Monday, February 29, 2016

A snippet from the School of Elijah!

Here’s something interesting to contemplate!  Makes me think we are closer to Messiah’s return than we know!

A snippet from the Babylonian Talmud  (Sanhedrin 97a-b)  reveals that, in the school of Elijah it was taught that "The world will exist for 6000 years.  For two thousand years there was chaos/desolation; there were two thousand years where Torah flourished; and there will be two thousand years of the Messianic age/Messiah. But on account of our sins, which are numerous, many of these years of messiah have already passed."

(The Tanna debe Eliyyahu/The Lore of the School of Elijah is a midrashic work thought to have been composed between the third and tenth centuries.)

Sunday, February 28, 2016

The importance of the weekly Torah portions

For those who don’t bother reading the week’s Torah portions, you REALLY are missing out on God’s Word!  For instance, in Parashah 21: Ki Tissa, Moshe’s face shone when he descended from Mt. Sinai after his 40 days in YHWH’s Presence (Exodus 34:28-34)!  This portion also included a New Testament reading that says something REALLY interesting about Moshe’s face.  Take a look at this overall picture, in context:

(By the way, for those who don’t know this, every weekly Torah reading consists of not just the weekly Torah portion, but also Haftarah and Brit Chadasha (New Testament) readings. The Haftarah consists of the portions from the Tanach (writings and prophets), and Brit Chadasha readings are from the "New Testament" scriptures all of which correlate to that week's Torah portion.)  


Exodus 34:28 Moshe was there with ADONAI forty days and forty nights, during which time he neither ate food nor drank water. [ADONAI] wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Words. 29 When Moshe came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, he didn't realize that the skin of his face was sending out rays of light as a result of his talking with [ADONAI]. 

30 When Aharon and the people of Isra'el saw Moshe, the skin of his face was shining; and they were afraid to approach him. 31 But Moshe called to them; then Aharon and all the community leaders came back to him, and Moshe spoke to them. 32 Afterwards, all the people of Isra'el came near; and he passed on to them all the orders that ADONAI had told him on Mount Sinai. 33 Once Moshe had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. 

34 But when he went in before ADONAI for him to speak, he would take the veil off until he came out; then, when he came out, he would tell the people of Isra'el what he had been ordered. 35 But when the people of Isra'el saw Moshe's face, that the skin of Moshe's face shone, he would put the veil back over his face until he went in again to speak with [ADONAI]. (CJB)

WHOAH!  Does that tell you WHY our Creator cannot be in the presence of sin?  He is HOLY!  (Isaiah 59:1-3, Micah 3:4 and a host of other passages).  Moshe, at that time was the holiest guy on the planet!  He was CHOSEN by YHWH to lead His people out of Egypt (physically and spiritually) and into HIS Land (Israel – the Holy Land).  Take a look at what the New Testament says about this – it will knock your socks off!

1 Corinthians 3: 1. Do we begin again to show you who we are? Or do we need, like others, that letters of recommendation from us should be written to you? Or, that you should write recommendations of us?  2. You are our epistles, written on our hearts and known and read by every man.  3. For you know that you are an epistle of the Mashiyach, ministered by us; not written with ink, but by the Spirit of the Living Elohim; not on tablets of stone, but on the tablets of the heart of flesh.[1]  4. And such confidence we have in the Mashiyach towards Elohim;  5. Not that we are sufficient to think any thing, as of ourselves; but our efficiency is from Elohim:  6. Who has fitted us to be ministers of the Renewed Covenant,[2] not in the letter, but in the Spirit; for the letter kills,[3] but the Spirit gives life.  

7. Now if the ministration of death was engraved upon stones in writing, and was so glorious that the children of Israel could not look on the face of Moshe[4] on account of the glory upon his face which vanished away;  8. How then will not the ministration of the Spirit be still more glorious?  9. For if there was glory in the ministration of condemnation,[5] how much more will the ministration of righteousness excel in glory?  10. For that which was glorious was as if not glorious in comparison with this which excels in glory.  11. For if that (condemnation) which is abolished[6] was glorious, much more must, that which abides be glorious.  12. Seeing therefore we have this hope, we the more, speak with boldness;  13. And are not like Moshe, who threw a veil over his face that the children of Israel might not behold the termination of that (condemnation) which was abolished.  

