Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. Matthew 23:1-3

What are the 613 commandments, also referred a to as Miztvaot? Most people involved in Christianity are not familiar with these even though they are all throughout the Christian Bible. Others would say that it is a “Jewish thing”, but I have also heard sermons and read articles where Christians actually mock these 613 Mitzvaot. Is this what we should be doing? I realize it comes mostly from ignorance, and I had to spend many hours trying to understand this topic over several years; however, mocking these commandments is equivalent to mocking the holy scripture. This is where these commandments are found. At some point in history, someone in the Jewish faith itemized all the commands we find written in the Old Testament of the Bible, which the Jewish people handed down to us. In this blog post I will cover a few of the 613 commandments and let the reader decide if we should be ridiculing anyone for wanting to study and keep these commandments.

First, I make the claim that Christianity obtained the knowledge of the Creator through the Jewish people from the words of Paul written to the Romans.

Rom 3:1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?
Rom 3:2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.

Paul tells us that it was the Jewish people who were entrusted with the oracles of God. A neglected verse of scripture in the Christian churches, Matthew 23:3, is where Jesus tells His followers to do what the the scribes and Pharisees tell them to do, just not what they do. So, their works did not reflect the instruction they were teaching.

Mat 23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
Mat 23:2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat,
Mat 23:3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.

If you want a complete list of the approximate 613 commandments found in scripture, do a search for them online, and they are easily found with scripture references. If you are a person who says “I believe everything between the covers of this book” referring to the Bible, then you may want to read about what it is you say you believe.

• To know that God exists (Exodus 20:2; Deuteronomy 5:6)
• Not to entertain the idea that there is any god but the Eternal (Exodus 20:3)
• Not to blaspheme Exodus 22:28), the penalty for which is death (Leviticus 24:16) •To hallow God’s name (Leviticus 22:32)
• Not to profane God’s name (Leviticus 22:32)
• To know that God is One, a complete Unity (Deuteronomy 6:4)
• To love God (Deuteronomy 6:5)
• To fear Him reverently (Deuteronomy 6:13; 10:20)
• Not to put the word of God to the test (Deuteronomy 6:16)
• To imitate His good and upright ways (Deuteronomy 28:9)

The first two Mitzvaot come from the Ten Commandments. I am not looking at these commandments in any particular order.

Exo 20:2 “I am Yahweh, your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves.
Exo 20:3 “There shall be for you no other gods before me.

Another commandment in the list of 613 tells us to love God:

Deu 6:5 And you shall love Yahweh your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your might.

Jesus also quoted this verse stating it was the greatest commandment.

Mat 22:36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
Mat 22:37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the great and first commandment.

Jesus continues to quote another one of the 613 commandments as the second greatest commandment. Jesus didn’t fabricate these words on the spot to impress the Pharisees. He was quoting Leviticus.

Mat 22:39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Lev 19:18 You shall not seek vengeance, and you shall not harbor a grudge against your fellow citizens; and you shall love your neighbor like yourself; I am Yahweh.

Another commandment we find in the list tells us to imitate His good and upright ways.

Deu 28:9 Yahweh will establish you for himself as a holy people as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of Yahweh your God and you walk in his ways.
Deu 28:10 And all of the peoples of the earth shall see that by the name of Yahweh you are called, and they shall fear you.
Deu 28:11 And Yahweh will make you successful and prosperous, in the fruit of your womb and on the land that Yahweh swore to your ancestors to give to you.

Here are a few more Mitzvaot with the scripture references:

• To love all human beings who are of the covenant (Leviticus 19:18)
• Not to stand by idly when a human life is in danger (Leviticus 19:16)
• Not to wrong any one in speech (Leviticus 25:17)
• Not to carry tales (Leviticus 19:16)
• Not to cherish hatred in one’s heart (Leviticus 19:17)
• Not to take revenge (Leviticus 19:18)
• Not to bear a grudge (Leviticus 19:18)
• Not to put any person to shame (Leviticus 19:17)
• Not to curse any other Israelite (Leviticus 19:14)
• Not to give occasion to the simple-minded to stumble on the road (Leviticus 19:14)
• To rebuke the sinner (Leviticus 19:17)
• To relieve a neighbor of his burden and help to unload his beast (Exodus 23:5)
• To assist in replacing the load upon a neighbor’s beast (Deuteronomy 22:4)
• Not to leave a beast, that has fallen down beneath its burden, unaided (Deuteronomy 22:4)

This appears to be starting to sound similar to the teachings of Jesus. Could there be a correlation between the Word of God in the flesh, Jesus, and the Word of God recorded in scripture? Paul also speaks of these commandments in his letter to the Corinthians:

2Co 12:19 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved.
2Co 12:20 For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.
2Co 12:21 I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.

Many of the 613 Miztvaot require the temple and priests and have to be carried out in the land. It’s not that these are obsolete, because Jesus stated that nothing in the Torah would change until heaven and Earth pass away. However, it is impossible to uphold commandments of the temple when the temple was destroyed in 70 AD.

Mat 5:18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Next, there are some commandments regarding relationships. One must ask themselves if there is anything here to mock and ridicule.

• Not to indulge in familiarities with relatives, such as kissing, embracing, winking which may lead to incest (Leviticus 18:6)
• Not to commit incest with one’s mother (Leviticus 18:7)
• Not to commit sodomy with one’s father (Leviticus 18:7)
• Not to commit incest with one’s father’s wife (Leviticus 18:8)
• Not to commit incest with one’s sister (Leviticus 18:9)
• Not to commit incest with one’s father’s wife’s daughter (Leviticus 18:9)
• Not to commit incest with one’s son’s daughter (Leviticus 18:10)
• Not to commit incest with one’s daughter’s daughter (Leviticus 18:10)
• Not to commit incest with one’s daughter (Leviticus 18:11)
• Not to commit incest with one’s fathers sister (Leviticus 18:12)
• Not to commit incest with one’s mother’s sister (Leviticus 18:13)
• Not to commit incest with one’s father’s brothers wife (Leviticus 18:14)
• Not to commit sodomy with one’s father’s brother (Leviticus 18:14)
• Not to commit incest with he’s son’s wife (Leviticus 18:15)
• Not to commit incest with one’s brother’s wife (Leviticus 18:16)
• Not to commit incest with one’s wife’s daughter (Leviticus 18:17)
• Not to commit incest with the daughter of one’s wife’s son (Leviticus 18:17)
• Not to commit incest with the daughter of one’s wife’s daughter (Leviticus 18:17)
• Not to commit incest with one’s wife’s sister (Leviticus 18:18)
• Not to have intercourse with a woman, in her menstrual period (Leviticus 18:19)
• Not to have intercourse with another man’s wife (Leviticus 18:20)
• Not to commit sodomy with a male (Leviticus 18:22)
• Not to have intercourse with a beast (Leviticus 18:23)
• That a woman shall not have intercourse with a beast (Leviticus 18:23)
• Not to castrate the male of any species; neither a man, nor a domestic or wild beast, nor a fowl (Leviticus 22:24)

Continuing with the list, let’s look at some of these commands regarding business practices.

• Not to do wrong in buying or selling (Leviticus 25:14)
• Not to make a loan to an Israelite on interest (Leviticus 25:37)
• Not to borrow on interest (Deuteronomy 23:20) (because this would cause the lender to sin)
• Not to take part in any usurious transaction between borrower and lender, neither as a surety, nor as a witness, nor as a writer of the bond for them (Exodus 22:24)
• To lend to a poor person (Exodus 22:24)
• Not to demand from a poor man repayment of his debt, when the creditor knows that he cannot pay, nor press him (Exodus 22:24)
• Not to take in pledge utensils used in preparing food (Deuteronomy 24:6)
• Not to exact a pledge from a debtor by force (Deuteronomy 24:10)
• Not to keep the pledge from its owner at the time when he needs it (Deuteronomy24:12)
• To return a pledge to its owner (Deuteronomy 24:13)
• Not to take a pledge from a widow (Deuteronomy 24:17)

• Not to commit fraud in measuring (Leviticus 19:35)
• To ensure that scales and weights are correct (Leviticus 19:36)
• Not to possess inaccurate measures and weights (Deuteronomy 25:13-14)

Do these commands seem to apply to only the “Jews”, or is it fair to say that they describe how a follower of Jesus should also conduct themselves? Jesus had a way of incorporating these commandments into His parables. The principles of conduct Jesus was stressing to His followers were all found in the Old Testament.

Mat 18:23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.
Mat 18:24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
Mat 18:25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.
Mat 18:26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’
Mat 18:27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
Mat 18:28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’
Mat 18:29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’
Mat 18:30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.
Mat 18:31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.
Mat 18:32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.
Mat 18:33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’
Mat 18:34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.
Mat 18:35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Is it clear how Jesus was taking the principles of the laws of Yahweh and showing them in practice by His parable? The laws in the Old Testament that required death when broken are what Jesus’ death on the cross was the substitution, if a person repents and believes. How can a person be said to have repented and believed, yet not want to do what Yahweh commands from that point forward? Here are a few more from the list of the 613 commandments:

• Not to slay an innocent person (Exodus 20:13)
• Not to kidnap any person of Israel (Exodus 20:13)
• Not to rob by violence (Leviticus 19:13)
• Not to defraud (Leviticus 19:13)
• Not to covet what belongs to another (Exodus 20:14)
• Not to crave something that belongs to another (Deuteronomy 5:18)
• Not to indulge in evil thoughts and sights (Numbers 15:39)

The last command in this section sounds familiar as well. “Not to indulge in evil thoughts and sights” (Numbers 15:39)

Num 15:39 You will have a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commands of Yahweh and do them, and not follow after the unfaithfulness of your own heart and eyes,
Num 15:40 so that you will remember and do all my commandments, and you will be holy for your God.

What did Jesus say about our thoughts and secret desires?

Mat 5:21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’
Mat 5:22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

Mat 5:27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
Mat 5:28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Mat 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.
Mat 5:30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Jesus is giving us examples of evil thoughts and sights. Does anyone still see justification for diminishing this list of Yahweh’s commandments from the Torah that Jesus and the Apostles seem to teach as well? I realize that there are many of these 613 commands that do not apply to someone living outside of the land, or that without temple or Levite priest system many of these commands cannot be followed. Do we scoff at the whole list because some are no longer possible to carry out? Jesus did not. These above verses from Matthew, chapter five show that Jesus was not making up something new at all. Jesus repeats what His Father does and explains its meaning. John 5:19: So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” Let’s continue with commands regarding the poor.

• Not to afflict an orphan or a widow (Exodus 22:21)
• Not to reap the entire field (Leviticus 19:9; Leviticus 23:22)
• To leave the unreaped corner of the field or orchard for the poor (Leviticus 19:9)
• Not to gather gleanings (the ears that have fallen to the ground while reaping) (Leviticus 19:9)
• To leave the gleanings for the poor (Leviticus 19:9)
• Not to gather ol’loth (the imperfect clusters) of the vineyard (Leviticus 19:10)
• To leave ol’loth (the imperfect clusters) of the vineyard for the poor (Leviticus 19:10; Deuteronomy 24:21)
• Not to gather the peret (grapes) that have fallen to the ground (Leviticus 19:10)
• To leave peret (the single grapes) of the vineyard for the poor (Leviticus 19:10)
• Not to return to take a forgotten sheaf (Deuteronomy 24:19) This applies to all fruit trees (Deuteronomy 24:20) • To leave the forgotten sheaves for the poor (Deuteronomy 24:19-20)
• Not to refrain from maintaining a poor man and giving him what he needs (Deuteronomy 15:7)
• To give charity according to one’s means (Deuteronomy 15:11)

“Not to afflict an orphan or a widow” (Exodus 22:21) sounds like a New Testament principle.

Exo 22:21 “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
Exo 22:22 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.
Exo 22:23 If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry,
Exo 22:24 and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

Paul writes these words to Timothy:

1Ti 5:1 Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers,
1Ti 5:2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.
1Ti 5:3 Honor widows who are truly widows.
1Ti 5:4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.

Finally, we will look at some commands that discuss speaking with the dead, witchcraft and idolatry.

• Not to adopt the institutions of idolaters nor their customs (Leviticus 18:3; Leviticus 20:23)
• Not to pass a child through the fire to Molech (Leviticus 18:21)
• Not to suffer any one practicing witchcraft to live (Exodus 22:17)
• Not to practice observing times or seasons as favorable or unfavorable, (using astrology) (Leviticus 19:26)
• Not to practice nachesh [doing things based on signs and portents; using charms and incantations] (Leviticus
19:26)
• Not to consult ovoth (ghosts) (Leviticus 19:31)
• Not to consult yid’onim (wizards) (Leviticus 19:31)
• Not to practice kisuf (magic using herbs, stones and objects that people use) (Deuteronomy 18:10)
• Not to practice kessem (a general term for magical practices) (Deuteronomy 18:10)
• Not to practice the art of a chover chaver (casting spells over snakes and scorpions) (Deuteronomy 18:11)
• Not to enquire of an ob (a ghost) (Deuteronomy 18:11)
• Not to seek the maytim (dead) (Deuteronomy 18:11)
• Not to enquire of a yid’oni (wizard) (Deuteronomy 18:11)

A point worth mentioning is that these commands were also civil law at the time of Moses. Capital punishment was prescribed for breaking many of these laws. This is not to say we are to go on witch hunts as they did in Salem, Massachusetts. However, it does show the seriousness of these things in the sight of Yahweh. We must remember the curse of the law is death, and the way we can avoid this death is by repenting and putting our faith in Jesus. Salvation is a free gift for those who repent and have faith in Jesus. These commandments show us how to keep from falling back into the ways that are displeasing to Yahweh once we chose to serve Him. We can see the New Testament version of these commands on sorcery and witchcraft in Paul’s letter to the Galatians.

