The Second Commandment

The Second Commandment

 

“You do not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of that which is in the heavens above, or which is in the earth beneath, or which is in the waters under the earth, you do not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, YaHUaH your Alohim am a jealous El, visiting the crookedness of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, and showing kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and guard My commands.” Exodus 20:4-6

What you see above is the second commandment given to us “as it is written.” When is the last time you saw this commandment displayed in this manner – anywhere, besides when you read it in your Bible yourself? This commandment has been shortened, dissected, changed, even eliminated by some “assemblies?” of “faith.” This is another instruction (covenant article) that we have completely nullified and made void. We must realize, at some point brethren, this activity cannot continue in the assemblies and homes. We cannot continue changing our covenant articles and still expect to be the people of God. [On a side note, this is not to discuss the “numbering” of the commandments, but the actual “words” of them.]

Here is what is at stake for us in guarding or not guarding His Words: “And now, if you diligently obey My voice, and shall guard My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession above all the peoples – for all the earth is Mine – and you shall be to Me a reign of priests and a set-apart nation.” Exodus 19:5-6. When the covenant is broken, His Covenant does not go away, it is eternal. When His Covenant is broken, YaHUaH does not go away, He also, is eternal. What happens when the covenant is broken and brought to naught in the lives and ears of people, is our position as His people is removed and broken. You may want to read that again.

“Obey My Voice, and I shall be your Alohim, and you be My people.” Jeremiah 7:23

So let us get back to this commandment “as it is written” and see just how valuable it is for us and why we need to return to guarding it as we are charged with.

This commandment has tied to it a declaration of YaHUaH’s character and how that character is made visible and real in the earth and His people. It is a characteristic that is born out of passion and possession. Yet most of the time, this plainly declared characteristic of our Creator is not found in the printing of this commandment or discussed in most conversations of those who pride themselves in memorizing the commandment. When it is recited, it is brushed through and stated as a simple “don’t do” and YaHUaH is misrepresented in the misguided understanding.

His Character: “For I, YaHUaH your Elohim am a jealous El”

Isn’t this amazing? The Creator of the Universe tells His creation something of His character here directly. Does a statue do this? Is the sun, moon, or stars zealous for our affection and worship? What about a tree, or flower? Of course not. These things have no life, for they are “created things.” They are creation and not The Creator! What does it mean to us that He is a jealous El? This language speaks of possession and ownership over something… namely His Bride, His people Israel. He could have said He is a ruling El, or a tyrannical El, or judging El. He could have said He is a mighty El, or a powerful El, or a punishing El. He didn’t, He said jealous. Zealousness and jealousy come out of passion and caring. Additionally, He knows who He is: the one true power and creator of all things, all powerful, all knowing, all merciful and all loving. Because He knows this, He will not stand for anything else to have His place in the hearts, minds, and souls of His people. This is great love which some today label as wicked and vengeful.

As an all knowing and all loving Creator, He is well aware of the “non-sense” in worshipping or serving any man-made image. Man made gods are dead and lead us to death. Man cannot create a god even if he believes he can. Sometimes mankind has worshipped things that are real, i.e. sun, moon, and stars… or even trees and creation… which are real, but have no power. YaHUaH created these things also to serve Him. YaHUaH, in His wisdom and love for us, gives this instruction to protect us from giving time and space of worship to dead things and things that do not prosper for us. Every moment we spend venerating or speaking to some image, memorial, or looking into the stars for our future… its time spent away from Him. Because He has proclaimed Himself to be jealous, He will not stand for this and will take action upon our lives and intercede in our lives to bring us back to Him.

This commandment includes veneration by the way. It does not matter how veneration is packaged, it is unacceptable to YaHUaH. Thesaurus synonyms for veneration: worship, adoration, reverence, honor, respect, admiration, regard

Every single one of these actions belong to God and God alone. Do not give them to statues, bones, memorials, images, icons, symbols and the like. This includes statues of memorable people. Think about it. The person being “venerated” which means worshipped, is dead (asleep). They do not hear, speak, walk, or do any acts on our behalf. This activity comes out of Egypt and is worship of the dead and necromancy. We, as His People, are not to do this.

Scripture tells us quite plainly, “For there is one Elohim, and one Mediator between Elohim and men, the Man Messiah YaHUsHa.” 1 Timothy 2:5

Exodus 34:14 “for you do not bow yourselves to another mighty one, for YaHUaH, whose Name is jealous, is a jealous El – “

This jealousy characteristic is so much a part of who our God is, it is even proclaimed as His Name, as above in Exodus 34:24. From the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament on this Hebrew word qanna for jealous:

This verb expresses a very strong emotion whereby some quality or possession of the object is desired by the subject. Although the term may be used to denote one of the characteristics of living men as in Ecclesiastes 9:6, or in a derogatory sense to denote hostile and disruptive passions as in Proverbs 27:4, or in a favorable sense to denote consuming zeal focused on one that is loved as in Psalms 69:9.

It is helpful to think of “zeal” as the original sense from which derived the notions

“zeal for another’s property” = “envy”

“zeal for one’s own property” = “jealousy”

Did you see that? The zeal our Father has for us is JEALOUSY. And why is that? Because we are HIS PROPERTY.

qanna’ specifically with the jot at the end is the noun given for a Name of YaHUaH – Jealous, His Name is Jealous. This noun, is used only of God and in the context of idolatry. It shows the parallel between adultery and idolatry. As a husband holds his wife to himself and is permitted to kill her and her illicit lover in the case of adultery, so God relates to His people. This consuming characteristic of the zeal our Elohim has for us will be revisited later in this work after we cover some more of the meaning of the commandment and its Words.

What is a carved or graven image? It is the Hebrew word pecel {peh’-sel} from 06458; TWOT – 1788a; n m AV – graven image 28, carved image 2, graven 1; 31 1) idol, image

In the likeness of:

Likeness is temuwnah {tem-oo-naw’} or תמנה temunah {tem-oo-naw’} from 04327; TWOT – 1191b; n f AV – likeness 5, similitude 4, image 1; 10 1) form, image, likeness, representation, semblance

Heavens – stars, planets, galaxies, moon, sun, clouds, angels

Earth – animals, man, woman, trees, bushes, flowers, birds

Waters – fish, dolphins, sea creatures, sea shells, any shells, sharks

You do not bow down:

Bow down – shachah {shaw-khaw’} a primitive root; TWOT – 2360; v AV – worship 99, bow 31, bow down 18, obeisance 9, reverence 5, fall down 3, themselves 2, stoop 1, crouch 1, misc 3; 172 1) to bow down 1a) (Qal) to bow down 1b) (Hiphil) to depress (fig) 1c) (Hithpael) 1c1) to bow down, prostrate oneself 1c1a) before superior in homage 1c1b) before God in worship 1c1c) before false gods 1c1d) before angel

To serve them:

– abad {aw-bad’} a primitive root; TWOT – 1553; v AV – serve 227, do 15, till 9, servant 5, work 5, worshippers 5, service 4, dress 2, labour 2, ear 2, misc 14; 290 1) to work, serve 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to labour, work, do work 1a2) to work for another, serve another by labour 1a3) to serve as subjects 1a4) to serve (God) 1a5) to serve (with Levitical service) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be worked, be tilled (of land) 1b2) to make oneself a servant 1c) (Pual) to be worked 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to compel to labour or work, cause to labour, cause to serve 1d2) to cause to serve as subjects 1e) (Hophal) to be led or enticed to serve

Now to cover another portion of this instruction (commandment) that is hardly ever taught or spoken:

YaHUaH’s Words: “visiting the crookedness of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me”

Hold on to your boots here, because we are going to cover something about this word “visiting” that you may have never heard or read before. The word “visiting” is not necessarily a negative thing. Most usages of this word are in a positive light in scripture. It can be negative… but to use the word punishment to translate this Hebrew word is the least acceptable translation. Did you get that? To say that YaHUaH punishes is the least acceptable translation of the Hebrew word. Remember that.

From THE NET Bible for the explanation of the Hebrew word for “visiting” which is the Hebrew word paqad:

The word pqd (paqad) is difficult to translate. It essentially means that God intervenes in the lives of people for blessing or for cursing. Some would simply translate the participle here as “punishing” the children for the sins of the fathers. That is workable, but may not say enough. The verse may mean that those who hate YaHUaH and do not keep his commandments will repeat the sins their fathers committed and suffer for them. Deut 24:16 says that they will die for their own sins and not their father’s sins. [So right here we in fact DO see that using the word punish cannot be appropriate, for Scripture itself tells us this] It may have more to do with the patterns of sin being repeated from generation to generation; if the sin and the guilt were not fully developed in the one generation, then left unchecked they would develop and continue in the next. But it may also indicate that the effects of the sins of the fathers will be experienced in the following generations. God is showing here that his ethical character is displayed in how he deals with sin and righteousness. There is a justice at work in the dealings of God that is not there in the pagan world.

Tie this in with their note on the following phrase “to those who hate me”:

This is an important qualification to the principle. The word “hate” carries with it the idea of rejecting God and his word. To hate God means to reject him and to defiantly oppose him. Hating God is likened unto being His enemy. Such people are doomed to carry on the sins of their ancestors, and bear the guilt with them.

The actions of our parents can absolutely cause us to be born out of or cut off from God’s presence, and therefore His Teaching. If our earthly father lives as an enemy of God, he will find himself expelled from the presence, teaching, and tent of people of YaHUaH. This tells us there will be no true divine guidance for the children, and there may be no blessings for them. Grandchildren may be greatly afflicted, walking in curses, and begin to wonder why things are so bad. There are many cases in which the children awaken in the fourth generation and return to YaHUaH because of these truths. YaHUaH sets forth this divine order and decree… why? Because He is punishing or vengeful? No. He does it because He is a jealous El and He plainly told us prior to this action that is decreed. We are His possession and He will intervene into our generations on behalf of His Name’s sake. Would we prefer He leave us to die in exile? Would we prefer He leave us alone and never come after us as His people again so that we die in our ignorance and transgression forever? We MUST get back to the true meaning and understanding of what love means.

This phrase is full of mercy and grace too. To translate this word “visit” to be “punish” may be a miscarriage of our Creator’s character. To add weight to this position is the phrase that follows in this command, “showing kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and guard My commands.”

Now, between “those who hate me” and “showing kindness to thousands” there is a single Hebrew letter and it is the letter “vav” – ו

This Hebrew letter “vav” can represent either the English word “and” or the English word “but.” If we use the word “and” we can see how this visiting of Alohim upon the third and fourth generation is a positive and merciful action brought upon us by His jealousy for His possession. If we use the word “but” we see that because the latter phrase “showing kindness to thousands” is plainly positive… that the contrasting word “but” causes us to see that the previous phrase “visiting the crookedness” as a negative.

