Hebrew/Greek/English Proper Names (adapted)

Abraw-hawm—Abraham
Ancient Writings—Old Testament
Andre (An-dreh-as)—Andrew
Aree-math-ah-yah—Arimathea
Arkhe-lah-os—Archelaus
Bar-abbus—Barabbas
Bayth-Anee-ah—Bethany (House of Dates)
Bayth-Essdah—Bethesda (House of Kindness)
Bayth-Lekhem—Bethlehem (House of Bread)
Dawn-yale (Daw-nee-yale)—Daniel
Daymos—Niccodemus
Elee, Elee-sabet—Elizabeth
Elee-shah—Elisha
Elee-yah—Elijah
Elo-heem—God
Emmuh-oos—Emmaus
Evil One—Satan
Faris-Ahyos—Pharisee, Pharisees (separatists)
Filip (Filip-pos)—Phillip
Gahbree-El—Gabriel
Gawlee-law—Galilee
Genay-saret—Gennesaret
Geree-zeem—Gerizim
Gethsay-manay—Gethsemane
Hayro-dace—Herod
Hayro-dee-as—Herodias
Im-maw-noo-ale—Emmanuel
Kah-yafas—Caiaphas
Kahnah—Cana
Kai-sar—Caesar
Kaw-fawr Nakh-oom—Capernaum
Kleh-oppas—Cleophas
Kingdom of the Stars—Kingdom of Heaven
Kooray-nah—Cyrene
Ladzaros—Lazarus
Land of Elo-heem(Shaw-mah-yim, Oo-ran-os)—Place in outer space where God dwells, Heaven
Lay-vee—Levi
Magdalay-nay—Magdalene
Malawk—angel, Messenger, extraterrestrial being
Maria—Mary
Mat-thah-yos—Matthew
Maw-shee-akh—Messiah, Anointed
Messenger—angel, Malawk
Mosheh—Moses
Nad-zorah—Nazareth
Nah-ahman—Naaman
Nah-yin—Nain
Nethan-ale—Nathaniel
Nikko Daymos—Niccodemus
Petros—Peter
Pil-atos—Pilate
Promised One (Maw-shee-akh)— Messiah, Anointed
Rom-ah—Rome
Rom-ah-yos—Roman
Searchers (Magos)— Magi, wise men, oriental intellectuals
Saw-tawn—Satan
Shaw-mah-yim (Oo-ran-os)—sky, outer space, Heaven
Shomerone—Samaria
Shomeronee—Samaritan, Samaritans
Simone—Simon
See-nah-ee—Sinai
Soo-ree-ah—Syria
Tho-mas—Thomas
Yah-akobe—Jacob
Yah-kobus—James
Yardane—Jordan
Yaw-shah-na—Hosanna
Yeh-oo-daw—Judah
Yeh-oo-dee—Jew, Jews, Jewish
Yehho-vaw—the Lord
Yehroo-shaw-lah-im—Jerusalem
Yeh-shah-yah—Isaiah
Yeh-shuah (Yeh-ho-shoo-ah, Yay-sooce)—Jesus
Yeri-koh—Jericho
Yewdas (Eesh) Ker-ee-yoth—Judas Iscariot
Yissraw- ale—Israel
Yo-hawn (Yo-khaw-nawn, Yo-annace)—John
Yo-hawn Baptace (Bap-tis-tace)—John the Baptist
Yonaw—Jonah
Yosafe—Joseph
Zabdee—Zebedee
Zek, Zekar-yaw—Zachariah

Yeh-shuah, the Promised One

Copyright 1991, 2004 by Gary Tjaden


Special thanks to E. White, her sources, and her books The Desire of Ages and The Great Controversy for some great ideas and a few phrases.


Introduction

For over a thousand years before the birth of Yeh-shuah, the people of Yissraw-ale looked for the coming of the Maw-shee-akh, that is, the Promised One. This was the focus of their songs, their prayers, their prophecies, and their Temple Services. Yet, when he did come, they didn’t recognize him.

It was Yehho-vaw himself who chose the nation of Yissraw-ale to preserve his laws designed to protect humanity from evil practices, and, to remember the symbols and prophecies that pointed to his return in human form as the Promised One. Yissraw-ale’s mission was to reveal Yehho-vaw, creator of the earth, to all mankind.

Instead, hoping for acceptance, and longing for gods they could see and touch, they joined in the worship of the man-made gods of the surrounding pagan nations. By rejecting Yehho-vaw’s instructions and commandments, they lost his protection, and invading armies repeatedly overran their territory and carried them off into captivity.

If Yissraw-ale had remained faithful to Yehho-vaw and obeyed all of his instructions, it would have been a nation honored by all nations. Only by repeated backsliding, foreign occupation, and exile, did the people realize their prosperity truly did depend upon their obedience to Yehho-vaw.

In order to achieve national greatness, the nation at last rendered obedience, but with far too many, their motives were selfish. Instead of becoming the light of the world, they shut themselves away from it in order to escape temptation. Their restrictions in their contacts with idol worshippers became a wall of separation between Yissraw-ale and all other nations. Now they were jealous should Yehho-vaw show any mercy to foreigners.

After returning from exile, Yissraw-ale built synagogues and schools throughout its territory. Here, the priests and teachers used the arts, sciences, and law to teach the principles of Yehho-vaw’s commandments. Before long, however, these institutions became corrupted with pagan ideas and customs.

The Temple Service, given to Yissraw-ale by Yehho-vaw himself at See-nah-ee, was originally full of solemnity and spiritual beauty. The animal sacrifices for sin were supposed to be a continuous object lesson on how evil acts and thoughts, after repentance, were to be removed from an individual’s life record.

Failing to understand their purpose, the people clung tenaciously to the outward rituals, unaware of the meaning behind the sacrifices and ceremonies. No longer connected to Yehho-vaw, the priests and rabbis invented numerous requirements and restrictions of their own. The more rigid they grew in enforcing their man-made rules, the less they knew the love of Yehho-vaw. The priests performed their ceremonies like actors merely in a meaningless play.

Soon it became all but impossible to comply with their regulations, and those who attempted, carried a heavy burden. Although the people of Yissraw-ale longed for the Promised One to come, they had no conception of his mission. They did not seek the removal of their sins from their life record, but instead, looked for deliverance from the hated Rom-ah-yos occupation government by a great military leader. The Promised One they expected would liberate Yissraw-ale from the pagans and turn it into a great, world power.

Thus, the people overlooked the prophecies of the suffering and death of the Promised One, and misapplied those that pointed to his return at the end of the world in splendor and power. By misunderstanding his mission to Earth, to break the power of the Evil One in themselves, the way was prepared for them to reject Yeh-shuah, their sacrificial lamb, and long-awaited Deliverer.

The very people called by Yehho-vaw to teach truth to the world had become, instead, the representatives of Saw-tawn. By misrepresenting the character of Yehho-vaw, they caused the world to think he was a merciless tyrant. Because Yehho-vaw could do no more through these channels, the whole system must be swept away. Weary of pageants and fables, the people longed for a religion that could satisfy their need for truth. They longed for understanding of the living Elo-heem and assurance of life beyond the grave.

It was at this point in time that the nations were united under one government, Rom-ah, and one language was widely spoken. From all lands, scattered Yeh-oo-dee came to Yissraw-ale to attend the annual feasts in Yehroo-shaw-lah-im. As they returned to their homelands, they spread throughout the world the news of the coming of the Promised One.

The hour had now come for Yehho-vaw to lift mankind up from the dust, expel the demons, and restore in them the image of their Creator.

Gary Tjaden

The Story of Yeh-shuah the Promised One:
Bringing Light into a Dark World

Zek and Elee

Long ago, in the land of Yissraw-ale, lived an old man, Zek, and his wife, Elee. Now Zek was from the tribe of Lay-vee, and worked occasionally as a priest. Several times a year he traveled to the Temple of Elo-heem in the city of Yehroo-shaw-lah-im to serve his allotted time. As a priest of the Yeh-oo-dee people, his responsibilities in the Temple included offering animal sacrifices for the sins of the people and burning incense before Yehho-vaw, the Lord. Zek and Elee followed Yehho-vaw’s commandments in the Ancient Writings faithfully, and looked forward to his everlasting Kingdom. Although they had been childless for many years, even now in their old age, they still wished they’d had a son.

One day Zek was in the Temple, burning fragrant incense in the Holy Place, hidden from the view of the worshippers. Suddenly, a shining extraterrestrial appeared before him, standing on the right side of the Altar of Incense. It was one of the Malawk, an angel, a Messenger from Shaw-mah-yim, the Land of Elo-heem. Startled, Zek nearly dropped the incense holder, then stood there, frozen in terror, trembling before the powerful being of light.

