Patriarchinity Chapter 13: The Power of Seven - NCCG.ORG Ning Network Archive 2008-10

...continued
At this point it might be wondered: other than the 7-branched menorah, are there any other Tanakh references to the Ruach HaQodesh which indicate Her plurality?

Well, there is a verse, Malachi 2:15a, where the meaning has been obscured in radically different translations in different bibles-- and for the most part it is difficult to understand.

HRV v 15a

"And not one has done so who had exuberance of spirit! For what seeks the one? A seed given of Elohim. "

ISRV v 15a

"And did He not make one? And He had the remnant of the Spirit? And what is the one alone? He seeks a seed of Elohim."

KJV v 15a

"And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. "

Douhy-Reims v 15a

"Did not one make her, and she is the residue of his spirit? And what doth one seek, but the seed of God?"

NIV v 15a

"Has not [the LORD] made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring."

CJB v 15a

"And hasn't he made [them] one [flesh] in order to have spiritual blood-relatives? For what the one [flesh] seeks is a seed form God."

The indication of these discrepancies, is that there is something in the manuscripts that is making the translators very uncomfortable-- so much so, that they are trying all different ways around it, resulting in a general lack of coherence. It should also be mentioned that the two versions which appear to make sense (NIV and CJB), take wide liberty with the original text.

So now, let’s take a look at a Semetic-based version with the whole context.

Malachi 2:13-16 (RSTNE)

13 “And this have you done again, covering the altar of YHWH with tears, with weeping, and with crying, so that He regards not the offering any more, or receives it with good will from your hand.

14 Yet you say, ‘Why?’ Because YHWH has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously: yet she is your companion, and the wife of your Covenenat.

15 And did not He make them echad? And the rest of the Ruachim are His also.* And why Echad? That He might seek a Seed from Elohim. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.”

16 For YHWH, the Elohim of Yisrael, says that He hates divorce: “like the one who covers his sin with his garment,” says YHWH tzevaoth: “therefore guard your spirit, that you deal not treacherously with her.”

*Aramaic Peshitta

What was the treachery against the wife? Rampant Divorce, with the implication of a tendency to replace the original wife with a different wife (v. 16).

What two echad-nesses are compared? The husband and wife echad-ness is compared with the echad-ness of the Ruachim (plural for Ruach) and Father (v. 15).

What seed is from Elohim? Yehoshua-- there is no other possibility of any mortal coming as a literal Seed from Divine Elohim (see Patriarchinity Chapter 7).

True, the number 7 is not mentioned here regarding the Ruachim, but if we look at the rest of Scripture, the pattern is repeated and reinforced as Seven.

YHWH is contrasting the gratuitous and sloppy divorce practices of that time against His eternal Echad-ness with the 7 Ruachs. YHWH has not shunned any One of the 7 Ruachim in favor of Another! Conversely, the men of Malachi's time were divorcing their first wives for trivial reasons in favor of replacements. Summed up another way: Father YHWH is contrasting His eternal polygynous Union of the 7 Ruachs against the serial monogamy of Malachi's day!

Some might object at this point saying it is blasphemous to imply YHWH is both monogamous and polygynous. Really? What was one of the attributes of a king’s majesty? Having several wives. Who are we to deny the Supreme King of the Universes His Ruachim?

"And the rest of the Ruachim are His also."

"And why Echad? That he might seek a Seed from Elohim."

THE Seed from Elohim! What this indicates is that All 7 of the Ruachim, Echad with Father YHWH were involved in bringing forth (deriving) Yehoshua (See Patriachinity Chapter 6)!

That may sound impossible at first glance until we look a little closer at the most prevalent symbol for the Ruach HaQodesh: the menorah.

Bamidbar/Numbers 8:1-2

1 And YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

2 “Speak to Aharon, and say to him, ‘When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the menorah.’”

There are the lamps of the menorah, but then there are the flames, and the radiance that goes beyond the flames.

The oil for the 7 flames comes from one source, the oil. The menorah itself is one object to unify the seven oil cups/lamps. When the menorah is lit, there are 7 flames, yet the ambient light around the menorah is one unified glow-- representing the Shechinah. Imagine the intensity of the flames on each branch becoming bigger and brighter-- soon the individual flames merge to form a unified flame. So that is a picture of how the Ruach HaQodesh can be both Seven, and yet One.

The unity and diversity of the 7 Ruachim is also symbolized by all the different menorahs repeated at different locations and on different scales--scalar repetition.
Let’s start out with the beginning.

Shemoth/Exodus 25:31-37 (see also 36:17-24)

31 “And you shall make a menorah of pure gold: of beaten work shall the menorah be made: its shaft, and its branches, its bowls, its knobs, and its blossoms, shall be from the same piece.

