonement with the Father. Our walk is very much interwoven with a sense of timing. Take for example this passage: “This is the burnt offering of Shabbat on its Shabbat. (Numbers 28:10)” Notice the stating of the obvious in this passage. This is to re-enforce the timing of the burnt offering. If one forgot to bring it, perhaps it could be brought on the following day or on the next Shabbat. To make sure that this will not happen the Torah instructs us to bring this sacrifice only on its own Shabbat and not on the next one. Once the day has passed by, the offering is no longer valid. Of course there are laws where one can make up for missed opportunities, but this ruling is rather for one who thinks that the timing is optional. Though there is an expression called “Jewish time” implying a kind of ease with time in which coming late is acceptable, it cannot be denied that the true faith of Yahweh takes time most seriously.

In Hebrew there are two chief words used for time. They are moed, which means “appointed time” and zeman, which means “time” as in a season. 

Through the rhythms of holidays and life-cycle events, values are reinforced and the individual and the community have an intense sense of the passage of time and the particular possibilities of each day, of each season, of each phase of life. Yahweh has designed man’s inner being to leap with a unique sense of satisfaction that comes from doing His will that accrues to the final day of his whole life. The amount of Elohim’s will that has been left undone over a lifetime is directly proportionate to the feeling of wasted years a man feels on his deathbed. At the close of Avraham’s life, the Torah does something interesting by noting the number of his years, the goodness of these years and their fullness. “Avraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. Then Avraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. (Genesis 25:7-8)” True fulfilment in life is learning to apply the most appropriate action in every sequence of time. The Book of Ecclesiastes is probably the best-known ancient text that expresses how we should understand the potential significance of each period of time: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens (Ecclesiastes 3:1)” 
Time is divided into years, month, days, hours, minutes and seconds. Each segment feeds into the next, producing a sequential frame of references along an unfolding linear chain.
Many of us have lost time. We’ve wasted it, squandered it and failed to use it wisely. “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of Yahweh is. (Ephesians 5:15-17)”

Did Messiah Yahshua manage his time well? You bet he did. In fact as he moved from point A to point B he is never in anyway ruled by time. He’s never in excess of it or deficient of it. He even directs it, sending Judas on his way during the Passover preparation meal, symbolically removing the leaven from his company. His seemingly late arrival after the death of Lazarus, served to all the more show the glory of Yahweh. He never rushed, played catch up or missed the hour of prayer. Time becomes evil when we use it for evil, but it becomes good when we use it for good. Yahweh calculates all the hours each of us has spent involved in goodness against the amount of hours we have been involved in evil - down to the very second. 

Helping a neighbour or preserving another’s well-being has always taken precedence over ritual observance. Indeed, the nature of our broken world has always meant that our observance of Holy times is interrupted and broken, but never is it an excuse to not be preoccupied with one’s holy duty like the Levite and the Kohen in the parable of the Good Samaritan. They were going to perform their duties in the Holy Temple, as they should have been and it was only when they passed a body lying on the road that they transgressed. The appearance of a Samaritan, a man from a nation that denied the observances of the Jewish rituals shifted his identity by rendering help to the helpless, transforming wickedness into righteous. The righteous identity of the Levite and the Kohen in turn shift to wickedness, because they could not discern the time. The time was to help a neighbour, even if it meant defiling themselves on account of the dead. Few of us pass by dying or even stranded individuals on our way to service and yet so many of us are not found on the road to serving Yahweh at all. Helping a neighbour transcends any failure to observe ritual, but ritual never transcends and failure to show kindness. There is no true Israelite who does not observe kindness when it is needed and there is no true Israelite who chooses to ignore ritual observance. The House of Yahweh will still be there when you’re finished, a dying man wont. 