“Don’t be afraid, Zekar-yaw,” the Messenger said to him in a voice that sounded like music, “Your requests have been heard. Elee-sabet your wife is going to give birth to a son, whom you will call Yo-hawn. He will bring you much joy and he will be great in the eyes of Yehho-vaw. From birth on he will be filled with the Spirit of Elo-heem, so he must never drink wine or any other fermented drink. He will bring many back to Yehho-vaw, and with the Spirit and power of Elee-yah, he will make a people ready for the Promised One.”

“How can this be possible?” Zek wondered out loud. “I am old, and my wife is well past the age of childbearing.”

“I am Gahbree-El,” the Messenger replied, “who stands before Elo-heem. He sent me to you with this message. Because you still don’t believe, you will be unable to speak until the day the child is born.” Then the Messenger disappeared.

Meanwhile, the worshippers outside kept waiting for Zek to come out of the Temple. “What’s taking him so long?” they wondered. Suddenly, white-faced and trembling, he staggered out, unable to hear or speak a single word. “He must have seen a vision!” They said when they saw his face glowing and his incomprehensible gestures. He completed his time of service in silence, then returned to his home in the hill country of Yeh-oo-daw.

Several months later Elee came to him saying, “Zek, I’m going to have a baby!” He couldn’t hear a word she said, but when she put his hand on her belly, he nodded in understanding.

Yosafe and Maria

About the same time, during the reign of Hayro-dace the Great, lived a young Yeh-oo-dee woman in the village of Nad-zorah, in the province of Gawlee-law, with her parents. Maria was pledged to marry Yosafe, a carpenter in the village. One morning a powerful extraterrestrial being suddenly appeared to her when she was alone in the house. It was Gahbree-El, the same Messenger who spoke to Zek. Before she could scream or run, the Messenger said, “Greetings, Most Favored One. Yehho-vaw is with you.”

Maria nearly fainted.

“Don’t be afraid, Maria,” the Messenger said, “because Elo-heem wishes to bless you. Soon, you will become pregnant and give birth to a son. His name will be Yeh-shuah, and he will be known as the Son of the Most High. He will reign over his Kingdom forever and ever, without end.”

“But how can I have a baby?” Maria stammered. “I am unmarried, and have never slept with a man.”

“The Spirit of Elo-heem will form a life within you, and that is why he shall be called the Son of the Most High. Elee-sabet, Zekar-yaw’s wife, is already in her sixth month. There is nothing impossible for Elo-heem,” the Messenger said.

“Whatever Yehho-vaw says, I will do, for I am his servant,” Maria answered. She knelt before the Messenger as it disappeared before her eyes.

When she told Yosafe what happened, he just looked at her with an odd expression on his face and said nothing. Maria sensed he didn’t believe her.

“So you really think you’re going to have a baby, then?” he finally spoke.

“Yes,” she answered.
“And Elo-heem is going to be its father?”
“Yes,” she answered again.
“Maria, this is just too much for me. I need to think about it for awhile.”

“Alright, if you must. My cousin Elee has asked me to stay with her until her baby is born. I’ve decided to go.”

“Very well, then. Goodbye,” Yosafe mumbled as he left.

The tears came after he was gone. “He doesn’t believe me,” she sobbed. “What am I going to do now? The religious leaders will stone me dead when they find out I’m pregnant and unmarried.” She packed her things and began the journey from Nad-zorah to Elee’s house.

The Forerunner is Born

“It’s a boy!” the cry went out three months later when Elee gave birth. “Yehho-vaw has shown you great mercy in your old age!” her friends and relatives exclaimed, sharing her joy.

“What is the boy’s name?” the officiating priest asked the family, present for the rite of circumcision eight days after birth.

“Zekar-yaw, after his father,” the family decided.

“No,” Elee replied, “His name will be Yo-hawn.”

“But who among your relatives has that name?” the relatives objected.

“His name will be Yo-hawn,” Elee repeated firmly.

“Zek,” they gestured, “What is the child’s name to be?”

Zek pulled out a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise wrote, “His name is Yo-hawn.”

Immediately, he could speak and began thanking Elo-heem. He prophesied, saying, “This child will be called a Prophet of the Most High: For he will prepare the Way of Yehho-vaw by teaching forgiveness through repentance. Elo-heem in his mercy will cause the Sun rising from the heavens to shine on those living in the Darkness of the Shadow of Death to guide them into the Ways of Peace.”

After the birth of Yo-hawn, Maria returned to her home in Nad-zorah. She was away three months and hadn’t seen Yosafe during that time. “Does he still want me?” she wondered many times.

Yosafe’s Dream

Maria was 15, pregnant, and in serious trouble. Yosafe, her betrothed, wasn’t the father. He was deeply hurt when she told him a wild story about an alien and said she was pregnant.

“How can I marry a woman I can’t trust?” he thought. Since he was a kind man and didn’t want her publicly disgraced, he planned to break the engagement and keep quiet about it. Given half a chance, the cruel and fanatical Faris-Ahyos, the religious leaders of the country, would have her stoned to death for breaking the law against adultery.

Before he finalized the matter, while Maria was still living with her cousin Elee, he had the strangest dream. In it, a Messenger from Shaw-mah-yim, the far-away place where Elo-heem dwells, came to him. “Yosafe,” it said, “Don’t be afraid to take Maria for your wife. As she said, she has never slept with a man. The Spirit of Elo-heem has formed a life within her by forces humans do not understand, and now she is with child. A Son will be born to her and his name is to be Yeh-shuah (Yehho-vaw saves), because he is going to rescue his people from their wickedness. This is foretold in the Ancient Writings: ‘A virgin will give birth to a Son whose name is Im-maw-noo-ale (Elo-heem is with us).’” A great weight left Yosafe’s heart.

Maria stood in the doorway looking quizzically at the odd expression on Yosafe’s face. “What do you want?” she asked.

“A Messenger came to me in a dream,” Yosafe explained. “He said the baby you’re carrying is the Son of Elo-heem.”

Maria looked at him closely and slowly nodded.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t believe you,” he continued. “The Messenger from Shaw-mah-yim said we should get married.”

Two small tears trickled down her cheeks and she quickly brushed them away. Somehow, she managed to smile, a trembling, little, half-smile. Joy filled her soul and her heart sang as she once again dreamed of marriage and a family. Her life would now be spared from the death squads of the Faris-Ahyos.

The Census

Months later, the Rom-ah-yos occupation government ordered a national census, requiring everyone in Yissraw-ale to register in towns according to their ancestry. Yosafe and Maria left Nad-zorah for Bayth-Lekhem, the town assigned to the line of Daw-veed, for both of them were descendents of the greatest king of Yissraw-ale.

When they arrived, the town was overcrowded with their distant relatives, leaving no vacancies in the inns. The only place they found to spend the night was an old stable-cave near the edge of town. Yosafe cleaned up a corner and put fresh straw and bedding down.

Yeh-shuah was born that evening. After the midwife finished, Yosafe held the baby up, showed his dear little face to the weary Maria, then handed him to her. Soon, their newborn son fell into a peaceful sleep. Later, Maria wrapped the baby up snugly and laid him in a feed box which Yosafe made comfortable with straw and soft blankets.

The Shepherds

The next day some unexpected visitors came to see the baby. They were shepherds from the hills, speaking of extraterrestrial beings announcing the birth of the Promised One. The shepherds admired the sleeping baby and said, “We have been waiting a long time to see this day.” With awe in their voices, they continued, “We saw a bright Messenger of Light who came from the Land of Elo-heem to tell us the Good News."

Yosafe and Maria listened with wonder to their story.

“‘Don’t be afraid,’ the first Messenger said to us, because we were all quite terrified. ‘I bring Good News for all mankind. Today, the Son of Elo-heem was born in the town of Daw-veed, and there you will find him wrapped up warmly and lying in a feed box.’

“After the Messenger finished speaking, the sky lit up with thousands of other bright Messengers, singing the most beautiful song we ever heard. It was a song about giving highest honor to Elo-heem and about peace to those on earth who serve him. When the song ended, the brilliant scene before us faded as the Messengers returned to Shaw-mah-yim.

“We looked at each other and exclaimed, ‘Let’s go to Bayth-Lekhem to see the baby!’. When we arrived here, we found everything just as the Messenger described.”

After they finished paying homage, they left with thankful hearts that they, of all people, were the first to see the newborn Promised One, promised since the foundation of the world.

The rest of the day passed quickly. Maria was up and about while Yosafe finished all of the government business. They stayed in the stable several days until the crowds thinned out, then found a relative who took them in until they found a place of their own. They decided to settle in Bayth-Lekhem. It was during their stay here that another strange event happened.

