‘IT TAKES COURAGE TO WALK WITH HASHEM!’

“My life is always at risk, but I did not forget Your Torah. The wicked laid a snare for me, but I did not stray from Your precepts. Your testimonies are my eternal heritage, for they are the joy of my heart.” Psalms 119:109-111

This world we currently live in falls deeper and deeper into darkness, corruption and chaos each and every day! The debauchery and perversions seem to grow stronger by the day while the righteousness of HaShem is shunned, rejected and spit on. Because of this, it is an absolute fact, walking with HaShem and striving to live according to His Ways i.e. His Torah, takes enormous courage to do so! It is akin to walking upstream, walking up a down escalator, walking into hurricane force winds! Baruch HaShem He already knew it would be like this and has made many promises and provisions for our success. We will discuss this further in this Op, but before we do, always remember the following for it is vital we do so because it will reinforce our understanding of our Great King, HaShem, Master of Legions, the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Elohim of Israel:

– HaShem never changes per Num 23:19/Mal 3:6/Hebrews 13:8/James 1:17
– His Word is firmly established per Psalm 119:89
– He reveals the end out of the beginning per Is 46:10
– He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets per Amos 3:7
– He says there is nothing new under the sun per Ecclesiastes 1:9
– He says His Torah is eternal per Proverbs 3:19 and Psalm 119:160
– He says His Torah is perfect and restores the soul per Psalm 19:7
– He says His Torah makes the simple one wise per Psalm 19:7
– He says His Torah Is freedom and liberty per Psalm Ps 119:45 and James 1:25
– He says His Torah is the only good doctrine there is Proverbs 4:2
– He says His Torah will add length of days and years of life and peace per Proverbs 3:2
– He says all of the ways of His Torah are ways of pleasantness and peace per Proverbs 3:17
– He says His Torah is for our good and well-being per Deuteronomy 6:24
– He says His Torah is health for our lives per Proverbs 3:8
– He says His Torah is life to our soul and a graceful ornament for our neck per Prov 3:22
– He says His Torah is better than pearls and all desires cannot compare to it per Prov 8:11
– He says those who walk with His Torah are praiseworthy per Psalms 119:1
– He says observing His Torah is how we purify our path per Psalms 119:9
– He says His Torah is better than thousands in gold and silver per Psalms 119:72
– He says His Torah brings abundant peace to those who love Him and His Torah per Psalms 119:165
– He says there is one Torah for all per Exodus 12:49/Leviticus 24:22
– He says those who hate His Torah love death per Proverbs 8:36

This weeks Torah portion i.e. Shoftim (Judges) which is found in Devarim (Deut)16:18-21:9 discusses HaShem command to establish a court system in which these judges will be anointed by HaShem Himself and they will teach Israel how to walk in the Torah i.e. the Oral Torah (Mishnah, both versions of the Talmud, Tosefta, Mishnah Torah, etc). Connected to this Torah portion is the Haftarah which is found in Isaiah 51:12-52:12. Here in Isaiah HaShem is speaking to Israel and promising what He will do in the very end and His promised redemption and deliverance from our enemies and oppressors!

Isaiah 51:12-16 says “I, only I, am He Who comforts you; who are you that you should be afraid of mortal men and of men who will be made as grass? You have forgotten HaShem, your Maker, Who spread out the heavens and set the foundations of the earth, and you are terrified continually, all day long, because of the oppressor’s fury when he prepares to destroy, but where is the oppressor’s fury? The wanderer will soon be released,and will not die in the pit, nor will his bread be lacking. I am HaShem, your Elohim, Who roars at the sea and its waves rage, Whose Name is HaShem, Master of Legions. And I have placed My words in your mouth, and with the shade of My hand have I covered you, to implant the heavens and to set a foundation for the earth and to say unto Zion, ‘You are My people!'”

Despite our rebellion and sin against HaShem, He promises to restore, redeem, renew and deliver us from our foes and our oppressors fury! He will use His creation to do so such as storms, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, floods, waves of the sea, etc, as it will show the world HaShem DOES indeed exist and He alone is in absolute control! It also shows His people He is in fact keeping His Word and doing what He promised He would do!

Isaiah 51:17-20 says “Awaken yourself! Awaken yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of HaShem the cup of His fury. You have drunk from and drained the sediments of the cup of bewilderment. Among all the children she has borne there is no one to guide her; among all the children she has reared there is no one to hold her hand. There are two calamities, the hunger and the sword. With whom can I comfort you? Your children have fainted, they lie at the head of all streets like a wild bull trapped in a net; they are full of HaShem’s fury, with your Elohim’s rebuke.” The punishment and judgment decreed upon Israel for our collective rebellion has been fully meted out and now at the end of days the established decree of His judgment is completed.

Isaiah 51:21-23 says “Therefore, here this now, O afflicted one, drunk, but not from wine. Thus said your Master, HaShem and your Elohim, Who will fight for His people: Behold, I have removed the cup of bewilderment from your hand; and the sediments of the cup of My fury you shall no longer drink any more. But I will put it into the hand of your tormentors, who have said to your soul, ‘Prostrate yourself so that we may pass over you,’ for whom you have made your body like the ground and like a street for passerby.” Baruch HaShem! He WILL fight for His people and He will put that cup of judgment and of His fury into the hands of His enemies!! May it be VERY soon!

Isaiah 52:1-3 says “Awaken, awaken! Don your strength, O Zion; don your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, the holy city, for uncircumcised and defiled people will no longer enter you. Shake the dust from yourself; arise and sit, O Jerusalem; undo the straps of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. For thus said HaShem: For naught were you sold, and not for money will you be redeemed.” Is this happening today in our time? Is Jerusalem waking up and the archaeologists shaking the dust off of the city revealing Jerusalem and its history? Is Jerusalem remembering who she is and to Whom she truly belongs too?

