A note about the final Sabbath during the “Days of Awe”

A NOTE AOUT THIS PARTICULAR SABBATH in the final weeks leading toward the end of the 2026 yearly Torah cycle:

It is referred to as “SHABBAT SHUVAH”—The Sabbath of Return — which occurs during Yamim, the “Days of Awe,” which are the 10 days between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur.

Jews believe on the first of Tishri, the Books of Works and Life are opened, and ADONAI reviews our actions over the last year. On Yom Kippur the Books are closed and sealed! Those who have done well are inscribed in the Book of Life.

NOTE THAT THE EXISTENCE OF THESE BOOKS ARE AFFIRMED BY MESSIAH YESHUA!

Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is (the book) of life. And the dead were judged from the things written in the books, according to their deeds. (AENT)

ALL SHALL BE JUDGED BY YESHUA:

Romans 14:10. But you, why do you judge your brother? Or, why do you despise your brother? For we must all stand before the judgment seat of Mashiyach! 11. As it is written: As I live, says Master YHWH, to me every knee will bow; and to me every tongue will give praise. 12. So then, every one of us must give account of himself to Elohim. (AENT)

Matthew 12:36 tells us we shall give an account for every idle word spoken – for everything we have done:

Matthew 12: 36. I say to you for every vain word that the sons of men speak,[1] they will give an account of it in the day of judgment. 37. For by your words you will be made righteous, and by your words you will be condemned.[2] (AENT

Note 1: Deuteronomy 32:21 ‑ “They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not Elohim...”

Note 2: The targum teaches that the “nephesh chayah” (living soul) in Genesis 2:7 is best understood as the “spirit of speech.” YHWH put a portion of His Spirit in mankind, enabling man to speak and create with words. Our words are being judged accordingly. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” (Proverbs 18:21).

IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS JUDGMENT DOES NOT CONCERN SALVATION; rather, a position in Heaven for those who have faith in Yeshua.

Matthew tells us that those who keep and teach Torah will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven and those who don’t will be called least…

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.[3] 18. For truly I say to you that until heaven and earth pass away not one Yodh or one stroke will pass from Torah until everything happens.[4] 19. All who loosen, therefore, from one (of) these small commandments and teach thus to the sons of man, will be called little in the Kingdom of Heaven, but all who do and teach this will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. (AENT)

NOTE 3: “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.” Isaiah 42 reveals the work of Mashiyach; we have full prophetic assurance that Mashiyach would never annul Torah; rather he magnified Torah and wrote Torah upon the hearts and imaginations of his people. Y’shua carried out (fulfilled) the prophecies regarding Mashiyach. He carried them out, made them happen, just like he performed Torah which was his duty and obligation as Mashiyach; otherwise he would not have qualified to be Mashiyach ben Yoseph.

NOTE 4: Isaiah 40:12-25; 2 Samuel 23:1-5; Deuteronomy 30:11-20

PAUL GIVES FURTHER INSIGHT INTO THIS PROCESS— revealing that no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Messiah Yeshua.

1 Corinthians 3:11 goes on to tell us that MAN builds on the foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.  If any man’s work remains, he will receive a reward.  If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as by fire.

DURING THE 10 DAYS OF AWE WE ARE TO ENGAGE IN CHESHBON HA NEFESH:

Ephesians 5:15. See therefore, that you walk with spiritual knowledge; not like the simple, 16. But like the wise who purchase their opportunity; because the days are evil. 17. Therefore, do not lack in understanding; but understand what is the will of Elohim. (AENT)

THE QUESTION WE MUST ASK OURSELVES IS: Do our actions reflect the desires of haShem, or have our actions dimmed His Light in us?

PAUL REITERATES THIS COMMAND in 1 Corinthians 11:31 where we are told that if we judge ourselves we will NOT be judged!

“Shuva” is typically translated as “repentance”’; but it literally means “return.” So, the bottom line is that this is a period of HUMBLING for us, a time when we realize how far we have fallen short of the Glory of God … for when we draw near to God, He draws near to US!

Halleluyah! What an AWESOME ELOHIM we have the privilege of serving!

(Edited from notes borrowed from Rabbi Burt Yellin, Congregation Roeh Israel, located in Denver, Colorado.)

Prayer shawls, fringes, and the name written across Yeshua’s thigh when he returns on that white horse….