Gal 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
Gal 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
Gal 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,
Gal 5:21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Galatians 5:18 “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” This passage is often twisted to imply we are not required to behave the way the law commands us to act. It can be taken a couple ways. First, if we are led by the Spirit, we will not desire to do anything below the standard of the law, thus the law does not affect us. It is much like observing the speed limit while driving. We are not affected by the law stating the speed limit until we go faster than the stated speed. The second way we could look at this is that we are no longer under the curse of the law, which is death. Paul wrote, “that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” when writing to the churches of Galatia.

There is no license to break all these commandments of Yahweh, even if a Jewish Rabbi compiled them all in a list. Antisemitism has been woven into the fabric of Christianity for 1700 plus years. It is also the job of the adversary to hide the truth in scripture. Is there a better way to deceive many people than to convince them that they are following Jesus, and at the same time convince them they don’t have to do anything Jesus said to do? Unfortunately, many churches have been used as a tool to do this very thing. We could look at Jesus as our Rabbi who showed us how to properly live out the commands of Yahweh. Jesus was referred to “Rabbi” many times.

Mar 9:5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” English Standard Version

Rabbi is Strong’s G4461 and comes from the Hebrew word Rab, 𐤓𐤁, in the ancient Hebrew pictographic, which means head of the house.

G4461
ῥαββί
rhabbi
Thayer Definition:
1) my great one, my honourable sir
2) Rabbi, a title used by the Jews to address their teachers (and also honour them when not addressing them)
Part of Speech: noun masculine
A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: of Hebrew origin H7227 with pronominal suffix

Here are a few final words from Jesus regarding the commandments:

Rev 22:12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.
Rev 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
Rev 22:14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.
Rev 22:15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
Rev 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

I don’t recommend mocking the commandments of Yahweh. These commandments were given to the people of Yahweh, by Yahweh, so they could lead a righteous, successful life, pleasing to the Almighty God. Jesus and the Apostles reinforced them in the writings of the New Testament for the people of Yahweh in light of the new covenant. Don’t be left outside with the dogs and sorcerers!

Feature image taken by Emma Vail in Welsford, New Brunswick.

“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.

I often bring up the name of God in many of my blogs, and it is not necessarily to emphasize the spelling of the name in any particular language. “Name” means more than a string of letters that are associated with that which a person or deity is called by the phonetic pronunciation of those letters. The word “Name” in a biblical sense is referring to the reputation, DNA, essence, greatness or not so greatness, and all items associated with that person or deity.

For example, Yahweh gives us many things to associate us with Himself. One of these is His Sabbath day.

Exo 31:12 And Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,
Exo 31:13 “And you, speak to the Israelites, saying, ‘Surely you must keep my Sabbaths, because it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, in order to know that I am Yahweh, who consecrates you.
Exo 31:14 And you must keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you; defilers of it will surely be put to death, because anyone who does work on it—that person will be cut off from among his people.
Exo 31:15 On six days work can be done, and on the seventh is a Sabbath of complete rest, a holy day for Yahweh; anyone doing work on the Sabbath day will surely be put to death.
Exo 31:16 The Israelites will pay attention to the Sabbath in order to fulfill the Sabbath throughout their generations as a lasting covenant.
Exo 31:17 It is a sign between me and the Israelites forever, because in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh he ceased and recovered.”

Another aspect that Yahweh gives of Himself are His special days. He tells us what they are, and to align ourselves with Him, through observing these days with Him.

Lev 23:1 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Lev 23:2 “Speak to the Israelites, and say to them, ‘The festivals of Yahweh that you shall proclaim are holy assemblies; these are my appointed times.

“Appointed times” or Yahweh’s feast days are His special days. One translation of the word is “ornaments”. The Hebrew word for appointed times is Strong’s H4150. In the ancient pictograph Hebrew, the root word consisted of an eye and a door, meaning “see the door” or “know the door”. This is 𐤏𐤃, or עד. It is not an accident that Jesus or Yahusha, the Messiah, calls Himself the door.

H4150
מועדה / מעד / מועד
mô‛êd / mô‛êd / mô‛âdâh
BDB Definition:
1) appointed place, appointed time, meeting
1a) appointed time
1a1) appointed time (general)
1a2) sacred season, set feast, appointed season
1b) appointed meeting
1c) appointed place
1d) appointed sign or signal
1e) tent of meeting

Joh 10:1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.
Joh 10:2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Joh 10:3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
Joh 10:4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
Joh 10:6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Joh 10:7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
Joh 10:8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
Joh 10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

Before I go any further, it is important for me to explain that I do not follow the belief system of dispensationalism, where the God of the Old Testament is a different God than the God of the New Testament. The new covenant is not with some new entity called “the church”, it is with the entire house of Israel. We as believers can be grafted into the vine or root of the cultivated olive tree, which is Jesus. Here are some scriptures to consider:

Heb 8:8 For he finds fault with them when he says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,
Heb 8:9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.
Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Mat 15:24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Eph 2:11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—
Eph 2:12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

There are more attributes that identify us with Yahweh. They are the instructions of His covenant. We know we are His when we live our life in a way the reflects how Jesus lived His life when He walked the Earth.

1Jn 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.
1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

John equates loving His God as doing the commandments of His God. So with that in mind, how do we know which God we love and serve? Another valid question is: “How do we know we are not serving another god, ultimately the false light?” Yahweh gives us ways to determine if what we are following is the true way leading us to through the door of the Messiah. Consider the following scriptures:

Deu 13:1 “If a prophet stands up in your midst or a dreamer of dreams and he gives to you a sign or wonder,
Deu 13:2 and the sign or the wonder comes about that he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (those whom you have not known), and let us serve them,’
Deu 13:3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or to that dreamer, for Yahweh your God is testing you to know whether you love Yahweh your God with all of your heart and with all of your inner self.
Deu 13:4 You shall go after Yahweh your God, and him you shall revere, and his commandment you shall keep, and to his voice you shall listen, and him you shall serve, and to him you shall hold fast.

Yahweh is telling us that He will test us with prophets that tell us to do something different than what He commands us to do. He gave some warnings to His people entering the land and what to do with any foreign gods or symbols of foreign gods:

Exo 23:24 “‘You will not bow to their gods, and you will not serve them, and you will not act according to their actions, because you will utterly demolish them, and you will utterly break their stone pillars.

The Bible is full of examples of Yahweh’s likes and dislikes, and what He wants us to do and not to do. If someone comes presenting ideas, traditions or symbols that are not those of Yahweh, we are not to have anything to do with them because they are not part of His name, which is fame, reputation and identity. The things we associate with our God are the things that tell us who our God is or is not. For example, if a stone pillar is involved in the symbolism, architecture or our praying and worship practices, that is an indicator that the god we are pointing to is the wrong one. Jesus makes it very clear that He is coming in the name of His Father, who is Yahweh of the Old Testament.

Joh 5:36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.
Joh 5:37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen,
Joh 5:38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.
Joh 5:39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,
Joh 5:40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
Joh 5:41 I do not receive glory from people.
Joh 5:42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.
Joh 5:43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.
Joh 5:44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
Joh 5:45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope.
Joh 5:46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.
Joh 5:47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

Here we see Jesus explaining Himself after He healed someone on the Sabbath and that person picked up his bed supposedly breaking the Sabbath. John 5:18 “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” Jesus or Yahusha, tells them that even though He comes in his Father’s name they do not receive Him, but they will receive another that comes in their own name. This is where we must look at the full definition of “Name”. In other words, Jesus came with the Father’s “stuff” and they rejected it, but someone else came with Babylonian ideology, such as the Talmud, and they accepted it. A very important statement by Jesus is, John 5:46-47: “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

Jesus implies someone cannot understand Him if they do not believe the writings of Moses. Also, this whole business about Jesus breaking the Sabbath cannot be true if He is the Messiah. If the Messiah breaks the commands of Himself, being the Word incarnate, He is a different god than Yahweh. Jesus says He is Lord of the Sabbath.

Mat 12:8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

In this context, lord comes from the word Kurios, which is not only used for Yahweh’s name YHWH in the Greek Septuagint, but it is where we get words like curator. The Messiah created the Sabbath through being the Word that was there in the beginning with Yahweh, creating all things, having all things made through Him. A curator is a guardian. Jesus showed us how to honour the Sabbath the proper way because it had been corrupted by belief systems of other gods. It is important to note that Jesus did not say to disregard the Sabbath, or start keeping it on the venerable day of the sun, ‘Dies Solis”, because if Jesus had done that, He would fail the Deuteronomy 13 test, and be a false prophet.

If a religious organization has a very tall stone pillar at the center of their headquarters, and they specifically change the day Yahweh tells us to observe the Sabbath, they are signaling to the world that the god that they worship is not Yahweh of the Old Testament, therefore, the messiah they worship is not the true Messiah, but an imposter. He is Sol or Mithras, Dagon or Helel, the light bearer. It is fitting where these deities’ birthdays are a few days after the winter Solstice.

Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray.
Mat 24:5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.

The use of the word “name” here is once again meaning more than just the pronunciation of letters that consist in the name. Name is Strong’s G3686

G3686
ὄνομα
onoma
Thayer Definition:
1) name: univ. of proper names
2) the name is used for everything which the name covers, everything the thought or feeling of which is aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing, remembering, the name, i.e. for one’s rank, authority, interests, pleasure, command, excellences, deeds etc.
3) persons reckoned up by name
4) the cause or reason named: on this account, because he suffers as a Christian, for this reason

This is the reason we are told to ponder the name of Yahweh.

Mal 3:16 Then those who revered Yahweh spoke with one another. And Yahweh listened attentively and heard, and a scroll of remembrance was written before him of those who revere Yahweh and ponder his name.
Mal 3:17 “They will be mine,” says Yahweh of hosts, “on the day that I am acting, my treasured possession. I will have compassion on them as a man has compassion on his son who serves him.

This is not talking about sitting around pondering the letters that comprise the name, although doing that is part of the process. It is more like sitting and pondering about what the Bible verses in this blog mean. Trying to understand which God you are serving, Yahweh or someone else, that is presenting a phony, iniquitous filled messiah. Many modern Jews reject Jesus because of how the church presents Him. They look at the church at large, the messiah they are presenting, and immediately know that it cannot be the Messiah they are waiting for. One who disregards the feasts, sabbaths and commandments of Yahweh cannot be the Messiah. In that light they are correct, because unfortunately, often the contemporary church, comprised of all 40-50,000 denominations, is presenting a false messiah. Moses spoke of the real Messiah:

Deu 18:9 “When you come to the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you, you must not learn to do like the detestable practices of those nations.
Deu 18:10 There shall not be found among you one who makes his son or his daughter go through the fire, or one who practices divination, or an interpreter of signs, or an augur, or sorcerer,
Deu 18:11 or one who casts magic spells, or one who consults a spirit of the dead, or spiritist, or one who inquires of the dead.
Deu 18:12 For everyone doing these things is detestable to Yahweh, and because of these detestable things Yahweh your God is driving them out from before you.
Deu 18:13 You must be blameless before Yahweh your God.
Deu 18:14 For these nations that you are about to dispossess listen to interpreters of signs and to diviners, but Yahweh your God has not allowed you to do the same.
Deu 18:15 “Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst, from your countrymen, and to him you shall listen.
Deu 18:16 This is according to all that you asked from Yahweh your God at Horeb, on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘I do not want again to hear the voice of Yahweh my God, and I do not want to see again this great fire, so that I may not die!’
Deu 18:17 And Yahweh said to me, ‘They are right in what they have said.
Deu 18:18 I will raise up a prophet for them from among their countrymen like you, and I will place my words into his mouth, and he shall speak to them everything that I command him.
Deu 18:19 And then the man that will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I will hold accountable.

In order for Jesus to fulfill the Messiah role, He cannot speak something different than Yahweh. It is impossible. They are one in the same. Remember, Jesus said if a person doesn’t believe Moses they will not believe Him.

Joh 5:46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.
Joh 5:47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

This indicates if we are getting a different message from Jesus or the Apostles than that which Yahweh gave in scripture, than we have two options: 1) Jesus of the New Testament writings, and His apostles are not who they say they are, or 2) the people who are imposing their theology on the scripture, telling us the Sabbath is no longer applicable, it’s on a different day, that things that were defined as sin by Yahweh are no longer sin, or the feasts and Sabbaths that are adornments of Yahweh no longer are His gift to us, are pointing us to a different god. If someone or something is trying to get us to celebrate the days that belong to other deities, using symbols of the heathen gods, they are being used as a test for us to see if we will serve Yahweh, or chase after the symbols, names and practices of other gods with their false messiahs, stone pillars, Asherah poles, sorceries and inquiries of the dead, just as Deuteronomy 13:3 states.

