Q. Why did Yeshua thank the Father for hiding certain things from the wise and intelligent and revealing them to babes.

A.You referring to several verses in the New
Testament. One is in Matt. 13. 10-23 and another can
be found in Luke 10. 21-24. Basically what he is
saying is that earthly intelligence, bible knowledge
and degrees are not what is required to know Him or to
understand His word. It's all God's work and His
Spirit reveals these things to whoever He wills. But
the things concerning the Kingdom of God must be
received with child-like hearts (babes) prepared by
God beforehand. That is why in the account in Matthew
Yeshua goes into the parable of the sower. The seed
falls on bad ground and does not bear fruit. It can
only take root on good ground. Now, good ground is
ground already worked and prepared by the farmer to
receive the seed. It's the same with the Word of God.
The Lord prepares the heart to receive the truth so it
can bear fruit. Many today say they believe in the
Lord but they do not believe that the Torah is for
today, keep pagan-rooted festivals, eat pork and break
the Sabbath because they think it has been done away
with and believe a "replacement theology." But the
heart of the matter is that the Lord has never
revealed these things to them through the Holy Spirit
(Luke 10.22; Matt 13.11)), and they should be very
concerned about that. The parables and the verses you
are referring to are very clear about this. So, we are
not to rejoice over the fact that we have this
knowledge or power and others don't, but we are to
rejoice over the fact that our names are recorded in
heaven and God through His mercy has chosen to open
our ears and eyes spiritually and reveal them to us
(Matt 13.16) and to the others it has not been granted
(Matt 13.10-13). All of it is God's work and that is
why Yeshua rejoices. In fact, if you look up the word
for "rejoice" in Luke 10.21 it means "to jump for
joy." That's how excited he gets over it.

Q. Your articles seem to answer a lot of questions from people who have at least some Bible knowledge. How do you approach unbelievers who are -

-inquisitive?
A.I approach it with this thought. I use the book of
Nehemiah as an example. Nehemiah was sent to rebuild
the walls of Jerusalem after they were destroyed. The
people had turned from following the Torah and God
allowed the enemy to come in and destroy what the
people where putting their trust in(their walls) and
they were then led into captivity. An unbeliever is
like a city whose walls have been torn down by
unbelief. Nehemiah went in and didn't say anything at
first but surveyed the city to assess the true extent
of the damage. After he had seen what needed to be
done, he then set about to rebuild. That is what I do
at first. I look at the person to get an idea of the
damage done, which is always unbelief at the root. If
he doesn't know the Lord I start there and then lead
him to the Torah, which is the the foundation of the
faith and all the other Scriptures (2Tim 3.16-17). A
good, solid wall needs a good, solid foundation.
Spiritually, he needs to know what has caused the
damage in the first place and that is sin and
transgression of the Law(Torah) is sin (1Jn 3.4).
Nehemiah got the people to turn to God in order not to
repeat the same errors and that is what needs to be
done with an unbeliever. Once he turns to God, he
needs to have the Torah as a foundation to build his
spiritual "walls" again. Many are taught today that
the Torah has been done away with but that is a lie of
the enemy who does not want the walls built again
because he can't get ar rhe person anymore. Deception
and accusations won't work anymore. Nehemiah ran into
the same problem. Once they started to rebuild,
Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites,
Ashdodites heard about it and they became very angry
(Neh 4.7-8). The breaches in the walls were being
repaired and they tried to stop it. It's the same
today. Once you start working with an unbeliever and
show him how to rebuild his walls and repair the
breaches, the spiritual Sanballats and Tobiahs will
become angry and try to hinder the work by saying that
"the Law has been done away with", "the Law is
bondage", "God never told you to rebuild your walls
like that" and so on. So, you have to work with one
hand and have a spiritual weapon in the other until
they give up. So, I try to discern what the damage to
a person (city/walls) is and then lead them to the
Lord and then help them rebuild their walls brick by
brick, or scripture by scripture. It is long, hard,
tedious work and it is not acomplished without the
power of Spirit of God (Zech 4.6-9).

Q. Does the Book of Galatians teach that the Law has been done away with?

A. The book does not teach that the Torah has been done away with. It deals with a specific issue that was hotly debated in the first century and that issue was whether a Gentile who believed in Yeshua should be ritually circumcised, or become Jewish, to be saved. We see the issue debated in Acts 15 and it was decided that they did not have to be ritually circumcised. It comes up again in Galatians. So, we need to look at this issue to understand what Paul is saying and it is complicated but then again very simple to understand. In the first century a system of works righteousness was being taught. This system developed after the Babylonian captivity and was another debated issue (Rom 9.30-10.3) often illustrated by contrasting the spirit of the law and the letter of the law. The Pharisees in particular did not often agree on this issue and once they became believers in Yeshua their theology came with them and that is the issue in Acts 15.. There was the teaching that a Gentile had to become Jewish to be saved and they entered into that change of status by circumcision. There are two types of circumcision. One is called Abrahamic this is done if you are a descendant of Abraham , Isaac and Jacob and it was a sign that the Messiah would come through that lineage. Gentiles were not a part of this because the Messiah was not going to descend through them. There are reasons for Gentile circumcision but that involved eating the Passover and being a part of the household, but Abrahamic circumcision did not apply to Gentiles. The other type is called “ritual circumcision” and this a part of the oral law, not the written Torah of God. This view said that a Gentile must undergo circumcision to be saved. In the Jewish mind, when one talks about circumcising a Gentile it means “to become Jewish.” So there were two types of circumcisions in the first century, one was biblical and the other rabbinical. When Yeshua gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28. 19-20 to “go and make disciples of the Gentiles and teach them all the things I have commanded you” it was in the mind of the apostles that the Gentiles had to become Jewish and ritual circumcision was a part of that. The Lord straightened out that theology in Acts 10-11 with the conversion of the Roman centurion Cornelius before he was circumcised. Peter tells the others and they changed their view on this. But the issue did not go away all at once and the Galatians, about 21 years after Yeshua , were being told by certain Jewish believers that they had to get a ritual circumcision (become Jewish) to be saved and Paul writes this letter stating that they did not. Ritual circumcision is a man-made law and Paul is saying that if they gave into obeying man-made laws then the grace of God is of no value because man-made works has entered the picture. When Paul says that if they receive man-made , ritual circumcision then they must keep the “whole law.” Now keep this in mind when Paul uses the term “whole law” he is not only talking the written commandments but also about the oral tradition passed down by the rabbi’s and 95% of the “whole law” was man-made, rabbinical oral law. What Paul is teaching in Galatians is you do not follow man-made laws if they contradict written Scripture. Scripture does not teach that a Gentile must be circumcised to be saved therefore the law is invalid. But, he is not teaching that the Law of God found in the Scriptures has been done away with because Paul himself kept the Torah. In Acts 21 Paul was coming out of a Nazarite vow (see Numbers 6) and was coming to Jerusalem to keep the feast of Shavuot (Lev 23) and to offer the animal sacrifices required in Numbers 6 and give alms (Acts 24.17). James tells Paul that there is a rumor that Paul is telling the Jews among the nations to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children. Paul says that this is untrue, which means he IS telling them to follow Moses and he IS telling them to circumcise their children. So, in order to prove that these things are not true he agrees to pay for the animal sacrifices required for four other believers in Yeshua who are also coming out of a Nazarite vow (Acts 21.22-26). Now, I bring up this account because this was nearly 30 years after Yeshua and after he wrote Galatians. Now let this sink in. If the law has been done away with, why is Paul keeping the Nazarite vow in Numbers 6 , keeping a biblical festival and offering animal sacrifices in the Temple? He also says in Acts 24.14 that he had done nothing in violation of the Torah and he obeyed it. Paul’s own testimony about himself and illustrated by his life is that he obeyed the Torah and taught it to others (1Cor 11.1-2). He had Timothy circumcised in Acts 16.1-3 because his mother was Jewish and his father was Greek and it had not been done. That is the Abrahamic circumcision that Paul practiced. In Galatians 2.3 Titus was not compelled to be ritually circumcised (become Jewish) because he was a Gentile and ritual circumcision was a man-made law and didn’t apply to him because he had already received the grace of God and was a believer. That is a perfect illustration of the difference between Abrahamic circumcision (Timothy) and ritual circumcision (Titus). So, Galatians is not teaching that the Law, commandments, the Torah, the instruction of God has been done away with but it says that you cannot do anything to improve on the grace of God already received by obeying man-made rabbinical oral law. Once a believer has righteousness from God as a free gift and the Holy Spirit has circumcised the heart he follows, keeps, obeys the Torah as a way of life because that is the law written on his heart( Deut. 30.6; Jer. 31.31-34) and in doing so learns about Messiah (Rom 10.4; Luke 24.27; John 5.39-47), prophecy and the things to come (Col 2.16-17). This “way” is illustrated by the life of Paul and all the writers of the New Testament who were Torah observant believers. Many have misunderstood Galatians as a “spiritual Magna Carta” but that is not true. I will close with a quote from Peter himself when he says that Paul in his letters “speaks of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and the unstable distort as also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” Paul cannot be obeying the Torah in his own life and then write any book that says the law has been done away with. That would make Paul a liar and that is exactly what people say if they use the writings of Paul to teach that the law has been done away with. The only way that could be taught is to distort what he said and that is what Peter is saying and that is why Galatians is so misunderstood. I would not entertain the thought or even listen to any so-called teacher of the Scriptures who tells you the Law has been done away with. Paul says himself in 1 Cor 7.17-19 that a man was to remain in the condition he was called. If you were called circumcised (Jewish) then don’t seek to be uncircumcised ( by under- going a surgery to reverse it called an Epispasm for instance). If you were called uncircumcised (Gentile) don’t seek to be circumcised (become Jewish). Circumcision is nothing and un-circumcision is nothing but the only thing that matters is the keeping of the commandments of God (as they apply). I hope this helps.

