About that pesky word “fulfill”…

Let's employ some Bible hermeneutics by checking out the words of Yeshua himself.   (Yeshua is our Divine Messiah's given, Hebrew Name which means, "YAHWEH is Salvation" and his Name is written thusly in Hebrew: ישוע ). (By the way, the Father's Name as given to Moses in Exodus 3: 13-15 and looks like this in Hebrew via the letters Yud Hey Vav Hey - יהוה - and is transliterated into the English letters as YHWH, most likely pronounced "Yahway" ...)

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

Folks - Yeshua at no time "loosened" either Torah or the Prophets! Why would he have, when Torah (erroneously mistranslated as "law" in most Bible versions) is our ONLY blueprint for moral, holy living? Torah consists of the first five Books of the Bible, containing ALL of ADONAI's original teachings and Instructions to His people.)

The prophetic Word YHWH gave to His prophets cannot be loosed or annulled, and neither can the Torah of YHWH. These are two witnesses that stand as One. The Word of YHWH is both Torah (instruction in righteousness) and Prophecy declaring, foretelling and revealing the Will of YHWH to each generation. See Deuteronomy 4:2; 13:1.

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

Let's take a look at the rest of the aforementioned passage in Matthew 5:

Matthew 5: 17 Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah – not until everything that must happen has happened.

19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P'rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven! (CJB)

The question we must ask ourselves is this: Has everything that "must happen" happened yet? Have "heaven and earth passed away? If not, then it seems believers are supposed to BE Torah observant today!

The verse in Matthew 5:17-20 that says: "So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven" is a major key, because it is talking about YHWH's commands!

What commands are they? TORAH commands - which still stand today ... and WE are obligated, as believers, to keep those that we can! We need to pay special attention to those that have the word "forever" or "throughout your generations" attached to them.

Why? Because "forever" hasn't ended yet! Not to mention, "fulfill" never meant "to put an end to." It means, Yeshua came to do His Father's will and to fulfill "the next thing on the agenda".....

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

Now, if the "fulfillment" has not happened yet, as is the case when Yeshua says, "All that is written in the Torah and Prophets must be fulfilled," then it means, quite obviously "kept", "vouchsafed" or "adhered to" – the exact opposite of passing away!

That is also why he says, "He who keeps (fulfills) my words shall not taste death!"

For a more indepth discussion on this issue, please read my article about the word “fulfill” …