Shalom uvracha b'Yeshua (Peace and blessings in Yeshua) Rabbi Henry
For centuries the ruling Catholic Church and others have told the Jews that they must repent and convert to Christianity to be saved. Under threat of force and even death, many were converted. The Spanish Inquisition was the perfect example of this. More than 13,000 Conversos (converted Jews who secretly practiced their Judaism) were put on trial during the first 12 years of the Spanish Inquisition. Hoping to eliminate ties between the Jewish community and Conversos, the Jews of Spain were expelled in 1492. Not until the second half of the 18th century did the Inquisition abate due to the spread of the enlightenment and lack of resources. The Prince of Peace and King of the Jews now became their enemy. Jews were not allowed to contest or even reason with their persecutors on this point. Now that there are Jews who claim Yeshua as their promised Messiah, the One the prophets foretold (John 1:43-46), there has been a paradigm shift and there are a number of "Christians" who don't like this shift. Now that we have put the Messiah of Israel back into His biblical Jewish context and recognized Him as our own, it has forced these opposing “Christians” to be confronted with the past sin of dejudifing the Gospel, from Constantine to Luther, and making it into a separate religious entity apart from its Jewish root. Messianic Jews are now telling the rest of the Body of Believers that they must go back to first century Messianic faith. They must abandon the pagan customs they have brought in with them and come back to the pure Biblical concept of the Messiah of Israel, and there are those who don't like it at all. There is a great possibility that what I am writing today is causing offense to many who read it. The main difference is that we are not forcing or threatening anyone with death. The time of the Gentiles is drawing near (Rms 11:25-27). When this happens, religious systems with all of its divisions and denominations will come to an end. The rightful place of Israel will again be established (Is 62:6-7), and Yeshua [not Jesus], the King of the Jews, will reign from His holy mountain in Jerusalem (Is 2:2-4), and His law will again be reestablished. The natural born children are coming home, and it is time for the adopted children to welcome them back and not act out in jealousy. No longer is there room for division in the body (Eph 2-14-19). It is time for all of the children to come home under one roof. What will that roof look like? Will it be a Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Charismatic or Catholic covering? Or could it be any one of the other 38,000 plus denominations out there? A house divided will not stand and we are living in Paul's nightmare! 1 Corinthians 1:11-13 "For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" I propose that it will be as the Scripture says; it will come back to the root. Is 66: 18“For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory. 19“I will set a sign among them and will send survivors from them to the nations: Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Rosh, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have neither heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare My glory among the nations. 20“Then they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as a grain offering to the LORD, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. 21“I will also take some of them for priests and for Levites,” says the LORD. The Gospel started in Israel as a Biblically Jewish message that was given to the Gentiles, and that is the way it is going to end: A Jewish message in Jerusalem. The Gentiles will come back under the only roof that was ordained to last. Rms 11: 17But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
Shalom uvracha b'Yeshua (Peace and blessings in Yeshua) Rabbi Henry
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This is a note I wrote to Pastor Rob Stearns of Eagles wings ministries. The note was concerning an event hosted by him every year called "The day to pray for the peace of Jerusalem". I have not received a response from him as of yet. I do hope he does answer me though. I am posting it for you to also consider.
Dear Pastor Rob: My name is Henry M. Morse I am the Messianic Rabbi of Congregation Sha'ar Hashamayim in Stoughton MA. We are 3.1 miles down the street from Sharon MA. Sharon, as you might know, is the most densely Jewish populated community in the United States; approximately 72% of Sharon is Jewish. I hosted your DPPJ event at our congregation last Sunday. And while I can admire the intent of the event and your intentions, I do have some concerns. With your permission, I would like to address them with a brief thought. Please don't misconstrue my note as one of criticism - this is not my intent. I would just like to point out some of my concerns. I noticed that during your event, many groups were represented except one very important group. There was no one from the Messianic community. Now maybe you invited them and they refused to show, I wont presume. But as a Messianic Rabbi who has led his congregation for the last 11 years, I have taken note to the fact that anytime there is an event similar in our community, there is never a Messianic representation to be seen or heard. I have attended a number of these gatherings, and most of the time I have been received with suspect.So here are my thoughts. As long as Christians, who say they support Israel, refuse to except and support the place of Messianics as also a part of Israel and not as converts to Christianity, then their message of support will always be like a double-edged sword. Until Christians make a stand in front of the non-believing Jews to this effect, then they will continue to erect a wall of separation between faith in Yeshua the Messiah of Israel and His remnant. The remnant of Israel who believe in Yeshua are no less Israel then the no non-believing Jews. The work of Christians that is done in support of Israel cannot be done without acknowledging the remnant and seeking their full involvement. The problem I see is this: If the Christian includes the Messianic, then there is going to be an offense caused and the non-believing Jew will not accept this scenario. This causes tension for many Christians. I am not suggesting that we bushwhack people and surprise them. What I am saying is by just including the Messianic Jews at your events is enough to reinforce the idea that you acknowledge that Yeshua is the Messiah of Israel and not someone who has established a separate religious entity. When you refuse to include the Messianic Jew you are in effect saying to these, my brethren, that "Jesus" is the Messiah for the Christians and not the promised one of Israel. This is a very subtle point and not recognized by most. But I promise you that this is what is going on in the minds of the unbelieving Jewish people. I deal with this now almost every day and have for the last 30 years in my ministry. I could be wrong, but this is why there are never any Messianic Jews represented at these "support Israel" events. Yeshua is a stumbling stone for those who refuse to believe in Him, and there is nothing we can do to soften that blow. Again, I am not suggesting that we make the message unnecessarily offensive so as to repulse people before we have a chance to communicate to them. All I am suggesting is that to not include the Messianic brethren is to close the door that sends a message to my people that believing Yeshua is the most Jewish thing they can do. That the Gentile believer is the grafted in branch and that what they believe in has to be conformed to the Jewish root. I submit this respectfully and hope you will respond to my inquiry. I just wrote a book on the subject "why did the Lord create the Jews". I would love to send you a copy if you would like. I am not sending this book to you to promote it. If there is information in the book that would help you understand the role of the Messianic Jew then that is all I expect from sending you this book. Shalom uvracha b'Yeshua (Peace and blessings in Yeshua) Rabbi Henry On the date of May 1st 2011, Sha'ar Hashamayim will be hosting a march for Yom HaShoa (Day of Holocaust Remembrance). During this event we would meet in the center of Sharon, in a place that would be convenient for all. We will announce that place soon. Then we will march to the gazebo on the lake. We will wear t-shirts and carry banners en route. This march is not for the purpose of protesting. We are marching to attest. Once at the gazebo there will be a time where we would honor Holocaust survivors and their families. During the rally there would be speakers from the community, Pastors, Rabbis, Holocaust survivors and maybe a politician or two. We would also have Israeli and Jewish music for all to dance and rejoice to. We would invite all who would like to come from the community. I am guessing there could be as many as 200 people. This march will be open to all. After the event people could linger at the beach area and have picnic lunches getting to know one another in the spirit of community. That night we would host a concert on behalf of the survivors and their families at one of the local Churches or Synagogues. We would also use the evening event to raise money for the Holocaust memorial. At the end of the concert we would have an oneg for all to share. This march is being held all over the world and we are just one link in the chain. Here are the websites to the march. They will tell you more about this world wide movement to put feet on the ground to make "Never Again" more than just a cliche or expression. http://www.marchoflife.org/http://www.marchofremembrance.org/.
This event is a tremendous opportunity to be a testimony to the Jewish people in our community and declare to our sphere of influence that we support Israel. More detailed info is to come real soon. Look for updates on our web site. We hope you will decide to join us in support of Israel the Jewish people and Holocaust survivors all over the world. It is my prayer you will even decide to get involved in the work of this event. Shalom uvracha (Peace and blessings) Rabbi Henry Celebrating Easter as a commemoration of the Resurrection and not the Passover makes a mockery of the Scriptures and puts man’s tradition and authority over the Word. To declare that the death, burial, and resurrection happened between Friday night and Sunday morning is a blatant lie and misrepresentation of the Biblical facts. It calls into question the accuracy of the Word and makes the Lord a liar. It disqualifies the Passover as a literal prophetic event fulfilled by Yeshua and makes the unbelieving world mock believers.
