Parashah 37: Shlach L'kha (Send on your behalf) Numbers 13:1 through 15:41

Shabbat shalom mishpocah/family/friends! 

As always, a synopsis of this week’s Torah portion can be found on our website.  This week’s Torah portion is Parashah 37: Shlach L'kha (Send on your behalf) Numbers 13:1 through 15:41.

In this Torah portion we discover why the Israelites ended up in the desert for 40 years: They didn't trust YHWH! So, instead of just FOUR years of learning to live under His Divine Guidance, they reaped a sentence of FORTY years!

This portion describes the sin of the spies who entered the Land and brought back a negative report of obstacles they feared could not be overcome. Only Caleb and Joshua returned with the encouraging words; they had complete faith and understood that if God desired Israel, He would give them the Land, and no power could stand in His way.

And so, naturally, YHWH once again becomes angry with his people:

Numbers 14: 10 But just as the whole community were saying they should be stoned to death, the glory of ADONAI appeared in the tent of meeting to all the people of Isra'el. 11 ADONAI said to Moshe, "How much longer is this people going to treat me with contempt? How much longer will they not trust me, especially considering all the signs I have performed among them? 12 I am going to strike them with sickness, destroy them and make from you a nation greater and stronger than they are!"  (CJB)

And, as usual, Moshe interceded on their behalf (see Numbers 14: 13-19)....

Please read the synopsis and then read the entire Torah portion, along with the Haftarah (Prophets) and Brit Chadasha (New Testament) portions, in your Bible.

What is a “counter-missionary”?

They are Jewish Rabbis who have decided to "turn the tables" on Christians by doing some "reverse psychology" and converting Christians away from "Jesus" with their smooth-talking ways (using Torah and Talmud and even Kabballah to draw them away). They KNOW that most Christians know noting about Torah, and so the gullible are easily deceived into not only believing that Yeshua and the “New Testament” are complete MYTHS; but these cunning Rabbis then use those same people to go back and use their new-found knowledge against Christians and Messianic/Hebrew Roots types....

The truth is, ONLY THE GULLIBLE can be led astray! The problem is, the “gullibes” outnumber those who KNOW the Truth, and so they're growing in numbers! The Rabbis knew what they were doing, and it's working…

That's why one of the major goals of our website, The Refiner’s Fire, is to EXPOSE these loud-mouthed charlatans (who are making their living doing this!) and the poor souls they've deceived, who are now such "Jesus haters" that they spend every day on Facebook in counter-missionary viper pit threads to bash “Jesus, Paul and the NT” and anyone who dares to counter them.

Countering the comments of Jews who work to convert YOU away from Messiah Yeshua….

Counter-missionary Jews and their converts tend to forget that YHWH always demanded innocent blood to atone for men's sins. The Jews know that, yet they take scriptures out of context (such as Hosea 6:6, Psalm 51:16, 1 Samuel 15:22, Psalm 40:6, etc.) to show that He does NOT want sacrifices; rather just prayer and repentance. (See our article on why they are sorely mistaken.)

It is a huge mistake to suggest YHWH no longer views innocent blood as "cleansing"; it's a mistake they're making ONLY because there is no Temple today nor Levite Priests to do the sacrifices. In the meantime, YHWH gave them a Redeemer whom they refuse because "G-d never demanded human sacrifice." (See our blog article. )

Well, if they could only see that Yeshua WASN'T sacrificed. He martyred himself to allow his divine blood to be shed - against which there is no law! And if "God never required human beings to atone for men's sins, then how do they explain these passages that reveal otherwise?

Is there a Torah regulation against cremation?

Someone recently asked whether or not there was a Torah prohibition against cremation. The answer is no, there is not. YHWH will resurrect all of His children regardless of what has become of their bodies. When Yeshua returns, "the dead in Messiah" will be raised and given immortal bodies, "fashioned like unto his glorious body" and then those Believers who are alive. (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:54; Philippians 3:21)

Even though Jewish tradition has developed a taboo against cremation, there remains no explicit source in the Bible against it - but there are no explicit sources FOR it, either. Reference is made in I Samuel 31:12-13 to the burning of the bodies of King Saul and his sons and subsequent burial of the bones, but this does not mean it is to be a regular practice. Nor does it say it CAN'T or shouldn't be done.

The practice of the ancient patriarchs was burial, such as shown by Jacob being buried with his ancestors in a cave that Abraham had bought (Genesis 49:29-33). Yeshua's body was interred in a tomb after His crucifixion (Luke 23:52-56; John 19:38-42). With Yeshua, the thing is, if he had been cremated, no one would have noticed him missing/his resurrection....

Still, as far as I personally can tell, allowing a body to decay and return to dust or cremating it in no way detracts from our souls entering heaven.

If any of you have proof to the contrary, please feel free to share!

Which Bible is the Correct One?

Someone recently posed a great question:  "How do we know which version of the Bible is the correct version?"

The questioner was actually referring to the New Testament and unfortunately, it's not an easy answer.  The history of Christianity is so mired in distancing the faith from Judaism, employing institutional and individual bias, and intentional misrepresentation of scripture, it's truly hard to find a Bible with a New Testament true to the original manuscripts. In fact, most Bibles are copyrighted and for a Bible to be copyrighted it must be “be substantially and creatively different” from any other Bible.  (Think about that!) So what does a reader do?

In a nutshell, we must read the New Testament with a mindset that keeps our hearts open to question the validity of what we are reading. For example, we should always ask: "Does a verse, phrase or set of verses contradict Torah?"  If so, then the text must be wrong and we need to go seek the truth.  That means one needs a very solid and sound understanding of the Old Testament, of which too many Christians today have been told to "ignore" since it's "only for the Jews", or "has been done away with". Yet, at the time of Jesus, the Old Testament (properly, the Tanakh), was the only scripture known and all references in the New Testament are therefore from Torah, the prophets, and the writings contained in the Tanakh! Without knowledge of the Tanakh, the reader of the New Testament really has no idea what Jesus is teaching.

So the first thing is to be grounded in the Old Testament.  Then the 2nd thing is read the "front matter" in the Bible of your choice.  Good Bibles will always have a "front matter" section, 30-50 pages or so, in which the author, compilers, or editors state how they went about producing their version and how they dealt with their own bias, and the bias of the source manuscripts used in their translation. (Unfortunately, with so many Bibles available these days in a digital or on-line format, the front matter is usually not present which, sadly, makes this not possible!) At least by understanding the methodology of the Bible's translator, editor, or compiler, one can read the text with foreknowledge of potential pitfalls. 

Third, is to actively compare versions.

Comparing versions will often reveal errors, additions and bias between versions.  Take for example the known false story of Jesus telling the adulterer in John 7:53-8:11 to "Go and sin no more".  Think about that! The woman was, in fact, guilty as charged but according to these scriptures her sin was dismissed without consequence. This is something Jesus would never have said if the woman was guilty, for Torah provides specific rules for handling the incident! (In reality, Torah requires that both parties involved in adultery be brought up on charges together and in the presence of their accusers, as well as with any witnesses and the elders of the community, none of which was done in these verses.)  Clearly the verses were added, apparently to bias the reader that somehow Jesus had forgiven adultery! But keen knowledge of Torah immediately reveals the ruse! While many English Bibles simply include these verses in John, some, remove them or at least point out that these verses were added.

Fourth, never take a verse by itself as expressing some "fact" without reading the context! For example, many Christians read Acts 11 and conclude by verses 6-7 that Peter is told that any animal is now okay to eat.  But by reading the chapter in context, verses 4-18, one ultimately finds that the whole point was not that God had made all animals "clean" to eat, rather, the point was that God had extended the Kingdom to gentiles. (God had rendered gentiles “clean”.)  We know that Peter already understood which animals could be eaten, and which could not, otherwise he would not have argued with the Spirit that he would never eat "treif" (unclean) (verse 8).  Thus, the context clears up this common Christian misconception.

Finally, and I can't emphasize it enough, when reading the NT, if the text is correct but it sounds like a contradiction to Torah, then it is a red flag that it is one's understanding that is likely wrong, and not necessarily the text. This is because, in addition to blatant bias, language itself skews the meaning of countless verses. Realize that the New Testament was translated from an original tongue, probably Hebrew/Aramaic to Greek then to Latin then to English, or at a minimum from Greek to English.  It goes without saying that a word in English simply will not convey the same meaning as the word in its original language!  For example, take Hebrews 8:13.

In many translations, Hebrews 8:13 reads: "In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away."  To the English reader, this sounds like the "New Covenant" made the "Old Covenant" go away.  And that "old covenant" is assumed to be "The Law" (Torah).  But a careful understanding of the verse reveals that the author of Hebrews was referring to Jeremiah 31:31-34, and the "new covenant" does not refer to any "replacement" of Torah, rather, it instead explains that what is "growing old is ready to vanish away" is the the sinful nature of man that breaks Torah, not the standard of Torah.  This must be the case, otherwise it would not make sense when Jeremiah said " 'For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Isra'el after those days,' says Adonai: 'I will put my Torah within them and write it on their hearts; I will be their God, and they will be my people.' " (Jeremiah 31:33).  Jeremiah clearly says that it is the people who would be changed, not the standard of Torah.  The author of Hebrews understood this, but his meaning is largely lost in English.

So the "correct" Bible is the one that the reader internalizes by taking the time to grow in their knowledge of God so they can recognize when something is "not right" in the version they are reading.  In other words, since there is no "correct" version of the Bible out there, it is up to each reader to take the time to learn who God is, and that leads us to the ability to discern the scriptures as we have them, flaws and all.

