Transcript Yeshua is the Beginning and the End

“In the Beginning”
A Self-Paced Tour of Scripture
In Two Parts
By Barbara L. Klika, MSW, Personal Life Coach
Under shepherd
Set Apart Ministries, Inc.
February 2010
Preparation & Study

In the first portion of this presentation, you will find
some groundwork for the study of the phrase “in the
beginning.” There will be some links you may choose
to follow for further support if you like. You may also
just go through both parts and return later for more
information.

The second part will walk through the findings with
your participation. Should you decide to use the links,
you will be able to get familiar with them for your own
research at another time.
Preparation

The best preparation for any study of the Word is to invite our
God to be present with us so may we begin with a prayer?
Father, our Abba, we want to know You better. We want
to understand what You have provided for us through the
Written and the Living Word. We want to understand
what You have placed there for us, not what man may
“read into” the text.
Please let Your Spirit be active within us as we begin
this exploration of your plans “in the beginning.” We ask
for Your eyes to see and ears to hear, in the Name of
our Messiah, Yeshua; Jesus of Nazareth.
May it be so.
Part One
Many ways to Study Scripture

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Often our first exposure to
Scripture came in the form of
children’s stories which were
simplified accounts of the people
of the Book.
The stories usually highlighted the
people’s relationship to our
Creator God through their lives.
At some point, we began to
understand that these people and
their stories were connected to one
another.

As our understanding
progressed, we saw that God
has had a plan and has been
bringing it about through His
people over all time.

We saw that it involved Jesus
Our Messiah, whose Hebrew
Name is Yeshua, and His
work on our behalf at His
first coming and in His long
anticipated return.

Unfortunately, all too many people stop right
about there, and decide that they only need to
know His story/History as told in what’s called
the “New Testament” losing the opportunity to
find the wonderful Truths that have been a part
of the Biblical record…
FROM THE BEGINNING!

When we prayerfully delve deeper beyond the
people, places, and events, we find some
amazing truths and we begin to see the
“markers” of similar phrases and concepts that
fill the Scriptural landscape…
…the poetry of Scripture.

This is especially true as we correlate between
the Old and New Testaments and see our need
for all Scripture from the beginning of our
Bible.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness: that the man of God
may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good
works.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV)

The Scripture referred to here by Paul is from the
beginning: the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings.
This is what existed when he wrote his letter to
Timothy!
Torah, Prophets and Writings?

In Hebraic understanding “Torah” has several
different levels of meaning.

In our western or Greek way of thinking, there
is often just one way to understand a concept-“either this or that.”

In Hebrew it is more common to find a
“both/and” approach, or multiple levels of
meaning.

In its most narrow definition, Torah refers to
the first five books of the Bible, those written by
Moses, Genesis through Deuteronomy.

A second level of the use of “Torah” is in
reference to what we have called the “Old
Testament.”

It is made up of three parts in Hebraic thought;
The Torah, The Prophets and the Writings.

The Hebrew words for these three parts are
Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim.

These three are often summarized in one word,
TaNaKh, like the English concept of an
acronym.

And the most broad definition of “Torah”…

Though it has been translated as “Law,” through the
use of the Greek word for law, “nomos” a more literal
definition is “God’s Teachings on Righteousness.”

Hebrew is a very action or function oriented language
so there is a good picture of this meaning in the word
itself.
Torah Translation
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Literally, the word
“Torah” is from the root
word “yara” which
means
“to hit the mark.”
The word for sin, “hata”
means
“to miss the mark.”
Context will show you what level of
Torah is indicated.
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Any reference to righteousness or God’s
teachings is often “summarized” by calling it
Torah.
These are 3 basic levels of interpretation of the
term “Torah” though there is so much more!
The foundation for all sound Scripture study is
familiarity with the account given there.
Once we know the basic facts,
people, places, events…

…we complete the first
level of study which can
be called the literal or
historical level.

It involves the simple,
straightforward meaning
of the text which is so
important to grasp.

These basic facts give
us a foundation so we
can move on to
further exploration
such as is presented
here.

We can show
ourselves approved as
students of the Word;
good Bereans!
(Acts 17: 10-12)
I’m confused!

Most Believers know that the whole Bible is inspired by
our God but in actual practice, the New Testament is
often promoted as all that is needed.

Why do we need to go back to the beginning?
How do we know that the Old Testament is important
for us to know our Messiah? Is He even mentioned in
it?