Last week we did an article on the real truth of Chanukah.

 This week we are going to take a brief look at Christmas. There is volumes on this subject, but if you have the Internet look up "Christmas", "Mithraism" "Constantine" and follow these out and you will see that Christmas is a pagan festival with Biblical names instead of the pagan ones. There is nothing truthful about the whole thing. The first "christ-mass" was celebrated in 311 A.D. Nothing was done about the birth of Messiah for three huindred years. The Jewishness of the faith was outnumberred by gentiles who had little regard for the Torah or Israel. The so called "church fathers" became that way because their doctrine agreed with Constantine's pagan Christianity. Mithraism was the worship of the sun as a divinity. His name was Mithra. It was the religion of Constantine until he died. He was the high priest of the Mithraic mysteries. He came to power in 310 A.D. and declared December 25 as the birth of 'Jesus", merely replacing it with Mithra. December 25 was Mithra's "birthday", having much to do with the winter solstice as anything. People were already used to that date , so he renamed it. Biblical festivals, sabbath and commandments were outlawed and replacement theology christianity was well established now. There is nothing biblical about Christmas and there never was. Christmas tree 's are just another name for the Asherah"s that were used as female sexual images, and these are also forbidden in Jer 10.1-5. I know.people will say "we don't do that anymore, these things don't symbolize that anymore" but a rose by any other name is still a rose. Do your own research on these things and you will see if G-d favors it or not. The same reasons why people don't celebrate Halloween are the same reasons why a believer in the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Yeshua as His Messiah would never participate in something so overtly pagan in origin. If one believes in Yeshua, you will want to stay away from things that are not true. But, many just profess with their mouths but not with their hearts and actions. There are scriptures alluding to this winter festival in Isaiah and the context is the second coming of Messiah. And in those verses the L-rd says that those who celebrate it have forsaken G-d, and the festivities are like vomit. The truth about Christmas is not hidden under a basket somewhere, it is out in the open for anyone to see. I like this time of year because it allows me to stand against it and tell people the truth. But, people don't want to listen, but they will not ever be able to say nobody ever told them. Yeshua was probably, based on Luke 1, conceived at Chanukah and born during the feast of Sukkot in the fall, around Sept-Oct. History says Herod died in September ,4 BC, and we know Yeshua was born by then. The December birth is pure Mithraism from Constantine. Again, if you want to walk in truth you cannot celebrate Christmas. It is pagan in origin, instituted by pagans and perpetuated by people who don't believe. Do the research if you really want to know. If you don't, you better not look. You won't like what you see. You might be convinced and have to change, and afterall, that would be just too hard. You might have to stand up to your wife or children. Your mommy might get mad at you and your friends may not like you. It doesn't matter to you that G-d might be offended, it isn't easy and it's too hard to change. So, sit there and have a nice Christmas. The L-rd will discuss it with you soon, maybe next year.

Q. Is global warming for real and is it mentioned in the Bible?

A. No, it is not mentioned and there is no such thing as global warming as it is being sold to the public today. After the Flood God said in Genesis 8.22 that He would not destroy the earth again with a curse and “while the earth remains seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” The earth goes through cycles and some are warmer and colder at times but the variation is not going to affect mankind. What it comes down to is you either believe God or man. This global warming myth is just another example of the Hippie generation and nature worship, with capitalism and religion being the root of all evil. Politicians stick their finger in the air and use these issues for personal gain. Back in the 1970’s they were saying the earth was entering into another ice age and that had people worried and politicians jumped on that and got elected. There is nothing new under the sun.

Q. In Matthew 27.9 he quotes a passage from Zechariah 11.12 but says it from the prophet Jeremiah. Is this a contradiction?

A. This is not a contradiction, this is an example of block logic. In Hebrew thought the Scriptures are divided into three categories which we have talked about before. The Torah or “teaching” is the first five books of Moses, although Torah would include all Scripture because it is the teaching of God, but for this question it is Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy specifically. The second part is called the Nevi’im or “prophets” and the third part is called the Ketivim, or “writings”. Put all three words together and you have what is called the Tanak for the Old Testament. The prophets are divided further into early and latter prophets and major and minor prophets. Jeremiah is considered an early, major prophet while Zechariah is considered a later, minor prophet. So, a passage from Zechariah , a later/minor prophet might justly be cited but under the name of Jeremiah, a early/major prophet. The practice is seen in other places as well. The Hebrew names of the Books of Moses are B’reshit (in the beginning), Shemot (names), Vayikra (called), B’Midbar (in the wilderness) and Devarim (words). These names come from the first verse of each book and it calls to memory the content of the book. Rabbi’s would often quote the first verse of a particular passage and the students would know where he was quoting from and why. Yeshua did it on the cross when he quotes the first verse of Psalm 22. There are other examples of this in the New Testament. In Luke 24.44 Yeshua uses these three divisions when he refers his listeners to the Torah, the Prophets and Psalms because they speak of Him and that what was spoken must be fulfilled, or given meaning. Psalms is substituted for the Ketuvim (writings) because the Ketuvim begins with Psalms and this was another name for the Ketuvim or “writings.” In Matthew 23.35 there is another passage that is often misunderstood. It says that the righteous blood from Abel to Zechariah ben Berechiah will fall upon that generation. But 2 Chron24.20.22 says it is Zechariah ben Jehoida. But this can easily be explained. Jehoida means “praise the Lord” and Berechiah means “bless the Lord” and is basically the same name. Abel was the first righteous one slain in the Tanach and Zechariah ben Berechiah (Jehoida) was the last and Yeshua uses them as “bookends” if you will for all the righteous slain in the Tanach. There are other examples of this but I hope this answers your question.