It’s not just “all about Jesus”… There’s more to it!

If someone attempts to use Romans 3:20-21 as proof that "it's not about Torah, but all about Jesus and his redemption," please share this with them:

Let’s look at the context of this passage:

Romans 3: 20 For in his sight no one alive will be considered righteous on the grounds of legalistic observance of Torah commands, because what Torah really does is show people how sinful they are.

21 But now, quite apart from Torah, God's way of making people righteous in his sight has been made clear - although the Torah and the Prophets give their witness to it as well - 22 and it is a righteousness that comes from God, through the faithfulness of Yeshua the Messiah, to all who continue trusting. For it makes no difference whether one is a Jew or a Gentile, 23 since all have sinned and come short of earning God's praise.

24 By God's grace, without earning it, all are granted the status of being considered righteous before him, through the act redeeming us from our enslavement to sin that was accomplished by the Messiah Yeshua. (CJB

EXPLANATION: The bottom line of this message is that Yeshua is our Redeemer, and Torah sets the boundaries on what is good or evil behavior; which certainly makes Torah a GOOD thing! (Paul returns to this precise point again in Romans 7.)

Yeshua qualified as Messiah because he fulfilled all Torah and Prophetic requirements. He was The Word (John 1:1, 14) and the Arm (Isaiah 53:1); and, as such, he is completely a part of the whole concept and Being of YHWH.

As those who are constantly studying Scripture know, Torah (the Word) is written upon the heart by the Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit). The Spirit of Mashiyach is Torah which is the Spirit of Mashiyach, or the Manifestation (Word) of YHWH which became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14).

To be considered "righteous" and holy/set apart, we MUST adhere to the whole concept of YHWH/Yeshua/Torah. Those cannot be separated!

It is evil to posture that Rav Shaul (Apostle Paul) brought Torah down, when in fact Yeshua and Paul restored and elevated Torah to be the foundation of a spiritual dialogue with Heaven! We CANNOT please YHWH unless we are in total obedience to His Divine Instructions in Righteousness (Torah)...

What’s with all the anti-Semitism?

I don’t know what’s going on lately, but Facebook reeks of anti-Semitism – most of it seeming to come from Christians and Hebrew Rooters who apparently view themselves as being “better” and smarter than “the Jews.”

While none of us is perfect, it’s disturbing that hardly a day goes by without someone blaming “the Jews” for “ALL the ills of society,” etc. I guess people never bother to look in the mirror to see exactly who’s staring back at them. They obviously fail to see that they aren’t perfect, either. If they were, their name would be Yeshua … in which case – come to think of it – THEY could consider themselves part of YHWH’s “chosen people” who, incidentally, are called “Jews” (Genesis 49:10, Micah 4:2)….

So, instead of playing the blame game Mr. and Ms. Self-Righteous-Holier-Than-Thou, why not stop the finger-pointing and do some introspection while studying the Bible to find out how YOU can get YOURSELF “right” with God? Clean up your own backyard and take the log out of your own eye before making a fool of yourself on Social Media by revealing to the world just how Bible illiterate you really are.

You can start by reading the following passages (just a FEW of many!) pertaining to “the Jews” so you can perhaps become a little more aware of the harm you’re doing to yourself by mindlessly bashing YHWH’s “Chosen”:

Genesis 12: 2 I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you are to be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, but I will curse anyone who curses you; and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed." (CJB)

Deuteronomy 7:6-8: For you are a people set apart as holy for ADONAI your God. ADONAI your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his own unique treasure. 7 ADONAI didn't set his heart on you or choose you because you numbered more than any other people - on the contrary, you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 Rather, it was because ADONAI loved you, and because he wanted to keep the oath which he had sworn to your ancestors, that ADONAI brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from a life of slavery under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (CJB)

Jeremiah 31: 31 "Here, the days are coming," says ADONAI, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Isra'el and with the house of Y'hudah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers on the day I took them by their hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt; because they, for their part, violated my covenant, even though I, for my part, was a husband to them," says ADONAI. 33 "For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Isra'el after those days," says ADONAI: "I will put my Torah within them and write it on their hearts; I will be their God, and they will be my people. (CJB)

NOTE that YHWH didn’t say He was making a covenant with the Gentiles: He intends to make it with the House of ISRAEL….YOU, Mr. Holier-Than-Thou COULD be a part of Israel IF you will humble yourself and remember that you are the “grafted-in” and NOT the “natural” branch….

Jeremiah 31: 34 No longer will any of them teach his fellow community member or his brother, 'Know ADONAI'; for all will know me, from the least of them to the greatest; because I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more." 35 This is what ADONAI says, who gives the sun as light for the day, who ordained the laws for the moon and stars to provide light for the night, who stirs up the sea until its waves roar -- ADONAI-Tzva'ot is his name: 36 "If these laws leave my presence," says ADONAI, "then the offspring of Isra'el will stop being a nation in my presence forever." 37 This is what ADONAI says: "If the sky above can be measured and the foundations of the earth be fathomed, then I will reject all the offspring of Isra'el for all that they have done," says ADONAI. (CJB)

Romans 11: 25 For, brothers, I want you to understand this truth which God formerly concealed but has now revealed, so that you won't imagine you know more than you actually do. It is that stoniness, to a degree, has come upon Isra'el, until the Gentile world enters in its fullness; 26 and that it is in this way that all Isra'el will be saved. As the Tanakh says, "Out of Tziyon will come the Redeemer; he will turn away ungodliness from Ya'akov 27 and this will be my covenant with them, . . . when I take away their sins."

28 With respect to the Good News they are hated for your sake. But with respect to being chosen they are loved for the Patriarchs' sake, 29 for God's free gifts and his calling are irrevocable. 30 Just as you yourselves were disobedient to God before but have received mercy now because of Isra'el's disobedience; 31 so also Isra'el has been disobedient now, so that by your showing them the same mercy that God has shown you, they too may now receive God's mercy. 32 For God has shut up all mankind together in disobedience, in order that he might show mercy to all. (CJB)

Parashah 36: B'ha'alotkha (When you set up) Numbers 8:1 through 12:16

Shabbat is on the horizon again, mischpocah!  As always, a synopsis of this week’s Torah portion can be found on our website.  This week’s Torah portion is Parashah 36: B'ha'alotkha (When you set up) Numbers 8:1 through 12:16,

Please read the synopsis and then read the entire Torah portion, along with the Haftarah (Prophets) and Brit Chadasha (New Testament) portions, in your Bible.

This week's parsha begins with God commanding Aaron the High Priest (Moses' brother) to light the Menorah every day in the Tabernacle. The Menorah's seven branches are bedecked with decorative cups, knobs and flowers – all fashioned from a single, solid piece of gold.

But then the Torah adds an interesting detail: "When you light the Menorah, be sure that the [six] outer lamps face the center" (Numbers 8:2). What do the six outer lamps represent, and why must they all face the seventh center stem?  (The answer is in the synopsis you’re about to read!)

We also learn about the repercussions of gossip; and what it means to "be chosen."  (For more, please read our synposis.  Shabbat shalom!)

Countering a counter-missionary Jewish Rabbi who attempts to trash the writings of Paul in 2 Corinthians 11….

Counter-missionary William Hall recently made a video with Rabbi Michael Skobac to explain that 2 Corinthians 11 supposedly “proves” that Paul was a false Apostle. Skobac asserted that Paul in this chapter is basically apologetic, nasty and defensive while demonizing his opponents and basically acting immature.

Skobac also said that Paul teaches that the commandments of Torah are no longer binding, and that what matters is faith in Jesus. He contended that those Paul was railing against may have been more credible and correct.

Skobac then asked, “Whose Jesus is the Jesus of Paul? Paul never met Jesus nor does he know about Jesus or what he taught.” He went on to suggest that “all we’re getting is Paul’s own peculiar understanding of who Jesus was,” and insisted that Paul was “the first heretic in Christian history.”

The real heresy, Skobac suggested, was Paul’s heresy and his deviant teachings. He said Paul accused others of teaching a “different gospel”, when in reality, it was supposedly PAUL who was teaching a different kind of Jesus….

WELL, FIRST AND FOREMOST: Rav Sha’ul (Apostle Paul) never did know anybody named “Jesus”. He was a follower of YESHUA haMashiyach.

Paul is, in all honesty, the most misunderstood person in the Bible. Christianity based their entire religion upon their MISUNDERSTOOD writings of Paul, who was a Torah observant Jew attempting to convey complex Hebrew ideas to the Gentiles in their own language. And counter-missionary Jews attempt to demonize him by making him out to be anti-Torah. NOTHING could be further from the truth! If Paul were anti-Torah, then WHY was he caught being Torah observant 29 years after Y’shua’s death (Acts 21:23-24)?

And, contrary to popular belief, he never suggested that "Jesus" came to bring a new religion that was to veer from YHWH’s Divine Instructions in Righteousness.

Paul’s extensive training under Rabbi Gamliel prepared him to serve the Jewish people as an itinerant rabbi and teacher, and he would also have learned the skills of a mohel to perform brit milah (the covenant of circumcision), because he performed the circumcision for Timothy so Timothy would be recognized and honored as shomer mitzvoth (observe the Commandments).