This is a common thing in Scripture and it leaves the understanding to be one based upon our view and relationship with YaHUaH. A believer who sees Him as a loving Father, ever merciful, kind, and forgiving will see the positive. A person who is angry, in transgression, not speaking to Him, etc… may choose to see the negative. Both views are there in the reading, so it is a choice.

Here is more from the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament on the Hebrew word paqad for visiting, numbering, or appointing (some translations have punishing).

The basic meaning is to exercise oversight over a subordinate, either in the form of inspecting or of taking action to cause a considerable change in the circumstances of the subordinate, either for the better or for the worse.

It is said of the verb, which occurs more than 300 times in the Tanak (old testament): “There is probably no other Hebrew verb that has caused translators as much trouble as paqad. This verb occurs in the Akkadian language usually with the meaning of appointing a governor or other official.

Speiser considers the root of this word (pqd) to be “attend to with care” or “take note.” It is impossible to prove whether this is the actual origin, but the fact that at least half of the occurrences involve positive action by a superior in relation to his subordinates strongly suggests that such action is a vital part of the meaning of the word.

When translated “visit” as 57 times in the KJV (King James Version), this word almost always has the sense of “making a visitation” and points to action that produces a great change in the position of a subordinate either for good or for ill. Speiser suggests a close parallel to the phrase “to raise the head,” used in Genesis 40:13,19. Pharaoh “lifted up the head” of both his servants the baker and the butler – one to restoration and the other to death.

The word paqad is similarly used in what might seem to be two opposite senses in Jeremiah 23:2 “Therefore thus said YaHUaH Alohim of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people, “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and have not tended (paqad) them. See, I am punishing (paqad) you for the evil of your deeds,” declares YaHUaH.

References in I Samuel 20:6, 18, 25, 27 to David’s seat being empty or to David being missed involve the idea of Saul’s oversight over his subordinate. The references to cattle or sheep not being missed in I Samuel 25:7, 15, 21 relate to David’s protection of Nabal’s flock. A similar reference to God’s oversight of his people and finding none missing is contained in Jeremiah 23:3-4

“Therefore I shall gather the remnant of My flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and shall bring them back to their fold. And they shall bear and increase. And I shall raise up shepherds over them, and they shall feed them. And they shall fear no more, nor be discouraged, nor shall they be lacking,” declares YaHUaH.

This is “visiting”… this is paqad in our commandment as YaHUaH watches over us and will visit us in the third and fourth generation to make sure we can return to Him even if our fathers walk away from Him in concerning the adultery of idol worship.

The second half of the phrase: “showing kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and guard My commands,” doesn’t require much explanation. When we guard His commands, we show YaHUaH we love Him and He pours out kindness and blessing upon us because we have allowed Him to do so according to the Ways of His Instructions.

YaHUsHa said, “If you love Me, guard My commands.”

“Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods?” (Jeremiah 16:20).

Now to show some examples of what we have done to the second commandment to bring it down to a mere “thou shall not do” and missing out on the glorious whole meaning that you have just read. Please know that in showing these as examples, there is no insult or harm meant to the people of these religions. It is the religion itself that is the problem. Doctrine out of organized religion that chooses to misrepresent our King.

From online sites teaching Judaism:

“You shall have no other gods besides Me… Do not make a sculpted image or any likeness of what is in the heavens above…” — This commandment is a prohibition to believe in or worship any other deities, gods, or spirits. It is also a prohibition against objects like crucifixes, and any forms of paintings or artistic representations of God. (from www.templesanjose.org)

Prohibition of Improper Worship

This category is derived from Ex. 20:3-6, beginning, “You shall not have other gods…” It encompasses within it the prohibition against the worship of other gods as well as the prohibition of improper forms of worship of the one true G-d, such as worshiping G-d through an idol. (www.jewfaq.org)

The two paragraphs above have not included our wonderful Alohim’s character. Remember that picture of His being jealous for us? Where is it in the above teachings? And also… where is the blessing and His kindness, and the blessing of His visitation upon our generations to return us to our Deliverance? This is surely violence to our Father’s Word indeed.

The Catholic Catechism has completely removed this commandment from their teachings. Completely omitted. An outrage to be sure.

The Episcopal Catechism: To put nothing in the place of God (from http://anglicansonline.org/basics/catechism.html#The%20Ten%20Commandments)

Nothing much needs to be said about the Episcopal teaching above, considering all that has already been covered thus far. So much is missing in this instruction, and the instruction is made void.

“You shall not make anything to be with Me — gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves.” (Exodus 20:23). He is a limitless, unseen, living Alohim.

“What you have in your mind shall never be, when you say, ‘We will be like the Gentiles, like the families in other countries, serving wood and stone.'” (Ezekiel 20:32).

Isaiah 24:5

The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

Why should the nations say, “Where now is their Alohim?”

But our Alohim is in the heavens;

Whatever pleased Him, He has done.

Their idols are silver and gold,

The work of men’s hands.

They have mouths, but they do not speak;

They have eyes, but they do not see;

They have ears, but they do not hear;

They have noses, but they do not smell;

They have hands, but they do not handle;

They have feet, but they do not walk;

They make no sound through their throat.

The ones who make them, shall become like them –

All who trust in them.

Psalm 115:2-8

Deut. 4:15-18 “So watch yourselves CAREFULLY, since you did not see any form on the day YaHUaH spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire, LEST YOU ACT CORRUPTLY and make a graven image for yourselves in the form of any figure the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water below the earth…”

Psa 97:7 Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.

Yahusha said, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.” (John 4:23) Notice it is only the “true” worshipers who are able to worship the Father in spirit and in truth. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. (Jn. 4:24)

The guarding of the second commandment will also have an impact upon those who will be living during the last days spoken of in the Book of the Revelation. “And he leads astray those dwelling on the earth because of those signs which he was given to do before the beast, saying to those dwelling on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword, yet lived.” Rev. 13:14

Keeping the second commandment will keep us from this danger in times to come.

Tequfah?

I tell you what… I have been caused to stumble upon the most amazing thing recently. This finding is so fascinating and incredible (and such a testimony of the creative design of our Father in Heaven), that I am literally “ticked off” that I have been cheated of this information all my life until now.

When you see what I am going to share, you may feel the same way. It is a fantastic scientific concept and study for science classes. And I know that it is not something I just “missed” in school because I was always at school, always in class, loved to read and learn from my textbooks so I did my work and homework and reading in all my courses. I particularly enjoyed all the math and science classes too. So I am absolutely SURE without question… I was never informed of this wonder. To me, it is one of the wonders of all creation heads and shoulders above some of the ones on mankind’s list.

It also has my head reeling and my imagination soaring with possibilities on what it could all mean! Could THIS… THIS be the tequfah many are clamoring about today on how to determine the new year on God’s Calendar? I don’t know, but it is worth investigating for sure!

I was not researching the tequfah by the way. I was searching out the time and day I could view the blood moon from West Texas this April when I stumbled upon this little bitty sentence on the earthsky.com website. This little sentence was just over to the right of the page of some of the events that were happening that week that “may” be of interest to some people. BOY! Am I so thankful Yahuah caused me to see that and take interest. I have had so much joy in thinking about it, researching it, learning about it… and I still am.

I just have to share this with you all now because I cannot contain my joy and I have to share it. I hope I can continue to learn more and more, but here is what I have to date.

Ok, where to begin? Well, I will just start where it first started for me. Here is the sentence that caught my eye:

TONIGHT | APR 15, 2014
Sundial noon and clock noon agree in middle April
By Bruce McClure

I thought… hmmm. That’s interesting. Wonder what that is all about? I did a bunch of research a little while back on the equinoxes and I must say what a huge disappointment and lack of excitement that was! BORING. 🙂 I mean no offense to anyone who places great importance on the equinoxes. It is just that a specific time for marking out with the equinox is so obscure.

Anyway – this sundial noon and clock noon sounded kind of like to me something that might be important for the topic of determining times… the type of times I am interested in…. the times *according to the sun, moon, and stars* type of times. The type of times that Yahuah creates and puts forth.

So I read the article. Did you know….

Every year around the middle of April, time by the sun and time by the clock agree. For instance, when the midday sun climbs highest in the sky in mid-April, the sundial reads 12 o’clock noon and your local clock time says 12 o’clock noon?

This happens twice a year! I did not even know that this event was tracked. And this is just the beginning. Here is a bit more…

At present, the length of the day as measured by successive returns of the midday sun is slightly less than 24 hours long. This slight daily discrepancy between the clock and the sun will accumulate until mid-May. In mid-May, midday – noon by the sundial – will come four minutes earlier by the clock than it does today.

After mid-May, day length as measured by successive midday (sundial noons) will become slightly more than 24 hours long. By around mid-June, noon by the sun and noon by the clock will agree once again.

Now this information led me to more information because I wanted to know more about this because I am thinking this is pretty significant. So I did some research and found out, that there is a thing called “The Equation of Time.” Have you ever heard of that? Nope, me either. So here is the graph of it…

Equation of Time

Now, this is neat and fun to look at for a bit to try and understand what is being pictured here on a graph or map. See the minutes along the x-axis? Then there are the months along the y-axis and the line wave itself is the track of the sun along this time-line. There are some places where the sun crosses the “0” minute mark and so this is where the sun lines up with clocks (sundials) on earth. We have mid April, around beginning of June, around beginning of September, and end of December.

Now I admit, this is not all that exciting but it does get the juices flowing. One thing I did really like is that these topics on the subject discuss the fact that this event has been tracked and known for centuries, and used to be tracked with….. sundials!!! Did you hear that? sundials. That is how it was discovered that the sun, during each year, had times during its path or circuit, when it was straight up 1200 noon for the sun AND on the sundial. A definite event and marker for time. Fantastic!!

King Ahaz had a sundial.

Now – be ready to be amazed, be very amazed. Ok, so we know from calculus that graphs, sine waves and the like… are a 2 plane or 3 plane depiction of what is happening in the 3 or 4 dimensional space [forgive me for my lack of accuracy on these things, I am rusty as it has been a LONG while since I learned those things]. It is something that is happening in life and the points are plotted out according to an equation and that is what produces the graph, like what we see above.

So our next question is… what does this graph actually look like in real life? What are we supposed to see? What is the sun doing?

Have you heard of the term: analemma? Nope, me either. But you are about to, ha ha ha. Here is a pictograph of “an” analemma:

Analemma

How about that??!! You may know this “symbol” as the Infinity sign, at least that is what I know about it. Where did it come from? I have not done that study yet, but be assured I will! Now, guess what? There is a thing called the SOLAR ANALEMMA.