Q. What is Chanukah?

A. Chanukah is a remembrance of a historical event. Chanukah means "dedication" and it is a time to recall the vents that happened long ago in Israel. What will be given here will be a nutshell version, but it will give you an idea of what this is all about. Alexander the Great died, and his empire was divided among his 4 main generals. Seleucus ruled over Syria and Israel. As time went on, the Seleucid kings became worse and worse. In 163 BCE, a group of priests led a 3 year revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes IV. Antiochus set up false images in the Temple, commanded the people to turn to Hellenism, to depart from the Torah, basically turn from the Commandments on the penalty of death. He would force people to eat pork to show their contempt for G-d. Many complied to save their lives, but an old priest named Matthew refused, and along with his sons, led a revolt against Antiochus. They went into the wilderness and was considered outlaws rather than turn to paganism. Afetr 3 years of fighting, the Greeks gave up and the Temple was rededicated back to G-d. The people missed the 8 day festival of Sukkot a few months earlier, so they decided to have a "delayed Sukkot" and pray for rain. The 1st Temple of Solomon was dedicated at Sukkot, so much of the liturgy and prayers were similar. Chanukah is a minor festival and not found in the Tanach ("old" testament) but is predicted prophetically in Dan. 8. 9-14,11-21-25, Hag. 2.18-23. Yeshua celebrated it in Jn 10.22 and used the occasion to teach about the light of the world and the Good Shepherd. He was, by all accounts, conceived around Chanukah and born around Sukkot. One of the things attached to this festival is the story of the miracle of the oil. This is a myth and was developed in the 1st century to downplay the victory because they were afraid of the Romans. So, instead of celebrating a victory over their enemies as a delayed Sukkot, the Rabbis manufactured the "oil burning for eight days" story to account for the celebration. But, historical acccounts in 1st and 2nd Maccabess and Josehus do not mention this "miracle" and probably did not happen. How is this for us today? We have Hellenism all around us today. Christianity is a hellenistic religion that teaches the people the same things Antiochus forced people to do, turn from the Torah. The people are told that the Law has been "done away with" which is a lie, but the majority of the people believe it and are glad about it. But, there are some who decide not to go along with this. They have been given insight by G-d about this and would rather go into the wilderness and be outcasts than to get involved in the paganism around them. This is the choice we have today, illumination or elimination. Chanukah teaches that we must stand up against Hellenism all around us. One of the biggest lies of the year is Christmas, it is neither of G-d or even true, and yet pressure is put on those who don't want to participate to jion in. It is the greatest time of the year to tell people the truth, and like the Maccabees of old, stand up for the L-rd against tremendous pressure and overwelming odds. I close with the words of Matthew the priest to those who were of the same mind. "Those who are the L-rd's side come and follow me."

Q Is there a difference between the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God?

A. The terms “Kingdom of God” and “Kingdom of Heaven” are not found in the Torah, Prophets or Writings (Tanak) but were developed by the Rabbi’s in the sect of the Pharisees. It can only be found in rabbinic writings and the New Testament. The terms are not found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, Apocrypha or Pseudopigrapha .During the Second Temple period there was an aversion to using the name of God in fear of taking it “in vain.” Certain synonyms were used in order to convey the same idea but without using God’s name. Terms like “makom” (place), “shalom” (peace) , “hashem” (the name) were used and many more. Yeshua followed the practice in order not to shock His listeners. The term “malkut shamayim” or Kingdom of Heaven and “heaven” is just a synonym for “God” just as we use it today when we say “thank heaven” or “heaven knows” and so on. The two terms Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God are interchangeable. Yeshua used these terms the same way the Rabbis did in the first century. It was a spiritual term that meant God’s rule over anyone who keeps or begins to keep the written commandments, or the Torah as found in the Scriptures. When a person confessed the God of Israel as his God he came under His rule and authority, thus coming into the Kingdom of God. Once you have accepted His authority you were to began to keep the commandments. People who say they have accepted the Lord must also keep the commandments or the Kingdom of God has not come to you. Yeshua spoke with this understanding in Matt. 7.21 where He said not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” will come into the Kingdom. Now this term is not understood as a place but a movement. God’s kingdom is rooted and grounded in two things, the confession of His authority and the doing of His will. So, the Kingdom is limited to only those who follow Him. The Kingdom is not God’s providential rule or the furthering of the Kingdom by sword or the placing of Christian leaders over the unconverted. The Kingdom of God appears whenever a person takes on the rule of God in their life. You can’t have God’s rule without His commandments. Being “free from the Law” is the antithesis of being in the Kingdom of God and that is why those that did not keep the commandments were considered “lawless.” That is how the terms “kingdom of God” and the “Kingdom of Heaven” were understood by Yeshua and all the writers of the New Testament. Matt 6.10 makes the same point when it says “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The Kingdom of God therefore is the movement led by Yeshua. Other verses that illustrate this point can be found in Luke 11.14-26, Matthew 19, Mark 10 and Luke 18 with the story of the rich man who was told to give his money to the poor and follow Yeshua, and he didn’t. Matt 21.31-32 Yeshua is talking about individuals who become part of a group called the Kingdom of God. Matt 11.12 talks about the Kingdom of God “breaking forth” and is an allusion to Micah 2.13 where the sheep (believers) pass through the gate of the sheepfold and are being led by the King into the pasture, or the Kingdom of God. Now, whenever there is a miracle of healing or a demon is cast out God’s rule is demonstrated or in other words the Kingdom of God is present. God takes charge wherever the Kingdom is. There are some false teachers who are trying to further their agenda void of the commandments of God and calling it furthering the Kingdom of God, but it is not His Kingdom they are presenting. In the last days the gospel of the Kingdom (God’s rule=Torah) will be preached and then the end will come. The deluded ones of today think that these media ministries are furthering the Kingdom of God but they aren’t because they don’t know what the Kingdom of God is. If you are not following the Torah, the Lord is not in charge (ruling) so therefore the kingdom of God is not present. I hope this answers your question.

Q. I opened the Bible to read and it was Jeremiah 44.19. It spoke about pouring out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven. I backed up to v 15 which