From the time Paul first began his ministry (circa 37 CE) until he was beheaded in 67 CE, it was his custom to attend synagogues wherever he traveled. Many came to know Yeshua and entered into the Kingdom of Heaven because of his boldness. (For more info about Paul, please check out our website’s article.)

Now let’s return to Rabbi Skobac’s vicious assertions against Paul.  By examining this chapter from the Messianic viewpoint, you will be able to judge for yourself whether or not Rabbi Skobac was correct and justified in his name-calling rant against Paul:

2 Corinthians 11:

1. I would that you could bear with me a little, that I might talk foolishly: and indeed, bear with me. 2. For I am jealous over you, with a righteous jealousy:[1] for I have espoused you to a husband as a chaste virgin whom I would present to the Mashiyach.[2] (AENT)

Footnote:

[1] After everything that Paul has gone through to bring the good news of Messiah to the Gentiles, all while fighting the hypocrites, why SHOULDN’T he feel a little sorry for himself? The Pharisees have put him through hell!

The jealousy Paul refers to means being jealous to live according to the Way that YHWH and His Mashiyach have established. (See Numbers 25:11 and 1 Corinthians 10:21-22 where Paul echoes the same jealousy that Phineas displayed towards YHWH, and applies it towards the Body of Mashiyach,

Paul also wrote, “You cannot drink the cup of our Master and the cup of demons; and you cannot be partakers at the table of our Master, and at the table of demons. Or, would we provoke our Master’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?”

He also wrote, “But, as it is written: The eye has not seen, nor has the ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man that which Elohim has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-14)

[2] It seems that Paul is teaching that if we (the bride) fall short of our Master-Groom (Yeshua), we will have disgraced him in the worst possible way. (Revelation 21:2) In the verse above, he actually employs an ingenious metaphor because he is comparing himself to the mother of a bride who is recommending her daughter for betrothal.

In First Century Israel the family of the bride to be made contractual arrangements with the family of the groom, including the dowry. But, if she were to fall short in any way, it was a huge disaster and great dishonor to both families.

So far, I see nothing sinister in this part of chapter 11, do you? So, let’s move on….

2 Corinthians 11 continued:

3. But I fear, or else, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cleverness, so your minds should be corrupted from the sincerity that is in the Mashiyach. 4. For if he that comes to you, had proclaimed to you another Y’shua, whom we have not proclaimed; or if you had received another Spirit, which you have not received; or another gospel, which you have not accepted; you might well have given your permission.

5. For, I suppose, I did not come short of those Shlichim who excel the most. 6. For, though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but in all things we have been revelatory among you. 7. Did I indeed commit an offense by humbling myself that you might be exalted and by proclaiming the Good News of Elohim to you freely? 8. And I robbed other assemblies, and I took pay (of them) for ministering to you. 9. And when I came among you and was needy, I was burdensome to none of you; for the Brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs: and in all things I kept myself, and I will keep myself from being burdensome to you. 10. As the truth of the Mashiyach is in me, this glorying will not be made vain as to me in the regions of Achaia.

11. Why? Because I do not love you? Elohim knows. 12. But what I do, that also I will do; that I may cut off occasion, from them who seek occasion: so that in the thing that they glory, they may be found even as we. 13. For they are false apostles, crafty workers, and pretend apostles of the Mashiyach. 14. And in this there is nothing strange. For if Satan pretends to be a Messenger of light, 15. It is no great thing if his ministers pretend to be ministers of righteousness whose end will be according to their works.

16. Returning (to what) I say, let no one think of me as being a fool: or if otherwise, receive me as a fool, that I may boast a little. 17. What I am (now) saying, I say not in our Master (Y’shua), but as in folly, in this matter of glorying. 18. Because many boast after the flesh, I also will boast. 19. For you hear with indulgence them who lack reason, seeing you are wise.

20. And you give ear to him, who puts you in bondage; and to him who devours you; and to him, who takes from you; and to him who exalts himself over you; and to him who strikes you in the face. 21. I speak as if under contempt: I speak as if we were impotent through deficiency of understanding; that in whatever thing anyone is presuming, I also am presuming. 22. If they are Hebrews, so am I also: or if they are Israelites, I also. If they are the seed of Awraham, I am too. 23. If they are ministers of the Mashiyach, (in defect of understanding, I say it) I am superior to them: in toils more than they, in stripes more than they, in bonds more than they, in deaths many times.[3] (AENT)

Footnote:

Other religious leaders actually WERE preaching “another Jesus” because they were pushing the idea of “trinity” and that “Jesus Christ is Michael, the Archangel.” Some even suggested “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will not reside with Messiah in his heavenly kingdom.” Really? Why not? Simply because they didn’t “believe in Jesus?” (For some reason, apparently Rabbi Skobac seems to think THEIR teachings are just fine!)

These other religious leaders were also preaching “another Jesus” because they were insisting that Sabbath observance was given only to the Jews and ended with Mosaic Law.” Hmmmm. Last time I checked none of the Patriarchs were Jewish and THEY observed Shabbat – as did everyone in the wilderness after Moshe led them out of Egypt ….ALL 12 tribes (not just the Jews!), AND the pagans who had followed Moshe out of Egypt…. (In Numbers 15-13-16 God says four times in a row that ALL who accept Him are to do exactly as HIS people do….)

Clearly, Rav Shaul is superior to the Jewish authorities, but he also stated that they can be ministers of the true Mashiyach. Paul constantly preaches that, at the end of the day, YHWH’s Will is to be done, and HIS commands are to be obeyed. So, the Jewish rulers, believing in YHWH as Savior, are correct. However, rejecting YHWH’s Messiah is a very serious transgression and denial of the very Scriptures they claim to venerate!

So….Paul was not a “rogue” …. his teaching echoed the other apostles who knew the Messiah. Take a look:

Luke 24:43-45: He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."

Matthew 5:16-18: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

QUESTION: Has all been accomplished? Have heaven and Earth passed away yet? Yeshua's birth, sacrificial death, and resurrection fulfilled the Torah (what Christians mistakenly call "Law"). "Fulfilled" does NOT mean "abolished"!!! The word "Torah" translated directly from Hebrew means, "Teaching and Instruction." Why would YHWH allow His original DIVINE teachings and instructions to be abolished just because His Messiah died on the cross?

Christians as part of Israel, worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and as such, MUST obey His "forever" commands which include the Seventh Day Sabbath and the Biblical Feasts! It is ludicrous to think that God handed down separate rules for His natural and adopted children.

Numbers 15: 13 "'Everyone who is native-born must do these things in this way when he brings an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. 14 For the generations to come, whenever an alien or anyone else living among you presents an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD, he must do exactly as you do. 15 The community is to have the same rules for you and for the alien living among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the alien shall be the same before the LORD: 16 The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien living among you.'"

Please re-read the above in case you missed it: Non-Jews/Hebrews are "aliens"/foreigners. God was very specific about what non-Jews/Hebrews were to do: The community is to have the same rules for you and for the alien living among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come....It could not be any clearer.

Continuing with 2 Corinthians 11:

24. By the Jewish (authorities),[4] five times was I scourged, each time with forty stripes save one. 25. Three times was I beaten with rods: at one time I was stoned: three times I was in shipwreck, by day and by night; I have been in the sea, without a ship. 26. In many journeys, in peril by rivers, in peril by robbers, in peril from my kindred, in peril from Gentiles: I have been in peril in cities; I have been in peril in the desert, in peril in the sea, in peril from false brothers.

27. In toil and weariness, in much watching, in hunger and thirst, in much fasting, in cold and nakedness: 28. Besides many other things, and the thronging around me every day, and my anxiety for all the assemblies. 29. Who becomes weak, and I did not get weak? Who is stumbled, and I did not burn? 30. If I must boast, I will boast in my sicknesses. 31. Elohim, the Father of our Master Y’shua the Mashiyach, blessed for ever and ever, He knows that I do not lie. 32. At Damascus, the commander of the army of Aretas the king, guarded the city of the Damascenes, to seize me. 33. And from a window, in a basket, they let me down from the wall, and I escaped from his hands. (AENT)

Just an observation:  Again - why would anyone begrudge Paul feeling a little sorry for himself after all he has gone through to bring the good news of Messiah to the Gentiles, all while fighting the hypocrites and those who loudly deny YHWH’s Messiah?

Take a look at just one example:

Acts 23: 1. And when Paul had looked on the assembly of them, he said: "Men, my Brothers; I have lived in all good conscience before Elohim up to this day." 2. And Khanan-Yah, the priest[*], commanded those who stood by his side, to hit Paul on the mouth. 3. And Paul said to him: "Elohim is from this moment to srike you down, (you) Whited Wall! For, you sit judging me according to Torah, while you transgress Torah and command to beat me?" 4 And those standing by, said to him: "Do you reproach the priest of Elohim!"

5. Paul said to them: "I was not aware, my Brothers, that he was the priest: for it is written, You will not curse the ruler of your people." 6. And, as Paul knew that a part of the people were of the Sadducees, and a part of the Pharisees, he cried out, in the assembly: "Men, my Brothers; I am a Pharisee the son of a Pharisee; and for the hope of the resurrection of the dead, I am judged." 7. And when he had said this, the Pharisees and Sadducees fell upon one another, and the people were divided. 8. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor Messengers, nor a spirit: but the Pharisees confess all these.

