HEBREW LESSON FOR THE LAST DAYS
Shalom all and welcome to another Hebrew lesson!
Since the focus of this edition of Jewish Voice Today is on the Last Days, we thought we’d teach you a bit about the Hebrew words for “Last Days.” Reading right to left as is the standard for reading Hebrew, it looks like this:
It is pronounced, “ah-cha-REET haya-MEEM.” So, what’s so significant about this? Several things, actually.
The first appearance of those words in the Scriptures is found in Genesis 49:1 which says, “Jacob called his sons and said to them: Gather together so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the last days.”
While the story in Genesis 49 is commonly viewed as Jacob’s blessing over the 12 sons, it is also very much a prophecy specifically regarding what God will do and how He will use these tribes in the Last Days.
Of particular interest is the future of the Tribe of Judah, found in Genesis 49:10:
The scepter will not pass from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until He to whom it belongs will come. To him will be the obedience of the peoples.
Scholars have long regarded the term, “Shiloh” as a title of the Messiah. In other words, earthly kings would rule over Israel and Judah, and then the Messiah from the line of Judah would come, and He would rule eternally as King.
But there’s something else going on here: the “Last Days” are also mentioned in Isaiah 2:2, which says, “In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it” (NIV).
The verses further go on to say that the Messiah from the line of Judah will bring peace during those Last Days. Why is that so significant?
It’s significant because a major reason why Jewish people reject Yeshua as their Messiah is because they believe that the Messiah will bring peace when he comes. When Yeshua came 2,000 years ago, He didn’t bring that peace. Therefore, they say, He can’t be the Messiah.
But what they don’t take into account is that God says in His Word that such peace would be brought not until the “ah-cha-REET haya-MEEM,” or Last Days. Was it the “Last Days” when Yeshua came the first time? Of course not, and so indeed, had Yeshua brought peace then, He would have gone against the timing that God put in place. That’s why, when the Last Days do come, Yeshua the Messiah from the line of Judah will bring peace, right on schedule. That would be “God’s” schedule, not “man’s” schedule.
When the Last Days do come, Yeshua will bring peace...right on schedule!
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