14. But they were blinded in their understanding because until this day, when the Ancient Covenant is read, the same veil rests upon them; nor is it manifest (to them), that it (condemnation) is abolished by the Mashiyach.  15. And to this day, when Moshe is read, a veil is thrown upon their hearts.  16. But when any of them is turned to Master YHWH, the veil is taken from him.[7]  17. Now Master YHWH Himself is the Spirit. And where the Spirit of Master YHWH is, there is freedom.  18. And we all, with uncovered faces, behold as in a mirror the glory of Master YHWH; and are transformed into the same likeness, from glory to glory, as by Master YHWH the Spirit.  (AENT)

FOOTNOTES: 

[1]  Paul is clearly referencing Jeremiah 31:33, indicating Torah is being written upon the heart.  See also Ezekiel 18:31; 36:26-28.

[2]  Again a reference to Jeremiah 31:33.  See also Matthew 26:28.

[3]  The “letter” and “Spirit” are not opposites.  In verse 1 Rav Shaul begins by explaining how a “letter” in itself is not sufficient for his purposes, and how those in Corinth are not epistles written with ink, but in the Spirit of Elohim.  The letter points out flaws.  When we study the letter, sins of the weak flesh are exposed; our “natural” man is condemned to death to create a new birth according to YHWH’s Spirit.  Christian theology, however, teaches the “letter” refers to Torah, and that Torah is contrary to the spiritual man, which is a rather evil theology considering that mainstream Christians are already keeping over 60 percent of Torah.  See How much Torah do Christians already keep? in Appendix.  Torah contains righteous directives of how to live and love, as well as the Covenant of promise that necessitates Mashiyach.  In this discourse Rav Shaul is juxtaposing condemnation as a function of the letter; he is most certainly not discrediting the Torah of YHWH as it pertains to the Spiritual Man (Romans 7:14; 8:4).  Torah is the Word of YHWH: “For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this WORD you shall prolong your days in the land.” Deuteronomy 32:47

[4]  Shemot/Exodus 34:29 “And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses knew not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.”

[5]  Ministration of death is also the ministration of condemnation which comes against the sins of the carnal man.  If a man steals he is condemned; if he commits adultery or lies, he is condemned when he reads the Letter.

[6]  Condemnation is abolished when the Ruach haKodesh writes Torah upon the heart, which brings the end of breaking Torah!  However, Christian theologians twist this verse to teach that Paul brought an end to Torah itself.

[7]  The reading of Torah does not blind, nor does the reading of the “Renewed Covenant” bring Grace: but in each, one must “turn to Master YHWH with their hearts” to remove the veil.  MarYah/YHWH is used here, rather than Y’shua.  Rather than people turning to Y’shua as the deciding factor, the point is that both Jews and Gentiles must be truthful, and not just use prayers or Scripture readings as some sort of magical incantation, but to turn their hearts to YHWH.  In many places Y’shua teaches that he came to bring Glory to the Father, and to turn hearts unto YHWH.

Saturday, February 27, 2016

YHWH will restore that which was lost

I’ve always loved to write.  When I was 14, I was in the process of writing a book called, “When I Find Tomorrow” which was basically autobiographical (about a little girl who was given away at birth and then forcefully removed from her foster home by her natural mother and taken to a foreign country where she spent her childhood fighting off the advances of her pedophile adoptive father….) .

Unfortunately, my mother (with whom I had a “rocky” relationship) found it while snooping through my room one day, and when I came home from school that afternoon she confronted me about it.  I honestly don’t remember what all she said to me, but suffice it to say, it completely doused my dreams of becoming a “great author” one day.  Ironically, I had shown passages from my novel to my eleventh grade English teacher (who heaped many praises on me and  my writing style and gave me pointers along the way), but by the time my mother was through berating me, my book and my character, my dreams about becoming and author were trampled to pieces.

So, thinking I would never make it as a writer, I ended up joining the Army and doing administrative work.  I didn’t really like it, but I was convinced I couldn’t do anything else. 

