HEBREW IDIOMS - UNLOCKING THEIR MEANING
This research is included in the new book Strong Delusion
HEBREW IDIOMS
UNLOCKING THEIR MEANING
A GRAVE SITUATION IN FIGURES OF SPEECH
Languages have from dozens to
hundreds of idioms. A widely-known Hebrew idiom, Bosom Of Abraham,
is one of them that is commonly missed, and taken literally. Is it a real
place, or an idiom for the grave?
WHAT IS AN IDIOM?
An idiom is an expression of a concept, feeling, idea, circumstance, or
thing, used in a figurative sense. An idiomatic expression
should never be interpreted literally. It is very closely related to a maxim and
a parable.
WHAT IS A MAXIM?
A maxim is a brief expression of a general truth or rule of conduct. An
example of a maxim is: “The pen is mightier than the sword.”
Idioms, maxims, and parables have been very useful teaching tools,
especially in mainly oral cultures.
WHAT IS A PARABLE?
A parable is a short allegorical story intended to illustrate (or teach) some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson.
Yahusha spoke with parables and figures
of speech many times.
At Luke 16 He uses the Hebrew idiom, “bosom of Abraham.”
This was a figure of speech they readily understood, and Yahusha used it to
make His point about a very rich man and a desperately poor man. His point
was that riches, pleasure, possessions, and position can be a “stumbling
block” to us.
He wanted to convey how important it is that we evaluate our behavior, and
how it will factor into our final destination. Our hearts are corrupt, and
lack compassion for our fellow human beings. The rich man lacked compassion,
and was extremely selfish. He had the “evil eye,” and idiom
meaning he was stingy, miserly, and self-centered.
Yahusha was not teaching us about the literal details of the “here-after”,
but rather figuratively used the idiom, bosom of Abraham to
teach the principle of generosity, hospitality, and kindness. He was also
giving us a glimpse of how He sees our treatment of one another.
AN EYE-FOR-AN-EYE
This idiom conveys to us a principle of balance in mitigating the damages caused by accident or negligence. It does not cover the intentional act of doing harm.
GREEN TREE, DRY TREE
Yahusha used many idioms. His
Natsarim followers knew He used them, and in one place they pointed this
out: “His taught ones said to Him, ‘See, now You are speaking plainly,
and not using figure of speech!’” – Yn. 16:29
These figures of speech refer to the use of idioms.
Cultural idioms can easily be misunderstood when translated
literally.
They vary in transparency.
Some familiar to us are: bat out of hell (or hell
out of Dodge; leaving with extreme haste); feeling under the
weather (an illness); in the same boat (in the same
situation together); woke up on the wrong side of the bed
(cranky); bats in the belfry (mentally disturbed);
graveyard shift (working
the late shift, past midnight); silver lining (unforeseen good
aspect of a bad situation); if we play our cards right (be
careful); raining cats and dogs (a torrential downpour);
red herring (distracting or misleading clue); red hot (exciting);
red-handed (in the act of doing something wrong); have a
bone to pick (dispute between people); heap coals of fire on
his head (shaming them); raking over the coals (openly
shaming someone); thrown under the bus (exploiting a situation
causing blame to fall on an innocent person); kick the bucket, croak,
bite the dust, bought the farm (die) . . . and so on.
If we don’t understand how to
apply idioms, we can easily get “egg on our face.” (This idiom
means “made to look foolish”).
We can easily “fly off the handle” and invent
misinterpretations and fantasies – unreal places we think may really
exist.
The idea of “Purgatory” - a fantasy realm – is a syncretism borrowed
from Buddhism. Catholicism exploits the belief in this fantasy realm to
collect vast sums of wealth in exchange for “indulgences” which are
said to reduce or eliminate a fiery torture for “venial sins.”
No one can be in Purgatory because it doesn’t exist.
Purgatory appeared for the first time in Christian tradition in the late
12th century, and is derived from a Buddhist practice of making offerings
for the dead. Misunderstandings create strongholds (false reasonings).
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
HEBREW IDIOMS The KJV uses the word “apple” where the Hebrew text employs an idiom for an object of incomparable desire. One idiom became a completely different one here, since the Hebrew word does not mean “apple”, either literally or abstractly. Literally, it means “little man of the eye.”
Apparently, the translator was hungry, or really, really liked
apples.