A. Let’s look at this portion from v 15-19 in context. Jeremiah was sent to give prophecies about the destruction of Jerusalem because the people had turned to idolatry instead of worshipping the one true God. This chapter contains a message to the Jews who fled to Egypt to escape the Babylonians. He tells them that the land of Judah was destroyed because of the idolatrous practices of their fathers and gives a prophecy in verse 24-30 about what was going to happen to those who thought they escaped to Egypt. The Lord was going to seek them out for evil, not good, and the sign that this was going to come to pass was that the King of Egypt was going to be given over into the hands of the King of Babylon. So, they were not going to escape punishment. Now, going back to your verses it seems that the wives of the Jewish refugees were continuing to give various offerings to a pagan deity called the “Queen of Heaven” and they said they were not going to listen to Jeremiah’s message. The “Queen of Heaven” is a term given to a moon goddess in its simplest meaning, the sun being the “king of heaven”. This “goddess” went by many names, depending on the culture. She was known as Asherah, Ashtaroth, Astarte, Ishtar, Venus, Diana, Artemis, Europa and was the consort of the sun deity. This title is even given Mary, Yeshua’s mother in some Christian denominations and the name Easter comes from “Ishtar” and carries some of the same themes today because some of the practices in apostate Christianity is based more in Mithraism (sun-god worship) than the Bible. The great benefactor of Christianity was the emperor Constantine and he was the “pontifus maximus” (yes that’s where the term “pontiff” comes from for the pope) of Mithraism and a sun-god worshipper to the day he died. He said that one of the reasons for calling the Council of Nicea was to “root out the last vestiges of Judaism”, in other words stop people from keeping the commandments found in the Torah. That’s why it is important to follow the commandments of God found in the Torah and to stay away from the practices of the nations (Jer. 10.1-5) because their holy days and practices or just “made up” as they go along or are grounded in paganism. Well, these women were not going to listen to Jeremiah and gave the following reasoning. They said that while they offered sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven they had material prosperity and when they stopped they had nothing but lack and persecution (v 17-18). So, they went back to these practices and fared better and did it with the consent of their husbands. This is a very important concept. People today follow the same thing and use similar logic when they justify their pagan practices and false doctrine. Many times it’s the wives who go to congregations with the children with the consent of the husband who won’t or can’t stand up to their wives. He knows it’s not of God but gives in. When someone sent by God comes to give them the truth they will not listen either. They will say that they are” set free from the Law”. They keep Christmas and Easter, eat pork and that Sunday is the Sabbath and they will say that God has “blessed” them financially and they have a peace in their hearts about it. The children are trotted off to Sunday school where they learn to perpetuate the deception to their children and “the beat goes on.” They have legitimized idolatry even though they are committing the same sins these people did. Replacement Theology is the doctrine of Apostate Christianity and you can see it all around you. Idols, images, statues are everywhere. They offer you material prosperity and testimonies about how God has supposedly prospered them when they started following these practices when He did no such thing. That is exactly the “proof” they are giving Jeremiah in rejecting his message. God is not prospering any ministry that teaches rebellion against the Lord and His Torah no more than he prospered the people who were doing the same things in Jeremiah’s day and he told them so by saying that the Lord was going to punish them in Egypt so that they would know He was against them. You see, when you participate in practices that are not found in the Torah you offering strange fire to the Lord. Prayers are like incense and when you are offering them in relation to things God didn’t sanction it is like offering incense to another god. What passes as worship to the Lord today is nothing but a waste of time because it is not the Lord they are honoring but another god they have fashioned after their own image and likeness. They don’t have a God who has good commandments that are holy, righteous and good but they have their own ideas. They don’t want to change so they develop a god and a worship system made after their owns designs. When their desires change, they go find another group who has a god that fits their image and likeness and begin attending there. And as long as the god of that particular denomination doesn’t get too “pushy and demanding” they will stay there. But if there are too many rules, commandments or demands, they leave and either find one that fits what they want, or they will design one themselves. But the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of the Bible says we are to conform to Him and isn’t really concerned how we feel about it. This can only be done through the Spirit of God who changes our desires to fit the Lord’s heart. That’s what a changed heart means. Well, the people in Jeremiah’s day rejected Jeremiah and his message and the people today do the same thing and that is the message of Jeremiah 44.1-30. I hope this answers your question.

Q. I heard a TV preacher say that David danced “stark naked” before the Ark. Is that true?

A. Of course not. The story is found in 2 Sam 6.1-23 so let’s look at that chapter. King David wanted to bring the Ark of the Covenant from Baal- Judah (Kiriat Jearim-Josh 15.9) to Jerusalem. They prepared a new cart for it which symbolizes the way man tries to improve on things God has already said (Replacement Theology for instance). They were singing and dancing thinking they were really offering God true worship when the road got rough and the Ark began to topple. A man named Uzzah reaches out to keep it from falling when he is struck dead. His name means “man’s strength” and it symbolizes the way we want to do things contrary to what the Lord has said. You see, God never said to transport the Ark on a new cart, or any cart. It was to be carried on the shoulders of the Levites and only with poles (1 Chr 15.2). What the Lord was saying in this is that the work of the Messiah (Ark) doesn’t need “man’s strength” or help and God was protecting the validity of what the Ark teaches. Many today have done the same thing with other Torah instructions by changing things like the Sabbath, Festivals, biblical diet restrictions by saying that has been “done away with.” Well, God never changed that and it was done away with by spiritual Uzzah’s and it doesn’t matter if you sing and dance your way to what you think God wants, the end result is death. In our passage they disregarded several commandments and people died, how much more when false teachers do away with whole chapters of the Torah ( Heb 10.28-29). David was very afraid to move it after this and the Ark was placed in the house and care of a man named Obed-Edom the Gittite. He was a Levite from one of the Levitical cities called Gath-Rimmon (Josh 21-20-25). God blessed the house of Obed-edom for three months when David went back to the Torah and moved the Ark according to the Scriptures. In v 13 it says that when the bearers of the Ark went six paces he offered sacrifices. Six is the number of man and sin but it also symbolizes that after six thousand years Yeshua will return to Jerusalem. In v 14 it says that David was dancing before the Ark wearing a linen ephod. This made it easier to move, having laid aside his kingly garments. Well his wife Michal, Saul’s daughter ,saw this and was very angry with him and says in v 20 “ How the king of Israel distinguished himself today! He uncovered himself (laid aside his kingly garments) in the eyes of his servants’ maids as one of the foolish ones shamelessly uncovering himself!” She was like her father in many ways and David says in v 20 that if you think this is bad I plan to be more so. As a result, David left her childless teaching that the seed of David did not “mix” with the seed of Saul (see Lev 19.19).A similar case can be seen in Jn. 21.7 where Peter is stripped for work, wearing what amounted to “swimming trunks” but he was not naked. He just laid aside his outer garment because it gave him free movement to work. So, as you can see, David was not “stark naked” but had laid aside his kingly outer garments so he could be free to move.

Q.There is a story about an axe head that fell into the water in 2 Kings 6. What does that mean?

A.Yeshua said in Luke 24.27 that the Scriptures teach
about Him, so this story is no exception. This story
is found in 2 K 6.1-7) and Elisha (God is salvation)
is a picture of the Father. The story takes place near
Gilgal and that is important (2 K 4.38). Gilgal is
where the kingdom is renewed (1 Sam 11.14-15). Saul is
a picture of Adam/man and he goes with Samuel and is
made king, but we know he falls, just as the first
king Adam and the rest of us have fallen. John the
Baptist has his ministry in the area because the
Kingdom of God has come and he is getting the people
ready for it through immersion, and Yeshua Himself
goes there for immersion ( Jn 1.28). Gilgal has the
same root in Hebrew as "golgotha" and the symbolism is
even clearer. When Israel crossed over the Jordan they
wewre circumcised at Gilgal. Back to 2 K 6, the sons
of the prophets go there to cut some trees and want to
build a place to live, all symbolic of our desire to
"live" spiritually. Elisha goes with them (v3) which
shows that the Lord is also with us. They go to the
Jordan which always means "death" and the trees are
cut down, indicating that we all have sinned (Mt
3.6-10) and live near death. While they are doing this
an axe head falls into the Jordan through an error
(sin). The iron axe head is also symbolic of man (Prov
27.17. So man (axe-head) falls into sin and death
(Jordan) and can't be used. They cry for Elisha (the
Father) in v 5 because it was borrowed which
symbolizes our lives which are "borrowed" and we must
give an account(Deut 19.15; Acts 17.28). Elisha wants
to know where it fell. Man fell in the garden (with
trees) and God also asked "where are you?" (Gen 3.9).
They showed him the place and he cut off a branch.
This symbolizes Yeshua, the branch (Isa 11.1; Zech
6.11-13; Jer 23.5) being "cut off" ( Dan 9.26). The
branch is thrown into the Jordan (death; 1Pet
2.21-24;Psa 69.1-14; Psa 88.6-7,16-18) and the iron
axe-head (man) floats, which means the lost is found
and useable again. In v 7 Elisha tells them to "take
it up for yourself" which means each person must reach
out and take his new, useable life again for himself.
Others can't do it for you. So, in short, the presence
of the wood (Messiah) thrown into the water (death)
leads to a change in the nature of the iron and it
floats (Jn 3.3-16). Man could not be taken down to
death and kept there but his nature needs to be
changed first. We are raised by faith and made useful
again. In Mt 14. 25-33 this story is repeated when
Yeshua, the branch, is in the water with a sinking
Peter (axe-head)and he raises him out of the water and
he is made useable again. I hope this answers your question.