I would almost go as far as to say that—for those who know the truth of this and refuse to adhere to it or teach it—their actions are close to blasphemy. Here is the definition of blasphemy, you decide. Definition of BLASPHEMY from Merriam-Webster 1a : the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for the Lord. b : the act of claiming the attributes of deity 2 : irreverence toward something considered sacred or inviolable To ignore the truth of His Word is to hold contempt for it. You have then made the decision to exalt your authority over His word and have shown full irreverence to His revelation. So with this in mind, I will continue to pose my thesis. I will back it up fully by using the Word in context. The only way the resurrection makes any sense at all is if Yeshua dies on Wednesday before sundown and rises again three days later on Saturday before sundown. This would be 72 hours, 3 full days. After all, Yeshua said… Matthew 12 38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” 39But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; 40for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (3 days and 3 nights, not a part of the day) What part of this statement does the “Church” not understand? The Biblical Holy Days were called moadim (appointed times and seasons). They were appointments that could only be kept by Yeshua Himself. Why would anyone want to dismiss or minimize these great prophetic events? Let’s look Biblically at why they are so important. The “Church” says that “Easter” is a celebration of Yeshua’s resurrection from the grave and they want to honor that time- changing event; yet, they deny all that the Lord has given them in prophecy to verify this. One of those appointed times closely tied to the Passover is the Holy Day of First Fruits. 1st Cor 15 declares that Yeshua is the first fruits resurrected from the dead. If we know nothing about this Biblical appointment, how are we able to understand what this New Covenant passage means? 1st Cor 15 20But now Moshiach has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Moshiach all will be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Moshiach the first fruits, after that those who are Moshiach’s at His coming, 24then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. In order for Yeshua to be the one who is the first fruit of the resurrection, He needed to rise on the day known as First Fruits, Yom ha Bikkurim. The significance of this day and its meaning is critical in understanding the resurrection. During the spring, right before Passover, the barley crop came to a place in its growth where it was declared Aviv. This meant that the barley was in the head but not quite ripe enough to eat. As soon as the barley was in Aviv, the children of Israel were instructed to look for the sliver of the new moon. At the sighting of the new moon we were to declare the first day of the first month, count 14 days, and then began the Holy Day of Pesach and the Feast of Unleavened Bread; after that the feast of First Fruits. It was during this time—between the Aviv barley, the sighting of the new moon, and the 14th of the month—that barley continued to ripen so it could be harvested. Once it was harvested the children of Israel were instructed to make an offering of that barley in gratitude before the Lord. They were not allowed to eat of the new crop before they made this offering. The observance was carried out in this manner, when the standing ripe spring harvest of barley was ready to be reaped. The celebrant would take one sheaf from the standing harvest and bring it to the priest. The lone sheaf was called "the sheaf of the first fruits." The priest was then to take this one sheaf and wave it before the Lord in His house. This was to be done "the day after the normal weekly Shabbat," which occurred after the first day of Passover. Prescribed offerings were also to be presented along with the sheaf. The nation of Israel was familiar with the concept of first fruits or the firstborn. The first fruits were always the choicest, the foremost, the first, the best, and preeminent of all that was to follow. They were holy to the Lord. The concept of first fruits or firstborn is a major theme in the Bible. This can be seen by the following Scriptures: Exodus 23:16,19 and 34:26; Leviticus 2:12,14 and 23:20; Numbers 18:12-15; Deuteronomy 18:1-5; 26:2-4,10; II Chronicles 31:5; Nehemiah 10:35-39; Proverbs 3:9; Jeremiah 2:3; Ezekiel 44:30; 48:14; Malachi 3:8-14; Hebrews 6:20; 7:1-8. Everything on the earth—both man and beast—was to be presented before the Lord as first fruits to Him.
1. Yeshua is the firstborn of Miryam (Matthew 1:23-25). 2. Yeshua is the first-begotten of the Father (Hebrews 1:6). 3. Yeshua is the firstborn of every creature (Colossians 1:15). 4. Yeshua is the first-begotten from the dead (Revelation 1:5). 5. Yeshua is the firstborn of many brethren (Romans 8:29). 6. Yeshua is the first fruits of the resurrected ones (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23). 7. Yeshua is the beginning of the creation of Elohim (Revelation 3:14). 8. Yeshua is the preeminent One (Colossians 1:18). His entire life and death was wrapped up in the idea that He was the one to fulfill first fruits. The fifteenth of Aviv began Hag HaMatzah (the Feast of Unleavened Bread), which is a high Sabbath. This high Sabbath is called a shabbaton. It did not matter what day of the week it fell on. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a seven-day feast to the Lord. The day following the weekly Sabbath during Passover is called the Feast of First Fruits (Leviticus 23:10-11). (Leviticus [Vayikra] 23:9-14 NAS) Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. Now on the day when you wave the sheaf you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to the Lord. Its grain offering shall then be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil an offering by fire to the Lord for a soothing aroma, with its libation, a fourth of a hin of wine. Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places'" This is significant because if Yeshua is raised from the dead as a first fruit of all those resurrected, He must not miss the prophetic appointment of that day. This simply means the death and burial had to happen during the Passover and the resurrection had to happen on First Fruits. Yeshua needed to die before sundown after the ninth hour on Passover and rise three full days later according to the Biblical calendar on First fruits. Matthew 27 45Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. 46About the ninth hour Yeshua cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli , Eli , lama sabachthani ?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” 47And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. 49But the rest of them said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him.” 50And Yeshua cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Also: Mark 15:33-39, Luke 23:44-49. The passage in 1st Cor 15 says 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Moshiach all will be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Moshiach the first fruits, after that those who are Moshiach’s at His coming, He had to rise first so that the rest of us could also be raised in the proper order. Just like the barley had to be offered to the Lord first before the rest of the new harvest could be eaten, this day was a prototype of the Lord’s resurrection. He is the First Fruits of the barley harvest. We are the rest of the harvest after the offering. Yeshua was presented to the father as a perfect offering of First Fruits; now the rest of the harvest (us) can be presented to the father in its proper order. What about Passover Leviticus 23:5-6 5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover. 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. So to sum it all up again Yeshua was slain on the tree on the eve of the day of Passover (Pesach), the fourteenth of Nisan at twilight, the ninth hour, and He arose from the grave three days and nights after He was slain, Yeshua arose from the grave on the seventeenth of Nisan, the day of the festival of First Fruits. This day would be the day after the weekly Shabbat during the week of Passover—three days and three nights in the earth. 1st Cor 15:3-4 3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Moshiach died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, “According to the Scriptures” means according to the prophecy. He is also speaking about the day of First Fruits, (Yom ha Bikurim). Passover is the day that was set in motion by the Lord to declare Yeshua the risen Moshiach on First Fruits, three days after His death. It is clear in the Scriptures, and to say anything else makes the Lord a liar. It is not a trivial matter and no, I am not making too much of this. We are talking about the most important event of all time. Acts 10:39-40 39“We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. 40“Elohim raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, Matthew 16:21-23 21From that time Yeshua began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. 22Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Elohim forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” 23But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on Elohim’s interests, but man’s.” Matthew 17:22-23 22And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Yeshua said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; 23and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved. Matthew 20:17-19 17As Yeshua was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them, 18“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, 19and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.” Matthew 27:62-64 62Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, 63and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’ 64Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day.” Mark 8:31-33 31And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on Elohim’s interests, but man’s.” Mark 9:30-32 30From there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know about it. 31For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.” 32But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him. Mark 10:32-34 32They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Yeshua was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him, 33saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. 34“They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.” Mark 14:55-58 55Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain testimony against Yeshua to put Him to death, and they were not finding any. 56For many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony was not consistent. 57Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying, 58“We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands. Mark 15:27-29 27They crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left. 28And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with transgressors.” 29Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, Luke 9:18-22 18And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?” 19They answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.” 20And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The Moshiach of Elohim.” 21But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, 22saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.” Luke 18:31-33 31Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32“For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, 33and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again.” Luke 24:1-7 1But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Yeshua. 4While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; 5and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? 6“He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, 7saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” Luke 24:13-27 13And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. 15While they were talking and discussing, Yeshua Himself approached and began traveling with them. 16But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. 17And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” 19And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Yeshua the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of Elohim and all the people, 20and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. 21“But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. 22“But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, 23and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. 24“Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” 25And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26“Was it not necessary for the Moshiach to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. Luke 24:44-46 44Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Moshiach would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day.” John 2:17-22 17His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house will consume me.” 18The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” 19Yeshua answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Yeshua had spoken. Without sounding smug, I just don’t see anything that would hint of anything else other than a literal three-day resurrection. How does the Passover prophecy the death of Messiah? In this matter I decided to copy from the website Hebrew4christians. They did an amazing job of presenting their information. During the time of the Temple, zman shechitat korban Pesach (the time of the slaughter of the Passover lambs) was performed during the afternoon hours of Nisan 14, in observance of the commandment: "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between the evenings (i.e., bein ha-arbayim: is the Passover for the LORD" (Lev. 23:5). Note that the time of the lamb's sacrifice is described as "bein ha-arbayim," usually translated as "between the evenings" or "between the settings." To the sages, the "first setting" of the sun occurred at the beginning of its descent after noon, and the "second setting" referred to sundown or twilight. Hence "bein ha-arbayim" would mean sometime after noon but before twilight, or more simply, "the afternoon." The sacrifice of the Passover lambs on the afternoon of Nisan 14 agrees with Jewish Oral Law and tradition. As Maimonides wrote, "It is a positive commandment to slaughter the Korban Pesach on the fourteenth of Nisan after midday" (Hilchot Korban Pesach). There is some discussion among the sages, however, as to whether the sacrifice of the korban Pesach occurred before or after the second set of tamid (daily) offerings made at the Temple (Exod. 29:38-42, Num. 28:1-8). In general, however, most of the sages agreed with Maimonides who clearly stated: "The Korban Pesach is not slaughtered until after the Tamid of the afternoon." In other words, the slaughter of the Passover lambs occurred on the late afternoon of Nisan 14. (My note - Wednesday after the ninth hour). Note that though the sacrifice of the Passover lamb occurred on the afternoon Nisan 14, the ceremonial eating of the meal, or the "seder," would begin later, just before sundown and continue throughout the night. This agrees with Exod. 12:8 which states clearly that the Passover meal was consumed during the night: "They shall eat the flesh [of the Pascal lamb] that night" (i.e., ba-lailah hazeh): And since the Jewish day begins after sundown (when three stars are visible in the night sky), the traditional Passover Seder would begin just before sundown on Nisan 14 but would continue into the new day of Nisan 15, which is also the start of the seven-day festival of chag ha-matzot the "Feast of Unleavened Bread" (Lev. 23:6). In light of all this, perhaps you can better appreciate why Jewish tradition regards "Passover" as an eight-day holiday, since it links the times of the korban Pesach, the Seder meal, and the seven days of unleavened bread together as a whole. But what does the Scripture say about the Sunday morning resurrection? Here are all of the accounts of the resurrection passages; take note that not one of them says anything about the resurrection happening on a Sunday morning. Matthew 28 Yeshua Is Risen! 1Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Yeshua is already gone by the time the women arrive in the very early morning. They arrive just as the sun is rising. It is after the Shabbat, which happened at sundown the day before. As for the guards, this is just a description of what happened previously before the arrival of the women. There is no mention of the time of resurrection. There is not even an inference of idea that he had risen in the morning. All that it describes is the arrival of the women. Read the rest of the text for yourself. I double dog dare you. It is almost the exact same for every other resurrection passage in the rest of the three Gospels. Mark 16 The Resurrection 1When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. 2Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. 5Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. 6And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Yeshua the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. Just like “Where’s Waldo?” Where’s Messiah? He is already risen. Luke 24 The Resurrection 1But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; 5and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? 6“He is not here, but He has risen. John 20 The Empty Tomb 1Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. 2So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” Need I say anymore? The sad part of this little study is that all a preacher has to do is read the simple narrative of the Scripture and the truth comes out. If your Pastor is still going to spread the lie about Easter and you refuse to lovingly challenge him on this, then you have already drunk the “Kool Aid” and I feel sorry for you. But instead, why don’t you examine the Scripture for yourself, do the study, and prove me wrong or right. I do hope you except my challenge this time around. A blessed Passover and First fruits and all that it declares about our risen Moshiach, (Messiah) Yeshua. Rabbi Henry We try our best to make decisions based upon certain determinations. We determine something makes sense if it is logical, systematic, interconnected to other facts, or if it is full of contradictions. We look for simple proofs to determine the legitimacy of facts. That being said it only makes sense that we would apply this same standard to understanding the Scriptures. If we read a passage, we also use simple determinations to understand the meaning of that passage. We ask certain questions that help bring into light the meaning of the passage. We need to know who wrote it, to whom it was written, who was it written about, has the passage been translated accurately, were cultural nuances used to understand idioms? There is a lot that goes into understanding the Scripture. One cannot just come to an ancient writing like the Bible and simply look at it and think that reading the modern translation alone will be sufficient in providing the fullest meaning of the text as the writer intended.