There are many Hebrew idioms. If we take them literally, they only confuse
us. One of them is the familiar phase, “the bride of Yahusha.”
This is an idiomatic expression, since we know there is not a literal
gender component involved. It’s “like” a marriage, a covenant
relationship of selfless love and total commitment.
Another idiom is the idea of first-fruits, meaning first-born.
Idiomatically the idea applies to those in the first resurrection, the bride
that will attend the “wedding feast.” This second idiom, “wedding feast,” is
an extension of the “bride” idiom.
Other Hebrew idioms are: heart (thinking); eye of a
needle (any task requiring great skill and focus);
bind and loose (forbid and permit, according to
Torah); uncircumcised ears/hearts
(lack of commitment to Yahuah); make a wide mouth (sneer);
slept (died); to receive another heart (change the
mind); lifted up his eyes (saw); hate (avoid, or
prefer less than another); your right eye (your will,
decision, or fixed goals); stumbling block (deterrent,
obstacle); throat an open grave (speak deceitfully);
enlarge space (set free); under the ban (may mean
either dedicated only to Yahuah, or be completely destroyed); stiff
neck (obstinate); kiss the son (show loyalty, render
pure homage); bronze forehead (brutish, unhearing); remove
the foreskin of your heart (commit yourself); hard-hearted (stubborn,
unyielding, lacking compassion); gird up loins (be ready);
open the womb (give birth); kidneys (guts, inner
courage); flowing with milk & honey (fertile); living
water (Torah observing, love); green tree (fruitful,
righteous, obedient, and loving one); dry tree (rebellious,
unfruitful, hateful one); seed (offspring, descendants); bind
and loose (forbid & permit); bury my father (collect
my inheritance); evil eye (stingy, miserly); poor in
spirit (humble, selfless, or mourning one); eagles gathered
together (messengers, the weed-reapers at the harvest of the
Earth); right hand (might, strength); higher-calling (those
selected as the bride, first-fruits, at the first resurrection); old
wine (men’s teachings); new wine (Truth, freeing a
person from men’s teachings). One cannot serve two masters.
Either we will serve Yahuah and follow His instructions, or we will follow men's teaching authority and "fall into a ditch" (be taken away by deceptive teachings).
Other idiomatic expressions include beast, lake of fire, mother of
harlots, and lukewarm.
In the Hebrew culture,
Pharisees understood the “bosom of Abraham” as another way to
refer to the grave, where everyone was in the “same boat.”
Although Yahuah never goes into detail about those in sheol,
we must acknowledge it is an field of little human knowledge, yet under His
complete control.
We may desire to understand the circumstances, but we are to keep to our own
estate (realm) and not go on flights of fancy. Nicolaitanes
like to make people think they know things, but they really don’t because
they operate in the realm of “religion” not reality.
ADDRESSING THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
WHERE ARE THE DEAD?
The dead are in a state that
is removed from our realm entirely, but remain in the Mind of Yahusha. They
are outside our physical realm of space-time, so time is not passing for
them. In this state of being, they are awaiting their resurrection from the
dead. Such “heavenly matters” are very misunderstood by the
vast majority, and this is quite understandable.
The prophet Danial is waiting in a state idiomatically called the
bosom of
Abraham
right now, resting until he is raised at Yahusha’s coming: Danial 12:13:
“But you, go your way till the end. And rest, and arise to your lot at the
end of the days.”
The dead are not consciously aware of anything, but resting, or
sleeping. The dead “know” nothing (being unconscious) - their
next conscious thought will be when they are in the presence of
Yahusha:
“We are of good courage, and are well pleased rather to be absent from the
body, and to be present with the Master.”
2Cor 5:8
That sounds as if it will be
immediate as we reckon time, but we have to consider
that how we perceive reality here in the physical realm needs to be adjusted
for the “heavenly matters” over which Yahusha alone is sovereign. The dead
will be in the presence of the Master in one of two events called the
first and second resurrections. Although their flesh
has ceased to live, Yahusha stated that all are alive to Him. This is
explained at Mt. 22:32.
Danial and Daud are not yet in the presence of Yahusha, note
Yn. 3:13:
“And no one has gone up into the heaven except He who came down from the
heaven – the Son of Adam.”
(also Acts 2:34). No one is in
“heaven” yet, nor has anyone entered the
“lake of fire.”