The Searchers

Yeh-shuah was nearly three years old, and a pleasant little helper around the house. One summer day some distinguished foreigners arrived at their home, looking for the One born King of the Yeh-oo-dee. They were philosophers from the East, wealthy, well educated, and honorable men who had been studying the prophecies of the Ancient Writings when they realized that the time was near for their fulfillment.

Several years ago, while observing the stars, a bright light suddenly appeared to them. It hovered in the sky, then quickly faded into a luminous point of light. Neither star nor planet, for it was far too close, they could see that it was moving slowly westward. They wondered if this was a sign of something important.

The next day they questioned priests and other philosophers, and searched the ancient records. “A Star shall come out of Yah-akobe, and a scepter out of Yissraw-ale,” they read in the Ancient Writings. That night, each dreamed of a journey in search of a newborn king. “Let’s go to Yissraw-ale and find him!” they exclaimed to each other in the morning.

After packing their supplies, they began their journey in darkness, following the slowly moving light guide westward. Loaded onboard their camels were some very expensive gifts intended for the newborn king. Whenever they stopped to rest, they continued to search the Ancient Writings by lamp light for prophecies about the king. “Elo-heem himself must be guiding us,” they concluded as they looked up at their light guide.

“Look,” the travelers said one night after many, many days of travel, “That must be Yehroo-shaw-lah-im.” It had been a long, but pleasant journey, when at last they stood on Olive Mountain, looking down onto the moonlit city of twinkling lamps. Their light guide hovered over the magnificent, ghostly-white Temple, then faded away. Weary, but now energized with anticipation, they descended toward the city to find lodging.

When morning came, they went to the Temple, but to their amazement, no one there knew anything about a newborn king. “Where did you hear that?” snorted one of the priests with contempt. “You heathens think you know more about the Promised One than we Yeh-oo-dee do. WE are the chosen people of Elo-heem.”

The news of their visit spread rapidly through the city, and soon, Hayro-dace, the Rom-ah-yos puppet king, called the chief priests to come before him. After a lengthy delay, making him impatient, then angry, they finally stood before him. “Where,” he said belligerently as he shook a fat finger at them, “is this king supposed to be born?”

One of the priests nervously rattled a scroll until finally he began reading, “From Bayth-Lekhem, in the land of Yeh-oo-daw, shall come the shepherd of my people Yissraw-ale…”

“Your majesty,” another priest interrupted, “the Promised One is not expected for many centuries. We believe that nothing will come of this unfounded rumor of a newborn king. A number of imposters who have claimed to be the Promised One have already come and gone.” The priest bowed before Hayro-dace, then said, “May your highness live forever.”

“Dismissed!” Hayro-dace shouted. He was angry at the priest’s reluctance to tell him where the Promised One would be born, and suspected them of plotting to remove him from the throne.

He sent a message to the Searchers from the East, inviting them to a private visit with him. From them, he learned the exact time the light guide appeared to them. “Go, search for the child,” he said with false concern, “and when you find him, return to me so that I also may honor him.”

“We shall,” the Searchers promised.

Unknown to them, the crafty Hayro-dace had dark motives. As soon as he found the child, he planned to have it killed. “NO ONE is going to take the throne of Yissraw-ale away from ME,” he brooded.

The Searchers Find Yeh-shuah

Disappointed at their lack of success, the Searchers left the gates of the city as night fell. To their great joy, their light guide re-appeared in the sky, so they followed it until they arrived at the little village of Bayth-Lekhem. It hovered over one of the smaller houses, and again, faded from sight.

“This is not a house of royalty,” one of the Searchers noticed. “Where are the guards and men of honor?” They found lodging until morning before inquiring inside.

Maria was quite surprised when the well-dressed company appeared at her doorstep one morning. Little Yeh-shuah ran shyly up to her when he saw the strangers. They removed their hats, explained the purpose of their long journey, and expressed their desire to honor the little king. Yosafe was working when Maria sent for him to meet the visitors. Their surprise turned to astonishment when their guests knelt before the little boy and presented gifts of gold and expensive fragrances, a fortune to the poor couple.

As they left, Yosafe and Maria thanked the Searchers genuinely. The Searchers spent the rest of the day getting ready for their return journey. That night, though, each of them had another dream. “Don’t return to Hayro-dace in Yehroo-shaw-lah-im!” a Messenger warned them. So the next day, they left by a different route, with Yehroo-shaw-lah-im at their backs.

Escape to Egypt

Meanwhile, Maria and Yosafe could hardly believe their good fortune. “Why did Elo-heem send those kind men to us?” they wondered. That night they found out. In another dream, a Messenger urgently warned Yosafe, “You must escape to Egypt with your family because Hayro-dace will have the boy killed as soon as he finds him!”

Although it was the middle of the night, Yosafe immediately got up and began to pack by the light of oil lamps. With anxious hearts, the family left in early morning darkness. “At least we have plenty of money now to make the long journey and buy food in Egypt,” Yosafe said.

When Hayro-dace realized that the Searchers outwitted him, he was furious. “Kill all of the boys in and near Bayth-Lekhem under three years old!” he thundered in a rage. Soon, the whole village was in an uproar as armed soldiers slaughtered little boys and mothers wailed in grief.

Return to Yissraw-ale

Yosafe and Maria were still living in Egypt when word came that Hayro-dace had died, a fearful, painful, wormy death. In another dream, a Messenger told Yosafe, “Return to Yissraw-ale with your family.” He planned to return to Bayth-Lekhem, but enroute he learned that Arkhe-lah-os, Hayro-dace’s cruel son, was now king of Yeh-oo-daw. In his final dream, a Messenger warned Yosafe, “Stay away from the land of Yeh-oo-daw, and instead, return to Nad-zorah of Gawlee-law, your former home.”

Yeh-shuah the Boy

Yeh-shuah spent his childhood in a little house in Nad-zorah, an obscure mountain village, not in the palaces of kings or homes of the wealthy. For a child so young, his mind was active and penetrating, with a thoughtfulness and wisdom beyond his years.

Always pleasant and willing to help others, nothing could disturb his patience or prevent his truthfulness. When it came to principles, he stood like a rock, yet, he was always courteous and unselfish. A constant source of delight to his mother, she always tried to encourage his bright, receptive mind.

He did not attend the synagogue schools, institutions corrupted by traditions and ceremonies and regulations. There, the religious teachers repressed the creative energy of the youth, resulting in cramped, narrow minds. Instead, Maria taught Yeh-shuah at home about the goodness and greatness of Elo-heem, and how to find him in the Ancient Writings, in history, in nature, in song, and prayer. As he studied nature and the surroundings of daily life, he gathered spiritual lessons to share with others.

“Look, Mother,” he said one day. “That stony ground is like a stony heart, and that good ground is like a good heart.”

Surrounded by temptations in a place well-known for its wickedness, the young Yeh-shuah struggled against the powers of darkness to maintain his innocence and purity. It was his life of self-denial and poverty and industriousness that protected him from self-indulgence and corruption. By always finding something to do to help others, he filled his Spirit with positive energy and closed the door to the powers of the Evil One.

Never a slacker, he expected much from himself, and therefore, attempted much. Always careful in his work, he performed it with exactness and thoroughness and cheerfulness. Often when his friends grew tired of working, his songs about his Father cheered them up. His clear voice was like a powerful incense that the unseen Evil One and his followers could not bear to be around. In their absence, the minds of Yeh-shuah’s hearers were carried far away to the Land of Elo-heem itself.

Whoever Yeh-shuah came in contact with, the elderly, the sorrowing, children at play, the little creatures of the groves, and the beasts of burden, all were happier for his presence, for currents of sympathy and tenderness flowed out from him. Nothing was beneath his notice, for he would even stoop to help a wounded bird. By sympathizing with all, he surrounded himself and others with an atmosphere of hope and courage.

Although he seemed to possess unusual powers, he never made a public exhibition of them. By living a quiet and simple life, free from artificial excitement, Yeh-shuah remained in harmony with nature and improved his physical, mental, and spiritual strength.

Lost!

During his twelfth year, Yosafe and Maria took Yeh-shuah to Yehroo-shaw-lah-im to observe his first Passover. From Nad-zorah, the pleasant spring journey took several days by foot and donkey. Worshippers in great numbers came from every part of Yissraw-ale to the city, so Yosafe and Maria joined up with a large group for companionship and protection.

For the first time in his life, Yeh-shuah saw the beautiful Temple. He carefully watched the movements of the white-robed priests performing their duties. When they sacrificed the lamb, the worshippers bowed, and a cloud of burning incense ascended to Elo-heem. The ceremonies of Passover commemorated Yehho-vaw’s rescue of Yissraw-ale from slavery in Egypt long ago, but over the years, their meanings were largely forgotten. Nothing escaped Yeh-shuah’s watchful eye, though, for now he began to understand his mission.