Deu 12:29 “When Yahweh your God has cut off the nations whom you are about to go to, to dispossess them before you, and you have dispossessed them, and you live in their land,
Deu 12:30 take care so that you are not ensnared into imitating them after their being destroyed from before you, and so that you not enquire concerning their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods, and thus I myself want to do also.’
Deu 12:31 You must not do so toward Yahweh your God, because of every detestable thing they have done for their gods Yahweh hates, for even their sons and their daughters they would burn in the fire to their gods.
Deu 12:32 All of the things that I am commanding you, you must diligently observe; you shall not add to it, and you shall not take away from it.”
Deu 13:1 “If a prophet stands up in your midst or a dreamer of dreams and he gives to you a sign or wonder,
Deu 13:2 and the sign or the wonder comes about that he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (those whom you have not known), and let us serve them,’
Deu 13:3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or to that dreamer, for Yahweh your God is testing you to know whether you love Yahweh your God with all of your heart and with all of your inner self.

Paul is no different when it comes to applying the Deuteronomy 13 test. Does Paul tell us to do things contrary to what Yahweh commanded, or do people just say he does trying to lead us to a false messiah? Peter warns us about what people will do with the words of Paul.

2Pe 3:15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,
2Pe 3:16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
2Pe 3:17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.
2Pe 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

If a person does not read, regard or understand Moses, they will not understand Paul; just as Peter warns and Jesus said about himself. John 5:46-47 “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” I have given many examples of where Paul is misinterpreted to embrace lawless (Torahless) behaviour in previous blog posts. Here is my favourite place In scripture which I have pointed out several times in the past.

Gal 4:1 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything,
Gal 4:2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father.
Gal 4:3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.
Gal 4:4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
Gal 4:5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
Gal 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
Gal 4:7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Gal 4:8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.
Gal 4:9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?
Gal 4:10 You observe days and months and seasons and years!
Gal 4:11 I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.
Gal 4:12 Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong.
Gal 4:13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first,
Gal 4:14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.
Gal 4:15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me.
Gal 4:16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?
Gal 4:17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them.
Gal 4:18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you,
Gal 4:19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!
Gal 4:20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

The law Paul is referring to here is not the life giving instructions of Yahweh. It cannot be simply because he is attributing it to other gods. Humanity at large was given over to the spiritual overlords of the Earth through death by the law of sin and death, and will still remain there unless they are grafted in to the cultivated olive tree of Yahweh by the door of the Messiah. Can Paul be considered sane if in one letter he calls Yahweh’s Torah the weak and beggarly elements of the world, then in another letter calls this same Torah righteous and holy? Just as Peter states Paul is hard to understand. If we know and study the same books Paul studied, the Old Testament, we will have a better chance at understanding the words he writes. In the letter to the Romans he explains the difference between the law of sin and death and the law of Yahweh.

Rom 7:7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
Rom 7:8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.
Rom 7:9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.
Rom 7:10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me.
Rom 7:11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.
Rom 7:12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
Rom 7:13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.
Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.
Rom 7:15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
Rom 7:16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.
Rom 7:17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
Rom 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
Rom 7:19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
Rom 7:20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
Rom 7:21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.
Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,
Rom 7:23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Rom 7:24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
Rom 7:25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

If a person reads Paul, following the wrong god and messiah, then the conclusion will be that we no longer need to regard the instructions of Yahweh. If a person knows Yahweh, His fame, righteousness, ways and truth, then that person will understand what “delighting in the law of God” is and what is waging war in the persons mind.

Just to conclude this tangent we discussed about the enslavement to the elementary principles of the world, let’s look at who these devils are and what will happen to them.

Deu 32:7 Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you.
Deu 32:8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.
Deu 32:9 But the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.
Deu 32:10 “He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.

These sons of God are the principalities and rulers Paul refers to in other places. We will be redeemed above their status, and they don’t like it, wanting to keep us enslaved. The sooner people realize what these dark forces are all about, the sooner those people can see through the deception of the false gods and messiahs. Just because someone calls their messiah by the name of Jesus does not mean the Messiah of Yahweh is being spoken of. Yet, look what happens in the end:

1Co 6:1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?
1Co 6:2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?
1Co 6:3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!

These angels or entities that once enslaved us will be removed so that we can have the inheritance to the kingdom as joint heirs with Jesus! Why would we allow them to control us now by following after their special things, opposing the things of Yahweh?

Which god are you serving? The creator of the universe, Yahweh, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, who sent His son to be the door to access Him, or some other lesser deity that is tricking you to worship him and his false messiah through pretty ornaments, light, false love, spirituality and condoning iniquitous behaviours, instead of the Spirit of Truth and Wisdom? The only way to understand His Word is through obedience to obtain the Spirit of Truth.

Joh 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Joh 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
Joh 14:17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
Joh 14:18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
Joh 14:19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
Joh 14:20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
Joh 14:21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

Ponder His name and follow His ways to obtain the Spirit of Truth and show true love to the Creator, Yahuah.

Featured image taken by Emma Vail.

Did you ever wonder where the tradition of the jack-o-lantern came from? We can find them referred to indirectly in the Bible. When Jacob packed up his family to flee from his father-in-law, his wife Rachael took her father’s idols so he would not be able to consult them as to their whereabouts.

Gen 31:26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done that you tricked me and have carried off my daughters like captives of the sword?
Gen 31:27 Why did you hide your intention to flee and trick me, and did not tell me so that I would have sent you away with joy and song and tambourine and lyre?
Gen 31:28 And why did you not give me opportunity to kiss my grandsons and my daughters goodbye? Now you have behaved foolishly by doing this.
Gen 31:29 It is in my power to do harm to you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night saying, ‘Take care from speaking with Jacob, whether good or evil.’
Gen 31:30 Now, you have surely gone because you desperately longed for the house of your father, but why did you steal my gods?”
Gen 31:31 Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought, ‘Lest you take your daughters from me by force.’
Gen 31:32 But with whomever you find your gods, he shall not live. In the presence of your kinsmen now identify what is with me that is yours and take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.
Gen 31:33 Then Laban went into Jacob’s tent and Leah’s tent and the tent of the two female servants and did not find his gods. And he came out of Leah’s tent and went into Rachel’s tent.
Gen 31:34 Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them in the saddle bag of the camel and sat on them. And Jacob searched the whole tent thoroughly but did not find them.
Gen 31:35 And she said to her father, “Let there not be anger in the eyes of my lord, for I am not able to rise before you, for the way of women is with me. And he searched carefully and did not find the idols.
Gen 31:36 Then Jacob became angry and quarreled with Laban. Jacob answered and said to Laban, “What is my offense? What is my sin that you pursued after me?

We get a definition of these idols from the book of Jasher. These heads of the Chaldean enemies would be made as idols. People like Rachael’s father would have these idols of shrunken heads with candles, and consult them through demonic entities and familiar spirits. They are called teraphim.

“And Rachel stole her father’s images, and she took them and she concealed them upon the camel upon which she sat, and she went on. And this is the manner of the images; in taking a man who is the first born and slaying him and taking the hair off his head, and taking salt and salting the head and anointing it in oil, then taking a small tablet of copper or a tablet of gold and writing the name upon it, and placing the tablet under his tongue, and taking the head with the tablet under the tongue and putting it in the house, and lighting up lights before it and bowing down to it. And at the time when they bow down to it, it speaketh to them in all matters that they ask of it, through the power of the name which is written in it. And some make them in the figures of men, of gold and silver, and go to them in times known to them, and the figures receive the influence of the stars, and tell them future things, and in this manner were the images which Rachel stole from her father. And Rachel stole these images which were her father’s, in order that Laban might not know through them where Jacob had gone.” Jasher 31:40-44

Human heads were eventually replaced by vegetables like turnips and pumpkins, but what about the demons that spoke through these idols? Do they care if they are working through a human shrunken skull or a vegetable?

Consider these verses:

1Pe 1:13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1Pe 1:14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,
1Pe 1:15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
1Pe 1:16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Deu 12:29 “When Yahweh your God has cut off the nations whom you are about to go to, to dispossess them before you, and you have dispossessed them, and you live in their land,
Deu 12:30 take care so that you are not ensnared into imitating them after their being destroyed from before you, and so that you not enquire concerning their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods, and thus I myself want to do also.’
Deu 12:31 You must not do so toward Yahweh your God, because of every detestable thing they have done for their gods Yahweh hates, for even their sons and their daughters they would burn in the fire to their gods.
Deu 12:32 All of the things that I am commanding you, you must diligently observe; you shall not add to it, and you shall not take away from it.”

1Co 10:19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?
1Co 10:20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.
1Co 10:21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
1Co 10:22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

When you celebrate this high sabbat with trunk or treats in church parking lots, you are paying homage to the wrong god, and entertaining these dark entities.

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:24

There are many, many subjects that I have not heard addressed in the 45 years I have been in the contemporary Christian church, and I have heard many of the same sermons preached over and over again by a hundred different Pastors and Preachers. I am not complaining nor disparaging anyone, it just seems to be a matter of circumstance. Here are some common sermon topics: the prodigal son, the good samaritan, the widow and the two mites, robbing god, Elisha burning his farm equipment, the story of the birth of Jesus at Christmas, Jesus’ resurrection on Easter, thankfulness at Thanksgiving, slaying your giants like David, and the list goes on and on. At Hear the Matter, we try to explore the areas of scripture that are rarely discussed. In some cases, it would be discouraged to bring up some of these topics. If a topic is not open for discussion, it is a clue there are issues at hand.

In this blog, I have made a list of some questions, some of which I believe there is a commonly known answer in some circles, some of which I have theories, and some I am still searching for the answer.

To start, a common sermon I have heard dozens of time in my life is about the prodigal son. In my experience, it has always been referred to as a person who left the faith and came back, or literally a child that was brought up in church, went astray, then returned. Those are not bad examples, but was Jesus just referring to some random person’s son who went astray? Here is the parable:

Luk 15:11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons.
Luk 15:12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.
Luk 15:13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.
Luk 15:14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.
Luk 15:15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
Luk 15:16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
Luk 15:17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!
Luk 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.
Luk 15:19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’
Luk 15:20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
Luk 15:21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
Luk 15:22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.
Luk 15:23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.
Luk 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
Luk 15:25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
Luk 15:26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.
Luk 15:27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’
Luk 15:28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him,
Luk 15:29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.
Luk 15:30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’
Luk 15:31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.
Luk 15:32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

Jesus is talking about some very specific things here. The father is Yahuah, (Yahweh YHWH 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄). The son that left was Ephraim, also referred to as the house of Israel, and the older son that was jealous was Judah or “the Jews”. Feeding the pigs and longing to eat food as good as theirs represents Ephraim rejecting the commandments. The older son’s complaint about the prostitutes is referring to the many gods the house of Israel, Ephraim, or the younger brother, whored with against Yahuah. This whole parable is about the two houses coming back through the new or renewed covenant by what Jesus would do. With that sort of interpretation in mind, here are some questions I have, some of which, I am searching the Word for answers. Some of these questions I have discussed in my previous blogs.

What is the significance of adding the “Hey” sound to Abraham and Sarah’s name?

Gen 17:5 Your name shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I will make you the father of a multitude of nations.

Gen 17:15 And God said to Abraham, “as for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, for Sarah shall be her name.

What does Jesus mean when He says He is the Alpha and Omega?

Rev 22:12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.
Rev 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

What does Daniel do to seal the book? What book?

Dan 12:1 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.
Dan 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Dan 12:3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
Dan 12:4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
Dan 12:5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream.
Dan 12:6 And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?”
Dan 12:7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished.
Dan 12:8 I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?”
Dan 12:9 He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.

Where is the church in the new covenant? It is made with the house of Israel.

Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Heb 8:11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

What is the mystery in Romans 16:25-27?

Rom 16:25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages
Rom 16:26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—
Rom 16:27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

What is Paul referring to concerning Jannes and Jambres? Who are they?

2Ti 3:8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.

What is the mystery of Christ and the church becoming one flesh?

Eph 5:31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
Eph 5:32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
Eph 5:33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

How could the thief be in paradise with Jesus the day he died when Jesus spent three days and three nights in the grave and had not ascended to the Father? Hint: there are no commas in the Greek language, they are inferred by the translators.

Luk 23:39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
Luk 23:40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
Luk 23:41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
Luk 23:42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Luk 23:43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Joh 20:16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
Joh 20:17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

There is a difference between us knowing Jesus and Jesus knowing us. What is it?

Mat 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
Mat 7:23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Who is Jesus referring to in John 5:43?

Joh 5:43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.

Why did Jude and Peter reference events in Enoch, yet we do not regard the book?

Jud 1:14 It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones,
Jud 1:15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
2Pe 3:11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
2Pe 3:12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!

Why did Saul’s name change to Paul, and what does it mean?

Act 13:9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him

Why are the two most important days celebrated in Christianity (Easter and Christmas), not mentioned in scripture, and not celebrated in the first century church? Why is there no mention of Hallow’s Eve, All Saint’s day, Lent and Good Friday being celebrated?

By what authority did the Council of Laodicea forbid celebrating the Sabbath in 346 AD, which is one of the Ten Commandments? This is in direct rebellion to the Word of Yahweh, spoken directly, face to face, to the congregation of the twelve tribes at Mount Horeb. Should we follow Rome or Yahuah, יהוה, the creator of all things?