The Biblical calendar is quite possibly one of the most challenging and debated over aspects of our faith. Like the Shabbat, its observance is a commandment dependant on time that enables an Israelite to attune his existence to the orchestral workings of life. “He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl. The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from Elohim. The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens. Then people go out to their work, to their labour until evening. (Psalm 104:19-23)” 

The Hebrew calendar is a wonder to behold. Its format is known as “luni-solar,” which means that its months are lunar and its years are solar. In other words the years stay in synch with the seasons, starting at the southward equinox, which is around September of the pagan calendar and the months are synchronised with the phases of the moon. It’s a beautiful partnership. The time span between one new moon to the next is a bit over 29½ days, however each month has to be composed of full days so the months of the Hebrew Calendar alternate between 29 and 30 days. Furthermore, the lunar year only consists of 354 days while the solar year consists of 365¼ days. This would cause the months to occur 11 days earlier each year, which presents a problem with a number of seasonally dependant Pilgrimage Feasts (Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot). For example Pesach is commanded to be observed annually in the springtime according to Deuteronomy 16:1. The solution has a phenomenal answer, because it’s a Torah observance containing component parts that are impossible to observe without adding a man-made adjustment! It’s like the Almighty commanding you two do three things, but to do just two of them negates the third and the only solution is to add a mechanism that the Creator says nothing about. 
The solution took the form of a thirteenth month (Adar Sheni [Second Adar]) to be added seven times in every nineteen years. In other words, to prevent the Commonwealth of Israel from violating Torah, the Hebrew lunar calendar is regularly adjusted to keep it in conformity with the solar year.
The names of the Hebrew months are derived from the Babylonian exile and some are names of false deity. Prior to this, most of the months were numerically named. This foreign naming convention has intentionally remained, initially to appease occupying nations and later to remind Israel of its former exile and captivity. 
The Months of the Hebrew are:

Tishri (September - October) – Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hoshana Rabbah, Shimini Atzeret
Cheshvan (October - November)
Kislev (November - December) - Chanukah
Tevet (December- January) - Chanukah
Shvat (January – February) – Tu Bishvat (New Year of the Tree)
Adar (February – March) - Purim
Nisan (March –April) - Passover
Iyar (April – May) – Counting the Omer
Sivan (May - June) - Shavuot
Tammuz (June - July)
Av (July – August) - Tisha B'Av
Elul (August – September) 

The twelve new moons for each month represents the twelve tribes of Israel, reflecting the light of Torah, shone on them by the light of the Father through King Messiah Yahshua. Each tribe has an accorded month that corresponds to its unique personality and mission. 

One of the ways we acknowledge the existence of Yahweh Elohim is through the orderly function of the complex heavenly bodies. The cycle of the moon, with its waxing and waning represents Israel’s decline and rebirth and reminds us that though Yahweh’s nation may seem to disappear, but its light will eventually blaze again. 

Each month begins at the New Moon and the Full Moon hits in about the middle of the month. So the month follows what’s called a “synodic lunation” (a full cycle of lunar phases). The New Moon heralds the “beginning” or “head of the month,” which is Rosh Chodesh in Hebrew. It’s as binding as the Weekly Shabbat. 

Rosh Chodesh is a day that Yahweh has set for man to sanctify, much like we sanctify the weekly Shabbat. We are commanded to make a notable observation of its arrival. “And Yahweh spoke unto Moshe and A’aron in the land of Egypt, saying: ‘This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you. (Exodus 12:1-2)’” It’s interesting to note that this command is the first communally disseminated ordinance. That is to say it was the first command given to Israel as a nation. To set up a calendar marking the progress of time throughout a given year based on cycles of the moon. 

Rosh Chodesh is to be marked by joy as we acknowledge Yahweh bringing us from one appointed time to the next. It is a time to gather together and make a teruah (loud noise) into the heavens. “And on your joyous occasions - your fixed festivals and new moon days - you shall sound the tzotzerot (trumpets) over your burnt offerings and your sacrifices of well-being. (Numbers 10:10)” This is to be observed as a gathering accompanied by a fine meal. “So David said, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon feast, and I am supposed to dine with the king (1 Samuel 20:5a)” 

How does one observe Rosh Chodesh? Remember, we don’t worship the moon; it is merely a marker signifying an opportune time for a specific sanctification. Most siddurim contain Rosh Chodesh prayers. The Torah does not set forth the exact character of Rosh Chodesh, nor does it specifically prohibit work on the day, but work was refrained from as we see in Amos 8:5; “When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?”