Are you ready to see this? Here ya go. There is history with this too. It is so difficult to capture this, only about seven people have ever done it and people are still doing this today, every year. Here is what our sun does every year and we never knew.

Solar Analemma captured in Greece http://www.perseus.gr/Astro-Solar-Analemma-102816.htm

Is that astounding or what? And there are more! I will post more photos at the bottom for you and please check out their websites as well.

Now what I am wondering… could *this* be the tequfah that scripture speaks of? Why not? So far in my studies, I have found truly only two seasons spoken of in Scripture: early rain and latter rain seasons, kind of representing springtime and autumn/wintertime. This concept of “2” seasons fits into this heavenly path of the sun each year. Each “circle” could represent “a circuit, or path” and this time of when the sun’s noon coincides with earth’s noon is that very place at the junction of the two circles: Mid April.

Anyway, this is my introduction of this topic both for myself and for you all. It is fascinating! Enjoy the photos below: they can be found at: http://www.perseus.gr/Astro-Solar-Analemma.htm

08:00:00 UT+2
Feb 02/02 – Dec 01/02
Tholos,
Ancient Delphi, Greece

09:00:00 UT+2
Jan 07/03 – Dec 20/03
Temple of Apollo,
Ancient Corinth, Greece

10:00:00 UT+2
Jan 07/03 – Dec 20/03
Hephaisteion,
Athens, Greece

11:00:00 UT+2
Mar 30/03 – Mar 24/04
Temple of Hera,
Ancient Olympia, Greece

12:00:00 UT+2
Mar 30/03 – Mar 24/04
Temple of Olympean Zeus,
Athens, Greece

12:28:16 UT+2
Jan 12/02 – Dec 21/02
Parthenon,
Athens, Greece

 

 

 

Our Plans for Passover 5850 (2014)

As I write this article to share what it is we in our household are doing for Passover that is coming up, it is still the year 5849 on God’s Calendar which is the Gregorian 2014. In case it is unknown to you, the Elohim (God) of Israel marks the beginning of the year in the springtime, not the dead of winter. That is the reason I am marking the time of this article as I am. The people who are walking in covenant with Yahuah Elohim (the LORD God) are awaiting the declaration of the New Year still, as it is Yahuah and Yahuah alone who declares the days, weeks, months, and years.

So, as we are waiting for the New Year to come about – we also start planning for the Keeping of Yahuah’s Spring Festivals too. In the first month of each New Year, there are three Festivals that occur for us to observe and keep: Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. You can read about these in His Instruction manual for living (the Torah) and specifically in Leviticus 23.

What are we doing this year? Well, this year will be our eighth keeping of these feasts and each year as we learn more from our weekly studies and Sabbath keeping, we are always growing and by His Grace, receiving more understanding of not only His Word but His Wisdom and what it is that He is trying to convey to us and His desire for us to do. Like many who are coming out of Babylon and the false teachings of christianity, it has been a long and confusing road for us. We made the same mistake many many others make in that we were reading the Bible AND listening to teachers. I suppose this is only natural considering the way we were trained to simply go to a building where some man or woman was teaching and sit there and listen to what they say and believe what they are saying and teaching. Those learned habits are hard to break. But as we grew weary of all the confusion, contradictions, one assembly teaching this thing, and another assembly teaching that thing… one claiming to do it this way and another saying you have to do it another way or you are wrong…. about a year and a half ago, my husband and I FINALLY got the message.

“My Counsel is sufficient for you”

He says this all along to us, but we are hard of hearing and lack faith and confidence that it is true for some reason. But no more. Yes, we do occasionally read something from a friend who writes or teaches just to keep up with what is going on or also to perhaps catch a “topic” to **look into the Scriptures for** to see if it is lining up with His Word or not. In doing this, we also learn a lot. This is part of our way of enacting the “be a Berean” concept and also “to prove” what has been said.

It is for this reason, that we have turned our ears, eyes, and heart towards Him FIRST… that a lot has changed in our keeping of time, keeping of feasts and festivals, and many other things. We have been able to discover that so very much of what we are doing is still coming from mankind and not scripture, Yahuah’s Word.

It is for this reason also, that our Passover observance is going to be very different from many of our believing friends. I know they must think we are out in left field and way off target… but we must go with what we have been shown. He will let us know if we are on target (hitting the mark) or off target (missing the mark). The main important thing is to prove to Yahuah that we listen to Him and follow Him – regardless of what everyone else is doing.

Our Plans for Passover 5850, then, begin with the keeping of time. By the reckoning we are now going by, we have one more month before the beginning of the year. Judaism which keeps the Hillel calculated calendar are in the month Adar bet, which is a thirteenth month this month and the last one of the year 5849… as also are the messianic communities. They are also in the month Adar Bet, the thirteenth because there has been no ripe barley in Israel to bring for first fruits at the end of the twelfth month.

Now this means that at the next new moon, whether conjunction moon, sighted moon, or calculation of time… the new year must be proclaimed. There is no fourteenth month. There are either 12 or 13. There is no 14.

For us, we are in the twelfth month right now [that was when I started this novella anyway :)]. Why? because we marked the first month this year as the month when the sun was in Aries… as it was the year when the mixed multitude came out of Egypt. So what we are doing now is looking up and keeping watch to see where the sun is in relationship to the stars and the moon (which marks the 29-30 day months). For this reason also, we are putting very little emphasis on all the “blood moon omens” that are all in the news. These moons do not fall on the feasts days according to how we are walking out the feasts.

You can refer back to a previous article I shared “The Lamb’s Witness from Heaven” to get the details on this understanding and proofs. So when the next new moon comes in the next weeks, we will be looking up. If the sun is in Aries – then it will be a new year for us and the month of the spring festivals will commence. If the sun is not in Aries, we will be keeping a thirteenth month this year and the next new moon when the sun is in Aries (the sign of the Lamb) we will observe the spring Festivals. It is that simple. We are looking up – to heaven – the sun, moon, and stars, just as Father told us to do in Genesis.

What to do if the first grain (barley) is aviv (in the green ears) at the next new moon? Well it is simple. Harvest the *first ripe* grain (barley) when it is ripe and keep it as the *bikkur* for the offering at the Feast of First Fruits. We will not eat any of the new harvest until the first fruits are waved before Yahuah at first fruits. Then we will eat of the harvest freely. The first and best of the new harvest for the year belongs to Yahuah. It is His Bikkur and we will wave it for our acceptance.

For passover in years past, we have done what most people do: run around in the days leading up to Passover removing “leaven” from our homes. Always trying to figure out once again, “is this leavened? Is that leavened? What is leaven exactly? Do the packaged items matter? What if it is already cooked and not ‘rising’ now? Do we have to give it away or just get it out of the main house area? Is leaven yeast or is it something else?” And it goes on and on and on… and we begin wondering… is this really what it is all about? And then wondering, “How is this helping me walk with my Elohim?” How is this improving my relationship with Him? How is this making me a cleaner, better, more fit for His use, causing my spirit and attitude toward Him and my fellow brother or sister to be better than it was before? And the answer is always the same: “I just don’t know.” Something doesn’t seem to add up in all this activity somehow. I will say however, that just by doing it, there is satisfaction in that I do it because He said so (if in fact He did say so, which is what I am now studying in great depth to find out!)

Then last Passover, some things began to become a little clearer as we listened to God’s counsel and had removed many of the confusing voices coming from all the different directions. That is when it occurred to me what was going on in the unseen realm concerning these matters. By removing all the “voices” I began wondering if perhaps “the voices” were the leaven. Hmmm, perhaps God was doing for us what we were unable at the time to understand to do for ourselves. He does know the deep desires of our hearts and even knows what we need before we ask.

Remove the leaven.

It happened as a consequence to adhering to the previous Word: “My Counsel is Sufficient for you.”

Yahusha said, “Mind! And beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

And the disciples, in their lack of understanding, do exactly what we do today. They reasoned among themselves, saying, “Because we brought no bread!” Thinking that the issue is about bread! But it is not about bread and our Messiah tells us plainly what the issue is all about!

Here is what He says,

“O you of little belief, why do you reason among yourselves because you brought no bread?

Do you still not understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you picked up? Or the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you picked up?

How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread, to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?”

Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.   Matthew 16:6-12

And again we get even more insight in the Gospel of Luke chapter 12

Meanwhile, when an innumerable crowd of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His taught ones, first,

“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”

Yahusha goes on to explain the matter:

“Whatever is concealed shall be revealed, and whatever is hidden shall be known. So whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms shall be proclaimed on the house-tops.

The word “hypocrisy” is the English word for the Greek word:

υποκρισις hupokrisis {hoop-ok’-ree-sis} from 5271; TDNT – 8:559,1235; n f AV – hypocrisy 5, dissimulation 1, condemnation 1; 7 1) an answering 2) an answer 3) the acting of a stage player 4) dissimulation, hypocrisy

It comes from the Greek word: G5271

υποκρινομαι hupokrinomai {hoop-ok-rin’-om-ahee} middle voice from 5259 and 2919; TDNT – 8:559,1235; v AV – feign 1; 1 1) to take up another’s statements in reference to what one has decided for one’s self 1a) to reply, answer 2) to make answer (speak) on the stage 2a) to impersonate anyone, play a part 3) to simulate, feign, pretend

G5259 is

υπο hupo {hoop-o’} a primary preposition;; prep AV – of 116, by 42, under 48, with 14, in 1, not tr 6, misc 3; 230 1) by, under

G2919 is

κρινω krino {kree’-no} perhaps a primitive word; TDNT – 3:921,469; v AV – judge 88, determine 7, condemn 5, go to law 2, call in question 2, esteem 2, misc 8; 114 1) to separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose 2) to approve, esteem, to prefer 3) to be of opinion, deem, think, to be of opinion 4) to determine, resolve, decree 5) to judge 5a) to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong 5a1) to be judged, i.e. summoned to trial that one’s case may be examined and judgment passed upon it 5b) to pronounce judgment, to subject to censure 5b1) of those who act the part of judges or arbiters in matters of common life, or pass judgment on the deeds and words of others 6) to rule, govern 6a) to preside over with the power of giving judicial decisions, because it was the prerogative of kings and rulers to pass judgment 7) to contend together, of warriors and combatants 7a) to dispute 7b) in a forensic sense 7b1) to go to law, have suit at law

I know sometimes looking up the origin of words can seem like minutia and boring but truly it is necessary to “get” what meaning is behind these words. And Yes! it is very important.

