Bible warns: Take heed!

Here is a stern warning from Scripture, which basically says it all. It's sad that so many believers attempt to put ELOHIM in a box and turn His Word into a Smorgasbord where they are able to pick and choose and twist, according to whatever their desire happens to be at the time. YHWH's Word says what it says, no matter how much we try to skew it....

How to properly start the New Year…

How the story of Yosef foreshadowed Y’shua

Before moving on to the Book of Exodus in this coming week, I would urge you to take a look at my article about how the story of Yosef foreshadowed Y'shua. Through Yosef, YHWH gave us several strong hints concerning His plan for redemption!

Countering the counter-missionaries’ six-minute counter-missionary crash course

Believers - be careful! The enemy is constantly prowling around trying to find people to deceive! This enemy will do anything and everything to make you question your belief in Messiah Yeshua!

The truth is,IF you know Scripture, you can easily defeat their allegations. Counter-missionary Jewish rabbis and their followers fool themselves into thinking they have ALL the answers when it comes to Y'shua and the New Testament - so much so, that they've come up with "counter-missionary" crash courses designed to suck in and deceive the gullible. Here's just one example.

Don't be fooled! Read Scripture from cover to cover so that you can know what it says and be ready to defend TRUTH!

2018 Biblical Calendar

In case you did not know it, The Refiner's Fire publishes an annual Biblical calendar which restores the calendar to to a true calendar based on the sun, moon, and stars and adds no "man-made rules" or postponements. The 2018 calendar is available as a printable PDF at: http://therefinersfire.org/2018_Calendar.pdf.

This year, our calendar and the traditional Jewish (rabinical) calendar differ only slightly, for example, the 1st day of the month sometimes differs due to the way the two calendars determine the new month.

And so you can say you saw it here first, there is NO full moon in February!

Shalom

Don’t listen to Counter-missionaries who try to tell you that Yeshua is “an idol”….

Be wary of people suggesting Yeshua is an "idol" .... Before you fall for such nonsense, please read our short article debunking that notion.

Weekly Torah Study: Parashah 12: Vayechi (He lived) Genesis 47:28 through 50:26

Shabbat shalom, everyone.  This week’s Torah study can be found here on our website. 

This Torah portion brought us to the end of the Book of Genesis. In the Book of Genesis alone we have witnessed the following:

• The Creation of the entire universe
• The creation of man
• The Fall of man and his eviction from the Garden of Eden
• The world becoming so decadent that YHWH destroyed it by flood
• The rebuilding of mankind through Noah and his family
• The acceptance of YHWH and His Torah by Abraham the pagan Chaldean
• The life stories of our three Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
• The revelation the Tribe of Y'hudah being special (Genesis 49:10 tells us "the scepter will not pass from Y'hudah"...Y'shua our Messiah came from the Tribe of Y'hudah. Micah 4:2 reveals Y'hudah would ultimately be tasked to safeguard and preserve YHWH's Torah....)
• The origin of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

For more, please read our synopsis along with all the recommended readings.

The “source of love and light?”

Comment from another Facebook "expert" (another former Hebrew Roots type) who is busy deceiving the gullible with the illustrious "research and studies" they have done:

"I do not believe the Annunakki (known as the Elohim) are the Creators of All Things...they are CREATIONS that came to our planet and manipulated our DNA! I know that sounds ridiculous...but no more ridiculous than talking serpents and people being swallowed by fish and surviving to tell about it...the truth is stranger than fiction...I do not serve the Annunakki...they may have "created" my shell, but they did not create my soul...my world comes from the Creator of All Things...the Source of Love and Light..."

Every sentence this person posted is total nonsense and New Age GARBAGE!  Folks, this is how religions start!  Be VERY careful!  The Bible tells us all we need to know about God and His Word. “Reading into” or “researching” extra-biblical sources to find your way to God, will only lead to chaos and confusion, and nonsense such as the above!

Beware of the New Agers!

SIGH! Let’s talk about the “great falling away” for a moment (2 Thess 2:1-3; Hebrews 6:4-6,; 1 John 2:18-19). Not only are we seeing Christians who find their way to Torah, ultimately rejecting Y’shua and the NT and becoming rabid “counter-missionaries” who are driven to bash everyone who refuses to let go of the whole Truth; but we’re also seeing the rise of the satanic “New Age” garbage – because, apparently Scripture itself simply isn’t enough for some people!

Check out these snippets from someone who thinks she has found a more “enlightened” relationship with ELOHIM than just His Word – through “the power of crystals” - spawned by her desire to know more about the Urim and Thummim (Exodus 28:30; see also 1 Samuel).

And, naturally – like ALL who “find a better way,” this person insists she’s “researched and studied this out!” (They all say that as they race toward that “wide gate” that leads to death and destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).

Anyway, here is an example of what this “enlightened person” is telling her Facebook friends – and yes, she’s got many who are listening intently:

“I look back on my time as a Torah Observer like it was a dream...a necessary stepping stone to reach the stage of enlightenment I have now entered.”

“When I found Torah, my eyes (or should I say EYE singular) was cracked open to allow just enough light in to see that there IS a global conspiracy...a matrix...but the rest was just a rationalization of a person who was not ready to see the uncomfortable Truth that religion...ALL RELIGION including, no ESPECIALLY Bible based religions are being used to control the masses...”

“Much of what we have been taught is EVIL is not evil at all! ...they just want us to BELIEVE that it is so they are the only ones with the power....”

“If anyone is curious and wants to start following the bread crumbs, I will tell you that for me it started with studying the science of crystals after going to a mineral museum...they are treasures found in the Earth's crust that are so much more than just beautiful...they are a true gift from our True Creator...that started me into researching the breastplate of Aaron and I just kept finding breadcrumbs that ultimately led me to ancient Sumeria and the True origins of our Book of Genesis...

Reminiscent of Satan talking to Eve in the Garden, isn’t it?

(For those who aren't familiar with the Urim and Thummim, they are elements of the hoshen, the breastplate worn by the High Priest attached to the ephod. They are connected with divination in general, and cleromancy in particular. Most scholars suspect that the phrase refers to a set of two objects used by the high priest to answer a question or reveal the will of God. - Source, Wikipedia)

What does the word “fulfill” really mean?

Christians are adamant about the idea that "fulfill" meant "Jesus has fulfilled the law and therefore, it has been abolished." Unfortunately, this is a huge misconception as we outlined in our website’s article about this issue.  Below is the gist of the article:

Someone recently sent us the following:

The clear meaning Jesus had was that He was come to not destroy the law, but to be the fulfillment of the law. Once the law is fulfilled, there is no longer any need for it. If I make a bargain with you, and I fulfill the bargain, the bargain is completed; you cannot continue to demand I continue in a bargain or a contract which has been fulfilled. So the law: the Old Testament covenant was not the law of Moses, but the covenant between YHWH and Abraham - the law was given because of the transgression of the people, and it was also clearly given to Israel, and those who would sojourn among them. In fact, we never see in scripture anywhere that the demands of the Law were given to anyone else but Israel and those sojourning with them.

Our response:

Matthew 5: 17. Do not think that I have come to loosen the Torah or the Prophets. I have not come to loosen but to fulfill them through proper interpretation. (AENT)

Footnotes in the AENT on the above passage cite:

Y'shua at no time "loosened" either Torah or the Prophets! The prophetic Word YHWH gave to His prophets cannot be loosed or annulled, and neither can the Torah of YHWH. These are two witnesses that stand as One. The Word of YHWH is both Torah (instruction in righteousness) and Prophecy declaring, foretelling and revealing the Will of YHWH to each generation. See Deuteronomy 4:2; 13:1.

"Fulfill" means to carry out or to bring to realization, to perform or do, as in a person's duty; or to obey or follow the Commandments, as in satisfying the Commandments by obeying them (Isaiah 42:21 "YHWH is well pleased for His righteousness' sake; He will magnify Torah, and make him (it) honorable.")....

AENT goes into further detail:

The word "fulfill" is derived from the Aramaic D'MALA, Hebrew MALEY, or the Greek PLEROO. It means to fill full, accomplish, carry out or to bring to realization, to perform or do, as in a person's duty; or to obey or follow the Commandments, as in satisfying the Commandments by obeying them.

The Hebrew cognate MALEY is found 240 places in Tanakh, for example; Genesis 1:22 "fill (MALEY) the waters in the seas"; Genesis 1:28 "replenish (MALEY) the earth"; Genesis 29:27 "Fulfill (MALEY) her week"; Exodus 28:2 "I have filled (MALEY) with the Spirit". Isaiah 42:21 reads, "YHWH is well pleased for His righteousness' sake; He will magnify Torah, and make him (it) honorable."

Isaiah 42 reveals the finished work of Mashiyach. We have full prophetic assurance that Mashiyach would never annul Torah; rather he magnified Torah and wrote Torah upon the hearts and imaginations of his people (Jeremiah 31:33). Y'shua carried out (fulfilled) all "ben Yoseph" (suffering servant) prophecies required by HaMashiyach.

He performed or fulfilled prophecies, just as he performed (fulfilled) Torah which was his duty and obligation as HaMashiyach; otherwise he would not have qualified as HaMashiyach.

