Shopping Cart
Your Cart is Empty
Quantity:
Subtotal
Taxes
Shipping
Total
There was an error with PayPalClick here to try again
CelebrateThank you for your business!You should be receiving an order confirmation from Paypal shortly.Exit Shopping Cart

ABOVE THE CROSS

The hidden message in plain site

Taking a closer look at the sign above Yahusha/Jesus on the cross.

For those unfamiliar with the crucifixion account here is a brief overview.

Yahusha/Jesus Carrying the Cross

Then the soldiers took Yahusha/Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail King of the Jews!" Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Yahusha/Jesus away to be crucified.

Yahusha/Jesus Carrying the Cross to Golgotha

Now as they led Yahusha/Jesus away to Golgotha (the place of the skull), a certain man named Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Yahusha/Jesus. And a great multitude of people followed Yahusha/Jesus including his disciples and His mother Maryam who mourned and lamented for Him.

Yahusha/Jesus being nailed to the Cross

Then the soldiers nailed the hands and feet of Yahusha/Jesus to the cross, and they divided His garments among them. Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. And the soldiers put up over Yahusha'/Jesus' head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS YAHUSHA/JESUS KING OF THE JEWS.

Sign above the Cross

Oftentimes, we take history for granted. We read it or hear it and just receive it. If we will “hear” with more than just our ears, there are lessons to be learned, important factors to comprehend and sometimes much discovery to be made. If we grasp what we can correctly, we can file it properly in our minds and build upon it as we learn more. Such is the case with “the inscription” above Yahusha/Jesus on the Cross. It was so much more than just an inscription.

Let's consider these verses in the Gospel of John.


John 19:17-22 “And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Yahusha/Jesus in the centre. Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: YAHUSHA/JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Yahusha/Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'He said, "I am the King of the Jews."' " Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."


To many, it might seem like just a bit of history recorded in the gospel of John and that the chief priests did not like it. But this inscription, written by Pilate and nailed to the cross, caused a great deal of stress and anxiety for the chief priests, Scribes and Pharisees. Let's see if we can understand their dilemma and in the process, perhaps see an even bigger picture.


First, let us realize why the Romans had a sign in the first place.


Mark 15:26 “And the inscription of His accusation was written above: THE KING OF THE JEWS.”


It was a custom by the Romans, to hang what was called a “titulus” around a criminal's neck or have it carried before him, on the way to his execution. A titulus was a wooden tablet covered with gypsum and and then written on it in black letters, the charge by which the prisoner was condemned. It then would be affixed to the upper portion of the cross, above the criminal's head for all to see and to also be taken as a warning to obey the Roman law and not to do the same.


Next, let us seek to understand some of the customs of the Hebrews regarding “the Lamb” of Passover.


The lambs were sacrificed on Aviv 14 according to Scripture (Exodus 12:1-10). And also according to Scripture, four days prior to the sacrifice, the lamb had to be set aside. This lamb had to be without spot or blemish. In keeping the lamb for the four days, it showed its quality and health. To use a sickly one or injured one was a sin and insult to God. They were to offer their best and it certainly had to qualify. (Note: it was not the person that needed to make the sacrifice that had to qualify, but the sacrifice that was to be perfect; we are not perfect, but Yahusha/Jesus our saviour was and is. The fact that we are not perfect is why in fact we need a saviour).


When the Israelite families arrived in Jerusalem with their lambs for the Passover, they would either bring with them, or purchase, a bronze name tag for their lambs. This name tag would have the family name written on it; and in this fashion, their particular lamb could be known even when mixed in with many other Passover lambs. They would tie or hang it around the neck of their lamb. Each father desired that God would know their family was observing the Passover, and that the lamb that bore their family name was being sacrificed for them.


It is utterly amazing how all the aspects of Passover pointed directly to Yahusha/Jesus as the Passover Lamb for the world, long before He ever came. What is the deeper meaning of the titulus and the name tag in regard to the bigger picture?


Part of the answer is found in the Gospel of John, but we must understand the protocols of the day, to piece the whole picture together.


In John 19:19-20 it tells how Pilate wrote the inscription and had it placed on the cross above the head of Yahusha/Jesus. The inscription was translated into most of our English Bibles as "Jesus the Nazarene (or of Nazareth), the King of the Jews." The Bible records that it was written in three languages: Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. In this fashion, the Romans would read it in their native tongue of Latin, the Jews would read it in Hebrew, and anyone else could read it in the common language of that day which was Greek.


