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HIDDEN LDS/JEWISH INSIGHTS Lesson
#24 New Testament
New Testament Gospel Doctrine supplement by Daniel Rona
Weekly E-mail Reminder
<< T H I
S I S L I F E E T E R N A L >>
John 16–17
It’s All in the
Name.
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(1.) SPIRIT, BREATH
AND WIND SYNONYMOUS IN HEBREW:
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The concept of the "Holy Ghost" is unclear for Jews, yet the Hebrew
term "Ruach Elohim" means the Spirit of God and has been used as
breath and wind in several Biblical verses. One of my favorites is in the vision
of dry bones. ". . . the bones came together . . . but there was no breath
in them . . . Come . . . winds, O breath . . . that they may live
. . . and shall put my spirit in you . . . and I shall place you in your
own land . . ." (Ezekiel 37:7-14)
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(2.) THE GATHERING
OF ISRAEL, A SYMBOL OF THE RESURRECTION:
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Ezekiel spoke of breath bringing life into a dead skeleton as well as Judah and
Joseph coming together. As the bones (sticks – ETZ-emot in Hebrew) are again
clothed with flesh and come alive, so shall the stick (ETZ in Hebrew) of Judah,
the Jews and the Bible, a skeleton of a once true and living religion, come
together with the stick of Joseph, the Latter-day Saints and the Book of Mormon.
This scripture and family "coming together" also symbolizes that with
the "breath" of the Lord (His spirit), a resurrection and a new life
begins.
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(3.) THE GIFT OF THE
HOLY GHOST, A TOOL OF TRUTH:
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Ruach ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit) is often used as a synonym for prophecy. A tool or
gift of spirit used by ancient and modern prophets is the Urim and Thummim.
"(In) . . . translations of the Bible they were rendered as
"revelation and truth". . . this understanding gave rise to the
incorporation of the Hebrew words Urim ve- Thummim on the official seal of Yale
University." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.) The Lord’s gift of spirit reveals
and teaches truth. In Lesson 28 there is an explanation of Pentecost when Jesus
gave His apostles the gift of spirit. This occurred fifty days after Passover on
Shavuot, a biblical day commemorating receiving the "Law of Moses at
Sinai," a Jewish Pentecost. Both the "spirit" and the
"letter" of the Law were given on the same calendar day.
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(4.) SIMILARITY IN
LDS AND JEWISH CONFIRMATIONS:
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"In many synagogues, the ceremony of confirmation takes place on Shavuot .
. . to emphasize the relationship between Shavuot and the study of Torah."
(Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.) For Latter-day Saints, the procedure of confirmation
includes giving the gift of the Holy Ghost. One of its blessings is helping us
understand the scriptures. The companionship of the Holy Ghost is like a dear
friend. A wise Orthodox Jew, once said, "It’s easy to be friendly, but it’s
rare to be a friend." "Friendship is a relationship . . . arising from
mutual respect and affection . . . Hebron is an ancient biblical city in Erez
(land of) Israel . . . the name Hebron may derive from the Hebrew word "haver"
meaning friend . . ." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.) In Hebrew, a
Latter-day Saint member is called Haver or in plural, Haverim. The word we use
for members in Israel is friend!
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(5.) JEWS DIFFER ON
LIFE AFTER DEATH:
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Even at Jesus’ time, religious division existed based on acceptance or
rejection of resurrection. "Essenes (Dead Sea Scrolls people) believed in
the immortality of the soul; but not in physical resurrection. The Sadducees
also rejected the Pharisaic belief in the immortality of the soul and the
resurrection of the body. In modern times most Jewish theologians do not
subscribe to the doctrine of physical resurrection.
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(6.) JEWS AND
MORMONS HAVE THIRTEEN ARTICLES OF FAITH;
AGREE ON UNITY – DIFFER ON
SINGULARITY OF GOD:
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"The principle of unity in Judaism usually refers to the singularity of
God, yet it is acceptable to have varied or differences of opinion . . . basic
heresy is the denial of the unity of God. It differs from apostasy in that the
apostate renounces his religion. The heretic does not. He remains a Jew,
although holding controversial beliefs." ". . . In the Bible . . .
there is no exact listing of the ideas the Jew must believe in but contact with
other philosophies . . . led Jewish scholars of the Middle Ages to define the
religious beliefs . . . the best known are Maimonides' Thirteen Principles
(Articles of Faith) which are widely, although not universally, accepted as the
basic dogma . . ." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.) The first three Articles
deal with the "unreality or non-being" of God.
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(7.) THE BASIS OF
TRUE RELIGION IS KNOW GOD AND ETERNAL LIFE:
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"Behold, I am God . . . Eternal is my name also . . ." (Genesis 7:42
JST) "For in the beginning was the Word, even the Son of God, who is made
flesh, and sent unto us by the will of the Father . . . we received . . .
eternal life, through his grace." (John 1:16 JST) The unified plan of the
Godhead is for mankind to return, sinless and proven, to God the Father. The way
was prepared for us by His Son who atoned for all sins if we would repent. It is
through the Holy Ghost we can know for a surety of the true nature of God, His
Son, and the Holy Ghost – and this is Life Eternal.
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