There are plenty of hints in the writings of the prophets as to some of the observances of this day. For example, there was worship. “The people of the land are also to prostrate themselves in worship before Yahweh at the entrance to that gate on the Sabbaths and on the new moons. (Ezekiel 46:3)” Rosh Chodesh was a time when incense was burned. “Behold, I will build a house to the name of the Yahweh my Elohim, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the Yahweh Adonai. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel. (Chronicles 2:4)” It was a time when a free will offering was brought. “And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of Yahweh that were consecrated, and of everyone that willingly offered a free will offering unto Yahweh.(Ezra 3:5)"

Anyone who is not paying attention to the Creator’s calendar is quite literally killing their own time. Never before in history has so much knowledge become so easily accessible. Yahweh is working to a time-frame, it's up to you if you want to be on His schedule.

Now we've looked at the importance of appointed times, particularly Rosh Chodesh, the most neglected of all the appointed times, we can keep going.

Next week, we’ll look at when to sanctify the month, even though it might sound straight forward enough there is some difficulty in pin-pointed the exact time. So join us next Shabbat.

---

Streaming live video by Ustream

The Truth in the Eye in the Triangle - Isn't It A'aronic - Part 2

---

Disclaimer

Please note the following 2 teachings "Truth about the eye in the triangle" and part 2 "Isn't It A'aronic" are in no way supporting the works of secret societies of the world, these teachings are designed to expose the truths of what was once sacred are now being used to push agendas to move people away from our Heavenly Father and the truth in Sciprutres. As such we highly recommend watching the 3 video segments and then reading the study notes and slides to get a greater understanding on this subject. Thank you Netzarim Antoecie (Nazarenes of Australia)

---

---

www.netzarimantoecie.com

Stream videos at Ustream

Stream videos at Ustream

The Truth about the Eye in the Triangle – Part 2

Isn’t It Aaronic?

Introduction

Last week we established that the Hebrew letter, the dalet, is the origin of the triangle, a three edged polygon with three vertices. We looked at how it represents our relationship with Yahweh, His Divine protection, and how it relates to Messiah himself being our top and corner stone. As Acts 4:11 reads: “Yahshua is 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become κεφαλή (kephalē) εἰς (eis) γωνία (gōnia), which means “The head of the corner.”

We saw how a world-wide luciferian order has hijacked the sacred dalet and the Megan David (The Star of David) by imbuing them with opposing forces, superimposing HaSatan into their meaning, elevating his role to supreme deity, thus changing their association with good to evil. “(HaSatan) opposes and exalts himself above all that is called Elohim, or that is worshipped; so that he as Elohim sits in the Temple of Elohim, showing himself that he is Elohim. (2 Thessalonians 2:4)” “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High (Isaiah 14:14)” 

The enemy wants to set up an imitation kingdom. Forget about Hollywood’s portrayal of the Devil. He is never mentioned flourishing in an underworld with a lake of fire. In fact, the only time he is mentioned being in proximity to fire is before his fall from grace and then at his demise fire is mentioned again. 

We found that the three pyramids on the Giza Pleatu in Egypt were not in fact Egyptian. They were erected by Noach’s grandfather, Enoch and his ancestors (the sons of Seth), in the predeluge era as a continuing memorial of Yahweh’s plan of salvation. “He has made a memorial for His wonders. (Psalms 111:4)” “In that day there will be an altar to Yahweh in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to Yahweh at its border. It will be a sign and witness to Yahweh Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to Yahweh because of their oppressors, he will send them a saviour and defender, and he will rescue them. (Isaiah 19:19-20)” “You performed signs and wonders in Egypt and have continued them to this day, in Israel and among all mankind, and have gained the renown that is still yours. (Jeremiah 32:20)” 

It came as a shock to us to see the Pyramids of Egypt in such light and it brought it home to us how the enemy has tried to pervert nearly everything that we hold dear about our faith, including our worship, our language, our mission and our people. Even astrology was ours, it was called hokmat ha-nissayon, which means "the wisdom of prognostication.” This is why the commonly used congratulatory phrase “Mazel Tov” means “Hope your offspring is born in a good constellation.” Numerology was ours, it was called Gematria, the assignment of numerical value to Hebrew letters and words. And know this, that the same symbology, that is, the correct symbolic representations of things in the Book of Revelations corresponds to the same symbology used in Kabbalah. For example, a white horse that represents pestilence in the Book of Revelation has the same representation in kabbalah and even Tarot cards. Those of you that have Jewish publications, books, etc, notice that these books open in the opposite direction, from the back to the front, in actuality the back is the front. So the enemy wants you to read backwards when we should be reading in the opposite direction, the true direction. 