D'MALA is found 52 times in the New Testament. Matthew 1:22 states, "that it might be fulfilled what was said by Master YHWH through the prophet". Paul uses D'MALA in Romans 15:19 when he says he "fulfilled (D'MALA) the announcement of the Mashiyach." The last thing Y'shua said on the torture stake was: “HA (behold) MESHALAM” (it is finished), Yochanan 19:30, "meshalam" could well be translated as fulfilled, accomplished or perfected.

"Fulfill" occurs in the following: Matthew: 1:22; 2:15, 17, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:14, 35; 17:11; 21:4; 26:54, 56; 27:9. Mark: 13:4; 14:49; 15:28. Luke: 1:20, 23; 2:6, 22; 4:21; 9:31, 51; 12:50; 18:31; 21:22, 24; 22:16, 37; 24:44. Yochanan: 12:38; 13:18; 15:25; 17:12; 18:9,32; 19:24, 28, 36. Acts: 1:16; 2:1; 3:18; 13:27,29; 15:15, 24:27. Romans: 8:4; 15:19. 2 Timothy: 4:17. Ya'akov: 2:23. Revelation: 17:17.

Fulfilling the Torah

Matthew 5:17 Do not think I have come to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I tell you I have not come to destroy (ashrea--arva) but to fulfill (amala--alma).

It is an absolute impossibility for "destroying" and "fulfilling" Torah to be or to mean the same thing! Here the text is putting them in opposition to one another; so if it isn't A but it is B, then B cannot be the same thing as A. As basic as this is, mainstream Christianity has levied a false assertion that "fulfilling the Torah" means that it is no longer necessary, i.e. destroyed!

The Aramaic word used for "fulfill" is amala, derived from the root mela, which means "to complete". This completion is not one that results in destruction, but better understanding of the promises made. Let's examine a few verses:

Luke 1:4 "So that you might know the d'amla (complete--almad) truth about the things you have been taught."

Yochanan 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, as of the only begotten from the Father d'amla (complete--almad) in grace and truth."

Yochanan 17:8 "The words which You have given me I have given them, and they received them, and understood d'amla (completely--almad) that I came forth from You, and they believed that You did send me."

This last verse clarifies the point in the strongest possible terms. This is where Y'shua clearly teaches that "fulfilling/completing" commands does not cast those commands aside; but rather, shows that they have been interpreted properly, as these citations from the Tanakh also prove:

1 Kings 2:27 "So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being priest to YHWH, in order to fulfill (male--alm) the word of YHWH, which He had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh."

2 Chronicles 36:21 "To fulfill (male--alm) the word of YHWH by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept Sabbath until seventy years were complete."

Psalm 20:4 May he grant you your hearts desire and fulfill (male--alm) all your counsel!

Here is the exact word that Y'shua used, but for a slight dialectical difference in accent and, as the reader can see, nowhere in any context does the command pass away! Instead, the opposite is shown, since it is the power and validity of the command which forces its hearer to first interpret it properly and then carry it out exactly as intended. There are also half a dozen other words in Hebrew that carry the same meaning, and in all of their cases the "fulfillment" of a command coincides with its proper interpretation (Leviticus 22:21, Numbers 15:8, Ezra 1:1, Nehemiah 5:13, Psalm 76:11, 145:19).

"Fulfill" also means to have proper understanding of a scriptural passage, such as recognizing a precise fulfillment of prophecy. Therefore, when Y'shua says, "This word is fulfilled in your hearing," he means that He is the goal or object of that prophecy and has now arrived on the scene to do his mission as specified according to prophecy.

Now, if the "fulfillment" has not happened yet, as is the case when Y'shua says, "All that is written in the Torah and Prophets must be fulfilled," then it means, quite obviously "kept", "vouchsafed" or "adhered to" - the exact opposite of passing away! That is also why he says, "He who keeps (fulfills) my words shall not taste death"!

The “good news” of Romans 1

Take a look at this absolutely awesome passage in which we get a sense of exactly what the "Good News" is! This passage reveals that, to be "right" with ADONAI, we must be obedient to His "forever" commands found in Torah; not according to our own ways, and not according to what we "think" Paul wrote, because the writings of Paul have been greatly misunderstood.

Romans 1:16. For I am not ashamed of the Good News; for it is the power of Elohim to life, to all who believe in it; whether first they are of the Jews, or whether they are of the Gentiles. 17. For in it is revealed the righteousness of Elohim, from faith to faith; as it is written, The righteous by faith, will live. 18. For the wrath of Elohim from heaven is revealed against all the iniquity and wickedness of men who hold the truth in iniquity 19. because a knowledge of Elohim is manifest in them; for Elohim has manifested it in them. (AENT)

Before we continue, we must ask ourselves: HOW can we know ELOHIM? Through His Torah (first five Books of the Bible) which reiterates, over and over again that ALL who accept YAHWEH as their God must follow His Divine Rules! Further reading helps to explain what happens to those who ignore His commands and/or attempt to divide the Bible into "the old and the new"....:

Romans 1:20. For, from the foundations of the world, the hidden things of Elohim are seen by the mind in the things he created even his eternal power and divinity, so that they might be without excuse 21. Because they knew Elohim and did not glorify him and give thanks to him as Elohim, but became vain in their imaginings and their unwise heart was darkened.

22. And, while they thought within themselves that they were wise, they became fools. 23. And they changed the glory of the incorruptible Elohim into a likeness to the image of a corruptible man,[1] and into the likeness of birds and four-legged animals and reptiles on the earth. 24. For this cause, Elohim gave them up to the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies with them.

25. And they changed the truth of Elohim into a lie; and worshipped and served the created things, much more than the Creator of them, to whom belong glory and blessing, forever and ever: Amen. 26. For this cause, Elohim gave them up to vile passions: for their females changed the use of their natures [2] and employed that which is unnatural. 27. And so also their males set aside the use of females, which is natural, and burned with lust toward one another; and, male with male, they did what is shameful, and received in their core substance [3] the just recompense of their error. (AENT)

If the above sounds familiar, it's because this type of thing has been going on ever since Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden! YHWH destroyed the world once because of this; and it seems that mankind has never learned because we're still doing it. As a matter of fact, we're basically just as corrupt as we were "in the days of Noah".... How much longer do you think He will put up with our nonsense?

Romans 1:28. And as they did not determine with themselves to know Elohim, Elohim gave them over to a vain mind; that they might do what they should not. 29. Being full of all iniquity and lewdness, and bitterness and malice, and covetousness and envy, and slaughter and strife, and deceit and evil machinations 30. And backbiting and slander; and being haters of Elohim, scoffers, proud, vain-glorious, devisers of evil things, destitute of reason, disregardful of parents.

31. And to whom a covenant is nothing, neither affection, nor peace, and in whom is no compassion. 32. These, while they know the judgment of Elohim, that he condemns those to death who perpetrate such things, are not only doers of them, but the companions of such as do them. (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Rav Shaul rejects the idea of making a deity out of a human being, something he himself is often being wrongly accused of. The key is the phrase “corruptible man” which is put in contradistinction of Y’shua who fulfilled prophecy by virtue of having the Ruach haKodesh, the Spirit of YHWH, inside him.

If Rav Shaul did not approve of others turning images of men into false deities, he would certainly not approve of what Christendom has done today. The Son did the Father YHWH’s will; his human side submitted to the divine. This is what opened the door for repentance for all of us; therefore, all who follow Y’shua must also yield unto YHWH rather than follow a deity who lessens the Name of YHWH and abolishes Torah.

[2] The Image of Elohim is both male and female (B’resheet/ Gen. 1:27). To deny the distinctions of male/female gender is to spurn the One who created male and female according to His own Image. See Female Attributes in Appendix.

[3] The word translated as “themselves” by Murdock is much better rendered as “core substance” one of several important meanings for qnoma, which also refers to an occurrence (not a separated “person”) of a nature. This verse states that punishment for sexual sin is not in the external body, but in a foundational place where the very essence of humanity resides.

Torah: Is it liberty or bondage?

Our little Miniature Schnauzer, Dallas, is a really good dog. He doesn’t bark much, he's never chewed up anything, and he has never attempted to run away. He's old now, almost blind and deaf, and we no longer take him for walks because his hind legs are weak. When he needs to go out, we simply let him run loose in his little fenced-in backyard which is just off the back porch, where we can keep an eye on him.

Actually, the little 18-inch tall fence is only comprised of a few strands of wire attached to some posts. It keeps Dallas contained, but in no way deters the wildlife that roams in the woods behind our house (including at least one lynx and a bear!).

Well, while Dallas never attempts to jump over or crawl under, we never thought that he might accidentally fall THROUGH it – which is exactly what he did one day while standing on the porch, furiously barking at the neighbor’s dogs. (Dallas has this habit of bouncing up and down while barking, and he got too close to the edge of the porch, and BAM! – he just fell out.)

Baffled and confused, he rousted himself, walked around a bit, and then began to frantically try to figure out a way to get back in. (Any other dog would have enjoyed his new-found freedom and gone exploring, or simply jumped back over or crawled under the fence. But not our Dallas! No way! Bill had to rescue him by stepping across the fence to physically pick Dallas up and haul him back in….)