But YHWH had other ideas!  You see, YHWH’s Plans are only thwarted if we stop paying attention to that drive inside each of us that propels us forward to do HIS bidding.   HIS ultimate goal was to use me for HIS Glory one day…spreading His Word through my writing skills!  So, what satan meant for evil, YHWH turned around for GOOD – and He did it in a most unusual way….

By the time YHWH made His move, I had been a US soldier for almost a decade (doing my admin thing and not being happy in my “chosen” field).  At the time I was working in the Department of Engineering and Housing in Stuttgart, Germany – and the colonel who headed that department happened to be a major Casanova who couldn’t keep his hands off his female employees.  Well, he did it once too often to me, and one day “something came over me” …. Tossing him a searing glance, I rose and stomped out of the office after saying something very unlady-like that just “happened to pop out of my mouth.”

Well, needless to say, I thought my career was over with (because it was my word against this colonel’s and I was just an E-6/staff sergeant at the time).  And so I found myself trembling and fearing the worst  in the Command Sergeant Major’s office.  I mean, Sergeant Major ____  was mean as a snake and I figured he would drum me out of the Army for daring to address this colonel the way I did.  But to my utter surprise, he chuckled and said, “Well, Sarge, I was wondering how long it would take you!  Everybody knows about Colonel ____.” 

Turns out, the Command knew, but they never did a thing about this colonel, because “he was getting ready to retire.”  In other words, it was the “Good ol’ boy Network” at its worst.

And so the next thing I knew, the Command Sergeant Major sent me to work as editor of the local military newspaper, the Stuttgart Citizen, even though I knew nothing about journalism.  He simply said, “You love to write, so go and write and do what you do best.”  (I had done tons of volunteer writing – making pamphlets, etc. -  for various organizations in the military community.) 

But, “it just so happened” all this took place “at the right time” for me because the newspaper’s editor (a captain) had returned to the US on “emergency leave” and the Command had just discovered that he wouldn’t be returning -  and they were in dire need of someone with a proven record and writing abilities to quickly step in and take over, as there was no one else available at the time. 

So, that is how I ended up becoming a military journalist!  Within six months or so, the Army allowed me to change my specialty to journalism, and off I went to journalism school, with my first assignment as a journalist being as the “NCO in Charge of the Public Affairs Office” at the US Army Criminal Investigation Command!  YHWH had restored me to the career field HE needed me to be in, because one day, far into the future He would need me to be a soldier for HIM…someone who would be able to WRITE articles and books designed to lead people to YHWH/Yeshua/Torah.

Truly – YHWH turned around what the enemy had meant for evil, back when I was 14 when my mother totally dashed my hopes of becoming an author!  YHWH restored that which was lost  (Deuteronomy 30:3-13; Joel 2:25-32; Jeremiah 31:3).  All praise and glory goes to Him – Halleluyah! 

He does turn around the lives of those who turn to HIM.  If He did this for me, He can do it for you.  Please give Him a chance.
 

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

A short excerpt from the Aramaic English New Testament about the birth of our awesome Messiah

Presenting:  A short excerpt from the Aramaic English New Testament about the birth of our awesome Messiah:

Matthew 1: 18. Now[1] the birth of Y’shua, the Mashiyach, was like this: While Maryam his mother was betrothed to Yosip, without them being united, she was found pregnant by the Ruach haKodesh.[2] 19. But Yosip, her husband was just and did not desire to expose her, yet he was thinking in secret that he would dismiss her. 20. While he was thinking these things, a messenger of Master YHWH[3] appeared to him in a dream, and said to him, “Yosip, the son of Dawid, do not have fear to take Maryam as your wife, for he that is begotten[4] in her (is) from the Ruach haKodesh.

