Did The Angel Gabriel Announce The Name Yeshua Or Jesus?

[Walter and Deborah]

Saturday 4-15-23 7th. Day Of The Weekly Cycle Nisan 23, 5783 27th. Spring Day

“And you shall call his name…” announced the angel Gabriel, “Jesus”.
No he didn’t. He said “Yeshua”. But then again, Gabriel wasn’t really called Gabriel either – in Hebrew it sounds different: “Gav-ree-el”. Mighty one of the Lord. But at least Gabriel sounds a BIT like Gav-ree-el. It’s at least recognisable! How in the world did Yeshua, the actual Hebrew name for our Lord and Messiah, turn into Jesus? It sounds nothing like Yeshua! And does it really matter what we call him?
 

HOW DID WE END UP CALLING YESHUA JESUS?

The name “Jesus” comes from the Greek way of expressing his name: Ἰησοῦς, which is pronounced “Yay-soos”. While we have an English version of the Hebrew name for Gabriel, we seem to have ended up with an English version of the Greek version of the Hebrew name for our Messiah, that doesn’t even sound close anymore. It makes him all the less recognisable to his Jewish brethren. Jesus just sounds so… gentile! But when Jewish people hear his name in Hebrew, quite often the lights go on. Ah! Yeshua! The name Yeshua was known and used in Jewish history – you can find men called Yeshua in the roll calls of teams serving in the temple (1 Chronicles 24:11, 2 Chronicles 31:15, Ezra 2:2,6,36). It’s a version of Joshua, and it means “salvation”. This makes much more sense to Jewish ears.
 

HOW JESUS IS KNOWN AND WHAT HE IS CALLED IN ISRAEL

Sadly, for many long years among Hebrew-speaking Jewish people, Yeshua has been known as “Yeshu”, which is an acronym for a curse: “yimakh shemo ve zikhro” which means, “May his name and memory be obliterated”. So much suffering and persecution has been inflicted upon Jewish people in the name of Yeshua that his very name has become a stumbling block and offense, and now he is often considered one of the enemies of the Jewish people. This word “Yeshu” is made of three Hebrew letters – Y-Sh-U (ישו), but it is missing the last letter of his name – the “Ah” sound. This last letter is called an “Ayin” (ע), which, rather interestingly, means “eye”. It’s almost as if without the “ayin” they cannot see, but when the “ayin” is added, sight comes to the blind.

Yeshua is commonly called Yeshu here in Israel, but there are some academics who call him Yeshua, and funnily enough, one particularly extremist group who sprayed anti-Messianic graffiti on a church, declaring that Yeshua was a monkey, actually spelled his name correctly! But sadly he is often referred to as Yeshu haNotzri, which means “curses on Jesus-the-Christian”. In Israel, he is usually seen as gentile, Christian, and ‘other’. But Jesus wasn’t a Christian – he wasn’t a Christ follower – he was Christ himself! The Jewish Messiah! Jesus wasn’t a Christian, Mary wasn’t a Catholic, and John wasn’t a Baptist: They were all Jewish! While “Notzri” is the Hebrew word for “Christian”, it actually means one from Nazareth (Natzeret in Hebrew). It would be more accurate to say Yeshua me Natzeret – Yeshua from Nazareth. It’s close, but worlds away in Israeli perception. Christ is the Greek word for Messiah, so Jesus Christ really means Yeshua the Messiah.

I remember being in a class on the New Testament at university here in Israel which was taught by someone who did not believe in it one iota – it was simply considered an important book which has shaped western civilisation. When students asked about what “Christ” meant (was it his surname?) the professor explained that it was the Greek word for Messiah. To my delight, she wrote on the board (in Hebrew, to a class full of Israeli students):
 

JESUS = YESHUA = CHRIST = MESSIAH

This is not well understood here in Israel, but slowly, the lights are going on as more and more people understand that Jesus Christ is not a foreign personality of a pagan religion, but Yeshua, salvation, is the Jewish Messiah from Nazareth in Israel, the one prophesied in the Hebrew Bible. “And you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
 

WHAT SHOULD WE CALL HIM THEN?

So now to the question, having established his real, Hebrew name, Yeshua – should we cease to call him Jesus?
 

It is true that his mother and friends called him Yeshua rather than Jesus, but if you know him as Jesus, does he mind that? Is it incorrect to call him Jesus? There are some who would argue till they’re blue in the face that it is critical to call him Yeshua and not Jesus, but Yeshua’s coming was also God’s time to take salvation to the gentiles. I believe that it was no accident that his name was disseminated in the international lingua-franca of the day: Greek. It was to go far and wide, to every nation on earth.

God was now opening up the way to all the peoples of the earth to come to him. If you relate to him by his name Jesus, then don’t let it be a burden to you to change to Yeshua if you don’t feel the need to. He knows his sheep, and his sheep know his voice. His name has gone out to the nations in various versions of the Greek “Yay-soos”, but now, back here in his birth-place, Israel, people are starting to discover Yeshua their Jewish Messiah.
 