Anyway, this situation got me to thinking about how Torah (the first five Books of Moses) is OUR “fence.” As long as we stay inside of YHWH’s Torah rules, we’re safe from “the world” because we have ELOHIM "keeping an eye on us." His Ruach (Holy Spirit), is there to constantly remind us of His Divine Instructions in Righteousness designed keep us from harm, and from the claws of enemy of this world who is forever prowling around seeking to devour.

But all bets are off the moment we venture outside Torah and begin to wander off. (As you know, we have the free will to do whatever we wish - which includes remaining in the world, or doing an “about-face” and returning to YHWH’s Torah. This was exactly what our little Dallas did - which was a good thing, because just yards away were our neighbors' two big dogs, who could have torn him to pieces within seconds! Luckily, their dogs are held at bay by their "invisible fence" - but Dallas had the option to step right over it, and wander into their territory…)

YHWH gave mankind His Torah to keep His people safe from "the world" - a place where, after Adam and Eve had eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, we could know the difference between right and wrong, good and bad. In short, He gave us a Divine blueprint for moral, holy living, which in the simplest of terms, prescribes this:

"I am the Creator who made you; worship me only. Do this … but don't do that, or else you and others will get hurt. Eat this … but don't eat that because it could make you sick or even kill you. Treat your fellow man thusly. Follow my rules and all will go well with you and yours. Do it because I am God and I SAID so! I am ADONAI and I know what's best for you."

Unfortunately, religion and religiosity crept into the world and broke the relationship with YHWH and His people, most of whom insisted on "jumping the fence." Like Adam and Eve, He gave us all the choice to obey Him, or not. They chose not to, as have most of their offspring! But the thing is, if we don't obey YHWH, then we are catering to Satan. There is no in between; no "tolerance" in the Kingdom; something that seems to be today's buzzword....

In modern day America where we have thrown God out of our schools, we have raised several generations who not only don't want God in their lives, but they hate any form of godliness and are embracing the occult, instead! We are not only condoning occultism and pagan "religions" and ideology, but everything else that YHWH calls an abomination - such as homosexuality, idolatry, bigotry, adultery, etc. - and we're doing it all in the name of "tolerance". The world seems to be turned upside down!

In Deuteronomy 6 YHWH said: 4 "Sh'ma, Yisra'el! ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI echad [Hear and do], Isra'el! ADONAI our God, ADONAI is one]; 5 and you are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart, all your being and all your resources. 6 These words, which I am ordering you today, are to be on your heart; 7 and you are to teach them carefully to your children. You are to talk about them when you sit at home, when you are traveling on the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them on your hand as a sign, put them at the front of a headband around your forehead, 9and write them on the door-frames of your house and on your gates. (CJB)

Please take a few minutes to read the REST of Deuteronomy 6, and allow yourself to realize that, contrary to popular belief, those words weren’t meant for just “the Jews” because YHWH ordered ALL who chose to follow Him, to do exactly as His people have always done (see Numbers 15:13-16 where He said it FOUR TIMES in a row!). Same God, same rules – as we learned when He was speaking to all 12 Tribes AND the Egyptians (mixed multitude) who had followed Moses out of Egypt!

Which commands still apply to us today? (Remember, many of the Torah commands were for the Levite Priests, while some were meant only for men and others only for women; but some were meant for ALL throughout their generations!) This article on our website explains.

In closing, we have kept our little Dallas safe for almost 14 years now, safe from "the world" and all its dangers, thanks to the watchful eyes of his human parents. ADONAI is doing the same thing for those who are His; so, remain faithful and do your best to stay on HIS Path until that glorious day when you get to "cross over" into the Kingdom of Heaven where no evil exists!

Revelation 21:3 I heard a loud voice from the throne say, "See! God's Sh'khinah is with mankind, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and he himself, God-with-them, will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will no longer be any death; and there will no longer be any mourning, crying or pain; because the old order has passed away." (CJB)

For more on that “Torah fence”, please check out our website’s article of the same title.

  

Torah portion: Parashah 11: Vayigash (He approached) Genesis 44:18 through 47:27

Shabbat shalom, mishpocah! Yes, it's that time again, and this week we see how Yosef was correct about his brothers "bowing down" to him one day! (You can find a synopsis of this week's Torah portion on our site.  Last week we discussed how Yosef (Israel/Ya'akov's son) ended up being a very powerful man under Pharoah in Egypt. When his brothers came for assistance during the seven year food crisis that had overtaken the land, they didn't recognize Yosef as the brother they had years before thrown into a cistern to die.

Pretending he did not know them, Yosef "toyed" with them for awhile before ultimately admitting who he was and demanding they fetch their father to come and live in Egypt where they would all be safe from the ravages of the famine. It was almost a reverse of the "prodigal son" story in Luke 15:11-32. This time, instead of the wayward son coming home to be accepted into the arms of a loving and understanding father, it was the son forgiving his brothers and then welcoming them and their (his) father into his world. (For more, please click on the link above!)

Yeshua is “Immanuel”…..

Every once in a while counter-missionaries attempt to use Isaiah 7:14 as “proof” that Y’shua is a farce because that verse says Messiah’s name will be “Immanuel.” Well, there IS an answer to this – and, as always, that answer can be found IN the Bible!

I have compiled the following information from various footnotes in the Aramaic English New Testament:

Immanuel - El is with us - a requirement of the Messiah. But Zechariah 6:12 makes it clear the actual "name of the branch" is YEHOSHUA, which 500 years later was truncated in Hebrew to Y'shua.

"In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up to David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell in safety: and this is the name by which she shall be called, 'YHWH our righteousness' [YHWH Tzidqeinu]" (Jeremiah 33:15-16).

"Behold, the days come, saith YHWH, that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice upon the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell in safety: and this is his name by which he shall be called, 'YHWH our righteousness'" (Jeremiah 23:5-6).

However, neither one of these verses reveals to us the name of the Branch. They merely state that the coming Messiah - known as the "Branch" - would be a righteous king, a descendant of King David, and that he would be the one responsible for bringing salvation to the Jews and to the rest of the tribes of Israel.

Now let us turn to a short account from Zechariah, in which YHWH instructs the prophet to crown the then current High Priest, Joshua.

"Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, who are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah; Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua [Yehoshua] the son of Josedech, the high priest; And speak to him, saying, Thus speaketh YHWH of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of YHWH: Even he shall build the temple of YHWH; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both" (Zechariah 6:10-13).

The word translated "Branch" in all these verses is the same Hebrew word, tzemach. Therefore, there is identity between the "Branch" in Jeremiah 23, Jeremiah 33 and Zechariah 6. In this short drama, we find Joshua (Yehoshua) the High Priest performing in the starring role of the Branch.

Essentially the scripture is saying: "Look at the man (Yehoshua) whose name is the Branch." In other words, the current High Priest of Judah in the days of Zechariah, Joshua (Yehoshua), has the same name as the one who would become the "Branch."

In Zechariah 6:10-13, we also discover many very interesting prophecies about the Branch. The Branch will grow up out of his place. The Branch will build the temple of YHWH; the Branch will bear the glory; the Branch will sit and rule upon his throne; the Branch will be a priest upon his throne; and, the Branch will have a counsel of peace with YHWH.

Zechariah 6: 12 and tell him, 'YHWH-Tzva'ot says: "There is coming a man whose name is Tzemach [Sprout]. He will sprout up from his place and rebuild the temple of YHWH.

Most seem to be unaware of what YHWH said to the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 34:11-12: 11 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness."

When YHWH says "when He is with them," in verse 12, He is saying, in essence, "I will be Immanuel," as the meaning of Immanuel is "YHWH is with us." And the only place we read that name Immanuel is in Isaiah 7....

So, there you have it! Y’shua, the “Word” (John 1:1-2 and 15) and “arm of YHWH” (Isaiah 53:1) is also Immanuel!

While we’re here, let’s also check out what Matthew says:

Matthew 1:23. “Behold, a virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call his name Ammanuel,[1] which is interpreted ‘our El [2] (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 [3] she had given birth to her first-born son, and she called his name Y’shua.[4] (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

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

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

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

[4] 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. The hybrid name Jesus (Je–Zeus) was coined within a culture where “Zeus” is the chief deity.

The name “Jesus” contributes to the polytheistic values that breaks Mashiyach away from his Torah based identity. The Greek persona of the “new Messiah” made way to endorse Trinitarian, anti-Torah and Hellenistic lifestyles.

Santa Claus is a lie, period! And lying is a sin….

I’m going to preface this by saying that it’s not my problem if people choose to celebrate Christmas, a “holiday” that masquerades as one of God’s Holy Days. I would just hope that, unlike “the world,” the Believers who do celebrate Christmas, keep in mind that it’s supposed to be all about Jesus and not some mythical being that has been made the center of this entire season…

Having said that, I HAVE to say something about this issue, because it made me sick to my stomach to see the myriad comments on this viral thread, in defense of the lie that is “Santa!” One woman’s response to this Breitbart post (and she had tons of people agreeing with her!) was: “I just tell my kids that when people say that, Its [sic] because they only ever got coal in their stockings and Santa doesn't like them.”

In other words, she doesn’t mind telling one lie to cover up another. Obviously, she’s not a Believer, or else she would know that lying is a SIN!

