June 4, 2013—SnyderTalk Editorial: “Unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

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2--SnyderTalk Editorial 3

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“Unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

Some people have argued that the Messiah never said that He is Yahweh.  That’s simply not true, and I’ll prove it, but I urge you to read my book His Name is Yahweh if you want a complete explanation.  It explains why Yahweh’s Name is so important.  It’s available in eBook format and in paperback.  It’s also available for free in PDF format.

To prove that the Messiah said He is Yahweh, I’ll focus on a passage in John chapter 8.  It would be helpful if you read the whole chapter, but as I said, I will deal with only a few verses.

In John chapter 8, the Messiah is engaged in a discussion with a large group of people.  Some of them are religious leaders who have been following Him around hoping that they would hear Him say something that they could use to accuse Him of committing a crime: either a crime against Rome or a violation of Halacha (i.e., Jewish religious law that is based on the Talmud).  Sometimes Halacha is referred to as “the traditions of the Jews.”

Others in the crowd were just curious.  They had heard stories about the miracle worker from Galilee, and they probably hoped that He would raise someone from the dead or turn water into wine.  For them, it was a form of entertainment—like going to the circus or watching a science fiction thriller at the movie theatre.  There were also those in the crowd who were drawn to Him.  Some of them were believers already and others were leaning in that direction.

Let’s examine John 8: 21-32:

Then He said again to them, “I go away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.” So the Jews were saying, “Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 

And He was saying to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

So they were saying to Him, “Who are You?” Jesus said to them, “What have I been saying to you from the beginning? I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world.” 

They did not realize that He had been speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” 

As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him. So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8: 21-32)

The Messiah said, “For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”  “I am He” is a substitute for the Name Yahweh.  I’ll prove it in a moment, but for now I want to explain why He didn’t say “unless you believe that I am Yahweh.”

In the mid-Second Century B.C. following the reign of Antiochus Epiphanies, Jewish religious leaders “built a wall around the Torah” to prevent Jewish people from accidentally violating Yahweh’s commands.  By that I mean that they forbade things that Yahweh did not prohibit and they incorporated it in Halacha.  One of the things that they prohibited was the use of Yahweh’s Name by ordinary Jewish people.  Highly educated religious Jews were permitted to say “Yahweh”, but only on special occasions.  The punishment for violating this halachic prohibition was a combination of stoning and being hung on a tree.

Eventually, the Messiah did say “Yahweh” in front of the Sanhedrin (i.e., the Jewish religious court), and for that He was crucified.  It would have been premature to use the Name on this occasion, because it would have led to an immediate trial.  Again, for a more complete explanation, you need to read His Name is Yahweh.

The religious leaders in the crowd responded to the Messiah’s statement that “unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” by asking Him a question: “Who are You?”  They were trying to trick Him into saying “Yahweh”, but He didn’t take the bait.  Instead, He asked them a question: “What have I been saying to you from the beginning?”  In other words, everything that He did and said proved that He was claiming to be Yahweh.  This will become apparent in a moment.

A little later, the Messiah said “I am He” again: “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He.”  He was explaining and provoking.  Those who believed in Him needed to hear it, and those who were leaning toward Him wanted to hear Him say plainly that He was the One for whom they had been hoping—the promised Savior and Deliverer.  That statement was very provocative because the religious leaders understood that the meaning of the Name “Yahweh” is “I am” or “I exist”.   In their minds, “I am He” meant that He was claiming to be Yahweh, but Halacha did not forbid the use of the definition of Yahweh’s Name.  Thus, nothing the Messiah said in John chapter 8 could be used as evidence against Him in the Sanhedrin.

Finally, we are told that “as He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him.”  So this is the ultimate question: what did they believe?  The answer is obvious.  Since the Messiah had told them that “unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins,” they must have believed that He is Yahweh and that they would die in their sins unless they believed that He is Yahweh.  Nothing else makes any sense, but there is more.