Now, let us go back to the original instruction in Exodus.

“Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. Indeed on the first day you cause leaven to cease from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that being shall be cut off from Yisra’el.

And on the first day is a set-apart gathering, and on the seventh day you have a set-apart gathering. No work at all is done on them, only that which is eaten by every being, that alone is prepared by you.

And you shall guard the [Festival of] {not in the original text!} unleavened bread, for on this same day I brought your divisions out of the land of Mitsrayim. And you shall guard this day throughout your generations, an everlasting law.

In the first [month], on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month in the evening.

For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, that same being shall be cut off from the congregation of Yisra’el, whether sojourner or native of the land.

Do not eat that which is leavened – in all your dwellings you are to eat unleavened bread.

Exodus 12:15-20

I want to read my King’s Words with virgin eyes, as a child reading it for the first time… without the influence of centuries of twisting, man-made tradition, rabbinal teachings, etc. I wanted to see what was there, in the text and in the words, to understand more about this instruction concerning the leaven. After 8 years… it is still confusing and a mystery… and this should not be. Something is wrong. So, in depth study of the Hebrew words began, and I had to begin back in Exodus 12:8 because it is the first mention of the unleavened bread.

What I am about to share with you is simply my findings thus far. I am not teaching, cajoling, forcing, saying “this is how it is and you are all wrong” or anything like that. I am sharing my study openly. I like to do this also simply to get my findings recorded for reference too. Feedback and insight is always welcome 🙂

In Exodus 12:8 we are receiving instruction from Moses for the first time on what we are to do the day and night of passover with the primary focus on “the lamb” We are told when to get the lamb, when to sacrifice the lamb, what to do with its blood, and what to do with its body. So in verse 8 we are being told how to prepare it and eat it… and we get the first mention of unleavened bread.

Here is what I got from the original Hebrew:

And the aleph tau flesh your food in this night My burning shadow and instructions for the journey (commandments) in bitterness you consume it.

Did you know, that the Hebrew word for unleavened bread (matzot) and the Hebrew word for commandment (mitzvah) are spelled and written exactly the same? I did not either until now.

Now there are two types of bread it seems. Bread from heaven (God’s Word, manna, Yahusha – God’s Son) and then all other breads (from world, men, women, church, books, earth, etc)

One is known as: unleavened bread

The other one is known as: leavened bread

So, are we talking about food or are we talking about His Word? You decide. Maybe it is both. I have been thinking alot lately about “The Lord’s Prayer” Give us our daily bread. It is like daily unleavened bread, His Word, not polluted with hypocrisy and twisting OR even better than that, that WE are not eating IT in hypocrisy… acting like we love Him and keep His commandments by going through some kind of process of throwing out all our yeast products and appearing on the outside to others to be righteous, but never looking to Him and stepping back to consider whether or not we are truly living upon His Bread DAILY, meditating and studying upon His “Instructions for the Journey” [Torah]

So I got to wondering about this word: matzot (unleavened bread in verse 8) What if Yahuah was really saying: mitzvah? We already know that the verse does not say bitter “herbs” The word herbs is not there at all. What if the idea of bread is not there either? Hmmm. More questions. Don’t worry… I am not saying that it doesn’t say bread, but what if… just what if, He meant “My Words”?

I was imagining that night in Egypt, trying to place myself there and wondering what it must have been like. I would have been eating that lamb in force. I always lose my appetite when I am nervous, worried, or in anguish. And I definitely would have been all of that, that night. Perhaps my good Egyptian friend, who I see every day and say hello to — just found her son dead in their home. To hear her wailing and crying out over her dead child would be unbearable. With each bite of the lamb my hands would be shaking in fear and sadness and YES – GREAT BITTERNESS and each swallow would have been very very hard.

So I definitely “get” the eating the flesh in or with bitterness… so what about “the instructions for the journey?” We were about to set out on a journey, that’s for sure. Then there is that part about “roasted in fire” and how if the Hebrew words… just taken literally… actually read (or say) “My burning shadow” or even “My shadow fire, flaming, supernatural fire”, this brings to me more questions.

We know that Yahuah led us out of Egypt and on the journey in a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day. And we lived by every word and instruction that came out of His mouth by Moses. And then we also have the words of Sha’ul concerning the festivals of Yahuah and how they are “shadows of good things to come, which is Yahusha”

Let no one therefore judge you in eating or in drinking, or in respect of a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths – which are a shadow of what is to come – but the Body of the Messiah. Colossians 2:16-17

Take a read of these most beautiful verses also from Isaiah:

Listen to Me, O coastlands, and hear, you peoples from afar! YaHUaH has called Me from the womb, from My mother’s belly He has caused My Name to be remembered. And He made My mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of His hand He hid Me, and made Me a polished shaft. In His quiver He hid Me.” And He said to Me, ‘You are My servant, O Yisra’el, in whom I am adorned.’ Yeshayahu 49:1-2

“But I am YaHUaH your Alohim, stirring up the sea, and its waves roar. YaHUaH of hosts is His Name. And I have put My Words in your mouth, and with the shadow of My hand I have covered you, to plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth, and to say to Tsiyon, ‘You are My people.'” Yeshayahu 51:15-16

“Woe to the stubborn children,” declares YaHUaH, “to make counsel, but not from Me, and to devise plans, but not of My Spirit, in order to add sin to sin; who are setting out to go down to Mitsrayim, and have not asked My mouth, to be strengthened in the strength of Pharaoh, and to seek refuge in the shadow of Mitsrayim! And the strength of Pharaoh shall become your shame, and the refuge in the shadow of Mistrayim your confusion.” Yeshayahu 30:1-3

The words of King David:

Show me favor, O Alohim, show me favor! For in You my being is taking refuge; and in the shadow of Your wings I take refuge, Until destruction passes by. Tehillim 57:1

For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing. Tehillim 63:7

I don’t know… pretty compelling this.

Then there is all the times we read the phrase: “My Word shall be in your mouth”

“Seven days you eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day is a set apart gathering to YaHUaH. Unleavened bread is to be eaten the seven days, and whatever is leavened is not to be seen with you, and leaven is not to be seen with you within all your border. And you shall inform your son in that day, saying, ‘It is because of what YaHUaH did for me when I came up from Mitsrayim.’

And it shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a reminder between your eyes, that the Torah of YaHUaH is to be in your mouth, for with a strong hand YaHUaH has brought you out of Mitsrayim.” Exodus 13:6-9

“And He humbled you, and let you suffer hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, to make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but by every utterance that comes from the mouth of YaHUaH.” Deuteronomy 8:3

“For the Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart – to do it.” Deuteronomy 30:14

“Do not let this Book of the Torah depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you guard to do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and act wisely.” Yahusha 1:8

“I am YaHUaH your Alohim, Who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim; Open your mouth wide, and I fill it.” Tehillim 81:10

“How sweet to my taste has Your Word been, More than honey to my mouth!” Tehillim 119:103

There are scores of scripture concerning ‘His shadow’ and what is to be ‘in our mouths’ and so because I need to at least bring this article to a close our I will never get it posted… I will bring it to a conclusion for now. I still have a lot of work to do bringing in all the other scripture in concerning the unleavened bread, what the passover means and doesn’t mean, and what ‘leaven’ means.

In conclusion (for today), we will be cleaning out old books that clutter our house here. Books full of commentary, opinions, theology, traditions, etc. Cleaning out the leaven we have gathered over the years in our walk of faith. This year also, I will be preparing the unleavened bread ‘each day’ also instead of making a huge batch for the week. I get the feeling this is more appropriate. Most most most importantly – we will be focusing on the mitzvot, the commandments. Perhaps even reciting one per day of the seven days with a goal of being able to recite it without having to read it.

Just additional FYI

{Any dough left to rest will naturally become leavened, because yeast spores exists everywhere.

The most common source of leavening in antiquity was to retain a piece of dough from the previous day to utilize as a form of sourdough starter. Pliny the Elder reported that the Gauls and Iberians used the foam skimmed from beer to produce “a lighter kind of bread than other peoples.” Seems this was also called “barm”}

oh! and one more thing about “hypocrisy” and what we learned it means and why it is leaven… When thinking about this concept of “acting out or speaking on a stage, another person’s words, immitating” and things like that – doesn’t it just fit perfectly into the concept of unleavened bread (matzot) in that YaHUaH is instructing us, that for this week of ‘unleavened bread’ that MY WORDS are to be in your mouth. Not the words of some other person or god as in hypocrisy… but MY WORDS.

Something to consider….

Repentance Part 2

Let us start with a quick review of  repent in the Scriptures.

Nacham – to feel sorrowful, to regret, to think again after.

Teshuvah – to turn, to return.

We learned that repent (nacham) was used in the Tanak quite often to express a feeling of sorrow, or needing comfort – especially anytime when used to describe characteristics of our Father, YAHUAH. For He certainly is not a man that He should repent.

We also learned that repent (teshuvah) is used 1,000 times more often when talking about an action that we, believers, should be involved with – not only once – but a lifetime! Also 1000 times more often used in the Messianic Writings. Also, the word teshuvah is the term used by the Apostles and our Messiah himself when He and they proclaimed REPENT!

Certainly, this has to mean to us, it is better to return than to feel sorry. Oh Messiah, tell us what You mean by repent! He says to us “return”

Master YAHUSHA, return to what? Return to Me, you were with Me “in the beginning”, but you have gone after another way. “Repent now, for the Kingdom is near. Now is the time, to “return” to My Ways, My Instructions, My Way of Life that I have written for you, My teachings – return to My Torah.

To make teshuvah is to empower the spirit.

“Draw near to Elohim, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hand, you sinner: sanctify your hearts, you divided in mind.” James 4:8

Teshuva is the basis of how we draw near to YAHUAH, and it is only realized through Torah observance. Torah is the Will of YAHUAH. We run around constantly wondering “am I in His Will, what is His Will for me, even that no one knows the Will of God” This is false! His Will is expressed in His Torah. If we are living in obedience to His Teachings and Instructions – we ARE in His Will.

It is the Torah of YAHUAH that is perfect – converting the soul, yet many are quick to reject Torah even when they have little or no understanding of how it reveals the Kingdom of Elohim according to Messiah. One cannot know, until one chooses to live according to the Torah – how wonderful and revealing it is. It is Life! Just as Moses told us on the mountains prior to entering into the land. He said ”

8 And you shall again obey the voice of the LORD and keep all his commandments that I command you today.

9 The LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers,

10 when you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off.

12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’

13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’

14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.

16 If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.

17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them,

18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess.