After the sacrifices ended, the worshippers, including Yosafe and Maria, left Yehroo-shaw-lah-im for their homes. Unfortunately, the general confusion, large crowds, and pleasant conversations with friends completely absorbed their attention. They assumed their son was with friends in their group.

In the Temple

Yeh-shuah, however, remained behind, wandering around in the Temple courts, seeking solitude, lost in deep thought. When he found a class of leading teachers and their students, he walked up to these grave, learned men, and joined the other students at their feet. He started to ask them questions about the Promised One.

“Yissraw-ale will be the greatest nation in the world after the Promised One comes to destroy all of its enemies,” one of the teachers gushed.

“Does not the sacrificial lamb represent the Promised One who takes away the sins of the world?” Yeh-shuah politely asked. “And don’t the Ancient Writings speak of the suffering and death of the Lamb of Elo-heem?”

The doctors turned on Yeh-shuah with many questions, amazed at his thoughtful, intelligent answers. Soon, they realized that his understanding of the Promised One far exceeded their own.

“How did this child come to know so much?” they wondered among themselves. “We’ve never seen him in any of our schools. If we could have him as our student, we could make him a great teacher in Yissraw-ale.”

Although Yeh-shuah continued to tactfully show them their theories about the Promised One were incorrect, they refused to admit their error to a child, even though his words moved their hearts as never before.

Meanwhile, Yosafe and Maria were frantic. They lost sight of Yeh-shuah after leaving Yehroo-shaw-lah-im, and didn’t miss him until evening. “He must be with his friends around here somewhere,” they thought.

They searched for him everywhere within their group of travelers. “He’s nowhere to be found!” Yosafe exclaimed as their hearts filled with fear. They thought of Hayro-dace’s attempt to kill the boy when he was a baby. “What have we done!” they reproached themselves.

In twilight, they returned to Yehroo-shaw-lah-im to continue their search. “It’s no use,” Yosafe said. “It’s too dark. Let’s find a place to sleep and look some more tomorrow.”

Found!

Three days later after losing him, as Yosafe and Maria stood in the Temple court, they heard a familiar voice. It was a voice like no other, so serious, yet so full of melody. They found Yeh-shuah in the school of the religious teachers. They came closer and listened, amazed at his questions and answers.

When they were finally alone with Yeh-shuah, Maria asked, “Why did you do this to us? We looked for you everywhere. You broke our hearts when we couldn’t find you.” They blamed Yeh-shuah for his disappearance, but actually, it was their responsibility to keep him safe.

“Why did you look around for me?” Yeh-shuah asked. “Don’t you know I must go about my Father’s business?” This was the first time Yeh-shuah spoke of Elo-heem as his Father. Although they felt as though he were their own child, he really was the Son of Elo-heem.

As the three of them returned to Nad-zorah, Yeh-shuah gently tried to explain his mission to his parents. “For three days I was gone, much to your sorrow, then we were reunited,” he said. “In the future, this will happen again.” Neither Yosafe nor Maria could possibly comprehend what he meant.

Early Conflicts

As Yeh-shuah grew older, he carefully examined the religious practices of the day, comparing them with the Ancient Writings. “The Faris-Ahyos have rules and regulations for everything,” he thought, “down to the smallest details of life, but their ceremonies have no value, and they can find no peace in their services. If only they could know the freedom of Spirit that comes by serving Elo-heem in truth.” Ignoring their rituals and traditions, he acted independently, using only the Ancient Writings as his guide.

“This one’s going to be easy to straighten out,” the local Faris-Ahyos all thought when they first encountered Yeh-shuah. “He’s such a gentle, unobtrusive boy.” When they found themselves unable to change his thinking, they ordered, “You must follow the traditions of the elders!”

His response was always, “Where are your traditions found in the Ancient Writings?”

Yeh-shuah seemed to know the Ancient Writings from beginning to end, and the Faris-Ahyos were ashamed to be instructed by a child. “We’re the teachers,” they fumed, “and you’re the student!” They were angry because they knew their traditions did not come from the Ancient Writings, angry that Yeh-shuah was far ahead of them in spiritual understanding, and angry that he did not obey their orders. They went to Yosafe and Maria to complain.

“He is a good boy,” Yosafe said as he threw his hands into the air, “but he does only what he thinks is right according to the Ancient Writings. It is useless to try to force him to do anything against his principles.”

Later, Yeh-shuah’s brothers told him, “You are so stubborn! You refuse to follow the sacred traditions, yet, everything that you do is according to the Sacred Writings!” They sided with the religious teachers. “The traditions must be obeyed as if they came from Elo-heem,” they said. “Why do you keep saying, ‘It is written… It is written… It is written…’ every time we tell you to follow the traditions? Do you think you are our teacher?”

Still, Yeh-shuah continued to ignore the traditions of men and obeyed the laws of Elo-heem. “The Faris-Ahyos have surrounded their religion with a high fence of exclusion,” he thought. The Faris-Ahyos religion was self-centered and unforgiving, making them far from being like Elo-heem. “They pay their tithes down to the smallest fraction, yet they do not know Elo-heem.” Stung by his refusal to cooperate, the Faris-Ahyos tried to force him to obey their regulations by going to his parents again.

Refusing again to comply with the Faris-Ahyos demands, Yeh-shuah continued to help everyone within his power to help, demonstrating an everyday religion of love and kindness and unselfishness. He had little money to give, but often gave up his own food to someone more needy than himself, or offered a cup of cool water to the thirsty. When his Faris-Ahyos-trained brothers were mean to some poor, disabled, homeless person, Yeh-shuah later found that person and offered words of encouragement.

Because Yeh-shuah hated evil, he met much opposition. “There goes that goody-goody Yeh-shuah!” one of his peers would sneer as he walked by. “Why don’t you just get mad and fight like a real man, you little coward!”

“Hey, Yeh-shuah, who’s your daddy? someone else taunted. “Everyone knows Yosafe isn’t your real father, because you’re the son of a slut! Haw, Haw, Haw!”

“That Yeh-shuah is so stupid, he’ll do anything if he thinks he’s helping someone,” another said. “He’ll even do your work for you if you run off and play, just so he can be a do-gooder.”

Yeh-shuah never got angry when taken advantage of, though, and never complained or retaliated when insulted. “Why do you allow yourself to be treated so badly,” many asked, “even from your own brothers?”

Yeh-shuah answered them from the Ancient Writings, “If you remember my law and keep my commandments, you will have a long, peaceful life, and you will find favor with Elo-heem and man.”

“Ever since we took him to the Temple,” Maria said one day, “he’s been a different boy. Every chance he gets, he runs off into the fields or valleys or mountainsides or forests to meditate. Sometimes he even takes off before sunrise. He always comes back to do his fair share of work, and more, though.” Maria saw the mistreatment Yeh-shuah received at the hands of the unkind, and it always caused her pain. Even she got into trouble, sometimes, trying to protect or defend him, though she usually encouraged him to follow the traditions of the Faris-Ahyos.

Yeh-shuah was destined to be a healer of body and spirit, yet, he walked alone. Even as a boy, he alone carried the responsibility of saving the human race. If he failed to change the course of history, his mission on earth would end in failure. Unless humanity changed its direction, all would be lost. To accomplish this, he did not seek high positions or assume any titles, but with superhuman intensity of purpose, he aimed to bring Light back into a Dark World.

The Forerunner

As Yo-hawn grew up, he learned to exercise total physical and mental self-control. After his parents died while he was still a young man, he chose to live in the wild and rocky hills of the wilderness. In normal times, he would have been trained as a priest in the schools of the Faris-Ahyos, but this would have corrupted his mind and made him unfit for his mission.

“I must leave town to live a pure, solitary life in the desert” he said, looking at the pleasure seeking, feasting and drinking surrounding him. “I must decontaminate myself of evil in order to introduce the Promised One to the world.” Here, among the barren hills, wild ravines, and rocky caves, Yo-hawn could cultivate simplicity and self-denial.

For Yo-hawn, the solitude was a welcome escape from a degenerate society where suspicion and unbelief and impurity were widespread. Here, he could study the Ancient Writings and the lessons of nature. Yet, from time to time, he went to the villages as an observer, studying men’s characters and carefully watching the unfolding of events.
“The spirit of the people,” Yo-hawn observed, “is like the barren, fruitless desert.” When he returned to his desert home, he meditated and prayed on how best to reach their hearts with a new message. He longed to awaken a people asleep in their transgressions and rouse them from lethargy to a purer, holier life. “They must be shaken up,” he thought, “in order to even want to seek healing from the Promised One.”