WANNA LEARN SOMETHING MIND-BLOWING? Take a look at this little article concerning prayer shawls and fringes, mentioned in the Bible!

Many people don't realize that Yeshua wore a prayer shawl, or “tallit,” in Hebrew. Whenever a Jewish person's "outer garment" is mentioned in the Bible, that is exactly what is being referred to. (Many English Bibles designate it as a “mantle.”)

We can see examples in the Bible where tallits were worn by the prophets Samuel, Elijah, and Elisha. King Saul tore Samuel's kah-naf m'il-lo - the corner of his cloak (I Samuel 15:27). Saul recognized Samuel because of his tallit (I Samuel 28:14).

And, remember the lady with the issue of bleeding in Matthew 9?

Traditional interpretation of her actions has been that of a desperate woman who wanted healing so badly that she defied the laws of impurity to touch the hem of Yeshua's garment. The actual Aramaic word was not “hem” but “edge” which referred to the “borders” or kanaf of “garments” (beged), which is where “fringes” or “tassels” (Hebrew: tzitzit) are placed (Numbers 15:38, 39).

Yeshua, like all other Torah observant Jews, wore a tallit with tzitzit as a reminder to do the Commandments of YHWH, and not seek after what is right in one's own eyes. The Hebrew kanaf is also found in Malachi 4:2 “...with healing in his kanaf (wings)...” Wings refer to the tallit; they are not actual "wings." See also Zechariah 8:23.

NOW – BE READY TO BE AMAZED, concerning “the Name of God supposedly being “written” or “tattooed” on Yeshua’s thigh in Revelation 19:

Keeping in mind that the aforementioned tzitzit are the specially knotted ritual fringes or tassels attached to the four corners of Jewish garments, such as a tallit (prayer shawl) or a tallit katan, tzitzit are also connected to the 613 commandments.

IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER:  Torah commentator Rashi declared that the number of knots on a tzitzit (in its Mishnaic spelling) has the value of 600. When doubled over, each tassel has eight threads and five sets of knots, which totals 13 - for a grand total of 613. This concept reminds tallit wearers of all Torah commandments.

The above way of tying the knots is done by the Ashkenazi Jews, whereas the Sephardic Jews tie the knots in a way that causes them to spell out the Name of YHWH.

Each letter of the Hebrew alphabet has a numerical value; consequently, the knots of the tzitzit on the four corners of a tallit spell out the name of YHWH/Yahweh!

SO … WHEN YESHUA RETURNS AS “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (or, more precisely “Master of Masters” - Revelation 19:11-16), there will actually be nothing “written,” nor any kind of “tattoo” on his thigh, as many Bible versions translate it; rather, the tzitzits of His tallit will hang/fall across his thigh when He returns to earth sitting atop a white horse!

Revelation 19:12. His eyes (were) like a flame of fire, and on his head (were) many diadems; and he had names inscribed; and the name which was written on him, no one knew, except himself. 13. And he was clothed with a vesture sprinkled with blood; and his name is called, The Word of Elohim. (1) 14. And the army of heaven followed him on white horses, clad in garments of fine linen, pure (and) white. 15. And from his mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword, that with it he could strike the nations; and he will rule the nations with a rod of iron; and he will tread the wine-press of the wrath of Elohim Almighty. 16. And he has upon his vesture and upon his thigh the words written: King of Kings, and Master of Masters. (2) (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

(1) Perhaps for some, a terrifying vision of Y’shua! But, this proves that when he went “into heaven” he became “the Word” just as when his spirit was revealed “out of heaven” as the Word of YHWH.

(2) Aramaic “malka d’malka mara maraota” translated, “King of Kings and Master of Masters.”

WOW!  Do we serve an AWESOME ELOHIM, or what?

Are you miserable?

PERSON AT A BAR CLINGING TO A BOTTLE: "Here I am again mixing misery and gin, feeling down, empty, lonely and blue. I lost my love, I lost my job, nobody likes me. I feel like ending it all."

ME: "My friend, I hear you, but I'm going to be brutally honest, and tell you something that will shock you: You need to force yourself to snap out of that train of thought, because it's holding you hostage!

