1 Timothy 4:1 Clarified

Q. What is 1 Tim 4.1 talking about?

A. This is another misunderstood passage, so to fully understand it let’s do verses 1-5. In verse one it says that the Lord has very clearly sated in His Word that in the last days or later days known as the “Acharit Yamin” that some will fall away or depart form the faith. Now, you have to ask yourself “What was the faith?” What was the faith of the believers of the first century? What was Paul’s faith? He says in Acts 25.8 and 28.17 that he was Torah observant. He followed the commandments and the customs that didn’t go against any of them. All the people that wrote the epistles and the gospels kept the commandments. If Yeshua came to do away with them (which he said he didn’t in Matt 5.17) he sure didn’t get his message across to the believers before or after his death. So, the faith was the body of doctrinal truth found in the Scriptures, and that was obeyed and observed.

These believers kept the Sabbath, festivals, ate foods allowed in Lev 11 and Deut. 14 and did not eat those creatures not allowed in those chapters. He goes on to say in verse one that the reason they departed from that was because they were being deceived and paying attention to devilish doctrines. He says in verse 2 that they won’t listen because their hearing of the truth has been cauterized or seared. He then gives some examples in his time like forbidding marriage and abstaining from meat altogether. These items were done by the Gnostics, those involved in Mithraism and the ascetic lifestyle and so on. He said that these things were created by God to be received by those who believe and know the truth according to the Scriptures (Torah). That was the only Scripture they had. Everything created by God was good, but not everything was food. Many teach today that this verse means that one can eat pork. The pig was created by God and is good, but that doesn’t make it food.

Marriage is good, but some say no. Some don’t eat meat at all, and want others to do likewise but God never intended that to be a lifestyle sanctioned by Scripture. There are some who say that man didn’t eat meat before the flood, but it doesn’t say they didn’t either. But regardless of the view you take, you can eat biblically kosher meat today. Meat is to be received with gratitude (v 4) for it (the meat) is set aside, set apart, sanctified by means of the word of God (the Lev. 11 and Deut 14 list is were it was set apart to eat) and prayer (the blessings before and after meals-Deut. 8.10). So, in conclusion Paul is saying that in the last days there will be people deceived by false doctrine that will lead them away from the Torah and it’s instructions concerning marriage, meat and obviously implying other things as well.

Peter's Vision: Not About Food Laws!

Q. Did Peter’s vision in Acts 10 change the dietary laws making all meats clean?

A. The vision in Acts 10 has nothing to do with food or God changing the dietary restrictions found in His own Word. This vision has to do with people and the best way to teach that is to take the chapter verse by verse to show you what it is teaching. This is a perfect example of how the Scriptures have been perverted by false teachers and hopefully some of you will see the truth after this article. Cornelius is a Roman soldier who has come to believe in the God of Israel, but he has not become “Jewish” which was the process in the first century. Some believed that a person could not be saved, or have full “status” unless they submitted to circumcision, which was the same thing as saying “become Jewish”. Cornelius does believe in the Lord but has not come to this status as yet, and he has a vision to call for Peter in Joppa (v 1-8). As they were on their way the next day (v 9) Peter goes up to the roof for a nap and he has a vision. He saw heaven opened, which is a Hebrew idiom for a deeper insight, a revelation, and he sees a four-cornered sheet come down with all kinds of creatures in it. God tells him to “eat” which means to “accept, understand and make this a part of you” in symbolic language.

Peter says no, that he has not “eaten” these unclean things before. The voice in the vision says “what God has cleansed should not be considered unclean”. Let’s look at this a little closer. A four-cornered garment is something man-made and also alludes to the “four corners of the earth (Gentiles)”. There were man-made doctrines in the first century that said Jews were not to go into the house of or eat with a Gentile. This doctrine was primarily a Pharisee doctrine but widely accepted and included in what was called “The 18 Edicts” which most Christians have never heard about. The problem was God never said that. There is no law in the Scriptures that says a Jew and Gentile cannot associate. God was breaking down these man-made divisions in this vision. Peter didn’t understand the vision at first (v 17). He sees this vision 3 times and the Spirit of God tells Peter 3 men are looking for him and that he should go with them without any fear (v 18-23) because HE sent them. So, the next day he goes with them and enters the house of Cornelius (v 25) and the key to the whole vision is found in v 28. Peter says that they knew that it was unlawful (the 18 Edicts contained in the Oral Law) for a Jew to associate with a Non-Jew or to even visit him, but that God had shown him that he should not call ANY MAN UNCLEAN OR UNHOLY.

Peter has been given the meaning of the vision and he says it is about accepting (eat with) the Gentiles who believe, that they are not unclean in God’s eyes. Then in verse 34-35 he goes on to say “I most certainly understand now that God is no respecter of persons (show partiality to) but in every nation (four-cornered garment= four-corners of the earth) the man who fears him (animals in the sheet) and does what is right is welcome to Him”. And as Peter was speaking the Holy Spirit fell upon the Gentiles gathered there with visible signs following to confirm the fact. This showed that a Gentile did not have to “become Jewish” to be saved which was the prevailing doctrine of the day. God showed them that these Gentiles received the same spiritual benefits as the Jews without having to ”convert” to the prevailing man-made doctrines of Judaism.

Then in verses 45-48 there were Jews there who believed in Yeshua and they saw the manifestations of the Spirit and they came to the conclusion that there was nothing to prevent the Gentiles there from being immersed (baptized) after seeing them receive the Holy Spirit (an evidence of salvation and acceptance by God) just like they did. So, this chapter is about God breaking down the man-made divisions that prevented the Good News from going forth into the world. Peter’s interpretation of the vision (v 28, 34-35) says nothing about being allowed to eat unclean meats or anything about food. The vision is about accepting people no matter where they are from if they are believers.

Fullness of the Gentiles

Q. What does the term “fullness of the Gentiles” mean in Rom.11.12 and 25?

A. The answer to that begins in the Torah, specifically Gen. 49.19 where the term is used in a prophecy about Ephraim. Jacob says that Ephraim, who would later be known as the 10 northern tribes of Israel, would be scattered among the nations, or gentiles (Isa. 7.8, Amos 9.9, Jer 34.17,Hos 9.16-17, Ezek 37.21). The 10 northern tribes were “cut off” and divorced by God because of their unbelief. Later the 2 remaining tribes were cut off and divorced by God for the same reason (Mt.21 43) and scattered among the nations as well. So, what we have is all 12 tribes that have been driven into the nations due to unbelief. Rom 11 describes what happened and how the Lord will save Israel (all 12 tribes) and bring them back in faith. So, in Rom 11.25 he says that a hardening has happened to Israel (12 tribes) until the fullness of the gentiles (the tribes scattered among the gentiles, nations) comes in (by faith in Yeshua). Then in verse 26 it says that and thus (after this happens) all Israel (12 tribes) will be saved and he quotes Isa 59.20 (Rom 9.27, 11.5, Jer 31.1-7, 34.17, 31.10, Jer 50.17-20, Ezek 37.21). So, Paul is telling the gentile believers that what has happened to Israel was predicted. They have only “stumbled” but not fallen (11.11) and it is only temporary. God will again save a remnant of all the 12 tribes, put them together again (Ezek 37) and fulfill his promises. The term “fullness of the gentiles” does not mean when the all the gentiles who will believe comes in. It means those among Israel who have been scattered among the nations comes back to God of their fathers through Yeshua by faith.


Q. What exactly were the weak and beggarly elements talked about in Gal 4.9?

A. The context is man’s traditions, and this case it concerns the Jewish Oral traditions that the Galatians were struggling with. Jewish believers who had a strong attachment to these oral traditions were trying to impose on the Galatians some of these traditions, trying to convince them that their salvation was somehow deficient if they did not observe these things. The Torah commandments were never considered weak or worthless, but on the contrary were holy, righteous, good and perfect. It was the man-made dogmas that were a problem and still are today. Paul dealt with this in Col 2.8-23 also. The hand-written dogmas of man have no authority over a believer and we should not subject ourselves to them anymore. These dogmas are the customs and festivals of the nations and we are not to listen to the criticisms of the people around us when we don’t celebrate these things with them, but follow the customs and festivals found in the Scriptures (Col 2.16-17) which were pictures of the Messiah and the Redemption.

Gentiles vs. Messianic Believers

Q. I am confused about the use of “gentile” by some people. What do I call myself (not knowing if I’m Jewish or not) being a “messianic” believer?

A. The answer to your question is in your question, but let me give some information first. The term gentile has several meanings. The word itself comes from the Latin “gentilis” and it means “a people not Jewish.” The Hebrew term for this concept is “goy” meaning a stranger, non-Jew. Its plural form “goyim” means “nation” (Gen 12.2, 17.20) applying to Israel and it can be applied to non-Israelites (Deut. 15.6, 28.12, 36). Eventually the term can to be applied to unbelievers. Eph 2.11-22 is a good example of how one who was considered a gentile in times past can be spiritually brought near to God. In the 1st century these gentiles, which also meant “a pagan” had a specific term applied to them. They were no longer considered pagans, but God-fearers. This term is used in the book of Acts all over the place. The Greek term is “phoubemenoi” and you can see already the root of that word is where we get “phobia” from. They were also called “devout” which is the Greek word “sebemenoi” and that word is also used for these non-Jewish believers in Acts. These were specific synagogue terms used for these people and it was a compliment.

That probably doesn’t help with your confusion but it’s some back-round on this question, and it was something that has been dealt with for thousands of years. Now we come to some modern terms for a believer. The believers in Yeshua were called “mashiachim” in the 1st century and it is seen today as messianic. But, anyone who had an eschatological expectation of the Messiah was seen as “messianic” also. The term in Greek is where “Christian” comes from. In a Hebrew context it is “messianic, in Greek it is “Christian” and both mean the same thing. However, over the years there came to be a distinction between the two because of replacement theology. As a result, the term Christian today means something different than Messianic, and with two diverse theologies. So, with that in mind let’s get to the heart of your question. In my opinion, I don’t think the Lord really cares about what we call ourselves, what is important is what He calls us. He says we believe so “believer” is good. That’s what I go by a lot of times. I’m just a believer. Child of God or “son” in my case is a good one. Although I have Jewish descendants on both sides of the family, that doesn’t matter to the Lord.