We know because He, Himself, told the
disciples how important it is!
Did you ever notice what Messiah said
on the road to Emmaus?
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he
expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning
himself.
…And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake
unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be
fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in
the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
(Luke 24: 27, 44 KJV)
You could say this was a walking tour
of the Scriptures about Himself!
Another Way to Study Scripture
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Some people focus on the Bible as literature, and
believe you can gain from its beauty, whether or not
you are a believer. I tend to be wary of this approach;
are you?
While there is value, it is not the same thing as seeing
the beauty of the Scripture through the eyes of faith!
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the
Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him:
neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned.
(1 Cor. 2:14 KJV)
But if Scripture IS Literature…

Wouldn’t there be things we could learn from the
various aspects such as style, structure, theme and
poetry?

Is it possible to consider these aspects without losing
our eyes of faith?

Not only is it possible, but many treasures are found in
this type of study that we would not see any other way!
How do we know that Scripture is
considered “literature?”
Let’s stop here…
Take a moment to find an online Bible such as
www.biblegateway.com or www.blueletterbible.org
You can also obtain an excellent Bible study tool free of
charge at www.esword.com
You can choose one or more translations to search.
I usually start with KJV, NKJV, NASB and NIV.
Go to the keyword search function, all words,
and enter “literature.”

If your search is like mine, you will find
“literature” used only twice. It is found in
Daniel 1; in connection with the four young
boys brought into the King’s court and only
in 3 newer translations—NKJV, NASB and
ESV.

“Literature” is listed as Strong’s #5612;
the Hebrew word sepher—a writing, a letter,
a document, a bill, a register, a book, a scroll.

Now let’s check the dictionary for its current
meaning in English, especially since only
the newer translations chose “literature” for
sepher.
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“Writings in prose or verse; especially : writings
having excellence of form or expression and
expressing ideas of permanent or universal
interest”
(First Entry--Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary; February 2, 2010)
What about a Bible Dictionary?
“Literature” as found in these three translations is not
found in Vine’s Expository Dictionary of the Old and
New Testaments.
 The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament has a
lengthy entry for sepher.
To summarize: writing, book, scribal art and legal document.
There is also note of
training in literary forms for the
scribes who recorded the important
events of the kingdoms of the ages.

The Bible as Literature
The Scriptures certainly are a historical account
and they do have elements of legal documents–
covenants – as well as prophetic visions and
majestic poetry.
 Clearly, we would also understand them to have
universal importance and
excellence of expression as well!
 Most importantly, we know
that they were inspired by our God!

Should we be surprised that He
filled it with buried treasures?
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We know that He is the Living Word and the written Word as
well, unchanging and inseparable.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
(John 1: 1-2 NKJV)
For if you believed Moses you would believe me, for he wrote about
me.
(John 5:46 NKJV)
How do we find these treasures?
Thematic Analysis
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One of the in-depth ways to study literature, and
Scripture, is to examine the structure and style of the
writing. This includes many aspects; among them,
evaluation of the themes and the language used,
sometimes called either parallelisms or chiastic study.

Hebrew poetry involves repeating concepts and images
rather than the rhyming words or rhythm English
speakers are accustomed to reading.

It is important to consider translation issues because it
is often difficult to completely or accurately convey
concepts in the second language.
Translation vs. Transliteration

Some concepts were just transliterated and not
translated, i.e., Amen and Halleluyah are transliterations
(sounds represented in known alphabet), not
translations (defined meaning.) Amen means “ may it
be so” and Halleluyah means “Praise to Yah.”

Transliterations do not always use exactly the same
letters for a word as people hear the sounds differently.
Since it is not the original language, this is not really a
problem but it underlines the importance of
considering the original language in study.
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On the other hand, the Hebrew alphabet has
added depth because the specific letters are
important. Each of its letters were originally in
the form of pictographs and have meanings of
their own before the modern script came into
common use.
The study of these ancient meanings has
become more accessible in recent years as
researchers are publishing their findings.

There are Hebraic
understandings for
concepts, colors, places,
things, directions, and
numbers which are
derived by their context
and sometimes by their
pictographic meaning in
ancient Hebrew.
All Scripture is God-Breathed!

We can be comfortable that there is a reason for
every specific word in its place throughout all of
Scripture.

Though this is not always clear in English or
other languages the Bible has been translated
into, it becomes wonderfully clear as we examine
the Hebrew roots of the text.

The choice of words used in the Greek translation of
the original Hebrew Torah (the Septuagint) became the
basis for the specific words chosen to convey the same
concepts in the New Testament.

All that is written in the New Testament confirms and
is fulfillment of all that was written in the Torah
originally.

We can allow Scripture to interpret Scripture with
boldness and confidence in the Author.
Greek or Hebrew?