Isaiah 52:4-6 says “For thus said my Master, HaShem/Elohim: As for Egypt, My people went down originally to sojourn there. But Assyria oppressed them without justification; so now, why should I remain here? The word of HaShem, where My people was taken for naught? Their rulers glorify themselves, the word of HaShem, and constantly, all day long, My Name is blasphemed. Therefore, My people shall know My Name, therefore, on that day (The Day of HaShem in the very end), they will know that it is I Who speaks. Here I am!” The oppressors of Israel and enemies of HaShem are full of pride, arrogance, self righteousness and they mock, scoff and blaspheme the Name of HaShem! This is not limited to mis pronouncing His Name, but more importantly blaspheming His Great Name would include spitting on His Torah, His Shabbat, His Feasts, His Temple, etc. It is a direct challenge to His authority and in the end of days He WILL answer the challenge! Yikes, I would not want to be on the receiving end of His answer! I digress!

Isaiah 52:7-10 says “How pleasant are the footsteps of the herald upon the mountains announcing shalom, heralding good tidings, announcing salvation, saying to Zion, ‘Your Elohim has reigned!’ The voice of your lookouts, they raise their voice, they sing glad song in unison; with their own eyes they will see that HaShem returns to Zion. Burst out, sing glad song in unison, O ruins of Jerusalem, for HaShem will have comforted His people; He will have redeemed Jerusalem. HaShem has bared His holy arm (Messiah) before the eyes of all the nations; all ends of the earth will see the salvation of our Elohim!” What a great promise from our Merciful King!! He WILL comfort and redeem His people and Jerusalem will once more be what He has always declared it to be…the place of His Throne on the whole earth!

Isaiah 52:11-12 says “Turn away! Turn away! Depart from there! (Leave the lands of the dispersion/exile) It is defiled; do not touch it! Depart from inside it! Cleanse yourselves, O bearers of HaShem’s armor. You will not leave in haste, nor will you go in flight; for HaShem will go before you, and the Elohim of Israel will be your rear guard.” What a magnificent King we truly serve! He WILL come to rescue us at the appointed time and He will not only lead, but will fight on the battlefield as well as be our rear guard as He brings us all home into the Land at the appointed time! May it be so VERY, VERY soon in our days!

With these promises in Isaiah, it is a great motivator to strive to stay close to HaShem and not give into the discouragement and oppression of the filthy, vile world we live in in which the severe storms of life blow away at each of us!

HaShem’s command in Joshua comes into clearer view now when He says in 1:7-9 says “O that you will strengthen yourself and persevere very much in order to observe, to do, according to all of the Torah of Moshe My servant has commanded you. Do not deviate from him to the right or to the left, that you may succeed wherever you go. This Book of the Torah is NOT to leave your mouth. You should contemplate it day and night in order to observe, to do, all that is written in it. For then you will make your ways successful, and then you will become understanding. In truth I commanded you, ‘Strengthen yourself and persevere.’ Do not fear and do not lose resolve because HaShem, your Elohim, is with you wherever you may go.” Once more we see HaShem’s Torah is to be at the center of our lives! To contemplate it day and night and not to deviate from it to the right or to the left and it is not to leave our mouth, meaning we are to discuss it constantly with our families and neighbors, those who will listen. THEN we will succeed in life…BUT it will NOT be easy because the world hates HaShem and certainly hates His Torah, thus we MUST be strong and courageous, but always remember HaShem is with us…He hasn’t abandoned us to the wishes of our tormentors (Psalms 27).

The time we are currently, as I post this Op i.e. 7 September 2019, we are in the Days of Teshuvah (Repentance) as we approach Rosh HaShanah….the day of the Awakening Blast (Of the shofar)…the day when the righteous dead are resurrected and HaShem gathers His people off the earth to attend the Coronation of the King in the Heavenly Temple. May it be this Rosh HaShanah the Awakening Blast is blown!

I hope and pray this Op was somewhat encouraging!! I know I need the encouragement as well as life is getting to be VERY tough with all the various issues that seemingly never end and only increase by the day! Baruch HaShem He hasn’t forgotten us and He WILL rescue and redeem us at the appointed time! May it be VERY soon in our days!

Shabbat Shalom!

SOURCE MATERIALS:

  • Tehillim (Psalms)
  • Yeshayah (Isaiah)
  • Yehoshua (Joshua)

ISRAEL AND WORLD NEWS UPDATES

My goal is to update every morning or as warranted with significant events, so check back often if you are interested. For the record, it is my opinion, world events and especially events that center around Israel, Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, etc, are all indicators and events to pay attention too. HaShem said we would not know the day nor the hour, but He still gives clues and indicators for us to pay attention too. Further, I firmly believe HaShem is laying out the evidence of corruption and sin, as in a court case, for why, when that day arrives, Babylon (America) will be destroyed per Jeremiah 50-51 which then will set up for the rise of the False Messiah and the seven years of the Birth Pains. ***NOTE: All news links are derived from the Public Domain.

1 AUG 2021

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‘FOR YOUR BENEFIT’ – WHY TO KEEP THE TORAH

“Oh how I love Your Torah!!!!! All day long it is my conversation.” Psalms 119:97

Humanity will serve someone…either it will be HaShem the Elohim of Israel, or it will be someone else even if it is ourselves…it is just the way it is. Look at the state of America and the world today? The faster we, collectively as a society, embracing every sort of debauchery possible, while running faster and faster from HaShem and His Torah, the more quickly the country is collapsing into tyranny and oppression, disguised as ‘Peace, Safety, Security and Prosperity.’

So why should we strive to keep the Torah of HaShem? Christendom would say Torah is the bondage that one they say is Messiah delivered humanity from and thus Torah should be shunned and rejected, however, this sentiment forms the basis for the Replacement Theology Christendom is built upon.