Canon XXIX.
Christians must not judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honouring the Lord’s Day; and, if they can, resting then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ.
Notes.
Ancient Epitome of Canon XXIX.
A Christian shall not stop work on the Sabbath, but on the Lord’s Day.
Balsamon.
Here the Fathers order that no one of the faithful shall stop work on the Sabbath as do the Jews, but that they should honour the Lord’s Day, on account of the Lord’s resurrection, and that on that day they should abstain from manual labour and go to church. But thus abstaining from work on Sunday they do not lay down as a necessity, but they add, “if they can.” For if through need or any other necessity any one worked on the Lord’s day this was not reckoned against him

By what authority did the Westminster confessions reduce the accepted books in the canon to 66 books in 1647?

What is the significance of the 5 loaves for the 5000, the 7 loaves for the 4000 and 12 and 7 baskets left over that were gathered? I am sure these are not random numbers.

Mat 16:5 When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread.
Mat 16:6 Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Mat 16:7 And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.”
Mat 16:8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread?
Mat 16:9 Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?
Mat 16:10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?
Mat 16:11 How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Mat 16:12 Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Why were there more copies of the book of Jubilees found than Genesis in the caves of Qumran?

Why is Cainan listed in the genealogy in Luke as a son of Arphaxad, but not in Genesis?

Luk 3:36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

Gen 10:24 Arpachshad fathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber.

Why was it not acceptable to Yahweh for Aaron and Jeroboam to make up their own special days, complete with symbols from other deities, in honour of Yahweh, but it is supposedly acceptable to Yahweh for the “church” to create special days with symbols and practices borrowed from other deities?

Why do translators translate breath to Spirit from the Hebrew, and Ghost from the Greek?

Psa 51:11 Cast H7993  me not H408  away from thy presence; H4480 H6440  and take H3947  not H408  thy holy H6944  spirit H7307 from H4480  me.

H7307 (Strong)
רוּחַ
rûach
roo’-akh
From H7306; wind; by resemblance breath, that is, a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions): – air, anger, blast, breath, X cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X side, spirit ([-ual]), tempest, X vain, ([whirl-]) wind (-y).

Mar 1:8 I G1473  indeed G3303  have baptized G907  you G5209  with G1722  water: G5204  but G1161  he G846  shall baptize G907  you G5209  with G1722  the Holy G40  Ghost. G4151

G4151 (Strong)
πνεῦμα
pneuma
pnyoo’-mah
From G4154; a current of air, that is, breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively a spirit, that is, (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, daemon, or (divine) God, Christ’s spirit, the Holy spirit: – ghost, life, spirit (-ual, -ually), mind. Compare G5590.

Why was Yahweh very angry with Moses, and his wife had to save the day?

Exo 4:23 And I said to you, “Release my son and let him serve me,” but you refused to release him. Look, I am about to kill your son, your firstborn.'”
Exo 4:24 And on the way, at the place of overnight lodging, Yahweh encountered him and sought to kill him.
Exo 4:25 But Zipporah took a flint knife, and she cut off the foreskin of her son, and she touched his feet, and she said, “Yes, you are a bridegroom of blood to me.”
Exo 4:26 And he left him alone. At that time she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.

Which scriptures are Jesus referring to regarding marriage and angels?

Mat 22:29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.
Mat 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

If Jesus supposedly declared unclean animals listed in Leviticus acceptable to eat in the gospel of Mark, why did Peter react negatively to the idea in the vision in Acts chapter 10 years later? Did he not get the memo?

Mar 7:18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him,
Mar 7:19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)

Act 10:12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air.
Act 10:13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
Act 10:14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”

Who is being spoken to in Jeremiah 23? I don’t see Judah and Israel dwelling in safety yet.

Jer 23:1 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the flock of my pasture,” declares Yahweh.
Jer 23:2 Therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people, “You yourselves have scattered my flock, and you have driven them away, and you do not attend to them. Look, I will punish you for the evil of your deeds,” declares Yahweh.

Why do we hide the name of the creator with words like Lord and God? Who forgot His name and called him Baal (Lord)? Is this scripture in Jeremiah referring to 2020?

Jer 23:26 How long will this be in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy lies, even the prophets of the deceitfulness of their hearts,
Jer 23:27 who plan to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell each one to his neighbor, just as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal?

H1168
בּעל
ba‛al
BDB Definition:
Baal = “lord”
1) supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites (noun proper masculine)
2) a Reubenite (noun proper masculine)
3) the son of Jehiel and grandfather of Saul (noun proper masculine)
4) a town of Simeon, probably identical to Baalath-beer (noun proper locative)

Exo 3:15 And God said again to Moses, “So you must say to the Israelites, ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is my remembrance from generation to generation.’

Why do we call Jacob, half brother to Jesus, James? Why do we call Jesus, Jesus? They were Jacob and Joshua and became James and Jesus.

Why does the church say that the birthday of Jesus was December 25th, the same as every sun god deity, when it was not?

Why does the church say Jesus died on Friday and rose on Sunday, when a person with a little knowledge of scripture and Yahweh’s feast days, Passover, unleavened bread and first fruits, can clearly see it is not the case?

Why do we celebrate the day of the dead, Samhain, a high sabbath on the occult calendar, with similar symbols and traditions, such as “trunk or treat” in the church?

When did Jesus or Yahweh command us to celebrate the day he resurrected?

Why is it said Jesus “rose again” when He only resurrected once?

The questions can literally have no end, and the answers are available if a person is willing to take the time to seek Yahweh for the answers. Where is the inquisitiveness? Why are scriptures allegorically analyzed, when they are literally the living Word of God? Why do we hear many of the same topics over emphasized and some of these other topics are never mentioned or glossed over? We should be as the Bereans and search the scriptures daily.

Act 17:10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.
Act 17:11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
Act 17:12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.

Not answering some of these questions can cause people to leave the faith or not even consider the faith. Remember to worship in spirit and truth!

Joh 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

Featured image taken by Emma Vail.

“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.” Deuteronomy 4:30.

I have maintained the book of John’s Revelation needs to be examined in small portions and compared to other scripture to find its meaning. The goal of this blog post is not to provide any concrete answers or interpretations of scripture, but to open the readers mind to scripture that they may not have been previously exposed to. This is to challenge the reader to dig deep in scripture for themselves, and to not be satisfied with the many narratives, false doctrines and imaginations of men that have been floating around for many hundreds of years. In the first part of chapter 12, we see a sign in the heavens and a woman giving birth to a male child.

Rev 12:1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
Rev 12:2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.
Rev 12:3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.
Rev 12:4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.
Rev 12:5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,
Rev 12:6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

Jesus is the only one who is to rule with a rod of iron.

Rev 19:15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

This was prophesied long ago by Jacob to his son Judah. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy:

Gen 49:8 Judah, as for you, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies. The sons of your father shall bow down to you.
Gen 49:9 Judah is a lion’s cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bowed down; he crouched like a lion and as a lioness. Who shall rouse him?
Gen 49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff between his feet, until Shiloh comes. And to him shall be the obedience of nations.
Gen 49:11 Binding his donkey to the vine and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he washes his clothing in the wine and his garment in the blood of grapes.
Gen 49:12 The eyes are darker than wine, and the teeth whiter than milk.

The second half of chapter 12 gives us a war in heaven, and the dragon and his angels being thrown down to Earth.

Rev 12:7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back,
Rev 12:8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
Rev 12:11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
Rev 12:12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
Rev 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
Rev 12:14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.
Rev 12:15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood.
Rev 12:16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.
Rev 12:17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.

The dragon is called a serpent, the devil and Satan. None of these titles give this entities’ name. Satan is just a Hebrew word meaning adversary (שטן). Does this devil have a name? The book of Enoch names him Gadriel, and he is the one who deceived Eve, or Chuah, which means life giver.

The name of the third is Gadr’el: he discovered every stroke of death to the children of men. He seduced Chuah; and discovered to the children of men the instruments of death, the coat of mail, the shield, and the sword for slaughter; every instrument of death to the children of men. From his hand were derived to them who dwell upon earth, from that period forever. CHANOK (ENOCH) 69:6-8 את CEPHER

Enoch is a book that Jesus and the Apostles were familiar with. Both Peter and Jude quote from Enoch, and Enoch explains the origin of the devils and evil spirits talked about all through the New Testament. There are things in the sixty-six book Bible that are alluded to from Enoch that are never explained, in my opinion, because the writers assumed their audience had read the book of Enoch. Some people don’t like the book, or are afraid to read it, but it contains information one should know. Going back to chapter 12 of Revelation, the great sign that appears in the heavens described in verse one is similar to that of a dream Joseph had.

Gen 37:9 Then he dreamed yet another dream and told it to his brothers. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream again, and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
Gen 37:10 And he told it to his father and to his brothers. And his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the ground to you?”
Gen 37:11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

Some people believe this sign in the heavens happened on September 23, 2017, just after Yom Toruah. It was the one time the constellation of Virgo had Jupiter in such a place as to give birth with twelve stars around her head and the moon at her feet. At some point after this the dragon is thrown down to Earth and makes war with those who keep the commandments of Yahweh and have faith in Jesus. The mother of the child, Israel, is forced into the wilderness, “where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time”. This is all speculation, but some think this time that Israel is nourished in the wilderness is referring to the regathering of the remnant spoken of over and over by the prophets. In many of my blogs I make reference to the dispersion of Israel, also spoken of by the prophets, and apostles. Israel sinned by committing adultery with foreign gods, going after false feast days, sabbaths and holidays, angering Yahweh to the point of where He divorced them and scattered them. Next, we are going to look at this regathering that will take place, possibly in the context of chapter twelve in Revelation, and possibly soon. This is sometimes referred to as the second exodus. First, the prophecy of the dispersion for disobedience:

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.

Yahweh called the two witnesses of Heaven and Earth, and Jesus similarly uses these two witnesses describing the time the Law of Yahweh will exist.

Mat 5:18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Mat 5:19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

All throughout the prophets we see of a regathering taking place of Yahweh’s people who were dispersed to the nations and mixed with the Gentiles.

Jer 16:14 Therefore look, days are coming,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and it will no longer be said, “As Yahweh lives, who led up the Israelites from the land of Egypt,”
Jer 16:15 but only “As Yahweh lives, who led up the Israelites from the land of the north, and from all the lands where he had driven them,” for I will bring them back to their ground that I gave to their ancestors.

This will be a bigger event than Israel being delivered from Egypt. This does not appear to have happened yet, although some say this was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost in the book of Acts, or when many people returned to the nation state of Israel. I believe there is merit in those theories, but they do not explain everything, unless scripture is viewed completely allegorically. This following verse in Isaiah gives us more of this picture:

Isa 11:10 And this shall happen on that day: the nations shall inquire of the root of Jesse, which shall be standing as a signal to the peoples, and his resting place shall be glorious.
Isa 11:11 And this shall happen on that day: The Lord will again extend his hand a second time to acquire the remnant of his people that is left, from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the coastlands of the sea,
Isa 11:12 and he will raise a signal for the nations. And he will gather the outcasts of Israel, and he will gather the scattered ones of Judah together from the four corners of the earth.
Isa 11:13 And the jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, and the enemies of Judah shall be cut off. Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not be an enemy of Ephraim.
Isa 11:14 But they shall swoop upon the Philistine shoulder, westward. Together they shall plunder the sons of the east. Edom and Moab will be under their command, and the sons of Ammon will be their subjugated people.
Isa 11:15 And Yahweh will divide the tongue of the sea of Egypt, and he will wave his hand over the river with his scorching wind; and he will strike it into seven streams, and he will make it passable by foot.
Isa 11:16 So there shall be a highway from Assyria for the remnant of his people that remains, as there was for Israel when it went up from the land of Egypt.

Yahweh is going to make it possible to come by foot as the people crossed the Red Sea leaving Egypt. It looks like a physical movement of mortals because they will be blind, lame and pregnant.

Jer 31:6 For there will be a day when watchmen will call in the hill country of Ephraim, ‘Stand up, and let us go up to Zion, to Yahweh our God.'”
Jer 31:7 For thus says Yahweh, “Sing for joy for Jacob with gladness, and shout out for the head of the nations. Proclaim, praise, and say, ‘Save, O Yahweh, your people, the remnant of Israel.’
Jer 31:8 Look, I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and I will gather them from the remotest part of the earth. Among them the blind, and the lame, those who are pregnant, and those who give birth, together, a great assembly, they will return here.
Jer 31:9 With weeping they will come, and with pleas for mercy I will bring them; I will let them walk by streams of water in a straight path. They will not stumble in it, for I have become to Israel a father, and Ephraim, he is my firstborn.”
Jer 31:10 Hear the word of Yahweh, O nations, and declare in the coastlands from afar, and say, “The scatterer of Israel will gather him, and he will keep him as a shepherd his flock.
Jer 31:11 For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob, and he has redeemed him from the hand of the person stronger than he.

These images of Yahweh regathering His people are too numerous to list. I am only providing some examples. Once it is understood there is only one people of Yahweh, “who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus”, these scriptures appear to point to this remnant of people who exist now, or sometime in the future. These events seem to happen before the resurrection where believers receive their spiritual bodies.