Q. Did man eat meat before the flood?

A. The Bible doesn’t really say they did until after the flood (Gen 9.3) but that doesn’t mean they didn’t either. I believe man could have eaten meat before the flood and there are several reasons why. First, in Gen 1.29 it says man was assigned food from plants yielding seeds and from trees. But that could have been a temporary instruction because the creation was only days old and the animals needed time to procreate. Let man and the animal population grow and then it would be allowed. Man was not to start killing animals right away. After the fall he could start eating plants of the field (Gen 3.16) and then after the flood meat was included (Gen 9.3). However, Abel was a shepherd and offered a blood sacrifice in Gen 4.4 which would have been eaten (Lev 10.12) because it was a “minchah” offering and not an “olah” which was a whole burnt offering like the one Noah offered after the flood (Gen 8.20). So man was probably eating meat very soon after the fall at least. Noah was told to take 7 pairs of clean animals (as opposed to 1 pair of the unclean)onto the Ark which also seems to support the fact that man was already eating meat before the flood. Clean and unclean is related to what can be eaten and not eaten (Lev 11) and not just in a ritual sense. The instruction in Gen 9.3 was repeating the same instruction He gave to Adam. He told Noah to be fruitful and multiply but that doesn’t mean they weren’t doing it before the flood. There is no way to be certain whether or not they ate meat before the flood but there is no biblical reason to think they couldn’t have either. This brings up another aspect to the creation story. Did death enter the world for all living things because of Adam? I don’t believe so. Rom 5.12 and 1 Cor 15.21-22 says that death entered the world through sin for human beings and relates to a spiritual redemption but you can’t make a case for all living things from this. Messiah’s death does not make alive spiritually the animal kingdom or creation. It is limited to man. The plants given to man to eat had seeds that had to be planted and die in order to bring forth more, man and animals were then to eat the fruit of those plants and fruit so they died, and the list could go on. Adam had the potential to live forever if he ate from the tree of life which means he may have not been inherently immortal. He had to draw from the life of God. Separation from that life brought death (Gen 2.17). Now, if man was not inherently immortal it would seem that animals weren’t either. If Adam did not at least have an understanding of what death was he would not have understood what God meant by using the term in Gen 2.17. What Adam understood after his creation is not known but it was not a new concept to him. We know the first recorded death of an animal is in Gen 3.21 so whatever Adam didn’t understand was quickly made clear to him within days of his own creation. God said the creation was good but not perfect. Death from natural causes as opposed to violent death are two different concepts. Death from natural causes does not have to be linked to the fall of Adam. Man’s death certainly was, however. So, in conclusion it is possible that man ate meat before the flood and death did not enter the world for all created things as a result of Adam’s sin.

Q. In Genesis 5 the list of Adam’s descendants only gives some of the names. What is the reason for this?

A. Genesis is the book of beginnings. It’s the beginning of everything connected to the universe, including the fall of mankind and sin. The whole story of the Bible is the redemption of man and the universe from the ravages of that sin through the Messiah, who we know as Yeshua of Nazareth. In Genesis 3.15 God promises a redeemer , the “seed” of the woman. The Genealogy in Genesis 5 is the righteous line through whom the Messiah will come and that is why it is repeated in Luke 3.23-38, which is his mother’s line not Joseph’s. The Luke 3 list is the genealogy of the “seed of the woman” of Genesis 3.15. Another reason these names are listed is because it reveals God’s plan of redemption through the Messiah. If you look up the meaning of the names it tells the plan. I’m going to start with Adam through Noah, giving their meanings and then put it all together. Adam means “man”, Sheth (Seth) means “appointed”, Enosh means “mortal”, Kenan means “habitation”, Mahalaleel means “the blessed God”, Yered (Jared) means “shall come down”, Chanok (Enoch) means “teaching”, Methusalach means “his death shall bring”, Lemek (Lamech) means “captive” and Noach (Noah) means “rest.” So, putting these names together, Genesis 5 means “ man is appointed a mortal habitation but the blessed God shall come down teaching and his death shall bring the captives rest.” So, Genesis 5 starts the genealogy of the Messiah, the seed of the woman( the complete list of his mother Miriam (Mary)is given in Luke 3) and their names give the plan of redemption.

 

Q. Have you read the predictions of Nostradamus?

A. I’ve seen TV programs on him but I have never considered him to be from God. I don’t waste my time reading Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, Jean Dixon, or any other so-called “prophets.” I study and read the Jewish prophets in the Scriptures and nobody else, and that includes Gentile or Jewish mystics dead or alive. I have never spent much time reading the latest “word” from TV preachers and their stories either. They all have visions and been to heaven and “Jesus” appears to them but I never pay attention to them anymore. They are just modern day Nostradamus’ who tell silly stories that lead people away from the true prophets. It’s sad , really.

Q. How do you find a true teacher?

A. The basic test is that they believe Yeshua is the Messiah and the keep and teach that the commandments of God found in the Torah of Moses are valid for today. If someone claims to be sent from God and does not believe in these two things he is a liar and a false prophet/teacher. It’s just that simple. You can’t say you believe in Yeshua and not follow the commandments (Jn 5. 39-47) and you can’t truly follow the commandments and not see who Yeshua is. So, just to make sure you understand, a true teacher is someone who believes Yeshua is the Messiah and teaches that the commandments are valid for today. If someone meets both of these categories it is up to you decide what kind of a teacher he is, if he knows anything worthwhile to learn, does he answer your questions, are you growing in your knowledge and so on. I hope this helps.

Friday, September 28, 2007.........