The Messiah addressed His next statement to those in the crowd who believed in Him: “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

The phrase “My word” refers to the scriptures or the Word of Yahweh.  Jewish people call it the Tanach, and Christians call it the Old Testament.  It could not have meant the New Testament because there was no New Testament at that time.  The Messiah was saying that everything they needed to know about Him is in the Old Testament, that if they were His people they would abide by His word or make their home in His word, and that they would know the truth and be truly free if they followed Yahweh’s word instead of Halacha which is nothing more than legalistic, man-made tradition.  Simply put, Halacha is not Yahweh’s word, and the Messiah wanted to draw a sharp distinction between the two.

Without a doubt, by referring to Yahweh’s Word as “My word”, the Messiah was claiming to be Yahweh.  The religious leaders who heard this statement understood it perfectly, and they were incensed.  It led to a heated exchange between them and the Messiah, and eventually He told them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham existed, I am.” (John 8: 58)

Did the religious leaders get the Messiah’s point?  You bet they did.  John 8: 59 makes that fact perfectly clear: “Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.”

There is absolutely no question that the Messiah claimed to be Yahweh, but He also said that we must believe that He is Yahweh or we will die in our sins.  That’s what He said, not me.  If you claim to be a Christian, you will take His message seriously because dying in your sins is a horrific thing.

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A Replica of Yahweh’s Temple at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem

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8--How to Read SnyderTalk

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Email Distribution List:

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4--Scripture of the Day

Daniel 11: 1-4

(And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.) “Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. After he has arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others.”

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5--HNIY Print form

His Name is Yahweh explains why the Name of God, Yahweh, is so important.  It’s available in eBook format and in paperback.  It’s also available for free in PDF format.

  • God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This [Yahweh] is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.” (Exodus 3: 15)
  • “Therefore behold, I am going to make them know—this time I will make them know My power and My might; and they shall know that My name is Yahweh.” (Jeremiah 16: 21)
  • “Behold, the days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land.  In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, ‘Yahweh our righteousness.’” (Jeremiah 23: 5-6)
  • Yeshua said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” (John 8: 58)

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6--His Name is Yahweh Audio Presentation

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Jeremiah said the Messiah is Yahweh

Click here to download the entire audio presentation for free and with no strings attached.  Share it as often as you want.

6--Freely You Received Freely Give

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Hosea 4: 6

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

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3--News Content in SnyderTalk

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9--Jerusalem Post

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Second Turkish protester killed in anti gov’t demonstration

Defiant Erdogan denounces riots in Turkish cities

Turk protesters set fire to offices of Erdogan’s AKP

Report: Boy loses eye in Taksim Square protest

500 Arab teachers to be integrated into Jewish schools

Knesset votes to add women to panel picking rabbinic judges

US airline kicks 101 yeshiva students off NY flight

Kerry: We are running out of time, possibilities for peace

US hits Iran with currency, auto-sector sanctions

US, Israeli, EU lawmakers to call for united J’lem

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10--Arutz Sheva

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Experts Join Forces in New Book to Combat Online Hate

UN Nuclear Chief: Talks With Iran ‘Going Around in Circles’

Arabs to Court: Tear Down Entire Beit El Ulpana Neighborhood

Erdogan Not in Serious Trouble Yet – Expert

Erdogan Claims Situation in Turkey Calming Down

Livni: Delaying ‘Two-State Solution’ is an Historical Mistake

Akunis: No Building Freeze In Jerusalem

Hamas Kidnapper Guided by Shalit Deal Terrorist

U.S. to Send Patriots and F-16s to Jordan

Expert: PA’s New Prime Minister Means Nothing

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11--Israel Hayom

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Abbas Wants Israel to Release 120 Terrorists as a Precondition for Restarting Talks 

