Reader question about Revelation 11:1-2

READER QUESTION:

I have a question on Revelation 11:2 about why the court of the gentiles is not to be measured. My thinking is we are one in Messiah, so, why is there a need to have a court of the gentiles?

OUR RESPONSE:

This was a really great question!

While we are "one in Messiah," that phrase refers only to those Gentiles (and Jews, actually) who have taken Yeshua as their Messiah (redeemer). 

Revelation 11:1-2 parallels the visions of other prophets, Daniel, Ezekiel, and Zechariah.  John eats the scroll (John 10) similar to Ezekiel 1-3. Then  John is to measure the Temple and the altar, similar to Zechariah 2, and count the people worshiping there.

This is a reference to the holy place and those within who are of YHWH. (This would be both Jews and Gentiles who were of YHWH and who were "clean" and worthy of being in the presence of YHWH.)  But outside (verse 2), John is not to measure any area for it has "been given to the Goyim", i.e., the pagans, the unbelievers and those who are not worthy of being in the presence of YHWH.

We are even told the outer court would be given over to the pagans for 42 months.  That matches the 3 1/2 years seen by Daniel 7:25 and 12:7 (a time, times, and half a time) when the pagans were to be allowed to overrun Jerusalem.

So, we must understand the meaning of the "court of the gentiles" to mean the "existence" of man OUTSIDE the presence of YHWH; that is, outside the courtyard of the Temple. They are left to their godlessness, while those inside are preserved, for example, Zechariah 2, specifically 2:5: "says Adonai, 'I will be for her a wall of fire surrounding her; and I will be the glory within her.'"

“How do I keep God’s Shabbats and Holy Days with little children to take care of?”

A Mom with young children recently asked a great question about how to keep Shabbats, including Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement when you have little ones to take care of.

The simple answer: Just use some common sense.

The longer answer is this:

The truth is, a mother’s work is never done. It's impossible to for a Mom to NOT do some "work" on any Shabbat (including Yom Kippur), be they the weekly or the yearly ones - especially when she has very young children.

Life HAS to go on!

(This also means that YOU must take care of YOU. Fast on Yom Kippur, if you can, but don’t put your health and well-being in jeopardy as you spend your day taking care of your children. And by all means, do NOT make your little ones fast. Gradually introduce them to “denying themselves” as they grow older, by – for instance – not allowing them to eat certain things or denying them some video watching on Yom Kippur.)

YHWH didn't mean for any of His Shabbats to be a burden; they are to be joyful days of rest away from your normal, "income-producing" work.

Each of the yearly High Holy Day Shabbats have a special meaning, and as long as you know that and are sincerely doing them to the best of your ability, you won’t be guilty of “breaking” a Shabbat.

So, yes, it’s especially difficult for a housewife to properly keep any Shabbats – unless she has no children and can prepare her food ahead of time (on Fridays or in the days prior to a yearly High Holy Day) and leave the dishes and other housework until after the Shabbat. But, as mentioned above, with small children, life MUST go on!

Therefore, simply employ some common sense and do what you need to do on Shabbat (or High Holy Days, including the upcoming Yom Kippur). Clean up the messes, get your children fed and taken care of, play with them, let them watch some children’s videos, and REST when you can ... while remembering throughout the day to talk to YHWH and thank Him for His blessings, acknowledging that it’s Yom Kippur (or whatever the High Holy Day is at the time).

When the children get older, teach them about Shabbats and what is to be done on each of them (both weekly and yearly). Teach them to clean up their own messes to give their Mom a break, especially on Shabbat. (There's no reason why, for instance, a 10 year old can't clean up their room or their own toaster crumbs or to clear and wipe off the table after putting their dishes in the sink … ANYTHING to help the mother out and make her day’s work a little easier.)

Just remember, YHWH knows whether or not you’re trying, so give yourself a break and do the best you can – but ALWAYS BE SINCERE, because He KNOWS who is truly trying their best, and who is only “halfhearted.”

YHWH’s Shabbats and High Holy Days are hard to keep in a Torah-less world, and really, NOBODY knows exactly “how to do” them. We’re all just doing the best we can.