We will be discussing this concept of why we should strive to keep the Torah but first, always remember the following:

– HaShem never changes per Num 23:19/Mal 3:6/Hebrews 13:8/James 1:17
– His Word is firmly established per Psalm 119:89
– He reveals the end out of the beginning per Is 46:10
– He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets per Amos 3:7
– He says there is nothing new under the sun per Ecclesiastes 1:9
– He says His Torah is eternal per Proverbs 3:19 and Psalm 119:160
– He says His Torah is perfect and restores the soul per Psalm 19:7
– He says His Torah makes the simple one wise per Psalm 19:7
– He says His Torah Is freedom and liberty per Psalm Ps 119:45 and James 1:25
– He says His Torah is the only good doctrine there is Proverbs 4:2
– He says His Torah will add length of days and years of life and peace per Proverbs 3:2
– He says all of the ways of His Torah are ways of pleasantness and peace per Proverbs 3:17
– He says His Torah is for our good and well-being per Deuteronomy 6:24
– He says His Torah is health for our lives per Proverbs 3:8
– He says His Torah is life to our soul and a graceful ornament for our neck per Prov 3:22
– He says His Torah is better than pearls and all desires cannot compare to it per Prov 8:11
– He says those who walk with His Torah are praiseworthy per Psalms 119:1
– He says observing His Torah is how we purify our path per Psalms 119:9
– He says His Torah is better than thousands in gold and silver per Psalms 119:72
– He says His Torah brings abundant peace to those who love Him and His Torah per Psalms 119:165
– He says there is one Torah for all per Exodus 12:49/Leviticus 24:22
– He says those who hate His Torah love death per Proverbs 8:36

In today’s Torah portion i.e. ‘Eikev’ which is found in Devarim (Deuteronomy) 7:12-11:25. In this portion HaShem says beginning in Devarim 10:12-13 “And now, Israel, what does HaShem, your Elohim, ask of you but to fear HaShem, your Elohim, to go in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve HaShem, your Elohim, with all your heart and with all your soul, to keep the commandments of HaShem and His statutes, which I command you today, FOR YOUR BENEFIT.”

What does HaShem mean when He says following His Torah will be for our benefit? Rashi’s commentary on these scriptures says “The phrase ‘To keep the Commandments for your benefit’ do not mean that man should set his own benefit as the goal in observing the Commandment, for the Mishnah says ‘Do not be like slaves who serve the master with intent to receive a portion.’ Rather, our verse stresses HaShem’s mercy in His reaction to Israel’s sinfulness. All He asks of them is that they observe Commandments for their own benefit.”

Some might challenge that HaShem is only speaking to Israel and thus if one is not ethnically of Israel then none of this applies. How wrong they would be! For HaShem says in Shemot (Exodus) 12:49 “One Torah shall there be for the native and the proselyte who lives among you.” Remember it is the mandate of Israel to teach the Torah to the nations of the world! This was the commission of HaShem and Yeshua reiterated this with His commission to bring the Good News to the whole world! Point is Torah is for EVERYONE regardless of DNA!

HaShem then says in Devarim 11:8-9 “So you shall keep all the Commandment that I command you today, so that you will be strong, and you will come and take possession of the Land (Israel) to which you are crossing to take possession of it, and so that you will prolong your days on the Land that HaShem swore to your forefathers to give them and to their offspring, a Land flowing with milk and honey.”

HaShem is connecting entering the Land of Israel and living in peace and security in the Land to keeping His Torah! This is why Israel was exiled in the first place was due to NOT keeping the Torah, so realistically, if per the doctrine of Replacement Theology, Christendom’s Messiah came to render the Torah null and void, then shouldn’t that mean Israel should be living in safety and security in the Land today since there is no Torah to abide by? I digress.

HaShem continues in verses 10-12 says “For the Land to which you come, to take possession of it, it is NOT like the land of Egypt from where you left, where you would plant your seed and water it by your foot like a vegetable garden. But the Land to which you cross over there to take possession of it is a Land of mountains and valleys; by the rain of the heavens it drinks water; a Land that HaShem, your Elohim, seeks out; the eyes of HaShem, your Elohim, are ALWAYS upon it, from the beginning of the year to year’s end.” Are the eyes always upon the other lands of the world? Nope! The Land of Israel is His which is why the Adversary and the world work overtime to constantly seek to prevent Israel from dwelling upon it!

Now we get to the crux of the Torah portion. Devarim 11:13-15 says “And it will be that if listening, you will listen to My Commandments that I command you today, to LOVE HaShem, your Elohim, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, THEN I shall provide the rain of your Land in its time, the early rain and the late rain; and you shall bring in your grain, your wine, and your oil. I shall provide grass in your field for your animal and you will eat and you will be satisfied.”

So we see here HaShem is connecting the concept of keeping His Torah to loving Him! If we love Him we will keep His Torah!! Who else said that? “If you love Me, keep My Commandments” spoken by Yeshua in Yochanan (John) 14:15! Point is, first HaShem redeems and saves us, THEN we learn to guard, keep and walk in His Ways i.e. His Torah out of love, devotion and loyalty unto Him! Many in Christendom try and accuse me of teaching a works based salvation but that is NOT what is happening here! We keep Torah because we love HaShem! Pure and simple!

Further on in this Torah portion HaShem then says in Devarim 11:22-23 “For if observing you will observe all of this Commandment that I command you, to PERFORM it, to LOVE HaShem, your Elohim, to go in ALL His ways and to cleave to Him, HaShem will drive out all of these nations from before you, and you will drive out nations greater and mightier than you.” Is it not a great benefit to serve HaShem out of love, devotion and loyalty and in turn He will destroy our enemies? I should stress that walking in His Torah should NOT be done with the intent of receiving blessings. Again it should be done solely out of love, devotion and loyalty to HaShem! Remember as a human being we all WILL end up serving someone, it is in our nature, therefore I say to choose to serve HaShem, Master of Legions, the Elohim of Israel! For He is a kind, beneficent, redeeming, saving, protecting, providing, loving, mighty, righteous, unchanging Great King Who promises He acts on our behalf not because of who we are, but solely because of Who He is and for His Great Name!

Now on the flip side, what happens when Torah is rejected, spit on and or shunned as being nothing more than oppressive bondage? HaShem says in Devarim 11:16-17 says “Beware for yourselves, lest your heart be seduced and you will turn astray and you will serve other gods and prostrate yourselves to them. Then the wrath of HaShem will blaze against you; He will restrain the heavens and there will be no rain, and the ground will not yield its produce; and you will perish quickly from the good Land that HaShem gives you.” And then people wonder why especially in America today our country is spiraling into division, corruption, debauchery, violence, oppression and tyranny? It is cause and effect!

