AYIN -the EYE (Jesus and the Hebrew Alphabet)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The spiritual "theme" of the Hebrew letter AYIN can be describe with the phrase "prepare the way"……both, in the sense that God prepares the way for US and we are to prepare the way for OTHERS, not just through edifying actions, but also by NOT being a STUMBLING BLOCK. We are to clear the path, "cast up" the highway, and prepare the way to the doorway to heaven for others.
AYIN means "EYE" in Hebrew, and we still retain an almost identical word for eye in the English. It also means "fountain" or "spring". The ancient letter was a picture of an EYE. The more familiar "square" script for the letter AYIN, is said by the Hebrew scribes, to be made up of an upright zayin and an enlongated yod. The letter zayin is a sword/plow and the letter yod is a HAND…….so in the letter AYIN we have an upright sword in the hand, a picture of a WATCHMAN.
The "EYES" (ayin) in Hebrew thought are rich in symbolic meaning. Very often what is meant by the "eyes" is something very spiritual. In fact, the very FIRST use of the word AYIN is in this spiritual sense. It occurs in the verse where Adam and Eve have eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and their "EYES(ayin) were opened". Certainly more than physical sight is meant here.
Consider all the ways in which "EYES" (ayin) are used in the following verses:
Gen 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
Psa 11:4 The LORD [is] in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne [is] in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
Psa 13:3 Consider [and] hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the [sleep of] death;
Psa 19:8 The statutes of the LORD [are] right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD [is] pure, enlightening the eyes.
Psa 25:15 Mine eyes [are] ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Deu 13:8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:
Deu 15:9 Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.
It is clear that the here meant are the EYES (ayin) of the spirit, spiritual perception, revealing, hearing. We, as believers are commanded to WATCH with these spiritual eyes. We are to WATCH against sin, for the coming of the Lord, and in prayer. The literal meaning of WATCHING in prayer is to go without sleep, but the figurative watching is with the spirit, meaning to "hear or perceive" spiritual things. To WATCH means to GUARD. We are to guard against SIN, not only for ourselves, but also for our brother in Christ. We are to be careful that we are NOT a STUMBLINGBLOCK to other believers. This requires "spiritual SEEING or WATCHING" with our "SPIRITUAL EYES" in order to perceive what might be a STUMBLINGBLOCK to a brother or sister in Christ.
Isa 57:14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the STUMBLINGBLOCK out of the way of my people.
Rom 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in [his] brother's way.
Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
Math 18:7 "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks ! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes !
The letter AYIN is used for the number 70. The VERY number used to prepare the way of the earth by the 70 nations that came from Shem, Ham and Japheth. The VERY number of those who entered into Egypt to prepare the way for the nation of Israel, and the VERY number of souls sent out by Jesus to prepare the way for the gospel.
The letter AYIN has a gematria of 130 which is the same as the word "sullam"(a ladder). It is found only ONCE in all of scripture and it is the ladder that Jacob saw going up to heaven on which he "saw" the angel ascending and descending ……the very HIGHWAY to HEAVEN!….:
Gen 28:12,17 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder(SULLAM) set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful [is] this place! this [is] none other but the house of God, and this [is] the gate of heaven.
The ROOT of this word for ladder , SULLAM is SALLAL and it means to exalt or CAST up a HIGHWAY:
Isa 57:14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up(SALLAL), prepare the way, take up the STUMBLINGBLOCK out of the way of my people.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The spiritual "theme" of the Hebrew letter AYIN can be describe with the phrase "prepare the way"……both, in the sense that God prepares the way for US and we are to prepare the way for OTHERS, not just through edifying actions, but also by NOT being a STUMBLING BLOCK. We are to clear the path, "cast up" the highway, and prepare the way to the doorway to heaven for others.
AYIN means "EYE" in Hebrew, and we still retain an almost identical word for eye in the English. It also means "fountain" or "spring". The ancient letter was a picture of an EYE. The more familiar "square" script for the letter AYIN, is said by the Hebrew scribes, to be made up of an upright zayin and an enlongated yod. The letter zayin is a sword/plow and the letter yod is a HAND…….so in the letter AYIN we have an upright sword in the hand, a picture of a WATCHMAN.
The "EYES" (ayin) in Hebrew thought are rich in symbolic meaning. Very often what is meant by the "eyes" is something very spiritual. In fact, the very FIRST use of the word AYIN is in this spiritual sense. It occurs in the verse where Adam and Eve have eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and their "EYES(ayin) were opened". Certainly more than physical sight is meant here.
Consider all the ways in which "EYES" (ayin) are used in the following verses:
Gen 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
Psa 11:4 The LORD [is] in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne [is] in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
Psa 13:3 Consider [and] hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the [sleep of] death;
Psa 19:8 The statutes of the LORD [are] right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD [is] pure, enlightening the eyes.
Psa 25:15 Mine eyes [are] ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Deu 13:8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:
Deu 15:9 Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.
It is clear that the here meant are the EYES (ayin) of the spirit, spiritual perception, revealing, hearing. We, as believers are commanded to WATCH with these spiritual eyes. We are to WATCH against sin, for the coming of the Lord, and in prayer. The literal meaning of WATCHING in prayer is to go without sleep, but the figurative watching is with the spirit, meaning to "hear or perceive" spiritual things. To WATCH means to GUARD. We are to guard against SIN, not only for ourselves, but also for our brother in Christ. We are to be careful that we are NOT a STUMBLINGBLOCK to other believers. This requires "spiritual SEEING or WATCHING" with our "SPIRITUAL EYES" in order to perceive what might be a STUMBLINGBLOCK to a brother or sister in Christ.
Isa 57:14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the STUMBLINGBLOCK out of the way of my people.
Rom 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in [his] brother's way.
Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
Math 18:7 "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks ! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes !
The letter AYIN is used for the number 70. The VERY number used to prepare the way of the earth by the 70 nations that came from Shem, Ham and Japheth. The VERY number of those who entered into Egypt to prepare the way for the nation of Israel, and the VERY number of souls sent out by Jesus to prepare the way for the gospel.
The letter AYIN has a gematria of 130 which is the same as the word "sullam"(a ladder). It is found only ONCE in all of scripture and it is the ladder that Jacob saw going up to heaven on which he "saw" the angel ascending and descending ……the very HIGHWAY to HEAVEN!….:
Gen 28:12,17 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder(SULLAM) set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful [is] this place! this [is] none other but the house of God, and this [is] the gate of heaven.
The ROOT of this word for ladder , SULLAM is SALLAL and it means to exalt or CAST up a HIGHWAY:
Isa 57:14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up(SALLAL), prepare the way, take up the STUMBLINGBLOCK out of the way of my people.