Faith is what counts no matter what your pedigree is, so being Jewish doesn’t really matter except for some commandments that may apply. Some think that they have “Jewish blood” because Jews were scattered all over the world and there ”has to be some in there somewhere” they will say and they consider themselves “Jewish”. The problem with that is if there is no evidence for that in your family, then you can’t really back- up what you say and it can hurt your witness. Secondly, it’s like stealing the identity of someone then and you wouldn’t want that. Third, it doesn’t really matter as long as you come to the Lord in faith, believing in Yeshua and you keep His commandments found in the Torah. There is nothing wrong with someone who comes to faith from among the nations. That is what God wanted all along. There was no Jew or Gentile in the beginning. Man sinned and God redeemed him. God made promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and they represented all mankind in these promises.

Their descendents were to go into the nations and tell them they can have peace with God, and miserably failed but it didn’t stop the Lord. There has always been a faithful remnant that carried on the work and the world has heard the good news. When one from the nations comes in repentance to the Lord and in true faith they are grafted into the Olive Tree (Rom 9-11) along with those who come to faith from among Israel. The two groups become one in His Body, His Kahal, His Bride, His Name and there is one Shepherd and one King to lead them. In your question you called yourself a believer, so go with that and I’m sure the Lord has no problem with it either.

Issues Re: Catholic School Enrollment

Q. I have a Catholic friend who is twice divorced and has remarried. They have a son and when they tried to enroll him in a Catholic school, the priest said their son was illegitimate. Is that true?

A. I don’t have the whole picture so I’m going to answer the question based on the assumption that the first marriages had biblical reasons for the divorce. If that is true, then their son is not illegitimate biblically. Now, what the priest was referring to was the Catholic doctrine concerning divorce. They are very strict about it and it is almost never allowed as far as canon law. The Church of England was started because of this doctrine of divorce when King Henry VIII wanted a divorce and it was not granted. This goes back to the same old problem that has plagued mankind since creation, and that is making man-made laws the override what God has said. This is not a Catholic problem. The Pharisees of the First Century had a similar system. They believed there was two Torah’s, one written and one Oral. Yeshua took them to task on many occasions

about their traditions. The Orthodox Jews of today are modern day Pharisees and they believe that if a rabbi tells you your right hand is left and your left hand is right, you must believe them. They believe that the oral law takes precedence over the written when there is a conflict, thus invalidating the commandments of God. They teach that Moses received the written law and an oral law on Sinai, which isn’t true but they teach it. Now, we can shake our heads and say “How can they believe that” but Christianity does the same thing. The Catholic Church comes along and is basically formed 300 years after Yeshua. They changed many of God’s commandments including Saturday to Sunday as far as the Lord’s day, instituted non-biblical festivals and so on and man cannot invalidate God’s commandments. They believe in what is called “apostolic authority” which means that the leaders have authority from God to change these things because they are the spiritual descendants of the Apostles. They teach that Yeshua gave them direct authority to change things that are clearly written in the Scriptures and when you are ordained that authority passes to you and so on through the generations.

It’s the same doctrine the Pharisees believed and Judaism practices today. Protestants believe the same thing by the way so it’s not just Judaism and Catholics. Protestants say Sunday is the Lord’s day when there is no evidence for that in the Scripture and has never been proved. That doctrine comes solely from the Catholic Church. There are many more man-made laws that are passed on as biblical also. Now, with that back-round let’s get a little more specific about your question. Divorce under certain circumstances is allowed in the Scriptures (Deut. 24.1). It is not the ideal situation but we live in a fallen world and sometimes there is no choice (abandonment and so on). If your friend’s situation falls into a category like that then he is free to remarry and if they have any children they would not be considered illegitimate biblically. The priest made his remarks because of their Church doctrine on his divorce. He felt that if the divorce was not legal than any child born from a subsequent marriage would not be “legal” either. I hope this helps.

Michael Disputes with the Devil Over Moses' Body

Q.” In Jude 8 it says that Michael the Archangel disputed with the devil about the body of Moses. What does that mean?”

A. The purpose of the book of Jude is to warn believers about false teachers. Jude is pronounced “Yehudah” in Hebrew and it is where we get the name “Jew “ and “Jewish” in English. The book contrasts what happens to those who disbelieve the Torah, the Scriptures that Jude had. He wants believers to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints (Tzaddikim= the righteous ones) which included Torah observance. Faith is action and action is dead without obedience to God’s commandments. You don’t gain righteousness by keeping commandments. You believe God and that belief is” acted out” by doing what God said to do showing confidence which is what faith means. The first century believers all observed the Torah so that was included in his idea of “the faith” once delivered.

It has always been a part of “The Faith.” He then goes on to describe what happened to the angels who rebelled against God and how they are in darkness (power of their sin) and they will be judged someday. Sodom and Gomorrah is used as an example for those who disobey the Lord. Starting in v 8 he says that with all that evidence available people still revile the Lord. How do you do that today? By saying you don’t have to obey because “it’s been done away with” and “Sabbath has been changed to Sunday” or “I can eat pork and lobster because the Lord has made all foods clean” and all the other false doctrine out there today. False doctrine today is no different than false doctrine in the first century and that’s why I am bringing out examples that apply to us today. Nobody sees their false doctrine as false. But, it is no different than in Jude’s time and that is his point. The false teachers in his day are no different than the ones in Sodom 2000 before him, and no different than what the angels did 2000 years before that.

They may have committed a different sin, but it doesn’t matter. They did not believe. People who keep Sunday, eat pork, celebrate Christmas and neglect the biblical festivals, say the Law has been done away with don’t believe the Lord and it’s just that simple. Even the Messiah they believe in isn’t the one in the Scriptures because they say He is in favor of all of the above. These things are mentioned in v 8 by dreaming. They defile the flesh and reject authority (God’s word) and angelic majesties (the things belonging to God) by rejecting what it has said about keeping the commandments. Now, with all that in mind we come to your verse. This story is not mentioned anywhere in scripture. It may have been around in some form in other 1st century writings and is loosely found in others, but the Law and the Prophets do not have it. To mention things not found in scripture is not unusual. Paul mentions Jannes and Jambres in 1 Tim 3.8 but they are not mentioned in Exodus or anywhere. So what is going on?

This is probably a figurative story to illustrate what he has been saying up to this point. God’s ways will always be opposed by false teachers. The Torah is also known as “Moses” in the New Testament especially. Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses to their destruction. Gen 3.15 says the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman will have a hatred for one another. Satan wants to sit on the “mount of the assembly” (Isa. 14.13) to be worshipped which is the whole point of most theology today that is not Torah based. In Hebrew “mount of the assembly” is “har’moghed” or “armageddon” in English and that is where the devil tries to gather those that follow him (Rev 16.16). So, Michael (who is like God) is symbolic of Yeshua, the seed of the woman. The “body of Moses” is the body of the Torah that the devil has his “disputes” over.

He contested it in the Garden of Eden and has ever since. Jude introduces this story to illustrate that false teacher’s will dispute over Moses, or in keeping of the Law of God, like they always have. They do it today by saying you are “free from the Law” and “the law has been done away with” and so on. There is nothing new under the sun and then the rest of the book goes on to describe these false teachers and why they do it. Anyway, the story in v 9 is used to show that false teachers (devil) will dispute with God (Michael) about keeping the commandments ( the body of Moses) and we should avoid this and to remember what happened in the past when others tried to do this and failed.

Elijah and the Whirlwind

Q. In 2 Kings 2.11-12 it says that Elijah was taken up in a whirlwind to Heaven. What does that mean and what are the chariot of fire and the horsemen?

A. This is a very interesting verse and there is a lot being said here. I’m sure we have all seen a picture of Elijah riding up to heaven in this chariot and so on, but what is really happening here is your question. Elijah knows he is leaving and he is talking to his assistant Elisha. They are making a “farewell” tour of the schools for prophets that they had a hand in. As they came to Jericho and the school there, it seems they already knew that Elijah was leaving (2K 2.5).

He leaves Jericho going east and comes to the Jordan, wraps his mantle into a tight “club” and hits the Jordan and it parts. Now they walk on the other side and Elisha asks for a double-portion of the anointing, which is the right of the first-born son which spiritually he was in regards to Elijah. As they walk and talk they see a chariot of fire and horseman coming towards them on the ground. It separates the two and Elijah is taken to heaven and Elisha says “My father, my father the chariot of Israel and the horsemen.” So briefly, that’s what happened so what is going on? Elijah is a picture of the believer translated to heaven “in a twinkling of an eye.”

Elisha is a type of the 144,000 who see the Natzal (rapture) and receive a double anointing. The chariot and the horseman were not necessarily real, but God was communicating something by these symbols. Psalm 104.3-4 says that clouds are like His chariot, which this may have been a glimpse of, and He makes the wind His angels and fire His ministers. So angels can appear in this form. Remember Yeshua was taken up “in a cloud” in Acts 1.9. Then Elisha says that Elijah was his teacher (father) and a great defense (chariot and horsemen) to Israel through his teaching, his life and service. In Num. 4.3 it says that the duties the Kohathites performed in the Mishkan is seen as a “service” in English.

In Hebrew the word for service is “tzva’a” which means army or warfare. They were entering into the service, army or warfare of the Lord by doing the things that God wanted them to do in the Temple /Tabernacle. This was seen as spiritual warfare. When we obey the Lord He is our “shield” and our defense. So, Elisha is saying that Elijah’s service (warfare) and life in obedience to God on behalf of Israel was a better defense than chariots and horsemen. There is no coincidence that Elijah is seen as a type of the Prophets and Moses the Torah. They appear with Yeshua at the transfiguration as symbols of the Law and the Prophets, the 2 witnesses if you will.