If we are to survive and maintain our composure in this vile, wicked, dark, rotten, misery ridden world, serving HaShem and walking in His Torah is the ONLY way we will survive in it! Remember the False Messiah is referred to as the ‘Man of Lawlessness!’ This word ‘Lawlessness’ means ‘Without the Torah of Moshe’ meaning he is ALL about teaching a doctrine that is devoid of the Torah and leads people away from the Torah. Gee, who out there has been teaching a doctrine the Torah is oppressive bondage and that humanity has been freed from it? I can think of one who has and is doing so……Replacement Theology Jesus Christ fits the bill!

Torah is life and it is the ONLY way we will grow closer and develop a relationship with our Great King. Torah is also the ONLY way to know who is the REAL Messiah and by default know who is the FALSE Messiah!

Time is VERY, VERY short! Much shorter than I think any of us realize! The earth is literally reacting to all of the wickedness and lawlessness through earthquakes, volcanoes, severe and violent weather, etc. It is literally cracking and groaning under the pressure of the lawlessness and debauchery! With this said, we each must ask ourselves the following: Do we want to hear HaShem say “Well done good and faithful servant” or “Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness (Without the Torah)” on that day we stand before Him and give an account of our lives? He leaves the choice up to each of us! Just remember Torah is a great blessing, a great gift and something to be treasured! Choose wisely!

Shabbat Shalom!

TO REDEEM US FROM LAWLESSNESS

“Redeem me from human exploitation, and I will observe Your precepts (Torah). Let Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your Statutes. My eyes shed streams of water, because they did not keep Your Torah.” Psalms 119:134-136

As of late the world is collapsing into absolute chaos, anarchy, debauchery, rebellion and embracing all manner of evil, while at the same time the main religious systems are striving for unifying under the banner of ‘Jesus Christ’ such as we saw with several sects of Christendom signing a pact with moderate Islam in Indonesia a while ago. The purpose of this pact is to unify and bring peace to the world under the banner of ‘Jesus Christ.’

Or a while ago at a speed way track in Texas, 90,000 Christian teens attended an event aimed at again unity and proclaiming the name of ‘Jesus Christ’.

Now am I attacking Christendom as I have so often been accused of doing so? No, I am not attacking Christendom, my point for this is look at the state of the country and the world in relation to these major attempts at unifying under the banner of ‘Jesus Christ?’ Are things getting better or are the disasters accelerating from one to the next? Are people unifying or is the division growing by the day?

Sadly the unity Christendom and other religious systems so desperately seeks is not happening and will certainly not happen with the endorsement and blessing of HaShem. In reality, the opposite is occurring….the rise of the kingdom of the False Messiah is slowly being unfurled onto the world scene, but I digress.

With this all said, once again, we need to examine the Scriptural evidence that the Messiah of HaShem is very pro-Torah and teaches only what HaShem has taught, which leads into the following questions:

Did Messiah Yeshua (Not Jesus) redeem HaShem’s people for the purpose of freeing us from HaShem and His Torah which by default would be a message of lawlessness? Or did Messiah Yeshua redeem HaShem’s people for the purpose of keeping His Torah?

Let’s explore this further.

But first, just to quickly recap:

– HaShem never changes per Num 23:19/Mal 3:6/Hebrews 13:8/James 1:17
– His Word is firmly established per Psalm 119:89
– He reveals the end out of the beginning per Is 46:10
– He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets per Amos 3:7
– He says there is nothing new under the sun per Ecclesiastes 1:9
– He says His Torah is eternal per Proverbs 3:19 and Psalm 119:160
– He says His Torah is perfect and restores the soul per Psalm 19:7
– He says His Torah makes the simple one wise per Psalm 19:7
– He says His Torah Is freedom and liberty per Psalm Ps 119:45 and James 1:25
– He says His Torah is the only good doctrine there is Proverbs 4:2
– He says His Torah will add length of days and years of life and peace per Proverbs 3:2
– He says all of the ways of His Torah are ways of pleasantness and peace per Proverbs 3:17
– He says His Torah is for our good and well-being per Deuteronomy 6:24
– He says His Torah is health for our lives per Proverbs 3:8
– He says His Torah is life to our soul and a graceful ornament for our neck per Prov 3:22
– He says His Torah is better than pearls and all desires cannot compare to it per Prov 8:11
– He says those who walk with His Torah are praiseworthy per Psalms 119:1
– He says observing His Torah is how we purify our path per Psalms 119:9
– He says His Torah is better than thousands in gold and silver per Psalms 119:72
– He says His Torah brings abundant peace to those who love Him and His Torah per Psalms 119:165
– He says there is one Torah for all per Exodus 12:49/Leviticus 24:22
– He says those who hate His Torah love death per Proverbs 8:36

We know from HaShem’s Word that He is unchanging, He reveals the end out of the beginning and He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets per the references above. As such, can He change His mind? Yes He can change His mind, but then He would loose all credibility and His Word would mean nothing! Point is, if He declares something to be eternal, then He cannot ever rescind nor replace this declaration!

For example, when HaShem says in His Word in Ecclesiastes 12:13 “The sum of the matter, when all has been considered, fear HaShem and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”

What is He telling us here? This topic is discussed in Tractate Shabbos 30b in the Talmud Bavli in detail and says “The entire world was created ONLY for the sake of this person i.e. the person who fears HaShem and keeps His commandments. The person who fears HaShem and keeps His commandments is equal in importance to the entire world.”

We know HaShem’s purpose from the beginning was that mankind live in the Garden in complete shalom and obey His Torah, which is a tree of life to those who take hold of it per Proverbs 3 and since He reveals the end out of the beginning, means He will restore all things to what they were in the beginning before the fall!!

With this said, is it possible He could send a Messiah i.e. His Agent, His Representative, to redeem humanity and then teach a doctrine that the Torah is now ‘fulfilled, obsolete, useless and tossed aside?’ Not a chance! In fact, the Apostolic Writings confirms this many times but for the sake of time and space, lets look at Titus 2!

Titus 2:11-14 says “For the saving Gift of Elohim has appeared to all men, instructing us to renounce wickedness and worldly lusts, and to live sensibly, righteously, and reverently in the present age, looking for the blessed expectation and esteemed appearance of the great Elohim and our Savior Yeshua (Not jesus) Messiah, who gave Himself for us, to REDEEM US FROM ALL LAWLESSNESS and to cleanse for Himself a people, His own possession, ARDENT FOR GOOD WORKS.”

