THE WORD gospel simply means “good news,” while kingdom directs us to the realm in which a sovereign king rules. Throughout Scripture, any attempt to wrestle the gospel into submission without a complimentary kingdom announcement will surely be frustrated, as the good news is always relegated to the announcement of a coming sovereign. The purpose of this paper is not to detail every aspect of the kingdom, but rather, to show how the Aramaic Targum dramatically exemplifies its reality through the identity of “the Word of Yahuah.” Let us begin.

There are likely many good places to start this discussion, but for one very specific reason, I have chosen the writings of Isaiah. Chapter 52. The context here is that the kingdom of Yahudah will soon follow a similar fate as the House of Israel. The city of Jerusalem and the Temple are to be destroyed at the hands of Babylon, with the remaining tribes being forced into exile. That is a problem, as the city of Jerusalem, specifically the Temple which stood upon Mount Zion, had been selected by Yahuah, the Most-High Elohim, for the purposes of bringing shalom to the nations. Like the bill of divorce that has already been handed to Israel, Yahudah’s destruction is by their own making, as they willfully chose to do away with Yahuah’s Torah. While Christianity’s own disdain for Torah is a topic for another time, just know that there is no kingdom nor king without Torah to govern the land. But for the houses of Israel and Yahudah, there is still hope.

In Isaiah we read:

Therefore, my Name shall be magnified among the nations: therefore, at that time ye shall know, that I am He that hath spoken: and my Word shall abide. How beautiful upon the mountains of the land of Israel are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth shalom, that publisheth salvation, saying to the congregation of Zion, “The kingdom of thy Elohim is revealed.”

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Isaiah 52:6-7 [Targum]

So much to unpack here and so little time. The angels appearing to the shepherds in the gospel of Luke immediately come to mind. But what I specifically want you to pay attention to is Yahuah’s mentioning of “my Word.” Specifically, that Yahuah’s Word “shall abide.” It is for this very reason that I have chosen to start with Isaiah, but that is only because the Prophet divulges. The Word of Yahuah is Mashiach. What, don’t believe me? In a few short sentences we read:

Behold, my servant the Messiah shall prosper. He shall be exalted and extolled, and He shall be very strong.

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Isaiah 52:13 [Targum]

In review, the feet of the one who publisheth salvation and shalom would be the one who told the congregation of Zion: “The kingdom of heaven is revealed.” You already know where I’m going with this, because Yahusha wore the feet of that heavenly messenger perfectly well. The Hebrew gospel of Mark introduces us to Mashiach in the following way:

¹⁴ And after Yochanan was imprisoned, Yeshua came into Gelilah and preached the word of El, ¹⁵ and said, “The time of the kingdom of heavens is come, perform repentance and believe the word of El.”

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The Hebrew gospel of Mark 1:14

Now that we have established Yahusha Mashiach came to champion Isaiah’s message, we should go all the way back to the opening narrative, because wouldn’t you know it, prophetically speaking, the kingdom gospel arrives at the very beginning. It’s true. Remember that part where Yahuah prophesied concerning the enmity between the serpent and the woman? Here’s how the Targum phrases it.

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between the seed of thy son, and the seed of her sons; and it shall be when the sons of the woman keep the commandments of the law, they will be prepared to smite thee upon thy head; but when they forsake the commandments of the law, thou wilt be ready to wound them in their heel. Nevertheless for them there shall be a medicine, but for thee there will be no medicine; and they shall make a remedy for the heel in the days of the King Meshiha.

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Genesis 3:15 [Targum]

If you tell me this is demonstratively fake news (as Yahuah’s Torah has finally been done away with once and for all, says Christianity), then I will direct your attention to Revelation, where we see the same serpent from the garden at war with the saints. If there is a war going on, then we should probably ask ourselves, who are the saints, and what is the qualification for sainthood? Revelation 14:12 tells us.

Here is the patience of the qodeshiym: here are they that guard the commandments of Elohiym, and the faith of Yahusha.

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Revelation 14:12 [Cepher]

Commands of the Father and the faith of Yahusha. The two are dependent upon the other. Revelation 14:12. Got it. It’s all there in the Genesis Targum. See how we can know the end from the beginning and vice versa? Satan was at war with those who kept the commands in the garden, and he will be at war with the same sort until the end of time. His job title is in the name. Satan. He hopes to accuse you of breaking the Law. Convincing you that the Law has been done away with is even better. Therefore, if you choose to forsake the commands or claim they’ve been done away with, then by definition, the accuser has won. “But when they forsake the commandments of the law, thou wilt be ready to wound them in their heel.” The houses of Israel and Yahudah were tossed from the land and disbanded over the face of the Earth due to their obstinate attitude towards the law. However, there would be a medicine, as “they shall make a remedy for the heel in the days of the King Meshiha.”