Today, Yah willing, we will strive to go deeper. 

The Gift to the Generous Ones

The Eye in the Triangle has a link to the A’aronic Priesthood or the Kohanim as they are called in Hebrew. The Kohanim descended from the Kohan HaGodol (High Priest), A’aron, Moshe Rabbeinu’s older brother. A’aron and Moshe were both of the Tribe of Levi. They were charged with working the Tabernacle and assist the Israelites in blessings, ministering, sacrifices and leading atonement rituals for the sins of the people. “Instead, appoint the Levites to be in charge of the tabernacle of the covenant law--over all its furnishings and everything belonging to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they are to take care of it and encamp around it. (Numbers 1:50)” 

The word Kohan is usually translated as “priest.” That’s fine, but what does the word priest mean? Priest means “ordained minister.” But what does that mean? Minister can mean “head of the clergy,” but what does clergy mean? Clergy means priesthood. Feel like you’re going in circles? 

The name Kohan literally means “friend who works diligently to achieve Divine harmony in a masterful way.” A’aron was a descendant of the tribe of Levi. So all Kohanim are Levites, but not all Levites are Kohanim. A’aron was worthy of receiving the priesthood, because he was one who loved peace, pursued peace, loved Elohim’s creatures and drew them close to Torah (Ethics of the Fathers 1:12) While Moshe is the more dominant figure in the Torah, A’aron is always a full and integral partner in the events and undertakings that forge a clan of liberated slaves into Yahweh’s people. It is as if Moshe cannot accomplish anything without A’aron, and A’aron in turn is likewise dependent upon Moshe in the fulfillment of his role. This was to be the model of the Priestly class and the rest of the nation of Israel. Moshe and A’aron were commissioned to create a people who would serve as Yahweh’s “light unto the nations”—as the disseminators of Elohim’s wisdom and will to His creation.

A’aron had a weight with the people; he was notable for his kindness and generosity. This is why he and his descendants were given the A’aronic Blessing. It is also known as the birkat kohanim (the priestly blessing) or the nesiat kapayim (the raising of the hands). Many of you are familiar with the A’aronic Blessing. It is found in its complete form in Numbers 6:22-27 and is the most famous blessing in all the Scriptures. It was entrusted by Yahweh to the priestly class of the nation of Israel, known as the Kohanim, to be bestowed upon the people. A blessing or bracha in Hebrew means the drawing down of spiritual energy. 

In turn the recipient Israelite is entrusted with the task of building a spiritual vessel with his obedience, which is to contain the spiritual energy that comes from receiving blessings. So a blessing can miss its mark in three ways. Either the giver and receiver of the blessing are deficient, the second is that just the giver is deficient, and the third and most common is that the recipient is insufficiently equipped to hold onto the spiritual energy that flows down to him.  

A blessing can only be given by one who is in a state of generosity and kindness. So in order for the Kohanim to give these blessings effectively, they must be benevolent and kind towards their fellow Israelites. This is why A’aron and his descendants received the ability to bless the nation of Israel. This is why the Sages say “A generous man will give blessings.” The A’aronic Blessing is a very special gift appointed by Yahweh to be performed by the Kohanim as conduits to bestow a very powerful communal blessing. 

Originally, Yahweh was the one who blessed people in this world. He did so to Adam, Noach and then to Avraham. In addition, he told Avraham that from that time on, Avraham would have the power to bless people. Avraham did not want to bless his children as Yishmael was one of them. Instead, Elohim himself blessed Yitzhak who in turn blessed Yaakov. Yaakov blessed his twelve sons before he passed away. Eventually Elohim told Moshe that the power to bless the Israel was now in the hands of the Kohanim

Most people are familiar with the English translation of the A’aronic blessing, which reads, “The LORD bless you and keep you: The LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you: The LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26 RSV)”

Notice that many of the words in this translation are abstract words, including; bless, keep, gracious, countenance and peace. Each of the Hebrew words behind the English in this passage is filled with images that are lost when translated into the English language. What’s a bless, what’s a gracious, what’s a countenance, what’s a peace? 

