Aleph explained
Prophet
dualism expressed by the aleph א
The dualism of the aleph is not like any other dualism expressed in religions. It is not an opposing dualism of good vs. evil or of flesh against spirit, though these become secondary expressions. It is the dualism of the nature of Christ being God and man. Both are good [1] [2] The dualism is seen in the two yods of the aleph, joined by the Spirit represented by the diagonal vav ו. This dualism is expressed by names of Tamar's twins [3] and Paul speaks of it directly [4]
A secondary expression of the dualism is the unity of Holiness and Love within God. We must see the attributes separately until they are perfectly reconciled on the cross.
This dualism is expressed every time two things are joined by the Hebrew letter vav ו and is translated 'and'. One of the items will represent something spiritual and one flesh; one will represent holiness, and one grace.
firmament
The firmament is the resolution of the trouble stirred up by the Spirit hovering on the face of the waters [5]. It is the 'solid ground' of Christ, the Rock [6] which calms the judgement, or angry seas [7] He reconciled holiness and grace on the cross, revealing the full nature of the invisible God.
first shall be last
Original sin is the act of instinct where one usurps God's position, and puts himself first to declare good and evil for himself [8]. The opposite of original sin is the 'golden rule': Mt 7:12 ¶ Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
One must be taught to love in this way, which was the core of Jesus's teaching. The one who was first or preeminent as God incarnate, demonstrated the love of God in his daily life. The wedding at Cana is where he chose to give grace (symbolized by wine) instead of judgement [9] and to die in our place.
one and a thousand
The aleph has the numerical value of one, and the meaning of aleph אלף is one thousand. Peter uses this to explain that a day, in the creation story [10] is a picture the death of Christ as king. [11] [12] [13]
split conversation
Jesus had one purpose: to make the invisible God known. [14] We are limited to seeing the squares on the sides of a cube rather than the cube. When God says that side A and B are both him, we imagine it to be a contradiction. Recognizing our limitation, God teaches that he is love and that he is holy as two sides of the cube. We imagine it to be a contradiction because 'love' implies 'together' and 'holy' suggests 'separate'. As one very young friend exclaimed, "That's impossible!". Jesus gave us two conversations: repentance, an expression of holiness and mercy; an expression of love. He then brought them together on the cross.
Priest
distinguishing by separation
The primary attribute of holiness is being separate. Prior to creation, God could not express his holiness because there was nothing to be separate from. In the very act of speaking creation into existence; making something that wasn't him, he became separate from creation. His first declaration to his new creation was "Let there be light" [15] and light became the symbol for his holiness.
The diagonal vav in the aleph א, representing that first declaration, draws our attention to the breath (Spirit) and the word (Word) which distinguished God from his creation.
first shall be last
Aleph means one thousand which is the numerical value of the 28th letter; final-shin. This is the doctrine that the 'first shall be last and the last shall be first.' This letter-metaphor is repeated with two gates: aleph-tov את-תא and aleph-shin אש-שא [16]. In Greek it is expressed as the sentence 'I am the alpha and omega' using the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.
The prophecy says that the one who was first; the Eternal Son, would become last (or least) as he served us on the cross. He would again pick up his Glory and be first again. The first half of this is expressed in the Second Adam theme as well as the temptation of Christ and the parable of the mustard seed.
his name
As silent letter, the name of God hidden inside cannot be pronounced. There is a Jewish myth that his name Yahweh יהוה cannot be pronounced. The reason for the myth is because the meanings of the aleph was hidden to prevent the children of disbelieving Jews from seeing Christ in the scriptures. Formed as yod-vav-yod יוי, it would be pronounced something like "ee-oo-ee" which sounds like Yahweh. We might say that יוי is his spiritual name, and יהוה is the name he gave us to use when speaking of him. [17]
When you name something, it is an act of taking dominion of the thing named. [18] There is no one who can take dominion over God. He is sovereign, accomplishing all he desires with no one to subvert him [19]
methodical and purposeful
The yod can be thought of as a static thing, allegorically like a noun: the thought of God to create, or the finished creation. The vav ו is more like a verb in that it expresses action: God SPOKE to create. The yod-vav-yod of the aleph represent a plan, an action, and a result. Paul teaches the same: Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform [it] until the day of Jesus Christ:
The work of Christ was planned, executed and finished having accomplished the will of the Father. The same is reflected in the meaning of aleph as 'oxen' [20]. He was chosen to be the sacrifice before the beginning. [21] The ox and the lamb are both symbols of Christ as the sacrifice.