9. And there was great shouting. And some scribes of the party of the Pharisees rose up, and contended with them, and said. "We have found nothing evil in this man: For if a Spirit or a Messenger had conversed with him, what is there in that?" 10. And, as there was great commotion among them, the Chief Captain was afraid or else they should tear Paul in pieces. And he sent Romans to go and retrieve him from them, and bring him into the castle. 11. And when night came, our Master appeared to Paul, and said to him: Be strong; for as you have testified of me in Urishlim , so also you are to testify at Rome. (AENT)

*NOTE: Notice that Paul meets up with two men who are both named Khanan-Yah (Yah is our mercy/Yah is merciful). The first Khanan-Yah was fearful of Rav Shaul until the voice of YHWH set him straight; Acts 9:13. The second Khanan-Yah is the high priest who orders his servants to strike Rav Shaul! The irony is that this second Khanan-Yah believes YHWH's mercy resides on his side of the debate against the Netzari/Nazarenes, whereas the first Khanan-Yah was a Netzari. This could also be a word-picture play showing the transferring of YHWH's mercy from one system or group to another.

Rav Shaul calls himself a son of Abraham, a Hebrew and an Israelite. Therefore, he is not referring to “Jews” in total, but to the religious authorities who wrongly did these things. The ruling “elite” had the authority to administer punishments in connection with the Sanhedrin, but the “elite” are also known to have a reputation of abusing their authority in favor of their own interests.

Most people are well aware that when it comes to Christian, Jewish, Muslim or other “religious authorities,” oftentimes little regard is paid to what is fair, equitable and just. Religious authorities are often very quick to exercise their muscle against anyone who challenges their religious traditions.

Paul experienced this, time and time again! It’s pretty immature to make fun of him after all he went through to share the “good news” of YHWH’s Messiah…

Perhaps now you can see that Paul was not at all heretical as Skobac claims. On the other hand, it seems Skobac has not taken the time to truly read and understand what Paul was saying, desiring instead to spew vitriol against Paul in his seemingly never-ending quest to deny the Messiah.

Hooray for Alabama - Again!

Alabama Public Television refuses to air “Arthur” episode showing a “gay” wedding…..

If Believers decades ago had started standing up to the atheists and lukewarm and their demands to have no moral boundaries on their lifestyles, then America would never have become the vile, morality-less viper pit that it is today.

YHWH handed down His Divine Torah rules for a reason - to show people how to live holy, set-apart lives for Him. Every generation seems to get further and further away, to the point where the things YHWH considers "bad" are being viewed as "good" - and everything He considers "good" is now being completely ignored by the immoral hordes.....

This HAS to stop!

The difference between ELOHIM and His Messiah

Did you know there is a difference between “God, the Father” and His Divine Messiah? It’s true! While Christianity’s main focus is on “Jesus is God,” they tend to forget “the Father” – and few seem to question how “God” can be a human who was born and died. You see, if that were truly the case, then He would be no different from us! Not to mention, the Bible contains many references to “God the Father”; yet there isn’t one reference to “God the Son” or “God the Messiah.”

That’s because there IS a distinction – and when you see what it is, you’ll wonder why you didn’t recognize it before!

Let’s begin by checking out the scriptures that discuss the “one God” idea:

Deuteronomy 6:4 "Sh'ma, Yisra'el! ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI echad [Hear, 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. (CJB)

(See also Zechariah 14:9’ Mark 12:29 and 32; James 2:9, etc.)

Now, take a look at this:

1 Corinthians 8:4 …."and there is only one God." 5 For even if there are so-called "gods," either in heaven or on earth - as in fact there are "gods" and "lords" galore - 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things come and for whom we exist; and one Lord, Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah, through whom were created all things and through whom we have our being. 7 But not everyone has this knowledge…. (CJB)

Notice the difference between “One God” (whose Name is YHWH – explanation later) and “one Lord” - Yeshua the Messiah? While Yeshua is definitely divine (because he was placed into a virgin’s womb supernaturally by God Himself!) and is indelibly connected to YHWH (Isaiah 53:1 tells us he is the “arm”), he is also human – someone who was born and died … which YHWH, the Father, cannot do!

The Aramaic in the above passage references two divine occurrences from the singular divine nature, or qnomeh - a concept that is directly stated fifteen times in the “New Testament”, and alluded to at least as much in figurative language (e.g. living water in John 4, leading to a direct reference in John 5:26).

(See also Isaiah 63:16 and 64:8; Malachi 2:10; Ephesians 1:3 and 4:6; Psalm 68:5, etc.)

If you’re shaking your head in disbelief right about now, please hold on, because this is really deep and VERY important!

One of the main things we MUST learn to recognize that “the Father” has His own Name … יהוה (the English transliteration consists simply of the letters “YHWH” - most likely pronounced “Yah-way” if vowels were to be added). Take a look:

Exodus 3:13 and Mosheh said to Elohim, "See, when I come to the children of Yisra'el and say to them, 'The Elohim of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His Name?' what shall I say to them?" 14 And Elohim said to Mosheh, "I am that which I am." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Yisra'el, 'I am has sent me to you.'" (ISR)

QUICK EXPLANATION:  The Heḇrew text reads: ’eyeh ’asher ’eyeh, the word ’eyeh being derived from hayah which means to be, to exist, but the Aramaic text here in v. 14 reads: ayah ashar ayah. This is not His Name, but it is an explanation that leads up to the revelation of His Name in verse 15, namely: יהוה.

Exodus 3:15 And Elohim said further to Mosheh, "Thus you are to say to the children of Yisra'el יהוה Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Yitsh'aq, and the Elohim of Ya'aqob, has sent me to you. This is My Name forever, and this is My remembrance to all generations.' (ISR)

It is imperative to remember that YHWH Himself was NEVER a human being; plus, we are told that no one can look upon YHWH and live – He Himself told Moshe this just before placing him into the cleft of a rock to protect him (Exodus 33:19-23). And in Isaiah 6 we read that even the Seraphim “covered their faces.”

Now, let’s find out what the Bible reveals about the DIVINE Son – the Messiah whose true Hebrew name was Yeshua, which in Hebrew means “YHWH is Salvation”….

Since we now know that YHWH, the “Father” is “the head honcho” who always was and who has no beginning nor end – guess what? The same holds true for Yeshua!

NOT the “human” that Yeshua was; rather, because of his divine nature, and for the “essence” of who he was: “The Word” (John 1:1, 13) and the “arm” (Isaiah 53:1). (As you all know, an “arm” is not separate from the body….).

YHWH had said HE would send a prophet who was to do everything He ordered him to do:

Deuteronomy 18:15 "ADONAI will raise up for you a prophet like me from among yourselves, from your own kinsmen. You are to pay attention to him, 16 just as when you were assembled at Horev and requested ADONAI your God, 'Don't let me hear the voice of ADONAI my God any more, or let me see this great fire ever again; if I do, I will die!' 17 On that occasion ADONAI said to me, 'They are right in what they are saying. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kinsmen. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I order him. (CJB)

The bottom line is that Yeshua’s purpose was never to replace YHWH as ELOHIM; but to be His MESSIAH while on earth … basically, YHWH’s mouthpiece to proclaim the Kingdom and to do everything His Father commanded him to do:

Luke 4:43 "But he (Yeshua/Jesus) said, "I must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."  (CJB)

Luke 8:1 And it happened after these things that Y'shua was going around in the cities and in the villages and was preaching and declaring the Kingdom of Elohim.  (AENT)

Keep reading….

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things came to be through him, and without him nothing made had being. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.  (CJB)

John 1:14. And the Miltha[1] (Word) became flesh and dwelt among us and we saw His glory,[2] the glory as the Only-Begotten who is from the Father who is full of grace and truth. (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Miltha refers to the “Manifestation” of the Ruach haKodesh within Mashiyach (Messiah). The physical body of Mashiyach is not the Word of YHWH, but his words and actions demonstrate the Will and Word of YHWH, which upholds observance of Torah. However, Christo-Pagans like Marcion and Constantine taught that Y’shua’s body and spirit manifested a different “word” that did away with Torah. The Word of YHWH was substituted with dispensational and replacement “theologies,” which is very popular in Christianity.

[2] Isaiah 42:8; 48:11

Yeshua himself said He came to do HIS FATHER's will; not his own! (Would he have said that if he were “God”?)

John 6:35. Y'shua said to them, I am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to me will not hunger. And whoever believes in me will not ever thirst. 36. But I have said to you that you have seen me, and you do not believe. 37. All who my Father has given to me will come, and whoever comes not to me I will cast outside! 38. For I came down from heaven, not to do my will, but to do the will of Him who sent me. 39. And this is His will, that of Him who sent me, that all that He has given to me I do not lose even one. 40. For this is the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him, will have life that is eternal. And I will raise him up on the last day. (AENT)

So, Yeshua came to proclaim the Kingdom, and to warn people about the end – and to ultimately martyr Himself on our behalf – as the promised salvation.

Ephesians 2:13. But now, by Y’shua the Mashiyach, you who before were afar off, have been brought near by the blood of the Mashiyach. 14. He is himself our peace, who has made the two (become) one, and has demolished the wall[1] which stood in the midst, and the enmity, by his flesh; 15. And in his flesh (the) enmity and regulations of commands (contained) in his commandments are abolished[2] (so) that in himself (an occurrence of the divine nature, or qnoma),[nature] he might make the two into one, establishing peace. 16. And has reconciled both with Elohim in one body and has slain the enmity by his stake (of execution).