You’ll see this as you read
further.
Two resurrections of the dead are ahead of us.
Yahusha will determine if they will be clothed with immortality, or face
annihilation in the “second death,” the lake of fire.
Both the righteous and unrighteous who have died are in a place called the
grave (Hebrew, sheol).
They will be called-forth to one of two resurrections from the dead. The
first resurrection will occur at Yahusha’s return to reign, and the second
will occur at the end of a Millennium (1000 years).
THE LINCHPIN OF ALL HISTORY:
THE FIRST RESURRECTION:
YAHUSHA’S RETURN TO EARTH
The first resurrection will be the calling-forth of the bride of
Yahusha, or first-fruits. This is the time of the Wedding
Supper of the Lamb. These are all idioms describing the chosen ones,
and their joining to Yahusha when all His fullness dwells in them.
At the first resurrection, a “changing of the guard” will occur as the beast and
the false prophet will be the first (and only ones) to enter
the lake of fire.
WHO OR WHAT IS THE BEAST?
The beast is an idiom for the reign of Babel.
The beast is the bureaucracy of Babel currently reigning in the world. It is
a highly organized authoritarian structure of teaching authorities and
governments. It includes Babel’s operation, system, network, and pattern of
behavior (all witchcraft), along with the “orders” of the world system
(clergy-nobility-laity).
At Yahusha’s coming, this beastly reign will be completely
wiped out:
“Babel the great is fallen, is fallen!”
Rev.
18:2
The beast is not literally a
person, and neither is the false prophet. These two
entities represent the authoritarian control that is “taken out of the
way,” when Yahusha begins His reign. The bureaucracy of Babel,
and the office of the false prophet, never rise again to reign over the
Earth. 1000 years pass as Yahusha reigns on the Earth with His bride, the
first-fruits group. The first-fruits are His Natsarim, branches fully
connected to Him, the Root of all power and authority. The first two to
enter the lake of fire are the
beast and the
false prophet:
“And I saw the beast . . .
representing the bureaucracy of Babel which includes the false prophet or 1st estate,
and the sovereigns of the earth . . .
(the nobility, the 2nd estate),
and their armies . . .
(the common people, laity, the 3rd estate),
gathered together to fight Him who sat on the horse and His army.
And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in
his presence, by which he led astray those who received the mark of the
beast and those who worshipped his image. The two were thrown alive into the
lake of fire burning with sulphur.”
Rev 19:19, 20
Why are the
beast and the
false prophet thrown into the
lake of fire?
The beast and false prophet are idiomatic classifications of power.
They are the reigns of all world authority, given to them by the
dragon.
Our enemy in not flesh and blood.
The dragon offered Yahusha
the authority to reign over the entire bureaucracy of
Babel:
“Again, the devil took Him up on a very high mountain, and showed Him all
the reigns of the world, and their esteem, and said to Him,
‘All these I shall give You if You fall down and worship me.’”
Mt. 4:8, 9
If we interpret the idiom “lake of fire” literally to
be a sea of flames for eternal torture rather than a term meaning utter
annihilation, then we have ignored the idiom. We miss the meaning of the
beast, and the false prophet as well. These two are authorities,
principalities, and POWERS that have to be “taken out of the way”
at Yahusha’s coming. It’s not the “Holy Spirit” that is taken out of the
way: “And now you know what restrains, for him to be revealed in his
time. For the secret of lawlessness is already at work – only until he who
now restrains comes out of the midst.
And then the lawless one shall be revealed, whom the Master shall consume
with the Spirit of His mouth and bring to naught
[annihilation, lay-waste]
with the manifestation of His coming.
The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of satan, with all power and signs and wonders of falsehood, and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those perishing, because they did not receive the love of the Truth, in order for them to be delivered.
And for this reason Alahim sends them a working of delusion, for them to believe the falsehood, in order that all should be judged who did not believe the Truth, but have delighted in the unrighteousness.”
-
2Thess 2:6-12
THE SECOND RESURRECTION
The second resurrection will involve the rest of mankind who did not merit
the “higher-calling.” They are not the bride,
but are the great harvest, different from the “first-fruits.”