How to fast on Yom Kippur

For those who want to know “how to fast” on Yom Kippur, fret not. YHWH doesn't expect anyone to put their life in jeopardy!

Those who can do a full fast, stop eating or drinking for 24 hours (except for water). Many choose to do a liquid diet on Yom Kippur, drinking only water and juice, to keep from dehydrating.

For those who are not healthy and/or take lots of medications, it’s probably best to NOT fast at all. Or - at most - give up only one meal during those 24 hours. YHWH won't mind, as long as you try to "deny yourself" of something.

The main thing is to deny yourself of "something" and spend some time in sincere prayer with YHWH, asking forgiveness for anything you did that might have upset Him over the past year. (On Yom Kippur, Bill and I will go to separate rooms to be alone with YHWH and pray.)

Also, if possible, try to reconcile with anyone who hurt you, or whom you might have hurt - but ONLY do it if you know that reconciliation is actually possible, as some relationships are/were toxic and HAD to end. Just forgive them in your heart, and move on. Simply employ your God-given common sense ….

To fast or not to fast on Yom Kippur

Every year at Yom Kippur you'll see arguments about fasting. Many Hebrew Roots types seem to be teaching that we do NOT have to “fast” on Yom Kippur, insisting that fasting became a mere tradition, as the word in Hebrew is not to fast but to afflict or humble oneself; etc.

Well, call me crazy, but here are some scriptures that, for me, tie in that being "afflicted" on Yom Kippur includes fasting, because YHWH definitely afflicted His people when He brought them out of Egypt. For 40 years He "afflicted" them while He continuously teaching obedience to HIM, including keeping all the Feasts/Appointed Times – each of which has a special meaning.

While all other Feast times are for celebrating, Yom Kippur is different, because on Yom Kippur YHWH expects us to "afflict" ourselves:

Deuteronomy 8:2 You are to remember everything of the way in which ADONAI led you these forty years in the desert, humbling and testing you in order to know what was in your heart - whether you would obey his mitzvot or not. 3 He humbled you, allowing you to become hungry, and then fed you with man, which neither you nor your ancestors had ever known, to make you understand that a person does not live on food alone but on everything that comes from the mouth of ADONAI. (CJB)

We also see in Isaiah 58:3. 'Why have we fasted, and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our beings, and You took no note?’" (ISR)

(Bear in mind the Hebrew has no punctuation, so this is not necessarily two sentences.) In Hebrew its "tzamnu" (fast) and "a'na'inu" (aflict) and "nefeshnu" (soul/being). This seems to clearly tie the idea of "aflict" is to "fast" and that the purpose of fasting is to "afflict the soul".)

Then, there is also Ezra 8:21: "I then proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahawa, to humble ourselves before our Elohim," (ISR)

Here "fast" is Hebrew "tzom"; Humble is Hebrew "l'hit'anot", from "anah", meaning afflict. Again, to fast is directly tied to "afflict".

And another! Psalm 35:13: "...I humbled my being with fastings;..." (ISR)

Again: "tzom" is to fast and "anah" is to afflict/humble.

And another: Isaiah 58:5: "Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his being?" (ISR)

Again, tzom (fast) is tied to "anah" (afflict). And then there is this thought: One of the human understandings of "soul" (Hebrew: nephesh), is to mean "appetite"...

See Proverbs 23:2-3, which says: "If you have a big appetite [nephesh], put a knife to your throat!" (CJB)

And a second example, Psalm 107:9: "For He has satisfied a longing being [nephesh], And has filled the hungry being [nephesh] with goodness" (ISR)

So, to "afflict your souls" (Leviticus 23:27) is literally “to fast”…

Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement is just around the corner

This year Yom Kippur begins at sunset on September 26, meaning, the 27^th is a High Holy Day on which we fast and take the day off from work.

Yom Kippur is a Shabbat/High Holy Day on which we fast, repent and bare our souls to YHWH, asking Him to forgive us anything we may have done throughout the year that was not pleasing to Him: This solemn day represents the need for the sacrifice/sin offering that must be made for the sins of the nation.