Later in 2 Kings13.14 the same thing is said of Elisha at his death but there is no indication Joash the King of Israel saw anything. He quotes what Elisha said about Elijah (2 K 2) and recognized what a valuable asset he was and a great defense to Israel, just like Elijah was, and now that is gone. All the chariots and horsemen in the land were not as valuable as one true prophet of the Lord and he knew it. He was the “chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof “, in other words, behind Elijah and Elisha was the Lord, their chariot (Ezek 1, Psa 104) and horsemen (strength).

4 Horsemen of Revelation

Q. Have the 4 horses in the Book of Revelation been released already?
A. No …they have not been “released” yet and won’t be released until the Tribulation period. Remember this book is written in symbolic language and Hebrew idioms and a good knowledge of the Biblical festivals, Hebrew, the Temple and eschatology is needed to give it meaning.

Revelation 6.1-8 begins with these 4 horses. Four in the Bible is the number of testing, and the inhabitants of the earth will be severely tested. A horse in symbolic language has to do with strength. The first horse is dealing with the authority and strength (horse) from God (the crown) to take peace from the earth. This will be accomplished by many kings and rulers in the Tribulation but the false messiah is a main player here, who pretends to be righteous and peaceful (white horse) but isn’t. Daniel 9 talks about a peace covenant he confirms with Israel but breaks at the mid-point of the Tribulation. He will be fighting battles all through the Tribulation period, losing ground to the Russians for the first few years. Russia, feeling Europe and the false messiah have been neutralized, will feel safe enough to invade Israel where she will be defeated by God Himself.

Taking credit for their defeat the false messiah will move into Israel and declare him-self to be the messiah. Israel will reject him and flee to the wilderness of Jordan/Edom/Moab where she will be protected from the false messiah for three and a half years. He in turn begins to “make war” on anyone who has the testimony of Yeshua and keeps the commandments (Rev 12.17). So, as a result, the sword of blood/ war (red horse) is unleashed and the ability to bring about great carnage. The kings of the east will be fighting the false messiah, the kings of the south will be involved, the United States will be destroyed by a Russian sneak attack at the beginning of the Tribulation and not even be a player. The Arabs will be fighting along-side the Russians for at least 3 years and the list goes on.

Because of the wars, famine is a result (black horse) and food will be hard to come by, and whatever is available in the war-torn areas will be of poor quality (symbolized by the barley) and very expensive (a days wage). Then the last horse appears and that is a pale, ashen horse which symbolizes death (of the physical body) and Hades (the soul). As a result several billion people will die (a fourth of mankind on the earth), and as you can see none of this has happened yet because we are not in the Tribulation period and the false messiah has not been revealed (2 Thes 2. 1-12). All of these things have happened before but not in this magnitude.

Replacement Theology vs. Dispensationalism

What is the difference between Replacement Theology and Dispensationalism?
A. Before I talk about the differences, let’s look at some of the similarities. Both are hermeneutical systems developed to understand the Scriptures and both developed to help “explain away” Israel in some form or another. The newly formed Christian Church had trouble dealing with the fact that many prophecies involved Israel and the Lord’s blessings. That certainly could not be the case. After all, Israel rejected the Messiah didn’t she? How could the Christian Church appropriate the blessing given to Israel? This problem was solved when the theologians and church fathers formed the doctrine of Replacement Theology which simply said the Church is the New Israel and they replaced the unbelieving “old” Israel. Presto! Problem solved. The promises of the New Covenant are fulfilled in the Church.

But, just like Bullwinkle used to try to “pull a rabbit out of a hat” and got something else, so to this doctrine could not be defended when one studied the Hebrew, the context and the literal interpretation of the Scriptures. Yeshua talked about the future salvation of Israel, so did Paul. Daniel understood Jeremiah’s book literally. The allegorical interpretation that physical Israel really means “spiritual” Israel just didn’t hold up. Some people left this type of interpretation behind and tried to solve the age old question of how could the Church apply Scriptures to themselves if they were given to Israel historically? The answer was “dispensationalism” which said that God had a plan for the ages. He works with different groups at different times, according to what age they are in.

He would work with one group, then move on with another, then go back to the first group again. So, Israel could receive the blessing during the “old covenant” then another age comes along called “the church age” and he works with another group called Gentiles in the church. We have all seen the timelines with this on them. When the church age ends, then God goes back to work with Israel again. This differentiation between the two groups helped explain how each should relate to the Torah. Since the Torah was given to Israel it applied until God was done dealing with them. Once He stopped, the Torah stopped. In the future, God will again be dealing with Israel again so the Torah is active again. In short, the Torah applies to Israel. Since God is dealing with the Gentile church now, the Torah does not apply, and so on.

Replacement Theology replaces Israel with the Gentile Church, Dispensationalism just “puts a hold” on Israel while God does something else with someone else. Jews are made into Christians and the Torah does not apply in this “dispensation”. Of course, both of these models are false and cannot be supported by Scripture. The first century Apostles and teachers all appealed to the Torah for living and practice. They were told to follow the Torah and to use their example. Yeshua said He did not come to replace the Torah, but to give it meaning by obeying it, which also means to fulfill. He said that those who departed from the Torah would have no place in Him. John said that if you say you know God but fail to keep the commandments, you are a liar and the truth is not in you. The false teaching of the pre-Adamic world comes right out of dispensationalism.

This theory says that before Genesis 1, there was another world and it fell. God “recreated” the heavens and the earth starting in Genesis 1.1. I asked a famous dipensationalist that if what he said was true, then sin and death existed before Adam even though the Scriptures say they didn’t, and they entered the world through Adam. He simply explained it away by saying “That was a different dispensation.” So in comclusion both of these systems are not Biblical and if one follows them in thought or interpretive practice, the Scriptures will be a very confusing book for you. I hope this helps.

Christianity's Roots in Mithraism

Q. I’ve heard a little comment about Mithraism and Christianity. Can you lay out the actual history of such a connection if there is one?

A. Over the years I have given rather detailed analysis on this subject but it wouldn’t hurt to go over some of the basics again. IN the 1st Century, there was no such thing as “Christianity” as we see it today. The believers in the Messiah continued to observe the Torah and taught the Gentiles coming into the faith to observe whatever laws applied to them. They were all seen as part of Israel. The main contention from the Scriptures was not whether Yeshua was the Messiah or not, but what to do with the Gentiles that were coming into the faith. It was revealed by the Lord that they did not have to be circumcised (become Jewish) in order to have a place in the Kingdom of God. They were accepted by Him without it, but they were to keep the Torah. But, even in the 1st Century, there was opposition to the Torah among believers, and the spirit of the False- Messiah was already at work. That spirit is “lawlessness” according to the Scripture. The word means “without Torah” ( Gk> “anomos”). After the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, the Pharisees survived and restructured the “faith” according to their image into what was called Rabbinic Judaism. Messianic believers consisting of Jews and Gentiles continued, but a third strain was developing that was more Greek and Roman based.

This third “strain” was called Christianity and was made up of Gentiles who thought that God was doing away with Israel and they had been replaced. Christianity was contending with an already established religion in the Roman Empire called Mithraism. This religion followed the sun god Mithra, originated in Persia and it was 700 years old by the time of Constantine. The Roman army picked it up and wherever they went, Mithraism went until it was more popular in the Empire than any other religion. Its monuments have been found as far away as Britain. Some of the basic ideas of Mithraism are as follows: Mithra was co-equal with the Supreme deity, kept Sunday as their day of worship, their chief festivals were December 25th and the spring solstice (Easter). Long before Yeshua was born, Mithra was said to be born of a virgin in a cave and died on a cross at Easter.

They practiced baptism, made the sign of the cross on their foreheads and they considered Mithra “savior of the world” because he died to save others. For several hundred years these two religions co-existed until a major event happened. Constantine was Emperor in Rome and supported Christianity, even though he practiced Mithraism until the day he died. The one advantage Christianity had over Mithraism is that a person could have his sins forgiven through repentance. Constantine had a lot to be forgiven for (mass murder) so he didn’t convert until his deathbed because he was only accountable for the sins committed after conversion. The Council of Nicea was convened because Constantine wanted to consolidate all these political and religious forces into one, thus unifying his Empire. He was a good politician. So, the Council of Nicea was the birthplace of Christianity and it was around that time that Mithraism “disappeared”.

In reality, it was absorbed into Christianity along with many other superstitions. Remember, a rose by any other name is still a rose. Thus, Mithraism continued under a new name and it was the end of all the different sects and cults. They found a new home, everybody was happy and they now had an official state religion. The Emperor Julian followed Constantine and he went back to Mithraism, but he reigned 2 years and could not stop Christianity. His death was seen as divine approval for Christianity and the next Emperor Jovian improved the status of Christianity again and it never lost steam after that, and the rest, well, is history. I know it is popular to think that the roots of Christianity are from Israel, but in actuality it is Mithraism that contributed to it. Constantine said himself that one of the goals of the Council of Nicea was to “root out the last vestiges of Judaism” still remaining.

Not one Messianic leader was invited to the council. So, it is not possible that the roots of Christianity are Jewish when Constantine said himself he was ridding Christianity of them, and that’s what he did. You can get volumes of information on this by going to the Internet and looking up subjects like Mithra, Mithraism, Christianity, Constantine, Council of Nicea and so on for yourself. The information I just gave you is all there but don’t do it if you are not serious with the Lord because you are not going to like what you see if you want to remain in Christianity today. If Mithra is god, than follow him. If the God of Israel is God, than follow him. But you can’t do both, or serve two masters. The choice is yours. I hope this helps.

Two Goats on Yom Kippur

Q. What is the significance of the two goats on Yom Kippur?

A. This ceremony is found in Lev. 16 and it is very symbolic of the Second Coming of Messiah. One goat symbolizes the Messiah. It’s designated “to the Lord” (L’Adonai) and the blood from this goat is taken and it is used for cleansing. The second goat is designated “L’Azazel” in Hebrew and it means “to the wilderness.” The name is seen as another name for Satan and the False Messiah. Look up the term in the Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon and do some research on it and you will find that as early as 100 years before the birth of the Messiah Azazel was seen as the False Messiah. There is a teaching that says this goat symbolizes the Messiah but he doesn’t. This goat was led to the wilderness. The wilderness is seen in Scripture as the abode of demons and Satan. This goat is killed, not sacrificed to the Lord. These two are symbolic of the choices we make in our lives. Are we going to follow the Lord or choose Satan and the False Messiah.

