If it be of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, Who Can Oppose it?

“So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.“ Acts 5:38-40

There appears to be an awakening in the church. People are turning away from the traditions of men that have been set in place for hundreds of years. Make no mistake, many in the contemporary church are also turning further away from the ways of Yahweh into total apostasy. Both situations are found in bible prophecy, so we should expect these things to happen. What is likely not to happen is that the situation will remain static. Church leadership has to decide if it will turn itself over to a reprobate mind, or repent and realign itself with the ways of Yahweh, exemplified by the Messiah, Jesus.

If we go back to the very beginning of Yahweh’s people, we see a prophecy speaking of a cycle of disregarding God’s ways and returning by the people of God. There were apostate leaders who set up idols and killed prophets, and those who cut down the Asherah poles, knocked down the stone pillars and stopped the heathen practices being applied towards Yahweh. However, Moses prophesies that in the latter days, after God’s people are scattered throughout the world for their disobedience, they would wake up where they are and return to following His commandments.

Deu 4:26 I call to witness against you today the heaven and the earth, that you will perish soon and completely from the land that you are crossing the Jordan into it to take possession of it; you will not live long on it, but you will be completely destroyed.
Deu 4:27 And Yahweh will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations to where Yahweh will lead you.
Deu 4:28 And you will there serve gods made by human hands, of wood and stone, gods that cannot see and cannot hear and cannot eat and cannot smell.
Deu 4:29 But from there you shall seek Yahweh your God and will find him, if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deu 4:30 In your distress when all these things have found you in the latter days, then you will return to Yahweh your God, and you will listen to his voice.
Deu 4:31 For Yahweh your God is a compassionate God; he will not abandon you, and he will not destroy you, and he will not forget the covenant of your ancestors that he swore to them.

In another place in Deuteronomy, the same message appears:

Deu 30:1 “And then when all of these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse that I have set before you and you call them to mind among the nations there where Yahweh your God has scattered you,
Deu 30:2 and you return to Yahweh and you listen to his voice according to all that I am commanding you today, both you and your children, with all your heart and with all your inner self,
Deu 30:3 and Yahweh your God will restore your fortunes, and he will have compassion upon you, and he will again gather you together from all the peoples where Yahweh your God scattered you there.
Deu 30:4 “Even if you are outcasts at the end of the heavens, even from there Yahweh your God shall gather you, and from there he shall bring you back.
Deu 30:5 And Yahweh your God will bring you to the land that your ancestors had taken possession of, and he will make you successful, and he will make you more numerous than your ancestors.
Deu 30:6 “And Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring to love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your inner self so that you may live.
Deu 30:7 And Yahweh your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, on those who harassed you.
Deu 30:8 And you will again listen to the voice of Yahweh, and you will do all his commandments that I am commanding you today.

If these are the latter days, which many claim they are, we should not be surprised to see many people around the world turning back to the instructions of Yahweh as prophesied by Moses. There are many books written on the rapture, beast and the tribulation, but what about this latter day prophecy? It seems today people are turning back to the instructions in the Torah in the light of the teachings of Jesus, where for many years these practices were looked upon in scorn by the church. I am talking about things such as Sabbath observing, feast days and forsaking the idolatry of the nations’ gods. The fourth century church made these commands of Yahweh illegal. To quote Constantine, emperor of Rome, regarding the keeping of Passover:

“We ought not, therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews, for the Saviour has shown us another way; our worship follows a more legitimate and more convenient course (the order of the days of the week); and consequently, in unanimously adopting this mode, we desire, dearest brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jews, for it is truly shameful for us to hear them boast that without their direction we could not keep this feast.”

This was not the beginning, but well into the changes made by men. Are there two gods, one of the Jews and one of the church, rendering two peoples of God? Paul makes it very clear; No!:

Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Ezekiel is shown by Yahweh that His people will forsake their idols and return to the ways of Yahweh.

Eze 14:1 And men from the elders of Israel came to me, and they sat before me.
Eze 14:2 And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
Eze 14:3 “Son of man, these men took up their idols into their heart and they placed before themselves a stumbling block of their guilt. Should I really let myself be consulted by them?
Eze 14:4 Therefore speak with them, and you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Every person from the house of Israel who brings up his idols into his heart and places before himself a stumbling block of his guilt and yet he comes to the prophet, I Yahweh, I will respond to him through this act with respect to the multitude of his idols,
Eze 14:5 so that I may take hold of the house of Israel by their heart, those who are estranged from me, all of them, through their idols.’
Eze 14:6 Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Return, and turn away from your idols and from all of your detestable things! Turn away your faces!”‘
Eze 14:7 For each person from the house of Israel, and from the alien who dwells as an alien in Israel, who separates himself from following me and brings up his idols into his heart and places before himself a stumbling block of his guilt, and yet he comes to the prophet to consult him concerning me, I Yahweh will answer him myself.
Eze 14:8 And I will set my face against that person, and I will make him to be a sign and make him into the subject of proverbs; and I will cut him off from the midst of my people, and you will know I am Yahweh.
Eze 14:9 And the prophet, if he is deceived and he speaks a word, I Yahweh, I have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him, and I will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
Eze 14:10 And they will bear their guilt, like the guilt of the inquirer so the guilt of the prophet will be,
Eze 14:11 so that the house of Israel will not go astray again from me, and they will not make themselves unclean again with all of their transgressions, and they will be for me a people, and I will be for them as God,” declares the Lord Yahweh.