21. And she will bear a son and she will call his name Y’shua, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22. And this all happened that it might be fulfilled what was said by Master YHWH through the prophet, 23. “Behold, a virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call his name Ammanuel,[5] which is interpreted ‘our El[6] (is) with us’” 24. When Yosip now rose from his sleep, he did as the messenger of Master YHWH commanded him, and he took his wife. 25. And he did not know her until[7] she had given birth to her first-born son, and she called his name Y’shua.[8] (AENT)

Footnotes:

[1] A very clear shift from backstory of ancient times into the contemporary narrative of Matthew 1, with “din” or “now” being one of the most common ways in Aramaic of switching to a new thought. While all parts of this chapter are in past tense, the shifting from ancient to recent also demands two different Yosips (Josephs).

[2] Ruach (Wind/Spirit) haKadosh (the Set-Apart). Most English translators follow the tradition of using “holy ghost”. Holy is etymologically derived from the word “heile” referring to the warmth of the sun; “ghost” is a saxon term that refers to the spirit of a dead person; neither are consistent with being Set Apart for the Kingdom of Elohim.

[3] YHWH (yud-hey-vav-hey, pronounced YAH - WEH) is the Name of the Most High Elohim. Netzari followers of Mashiyach never subscribed to the Rabbinic ban against vocalizing the Name of YHWH. Neither was the pronunciation of the Name lost within Jewish culture. When Torah was translated into Greek, observant Jewish scribes preserved the Name of YHWH by writing “YHWH” with Hebrew characters in the Septuagint.

Isaiah 52:5-6 states that the Name of YHWH is “continually every day blasphemed, therefore YHWH’s people shall know His name.” This prophecy is nested in Scripture that reveals the “arm of YHWH” who is Mashiyach, therefore it is Mashiyach Y’shua who brought the knowledge of the Name of YHWH to the world. Jeremiah 12:16 states that the Israelites swore by the name of Baal (Lord) a popular heathen deity of the day. Jeremiah 23:27 says that false prophets postured false dreams to manipulate YHWH’s people away from YHWH into Baal worship.

One should also note that the English “LORD” is an equivalent term for “Baal.” Jeremiah 44:26, states that YHWH would remove His Name from their lips for using the cliché, “as Adonai YHWH liveth,” all while they burnt incense to the Queen of Heaven. However, Jeremiah 16:21 states that “they shall know my Name is YHWH.”

Ezekiel 36:20-24 states that when Israel “entered unto the heathen… they profaned my Set Apart Name… but I had pity for my Set Apart Name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen… and I will sanctify my Great Name, which was profaned among the heathen!”

[4] Y’shua the Son is begotten of YHWH as Mashiyach, see Psalm 2:7-12.

[5] Isaiah 7:14-25 speaks of the salvation and regathering of Yisrael, preempted by the sign of a virgin giving birth.

[6] El is the shortened form of Eloah, and the singular form of Elohim.

[7] Which means he “knew” his wife afterwards (Genesis 38:26; 1 Kings 1:4), and they had other children.

[8] The Tanakh records the name Y’shua (Jeshua) 30 times, Y’hoshua (Joshua) 199 times. Y’shua is the shortened form of Y’hoshua, the same name given to Mashiyach. The successor of Moses, Yehoshua (Joshua), is a type of Mashiyach, who brought the Israelites into the promised land. Additionally, yeshua (salvation) used 78 times is the passive participle of yasha (save or savior), which is used 205 times. “I have waited for your yeshua (salvation), O YHWH.” Genesis 49:18.

(NOTE:  The Aramaic English New Testament by Andrew Gabriel Roth, is a direct translation of the Khabouris Codex which is a 12th Century copy of the oldest “New Testament” ever discovered [dating back to the 2nd Century].)

Sunday, February 21, 2016

What sins did "Jesus" die for, exactly?


Question: If unintentional sins are the only ones that can be forgiven with a sacrifice (lamb, bread, etc.) in the Torah; then what unintentional Sins did "Jesus" die for, exactly?

Answer: The same unintentional sins, violations of Torah, the people would commit before the Messiah came - Numbers 15:22-30 for example.  Just as the provision in Torah provided for atonement for an unintentional sin by a substitutionary act - often the shed blood of an innocent animal - and the people were expected to continue with their lives and (try to) not sin again; the Messiah's death was the substitutionary act offered to us, for our sins up to that point when we accept what the Messiah did for us, and afterward we are expected to continue with our lives and try not to sin any more.  As it is for all, today, after the Temple sacrifices ended and the Levitical priesthood was lost, we can't simply kill an innocent animal for our transgressions, so everyone (Jew and Gentile alike) must now seek atonement for continued, unintentional sins through repentance and prayer in hopes we are forgiven. 