Hos 2:14 Therefore, Look! I am going to allure her and bring her into the desert, and I will speak tenderly to her.
Hos 2:15 From there I will give her her vineyards, and the Valley of Achor as a doorway of hope. And there she will respond, as in the days of her youth, just as in the day of her coming out of the land of Egypt.
Hos 2:16 And on that day—a declaration of Yahweh—you will call me, “My husband;” you will no longer call me, “My Baal.”
Hos 2:17 I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they will no longer be mentioned by their name.
Hos 2:18 I will make a covenant for them on that day, with the animals of the field, with the birds of the heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground; the bow, the sword, and the war I will abolish from the land, and I will let them lie down in safety.
Hos 2:19 And I will take you as my wife forever; I will take you as a wife for myself in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.
Hos 2:20 I will take you as my wife in faithfulness, and you will know Yahweh.
Hos 2:21 On that day I will answer, declares Yahweh, I will answer the heavens, and they will answer the earth.

In Hosea 2:16, Yahweh says we will no longer call Him “My Baal”. In the English translations it is confusing with Yahweh’s name being substituted with “LORD” because in this verse “My Baal” actually means “My Lord”. Here it is is the King James translation:

Hos 2:16 And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.

It gets confusing, so the translators do some linguistic gymnastics. If it were all translated to English, it would read, “And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me My Husband; and shalt call me no more My Lord.” This proposes a problem for translations that substitute “LORD” for Yahweh or YHWH יהוה.

Eze 20:33 “As I live,” declares the Lord Yahweh, “surely with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with rage pouring forth I will reign as king over you!
Eze 20:34 And I will bring you from the peoples, and I will gather you from the countries to which you were scattered with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with rage poured out.
Eze 20:35 Then I will bring you to the desert of the peoples, and I will execute justice on you there face to face.
Eze 20:36 Just as I executed justice on your ancestors in the desert of the land of Egypt, likewise I will execute justice on you!” declares the Lord Yahweh.
Eze 20:37 “And I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.
Eze 20:38 And I will purge the rebels from among you and the ones transgressing against me; I will bring them out from the land where they are living as aliens, but into the land of Israel they will not come, and then you will know that I am Yahweh.
Eze 20:39 And you, house of Israel, thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Let each one go serve his idols now and after, if you are not listening to me, but my holy name you will not profane any longer with your gifts and with your idols.

Who are the rebels who are not going to continue into the land? This whole process sounds like a retake of the forty years in the desert. Could this be a time in the wilderness or desert where Yahweh gets serious with His people before the resurrection? Is this what is being referenced in Revelation 12:14? “But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.”

Mat 24:15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
Mat 24:16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Mat 24:17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house,
Mat 24:18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.
Mat 24:19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days!
Mat 24:20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.
Mat 24:21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.
Mat 24:22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

Jesus also says the elect will be gathered from the four winds at His coming.

Mat 24:29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Mat 24:30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Mat 24:31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

It is not exactly clear as to what all this means; however, we are moving past the 20th century pre-tribulation, dispensationalist view of future events as knowledge increases, and Yahweh removes the scales from our eyes. Once a person realizes there is only one people of Yahweh, and there is not two peoples, the church and Israel, prophesies start to make sense. This is not to say the church replaces Israel, but that Israel was always the church, and we can be grafted in as Paul explains in Romans chapter 11. Maybe the angels gathering the remnant of His people on the Earth is a gathering of the physical people left on Earth. There is no time line given for how long it will take for the angels to gather the elect, or what state they will be in, mortal or immortal.

I have talked about the word church in the past quite often. It is sometimes used to obfuscate the identity of the people of Yahweh. An example of this is found in the book of Acts. Where Stephen talks about the church at Mount Sinai.

Act 7:38 This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us. ESV

Act 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: KJV

King James set forth rules to the translators of the King James Bible. From the Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, Volume 3, Authorized Version of the Holy Scriptures:

“The old ecclesiastical words to be kept, as the word church not to be translated congregation.”

The Greek word Ekklesia, is translated to congregation for Stephen’s speech in many English versions, but Church elsewhere. In modern Christianity, too much theology gets rendered unclear if the twelve tribes at Mount Sinai are called “the church”. The King James translators were not making a theological statement in Acts 7:38, just following a set of rules that said, “Ekklesia is always to be translated to the word church”. The truth is the congregation at Mount Sinai was the start of the Ekklesia, which simply means congregation. It is all a play on words. There is no such thing as something called “the Church” as thought of in the modern dispensational theological system. From the Smith Bible dictionary, the word church comes from gathering in the form of a circle, the Latin word circus.

Church

1. The derivation of the word is generally said to be from the Greek kuriakon, “belonging to the Lord”. But the derivation has been too hastily assumed. It is probably connected with kirk, the Latin circus, circulus, the Greek kuklos, (kuklos), because the congregations were gathered in circles.

Once a person realizes there is only one people of Yahweh, who He spoke face to face with at Mount Sinai, sent His son Jesus to recover all the lost who had been scattered throughout the world, and breathed His Spirit into them at Pentecost to empower them to recover the remaining lost, we can understand the book of Revelation is not a stand alone book discussing the future of Israel and “the Church”. Much of Revelation can be interpreted from the prophets in the Old Testament.

Is the gathering spoken of by the prophets the same gathering as Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24? The gathering spoken of by the prophets sounds like it is more physical, having waters parted, lame and pregnant women taking part. The gathering Jesus spoke of sounds more like the first resurrection at His coming, where He appears in the sky and there is a trumpet blast.

In the book of second Esdras, found in the King James Authorized Version of the Bible, we see a different view of some of the same events. Second Esdras was a book removed by the 1647 Westminster Confession of Faith for various reasons, some of a political nature. A sixty-six book Bible was also more attractive to the printing press, where they could get the same money for a smaller book. Second Esdras was originally included in the Vulgate, Wyclif, Luther and Tyndale Bibles as well. If it is a later work than the second temple period as some claim, it still gives us insight as to the beliefs of the early church. Let the words speak for themselves:

2Es 13:25 This is the meaning of the vision: Whereas thou sawest a man coming up from the midst of the sea:
2Es 13:26 The same is he whom God the Highest hath kept a great season, which by his own self shall deliver his creature: and he shall order them that are left behind.
2Es 13:27 And whereas thou sawest, that out of his mouth there came as a blast of wind, and fire, and storm;
2Es 13:28 And that he held neither sword, nor any instrument of war, but that the rushing in of him destroyed the whole multitude that came to subdue him; this is the interpretation:
2Es 13:29 Behold, the days come, when the most High will begin to deliver them that are upon the earth.
2Es 13:30 And he shall come to the astonishment of them that dwell on the earth.
2Es 13:31 And one shall undertake to fight against another, one city against another, one place against another, one people against another, and one realm against another.
2Es 13:32 And the time shall be when these things shall come to pass, and the signs shall happen which I shewed thee before, and then shall my Son be declared, whom thou sawest as a man ascending.
2Es 13:33 And when all the people hear his voice, every man shall in their own land leave the battle they have one against another.
2Es 13:34 And an innumerable multitude shall be gathered together, as thou sawest them, willing to come, and to overcome him by fighting.
2Es 13:35 But he shall stand upon the top of the mount Sion.
2Es 13:36 And Sion shall come, and shall be shewed to all men, being prepared and builded, like as thou sawest the hill graven without hands.
2Es 13:37 And this my Son shall rebuke the wicked inventions of those nations, which for their wicked life are fallen into the tempest;
2Es 13:38 And shall lay before them their evil thoughts, and the torments wherewith they shall begin to be tormented, which are like unto a flame: and he shall destroy them without labour by the law which is like unto me.
2Es 13:39 And whereas thou sawest that he gathered another peaceable multitude unto him;
2Es 13:40 Those are the ten tribes, which were carried away prisoners out of their own land in the time of Osea the king, whom Salmanasar the king of Assyria led away captive, and he carried them over the waters, and so came they into another land.
2Es 13:41 But they took this counsel among themselves, that they would leave the multitude of the heathen, and go forth into a further country, where never mankind dwelt,
2Es 13:42 That they might there keep their statutes, which they never kept in their own land.
2Es 13:43 And they entered into Euphrates by the narrow places of the river.
2Es 13:44 For the most High then shewed signs for them, and held still the flood, till they were passed over.
2Es 13:45 For through that country there was a great way to go, namely, of a year and a half: and the same region is called Arsareth.
2Es 13:46 Then dwelt they there until the latter time; and now when they shall begin to come,
2Es 13:47 The Highest shall stay the springs of the stream again, that they may go through: therefore sawest thou the multitude with peace.
2Es 13:48 But those that be left behind of thy people are they that are found within my borders.
2Es 13:49 Now when he destroyeth the multitude of the nations that are gathered together, he shall defend his people that remain.
2Es 13:50 And then shall he shew them great wonders.
2Es 13:51 Then said I, O Lord that bearest rule, shew me this: Wherefore have I seen the man coming up from the midst of the sea?
2Es 13:52 And he said unto me, Like as thou canst neither seek out nor know the things that are in the deep of the sea: even so can no man upon earth see my Son, or those that be with him, but in the day time.
2Es 13:53 This is the interpretation of the dream which thou sawest, and whereby thou only art here lightened.
2Es 13:54 For thou hast forsaken thine own way, and applied thy diligence unto my law, and sought it.
2Es 13:55 Thy life hast thou ordered in wisdom, and hast called understanding thy mother.
2Es 13:56 And therefore have I shewed thee the treasures of the Highest: after other three days I will speak other things unto thee, and declare unto thee mighty and wondrous things.
2Es 13:57 Then went I forth into the field, giving praise and thanks greatly unto the most High because of his wonders which he did in time;
2Es 13:58 And because he governeth the same, and such things as fall in their seasons: and there I sat three days.

According to Second Esdras 13:47, “The Highest shall stay the springs of the stream again”. This was the peaceful multitude that Esdras (Ezra) saw. This could be the group that is gathered and protected in the wilderness spoken of Revelation 12:14. Another verse that could allude to this is found in Isaiah. Many were tossing this scripture around in March of this year due to the lock downs and such.

Isa 26:19 Your dead shall live; their corpses shall rise. Wake up and sing for joy, dwellers of the dust, for your dew is celestial dew, and the earth will give birth to dead spirits.
Isa 26:20 Go, my people, enter into your chambers and shut your doors behind you; hide for a very little while, until the wrath has passed over.
Isa 26:21 For look! Yahweh is about to come out from his place to punish the iniquity of the inhabitants of the earth against him, and the earth will disclose her blood and will no longer cover her slain.

If we factor in these verses with the others we have looked at, it appears to be speaking of a resurrection after we hide ourselves from the wrath Yahweh pours out on the Earth, with a time line of a gathering, protection or hiding, wrath, resurrection, and then peace.

I find all these prophesies fascinating and wish I could have seen them earlier in my life. Unfortunately, being brought up in churches with a dispensational mindset, the focus was always placed on “the rapture of the church”. Pre, mid or post tribulation rapture discussion always causes so much anger and division. Israel is presented as a separate entity that endures a different destiny than “the church”. Worship of the nation state of Israel causes bizarre alliances with “the church”, and creates a politicization of prophecy and scripture that appears to be greatly twisted. However, once that is all tossed aside, (approximately 130 years of dispensationalism), a new clarity comes to the scriptures, taking out the page that divides the New Testament and Old Testament. With this clarity, new questions arise and once obscure scripture comes alive. Commands and Feasts of Yahweh that were presented as irrelevant are discovered as relevant prophesied by Moses in Deutoronomy!

Deuteronomy 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.

This is the reason I am choosing to leave the imaginations of men behind, and use the commandments of Yahuah, from scripture, to determine what actions to take moving forward.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” ~Jesus, from Matthew 7:21

According to Jesus, we must do the will of his Father if we are to be able to enter the kingdom of heaven. Since that is the goal of most people who follow Jesus and Christianity, we should probably understand, in great detail, what Jesus’ Father’s will is for His people. Let’s first establish who Jesus is, and who his Father is:

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 He was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Joh 1:4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

Joh 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Joh 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Joh 1:30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’
Joh 1:31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”
Joh 1:32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.
Joh 1:33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
Joh 1:34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

The word “God” here comes from the Greek word “Theos”. It is Strong’s G2316, and also used for the Hebrew word “Eloheem” in the Greek Septuagint. Eloheem is the supreme God, creator of everything in these contexts.

G2316
θεός
theos
Thayer Definition:
1) a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities
2) the Godhead, trinity
2a) God the Father, the first person in the trinity
2b) Christ, the second person of the trinity
2c) Holy Spirit, the third person in the trinity
3) spoken of the only and true God
3a) refers to the things of God
3b) his counsels, interests, things due to him

Jesus is the Word made flesh, who was with Eloheem and was Eloheem. Eloheem is Strong’s H430:

H430
אֱלֹהִים
‘ĕlôhı̂ym
el-o-heem’
Plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative: – angels, X exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.
Total KJV occurrences: 2601

Also, Jesus declares Himself to be the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

Rev 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

What does this mean, Alpha and Omega? These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Assuming the book of Revelation was first written in Hebrew, Jesus very likely was calling himself the Aleph Tav, which are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, indicating once again, He is everything that comprises the Word of Eloheem, which all things were created through the speaking of the Word. The Word is the only representation anyone ever had, and any form other than the Word is forbidden.