One day while searching the Ancient Writings, he made the calculations and exclaimed, “According to the prophet Dawn-yale, the Promised One was born the same year I was!”

Desert Prophet

A gust of wind kicked up a swirling cloud of dust, sending it angling up the long, sloping hillside. Down below, Yo-hawn, now known as Yo-hawn Baptace, stood with his back to the Yardane river as he spoke of a purer, nobler way of life to a large crowd. His words stirred deep emotions in many of the people who made the hot, dusty journey to hear him. He wore clothing made from camel hair, ate wild honey, and drank pure spring water from the hills.

“Repent, and change your evil ways,” Yo-hawn told the people, “for the Kingdom of Elo-heem is now here!” With a strange, new power his words moved the people. The Faris-Ahyos taught everyone that the Promised One was to come far off into the future, but here was Yo-hawn Baptace, proclaiming he was here, now. “We all have the disease of evil,” Yo-hawn said, “and without the removal of all evil and the purification of heart and life, we cannot have a part in the Kingdom of the Stars.”

Looking exactly like one of the ancient prophets, and with the same Spirit and power, too, he denounced the widespread corruption and prevailing sins. Excited, many people said, “He must be a prophet raised from the dead!” The entire nation was stirred, and large crowds flocked to the wilderness to hear him.

“You must repent,” he said, “and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins.” For those who did repent of their evil ways, he washed them in the Yardane river, a baptism symbolic of washing away their diseased, evil natures. Now they could begin a new life, turning away from selfishness and evil practices and instead be kind to others and do good things for them.

Alarmed by the solemn warning from Elo-heem, all classes flocked to hear the prophet, hoping to participate in the kingdom he announced. Even the cold-hearted Faris-Ahyos came asking for baptism. With Spirit power, Yo-hawn Baptace read their thoughts. “You snakes!” he said. “Who warned you about your coming destruction? You have to prove your repentance by your actions. Don’t say to yourselves, ‘Abraw-hawm is our father,’ because Elo-heem can make children of Abraw-hawm from these very stones.”

The fanatical Faris-Ahyos, leaders and teachers of religion, were a curse to the people, like poisonous snakes, because of their pride, selfishness, and cruelty. Their behavior was even worse than the unbelieving heathen, even though they thought they were so much better. They came to Yo-hawn only looking for a favorable position in the new government. If Elo-heem chose to, he could easily find others to carry out his purposes.

The Yeh-oo-dee generally thought they were better than other men and eternally favored since, the Malawk, the extraterrestrial beings from distant Shaw-mah-yim, first appeared to Abraw-hawm, their ancestor. But they overlooked the conditions of this favor to them. It was their responsibility to teach the world about Elo-heem and his goodness, but they failed miserably, lost Elo-heem’s protection, and now the nation suffered under foreign occupation by the heathen Rom-ah-yos.

For many years, a spirit of discontent and revolution filled the nation of Yeh-oo-daw. After Arkhe-lah-os, puppet king of Yeh-oo-daw, left office, Rom-ah-yos governors, mostly tyrants and extortioners, replaced him. When the governors tried to force heathenism onto the Yeh-oo-dee, a revolt broke out, quenched only by the blood of thousands of Yissraw-ale’s bravest men. Now, all the Yeh-oo-dee hated Rom-ah and longed to be free. Suddenly, in the middle of this strife and discord, came a voice from the wilderness, clear, startling, and stern, yet full of hope.

“And now,” Yo-hawn continued, “trees that do not produce good fruit are cut down and thrown into the fire.” Anyone could claim to be children of Elo-heem, but if their lives were not in harmony with Elo-heem’s Law, they were not his children, and would ultimately be destroyed.

“What shall we do, then?” the people asked, convicted by his searching words.

“If you have two coats,” Yo-hawn answered, “share with someone who has none. If you have food, do likewise. Be kind and honest and nonviolent. Give to the needy, bring your offerings to Elo-heem. Protect the defenseless and be an example of goodness and compassion. Show justice, mercy, and the love of Elo-heem in your daily life, because if you don’t, you will be like weeds thrown into the fire.

“I baptize you into water for repentance of evil, but the One coming after me will baptize you with his Spirit and with Fire.” The Spirit consumes evil, and at the end of life on earth, everything contaminated with evil will be destroyed by unquenchable Fire. Only the pure in heart will be safe, because there is no evil in them.

Many listened to Yo-hawn’s instructions and sacrificed everything to obey. Some also followed him from place to place, hoping that he might be the Promised One.

The Call

Back in the carpenter shop Yeh-shuah paused, tool in hand, listening to a friend tell of his visit to hear Yo-hawn Baptace. “No one is sure if he is Elee-yah raised from the dead, or if he’s the Promised One,” the friend remarked.

Yeh-shuah finished his project, carefully put all of his tools away, and swept the shop clean. He recognized the call. “Good bye, Mother,” he said to her, then started the long walk to the Yardane River.

River Baptism

Although they were cousins, Yeh-shuah and Yo-hawn had never met. Yo-hawn stayed in the wilderness while Yeh-shuah lived in Nad-zorah to the north. “Can this be the One?” Yo-hawn wondered as Yeh-shuah came forward to be baptized. Never before had he sensed such a pure character in any man, but before him Yeh-shuah stood, sinless, holy, and awe-inspiring.

They stood there, silently, at the river’s edge. A questioning look crossed one man’s features. “But I need to be baptized by you!” he protested.

“You must do this for all things to be right,” the other man said.

They waded into the water to about waist deep and stopped. Yo-hawn put one of his rough hands on Yeh-shuah’s lower back, and the other he raised to the sky. He slowly brought his upraised hand down over Yeh-shuah’s eyes, hesitated, then lowered him beneath the surface.

Immediately, Yo-hawn brought him back up to his feet. Dripping wet, Yeh-shuah waded back to the shore, raised his eyes, and saw what looked like an opening in the sky to the Land of Elo-heem. A strange light shone on him, and while he was still looking up, a roaring sound like a mighty wind came from the sky. A slowly turning form of pure, golden, light, resembling a bird in flight, drifted downward, encircled him, then faded away. Some of those present thought they heard thunder, but others thought they heard a deep voice saying, “Look, this is my Son.”

The Test

After the baptism, a Messenger from Elo-heem took Yeh-shuah into the rocky wilderness. Here, alone and far from the crowds, he must stand the test and either conquer the desires of his human nature, or be overcome by them. Here he must wait until Elo-heem told him otherwise.

After nearly forty days without food, a powerful Messenger suddenly appeared before him. It was very tall, wearing a robe made of bright light, and accustomed to being obeyed. It smiled at the weakened for of Yeh-shuah. “I come to you from the Land of Elo-heem with a message: You have passed the test and it’s time to eat and regain your strength. You have shown perfect obedience by your willingness to suffer and endure hardship. You must now return to the Father and to your rightful place in the Land of Elo-heem.”

“You do not fool me, Evil One,” Yeh-shuah replied. “That is not my Father’s plan.”

Saw-tawn’s eyes narrowed. “Here I am, ruler of this world, and here you are, a pathetic, stinking, human weakling,” he taunted, “left alone to die of starvation. If you’re the Son of Elo-heem, prove it by turning these rocks into bread.”

Yeh-shuah looked at the rocks that already resembled flat loaves of bread and answered, “It is written in the Ancient Writings: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but also on the words of Elo-heem.’” He looked around at the barren and desolate wilderness surrounding him and thought, “In Elo-heem’s time my hunger will be satisfied. It is better to suffer whatever fate brings than to stray even a little from my Father’s plan. I will not use the Spirit powers for selfish purposes. It is better to die than to sin.”

In a flash, Saw-tawn brought Yeh-shuah to the great Temple in the city and placed him on the highest point. “Your confidence in the Father is most admirable,” the Evil One continued. “If you are the son of Elo-heem, then jump off! For it is written: His forces will protect you so that not even your foot will strike a stone.”

Yeh-shuah looked down at the courtyard below. “No, Evil One,” he answered. “It is written: ‘Do not put Elo-heem to the test.’”

“There was a fierce battle,” Yeh-shuah recalled to himself. “We defeated Saw-tawn and his forces and banished them from the Land of Elo-heem forever. I don’t have to prove to anyone who I am.”

Finally, Saw-tawn brought Yeh-shuah to the peak of what looked like a very high mountain, a space craft in actuality. In a vast panorama, the lands of the world passed before them: great cities, magnificent architecture, blue skies and seas, green orchards, vineyards, forests, and fields. Everything looked so dazzlingly beautiful.

Surrounded by barren, desolate wilderness during the previous weeks, Yeh-shuah now looked at these scenes of greatness and prosperity. “All of this is yours,” Saw-tawn offered, “if you will kneel before me and acknowledge my superiority. Save yourself from a miserable death and you can rule the world with everyone gladly following after you. Instead of poverty and humiliation, you can have riches, pleasures, and honor.”