On a side note, this word ‘Lawlessness’ is the Greek word ‘Anomia’ which means ‘Without the Torah of Moshe, violating the Torah, breaking the Torah.’

Very interesting!! So Yeshua Messiah redeemed HaShem’s people FROM all lawlessness i.e. breaking the Torah of Moshe and then says He did so to cleanse for Himself a people ardent for good works! What are the good works He is referring to? The only good works there are which are contained in the Torah of Moshe!

So is it then possible for Yeshua to come teaching a message that the Torah is now tossed aside and by default teaches a message of ‘Anomia’ i.e. lawlessness? Would that not be contrary to what HaShem taught from the beginning? Would that not make HaShem and Yeshua both to be psychotic?

It is interesting to note once more that the False Messiah is described in Daniel 11 and 2 Thess as being a ‘Man of lawlessness’ which again this word ‘Lawlessness’ is ‘Anomia’ i.e. without the Torah of Moshe.

Paul himself warns about the ‘Mystery of lawlessness (Anomia/Without the Torah of Moshe) is already at work’ per 2 Thess 2. If Paul is anti-Torah i.e. embraces lawlessness, then when is he warning everyone about the mystery of lawlessness that is already at work? This would make him psychotic as well.

The point for all of this is the fact that HaShem says His Torah is good, perfect, restores the soul, is a tree of life and is the only truth there is, among many other positive descriptions. Then He sends His Messiah to redeem mankind from all lawlessness and cleanse us in order to be ardent for good works i.e. keeping His Torah out of love, devotion and loyalty unto Him. ***It should be noted, keeping Torah is NOT about obtaining or maintaining salvation, but keeping Torah is the result of true salvation i.e. being led by the Spirit of HaShem. Not perfectly as that is not possible….yet, but one day it will be, may it be soon in our days!

Consider what Acts 21:20 says in light of this which says “And when they (The council in Jerusalem who received Paul) heard it (What HaShem had been doing among the gentiles converting) they praised the Master. And they said to him (Paul), ‘You see brother, how many thousands of Yehudim who have believed and all are ARDENT for the Torah.'”

So again we can see there is absolutely zero conflict between Yeshua and the Torah! In fact, Torah is a requirement in order to have a relationship with Yeshua in order to know how to live unto HaShem and how to live like Yeshua lived!

Is it now more sobering when we read what Yeshua says in Matthew 7 that for those who willfully and knowingly rejected His Torah He will tell them in the End ‘Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness (Anomia/Without the Torah of Moshe) for I never knew you?’ Does this not once more imply and prove that Yeshua teaches only what HaShem taught and that Torah is the only way to live unto HaShem as His people? Point is, once more, nothing has changed and by default exposes Torah abolishing ‘Jesus Christ’ as being the very False Messiah HaShem, Yeshua and Paul all warn about! No wonder ‘Jesus Christ’ is so angry with people who are striving keep the Torah of HaShem and have the testimony of Yeshua Messiah!

Keep this all in mind the more we hear and read about the various sects of Christendom and the other religious systems seeking and teaching a message of tolerance and unity all under the banner of Jesus Christ. The mystery of lawlessness is truly at work today!

Much to consider.

SOURCE MATERIALS:

-The Scriptures by the Institute for Scripture Research
-Tractate Shabbos from the Talmud Bavli by Artscroll

HOLINESS – KEDUSHA: WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD IS NOT THE WHOLE STORY!

“Billy Graham wasn’t just a great preacher, he was a very holy man!” How many times have I heard this in the media as of late when describing the character attributes of Billy Graham? Is it true that a person can be classified as being ‘holy?’ Or is this another area in which the doctrinal foundation of Christendom has been wrong once more and as a result our current grasp of the full meaning of this word is lacking?

Let’s explore this further.

Leviticus 11:45 says “For I the L-RD am He who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your G-d: you shall be holy, for I am holy.”

In order to explore and reach a definitive conclusion as to the full meaning of what it means to be holy, we need to go back to the beginning for it is in the beginning that HaShem, the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Elohim of Israel, reveals the end per Isaiah 46:10.

Further, we need to take this word ‘Holy’ back to its Hebrew meaning as Hebrew is a very concrete, solid, language unlike English which is very abstract.

First and foremost however, we need to understand that in the beginning, at the creation of Adam and then Eve, both were like HaShem and had a full and complete understanding of holiness. Unfortunately, at the fall, both Adam and Eve were stripped of their kedusha i.e. knowing they were naked. Further, even the concept of kedusha and what it all entails was lost and thus HaShem has been working to teach us ever since.

‘Kodesh/Kedusha/Kadosh’ are all Hebrew derivatives of ‘Holy/Holiness’ in English. At its root, it means to be “Set aside” or “Differentiated.”

Kedusha – Set aside or designated as well for the service of HaShem by FORMAL and LEGAL restrictions and limitations. Where are these formal and legal restrictions recorded? In the Torah and subsequently in the Mishnah as the duly appointed Sanhedrin (Court of HaShem) made their right rulings in the authority of HaShem Who gave them the mandate to do so.

On a much deeper level, it means “The time, space and objects that are limited to us through the agency of kedusha are signs that as HaShem’s covenantal partners, we MUST relinquish some control in every sphere of our existence and reserve those elements for His service.”

With this all said, let’s explore this further!

HaShem tells us above in Leviticus 11:45 and several more times throughout His Word that He IS ‘kadosh’ meaning He is THE definition of being set aside or differentiated. Is HaShem of this world or is He set apart from this world?

So if He commands Israel to be kadosh i.e. set apart or differentiated from the world, as He is kadosh, then we need to ask three follow up questions: What does this mean, what does this entail and what does this look like in action and our lives?

HaShem is unchanging, His Word is firmly established, He reveals the end out of the beginning and He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets. This all said, the very first time ‘Kadosh/Kedusha’ is used in His Word is very revealing and begins to lay the foundation for establishing the meaning of this word: Bereshit 2:3 says “And HaShem blessed the seventh day and declared it holy (vay-kadaish), because on it HaShem ceased from all the work of creation that He had done.”