Let me give you just one example that we can use to illustrate this point. If there is a text in the Tenach (first covenant Scriptures) that makes a statement that a statute, covenant, or principle is to be an everlasting/perpetual covenant, then it would only make sense that, when we come to the Brit Chadasha (New Covenant Scriptures), we should apply this in our interpretation of certain passages there as well. After all the Word does say… Mal 3:6 "For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. Mal 3:7 "From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," says the LORD of hosts. "But you say, 'How shall we return?'” If it is true that the Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and if Yeshua is the Word of the Lord in the flesh, then the word that was spoken in the Tenach applies to all that He said and that which was said about Him by His followers, the writers of the Brit Chadasha. Heb 13:8 Yeshua Hamashiach is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Based on the logic above could there be conflicting or contradictory passages in the Brit Chadasha passages that would go against basic doctrine in the Tenach? Shouldn’t we interpret passages in the Brit Chadasha on the premise that the Tenach set the stage for the fulfillment in the Brit Chadasha, and there should be perfect synergy between the two? In order to see the greater picture, we need to look into some more examples. This cannot be discerned by just a cursory examination. Let’s see how this theory plays out by going through a series of Scriptures using the above-mentioned procedure. In the book of Isaiah and Zechariah we have Scriptures that seem to be speaking about the end time event we call the millennial reign. This is when the Moshiach (Messiah) sets up His rule from Jerusalem for 1,000 years. This is after Ha Satan (the Devil) is locked up for 1,000 years. We read this in Rev 20. Rev 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. Rev 20:2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; Rev 20:3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. In the book of Isaiah we see a number of passages that seem to speak of a future event where the Lord reigns from Jerusalem. He changes the world by making real peace while reigning as the Prince of Peace from His throne in the Temple. Isa 2:1 The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Isa 2:2 Now it will come about that In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it. Isa 2:3 And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways, and that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. Isa 2:4 And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war. The book of Micah chapter 4 verses 1-3 quotes Isaiah almost word for word. Mic 4:1 And it will come about in the last days that the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it. Mic 4:2 Many nations will come and say, "Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD and to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us about His ways and that we may walk in His paths." For from Zion will go forth the law, even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. Mic 4:3 And He will judge between many peoples and render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they train for war. Mic 4:4 Each of them will sit under his vine and under his fig tree, with no one to make them afraid, for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken. It seems pretty obvious to, at least me, that this time of world peace has yet to happen. So that said, I have no choice but to put this event into the future. When we analyze these verses we can see a simple chronology that goes like this. 1. The mountain of the Lord (Mount Zion) is raised as the chief of all mountains. 2. The people of the whole earth will stream to it. 3. The nations will come to it. 4. They will invite others to it as well. 5. From Mount Zion the Lord will teach us His ways, we will walk in His paths, the law will go forth from Zion. 6. The Lord will judge all people, 7. There will be world peace. Now this is a pretty simple scenario. We have to see if there are examples of this event found anywhere else in the Word to determine if this is a repetitive theme. We have to ask if the Lord trying to communicate something to us through these repetitions. Another place in Scripture that seems to be related to this event is found in Isaiah 66. Isa 66:18 "For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory. Isa 66:19 "I will set a sign among them and will send survivors from them to the nations: Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have neither heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare My glory among the nations. Isa 66:20 "Then they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as a grain offering to the LORD, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem," says the LORD, "just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. Isa 66:21 "I will also take some of them for priests and for Levites," says the LORD. Isa 66:22 "For just as the new heavens and the new earth which I make will endure before Me," declares the LORD, "so your offspring and your name will endure. Isa 66:23 "And it shall be from new moon to new moon and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all mankind will come to bow down before Me," says the LORD. Isa 66:24 "Then they will go forth and look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die and their fire will not be quenched; and they will be an abhorrence to all mankind." Again, we see in this passage that the nations will come to Jerusalem to see the glory of the Lord in vs 18. In vs. 19 Isaiah reiterates this idea of the nations coming to see the Lords glory, except he adds the extra bit of information that gives us a timeline of the event, It will happen after a battle. Vs 20 tells us that “they” (he is speaking about the survivors) will bring the Jews (your brethren) (in this passage Isaiah is speaking to Jews) to His mountain (Mount Zion). Vs 21 says that the Lord at that time will take some people (Gentiles) as priests and Levites. This has to be Gentiles as the Jews have already been appointed as priests and Levites from the beginning. Vs 22 The Lord promises the endurance of the Hebrews as a people which He basis upon the promise of the new heavens and earth. Vs 23 gets a little complicated. From new moon to new moon is in reference to the lunar calendar established by the Lord in Genesis. Gen 1:5 YHVH called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. The Lord established His times and seasons in Lev 23 based upon the lunar calendar not the Gregorian solar calendar. The sliver of the new moon started the new month and set the appointed times and seasons in place. Then Isaiah says we will worship the Lord and celebrate the Shabbat. The Lord is going to reestablish His Moadim (appointed times and season as stated in Lev 23). He is also going to reestablish his Shabbat, (Sabbath). I could be missing the point, but it seems to me that these are critical enough to the Lord to make them an important issue in His millennial reign. So it seems we should do some more investigation on the subject to determine if we are to find the real intended meaning, Nu! So what else does the Word say about the subject? The book of Zechariah chapter 14 presents a picture of the end times that is absolutely stunning. The detail in this picture adds to the understanding of what is to take place in the final days before and during the millennial reign. The only way to understand the fullness and scope of this passage is to read the entire chapter in context. Zechariah 14 God Will Battle Jerusalem’s Foes 1Behold, a day is coming for the LORD when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. 2For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished, and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. 3Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. 4In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. 5You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him! It is pretty safe to say that this event has also not happened yet. All of the nations have not come against Jerusalem. This great final battle has yet to transpire and the Messiah has not split the Mount of Olives. So I feel pretty confident in assuming this is still a future event. As a matter of fact, I would go so far as to say—with all of the other Scriptures that are similar in declaration—it would be also safe to say that this is most likely referring to the battle of Armageddon. We have to remember that the Lord does not speak in a linear chronology in the Scripture. Ancient Jewish writings show us that this was their typical style of writing. I believe it is because the Lord has His prophets write in such a manner that is indicative of His eternal nature. He does not live confined to the boundaries of time. Often in the Word it is hard to define the time line, because to the Lord, it is as it has already happened. The only way we can determine chronology is to know the language and also to see the other passages that are similar, so that we might be able to make comparisons in the time line. So using this idea to get insight to the next passage, we see that the term “in that day” is not referring to the time when the Lord will split the Mount of Olives. It has to be a separate day in the future. The term “in that day” is used idiomatically throughout the Scripture to refer to the Day of the Lord. So “in that day” is an entirely separate time that is in the future. In Zech 14 it is used 6 times alone to make the point that it is a specific day/period in the future when the Lord reigns. 6In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. 7For it will be a unique day which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light. 8And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter. God Will Be King over All 9And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one. This day in verse 6, above, is the day/period He is talking about, the day when the Lord will be king over all. We can confirm this because, if it just a literal singular day and we use the simple rules of western thought and chronology, then how could summer and winter in the above verse be represented by one day. 10 “All the land will be changed into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; but Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site from Benjamin’s Gate as far as the place of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses. 11People will live in it, and there will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security.” Here we see that the land south of Jerusalem will be made into a plain. This will be so that all who want to come will have easy access. But when we get there—to the actual city itself— we will have to ascend to it. It will be exalted. People will dwell in it in securely. No more war. Messiah is now in control. 12Now this will be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouth. 13It will come about in that day that a great panic from the LORD will fall on them; and they will seize one another’s hand, and the hand of one will be lifted against the hand of another. 14Judah also will fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered, gold and silver and garments in great abundance. 