The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet
is Aleph. The numeric value of Aleph is 1. Hebrew words for God, "El" and "Elohim" start
with an Aleph. The word for "father" (Av) starts with an Aleph. Also the words for
"I am" (ehiye); a sign from God (ot); light (or); truth (emet); love (ahava); amen; all start
with the letter Alef. The pictogram or symbol behind the shape of the letter
Aleph is an ox head with horns. It symbolizes power and leadership. The name
of the letter Aleph sounds like "aloof". Aloof in Hebrew means "chief, the leader"
it also means a close friend or partner or ally or companion. Aleph, the first
letter of the Hebrew alphabet, indicates what is number one, what is preeminent.
Now look at what the New Testament says about Jesus. In the book of Colossians
the first chapter, verses 15 to 18 say, "He (that's Jesus) is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were
created, in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or
powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and
for Him. He is before all things and in Him all things hold together and he is
the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the
dead, so that in everything He might be preeminent." So this first letter of the
Hebrew alphabet which symbolizes what is first, what is preeminent, the leader or
head of all things, can easily be related to Jesus,
the Jewish Messiah. Now see this about Aleph. The Hebrew word spelled Alef Lamed
Peh, pronounced Elef, means a thousand. it is interesting that in the first
verse of the Bible, Genesis 1:1 in Hebrew, there are six letters Aleph. Here, here,
here, here, here and here. I don't think that that is an accident. When we come to
the end of the Bible, in the book of Revelation chapter 20, we read six times
in six successive verses, from verses 2 to 7, that the devil will be bound for a
thousand years. Six times in six verses we get the Greek word for a thousand. The
beginning and the end of the Bible linked, we might say. And why will the
devil be bound and then cast into the lake of fire? So that Jesus will take His
rightful place in the hearts of all people.
The first reference in the Bible to this word Aleph, occurs at Genesis chapter 20
verse 16 when Abimelech returns Sarah to Abraham. It is a story of redemption.
The verse reads, "To Sarah he said, 'Behold, I have given a thousand pieces of silver
to your brother. Behold, it is your vindication before all who are with you,
and before all that you are cleared.'" Here is the verse in Hebrew ... "Ou'le'Sara amar"
(and to Sarah he said) ... "hine natati elef kesef le'achich" (behold I have
given a thousand pieces of silver to your brother)
"Hine hu lach c'sout einam le'chol asher itach" (behold it is your
vindication before all who are with you) "ve'et col ve'nochachat" (and before all
that you are cleared.) There are 18 Hebrew words in this verse. The number 18 in
Hebrew thought indicates "life". Here is the numeric
value of each Hebrew word in the verse. Here are the words that speak of
being redeemed. C'sut is the eleventh word in the passage. It is translated
into English as "vindication". It is from a Hebrew root word for clothing or
covering, which reminds me that in Genesis chapter 3, the Lord God shed the
blood of an innocent animal (well, that's implied isn't it?) and
provided garments of skin for Adam and Eve. God clothed them ... to cover their sin
and shame. C'sut has a numeric value of 486 which is 18 x 3 x 3 x 3.
Now this word: "ve'nochachat". It is the 18th word in this verse ... the last word.
It is translated "and you are cleared". It is from the Hebrew root word "to be found
right". "ve'nochachat" has a numeric value of 484, which is 22 x 22. There are 22
letters in the Hebrew alphabet, and I believe that each letter points to Jesus.
Interestingly, 484 is the numeric value of the word for "God" (Theou) in the Greek of
the New Testament. So, the first reference in the Bible to
the word Aleph is in a verse that speaks of redemption. Abimelech paid 1000
pieces of silver (elef kesef) to Abraham, to clear his guilt
over Sarah. "Behold, I have given a thousand pieces of silver to your
brother" (hine natati elef kesef) le'achich). Sarah was married to
Abraham. We are promised in marriage to Jesus. Abraham was also Sarah's brother.
Jesus, the New Testament tells us, is also our brother, and a close friend ... a
companion. Matthew chapter 11 verse 19 says that Jesus is a friend of sinners ...
sinners like you and me. The numeric value of this phrase "Hine natati elef
kesef le'achich" is 1260, which is 3 x 7 x 5 x 12 and the middle
word of the 5 Hebrew words in the phrase is "Elef" (a thousand) and the numeric value
of Elef is 111, which is 37 x 3. The numeric value of the whole verse, all 18
words in Hebrew, with its first mention of the word Elef and its picture of
redemption, and its two references to being covered and to being cleared, is 4773, which is a number divisible by 37.
And 37 speaks of Jesus as the Living Word of God. It's all about Jesus. From
first to last, it is all about Jesus.