Very interesting!! So the very first time He introduces kedusha/kadosh is in connection to His Shabbat! Oh but I thought His Shabbat was now ‘Fulfilled’ and changed to any ole day of the week or Sunday? Does this not imply how serious He is concerning His Shabbat? I digress.

Further, He says in Shemot (Exodus) 20:8 “Remember (Act upon, do it) the Shabbat and keep (Guard) it holy (Kadosh).”

What is significant about His Shabbat that sets this day apart from the other days of the week? It is the one day in which HaShem declares we are to NOT do our own desires on it i.e. work, etc. It is the one day of the week in which the beginning of Shabbat begins with the lighting of candles which sets this time apart. At the end, we pray the Havdalah which ends this set apart time and we resume the mundane.

What does Kedusa/Kadosh look like in a person?

First, it must be stressed that in the entirety of HaShem’s Word, not one time is a person ever declared to be ‘Holy/Kadosh!’ The Patriarchs, the Matriarchs, even Yeshua Himself is never called ‘Holy/Kadosh!’

On the flip side, HaShem declares the entirety of Israel as His people to be ‘Holy/Kadosh!’

Shemot (Exodus) 19:6 says “But you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy (Kadosh) nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the Children of Israel.”

Shemot (Exodus) 22:30 “You shall be a holy (Kodesh) people to Me: You must not eat flesh torn by beasts in the field; you shall cast it to the dogs.”

So while no individual person is called ‘Holy/Kadosh’, the entirety of the nation of Israel, as HaShem defines Israel, is called ‘Holy/Kadosh.’ Further, in each case He calls Israel ‘Holy/Kadosh’ it is ALWAYS in conjunction with His commandment to guard and keep His Torah!

So just as a cursory review thus far: Holiness/Kedusha, is being set apart, differentiated with Shabbat being the initial example. Further, we see the entire nation of Israel is declared to be Holy/Kadosh.

Is Israel holy/kadosh in itself OR is Israel holy/kadosh only when we are guarding and keeping His Torah as the terms of the covenant He made with us at Mount Sinai in Shemot (Exodus) 19? I submit that while the nation of Israel has a level of kedusha, it is through guarding and keeping His Torah that sets us apart and differentiates between HaShem and the world. In other words, Torah is the means to live out kedusha!! So if we are rejecting His Torah, declaring Torah now ‘fulfilled’ and obsolete, can we then be a set apart people unto Him? I submit it is impossible as we will then by default look and act like the world!

Now let’s dig a bit deeper into the meaning of ‘Holiness/Kedusha!’

The following is a list of the Ten Levels of Kedusha that is listed in the Mishnah (Oral Torah) showing the progression of kedusha, beginning with number 10 to number 1:

-10: The Land of Israel has a level of Kedusha because from the Land we bring to the Temple the omer (Barley offering), bikkurim (First fruits) and the Two Loaves.

– 9: Walled cities have a higher Kedusha than the Land. Any person declared to be a metzora, zav or has corpse impurity must be sent out of the city.

– 8: Within the Walls of Jerusalem has a higher Kedusha than walled cities. Within the walls of Jerusalem the Kodashim Kalim (Offerings of lesser Kedusha) and Maaser Sheni (Tithes) can only be eaten. They cannot be taken outside of the cities walls.

– 7: The Temple Mount has a higher Kedusha than inside the walls of Jerusalem. Anyone who is declared a zavim, zavos, niddos or women who have just given birth are not permitted to enter.

– 6: The Cheil has a higher Kedusha than the Temple Mount. The Cheil is an area directly adjacent to the Temple and the courtyards. It extends outwards ten amos from the Temple and was surrounded by the Soreg (Wooden latticework) fence which was ten hand breadths high. No Gentile or anyone with a corpse impurity are permitted to enter.

– 5: The Court of the Women has a higher Kedusha than the Cheil. A Tevul Yom (Someone who was unclean, has gone through the mikveh but must wait until sundown before being declared clean again) is not permitted to enter.

– 4: The Court of the Israelites has a higher Kedusha than the Court of the Women. A ‘Mechussar Kippurim’ (One who lacks atonement) is not permitted to enter and they are obligated to bring a Chatas (Sin) offering before entering.

– 3: The Court of the Kohanim (Priests) has a higher Kedusha than the Court of the Israelites. Israelites are NOT permitted to enter only the Kohanim.

– 2: Between the Ulam and the Altar has a higher Kedusha than the Court of the Kohanim. The Ulam is the antechamber of the Heichal (Sanctuary). Any Kohanim who has any blemishes or untrimmed hair is not permitted to enter. Included here is the Heichal (Sanctuary) which has a higher Kedusha in that any Kohanim whose hands and feet are unwashed are not permitted to enter.

– 1: The Most Holy Place has the highest Kedusha of all. No Kohanim is permitted to enter with the exception of the Kohen HaGadol (High Priest) who will do so four times while performing the Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Temple Service.

Can you see the progression here? The closer one draws towards HaShem and His Presence, the more restrictive the requirements of kedusha are!

With this said, now let’s discuss the Temple:

The Beit HaMikdash (The House of Kedusha) i.e. the Temple of HaShem in Jerusalem is the EPITOME of kedusha in action! His Temple is one giant teaching tool that He is using to teach us what kedusha really is!

Ezekiel 43:10-12 says “You, son of man, describe this House to the House of Isra’el, so that they will be ashamed of their crimes. And let them measure accurately. If they become ashamed of all they have done, show them the elevation and plan of the House, its exits and entrances, all its details and decorations, and all its specifications, its design and its Torah. Sketch it for them to see, so that they can observe the entire design with its specifications, and carry them out. This is Torah for the House: the whole surrounding area on the mountaintop will be especially holy (Kadosh). This is Torah for the House.”

What many may not know is the above is a commandment by HaShem to His people that we must learn EVERYTHING, inside and out, the patterns, the blueprint, the priesthood, the garments, the offerings, the services, the locations, the functions of each of the buildings, the items used in the Temple, the Feasts, the Shabbat, the Rosh Kodesh (New Moon), etc, and why? To learn kedusha!!!