15So also like this plague will be the plague on the horse, the mule, the camel, the donkey and all the cattle that will be in those camps. Now we again see a perfect example of Biblical chronology being different from ours. He refers back to the war that was spoken of in the earlier passages verses 1-3. 16Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 17And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. 18If the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the LORD smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 19This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. He is pretty emphatic in His expectations. The Lord mandates that each and every nation and family will go to Jerusalem from year to year, perpetually, and celebrate His holy feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles). If they don’t go, there will be a severe penalty on the nations and families—drought. We will not celebrate Christmas, Easter, Lent, Good Friday, Maundy Thursday, St Valentine’s day, or any other Holiday/Hollowday. 20In that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “HOLY TO THE LORD.” And the cooking pots in the LORD’S house will be like the bowls before the altar. 21Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the LORD of hosts; and all who sacrifice will come and take of them and boil in them. And there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts in that day. Now this part gets real hard for the typical Christian to deal with, so please stay with me till the end and you will get the point, I promise. If I am right and these passages are also speaking of the Millennial reign, I find it rather curious that during that time, as the above passage says, we will be bringing sacrifices to the Lord in His temple. The cooking pots are the actual utensils/dishes we will take before the Lord with the meat of our sacrifices. We will present them to the Levites, who will offer them to the Lord; then they will take the portion that is allotted to them and then give the priests their portion. Numbers 4:5-7 5“When the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and they shall take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it; 6and they shall lay a covering of porpoise skin on it, and shall spread over it a cloth of pure blue, and shall insert its poles. 7“Over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall also spread a cloth of blue and put on it the dishes and the pans and the sacrificial bowls and the jars for the drink offering, and the continual bread shall be on it. 2Chronicles 35:10-14 10So the service was prepared, and the priests stood at their stations and the Levites by their divisions according to the king’s command. 11They slaughtered the Passover animals, and while the priests sprinkled the blood received from their hand, the Levites skinned them. 12Then they removed the burnt offerings that they might give them to the sections of the fathers’ households of the lay people to present to the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. They did this also with the bulls. 13So they roasted the Passover animals on the fire according to the ordinance, and they boiled the holy things in pots, in kettles, in pans, and carried them speedily to all the lay people. 14Afterwards they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. To sum it all up Putting this altogether one last time, we can see a pattern in all of these Scriptures. 1. The Lord is coming back to reign on the earth for 100 years. 2. He will set up His Kingdom in Jerusalem. 3. There will be peace. 4. He will restore the Temple worship. 5. His Holy days and Shabbat will be observed again. 6. Those who do not do as He says concerning His Holy Days will face punishment. 7. Nothing will resemble what we now know as the “Church”. The point I want to emphasize here is that using the logic principle above these declarations/ principles/ordinances/celebrations given by the Lord are prophesied in His Tenach. We see them consistently being referenced in the Tenach. They are the events that will transpire in the end times. This is what the body of believers is going to look like. This is what the “Church” is going to look like. It is going to look just like the nation of Israel looked like in reference to their celebrations and ordinances. The appointed times and seasons of Lev 23 will be restored. Israel—the children of Abraham—will be brought back to their land. No “Christian” denomination will replace or usurp the natural-born children. The Gentiles will come along side of them and embrace the Biblical Hebrew roots of this Messianic faith. Ephesians 2 will finally be realized in its fullness. 11Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— 12remember that you were at that time separate from Moshiach, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without YHVH in the world. 13But now in Yeshua Hamashiach you, who formerly were far off, have been brought near by the blood of Moshiach. 14For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16and might reconcile them both in one body to YHVH through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; 18for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of YHVH’s household, If the Gentile, who was at one time “excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without YHVH in the world,” is now brought in, then it only stands to reason they were not brought in to remake the family dynamic after their previous pagan practices, were they? Instead they were brought in to participate in the family that already functioned according to the Lord’s prescription. If the end time kingdom is going to look like the kingdom established in the beginning with all of the Holy days and Temple services, then it only makes sense that the way it looks now is not according to the Lord’s idea, but the traditions of man. It is obvious that there are some things that can’t be celebrated today because there is no Temple. Yet that does not give the believers the right to make up how they worship based on a pattern that imitates so many pagan rituals. We have all of these amazing Biblical celebrations that speak prophetically of the coming of Yeshua, yet we still prefer the Catholic substitutes, many of which were fashioned by Constantine. Now I am only going to say this once, so please listen carefully. I am not saying that we celebrate these Holy days for salvation. DID YOU HEAR ME! Okay, now that we have that established, we can move on. I am, however, saying that there is a very clear pattern that the Lord shows us as a foundational principle in the Tenach. This is the principle I spoke about at the top of this paper. That principle is that if something in the Tenach is stated as an everlasting, never-ending, or perpetual statute, ordinance, or principle in the First Covenant Scriptures, then this should affect how we interpret the New Covenant Scriptures. If this is the way it all began and this is the way it is going to end, what makes us think that the way it is today is right? Especially with more than 38,000 different flavors of “Christianity” in the world with their own spin on everything. As we look at the Tenach it is very clear that the Torah was established for the purpose of helping the children of Israel walk in a covenant relationship with the Lord, so that they could fulfill their role as being a light to the Gentiles. Isaiah 42 6 “I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, Isaiah 49 6 He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” It is also clear the rest of the Tenach, especially the Prophets, are dedicated to the point that the nation forgot this and needed to be reminded to come back to His Torah. Hosea 8:12 11 Since Ephraim has multiplied altars for sin, They have become altars of sinning for him. 12 Though I wrote for him ten thousand precepts of My law, They are regarded as a strange thing. 13 As for My sacrificial gifts, They sacrifice the flesh and eat it, But the LORD has taken no delight in them. Now He will remember their iniquity, And punish them for their sins; Malachi 4 4“Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. Ezekiel 22 23And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 24“Son of man, say to her, ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’ 25“There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her. 26“Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Jeremiah 44 9“Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 10“But they have not become contrite even to this day, nor have they feared nor walked in My law or My statutes, which I have set before you and before your fathers.”’ Jeremiah 16 10“Now when you tell this people all these words, they will say to you, ‘For what reason has the LORD declared all this great calamity against us? And what is our iniquity, or what is our sin which we have committed against the LORD our God?’ 11“Then you are to say to them, ‘It is because your forefathers have forsaken Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘and have followed other gods and served them and bowed down to them; but Me they have forsaken and have not kept My law. 12‘You too have done evil, even more than your forefathers; for behold, you are each one walking according to the stubbornness of his own evil heart, without listening to Me. Isaiah 51 4 “Pay attention to Me, O My people, And give ear to Me, O My nation; For a law will go forth from Me, And I will set My justice for a light of the peoples. 5 “My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait for Me, And for My arm they will wait expectantly. Now these are but a few examples of the many, too many to mention, Scriptures that reflect this idea of Israel being rebuked for their refusal to obey His Law. Now why would the Lord spend all that time establishing His law as a principle for His people and as a light unto the Gentiles just to abandon it in the New Covenant? Was it so it could be replaced by a new and improved version known by so many as “Christianity”? If I remember correctly, it was the Lord Himself who said in Mathew… Mathew 5 17“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19“Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. We must remember there was no “New Testament” written at that time to refer to. The only thing they had was the Tenach. This is how Timothy was able to know how to have salvation exclusively in Yeshua. 2 Timothy 3 14You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings (Tenach) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Moshiach Yeshua. If we keep and teach these commandments, is that not a contradiction to the way most of the “Church” relates to the Law? I would say it is safe to conclude that Yeshua said something in this one passage alone that should challenge Christianity to its core in how they celebrate their faith. I would go so far as to say that, when we look at the way the Kingdom and body of believers are going to look like in the end, we can see that there will be no resemblance whatsoever in any way, shape, or form to what it looks like today. It will not exist in the form as we know it, Selah. I wanted to take this time to wish you a hearty St. Valentine’s Day and what a day it is. During this time we celebrate Hallmark in all of its glory. Chocolatiers (makers of chocolate) are truly enjoying the fruits of their labor. Candy hearts are beating across the land and flower sales are keeping bees busy from coast to coast.