When we examine each of these words from their original cultural and linguistic perspectives, the message in this passage comes alive.

Here’s what the A’aronic Blessing really says: “Yahweh will kneel before you presenting gifts and will guard you with a hedge of protection, Yahweh will illuminate the wholeness of His being toward you bring order and he will beautify you, Yahweh will lift up His wholeness of being and look upon you and He will set in place all you need to be whole and complete.”

Let’s break down the text. 

Bless: The Hebrew verb ברך (Barakh, Strong's #1288) means to kneel as seen in Genesis 24:11. However, when written in the piel form, such as it is in Aaronic blessing, it means to show respect (usually translated as bless). However, as "respect" is an abstract word, we need to uncover its original concrete meaning, which we can do by examining other words related to this verb. One such related word is the noun ברך (berekh, Strong's #1288) meaning "knee." Another related Hebrew word is ברכה (berakhah, Strong's #1293) meaning a gift or present. From this we can see the concrete meaning behind the piel form of the verb barak. It is to bring a gift to another while kneeling out of respect. The extended meaning of this word is to do or give something of value to another. Elohiym "respects" us by providing for our needs and we in turn "respect" Elohiym by giving him of ourselves as his servants.

Keep: The Hebrews were a nomadic people raising livestock. It would not be uncommon for a shepherd to be out with his flock, away from the camp, over the night. In order to protect the flock, the shepherd would construct a corral of thorn bushes. The shepherd would then guard over the flock and the corral would be a hedge of protection around them. The Hebrew word for a thorn is שמיר (shamiyr, Strong's #8068) and derived from the verb שמר (shamar, Strong's #8104), which literally means to guard and protect and is the word used in the Aaronic blessing.

Face: When one looks at a painting of a person, the viewer can"read" the mood of the subject by the facial expression. The face reflects the many different moods, emotions, and thoughts of the person. The Hebrew word פנים (paniym, Strong's #6440), means "face," but is always written in the plural form (the ים suffix identifies this word as plural), reflecting this idea of multiple faces of each person. This word can also mean “presence” or the “wholeness of being” of an individual.

Shine: The word awr אור (or, Strong's #215), as a noun means "light" and as a verb, as it is used here, means to "give light" or "shine" and is equated with bringing about order as light illuminates or reveals what has been dark.

Gracious: Most theologians will define “grace” as “unmerited favour,” but notice the abstractness of these words. The Hebrew verb translated as gracious in the Aaronic blessing is the verb חנן (hhanan, Strong's #2603) and is often paralleled with other Hebrew words meaning healing, help, being lifted up, finding refuge, strength and rescue. From a concrete Hebraic perspective this verb means to “provide protection.” Where does one run to for protection? The camp, which in Hebrew is חנה (hanah, Strong's #2583), a word related to חנן (hhanan).

Grant: The Hebrew verb שים (siym, Strong's #7760), literally means to "set down in a fixed and arranged place."

Peace: When we hear the word peace we usually associate this to mean an absence of war or strife. However, the Hebrew word שלום (shalom, Strong's #7965) has a very different meaning. The root of this word is שלם (shalam, Strong's #7999) and is usually used in the context of making restitution. When a person has caused another to become deficient in some way, such as a loss of livestock, it is the responsibility of the person who created the deficiency to restore what has been taken, lost or stolen. The verb shalam literally means to make whole or complete. The noun shalom has the more literal meaning of being in a state of wholeness, or being without deficiency.

Along with the A’aronic Blessing came the hand gesture, which most of you are familiar with. In Torah, body position in prayer is absolutely paramount, though often ignored by people who can’t see much Scriptural evidence for its direction. Nothing could be further from the truth. 