17. And he came and proclaimed peace to you afar off, and to those near: 18. Because by him there is access for us both, by one Spirit, to the Father. 19. Wherefore you are not strangers nor sojourners, but you are fellow-citizens with the Set Apart believers and of the household of Elohim. 20. And you are built upon the foundations of the Shlichim and the prophets; and Y’shua the Mashiyach has become the head of the corner in the edifice. 21. And in him all the edifice is framed together and grows into a Set Apart temple in Master YHWH; 22. While you also are built in him for a habitation of Elohim through the Spirit. (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Aramaic for wall is syaga. Ironically, this exact term was picked up by the Talmudic rabbis in Pirkei Avot (Sayings of the Fathers) 1:1 that commanded, “make a fence around the Torah.” Y’shua specifically warned against this activity in Matthew 15, rebuking the Pharisees in the process. Later on, Y’shua said he was the “door/gate” using a synonym for syaga, known as taarea, which is a homonym for “Torah” and “teachers,” meaning the Pharisees. So while the Pharisees are busy erecting their fence, Y’shua is pulling it down, allowing everyone access!

[2] The grammatical structure here fully guarantees that namusa is referring to “customs” as in the traditions of the Pharisees, not Torah itself. Mashiyach abolishes the “enmity” (hatred or animosity) that has been brought against YHWH by religious tradition and false interpretations of Torah, which was a heavy burden that people could not bear.

Christian theologians, however, twist this verse and teach that it was YHWH’s Torah that brought the hatred and that Mashiyach did away with Torah, which is a very reckless and evil theology. Mashiyach sent the Ruach haKodesh to write YHWH’s Torah upon the hearts of his people, not abolish it.

Now… drawing all this together, can you begin to understand how YHWH and Yeshua can be “one”, yet Yehsua is not “God” per se?

Philippians 2:5-11 actually tells us so! However, it is VERY important to remember that their "one-ness" is something the human mind cannot thoroughly comprehend:

Philippians 2: 5 Let your attitude toward one another be governed by your being in union with the Messiah Yeshua: 6 Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God something to be possessed by force. 7 On the contrary, he emptied himself, in that he took the form of a slave by becoming like human beings are. And when he appeared as a human being, 8 he humbled himself still more by becoming obedient even to death - death on a stake as a criminal!

9 Therefore God raised him to the highest place and gave him the name above every name; 10 that in honor of the name given Yeshua, every knee will bow - in heaven, on earth and under the earth 11 and every tongue will acknowledge that Yeshua the Messiah is ADONAI [my Lord/Master] - to the glory of God the Father. (CJB)

NOTE:  Yeshua (which was and is a common Hebrew name), bears (reveals) the Name of YHWH, which is the "name above all names!" Yeshua has the Name and reputation of the Father YHWH in him (John 17:11) and the name means "YHWH is Salvation" (Matthew 1:21). All other heavenly beings, such as Messengers (angels) contain only the TITLE of “Elohim” (Micha-El, Rapha-El, Gabri-El)…

So, to reiterate, Yeshua came to proclaim the Kingdom of YHWH and to do everything his Father commanded. He tore down the fences of man's legalism. Neither he nor his Apostles ever advocated against Torah!

John 12:44. But Y'shua cried out and said, He who believes in me, it is not in me he does believe, but in Him who sent me. [1] 45. And he who sees me sees Him who sent me! 46. I have come as the light into this world that all who believe in me might not remain in the darkness! 47. And he who hears my words, yet does not keep them, I do not judge him, for I have not come to judge the world but to give life[2] to the world.

48. He who rejects me and does not receive my words, there is something that judges him. The word that I have spoken, it will judge him on the last day. 49. For I have not spoken from my soul, but the Father who sent me. He gave a Commandment to me what I should say and what I should speak. 50. And I know that His commands are eternal life. [3] Therefore, these things that I speak just as my Father told me, thus I speak.[4] (AENT)

[1] Y'shua does not bring a new Faith, but reveals the original Faith of YHWH the Father.

[2] Y'shua proclaims that he came to give life, then he declares that his father's Commands are eternal life! The Father's "Commands" are instruction in righteousness; this is Torah which contains Commandments, Judgments, Testimony and Witness regarding the Kingdom of Elohim. Those who enter into Covenant with Mashiyach are entering into Covenant with his Father YHWH; therefore, it is evil - an outright lie - to teach that Torah is done away with and replaced by a new theology!

[3] The Commands of YHWH bring eternal life. YHWH's "Commands" refers to all of His Commandments; these are one and the same as every Word that proceeds out of the Mouth of Elohim. These are not Commands only between Y'shua and his Father but they are universal for all souls who will enter into the Malchut Elohim.

[4] Y'shua speaks the Word of YHWH, not his own words; therefore, he conveys the revelation of YHWH according to the Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit) without the baggage of man's religious tradition. Religion has a propensity to reinvent or interpret the Word of YHWH to make it "acceptable" to man's standards; whereas Mashiyach came not to please men, but to honor and bring Glory to his Father.

The difference between YHWH and Yeshua is that one was human; the other was NOT! That is why we must be VERY careful to make a distinction between "the Father" and His Divine Messiah and "Son".  Mankind HAS seen Yeshua because he was a human being. However, mankind has never seen YHWH Himself – and we won’t until we are out of our “earth suits” to stand before Him on Judgment Day.

Revelation 22:4 And they shall see His face, and His Name shall be upon their foreheads. (ISR)

Let's rethink those abortion "rights".....

Parashah 35: Nazo (Take) Numbers 4:21 through 7:89

Shabbat shalom, mishpocah (friends/family).  As always, a synopsis of this week’s Torah portion can be found on our website.  This week’s Torah portion is Parashah 35: Nazo (Take) -
(Numbers 4:21 through 7:89)  Please read the synopsis and then read the entire portion, along with the Haftarah (Prophets) and Brit Chadasha (New Testament) portions, in your Bible.

This week's parashah covers a multitude of commands, and one can only imagine the magnitude of the undertaking of 600,000 Israeli men, plus the women, and the "mixed multitude" totaling more than 2 million people attempting to do YHWH's will!

Parashah Naso also covers something extremely important: YHWH's command for proper B'racha - Blessing.

Did you know the first words the human being heard YHWH speak were words of blessing? That's right! It appears in Genesis 1:28. Right after He created man in His own image, Torah tells us YHWH "blessed them", telling them to "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air and every living creature that crawls on earth."

Whether we realize it, or not, we all long for blessings....The word "blessing" is tossed around constantly in religious circles; and it's basically just another meaningless, overused, religious cliche. But the thing is, receiving a blessing from our heavenly Father should stir our souls and cause us to be joyous!

So - after addressing the negative things (the loss of trust, jealousy, vengeance and punishments) and the positive things (the Nazir's life of piety and dedication to YHWH and all humanity) of human existence, the Parashah is interrupted in Numbers 6:24-26 by YHWH instructing the priests how to bless the people! He provides a few words through which we are given the ability to constantly remind ourselves and each other that YHWH is conscious of our existence, and that we are truly blessed. Take a look:

Y'varechecha YHWH [May YHWH bless you]

v'yish'merecha [and zealously cherish and keep watch over you]

Ya'er YHWH panav elecha [May YHWH's Face shine upon you]

v'chuneka [and shower you with grace]

Yisa YHWH panav elecha [May YHWH lift up His countenance upon you]

v'yasem lecha shalom [and may He give you wholeness, wellness, security, abundant provision, and peace].

The pronunciation of this blessing over our wives/husbands/children is a wonderful thing that resounds through the distance and rests upon those who have been blessed - whoever and wherever they are, whether they know it or not....

Such is the power of the blessing which is the very Word of YHWH, our Creator!

To grasp the enormity of the things YHWH accomplished, please click on the link above.  Shabbat shalom!

On death and dying….

I’m always amazed at how true Believers with terminal illnesses handle their upcoming deaths.

Unlike the lamenting and anguished crying or outright anger displayed at God by unbelievers (or the lukewarm), true Believers bravely accept their fate and get busy praying, praising, worshiping and THANKING Him for His grace and mercy for the time they got to spend here on earth where they were allowed the privilege of getting to know Him!

Of course, they’ll ask for “supernatural” healing IF it is His will – but they don’t demand or expect it because they know that everything is in YHWH’s Hands and He will do whatever He wants to do.  He does nothing without good reason, and our job is to accept it.

I’ve personally encountered several of these terminally ill folks who said they were tired of the pain and heartbreak of their respective illnesses, and were actually looking forward to leaving their earthly bodies behind and having their spirits ultimately waking up to behold the most glorious sight imaginable:  ADONAI’s awesome Presence. Halleluyah!

While none of us can predict how we would react in the face of death, we must keep in mind that “we” are NOT in charge; that everyone eventually dies at some point; and that Scripture gives us some comfort that physical death is NOT the end!  Let’s take a look at just some of the scriptures that mention death, dying and being in the Presence of haShem:

Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. (NRSV)

Genesis 15:15 You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. (NRSV)

Genesis 25:8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. (NIV)

Genesis 49:33 When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.  (NIV)

Isaiah 57:1 The righteous person perishes, and nobody gives it a thought. Godly men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous person is taken away from the evil yet to come. 2 Yes, those who live uprightly will have peace as they rest on their couches.  (CJB)

Ecclesiastes 7:1 A good name is better than perfumed oil, and the day of death better than the day of birth. 2 Better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for all are destined to be mourned; the living should lay this to heart. (CJB)

2 Kings 2:10-11: He responded, "You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not." As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven.  (NESV)

1 Corinthians 15:41. And the glory of the sun is one thing, and the glory of the moon is another, and the glory of the stars is another; and one star exceeds another star in glory. 42. So (it is) also with the resurrection of the dead. They are sown in corruption, they arise without corruption: 43. They are sown in dishonor, they arise in glory: they are sown in weakness, they arise in power: 44. is sown an animal body, it arises a spiritual body. For there is a body of the animal life, and there is a body of the spirit.