32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the menorah out of one side, and three branches of the menorah on the other side:

33 Three cups made like almonds, with a knob and a blossom in one branch; and three cups made like almonds in the other branch, with a knob and a blossom: for the six branches that come out of the menorah.

34 And on the menorah itself shall be four cups made like almonds, with their knobs and their blossom.

35 And there shall be a knob under two branches of the same piece, and a knob under two branches of the same piece, and a knob under two branches of the same piece, according to the six branches that proceed out of the menorah.

36 Their knobs and their branches shall be the same: all of it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.

37 And you shall make the seven lamps of it: and they shall light the lamps of it, that they may give light opposite it.”

Bamidbar/Numbers 17:6-10

6 And Moshe spoke to the children of Yisrael, and every one of their leaders gave him a rod each, for each leader one, according to the bayit of their ahvot, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aharon was among their rods.

7 And Moshe laid up the rods before YHWH in the Tabernacle of witness.

8 And it came to pass, that on the next day Moshe went into the Tabernacle of witness; and, see, the rod of Aharon for the house of Lewi had budded, and brought out buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

9 And Moshe brought out all the rods from before YHWH to all the children of Yisrael: and they looked, and took every man his rod.

10 And YHWH said to Moshe, “Bring Aharon's rod again before the testimony, to be kept as an sign against the children of rebellion; and you shall put away their murmurings from Me, that they do not die.”

There are two types of buds: buds that produce other branches (vegetative) and buds that produce blossoms (reproductive). The mere fact that Aharon’s rod budded and brought out buds indicates that both vegetative and reproductive buds were present: those that produced almond branches and those that had almond blossoms. What shape does Aharon’s rod sound conspicuously similar to? A menorah perhaps? After all, it has all the almond parts of the menorah. If that is the case, then this living menorah is also symbolic of the Ruach HaQodesh’s presence in the Ark of the Covenant and in the Lewitical priesthood.

Ivrim/Hebrews 9:2

2 For there was a Tent of Meeting made; the first area, where the menorah, and the table, and the bread of the Shechinah was; which is called the Makom Kadosh.

So there’s a single menorah in the first area of the Tabernacle. Remember, the Bread of the Shechinah is symbolic of Yehoshua, The Shechinah was symbolized by radiance of the light that came from the collective light of each flame on each branch of the menorah.

Gilyahnah/Revelation 1:11-20

11[Yehoshua] Saying,” I am Aleph and Taf, the First and the Last: and, What you see, write in a scroll, and send it to the seven Yisraelite congregations which are in Asia; to Ephesos, and to Smyrna, and to Beth Togarmah, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodikeia.”

12 And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And when I turned, I saw seven golden menorot [plural for menorahs];

13 And in the midst of the seven menorot one like The Son of Ahdahm, clothed with an ephod down to the feet, and wrapped around the chest with a golden girdle...

14 His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire;

15 And His feet like fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many streams of waters.

16 And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and His face was as the sun shining in strength.

17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying to me, “Fear not; I am the First and the Last:

18 I am He that lives, and was dead; and, see, I am alive forever. Amein; and have the keys of Sheol and of death.

19 Write the things that you have seen, and the things that are, and the things which shall be after this;

20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden menorot. The seven stars are the seven teaching overseers of the seven Yisraelite congregations: and the seven menorot that you saw are the seven Yisraelite congregations.

Each of the seven congregations was represented by a 7-branched menorah. By Who is a congregation supposed to be filled? The Ruach HaQodesh. Each congregation is demarcated by Who is dwelling in the congregation.

Gilyahna/Revelation 11:3-4

3 And I will give power to My two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.

4 These are the two olive trees, and the two menorahs standing before the Eloah of the world.

The two witnesses are each individually represented by a 7-branched menorah. Each individual is demarcated by Who is dwelling in each witness.

Maaseh Schlichim/Acts 2:1-4

1 And when the moed of Shavuot was fully counted by the omer, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from the Heavens as of a groaning Ruach, and it filled all The House (The Temple) where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared to them divided tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Ruach HaQodesh, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Ruach HaQodesh gave them the utterance.

We know that at a bare minimum, the apostles along with the disciples were approximately 120 people (According to Maaseh Schlichim/Acts 1:15)-- and this was just the core group of believers. There were certainly other believers as well. At Shavuot they all most certainly would have been obediently gathered at the Temple in Yerushalyim. The divided tounges of fire sat upon each of them in the Temple. As we saw in Gilyahnah/Revelation 11:3-4, two seven branched menorahs represented each of the Ruach-filled witnesses (individuals), therefore it is very likely that the divided tongue of fire on each believer was indeed split in sevens, since that has been the pattern throughout Scripture, and there’s no reason to believe it has changed. The flames were a visible manifestation and symbol of the Ruach HaQodesh. The 7-branched flame represents and symbolizes the Ruach HaQodesh-- in/on the vessel of the menorah and in/on the bodily vessel of each believer.