There are times we should be seated low to the ground, standing straight, bowing, even raising up on tippy-toes. There are times we should have our head bowed, be seated, even moving vigorously. Body position is as critical in prayer or when dispensing a blessing as it is in a job interview. To someone who says, ‘G-d doesn’t care about what you’re body parts do in prayer,’ should be asked, ‘Well, did it matter that Moshe had his arms raised for the duration of the Israelites battle against Amalekites?’ Every time he lowered his arms Israel was in trouble. Yahweh does command us to raise our hands, especially in the sanctuary! “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise Yahweh (Psalm 143:2)” You think the A’aronic Blessing was administered from it’s very outset with the giver’s arms raised in the sanctuary at most other times and then tied to his side in the finale. This is like a stadium full of football fans raising their arms in excitement throughout a game and at the end when their team wins their arms are nowhere to be seen. 

“Now as Solomon finished offering all this prayer and plea to the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven.(1 Kings 8:54)” 

“And Ezra blessed Adonai, the great Elohim, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped Adonai with their faces to the ground. (Nehemiah 8:6)” 

“I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarrelling…(1 Thessalonians 2:8)” 

“Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. (Luke 24:50)” 

The A’aronic blessing, the final parting word of the day’s service to Yahweh was certainly not an armless affair? No power could restrain the arms here. The arms extended out to direct the blessing. It was a gesture, given to show that it was an act of giving something.

Next, some of you may have noticed opened palms with fingers specifically arrayed as the blessing is administered. 

Some of you might remember Mr. Spock in Star Trek, played by Leonard Nimoy. In the series, his character was half-Vulcon and did what’s called a Vulcan salute, a greeting that was devised by the actor himself who was Jewish, to help sell the alien cultural background of his character. 

In Leonard Nimoy’s autobiography I Am Not Spock, Nimoy wrote that he based the Vulcon Salute on the Priestly Blessing performed by Jewish Kohanim with both hands, thumb to thumb in this same position, representing the Hebrew letter Shin (ש), which has three upward strokes similar to the position of the thumb and fingers in the salute. The letter Shin here stands for El Shaddai, meaning "Mighty One of Spirits", as well as for Shekinah and Shalom. Nimoy wrote that when he was a child, his grandfather took him to an Orthodox synagogue, where he saw the blessing performed and was impressed by it

The hand gesture was taken from the A’aronic Blessing that he saw performed in Synagogues when he was growing up. This format is similar to common Middle Eastern greetings (Salaam alaykum in Arabic and Shalom aleikhem in Hebrew), meaning “peace be upon you,” and its reply, “upon you be peace.”

There are many variations of the hand gesture depending on the sect of Judaism. The one I prefer, is the one with the joined thumbs and forefingers with the right eye of mercy behind. Which one is right? Who knows. But until we know the correct formation of the hands, if there is indeed a correct way, it’s down to personal preference. 

The woman of the home’s hand motions over the Shabbat candles are a form of self-administer A’aronic Blessing. Traditionally, the woman of the house would light the Shabbat candles and then wave her hands over the flames and draw them up toward her face, bringing them up to cover her eyes on the final pass. At this point she makes a silent prayer to Yahweh that only she has the power to draw down. Each hand wave over the candles symbolises the power to live (nefesh); the mind/will (ru'ach), and the spirit (neshamah) in that she receives the Shabbat Presence into all three layers of a person’s make-up. With each wave of the hands, one should consciously take a deep breath and try to feel the atmosphere of Shabbat touching another aspect of your being.

It’s no wonder the enemy has made an attack on our most gracious gift from the Almighty, the birkat kohanim (the priestly blessing), that flows through the stone, the upper, corner stone that represents the stone the builder’s rejected – Yahshua HaMoshiach. 

If you want to keep jumping the boogie-man every time you see a triangle be my guest, but don’t you think it’s time to take back the truth, undress it from its outer layer of false-hood and claim it back in the name of Yahshua HaMoshiach!

Don’t get caught up in all this hocus-pocus about vein subjects. Such people look for a devil under every rock. My hope is that whenever you see a triangle, you’ll say a quite blessing and thank Yahweh for the knowledge he’s given you to know the truth. Because “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. (Isaiah 50:20)”