This choice is symbolized at the trial of Yeshua before Pilate. On one side there was Yeshua, the Son of the Father, designated to take His blood into the Holy of Holies on behalf of the people. On the other side you had Barabbas, a murderer. So on one side there was Yeshua, the Son of the Father (Lord) and on the other side you had Yeshua, the son of the father (Satan). According to history his name was also Yeshua. Barabbas also means “son of the father” but it’s not our Father in heaven, but the father of lies who was a murderer from the beginning (Jn.8. 44). The people had a choice and they chose the wrong man, they chose Azazel instead of the one “to the Lord”. So Barabbas was sent “into the wilderness” (released) into the world and died. Even at Passover, the Lord was playing out a Yom Kippur scenario. Do you know how important it is to follow the biblical festivals of God? But the people “followed the wrong goat” and didn’t see the things that God is playing out right before their eyes.

And because they didn’t see it, their lives and the lives of their children were destroyed by 70 AD. But, it didn’t stop then. People today still follow the wrong goat, or “son of the father” or Barabbas if you will. They follow a replacement theology that says that the commandments of God have been done away with. They have replaced the goat designated “to the Lord” with the goat designated “to the wilderness” which is the spirit of the False Messiah. This Yom Kippur ceremony with the goats also tells us that Yeshua will return to Jerusalem on Yom Kippur of the 7th year of the Tribulation (Mt. 24. 29-31). He will take the goat Azazel (False Messiah) to the wilderness and he will be destroyed (Rev 19). There is much more to the significance of these two goats but I hope this helps.

Christianity's Relationship with Mithraism

Q. I’ve heard a little comment about Mithraism and Christianity. Can you lay out the actual history of such a connection if there is one?

A. Over the years I have given rather detailed analysis on this subject but it wouldn’t hurt to go over some of the basics again. IN the 1st Century, there was no such thing as “Christianity” as we see it today. The believers in the Messiah continued to observe the Torah and taught the Gentiles coming into the faith to observe whatever laws applied to them. They were all seen as part of Israel.

The main contention from the Scriptures was not whether Yeshua was the Messiah or not, but what to do with the Gentiles that were coming into the faith. It was revealed by the Lord that they did not have to be circumcised (become Jewish) in order to have a place in the Kingdom of God. They were accepted by Him without it, but they were to keep the Torah. But, even in the 1st Century, there was opposition to the Torah among believers, and the spirit of the False- Messiah was already at work. That spirit is “lawlessness” according to the Scripture. The word means “without Torah” ( Gk> “anomos”). After the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, the Pharisees survived and restructured the “faith” according to their image into what was called Rabbinic Judaism. Messianic believers consisting of Jews and Gentiles continued, but a third strain was developing that was more Greek and Roman based. This third “strain” was called Christianity and was made up of Gentiles who thought that God was doing away with Israel and they had been replaced. Christianity was contending with an already established religion in the Roman Empire called Mithraism.

This religion followed the sun god Mithra, originated in Persia and it was 700 years old by the time of Constantine. The Roman army picked it up and wherever they went, Mithraism went until it was more popular in the Empire than any other religion. Its monuments have been found as far away as Britain. Some of the basic ideas of Mithraism are as follows: Mithra was co-equal with the Supreme deity, kept Sunday as their day of worship, their chief festivals were December 25th and the spring solstice (Easter). Long before Yeshua was born, Mithra was said to be born of a virgin in a cave and died on a cross at Easter. They practiced baptism, made the sign of the cross on their foreheads and they considered Mithra “savior of the world” because he died to save others. For several hundred years these two religions co-existed until a major event happened.

Constantine was Emperor in Rome and supported Christianity, even though he practiced Mithraism until the day he died. The one advantage Christianity had over Mithraism is that a person could have his sins forgiven through repentance. Constantine had a lot to be forgiven for (mass murder) so he didn’t convert until his deathbed because he was only accountable for the sins committed after conversion. The Council of Nicea was convened because Constantine wanted to consolidate all these political and religious forces into one, thus unifying his Empire. He was a good politician. So, the Council of Nicea was the birthplace of Christianity and it was around that time that Mithraism “disappeared”. In reality, it was absorbed into Christianity along with many other superstitions.

Remember, a rose by any other name is still a rose. Thus, Mithraism continued under a new name and it was the end of all the different sects and cults. They found a new home, everybody was happy and they now had an official state religion. The Emperor Julian followed Constantine and he went back to Mithraism, but he reigned 2 years and could not stop Christianity. His death was seen as divine approval for Christianity and the next Emperor Jovian improved the status of Christianity again and it never lost steam after that, and the rest, well, is history. I know it is popular to think that the roots of Christianity are from Israel, but in actuality it is Mithraism that contributed to it. Constantine said himself that one of the goals of the Council of Nicea was to “root out the last vestiges of Judaism” still remaining.

Not one Messianic leader was invited to the council. So, it is not possible that the roots of Christianity are Jewish when Constantine said himself he was ridding Christianity of them, and that’s what he did. You can get volumes of information on this by going to the Internet and looking up subjects like Mithra, Mithraism, Christianity, Constantine, Council of Nicea and so on for yourself. The information I just gave you is all there but don’t do it if you are not serious with the Lord because you are not going to like what you see if you want to remain in Christianity today. If Mithra is god, than follow him. If the God of Israel is God, than follow him. But you can’t do both, or serve two masters. The choice is yours. I hope this helps.

Fall Festival Schedule

Olive Tree Ministries will kick off the fall festival season Friday. The following schedule is a list of events and times.

Rosh HaShanah - Friday, Sept. 25 - 11 a.m. Eschatology, Idioms and phrases of the Festival

Yom Kippur - Wed., Oct. 4 - 11 a.m. Service in the Temple - How it was done; Eschatology, Idioms and phrases

Oct. 8th - Sunday, Oct. 8 - noon - 2 p.m. Decorating the Sukkah

First Holy Day of Sukkot Monday, Oct. 9 - 11 a.m. Prophecy and The Temple Service - Beit HaShoevah (House of the water pouring service); Eschatology, Idioms and phrases. Festival continues into the week.

Tuesday, Oct 10 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. Bible Story with Elisa (children 5-12 please); 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. scrapbooking cards with Joan.

Wed., Oct. 11 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. Bible Story with Elisa (5-12 year olds only); 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. Mosaics; 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Socialization; 6:30 p.m. Basic Prayer 101.

Thurs., Oct. 12 10 a.m. - Bible Story with Elisa (5-12 year olds); 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. Crafts with Lorraine.

Friday, Oct. 13 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. Sabbath Q&A; dancing, socializing.

Saturday, Oct. 14 11 a.m. Guest Speaker: Gary Hunter

Sunday, Oct. 15 noon - Cook out (includes adult, children games, socializing)

Monday, Oct. 16 11 a.m. Yeshua's birth and wrap-up of Festival Eschatalogy, Idioms and phrases (Q&A).

The High Holy Days

This week begins what is called "The High Holy Days" or what the scriptures call the "Days of Awe." Rather than answer a specific question on this, I want to deal with the whole concept and meaning of these holy days and how they fit the prophetic scenario. Prophecies can have numerous fulfillments.

Many make the mistake of thinking that something was fulfilled in the 1st century so it can't happen again, but that is not G-d's way. I can show you many prophecies that have numerous fulfillments, sometimes many years apart. This will be very brief ,but the main concepts will be brought out.

The scriptures teach that there is a 7000 year plan of G-d. 6000 years are equal to 6 days, and the last 1000 years is the L-rd's day, or Day of the L-rd. You will see this time period referred to as "in that day" or "that day" hundreds of times. That last 1000 years starts out on a Rosh Ha Shanah, 6001.

Rosh Ha Shanah: The term Rosh Ha Shanah means "head of the year", but the biblical term for this day is "Yom Teruah" , day of the awakening blast. Tewruah can means shofar or shout. Themes for this day include resurrection, coronation of the King, judgement and Wedding of the King. Scriptural idioms for this day are "the day no man knows", last trump", "door is open" plus many, many more. How does this fit the coming of Messiah?. The resurrection of the dead and the catching away of the believers to be with the L-rd will occur on that day. Isa 26, Rev 4, 2 Thes 2, 1Thes 4, 1 Cor 15 are written with Rosh Ha Shanah idioms and themes, clearly teaching these concepts.

Yom Kippur: The 10 days between Rosh Ha Shanah and Yom KIppur are called "the Days of Awe". Yom Kippur, 6001 will be the first day of what is biblically called the "birthpains" of the Messiah. Yom Kippur means "Day of Atonement" and is known as "the Great Shofar", "the Day of Redemption", "face to face" and many more. The "birthpains" will last 2520 days and will end on a Yom Kippur with the 2nd coming of Messiah to Jerusalem. The Yom Kippur ceremony teaches this. There are 2 goats that are a part of this ceremony. One goat is called "L'Adonai", or to the L-rd and is sacrificed. The second goat is called "L'Azazel" and means to the wilderness. The term Azazel is used in the book of Enoch and other writings of the 1st century to be a symbol of the False Messiah/Satan. That goat is not sacrified but is killed. This goat is a picture of the False Messiah meeting his doom at the coming of Yeshua on Yom Kippur.

Sukkot: The final feast in the fall is the feast of Sukkot, or booths, which teaches the coming of the Messianic Kingdom and the reign of Messiah. There were Temple ceremonies for all of these festivals. In Lev 23, G-d gave 7 festivals to Israel and any Gentile who aligned himself with them in faith. These are not "Jewish" festivals because G-d clearly says that these are His "appointed times" and HIs "holy convocations.". The word "convocation" is the Hebrew word for "rehearsal". By observing these festivals, you are rehearsing the coming of the L-rd.