Trinity
The aleph expresses the Trinity in two ways: The word aleph has gematria of 3, and the yod-vav-yod are thee strokes that represent the persons within the Trinity.
We don't use gematria the way rabbis do. Some examples are found in the New Testament but are used only for observation until there are enough samples to show they fit the same rules as all else. We note that the number of the name of the aleph, which contains the name of God, is 3, while it's numeric value is 1.
The strokes demonstrate the Trinity also. No where in scripture does it say that the Holy Spirit is the same as the Father or Son, yet we are told the Father and Son are one[22]. The yod י above is the same as the yod below. As non-consequential as this seems, our attention is called to the same type of pattern interpretation in the word 'water' mayim מים . Here the first mem מ represents the Father and the second mem ם represents the Son. They are the same letter, but different in this case. They are one; one above , or in front of the yod י (in heaven), and one below or behind the yod י (on earth).
Judge
divider, teaching mouth
By formation, the aleph means: I am א the teaching mouth or edge לפ. The reverse gate of mouth לף is 'the distinct' pal פל . The teaching dividesת or setד one apart. This is repeated in the hidden meaning of the alphabet: They were distinguished ו as the bride ז when they did understand ח. Jesus gave Nicodemus the same teaching, that he couldn't even see (understand) the kingdom of heaven (teaching) until he had been born again (born of the Spirit) [23]
role of the Holy Spirit
The diagonal vav in the aleph is expanded into the role of the Holy Spirit: ...and the Spirit moved [hovered] over the face of the waters [24]. The Spirit is causing trouble between the water above and the water below. 'Troubled waters' is a symbol of judgement. He is called 'Holy' because he expresses the holiness of God. Jesus is called Yeshua, because 'God with us' expresses the Love of God.
The troubled water symbol is used when Jesus walks on water [25] and when he calmed the seas [26]. As the firmament between the waters, Jesus calms the storm and makes peace between heaven and earth.
war between God and man
The trouble caused by the Holy Spirit is also expressed as the war between God and man [27]
King
king
The number of the name aleph is one thousand. The number 1000 represents the king. The mention of the king is a promise of salvation. The king rules over the earth and the flesh. But he is not alone. One thousand (king) is the Messiah (10) and the church (100). Christ rules over the flesh of the church. He does that by being one flesh with us [28]
oxen
The ox is symbol of Christ as the sacrifice. [29] An ox is a cow which does work [30] and as such represents the work of Christ as a sacrifice to the lord.
The word 'ox' suwr שׂור also means 'prince'. The ox represents the king-priest; a symbol of Christ's offering of himself in the flesh [31].
teach or learn
Aleph also means to teach or learn [32]. The diagonal vav ו in the aleph א is the Word shared between the one above and below. In English we think of the direction of the flow of knowledge and have the words 'teach' and 'learn' to indicate it. But the Hebrew aleph is the sharing between two. This will become more explicit in the lamed ל which gives focus to the shared heart of teaching.- ↑ Mt 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? [there is] none good but one, [that is], God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
- ↑ Ge 1:31 ¶ And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
- ↑ 'Breaking forth' from the flesh, 'Rising sun' mf.' the holiness of God
- ↑ Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
- ↑ Ge 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
- ↑ Ge 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
- ↑ Mr 4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
- ↑ Ge 3:22 ¶ And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know [declare] good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
- ↑ John 2.1ff
- ↑ 2Pe 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation. 2Pe 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
- ↑ 1000 mf. king
- ↑ year shᵉnah שׁנה - sleep mf. death (08140 ref. 08139)
- ↑ 2Pe 3:8 ¶ But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
- ↑ Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
- ↑ Ge 1:3 ¶ And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
- ↑ The normal shin is used since there is no typographic symbol
- ↑ Ex 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
- ↑ Ge 2:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought [them] unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that [was] the name thereof.
- ↑ Nu 23:19 God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
- ↑ 0504
- ↑ 1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
- ↑ Joh 10:30 I and [my] Father are one.
- ↑ Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
- ↑ Ge 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
- ↑ Mt 14:22-36
- ↑ Matthew 8:23-27
- ↑ Ro 8:7 Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
- ↑ Ro 12:5 So we, [being] many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
- ↑ Ex 20:24 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.
- ↑ De 25:4 Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out [the corn].
- ↑ 1Jo 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love [of God], because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren.
- ↑ 0502