This issue “hit home” with me because I clearly remember how deceived I felt at the age of five, when my foster mother told me there was no Santa Claus. I couldn't believe my foster parents had LIED to me all this time! I had, by that time, already been reading fairy tales, and KNEW they weren't "real" - but every year I was told that "Santa" was! After that, I never completely trusted them, again - nor any other adult, for that matter….

Okay, so here is my opinion on this issue, point-for-point:

(1) That teacher had no right to do what he did. That's not a teacher's job.

(2) "Santa Claus" is one of the first lies we tell our children - and according to Scripture, lying is a sin. Therefore, this myth should never even have been perpetuated, in the first place. (Exodus 20:16, Colossians 3:9, 1 Timothy 1:9-11, (Revelation 21:8, Ephesians 4:15, Titus 1:2)

(3) It's pretty sad when 8 or 9-year-olds still believe in the myth of "Santa" because they should have been told way before then. It's one thing to allow children's imaginations to grow; and, in everything else EXCEPT with "Santa" we actually TELL our children "it's just make-believe."

But Santa is different. We INSIST that this mythical entity "knows when you've been naughty or nice." (Isn't that GOD's job?) And we INSIST that "Santa won't bring you any presents unless you've been good." What a HORRIBLE thing to do to children to have them keep in the back of their minds all year long, that they have to be "good" because Santa Claus is watching! Where does that leave God, and what doe HIS Word say about “idols” and “other gods?” (Leviticus 21:6, Ezekiel 16:20, 36; 20:24; 23:30, 2 Kings 17:12, 41, etc.)

Ezekiel 14:3 "Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity Should I be consulted by them at all?

Jeremiah 1:16 "I will pronounce My judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have forsaken Me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.

Isaiah 2:8 Their land has also been filled with idols; They worship the work of their hands, That which their fingers have made.

Psalm 106:36 And served their idols, Which became a snare to them.

Revelation 9:20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk;

(4) And, last, but not least - what does "Santa" have to do with the birth of the "Christ Child?" Christmas is supposed to be ALL about the birth of Jesus (who - according to Scripture - wasn't born in December, but on the first day of Sukkot/Tabernacles, which happens in the Sept/Oct time frame on our Gregorian calendars).

The Three Wise Men didn't stand around to exchange presents; they brought them ONLY for the baby Jesus – and that didn’t even happen until two year later, when they finally reached him! So, why give presents to each other (with many going into debt to do so, which is another thing that goes against Scripture - Romans 13:8, Psalm 37:21, Proverbs 28:8; Matthew 25:27, Leviticus 25:35-38).

So, I personally believe we've gone WAY overboard for a holiday that masquerades as one of YHWH's HOLY Days. But that's a whole 'nuther story. (For more on this, please see our articles: http://therefinersfire.org/christmas1.htm, http://therefinersfire.org/yeshuas_birthday.htm and http://therefinersfire.org/christmas1.htm - scroll down to Taberncles/Sukkot.)

If you reject Y’shua, you are blaspheming the Ruach!

Those who publicly reject Y'shua are hosed. Why? Because by publicly doing so, they have blasphemed the Ruach (Holy Spirit), which is the only UNforgivable sin! (Mark 3:28-29; Matthew 12:31-32)

The Ruach persuades and enables mankind to accept YHWH and His Torah and the Mercy and Grace He has displayed toward His Creation, which includes the sending of His Divine Son, Messiah Y'shua, who martyred himself on our behalf. (John 16:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12-14; Acts 7:51, etc)

By rejecting Y'shua as Messiah - YHWH's Representative on earth - you have, in essence, rejected YHWH and His Ruach!

Mark 3:28. Truly I say to you, that all sins and blasphemies that the sons of man will blaspheme will be forgiven them. 29. But he who blasphemes against the Ruach haKodesh has no forgiveness ever, rather he is guilty before the eternal judgment. (AENT)

Matthew 12:30. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever did not gather with me, scatters.[1] 31. Because of this I say to you that all sins and blasphemies will be forgiven to the sons of men, but blasphemy that is against the Spirit will not be forgiven to the sons of men. 32. And anyone who says a word against the Son of man, he will be forgiven, But anyone who will speak against the Ruach haKodesh,[2] he will not be forgiven – not in this world or in the world that is to come. (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] YHWH is the One True Universal Authority who chose to be represented by His Mashiyach. But man wars against Y’shua and one another to establish his own authority. Dividing and scattering, fallen man inadvertently follows the pattern of haSatan, the adversary.

[2] If a person committed one of the capital offenses that are mentioned in Torah, but confessed and pleaded for forgiveness, their death could provide atonement. But those who blaspheme against the Spirit of YHWH have nothing to make atonement for themselves, nor can they make an appeal in the name of Y’shua; see also Acts 5:1-11; Hebrews 10:28-30.

Reader comment concerning counter-missionaries and their antics

READER COMMENT:

"I was recently approached by a Messianic on FB who informed me that none (!) of the so-called "fulfillment texts" in the Gospels support the idea of Y'shua being the Saviour. I was also given a link to download/watch videos that purportedly refute the whole idea of the Tanakh EVER even suggesting that YHWH would send an intermediary/Saviour. The person took the time to provide all said "fulfillment texts" in the gospel of Mattityahu and then proceeded to show that none actually support the gospel account when looked up and read in context.

"I must admit, a few of the texts did seem to validate what this person was saying. One was the verse pertaining to YHWH calling His Son out of Egypt. A reading of the verse in the Tanakh would seem to indicate that, in that instance, Yisrael as a whole was being referred to, not Y'shua.

"I haven't bothered to watch the videos. I know you have written extensively on anti-missionaries so please help!"

OUR RESPONSE:

Thanks for your correspondence! Anti-missionaries say ALL KINDS of things in their attempts to negate Y'shua. The thing I like to tell them is this:

Isaiah 53 is all about Y'shua. End of story. Here's the short rebuttal: Can Israel DIE for Israel? (No, but Y’shua did! See Matthew 27.) Can Israel be wounded for our transgressions? (No, but Y’shua was! See Matthew 27.)

Can people take Israel's garments and divide them? (No, but that certainly happened in Y’shua’s case! See John 19:23.) WHEN was "Israel" wounded for our transgressions or crushed because of our iniquities? Has the world been HEALED by "Israel"? Not hardly! Y'shua has filled myriads of Tanach prophecies - and people can reject it all they want, but they cannot CHANGE those facts!

If you would like to rebut that, Mr/Ms Anti-Missionary, then please read this, first.

Another thing: Why does Y'shua HAVE to be foretold in the Torah? Neither Torah nor Tanakh "foretold" that YHWH's people were to brush their teeth or wear socks, so, according counter-missionaries, those things must NOT exist! Were Kings David and Solomon foretold in Torah? How about Ruth? How about the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah, etc.? They couldn't have been real, either, because Torah doesn't mention them!

They suggest NONE of the "so-called fulfillment texts" in the Gospels support the idea of Y'shua as Savior? Hmmm. You can find 300 of them right here, our article!

He has also fulfilled the first FOUR of the SEVEN Mo'edim/Appointed Times.

The thing is, if someone wishes to debunk something, they can find all kinds of scriptures to support their ideas. The trick is to decipher whether or not their ideas and opinions line up with the REST of Scripture. Counter-Missionaries are tricky and deceitful. Never let your guard down!

The law was abolished at the cross?

For those who like to use Galatians to prove that the "law was abolished at the cross," please check out our rebuttal.

The Sabbath revolves around the equinox?

READER COMMENT:

There is someone from the page "The mountain of Yahuah claiming the Sabbath revolves around the equinox. Quote: "There is a Lunar Calendar that is with us today it is called ‘The Creator’s Calendar.' It begins the year with the full moon sighted in the Virgo Constellation. and then each Month begins with a full Moon taking the next day. And the Weekly Sabbaths for every Month of the 12 months is the 8th, the 15th, the 22nd and 29th each Month and there may also be a thirteenth Month.”

When I asked for proof I get either a "red herring" "circular reasoning" or I should "ead the New Testament!"

Here is the meme she posted: "For this current Year, until the next Vernal Equinox, YAHUAH's Weekly Sabbath is every Thursday."

OUR RESPONSE:

Honestly, this is a new one! I've heard of a "Creator's Calendar" which demanded the Sabbaths always be on the 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th of the month, but they always relied on the month beginning at the new moon defined by the "dark moon" (conjunction), not by the "full moon"!
So whose "The Creator's Calendar" is this one? I'm going to assume it is thecreatorscalendar.com because they mysteriously start their month the day after the FULL moon.

The counterarguments:

1. This person says "There is a Lunar Calendar that is with us today it is called 'The Creators Calendar' ".

Rebuttal: Says who? There are NO, repeat, NO, ancient documents referring to this so called "The Creators Calendar", so I defy anyone making that claim to PROVE any such Lunar Calendar relying on the Full Moon existed at any time in history except now since the INTERNET came into existence.

2. The claim is: "It begins the year with the full moon sighted in the Virgo Constellation. and then each Month begins with a full Moon taking the next day."