At this point it might be asked: does the menorah represent the Ruach HaQodesh, or the places and beings in which the menorah resides? The answer is both. Primarily the menorah represents the Ruach HaQodesh. And it is Her presence in the commonwealth of Believing Yisrael, Her presence in believing congregations, and Her presence in each individual believer, that identifies all of those as redeemed, Ruach-filled, and belonging to Father YHWH.

Mattityahu 5:14-16 [Yehoshua speaking]

14 “You are the light of the whole world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a menorah; and it gives light to all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and esteem Your Father who is in the Heavens.”

By the way, the single candle multiplies it’s light seven times when it is on the menorah and the flame is spread to each lamp on each of the 7 branches. Is Yehoshua speaking about believers as individuals, or collectively as a group? Both. Why? Because the single menorah could symbolize that which could be filled by the oil and lit (symbolizing the Ruach HaQodesh). Appropriately, Yehoshua uses the phrase “the house” as does Maaseh Schlichim, which is a euphemism for The Temple and subsequently the Meta-Temple! What is going on here is that the menorah is reiterated on many different scales:

1. Nationally: the believing commonwealth of Israel.

2. Priestly: The Lewitical priesthood, the Melech-Tzadikian priesthood.

3. Congregationally: 7 congregations.

4. Individually: 2 individual witnesses,

5. Individually and Priestly: many individual believers on Shavuot.

Notice all of the flames of the menorahs originate at the same level, and despite some being more central than others, they all harmoniously point in the same direction: upward, giving glory to YHWH the Heavenly Father.

There is actually one more hint in the Tanakh of how the number 7 describes the Ruach HaQodesh.

Shophtim/Judges 13:5 (Yehoshua appearing as the Angel of YHWH and speaking to Manoach’s wife about her son Shimshon)

5 “For, look, you shall conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite to Elohim from the womb.”

Well, with all of this hair that Shimshon had, how did he arrange it?

Shophtim/Judges 16:13

13 And Delilah said to Shimshon, “Until now you have mocked me, and told me lies: tell me with what you might be bound.” And he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web.”

He normally kept his hair in 7 thick braids or dreadlocks! It takes a conscious effort to partition one’s hair specifically to 7 braids/dreadlocks.

Who came upon Shimshon to do mighty works?

Shophtim/Judges 14:5-6a

5 Then Shimshon went down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, see, a young lion roared against him.

6 And the Ruach of YHWH came mightily upon [tsaw-lakh’] him, and he tore him as he would have torn a young goat, and he had nothing in his hand...

Shophtim/Judges 14:19

19 And the Ruach of YHWH came upon [tsaw-lakh’] him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and killed thirty men there, and took their spoil, and gave changes of garments to those who expounded the riddle.

Shophtim/Judges 15:14-15

14 And when he [Shimshon] came to Lehi, the Plishtim shouted against him: and the Ruach of YHWH came mightily upon [tsaw-lakh’] him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as linen that was burned with fire, and his bands were loosed from off his hands.

15 And he found a new jawbone of a donkey, and put forth his hand, and took it, and killed a thousand men with it.

Note that tsaw-lakh’ is a feminine verb accompanying the feminine Ruach HaQodesh when She came upon Shimshon.

Did Shimshon ever become unclean on occasion?

Shophtim/Judges 14: 8b-9

8b and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion: and, see, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of the lion.

9 And he took some of it in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told them not that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.

Shophtim/Judges 15:14b-15

14b and the Ruach of YHWH came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as linen that was burned with fire, and his bands were loosed from off his hands.

15 And he found a new jawbone of a donkey, and put forth his hand, and took it, and killed a thousand men with it.

What is significant about verse 15, is that the Ruach was empowering Shimshon to use the jawbone taken from a donkey carcass (doubly unclean) to slaughter the Phlishtim (uncircumcized). Unclean contact did not endanger Shimshon’s life, nor did it hinder the work of the Ruach! Contrast that with the regulations for the Lewiym priests:

Wayiqra/Leviticus 22:3

3 “Say to them, ‘Whoever of all your offspring among your generations, who draws near to the kadosh things, which the children of Yisrael set-apart to YHWH, having his uncleanness upon him, that being shall be cut off from My presence:’ I am YHWH.”