This question, though, was obviously designed by someone who does not "buy" the idea that the Messiah had to die for us, or that his death atoned for our unintentional sins.  But the question itself shows that the questioner does not even understand his own Tanakh.  Upon hearing the answer given above, the person asking the original question will more than likely respond with: "But Torah does not require a blood sacrifice for forgiveness of sins!", and then they'll rattle off a litany of verses which demonstrate this fact.  And, there really is no argument!  Anyone with two brain cells to rub together can read scripture and see that, of course, sins can be forgiven by repentance and prayer.  But saying "Torah does not require a blood sacrifice for forgiveness of sins" is, by itself, not an accurate statement!

It's not accurate, because Torah DOES require blood sacrifices!  You read about these blood sacrifices throughout Numbers and Leviticus!  And nowhere do you find any scripture which says they are "optional".  So the more appropriate question might be: "Why does the Torah speak of blood sacrifices, yet, we find also within Torah that forgiveness of sin can be gained by repentance and prayer?"  Or put another way: "What is so "special" about blood sacrifices that they are in Torah?"

Well, here is the answer:  The blood sacrifice made by the Levite Priest at the Temple, was the guarantee of everlasting life!  Leviticus 17:11 makes this abundantly clear!   "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have assigned it to you for making expiation for your lives upon the altar; it is the blood, as life, that effects expiation." (JPS Tanakh)  Let's examine this verse a moment because it's significance is lost in English:

While the word "life" is used in the verse, three times, the actual Hebrew word in the verse is "nephesh" more accurately translated as "soul" rather than "life".  The English word "life" does not convey an accurate meaning nephesh. Actually, the English word "soul" does not convey a proper understanding either, but a more accurate translation might be: "For the soul of the flesh is in the blood, and I have assigned it to you for making expiation for your souls upon the altar; it is the blood, that effects expiation of the soul."  I think that is pretty clear!  One "nephesh" is given for another "nephesh".

The reason blood sacrifices were specifically called for, was not just that "it forgave sins", rather, it assured your place in the Kingdom, i.e., everlasting life! This was the special significance of the blood sacrifice, because it is about the soul not the sin!  The blood from the animal, carrying the nephesh, ceremonially splashed on the altar, substituted for your nephesh/soul and made you "whole" again, so you could be considered worthy of being with YHWH after you physically die.  Otherwise, you are nothing but a filthy body, not worthy of being in the presence of YHWH.  In a minute you will see that this verse in Leviticus 17 is very important because it is demonstrating that the substitution saves the soul, the nephesh, and prevents it from dying!

The role of blood sacrifice is therefore pivotal!  But the fact that a poor, sinless, blemish-free animal had to die to assure one's place in the afterlife was clearly not enough to keep people from committing more sins, so the sacrificial process had to be repeated over and over and over!  But for the "day-to-day" inadvertent, unintentional sin, Torah certainly permitted your seeking forgiveness by an animal sacrifice or by less drastic means - i.e., repentance and prayer and fasting!  There are plenty of verses to cite indicating this, including: Jonah 3:7-10, Numbers 16:47, Numbers 14:17-20, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Job 33:26, Hosea 14:2 and many others.  

So by one's own recognition of having sinned, one could seek forgiveness in this physical life by making a heartfelt repentance and asking YHWH for His forgiveness, and assuming He responded positively, you could go on with your earth-bound life.  Nevertheless, everyone also needed to have been "cleansed" by the blood sacrifices at the Temple, otherwise, they are simply worm-fodder when they die. 

Some will argue that "scripture says sacrifices were less important than obedience" and cite Jeremiah 7:22.  That verse, (out of context, especially in English), blows your mind: 

"22 For I didn't speak to your ancestors or give them orders concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices when I brought them out of the land of Egypt."  