Yeshua, of course, WAS that "Sacrifice" (actually, "Offering" is a better word, because no one "sacrificed" him; he martyred himself), and he will be recognized for it at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb which may (judging by how close together the Fall Festivals are) take place immediately after Rosh Hashana/the "catching-up of YHWH's people" just BEFORE we all return with Him to fulfill the Feast of Tabernacles, wherein Yeshua will "tabernacle" among us for the next thousand years!

Celebrated on Tishri 10, this mo'ed falls in the September/October time frame. Leviticus 16:29 tells us: "It is to be a permanent regulation for you that on the tenth day of the seventh month you are to deny yourselves and not to do any kind of work, both the citizen and the foreigner living with you. For on this day, atonement will be made for you to purify you; you will be clean before ADONAI from all your sins. It is a Shabbat of complete rest for you, and you are to deny yourselves. This is a permanent regulation."

This Festival represents the need for the sacrifice/sin offering that must be made for the sins of the nation. As the Bible tells us, Messiah shall descend to put to an end the sins of Israel. (Remember, "Israel" includes ALL who believe in and follow the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!)

At that time the Jews will mourn for the "One who was pierced" and FINALLY recognize that Yeshua was the Messiah, all along! This day will be fulfilled upon the Second Coming of Messiah to the Earth (Matt. 23:37-39, Hos. 5:15 thru 6:1-3, Zech. 13:8,9 Zech. 12:10, Zech. 13:1, Ezek. 16:61-63).

This holy day signals the call for repentance, for the time is short and Judgment is coming upon the Earth - whether people are ready, or not! (See the Books of Daniel and Revelation.)

If you’re the boss, should you allow your employees to work on Shabbat or on the High Holy Days?

Honestly, unless one is a healthcare or some other type of "emergency" worker, YHWH's Sabbaths are not negotiable - especially the "High Holy Days"/Feasts.  The thing is, as hard as it is in our Torah-less society, while your workers might not be Torah observant, YOU are, and it's YOUR business, so you shouldn't "cause anyone to work." 

It’s the same reasoning behind why we aren’t allowed to commit commerce on a Shabbat. YHWH commanded His people to REST from “the worldly activities.” If we go to the movies or a restaurant on Shabbat, we are, in effect not only committing commerce, but causing the money and ticket taker and the cooks and waiters to work “for us” at that point in time.

Same thing with your business/company. Don’t work or cause your employees to work - unless you’re providing medical or some kind of other emergency services. RESTING on Shabbat is not a suggestion; it is a COMMAND.

Scripture tells us we are not even to allow our animals to work on Shabbats:

Exodus 20: 8 "Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for God. 9 You have six days to labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Shabbat for ADONAI your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work -not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. 11 For in six days, ADONAI made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why ADONAI blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself.

Exodus 31: 13 "Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: 'Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you."

Exodus 31: 16 "Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.'"

Jeremiah 17: 21 Here is what ADONAI says: "If you value your lives, don't carry anything on Shabbat or bring it in through the gates of Yerushalayim; 22 don't carry anything out of your houses on Shabbat; and don't do any work. Instead, make Shabbat a holy day. I ordered your ancestors to do this, 23 but they neither listened nor paid attention; rather, they stiffened their necks, so that they wouldn't have to hear or receive instruction. 24 However, if you will pay careful heed to me," says ADONAI "and carry nothing through the gates of this city on Shabbat, but instead make Shabbat a day which is holy and not for doing work;

Nehemiah 13: 19 So when the gates of Yerushalayim began to grow dark before Shabbat, I ordered that the doors be shut; and I ordered that they not be reopened until after Shabbat. I put some of my servants in charge of the gates, to see to it that no loads be brought in on Shabbat. 20 The merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Yerushalayim once or twice, 21 until I warned them, "Why are you spending the night by the wall? Do it again, and I'll use force against you!" From then on they stopped coming on Shabbat. 22 Then I ordered the L'vi'im to purify themselves and come and guard the gates, in order to keep the day of Shabbat holy. My God, remember this too for me, and have mercy on me in keeping with the greatness of your grace!