Deu 4:11 And so you came near, and you stood under the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire up to the heart of the heaven, dark with a very thick cloud.
Deu 4:12 And Yahweh spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard a sound of words, but you did not see a form—only a voice.
Deu 4:13 And he declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he charged you to observe, and he wrote them on the two tablets of stone.
Deu 4:14 And Yahweh charged me at that time to teach you rules and regulations for your observation of them in the land that you are about to cross into to take possession of it.
Deu 4:15 “So you must be very careful for yourselves, because you did not see any form on the day Yahweh spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire,
Deu 4:16 so that you do not ruin yourselves and make for yourselves a divine image in a form of any image, a replica of male or female,
Deu 4:17 a replica of any animal that is upon the earth, a replica of any winged bird that flies in the air,
Deu 4:18 a replica of any creeping thing on the ground, a replica of any fish that is in the water below the earth.
Deu 4:19 And do this so that you do not lift your eyes toward heaven and observe the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of the heaven, and be led astray and bow down to them and serve them, things that Yahweh your God has allotted to all of the peoples under all of the heaven.

Unfortunately, Israel turned to many strange gods such as animals, fish, trees, the sun and the moon. Christians still use the symbols and special days from these strange gods to worship Yahweh in 2020.

To further show Jesus is Eloheem, let’s look at a verse in Isaiah, and then one in the letter to the Philippians:

Isa 45:21 Declare and present your case, also let them consult together! Who made this known from former times, declared it from of old? Was it not I, Yahweh? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God besides me, and no savior besides me.
Isa 45:22 Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is none besides me.
Isa 45:23 I have sworn by myself; a word that shall not return has gone forth from my mouth in righteousness: ‘Every knee shall kneel down to me; every tongue shall swear.’
Isa 45:24 ‘Only in Yahweh,’ one shall say to me, ‘are righteousness and strength.’ He shall come to him, and all those who were angry with him shall be ashamed.
Isa 45:25 In Yahweh all the offspring of Israel shall be in the right, and they shall boast.”

Php 2:9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
Php 2:10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Php 2:11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

In this text in the letter to the Philippians, Paul says, “every tongue will confess Jesus Christ is Lord”. This is a big deal because the Greek word for Lord here is Kurios, Strong’s G2962. This is the same word used in the septuagint for Yahweh, Yahuah or YHWH. Paul is essentially saying Yahusha (Jesus) is Yahuah. This is not typically explained very well, but it says what it says. If we compare what is said in Isaiah, we have no choice but to see Yahusha as Yahuah, or Yahuah as Yahusha, or Yahweh (Yahuah, YHWH) would have had to change his mind from His words in Isaiah 45. Jesus says himself in John 8:58, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” “I am” is Yahweh. This is why they wanted to stone Jesus when He said that. The word “Lord” gets tossed about in English translations a lot, without much clarification.

G2962
κύριος
kurios
koo’-ree-os
From κῦρος kuros (supremacy); supreme in authority, that is, (as noun) controller; by implication Mr. (as a respectful title): – God, Lord, master, Sir.

Hopefully I have provided enough scriptures to show that Jesus is the son of the Father God, creator of everything, and the living Word of Eloheem. Next, here are some other instances Jesus tells us that doing the will of His Father is very important:

Mat 12:46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.
Mat 12:48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”
Mat 12:49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!
Mat 12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Mat 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Joh 6:38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
Joh 6:39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.
Joh 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Jesus said the will of the Father is to believe in the son, so what does it mean to believe in the son? Perhaps looking at examples of the will of the Father can give us more insight as to what believing in Jesus means. Believing in Jesus means more than acknowledging His existence. James 2:19: “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”

Psa 147:2 Yahweh is building Jerusalem; he gathers the scattered ones of Israel.
Psa 147:3 He is the one who heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.
Psa 147:4 He counts the number of the stars; he gives names to all of them.
Psa 147:5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is unlimited.
Psa 147:6 Yahweh helps the afflicted up; he brings the wicked down to the ground.
Psa 147:7 Sing to Yahweh with thanksgiving; sing praises to our God with lyre,
Psa 147:8 who covers the heavens with clouds, who provides rain for the earth, who causes grass to grow on the mountains.
Psa 147:9 He gives to the animal its food, and to the young ravens that cry.
Psa 147:10 He does not delight in the strength of the horse; he takes no pleasure in the legs of the man.
Psa 147:11 Yahweh takes pleasure in those who fear him, the ones who hope for his loyal love.
Psa 147:12 Laud Yahweh, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion,
Psa 147:13 for he strengthens the bars of your gates. He blesses your children within you;
Psa 147:14 he makes your border peaceful; he satisfies you with the finest of wheat.
Psa 147:15 He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.
Psa 147:16 He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes;
Psa 147:17 he throws his hail like crumbs. Who can stand before his cold?
Psa 147:18 He sends out his word and melts them; he blows his breath, the water flows.
Psa 147:19 He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
Psa 147:20 He has not done so for any nation, and they do not know his ordinances. Praise Yah.

Knowing what Yahweh does not delight in is as important as knowing His will. The word for will, delight and desire in Hebrew is Strong’s H2654

H2654
חָפֵץ
châphêts
khaw-fates’
A primitive root; properly to incline to; by implication (literally but rarely) to bend; figuratively to be pleased with, desire: – X any at all, (have, take) delight, desire, favour, like, move, be (well) pleased, have pleasure, will, would.

Isa 1:10 Hear the word of Yahweh, rulers of Sodom! Listen to the teaching of our God, people of Gomorrah!
Isa 1:11 What is the abundance of your sacrifices to me? says Yahweh. I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened animals and I do not delight in the blood of bulls and ram-lambs and goats.
Isa 1:12 When you come to appear before me, who asked for this from your hand: you trampling my courts?
Isa 1:13 You must not continue to bring offerings of futility, incense—it is an abomination to me; new moon and Sabbath, the calling of a convocation—I cannot endure iniquity with solemn assembly.
Isa 1:14 Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become to me like a burden, I am not able to bear them.
Isa 1:15 And when you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not be listening. Your hands are full of blood.
Isa 1:16 Wash! Make yourselves clean! Remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes! Cease to do evil!
Isa 1:17 Learn to do good! Seek justice! Rescue the oppressed! Defend the orphan! Plead for the widow!
Isa 1:18 “Come now, and let us argue,” says Yahweh. “Even though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white like snow; even though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
Isa 1:19 If you are willing and you are obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.
Isa 1:20 But if you refuse and you rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.”

Yahweh does not delight in sacrifice of bulls, rams and goats, and asked of the people, “Who asked for them?”. Wait a minute, I thought Yahweh wanted animal sacrifice; but what does He say through His prophet? Hosea 6:6: “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”. Jesus even quotes this same verse:

Mat 9:12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
Mat 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

We are trying to learn what it means to have mercy and not sacrifice. The need for sacrifice comes from sin. Could Jesus be saying the same thing He said to us that He told the woman caught in adultery? John 8:11: She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

If Jesus told the woman to go and sin no more, is He implying that this is possible? One reason He does not desire sacrifice is that it implies there was sin. He has always preferred that His people didn’t sin because then there would be no need for sacrifice. The continual sinning and sacrificing to make atonement was not pleasing to Yahweh. The insincere offerings were hypocritical to Him. It is similar to continue living knowingly in sin, and asking forgiveness for that same sin repeatedly, when the answer is to just stop committing the sin. Otherwise, “even though you make many prayers, I will not be listening”.

Isa 42:18 Deaf people, listen! And blind people, look to see!
Isa 42:19 Who is blind but my servant or deaf like my messenger whom I sent? Who is blind like the one who is repaid or blind like the servant of Yahweh?
Isa 42:20 You see many things, but you do not observe. His ears are open, but he does not hear.
Isa 42:21 Yahweh was willing for the sake of his righteousness; he showed his teaching to be great and proved it to be glorious.
Isa 42:22 But this is a people plundered and looted; all of them are trapped in holes, and they are kept hidden in houses of imprisonment. They have become like plunder, and there is no one who saves; like booty, and there is no one who says, “Restore!”
Isa 42:23 Who among you will heed this, will listen attentively and listen, for the time to come?
Isa 42:24 Who gave Jacob to a plunderer and Israel to those who plunder? Was it not Yahweh, against whom we have sinned? And they were not willing to walk in his ways, and they would not obey his law.
Isa 42:25 So he poured the wrath of his anger upon him and the strength of war. And it set him afire all around, but he did not understand; and it burned him, but he did not take it to heart.

Yahweh does not delight in people that do not obey his commandments. Would it not be fair to say the reciprocal is true? His will is that we obey in love and show mercy?

Jer 9:22 Speak, ‘thus declares Yahweh: “The dead body of the human will fall like dung upon the surface of the field, and like cut grain behind the reaper, and there is no one who gathers.”‘”
Jer 9:23 Thus says Yahweh, “The wise man must not boast in his wisdom, and the warrior must not boast in his might, the wealthy man must not boast in his wealth.
Jer 9:24 But only in this must the one who boasts boast, that he has insight, and that he knows me, that I am Yahweh, showing loyal love, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for in these things I delight,” declares Yahweh.
Jer 9:25 “Look, days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “and I will call into account all those who are circumcised in the foreskin:
Jer 9:26 Egypt, Judah, and Edom, and the Ammonites, and Moab, and all those who are trimmed to the side, those who live in the desert, for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart.”

Here is the “mercy not sacrifice” verse from Hosea in context:

Hos 6:4 What will I do with you, O Ephraim? What will I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early in the morning.
Hos 6:5 Therefore, I have hewn them by the prophets; I have killed them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth like the light.
Hos 6:6 Because I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Hos 6:7 But like Adam, they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me.

Proverbs gives us more regarding what is a delight to Yahweh:

Pro 12:22 An abomination of Yahweh are lips of deceit, but they who act faithfully are his delight.

Pro 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination of Yahweh, but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
Pro 15:9 An abomination of Yahweh is the way of the wicked, but he who pursues righteousness he will love.

From reading all these scriptures, it is clear that Yahweh’s will is to pursue righteousness, act faithfully, learn His ways and walk in them. He also does not like calling good evil, or evil good.

Mal 2:17 You have wearied Yahweh with your words, but you ask, “With what have we wearied him?” You have done so when you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of Yahweh, and in them he delights,” or “Where is the God of justice?”

This word in Malachi is for today. We see examples of calling evil good and good evil every where around us, when defining the word “good” by the words of Yahweh. “Where is the God of Justice?”, is asked by Christians and atheists alike.

We have looked at many scriptures from the Old Testament, but isn’t that all old covenant material? Yet, what is the new covenant other than a renewed old covenant? The best way I have heard this explained is to compare it to leasing an apartment. The landlord has rules to follow, the one leasing agrees to the terms. What if the person leasing the apartment breaks the terms of the lease? The landlord can break the agreement, remove the tenants and make a new lease (or new covenant) with someone else. Did the terms of the lease change, or just the people in the agreement? The beauty of the new covenant with Yahweh is that He is allowing some of the same people back into the new covenant and He is helping us keep the terms through His Spirit. Jesus did not come to start a new religion called Christianity. He came to show us how to do His Father’s will, and gave us the power, through His Spirit to do it. Yahweh said He would write His commandments on our heart, not a new set of commandments.

Jer 31:31 Look, the days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,
Jer 31:32 not like the covenant that I made with their ancestors on the day of my grasping them by their hand, bringing them out from the land of Egypt, my covenant that they themselves broke, though I myself was a master over them,” declares Yahweh.
Jer 31:33 “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares Yahweh: “I will put my law in their inward parts and on their hearts I will write it, and I will be to them God, and they themselves will be to me people.
Jer 31:34 And they will no longer teach each one his neighbor, or each one his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh,’ for all of them will know me, from their smallest and up to their greatest,” declares Yahweh, “for I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will no longer remember.”

His Father’s will, law and commands have never changed from the beginning, because He says the following:

Mal 3:6 “For I, Yahweh, have not changed, and you, O children of Jacob, have not perished.
Mal 3:7 From the days of your ancestors you have turned aside from my rules, and have not kept them! Return to me and I will return to you,” says Yahweh of hosts, “but you say, ‘How shall we return?’

Jesus’ sermon on the mount best sums up what the Creator always wanted.

Mat 5:1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
Mat 5:2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
Mat 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Mat 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Mat 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Mat 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Mat 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Mat 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Mat 5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Mat 5:12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

When you do the Father’s will, expect to be an outcast. Even those who claim to be Christian will ridicule you. Jesus said the following:

Mat 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Mat 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
Mat 7:14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Mat 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Mat 7:16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

Do the Father’s will, stay on the hard, narrow path that few find, and watch out for the wolves! If you study the truth, you will spot the wolves easier, because they will be speaking falsely. There are many examples in scripture given to understand the will of the Father. In that day when people are saying “Lord, Lord”, you don’t want to be the one who hears, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

Feature image taken by Emma Vail.

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:14-16

When a New Testament writer quotes scripture, we should take notice to whom it is being quoted and how it is being applied in light of the new covenant. In the opening scripture, Peter is saying a lot when he quotes this Old Testament verse. Let’s put this scripture in context and see to whom Peter was addressing in this letter, and what information he was relaying.