"Hear me when I say God is trying His best to reach you right now, and you're not paying the slightest bit of attention. You need to make the decision to quit choosing to remain in this rut that you're in. It's YOUR life and YOUR rut, and no one else can make the decision for you.

"In order to do that, you've got to make a conscious decision to let go of the past things that have been dragging you down! Let go of whoever or whatever has caused you misery, and DECIDE to begin again.

"I'm telling you this because I speak from experience. My life turned completely around the evening I asked God for help, as I was living one of the darkest moments of my life. He heard me, and I've never been the same!

"If you want a real and positive change in your life, ask God right here and right now, to change your life and help you turn things around according to HIS Will. Stop doing what you've always done, because that will only bring you back here to this same ol' rut.

“Instead of getting drunk or high in some lonely bar or back alley, buy a Bible and get into God's Word. Get to know Him, cling to HIM instead of a bottle - and He will change your life! You'll be a brand NEW you - someone you can be proud of!

"The key is for YOU to be WILLING to make the effort to take that first step that will lead you toward the rest of your life."

(This message is courtesy of The Refiner's Fire.)

Ever noticed the powerful words contained in Deuteronomy 29?

Let's check it out:

Deuteronomy 29: 9 Therefore, observe the words of this covenant and obey them; so that you can make everything you do prosper. (CJB)

Yeshua echoed the words above in John 17: 3 And eternal life is this: to know you, the one true God (his Father whose name consists of the Hebrew letters Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey, in English, the letters YHWH, also spelled as Yahweh - see Exodus 3-13-15), and him whom you sent, Yeshua the Messiah.

One cannot "know" YHWH unless one actually obeys His commands and lives according to His will!

Please read on.

Deuteronomy 29: 10 "Today you are standing, all of you, before ADONAI your God - your heads, your tribes, your leaders and your officers - all the men of Isra'el, 11 along with your little ones, your wives and your foreigners here with you in your camp, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water.

Note who was also standing before YHWH: The "foreigners"...those who had not yet accepted YHWH and His Torah! They too stood before Him to hear what He was telling Israel! YHWH's message was for ALL to hear. Just like in Numbers 15:13-16 when He reiterated four times in a row that ALL who accept Him as God MUST obey His Torah! Obedience to His "forever" commands was never, and will never be an option....

In Deuteronomy 29:13-20 we see Moshe (Moses) telling his people that YHWH's covenant and oath were made with everyone who believes in Him; not just with those who were standing before Him on the day He uttered these words. (Please note how He kept telling His people (paraphrased), "Obey Me; obey Me; obey Me - and if you've messed up, repent and return to Me!):

Deuteronomy 29: 12 The purpose is that you should enter into the covenant of ADONAI your God and into his oath which ADONAI your God is making with you today, 13 so that he can establish you today for himself as a people, and so that for you he will be God -as he said to you and as he swore to your ancestors, to Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya'akov.

14 "But I am not making this covenant and this oath only with you. 15 Rather, I am making it both with him who is standing here with us today before ADONAI our God and also with him who is not here with us today.

16 For you know how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we came directly through the nations you passed through; 17 and you saw their detestable things and their idols of wood, stone, silver and gold that they had with them. 18 So let there not be among you a man, woman, family or tribe whose heart turns away today from ADONAI our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Let there not be among you a root bearing such bitter poison and wormwood.

If Deuteronomy 29:14-15 somehow slipped by you, please read it again. YHWH was making His oath not only with those standing before Him, but with all future generations of those who have accepted Him as their Elohim! (Remember, as believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, YOU are part of Israel - Halleluyah! He made this oath with YOU: Obey Him and all will go well with you; disobey and you will be cursed....)

Deuteronomy 29: 19 If there is such a person, when he hears the words of this curse, he will bless himself secretly, saying to himself, 'I will be all right, even though I will stubbornly keep doing whatever I feel like doing; so that I, although "dry," [sinful,] will be added to the "watered" [righteous].' 20 But ADONAI will not forgive him. Rather, the anger and jealousy of ADONAI will blaze up against that person. Every curse written in this book will be upon him. ADONAI will blot out his name from under heaven.

As you read your way through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, you will repeatedly see ADONAI stressing the need for obedience. Those with eyes to see and ears to hear cannot possibly miss the importance of those words, because the ONLY way to truly be holy/set apart is to live according to YHWH's Divine Instructions...