There is no argument that what we call the “Old
Testament” was written in Hebrew with some Aramaic.
The debate may go on as to whether the “New
Testament” Scriptures were originally written in Greek
or in Hebrew, but most scholars will agree
that the worldview, thought content,
and imagery used is purely Hebraic!
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Whatever the language, the imagery doesn’t
change!
Now with that background…
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Let’s move on to
our study of what
is related to
In The Beginning!
“In The Beginning”
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This is a powerful and well recognized
phrase. Most people know that it is the
first phrase in the Bible.
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What they may not know is how thoroughly
this concept permeates ALL of Scripture.
Genesis
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We are accustomed to seeing this word as the title of
the first book of the Bible.

It refers to the beginning
of things, coming from
the Greek language:
as in similar words such
as genes, generations,
generate.

The Greek “gen” originated from the Hebrew “gan”
which means “garden,” as in the First Garden, Eden.
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The English translation uses this concept
as a title for the book. In Hebrew, the
titles of each portion of Scripture are
generally the opening words of that
section.
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Underneath “Genesis” our familiar English
title there is the Hebrew Name by which it
is known.
Beresheit
Stop here…
Take a moment to find your online Bible keyword
search page again:
www.biblegateway.com
www.blueletterbible.org
Search the phrase: “in the beginning”
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www.wildbranch.org & www.ancient-hebrew.org are
both good resources to learn more about Hebrew, too!
Come back for Part 2 when you have done so,
or continue on.
Part Two The Study
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If your search is like
mine, you found
many responses
incorporating
“beginning.”
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Save the lists of Scripture references you have
found and we will move back and forth now
between them and this presentation.
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Some people prefer to save as a Word document
and some people like printed copies.
Experiment to find out what works best for you.
How do we know they are not just
random uses of the same phrase?
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This might be our conclusion, knowing that many
different people wrote the Books of Scripture.
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We will look for the imprint of the same Source of
inspiration or Author throughout Scripture.
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“In the beginning” is one word in the Hebrew:
“Beresheit”
Translation vs. Transliteration
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“Beresheit” as written here in English
letters is a transliteration: use of known
alphabet to attempt to recreate the sounds
of a word from another language. It is also
transliterated as “B’resheit” and B’reshiyt.”

“In the beginning” is a translation of the
meaning of the word.
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Reishith, as it is transliterated in Zodhiates
Lexical Aid, Strong’s #7225, is said to mean first
in place, time, order, or rank; first with regard to
dignity; the first of its kind and first fruits. The
connection is made between Genesis 49: 3 and
Revelation 3:14.

Take a moment to look these up and confirm
the similar meaning. (The Blue Letter Bible program
offers the Strong’s numbers and definitions online.)
The root word of reishith is Rosh, which is Strong’s
#7218.
 Rosh is said to mean the head, person, chief, leader;
whether appointed, elected or self-appointed. There are
many additional connotations.

For this study, we note that:
“Rosh can also refer to the headstone of the corner which
was carried over into the NT and quoted by Jesus. (Matt.
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21:42, Luke 20:17, Eph. 2:20, 1 Peter 2:7)
Jesus is the head of the church. (Eph.5:23)”
(Vines Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words)
And there is so much more!
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Since Hebrew words work from a “root” system
of consonants, all words from a similar root will
carry various related meanings.
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Putting them together helps us understand the
pictures that are “under the surface.”