YESHUA WILL BE RECOGNISED AGAIN BY HIS BROTHERS

Just as Joseph was unrecognisable to his brothers dressed in foreign Egyptian garb and speaking a strange language when they came for help, Yeshua has been out among the gentiles, bringing salvation, and now appears to be shrouded in gentile terms and culture. It has become hard for his Jewish brothers and sisters to recognise him as one of the tribe.

Let’s remember what happened to Joseph and his brothers in Genesis 45:1-5:

“…Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.”

Joseph was a foreshadowing of the Messiah – sold for 20 silver coins as Yeshua was betrayed for 30, suffering at the hands of, and on behalf of, his brothers, and yet procuring salvation both for his family and a whole lot of other gentiles besides. We know that there will be a time when this revelation will come to the Jewish people en-masse too, as God promises in Zechariah 12:10;

“I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn”.

This has not yet happened, but when it does, there will be a lot of weeping both in horror (what have we done?) but also joy, as there was with Joseph and his brothers. They will embrace their Jewish brother, Yeshua, the promised Messiah. And the joy of reconciliation and family reunion will be mutual, for God has profited all those years of rejection for the benefit and salvation of the whole world.

“I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved… they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11:25-33)

Did the Angel Gabriel announce the Name Yeshua or Jesus?

Love, Walter and Debbie

[Walter and Deborah]

12 hours ago, Slibhin said:

I'd like to know what part of Israel you were in where no one knows who Jesus is. Whenever I visit my grandfather I see missionaries all over the place getting in our faces, especially in Jerusalem. Unless an outsider brings him up, I can't recall a single time Jesus was even a topic of discussion among Jews... negative or otherwise.

I have not gone to Israel.

[Alive]

“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. “For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”

(Luke 1:26–38 NAS95)

 

[Alive]

2 minutes ago, Slibhin said:

Then why are you repeating something defamatory about us without even verifying it's accuracy?

@SlibhinI would like to make a request of you….ok?
Would you consider clicking the link in my signature…’Salvation is Relocation’ as well as ‘ The Cross…a history lesson’?

It is written in simple form so the young can more readily understand, so keep that in mind, should you choose to give it a go.

 

[Walter and Deborah]

3 minutes ago, Slibhin said:

Then why are you repeating something defamatory about us without even verifying it's accuracy?

Just searching for information regarding the history.

[Neighbor]

On 4/15/2023 at 10:16 PM, Slibhin said:

I'd like to know what part of Israel you were in where no one knows who Jesus is. Whenever I visit my grandfather I see missionaries all over the place getting in our faces, especially in Jerusalem. Unless an outsider brings him up, I can't recall a single time Jesus was even a topic of discussion among Jews... negative or otherwise.

Hi,

In rereading your response, it seems to me you may have answered your own question, for if they knew Him they certainly would speak of him enthusiastically just as those that have been called to him by the Holy Spirit do.

For a missionary to "get in your faces" is not to know God the Son. It is simply to see a missionary. Fear not a missionary as no one can force reveal of Yeshua to an unbeliever. You are safe to deny any missionary, Christian or otherwise.

You will not want to reject the Holy Spirit however, as there  is a time of calling  by the Holy Spirit. Come that time turn about to God in humility and in fear along with rejoicing. For that call is real and is deciding for all eternity forward.

The missionaries, they are just doing their own call by that same Holy Spirit. Going into all the world with the Good news the gospel of Yeshua. Let them be, do not be distressed, for God wills they be about doing His command to them.

[Revelation Man]

On 4/15/2023 at 9:16 PM, Slibhin said:

I'd like to know what part of Israel you were in where no one knows who Jesus is. Whenever I visit my grandfather I see missionaries all over the place getting in our faces, especially in Jerusalem. Unless an outsider brings him up, I can't recall a single time Jesus was even a topic of discussion among Jews... negative or otherwise.

His name is Yeshua but the Jews have all been taught to call him Yeshu, seen by most as a slur on his real name. 

Yeshua was the name for Joshua, Jason(archetype False Prophet, High Priest under Antiochus) and Jesus in Greek, I think it was spelled Iesus or something like that in Greek, but all derived from Yeshua. It means salvation, so when Gabriel announced Jesus' birth he was saying Salvation is his name. Every time salvation is used in the Old Testament, and it is done so in a personhood type of way, it was basically saying Jesus (Salvation) will carry me across the waters when I die, so all those who say Jesus is nowhere in the Old Testament, can't see it, but its there over and over when one of the chapters speaks about Salvation in a personal way. When they say.......my salvation, they were saying my Jesus !! Gabriel basically announced Jesus as Salvation. All the Old Testament names had a meaning, like Moses, Noah etc. etc. 

 

[Revelation Man]

4 hours ago, Slibhin said:

They must have forgot to send me the memo.