19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,

20 loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” Deuteronomy 30:8-20

Beloved, how much clearer can our Creator be to us concerning our lives?

 

Before Messiah came, the Torah was kept from the Gentiles (Nations) by the Rabbis, but Messiah did the opposite- He brought the Torah to the Nations. Messiah is the New Mediator of a Re-Newed Covenant. The Re-Newed covenant requires that the Torah be written upon our hearts – this is what it means to have a clean heart, whether a person is Jewish or not in this matter is irrelevant.

In other words when we make teshuvah and truly follow in the footsteps of Messiah, others will most certainly scorn us for living like a Jew because Christianity has done an extensive makeover to take the Jew out of their version of YAHUSHA. The resistance against us for making true repentance will come from church people, family, friends, pastors and those who habitually accuse followers of Messiah of being “legalists” and “Judaizers” because they prefer their own traditional worldly lifestyles. But Messiah says:

“Whoever finds his soul will lose it, and whoever loses his soul for my sake will find it”  Matthew 10:39.

So do not fear man, who can destroy the body only, but fear Him who is able to destroy body and soul. I can also say with great assurance, that there is so much incredible joy in living in His Will, according to His Torah, and in the footsteps of Messiah, that it just does not matter what others say or do.

“Repent, for the Reign of the Heavens is near!”

Did you know that our Father has a Government? He has a Kingdom – hopefully we know that, right? In His Kingdom, there is a constitution – a covenant – by which He requires His people to live. If there were no Holy Constitution, how would we expect His Kingdom to be different from this world? Our Father’s Torah is His Ways, a constitution if you will. If we desire to live in His Kingdom – then as He says Repent, return to My Ways.

Repent – return and enter into the Government of Messiah, rather than talk about it. I see so many, myself included, sin and repent, sin and repent, sin and “rededicate” my life again and again. What is wrong? This should not be so in our lives. Our Father and Messiah does not desire this spiritual torture for us. Could it be, beloved, that someone has told us the manual on how to live and get well is no longer valid?

Have we learned to Keep the Sabbath? No, we are told it was changed.

Have we learned that there is a way to eat, clean and unclean? No, we are taught a huge lie that all foods were declared clean.

Have we been taught that we are not to be intimate during menstruation? No, we are not taught that.

Have we been taught not to learn the way of the heathen and do what they do? No, we have Easter, Christmas, even Halloween in the so-called house of worship!

Have we been taught how to observe the beautiful celebration of Passover, which teaches untold treasures about our Messiah? No, instead we learn all the ways of the pagan fertility goddess if Ishtar(Easter).

THESE ARE JUST A VERY, VERY SMALL LIST OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN!

Now, when our Messiah says repent, return to the Torah – surely we can see how we need to. The Torah is our Creator’s teaching and instructions on how we are to live, prosper, and draw near to Him. The Government of Messiah started in the Garden of Eden and continues through to the World to Come, and every generation is called to depart from iniquity, turn away from all false dominions and subscribe to Messiah. To do this a person must stop adhering to the teachings of man and turn to YAHUAH to observe His Torah – His Divine instructions – and begin to learn about Justice, Peace and Righteousness according to Messiah. 1

One of the very first words on the lips of Messiah YAHUSHA was “repent”. It is imperative that we understand how to repent (make Teshuvah) and turn to YAHUAH and keep His Commandments. Whenever we read in the scriptures “return to Elohim”, “return to the LORD”, “return to God” – all Hebrews understand that this literally means “return to Torah.”

I hope and pray that we make teshuvah all of our lives, a continual return to His Torah until we no longer have breath, to run the race and finish in His Kingdom.

Please comment, correct, bring forth more understanding, question if you would like. Let us all make teshuvah!

1. Aramaic English New Testament

 

Repentance Part 1

One of the unexpected blessings of being brought out of the church system and into a personal walk with YAHUsha, the True Hebrew Messiah – was a lie.

How could a lie be a blessing? Let me explain.

Have you ever been involved in a relationship, worked for a corporation, had a business agreement, or some sort of contract with someone else based upon trust? Only later to find out, the very basis of that relationship and trust had a lie involved in it. No matter how small or large the deception is – once you find out about it – everything else from that point is up for investigation and doubt.

That somewhat describes my relationship with the Christian Church. I spent 30 years in the Christian church belief system. I would go there for teaching, fellowship, Bible study and all the rest. As a child, I fervently studied the New Testament and the words of my Savior and His disciples. Then I got busy with my adult life and career, and let the spiritual aspect of my life get squeezed out for time spent on worldly things.

Then the Set-apart Spirit spoke again in my life, “What about My Sabbath?” He said. Long story short (very short) – I remember thinking, “this is my chance!  To begin really learning about Him, My Creator, without influence of anyone but the Set-apart Spirit to speak to me and teach me.” As a child, I KNEW the scripture instructs us to worship on the Sabbath, but for some reason I thought the preachers knew something I did not for all their years of training and study. I knew of no Christian church meeting on the Sabbath, and I would have to do this at home in a personal fashion and was excited about doing so for I knew it to be pleasing to Elohim. I knew it in my spirit.

Now back to the issue of the lie. If my church and pastor would deceive me (whether intentionally or by blindness) about the Set-apartness of the Sabbath day unto our Set-apart Creator, what else have I been deceived about? All other terms and doctrines were now fair game for investigation – and there, beloved, is the blessing! So my topic for this writing – Repentance.

What is repentance?

Up until a short time ago, the following has been my understanding of what repentance means:

The Holy Spirit or the Biblical New Testament texts would convict my spirit about something. Maybe I had said or done something throughout my life or throughout my day that I knew to be wrong. My conscience would let me know that what I had done was wrong and I needed to make amends. I needed to and would ask for forgiveness from God and then do my best not repeat that misdeed or spoken word again, and to truly be sorry for what I had done or said. Knowing that I was truly regretful of what I had done or said, I could be assured that I was forgiven for that sin or transgression.

But even in this scenario, I cannot help but wonder now, how much of the conviction was from what I knew of what my Savior taught, or just a consequence of what my parents and society had taught me. There were “sins” of lying, cross words or actions, jealousy, being inconsiderate of others, holding grudges or being angry at someone, and disobedience. I remember getting spankings for some of these as a child. Spankings certainly had an effect on my learning right from wrong. When I was very young, the learning was based upon fear. Later on, I learned I did not like hurting my parents by my transgressions of their instructions, and so when I did – I felt sorry for having done the thing.

There are also hundreds of thousands of people who are good people. They are kind, they don’t cheat or steal, they certainly are not murders and they treat others decently. These people will tell you they are agnostics or atheists even. They don’t hurt other people because they know they would ‘regret’ having done it and have the capability of feeling remorse.

So what is it that is different about the believer’s repentance that is any different than a non-believer who has repentance? Have you ever thought about that? What is it that makes ours  (believers) different?

Let’s go to the scriptures.

Let us explore the words in the languages of the Bible that are used to demonstrate what truly IS repentance for a believer. Let’s start with the Greek, since that is the language the typical American Bible is translated from in the Messianic Scriptures (aka New Testament).

Greek: metanoia  –

This Greek word is a compound word made of ‘meta’ (meaning after, with) and ‘noeo’ (meaning to perceive, to think, the result of perceiving or observing). The entire word means ‘to think differently after.’

This is interesting because don’t we usually know before the transgression is completed, that it was wrong before we did it, yet we did it anyway? Again enters the question of ‘social ethics or morality’ vs. true scriptural repentance. Then we have regret or sorrow for having done it? Does this sound like rebellion to you? It does to me – but let us continue our word study.

In both Aramaic (the accepted language of the day at the time of The Messiah and His disciples) and in Hebrew (the mother tongue of The Messiah) there are two different words that we have translated into English as the same word: repent.

In Aramaic, the word most often is teshuwa

In Hebrew, two words interchangeably are used: shuv, for teshuva and nacham.

Teshuva means “to return” שוב shuv (to return)

Nacham means “to comfort” נחם nicham (to feel sorrow).

For the next several paragraphs, I will be using information taken from the Aramaic English New Testament.

In Moshe’s (Moses) appeal to YAHUAH both of these words (teshuva and nacham) appear in the same verse:

“Turn (shuv) from thy fierce wrath, and repent (nacham) of this evil against thy people” Exodus 32:12.

Hebrew thought predominantly focuses on the word shuv as in teshuva, whereas the Christian church theology has adopted the nacham.

These two words are very, very different in their meanings.

Why is this?

Shuv appears 1,066 times in Scripture but is almost entirely negated by modern Christian theology. This is the stuff that irritates me. Why would the shepherds of today do this? Something so important as repentance, which is written in over 60 verses in the New Testament, and spoken repeatedly by our Savior and His disciples, obviously repentance is of extreme importance to Him.

The first mention of shuv is:

“in the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, until you return (shuv) unto the ground…” Genesis 3:19.

Clearly shuv means to return to where you’ve come from and this is the key to true repentance.

Teshuva (repentance) means return to YAHUAH.

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return (shuv) unto YAHUAH, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our Elohim, for he will abundantly pardon” Isaiah 55:7.

A return to YAHUAH.

In order to return to something, you would have to have been there before. In reality, the spirit of each individual belongs to YAHUAH and by surrendering and turning to YAHUAH every soul is, in fact, returning to their spiritual origin. This is also what it means, ‘to be born from the beginning.’ This is what our Messiah was revealing to Nicodemus in their chat that night.

There is a way to return to YAHUAH, true repentance, and that is to return to His Ways. Our Creator created us according to His purpose. By returning to Him our true purpose is revealed, but we must also return to Him on His terms and conditions.

Now, for the other term nacham. Nacham is translated as comfort, sorrow, repent, comforter, ease, and all together for a total of only 108 times in the Scriptures.

As believers, we have been taught almost only this definition of the word repent. We sin, we are sorrowful, ask for forgiveness, we are comforted in knowing our Father is forgiving and merciful, we are covered by grace and the blood of our Messiah. Is this all there is to it? Please know, I am not talking about ‘salvation’ I am talking about ‘true living in JOY – sanctification‘

Is this the message of our Messiah and all of Scripture? Sorrowful living and needing comfort doesn’t seem to be the overriding message of the Scriptures when we have just learned that teshuva (to return) occurs over 1,000 times and nacham (comfort/sorrow) occurs only 108 times. Additionally, it is of great import to know that even when nacham IS used and translated as repent, it is in reference to our Father YAHUAH only. In all of the following verses, the word repent is used for our Father having sorrow: Genesis 6:6, 6:7, Exodus 32:12, 32:14, Deuteronomy 32:36, Judges 2:18. In Judges 21:6, 21:15 the children of Israel repented for Benjamin, or “felt sorrow” for Benjamin. There are several verses that use repent to feel sorrow and need comfort.