What? YHWH didn't speak to our ancestors about sacrifices? The verses go on:

"23 Rather, what I did order them was this: 'Pay attention to what I say. Then I will be your God, and you will be my people. In everything, live according to the way that I order you, so that things will go well for you.' 24 But they neither listened nor paid attention, but lived according to their own plans, in the stubbornness of their evil hearts, thus going backward and not forward." (CJB)

So sacrifices are not important, they say, and only obedience is required.  Not so!  If you read the context of Jeremiah 7, you see that YHWH is not "reducing" the significance of sacrifices, rather, it was the PEOPLE who had reduced the importance!   Read Jeremiah 7:9-10:

"9 First you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, offer to Ba'al and go after other gods that you haven't known. 10 Then you come and stand before me in this house that bears my name and say, 'We are saved' - so that you can go on doing these abominations!" (CJB)

So what YHWH is actually saying in verses 22-24 is that He "did not give the sacrifice for it to be done with such contempt and disrespect."

Another verse some will use to try to lessen the significance of the sacrifice is 1 Samuel 15:22, which says (again, out of context): 

"Sh'mu'el [Samuel] said, "Does ADONAI take as much pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying what ADONAI says? Surely obeying is better than sacrifice, and heeding orders than the fat of rams." (CJB).  

Again, this sure sounds like obedience is more important!  But if one would only go back and read all of 1 Samuel 15, you'd see that it was King Sha'ul who had disobeyed YHWH because he (Sha'ul) had allowed the troops to take animals as spoils from a battle when he had been commanded by YHWH to "destroy all".  Why did Sha'ul permit the animal spoils? Verse 21: "…and the troops took from the spoil some sheep and oxen - the best of what had been proscribed - to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal." (JPS Tanakh)  Now reread verse 22 and the context is understood!  Sh'mu'el was not saying sacrifices were less important at all!  He was admonishing Sha'ul for his disobedience which reduces all YHWH's commands to nothing!  Read verse 23 and see this clearly!

Despite the volumes written on this subject by those insisting "forgiveness" only requires prayer and supplication, and no need for any sacrifice we see Torah actually teaches otherwise.  Forgiveness always had two "levels" - an individual responsibility to seek forgiveness when committing unintentional transgressions of Torah, and a Levite Preist responsibility to substitute the nephesh of another sinless thing for survival of your nephesh.  These requirements go hand-in-hand.  One is not more important than the other. Denying the importance of the blood sacrifice is truly making YHWH out to be what "you" want Him to be instead of who He is and what He asks of you!    

So now, even though the questioner, if they were to be reading this answer, would likely not want to hear what I say next, nevertheless it is important to understand because it ties the Messiah to the blood sacrifices.  Here is what must be understood:

Two points: 1st, when Yeshua died, the Temple still existed.  So the timing of the presence of the Messiah could not be more important. 2nd, Yeshua's death was not a "human sacrifice" as He was not "sacrificed" like an animal and He did not have a "human" nephesh!  

Addressing the 2nd point first:  Yeshua's "nefesh" was not like ours!  When a person dies, physically, the Hebrew/Jewish mindset still considers the body a "nefesh".  It's just that a "dead body" is a "dead nephesh", a dead soul.  Numbers 19:11 says, for example: "He who touches a corpse of any human being shall be unclean for seven days." (JPS Tanakh).  Again, this rather sterile English translation does not do the original Hebrew justice.  The Hebrew actually reads "…touch any dead human nephesh…".  So we come to understand that a "nephesh", is more than "soul" as the English word "soul" conveys little. When a person is dead, and we (in our Western mindset) look upon the body, we do not see a "soul", in fact, we are taught the "soul" is no longer with the body. 

The "nephesh" is intimately tied to the individual. In death, the nephesh of a person will live on, provided the person was in good favor with YHWH.  Read these verses from Ezekiel 3:

17 "Human being, I have appointed you to be a watchman for the house of Isra'el. When you hear a word from my mouth, you are to warn them for me. 18 If I say to a wicked person, 'You will certainly die'; and you fail to warn him, to speak and warn the wicked person to leave his wicked way and save his life; then that wicked person will die guilty; and I will hold you responsible for his death. 19 On the other hand, if you warn the wicked person, and he doesn't turn from his wickedness or his wicked way, then he will still die guilty; but you will have saved your own life.