Well I think you know I meant in general, not speaking about Messianic Jews. Do 90 percent of Jews in Israel call Jesus Yeshu or not? I think you know they do, when people go to Israel via a video and ask the general public there about Jesus they say do you mean Yeshu, not Yeshua. 

I am not anti Jew because I speak a fact, just the opposite. I understand the 144,000 is a code number as is the 7000 God has saved unto Himself, the real number can be seen in Zechariah 13:8-9 as 1/3 which will be 3.5-5 million Jews who repent, thus Jesus can set up the Kingdom Age in Israel for 1000 years amongst his brothers. They must repent like everyone else by faith alone, and thus Jesus doesn't just show up and save them like many think, we can see when they repent, because Zech. 14:1-2 shows the Day of the Lord arrives just after they repent in Zech. 13,  and the Anti-Christ attacks in verse 2. (Then Jesus shows up 1260 days later in verse 3-4). The number 7 = Divine Completion, 10 = Completion and 12 = Fulness therefore 7 x 10 x 10 x 10 simply means ALL Israel who repents and likewise 12 x 12 x 10 x 10 x 10 = 144,000 "male Jews", but it is really just God shouting this is ALL Israel who repents, both "males and females". Just like the 10 Virgin Brides = ALL Christendom, and all of course are not Females !!

So, we both know they use Yeshu, we both know that Messianic Jews understand his name is Yeshua or Salvation, so why not discuss the portion that shows Jesus can be found in the Old Testament, that was the important part of my Original Reply. I don't get the push back, Jews in Israel "WHO ARE NOT MESSIANIC" (did that qualifier really need to be added sir, come on) call Jesus Yeshu. Because I use a fact doesn't make me against Israel, just the opposite.

God bless..........

Edited April 18, 2023 by Revelation Man

[Revelation Man]

4 hours ago, Slibhin said:

I'm a woman. See the picture by my name?

- Most Messianic Jews are not Jewish even by birth.

- When were you last in Israel?

And this has what to do with anything? No one was speaking about Messianic Jews to start with, hence they pray to Jesus (Yeshua no Yeshu) and that should have been understood without me even having to designate that Messianic Jews do not call Jesus (Yeshua) Yeshu. So the point is null and void.

I see female at the bottom in script, however the pictures doesn't show a female as far as I can see. 

As a preacher of nigh 38 years, what does it matter in todays day and age if I have ever traveled to Israel? We have real time vlogs going on all the time. Here is a Messianic Believer from the USA and his channel is "SO BE IT"

As per most Messianic Jews are not Jewish, I do not even comprehend the thought, either you are or you are not Jewish. There were never an lost tribes.

Ahhhhhh, so I see the rub now, you are of the Faith of Judaism, well very soon, 1/3 of all Jewish people will repent, and this also explains your "statement" that Messianic Jews are not Jews. By the way, that is in Zechariah 13:8-9. And Daniel 9:27 means that Israel makes a Covenant (Agreement) for 7 years, with the prince that came from the fourth beast (Romans) who destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD (that prince will be the Anti-Christ), and that Anti-Christ will be (IMHO) the President of the E.U. so remember this my friend, just after I am raptured (when 1 billion Christian are no longer here on earth) Israel will join the E.U. and you will then understand, Woooo, this guy called it, that is the agreement in Dan. 9:27.

God Bless you, I understand Israel will be blind in part (not individuals per se, but as a whole nation) until the 70th week comes, when Elijah and Moses shows up at the 1335. So, my testimony here is to help you see things clearer on down the road. I am not hostile to Jewish people, even those of Judaism, Paul in Rom. 11 tells us not to be, and to love our Jewish brothers, because their calling is without repentance, meaning God will call Israel to repent then set up the Kingdom Age in Jerusalem. Jesus (Yeshua) will be ruling for 1000 years and 3.5-5 million Jews will rule with him.

Jesus died for all mankind, no one killed him per se, he freely gave up his life to be our Salvation (Yeshua). No one could kill God, Jesus stated that he could have called Legions to save him if he wanted to. Jesus was crucified before the foundations of the earth. 

When I thought you were a Christian, of course I was going to push back harder, and did in the first rebut, but as a woman of Judaism, I understand all of your points in that you do not know Christ Jesus as I do, and thus of course you are going to think in that manner. 

 

Edited April 19, 2023 by Revelation Man

[Alive]

7 minutes ago, Slibhin said:

I do not like seeing Messianic Jews grouped with Jewish people because most are not even Jewish by birth and Messianic Judaism is theologically incompatible with Judaism.

Since we've established you've never been to Israel perhaps you shouldn't go around defaming Israeli Jews with things you do not know to be true.

He is clearly not defaming Israeli Jews. Please read more carefully and your language above is clearly inflamatory.

This does nothing to further a conversation….please keep it real, as I know you are capable of doing.