Here you will begin to find some of the buried
treasures of His Word!
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We can consider the translation of the meaning
of the word AND the meaning of each of the
letters.
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We can then consider the meaning of various
combinations of the letters, remembering
Hebrew reads from right to left.
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There is no limitation to internal comparisons
such as there is for English compound words.
tyeXaerB
Here is the word in Modern Hebrew script, such
as you would find in most Torah scrolls.
Here is an interpretation of the word.
The “beit” or “B” is symbolic of a house
or a tent
In this place in the Torah, the first word, it is
drawn larger than the other letters, as it is shown
here. You might say “THE” house!
In a grammatical, literal sense, it conveys “in
the” while the remaining letters represent
“reisheit” meaning “beginning.”
This is a “resch” or “R”.
In ancient or paleo-Hebrew, it
represents “the head of a man.”
Taken together, they form “rb” or “bar” which
means “son.”
The first two letters alone then carry the idea of
the “son of the house” along with their
grammatical meaning of “in the beginning.”
The last letter is a “tav” or “T”.
This letter carries the
meaning of
a “mark” or “signature.”
When put together with the first two letters, we find “trb”
or transliterated as “brit” which means “covenant.”
Now we have the sense of “a covenant with the son of
the house from the beginning.”
And the heart of the word….
This letter is a “shin.”
It is commonly recognized as a reference to our “All
Sufficient God,” Who is called “El Shaddai.”
Now we can understand “Beresheit” more fully:
A covenant between El Shaddai and the
Son of the House from the beginning!
Is there any doubt in your mind
as to the identity of the “Son of
The House?”
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When we remember that Yeshua Messiah was
slain from before the foundation of the world,
in obedience, as part of our El Shaddai’s plan to
redeem sinful mankind, how can we help but
rejoice to see this message right in the first Word
alone!
(Rev. 13:8)
The Alpha and the Omega
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We are familiar with this phrase from Revelation
and most people know it refers to the first and
last letters of the alphabet in the Greek language.
It is a metaphor to include everything from A to
Z. Our Messiah used this to describe Himself.
In Hebrew, it is Alef and Tav. Reference to this is
found in the first seven words of Scripture, the
fourth word after Beresheit!
It looks like this…
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It is not translated from Hebrew and is a grammatical
form, but those of us who know Messiah Yeshua see
the connection with how He described Himself.
And He came on the Fourth Day if you consider a day
as a thousand years of our time on earth.
(2 Peter 3:8)
Now go back to those listings of
“in the beginning”
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Strong’s # 7225 is “Resheit” or “Beginning.”
You will probably need to sort out some of them as
having just the word “beginning” and not the entire
phrase. Some of these will be pregnant with meaning,
too, though not directly related to our study here.
Where there is the “in the beginning” or “from the
beginning” phrase in the text, consider this more full
meaning of the phrase in context with the subject.
Watch for the “Two’s”
As is so often the case in Scripture, you will find two
aspects of “beginning.” Some will be in relation to our
Messiah but some will be in reference to the evil one
and those who serve him.
They have beginnings, too!
 The number “2” carries the meanings
of both “witness” and “division.”
Other “2”s are:

Lion of Judah/Prowling lion; Tree of Life/Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil
Godly Kings/Kings of the earth.
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It takes two to agree on something as a witness, but
two can disagree and create division as well.
A “beginning” example:
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
wisdom…
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(Psalm 111:10 KJV)
Beginning is “reisheit” Strong’s #7225.
“Fear” is yirah, Strong’s # 3374, which refers to
reverence and awe. There is reason to
understand that this concept really does include
a healthy fear of the power and position of our
God, not just awe.

Check this link to www.ancienthebrew.org/56_home.html for further information on
“yirah.” It is right at the top of the page. (If the
hyperlink doesn’t work, just cut & paste into your
browser.)

Might we not have fear when we realize that our El
Shaddai made a covenant with the Son of the House
from the beginning of time as He created all things?
Wouldn’t this give us wisdom as we understand more
about our own place in all of His plan?
An “in the beginning” example
“The LORD possessed me in the beginning of His way,
before His works of old.”
(Proverbs 8:22 NKJV)

“Me” refers to “wisdom” from vs. 12 and “in
the beginning” is again “reisheit.” This is the
first of the Seven Spirits of God that rest on
Messiah, with His Holy Spirit at the center.
(Isaiah 11: 1-2, Rev. 1 & 2)
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We know from Isaiah 11:1-2
that the Spirit of Wisdom is
the first in the list of seven
that rest on the Branch, Who
is commonly understood to
refer to Messiah in Judaism;
and specifically, Yeshua
Messiah for Believers.

The menorah is a type of the
Tree of Life, and its middle
stem has a name that means
“Servant.” Messiah stood in
the middle as He spoke to
John.
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Who came to bring us Life, and is referred to as
a Branch?
Who is referred to as a Servant King?
Who was present at the beginning?
Now lets go to the New Testament, to confirm
what John said about Him.
“Beginning” in Hebrew and in Greek?
In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was
God. The same was
in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him;
and without him was not
anything made that was
made. In him was life; and
the life was the light of men.
(John 1: 1-4 KJV)
“Arche”
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
This word translated as “beginning” in John is
from the Greek word, “arche” Strong’s # 746.
“A passive beginning or an active cause
(Col. 1:18, Rev. 3:4, Rev. 1:8, 21:6, 22:13)
Christ is called the beginning because He is the
efficient cause of the creation; the head because
He is before all things and all things were
created by Him and for Him.” (Strong’s Lexical Aids)
Beresheit, Rosh & Arche

Did you see the same terms used here?

The Beginning, The Head, Cornerstone

This word “arche,” translated as “beginning,”
is used no less than nine times in 1 and 2 John
alone! (Check your keyword search here!)
Before the Beginning?