45. So also is it written: “Adam, the first man, became a living soul;” the second Adam (became) a resurrecting spirit. 46. And the spiritual was not first; but the animal, and then the spiritual. 47. The first man was of dust from the earth; the second man was Master YHWH from heaven. 48. As he was of the dust, so also those who are of the dust; and as was he who was from heaven, so also are the heavenly. 49. And as we have worn the likeness of him from the dust, so will we wear the likeness of him from heaven.

50. But this I say, my Brothers that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of Heaven: neither does corruption inherit incorruption. 51. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52. Suddenly, as in the twinkling of an eye, at the last shofar, when it will sound; and the dead will arise, without corruption; and we will be changed.

53. For this which is corruptible, is to put on incorruption; and that which dies, will put on immortality. 54. And when that which is corruptible, will put on incorruption, and that which dies, immortality; then will take place the Word that is written, “Death is absorbed in victory.” (AENT)

2 Corinthians 4:17. For the affliction of the present time, though very small and light, prepares for us great glory, without end, for ever and ever; 18. While we look not at these seen things, but at those not seen; for these seen things are temporary, but those not seen are eternal. (AENT)

2 Corinthians 5:8. Therefore we are confident, and desirous to be away from the body, and to be with our Master (Y’shua). 9. We are constantly attentive, that whether we are absent, or whether at home, we may please him. 10. For we are all to stand before the judgment-seat of the Mashiyach, that each may receive retribution in the body, (for) what he has done in it, whether of good, or whether of evil. 11. Therefore because we know the Fear of our Master (Y’shua) [1] we persuade men; and we are made manifest to Elohim; and I hope also, we are revealed to your minds. (AENT)

NOTE: [1] Y’shua demonstrated the Fear of YHWH to his disciples. It is Mashiyach Y’shua who judges for YHWH (Shemot/Exodus 23:20-22; John 5:22).

John 11:25. Y’shua said to her, I am the resurrection and the Life. 26. He who believes yet in me will never die! Do you believe this? 27. She said to him, “Yes, my Master, I believe that you are the Mashiyach, the Son of Elohim who has come into the world.” (AENT)

John 14:1. Do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in Elohim and believe in me. 2. There are many rooms in my Father’s House, and if not I would have told you so. For I go to prepare a place for you. 3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again for you and take you with me, that where I am, you may be also. 4. And you know where I go and the way you know. (AENT)

Romans 8:18. For I consider well that the sufferings of the present are not comparable with the glory which is to be perfected in us. 19. For the whole creation is hoping and waiting for the development of the sons of Elohim. 20. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not by its own choice, but because of him who subjected it 21. In the hope that also the creation itself would be emancipated from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the sons of Elohim. 22. For we know, that all the creatures are groaning and labors in pain to this day.

23. And not only they, but we also in whom are the first fruits of the Spirit, we groan within ourselves and look anxiously for the adoption of sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24. Therefore we live in hope. Although hope that is seen is not hope; for if we saw it, how should we hope for it? 25. But if we hope for that which is not seen, we are in patient waiting. 26. So also the Spirit aids our weakness. For we are not cognizant of what to pray for in a proper manner; but the Spirit prays for us with groans beyond description. 27. And the searcher of hearts, he knows what is the mind of the Spirit; because he prays for the Set Apart believers, agreeably to the will of Elohim.

28. And we know that he aids him in all things, for good, who love Elohim; them whom he called from before our beginnings according to his purpose. 29. And he knew them previously; and he sealed them with the likeness of the image of his Son; that He might be the first-born of many brothers. 30. And those whom he previously sealed, them he called: and those whom he called, them he made righteous: and those whom he made righteous, them he glorified.

31. What then will we say of these things? If Elohim (is) for us; who (is) against us? 32. And, if he spared not his Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not give us all things, “with him?” 3. Who will set himself against the chosen of Elohim? It is Elohim who justifies. 34. Who is it that condemns? Mashiyach died and arose and is on the right hand of Elohim, and makes intercession for us. 35. What will sever me from the love of Mashiyach? Will affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or the sword?

36. As it is written: For your sake, we die daily: and we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37. But in all these things we are victorious by means of him who loved us. 38. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor Messengers nor principalities, nor powers nor things present nor things to come, 39. Nor height nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to sever me from the love of Elohim which is in our Master Y’shua the Mashiyach. (AENT)

1 Thessalonians 4: 16. Because our Master (Y’shua) will himself descend from heaven with the mandate and with the voice of the chief Messenger and with the Qarna of Elohim; and the dead who are in the Mashiyach will first arise; 17. and then we who survive and are alive will be caught up together with them to the clouds to meet our Master (Y’shua) in the air; and so will we be ever with our Master. 18. And so, comfort you one another with these words. (AENT)

Revelation 12: 11. And they overcame him, because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony: and they loved not their life, even to death. (AENT)

Revelation 14: 13. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying: Write, Blessed are the dead that die in Master YHWH from now on: yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their toils; for their deeds do accompany them. (AENT)

Need proof that the New Testament promotes Torah?

Here is just one example!

Acts15: 12 Then the whole assembly kept still as they listened to Bar-Nabba and Sha'ul tell what signs and miracles God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 Ya'akov broke the silence to reply. "Brothers," he said, "hear what I have to say.

14 Shim'on has told in detail what God did when he first began to show his concern for taking from among the Goyim a people to bear his name. 15 And the words of the Prophets are in complete harmony with this for it is written,

16 '"After this, I will return; and I will rebuild the fallen tent of David. I will rebuild its ruins, I will restore it, 17 so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, that is, all the Goyim who have been called by my name," 18 says ADONAI, who is doing these things.' All this has been known for ages.

19 "Therefore, my opinion is that we should not put obstacles in the way of the Goyim who are turning to God. 20 Instead, we should write them a letter telling them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from fornication, from what is strangled and from blood. 21 For from the earliest times, Moshe has had in every city those who proclaim him, with his words being read in the synagogues every Shabbat." (CJB)

This is actually a fulfillment of Isaiah 56:1-9 because, here we see Gentile converts observing Shabbat and learning Torah as one body along with Jews! Unfortunately, not long afterward, Marcion (whom Polycarp (referred to as “the firstborn of the devil”) built the first all-Gentile church to promote anti-Torah sentiment. (Of course, no one noticed because it all “sounded good” so people blindly followed...

Marcion's services were held on Sunday which blended with Zeus (the sun god) culture, based in Hellenism – which was in total opposition to our Jewish Messiah

By the way, Marcion was the one who coined the words “Old - New Testament” by doing his very best to warn Gentiles away from Torah and “the God of the "Old Testament.” He also invented theologies known as replacement, dispensational, supercessionism, etc. - none of which lined up with YHWH's Word.

Give generously, but don’t brag….

Matthew 6: 1 "Be careful not to parade your acts of tzedakah (almsgiving/tithing) in front of people in order to be seen by them! If you do, you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 So, when you do tzedakah, don't announce it with trumpets to win people's praise, like the hypocrites in the synagogues and on the streets. Yes! I tell you, they have their reward already! 3 But you, when you do tzedakah, don't even let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Then your tzedakah will be in secret; and your Father, who sees what you do in secret, will reward you. (CJB)

NOTE: It doesn’t take that proverbial “rocket scientist” to figure out that this passage asserts that giving should be done anonymously, without fanfare or bragging. We cannot expect a reward from Heaven if we’re doing our giving for the purpose of receiving public recognition. After all, it’s YHWH we are trying to please; NOT “the world.”

In other words, Yeshua is teaching that what our friends and peers think of us, is irrelevant! What is important is our relationship with YHWH.

Of course, this teaching didn’t make Yeshua popular among the rich religious leaders of the time, who liked the spotlight on themselves and were, consequently, giving off the wrong signals. (See Job 13:10; Proverbs 18:11; and all of Matthew 23.)

The same principle also pertains to praying.  Take a look:

Matthew 6: 5 "When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites, who love to pray standing in the synagogues and on street corners, so that people can see them. Yes! I tell you, they have their reward already! 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 "And when you pray, don't babble on and on like the pagans, who think God will hear them better if they talk a lot. 8 Don't be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (CJB)

Don’t blame “the Jews” solely for Yeshua’s death….

Jews have been hated and accused by many over the millennia, and this hatred still exists.  The reasoning?  “The Jews killed Jesus.”  But take a look at what the Bible says:

Acts 2: 22 "Men of Isra'el! Listen to this! Yeshua from Natzeret was a man demonstrated to you to have been from God by the powerful works, miracles and signs that God performed through him in your presence. You yourselves know this. 23 This man was arrested in accordance with God's predetermined plan and foreknowledge; and, through the agency of persons NOT BOUND BY THE TORAH, you nailed him up on a stake and killed him! 24 "But God has raised him up and freed him from the suffering of death; it was impossible that death could keep its hold on him. 25 For David says this about him: 'I saw ADONAI always before me, for he is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken. (CJB)

Truth is, YES, the Jews initiated the whole process and the Torah-less Roman Gentiles did the dirty deed. Regardless, the bottom line is, Yeshua HAD to die in order to become our Redeemer!  Yeshua redeemed us by shedding his divine blood.