Rebuttal: I demand a sound scriptural citation that defines the year begins "with the full moon sighted in the Virgo Constellation"! Even accounting for precession over the centuries which means the sun, at the equinoxes, slowly changes which constellation marks the equinoxes. Please give me a scripture which says the year begins with the FULL MOON in ANY constellation!

The year has NOTHING to do with the moon! If we had no moon, we would still have a year! The sun determines the year, not the moon!

And, unlike the day of lunar conjunction, the day of the full moon is very hard to determine by observation! Sure, today, we know the exact day and time of the full moon, but by observation alone, as they would have to do in ancient times, this information was not directly observable and was therefore not known! You cannot rely on simply looking at the "apparent" full moon as it rises in the east near the time of sunset!

That is NOT good enough to reveal the day when the moon actually passed through the full phase! The best you can do is assess when the day and time of full moon was, after it happened!
In fact, there are only 4 logical times of the year when the "year" can begin, and they are ALL determined by the sun and NOT by the moon. It's too much to describe here, but of those 4 logical times, only two are directly observable - the Vernal and Autumnal equinoxes. The moon has nothing to do with it.

3. "And the Weekly Sabbaths for every Month of the 12 months is the 8th, the 15th, the 22nd and 29th each Month and there may also be a thirteenth Month."

Rebuttal:

So this would mean that the 1st day of the "new month" is the day of (or day after?) the full moon, and the 15th of the month then would always be the day of (or day after) conjunction?!! Good luck with that! This silly calendar suffers the same problem of all "lunar Sabbath" calendars which is what to do with the days (not counted as "days") are needed at the END of the month till the new month begins!

Since the average month by the moon is 29.53 days, this calendar (as with all "lunar Sabbath" calendars) must make "magic days" at the end of the "month" which are not counted as "days" while they wait, in this case, for the "full moon". This calendar is complete bunk!

What these people don't understand is that the weekly Sabbath is declared in Scripture as its own moed with YHWH as established in Leviticus 23:3. The weekly Sabbath is established completely independent of the other, annual moed. This is clarified in Leviticus 23:37-38. What these people also don't understand is that the weekly Sabbath is the continual counting of 7 days and it is unrelated to the moon or the sun!

Parashah 10: Mikketz (At the end) Genesis 41:1 through 44:17

Shabbat shalom in the middle of Hanukkah,everyone! A synopsis of this week's Torah portion can be found on our website in Parashah 10. where the bottom line reveals that YHWH's Will was (and is) done, regardless how much we humans attempt to interfere or take matters into our own hands!

“Your sacrificed Jesus died for nothing”….

"God doesn't demand blood to atone for our sins. Prayer and repentance are all that's required. Your sacrificed Jesus died for nothing."

REALLY?

Leviticus 17: 11 "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for our souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement."

By the way, Y'shua wasn't sacrificed. He offered/martyred himself, against which there is NO law!

Furthermore, how many mere men do you know whose death caused an earthquake and the sun the quit shining, darkness, with graves opening, after their resurrection? Even the demons knew who he was, as did the Roman soldier….

Our friend, Ian Michaels, Leader/Teacher at Congregation Beth Menuchah, adds the following:

If prayer and repentance was all that's needed, then why didn't YHWH just have Adam & Eve pray and repent? No! A sacrifice was required which is why the text tells us that it was YHWH Himself who made the sacrifice of an innocent animal to clothe their nakedness (Gen.3:21).

Incidentally, for those who have a Hebrew Tanach, from the ayin in the word for "skins" count 7 letters from right to left ( a shin) then 7 letters again right to left ( a yod). This is an embedded equidistant letter sequence giving a 3 letter spelling of "Y'shua". Not convinced? Then go to Gen. 3:15 and count out the 4 letter spelling of His name from the yod in the word "ah'sheet". It's a 69 letter skip from left to right spelling yod-shin-waw-ayin removing all doubt as to what the name of the seed of the woman will be.

For those who wish to insist that mere men cannot atone for the sins of others, please explain these scriptures:

Exodus 28: 36 "You are to make an ornament of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal, 'Set apart for ADONAI.' 37 Fasten it to the turban with a blue cord, on the front of the turban, 38 over Aharon's forehead. Because Aharon bears the guilt for any errors committed by the people of Isra'el in consecrating their holy gifts, this ornament is always to be on his forehead, so that the gifts for ADONAI will be accepted by him.

Leviticus 6: 25 "Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'This is the law of the sin offering: in the place where the burnt offering is slain the sin offering shall be slain before the LORD; it is most holy. 26'The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. It shall be eaten in a holy place, in the court of the tent of meeting. 27'Anyone who touches its flesh will become consecrated; and when any of its blood splashes on a garment, in a holy place you shall wash what was splashed on.…

Leviticus 10: 16 Then Moshe carefully investigated what had happened to the goat of the sin offering and discovered that it had been burned up. He became angry with El'azar and Itamar, the remaining sons of Aharon, and asked, 17 "Why didn't you eat the sin offering in the area of the sanctuary, since it is especially holy? He gave it to you to take away the guilt of the community, to make atonement for them before ADONAI.

Debating Yeshua’s lineage? Look no further!

The anti-Y'shua crowd will go to any length to negate Him! They are adamant that He cannot be Messiah because His lineage came through a woman (since Joseph wasn't His biological father; just someone who "adopted" Y'shua...), and they insist the genealogy (according to Judaism), must come through the male.

Also, according to the anti-Y'shua crowd, women cannot inherit or pass on an inheritance. Hence, on several levels, Y'shua's messiahship - according to them - is null and void.

Well, let's examine what SCRIPTURE says:

Numbers 27:8 Moreover, say to the people of Isra'el, 'If a man dies and does not have a son, you are to have his inheritance pass to his daughter. 9 If he doesn't have a daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers. 11 If his father doesn't have brothers, give his inheritance to the closest relative in his family, and he will possess it. This will be the standard for judgment to be used by the people of Isra'el, as ADONAI ordered Moshe.'"

That, all by itself, negates the idea that women cannot have an inheritance. Now, let's move on to the genealogy thing, where we see that Mary should be disqualified to transfer the rights of her lineage to her son, Yeshua - except for a little known exception to the rule! Read on....

In Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38 we are presented with two genealogies of Yeshua. On the surface these different listings would appear to be a contradiction in the scriptures. Not only are the two genealogies listed in the reverse chronology from each other, but the genealogy found in Matthew's gospel is the lineage of Yeshua's mother, Mary, while the genealogy found in Luke's gospel is the lineage of Yeshua's earthly father Joseph. (Note: this is completely opposed to most teachings! But there is no doubt that Matthew's genealogy is that of Mary, and not her husband Joseph, as is usually assumed.)

However, many people fail to realize or address a major problem associated with the genealogical listing found in Matthew's gospel - the lineage of Mary. Once you have established that the line is indeed Mary's, you must deal with a second difficulty: The rights of the line are NOT passed through the mother; but rather, through the father. Even though Mary, through her lineage, was of the Davidic bloodline (as was her husband, Joseph), she should be excluded from being able to pass those rights of the bloodline because she was female (Deuteronomy 21:16).

So, it is not enough to prove that Mary was an unblemished descendant of David; she had to be a male to transfer the rights. Therefore, she would be disqualified to transfer the rights to her son Yeshua - EXCEPT for a little known exception to the rule.

AND LOOK AT THIS! In Numbers 26 we are introduced to Zelophehad. Zelophehad, we are told, had no sons; only daughters. In Numbers 27, following the death of Zelophehad, the daughters of Zelophehad came before Moses and argued their plight. Because their father had died with no sons, all of their rights of inheritance were to be lost and they felt this was unfair.

So Moses prayed to YHWH and He gave Moses an exception to the rule! He told Moses that the inheritance CAN flow through a female, IF they fulfill two requirements: There must be no male offspring in the family (Numbers 27:8) and if the female offspring should marry, they must marry within their own tribe (Numbers 36:6).

Now, returning to Mary. On the surface she should be unable to transfer the rights to her Son. But when you research you find that Mary had NO brothers, she was of the line of David, AND received the inheritance of her father because her father had no sons, AND Mary did indeed marry within her own tribe to Joseph.

End of argument!

Footnote to Matthew 1 from the Aramaic English New Testament:

The word gowra designates a protector-male or guardian; the context of this verse determines its specific meaning. Y'shua elsewhere says "which one of gowra, if he has a son...."; obviously "father" is intended. "Gowra" also applies to other forms of protector-male type relationships depending on the context, such as "husband", "son", and so forth.

Ancient Aramaic Matthew ends at verse 17, not verse 25. The text not only establishes the subject, but shifts from "background history" into the present, from intro to body. This means that the Yosip in verse 16 (the guardian or adopted father of Miriyam (Mary)) is not the same Yosip as the husband of Miriyam in verse 19.

There is no reason for Matthew to use two different words for the same individual, whereas gowra sometimes means "husband" but can also mean "father". The other term baalah can only mean "husband". On the other hand, there would most definitely be a reason to differentiate two men named Yosip, one being the adopted father, the other the husband of Miriyam.

With this differentiation we now have three full sets of 14 generations, which satisfies the demands of verse 17.