Yeh-shuah could have yielded and obtained all that was offered, but there was a curse over all of it. Because of inborn human wickedness due to the highly infectious virus of evil, hidden in the scenes before him were wars, disasters, and the evil acts of evil men. “Get away from here, Evil One!” Yeh-shuah ordered. “It is written: ‘Fear Elo-heem, and serve only Him.’”

Angered over his failure to overpower the feeble, starving human, Saw-tawn left immediately, and though defeated in this encounter, he made further plans to prevent the Son of Elo-heem from completing his mission to save the world.

After he was alone, Yeh-shuah fell to the ground, near death. Messengers from the Land of Elo-heem arrived, bring food and encouragement. Although it nearly cost him his life, Yeh-shuah triumphed over the power of Saw-tawn, and, over his own human desires.

The Delegation

“Why are those infernal birds following us!” growled one of the Faris-Ahyos as he looked up at the vultures trailing them. He was with a delegation of priests and teachers and rulers from the Temple on their way from Yehroo-shaw-lah-im for an official investigation of Yo-hawn Baptace. Yo-hawn neither recognized their authority nor asked for their approval, but the reformation now taking place in Yissraw-ale could no longer be ignored. They came to determine his purposes.

Farther down the road, an old priest among them began speaking. “Remember old Zek and his prophecy? It was about thirty years ago that he said his child would be a prophet of the Most High who was to prepare the way of Yehho-vaw. And now,” the old man said as his voice trailed off, “here he is, and the sixty-nine weeks of years of Dawn-yale has just ended…”

As they approached the edge of the crowd, the vultures left, and someone called out, “Make way for the Ruling Council!” Out of respect or fear the crowd parted to let the distinguished visitors pass.

They stood before the wilderness prophet in their rich robes and their pride and demanded, “Who are you?”

The Spirit revealed their thoughts to Yo-hawn who answered, “I am not the Promised One.”
“Are you Elee-yah?”
“No.”
“Are you the prophet Mosheh?”
“No.”
“Who are you then? We must return with an answer.”
“I am the voice calling out in the wilderness: ‘Make the way for Yehho-vaw straight.’”

“Why do you baptize if you are neither the Promised One, Elee-yah, nor Mosheh?”

Before he could answer, Yo-hawn spotted Yeh-shuah in the crowd. With a surge of emotion he raised his arms and cried, “I baptize in water, but standing among you is the One who will follow. You do not know him. I am unworthy to even undo his sandals!”

Amazed, the priests and rulers scanned the crowd looking for him, but there was no one there in particular they could single out. Yeh-shuah did nothing to acknowledge Yo-hawn’s announcement, but instead remained indistinguishable among Yo-hawn Baptace’s disciples.

The next day Yo-hawn saw him again and called out, “Look, the Lamb of Elo-heem! He is going to take away the sin of the world, for he is the Son of Elo-heem!” With wonder the people looked at the one Yo-hawn indicated, a thin, plainly-dressed peasant.

Of all those present when Yeh-shuah was baptized, only Yo-hawn now recognized his pale, haggard face. But what some did see was a face where infinite compassion blended with conscious power. Beneath a gentle exterior was a sense of extraordinary power, hidden from men, but not completely undetectable to the perceptive. Most were disappointed or perplexed when they saw the unassuming, less-than-handsome peasant. “He doesn’t look much like a king at all,” some of them thought.

“The Kingdom of Elo-heem will not be an earthly kingdom, but will instead be established in your hearts,” thought Yeh-shuah as he looked off toward the horizon.

The following day, Yo-hawn Baptace pointed him out again. His face lit up as he cried, “Look, the Lamb of Elo-heem!”

Two of Yo-hawn Baptace’s disciples standing nearby, Yo-hawn bar-Zabdee and Andre, looked at Yeh-shuah with wonder. “Why did Yo-hawn Baptace call him the ‘Lamb of Elo-heem?’” they thought. They walked up to Yeh-shuah while his back was turned, wanting to speak with him, yet silent in their awe. “Can this really be the Promised One?” they asked themselves.

Yeh-shuah sensed their presence and turned and asked, “What are you looking for?”

”Teacher,” they asked, “Where are you staying? We wish to talk to you.”

We Found the Promised One!

The two disciples of Yo-hawn Baptace went with Yeh-shuah to the place he was staying. For the rest of the day, they remained with him, listening. As he spoke, he awakened their minds with a fresh, new look at the Ancient Writings concerning the prophecies of the Promised One.

Later, while Yo-hawn bar-Zabdee sat absorbed in thought, Andre hurried to find his brother, Simone. “We have found the Promised One!” he shouted to Simone.

Simone wasted no time. “Where is he? I want to see him, too.”

When Simone came in the door, Yeh-shuah looked at him and saw ambition and impulsiveness balanced by a kind heart. “Simone, son of Yonaw, you shall be called Petros, the Rock.”

On the fourth day following his return from the wilderness, Yeh-shuah went up into Gawlee-law where Andre and Simone Petros lived. There, he met Filip, and after speaking to him, Yeh-shuah said, “Follow me.”

“I will!” Filip exclaimed with enthusiasm. Immediately, he went to find his best friend Nethan-ale, whose house was nearby.

“Nethan-ale!” Filip called until at last he found him in a secluded spot underneath a fig tree. “We’ve found him, the Promised One of the Ancient Writings!”

Nethan-ale was there when Yo-hawn Baptace point out the “Lamb of Elo-heem” to the crowd. When he first looked at Yeh-shuah, Nethan-ale was greatly disappointed. “So this is the Promised One who is supposed to conquer the world with a great army? He’s just a poor, homely peasant,” he thought to himself at the time.

“Who are you speaking of?” Nethan-ale asked Filip .
“Yeh-shuah of Nad-zorah, son of Yosafe,” Filip replied.
“Can anything good come from Nad-zorah?” Nethan-ale voiced his prejudice against the border town where the Yeh-oo-dee were in the minority.

”Come and see anyway,” Filip encouraged.

When Yeh-shuah saw Nethan-ale coming he said, “Here is a man of Yissraw-ale with a true heart.”

“How did you know that?” Nethan-ale asked in surprise.

“Before Filip called you I saw you under the fig tree,” Yeh-shuah answered.

“Teacher, you are the son of Elo-heem! You are the king of Yissraw-ale!” Nethan-ale exclaimed.

“If you believe because I saw you under the fig tree, you will see greater things. In truth, you will see the Kingdom of the Stars opened before you with Messengers going between the Land of Elo-heem and the Son of Man.”

Wedding Feast

After he chose the first of his disciples, Yeh-shuah brought them to the village of Kahnah where a wedding was about to take place. Because Yosafe, now dead, and Maria were relatives of the betrothed, Yeh-shuah and his disciples were invited to the feast.

Several days into the feast, Yeh-shuah stood talking among a small group of guests when his mother came close and whispered hopefully, “The wine is gone.”

He knew she wanted him to announce that he was the Promised One and take over the throne of Yissraw-ale. By making some wine he could demonstrate his power and save the wedding parties from embarrassment.

“Don’t, woman,” he answered her unspoken thoughts kindly. “This isn’t the proper time.”

While he continued talking to friends and relatives, Maria went to the servants and said to them, “Do whatever he asks you to do.”

Yeh-shuah watched sympathetically, very much aware of human needs. When a servant came close he said to him, “Fill these jars with water, and then take some to the master of the feast.”

Unaware that the wine had already run out, the master of the feast tasted the drink offered and said to the bridegroom, “This is really good! The best wine is supposed to be served at the beginning of feasts, but you have kept it for last.”

The puzzled bridegroom’s face lit up as he tasted the drink. “This is really good!” he exclaimed. “It’s the best drink I’ve ever tasted!”

One by one the guests at the feast noticed the high quality of the new drink. When the servants told their story, everyone was amazed. “Where is he?” they asked. Unknown to everyone, even his disciples, Yeh-shuah had slipped away.

“You should have seen what happened at the Yardane River when Yeh-shuah was baptized!” the disciples then exclaimed. As they related the events, a new hope sprang up in many hearts that the Promised One had at last come. News of this event spread quickly throughout the countryside.

Clearing the Temple

After leaving Kahnah with his mother, brothers, and closest followers, Yeh-shuah spent a few days in Kaw-fawr Nakh-oom before going on to Yehroo-shaw-lah-im for the Passover Feast. Yeh-shuah knew what the animal sacrifices of the Passover represented, but now, greedy merchants and priests were selling animals to make a ridiculously high profit for themselves at the expense of the people.