They will face the judgment at the Great White Throne, and will enter eternal life only if their names appear in the Scroll of Life. The rest will be sent into the lake of fire where the beast and false prophet are. This will also be the time the dragon and those malakim that followed him will enter the lake of fire and face utter annihilation forever. They will inhabit the “outer darkness,” an idiom for non-existence. Those who face this loss will weep and chatter their teeth as they grope with the horrifying prospect ahead of them. Many believe they will be tormented for all eternity, but for that they would have to receive immortal bodies to endure the suffering.
A more likely
interpretation is they will be tormented by eternity, what
they have lost.
They face a second death, and that death is eternal (without end).
They are destroyed (annihilated, laid-waste).
In Yahusha’s illustration, notice the term grave.
The Hebrew word He used was sheol:
“And it came to be that the beggar died, and was carried by the messengers
to the bosom of Abraham. And the rich man also died and was
buried.
And while suffering tortures in the grave, having lifted up his eyes,
he saw Abraham far away, and Alazar in his bosom.” -
Luke 16:22, 23
The Pharisees believed
in the resurrection from the dead, and that belief is based on references in
the TaNaK. When a person died, it was said they were “gathered” or “slept.”
Gen / Barashith 25:8: “And Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old
age, aged and satisfied, and was gathered to his people.”
This is an idiomatic description of death.
Idiomatic expressions apply themselves to specific conversational
applications familiar only to a native group or period. Look at how our
English language receives new words due to culture and technology.
Yahusha used the colloquial expression, “bosom of Abraham,” to
bring attention to the huge gap between the life of a rich man and a
poor man.
The rich man would not help the poor man during his life, knowing he needed
help. In Yahusha’s illustration, the poor man was comforted, and
gathered to his people.
The rich man was presented as one experiencing extreme shame for the way he
ignored Alazar, and this is brought out as a reference to “heat.”
We can relate this to how we feel blood rush to our face when we are
embarrassed, causing our face to become hot and blood-red.
This is very much like the idiom “coals of fire” heaped on
someone’s head used in this verse:
“Beloved, do not revenge yourselves, but give place to the wrath, for it has
been written, “Vengeance is Mine, I shall repay,” says Yahuah.
Instead, if your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him a drink,
for in so doing you shall heap coals of fire on his head.” Romans
12:19, 20
By misunderstanding idioms, people can leap to bizarre
conclusions. We should look before we leap.
LAKE OF FIRE
. . . annihilation or
eternal torture?
The lake of fire is an idiomatic expression for a place of
utter destruction, and is the second death, not eternal life. In
Yahusha’s time it was referred to as “Gehenna.” At this time, it is not
“occupied” by anyone, meaning Yahuah has not yet annihilated anyone.
The first to “enter it” will be the beast and false prophet, at Yahusha’s
coming.
We are to fear not those who can kill the body, but rather the
ONE Who can destroy BOTH being (nefesh) and body:
“And do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the
being. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy
both being and body in Gehenna.”
-
Mt. 10:28. Here we see the word “destroy”
(Hebrew, shoah) is used.
Without knowing about idioms, someone could claim the Scriptures contradict
themselves. Because most people have received doctrines based on
misunderstood idioms and misinterpretations, Yahuah’s true character is not
known. Many believe Yahuah is a terrible, unforgiving “GOD” of the “Old
Testament.” When they learn that He is the “same yesterday, today, and
forever,”
and comprehend how great His love for us truly is, kings will shut
their
mouths.
(Isa / YashaYahu 52)
Yahuah Became A Servant
“. . being in the form of Alahim, did not regard equality with Alahim a
matter to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of
a servant, and came to
be
in the likeness of men.
And having been found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became
obedient to death, death even of a stake.”
Php. 2:7, 8
That helps explain why the Name Yahusha means:
“Yahuah is our Deliverer.”
Literally it means “I am your Deliverer.”
- and believe it, that’s not an idiom.
IT’S LIKE MUSIC TO OUR EARS TO HEAR THE TRUTH!
Psychosis is a loss of contact with
reality
that usually includes:
False beliefs
about what is taking place or who one is (delusions)
;
Seeing or hearing things that
aren't there
(hallucinations).
Two Resurrections
(brief TorahTalk on Youtube):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC8EdGZD6Zs&list=UUeI-PogiRkFU6lQBFvfyQDw
DEATH seminar (1 hour video):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_5CU84snIM&list=UUeI-PogiRkFU6lQBFvfyQDw
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