Furthermore....When you read thoroughly the details of Zelophedad's daughters it is clear that is exactly what it is about: Females inherit the assets of their father when there is no male heir. This is stated DIRECTLY:

Numbers 27: 7 'Zelophehad's daughters are right in what they say. You will indeed give them a property to be their heritage among their father's kinsmen; see that their father's heritage is passed on to them. 8 Then speak to the Israelites and say, "If a man dies without sons, his heritage will pass to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, the heritage will go to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, his heritage will go to his father's brothers. 11 If his father has no brothers, his heritage will go to the member of his clan who is most nearly related; it will become his property. This will be a legal rule for the Israelites, as Yahweh has ordered Moses."' (NJB)

Proof of this is also indirectly stated with Joseph and Mary returning to Bethlehem. Mary is attached to that inheritance through her husband but she also inherits from her family without there being a male heir.

And let's not forget, Talmud says a child is considered Jewish if his MOTHER is Jewish....And Torah says land can only pass WITHIN THE TRIBE it is allotted to. YHWH calls it an INHERITANCE. And with the Levites YHWH says, "I am their inheritance"...so obviously being from a tribe is an asset if you inherit YHWH..

We disagree that the King James is the “best” version….

Some people keep pushing the King James Version as the ONLY version to adhere to. Well, it's fine it you like that version, but please don't attempt to push it as "the only" Bible version that contains the Truth - because it doesn't. And here's why:

The KJV contains LOTS of problems - all from King James' skewed viewpoint! Here are just a few examples:

Check out, for instance, passages like Leviticus 12:8, 15:29 and Numbers 6:10 where KJV mistranslated the SLANG word "turtles" - meaning "TURTLE DOVES" - supposedly being used as sin sacrifices. The problem is "turtles" could NOT POSSIBLY be used as sin sacrifices because they're not kosher!

And here’s a shocker: King James perpetuated the “trinity” concept. Yes, it's true! Nowhere in Scripture do we ever see our ELOHIM referred to as a “trinity” or the Holy Spirit called a “person.” (Being “saved” in a Baptist church in January 1995, I always wondered how the heck a person would get inside another person to guide their life….) Let’s see what happened:

I John 5: 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. (KJV)

So, what's wrong with it? Well, the undiluted truth is: King James added the line! He worded it to make it seem as though John was defining the Father, Son and Spirit as three separate beings in one.

And oddly, all the other "versions" completely omit everything after the word "heaven" in verse 7! For instance the NIV says: “For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.” This is TOTALLY different from the KJV! (Knowing this, and realizing all the various versions added, omitted and mistranslated, is it any wonder why we have nearly 40,000 different Christian "denominations"?)

Here is a footnote from the NIV referencing 1 John 5:7-8:

"Late manuscripts of the Vulgate testify in heaven, the Father, the Word and Holy Spirit, and these three are one. And there are three that testify in earth--not found in any Greek manuscript before the sixteenth century."

This shows that both verses are late additions. Obviously, 5:7 is an addition post-397 CE, after the Council of Carthage and 5:8 is so late as to be meaningless. This is true because trinity was never, and is not, an original Biblical doctrine! It was a formulation of Constantine, Eusebius and others.

Here is the passage as seen in Aramaic English New Testament:

I John 5: 6. This is he who came by the water and the blood. Y'shua the Mashiyach; not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit testifies; because the Spirit is truth. 7. (Verse 7 is nonexistent in the Eastern Peshitta!) 8. And there are three witnesses, the Spirit and the water, and the blood: and these three are in union. (AENT)

Footnote: Appended text: (For there are three that testify in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Ruach haKodesh: and these three are one.), which is why Murdock puts the brackets and adds: “This verse is not wanting in most MSS., and is omitted in the edit. London, 1826.” The fact is that this line was inserted under the authority of Constantine to promote the Trinity doctrine.

It does not exist in the Peshitta nor the oldest Greek manuscripts of Aleph, A, B and the Vulgate. Christo-Paganism which originated before Constantine taught that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are numerically three separate beings, but yet “all the same” is a blatant violation of the First and Second Commandments (see Sh’mot/Exodus 20:1-6).

Hopefully, the above information will give you a new perspective on the King James version!

Satan’s greatest lie

Clearing up the apparent discrepancy between Genesis 46:27 and Acts 7:14

READER COMMENT:

Would you mind shedding light on Acts 7:14 [75 souls in number]. Acts 7:14, according to some Rabbis and counter-missionaries, counters Genesis 46:27. They make claims that this is among many of the errors of the B'rit Chadasha. Please, silence this notion especially for those infant believers who by every whim are tossed to and fro.

OUR RESPONSE:

Thank you for your request!  This issue comes up from time to time and many are "quick" to cite "discrepancy" and blame the B'rit Chadasha as "erred"! But that's folly. Yes, there "appears" to be a discrepancy. To wit, the verses you cited:

Genesis 46:27 "Thus all the people in Ya‘akov’s family who entered Egypt numbered seventy."

Acts 7:14. "And Yosip sent for his father and brought Ya’akov and all his family. And they were seventy and five souls in number."

But let me say right up front: The discrepancy is only in our incomplete knowledge of the numbers presented in the Masoretic Text (the accepted Hebrew Tanakh) and the B'rit Chadasha. To conclude the B'rit Chadasha is somehow in error is the epitome of bias and arrogance. Scholars can't even agree on how the number "70" is arrived at in the Masoretic Text! Is Ya'akov counted? Are the two, named females counted (Dinah, verse 15 & Serach verse 17)?

(From my own counting of the names in Gen 46, I conclude that the numbers presented in the Masoretic Text are at least consistent, that is, "66" is correct in verse 26 because 66 includes all the names of sons and daughters and excludes Ya'akov, Yosef, M’nasheh and Efrayim). And "70" is correct because it INCLUDES all names including Ya'akov, Yosef, M’nasheh and Efrayim. But that DOES NOT mean "70" is "correct" because the Masoretic Text is nothing more than an amalgamation of many ancient documents! The Masoretic Text is NOT from an original ancient Hebrew manuscript.)

So let's look at the number "75" in the B'rit Chadasha, Acts 7:14. The number is presented by Stephen during a speech he made in which he summarized pretty much then entire history of Judaism! Guess what version of the Tanakh Stephen would likely have been familiar with in his time? It would NOT have been the Masoretic Text as the Masoretic Text would not appear for another 800+ years! It would have been the Septuagint from which Stephen was drawing his history!

And the Septuagint differs from the Masoretic Text in Genesis 46! It not only differs in the cited verse 27, but in other verses as well! In fact, verses 20-22 in the Septuagint cite grandsons of Yoseph not named in the Masoretic Text, adding 4 names to the total! So there's a total of 74 without much effort. (The problem is not resolved though. The Septuagint does not account for how it arrived at 75!)

But the Septuagint is probably what Stephen knew, and it said "75"! So, given that Stephen in Acts 7 was likely referring to the Septuagint which (I emphasize) pre-dated the Masoretic by hundreds of years, why aren't the naysayers complaining about the Septuagint instead of the B'rit Chadasha? Why aren't the naysayers questioning the Masoretic Text instead? After all, it disagrees with the far-older Septuagint!

The bottom line? The available manuscripts don't seem to provide enough information to come to a definitive conclusion. The Masoretic Text is biased (being the result of a "committee" of Rabbis who "decided" what was "original" from a number of sources), and the Septuagint is a Greek translation from now-lost original, ancient Hebrew manuscripts, and contains its own biases from the 70 scholars who assembled it!

Is this a "deal breaker"? That is, are we not to believe the B'rit Chadasha because of Acts 7:14? Of course, I would say "no", but if someone insisted, I'd simply point out to them the shady origin of the Masoretic Text and demand they prove its in-errancy.

About that odd Chapter, Genesis 38

In this week’s Torah portion about the Yosef saga, did you wonder about the odd insertion of Judah’s life into the text which stops abruptly in Chapter 37 and resumes in Chapter 39? How strange to suddenly dump Joseph by the wayside and begin discussing the life of Judah! (See Genesis 37:38 - 38:30). Was it accidental, or just “shoe-horned” in because the story didn’t fit anywhere else?

Nope! You see, this is the beginning of Y’shua’s genealogy!

Everett J. Fox, author of “The Schocken Bible, Volume I, The Five Books of Moses” concludes the following:

“The other function of this story seems to be to carry out the major theme of Genesis as we have presented it: continuity and discontinuity between generations. What is at stake here is not merely the line of one of the brothers, but the line which (as the biblical audience must have been fully aware) will lead to royalty – King David was a descendant of Peretz of v.29.

“This should not be surprising in a book of origins; we noted the possible mention of Jerusalem in 14:18. Apparently, a popular early theme, connected as we have noted to the power of God in history, continuity/discontinuity is repeated in somewhat similar circumstances in the Book of Ruth (which contains the only other mention of ‘begettings’ outside of Genesis and Numbers 3:1.”

Torah contains many messages – overt, covert, easy or hard to understand, repetitions, redundancies … you name it! Torah is perfect, concise and deliberate, containing NO mistakes! Every word is there for a reason. And the bottom line is, it makes perfect sense for the Yehuda story to have been inserted exactly where it was because of his importance in Bible history … especially in view of the fact that his line would one day produce our divine Messiah!