Ya’alon: No real peace without end to Palestinian incitement

Assad controls only 40 percent of Syria, says Ya’alon

Riots resume in Turkey, Erdogan blames Twitter

Who issues a travel warning to Turkey? Why Syria, of course

The tallest tree in Turkey

Habayit Hayehudi backs liberal Orthodox candidate for chief rabbi

The rabbis go to war

Palestinian Authority president’s choice of new PM irks Hamas

Obama is no Kennedy

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12--Other News

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Syrian Rebels Reinforced in Battle Against Hizbullah and Regime Forces in Qusayr 

In Syria, Hizbullah Forces Appear Ready to Attack Rebels in Aleppo

Sunni Cleric Issues Appeal for World’s Muslims to Help Syrian Rebels

Blair says extremism within Islam can’t be ignored

Terrorism Threats to the Pharmaceutical Industry – Hezbollah as a Case Study

Islamization of Istanbul Continues

Defiant Erdogan downplays protests as a ‘blip’

Egypt Deploys Additional Forces to Sinai, with Israeli Consent 

Iraq warns Israel against overflight en route to strike Iran

Israel now has 80 nuclear warheads, report says

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13--Perspectives

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Shlomo Cesana: Is a New Peace Process Underway?—Abbas is setting preconditions before agreeing to return to the negotiating table. He defines his demands as “guarantees to ensure the negotiations’ success,” but in practice he is trying to gain victories that no one has any intention of giving him. Abbas’ list of demands includes a request that Israel present a map with the permanent borders of the future Palestinian state, release all terrorists jailed in Israel before the Oslo Accords, and an immediate moratorium on construction beyond the Green Line, including in Jerusalem.

Arnold Ahlert: Iranian Terror Cells Infest South America—Last Wednesday, Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman accused Iran of “infiltrating” South America and establishing intelligence networks aimed at carrying out more terrorist attacks in the region. Nisman said the effort has been ongoing since the 1980s in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Guyana, Surinam and Trinidad and Tobago. “These are sleeper cells,” he explained. ”They have activities you wouldn’t imagine. Sometimes they die having never received the order to attack.”

Ahmad Samih Khalidi: No Foreseeable Gaza-West Bank Reconciliation—Ever since its 2007 putsch (or pre-emptive counter-putsch), Hamas in Gaza has been systematically building the basis of its Islamist-inspired authority, all mutually pious and insincere words about national reconciliation with the PA/PLO in Ramallah notwithstanding. As Hamas has consolidated its rule, there are almost no foreseeable circumstances in which it is going to relinquish its control of the Strip in favor of the PA/PLO in Ramallah – or vice versa. In short, the chances of a single Palestinian umbrella, unified polity or political entity are fading with each passing day.

Ryan Mauro: The Turkish Summer?— I’ve referred to Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan as the “king of the Islamists” because of his ability to swoon the West, make Israel bend and maintain popularity while implementing Sharia using the doctrine of “gradualism.” He now faces his biggest internal challenge as protests against him enter their fifth day in what one expert compares to the “eruption of a volcano.”

Ihsan Dagi: What Caused the Turkish Protests?—Protests erupted when the government sought to demolish Gezi Park in the center of Istanbul and build a shopping mall and luxurious residences. Now Erdogan says he will build a mosque in Taksim. Trying to shift the debate from building a shopping mall in Gezi Park to the building of a mosque instead is a prime example of how religion is used to cover up and generate popular support in Turkey. The ruling party knows that as the debate revolves around Islamic symbols, it can control and rely on the support of the religious masses.

Eyal Zisser: Erdogan loses his Midas touch— In May, Recep Tayyip Erdogan marked a decade since being elected as Turkey’s prime minister. Erdogan has had many successes and achievements over the past 10 years, especially in the field of domestic politics. Given all the summit air he seems to breathe, it is no wonder that many in Turkey have come to believe that Erdogan is eyeing a “sultanship” and that he seeks to become an almighty ruler — the one who would recapture the glory days of the Ottoman Empire — rather than remain a prime minister who is committed to preserving the secular legacy of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern-day Turkey.