By the way, remember, the "Passover Lamb" was NOT a "sin offering." The lamb for the original Passover was not even a sacrifice! The lamb was offered as a substitute, not as a "sacrifice." The "angel of death" passed over the believing Hebrews when the lamb's blood was on their door posts. So, though not a "sin" sacrifice, the lamb's blood was offered as a substitute, giving the Hebrew first-born males the chance to live. So, the whole connection is that Yeshua was our substitute - and by believing and following YHWH's Torah to help us to lower our tendency to sin and do our best to NOT sin anymore, we have the chance for eternal life!

Let’s take a look at a few more scriptures to serve to help us come to the logical conclusion that “Jew haters” are sorely mistaken in their senseless “blame game,” because the Messiah HAD to die:

Daniel 9: 20 While I was speaking, praying, confessing my own sin and the sin of my people Isra'el, and pleading before ADONAI my God for the holy mountain of my God - 21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gavri'el, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, swooped down on me in full flight at about the time of the evening sacrifice, 22 and explained things to me. He said, "I have come now, Dani'el, to enable you to understand this vision clearly.

23 At the beginning of your prayers, an answer was given; and I have come to say what it is; because you are greatly loved. Therefore look into this answer, and understand the vision. 24 "Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and for your holy city for putting an end to the transgression, for making an end of sin, for forgiving iniquity, for bringing in everlasting justice, for setting the seal on vision and prophet, and for anointing the Especially Holy Place.

25 Know, therefore, and discern that seven weeks [of years] will elapse between the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Yerushalayim until an anointed prince comes. It will remain built for sixty-two weeks [of years], with open spaces and moats; but these will be troubled times.

26 Then, after the sixty-two weeks, Mashiach will be cut off and have nothing. The people of a prince yet to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary, but his end will come with a flood, and desolations are decreed until the war is over. 27 He will make a strong covenant with leaders for one week [of years]. For half of the week he will put a stop to the sacrifice and the grain offering. On the wing of detestable things the desolator will come and continue until the already decreed destruction is poured out on the desolator." (CJB)

Isaiah 53: 4 In fact, it was our diseases he bore, our pains from which he suffered; yet we regarded him as punished, stricken and afflicted by God. 5 But he was wounded because of our crimes, crushed because of our sins; the disciplining that makes us whole fell on him, and by his bruises we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, went astray; we turned, each one, to his own way; yet ADONAI laid on him the guilt of all of us. Or: and in fellowship with him. (CJB)

Oh, and let’s not overlook the following scriptures which reveal that YHWH expected “mere men” to “atone” for the sins of the community!  And this was way BEFORE Yeshua came onto the scene!

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. (CJB)

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.… (CJB)

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. (CJB)

As you can see, while the prophecies didn't specify WHO, they did mandate that the Messiah be killed, or else he would not be able to fulfill his mission!  So, it is a huge misnomer to blame the Jews, when the record clearly shows that Jews and Gentiles alike did the deed….

Clarifing Ephesians 2:13-15

READER COMMENT:

Could you please clarify Ephesians 2:13-15 for me?  Some Bible versions sound as if Jesus Christ destroyed, removed, demolished the Law with all its ordinances.

OUR RESPONSE:

Thanks for the question!  That seems to be one of the "biggies" used by those who don't want to accept that Torah is for everybody!  Let’s take a look at the context of this passage!
Ephesians 2:15-16: 15 by destroying in his own body the enmity occasioned by the Torah, with its commands set forth in the form of ordinances. He did this in order to create in union with himself from the two groups a single new humanity and thus make shalom, 16 and in order to reconcile to God both in a single body by being executed on a stake as a criminal and thus killing in himself that enmity. (CJB)

That passage, when read in context, reveals that when Yeshua was here in physical form, he made useless the antagonism between the two groups caused by the opinions of men concerning the Law of Commandments, and through him "one new man" was made from the two. Yeshua came to put away that enmity and bring into existence "one new man" that agreed through Him on the Commandments of YHVH.

We learn in Romans 11 that Gentiles are "grafted in to the Olive Tree (Israel) and thus they do come into "the commonwealth of Israel" per Ephesians 2:11-16...which means they must be Torah observant (according to Numbers 15:13-16, where YHWH reiterates four times in a row that the "foreigner" who accepts Him MUST do exactly as His "natural children" do) . However, per Zecheriah 8:23 they take hold of the tzit-tzit of a Jew and join to Judah because Y'shua is from Judah.

So, while Gentiles may not be "Jews" per se, they count as Judah - unless it is revealed to them that they were descended originally from another tribe and went away - in which case, they return to that tribe and will go through their respective gates when they enter eternity (see Revelation 21:12-13).

Once a Gentile accepts YHWH and His Son Y'shua (the "arm of YHWH" - Isaiah 53:1) who was our REDEEMER, they become proselytes - "righteous Gentiles" (more to the point: "Hebrews" - which in the Hebrew language means, "to cross over" like Abram the pagan Chaldean did when he accepted YHWH as his God and went into the Land he was told to migrate into) - when they begin to learn and obey Torah and become circumcised (Genesis 17: 7-14, Exodus 12:48-51, 1 Corinthians 7:18-19), thus ultimately becoming indistinguishable from the native born Jew. As we are told in Romans 12:5, we are ONE in Messiah!

Remember this letter to “Dr. Laura”?

Decades ago Dr Laura Schlesinger, who was an observant Orthodox Jew at the time, said that homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. In response, she received a letter from someone named Kent Ashcraft, who posed some hilarious questions that were quickly circulated.

I’m sure others have responded to this letter over the years, but I couldn’t help myself – so posted below, after the original letter to Dr. Schlesinger, is my own personal response:

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination ... End of debate.
I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighbouring nations.  A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of Menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15: 19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offence.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odour for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbours. They claim the odour is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbour who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination, Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees' of abomination?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I'm confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your adoring fan.

MY  RESPONSE TO THE LETTER:

If I may be so bold as to answer for Dr. Laura. While I enjoyed your extremely humorous letter, I would like to know why, since you seem to be familiar with Scripture, you didn’t know the answer to your own questions!

If you’re Jewish, you definitely should have known the answers, and if you’re Christian, well, you have an excuse because you’re under the erroneous and very deceptive impression that you’re “under grace and not under the law” or required to keep any of God’s “forever” commands; but I hope you’ll be able to follow what I’ve written here for you. I’ve done my best to be brief, clear and concise.

Let’s take the easiest question concerning animal sacrifice: Jewish or not, surely you know there is no Temple, so sacrifices cannot be done today – much less, performed in your own yard, as you cannot have an altar. Furthermore, unless YOU are a Levite Priest, why would YOU be doing any sacrifices, anyway?

At this point I must also ask: Is it legal where you live to kill and sacrifice animals in your own yard? While God’s commands trump everything, we ARE commanded to adhere to the laws of the land, as well ( Matthew 22:17-22; Mark 12:13-17; Romans 13:1-7)…Honestly, I think you can solve your neighbors’ problems by ceasing your illegal activities immediately (especially since they don’t line up with Torah!)…..

As for as owning slaves and selling your daughter into slavery – well, there comes a point where common sense must kick in – after all, most of those "613" commands (that MEN numbered) were directed at the Levite cohanim (priests) ; some were only for men; some only for women, and some were only for a certain timeframe … but some were meant to last FOREVER - those that believers today must still pay attention to.

First of all, owning and selling slaves was never a command, anyway. But because men had slaves (it was a way of life back then), He laid down some rules on how to treat them. Same with the “multiple wives” nonsense some are propagating. GOD never told men to have more than one wife, but once that happened, He had to lay down some rules to shield them from abuse.

Surely you know that “slavery” back in Torah times was a voluntary thing, and they were required to be released during the jubilee year. MAN twisted the original purpose of “slavery”, so what on earth would make you think you have a right to “own” slaves today, anyway? Have you even READ the Torah at any time during your life? From what I can tell, you certainly sound like you’ve received your knowledge of God and His Word from the same place most other folks are getting their skewed info … by hearsay or off the Internet.

Which brings me to the next point about menstruating women. Certainly, while Israel was wandering around in the desert (whining and complaining the whole time, I might add – even though they had been witnessing God’s miracles since their days with Pharaoh and the Ten Plagues!) women used to have to “live outside the camp” for a week.

Common sense dictates the reason for that was because, in those days, they didn’t have hot and cold running water at their fingertips, nor good hygiene products to manage their flows. Today, of course, we have all those necessities of life and so there’s no need for women to be hidden away from society.

This also means you don’t have to ask every woman if she’s menstruating because it’s no longer pertinent in modern society; plus, honestly, it’s none of your doggone business, now, is it?

Now, as to your neighbor working on Shabbat. You didn’t say whether or not he’s Jewish, nor did you mention whether or not he works in the medical field or at the fire department or in some other “emergency response”-type career. We DO live in a world that doesn’t care about God’s rules, and this actually includes many Jews!

But if your neighbor Christian, forgive him and forget about it, for he doesn’t know any better because he’s living under the “erroneous impression,” remember?

By the way, if you’re Jewish, you’ll need to push aside what the Rabbis taught and the “fences” they built around Shabbat and begin to realize that God Himself never said that emergencies couldn’t or shouldn’t be handled on the Sabbath. (I’m not making this up; it’s TRUE that the Rabbis were responsible for adding “fences” to Torah that completely tied Israel’s hands on both the weekly Shabbats and yearly mo’edim….)

