Virgin Birth of the Messiah the Mystery of Life
Virgin birth of the Messiah is a main stream theological doctrine, according to which the Messiah had no human father. Matthew clearly testifies that Yeshua the Messiah was born to a virgin, Miryam, and Yoseph adopted her son.
However, Shaul says that the Son of Elohim had no father and mother, without genealogy, yet, we believe that the Messiah was born to a virgin mother. And if a birth is only possible at fertilization of a woman’s reproductive egg by a man’s semen, how is it possible that a human can be born to a woman who had never known a man?
These seeming contradictions have led some to believe in various contentious and groundless theories, and others to even disbelief the virgin birth of the Messiah.
So, is there a contradiction between the apostles that Yeshua had a mother and that He had no [human] father and mother?
Was the virgin birth of the Messiah without a human father possible? Was the Messiah born to a woman without a father? It looks like we are asking a question without an answer.
But what if we ask the wrong question?
Many books can be written about the Son of Elohim, and none can explain the mystery of life of the Anointed One of YHVH. Yet, Time of Reckoning Ministry (TORM) will make the attempt to explain the mystery of origin of life of Yeshua the Messiah and His virgin birth.
But who can explain the unexplainable? One thing is to explain the origin of life of an ordinary human being, quite other thing is to explain the mystery of life of the Son of Elohim.
Everything that will follow below is just a speculation on the part of the present author. Yet, the sound speculation is the basis for all real knowledge.
So, was Yeshua the Messiah born by a woman?
Note: When we speak today of a child being born, there is no longer a sense to say “a child was born by a mother”, as if that was an action performed upon the child by the mother, but rather we say, “born to a mother”, because this is an event upon which the woman has no control. Once the woman is in labor, the delivery cannot be stopped.
Mystery of the virgin birth of the Messiah
In the preceding article “Mystery of origin of life“, we studied that the Creator formed man from the dust, and breathed neshamah, His breath of life, and nephesh chayah, a living human being was created (Gen 2:7).
All in whose nostrils was the breath (neshamah) of the spirit (ruach) of life, all that was on the dry land, died. (Gen 7:22)
This process of creation of man, in which both the Breath and the Spirit (lit. the Wind) worked together, is further explained in Job 33:4,
The Wind (Ruach) of El has made me, and the Breath (Neshamah) of the Almighty gives me life. (Job 33:4)
What Job is saying is that the Wind of the Creator (Ruach) formed him and He breathed His breath (Neshamah) in him to give him life.
Hence, Neshamah, the Breath, is the Ruach, the Wind, of Elohim in action that brings forth life; the Ruach Elohim (Spirit of God) is the creative power of the creation (Gen 1:2), and of all breathing creatures (Gen 1:26) and Nish’mat Shaddai (the Breath of the Almighty) is the life-giving power (Gen 2:7, Job 33:4). United as One, echad, in YHVH, Neshamah and Ruach are all Elohim (The Absolute Powers) of the universal life.
In this process of creation, one more thing was created which is the most sophisticated source of information, “the blue print” of life: DNA in the human cells, the genetic code. In Job 38:36, this genetic code is described as wisdom [DNA] in inward parts [human cells].
Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the heart? (Job 38:36)
First promise of the Messiah
From the very beginning of mankind YHVH gave the prophecy of the Seed of the woman; a child born to a woman would be called the Son of Elohim.
And a Rod shall come forth from the stump of Yishai, and a Sprout from his roots shall be fruitful. The Spirit of Yehovah shall rest upon Him – the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the awe of Yehovah, (Isa 11:1-2)
Not much is spoken of the seven ruchot (spirits) of YHVH that rest upon the Messiah (Hebrew mashiach, anointed one).
We read in Isaiah 11, that YHVH acknowledges and consecrates “the stump of Yishai” for His great work on the earth with His seven winds (ruchot).
“The Spirit of YHVH” (Ruach Yehovah) is the creative Power of the whole creative fullness of celestial powers. It is synonymous with the term Ruach Elohim (Elohim, lit. Powers), and Ruach haKodesh (Wind of the Set-apart One or Wind of Set-apartness), aka the Holy Spirit, hence Ruach Elohim can be rendered literally the “Wind of Powers”.
This creative fullness of YHVH is expressed in Isaiah 11 by six ruchot (spirits) that come from Ruach Yehovah in three pairs: (1) of wisdom and understanding, (2) of counsel and might, and (3) of knowledge and of the awe of Yehovah; total of seven powers, or seven spirits.
Judging by the order they are given, they enumerate from the highest to the basis, and rightly so, since the ruach of the awe of Yehovah is the basis of the whole, and Ruach of YHVH is above them all. We read, thus,
The awe of Yehovah is the beginning of wisdom. All those doing them have a good understanding (Psalm 111:10) (See also Pro 1:7)
We should notice that the Ruach of Yehovah (Wind of YHVH) along with the three pairs of powers that radiate from Him corresponds to the seven-branch menorah in the Temple with the three pairs of branches that proceed from the middle stem.