.....begins the 8 day festival of Sukkot, or Tabernacles. This festival is full of eschatological meaning and significance so a few of these will be pointed out. There is no way to go into all the detail on this festival but it’s significance to the Messiah and the redemption, idioms, phrases and prophetic significance will be discussed briefly. Yom Teruah or Rosh ha Shana was on Tishri 1 with the sighting of the new moon. Ten days later Yom Kippur was observed and five days after that Sukkot begins. The first day (Tishri 15 ) is a Sabbath and so is the eighth day, Tishri 22. Some of the idioms associated with this festival are the “Feast of the Nations” because all the nations will come in the kingdom, to Jerusalem and the rebuilt Temple to worship the Lord (Zech. 14). A ceremony called the “Beit ha Shoevah” (house of the water pouring) was done that illustrated that the Messiah was the Living water. Any scripture that had to do will living water was studied. It was on the seventh day of this festival and ceremony in John 7 that Yeshua stood and cried out that he was the Living water. This festival is called the Feast of Lights and Yeshua is the light of the world. Four poles containing 4 vats of oil each were erected in the Court of the Gentiles for this purpose. These 16 vats of oil were lit at night and you could see the light from the Temple from miles away. Sukkot is also called the Feast of Leviathan. Leviathan in scripture is a picture of the false messiah. After the false messiah is killed on Yom Kippur (azazel=scapegoat) his followers (the tares) are gathered for the judgment of the nations (Matt 25). They are judged and killed and the beasts and birds of the air feast on their flesh (Rev 19, Isa 66). On the other hand those that will go into the kingdom are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb (Matt 8.11, Isa 25.6). The believers are invited to the wedding feast, and unbelievers are invited to the other one, and they are the menu! Scriptures having to do with gladness, light, joy, and living water are associated with this festival. Sukkahs, or booths, were constructed all over the land. This was done by native-born Israelites who were to remember that their ancestors lived in these to get to the land. Those that lived in the land did this to remember the price they paid to get there, and they, their descendants, were enjoying the benefits. The eschatology connected with this festival is well known in history. King Solomon dedicated the first Temple at Sukkot. Assyria invaded Israel and was destroyed around Yom Kippur and the people rejoiced at Sukkot (Isa 9, Micah 5, Isa 37). This will happen again in the very near future when Russia (Assyria) invades Israel and is destroyed around Yom Kippur and the people rejoice on Sukkot. By then Israel will have accepted Yeshua (Isa 9.6) and they are delivered by God’s power because The United States has been destroyed, Europe was fighting Russia for 3 years and losing so Russia feels secure enough to invade Israel and Israel has no help from anyone. After hearing the two witnesses and the 144,00 preaching about Yeshua for 3 years they believe and never turn away again (Eze 39.22). The Seleucid Greeks with Antiochus Epiphanes were overthrown at the time of the Maccabees. They had missed the feast of Sukkot 2 months before so they celebrated Sukkot late and redicated the Temple like Solomon did and that “second” Sukkot became known as the feast of Chanukah (dedication). Another concept associated with this festival is that Yeshua was most likely born on the first day of sukkot and circumcised on the eighth day, that’s why they are Sabbaths. History says Herod died in the fall and scripture says he died within 40 days of Yeshua’s birth. The angel appeared to Zechariah around June (Luke 1)and John was born 9 mos later, or around Passover. Six months later Yeshua was born and that brings us to the fall. If you look at the phrases used at his birth they are all associated with Sukkot. “Joy to the world” is the main theme of Sukkot. Remember those 16 vats of oil used in the Temple as the “light of the world?”. The wicks for those lights were discarded priestly clothing called “swaddling clothes.” The famous song in Handels Messiah “For unto us a child is born” is from a Sukkot passage in Isa 9.6! Yeshua was not born on December 25th. So if you want to celebrate the Lord’s birth then it’s September 28th this year. There is more biblical and historical evidence pointing to thebirth of Yeshua at the feast of Sukkot than December 25th. So, in closing, I hope this gives you some idea of its significance and why the Lord’s festivals should be observed. They are and always have been “done away with” by those that won’t believe. Like Herod, they try to do away with Him. And if they can’t get at the “substance” (Yeshua), do away with the “shadow” (the Torah). I hope this gives you some insight into a great festival and one that will be celebrated in the Kingdom to come.

Q. If we’re not doing sacrifices why are we celebrating the feasts?

A. This question comes out of several misconceptions about the Torah and obeying the Lord but it is a good question. This question has several aspects to it and they are, believe it or not, related so I’ll take one at a time. First of all, the sacrifices were a part of biblical worship. Numbers 28 and 29 describe what was offered in the daily Tamid service and all the festivals, new moons and Sabbaths. Biblical worship involved these offerings. When Abraham went to Mt. Moriah to offer Isaac he said they were going to “worship” the Lord (Gen. 22). They were not going there to sing songs and dance. The altar was where man did business with the Lord and it was a very serious thing. What passes for praise and worship today is not the total biblical ideal. Once the Lord gave Israel rest (from their enemies) and their inheritance (the land) He would choose a place for His name to dwell and it was there that they were to bring their offerings (Dt. 12.11). That place is Jerusalem and the Temple mount. Offerings were not to be given any other place from that time on. For 2000 years Israel has lost this privilege due to their disobedience to the message of Yeshua in the 1st century. Sacrifices are not offered right now because there is no altar. However, festivals can still be observed to some extent because they are appointments and rehearsals for things to come (Col 2.16-17). Themes, idioms, phrases and the eschatology of each biblical feast can still be explored and studied. Paul taught the Thessalonians about the festivals, times and seasons so that they would not be unaware concerning prophecy (1Thes 5.1-5). They were not going to the Temple, they lived in Thessalonica but they kept the festivals the best they could by observing the day, by study, prayer and fellowship. The Sabbath day involved the regular daily offerings and additional ones called a “mussaf”(Num 28.9-10). But, we cannot do any of that today but we can still observe the Sabbath and that mindset can be carried over with all the other festivals. When the Greeks took over the Temple during the time of the Maccabean revolt they brought their offerings and those who were Nazarites as close to the Temple as they could and asked God to deliver the Temple back into their hands so they could truly worship the Lord at the place He chose to place His name. They did not offer the sacrifices but went as far as they could, within sight of it. We can do the same thing today no matter where we are. The Temple and the altar is not there right now but we can go as far we can to remember what was done and what it all meant until the day these sights are restored to God’s people, both Jew and Gentile. Ultimately there will be no need for a Temple (Rev.21.22) but that comes at the end of the Messianic Kingdom when everything has been restored and believers will be experiencing the reality of the New Covenant in its fullness (Jer. 31.31-34). That day hasn’t come yet and we still need to teach our neighbor about the Lord, and it will be that way in the Messianic Kingdom. Another aspect to this is there is no functioning priesthood in existence at this time. Even if you had an altar you would still need the kohanim (priests). A misconception with many is that a Temple is needed to offer sacrifices but that is not entirely true. What you need is the true altar sight on Mount Moriah and a functioning priesthood with kosher animals (Ezra 3.6). The good news is once Yeshua returns, the altar and the Temple will be restored, a legitimate priesthood will be installed and the festivals will be celebrated again with all the prescribed sacrifices. Yes, that’s right. Animal sacrifices will be offered in the Messianic Kingdom when Yeshua returns. They were offered in the 1st century by believers in Yeshua (Acts 21.15-26, 24.17) and they will be offered again (Ezek. chapters 40-48; Isa 56.6-8). I hope this gives you some additional insight and helps answer your question.

Q. Should the Sabbath count start with the sighting of the new moon?

A. Many people are coming to the conclusion that the Fourth commandment is valid and the Sabbath should be kept. For some that day was “changed” from the seventh day to the first day of the week and that error has been exposed and dealt with many times in these articles in the past. There is another error being taught in some circles and that is the teaching called “The Lunar Sabbath .” This teaching says that once you sight the new moon every month, it is called ”New Moon Day”. The next day is day one and you count of seven days and that is the true Sabbath, which is really day eight. Then the 15th, 22nd and 29th day of the month are “Sabbaths.” There some variations the all this but I will try to keep it simple. There is no scriptural support for all this and the followers of this false doctrine rely on the writings of men for their support. But, we should use the Word of God for our support not commentaries, Jewish or non-Jewish encyclopedias and other things for our support if it contradicts the Scriptures. I know some of the proponents of this doctrine and they all have a serious misunderstanding of the scriptures in common. Some are new to the faith and false teachers got a hold of them early and indoctrinated them in error and some are false teachers themselves who I have dealt with personally. They are the ones who never saw a wrong answer they didn’t like as long as someone listened. They write books, go on radio and the Internet and appear knowledgeable but they are hidden reefs and clouds without water. So, this question is going to come up among Sabbath observers so this article will help you to identify and confront this error with simple, biblical truth. To test this doctrine one only needs to consult the Word of God and the Lord gave us an answer in the first book of the Bible-Genesis. God sanctified the seventh day as a Sabbath and rested from all His works. Now which of the creation days did the moon appear? Was it the first, second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth day? Genesis 1.14-19 clearly states that the moon was created on the fourth day. If the Sabbath was to be reckoned from the sighting of the new moon called a “Lunar Sabbath” then why did God rest on the seventh day of creation and not the 10th? Proponents of the new moon say that the new moon is also a Sabbath day of rest, but if it is why didn’t God rest on the fourth day when he created the moon? The truth is the week began without a new moon so it is irrelevant to the Sabbath. God said in Exodus 20.8-11 that we are to work six days and rest on the seventh day. Why? Because He created the heavens and the earth in six days and rested on the seventh day (of creation)! We are to follow His example. We are to have six days of labor between Sabbaths, not seven or eight like Lunar Sabbatarians. This is consistent with the Scriptural mandate for determining the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) also. The count is to begin “on the morrow after the Sabbath”, it is to contain seven Sabbaths, and the count is be 50 days. Another scriptural way of disproving the Lunar Sabbath theory is the collection of the manna in the wilderness.. God sent manna 6 days and didn’t on the Sabbath. Israel has kept track ever since. There is not one shred of historical evidence that disproves that Israel has been keeping the wrong Sabbath day. In fact, the false religions themselves know when the Sabbath day is because they changed it to another day in order to not be identified with the Jewish people. Some Lunar Sabbatarians say that after the Babylonian captivity the lunar calendar was changed due to pagan influence but that isn’t true. Yeshua and the first century believers kept the same Sabbath day as everyone else. After all, He was there when it was created so He should know and he endorsed the seventh day Sabbath by His obedience. So, for the above reasons alone no serious consideration should be given to the Lunar Sabbath teaching.