Spring Festivals: The spring festivals are Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits and concludes with Pentecost (Shavuot). Yeshua died on Passover, was buried on Unleavened Bread, rose of Firstfruits and sent the power of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The fall festivals ,just mentioned, will be fulfilled by HIm by raising the dead and taking the living believers to Him for the wedding, coronation and judgement, He will return on Yom Kippur , enter into judgement and set up the Messianic Kingdom on Sukkot. For the last month, our congregation has been taught the meanings of these things in detail with hundreds of scriptures and sources to study. Paul taught these things and told the Thessalonians that they were not in darkness and that these things would not overtake them unaware.

But many are unaware today because they have forsaken the Torah and the Prophets and have no knowledge of these things. Find a Torah teacher who can show you the whole counsel of G-d before it is too late. The coming of these things is very near, are you ready? G-d has an appointment with you on these days. Now, go and study!

Argument on Romans 14 Cont'd...

This week we are going to conclude last week’s question on whether you can use Rom.14 to justify the belief that the Law has been done away with. So, let’s go back and review a few things first. Paul is writing to the congregations in Rome. The synagogues were made up of 3 different groups we will call the synagogue Jews who did not believe in Yeshua and were referred to as “weak” on the point that they have not come to faith in Yeshua yet.

The second group was made up of Messianic Jews who did believe in Yeshua, and the third group believing Gentiles referred to as “strong” because of their faith in Yeshua. In the book of Romans Paul is addressing all three groups and dealing with a variety of issues. In Rom. 14 Paul is telling the believing Gentiles to accept the ways of the synagogue Jews and some of the particular opinions they have on eating and local celebrations. This is not talking about keeping the Torah and eating kosher food or not. The subject is how to deal with each other about non-Torah binding opinions. So, let’s pick up in verse 13 which is saying that they were not to judge others on how they serve God especially if what they are doing is not specifically forbidden in the Word.

In verse 14 the word “unclean” is “koinos” in Greek and it means common. Paul is talking about common, everyday food. If he was talking about unkosher items he would have used “akathartos” meaning ritually unclean. So, he not talking about someone eating pork and they shouldn’t say something, he is talking about common food. If someone doesn’t want to eat common, everyday food allowed in the Torah for some reason, don’t make it an issue and don’t eat it in front of him if it offends him (v15). The faith is not about food and drink allowed by the Torah, but being led by the Holy Spirit and not making an issue about things that the Torah does not specifically address. If the synagogue Jews don’t believe they can eat biblically kosher food and wine from a Gentiles because of their “halacha” or opinions, don’t get all upset. So, pursue peace with others and don’t tear down unity and the chance to bring these unbelieving Jews (weak) in the congregation to Yeshua for the sake of a stupid food argument that doesn’t even matter. So, if you are eating something permitted by God in His Word but eating it would offend someone else than it is evil to do it. This is not talking about going to someone’s house and they serve pork, and you have to eat it so they won’t get offended.

This is talking about people who are Torah observant, but their way of expressing it may differ. For instance, there are many today who will not eat meat and dairy products together because of a particular interpretation of a verse in Exodus. On the other hand there are others who do not interpret it that way and have no problem with a cheeseburger. What Paul is saying in these verse is don’t eat a cheeseburger in front of the one would be offended. It is better not to eat the cheeseburger if doing it would make someone else stumble (v21). Faith is acting on the Word as you understand it and your conviction (v22) and your faith will be revealed by what you approve of. So, if a person eats common meat and it fills him with doubts he is not acting faith in regards to what he thinks he should do and he thinks he has sinned. Faith is knowing what the Scripture says and doing it and unbelief is knowing what the Scripture says and not doing it. This chapter is not talking about the Law and how people shouldn’t judge another for eating things not allowed in the Scripture.

That interpretation is wrong and it is usually by people who know what the Scripture says about these creatures but they don’t want to do it. That is unbelief and that should be addressed. The truth about Rom. 14 is that all the groups in the congregation eat biblically allowed food, but some believe that they cannot eat meat or drink wine from a Gentile. Paul is telling these believing Gentiles to go along with this opinion when in their presence and to not let this become an issue because these synagogue Jews are watching how they react and to see if their faith was for real. Any contention or strife on their part would harm the most important goal of the believing Gentiles which was the presentation of the good news that Yeshua is the Messiah which is reflected in their changed lifestyle and the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Argument against Rom 14

Q. How do you counter an argument for doing away with the Law using Romans 14?

A. First of all remember that anyone who teaches you that the Law has been “done away with” is a false teacher. Secondly, you can’t use Paul to prove that because he was Torah observant himself (Acts 28.17) and taught others to follow it (1Cor 11.1-2). So, the problem is their premise in saying Rom 14 is saying that the Law was done away with, and it isn’t saying that at all. Christian teachers and their followers have little understanding of what the Scriptures really say and this chapter is a good example of that, so in order to answer your question I think I’m going to do the chapter verse by verse so that we can understand the chapter the way it was written and understood in the 1st century. Paul is writing to the congregations in Rome. The congregations at that time were made up of three types of people. The synagogue Jews I will use as a designation for the Jewish people in the congregation that don’t believe in Yeshua. The second group I will call the Messianic Jews, who did believe in Yeshua. The third group will be called the Messianic non-Jews and are gentiles who believed in Messiah. All three groups worshipped together in synagogues in the 1st century (Acts 15.21). The book of Romans was written addressing certain problems in the congregation and how believers in Yeshua should deal with them. Let’s jump all the way to Chapter 14. This chapter is dealing with gentiles who have come directly into the faith and to accept the ways of the synagogue Jews in the congregation. I am going to go verse by verse to give you a feel for what is going on:

V1…”accept the one who is weak in faith” …the weak in faith are those who do not believe in Yeshua due to a lack of knowledge (Rom 4.19-20,10.2) and that their opinions were still valid.

V2…”one man has faith that he can eat all things”….this verse is talking about eating common food (Gk “koinos) as opposed to eating vegetables. The synagogue Jews would not eat meat or drink wine of the gentiles. This is still done today and it is called “halachah” or how to walk. The salvation of the “weak” (synagogue Jews) is directly related to how the “strong” (messianic gentile) deal with the issue of food. This has nothing to do with the clean and unclean list of Lev 11. The issue of eating pigs and unclean animals would never have been an issue. The synagogue Jews or the messianic gentiles would have never eaten pig or any animal on the unclean list. The issue of “eating” is over clean foods that the synagogue Jews considered unclean halachically not biblically, and there is a difference. The issue is not over the food with Paul, but whether it is an act of love to eat this in front of someone who considers it a sin. For an example, an orthodox Jew would not eat a cheeseburger because they do not eat milk and meat products together. That is not biblical halachah but rabbinical. So, I would not eat a cheeseburger in front of an orthodox Jew because it offended him, even though I have the freedom to do it).

V3 … “let not him who eats (common food) regard with contempt him who does not eat (common food for some halachic reason), and let not him who does not eat (common food) judge him who eats (common food) for God has accepted him (He accepts the actions of the weak and the strong).

V4…”who are you to judge the servant of another? “The Lord is able to make him stand” meaning to make the weak (unbelief) strong (believe).

…”one man regards one day above another, another regards every-day”…There is nothing to indicate that this is the Sabbath or any biblical holy day. This has to do with certain halachically mandated days unique to the synagogue in Rome. They may have had certain fast days (Luke 18.11-12) or certain days that were considered special due to local tradition just like congregations do today.

V6… He who observes the day (whatever fast day/special day of the synagogue) observes it for the Lord…so leave them alone if it’s not a big issue. If he eats vegetables and observes certain days, so what, as long as they are not replacing biblical foods or holy days!

V7-12…these verses go on to say that the Lord died for all men and we should not look to another in contempt over non-biblical mandates and traditions and it all is going to get sorted out someday by the Lord anyway so don’t get all worked up over it. This again is not talking about not observing the Torah. This has to do with things that are just traditions or man- made local synagogue laws, not biblically binding commandments of God. We are to keep in mind the greater law in the scriptures, which is love of your neighbor.

People serve God different ways within the context of scripture. This is not referring to someone who does not keep the Sabbath and says we shouldn’t judge them. We are to judge that situation. This also is not referring to someone who eats pig and catfish as opposed to someone who doesn’t. I have heard it said that the “weak’ in this verse is someone who is Torah-observant and the “strong” is someone who isn’t bound by the Law. That is not what is being referred to here. Next week we will pick up in v13 and finish this important chapter on how to treat others when their opinions (not Torah commands) are not like ours in the faith.

Ephraimite/Two House Theory Cont'd...

This week we continue with our study of the Ephraimite/Two House theory and the flaws in that line of thinking. Let’s start with Jeremiah 31.31 which refers to the Brit Chadasha or “new” Covenant. This covenant is not new in the sense that most Christians have been taught. The word new is “chadash” in Hebrew and it means renewed, rebuilt, restored and is referring to the Covenant of Moab that God gave in Deut. 29.1 -30.10. What is renewed about this covenant is that the Torah will be written on our hearts which is another way of saying “born again” or “live.” Christian theology says the new covenant is a different covenant but that is impossible because the Torah is written on our hearts, not done away with. It is this change in us that allows us to obey the Torah. The problem is us, not the Torah. But notice that this covenant is given to Israel in Deut. and Judah and Israel in Jeremiah which is the same thing. Ephraimites/Two House, modern Judaism, Messianic Judaism teach that this covenant was only given to Israel.

But, the truth is that Israel was chosen to make this covenant with the Lord representing all the family of the Lord who would ever live. They were the “priests” who were to draw the people (including Gentiles) near. This was not exclusively given to just the Jewish people. That is an important concept to remember and figures into why Yeshua sent His followers in the 1st century unto “all the nations.” We all have come to know the Lord through the work of these people empowered by the Holy Spirit long after they have died. Israel was the ambassadors, recipients, priests of this covenant on behalf of the world. Jer. 31.34 says that when this covenant comes, you won’t need to teach his neighbor anymore. Now, we all know who the Lord says is our neighbor (Lk 10). When Israel came out of Egypt there was a “mixed multitude” and this is sometimes taught in a negative way. But, in Hebrew “mixed multitude” is “erev rav” and it means a large group of people “knitted, woven” together. Sound familiar? Non-Jews were always woven into the fabric of God’s plans and the new covenant was given to Israel as representing them, not exclusively for Israel alone.