Daniel Greenfield: Looking for a Few Good Men in Syria—Back from his trip to Syria, Senator John McCain is insisting that the United States should implement a no-fly zone and provide heavy weaponry to the Syrian Sunni rebels. “They just can’t fight tanks with AK-47s,” Senator McCain said. As to the prospect of arming terrorists with weapons that can easily be turned against the United States, he added, “I’m confident that they could get the weapons into the right hands.”

Yoel Guzansky: Political Islam in the Persian Gulf—A recent survey published by the Pew Research Institute claims that a majority in the Middle East supports making sharia the law of the land. Though definitions and approaches vary concerning which aspects of Islamic law should be included and to whom they should apply, the survey shows that a significant majority would prefer seeing closer ties between politics, governments and Islam, and believes that the Koran and the Hadith have something to say about the organization of society and government. These survey results should come as no surprise to anyone. The proponents of political Islam, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, their satellites and similar movements, have proved the groups are quite popular and extensively involved in the regional upheavals and their ramifications.

Ben Shapiro: Harry Belafonte: Inside Every Hollywood Liberal Is a Totalitarian Screaming to Get Out—Appearing on MSNBC, singer and former civil rights icon Harry Belafonte told President Barack Obama how he should take control of the political debate. His answer? Jail opponents. “That there should be this lingering infestation of really corrupt people who sit trying to dismantle the wishes of the people, the mandate that has been given to Barack Obama, and I don’t know what more they want,” Belafonte told race hustler Al Sharpton. “The only thing left for Barack Obama to do is to work like a third world dictator and just put all these guys in jail.”

Nicholas Ballasy: Stricter EPA Ozone Rules Could Put ‘Entire Country’ Out of Business, Industry Group Warns—American Petroleum Institute Director of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs Howard Feldman warned that new ozone regulations currently under review by the Obama administration and the Environmental Protection Agency could put “nearly the entire country” out of business. “Such strict standards are not justified from a health perspective and are not needed to continue air quality progress,” Feldman said Thursday on a conference call with reporters.

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14--Blessings from Revelation

Blessings in the Book of Revelation is a book that you need to read, especially now.  There are blessings throughout the Scriptures but Revelation is the only book in the Bible actually containing a specific blessing for reading it. It’s repeated twice, once at the beginning and again at the end. This is the reason that I believe Revelation should be the first step toward studying biblical prophecy. Though not easy to do, Revelation can be broken down and understood by anyone, not just the academic elite. So, Revelation’s blessings are for everyone.  Click here to order the eBook.  Click here to order the paperback.

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Other Books by Neil Snyder

  • Stand! is a suspense novel that exposes the lies, corruption, and greed underlying the theory that man-made CO2 emissions are responsible for global warming.  Professor Wes Carlyle and Karen Sterling, his research collaborator, carefully scan the audience for their would-be attacker—a member of the enviro-gestapo who has been following them for days.  Wes spots his man in the back of the room leaning against the wall.  Suddenly, another man in the audience steps forward and moves toward Karen at a menacing pace.  With a vicious stroke, he swings a billy club at her head.  Click here to order the eBook.  Click here to order the paperback.
  • What Will You Do with the Rest of Your Life? deals with a question that every Christian has to consider: what should I do with my life?  Click here to order the eBook.  Click here to order the paperback.
  • Falsely Accused is a true story about a young woman who was accused of committing a double homicide.  It’s about a travesty of justice, and it reveals Yahweh intervening in the life of a believer to rescue her from danger in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.  Everyone will enjoy the book, but young people in particular need to read it because the mistakes made that led to the problem could have been avoided.  They were the kinds of mistakes that young people are prone to make.  As they say, forewarned is forearmed.  Click here to order the eBook.  Click here to order the paperback.

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