Not to mention that when we celebrate this day we get to rehears the time honored history of the feast of Lupercalia. What a joy it was for the Romans during the time when the holiday was celebrated according to its original intent. According to an article published by by Arnie Seipelby of NPR on February 13, 2011. “From Feb. 13 to 15, the Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia. The men sacrificed a goat and a dog, then whipped women with the hides of the animals they had just slain. The Roman romantics "were drunk. They were naked," says Noel Lenski, a historian at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Young women would actually line up for the men to hit them, Lenski says. They believed this would make them fertile. The brutal fete included a matchmaking lottery, in which young men drew the names of women from a jar. The couple would then be, coupled up for the duration of the festival – or longer, if the match was right.” Oh the joys of Lupercalia, the time when we honor the gods Lupercus and Faunus, as well as the legendary founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. Let’s not forget that cute little Cupid. According to Roman mythology, Cupid was the son of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. Cupid was known to cause people to fall in love by shooting them with his magical arrows. And to think, we have not only kept it all alive until today. We have actually brought it into the “Church”. The article above also states…”Later, Pope Gelasius I muddled things in the 5th century by combining St. Valentine's Day with Lupercalia to expel the pagan rituals. But the festival was more of a theatrical interpretation of what it had once been. Lenski adds, "It was a little more of a drunken revel, but the Christians put clothes back on it. That didn't stop it from being a day of fertility and love." I find it comforting to know that the “Church” has done well by sprinkling holy water on pagan rituals and redeeming then for the Lord. I only wish the Lord would get in step with the “Church” It is very disheartening to me when I read passages like… Hos 2:17 "For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, So that they will be mentioned by their names no more. Exo 23:13 "Now concerning everything which I have said to you, be on your guard; and do not mention the name of other gods, nor let them be heard from your mouth. Deu 18:9 "When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. It just does not make any sense. After all these passages are from the “Old Testament” and every “Christian” knows that these verses don’t apply to the “Church”, or do they. Ok enough tongue in cheek already, here is my gripe. I find it rather ironic that churches all over the country will spend time, energy and money having a sweet heart Valentine’s Day banquet every year, yet not even a fraction of these “Churches” would ever consider putting that time into hosting the Biblical feast of Passover, let alone any other Biblical feast. Am I misled, am I legalistic, uninformed or am I speaking the truth? Is the “Church” that blind that they cannot see how ludicrous this practice is? It is time for those who call themselves believers in the Messiah of Israel to act like it. Until the “Church” abandons the paganism that has crept in and gets back to a Biblical model they will always be powerless in their ability to preach the fullness of the Gospel. With all of that being said I would like to wish everyone a happy feast of Lupercalia. Shalom uvracha b'Yeshua (Peace and blessings in Yeshua) Rabbi Henry The Boy Scouts cave This blog is not for the faint of heart. So I write this with a little warning: Read it at your own risk. Just this morning I heard on the news that the Boys Scouts are re-examining their stance on allowing homosexuals into their leadership. The Scouts have always made a stance for traditional family values. Under the pressure of the homosexual lobby, they are now willing to look over a policy that has been entrenched in the very fiber that has made them a great boys’ organization - God, family, and country.
The saddest part of this situation is that we have a group of people who are evangelistic for their cause – more evangelistic than many true believers. The change they want to affect on our country is based on the idea that they have the right to claim minority status based on who they put their private parts on. I could be wrong, but it just does not seem to make any sense that immorality should be given an equal rights status in our nation. To some this might seem harsh. I realize I am extending no mercy or sensitivity to this group. But that being said, when it comes to protecting our children, we need to fight to the death if necessary, figuratively speaking. I am not advocating killing anyone. Since when has there ever been a need to inflict upon our kids the added life pressure of inordinate sexuality. Just being a normal teen is difficult enough. We are so quick to put this burden on them not realizing that they are neither mature enough socially, physically, emotionally, or spiritually for any sexual encounter of any kind. Is there anyone who has enough common sense to ask the simple question, “Is our society any better now for all of this “sexual freedom?” I realize that the “Leave it to Beaver” generation is long gone, but Mother Macree! Is there a modicum of modesty anywhere left in this country? According to the website http://fatherhoodfactor.com. 1. 43% of US children live without their father. [US Department of Census] 2. 90% of homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes. [US D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census] 3. 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes. [Criminal Justice & Behaviour, Vol 14, pp. 403-26, 1978] 4. 71% of pregnant teenagers lack a father. [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services press release, Friday, March 26, 1999] 5. 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes. [US D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census] 6. 85% of children who exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes. [Center for Disease Control] 7. 90% of adolescent repeat arsonists live with only their mother. [Wray Herbert, “Dousing the Kindlers,” Psychology Today, January, 1985, p. 28] 8. 71% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. [National Principals Association Report on the State of High Schools] 9. 75% of adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes. [Rainbows for all God’s Children] 10. 70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions have no father. [US Department of Justice, Special Report, Sept. 1988] 11. 85% of youths in prisons grew up in a fatherless home. [Fulton County Georgia jail populations, Texas Department of Corrections, 1992] 12. Fatherless boys and girls are: twice as likely to drop out of high school; twice as likely to end up in jail; four times more likely to need help for emotional or behavioral problems. [US D.H.H.S. news release, March 26, 1999] The sad part of all of these statistics is that they are old. Another statistic states that in 2013, 72 Percent of African-American Children were Born to Unwed Mothers. Even if this statistic is off by 22 percent, this is still way too high. The world is one screwed up place. Families are at their most dysfunctional place in the history of our country. Now we want to introduce into this already confusing mess the thought that homosexuality is just another perfectly acceptable lifestyle for consenting adults, and that we should hoist this upon our already sexually frustrated teens and preteens. What I find most amazing is that this politically charged society in which we live in has such little common sense that they cannot see the very destruction they are creating, all in the name of tolerance. I remember in 2006 it was reported in the news that a child of the age of 6 was being accused of sexual harassment because he grabbed one of his little classmates at her waist band. 6-Year-Old Accused of Sexual Harassment; Boy Accused of Putting Fingers in Girl's Waistband; February 8 2006. Officials told her [the mother] that her son was being suspended for sexually harassing a 6-year-old female classmate. [The mother] said the boy is just 6 and has no idea what sexual harassment means. [She] said the children were playing on the floor and touching each other. She said her son touched the girl's shirt, but not her skin. The school superintendent released a statement that said, "The safety and well-being of Brockton public school students and staff is of the utmost important to us, and we take all allegations of sexual harassment seriously." We must, as a society, protect our children from the 6-year old sex offenders. Do you hear me! Yeah, but what about those homosexual Boy Scout leaders? Am I missing something here or am I just a prude or maybe stupid? We are paranoid to the point where we think that we must protect our 6-year-old children from another 6-year-old “sexual predator,” but we will introduce them, in the classroom, to a form of inordinate sexual behavior. Then in high school we will let them have a GBLT club that celebrates diversity in sexuality. The sheer audacity of it all! These messages are in total opposition, (protect) (be tolerant). This is maddening when you come to realize there are people out there that spend their life spreading this lie with passion. What is even more maddening is that society believes them. They are not satisfied to just practice their debauchery among themselves in private, now they want to make everyone, including the Lord, accept them. Homosexuals have infiltrated and redefined marriage, the military, school programs, television, movies, civil rights, The “Church” and on and on; we feel their influence everywhere in modern society. Don’t tell me they are not evangelistic for their sin. So today the Boy Scouts are at the brink of a decision. Will they protect these boys from the real threat or just be tolerant? I just don’t get the insanity of it all. Another thing I don’t understand is the “Churches’” refusal to stand for the Word of the Lord. I am not advocating hate. I don’t hate these people. They are as needy as any one else who is lost in their sin. I am just not advocating that we abdicate our responsibility to the Lord and His standard. I do, however, know what the Scripture says, and I can’t just sit idly by waiting for someone else to do something. Rom 1 26For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. Rom 1 articulates the problem. Rom 12 9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. However, we are to be steadfast in the truth and what is good. Mal 2 17You have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet you say, “How have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and He delights in them,” or, “Where is the God of justice?” Isa 5 20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! We are to have discernment and know what is the standard of the Lord. We are not to establish our own standard as a substitute. Amos 5 14 Seek good and not evil, that you may live; And thus may the LORD God of hosts be with you, Just as you have said! We are to make sure we actively pursue His good in our own lives. 15 Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the LORD God of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. We are not to be passive in reference to evil. We are to oppose it. Eze 36 31“Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. When we do evil before the Lord, we are to actively and passionately repent. Ecc 12 13The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. In the end the Lord will sort it all out according to His standard and everyone will be held accountable. The Lord will not be mocked. If we think that this country will not be judged for allowing this to happen, then we have another thing coming to us. Mt 11 20Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. 21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22“Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23“And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. 24“Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.” The Lord has extended his hand of grace and favor on this country for many years. We have reaped the benefit of prosperity and influence. But as we continue down this slippery slope, no longer will we be able to ask for God to bless America because we refuse to bless and honor Him. Shalom uvracha b’Yeshua Rabbi Henry Many sincere and well-meaning people have made the decision to get on board with the “War On Christmas.” Yet I find it rather disheartening that the very same people who call themselves “Christians” do nothing to fight the war waged against His Holy Word. This is a latent yet very active “passive aggressive” war against keeping and applying the Torah in the lives of believers. The word Torah which is often translated “Law,” really means instruction. So my question to you would be which part of His instructions are we free from and when did this happen? Isaiah 40 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our Elohim stands forever. From the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Forever = ‛ôlâm properly concealed, that is, the vanishing point; generally time out of mind (past or future), that is, (practically) eternity; frequentative adverbially (especially with prepositional prefix) always:—always (-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, [n-]) ever (-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world (+ without end). What part of forever is not understood? Remember, Isaiah didn’t have a pocket New Testament at his disposal. This Word Isaiah is speaking about is His Torah. Some might try to use the argument that it does not matter what day He (Yeshua) was born; we are redeeming the day. Again my answer to them would be, give me a Scriptural mandate that shows we can redeem pagan things for the Lord? I see quite the opposite in Scripture. Deuteronomy 7:25 22“The LORD your Elohim will clear away these nations before you little by little; you will not be able to put an end to them quickly, for the wild beasts would grow too numerous for you. 23“But the LORD your Elohim will deliver them before you, and will throw them into great confusion until they are destroyed. 