Please note, one of the keys to the Judah/Tamar/Peretz insertion is found within the short Book of Ruth which took place hundreds of years later, leading us straight to the “hidden” meaning of the Judah/Tamar/Peretz story.

Here’s a quick synopsis gleaned from the mind author Avigdor Bonchek, from his book, “Studying the Torah, A Guide to In-Depth Interpretation”:

The book of Ruth discusses the marriage of Ruth to Boaz and the birth of their son, Oved who is the father of Yeshai, the father of David (Ruth 4:17). The generations of Peretz includes his son Hezron father of Ram, father of Amminadab, father of Nahshon, father of Salmah, father of Boaz, father of Obed,father of Jesse, father of David the King of Israel, “the Messiah” (Ruth 4:18–22).

Bonchek questioned why David’s predecessors are mentioned through Boaz all the way back to Peretz; but not back to Judah, especially in view of the fact that David was of the tribe of Judah! He said, “it suggests that the reason the Book of Ruth highlights Peretz is the same reason that the Book of Genesis ends the Judah/Tamar affair with Peretz’s birth. The point is to lead us to free-associate—Peretz . . .

When we read of David’s genealogy and hear Peretz’s name, we think back to the last significant time Peretz was mentioned, at the conclusion of the Judah/Tamar story. And when we think forward to the Book of Ruth, Peretz’s name becomes associated with the birth of David, and the Messiah! Thus, our midrashic message of God creating the light of the Messiah is clarified.

Don’t be mad at Trump about Jerusalem….

Many seem to be angry at President Trump for acknowledging Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, to where the US embassy will eventually be moved.. I guess these angry people don't realize that TRUMP is NOT the one who started this; he simply finished what CLINTON began back in 1992! (You can Google it.)

This was accomplished with the stipulation that the US Embassy would move to Jerusalem by 1999. But that didn't happen because Clinton and every President since then has waived that embassy move every six months - until now, when Trump FINALLY went ahead and authorized the move.

I, for one, am GLAD that he did, because it's part of Bible prophecy that ALL nations will go up against Israel. Take a look at this meme:

Don’t be too angry with the Pope about “The Lord’s Prayer”

Don’t get too upset at the Pope who apparently wants to change “The Lord’s prayer” :

While the Pope definitely does NOT have the right to “change” Scripture”; he is actually correct in that God doesn't "lead” anyone into temptation. Satan does that! Since YHWH gave mankind “free will,” we are free to “fall into temptation” or even to pursue it, which many, unfortunately, do…

The problem actually lies in Bible translations. You see, copyright laws state that every Bible version has to be something like 20 percent different from any other version, and so they all say something different, rendering some meanings useless or too far OFF the mark.

....Which is actually the case with “The Lord’s Prayer.”

You see, the original languages don’t say anything about “leading into temptation.” Check out the Aramaic, which says the following:

Matthew 6:9. Therefore, you pray like this: Our Father in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. 10. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done. As in heaven so on earth.[1] 11 Give us the bread of our need this day. 12. And forgive us our offences as we also have forgiven those who have offended us. 13. And not bring us into trial,[2] but deliver us from the evil one, for Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Heavens always come before the earth in terms of the creation order, importance and having heaven’s laws rule on earth (Job 38:31-33).

[2] YHWH does not lead His people into “temptation”, but He does test and proves them. Deut. 13:3; Job 1:7-12; James 1:14.

Parashah 9: Vayeshev (He continued living) Genesis 37:1 through 40:23

Shabbat shalom, mishpocah! Yes, it’s that time again – time to get really serious about your Weekly Torah Studies – Halleluyah! A synopsis of this week’s Torah portion can be found on our website.

In last week's Torah portion we saw Ya'akov (renamed Israel) going back to his homeland. By that time he had twelve sons who were to become the twelve tribes of Israel. His father Yitz'chak (Isaac), our second Patriarch, died at the age of 180, and Ya'akov (our third Patriarch) and his twin brother, Esav, buried him.

In this parashah beginning in Genesis 37 we find Israel's (formerly known as Ya'akov/Jacob, Genesis 32:28) son Yosef (Joseph) as an object of jealousy for his brothers who realized that their father loved Yosef more than any of them. After revealing a series of dreams that seemed to indicate Yosef would eventually be their leader in some way, his brothers plotted to kill him - but ultimately sold him to the Goyim (Gentiles) after his oldest brother Reuven insisted they simply throw him into a cistern. Reuven planned on rescuing him later, but the story took a turn when the brothers decided to sell Yosef to a passing caravan which took him on to Egypt.

For more, please read our synopsis and the actual Torah portions and other readings.

Did Y’shua have two different fathers?

Let’s quickly address the false allegation that Y’shua had two different fathers. Messiah-Deniers attempt to use poor translations of Matthew 1:15-16 and Luke 3:23-24 as supposed "proof".

Matthew 1:15 And Eli'ud begat Elea'zar; and Elea'zar begat Mat'than; and Mat'than begat Jacob; 16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Yehoshuah, who is called Messiah.

Luke 3:23 And Yeshua himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi,

Note how they don't mind using the New Testament "against" us whenever it suits their purposes; but if we try to correct the misunderstanding, they will immediately hide behind "the New Testament is a myth" argument!

The truth is, many have mistaken the genealogy in Matthew as that of Joseph, while the genealogy in Luke is taken as that of Mary. This is backwards! The genealogy in Matthew is of Mary and Luke's is of Joseph, Mary's husband!

Matthew 1:16, does not read "Joseph the husband of Mary" as most poor English translations say; rather it is: "Joseph, the guardian of Mary." What's happening here is that the Greek translators failed to understand the Aramaic "gowra", meaning "guardian" in the context, and instead translated it as "husband", the error of which is simply carried forward in English translations.

This means that the "Joseph" in Matthew 1:16 is the name of the guardian of Mary, not the "Joseph" who became her husband, who simply had the same name! Indeed, if you just keep reading in Matthew 1, Matthew goes on to say: "But Yosip [Joseph], her husband was just and did not desire to expose her, yet he was thinking in secret that he would dismiss her." Even Matthew understood that in verse 19 he needed to clarify that there he was talking about "Joseph", Mary's husband, rather than "Joseph", Mary's guardian whom he was naming in verse 16, son of Jacob!

We need to understand, Yeshua HAD to come from the line of David through Solomon! You see this in Matthew 1:6. But if you insist that the genealogy in Luke is the genealogy of Mary, then you would incorrectly cause the birth line of Yeshua to come from Natan, not Solomon! (See Luke 3:31). But Luke 3:23, is very clear that Luke here is addressing the line of JOSEPH, Mary's husband, of whom Yeshua is rightfully claimed as Joseph's son because Joseph did marry Yeshua's mother!

Anyway, here is one final response to their myriad allegations: A Messiah-Denier on Facebook recently ridiculed Yeshua's comment, "Let the dead bury the dead" in Matthew 8:22. This person insisted He was being "anti-Torah" which "proves" He cannot be THE Messiah....Well, the meaning is perfectly clear for those who understand the whole of the Bible. Yeshua wasn't talking about physically dead people (dead people can't DO anything!); rather, He meant the spiritually dead. If someone is spiritually dead, NOTHING you can say to them will matter, because they don't and can't understand (see 1 Cor. 2:14).

In other words, "leave those people alone and move on. Don't waste your time because they don't want to hear what you have to say. Let the dead bury their dead."

…Which is exactly what we ALL should do whenever challenged by some Yeshua-denier, for anyone who is able to deny Yeshua, never knew him, in the first place

About that “don’t use the Lord’s Name in vain” thing…

Once someone rejects Y'shua, one of the first things they will do is begin to harp about our use of the Name of God. They will even type out the mere title of "God" as "G-d" as a form of respect. Well, fine, but I question why we shouldn't use YHWH's Name or any of His Titles, when we see in Exodus 3 that ADONAI personally gave His Name to Moshe/Moses. Seems to me, if He didn't want anyone to know or use His Name, He would have kept it a secret!

Exodus 3:13-15 Moshe said to God, "Look, when I appear before the people of Isra'el and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you'; and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what am I to tell them?" God said to Moshe, "Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh [I am/will be what I am/will be]," and added, "Here is what to say to the people of Isra'el: 'Ehyeh [I Am or I Will Be] has sent me to you.'" God said further to Moshe, "Say this to the people of Isra'el: 'Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [YHWH/ADONAI], the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz'chak and the God of Ya'akov, has sent me to you.'This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered generation after generation." (CJB)

One woman wrote to tell me "'I am what I am' isn't a name! It's HIS presence!" and another wrote: "Leviticus 22:32 tells us to sanctify his name and to not profane it. Using G-d's holy name cavalierly is Chilul Hashem - a desecration of His name. It shows a lack of respect."

My question is, then WHY do we see Exodus 3:13-15 telling us that YHWH said, "Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh (Yahweh), 'This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered generation after generation'"?

Has "forever" ended? NO! And that "don't use the Lord's Name in vain" thing refers to attributing something to YHWH that He didn't do or say! It's got nothing to do with NOT using His Name!

If we only refer to Him as "G-d" which is how most Jews refer to our ELOHIM, then in my opinion, we are hiding from the world WHO He is. Exodus 23:2 tell us: "Make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of your mouth" which prohibits the use of alternative names and titles that replace the Name of YHWH and His Mashiyach Yeshua; both are absolute.