Every intent of Yahusha’s teaching was bound to the good news of the coming kingdom. But so were his actions. The Hebrew gospel of Matthew shows us that his kingdom message included the healing of all diseases, many of which had been brought about by the kingdom of darkness. You see, Yahudah had been stricken on the heel by the serpent. But Yahusha was able to crush its head in the offering of medicine. Yahusha is of course the tree of life, a preferable option to humanities penchant for the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but that is a discussion for another time. Just know that one tree offers poison, the other healing.

In Matthew we read:

²³ Yeshua Mashiach was searching through all the land of Gelilah, preaching in the houses of their assemblies the report of the heavenly kingdom, and healing all the diseases, ²⁴ strange ones, satan possessed ones, and moon-sick ones and disabled ones, yes, he healed them.

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The Hebrew Gospel of Matthew 5:23-24

This is where the Aramaic Targum really starts to get good. We have been laying the groundwork. You have only so far been offered cake. But I am saving the best for last, which is the icing. From here on out, you will demonstratively see that the gospel of the coming kingdom was not one which developed over time. Nay. It was a spiritual reality in which the children of Israel understood full well, even before Mount Sinai.

We turn to Exodus. And quickly, the context here is Passover. The firstborn sons of Egypt (the firstborn everything, really) have just been destroyed for their willfully obstinate participation, and the pleasure they found, in the ongoing slavery of Yahuah’s children. The following passage introduces us to a couple of notable concepts. One, that the right hand of Yahuah is the salvation [Yeshua] of Israel’s firstborn. And who was ultimately traded in their place but Yahuah’s only begotten first born, Yeshua [salvation]. Secondly, the right hand of Yahuah is already being set up for a future liberation still to come, after the house of Israel is cast out into the darkness of the gentile nations.

אַרְבָּעָה לֵילְוָון כְּתִיבִין בְּסֵפֶר דּוּכְרָנַיָיא קֳדָם רִבּוֹן עַלְמָא לֵילְיָא קַדְמָאָה כַּד אִיתְגְּלֵי לְמִבְרֵי עַלְמָא תִּנְיָינָא כַּד אִיתְגְּלֵי עַל אַבְרָהָם תְּלִיתָאָה כַּד אִיתְגְּלֵי בְּמִצְרַיִם וַהֲוָת יְדֵיהּ מְקַטְלָא כָּל בּוּכְרָא דְמִצְרַיִם וִימִינֵיהּ מְשֵׁיזְבָא בְּכוֹרֵיהֶן דְּיִשְרָאֵל רְבִיעָאָה כַּד אִתְגְּלֵי לְמִפְרוֹק עַמָּא בֵּית יִשְרָאֵל מִבֵּינֵי עַמְמַיָא וְכוּלְהוֹן קָרָא לֵילֵי נְטִיר בְּגִין כֵּן פָּרִישׁ משֶׁה וַאֲמַר לֵיל נְטִיר לְפוּרְקַן הוּא מִן קֳדָם יְיָ לְמַפְקָא יַת עַמָּא בְּנֵי יִשְרָאֵל מֵאַרְעָא דְמִצְרַיִם הוּא לֵילְיָא הָדֵין נְטִיר מִמַּלְאָכָה מְחַבְּלָא לְכָל בְּנֵי יִשְרָאֵל דִּבְמִצְרַיִם וְכֵן לְמִיפְרַקְהוֹן מִגַּלְוַותְהוֹן לְדָרֵיהוֹן:

Four nights are there written in the Book of Memorials before Yahuah of the world. Night the first, when He was revealed in creating the world; the second, when He was revealed to Abraham; the third, when He was revealed in Mizraim, His hand killing all the firstborn of Mizraim, and His right hand saving the firstborn of Israel; the fourth, when He will yet be revealed to liberate the people of the house of Israel from among the nations. And all these are called Nights to be observed; for so explained Mosheh, and said thereof, “It is to be observed on account of the liberation which is from Yahuah, to lead forth the people of the sons of Israel from the land of Mizraim. This is that Night of preservation from the destroying angel for all the sons of Israel who were in Mizraim, and of redemption of their generations from their captivity.”

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Exodus 12:42 [Targum]

Follow the course of events. After the right hand of Yahuah saves the first born sons of Israel on the night of Passover, he then carries them safely across the Red Sea. It is here where Israel acknowledges the fact that the Word has a Name.