So there appears to be two issues at play in our Scriptures for our learning, teaching, and understanding to help lead us into wisdom and truth.

There is repent in English that means sorrow, repent, comfort and then there is repent in English that means to return. I have explored the sorrow and comfort form of the word repent and found it to be most frequently related to our Father, YAHUAH Himself, and we know from Scripture also that The Most High has no need to return because He is the Origin.

We could feel sorrow all our lives for our actions however, and never ever reach true repentance. Why? Repentance for us means to return, teshuva.

To repent is to return to YAHUAH and is the basis on how we draw near to Him. True repentance is only realized through Torah observance. Torah is the Will of YAHUAH, His Love Letter, His Promise, and His Covenant. Torah contains the Terms and Conditions of YAHUAH’s Love towards His Creation.

Let’s look at an analogy and prophetic word our Messiah shared with the people and us concerning what happens when we stop our transgression, yet do not complete what is necessary (teshuva), and return to Torah. Matthew 12:43-45

43. “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44. “Then it says, ‘I shall return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds it empty, swept, and decorated. 45. “Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

He is teaching us what happens if we do not return to His Teachings and Instructions after we realize we are transgressing His Torah. We can feel sorrow and regret and ask for forgiveness, but if we do not then actively begin a life obedient to His Torah, we run the risk of actually being worse off than before. You see, it is one thing to be free from bondage, but it is something completely different to then Walk in the Kingdom in Freedom.

Another analogy:

Imagine you are on a railroad track bound and tied and there is a train coming. If nothing happens to change your situation – your certain death is only a matter of time. Then someone arrives on the scene and tells you that if you say that you are sorry for the sin in your life, they would untie you, thereby giving you a chance to escape death. You say you are sorry and you are untied. This is a picture of the doctrine of repentance in the Church. Beloved there is more!

You still have to get up and move out of the way to live! If you are untied but remain sitting where you are, you are still dead.

Not sinning is not what our Messiah and His disciples called us to.

Our Messiah called us to repentance – to return to His Torah to Life.

Our Messiah’s first words when He began His earthly ministry are found in Matthew 4:17

From that time YAHUSHA began to proclaim and to say,

“Repent, for the reign of the heavens has drawn near.”

John the Baptist preached, “Repent, for the reign of the heavens has come near!”

Seek YAHUAH while He may be found. Repent, for the reign of the heavens has drawn near!

Part 2 – a work in progress

 

 

Day of Atonements (Yom HaKippurim)

YAHUAH’s Sabbath morning, the Sabbath between Yom Teruah (the Day of Blowing) and Yom HaKippurim (Day of Atonements) has been full of blessings. My husband had taken down some verse references from a reading he had done the past week. They are listed below if you would also like to read them for yourself.

Exodus 30:1-10

Numbers 29:7-11

Leviticus 16

Leviticus 23:27-31

Leviticus 25:9

I am going to type them out here for this sharing of what we learned – HalleluYAH!

Exodus 30:1-10:

“And you shall make an altar to burn incense on, make it of acacia wood, (2) a cubit long and a cubit wide – it is a square – and two cubits high, its horns of the same. (3) “And you shall overlay its top, and its sides all around, and its horns with clean gold. And you shall make for it a moulding of gold all around. (4) “And make two gold rings for it, under the moulding on both its sides. Make them on its two sides, and they shall be holders for the poles to lift it with. (5) “And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. (6) “And you shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the Witness, before the lid of atonement that is over the Witness, where I am to meet with you. (7) “And Aharon shall burn on it sweet incense, morning by morning. As he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. (8) “And when Aharon lights the lamps between the evenings, he shall burn incense on it – a continual incense before YHWH throughout your generations. (9) “Do not offer strange incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. (10) “And Aharon shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement – once a year he makes atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most set-apart to YHWH.”

On this portion of our reading, some things we saw were – Yahuah is speaking about our prayers to Him. The altar of incense represents the prayers, the prayers of the children of the covenant. The altar of incense is an important part of the Day of Atonements because the High Priest makes atonement upon its horns once a year. There is another altar with horns – the altar of sacrifice (the Brazen altar) in the outer court of the Tent of Meeting, but more on this later.

The altar of incense (our altar of prayer) is to be no strange (unholy) language, no sacrifices, no offerings. This altar is MOST SET APART UNTO YHWH. I propose this altar of incense is pure praise and worship! Our Father Himself tells us that to obey is better than sacrifice and He would that there never be sacrifices and only praise and worship. But because of His Great Holiness, and our lack thereof, He provides a way for us to draw near to Him. He provides a covering, a covering of blood.

Also, that Aharon was to put the altar before the veil that is before the ark of Witness, before the lid of atonement that is over the Witness, WHERE I AM TO MEET WITH YOU. I knew I had to understand this part especially. Where is my Father going to meet with me (and you)?

Literally, there no longer is a veil. We can read in Matthew 27:51

And see, the veil of the Dwelling Place was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth was shaken, and the rocks were split.

Also, the ark of Witness has been hidden away. But we know that all the figures of the Temple exist in Heaven – the True Temple, of which the earthly figures are a copy – the ark of Witness, the presence of Elohim, resides in Heaven.

Aharon burning sweet incense on that altar morning by morning. Likewise, I am to offer up my prayer of praise and worship on the altar, rising early every morning.

Atonement is made by blood. The lid of atonement is where the High Priest sprinkled the blood of the sacrificed animals. Starting westward (opposite his body) and sprinkling eastwardly (towards himself). Then sprinkling in front of the ark of Witness. Did this make a tau in blood? The Hebrew letter tau? The blood on a cross?

The Messiah, Yahusha atoned for the sin of the world.  1 John 2:1-2

“My little children, I write this to you, so that you do not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Intercessor with the FAther, Yahusha Messiah, a righteous One. (2) And He Himself is an atoning offering for our sins, and not for ours only but also for all the world.”

So now, can you see it? Partial fulfillment of good things to come from all the way back to the Children of Israel in the wilderness at Mt Sinai. Praise and worship, morning by morning unto YAHUAH, in a direct manner covered by the atoning blood of a sinless Messiah who allows us to meet with our Holy Creator.

That was only the first portion…….

Numbers 29:7-11

“And on the tenth day of this seventh month you have a set-apart gathering, and you shall afflict your beings, you do not work. (8) ‘And you shall bring near a burnt offering to YHWH, a sweet fragrance: one young bull, one ram, seven lambs a year old, perfect ones they are for you, (9) and their grain offering: fine flour mixed with oil, three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram, (10) one-tenth for each of the seven lambs, (11) one male goat as a sin offering, besides the sin offering for atonement, the continual burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.”

This is how the Day of Atonements (Yom HaKippurim) would have started when the Children of Israel were in the wilderness learning to serve, worship, and draw near to a Holy Elohim. This day is a specially, appointed day in the eyes of our Creator. He says it and He does not change. Here in this portion, He is telling us when this special appointed time is – it falls on the 10th day of the 7th month. We CANNOT use the Roman calendar to get this time right. Our Creator gets to create the timetable – we do not. He does not want us to work, He wants us to gather together in a sanctified way – a Holy Assembly if you will, He wants us to humble ourselves before Him in praise, worship, and service, and finally to bring a burnt offering. This is our complete selves – heart, soul, mind, body, the living sacrifice.

I know there is a lot here to take in. Keeping in line with the truth that the Feasts of YHWH are “shadow pictures of good things to come” What is the shadow picture that the Day of Atonements represents? First off, it is safe to say that this observance is part of the “Fall Feasts” or occurs in the Autumn of the year. It is commonly believed and I also hold to the fact that all the commanded observances of YHWH have initial, intermediate, and final fulfillments. There is a feeling to me, and evidently among many believers, that the understanding of what it is Our Father desires us to glean from this Holy Rehearsal eludes us. Even the “Jewish” sages had/have little to no understanding of the two goats and the meaning of Azazel.

Leviticus 16 (I know what you are thinking…. is she going to type the whole chapter?! – YES I AM!! because it is so very important to me sharing what we saw)

So…..

And YHWH spoke to Mosheh after the death of the two sons of Aharon, as they drew near before YHWH, and dies. (2) And YHWH said to Mosheh, “Speak to Aharon your brother not to come in at all times to the Set-apart Place inside the veil, before the lid of atonement which is on the ark, lest he die, because I appear in the cloud above the lid of atonement. (3) “With this Aharon should come into the Set-apart Place: with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering, and of a ram as a burnt offering. (4) “He should put on the set-apart linen long shirt, with linen trousers on his flesh, and gird himself with a linen girdle, and be dressed with the linen turban – they are set-apart garments. And he shall bathe his body in water, and shall put them on. (5) “And from the congregation of the children of Yisra’el he takes two male goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering. (6) “And Aharon shall bring the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house. (7) “And he shall take the two goats and let them stand before YHWH at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

Now – a right ruling straight out of the Torah with this same wording…..

In Deuteronomy 19:16-19 “When a malicious witness rises up against any man to accuse him of turning aside, (17) then both men who have the dispute shall stand before YHWH, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. (18) “And the judges shall diligently search and see if the witness is a false witness, who has falsely accused his brother, (19) then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from your midst.

(8) “And Aharon shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for YHWH and the other lot for Azazel. (9) “And Aharon shall bring the goat on which the lot for YHWH fell, and shall prepare it as a sin offering. (10) “But the goat on which the lot for Azazel fell is caused to stand alive before YHWH, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness to Azazel.

Here is where there remains many questions even from the Rabbis and teachers. What do the goats mean, and there is no “TRUE” explanation of what this Azazel means. It appears nowhere else in all of scripture. I wonder if the limited understanding that remains within Judaism is due to the unbelief in the Messiah Yahusha, the Gospels, and the Book of the Revelation. I am going to try to show you how the language is much the same as judgement day and the Day of YAHUAH. I am going to suggest that the following rehearsal is not only that of the Day of Atonement when Yahusha our Messiah entered into Heaven as our High Priest and made atonement for the world, but a rehearsal for what will happen at the first judgement upon the earth, and the final at the Great White Throne judgement upon HaSatan and those who do not repent.

“And Aharon shall bring the goat on which the lot for YHWH fell, and shall prepare it as a sin offering.