Is it possible to walk out and live kedusha in our lives if we adhere to the doctrine that the Torah has been fulfilled and rendered irrelevant, the Feasts have been changed, Shabbat has been changed or rendered irrelevant and eating unclean is not only authorized but encouraged? We can see it is in fact impossible to do so!

Further, when we are LIKENED to the Temple, many attempt to teach that our bodies are literally the Temple now and thus have replaced the need for a physical Temple in Jerusalem; how can this be when those who adhere to this doctrine, which in essence teaches all kedusha has been rendered irrelevant and tossed aside, can be the Temple without any kedusha? Its impossible!

Who has HaShem designated to teach kedusha? Per Ezekiel 44:23 “They (Kohanim) shall declare to My people what is sacred (Kodesh) and what is profane, and inform them what is clean and what is unclean.”

So is every person who claims to serve the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Elohim of Israel now a Kohen/Priest? Not a chance!! Think about this for a minute!

With this all said thus far, now we need to ask, ‘What item, space of time or who has a level of kedusha?’

The items in the Beit HaMikdash (House of Kedusha/Temple) all have a level of kedusha depending on their functions and where they are to be utilized in service to HaShem! They may NOT EVER be used for the mundane!

For example, the priestly garments of the Kohen HaGadol (High Priest) may only be worn on certain days, at specific times, in specific locations and for specific purposes and may NEVER be worn outside of the Temple!

The Feasts of HaShem have a kedusha in that they are set apart by time just as the weekly Shabbat has a kedusha and is set apart by time.

Levites and Kohanim are set apart by genealogy and are restricted as to whom they may marry nor may they incur corpse impurity.

Tithes, First Fruits, Korbonot (Animal/Grain Offerings which may be eaten only by certain people, in proscribed locations and for limited periods of time).

So we can see, being set apart to and for the service of HaShem by FORMAL and LEGAL restrictions IS the definition of kedusha/holiness!

I will ask again, what is the means to be set apart and serve HaShem? His Torah, ALL of His Torah! Again, if we toss Torah aside, change His calendar, change His Feasts, change His Shabbat, make declarations reserved only for the Sanhedrin, the Priests, etc, have we now not just committed the grave sin of encroachment? ***For the record when I mention the Sanhedrin, I am referring to the one that was established at Sinai and was disbanded around 358 common Era in the city of Tiberias, Israel. Their right rulings and judgments are recorded in the Mishnah and the Talmud. I will be posting an Op soon discussing the Sanhedrin and its composition and also prove by the Torah and the Mishnah that Yeshua’s trial was illegal!

Do we have the authority to make such declarations when they have been legally and formally established by the Sanhedrin and recorded in the Mishnah? No we do not, so who are we defying when and if we do so? We are defying HaShem Himself and breaking His Torah i.e. sinning!

Now I know many will say “I don’t have to listen to the Sanhedrin, they are just men and their decisions are nothing but traditions of men and thus we can toss them aside.”

HaShem says otherwise: Deuteronomy 17:9-11 says “You (HaShem speaking to Israel) shall come to the Kohanim, the Levites, and to the judge (Comprise the Sanhedrin) who will be in those days; you shall inquire and they will tell you the word of judgment (In other words when a question arises on how to keep the Commandments, we are to bring the question before the Sanhedrin who will then deliberate and make a ruling in the authority HaShem has given them!) YOU SHALL DO ACCORDING TO THE WORD THAT THEY WILL TELL YOU, FROM THAT PLACE THAT HASHEM WILL CHOOSE, AND YOU SHALL BE CAREFUL TO DO ACCORDING TO EVERYTHING THAT THEY WILL TEACH YOU. According to the teaching that they will teach you and according to the judgment that they will say to you, SHALL YOU DO; you shall not deviate from the word that they will tell you, right or left.” Yikes! This is a major game changer!

So we can see it is HaShem Himself Who has established His court system to make rulings concerning the Torah. Who are we to tell Him He is wrong!

Let’s get back on track here.

With this all said, when we compare ‘Jesus Christ’ as taught by the doctrine of Christendom, does ‘Jesus Christ’ teach ANY message of kedusha per the doctrine? Not a chance! ‘Jesus Christ’, per the doctrine, teaches every single kedusha has been ‘fulfilled’ therefore it is all obsolete. This means there is NOTHING to set apart from the world which means the doctrine of ‘Jesus Christ’ is of the world and not of HaShem!

Yeshua on the other hand, does teach kedusha and to live our lives in the service of HaShem! He does teach we are to be set apart unto HaShem and have nothing to do with the world!

We can again see that His Torah truly is the only truth there is per Psalms 119:142 and anything that falls short of Torah is a lie! Any message that teaches Torah is now fulfilled is a lie. Any doctrine that teaches everyone is free from any limitations, restrictions or kedusha, is a lie!

Let’s ponder this subject during this Shabbat and realize Shabbat has a kedusha i.e. set apart by time. It is His day He has graciously granted to us! Let’s enter into His Shabbat and let Him rest (A Hebrew idiom to mean let Him rule over His Kingdom). We are His people and partners with Him in covenant. We need to really understand this and begin learning now what this truly means for who knows, very soon the Altar and the Temple will be re-dedicated in Jerusalem and then the ball game changes…Baruch HaShem!!

Much to consider!

WHAT IS TORAH AND TEMPLE INVESTIGATIONS ALL ABOUT?

“We investigate what the systems of religion wish to remain buried!”

Shalom and welcome one and all!! This is the debut posting for Torah and Temple Investigations! I am DShalom. I used to be the owner and moderator of ‘Let’s Talk About Torah’ over on the Disqus network, but they announced they are shutting their site down very soon and thus I felt it was time to start fresh.

To give those who are not familiar with me some background, I am a Torah observant follower of HaShem, the Elohim of Avraham, Yitzhak and Ya’akov, the Elohim of Yisra’el. I am also one who acknowledges Yeshua (Not Jesus as I believe they are two different persons) as being the Mashiach HaShem promised throughout the Tanakh. Now let me clarify my statement: I grew up as a child in Christendom, confessing Jesus, celebrating Christmas, Easter, going to church on Sunday’s, etc, throughout the late 70’s, 80’s and mid 90’s. It wasn’t until 2005 that HaShem drew me out of Christendom and put me on this amazing, life changing path. For the first time in my life I know exactly Who the Mashiach truly is and I have an amazing relationship with HaShem, not because of who I am, but solely because of Who He is and His Great Name! Baruch HaShem!