וְחָמוּן יִשְרָאֵל יַת גְּבוּרַת יְדָא תַקִיפְתָּא דִי עָבַד יְיָ בָּהּ נִיסִין בְּמִצְרַיִם וּדְחִילוּ עַמָא מִן קֳדָם יְיָ וְהֵימִינוּן בְּשׁוּם מֵימְרָא דַיְיָ וּבִנְבוּאָתֵיהּ דְּמשֶׁה עַבְדֵיהּ

And Israel saw the power of the mighty hand by which the Lord had wrought the miracles in Mizraim; and the people feared before Yahuah, and believed in the Name of the Word of Yahuah, and in the prophecies of Mosheh His servant.

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Exodus 14:31 [Targum]

Ask yourself what the Name of the Word could possibly have been. Salvation, of course. The children of Israel understood that fact full well. The Word was their Yeshua. In several chapters, while constructing the tabernacle, we even come to learn that they prayed to the Most-High in the Name of the Word. To say that New Testament sentiments introduced the concept of praying to the Father in the Name of His Son is totally false when considering the following passage.

And an angel proclaimed, and said, “This is the tree which Abraham planted in Beara of Sheba, and prayed there in the Name of the Word of Yahuah.

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Exodus 26:28 [Targum]

Another question worth answering is what they might have possibly prayed for. Salvation, of course. Salvation from death, as is the consequence of transgressing the Law, but also forgiveness of their sins. Who forgives sins? The Word of Yahuah, that’s who. While serving in the tabernacle, Moshe and Aharon his brother made that little important detail known.

But when, after the oblations had been performed, the Shekinah did not reveal itself, Aharon was ashamed, and said to Mosheh, “It may be that the Word of Yahuah hath no pleasure in the work of my hands.” Then went Mosheh and Aharon into the tabernacle of ordinance, and prayed for the people of the house of Israel, and came forth and blessed the people, and said, “May the Word of Yahuah receive your oblations with favor, and remit and forgive your sins.”  Then, instantly the Glory of Yahuah’s Shekinah revealed itself to all the people: and the Fire came forth from the Presence of Yahuah and consumed upon the altar the sacrifice and the fat. And all the people saw, and gave praise, and bowed in prayer upon their faces.

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Leviticus 9:23-24 [Targum]

You will also want to take not of the fact that Israel believed in the Name. Sure, belief includes the testimony of the Word. But they wouldn’t have been obedient to their Father’s commands had they not believed. Their crossing the sea perfectly compliments Yahusha’s own message when he said:

“For El loves the world so much that he gave his only son–one alone begotten–to the world; in order that he who believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.”

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The Hebrew gospel of John 3:16

And now for the part you’ve been waiting for. The cherry and the cake topper over the icing. Hopefully, I have built a thorough case in very little time. And it it this. The Word of Yahuah is Mashiach the king and Yahusha is the Word. That’s my kind of equation. Have you been following? I hope so. Because I about fell out of my chair when reading our concluding passage. The Targum’s account of the red sea crossing comes packaged with the gospel of the kingdom.

כַּד חָמוּן עַמָּא בֵּית יִשְרָאֵל יַת נִיסַיָא וְיַת פְּרִישְׁוָותָא דְּעָבַד לְהוֹן קוּדְשָׁא יְהֵי שְׁמֵיהּ מְשַׁבַּח עַל יַמָא דְסוּף וּגְבוּרַת יְדֵיהּ בְּנֵי גְּלַלְיָא עַנְיָין וְאָמְרִין אִילֵין לְאִילֵין אִיתוּ נִיתַּן כְּלִיל דִּרְבוּ בְּרֵישׁ פְּרוֹקַן דְּהוּא מַעֲבִיר וְלָא עָבַר דְּהוּא מַחֲלִיף וְלָא חֲלִיף דְּדִילֵיהּ הוּא כְּלִיל מַלְכוּתָא וְהוּא מֶלֶךְ מַלְכִין בְּעָלְמָא הָדֵין וְדִילֵיהּ הוּא מַלְכוּתָא לְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי וְדִילֵיהּ הִיא וְהַוְיָא לְעָלְמֵי עַלְמִין

When the people of the house of Israel beheld the signs and manifestations which the Holy One, whose Name be praised, had done at the sea of Suph, and the power of His hand, the children of the captives answering said one to the other, “Come, and let us set the crown of majesty on the head of our Redeemer, who maketh to pass over, and passeth not; who changeth, and is not changed; whose is the crown of the kingdom; the King of kings in this world; whose, too, is the kingdom in the world to come, for ever and ever.”

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Exodus 15:18 [Targum]

The Word of Yahuah is our Yeshua.

Noel