24“He will deliver their kings into your hand so that you will make their name perish from under heaven; no man will be able to stand before you until you have destroyed them. 25“The graven images of their gods you are to burn with fire; you shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, or you will be snared by it, for it is an abomination to the LORD your Elohim. 26“You shall not bring an abomination into your house, and like it come under the ban; you shall utterly detest it and you shall utterly abhor it, for it is something banned. Have we in the name of grace desired the detestable things? I know right from the get-go I am going to solicit a negative response from many of you. But hear me out and I promise this little blog will get you thinking. If after you read this note you are still convinced I am full of hokum, hit the delete button and ask me to take you off my list. Is that a deal? I would like to start with a very simple concept as my premise. The rest of the blog will be devoted to the defense of the premise. The “war against Christmas” is just a smoke screen perpetuated by Satan himself. This war is waged for the purpose of keeping believers from fighting the real war, that is the war against the Word of the Lord. If you can argue against this point Biblically, I will listen to all opposing views. If not, then stop thinking of all of the traditional reasons why it is okay to celebrate a holiday steeped in pagan practice and roots. So where did Christmas come from? The truth is that all of the customs of Christmas pre-date the birth of Yeshua, and a study of this would reveal that Christmas in our day is a collection of traditions and practices taken from many cultures and nations. The date of December 25 comes from Rome and was a celebration of the Italic god, Saturn, and the rebirth of the sun god. This was done long before the birth of Yeshua. It was noted by the pre-Christian Romans and other pagans that daylight began to increase after December 22, when they assumed that the sun god died. These ancients believed that the sun god rose from the dead three days later as the new-born and venerable sun. Thus, they figured that to be the reason for increasing daylight. This was a cause for much wild excitement and celebration. Gift giving and merriment filled the temples of ancient Rome, as sacred priests of Saturn carried wreaths of evergreen boughs in procession. In Germany, the evergreen tree was used in worship and celebration of the yule god, also in observance of the resurrected sun god. The evergreen tree was a symbol of the essence of life and was regarded as a phallic symbol in fertility worship. Witches and other pagans regarded the red holly as a symbol of the menstrual blood of the queen of heaven, also known as Diana. The holly wood was used by witches to make wands. The white berries of mistletoe were believed by pagans to represent droplets of the semen of the sun god. Both holly and mistletoe were hung in doorways of temples and homes to invoke powers of fertility in those who stood beneath and kissed, causing the spirits of the god and goddess to enter them. These customs transcended the borders of Rome and Germany to the far reaches of the known world. So what’s my point? When we look at the Word of the Lord and its development, we find that the first five books of Moses, the Torah, are written as an instruction manual for the children of Israel. Genesis tells us of the creation of the world and it’s fall from the Lord. The rest of the Torah sets the stage to prepare us to receive the Lord’s plan of redemption. In Genesis 12, we have the creation of the Hebrew people through the seed of Abraham, the covenant people the Lord will use to bring forth that plan of redemption. In Genesis 21, Isaac is born to Abraham and Sarah. In Genesis 25, Jacob is born, and from Jacob came the 12 sons who were to be the 12 tribes of Israel. In Genesis 37, we see the miracle birth of Joseph, the son of his old age. Through the life of Joseph we witness the salvation of both the sons of Israel and the Egyptians indicating the Lord’s desire to save both Jew and Gentile. Finally, last but not least, we see the hand of the Lord in the man Moses (Exodus chapter 2). From Moses the Lord established the 12 sons of Israel into a cohesive people group. This was the birth of the nation of Israel. They were now more than just a scattered, loosely-connected group of people who were related through Abraham. The Lord, through Moses, gave them the Torah in Exodus 20. This was their constitution. They were to live by it and serve the Lord by it. This Torah would give them all that they needed to become the people of the Lord. Through this Torah they would realize the love of the Lord, not only for them but for all mankind. Moses Interceded, Deut 5 22“These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the mountain from the midst of the fire, of the cloud and of the thick gloom, with a great voice, and He added no more. He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. 23“And when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders. 24“You said, ‘Behold, the LORD our Elohim has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that Elohim speaks with man, yet he lives. 25‘Now then why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the LORD our Elohim any longer, then we will die. 26‘For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living Elohim speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? 27‘Go near and hear all that the LORD our Elohim says; then speak to us all that the LORD our Elohim speaks to you, and we will hear and do it.’ 28“The LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the LORD said to me, ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken. 29‘Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever! 30‘Go, say to them, “Return to your tents.” 31‘But as for you, stand here by Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I give them to possess.’ 32“So you shall observe to do just as the LORD your Elohim has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left. 33“You shall walk in all the way which the LORD your Elohim has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess. The children of Israel were instructed to not turn aside to the right or the left. There was to be no change in the Lord’s Word in the slightest. Yet, they would not obey, even though the instructions were spelled out in perfect detail. The Lord was faithful in telling them the penalty for disobedience. He made no bones about it. In Deut 28 the Lord spells out the consequences of their disobedience: 15“But it shall come about, if you do not obey the LORD your Elohim, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.” Read the rest of this chapter the curses are not pleasant to say the least. It was not the desire or intent of the Lord to punish His people. His desire was to bless them. His instructions were given that they might have a fullness of life, joy, and prosperity. Deut 30 Restoration Promised 1“So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where the LORD your Elohim has banished you, 2and you return to the LORD your Elohim and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons, 3then the LORD your Elohim will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your Elohim has scattered you. 4“If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the LORD your Elohim will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. 5“The LORD your Elohim will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. Oy! If they had only kept His word, what a different life we would lead today. The entire rest of the First Covenant Scriptures are, in some way, a reminder to the Children of Israel to come back to His Word, His instructions, His Torah. The book of Judges deals with the constant disobedience of His children. They are to conquer the land and stay separate from the paganism of the people who dwell there. I can sum the book up in a few short sentences. Israel continued sinning against the Lord. They refused to keep His Torah. He delivered them into the hands of their enemies. They repented and the Lord sent them a judge to deliver them and keep them on the straight and narrow. Apart from the role of the Judges, the rest of the Scripture really seems to follow this pattern to the tee. Time does not permit me to cover every book in the Bible – I would be here until next Hanukah. I would like to refer to a few more passages to make my point. Concerning the Passover He says… Exodus 12 43The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover: no ◙ foreigner is to eat of it; 44but every man’s slave purchased with money, after you have circumcised him, then he may eat of it. 45“A sojourner or a hired servant shall not eat of it. 46“It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house, nor are you to break any bone of it. 47“All the congregation of Israel are to celebrate this. 48“But if a stranger sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it. 49“The same law shall apply to the native as to the stranger who sojourns among you.” The Passover was given as a perpetual event to happen in all of our dwellings. Exodus 12 14‘Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. Zech 14 16Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 17And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. 18If the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the LORD smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 19This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 20In that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “HOLY TO THE LORD.” And the cooking pots in the LORD’s house will be like the bowls before the altar. 21Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the LORD of hosts; and all who sacrifice will come and take of them and boil in them. And there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts in that day. In the Millennium all men will celebrate the Holy day of Sukkot. There will be sacrifices of praise in the Temple built in Jerusalem. We will also serve the Lord in His holy temple according to His Word, His Torah will be restored and put in our hearts. Isaiah 2 2 Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. 3 And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the Elohim of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war. What might this law be if it is not His Torah? What could Isaiah possibly be thinking of? Micah chapter four echoes the same sentiment almost verbatim. So based upon all of this Scriptural evidence, the Lord really put a lot of attention into this Torah-keeping thingy. Taking into consideration that there were curses for those who refused to keep His instructions, I might safely conclude that this was not a casual topic on the Lord’s mind. Yet, with that being said, why is it that so many “Christians” refuse to acknowledge the Torah as valid for today? Why is there a need to replace that which is Biblical for that which is contrived, made up from pagan roots. I might conclude from this short study that it is because “Christianity” is guilty of the same sins that Israel was guilty of. I would even go as far as saying that many who do acknowledge the validity of the Torah in the lives of the Gentile believers still struggle with putting off the foolish traditions of men that have usurped the Scripture. Jeremiah said it best in chapter 5: 11 “For the house of Israel and the house of Judah Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” declares the LORD. 12 They have lied about the LORD and in verse 31… 31 The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it? It is time for the “Church” to stop lying to itself and others. It is time for the Word to take prominence over the failed traditions of men. It is time for the war against His Torah to stop from within by the very people who profess to follow Him. Consider His Word. Jeremiah 10 A Satire on Idolatry 1Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2Thus says the LORD, “Do not learn the way of the nations, And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens Although the nations are terrified by them; 3 For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. 4 “They decorate it with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers So that it will not totter. 5 “Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they can do no harm, Nor can they do any good.” I wrote this article in response to what has transpired in the UN last week. For those of you who don’t know, the UN has granted non-voting member status to the “Palestinians.” This was a unilateral move by the UN to push for the creation of a “Palestinian” State on the Land of Israel.
