David Koberstein
Active Member
OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN
The phrase "Our Father who is in heaven" is a common Jewish way to address God, found in many
prayers and writings. Addressing God as "Father" draws attention to his compassion. This idea is in
keeping with the gentle words of Psalm 103, which comforts us by saying, "As a father shows compassion
to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him" (Psalm 103:13). We say "who is in heaven"
simply to differentiate God from a human being.
HALLOWED BE THY NAME
"Hallowed" means "sanctified" or "treated as holy," Another way to word this line is "Let your name be sanctified."
It is not a declaration or expression of worship; it is a petition. The Kaddish, a famous and ancient Jewish prayer,
opens with a similar line: "Let God's name be magnified and sanctified in the world that he created as he willed."
I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have
profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you
I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. (Ezekiel 36:23)
In other words, when Ezekiel spoke of God sanctifying his name, he was referring to the new covenant promises
of the Messianic Kingdom. Some of these things we have already begun to experience. Most of it, however, we
will see when the Messiah returns. This is also the meaning of Jesus'words. As long as God's redemptive promises
remain unfulfilled, his name is profaned. By asking God's name to be sanctified, we plead for divine intervention
in this world and the realization of God's prophetic promises.
THY KINGDOM COME
Again, the Lord's Prayer bears similarity to the Kaddish, which asks, "May he inaugurate his Kingdom." This kingdom
refers to the Messianic Era when all humanity will know and accept the sovereignty of God. Zechariah 14 describes
the messianic future, saying, "the LORD will be king over all the earth" (Zechariah 14:9). Obadiah likewise says,
"The kingdom shall be the LORD's" (Obadiah 21). Do these verses imply that the LORD is not currently King?
The ancient Jewish interpreters were careful to clarify that God is and always has been King but that his kingdom
is not yet revealed on earth. In the Messianic Era, "every knee shall bow" (Isaiah 45:23; Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10),
which is why Jesus refers to the Messianic Era as "the Kingdom of God."
IN EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
In heaven the angels who surround God's throne sanctify his name. In heaven the angels recognize him and revere
him as King. In heaven the angels carry out his will perfectly and without hesitation. We desire to see these dynamics
of heaven taking place here on earth. These things will happen at the second coming when we see Jesus "seated at
the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven" (Matt. 26:64). Thus, the first long sentence of the Lord's
Prayer is a plea that the Messianic Era will arrive. This goes hand in hand what Jesus taught us: "Seek first the kingdom."
It makes perfect sense that he would tell us to pray in this way.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD
After focusing on the grand arrival of the Messianic Kingdom, it is a strange to ask, "Give me something to eat." Is this
what Jesus truly meant, or is there a deeper meaning? The English phrase "daily bread" seems straightforward. However,
many modern translations contain footnotes explaining that this phrase can also be translated "bread for tomorrow."
How can it mean both? The Greek text is not that clear. The Greek word typically translated as "daily" is epiousion. But
this is not the normal way to say "daily" in Greek. What's more, it is not even a valid Greek word. Even the early church
fathers who natively spoke Greek acknowledge that the word is made up and it does not appear in any other Greek
literature.
The fourth-century theologian Jerome and several other church fathers occasionally referred to a document called the
Gospel of the Hebrews. It was a collection of sayings and stories about Jesus used by his Jewish disciples, written in the
Hebrew language. Unfortunately, this document is no longer extant. According to Jerome, this version used the Hebrew
word for "tomorrow" not "daily". In all, the evidence is quite strong that "tomorrow" is the correct reading. While scholars
are aware of this, people are so accustomed to the interpretation in the King James that anything else would seem wrong
to them.
FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS, AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS
When others wrong us, we often feel as if they owe us some kind of repayment or are liable for our suffering. In the way we
sin, we owe a debt to God. Yet this is not so much a prayer for personal forgiveness. As in many Jewish prayers, this phrase is
spoken in the collective voice, speaking of the entire nation. The choice of "debt" here is in reference to sin is significant. In
the ancient world, when a person fell deeply into debt he could not repay, he became a slave. In Jewish terminology, freeing
slaves by releasing them from their debts is "redemption":
If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother
has sold. (Lev. 25:25). God instructed through Moses that Jewish debtors were not to remain slaves forever. Every seven years
there was to be a year of forgiving debts. (Deut. 15:1-2) While this commandment makes no sense from a worldly perspective,
God promised to bless the people of Israel tremendously if they would observe this law. Jesus encouraged us to be generous in
our forgiveness of others and to prioritize forgiveness always. At the same time, Jesus spoke about forgiving debts in the Lord's
Prayer, he alluded to the idea of the year of release. We extend grace and forgiveness to others, releasing them from their debts
to us, and we ask for God to be no less merciful to us.
LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL
The Hebrew word for temptation also means "test" or "trial." This term refers to difficulties that test our faith, such as the difficult
choices that Abraham endured (Gen. 22:1). This line bears a striking resemblance to other Jewish prayers. For example, one such
prayer asks,
Lead us not into the power of sin,
Not into the power of disobedience or iniquity,
Not into the power of trials,
Not into the power of disgrace,
And do not let the evil inclination rule us.
The idea behind this is not to ask that God will prevent us from encountering tests but rather that we overcome them. What Jesus
meant by "lead us not into" was that we not be given over to their influence. Many Jewish prayers also ask that we be delivered from
evil things, particular influences that may harm us or sway us to turn away from God. Prominent among these is the "flesh," the
animalistic and selfish drive within each person. In Jewish terminology this is the "evil inclination."
It is well known in Jewish belief that the world will encounter such difficulties and trials before redemption takes place. These are
sometimes called "the birth pangs of Messiah"
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY, FOREVER, AMEN
Scholars note that this line does not appear in the oldest manuscripts. It appears to be an addition from an early generation
of Jesus' followers. This phrase, too, has a common Jewish form, most likely inspired by the blessing of King David.
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in
the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. (1 Chronicles 29:11).
The early Jewish disciples knew that the Lord's Prayer reflected on and sought the glorious coming kingdom of God. The ancient
Hebrew prophets spoke how the Messiah would usher in a time of peace, prosperity, and the revelation of God---the Messianic
Kingdom. Yeshua of Nazareth came proclaiming that the kingdom was near and would be revealed if the people would turn their
hearts to him in repentance. God is the true King, but his kingship is currently concealed. Instead, materialism, corruption, and
death dominate the world today. Jesus began a revolutionary movement of people whose citizenship does not belong to this world
but to the coming kingdom. We refuse to bow to the current world's regime; we stand strong and wait for our King to arrive----
the God of Israel and his Messiah---and reconquer what belongs to him. Today, just as the first Jewish followers of Jesus did,
we declare, "Yours is the kingdom"
Shalom Aleichem שלום עליכם
The phrase "Our Father who is in heaven" is a common Jewish way to address God, found in many
prayers and writings. Addressing God as "Father" draws attention to his compassion. This idea is in
keeping with the gentle words of Psalm 103, which comforts us by saying, "As a father shows compassion
to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him" (Psalm 103:13). We say "who is in heaven"
simply to differentiate God from a human being.
HALLOWED BE THY NAME
"Hallowed" means "sanctified" or "treated as holy," Another way to word this line is "Let your name be sanctified."
It is not a declaration or expression of worship; it is a petition. The Kaddish, a famous and ancient Jewish prayer,
opens with a similar line: "Let God's name be magnified and sanctified in the world that he created as he willed."
I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have
profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you
I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. (Ezekiel 36:23)
In other words, when Ezekiel spoke of God sanctifying his name, he was referring to the new covenant promises
of the Messianic Kingdom. Some of these things we have already begun to experience. Most of it, however, we
will see when the Messiah returns. This is also the meaning of Jesus'words. As long as God's redemptive promises
remain unfulfilled, his name is profaned. By asking God's name to be sanctified, we plead for divine intervention
in this world and the realization of God's prophetic promises.
THY KINGDOM COME
Again, the Lord's Prayer bears similarity to the Kaddish, which asks, "May he inaugurate his Kingdom." This kingdom
refers to the Messianic Era when all humanity will know and accept the sovereignty of God. Zechariah 14 describes
the messianic future, saying, "the LORD will be king over all the earth" (Zechariah 14:9). Obadiah likewise says,
"The kingdom shall be the LORD's" (Obadiah 21). Do these verses imply that the LORD is not currently King?
The ancient Jewish interpreters were careful to clarify that God is and always has been King but that his kingdom
is not yet revealed on earth. In the Messianic Era, "every knee shall bow" (Isaiah 45:23; Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10),
which is why Jesus refers to the Messianic Era as "the Kingdom of God."
IN EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
In heaven the angels who surround God's throne sanctify his name. In heaven the angels recognize him and revere
him as King. In heaven the angels carry out his will perfectly and without hesitation. We desire to see these dynamics
of heaven taking place here on earth. These things will happen at the second coming when we see Jesus "seated at
the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven" (Matt. 26:64). Thus, the first long sentence of the Lord's
Prayer is a plea that the Messianic Era will arrive. This goes hand in hand what Jesus taught us: "Seek first the kingdom."