1Pe 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
1Pe 1:2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

Peter is writing to the elect of the exiles in the dispersion who are located in Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. We often hear about Paul’s letter to the Galatians, but seldom do we hear about Peter’s letter to the Galatians. These people are the descendants of the tribes from the House of Israel, whom Yahweh divorced and dispersed for adultery because they went after the gods of the nations and their customs. Jacob, renamed James, in English translations of the Bible, addresses his letter to a broader audience, but it is the same concept:

Jas 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.

Who has heard of this dispersion in any contemporary church setting? I have spent 47 years in Catholic, Pentecostal and Baptist churches and never heard it spoken about. Maybe I missed it? That is possible. The Northern kingdom of Israel was dispersed around 722 BC, for not regarding the commands of Yahweh just as prophesied in Deuteronomy:

Deu 28:64 And Yahweh shall scatter you among all the nations from one end of the earth up to the other end of the earth, and there you shall serve other gods that you have not known nor your ancestors, gods of wood and stone.
Deu 28:65 And among these nations you shall not find rest, and there shall not be a resting place for the sole of your foot, and Yahweh shall give you there an anxious heart and a weakening of eyes and a languishing of your inner self.
Deu 28:66 And your life shall hang in doubt before you, and you shall be startled night and day, and you shall not be confident of your life.

There would be a way back for these exiles, through Jesus, described as a prophet like Moses.

Deu 18:15 “Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst, from your countrymen, and to him you shall listen.
Deu 18:16 This is according to all that you asked from Yahweh your God at Horeb, on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘I do not want again to hear the voice of Yahweh my God, and I do not want to see again this great fire, so that I may not die!’
Deu 18:17 And Yahweh said to me, ‘They are right in what they have said.
Deu 18:18 I will raise up a prophet for them from among their countrymen like you, and I will place my words into his mouth, and he shall speak to them everything that I command him.
Deu 18:19 And then the man that will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I will hold accountable.

Now that we know Peter’s audience, let’s see what information Peter relayed to them through his letter.

1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1Pe 1:6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
1Pe 1:7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1Pe 1:8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
1Pe 1:9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1Pe 1:10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully,
1Pe 1:11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.
1Pe 1:12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

When a person knows this letter is written to the dispersed from the House of Israel, it makes more sense, and is easier to understand. Notice he says the Spirit of Christ was in the prophets who prophesied about the grace that would be afforded to these people. The prophesies throughout scripture describe how Yahweh intended to take back the House of Israel, and in doing so provide a way for the whole world to be saved. Read the book of Hosea for more on that subject. Peter explains to his audience what to do because of their salvation:

1Pe 1:13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1Pe 1:14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,
1Pe 1:15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
1Pe 1:16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
1Pe 1:17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,
1Pe 1:18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,
1Pe 1:19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
1Pe 1:20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you
1Pe 1:21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
1Pe 1:22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,
1Pe 1:23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;
1Pe 1:24 for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls,
1Pe 1:25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

Due to the work Jesus did, the readers of Peter’s audience can set their hope on grace at the revelation of Jesus Christ, also known as “the great day of the LORD”. Peter also tells them to be obedient children, not conformed to the passions of their former ignorance; and that Jesus ransomed them from their futile ways, inherited from their forefathers, with His precious blood. Peter quotes Leviticus 11:45, “Thus you shall be holy, because I am holy.”

Lev 11:42 You must not eat anything that moves upon its belly or that walks on all fours, even any with numerous feet belonging to any swarmer that swarms on the land, because they are detestable.
Lev 11:43 You must not defile yourselves with any swarmer that swarms, and you must not make yourselves unclean by them and so be made unclean by them,
Lev 11:44 because I am Yahweh your God, and you must keep yourselves sanctified, so that you shall be holy, because I am holy. And you must not make yourselves unclean with any swarmer that moves along on the land,
Lev 11:45 because I am Yahweh, who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be for you as God. Thus you shall be holy, because I am holy.
Lev 11:46 “‘This is the regulation of the animals and the birds and all living creatures that move along in the water and concerning all the creatures that swarm on the land,
Lev 11:47 to distinguish between the unclean and the clean and between the animal that is to be eaten and the animal that must not be eaten.'”

Peter brings them right to the dietary instructions of Yahweh. Was Peter quoting this scripture out of context, or was he saying that it was the futile ways of their forefathers, disregarding the instructions of Yahweh, that caused them to be dispersed and divorced in the first place? Jesus had to pay their ransom with His blood, so now, be obedient and do not go back to the ignorant ways that they inherited from their forefathers. He was reminding them about the life giving instructions of Yahweh. All he had to do was quote that one part of scripture to paint a picture of the disobedience of the Northern kingdom, the exile, dispersion and divorce by Yahweh, seemingly separating them forever. It is similar to the phrases “lest we forget”, “never forget”, or “remember the Alamo”. Peter also reminded them to be purified by obedience to the truth. The truth is defined by scripture as the instruction of Yahweh and Jesus. Paul had a similar message for the Galatians:

Gal 4:8 But at that time when you did not know God, you were enslaved to the things which by nature are not gods.
Gal 4:9 But now, because you have come to know God, or rather have come to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental spirits? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again?
Gal 4:10 You carefully observe days and months and seasons and years.
Gal 4:11 I am afraid for you, lest perhaps I have labored for you in vain!

Many will try to say this passage in Galatians is talking about the Galatians following Yahweh’s instructions, His feast days or Torah. I do not know how anyone can think that based on the words, and in light of everything else Paul was recorded as saying. Paul was recorded as keeping the feast days in the book of Acts. What would change His mind by the time he wrote to the Galatians? The answer is nothing. We have been sold a pack of lies from the wolves. I used the Lexham English Bible translation for these verses in Galatians for its rendering of the Greek word stoicheion, Strong’s G4747, as elemental spirits.

G4747
στοιχεῖον
stoicheion
Thayer Definition:
1) any first thing, from which the others belonging to some series or composite whole take their rise, an element, first principal
1a) the letters of the alphabet as the elements of speech, not however the written characters, but the spoken sounds
1b) the elements from which all things have come, the material causes of the universe
1c) the heavenly bodies, either as parts of the heavens or (as others think) because in them the elements of man, life and destiny were supposed to reside
1d) the elements, rudiments, primary and fundamental principles of any art, science, or discipline
1d1) i.e. of mathematics, Euclid’s geometry

Thayer’s dictionary gives a complete list of definitions for the word. Which definition best fits the context of Paul’s letter to the Galatians? The alphabet? phonetics? geometry? I am suggesting it was the weak and elemental spirits of the hosts of heaven, whose festivals and holy days they observed. That is the subject of Paul’s concern. This was the same “passions of former ignorance” and “inherited futile ways” Peter was speaking about. What about us? We are essentially spiritual descendants of the people Peter, James and Paul were writing to in these letters. Have we returned to our former ignorance? Maybe we cannot return to something that we have never left? Did the Galatians and other early churches ignore Paul and Peter, staying immersed in the traditions of the nations’ gods? It would appear so. We see Yahweh’s warnings through the prophets about the same things:

Isa 1:14 Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become to me like a burden, I am not able to bear them.
Isa 1:15 And when you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not be listening. Your hands are full of blood.
Isa 1:16 Wash! Make yourselves clean! Remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes! Cease to do evil!

Hos 2:10 And now I will uncover her nakedness before the eyes of her lovers, and no one will rescue her from my hand.
Hos 2:11 And I will put an end to all her mirth, her festivals, her new moons, and her Sabbaths, and all her appointed festivals;
Hos 2:12 and I will lay waste to her vines and her fig trees, of which she said, “They are my payment for prostitution, which my lovers gave to me.” I will make them a forest, and the wild animals of the field will devour them.
Hos 2:13 I will punish her for the days of the Baals, to whom she burns incense, and she decked herself with her ornamental ring and jewelry, and she went after her lovers, and forgot me—a declaration of Yahweh.

These times Yahweh is lamenting over, the festivals and sabbaths His people are celebrating, are not about Yahweh’s sabbaths and feast days. This is a common misunderstanding from the beginnings of the church to justify all the pagan days being celebrated by the people, or just plain ignorance. The first chapter in the book of Jubilees makes this error clear. Jubilees is a book found along side the oldest existing copy of Genesis in the caves of Qumran. This book of Jubilees found in the Dead Sea scrolls of Qumran matched the book of Jubilees contained in the original Ethiopic Bible, where it was considered to be part of the canon. Yahweh is speaking to Moses in these passages from the book of Jubilees:

For they will forget all my commandments, even all that I command them, and they will walk after the other nations, and after their uncleanness, and after their shame, and will serve their elohiym, and these will prove unto them an offence and a tribulation and an affliction and a snare. And many will perish and they will be taken captive, and will fall into the hands of the enemy, because they have forsaken my ordinances and my commandments, and the feasts of my covenant, and my Shabbathoth, and my holy place which I have sanctified for myself in their midst, and my Tabernacle, and my sanctuary, which I have sanctified for myself in the midst of the land, that I should set my name upon it, and that it should dwell there. And they will make to themselves high places and Asherah poles and graven images, and they will worship, each his own graven image, so as to go astray, and they will sacrifice their children to devils, and to all the works of the error of their hearts. And I will send witnesses unto them, that I may witness against them, but they will not hear, and will slay the witnesses also, and they will persecute those who seek the Torah, and they will abrogate and change everything so as to work evil before my eyes. And I will hide my face from them, and I will deliver them into the hand of the other nations for captivity, and for a prey, and for devouring, and I will remove them from the midst of the land, and I will scatter them amongst the other nations. And they will forget all my Torah and all my commandments and all my judgments, and will go astray as to New Moons, and Shabbathoth, and feasts, and jubilees, and ordinances. YOVHELIYM (JUBILEES) 1:10-15 את CEPHER

The new moons (sometimes translated as months), sabbaths and feasts Yahweh often complains about in scripture are not His. They are those of the nations. It is the same thing Paul and Peter are speaking to the Galatians about. Unfortunately, these are many of the same days Christians celebrate today. They are days that have nothing to do with Yahweh and His son Jesus or in Hebrew, Yahusha, yet they get amalgamated into “Christian” holidays. Why would Yahweh hate His own festivals and sabbaths that He established? Ezekiel sees some interesting visions of these abominations taking place:

Eze 8:4 And look! There was the glory of the God of Israel like the vision that I saw in the valley.
Eze 8:5 And he said to me, “Son of man, lift up now your eyes toward the north.” And I lifted up my eyes toward the north, and, look, there was to the north of the gate of the altar this image of jealousy at the entrance.
Eze 8:6 And he said to me, “Son of man, “Do you see what they are doing—great detestable things that the house of Israel is committing here so as to drive me from my sanctuary, and yet you will see again greater detestable things.”
Eze 8:7 And he brought me to the doorway of the courtyard, and I saw, and look! A hole in the wall.
Eze 8:8 And he said to me, “Son of man, dig now through the wall.” And I dug through the wall, and look! There was a doorway.
Eze 8:9 And he said to me, “Come and see the detestable things, the evil that they are doing here.
Eze 8:10 And I came, and I saw, and look, all kinds of creatures and detestable beasts; and all of the idols of the house of Israel were carved on the wall all around.
Eze 8:11 And seventy men from the elders of the house of Israel, and Jaazaniah, the son of Shaphan, was standing in the midst of them, and they were standing before them. Each one had his censer in his hand, and the fragrance of the cloud of the incense was going up.
Eze 8:12 And he said to me, “Have you seen, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in the inner rooms of his idol, for they are saying, ‘Yahweh is not seeing us; Yahweh has abandoned the land.'”

In these verses from Ezekiel, the angel is showing Ezekiel all of the things that Peter and Paul were referring to when speaking to the Galatians about their former passions and ignorance. What is the image of jealousy other than a stone pillar or Asherah pole used in worshipping the sun gods? These are common in churches today as obelisks and certain types of fir trees, among other things. In fact, there was just a large prayer gathering around the largest obelisk in the world, the Washington monument. It is very important symbolism in the mystery religions, sun god worship and free masonry. The idols of detestable beasts, like gargoyles, can also be found on many church structures still today.

Eze 8:13 And he said to me, “Still you will see again greater detestable things that they are doing.”
Eze 8:14 And he brought me to the doorway of the gate of the house of Yahweh that is toward the north, and look! There were the women sitting weeping for Tammuz.
Eze 8:15 And he said to me, “Have you seen, son of man? Still you will see again greater detestable things than these.”

Tammuz is a sun god that resurrects every year in the spring. Weeping for Tammuz was done for forty days prior to his resurrection. This practice was amalgamated into what is known as lent today. That is a simplistic explanation for a subject many books have been written. Please do a study for yourselves.

Eze 8:15 And he said to me, “Have you seen, son of man? Still you will see again greater detestable things than these.”
Eze 8:16 And he brought me to the inner courtyard of the house of Yahweh, and look, at the doorway of the temple of Yahweh, between the portico and the altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of Yahweh and their faces toward the east, and they were bowing down toward the east before the sun.