If we are truly seeing people of God turning from their superstitions and commandments of men, and following the ways of Yahweh, then this is a fulfillment of these prophesies. All over the world people are keeping the feasts of Yahweh, keeping His Sabbaths and eating what He said to eat, despite being ridiculed by the mainstream church. Is what we are seeing a religious fad or a movement of God? I believe it is prophesy being fulfilled, and the church at large either has to embrace it or be left behind. As Gamaliel said in Acts 5:39, “but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!”

Act 5:34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while.
Act 5:35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men.
Act 5:36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.
Act 5:37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered.
Act 5:38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail;
Act 5:39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!”

If this is prophesy being fulfilled, what will happen to those who mock and ridicule the movement? I am speaking of those in the church who refer to people keeping the instructions of Yahweh as Judiazers, just as their counterparts in the old Roman Empire did. Do we continue to follow the canons of Rome, or do we listen to the commands of Yahweh? Joshua puts it like this:

Jos 24:14 “So now, revere Yahweh and serve him in sincerity and faithfulness; remove the gods that your ancestors served beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve Yahweh.
Jos 24:15 But if it is bad in your eyes to serve Yahweh, choose for yourselves today whom you want to serve, whether it is the gods that your ancestors served beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve Yahweh.”

If this movement is of Yahweh, then what will happen to those in the church that scoff at Yahweh’s commands, precepts and statutes? Romans 1:28, “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
Rom 1:19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
Rom 1:20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Rom 1:21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Rom 1:22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Rom 1:24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
Rom 1:25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
Rom 1:26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;
Rom 1:27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
Rom 1:28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
Rom 1:29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,
Rom 1:30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
Rom 1:31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
Rom 1:32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Prior to this Paul quotes Habakkuk:

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Rom 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Anytime a writer in the New Testament says, “it is written”, we should be compelled to find where “it is written”, and the correct context. Paul is not just reciting random scripture because it fits nicely with what he is saying out of context. Here is the verse in context:

Hab 2:1 I will stand at my post, and station myself on the rampart. And I will keep watch to see what he will say to me, and what he will answer concerning my complaint.
Hab 2:2 Then Yahweh answered me and said, “Write the vision and make it plain on the tablet so that it might be read quickly.
Hab 2:3 For there is yet a vision for the appointed time; it will give witness to the end, and it will not lie. If it tarries, wait for it, for it will surely come and not delay.
Hab 2:4 Look! His spirit within him is puffed up; it is not upright. But the righteous shall live by his faithfulness.
Hab 2:5 How much less the defiant; the arrogant, treacherous man? He who broadens his throat like Sheol, and who, like death, is not satisfied, and who gathers to himself all the nations, and harvested for himself all the peoples, will not succeed.

Here Habakkuk is waiting for an answer from Yahweh to the question from 1:13, “Why are you silent when the wicked swallows up someone more righteous than him?” He answers with, “The righteous will live by His faithfulness” or “by faith” in some translations. Who are the righteous that are being referred to here? Righteous is from Strong’s H6662.

H6662
צדּיק
tsaddı̂yq
BDB Definition:
1) just, lawful, righteous
1a) just, righteous (in government)
1b) just, right (in one’s cause)
1c) just, righteous (in conduct and character)
1d) righteous (as justified and vindicated by God)
1e) right, correct, lawful

The message that is being put forth is ultimately the righteous, just and lawful will come ahead of the defiant and the slanderers. Paul is using Habakkuk to back up his message because the message is the same. It is not by the righteousness of men, but through faith. The end result is still righteousness, just not by anything man can do on their own, but it is the Spirit that works inside of the man. Without the Spirit of Truth, there can be no righteousness. What is left is this:

Rom 1:28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
Rom 1:29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,
Rom 1:30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
Rom 1:31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
Rom 1:32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

For example, we are told liars cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

Rev 21:6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
Rev 21:7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
Rev 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Who is considered a liar? Fortunately the Bible interprets itself, and we have a definition of a liar given to us.

1Jn 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
1Jn 2:2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
1Jn 2:3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.
1Jn 2:4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,
1Jn 2:5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:
1Jn 2:6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

The contemporary church is at a crossroads; join those who are turning back to the way and the truth of scripture, following the instructions of Yahweh, or be turned over to a reprobate mind. The distinction will be clear in the future to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.