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“The name
Yeshua
, in Hebrew, actually has meaning. Just about every Hebrew name has a meaning or comes from a similar root with a meaning, and the angel was very specific about the name that the Son of God, the Messiah, should have: His name was to be
Yeshua
. Pronounced slightly differently, putting the emphasis on the last syllable instead of the middle,
ye-shu-à
means
salvation
. In essence the angel told Joseph,
‘His name shall be “salvation” because he will “yoshia” (verb form, save) His people from their sins.’
It is impossible to pick up on this prophetic word play in the Greek or English versions.
    “And that, of course, was the mission of the Messiah,
to bring salvation to His people and to be a light to the nations
. Indeed, Simeon, the aged prophet who had been told he would not die until he saw the Messiah, prophesied as much.”
    Then I saw an old man on the larger tablet begin to pray, tears streaming down his face, as he held a baby in his arms. This had to be the Simeon of whom he spoke.
    Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel
(Luke 2:29-32).
    “His name was
salvation
because He would bring
salvation
.”
    “The name
Yeshua
was also a shortened form of the name
Joshua
, which in Hebrew is pronounced
Yehoshua
. In later books of the Hebrew Bible we find the Hebrew name
Yeshua
and it is translated as
Joshua
. (See Zechariah 3.) Joshua means ‘the Lord is salvation,’ or ‘the Lord saves.’ Tell me David, what sounds more Jewish to you, the name
Jesus
or
Joshua
?”
    “Well Joshua, of course,” I answered.
    “In the Greek, both Joshua and Jesus are exactly the same:
Iesous
. But when referring to the Messiah, they translated His name as
Jesus
. When Joshua is mentioned in the New Covenant, they do not translate His name as Jesus, even though in the Greek it is the same, but use the Hebrew transliteration—Joshua—leaving us to think they are two different names. As a result, we lose the Jewish character of Jesus’s name. While Joshua is seen as Jewish, the Jewish Messiah has been portrayed throughout history as being something other than Jewish.”
    “So Joshua and Jesus are the same name?”
    “Don’t be so amazed, David. There is more.
    “All your life you were probably told that the mother of Yeshua was a woman named Mary. In fact, millions of people actually call her Maria. Why is this significant? It’s important because these names make the mother of Yeshua sound English as in
Mary
or Italian as in
Maria
, when of course she was neither. She was not the lead role in
West Side Story
or Jimmy Stewart’s wife in
It’s a Wonderful Life
.”
    “How do you know about movies, Ariel?”
    “Stay focused, David.”
    “I always viewed Mary as a Roman Catholic teenager,” I offered.
    Ariel chuckled and said, “That would have been difficult, as she was born in Israel several hundred years before there ever was such a thing as the Roman Catholic Church.”
    “Well, what about this
mother of God
business? They worship her and pray to her in some cultures.”
    On the larger tablet appeared a woman, a precious woman. She began to talk to me. “David, this breaks God’s heart and mine as well. I am just a woman, a very blessed one, but nothing more. The Father never intended that people would pray to me or worship me. While it is difficult to be sad when you are constantly in the presence of the Almighty, what people have made of me disturbs me greatly. And what is worse is that the very people who claim to adore me have oppressed my people. They pray that I will intercede for them, and at the same time they persecute and kill my descendants. I am an Israelite, and my name, by the way, is Miriam,
a Jewish name
—the same name as the sister of Moses.”
    “So why is your name