So that’s another confirmation that while the Ruach was sent from YHWH to Shimson, the Ruach was not the same Being as YHWH!

Then what was concurrent with or the cause of the Ruach HaQodesh leaving Shimson?

Shophtim 16:17-20

17 That he told her [Delilah] all his heart, and said to her. “There has not come a razor upon my head; for I have been a Nazarite to Elohim from my mother’s womb: if I am shaved, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”

18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the rulers of the Plishtim, saying, Come up at once, for he has shown me all his heart. Then the rulers of the Plishtim came up to her, and brought money in their hands.

19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

20 And she said, “The Plishtim are upon you, Shimshon.” And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go about things as at other times before, and simply shake myself.” But he did not know that YHWH had departed from him.

Admittedly Shimson was not perfect-- a noteworthy example of this would be in ShophtimJudges 16:1 when he fornicates with a prostitute (See 1 Qorintyah/1 Corinthians 6:9). Yet despite his sin (of which there is no record of overt repentance), the Ruach HaQodesh still perfomed 3 more mighty works through Shimson (Shophtim/Judges 16:3,9, 14).

However it was not until the 7-based symbol of the Ruach HaQodesh was shorn off of Shimson, that the Ruach HaQodesh no longer remained in or upon him to do mighty works.

Since we know that the Ruach HaQodesh is not the same Being as YHWH, the phrase “YHWH had departed from him” in verse 20 could be interpreted 3 ways.

1. The Ruach HaQodesh, being YHWH’s Proxy, had departed from Shimson.

2. YHWH then removed from Shimson His protection over Shimson,

because the Ruach HaQodesh had just left Shimson.

3. Both 1 and 2 (most likely and most comprehensive).

At this point it might be easy to lose sight of the main thing. The story of Shimson is not a call for every believer to perform a lifelong Nazarite vow, nor is it a call for every believer with hair to arrange it into 7 locks.
However, it is the narrative of a 7-based symbol for the Ruach HaQodesh, and how Shimson habitually tested Elohim up to the point of finally allowing that symbol to be removed, so that the Ruach HaQodesh left the special person of Shimson.

Dawid was concerned with his own sin potentially turning into habitual sin resulting the consequences thereof when he penned:

Tehillim/Psalm 51:11

11 Cast me not away from Your Shechinah; and take not Your Ruach HaQodesh from me.

And yet after Shimson’s defeat, the hair which made up the symbol of 7 on Shimson’s head began to be restored.

Shophtim/Judges 16:22

22 However the hair of his head began to grow again after he had been shaven.

The restoration of the material of the 7-based symbol was concurrent with Shimson’s repentance, and of course resulted in YHWH restoring the Ruach HaQodesh (the Real Living Substance of the symbol) Who empowered Shimson one last time.

Shophtim/Judges 16:28-30a

28 And Shimshon called to YHWH, and said, “O YHWH Elohim, remember me, I ask You, and strengthen me, I ask You, only this once, O Elohim, that I may be avenged of the Plishtim for my two eyes.”

29 And Shimshon took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the temple stood, and on which it was supported, one with his right hand, and the other with his left.

30 And Shimshon said, “Let me die with the Plishtim.” And he bowed himself with all his might; and the temple fell upon the rulers, and upon all the people that were in it.

How can the Ruach HaQodesh be represented by 7 on so many scales and even some variations of the 7? There is a reason that 7 is a special number: it is the number of perfect multiplicity and completeness. Yehoshua gave us an application of how the power of 7 works.

Mattityahu 18:21-22

21 Then came Kepha to Him, and said, “Master, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

22 Yehoshua said to him,” I did not say to you, up to seven times: but, up to seventy times seven.”

Of course Kepha did not ask Yehoshua a followup question because he was smart enough to understand that Yehoshua’s explanation of the 7 (a number Kepha originally chose because of it’s perfection) was really that of unlimitedness. If someone was dull enough to follow up with, “How often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to 70 times 7 times?” Do you really think Yehoshua would have said that 490 times would be plenty and that not one more should be added? Or would He have continued to multiply it exponentially? 700 x 70 x 7. Stop there? 7000 x 700 x 70 x 7. Enough? 70,000 x 7000 x 700 x 70 x 7 etc.

Maaseh Schlichim/Acts 9:31

31 Then had the congregations of Yisrael shalom throughout all Yahudah and Galil and Shomron, and were built up; having their way in the fear of YHWH, and in the comfort of the Ruach Hakodesh, and were multiplied.

It was the comfort of the Ruach HaQodesh that preceded the believers’ multiplication-- multiplication does seem to be Her nature.

Is this a new idea? Not at all.