They were to go out and tell the world the “good news” (basar) that the world has been reconciled and the promise to the Fathers (Messiah) has come. Well, I said all that to come to this. Non-Jews do not understand this, and for that matter neither do many Jewish people, but that is another story. Gentiles have tried to steal Israel’s identity for 1000’s of years because they don’t understand the whole role of Israel to begin with. Replacement Theology has been around along time. The Kings of Scotland had a stone that they said Jacob used as a pillow in Gen. 28. It is called the “stone of destiny” because the rulers believed they had a right to set up kings by the will of God. Well, the English Kings thought the same thing so they can’t have competitors out there so King Edward took the stone from the Scots. This stone has been recently returned to Scotland. The main issue here is the propaganda surrounding this stone and the need of the people to have their kings anointed on this stone to give them legitimacy.

This is what the Ephraimites/ Two House/ British Israelite/ Christian America movements have done, only without “the stone.” They have to “borrow” something in order to give themselves legitimacy so it’s the “we are the lost tribes” or “we are Ephraimites” or whatever to make them-selves feel important. To gain the acceptance of the leaders and those involved you have accept their teachings on this. They make you feel “special” or part of some “elite” group. There is no difference between all these different groups who try to convince people they are “the seed of Abraham.” The Scriptures are clear about how God feels about this physical “seed of Abraham” issue. He says that He can turn rocks into seeds of Abraham (Mt. 3.9). Being a physical descendent was not the point. The point the Lord makes is that it takes faith to be a seed of Abraham, not blood (Rom 4.13-16). Next week we will finish up with this question and hopefully tie up some loose ends.





This week we will conclude with this issue about The Ephraimite/Two House theory. It is the latest adaptation of the old Scottish-British Israelite theories, and it even goes back to the Book of Romans where Paul warns against arrogance by the nations (Rom 11). But, a rose by any other name is still a rose. Speaking of names, the Two House people prefer to be called Hebrew instead of Jew because they say Judah never existed until much later. Their publications will have names like “Hebrew Roots” and have subtle ways of getting you to see them in the right way, according to their theology. To these people Abraham was a “Hebrew” so they don’t like the term Jewish.” I’d like to ask them when did these “Hebrews” become Hebrews and just exactly how did they know? But I suspect they “knew” when someone told them they were and how they know is a little fuzzy. But I do know it didn’t come from the Lord. In Judges 12.1-6 the Ephraimites were driven so low that they had to falsify their identity. Now, people calling themselves Ephraimites are doing the same thing. Again, there is nothing new under the sun. Another problem with this is Jacob made up a small percentage of the world’s population and always has, until now. If you believe the Ephraimite/Two House movement they now make up 10% of the world’s population, and some say up to 33%. There is another question.

How did these “Ephraimites” come to speak so many languages and develop a different culture and lose the “Hebrew” roots all across the board. Go to any big city in America and you will see a variety of cultural expressions there. Where is the “Ephraimite” culture? It’s not there because it doesn’t exist except in the minds, books, CD’s, tapes and conventions of these people. There is no evidence in Josephus, a 1st century historian, to back any “lost tribes” theory and he ought to know. The New Testament mentions Anna from the tribe of Asher and James was written to the twelve tribes dispersed (not lost). Peter writes to them as well. Other Jewish historical writings do not support this theory either. These writers knew where they were and how to contact them. Ancient nations have all made war on the Jews (the name of one of Josephus’ books by the way). They have been tracked through history, from the Exodus from Egypt to the Hezbollah. Satan has made sure the “locals” have found out who they were and persecuted them.

Need I mention the Canaanites, Babylonians, Medo-Persians, Greeks, Romans, Moslems, Spanish, English, Russians and the Germans to name a few? This whole “identity” nonsense is for one reason and one reason only, to increase the flock so they can be sheared! It’s the same thing that can be found at the heart of any false movement… power and money. There is nothing new to what they are teaching and saying if you look back in history. So, in conclusion I hope this has answered the initial question from several weeks ago about why people call themselves this. The same evil thread holds it all together, can be found going back to the time of the Judges and all the way up to the present time. There is so much more that can be said about this but we will move on to other things and other questions next week.

Are Birthdays Pagan Celebrations?

Q. Does the Bible attach any significance to birthdays?
A. That is a good question and it comes up every now and then. There are some denominations and believers in general who feel birthdays and their celebrations are wrong, but let’s see what the Scriptures say.

Two biblical holidays celebrate birthdays. Rosh Ha Sha-nah means “head of the year” and is biblically known as “Yom Teruah” (day of the awakening blast). This term is found in Num 29.1 and is the first day of creation while others believe it was the day Adam was created.

It begins the civil year and it is how the years were counted from creation, so at least it is the “birthday” of the world and it is celebrated every year.
The other is Passover which is the collective birthday of Israel according to Ezek 16.1-14.

A birthday can be a day to express thanksgiving to God for another year, for bringing you into this world to experience life with Him, entrusting you with a calling to know Him and to be a light to the world. This day is like a personal ”Rosh Ha Sha-nah” and it is a good time to recommit to the calling God gave you and realizing with another year of experience you can accomplish things better. Birthdays are not “evil” and everybody has one.

You don’t learn about birthdays from the pagans. Birthdays were recognized by Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and anyone who had a genealogy and age mentioned in the Scriptures. If they didn’t keep track of them, how would a priest know he was 30 to enter service in the Temple? Yeshua knew how old He was and marked the time.
In Luke 2.42 it says He “became 12” so He had a birthday.

In Luke 3.23 it says He began His ministry when He was “about 30” so He had to know when His birthday was. Genesis 5.1-2 makes reference to Adams birthday. In Genesis 12.4 it says Abraham was 75 years old when he departed from Haran so he knew how old he was.

In Genesis 15.9 it gives the ages of animals, which you would have to keep track of in order to have a proper sacrifice to God. Exodus 30.11-15 gives a command to give a half shekel by those 20 years old and older.
A widow can be put on the list for help at 60 years old in 1 Tim 5.9 and the list can go on.

There is no connection between the birthdays in the Bible and the evil which happened.

Job’s children were not struck down for celebrating a birthday. Is it any surprise Pharaoh and Herod had ungodly birthday celebrations?
Bad things happened at weddings in the Bible too so does that mean we shouldn’t have weddings? Birthdays are part of our life-cycle so let the Lord lead you about celebrating birthdays or not, but there is no command against it. What it comes down to is it really doesn’t matter whether you have a celebration or not, it’s up to you.

'Two-House' Theory

This week we are going to continue dealing with the question concerning a concept taught in Messianic circles concerning what is the “Ephraimite/Two House” theory and how it is affecting believers. Those in Christian Churches may not be familiar with this, but the roots of Gentile Christianity have similar concepts, and some Christian denominations still hold to some of it but it is known by different names. We ended last week with 4 major flaws of the teaching, which will be abbreviated to “E/TH” for convenience. First of all the main premise of this theory is that there are “lost tribes” and this is a myth. There are lost “sheep” or people but not lost tribes. They were not lost after Assyria and Babylon deported some of them to Mesopotamia. Many remained in the land and participated in Hezekiah’s Passover. They were known up to the first century and came to Jerusalem in Acts 2. Much of the information sent out by the adherents of the E/TH theory get their information from the old British Israelite teachings, so there is nothing new under the sun. Because the mainstream Messianic Movement teaches that Gentiles have less status than Jews, many came out of those congregations thinking they were not “up to par” with Jewish believers.

There had to be a reason they had a desire to follow the Torah, so it had to be they were “lost Jews/Israelites” and so the theory was resurrected, painted with a different brush and packaged different and then sold to unsuspecting believers. They began to emphasize bloodline lineage (which they can’t prove anyway) rather than faith and that always appeals to the flesh. For some, and I have personally experienced this many times, this theory became a litmus test. Either you were for them or against them. This teaching is racist and designed to make adherents feel special and give them the “upper hand” over other believers. Rather than see their desire to come out of pagan beliefs and follow the Messiah and His Torah as a fulfillment of the Spirit’s work reaching Gentiles, they disregard their Gentile roots and say they are “Ephraimites” or “Israelites” and play a semantic game.

They avoid being called “Jewish” because that is “Judah” and they see themselves as from the “lost” ten northern tribes even though for hundreds of years before Yeshua all these terms were synonymous, as history will attest to. Their leaders teach that the union of Judah and Israel, led by “Ephraim” (themselves) is one of the most significant prophecies concerning the work of the Messiah. They believe that Yeshua died on the cross so that the “two houses” may become one, quoting John 10.14-17. But this verse has nothing to do with their false teaching about two houses. He is referring to those who are not yet in the Kingdom of God, whether they are Jew or gentile.

Ephesians 2.11-22 speak of the Gentiles as being “afar off” but they have been brought near by Yeshua’s death and are “one man” with the Jewish believer and an heir to the same promises, which had always been God’s plan. It has nothing to do with seeking people with a particular blood-line and it has to do with faith in Him. When the Lord speaks of sheep He means people not tribes. Yeshua, John the Baptist, Paul and every New Testament writer knew full well that bloodline does not save anyone and it was not the purpose of the Messiah to save a certain ethnic group. God created the nation of Israel to fulfill His promise to the fathers that through them the nations of the earth would be blessed. They are to be the ambassadors of the Kingdom of God, the bearers of “good news” (gospel) to the world that all men have sinned but now have forgiveness in the Messiah by faith. Israel is to be “little lamps” in a dark world reaching the lost sheep in humanity not a particular tribe or tribes.