It makes perfect sense that he would tell us to pray in this way.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD
After focusing on the grand arrival of the Messianic Kingdom, it is a strange to ask, "Give me something to eat." Is this
what Jesus truly meant, or is there a deeper meaning? The English phrase "daily bread" seems straightforward. However,
many modern translations contain footnotes explaining that this phrase can also be translated "bread for tomorrow."
How can it mean both? The Greek text is not that clear. The Greek word typically translated as "daily" is epiousion. But
this is not the normal way to say "daily" in Greek. What's more, it is not even a valid Greek word. Even the early church
fathers who natively spoke Greek acknowledge that the word is made up and it does not appear in any other Greek
literature.
The fourth-century theologian Jerome and several other church fathers occasionally referred to a document called the
Gospel of the Hebrews. It was a collection of sayings and stories about Jesus used by his Jewish disciples, written in the
Hebrew language. Unfortunately, this document is no longer extant. According to Jerome, this version used the Hebrew
word for "tomorrow" not "daily". In all, the evidence is quite strong that "tomorrow" is the correct reading. While scholars
are aware of this, people are so accustomed to the interpretation in the King James that anything else would seem wrong
to them.
FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS, AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS
When others wrong us, we often feel as if they owe us some kind of repayment or are liable for our suffering. In the way we
sin, we owe a debt to God. Yet this is not so much a prayer for personal forgiveness. As in many Jewish prayers, this phrase is
spoken in the collective voice, speaking of the entire nation. The choice of "debt" here is in reference to sin is significant. In
the ancient world, when a person fell deeply into debt he could not repay, he became a slave. In Jewish terminology, freeing
slaves by releasing them from their debts is "redemption":
If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother
has sold. (Lev. 25:25). God instructed through Moses that Jewish debtors were not to remain slaves forever. Every seven years
there was to be a year of forgiving debts. (Deut. 15:1-2) While this commandment makes no sense from a worldly perspective,
God promised to bless the people of Israel tremendously if they would observe this law. Jesus encouraged us to be generous in
our forgiveness of others and to prioritize forgiveness always. At the same time, Jesus spoke about forgiving debts in the Lord's
Prayer, he alluded to the idea of the year of release. We extend grace and forgiveness to others, releasing them from their debts
to us, and we ask for God to be no less merciful to us.
LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL
The Hebrew word for temptation also means "test" or "trial." This term refers to difficulties that test our faith, such as the difficult
choices that Abraham endured (Gen. 22:1). This line bears a striking resemblance to other Jewish prayers. For example, one such
prayer asks,
Lead us not into the power of sin,
Not into the power of disobedience or iniquity,
Not into the power of trials,
Not into the power of disgrace,
And do not let the evil inclination rule us.
The idea behind this is not to ask that God will prevent us from encountering tests but rather that we overcome them. What Jesus
meant by "lead us not into" was that we not be given over to their influence. Many Jewish prayers also ask that we be delivered from
evil things, particular influences that may harm us or sway us to turn away from God. Prominent among these is the "flesh," the
animalistic and selfish drive within each person. In Jewish terminology this is the "evil inclination."
It is well known in Jewish belief that the world will encounter such difficulties and trials before redemption takes place. These are
sometimes called "the birth pangs of Messiah"
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY, FOREVER, AMEN
Scholars note that this line does not appear in the oldest manuscripts. It appears to be an addition from an early generation
of Jesus' followers. This phrase, too, has a common Jewish form, most likely inspired by the blessing of King David.
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in
the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. (1 Chronicles 29:11).
The early Jewish disciples knew that the Lord's Prayer reflected on and sought the glorious coming kingdom of God. The ancient
Hebrew prophets spoke how the Messiah would usher in a time of peace, prosperity, and the revelation of God---the Messianic
Kingdom. Yeshua of Nazareth came proclaiming that the kingdom was near and would be revealed if the people would turn their
hearts to him in repentance. God is the true King, but his kingship is currently concealed. Instead, materialism, corruption, and
death dominate the world today. Jesus began a revolutionary movement of people whose citizenship does not belong to this world
but to the coming kingdom. We refuse to bow to the current world's regime; we stand strong and wait for our King to arrive----
the God of Israel and his Messiah---and reconquer what belongs to him. Today, just as the first Jewish followers of Jesus did,
we declare, "Yours is the kingdom"
Shalom Aleichem שלום עליכם
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