Even Clement of Alexandria (153--217 CE) wrote:

“It is this same Father of His [Yehoshua’s], then who being One is manifested by Many/Multiple Powers.” (Book I, chapter VIII of his writings)

Now keep in mind, most of the time, Scripture speaks of the Ruach HaQodesh in the singular tense. Also, in Scripture, there are no overt subject-object distinctions between any of the 7 Ruachim. We have seen earlier that there are obvious subject-object distinctions between the Father and the Son: the Son prays to the Father (Yochanan/John 17). There’s a clear subject-object distinction between the Ruach HaQodesh and the Father: The Ruach HaQodesh groans to the Father on our behalf in ways that words cannot express (Romiyah 8:26-27). There’s an unmistakable subject-object distinction between the Son and the Ruach HaQodesh: The Son sends the Ruach HaQodesh to believers (Yochanan/John 15:26).

Yehoshua is at the right hand of Father YHWH (Ivrim/Hebrews 1:2-3). If the Ruach HaQodesh was the same Being as Yehoshua, then Yehoshua could not go to be in the presence of YHWH (while simultaneously staying in the disciples temple-bodies) for the very purpose of sending the Ruach HaQodesh to the disciples’ temple bodies (Yochanan/John 15:26). The Ruach HaQodesh cannot be the same Being as YHWH, because if They were one and the same Being, it would be impossible for each believer to exist as a temple of YHWH, because no unclean being can be in YHWH’s presence and live—YHWH will not tolerate the unclean in His presence

Wayiqra/Leveticus 15:31

31 “And so shall you separate the children of Yisrael from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile My Tabernacle that is among them.”

Therefore, with occasional uncleanness, how can each individual believer’s body as a Temple of the Ruach HaQodesh, be a lively stone in the Meta-Temple to YHWH? There are three possibilities:

1. The Ruach HaQodesh is Most Qodesh, therefore the redeemed who are touched by Her presence are also made kadosh.

2. The Ruach HaQodesh exists in multiples of 7 on many different scales, and so during a believer’s time of bodily uncleanness, is able to cycle through each individual believer and back to the Father.

3. All of the above.

In Summary:
1. Each believer’s bodily temple is a temple of the Ruach HaQodesh.
2. The Ruach HaQodesh is identified as the 7 Ruachim, and

symbolized by the 7 branched menorah.

3. The 7 Ruachim have the power of multiplicity indicated by the

special characteristics of the number 7.

4. The 7 Ruachim are simultaneously present on many different

scales in many different locales indicated by the repetition of the menorah in different scales and locations.

5. The above points are proof that the Ruach HaQodesh is NOT the

same Being as Father YHWH.

6. Momemtarily, think back to the Lewitical system, if a Lewitical Priest

was going through a time of normal uncleanness, he could not serve in the Tabernacle/Temple, but he did not lose his status as priest, he simply could not serve in the temple for a time, so another priest had to fill in.

7. Each believer now is part of the Melech-Tzakian Priesthood of which

Yehoshua is the High Priest.

8. Each believer is a priests/priestesses within his/her own bodily

temple to the Ruach HaQodesh.

9. Believers’ bodily temples of the Ruach HaQodesh are referred to as

“lively stones” making up the Meta-Temple.

10. “Lively Stones” indicates dynamics and activity. When a believer’s

body is temporarily unclean, then that believer’s body must be temporarily circulated “outside”, or at least considered to be “outside” of the Meta-Temple (similar to how an unclean Lewitical priest could not serve in the Tabernacle/Temple, but remained a priest nonetheless.)

11. When a believer goes through a time of bodily uncleanness, the

Ruach HaQodesh continues to dwell in each believer even though that believer is considered to be temporarily “outside” of the Meta-Temple.

12. THE REASON THAT THE RUACH HAQODESH CAN

CONTINUE TO DWELL IN EACH BELIEVER IS BECAUSE:

A. SHE IS A MULTIPLICITY AND

B. SHE IS MOST QODESH

13. Ruach HaQodesh is simultaneously able to remain Echad

with Father YHWH while maintainging Her Own distinct identity/identities and simultaneously dwelling in us because

A. SHE IS A MULTIPLICITY AND

B. SHE IS MOST QODESH

14. All points to and glorifies the Father:

A. The Meta-Temple is to and for Father YHWH

B. Yehoshua His Son is the High Priest making Spiritual offerings within the Meta-Temple to the Father.

C. The Ruach HaQodesh/7 Ruachim is/are before Father YHWH’s throne.

D. The Ruach HaQodesh, symbolized by the menorah, is within each believer (who collectively makes up the Meta-Temple), and points us to the Father.