Clearly, this offering, as the Word states, is the sin offering. Its blood will be part of that blood used by the High Priest to make atonement for the altar unto YHWH, the altar of incense, the lid of atonement, the Tent of Meeting, and all the people. The lot for YHWH fell on this goat, in other words, this goat is YHWH’s choice. This goat of YHWH’s choice is the sin offering. Its blood will be shed, it will be sacrificed. This goat is Israel, this goat is anyone who is part of the covenant of YHWH, this goat is us. This goat is YHWH’s choice, but it is a sin offering and must be sacrificed for transgressions. Only blood atones (covers) for the forgiveness of sins. In the passage of time, YAHUSHA became this blood atonement in our place. Our blood would still be required of us, but for our Messiah paying that price for our sin. Clearly, this is representative of the sin offering Yahusha made in His own, pure and sinless blood and entered into Heaven and atoned (covered) all.

Now….. the other goat.

(10) “But the goat on which the lot for Azazel fell is caused to stand alive before YHWH, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness to Azazel.

This goat is not for YHWH. The text would not read “but” if we were not to understand there is a contrast coming. “But the goat…” This goat is for something else – but not YHWH. Why is this goat “caused to stand alive before YHWH?” We could not help but think of the judgement, the day of judgement, the Day of YAHUAH (Day of the LORD). Who is it in the scriptures that will stand alive before YHWH? Let us see……

As we already saw earlier in Deuteronomy, a false accuser will stand before YHWH (or judges). Who is the supreme false accuser? Is it not HaSatan, the adversary?

“And I heard a loud voice saying in the heaven, “Now have come the deliverance and the power and the reign of our Elohim, and the authority of His Messiah, for the accuser of our brothers, who accused them before our Elohim day and night, has been thrown down.” Revelation 12:10

Back now to Leviticus 16

(11) “And Aharon shall bring the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall slaughter the bull as the sin offering which is for himself, (12) and shall take a fire holder filled with burning coals of fire from the altar before YHWH, with his hands filled with sweet incense beaten fine, and shall bring it inside the veil. (13) “And he shall put the incense on the fire before YHWH, and the cloud of incense shall cover the lid of atonement which is on the Witness, lest he die. (14) “And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the lid of atonement on the east side, also in front of the lid of atonement he sprinkles some of the blood with his finger seven times. (15) “And he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, and shall bring its blood inside the veil, and shall do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the lid of atonement and in front of the lid of atonement. (16) “And he shall make atonement for the Set-apart Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Yisra’el, and because of their transgressions in all their sins. And so he does for the Tent of Meeting which is dwelling with them in the midst of their uncleanness. (17) “And no man should be in the Tent of Meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the Set-apart Place, until he comes out. And he shall make atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the assembly of Yisra’el. (18) “And he shall go out to the altar that is before YHWH, and make atonement for it. And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around. (19) “And he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and set it apart from the uncleanness of the children of Yisra’el.

The High Priest, in this portion, is Aharon. Our High Priest today is Yahusha The Messiah. Aharon is to make atonement for the Tent of Meeting, the altar (on the horns), the Set-apart Place, and the altar of incense (on the horns), for himself, and for all the children of Israel – using the blood of a bull, a ram, and a goat. Yahusha makes atonement for all the world with His own, pure blood. This, I suggest is the initial fulfillment of this beautiful rehearsal. Read the words of Shaul (Paul) from the book of Hebrews Chapter 9:

“Now the first covenant indeed had regulations of worship and the earthly set-apart place. (2) For a Tent was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, and the table, and the showbread, which is called the Set-apart Place. (3) And after the second veil, the part of the Tent which is called Most Set-apart, (4) to which belonged the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that held the manna, and the rod of Aharon that budded, and the tablets of the covenant, (5) and above it the kerubim of esteem were overshadowing the place of atonement – about which we do not now speak in detail. (6) And these having been prepared like this, the priests always went into the first part of the Tent, accomplishing the services. (7) But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for sins of ignorance of the people, (8) the Set-apart Spirit signifying this, that the way into the Most Set-apart Place was not yet made manifest while the first Tent has a standing, (9) which was a parable for the present time in which both gifts and slaughters are offered which are unable to perfect the one serving, as to his conscience, (10) only as to foods and drinks, and different washings, and fleshly regulations imposed until a time of setting matters straight. (11) But Messiah, having become a High Priest of the coming good matters, through the greater and more perfect Tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, (12) entered into the Most Set-apart Place once for all, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood, having obtained everlasting redemption. (13) For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the defiled, sets apart for the cleansing of the flesh, (14) how much more shall the blood of the Messiah, who through the everlasting Spirit offered Himself unblemished to Elohim, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living Elohim? (15) And because of this He is the Mediator of a renewed covenant, so that, death having taken place for redemptions of the transgressions under the first covenant, those who are called might receive the promise of the everlasting inheritance. (16) For where a covenant is, it is necessary for the death of the covenanted one to be established. (17) For a covenant over those dead is firm, since it is never valid while the covenanted one is living. (18) Therefore not even the first covenant was instituted without blood. (19) For when, according to Torah, every command had been spoken by Mosheh to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, (20) saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which Elohim commanded you.” (21) And in the same way he sprinkled with blood both the Tent and LAL THE VESSELS OF THE SERVICE. (22) And, according to the Torah, almost all is cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is not forgiveness. (23) It was necessary, then, that the copies of the heavenly ones should be cleansed with these, but the heavenly ones themselves with better slaughter offerings than these. (24) For Messiah has not entered into a Set-apart Place made by hand – figures of the true – but into the heaven itself, no to appear in the presence of Elohim on our behalf, (25) not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters into the Set-apart Place year by year with bold not his own. (26) For if so, He would have had to suffer often, since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the offering of Himself. (27) And as it awaits men to die once, and after this the judgment, (28) so also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to those waiting for Him, unto deliverance.”

Back again to Leviticus 16……..

(20) “And when he has finished atoning for the Set-apart Place, and the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat.

“And when he has finished atoning for all, he shall bring the live goat.” This goat has nothing to do with atonement! So what is this goat for?

(21) “Then Aharon shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and shall confess over it all the crookednesses of the children of Yisra’el, and all the transgressions in all their sins, and shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a fit man. (22) “And the goat shall bear on itself all their crookednesses, to a land cut off. Thus he shall send the goat away into the wilderness.

Walk with me now to the book of the Revelation when we read about the dragon, the serpent, Revelation chapter 13

(5) And he was given a mouth speaking great matters and blasphemies, and he was given authority to do so forty-two month. (6) And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against Elohim, to blaspheme His Name, and His Tent, and those dwelling in the heaven. {there is the accuser again AND those who do likewise!} (7) And it was given to him to fight with the set-apart ones and to overcome them. And authority was given to him over every tribe and tongue and nation. (8) And all those dwelling on the earth, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the slain Lamb, from the foundation of the world shall worship him.

A common, popular, and well known brotherly and sisterly wish during this time of Atonements in Judaism is this “May your name be written in the Book of Life” I wonder if they know this is in the Book of the Revelation of YAHUSHA The Messiah!

Let us read some more about what YHWH is going to do to this serpent.

Revelation 17

(1) And one of the seven messengers who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying to me, “Come, I shall show you the judgment of the great whore sitting on many waters {peoples, crowds, nations, and tongues}, (2) with whom the sovereigns of the earth committed whoring, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her whoring.” (3) And he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast covered with names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

Continuing the reading through the rest of Revelation chapter 17 and 18, the whore is Babylon. Most of Chapter 18 tells the story of her fall and judgment, but for this study on the Day of Atonements I am going to Revelation 18:20 for the comparative words.

(20) “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you set-apart emissaries and prophets, for Elohim has completely avenged you on her!”

And also in Revelation 19:2

“Because true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great whore who corrupted the earth with her whoring. And He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.“

This is the end of the “judgment” of the great whore of Babylon, the counterfeit religions of the world. The goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel. She looks similar to the true assembly, she claims a Christ, she claims a day of worship, she claims holidays of observance. But they are all false. The only way to know the difference is to know the Torah and have the testimony of the True Hebrew Messiah, YAHUsha. Directly following this judgment is the battle of beast and the sovereigns of the earth with YAHUsha where HE slays them all with the sword of HIS mouth.

Revelation 19:21-20:6

(21) And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

(1) And I saw a messenger coming down from the heaven, having the key to the pit of the deep and a great chain in his hand. (2) And he seized the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, (3) and he threw him into the pit of the deep, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should lead the nations no more astray until the thousand years were ended. And after that he has to be released for a little while. (4) And I saw thrones – and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them – and the lives of those who had been beheaded because o the witness they bore to YAHUsha and because of the Word of Elohim, and who did not worship the beast, nor his image, and did not receive his mark upon their foreheads or upon their hands. And they lived and reigned with Messiah for a thousand years. (5) (and the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended) – this is the first resurrection. (6) Blessed and set-apart is the one having part in the first resurrection. The second death possesses no authority over these, but they shall be priests of Elohim and of Messiah, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

This in the intermediate fulfillment of Yom HaKippurim in its rehearsal. Let us continue to the final fulfillment. Revelation 20:7-15

(7) And when the thousand years have ended, Satan shall be released from his prison, (8) and he shall go out to lead the nations astray which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. (9) And they came up over the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the set-apart ones and the beloved city. And fire came down from Elohim out of the heaven and consumed them (10) And the devil, who led them astray, was thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur where the beast and the false prophet are. And they shall be tortured day and night forever and ever. (11) And I saw a great white throne and Him who was sitting on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. (12) And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before the throne, and the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged from what was written in the books, according to their works. (13) And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and the grave gave up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. (14) And the death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (15) And if anyone was not found written int he Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

The final fulfillment of this Yom HaKippurim, Day of Atonements, Day of YAHUAH!!

(23)” Aharon shall then come into the Tent of Meeting, and shall take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Set-apart Place, and shall leave them there. (24) “And he shall bathe his body in water in the set – apart place, and shall put on his garments and shall come out and prepare his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people, (25) and burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar. (26) “And he who sent away the goat to Azazel washes his garments and shall bathe his body in water, and afterward he comes into the camp (27) and the bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Set-apart Place, is brought outside the camp. and they shall burn their skins, and their flesh, and their dung with fire. (28) “And he who burns them washes his garments, and shall bathe his body in the water, and afterward he comes in the camp. (29)” And this shall be for you a law forever: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you afflict your beings and do no work, the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. (30) “For on that day he makes atonement for you, to cleanse you, to be clean from all yours sins before YHWH. (31) “It is a Sabbath of rest for you, and you shall afflict your beings- a law forever. (32) “And the priest, who is appointed and ordained to serve as priest in his father’s place, shall make atonement, and shall put on the linen garments, the set apart garments (33) and he shall make atonement for the Most Set- apart Place, and make atonement for the Tent of Meeting, and for the altar, and make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. (34) “And this shall be for you a law forever, to make atonement for the children of Yisra’el for all their sins, once a year.” And he did as YHWH commanded Mosheh.