So yeah … I suggest you don’t kill your neighbor OR ask the police to do it, or you’ll surely risk ending up in prison, or at the very least, a mental institution.

BTW, you seem to think God’s capital punishment is something to scoff at. You don’t seem to realize that no individual in Biblical times had any “right” to inflict capital punishment on any other person! That was levied by the courts, the same way it is levied by the courts today, even though today’s courts abide only by “man’s” law. Making fun of the actions necessitating capital punishment by God’s rules only means you have never read or never understood God at all.

As for your greater and lesser “abomination” question, SERIOUSLY? Have you never realized that there are NO “degrees” of sin? ALL continuous, intentional sin will result in you losing your eternal life with YHWH! All sin is an “abomination”.  A habitual liar can lose his salvation just as quickly as a vicious murderer can, because God cannot and will not be in the presence of evil. (Psalm 5:4; Isaiah 59:2.)

But while eating shellfish is an abomination (Leviticus 11:10), homosexuality is specifically cited as deserving the death penalty, along with adultery (Exodus 20), murder (Exodus 20), bestiality (Leviticus 20), and other crimes deemed serious enough by Elohim to merit death. We should not poke fun at what Elohim considers an abomination worthy of death! We should instead pay attention!

As to your Lev. 21:20 question concerning your being able to approach the altar of G-d since you wear reading glasses, you’ll be happy to know that, since the redemptive death and resurrection of Yeshua our bodies are “the temple” and therefore, we can have access to Him whenever we wish, in whatever state our physical condition might be in. What really matters today is the state of our SPIRITUAL condition. (In all honesty, yours seems to be in question.)

As for not touching a football, don’t be ridiculous. The scripture says not to touch an actual dead animal – so that you don’t end up contaminated and sick! Remember, these commands were being given IN THE WILDERNESS where people did not have ready access to soap and water. And let’s get realistic here: Pigskin footballs cannot be equated with a rotting corpse lying by the side of the road. After all the tanning and processing that leather goes through, it’s no longer considered a “dead pig.”

That scripture about not rounding your hair at the temples ALSO needs to be taken in context so that you can come to the logical conclusion that it goes hand-in-hand with the verse before and after it, which serves as a warning to the Israelites to NOT continue the pagan customs practiced in Egypt! (Remember, they had just been freed from 400 years of slavery in Egypt which reeked of multiple FALSE gods…) Take a look at the CONTEXT:

Leviticus 18:3 ”You are not to engage in the activities found in the land of Egypt, where you used to live; and you are not to engage in the activities found in the land of Kena`an, where I am bringing you; nor are you to live by their laws. … 19: “26 "'Do not eat anything with blood. Do not practice divination or fortune-telling. 27 Don't round your hair at the temples or mar the edges of your beard. 28 Don't cut gashes in your flesh when someone dies or tattoo yourselves; I am ADONAI. (CJB)

As for your flippant remarks about you uncle and Leviticus 19:19, it is clear you have misread Scripture. Today, “Planting two different crops in the same field” does not violate Torah. The commandment is to not repeat the actions of the ancients who sowed different seeds, accompanying the act with magical rites and invocations.

And “wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread” does not apply to modern cotton/polyester blends. These commandments, again, followed Leviticus 18:3 ”You are not to engage in the activities found in the land of Egypt, where you used to live; and you are not to engage in the activities found in the land of Kena`an, where I am bringing you; nor are you to live by their laws.”

For Israelites, wool and linen (flax) were appointed for the priests alone (Exodus 28, 39; Leviticus 16). The law laid down in this verse is substantially repeated in Deuteronomy 22:9-11.

Regarding your uncle’s supposed sins of blaspheming and cursing – well, there IS coming a Judgment Day where he will stand before God to explain himself – just before he is eternally SEPARATED from Him (Revelation 20:11-15). Your uncle does have the choice to prevent that from happening – by repenting, turning from his sins and beginning to live a life of obedience to God via His Torah!

I wholeheartedly suggest you re-read the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, through HEBREW eyes and an open heart, until you no longer have a desire to make fun of YHWH and His Word. If you are a Believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – whether Jewish or Gentile – you ARE Israel! And as such, you have a responsibility to become holy!  Below is just ONE of the many scriptures revealing that indisputable fact:

Leviticus 19: 1 ADONAI said to Moshe, 2 "Speak to the entire community of Isra'el; tell them, 'You people are to be holy because I, ADONAI your God, am holy. (CJB)

Countering the “Jesus was not the Messiah” argument

READER COMMENTS TO OUR WEBSITE:

Jesus was not “The Messiah”- This can easily be proven by a few basic requirements.  

(1)  The Messiah is to come from a male from the line of Judah, through Solomon and not through Jehoiakim.

(2)  Pedigrees are by fathers' houses.

Num 1:18 And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls.

(3)  God will set up David's seed (sperm) that comes out of his body. Kingship is not passed down through the female nor "holy spirit" but by seed -from male lineage.

2 Sam 7:12---->When thy (David) days are fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, that shall proceed out of thy body,<----- and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

(4)  From the Line of Judah

Gen 49:10 --->The sceptre shall not depart from Judah<---, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, as long as men come to Shiloh; and unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.

(5)   Through Solomon

1 Chron 22:9 Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about; for his name shall be---> Solomon<---, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days. 10 He shall build a house for My name; and he shall be to Me for a son, and I will be to him for a father; and----> I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.<-----

(6)   According to GOD: Not through Jehoiakim, whose line is cursed and will NEVER again sit upon the throne of David.

Jer 22:28 Is this man Coniah a despised, broken image? Is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? Wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into the land which they know not? 29 O land, land, land, hear the word of YHWH. 30----> Thus saith YHWH: Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days; for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.<-----

Jer 36:30 ------->Therefore thus saith YHWH concerning Jehoiakim(Coniah) king of Judah: He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David<------; and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.

NOW LET US SEE HOW EASILY JESUS IS DISQUALIFIED!

(1) The Virgin birth DISQUALIFIES Jesus from being of the tribe of Judah. Supposed "Holy Spirit"" is not male sperm.

(2) Now let's look at the genealogy which Matthew gives....

(KJV) Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;...

10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;11 And Josias begat ----> Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat<--Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;...

Matthew's Genealogy of Jesus contains the line of Jeconiah (Also called Coniah/Jehoiakim) which God cursed hence DISQUALIFYING Jesus again.

RECAP: Jeremiah 36:30 Therefore thus saith YHWH concerning Jehoiakim (Coniah) king of Judah: He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David..

Therefore JESUS IS QUICKLY DISQUALIFIED FROM BEING THE MESSIAH BY; # 1 NO SPERM DONOR, NO FATHER FROM LINE OF DAVID, THROUGH SOLOMON AND # 2 GOD CURSED THE LINE OF JECONIAH WHICH MATHEW GAVE AS PART OF HIS GENEALOGY.

OUR RESPONSE:

Let’s start with your comment about 2 Samuel 7, "God will set up David's seed (sperm) that comes out of his body. Kingship is not passed down through the female nor "holy spirit" but by seed -from male lineage."

2 Samuel 7:12 When your days come to an end and you sleep with your ancestors, I will establish one of your descendants to succeed you, one of your own flesh and blood; and I will set up his rulership. 13 He will build a house for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever.
14 I will be a father for him, and he will be a son for me. If he does something wrong, I will punish him with a rod and blows, just as everyone gets punished; 15 nevertheless, my grace will not leave him, as I took it away from Sha'ul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Thus your house and your kingdom will be made secure forever before you; your throne will be set up forever.'" (CJB)

So, using the two passages above, counter-missionaries insist Psalm 2 refers to David and Solomon! Please re-read the entire passage of 2 Samuel 7 and think really hard about WHO David’s descendant is!  Verse 12 says "one of David's descendants...one of his own flesh and blood". Now, ALL David's descendants; sons, grandsons, great grandsons, and on and on, are "of his own flesh and blood." 

But this descendant will be someone to whom YHWH Himself “will be a father” and he a “son for me.” AND whose "throne will be set up forever!"

(HINT: Neither David nor Solomon were the Son of YHWH, and David and Solomon are both dead; they are no longer on their thrones, and their kingdoms are no more.  If you still haven’t concluded that Yeshua holds the credentials to be YHWH's son and king, then please read our short blog article on Yeshua’s lineage, which contains passages that counter-missionaries LOVE to twist!)

The curse of the line of Jeconiah is a moot point because it was lifted. See our indepth article explaining why.

RECAP: As we've shown, it isn't YHWH's Messiah who is "disqualified"; it is the counter-missionaries who are doing their best to try to disqualify him!

The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-33; Hebrews 8:10-13) is a continuation of the "Old Covenant" wherein YHWH laid down Divine Instructions for His people to live by - but where animal sin sacrifices would no longer be required because His promised Divine Messiah (Y'shua, who was foreshadowed in all of God's Appointed Times) would be:

• Born as a man with a Divine Nature (1 Corinthians 12:1-6)

• Proclaim the Kingdom of YHWH and teach people how to live a set apart life through Torah (Luke 4:43, Luke 8:1, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)

• Martyr Himself as our Final SIN Offering so that all could come to YHWH merely by "belief in Messiah" which would result in obedience to Torah. (John 1:29, 3:36; Acts 8:32-36; 1 Cor. 5:7-8; 1 Pet. 1:18-20, Rev. 5:12, etc)