Inside the courtyard of the Temple Yeh-shuah saw what looked like a marketplace. The noises of bewildered animals mixed with the arguing between buyers and sellers, destroying what should have been an occasion for solemnity and reverence.

Frustrated with the smallness and perversity of man, Yeh-shuah stood on the steps above the crowd while making a short whip from some cords. He looked first at one merchant, then at another. When he looked at them directly in the eye, they felt like he was reading their minds and baring their souls. Soon, all was quiet, except for an occasional animal sound. Every eye was on him when he called out in a loud voice, “Get this stuff out of here! You have turned my Father’s house into a noisy marketplace!”

He jumped down and quickly opened the cages of the doves and drove the animals from the courtyard out into the street. Whenever he came to one of the tables of the moneychangers, he overturned it, scattering coins everywhere. Although he never swung at them with the whip, the moneychangers were certain he was going to thrash them. They all left in a great hurry, and once outside, complained loudly to each other about the huge injustice done to them.

When the priests and rulers in the Temple heard the great commotion, they came out to the courtyard to see what was happening. “You can’t do this!” they demanded when they saw what Yeh-shuah was doing. “This is our territory!” Yeh-shuah ignored them, coming closer and closer. Suddenly, they, too, were seized with fear, afraid of getting a severe whipping if they tried to stop him. “Let’s get out of here!” they yelled as they unceremoniously bolted for the gate. “He’s gone completely insane!”

“What right does he have to do this to us?“ they whined in the street outside, unable to comprehend his rationale. “He’s a nobody, just the son of a poor nobody, a carpenter. He has no business trying to tell us how to conduct ours.”

After the noises and complaints faded away, peace overtook the Temple. While the of the priests and rulers and merchants were gone, many wonderful things took place among those who remained. With power no other human could command, Yeh-shuah taught the people and healed every disease and disability of those present. Replacing the jarring noise of a marketplace were the sounds of thanksgiving and praise and the voices of children singing, their clear, sweet voices filling the air with song.

Later, still indignant and stinging with humiliation, the priests decided to confront Yeh-shuah. When they returned to the Temple, he was still there, but not alone, they saw, because the poor and the faithful remained behind after their own hasty retreat. With a deep hatred, they glared at him and ordered, “Perform a supernatural sign to prove your authority to do what you did.”

“Destroy this Temple,” Yeh-shuah said calmly, “and in three days I will raise it again.”

“But it took forty-six years to build this Temple, and you think you are going to rebuild it in three days?” they sneered. “You’re not only crazy, you’re stupid, too!” They strode off muttering, shaking their heads, rolling their eyes, and making rude gestures. They didn’t understand that the Temple he meant was his own body. The Temple service and the system of animal sacrifices were symbolic of the Ultimate Sacrifice of the Son of Elo-heem. It was a sacrifice that would clear the life records of those who repented of their evil thoughts and acts and permit them entrance into the Kingdom of the Stars. Yet, even though the priests and rulers turned against him that day, many people believed everything that he said.

Nikko Daymos After Dark

While Yeh-shuah was throwing the merchants out of the Temple, Nikko Daymos sat in a room looking out into the courtyard. A respected member of the ruling council, he was reading when a commotion distracted him. When he looked out, he saw birds and animals departing in noisy confusion, followed by astonished merchants, then indignant priests. Occasionally, a money table crashed over, scattering tinkling coins everywhere.

Daymos chuckled to himself when he saw the pompous, self-important priests leaving so unceremoniously. After all was quiet, he watched with keen interest as Yeh-shuah taught and healed those who remained, mostly the poor. He couldn’t hear much of what Yeh-shuah was saying, but it would have embarrassed him, a high-ranking religious official, to be seen with Yeh-shuah in public.

That evening, after dark, Daymos went up Olive Mountain where Yeh-shuah often spent time alone. “Master,” Daymos began when he found Yeh-shuah, “We know you are a teacher from Elo-heem, because no human can do what you are able to do without the power of Elo-heem.”

Yeh-shuah looked at him closely in the torchlight, reading his thoughts with Spirit power. Daymos didn’t need theoretical knowledge as much as he needed a new heart. “Unless a man is born from above,” Yeh-shuah replied, “he cannot be a part of the Kingdom of Elo-heem.”

Daymos puzzled over that statement, then asked dryly, “But how can a man be born when he is old?”

“Unless a man is born of Water and Spirit,” Yeh-shuah answered, “He cannot enter into Elo-heem’s Kingdom. The Spirit is like the wind: You can see its effects, but you don’t know where it came from or where its going to.”

“You’re not making any sense to me,” Daymos protested.

Yeh-shuah answered, “Here you are, a respected teacher, and you don’t understand these things? If I tell you what we know and you don’t believe me, how can you believe me when I speak of things beyond this world?

“Daymos, do you remember the brass serpent Mosheh put up on a pole in the wilderness? When those who were bitten by snakes looked up at in faith, they lived, as Mosheh said they would. That’s how it will be with the Son of Man.”

“The Son of Man lifted up on a pole? But why?” Daymos wondered to himself.

“Because Elo-heem loved this world, he sent me, his only human-born Son, so that whoever believes in me will not die, but live forever. I did not come to condemn an evil world, but to save it. But the men who love darkness hate the Light I bring because it reveals their evil doings. Whoever lives by the truth welcomes the Light because it shows what Elo-heem has done in them.”

It was late when they ended their conversation and Daymos left, reluctantly, yet still uncommitted. “Before a person can appreciate concepts from Elo-heem,” Daymos mused, “he must have new life from above…What a strange idea!” he exclaimed.

Desert Prophet in Prison

Yo-hawn was famous in the region, and his imprisonment stirred strong public sentiment in his favor, although no one really expected any harm to come to him. Hayro-dace actually feared the man and trembled at his call to repentance. He did try to break away from his relationship with his brother’s wife, Hayro-dee-as, which Yo-hawn condemned, but he lacked the willpower to send her away.

Hayro-dee-as, in retaliation for Yo-hawn’s rebuke, induced Hayro-dace to put Yo-hawn into the dungeon for the humiliation she suffered. He did intend to set Yo-hawn free, but was waiting for his wife’s fierce anger to subside.

The light of an oil lamp dimly lit the underground dungeon. Yo-hawn Baptace blinked at the sudden brightness of the little flame, then stood up. Two of his disciples brought food and water. “Has Yeh-shuah made himself King of Yissraw-ale, yet?” was his burning question.

“No,” they answered sadly. “He’s still traveling around the countryside teaching and eating at the homes of public officials. Huge crowds are flocking to his meetings, yet he shows no intention of declaring himself king. Hayro-dace and that woman are still in power.”

Yo-hawn turned his head and tried to hide his disappointment. “What’s gone wrong?” he wondered to himself in despair. “If he’s the Promised One, why doesn’t he overthrow this evil government and turn the nation back to Elo-heem? Why am I suffering in a dungeon for condemning Hayro-dace’s sin of adultery while Yeh-shuah socializes among corrupt officials?” He shook his head as if to remove the doubts crowding into his mind. “Go to Yeh-shuah,” he said, “and ask if he is the One, or should we look for Another?”

When Yo-hawn’s disciples asked Yeh-shuah the question, He did not answer immediately. They followed him around as he healed the sick and disabled and cast out demons, all the while teaching a better way of life. Peasants and common laborers, treated with contempt by priests and rulers, gathered around to hear his teaching. The day wore on, yet, he still did not answer Yo-hawn’s question. At last, near the end of the day, Yeh-shuah called them over and told them, “Go now, and tell Yo-hawn Baptace what you have seen today, and say to him, ‘Blessed is he who does not falter because of me.’”

When Yo-hawn heard of the many lower class people being healed and taught, he recalled the words of the ancient prophet, “Yehho-vaw has appointed me to teach the good news to the meek, to encourage the brokenhearted, to liberate the captives and restore sight to the blind.” He sighed deeply and said, “It is enough.”

After they left, he thought of Elee-yah the prophet, when Yehho-vaw told him to stand on the mountainside while he passed by. A powerful wind tore at the mountains and shattered the rocks, but Yehho-vaw was not in the wind. After the wind was gone an earthquake shook the mountain, but Yehho-vaw was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a firestorm, but Yehho-vaw was not in the fire. After the fire, a childlike voice gently whispered, “Elee-yah.”

“Perhaps,” Yo-hawn considered, “Yehho-vaw chooses to speak to Yissraw-ale in a whisper instead of a sword.” Although the dungeon was dark, his mind was illuminated with the thought. “He’s not going to overthrow rulers and kingdoms,” he exclaimed in the darkness, “but by speaking to the hearts of men, change their thinking and behavior!”