The Seven-branch Menorah
In these seven forms, Ruach Yehovah rested upon the Mashiach (the Anointed One), the Rod from the stump of David, the son of Yishai.
In another place, we are told that the seven lamps burning before the throne of Elohim in heaven are His Seven Spirits (winds), as we read,
And out of the throne came lightings, and thunders, and voices. And seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the Seven Spirits of Elohim. (Rev 4:5)
And in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, the Lamb of YHVH is standing in the midst of the elders having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the Seven Spirits of Elohim (Rev 5:6).
These seven winds (the Ruach of YHVH, and of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and might, and of knowledge and awe) are the same ones that were rested upon Him in the prophecy in Isaiah.
We will not be far from the truth to say that Yeshua the Rod from the stump of Yishai received the Seven Spirits at His anointing as the Messiah of YHVH, when the heavens were opened and the Ruach HaKodesh (the Wind of Set-apartness) descended upon Him (Mat 3:16-17).
And having been immersed, Yeshua went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened, and He saw the Wind of Elohim descending like a dove and coming upon Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, “This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I delight”. (Mat 3:16-17)
In the preceding article “Mystery of origin of life”, we noted that YHVH told Ezekiel to prophesy to the Spirit that would come from the four winds (pl. ruchot) to give life to the dry bones.
Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and you shall say to the Spirit, “Thus said the Master Yehovah, Come from the four winds, O Spirit, and breathe on these killed ones, so that they live”. (Eze 37:9)
Therefore, if the dead bones became living through the blowing of the wind into them, what enters into them is nothing less than the Ruach of YHVH that brings the breath of life, as we read further in verse 14.
And I shall put My Ruach in you, and you shall live, and I shall settle you in your own land. And you shall know that I Yehovah have spoken, and I have done it, declares Yehovah. (Eze 37:14)
And we concluded that “My Ruach” is not anything different from the “spirit” or “wind” in Eze 37:9 that breathed life into the dry bones. This Ruach is the creative life-giving power of YHVH, the Breath of life, that brings the dead back to life.
We should notice the similitude of the four winds in Eze 37:9, Come from the four winds, O Wind, and breathe on these killed ones, so that they live”, and the similar phrase in Isa 11:2, The Spirit of Yehovah shall rest upon Him – the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the awe of Yehovah.
As we said above, the menorah (the seven-branch lampstand) is fashioned after the manner of the description of Ruach of YHVH in Isa 11:2. In it we see that the four winds (ruchot) from which the Wind (Ruach) of YHVH breathes life (in Ezekiel) are the same four spirits (ruchot) that rested upon the Messiah (in Isaiah).
In other words, the Wind in Eze 37:9 that breathes life is to the Spirit of YHVH in Isa 11:2 that rests upon the Messiah, as the four winds to the four spirits; and this is the same renewing Ruach in Eze 36:26-27.
And I shall give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. And I shall take the heart of stone out of your flesh, and I shall give you a heart of flesh, and put My Spirit within you. And I shall cause you to walk in My laws and guard My judgements and shall do them. (Eze 36:26-27) See also Jer 31:31-33
The two translations in Eze 37:9 and Isa 11:2 use two different terms to describe the same force of creation: the Ruach of YHVH.
The promised Seed came
And she shall give birth to a Son, and you shall call His Name Yeshua for He shall save His people from their sins. And all this came to be in order to fill what was spoken by Yehovah through the prophet, saying, “Behold, a young woman shall conceive, and she shall give birth to a Son, and they shall call His Name Immanu‘el,” (El with us). (Mat 1:21-23)
The virgin birth of the Messiah, the Anointed One of YHVH (Hebrew mashiach) and His coming were foretold long before Isaiah wrote, “Behold, a young woman shall conceive, and she shall give birth to a Son, and they shall call His Name Immanu’el”. Read more.
The prophecy in Isaiah was foretold in the very beginning of mankind when YHVH promised to send the Seed of the woman who would crush the head of the serpent (at the second coming), but before that His heel was to be crushed first (at the first coming).
And I put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed. He shall crush your head, and you shall crush His heel. (Gen 3:15)
Read in the entire context of the Scripture, we understand that the Apostolic Writings do not begin with Mat 1:1; nor do they begin with the Messianic prophecy in Isaiah. They began long time before that when Elohim promised the coming of the Seed of the woman and as we will see below that was the first clue about the virgin birth of the Messiah.
Notice that the prophecy does not refer to the Seed of man, as it is natural for the Biblical account to say, i.e. that Adam brought forth Shet, but the prophecy does refer to the Seed of a woman, thus hinting He would come only through a woman.
And the Seed of the woman came to the earth, and His heel was crushed. Now, we are awaiting Him to come again, when He will crush the head of the satan. If the first part of the prophecy was fulfilled, the second part will be fulfilled, too.
But before that, the promised Seed of the woman, the Messiah came through a virgin birth from the Breath of the Wind of life, the Breath YHVH. Born not to an earthly father, but from above, the Seed of the woman came to dwell among His people.