Do I believe that those who call upon ‘Jesus’ are not in the Kingdom of HaShem? No! I am NOT saying this for one simple reason: I do NOT have the authority to declare who is or who is not in the Kingdom of HaShem! Only He can make that determination.

But, I do believe there is a difference between Yeshua and Jesus and it is NOT confined to their names. It is about the doctrines that follow them. For example: Yeshua, is revealed through the Torah of HaShem, through His annual Feasts, through His Shabbat, through His Temple and all its services, through the Korbonot (Offerings), etc. As my teacher so well put it, “It is not that we are putting on Jewish clothing onto Yeshua, it is that we are removing the Gentile clothing put on Yeshua revealing what has always been there.” Yeshua teaches a doctrine of submission to HaShem, to His Torah as the way to walk in service unto Him. To eat only what HaShem declared to be clean for food.

Yeshua is the Mighty Right Arm of HaShem, the Tzemach (Branch) Who will rebuild the Temple of HaShem per Zechariah 6:12-13. The King of Israel, descendant of David and Solomon, the Son of HaShem (A title for the King of Israel) per 2 Samuel 7:10-17.

Further, Paul is seen in a very different light outside of Christendom, in that when the Apostolic Writings along with Paul’s letters are read through the lens of the Torah, THEN they make perfect sense and line up precisely with the Tanakh. Paul is revealed as being who he truly is: pro-Torah, pro-Temple and remained a Pharisee throughout his entire life. I would refer you to read Acts 21 for proof.

The doctrine associated with Jesus, in contrast to Yeshua, is what we call ‘Replacement Theology’ i.e. the doctrine that says HaShem’s Torah has been nullified, removed and rendered obsolete; that HaShem’s annual Feasts have been replaced by Christmas and Easter; that HaShem’s Shabbat has been replaced by Sunday as well as all the dietary requirements are rendered obsolete thus everything is clean to eat. Teaches a doctrine Jesus is HaShem in the flesh and changed everything HaShem said was unchangeable. It also teaches Paul was anti-Torah, anti-Temple, anti-Semitic and taught against anything Jewish. Something which is not true in any way.

With this foundation laid, I believe the following statements from His Word are true and applicable to each of us today:

– HaShem never changes per Num 23:19/Mal 3:6/Hebrews 13:8/James 1:17
– His Word is firmly established per Psalm 119:89
– He reveals the end out of the beginning per Is 46:10
– He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets per Amos 3:7
– He says there is nothing new under the sun per Ecclesiastes 1:9
– He says His Torah is eternal per Proverbs 3:19 and Psalm 119:160
– He says His Torah is perfect and restores the soul per Psalm 19:7
– He says His Torah makes the simple one wise per Psalm 19:7
– He says His Torah Is freedom and liberty per Psalm Ps 119:45 and James 1:25
– He says His Torah is the only good doctrine there is Proverbs 4:2
– He says His Torah will add length of days and years of life and peace per Proverbs 3:2
– He says all of the ways of His Torah are ways of pleasantness and peace per Proverbs 3:17
– He says His Torah is for our good and well-being per Deuteronomy 6:24
– He says His Torah is health for our lives per Proverbs 3:8
– He says His Torah is life to our soul and a graceful ornament for our neck per Prov 3:22
– He says His Torah is better than pearls and all desires cannot compare to it per Prov 8:11
– He says those who walk with His Torah are praiseworthy per Psalms 119:1
– He says observing His Torah is how we purify our path per Psalms 119:9
– He says His Torah is better than thousands in gold and silver per Psalms 119:72
– He says His Torah brings abundant peace to those who love Him and His Torah per Psalms 119:165
– He says there is one Torah for all per Exodus 12:49/Leviticus 24:22
– He says those who hate His Torah love death per Proverbs 8:36

So if HaShem is unchanging, His Word is firmly established, He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets and He reveals the end out of the beginning, then as such we can say with absolute certainty He is in absolute control of everything. Will we know exactly how He will do things? Not a chance! But we can be absolutely assured He WILL do exactly what He said He will do…remember even Yeshua said He didn’t know when the time would be for His return in the end per Matthew 24:36.

Let me answer the question right up front that I get asked a lot…‘Is the Torah the source of our salvation?’ The answer is most definitely NO! Torah is NOT the means of salvation! HaShem says He is our Redeemer, our Savior, our Protector, our Provider, our Shield, our High-tower, etc. This said, Yeshua is the AGENT of HaShem! The One Who completed what HaShem directed Him to do! Does this diminish the relevance and importance of the Torah? Not a chance! Which I hope many will see in the coming Op’s in that Torah is VERY much vital to our relationship with HaShem and knowing His Mashiach i.e. Yeshua and by default able to recognize the sly, subtle, seducing words of the False Mashiach which are consuming the world today!

One last point, I also very firmly believe and support the efforts to rebuild the Third Temple in Jerusalem! I am completely convinced it is HaShem’s will, design and purpose for His House to be rebuilt according to His plans and on His timeline. There are many, many obstacles and problems still in place which need to be solved and by HaShem’s direction they are being solved and they will be solved. Already there are huge advancements in the last few years towards the reality of the functioning Temple in Jerusalem! We are getting very close! And as such, this is a huge portion of this blog, which is to discuss the Temple and HaShem willing help people take the blinders off that the systems of religion have put on them, that the Temple is something to be rejected, shunned, an offense or simply a tool the False Messiah will one day use. It is infinitely much more important than that!

Finally, the source materials I use in my research are varying but they comprise the following:

  • The Tanakh (Old Testament)
  • The Apostolic Writings (New Testament)
  • The Mishnah (Oral Torah)
  • The Talmud Bavli (Babylonian Talmud)
  • The Talmud Yerushalmi (Jerusalem Talmud)
  • The Mishnah Torah by Rambam
  • Josephus

May HaShem lead in this endeavor and may we have great discussions and most importantly, may His Great Name be honored and esteemed once more!

Shalom

DShalom