The lost sheep includes gentiles. E/TH teachers have twisted these Scriptures to say something it doesn’t. Volumes have been written about the grafting in of the Gentiles into one body, one faith, one olive tree and so on. To these “Ephraimites” the good news is that they are of ancient Israel and the sooner they realize their destiny the sooner certain prophecies can be fulfilled, but like Don Quixote they are fighting windmills and chasing the wind. James knew where the 12 tribes were (1.1) and knew how to get a hold of them. Yeshua did not die on the cross to unite the “two houses”. The Jewish people of the first century understood the role of the coming Messiah quite well. They knew that when the true Messiah came he would go to the Gentiles. In John 7.34 Yeshua said He was going away and they could not go with Him. They wondered among themselves whether He was now going to the Gentiles to teach.

They knew that the prophecies clearly state the one of the signs that Messiah had come would be the salvation of the Gentiles. Paul used his work among the Gentiles and the signs he saw as evidence that Yeshua was the Messiah. That’s why he was sent among the Gentiles to begin with, it was to seek the lost sheep and to teach them. Isa 56.6-8 plainly says that the Gentiles would join themselves to the Lord and serve Him and that He would “gather them” just like He did with Israel. The terms “afar off” and “scattered abroad” have to do with people separated from God spiritually, not physically. In Acts 1.6-8 the disciples (talmidim) ask Yeshua about this “physical reunion” they heard about and when it was going to happen. They thought Yeshua was going to be like King David and restore the physical kingdom and the tribes to their rightful “status” with all the other kingdoms under their authority. But Yeshua told them they didn’t have the right idea about it all and to go into the world and teach the good news and stop worrying about all that “other stuff.”

The “hope of the fathers” and the “promise of the Father” was the Messiah Himself (Gen 3.15) who would destroy the enemies of mankind (sin and death) and reconcile the world to Himself. Yeshua’s job was a lot bigger than just Israel, the tribes and it crossed every border of the world, they just didn’t understand that and neither do the adherents of the E/TH theory. They were told to get out there and be salt and light to every creature, teaching them about the redemption through Yeshua and making them students of the Kingdom of God. It has nothing to do with “lost Ephraimite identity” and the joining together of “two houses” and so on. Next week we will pick here with several other concepts including to whom was the New Covenant referring to and given to.

Are Gentiles Ephraimites?

Q. What is the basis for Gentile believers or Christians to identify themselves as “Ephraimites?”

A. Over the last 26 years I have been teaching the Scriptures, this question or ones like it have come up. So, over the next several weeks this will be dealt with and hopefully bring some much needed light to the subject for many who read these articles. It won’t be in massive detail but it will be enough for people to stay clear of this teaching and similar ones. The premise for this belief is when the northern 10 tribes rebelled against God they were dispersed among the Gentile nations, becoming a part of them. A remnant of these tribes including Ephraim, were preserved because they did not rebel and are included among those who call themselves Jews. Most of these “Ephraimites”, as they like to call themselves, claim to have blood lineage so they don’t call themselves “spiritual Ephraimites.” This is an old theological premise and has its roots in the British Israelite theories that were adopted by the World Wide Church of God and others.

It is similar to “The Two House” and “Messianic Israel” movements popular today. Seizing the opportunity to make money, this “call” to the lost Ephraimites goes out through tapes, printed media and massive conferences to unsuspecting people who have no mature knowledge of the Scriptures and believe this false teaching and that’s what we are going to look into over the next few articles. Ephraimites, Two House, British Israelites were never called to discover themselves among America, Britain or any nation. In past articles the concept of the “Lost Tribes” has been dealt with and it is a myth so that won’t be emphasized this time because there is so much more to this. The term “Two House” never appears in Scripture and this is a term that is only a few years old.

Those who claim to have Ephraimite /Two House identity without any evidence is stealing the identity of a person. It’s like trying to cash in on a bank account (blessing) by using the ID card of someone else. It is a lie and just a work of the flesh. God never called His people to build institutions or programs or theologies that put up walls between believers. These current movements come out of the racism and prejudice of the leadership of the current Messianic Jewish movement who teach a two-class system in their congregations. Many “Ephraimites” were once a part of this movement but were not included as equals. This can be well established by the leaders own words and actions. The problem is the “Ephraimite/Two House” adherents have a desire for Torah that far exceeds their spiritual maturity.

We don’t need to find an “identity” outside of the identity described for us in Scripture like “New Creation” in Yeshua, “servant”, “friend”, “Children of God”, “sons/daughters” and so on. There are four theological errors in these theories. First, it is built on the myth that the tribes lost their identity when Scriptural and historical evidence shows otherwise. Second, it has most believers in Yeshua being a descendent of these lost tribes when God’s plan is for all nations, not just descendants of Jacob to be saved. Third, they teach that only when believers realize their true identities can the prophecies of the union between Israel and Judah be fulfilled.

However, Scripture teaches that this union comes as a distinct event from the salvation of the Gentiles. And lastly, you can’t prove you are descended from a lost tribe anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. Yeshua, John the Baptist and Paul taught that it took faith to be a “seed of Abraham” not blood. Next week we will continue with this question in more detail so this is just an introduction if you will. We will “dig in” to this subject and deal with the above four errors and how it relates to what the Lord is trying to accomplish in these last days.

Observing communion

Q. Do you celebrate communion and what is your understanding of the sacrament?

A. That is a good question and I will try to answer it as clearly as I can in this limited space, so forgive me before hand if there is something unclear. We have “communion” in our congregation but not in the Christian sense. The term “sacrament” is defined by Christian theology as something instituted by Yeshua, like baptism. But, baptism was not instituted by Yeshua. It was practiced for centuries before He ever lived. Communion or the “Eucharist” as practiced today was not instituted by Yeshua either and is not biblical. Having said that, what is taught in the Scriptures? There is a “Lord’s Supper” or meal consecrated to God taught all through the Scriptures. These are meals dedicated to the Lord and centered around certain themes, celebrations or remembrances. They are done surrounding covenants that are made between 2 parties. A Lord’s Supper was just that, a supper. It had prayers, songs and blessings. Table fellowship was very important at these meals as was proper behavior. Paul had much to say about all this in 1 Cor. 11. Passover is considered a Lord’s Supper where we “commune” together and “break bread (eat)” and this is done at many festivals.

You can have a Lord’s Supper at home with your family. Many have Sabbath meals with the family and this is considered a meal consecrated to God. The Christian practice of “communion” came out of this Jewish practice somewhat, but it also has its roots in pagan Mithraism. They were very strong in the Roman world and information can be investigated by doing your own research into Mithraism and look up their practice of what they called the “lord’s supper” and you will find it is very similar to the practice in churches today. They had a small, round piece of bread like the Sun, eaten with wine. The Emperor Constantine was “pontiff” and the High Priest of Mithraism at the time when he presided over the Council of Nicea.

It was at this council when Constantine said they met to “root out the last vestiges of Judaism” remaining in “the church.” So, the festivals and practices done for so long were being replaced by the “mass” and “Eucharist” as substitutes. As a result, the historical and biblical truth surrounding what the Lord’s Supper was disappeared and was forgotten. Most Synagogues practice what is called a Kiddush involving Challah bread and wine and every-time we do it I can’t help but remember Yeshua. Now, concerning the actual bread and wine, there are two main ideas about them in Christian theology. The first concept is called “transubstantiation” and that says the bread and wine are changed into the actual flesh and blood of Yeshua, although it still looks like bread and wine.

This is a doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church today, which had its roots at the Council of Nicea. The Lutheran concept is called “consubstantiation” and that says that the body and blood of Yeshua “coexist” with the bread and wine and neither view is biblical and are extreme interpretations, with other views falling somewhere between them. So, we do practice the Lord’s Supper quite often and the bread and wine are always in remembrance of Yeshua, but it isn’t “communion” in the Christian Church sense which developed later.

Palm trees, Isaiah 40:31, Judging

Q. What is the spiritual significance of the palm tree?

A Tree’s in the Bible are symbols of humanity. The Hebrew word for palm is “tamar” and right off several people in the Bible should come to your mind. The tree is symbolic for righteousness (Ps 92.12 which is a psalm for the Sabbath day, which is also significant. It is used as a symbol of victory (Rev 7.9) and they were used in this way before Yeshua as he entered the city during Passover week. They are also symbolic of “flourishing” in the things of God (Song 7.7) and tall, reaching into the heavens. They were pictured in Solomon’s Temple ( 1K 6.29) for all the above reasons because only the righteous will be in the presence of God. It gives us a picture of the Garden of Eden and the tree’s that were there, so naturally they would be portrayed in the Temple. There are some who think that the date palm was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil ( Gen 2.8, Ezek 41.18-26) and the almond tree the tree of life ( Num 17.8).


Q. What would your response be to a fellow believer who says “you shouldn’t judge?”

A. I would immediately say that he just violated his own rule by judging me by telling me not to judge! Then, I would tell them that we are not to judge by our own standards and morals but with righteous judgment from the Scriptures. We are to judge everything by that standard and to do otherwise would be very dangerous. Then we set up our own ways and standards and that is why there are so many belief systems out there. That’s how the Torah was “done away with” by so many professed believers and it was replaced by man’s theologies and ways. But our ways are not God’s ways, nor our thoughts His thoughts (Isa 55.8). So, Yeshua says we are to judge, but use righteous judgment. Paul admonishes the Corinthians for not properly judging a situation in the midst and getting a congregational court together to deal with the situation (1 Cor 6.1-5). We are also told to judge the fruit of others to make sure they are believers ( Matt. 7.15-23). So, when someone says that to you, it probably means you have gotten a little too close to something and they are trying to get you to feel like you are doing something wrong. But, judgment in the Scriptures is something that God gives us and it should be used in the proper context.


Q. What does Isa. 40.31 mean?

A It means that those who wait (honor, serve, hope in) the Lord will gain strength when tired, renew again. They will mount ( swift, strong ) up (towards heaven) like an eagle. They will run (make haste to keep the commandments) and not tired of them or think they are “bondage”. They will walk (again in the commandments and ways of God) and not become weary. We are all capable of temporary enthusiasm. It is harder to follow the Lord day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year when the “glory and the hoopla” is gone and still be undeterred by trials and meeting them with faith and enthusiasm.