There was a literary custom of the scribes of those days, and it was to take the first letters of the words in a phrase and put them together to see if there would be a hidden meaning from the arrangement of these letters.


This custom dates back at least to the time of the Babylonian captivity of the Jewish nation. Today this is commonly called acrostics. The old Testament Scriptures have many such acrostics and they were accustomed to it.

Sign above the Cross

Fast forward to the Roman Catholic Church and the use of the letters: INRI


The Roman Catholic Church used this ancient custom by placing four letters on their crucifixes which are "INRI." These are the first letters of the four words of the inscription on the cross as they appeared in Latin.

"IESVS NAZARENVS REX IUDAEORVM" 

- INRI

The name "Yahusha/Jesus" in Latin is not spelled with a "J." It is spelled with an “I.” So the first letter "I" represents the name of Yahusha/Jesus. The second letter "N" is the first letter for the word "Nazareth" in Latin. Then "R" for Rex, is the first letter for "King," and finally "I" would be for the "J" in the word "Jews." Those are the first four letters of the four words in Latin. "INRI." And since the Roman Catholic religion uses Latin in their services, it only stands to reason that on their crucifix they would' use these four Latin letters.


I = Iesvs (Yahusha/Jesus)

N = Nazarenvs (Nazareth or the Nazarene)

R = Rex (King)

I = Ivdaeorvm (Yahudym/Jews)


They had the right idea according to Jewish religious customs, but in using the Latin language, it does not really reveal the bigger picture or make Yahusha/Jesus more real to the Jews as the Passover Lamb. However, when shown in Hebrew, as we will see shortly, it is an incredible testimony to all the Jews then and even still unto this day.


When considering the inscription in Hebrew, we can see what so deeply offended the chief priests and scribes.


When the chief priests and scribes saw the inscription on the cross in Hebrew, they naturally looked at the first letters to find out if there were any hidden meaning in their language. And when they did, their blood pressure surely rose as they were appalled at the sight of what they read.


And not only did they see it, but many did. John recorded, “Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Yahusha/Jesus was crucified was near the city” John 19:20.


Let us see, just what the Jews saw when looking at it.

In Hebrew, the words as from above (which read from right to left) are:


Yeshua (Jesus)

Hanatzri (of Nazareth)

Uemelech (the King)

Hayhoodem (of the Jews)


The first four letters of the words in Hebrew are:


Y H U H

Y - YUD

H - HAY

U - UAU

H - HAY


Yahuah (YHUH), the name of the Creator in Hebrew is called a Tetragrammaton (though the word “tetragrammaton” is a Greek word meaning “4 letter word”).


The Tetragrammaton is the four-letter name of Yahuah, “YHUH” in the English rendering is where we get the name of our Creator: YAHUAH. This name has been replaced almost 7000 times, in English as "the LORD."

When I first discovered the Hebrew Name I had to ask the question WHY?

There are two main reasons in my opinion:


1) All this goes back to the Jewish practice of never pronouncing the name as it is written but as Adonai, "the Lord." To the Jew, it was the unspeakable, holy Name of God!


There are many many verses through the Old Testament which they call the TANAK that actually instructs us to use His Name, Preach His Name, Meditate upon His Name , Sing His Name etc etc.


Now when we refer to the term 'JEW' or 'JEWISH' we need to understand that it is NOT and I repeat NOT referring to any of the twelve tribes of Israel the tribe that Yahusha/Jesus came from was Yahudah and the plural rendering is Yahudym.


When we refer to the word 'JEW' or 'JEWISH' it is simply a word describing a religion which is called "JUDAISM". This religion denies Messiah and deny that there is a New Covenant.


This was not the faith of Abraham or Moses or even Yahusha/Jesus and his followers. This is the main reason why the 'Jews' were always out to destroy Yahusha and his followers because it posed a threat to their man made religious system. The same is happening today for those who are coming to the knowledge of the Name Yahuah and their Hebrew identity.


Please see the teaching: The Apostolic Doctrine for a more in depth look at this subject.


Judaism go on to say in printed texts, the vowels of this word are placed under the letters of the tetragrammaton. The original pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton has been lost, because of the strong Jewish disapproval of pronouncing the name. The pronunciation Jehovah, Yahveh, Yahweh, Yahuweh, are used by many but there is no certainty of the correct pronunciation according to the Jews in this matter. Some biblical scholars prefer to render it simply as YHWH or JHVH without the vowels. This name occurs over 6,800 times in the present text of the Hebrew Bible.