The silence of Scripture
The virgin birth of the Messiah remains the mystery of life that may never be comprehended. Apostle Shaul wrote about Malkitsedek (Hebrew, righteous king) referring to Yeshua the Messiah whose priesthood remains for all times,
… without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but having been made like the Son of Elohim, remains a priest for all time. (Heb 7:3)
A few things should be noted here with reference to the life of Malkitsedek: (1) the Seed of the woman had no father and mother, without genealogy He came to the earth; (2) His life has neither beginning nor end; and (3) He was made like the Son of Elohim.
This silence of Scripture concerning the birth of the Messiah is significant. If, Melkitsedek is a type of the Messiah, then the Messiah’s priesthood is evidently and eternally superior to all the priesthood of Aharon the son of Levi. Referring to Yeshua the High Priest, according to the order of the righteous kings, no mention is made of father and mother, and genealogy.
To make the description of this High Priest even more enigmatic, the apostle also stated that His life has neither beginning nor end, and that he was made like the Son of Elohim.
What could that possibly mean? Do we not know that Yeshua had a human mother from the lineage of David and that the Messiah was born through a virgin birth?
Do we not know the Messiah was called the son of David and His genealogy is listed by the apostles in Matthew 1 and Luke 3? How come, then, Shaul says, without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life?
And to make it indeed more difficult to comprehend, he says that He was made like the Son of Elohim. Do we not know that Yeshua is the Son of Elohim?
How then are we to understand the words of the apostle and how do they relate to the virgin birth of the Messiah?
And in another place, the apostle says,
Therefore, coming into the world, He says, “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You did not delight. Then I said, “Behold, I come. In the book it has been written of Me to do Your desire, O Elohim”. (Heb 10:5-7)
Message from the third heaven
On the road to Damascus, Shaul experienced revelation that changed his life forever. Yeshua, whose disciples he was persecuting, struck him with blindness, but then gave him to see things beyond his comprehension. The apostle was taken up to the third heaven and the Messiah revealed Himself to him with a message, which he described as “unspeakable words, which it is not right for a man to speak” (2Co 12:2-4).
In about fifteen years after the Road to Damascus experience, Shaul returned to Jerusalem and presented himself to the brethren. We could expect that he also told the brethren everything he saw and heard on the third heaven.
What did Shaul see in heaven and what were the unspeakable words he heard, which it was not right for a man to speak? Were those the same words Yeshua was speaking that He was the Son of Elohim? And what did he see in heaven that it was unlawful for him to boast in? We should recall that Yeshua the Messiah never spoke of the virgin birth; only His mother and Yoseph knew the secret revealed to them by the messenger and they kept it.
The first Adam and the last Adam
The first man Adam became a living being, the last Adam a life-giving Spirit. The spiritual, however, was not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, earthy; the second Man is the Master from heaven. (1Co 15:45-47)
Note: There is a strong argument that in the original Hebrew (or Aramaic) “the last Adam” is actually “the ancient Adam”, which the Greek translator must have seen as “last Adam”. Either way, the apostle’s message makes sense: “the first Adam” refers to the first man created on the sixth day of the week (Gen 2:7) and “the last Adam”: to the Human Messiah; or, “the ancient Adam” referring to the transcendent Son of Elohim.
With all that being said, this is the hypothesis of the present author.
The first Adam (man) was formed from the dust of the earth, by the creative Power of YHVH, Ruach Elohim, and he breathed His Neshamah, the Breath of the Almighty, Nish’mat Shaddai, and gave life, so was the last Adam (the second man) created from the minerals and molecules in the womb of a righteous woman, by the same Ruach and Neshamah of the Creator.
Thus, the ancient Adam, the transcendent Son of Elohim, through whom and for whom everything was created, was sent to the earth in a human body to become the last Adam.
On this last Adam the seven winds of YHVH rested, so that transcendent Son of Elohim would be fulfilled in the ancient Adam. Thus empowered by Ruach of Elohim, Yeshua did miracles of healing the blind and lame, of raising from the dead, wisdom of teaching and counseling, of mighty deeds over the natural elements.
And as through the first Adam sin entered the world, so was sin conquered through the last Adam, so that grace and gift of righteousness will reign in life (Rom 5:12-17)
As the first Adam was of the earth, so is the second Adam the Master from heaven.
As the first Adam was not born by a woman but from Ruach and Neshamah of YHVH, so was the last Adam not born by a woman, but from Ruach and Neshamah of YHVH.
As the virgin earth was the womb for the first Adam, so was the womb of the virgin for the last Adam.
In conclusion, is there any contradiction of what Shaul says that the Son of Elohim was without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but having been made like the Son of Elohim?
Not at all! The apostle truly described Yeshua the Anointed One of YHVH who has no earthly father and mother, no genealogy, without beginning and end of his days, came on the earth having been made like the transcendent Son of Elohim in heaven to be the High Priest, according to the order of the righteous kings, and judge in righteousness.
Navah
May we merit seeing the coming of our Mashiach speedily in our days.