Close enough?


When Matthew remembered that Joseph had received a visit from an angel to give Jesus his name, he recorded it because it fulfills the mystery of the hidden bride of the Messiah.

The bride was hidden from Israel

Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

The church as the bride of Christ is a great mystery. It was an unexpected surprise. Modern Jews expect the Messiah to be married. He is to have a son who inherits his kingdom. Though the teaching of a bride is throughout the OT, the bride as the church is hidden in shadows and riddle.

Matthew shares the riddle to expose the hidden bride

Jesus was named Yeshua as the command of the angel [1]. But the angel said that this fulfills the prophecy he would be called Emmanuel. [2]

Wait. How can this be the fulfillment of prophecy? Yeshua and Emmanuel are two different names. Is it just close enough? Nonsense!

Yeshua sounds like Yahweh with a ‘sh’ in the middle. That ‘sh’ sound is the Hebrew letter shin ש. It is composed of a vav ו on the right and two zayins ז on the left. It’s meaning is that the word of God came to earth, and when it returned, it had in increase. This can be expressed many ways, such as: The the marriage of the word, His word did not return void, etc.

But consider it as a marriage in the heart of Yeshua. The prophecy is that he will be called Emmanuel or ‘God with us’. How much more with us can he get than to be married to us?

Another Yeshua riddle

Incidentally, there is a second riddle in his name. Ya- shuwach שׁוח meaning ‘God humbled’. His incarnation is sometimes referred to as his humiliation. God confirms his riddles by two or three witnesses.

References

 

  1. Mt 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS (Yeshua): for he shall save his people from their sins.
  2. Mt 1:22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Mt 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

 

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