20 Similarly, when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits wickedness, I will place a stumblingblock before him - he will die; because you failed to warn him, he will die in his sin; his righteous acts which he did will not be remembered; and I will hold you responsible for his death. 21 But if you warn the righteous person that a righteous person should not sin, and he doesn't sin; then he will certainly live, because he took the warning; and you too will have saved your life."
(CJB)

Now, both the wicked and the righteous will "die", that is, die a physical death on earth, so these verses must be understood to be describing the saving of one's nephesh in the afterlife by living their earthly, physical life righteously.  By living your life righteously, and not wickedly, when you die, you are eternally "saved" (with a caveat, described later on.)
 
We can see this again in Ezekiel 18:4 "Consider, all lives [nephesh] are Mine; the life [nephesh] of the parent and the life [nephesh] of the child are both Mine.  The person [nephesh] who sins, only he shall die." (JPS Tanakh)  I have inserted "nephesh" where it appears in the original Hebrew.  Clearly, since all humans die in their earthly life, this verse too is addressing the eligibility for an eternal existence - after all YHWH says "all lives [nephesh] are Mine!But the verse also reveals the terrifying prospect that when you fail, your nephesh simply dies, no continued existence: "The person [nephsh] who sins, only he shall die."

Which brings me back to Yeshua's nephesh.  Yeshua was sinless, so his nephesh could be considered "unblemished".  When Yeshua died, both His "live nephesh" and "dead body nephesh" left the earth.  When mere mortals die, their "dead body" remains on earth.  Yes, that part of Yeshua that was a human body, died and was taken down from the stake, physically handled by live humans, wrapped and placed in the tomb.  But 3 nights and 3 days later, the physical, dead body disappeared.  That does not happen to us mere mortals. Yeshua's nephesh could not die, and did not die!  

Now some argue that Yeshua could not be the Messiah because "God does not require human sacrifice!"  This is absolutely true, but completely misses the point.  The point of the animal sacrifice was NOT the "sacrifice", rather, as I tried to explain above, it was to substitute one nephesh so the human nephesh could live eternally.  But instead, many stubborn people cannot see that Yeshua was not "sacrificed" at all, rather, He offered his sinless nephesh for us!  It's that simple.  His blood, containing His nephesh, had to be spilled on the altar for Him to be that substitution for our nephesh.  This is what the act required - see Leviticus 5:9 for example. (And the "altar" on which Yeshua's blood was spilled was the earth, see Exodus 20:24).   

So now the 1st point. Yeshua died in 30 CE.  The Temple still existed till 70 CE.  That's 40 years, ONE generation, from Yeshua's death to the end of the Temple.  YHWH gave all mankind ONE generation to come to understand what He did for humanity by offering Himself as a substitute for our nephesh, before the Temple was destroyed, and the substitution of the nephesh of animals could no longer be done, and no longer abused. 

The number forty appears many times in the Bible, usually designating a time of radical transition or transformation.  It is the same 40 years the Israelites had to wander in the desert, when the 1st generation of the promise finally entered the land.  What could be more "transforming" than the substitution of the nephesh of Yeshua, so that within one generation, all who accepted this gift could be eternally saved and retained in YHWH's favor by continued obedience!

So now you should understand the caveat mentioned earlier. Being "righteous" alone is not enough for the nephesh to be "saved", for being saved requires also the substitution on the altar, a "redemption" if you will, of a nephesh for your nephesh.  Your love and obedience to YHWH is the purpose of your life (Ecclesiastes 12:13), and you are expected to return to YHWH if you have inadvertently sinned.  

But "eternal life" always required that substitution or redemption of one nephesh for another.  The possibility of that substitution of an animal at the Temple is gone.  You can't get that any more.  It has been replaced by your acceptance that the Messiah died for you, and redeemed you, so you can be saved.  He volunteered to substitute His nephesh for yours!  Now, go learn how to live your earthly life in obedience to YHWH.