However a study into the original Paleo Hebrew it is possible to know how to spell and pronounce the Fathers Hebrew Name.

The offense to the Jewish leaders was just too much.


Another reason why they don't want to use the Name is because of what the Name actually means.


The Name Yahuah (YHUH) actually has a symbolic meaning and points to Messiah hanging on a cross with nails through His hands and all were to look at him.

2) To Support of Trinitarian Doctrine:


When Rome voted to adopt the Trinity doctrine of the numerous Pagans in her empire – The Name of Yahuah (translated Jehovah in English) – interfered and hindered the Newly Adopted teaching That Yahusha/Jesus was the Almighty God – Yahuah.


Rome paid her translators to remove Yahuah’s name almost Seven Thousand Times (7,000) from the Bible.


“In the first two centuries nearly all the various readings of the New Testament came into existence, the majority of them by deliberate alteration of the text…in the interests of (the trinity) dogma…” -the Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics; The Bible in the Church “Codex B (Vaticanus)…was altered by a later hand in more than two thousand places. Eusebius, therefore, is not without grounds for accusing the adherents of….the newly-risen doctrine of the trinity of falsifying the Bible…” -(Fraternal Visitor 1924, p. 148; translated from Christadelphian Monatshefte).


“The removal of the Tetragrammaton (Yahuah) from the New Testament and its replacement with the surrogates KYRIOS and THEOS blurred the original distinction between the Lord God and the Lord Christ, and in many passages made it impossible which one was meant. As time went on…it was often impossible to distinguish between them. Thus it may be that the removal of the Tetragrammaton (Yahuah) contributed significantly to the later…Trinity “ – George Howard, Bible Scholar ; The Name of God in the New Testament, BAR 4.1 (March 1978), pg 15

`

“It was they who demanded, in effect, that Christianity be “updated” by blurring or even obliterating the long-accepted distinction between the Father and the Son.”– When Jesus Became God by Richard E. Rubenstein, p.74


Now that we have identified two main reasons lets now go back to the subject at hand.


When Pontius Pilate had the inscription put there, He unknowingly and wonderfully had it put on that titulus, “the acrostic” for “God” YHUH - for all the Jews to see.


Our Creator Yahuah, used a Roman ruler, to put His Holy Name on the cross to show that Yahusha Ha Mashyach (Jesus Christ) was His chosen Lamb!


Yahusha Ha Mashyach/Jesus Christ was marked for all who came for the Passover to see that He was the final sacrifice hanging upon that tree. In fact, while God's own Son, the Lamb of God, was being executed, the priests at the Temple were preparing for the ritual of offering thousands of lambs for the people. The very lambs that were a type and shadow of the Lamb of God Himself.


When the religious leaders read the inscription, they came to Pilate and demanded for him to change it. They wanted it changed to say: "He said, He was the King of the Jews." And in so doing the name of God would not be found on the cross. As they had Yahusha/Jesus crucified for alleged “sin of blasphemy” - they had said that Yahusha/Jesus had made Himself equal with God. They tried to convince Pilate that to leave the inscription as it was put, was to tell everyone that this man was Yahuah (God) - which was the very reason for His crucifixion."


Pilate had a limit.


Pilate had gone along with all their demands, despite the fact that Pilate had said Yahusha/Jesus was innocent – and that he had found no fault in Him. But on the inscription matter, Pilate "drew the line" at their demands. It was the one time during the whole trial and execution where Pilate stood his ground. His reply was, "What I have written, I have written" (John 19:22).


With this understanding, we can see another dimension to the greatest sacrifice of love of all time.


While the Jews were bringing "their Passover lambs" to the Temple with "their bronze name tags" and were saying, "God", see our name; this lamb is for our family," Yahuah had “His Name” put on “His Lamb” for the whole world to see.


As the Passover lambs were being taken to the Temple and their blood was flowing, on a hill called Golgotha, Yahusha Ha Mashyach (Jesus Christ), the Son of God's sinless blood was flowing for our redemption; and above His head for all to see, was YHUH, His Father's Name.


John 5:43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him.


John 12:27-34, 27 “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him.” 30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes. 31 Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” 33 But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die. 34 The crowd then answered Him, “We have heard out of the Law that [the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

For God so loved us, each and all, that He sent and sacrificed His only brought forth Son that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

Back

/
Lightbox image