Ezekiel was shown people practicing sun god worship, probably regarding Tammuz. Sun god worship has many names for the sun god due to all the languages. They all have similar traditions and are all rooted in the same mystery religions. When I was younger, the church I attended would have an Easter sunrise service at a park, and then a large breakfast afterwards. “Former ignorance” not so former. Along with eating much bacon, this practice was steeped in sun god worship. When it was time for Easter dinner, there was always a lot of ham to honour Tammuz as well. As the myth goes, Tammuz was killed by a wild boar while hunting. Eating ham helps revenge his death. We cannot forget about the eggs either. Easter is all about eggs for the children to honour the mother of Tammuz, the queen of heaven, Astarte, Asherah, Isis, Ishtar or Eostre depending on the culture. Contemporary churches stop short of having temple prostitutes, but the way things are progressing I may live to see that come full circle. The pagan temples of Galatia would have had all of this plus temple prostitutes. You may say, “I thought Easter was about the death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah?” I suppose it is in some ways, but all the mixing with “hosts of heaven” and “futile ways of your forefathers” makes it hard to recognize the Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread and First Fruits that were the appointed days Yahweh established, Jesus fulfilled, and the first century church celebrated. The son of Yahweh, Jesus, was not born on December 25th, and did not resurrect on Easter. Those are different gods that did those things to whom we honour demons by attaching those days to Yahweh and His son. Remember what caused Israel to be dispersed and divorced in the first place. Was it not attachment to all these foreign gods and practices? Peter warned the exiles returning to Yahweh to “be holy for I am holy” because it took the blood of Jesus, shed on the cross, to pay the ransom needed to release them from their futile ways.

The feature image was taken by Emma Vail in New Brunswick, Canada.

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:9-15

When ending a prayer, often the words “in Jesus’ name” or “in His name we pray” are used to end the prayer. Is this how the Creator really wants us to pray? In the opening scripture, Jesus showed us how to pray. There are some other note worthy prayers given in scripture. Let’s compare Hezekiah’s prayer:

Isa 37:15 And Hezekiah prayed to Yahweh, saying,
Isa 37:16 “Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel who is enthroned on the cherubim, you are the one, God by yourself, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you are the one who made the heavens and the earth.
Isa 37:17 Yahweh, extend your ear and hear! Yahweh, open your eyes and see, and hear all the words of Sennacherib that he has sent to taunt the living God!
Isa 37:18 Truly, Yahweh, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the lands and their land,
Isa 37:19 to set their gods in the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of human hands, wood and stone, and they destroyed them.
Isa 37:20 So now, Yahweh, our God, save us from his hand so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you are Yahweh, you alone!”

Hezekiah never ended his prayer “in Yahweh’s name we pray”. Another prayer that is not in the sixty-six book Bible, is the Prayer of Manasseh. We find this in the King James Authorized Version.

Man 1:1 O Lord, Almighty God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of their righteous seed; who hast made heaven and earth, with all the ornament thereof; who hast bound the sea by the word of thy commandment; who hast shut up the deep, and sealed it by thy terrible and glorious name; whom all men fear, and tremble before thy power; for the majesty of thy glory cannot be borne, and thine angry threatening toward sinners is importable: but thy merciful promise is unmeasurable and unsearchable; for thou art the most high Lord, of great compassion, longsuffering, very merciful, and repentest of the evils of men. Thou, O Lord, according to thy great goodness hast promised repentance and forgiveness to them that have sinned against thee: and of thine infinite mercies hast appointed repentance unto sinners, that they may be saved. Thou therefore, O Lord, that art the God of the just, hast not appointed repentance to the just, as to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, which have not sinned against thee; but thou hast appointed repentance unto me that am a sinner: for I have sinned above the number of the sands of the sea. My transgressions, O Lord, are multiplied: my transgressions are multiplied, and I am not worthy to behold and see the height of heaven for the multitude of mine iniquities. I am bowed down with many iron bands, that I cannot life up mine head, neither have any release: for I have provoked thy wrath, and done evil before thee: I did not thy will, neither kept I thy commandments: I have set up abominations, and have multiplied offences. Now therefore I bow the knee of mine heart, beseeching thee of grace. I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, and I acknowledge mine iniquities: wherefore, I humbly beseech thee, forgive me, O Lord, forgive me, and destroy me not with mine iniquites. Be not angry with me for ever, by reserving evil for me; neither condemn me to the lower parts of the earth. For thou art the God, even the God of them that repent; and in me thou wilt shew all thy goodness: for thou wilt save me, that am unworthy, according to thy great mercy. Therefore I will praise thee for ever all the days of my life: for all the powers of the heavens do praise thee, and thine is the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

There is also recorded a prayer by David in the book of Chronicles.

1Ch 29:10 Then David blessed Yahweh in the sight of all the assembly, and David said, “Blessed are you, O Yahweh, God of Israel, our father forever and ever!
1Ch 29:11 Yours, O Yahweh, is the kingdom and exaltation over all as head!
1Ch 29:12 And wealth and glory are from you, and you rule over all. And in your hand is power and might. And in your hand is power to make great and to give strength to all.
1Ch 29:13 And now, our God, we give thanks to you and offer praise to the name of your splendor.
1Ch 29:14 And indeed, who am I, and who are my people that we retain power to offer according to these offerings willingly? For everything is from you, and from your hand we have given to you.
1Ch 29:15 For we are strangers before you and sojourners like all our ancestors. Our days are like the shadow upon earth, and there is no hope of abiding.
1Ch 29:16 O Yahweh our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build for you a house for your holy name is from your hand, and all of it is yours.
1Ch 29:17 And I know, my God, that you yourself test the heart and are pleased with uprightness. I, in the uprightness of my heart, have willingly offered all these things, and now I have seen your people who are found here willingly offer to you.
1Ch 29:18 O Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our ancestors, keep this forever as a plan and thoughts of the heart of your people, and establish their heart toward you.
1Ch 29:19 Grant to Solomon my son a heart of peace to keep your commands, your statutes, and your regulations to do everything, and to build the citadel for which I have provided.”

It is possible that praying in the name of someone, in this case Yahweh, may mean something different than what we as English speakers understand. In English, the word “name” is simply something you call someone. Webster’s defines name as: “a word or phrase that constitutes the distinctive designation of a person or thing”. When we look at the word for name in Hebrew, much like other words, the meaning is much more extensive. The word is Shem and it is Strong’s H8034.

H8034
שׁם
shêm
BDB Definition:
1) name
1a) name
1b) reputation, fame, glory
1c) the Name (as designation of God)
1d) memorial, monument

Not only does the word mean name, it also is tied to a person’s reputation, fame and glory. The word for name in Greek has even more description. It is Strong’s G3686.

G3686
ὄνομα
onoma
Thayer Definition:
1) name: univ. of proper names
2) the name is used for everything which the name covers, everything the thought or feeling of which is aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing, remembering, the name, i.e. for one’s rank, authority, interests, pleasure, command, excellences, deeds etc.
3) persons reckoned up by name
4) the cause or reason named: on this account, because he suffers as a Christian, for this reason

It seems in the Hebrew and Greek languages, “name” has more depth than it does in English. If we look at prayers by people in the Bible, they start out describing the characteristics of the God they are praying to. “Our Father in Heaven”, “the one who made heavens and Earth”, and “To you, O Yahweh, is the greatness and the power and the splendor and the glory and the strength, for everything in the heavens and in the earth”, all these prayers describe who Yahweh is. They declare His Shem. Maybe this is why those who practice Judaism call Yahweh H’Shem, which translated is “the name”, but it means more than just the “name” in the English sense. Maybe praying in His name has more to do with including Yahweh’s characteristics in the prayer than just saying “in His name” at the end like it is a formula for success. There is another aspect to look at as well. If we believe the entire Bible is true, then what do we do with this verse:

Pro 28:9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.

The word “law” in this verse is from the Hebrew word Torah, which is the law of Yahweh. According to this, those who won’t listen to Yahweh, won’t be listened to by Yahweh. Is this not what is meant by “your will be done” in the prayer Jesus showed us? In order to pray in Jesus’ name, maybe we need to be in His will, following the commandments in an upright manner. Possibly this would turn the ear of the Father to hear our prayer more than ending with the tag “in Jesus’ name we pray”.

Here is a facetious example: A robber breaks into someone’s home to steal all the owner’s valuables. While he is filling his bag full of the owner’s valuables, the robber prays to God that the owner doesn’t come home, or that the police do not catch him. Does Yahweh answer his prayer? What if he ended the prayer by saying “in Jesus’ name we pray”? Would that make the Father answer his prayer? If the owner didn’t come home and the police never caught this robber, does that mean his prayer was answered? Here is what the psalmist said:

Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked; nor does he stand in the way of sinners; nor does he sit in the assembly of mockers.
Psa 1:2 Instead, in the law of Yahweh is his delight, and on his law he meditates day and night.
Psa 1:3 And so, he is like a tree planted by streams of water that gives its fruit in its season; its leaf also does not wither. Therefore all that he does prospers.
Psa 1:4 Not so the wicked. Instead, they are like the chaff that the wind scatters.
Psa 1:5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
Psa 1:6 for Yahweh knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

The book of Revelation can be difficult to understand, but sometimes the difficulty may come from trying to swallow the whole book at once. There are two scriptures I often quote. I believe they are key to surviving the days ahead in the faith. They are the following:

Rev 12:17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.

Rev 14:12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

These two passages show how keeping the commandments of Yahweh, and having faith in Jesus, will both cause the enemy to make war with, and enable the same people to endure this war. When we have faith in Jesus, we declare He is one with Yahweh and the only way to Yahweh the creator, God above all gods. Any other god is simply an imposter. Are words enough, or do there need to be actions? The robber praying that he will not get caught may say he has faith in Jesus, but he is not following His commandments, which Jesus says are not His but His father’s. So by not caring enough about what it is to have faith in Jesus, the prayer is not considered because the robber ignores the commandment “do not steal” or “ love your neighbour “. A person does not love their neighbour when they steal. We live out our faith by doing the things Yahweh says we need to do. When we break the commandments we open ourself up to being deceived and destroyed. Paul, who is falsely believed to preach against keeping the commandments, says the following in his letter to the Romans:

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.

When the false Messiah shows himself, it will not be obvious to those who do not know the commandments of Yahweh. Right now the beast system causes many to be deceived about the second coming of Jesus and the nature of Jesus. Many will follow the man of lawlessness because they already believe Jesus is a lawless saviour who is tolerant of every evil thing that He condemned. This perception of Jesus has created a false Jesus already. This false Jesus system is already making war against those who have faith in the real Jesus and keep His commandments.

Jas 2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
Jas 2:15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,
Jas 2:16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
Jas 2:17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Jas 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

Praying in the name of Jesus is so much more than just saying those words like an incantation to force the hand of Yahweh. One must worship in spirit and truth.

Isa 56:1 Thus says Yahweh: “Observe justice and do righteousness, for my salvation is close to coming, and my justice to being revealed.
Isa 56:2 Happy is the man who does this, and the son of humankind who keeps hold of it, who keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane it, and who keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

Pray in His name by knowing the greatness of His name, fame, reputation and accomplishments. Jesus declared the name of His Father and also came in His name.

Joh 17:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,
Joh 17:2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
Joh 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
Joh 17:4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.
Joh 17:5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
Joh 17:6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.
Joh 17:7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you.
Joh 17:8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.
Joh 17:9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.
Joh 17:10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.
Joh 17:11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.
Joh 17:12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
Joh 17:13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Joh 17:14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
Joh 17:18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.
Joh 17:19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
Joh 17:20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
Joh 17:21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Joh 17:22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
Joh 17:23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
Joh 17:24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Joh 17:25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.
Joh 17:26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Also this:

Joh 5:39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,
Joh 5:40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
Joh 5:41 I do not receive glory from people.
Joh 5:42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.
Joh 5:43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.
Joh 5:44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

If we take the verse John 5:43 and use the simple definition for name, we can see that Yahusha , Hebrew for Joshua, who we call Jesus, came in His father’s name Yahuah or Yahweh. Some spell is Yehusha, meaning the salvation of Yah. I think declaring His name may include these definitions, but is also much broader. Declaring His name is declaring His essence, that is, what makes Him who He is. Coming in another name, would be coming as someone else, much like a false god or messiah. If we view Jesus as in opposition to the commands of His Father Yahweh, then who are we talking about other than a false messiah? It is easy to discern if one is not deceived. Paul explains in his second letter to the Thessalonians:

2Th 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.
2Th 2:9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,
2Th 2:10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
2Th 2:11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,
2Th 2:12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2Th 2:13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

Paul indicates one must believe the truth, and if someone refuses to believe the truth, God will send them a strong delusion. What is truth as defined by scripture?

• Psa 119:142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your law is truth.
• Psa 119:151 You are near, O Yahweh, and all your commands are truth.
• Joh 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

According to scripture, Yahweh’s law, commands and Jesus are defined as the truth. This should make sense because Jesus is the living Word that came in the flesh from the Father. This is a consistent theme throughout scripture. We must be sanctified or set apart by the Spirit, and believe in the truth. How can one believe in the truth if the truth is never pointed out? If we are praying in the name of Jesus we had better know and accept the truth or we will be part of the delusion.

2Th 2:1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers,
2Th 2:2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
2Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
2Th 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

Earlier in Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians he states there will be a rebellion before the man of lawlessness is revealed. The only thing meaningful to rebel against is the truth, Yahweh’s words, personified in Jesus. Other translations use the word apostasy. These are the people who do not meet the Revelation 14:12 call for endurance. Therefore, praying in the name of Jesus is much more than closing words of a prayer. Praying in the name of Jesus is praying in everything He is and wants us to be.