The Cross or the Pole

Although Christianity has long employed “the cross” as a symbol of Messiah’s sufferings it bears neither Hebrew nor Greek support; nor does it carry the prophetic significance of the pole or stake which was the shadow of Y’hoshua’s sufferings. The cross of Christianity was borrowed from the symbol of the Babylonian, then Greek and then Roman sun god, which was depicted by cruciform shaped buildings and graven cruciform images. Julius Caesar and his heir struck coins with symbols of the cross (solar wheel) to commemorate their sun god. The Roman Emperor Constantine was a sun worshipper who became a Christo-Pagan and advanced his version of ongoing pagan cultural events that included Sun-day and Ishtar (Easter) worship. Christian folklore suggests that Constantine saw a cross formed by the light of sun which directed him to become a Christian.

From a Biblical perspective the Greek word “stauros” denotes an upright stake; the verb “stauroo” means to drive stakes. The Greek “xulon” denotes a timber or a log or any piece of dead wood. Bullinger’s Companion Bible notes: “Our English word “cross” is the translation of the Latin crux; but the Greek “stauros” no more means a crux than the word “stick” means a “crutch.”” Therefore, it is very plain to see that the departure from the original meaning occurred in the Latin language, as did many other pagan contributions to Western Christianity.

Both Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek agree that is was an upright stake or pole on which Mashiyach suffered, which is also seen by the Symbol of the pole in Numbers with the use of the term “neis” (pronounced nace): “And YHWH said unto Moshe, make a fiery serpent, and set it upon a “neis” (pole): and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten , when he looks upon it, shall live. And Moshe made a serpent of copper, and put it upon a “neis” (pole), and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of copper, he lived” (Numbers 21:8-9). When mankind is “bitten” by the serpent (haShatan) of Genesis 3:15 we are to look to Mashiyach for healing and deliverance.

The Hebrew word "neis" (pole) is also used by the Prophet Isaiah to depict Mashiyach as a sign to all nations: “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand (neis) for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles (nations) seek: and his rest shall be Esteem” (Isaiah 11:10). The pole or stake on which Mashiyach suffered is most certainly not the object of importance, it is simply the instrument of torture that received the blood of many people before and after his blood was shed.

Again the prophet Isaiah equates Y’hoshua with the standard (neis) that YHWH has lifted up: “Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard (neis) for the people. Behold, YHWH has proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your yeshua (salvation) comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. And they shall call them, The set apart people, The redeemed of YHWH: and you shall be called, sought out, A city not forsaken” (Isaiah 62:10-12). Mashiyach is the standard who is the salvation of YHWH and the goal of every true Believer who is born of the Ruach haKodesh. The prime Hebrew word for “neis” means to be lifted up as Y’hoshua states: “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to me.” (John 12:32).

In the hands of the post-apostolic founders of the Gentile church “the cross” became a license to break Torah without consequences. In reality Favour (“Grace”) is the gift of the Ruach haKodesh that empowers followers of Y’hoshua to be set free from the slavery of sin. Favour is the empowerment to stop sinning and live a wholesome and righteous life in Mashiyach. A person who has not received Favour continues to break Torah; they are slaves to sin because they cannot stop and have no intention of stopping their sin. Those without Favour refuse to live according to the Word of YHWH, much like a smoker addicted to cigarettes cannot stop smoking, but little “voices” tell them it brings hardship, cancer and even death. The “cross-ified Jesus” does not provide Christians the power to stop breaking the Torah because the Harlot Church system that preaches a false “Jesus” is strictly anti-Torah. One would never expect the board of directors of a cigarette manufacturing company to research, demonstrate and report to the public all the ill effects of smoking; neither can we realistically expect the Church leaders to take up the cause of righteousness and the importance of having Torah written upon the heart! As a matter of fact, theologians within the Church system are the ones who devised a “cross theology” which teaches that Torah was nailed to the cross, and insist the sinner who believes in “the cross” can break Torah without consequence. This is a very popular and convenient religious lie because it caters to sins of the weak human flesh.

The certificate of Debts or the sins of the repentant sinner were metaphorically nailed to the torture stake (Matthew 6:12, Luke 7:36-50, Colossians 2:14). The penalty for sin is, in fact, set aside only for those who repent and turn from sin, but YHWH’s Word that requires punishment for sin has never been removed from the books. The will of YHWH and His Mashiyach is for mankind to stop sinning, but the will of Satan is, and always has been, for mankind to ramp up all manner of sin which leads to destruction. This is the difference between “Favour (Grace)” and “licence.” “Favour will find you guilty as charged, but your sincere repentance and efforts to turn from sin is rewarded with spiritual strength from Mashiyach. Those who look to Mashiyach are delivered and saved from the traps of Satan who desires to seduce you into breaking Torah. “Licence” is the opposite of Favour; it teaches that a person who believes in “Jesus” can continue in sin and all the consequences of their sin are put upon Messiah so that the sinner goes free. This, of course, is the central theme of false religion and the root of all Christian wickedness.

For many Christians the symbol of the cross brings comfort even though it is widely believed to be the instrument of torture used against their innocent “best friend.” The cross is also used by Christians to ward off demons; crosses are routinely placed where loved ones were killed and where they were buried. By doing so the Harlot Church has made void the Fear of YHWH and turned their version of the cross into a Christian icon and the license to sin.

The symbols YHWH gave His people are much different, however. For example, the Menorah is a seven (Sheva) branched lamp that represents the eternal Light of Mashiyach. The number seven (Sheva) represents completion and each of the branches denotes an attribute of the Spirit of Mashiyach that indwells YHWH’s people (see Isaiah 11:1-4). The Aron “Ark” of the Covenant is laid with pure gold inside and outside and represents purity on the inside and outside of each soul who is in Mashiyach. The Ten Commandments that are placed inside the Aron represents the Mind of Mashiyach, written by the finger of YHWH Himself, whose immutable Commandments will be used to Judge the whole earth (see Rev 11:19). These symbols in the Temple represent the Government of Mashiyach that indwells the physical temple of each individual who turns to him, and are representative of the spiritual man. These eternal symbols are YHWH ordained, whereas the cross is merely a man-made icon. If Christians were to take the time to research the origin of the cross symbol they would be shocked  and surprised to discover that it is far from what the post-apostolic church founders want them to believe; but these important elements of truth differentiate the One True Faith from the Mystery religion of fallen Babylon.