Jewish Prayer Book

Q. What is your opinion about believers using the Jewish Prayer Book for prayer?

A James 5.16 speaks about the effectual prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much, and that is the goal and the heart of prayer, to mean something. The Apostles (talmidim) saw that Yeshua’s prayers were accomplishing things and they asked Him to teach them how to pray, and the Lord gave a model prayer in Matt 6 and Lk 11. This is not an original prayer but a “model” meaning we should pray as the Scriptures teach us. This prayer was not meant to be repeated verbatim but it summed up the major themes found in the Word.

This indicates many things. The Jewish people were not hypocrites because they did not know what to say, and Yeshua’s prayer model would be very acceptable in the first century and very familiar. Jewish prayer was fine and Yeshua used them in His model. The problem was not in the prayers themselves, the words or content. All of that was consistent and as it should be. The problem was they did not pray with sincere hearts, with repentance and truth, with true faith. The best prayer is useless when it doesn’t express the true intentions of the heart.

The Lord looks at the heart and He examines any prayer by the faith in which it is offered. Any Jewish person in the first century would’ve agreed with, consented to and approved of His model prayer and would have understood it as such, a model. There is a warning about praying the same words over and over again in the Scriptures thinking repetition will gain favor with the Lord. This was the Jewish mentality. The ritualist/ legalist mentality will insist on the repetition of the same prayers over and over again 3 times daily, which was and is the practice today.

In the “Didache”, which is a Christian book that is very ancient, there is a section on prayer that said that Christians should pray the Lord’s Prayer 3 times a day, obviously imitating the Jewish practice. This ritual carries with it the deadly mistake of turning prayer into a “performance” instead of the true intentions of a hungry heart reaching out to his Father. We would not approach our earthly fathers like that, how much more our Heavenly Father! Our prayers should be the genuine expression of heart that loves Him and filled with gratitude. That is true prayer.

But, the form and content, no matter how “orthodox”, is worthless without true dependence on the Lord. If the prayer is not the true and honest utterance of your heart, it will not be effectual. The Apostles prayed many of the prayers found in the Jewish Prayer Book, called a “siddur” which means “order of prayer”. But they wanted to know “how to pray” more effectually because it wasn’t working for them and they knew it. There are many beautiful prayers found in the prayer book, and other places.

But, we must avoid praying the letter if it doesn’t express the true intentions of the heart. Liturgical prayer, corporate prayer and private prayer were done in the Temple, at the command of the Lord. There are several prayers in the Bible that God specifically said to pray when you worship (Dt 21.1-9; Dt 26.1-15; Num 6.22-27; Num 5.11-28). The Book of Psalms is a song book and used by the Levitical choir in the Temple.

So, it’s not that we cannot pray or sing a written prayer, but we must be careful about turning them into a mundane ritual void of the true intentions of the heart. Lastly, the prayer called “The Lord’s Prayer” is really a model on how to pray. For the real “Lord’s Prayer”, read John 17.1-26. I hope this helps.

God's Name

Q. Why is the Hebrew letter “shin” symbolic of God’s name (yod, he,vav,he=YHVH) but there isn’t a “shin” in it?

A. The Hebrew letter shin has three “heads” to it and looks like an English “W” in a way, for those who don’t know Hebrew. It is pronounced like “sh” in English. In Deut 12.11 God says “ Then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there…you shall bring all that I command you…your burn’t offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the heave offerings of your hand and all your choice vows which you shall vow unto the Lord.”

What He is describing is the eventual Temple site in Jerusalem. The city has three valleys called the Hinnom, the Tyropean and the Kidron. These three valleys form the letter shin. Now, God has several names beginning with this letter like “shaddai” and “shalom” and that is why His name is symbolized by this letter. In Gen 22 Abraham is coming from the south to Moriah, and from afar off could see the place where he was to go. Back then, the shin could be plainly seen from where he was and that was how he knew where to go. In light of this, when the priests invoked God’s name on the people through the Aaronic blessing found in Num 6, they would form the letter shin with their hands.

Let’s look at some spiritual aspects to this. In Rev 14.1 it says that believers have the name of God written on their foreheads. The forehead is the seat of thinking and intellect so it means they have the commandments on their minds and obviously obey them. Torah observance (Sabbath, Kosher, biblical festivals and having the belief they are not “free from the Law”) is a part of their walk with God (Rev 12.17, 22.19). In Deut 6.8 it says that God’s word (Torah) is written on their hands (action) and forehead (intellect). So, a believer is “marked” by what we do and think.

On the other hand the letter shin is also the first letter of the title “Satan” but is pronounced with an “s” sound. If you put three Hebrew letter “vavs” together you can form what looks like a shin, but isn’t. Vav in Hebrew is also the number 6, so, 6,6,6 in Hebrew can look like God’s name but isn’t. Many follow what looks like God’s way but isn’t and they are really following a false religion. Rev 13 says that those who follow the false messiah are “marked” by his name (3 vavs=6,6,6) in their hand (action) and their foreheads (intellect). What does this mean?

Unless you have wisdom, you may be thinking you are following God, but id you aren’t keeping the commandments you are actually following the false messiah and are marked by your actions and intellect with his name, not God’s. So we are already marked by what we do. Many are looking for a tattoo or a micro-chip in their hand/forehead, but are spiritually marked already by their refusal to follow the commandments, believing they have been “done away with” and follow man-made doctrines instead of the Word.

The mark of the beast is non-Torah observance spiritually. But, if we follow the Lord we are marked by His name spiritually. This concept is seen in Ezekiel 9.4-6 where God marked those who were to be spared from coming judgment. There is more to this but I hope this answers your question

Referring to God as 'Allah'

Q. Many Christian missionaries to the Muslim world witness to Muslims using “Allah” for the Christian G-d. I say this is dangerous, what is your opinion?

A. What it comes down to is several things. What is the meaning of “allah” and what is the name associated with. Allah is the Arabic for “al” (the) and “ialah” (god). It is the Arabic equivalent to the Hebrew “eloah” which means the same thing. This appears in the Bible as the plural “elohim.” So, Allah can be used to describe the true G-d if you are in Muslim countries.

Paul used “theos” to describe the L-rd even though it was also used in Greek paganism for their gods. The Scriptures refer to the L-rd as “ba’al” and “el” also, which were Canaanite names for their deities. The problem is Allah has a unique history of its own and it predates Mohammed.

It all comes down to what you mean when you use it. If using it invokes a different idea than the G-d of the Scriptures in the mind of the hearer, than it shouldn’t be used and it adds to the confusion. If it doesn’t and the hearers understand that you are referring to the G-d of the Bible, there isn’t a problem. The Muslims don’t like Christians using the name either because of the confusion so it comes down to whatever the local custom is wherever these missionaries go. By the way, neither Allah or Eloah are names anyway, they are titles.

Q. What is the Galatian controversy? Is it saying Christians don’t have to obey the Law anymore?

Q. What is the Galatian controversy? Is it saying Christians don’t have to obey the Law anymore?

A. The book of Galatians is a misunderstood book by many and this is a good question. There are two main themes of Galatians. First, Paul was teaching that gentiles did not have to convert to Judaism to have a place in the Kingdom of G-d and to be saved through ritual circumcision. Second, Paul is not criticizing the written Torah but the Oral additions to it. So, let’s look at the circumcision issue. In the first century, oral traditions were added to the body of Jewish law. This is in violation of Deut. 4.2. These additions made up 95% of Jewish law. One of the additions said that gentiles had to convert to Judaism to be saved, and the sign of that is circumcision. That law was based on several Scriptures in the written Torah, Gen. 17 and Exo. 12. Many today still think a gentile believer needs to be circumcised, citing these same Scriptures and using the same line of thinking as these first century “Judaizers” and my response to that is the same as Paul. G-d clearly showed they did not in Acts 10 with Cornelius. That whole chapter is about how G-d has accepted people and it is not about doing away with the food laws, again a misinterpretation. Peter said the vision he saw was about people, not food (v28). Now there are several terms that need to be clarified in order to understand what Paul was saying in Galatians. When he says “not under the law”, there is no “the” in Greek. It should read “not under law.” It’s the same when he says “works of the law.” It should say “works of law.” Now, when Paul said the gentile believer (or Jewish for that matter) is not under law, or works of law, and knowing that 95 % of the body of Jewish law was oral additions of man, what was he saying? He was saying that the oral law has no authority over a believer. Oral laws were written by men and men makes mistakes, but the written law of G-d was written by G-d and He doesn’t. So, the Galatians did not have to obey man’s laws concerning gentile conversion to Judaism, which included circumcision. G-d had already showed them that gentiles were being saved and filled with the Spirit without circumcision, so why listen to people who say they were lacking in some way. They were already accepted by G-d. To accept circumcision is accepting man’s law and now it becomes a dead work. So, Paul says in Gal. 5.3 that if they accept circumcision according to the oral law additions, they were to obey “the whole law.” When he says the “whole law” he means all the oral additions of man. If you accept it as having authority over you, than accept all of it. G-ds written law was already accepted as having authority, so he has to mean the oral additions here. Also, in Gal. 4.9-10 he says they were turning to the weak and beggarly elements, where they desired to be in “bondage” again by observing days, months, times and years. To suggest that Paul is saying that the L-rds festivals in the Torah are “weak and beggarly” is ignorant and inconsistent on how believers felt towards the written laws of G-d. Again, what Paul is talking about is the additional Jewish festivals, holy days, fasts and feasts in the oral law, not commanded by G-d. Some of these include Chanukah, Purim, the fasts listed in Zech 8, the fast of Esther, the feasts of Acra and Nicanor, the feast of Wood-carrying, the New Year for Tree’s, (actually there were many “new years” in the oral law), semi-public fasts on Monday and Thursday, doubled the opening and closing days of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. There’s not enough room in this article to list them all, but it was these additions he was alluding to, not what was written in the Scriptures. Paul was angry over the fact that these Galatians started out “in the Spirit” but felt they had to be perfected in the fleshly human additions. He never once hinted that believers were not to obey the written law of G-d found in the Scriptures. I hope this helps.