Assemblies of Yahweh Ministries Newsletter

Issue No. 14                                             India                                                    Sept. 2004

Festivals of 7^th month, 2004

During Biblical times the month was started by the Ysraelites with the sighting of the first visible crescent.  During the days of Yahshua Messiah men would be watching around Yerushalem for the visible crescent of each month.  Once it was observed the priests were informed and thus the beginning of the month was proclaimed.  This year is a borderline case in which it is not predictable in advance to know the exact date of the beginning of the seventh month.  It is probable that the crescent moon will first be seen on the night of Sept. 16, thus making Sept 17 the day of Trumpets, but it is possible that it will be seen a night earlier.  So in order to be on the safe side and not violate Yahweh’s holy day, both days must be kept, until reports are heard from Ysrael as to when it was actually seen.  Reports on the sighting of the new crescent can be received over the internet from the Israeli New Moon Society at:  http://www.geocities.com/royh_il/  or  http://www.kairaite-korner.org  or the address at the end of this letter can be contacted. The feast of Trumpets is a day in which no “servile” work is to be done Lev. 23:23-25.  It is permitted to cook on this day, Ex.12:16, but no other regular work should be done.  Yom Teruah (festival of Trumpets) announced that the most holy day of the year, Yom Kippur (Day of Covering) was soon to approach.  There are ten days between the feast of Trumpets and the Day of Covering (Atonement).  So it is good to focus on one of the Ten Commandments each day and make sure all your sins have been repented of and put away.

The day of Atonement is the tenth day of the seventh Scriptural month and it is a day in which one was supposed to “afflict his soul”, so it has been customary to go without food and water on this day, Acts 27:9; Joel 2:15; Isa. 22:12-14; Esther 4:16; Acts 9:9.  No work of any kind was permitted, Yahweh promised to “destroy” anyone who does work on this day, Lev. 23:30.  It is highly important to know which day is the day of Atonement.

The festival of Tabernacles is on the fifteenth day of the month and lasts through till the 22^nd day of the seventh month.  This was a feast of rejoicing because one’s sins had been forgiven.  Yahweh commands us to rejoice during these days, Lev.23:40; Dt. 16:14,15.  The feast of Tabernacles was actually only seven days but there is an eighth day added to the end of these seven days, Lev. 23:34-36.  This day points forward to the redeemed of mankind being in the new heaven and earth.  The first seven days of Tabernacles points forward to the 1000 year millennial period. 

Original Bible Manuscripts and Names and titles of Divinity

Many people are not familiar with how the Bible in its present form has come to us.  The Old Testament was originally written in the Hebrew language and thus the word for “God” is El or Elohim in the Hebrew.  The word for “Lord” is Adon or Adonai.  .  (A few portions of the OT books were written in Aramaic.)

The New Testament is in ancient Greek and Aramaic languages.  It is disputed amongst various scholars of the Eastern Churches of Asia, and Western Churches of Europe as to which language was the original.  In the early Messianic Assembly there came a split amongst the believer of Europe and Asia around the year 300AD.  The believers in Europe basically followed a Greek NT, whereas the believers of Asia followed an Aramaic NT.  The Aramaic language has many dialects and the dialect that the NT is written in is called Syriac or Eastern Aramaic.  But the differences between the two dialects of Aramaic and Syriac are minor as can be seen by going to peshitta.org and looking in the Lexicon they have online.  Also, whenever the Greek NT uses Aramaic words it will follows the Eastern Aramaic rather than the Western Aramaic.  The word for God in the Greek is Theos, whereas in the Aramaic it is Alah or Alaha.

The Name of YHWH is not found in the Greek or Aramaic NT manuscripts, except in Rev. 19 in the form of HalleluYah, however the book of Matthew and Hebrews have been found in the Hebrew language in various middle ages manuscripts, and the Name of YHWH is preserved in these manuscripts.  The Greek word for Lord is “Kurios”, whereas the Aramaic will use the words Mar, Marya, or some derivative.

Some books and portions of the NT are only available in Greek.  The books of Jude, 2Pet., 2&3 John are only existent in Greek.  Some parts of the others books of the NT are only existent in Greek such as the account in John 8 of the woman caught in adultery.

The original Name and title of the Savior in Greek would be Kurios Iesous Khristos;  in Syriac it would be Marya Yahshua Meshiha;  in Hebrew it would be Adonai Yahshua Mashiach. 

Below are a few verses that show how the existent manuscripts read when using the Aramaic Names and titles of Divinity.

“James, a servant of Alaha and of Maran Yahshua Meshiha, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.” James 1:1

“Blessed be Alaha the Father of Maran Yahshua Meshiha, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Yahshua Meshiha from the dead,”1Pet. 1:3

“But to us there is but one Alaha, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Marya Yahshua Meshiha, by whom are all things, and we by Him.” 1 Cor. 8:6 

The book of 2John is only existent in Greek, below is how chapter 1 verse 3 would read giving the Greek titles and Names of Divinity.

“Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from Theo the Father, and from Kurio Iesou Khristo, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”

The existent Greek manuscripts have many differences from manuscript to manuscript, but they are classified into three main groups, The Byzantine manuscripts, the Alexandrian, and the Western type manuscripts.  The Byzantine type manuscripts are what about 90% of all the manuscripts agree with, it is the same manuscripts that the KJV is taken from.  Whereas the NIV and most all modern versions of the Bible are taken from the Alexandrian manuscripts.  The Western type manuscripts tend to agree most with the Aramaic NT but no English translation are based on the Western type manuscripts that I(bro. Mattithyah) know of.

When doing a translation of the Bible into another language it is difficult to produce a homogenized version in another language because of the various ancient languages that the Scriptures were originally written in.  To do a proper job one must know both the ancient language and the present language that he would want to translate into.   Today, with all the modern scholarly helps in English such as Interlinear Bibles, Lexicons, and Concordances, it makes it possible for one who knows English to translate somewhat without a thorough knowledge of the ancient languages.

In the present ongoing translation of the Bible into the Telugu language, the translation team is attempting to adhere closely to the original languages and to use the existent Names and titles of Divinity for the old and new Testaments.  The Byzantine type manuscripts are being used for the N.T.  This will be the first Telugu Bible that uses the Byzantine manuscripts as its base text for the N.T.  While the Greek text is the base text for the NT, the pronunciation of names of all people and places are from the Aramaic NT.  Most all scholars admit that Yahshua and His disciples did not speak Greek, at least as a first language.  Both the Greek and Aramaic existent manuscripts have ancient origins going back to about the third century A.D.

Tzitzit House Discipleship Yeshiva (Training Center)

A new Messianic Training course for those seeking to do Missionary endeavors is being planned to start in Vijayawada, A.P. in the month of November.  Young men who are fluent in the English language are invited to come and enroll in the planned four-month course.  The goal of the training is to prepare young men for missionary outreach to unreached people groups.  For more information contact bro. Rodney Giles at:  rodney@rodneygiles.net 

Assemblies of Yahweh Ministries Annual General Body Meeting, October 17, 2004

All AOYM members are called upon to attend the Annual General Body Meeting to be held in Vishakhapatnam at the Zion School Premices in Pithapuram Colony.  The following are members of the AOYM body.  G. Raja Prasad, President;  K. John Babu, Vice President;  Y. Sunith Premanand, General Secretary;  G. Sarojini, Joint Secretary;  Tony Suckla, Treasurer;  P. George, Hyderabad;  K. ChinnaBabu, Hyderabad;  P. Prem Raj, Hyderabad;  S. Solomon, Guntur dt.;  G. Samson, Guntur, dt.;  B. Aquila,  W.G. dt.;  B. Jyothi, W.G. dt.;  M. David, W.G. dt.;  M. Hariem, W.G. dt.;  G.B. Benoni, W.G. dt.;  P. Neelambaram, W.G. dt.;  G. Dixon Rupart, Krishna dt.;  V. Tabitha, W.G. dt.;  D. Devasahayam, W.G. dt.;  D.V. Rao W.G. dt.;  G. Vijayanand, Vizak dt.;  M. Mani Kumar, E.G. dt.;  Kakara Yadidiyah, Vizak dt.;  P. Solomon Raju, W.G. dt.;  D.S. Paul, E.G. dt.;  B. Prasad, W.G. dt. 

The meeting will start at 10am and will end around 9pm that night.  It is compulsory for all members to attend or either to inform the office of the President, Gen. Secretary, or Treasurer as to why they cannot attend.  Failing to attend the meeting without informing anyone will be reason for removal from the body.  Many items need to be discussed such as the Bible Translation Project, the unity and financing of the work, election of Executive Body, doctrinal position, addition of new members, etc… 

One side travel charges will be provided to those requesting it from the Treasurer.

The AOYM is helping many pastors in Andhra Pradesh with a stipend each month; also many poor elderly widows in the Assemblies are given a monthly stipend from the Treasurery.  We encourage all to support the ministry with their Tithes, Tithe of Tithes, and offerings.

Contact Information for Assemblies of Yahweh Ministries:

G. Raja Prasad                                                     bro. Mattithyah  08812-248030 (telefax)

9-9-43 Mangapuram Colony                               Yahweh@vsnl.com

Vishakhapatnam, A.P. 530017      >>>               www.sevendayweek.com

0891-2575569 or 9246614656

Behold, how good and how pleasant, for brethren to dwell together in unity!  Ps.133:1

He that covers his sins shall not prosper;  but whoever confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy.  Prov. 28:13

Blessed are they that do His commandments that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.  Rev. 22:14

If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Yahshua Meshiha His Son cleanses us from all sin.  1John1:4