Biblical Calendar

The beginning of the year is based on the abiv barley in Israel

The beginning of the month is based on the sighting of the first visible sliver of the new moon from Israel.

We follow the “Actual Visibility with 30-Day Maximum” opinion, which states that a month cannot be longer than 30 days.

We do not follow the “potential visibility” opinion, which states that if the new moon is astronomically expected to be visible (not borderline) but is not seen due to weather, then it will be declared even though it was not visible. We believe that YHVH sets the times and the seasons and controls the weather. We are told to declare what we see, not to declare what is calculated that we may potentially expect to see.

We show the potential visibility of the new moon on these calendars and post the actual sighting information on our home page in the section “Rosh Chodesh.”

The calendars of the 1st, 3rd and 7th months are updated on Rosh Chodesh to show the Moedim based on the above criteria.

We are in the midst of the High Holy Days as described in the Scriptures.

Last Friday, September 14th, was Rosh Ha shana and Yom Kippur is Sunday, September 23. The Feast of Sukkot begins September 28 and concludes October 5th. Many people are not aware of these festivals or know very little about them. But did you know that believers and unbelievers are going to be involved in their fulfillment whether they like it or not? So, in light of the High Holy Day season I wanted to write a brief summary of these festivals and what their implications are.. This may be the only place you will ever hear of this because most Bible teachers don’t know it, believe it or teach it. I want this to be informative but it is also a warning . The Lord has said if you see judgment coming and you don’t warn the people then he will require it from you. So I am “shouting this from the rooftops” if you will. In summary, these festivals teach the coming of Yeshua and have not been fulfilled as yet. There are seven biblical festivals God has commanded us to observe in Leviticus 23.1-44 and there are several Hebrew words to understand . In Lev. 23.2 the Hebrew word for ‘appointed times” is “moed” because these festivals are the “appointed times” of the Lord. These are not Jewish festivals but God’s and He has an appointment (moed) with his people on these days. Of course many so- called believers have “done away with the Law” including these festivals and have told the Lord that” even though we have an appointment, I’m not coming!” Queen Vashti in the book of Esther is a picture of these professed believers and we know what happened to her! The other word used in v2 is the word for “convocation” which is the Hebrew word “mikrah” and it means “rehearsal.” So, when you keep these festivals you are rehearsing what they stand for. But a rehearsal is not the real thing. People in a Broadway play rehearse for many weeks but there comes a day when it is for real and that is exactly what these festivals are for. There will come a day when all the rehearsing will be over and the Lord will actually fulfill what they mean. The spring festivals begin with Passover and end with Shavuot (Pentecost). They teach the first coming of Yeshua and were fulfilled to the letter. He was crucified as our lamb on Passover, buried on unleavened bread, rose from the dead on First Fruits and sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. After the long growing and harvest season we come to the fall festivals. Rosh ha Shana (head of the civil year) is biblically called Yom Teruah or “day of the awakening blast” (Num 29.1). The shofar (rams horn) is blown on this day (Num 10.1-10) to “wake” us up, to warn us of danger physically and spiritually. In the Temple the shofar was blown over the burn’t and peace offerings of the day as reminder of the people before God. That is why this day is also called the Day of Remembrance (Num 10.10). The term “teruah” can also mean “shout” and it is a particular note blown on the shofar. One of the main themes of this festival is the resurrection of the dead believers and the catching- away of the ones who are ‘alive and remain” in what is called the Natzal (deliverance) and commonly known as the “rapture”. This concept is not new and has been known and taught for centuries and the Apostle Paul taught it (1Cor 15;1Thes 4, 2 Thes. 2). The prophets allude to it in Isa 26.1-20; Zeph. 2.1-3; Joel 2.23 and many more places. The Jewish people associate the resurrection of the righteous with Rosh Ha Shana ( day of the awakening blast, remember?) and shofar’s have been found on headstones in ancient Israel. There are several other themes for this day including the wedding and coronation of the Messiah and judgment. This festival is known by several names and these are used in the Scriptures. One is the “Last Trump” and “the day no man knows” because it is the only festival that occurs on a new moon. You can’t start the month without the new moon and so Rosh Ha Shana is the first day of Tishri which begins the civil year, but you need to sight the new moon first. The current Jewish calendar is a concoction of the rabbis 1500 years ago and it does not go by the new moon but is calculated and adjusted. For instance Rosh Ha Shana this year was celebrated on the accepted Jewish calendar on September 12 but there was no new moon. How can you have a month start (Tishri 1) without a new moon? The traditions of men still invalidates the Word of God in Judaism as well as in Christianity. This festival will begin the last 1000 year period known as the Lord’s day, or day of the Lord in the very near future. Yom Kippur teaches the second coming of Yeshua to Jerusalem and the death of the false messiah. The feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) teaches the coming Messianic Kingdom and the reign of Yeshua on earth. There is no way to go into all the details surrounding these festivals but many are virtually unaware of them, including many believers , but didn’t the Lord and the Apostle Paul say that these things would come upon many like a “thief in the night?”. If you are not aware of the prophetic implications of these festivals I would advise you to find some information about them and search out these things for yourself. That which has happened before is going to happen again, there is nothing new under the sun (Ecc 1.8-9; 3.15; Rom 15.4). If Yeshua fulfilled the spring festivals exactly as they have been rehearsing them for 1500 years, I have no reason to doubt that he will fulfill the fall festivals exactly as they are rehearsed, on the day they are celebrated. So, if these concepts are new to you then you are not being taught the things the Lord wants you to know. All the information one could possibly need about these festivals is available to anyone who wants to know.