These final two portions are more of the instructions that ABBA gave to us on how He desires for us to observe, serve, and obey Him.

Leviticus 23:27-32

“On the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be a set-apart gathering for you. And you shall afflict your beings, and shall bring an offering made by fire to YHWH. (28) And you do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before YHWH your Elohim. (29) “For any being who is not afflicted on that same day, he shall be cut off from his people. (30) “And any being who does any work on that same day, that being I shall destroy from the midst of his people. (31) “You do no work – a law forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. (32) “It is a Sabbath of rest to you, and you shall afflict your beings. On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you observe your Sabbath.”

Leviticus 25:9

“You shall then sound a ram’s horn to pass through on the tenth day of the seventh month, on the Day of Atonement cause a ram’s horn to pass through all your land.”

It is right to humble ourselves on this day. We have a High Priest who has atoned FOR us with His precious blood on our behalf. All our sins and transgressions are laid upon the head of our accuser. Our accuser receives all that he has done to us, a repayment. We are bystanders in this drama while our King and Redeemer accomplishes all His good work for us. In truth, there is nothing we can do – He alone does all. And HE HAS DONE AND WILL DO IT ALL.

Let us Seek the Father while He may yet be found. Repent, humble  ourselves for He will humble the proud, and lift up the lowly.

Amein!

Praise Report Yom Teruah 2010

Well…… we had been waiting 3 days to hear from Israel or to see the sliver of the New Moon telling us of YAHUAH’s declaration of the 1st day of the seventh month so that we could meet with Him on His appointed time, declared from the beginning of time itself. The anticipation was growing with each passing sunset when we would faithfully check with our brothers and sisters in Israel – whether or not they had spotted the New Moon, and also simply walk outside and look toward the sunset for the New Moon ourselves. Many had already declared Yom Teruah and the 1st day of the seventh month (which was not the 1st without the new moon), but I couldn’t help thinking “how can they celebrate and call the Feast when there is no moon in sight anywhere?” But that is how it is with traditions and man-made things ….. they make no sense.

This is a New Moon Sighting

Now, some background information for this week. My husband had found a shofar (a ram’s horn) that he truly liked a couple of weeks earlier, and he wanted  it so badly. We already have two beautiful shofars, but he wanted this one. So we agreed to purchase the shofar, along with a prayer shawl for both of us. We also decided that someone else could use one of our other shofars since we were getting another one – and so we agreed to give it to a loved one, so they could also observe the Feast, the appointed time of YAHUAH with zest.

So while we waited for our things to arrive, we boxed up our shofar and sent it away half way across the United States from where we live. Then…….. the day arrives when the New Moon must be sighted, or declared due to the 30th day of the month of Elul (the 6th month), and my husband still does not have his beloved shofar. Spirits are kinda down, but still very exited about the possibility of the New Moon and all the praise and worship we will be doing. Not only an appointment with our Creator, but a Sabbath too! Doesn’t get more exciting than that!

Sunset that evening where we live was to be 7:54 PM. The beautiful sliver of the New Moon HAD been sighted over Jerusalem, so we knew it would happen this evening, and we were also preparing for Shabbat. UPS usually delivers at our house at 6:30 PM, and it was now 7:00 PM and no delivery. My husband and I were secretly still holding out hope we would get the shofar and prayer shawls.

All of the sudden the door bell rang – and it was our blessing from YAHUAH!!!! One of the most beautiful shofars we have seen, and our prayer shawls too!!! Our Father gave a us a memory of provision, a monument to remember.

His Beautiful Gift to us

Theme: Queen Ester

Theme: The Torah

We opened our Father’s Sabbath with prayer and thanksgiving, then I promptly ran outside to see the New Moon – I saw and ran inside to give the great and good report and we celebrated, shouted, and blew into the night and into the Sabbath!!! What a wonderful time and memory that we will have forever with our Creator and Father!

Shalom!

Leviticus 23:23

Numbers 29:1

Matthew 25:13

Revelation 11:15

And YHWH spoke to Mosheh, saying

Leviticus 23:23-25
And YHWH spoke to Mosheh, saying, “Speak to the children of Yisra’el, saying,
‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you have a rest, a remembrance of blowing of trumpets, a set-apart gathering.
‘You do no servile work, and you shall bring an offering made by fire to YHWH.'”

The seventh month is simply the seventh month. Our Creator gave us a timetable, so that we could not only know the times and seasons, but we could learn of Him, obey Him, and serve Him. Nowadays, this seventh month is named Tishri. The first day of the seventh month is only a few days away now.
If this day was a work day for me, I would take off work to honor the day as instruction by my Elohim.
YHWH says it is a day of remembrance. A remembrance for what one might ask. It is the day that a HOLY Creator spoke to an entire Nation!
Do many people think about this? I mean REALLY think about this? The Creator Almighty Originator of all that is – SPOKE to a people.

The Feast of Trumpets!! Also known as Yom Teruah which means the “Day of Blowing”

Yom Teruah
Day of Trumpets
The First of the Three Fall Feasts of Yahweh
Leviticus 23:23
And Yahweh spoke to Mosheh, saying, “Speak to the Children of Israel, saying,
‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you have a rest, a
remembrance of blowing of trumpets, a set-apart gathering.
“You do no servile work, and you shall bring an offering made by fire to YHWH.’”
One of the first places (if not THE first place) we see the words “blowing of the trumpets, or Ram’s horn, is in Exodus 19:16. In the following verses, we were brought to the mountain by Mosheh TO HEAR the WORDS and VOICE of YAHWEH.
16 And it came to be, on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain. And the sound of the ram’s horn was very loud, and all the people who were in the camp trembled.
17 And Mosheh brought the people out of the camp to meet with Elohim, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.
18 And Mount Sinai was in smoke, all of it, because YHWH descended upon it in fire. And its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and all the mountain trembled exceedingly.
19 And when the blast of the ram’s horn sounded long and became louder and louder, Mosheh spoke, and Elohim answered him by voice.
This is the day Yahweh, our Elohim spoke to us the Ten Words, or Ten
Commands. Yahweh gave Mosheh much, much more instruction one on one,because we said that we could not hear from Yahweh like that ever again, for fear we would die.

The instruction is given again in Numbers 29:1
We are commanded by Yahweh to hold a remembrance of this day on the first day of the Seventh month. The seventh month is the month of Tishri on Yahweh’s Calendar. This time corresponds to late September to Early October on our Pagan Calendar.
The Hebrew word used for our English word ‘remember, or remembrance’ is Zikron.
From the glossary of Hebraic terms:
Teruah – A sound.
shofar An awakening blast; a loud shout. The actual Scriptural designation for the 1st day of the 7th month is literally: “the memorial day of Blasting” (Leviticus 23:24).
The word often translated “trumpets” occurs 36 times in the Hebrew Scriptures. (teru’ah),
It is actually singular, and although it can be associated with the blast of a shofar, or ram’s horn (as in Leviticus 25:9), it most literally refers to a loud noise, including a shout of a crowd or army. It does not necessarily involve the blowing of a trumpet (see, for example, 1 Samuel 4:5). It can simply mean a shout of triumph or victory, or even a cry of alarm. The context of Leviticus 23 does not make clear what is intended, though the word often does have apocalyptic connotations (as in Tzephanyah 1:16). What should not be overlooked is that the concept of a memorial is somehow also imbedded in the meaning of this holiday and the Hebrew word refers to something recalled or (zikron) remembered—either from the past, or in anticipation of the future.
Zikron – to call something from the past into the present.
In the writings of the re-newed covenant (The New Testament), Yahshua and His disciples are seen observing this feast beginning in John chapter 7. Yahshua instructs His disciples to go ahead up to Jerusalem in observance of the Feasts that begins with the Feast of Trumpets and culminates in the Feast of Tabernacles to occur 15 days later. The Feast of Trumpets is not one of the Feasts that command appearance in Jeruselam, but it is one of the 7 moedim (set apart holy days of Yahweh) that are to be observed throughout our generations.
On this day, we are to blow the Shofar, blow the trumpet, shout and proclaim in remembrance of the day that our Elohim made us holy and set-apart by giving us the Commandments, His Torah (the teachings and instructions of Yahweh.)
The Spring Feasts have all been fulfilled when Yahshua came the first time and was sacrificed.
The Fall Feasts have yet to be fulfilled, and WILL BE fulfilled when Yahshua
returns again. So here, the Fall Feasts take on a new meaning of what is yet to come. The blowing of the trumpets will usher in the Messiah at a day in the future.
Knowing about this Feasts, AND ALL THE FEASTS will help us to be prepared on the time-table of our Holy Elohim.
Yom Teruah is the only Feast that occurs on a day and hour no one knows
because it is determined by the sighting of the re-newed moon in the 7th month.
Interestingly, these exact words were used by Yahshua when he spoke of His return
Mathew 24:36 “But concerning that day and the hour no one knows, not even the messengers of the heavens, but My Father only.”
Just think about what this could mean about this Feast and what could be coming some year in the future on the 1st day of the 7th month!

You know what I and my house will be doing on Yom Teruah!! Blowing the Shofar and shouting: “The King of Israel lives!!!”

Thoughts from the Morning Run 1

One reason I love to run is I always find my mind and thoughts going straight to Yahushua (Jesus). I usually begin thinking about His Word and how much I love it. My mind wanders across verses and scriptures that I have recently studied, or some that I find especially comforting.

The past 6 months – Psalm 91 has been one that I have taken into my heart and memorized almost completely. I abide in Him. I go to His secret place, under His Wings. He keeps the tempter away from me. I say of YaHWeH “You are my strength and my stronghold, in You alone will I trust.”

It got me to thinking about the common statement by people when they are stressed or feeling anxiety, “I am going to my happy place.”  I have even said that before. So I prayed to My Father to help me to remember this morning, my run, and His comfort to me. That He alone is my Joy, My Strength, My All in All, My Complete Portion. I need no other place. I love Him.

Weekly worship of the Christians

Chapter 67. Weekly worship of the Christians

(The First Apology was an early work of Christian apologetics addressed by Justin Martyr to the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius. It is dated to the period 150-155.)

And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost. And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn (Saturday); and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration.

A sunday observance of worship has NEVER been sanctified by our Creator or His Son Yahushua. We do not have to rely on the reasonings of men – we have the Word of Almighty Creator to rely upon. He says “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it Holy.” The fruit of the Tree of Life v fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. By our Actions – we all choose one.