Isaiah 58: 13 If you hold back your foot on Shabbat from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call Shabbat a delight, ADONAI'S holy day, worth honoring; then honor it by not doing your usual things or pursuing your interests or speaking about them. If you do, you will find delight in ADONAI - I will make you ride on the heights of the land and feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Ya'akov, for the mouth of ADONAI has spoken."

Yeshua wasn’t “sacrificed”….

It seems some people are confused about Yeshua’s “sacrifice” on the cross, so I’m going to try to explain in as simple language as possible….

First of all, Yeshua was NOT “sacrificed.” "sacrificing" involves doing a special ritual for a purpose. For instance, performing an actual “sacrifice” was when the priests killed a blemish-free "clean" animal for the purpose of spilling its blood (and smearing some of it on the "horns" of the altar) to atone for the PAST sins of the people for that year:

Leviticus 4:7 “The priest shall also put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense which is before YHWH in the tent of meeting; and all the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering which is at the doorway of the tent of meeting.”

(See also Hebrews 9:19-20 which teaches that blood is for atonement.)

Nobody ever said a word about “sacrificing” YHWH’s Messiah - and furthermore, YHWH never expected nor accepted any HUMAN sacrifices!

Yeshua was KILLED – nailed to the stake - for supposedly being a "criminal" and a threat to the Jews because he taught with authority and viewed himself as "equal to God." Nothing says they were killing him to atone for people's past sins, nor did anyone spread his blood on the horns of the altar.

(By the way, notice that this happened on PASSOVER, which reflected the very first Pass-Over in Exodus 12 where the blood of the lambs was substituted to save the people’s firstborn from being killed by the Angel of Death, who “passed over” any house that had the lamb’s blood smeared on their doorposts! AND, Yeshua died at 3 p.m. - exactly when the lambs were slain at that first Pass-Over! (See Mark 15:34.) ALL of ADONAI’s commanded Feasts have specific purposes….)

Anyway, the Jews wanted Yeshua out of the way, and the Romans ended up doing the dirty deed by simply killing him. (They did NOT “sacrifice” him! There was no ritual. They tortured him and nailed him to a cross/stake. He ALLOWED himself to be killed because he knew he HAD to die to redeem those who had accepted YHWH as their God. He “offered himself/martyred himself/sacrificed his own life to become OUR atonement, our redeemer and substitute.)

Now, here’s something very important to remember:

Yeshua only died ONCE to remove our PAST sins, whatever they might have been .... and then those who have accepted YHWH as their God and Yeshua as His Divine Messiah who “sacrificed his life,” were and are expected to turn and repent and sin no more ...

Note I said Yeshua’s death removed our PAST sins! He did NOT die to cleanse us from any present or future intentional sins! In order to remove any intentional sins we commit NOW, he would have to die again and again and again - and that ain't gonna happen!

His death was a one-time, take-it-or-leave-it deal. You are now required to “walk the straight and narrow path” as outlined in TORAH. (In other words, YHWH expects you to LIVE your faith, obeying the commands to keep the Seventh Day Sabbath and all the Feasts, and eating only “clean” foods… all the things that can still be done today.)

The bottom line is that one’s salvation always required that blood substitution or redemption of one nephesh (soul) for another. The possibility of that substitution of an animal at the Temple is gone; it has been replaced by your acceptance that the Messiah died for you, and redeemed you, so you can receive eternal life. THAT is why Yeshua allowed himself to be led like a lamb to the slaughter….

This whole thing was basically YHWH's way of saying. "Okay, children, from now on, you don't have to kill innocent animals to atone for your past sins anymore. I'm sending my Messiah to shed his Divine Blood for you - but after that, if you continue in your old sinful ways, you are HOSED! So, either stop the sinning and do your best to OBEY AND LIVE BY MY HOLY COMMANDS, or I will consider you "lukewarm" and "half-hearted" on Judgment Day - and trust Me - there won't be ANY "lukewarm" in Heaven with Me!"