“What did you go into the wilderness to see?” Yeh-shuah asked those with him when Yo-hawn’s disciples left. “A reed blowing in the wind?” Unlike the wishy-washy priests, rulers, and chief teachers, Yo-hawn was fearless in condemning evil, unswayed by public opinion or prejudice.

“But what were you looking for?” he continued, “Someone wearing expensive clothes?” The contrast between Yo-hawn and the priests and rulers was striking. He wore simple clothing while they displayed themselves in expensive robes and ornaments, seeking only admiration from men.

“Then what did you see out there, a prophet?” he asked. “In truth, he is more than a prophet. He is the Forerunner. It is written of him, ‘I will send my messenger to prepare the way before you.’ Of all men born of woman, none is greater than Yo-hawn Baptace.”

Woman at the Well

On their way to Gawlee-law, Yeh-shuah and his followers stopped at a well at the entrance to a beautiful valley. Yah-akobe dug the well many centuries earlier, and it was now in Shomerone, enemy territory. The people of Yissraw-ale and Shomerone were usually bitter enemies, but they did do business with each other if it was unavoidable. Any socializing was strictly frowned upon.

Yeh-shuah sat alone at the well under a hot mid-day sun, waiting for his followers to return with lunch from a nearby village. If he had a rope and a water jar, he could have quenched his thirst, but lacking those, he waited until someone came along to get water.

At last, a Shomeronee woman came to fill her pitcher with the cool water, completely ignoring Yeh-shuah, obviously one of the Yeh-oo-dee from Yissraw-ale. As she turned to leave, he asked, “Could I have a drink?”

Startled, she asked, “Why are you, a Yeh-oo-dee, asking me, a Shomeronee, for a drink?”

“If only you knew what Elo-heem has in store for you,” Yeh-shuah replied, “and who I am, you would have asked me for some Living Water.”

“But you don’t have a rope or a jar, and this is a very deep well. How could you give me any of your ‘Living Water?’” she asked.

“Whoever drinks water from this well,” he said, “soon becomes thirsty again, but the water I give is like a perpetual spring within, giving life that lasts forever,” he said.

“Please sir,” she exclaimed, “if you give this water to me, I’ll never get thirsty and have to come all this way to get drinking water.”

“Go,” he told her, “and bring your husband to me.”

”I’m not married,” she said as she looked down at his feet.

“You spoke truthfully when you said that. You have had five husbands, and you aren’t married to the man you are living with now.”

She trembled at the thought of standing before someone who could read her mind and see her past. “Sir, I believe you are a prophet,” she said. Then, to change the subject, she asked, “Why do the Yeh-oo-dee claim Yehroo-shaw-lah-im as the only place to worship, while the Shomeronee claim it is here at Mt. Geree-zeem?”

“The time is coming,” Yeh-shuah answered, “when this will be unimportant. It’s not where we worship that matters, but how we worship. True worshippers worship the Father sincerely and truthfully. Elo-heem is a Spirit. Those who worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth. The Shomeronee have corrupted the knowledge of Elo-heem by making images of him and worshipping them. The Yeh-oo-dee were given the Truth, and it is through them that the world can know him.”

“When the Promised One comes, we are told,” she added, “he will teach us the Truth.”

“You are correct,” he replied, “for I am the Promised One.”

Just then, his followers returned with the food from town, surprised to see him talking to a woman. The woman left in such a state of excitement that she forgot her water pot. Unlike so many of the Yeh-oo-dee, she believed Yeh-shuah, accepted his words, was ready to receive more revelation, and was ready to share it with others.

Yeh-shuah still had not taken a drink. Absorbed in deep thought, he didn’t notice the food, either.

“Here, have some food,” the disciples urged. “We’re all starving.”

“No,” he replied kindly, “I have food you don’t know about.”

”What is he talking about?” they wondered among themselves. “Did he go into town and find some food, also?”

“My energy,” he explained, “comes from serving Elo-heem, finishing his work.”

“Come see a man who told me everything I’ve ever done,” the woman at the well said to the men of the city. “Is not this the Promised One?” Seeing the new expression on her face and sensing a transformation of her attitude, they went out to see the man she was talking about.

“See the green fields surrounding us,” Yeh-shuah said to his followers, still at the well. “Wouldn’t you say the harvest is four months away? Then look over there,” he said as he pointed at the groups of people coming towards them. “These fields are ready to harvest.”

The Shomeronee listened to Yeh-shuah and believed him. He explained many things that were obscure to them, and as they listened, their perplexity began to clear away. “Stay with us in Shomerone,” they begged him, anxious to hear more of his teaching. During the two days he remained there, many more believed in him.

The Nobleman’s Son

Yeh-shuah was again in Kahnah, and a nobleman in Kaw-fawr Nakh-oom, whose son was given up to die by physicians, heard of his arrival there. He left his home with anxious thoughts about his son, whether he would be alive when he returned. Doubt clouded his mind when he finally arrived in Kahnah to find Yeh-shuah was only a dusty and travel-worn peasant. “Can this man heal anybody?” he wondered to himself.

“Master, can you heal my son?” he asked when he finally stood before Yeh-shuah. “If he can’t,” he thought, “then I’ll know he’s not the Promised One.”

“Unless you people see miracles, you won’t believe,” Yeh-shuah answered his thoughts, almost with a note of disappointment. “The Shomeronee didn’t ask for a miracle, yet they believed, while the Yeh-oo-dee, who possess the Ancient Writings, won’t believe without one.”

When he realized his motives for belief were selfish and afraid he may have ruined the only chance left for his son to be healed, the nobleman cried out in anguish, yet in faith, “Master, come to my house before my child dies!”
Yeh-shuah looked at him, then off at the horizon. “You can go,” he said. “Your son will live.”

The nobleman left with the greatest joy he had ever known. When he came within sight of his home the next morning, some servants rushed out to meet him. “He must be dead,” he thought with dread.

“The boy is fine,” they shouted, “perfectly healthy!”

“What time did he start getting better?” the surprised nobleman asked.

“The fever left him yesterday just after noon,” they answered.

“That was the exact time when I was talking to Yeh-shuah,” he recalled as he reached the door and went in to see his son. He held the boy tight as if he were the dead brought back to life, all the while thanking Elo-heem.

Word spread throughout Kaw-fawr Nakh-oom about the miracle healing.

Rejected at Nad-zorah

It was Sabbath morning in Nad-zorah, and in the synagogue, the elder was nearly through speaking. “You must never lose hope for the Promised One to come,” he exhorted, “to banish oppression and reign in greatness. The time for his coming is near, and he will soon lead a mighty army to destroy our enemies and liberate our captive nation.”

After the elder finished speaking, Yeh-shuah stood up to read, as requested, from the Ancient Writings. The attendant handed him a scroll of the prophet Yeh-shah-yah. He began to read.

“The Spirit of Yehho-vaw is on me to bring good news to the poor. He sends me to comfort the sorrowful, to announce freedom for the captives, and restore sight to the blind, for this is the year of Yehho-vaw’s favor.”

He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. Everyone’s attention was focused on him. “Today these words have come true,” he stated.

At first everyone was impressed, but then an old man broke the spell and whispered hoarsely, “Wait a minute! Does he think he’s the Promised One? I know him. He’s the son of Yosafe the carpenter. He’s a peasant, not a king, and certainly not MY king!”

“No prophet is recognized in his own country,” Yeh-shuah responded. “The great prophet Elee-yah, during the famine in Yissraw-ale, was sent to a widow in another country, even though there were many widows in this one. And though there were many lepers in Yissraw-ale during prophet Elee-sha’s time, only one was healed: Nah-ahman from Soo-ree-ah.”

When he said this, everyone in the synagogue became furious. “You gentile lover!” someone spat out. The congregation’s admiration turned to hatred as the meaning of his words struck home. “You’re nothing but an ignorant peasant!” they cried out, “And an illegitimate one at that! You can’t fool us into thinking you’re the Promised One. You’re just another imposter!”

The meeting broke up as some of the stronger men took hold of Yeh-shuah and roughly escorted him out of the synagogue. “Let’s get rid of him!” the people shouted. When they reached a high cliff beyond the outskirts of the city, they stopped. “Throw him off!” they shouted. A few rocks sailed through the air towards him, but missed their mark. A tall, muscular man squared his shoulders and walked over to him, intending to throw him over the edge. All of a sudden, Yeh-shuah was gone.

“Where’d he go?” the big man bellowed. Everyone looked around for Yeh-shuah, but he was nowhere to be seen. Baffled, the crowd soon broke up and everyone left for their homes.

“How could a peasant supply and lead an army that could conquer the world?” scoffed an elder as they walked along. Unspoken was another reason for their rejection of him: His life was pure, and they sensed their impurity. His sincerity revealed their insincerity and hypocrisy.