Since the beginning HaSatan (Satan) has done everything in his power to destroy the Lord’s plan to bring salvation to the earth. He first decided to pollute mankind and drive him away from the Lord in the garden. From there it was downhill for humanity all the way. 1. Cain kills his brother Abel, Gen 4. 2. Mankind is corrupted and destroyed in the flood, Gen 6-8. 3. The Tower of Babel, Gen 9. 4. Then in Gen 12 we see that the Lord creates for Himself a people from the seed of Abraham. The creation of the nation of Israel has always been a thorn in the side of Lucifer. From them come the promises to redeem the world. From the nation of Israel, in spite of all of their sin, the Lord has been faithful to bring forth the prophets who would foretell of the one to come who would fulfill this plan. Is. 42 6 “I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, 7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.” This is the crux of the problem when it comes to the Israeli “Palestinian” conflict. Need I remind anyone that, for centuries, the Jews have been persecuted by those who called themselves “Christians” in the name of “Christ”. They have been the most persecuted reviled people on the face of the earth throughout history. They were persecuted as far back as Moses. They have had to fight for their survival since day one of their existence, not to mention the things they brought upon themselves by their own sins. Yes, Satan has done everything he can do to wipe them off the face of this planet. Yet, not only do they continue to survive, they prosper against all odds. Twice, after their displacement, they have come back to the land as the same people with the same language. This was unprecedented in the world until accomplished by the Lord through Israel. They were threatened by all of their neighbors with the threat of annihilation or assimilation. They have gone into captivity and have been scattered from their land multiple times by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Muslims and others until their connection to the land was only a dream. Around the world they were hated and persecuted by the Roman Catholics, Spanish, Russians, French, English, Germans and many many more. So, when HaSatan realized he could not win using this strategy, he changed his battle plan. He decided to craft a people group totally made up out of thin air and he named them after the Philistines the enemies of Israel. He called them, in our modern tongue, Palestinians, a name made up by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 130 AD. This name was given to them by Hadrian to disassociate any connection the Jews had with the land. Satan was patient until the time was ripe. (Back then he had plenty of time on his hands.) So when it was strategic to do so he used the Philistine “wannabees” to enter the land from all over the Middle East and had them claim to be the real ancient indigenous people of the land. Then they asserted that they were the ones who have suffered under the hands of the evil oppressive imperialist Zionist dogs. Somehow the oppressed became the oppressors in their own land, and the world swallowed it hook line and sinker. To make matters worse some of the Jews started believing the propaganda themselves. The Jews felt guilty for these “poor oppressed people” so they gave them concessions by offering them a two-state solution in their own land. This was like offering a room in your house to a sex offender and asking him to be good with your beautiful daughters. After all, as long as he promised to be good he could stay in the room. But once the sex offender is let in, as long as he is there, he is going to want to defile your daughters. But I guess it is all right as long as the police know he is there, what could happen? We all know that the UN is a just and equitable organization looking after the good of all nations. Right! Hey give the Philistine wannabees a little land and they will be satisfied. Then there will be peace. After all, they have shown themselves to be a peaceful people, right? NOT!! Once a camel gets his nose under the tent, he wants in. Once he gets in I promise he is going to wreck the place. The problem is that all the world can see is the Jews trying to get the camel out of the tent, and all that they can say is…”be nice to the camel, he’s just a poor animal.” They should have kept their tent tied down. They should have seen from the camels’ past behavior that they don’t belong in a tent. I must admit this plan of Satan has proven to be one of his most effective to date. Sorry to say in the eyes of the world today that which is good is declared evil and that which is evil is declared good. So it is time for the body to see this for what it is. This is a spiritual plot to emasculate the Lord of Life, Yeshua, and His people of promise. Satan might have won another battle in this arena, but the war is not over. I cheated – I read the back of the book. Today, then, let me remind you of some of those promises that the Lord has made to Israel. These promises are not only for their benefit but for the benefit of the world. The Lord has a plan for the Children of Israel. The Lord has a plan for the future of Abraham’s children, and He has laid out that plan in a very clear and concise way. This plan has been articulated in the Word, and shows the deep connection between Israel and the rest of the world. I have provided the address and a brief description of the verses. I do hope you will look up each verse and read the entire passage. 2 Sam. 7:22 The Lord has established Israel as His people forever. Jer. 10:14-16 Israel is the tribe of His inheritance. Joel 2:18-27 The Lord will be zealous for His land. Joel 3:1-21 The nations will be judged; Israel will be restored. Jer. 31:35-36 The descendants of Israel will never cease to be a nation before the Lord. Is. 62:6-7 YHVH will establish Jerusalem as the most praised place in all the earth. All of these promises are for the benefit of the world, not just Israel. For it is through these promises that the Lord established a people for His glory to be spread out to the entire world. Although Israel displaced the seven ungodly, immoral Canaanite nations to take their Lord-given inheritance of their land, the countries surrounding Israel did not give up the portions of their own land for the establishment of Israel. This land is part of Israel’s divine appointed inheritance. The Lord gave them this land, and to the rest of the nations, He apportioned land in conjunction with the borders of Israel. Deut. 32:8,9 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the children of men, He set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel. For Jehovah's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. Josh. 14:1 Now these are the territories which the sons of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the households of the tribes of the sons of Israel apportioned to them for an inheritance, Josh. 23:1-5 Now it came about after many days, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their enemies on every side, and Joshua was old, advanced in years, that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and their heads and their judges and their officers, and said to them, "I am old, advanced in years. "And you have seen all that the LORD your G-d has done to all these nations because of you, for the LORD your G-d is He who has been fighting for you. "See, I have apportioned to you these nations which remain as an inheritance for your tribes, with all the nations which I have cut off, from the Jordan even to the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun. "The LORD your G-d, He will thrust them out from before you and drive them from before you; and you will possess their land, just as the LORD your G-d promised you. Ps. 78:55 He also drove out the nations before them and apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement, and made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents. This is why Israel is so unique in its creation. They were made by the hand of the Lord Himself. He is their Creator, and He is the one who can and will maintain them according to His word. Israel is the family into which the Lord wants to adopt the Gentiles. If you are a non-Jew, be grateful that he sought you out, and did this all for you. The Lord wants to fulfill His original intent and reconcile the entire world back unto Himself. Israel is His tool and time-piece that He uses to accomplish this, whether anyone else likes it or not. That includes the world of Islam or the United Nations. The Jewish context of the Gospel is not just an element that adds color and flavor to the message; it is the message. Israel is not just another nation among the other nations, it is the Lord’s. Threaten their existence as a people and you are acting as an enemy of the Lord. Speaking of Jerusalem in the context of the passage, the Lord says… Zec 2:8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, "After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye. I’ll tell you one thing that I know for sure, I wouldn’t want to be the one poking the Lord in the eye. I have avoided writing this blog ever since Governor Mitt Romney became the Republican candidate for the presidency. I am not a fan of politics. The way the process is conducted leaves quite a bit to be desired. I find that there are very few politicians that are truly public servants. Most are in the business of politics— not the business of public service. As a matter of fact, I have developed my own definition of politics and it goes like this: Politics… Poli = multiple Ticks = blood sucking insects, i.e., multiple blood suckers.
This country will never recover unless the men in public service understand that their role is to serve the people of this nation. I don’t look for that to happen anytime soon or ever for that matter. So here are my thoughts—solicited or not— on this year’s election. I would very briefly like to say that I believe that President Obama should be indicted for treason for betraying his oath to the United States Constitution. Since this is off my chest I will wait patiently for the secret service to knock on my door. Now let’s move on to Governor Romney. I have studied Mormonism fairly extensively over the years and I have concluded a number of things regarding that study. So I would like to share with you a little bit of that research. As nice of a guy as Governor Mitt Romney might be he is still a Mormon through and through. Just as the President has favored Islam and not Israel or the US Constitution, I believe that Governor Romney will do the same with his devotion to Mormonism. Call me naïve but what scares the living creepies out of me is the fact that so many “Evangelical Christians” have embraced Governor Romney calling him a “Christian” or a “God fearing” man. There seems to be an underlying non-stated sentiment that a President Romney would lead this country back to its “Christian roots.” My question to those sadly deceived brethren is, since when did the faith of the Mormons have anything to do with Biblical faith? So let us review some of the basic tenants of Mormonism for your enlightenment. 1. Mormons believe that their “god” created multiple, inhabited worlds populated by people. They also believe that multiple “gods” exist and each has their own universe. They are only subject to “their god” and if they obtain the highest level of heaven they can become “gods” themselves and have their own world and universe. (D&C refers to the Mormon book called Doctrine and Covenants.) D&C 76: 24 24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God. 2. In LDS doctrine there are three heavens: the Celestial Kingdom, Terrestrial Kingdom, and Telestial Kingdom. Don’t ask me where the Telestial kingdom is. I guess that is where they make tea. The Celestial is the highest, where their “god” and the ones who followed his law reside. The Telestial is the middle, where people who followed the Law of Moses reside. The Terrestrial is the lowest, where the ones who followed carnal law reside. D&C 76: 94-98 94 They who dwell in his presence are the church of the Firstborn; and they see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having received of his fullness and of his grace; 95 And he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion. 96 And the glory of the celestial is one, even as the glory of the sun is one. 97 And the glory of the terrestrial is one, even as the glory of the moon is one. 98 And the glory of the telestial is one, even as the glory of the stars is one; for as one star differs from another star in glory, even so differs one from another in glory in the telestial world; D&C 131: 1-5 1 In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; 2 And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; 3 And if he does not, he cannot obtain it. 4 He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase. 3. The LDS religion believes that their “god”, their version of Jesus and the Holy Spirit are separate individual beings. They also believe that their “god”, Jesus and resurrected beings have bodies of “flesh and bone.” D&C 130: 22-23 22 The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us. 4. The Mormons also believe that their “god” was a man who became a “god”. He inherited his own world and universe. Lorenzo Snow (April 3, 1814 – October 10, 1901) the fifth president of the LDS church declared in June 1840. "As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become." 