Whether it's His "Presence" or His Name – He gave it to Moshe to tell to the people of Israel! And then He said: 'This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered generation after generation." If you don't wish to use the Name He gave to Moshe, then don't! It's that simple.

But please do not tell the rest of us that we are "using the Lord's name in vain" whenever we say YHWH! And please don't tell us we can't even write it due to some misapplication of Deuteronomy 12:3-4! Using His "Name in vain" would be assigning something to God that He never said or did. We are not to misrepresent His Character or what He stands for. It's got nothing whatsoever to do with NOT using the Name He gave to Moshe when you are glorifying Him when you use it!

For more on this topic please check out our article about the Name of God, or see Carmen Welker’s video #29.

You're welcome, PM Netanyahu!

You're welcome, PM Netanyahu! We love you and we love Israel. Halleluyah!  Hang in there.  You know how The Book ends! (Please take two minutes to listen to PM Netanyahu’s speech.) 

Discussion with a counter-missionary

EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE, a counter-missionary will pose some challenges we can't resist. The following conversation was borrowed from the wall of Jason N Lyn, where tons of Yeshua-bashing takes place:

MIRIAM WROTE: “Jason was challenging a specific verse in Luke 24, and that is not at all addressed in your response. Where - chapter and verse - is there any reference in the Tanach about the Messiah rising from the dead on the third day, or repentance in his name being preached?

The bigger question is why all his apostles and disciples DIDN'T KNOW this, especially when the gospels says that HE TOLD THEM before his death - just go back a few chapters in Luke 19:33, where they were told, "they [the Gentiles] will scourge him and kill him, and on the third day he will rise."

Let's assume you were told that, back then, and you heard him say that with your own ears. Wouldn't you burn that into your memory so that you knew, and were confident, at the time of his death, that he was going to be resurrected either on the third day or after 3 days and 3 nights (take your pick)? How completely difficult is that to understand or remember when you believe that Jesus is the Messianic King? Even after being told by eye-witnesses that of Jesus was raised from the dead and seen, his 11 apostles chalked it up to OLD WIVES' TALES - "but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them." (Luke 24:11).

My approach, as you probably know, is that the books in the Christian bible are NOT inspired scripture; they have some element of truth mixed in with an unknown amount of fiction. So, for me, Jesus is "off the hook" for anything he is quoted as having said - because he was dead, likely for decades, before the unknown writers of the gospels took up their pens to write contradicting things in his name from their memories.

The "New Testament" needs to be exposed as containing falsehood so that gullible Jews don't, for example, test their faith by drinking poison (Mark 16:18), and so they don't run to a church to get baptized in an effort to stay out of hell. The gospels have a number of threats that say, if you don't believe, you'll be damned, and these threats are lies. There is no commandment to believe that any man is the Messiah when the messianic prophesies remain to be fulfilled.

As Jason said, we gotta watch out for those phony "The bridge is safe" signs. It isn't. It's a slippery slope to idol worship, apostasy, and assimilation.”

CARMEN WELKER RESPONDS:

MIRIAM ASKED: “Where - chapter and verse - is there any reference in the Tanach about the Messiah rising from the dead on the third day, or repentance in his name being preached?”

MY RESPONSE: In other words, Miriam is saying: “Show me chapter and verse or I won’t believe it!” The very question presupposes that the answers are elucidated in the Tanakh; yet a complete reading and study of the Tanakh reveals that much of it is not clear at all - about quite a lot!

The counter-missionary crowd is simply abusing the two verses in Luke 24, specifically verses 46 and 47, to claim that “Jesus does not know the Bible” (Jason’s words); when in fact, it is they who clearly don’t know Scripture - or the Messiah! They’ve failed to see that earlier Luke 24:25-27 explains that the proper evidence was revealed to those on the road to Emmaus – it simply was not revealed to “us”!

Consequently no one knows which verses from the Tanakh Yeshua addressed revealing that he would rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance in His name would be preached! Does that mean the verses don’t exist? Of course not. So, what we have to do is turn to the Tanakh with unbiased eyes and ears to see what it reveals. Unfortunately, any two people can read the Tanakh and come away with a divergent understanding. (This is why it took Yeshua to reveal the meaning to those on the road in Luke 24:27!)

Fact is, there are hundreds of messianic prophecies in the Tanakh (Micah 5:2, 6; Zechariah 9:9-10 to cite a couple), and YHWH Himself declared He would be Israel’s salvation (many verses, including Exodus 15:2, Isaiah 45:17, 46:13, etc.); and while some understand “Yeshua” in “salvation”, others don’t see it. So, sadly, there is little agreement on which verses in the Tanakh are Messianic and which are not.

But as to the question, “is there a verse in the Tanakh which suggests the Messiah would die and rise on the 3rd day?” There is, but again, it is up to the reader to see it. Take Hosea 6:1-3:

6:1 “Come, and let us return unto the LORD; for He hath torn, and He will heal us, He hath smitten, and He will bind us up. 2 After two days will He revive us, on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His presence. 3 And let us know, eagerly strive to know the LORD, His going forth is sure as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth.”

Does this specifically mention Yeshua? No. Does it address that there will be a death with a resurrection on the 3rd day? Yes. Does it ask that YHWH will come to them? Yes. (Since YHWH can’t come to them in His form because no one can look upon Him and live (Exodus 33:20), we realize that YHWH must be “seen” in another form.) It is not that hard to see the Messiah in these verses!

See also Isaiah 53:3-5 and Psalm 16:8-10 which include the prophecy of death and resurrection of the Messiah. And for what it’s worth, the author of Acts (accepted as Luke) said in Acts 17:2-3 that Paul went into Synagogues teaching from the Tanakh how the Messiah had to suffer, die and rise again. But here again, we aren’t told which scriptures Paul would have used from the Tanakh prophecies.

And so, what about “repentance in His name being preached?” Again, WE aren’t TOLD which verses Yeshua explained, but there are many in the Tanakh linking YHWH and Yeshua (as savior and mashiyach) of YHWH. Here are a few which can be understood when one realizes how YHWH can be savior:

Hosea 13:4 “Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt; and thou knowest no God but Me, and beside Me there is no saviour (moshia).”

Isaiah 43:11 “I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no saviour (moshia).”

And here are two sources identifying the Messiah as the Savior: Micah 5:2 & 6; Zechariah 9:9-10.

And in Isaiah 53:1-12 (which, for brevity, I won’t reproduce here), Isaiah reveals details of the Moshia. (Yes, I know the counter-missionaries poo-poo these verses and explain them away but that does not negate what the verses say.)

And Micah 6:6-8 reflects repentance (without using the word) to walk righteously with YHWH.

As Yeshua explained in Luke 24:25, people were foolish and did not comprehend the meaning in the words of the prophets. It should not be surprising that it takes the lifting of blinders for the message to become clear how the Tanakh reveals the Messiah.

By the verses cited here alone, one can conclude that 1) YHWH is the savior, 2) Yeshua is the mechanism, and therefore YHWH and Yeshua are “one”. And wouldn’t you know it, Yeshua actually said that (John 10:30)! When one repents in the name of Yeshua, then they are repenting in the name of YHWH. (Can one repent in the name of YHWH and not Yeshua? Certainly. But since everyone must be redeemed for their individual salvation, and Yeshua is the redeemer, why give up your redemption and only seek forgiveness through repentance?

Repentance, i.e., returning to a state of righteousness through remorse and being forgiven for innocent acts against Torah; and Salvation, i.e., the continual possession of an everlasting life with YHWH through redemption, are two different things. Nowhere in the Tanakh do we find eternal salvation obtained only upon turning from one's sinful behavior through repentance. Eternal salvation in the Tanakh was obtained solely upon turning to YHWH in faith and being redeemed by a blood sacrifice.)

As to the posed “bigger question”, i.e., “why all his apostles and disciples DIDN'T KNOW this, especially when the gospels says that HE TOLD THEM before his death - just go back a few chapters in Luke 19:33 [sic], where they were told, ‘they [the Gentiles] will scourge him and kill him, and on the third day he will rise.’ ”

(The intended verse is Luke 18:33.) This person is complaining that the disciples are portrayed as having not known the Messiah would be killed and rise despite being told, because a later verse (Luke 24:11) describes the disciples as scoffing at the events. Yet Luke 18 goes on to say in the very next verse: “However, they understood none of this; its meaning had been hidden from them, and they had no idea what he was talking about.” (Curious isn’t it. It’s the same situation still today! Meaning remains hidden.)

So: scripture TELLS us that understanding was being hidden from them. Today someone dares complain that the disciples are portrayed later as not knowing? Come on! This is not actually the “bigger question” at all! This is ignorance! Today, the question only surfaces as a result of not understanding scriptures.

We are told several times in the Gospels that the disciples were having difficulty accepting and comprehending what Yeshua was telling them about who He was and what had to happen. (Again, the same situation remains today!) And this person apparently fails to realize that Yeshua later rebuked the disciples for their unbelief and hardness of heart (Mark 16:14).

As to the rest of the comments, they merit no response as they are simply the ramblings of misguided personal opinion from someone who has already decided, and will likely not change....