Interesting, too, to note that both ancient
Rabbis and Greek scholars have commented and
debated that these words really indicate a
“beginning” that was BEFORE the creation of
the heavens and the earth.

This confirms the eternal nature of our Messiah
and El Shaddai!
But didn’t Messiah BEGIN with
His ministry here on earth?
Didn’t our faith BEGIN with the
Holy Spirit’s appearance at
Pentecost?
The Holy Spirit

Did you know that the Hebrew phrase for the Holy
Spirit, Ruach ha Kodesh includes the picture of the Spirit
as being a breath or a wind as well as fire?

Go to your online Strong’s and check a reference to the
Holy Spirit to confirm this!
You will also find a nice description of Ruach from the
ancient Hebrew at http://www.ancienthebrew.org/56_home.html if you click here and scroll
nearly to the bottom of the page…

Breath, Wind and Fire

Watch for “wind” which is transliterated “ruach”
Strong’s # 7307 and “holy” which is transliterated
“qadosh” Strong’s # 6918.

The Hebrew word translated as “heaven” is from
“shamayim” which carries the concept of “fire water!”
This information should give you a better picture of the
presence and nature of what we call The Holy Spirt.

At the beginning…
as we often think of it:
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with
one accord in one place.
(Acts 2:1 KJV)
Many people think the “church” began at Pentecost.
Pentecost is Strong’s #4005. It is the Greek word for
50th.
It is the 50th day from the Passover season, which is
also the same Feast the Israelites call Shavuot…the day
they first stood at Mt. Sinai to meet the God of their
Fathers as well as the day Messiah sent His Spirit to
those waiting in Jerusalem many years later.
And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as
on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of
the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with
water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
(Acts 11: 15-16 KJV)
#746 arche Greek
#7218 rosh Hebrew
#7225 reisheit Hebrew
What happened at Pentecost?
And suddenly there came
a sound from heaven as of a
rushing mighty wind, and it
filled all the house where they were sitting. And
there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of
fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were
all filled with the Holy Spirit, …
(Acts 2: 2-4a KJV)
What happened at Shavuot?
And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with
God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
And Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the
LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended
as the smoke of a furnace,
and the whole mount quaked greatly…
so the people stood afar off but Moses
drew near the thick darkness where God was.
(Exodus/Shemot 19:17-18, 21)
Can there be more than one “beginning?”

Here is the example of the concept of “beginning”
being used in comparison, a poetic parallelism or a
theme.

When John said it was as on us “at the beginning” he
drew the metaphorical connection with this pattern of
our God’s ways.

Where else do we see the Spirit of Messiah at work
“at the beginning?”
What happened at Creation?
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.
(Genesis/Beresheit 1:2 KJV)
The Hebrew word for “darkness” is the same as the
word for “thick darkness” when Moses approached the
mountain as the Spirit descended on it.
The Spirit breathed or moved over the waters.
The waters are from the heavens.
Do you see the same picture?

The Holy Spirit, and the Spirit of Wisdom in
particular as we have followed in this study,
which is on Messiah Yeshua was present
at Creation…
at Mount Sinai…..
at Jerusalem….

And will be with us at the end as He was
…FROM THE BEGINNING.
Our Messiah said:
I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end,
the first and the last.
Blessed are they that do his
commandments, that they may
have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in
through the gates into the city.
(Revelation 22: 13-14 KJV)
Back to the Garden….In the beginning!
Don’t stop here!


Please, keep right on checking what is presented here
and pursue the depths that our all-knowing God has
placed there for us!
Check out the poetry, themes, and the parallels
described all the way from the beginning to the end of
His Word.
Genesis/Beresheit to Revelation/Hitgalut!
He IS coming again soon!
Praise Yeshua, the Beginning and the End!
Resources
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The Complete Word Study Old Testament
Zodhiates, AMG Publishers
The Complete Word Study New Testament
Zodhiates, AMG Publishers
Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible & www.ancient-hebrew.org
Jeff A. Benner, VBW Publishing
“A Study of Beresheit: The Book of Beginnings”
Bradford Scott, Audio & notes, Wildbranch Ministries
www.biblegateway.org online Scripture resource
www.blueletterbible.org online Scripture resource
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words
W.E. Vine, Nelson Publishers
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament
Harris, Archer, Waltke; Moody Press
Be Blessed and Strengthened!
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If you would like more information please
contact us at:
Set Apart Ministries, Inc.
P. O. Box 5584
De Pere, WI 54115
(920) 336-7005
[email protected]
www.set-apart-ministries.org