Daniel Kooman - Breath of Life: Three Breaths that Shaped Humanity

For my daughter Rosie,

While I held you in my arms I saw the face of God.

The Breath of Life: Three Breaths That Shaped Humanity

Copyright 2020 by Daniel Kooman

Red Arrow Media, LLC.

California.

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

FIRST EDITION

All Scripture references marked (KJV) are taken from the Authorized King James Version. Public domain. All Scripture references marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All Scripture references marked (NET) are taken from NET Bible copyright 1996-2017 All rights reserved. Build 30170414 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. Scripture and/or notes quoted by permission. All Scripture references marked (NIV) are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. All Scripture references marked (ISV) are taken from The Holy Bible: International Standard Version. Release 2.0, Build 2015.02.09. Copyright 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC. All Scripture references marked (NLT) are taken from Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. All Scripture references marked (HCSB) are taken from Holman Christian Standard Bible Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used with permission by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved. All Scripture references marked (LEB) are taken from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software. All Scripture references marked (EHV) are taken from the Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV) 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission. All Scripture references marked (ESV) are taken from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version). ESV Text Edition: 2016. Copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauwide. All Scripture references marked (WEB) are taken from the World English Bible. Public Domain. All Scripture references marked (WNT) are taken from the Weymouth New Testament in Modern Speech Third Edition 1913. Public Domain.

ISBN: 978-0-578-72054-8

Cover Artwork: Mindi Oaten
Cover Design: Graeme Ellis

Interior: Vision Tank, UK

Contents

Foreword

by Sigmund Brouwer

Author of The Last Disciple , The Weeping Chamber

Stories come from the words we hear that we choose to mine and treasure. In time, the words that we ponder over, and take time to cultivate, have a way of becoming flesh. As Daniel shares in The Breath of Life , this book is the story that unfolded after God whispered a simple, powerful word to him, Breath.

Daniel and I both grew up in the small town of Red Deer, Alberta. A small dot on the very large map of Canada. Both Daniel and I trace our European heritage from Dutch immigrants that came to Canada following World War II.

Recently, Daniel reminded me that the first time we met was in the early 1990s, when I visited his Grade 4 class to share about my work as an author. Now an accomplished filmmaker and storyteller by trade, Daniel explained how that visit was the first time he ever thought about the significance of the written word, and by extension, the significance of the stories that we tell.

In its simplest form, the message I shared with Daniel and his Grade 4 class 25 years ago is that words have power, and the best words become the stories we tell, and the best stories have the power to change people. This book is a full circle reminder of that truth. In The Breath of Life , Daniel reminds us that The Word became flesh. He unpacks revelations from the Hebrew language, buried deep in the fabric of the Scriptures, that when mined from their roots become treasures that have been waiting in plain sight to be discovered.

I was most impacted by the deep revelation this book unveils around breath, which reminds us how quintessential the moment truly was when Yahweh breathed on Adam in the Garden of Eden. Breath changes everything. When Adam began to breathe, humanity began to bear Gods image. To bear the image of God is to have a living soul, breathed or gifted to you by a living God. As you continue to breathe, your very existence remains tied to the Creator of breath. You are a living soul made in Gods image. Is there a more powerful truth than this to ponder for ourselves? While many of us have read the Genesis creation story, and many of the important Scriptures about Gods plan and promises, this book does something new in unveiling the purposes and love of God.

What Daniel shares about the Hebrew word Ruach left a deep imprint on my heart. The spirit and breath of God are an ever-moving, earth-shaping, universe-creating power. But also a mystery that resides in every believer. Its natural for us to think we are small, and we are in scale, within the vast universe. But if the power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us, that is a wonder worth revisiting and understanding further so that we can know the full significance it brings to our own lives. In this book, Daniel also explains and reveals the original names of Father God, Jesus and The Holy Spirit, unpacking important revelations in the process. We are able to understand why Their names are not only important, but also the foundation humanity is built upon. What a powerful mystery, and reminder God has given us, once we have an understanding of His Name.

Reading this book, I was most surprised by the many meaningful layers of truth that Daniel was able to uncover. Truth that many of the original authors and translators of the Scripture left hovering below the surface of the written word. Here they are explained in a fresh and powerful way that applies to our daily lives.

I believe that in the current state of our world this book provides a timely relevance for readers. Daniel reminds us that there are two different spirits at work in the air that we breathe every day. As we discern that the Spirit of God is different than the spirit of this age, we begin to live in new areas of freedom, health, joy and passion. If every living soul needs breath to live, then each and every one of us will enjoy a fresh, new, holy breath of life!

In the same way that I never saw or expected to hear how seeds I never knew I was planting grow to fruition, I foresee that the power of Daniels thoughts and stories shared in this book will have a wonderful impact in the lives of readers.

Sigmund Brouwer (December 30, 2020)

Introduction

A Word About Breath

The thing about breathing is its automatic. The rhythm of human breath is automated by a network of neurons and muscles surrounding the lungs and throat. But how did this automation begin?

In February 2019 I discovered three breaths from the lungs of God that were breathed upon humanity and shaped the history of mankind. These breaths from God ultimately revealed to me one of the greatest mysteries I had ever uncovered and understood from my own personal studies in the Bible.