5. The LDS “church” privately instituted polygamy endorsed by its founder Joseph Smith beginning in the 1830s. The “church” publically practiced polygamy from 1852 until 1890 when the “church” president, Wilford Woodruff, issued a Manifesto that officially terminated the practice of polygamy. Coincidently the US government declared it to be illegal around that time. Yet the 1835 and 1844 versions of Doctrine and Covenants (D&C) prohibited polygamy and declared that monogamy was the only acceptable form of marriage: “In as much as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband, except in the case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again.” Doctrine and Covenants, section 101, page 251, 1835 edition. According to historian Todd M. Compton, it was documented that Joseph Smith had at least 33 plural marriages or “sealings” during his lifetime. That number is disputed. The LDS “church” still practices the rite known as “sealing” (which is a Mormon priesthood ordinance that binds individuals together in the eternities) these are heavenly marriages to multiple wives sealed in heaven. This is done so that in the celestial kingdom Mormons who have risen to the place of “godhood” may have heavenly babies to populate the worlds they create. This is why marriage is so important to Mormonism. 6. In the LDS religion any worthy male can be given the priesthood and is given specific duties. Black people were not allowed to have the priesthood until 1978. Females are not allowed to have the priesthood. Official Declaration – 2, 1978 Aware of the promises made by the prophets and presidents of the Church who have preceded us that at some time, in God’s eternal plan, all of our brethren who are worthy may receive the priesthood, and witnessing the faithfulness of those from whom the priesthood has been withheld, we have pleaded long and earnestly in behalf of these, our faithful brethren, spending many hours in the Upper Room of the Temple supplicating the Lord for divine guidance. Those who were withheld were the black people. 7. Mormons believe that their version of “Jesus” is the brother of Lucifer. Mormon “Apostle” James Talmage: "Christ, the Creator of heaven and earth, tabernacled as He then was in mortal flesh, may not have remembered His preexistent state, nor the part He had taken in the great council of the gods; while Satan, an unembodied spirit—he the disinherited, the rebellious and rejected son—seeking to tempt the Being through whom the world was created by promising Him part of what was wholly His, still may have had, as indeed he may yet have, a remembrance of those primeval scenes." (James Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p.132) Mormon “Apostle” John A. Widtsoe: "The story of Lucifer is the most terrible example of such apostasy. Lucifer, son of the morning, through diligent search for truth and the use of it, had become one of the foremost in the assembly of those invited to undertake the experiences of earth. But, in that Great Council, his personal ambition and love of power overcame him. He pitted his own plan and will against the purposes of “god”. He strove to gain the birthright of his Elder Brother, Jesus the Christ" (John A. Widtsoe, Evidences and Reconciliations, p.209). 12th Mormon President Spencer W. Kimball: "Long before you were born a program was developed by your creators ... The principal personalities in this great drama were a Father Elohim, perfect in wisdom, judgment, and person, and two sons, Lucifer and Jehovah." (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, pp. 32-33). “In the wilderness of Judaea, on the temple’s pinnacles and on the high mountain, a momentous contest took place between two brothers, Jehovah and Lucifer, sons of Elohim… Satan, also a son of God, had rebelled and had been cast out of heaven and not permitted an earthly body as had his brother Jehovah. Much depended upon the outcome of this spectacular duel” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p.34). John Henry Evans, a highly respected Mormon author, noted: "As for the devil and his fellow spirits, they are brothers to man and also to Jesus and sons and daughters of God in the same sense that we are." (John Henry Evans, Joseph Smith: An American Prophet, p. 341) When Mormons use the word Jehovah they are referring to their version of Jesus. 8. The LDS “church” believes that the new Promised Land is America and that the New Jerusalem will be located in Independence MO as well as the US Constitution being an inspired document equal to the Bible. Here are some quotes from Ezra Taft Benson the 13th president of the LDS “church” from 1985–1994. “I reverence the Constitution of the United States as a sacred document. To me its words are akin to the revelations of God, for God has placed His stamp of approval upon it.” “I have faith that the Constitution will be saved as prophesied by Joseph Smith….It will be saved by enlightened members of this Church-among others-men and women who understand and abide the principles of the Constitution.” “We are fast approaching that moment prophesied by Joseph Smith when he said: “Even this nation will be on the very verge of crumbling to pieces and tumbling to the ground, and when the Constitution is upon the brink of ruin, this people will be the staff upon which the nation shall lean, and they shall bear the Constitution away from the very verge of destruction” (19 July 1840, as recorded by Martha Jane Knowlton Coray; ms. in Church Historian’s Office, Salt Lake City). “Only in this foreordained land, under its God-inspired Constitution and the resulting environment of freedom, was it possible to have established the restored church. It is our responsibility to see that this freedom is perpetuated so that the Church may more easily flourish in the future. The Lord said,” “Therefore, I, the Lord, justify you, and your brethren of my church, in befriending that law which is the constitutional law of the land” (D&C 98:6). The tenth Article of Faith of the Church states, "We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion [the New Jerusalem] will be built upon the American continent." Zion refers to a specific location to which members of the millennial church are to be gathered together to live. Stipulated by what is believed by the Latter-day Saints to be the revelation of Joseph Smith, Jr. (D&C 57:1-5), this is said to be located in Jackson County, Missouri and its county seat, the city of Independence Missouri The gist of the matter is that the “god” of the Mormons, who was at one time a man of flesh and bone, planned America so the gospel of the Mormon Church could be restored? 9. The Book of Mormon is a book considered to be the LDS scripture recording a contrived history that happened simultaneously as the Bible and takes place on the American continent. It follows the stories of two tribes who descended from the family of an ancient fictitious Hebrew man named Lehi. After their “Jesus” resurrection LDS people believe He visited the peoples of the Americas and preached the Gospel to the indigenous people who were descendants of these ancient Hebrew people who came across the ocean to a new promised land. 10. The Mormons believe that the book of Mormon is the most “correct book” on the earth. These are the very words which Joseph Smith said regarding The Book of Mormon. "I told the brethren, [the twelve Apostles] that the Book of Mormon was the most correct book of any on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." JSHC 7 Vol., 4:461 11. The LDS “church” believes that they are the new chosen people who have replaced Israel. Mormons believe they are direct descendants of the “House of Joseph.” Some say they are the lost tribe of Israel—either through descendants of the Tribe of Manasseh and the Tribe of Ephraim who migrated to America, or else through the Tribe of Judah who came to America after defeat at the hands of the Babylonians (fall of first Temple, 586 BCE). Conclusion This is a lot to digest in a very short time; but, the reason I wrote this blog was to make the point that politics is not the answer to anyone’s problems—especially the true believer. As both men are flawed, neither Mitt Romney nor Barack Obama has the answer. They will not lead this country in a direction that is Biblical or right. Both candidates have agendas that are frightening and could very easily lead us down a road of deception that is steeped in an anti-Messiah message. Many will be deceived as many have already been. I am not saying that we should abdicate our civic obligations. What I am saying is that we who call upon the Lord need to keep our eyes open. We need to know the signs of the times and not be lead astray. If the birth pangs described in Mt 24 apply to these times we are living in then the Lord help us all because it is going to get a hell of a lot worse. I have never before, in my lifetime, witnessed the numerous hits the USA has taken since Sept 11th 2001. Among never ending wars, natural disasters and political turmoil, it just seems like we should—by now—be learning our lesson. If this country does not repent from its sin, I am afraid many more innocent people will suffer. The hand of the Lord’s judgment is coming upon this country. The leadership promotes corruption and, as a result, sin runs as a free-for-all. On the other hand, most religious leaders ignore the times and continue to preach a flowery and mistaken message. Consequently, the true meaning of the Word of the Lord is discounted in favor of their heretical sermons. This neglect has opened the door for science to become the Lord of Life. This is what the Word says about the end times. 1Ti 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 1Ti 4:2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, 2Ti 3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2Ti 3:2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 2Ti 3:3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 2Ti 3:4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 2Ti 3:5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. The Scriptures are true, and they detail the events of the last days. We must then conclude that what we see happening before our eyes in this year’s election very well could be the end-time Scriptural fulfillment. In conclusion, let’s not be deceived by anyone. Satan has been trying for centuries to inaugurate, his man, the Anti-Messiah. The Lord, however, is not going to let that happen until He decides it’s time. It appears that Governor Mitt Romney and President Barak Obama could very well foreshadow the dreaded and long anticipated Anti-Messiah. One poses his policies from both sides of his mouth. Lying and covering it up all the way. The other presents his proposals using evangelical, ecumenical buzz words so that he sounds like a believer. Nevertheless, both doctrines are Satanic. I reiterate form above, I am not telling you not to perform your civic duty just don’t be deceived to think it is going to change anything. The Lord really does have things in control and when it is time for the end to come there is nothing we can do to change it. No matter how hard we believe that revival is coming I am afraid it is not consistent with the great falling away that will happen in the end time. The only things we can do is pray and preach the truth of His word like tomorrow is not coming. Mat 24:9 "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. Mat 24:10 "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Mat 24:11 "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Mat 24:12 "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. Mat 24:13 "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. It doesn’t sound too promising does it? Well, if you love the Lord then you can’t wait for that day. No political candidate or system is going to bring any real hope or change, just a lot of unfulfilled promises. Some would say voting for Romney is the lesser of two evils. My answer to them would be, Hitler or Mussolini, hmmm, hard choice to make. I realize this is an extreme example and I am not calling either of these men Hitler or Mussolini. But the point is still the same. One last thought. When the anti-Messiah comes, remember there is going to be three and one-half half years of prosperity. Is this what we are willing to settle for, a bowl of pottage (lentil stew) like Esau? Keep your eyes open brothers and sisters and don’t be deceived by pottage. Shalom uvracha b’Yeshua Rabbi Henry |
AuthorRabbi Henry Morse's ministry has taken him all over the world. He is an accomplished speaker, author, trained acrobat, and physical comedian. In addition to the active and growing congregation in Stoughton, MA, he and his wife Cherri helped launch a messianic congregation in Hilo Hawaii in 2011 and one in Maine. benafuchi@aol.com
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