Q. I had a discussion a week or so ago about the biblical food laws. My friend did some research with his pastor over the dietary laws and gave the fo

A. Well, let’s take them one at a time. I appreciate your question because it perfectly illustrates the false teaching out there and how God’s word has been perverted. Your friend and others who believe this have a false premise to begin with. They think that Yeshua and Paul ate pork and unclean creatures so these scriptures are interpreted to fit that false premise. Let me say again, Yeshua never ate pork, catfish, shellfish or any unclean creatures and he never taught anyone to do so either. And I’ll give two reason why. First, when his enemies were trying to find fault in him they couldn’t. If he ate the creatures or was teaching others to do so, don’t you think they would have accused him of it when they had a chance. Your friend and his pastor are accusing him of it or they would not have quoted the passage in Mark. Secondly, Peter said in Acts 10 that he never ate unclean creatures. Now, if Yeshua taught Peter he could because the “Law has been done away with” why didn’t he obey Yeshua and eat them after the Cross? Maybe Yeshua wasn’t a very good teacher and Peter didn’t get it, but I don’t think so. Or maybe Yeshua never taught it to begin with! The 1st century believers were Torah observant and were a sect of Judaism. Paul himself said in several places he never departed from the Torah (Acts 28.17; 24.14).That means they all ate kosher. Your friend and his false shepherd have a premise that is in error to begin with. No knowledgeable student of 1st century history will tell you that they disregarded the dietary laws found in the Torah. With that said I am going to approach these scriptures they gave from the premise that they were Torah observant and ate biblically kosher food. Let’s look at the first scripture briefly.



Col 2.16-17: The Colossians were living in a pagan society and were being criticized (like your friend and his pastor) for eating biblically kosher and keeping the biblical festivals. Paul is encouraging them to ignore their criticism because what they were doing meant something (obedience to God) and the festivals taught eschatology and about the end times and pointed toward Messiah (Jn 5.39-47).



Rom 14.3-8: This chapter deals with how to relate to others in the Roman synagogue which was made up of unbelieving Jews (weak ) and believing Jews and Gentiles (strong-Rom 4.19-20;10.2). This chapter deals with Jewish” halakah”(how to walk-practice)in that synagogue. Apparently non-believing Jews would not eat meat or wine from believing Gentiles in that congregation, which was the common practice in the 1st century and is the practice with some today. I know of many Jewish (unbelievers and believers) and Gentile believers in Yeshua who will not eat “common” food (not according to strict rabbinical standards) even to this day. This chapter is not about someone eating pork and others should not judge him, like your friend and pastor say. It is about the Jewish practice of not eating meat or wine from a Gentile because they thought it was “common”. Peter said as much in Acts 10.14 and God showed him in that vision, using unclean creatures to symbolize the Gentiles, that it was acceptable to accept the Gentiles who had faith in Yeshua. He still had a problem with this concept in Galatians when he withdrew from table fellowship with Gentile believers when other strict adherents to his practice came to Galatia (Gal 2.11-15). Paul is merely dealing with a related problem in Romans. He is telling them not to get upset over that issue or look with contempt towards others over food. That is their opinion (v1) and if that is what they want to do God accepts the actions of the “weak” and the “strong”. Remember they did not eat unclean creatures to begin with so can’t be the issue in Romans. We are commanded to say something when we see others doing wrong, and eating creatures that God commanded not to eat is something that should be pointed out. The issue in Romans is about kosher meat, vegetables and wine.



Mark 7.14-23: This passage is about Jewish halakah (practices) again and it plainly tells you that in v 3-5. Some believed that you had to ritually wash your hands before you ate. Jewish and non-Jewish people who follow the strict dietary laws of the Rabbis still do it today. Yeshua is saying that these regulations are man-made (v8) and that the food is clean if one eats it without ritually washing their hands according to the tradition of the elders. He is simply making a ruling on their halakah (practices) not saying that a person can eat pork or unclean creatures. If your friend and pastor think he is saying that then the messiah they have is a false messiah. Yeshua’s enemies would have pointed this fact out at his trial but remember “they found no fault in him” so he never taught that a person can eat pork, shrimp, lobster or any biblically un-kosher meat or creature.



1 Cor8.12-13: Your friend and pastor need to read the whole chapter to get what Paul is saying. The issue is eating meat sacrificed to idols. Some thought that food was “defiled” somehow if it was offered to an idol and therefore unlawful to eat(v 7). There is no divinity in idols, but one God so there is nothing that one “carries over” from a so-called idol. But, if a weak (unbeliever) sees you eating meat he knows was sacrificed to idols you may defile is conscience and encourage him to do likewise (v 10-12) and that is forbidden. It was decided in Acts 15.28 that Gentiles were not to eat meat sacrificed to idols, and that is based on the Torah in Lev 17 and 18 and that is the reason for what he is saying in this chapter.



I Tim 4.1-5: These verses are saying that many will abstain from food God already allowed us to eat. This is not saying that you can eat anything you want. The key verse to understand what food Paul is talking about is v 5. “for it (the food Paul had in mind) is set apart (to eat) by the word of God ( the acceptable creatures/unacceptable creatures list in Lev 11.1-47 and Deut 14.1-22) and prayer (blessings before and after meals).” The only word of God Paul could be talking about is the Torah and it tells you what to eat and not eat. Your friend and pastor apparently have another list.



Heb 8.6-7,9.910,10.1: Hebrews is another misunderstood book. Paul (who probably wrote it) is making the case that the Torah is a shadow (picture) of the spiritual (substance). That doesn’t mean the shadow has been done away with. If you do away with the shadow (The Torah) there is no substance. You can’t have one without the other. They both exist at the same time!. I know there is the substance (Messiah) because THERE IS a shadow! The Temple, it’s sacrifices and festivals (shadow) was valid. The scriptures never taught they took away sin. The 1st century believers went to the Temple daily. Paul offered animal sacrifices 30 years after Y eshua and after he wrote the book of Galatians (Acts 21.15-26; 24.14-18). Hebrews was written to Jewish believers ( that’s why it’s called Hebrews) who were being taught that the Temple services were abolished when Yeshua came (early Ebionites) or that the Temple and the priesthood should be rejected because it was corrupt (Essenes), which basically what your friend and pastor believe. There was also teaching that Yeshua should be rejected altogether. Paul is validating the Temple and the services ( the book is written in the context of Yom Kippur) and was advising them not to forsake them (10.19-25) and to not forsake Yeshua (10.25-39) despite all the pressure and persecution they were experiencing and to think about all the suffering Yeshua went through to relieve the pressure to encourage themselves (12.1-17). This book is written in the present tense in Greek so he is talking about how the Temple and the priesthood is a valid, present day(1st century) picture of spiritual things that should not be neglected. This book does not and never did teach that the Torah was done away with because the guy that wrote it went out of his way to attend the festivals at the Temple (Acts 20.16), offered animal sacrifices, paid for others to do animal sacrifices( Acts 21.24) and kept the commandments( Acts 28.17) and taught others to do the same (1Cor 11.1-2). No doubt your friend and or his pastor will say Paul did this because of Jewish pressure and he was “all things to all men.” But, Paul said himself that he came to Jerusalem to offer animal sacrifices and give alms( Acts 24.17). Secondly if Paul was weak and compromised the truth he shouldn’t be trusted. There is no way your friend and his pastor can justify their beliefs. If your friend and pastor believe that Yeshua did away with all this, Yeshua himself doesn’t believe it because when he returns he builds another Temple, institutes a priesthood and the sacrificial system (yes, animals!) and celebrates the festivals in the Messianic Kingdom (Isa 66.18-24; and read the last 9 chapters of Ezekiel, Zech 14.16-21).



Your friend is “blind” and his pastor is “a blind leader of the blind” and I would caution you not to “toy around” with false prophets and the teaching that tells you that the “law has been done away with” when it comes to keeping the Sabbath and the festivals and eating un-kosher meats/creatures until you are ready to defend the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3). I do want to commend you, however, on having the insight to question their doctrine- keep it up!

Q. Is it necessary when someone becomes a believer to immediately follow the Torah? If they don’t are they in sin?

A. The answer to your question is in the question. How can you become a believer without repentance, and then the question is repentance from what. A person must realize he is a sinner so he has to know what sin is. The Scriptures say that by the Torah comes the knowledge of sin (Rom. 3.20). In other words if a person doesn’t know the Torah how will he know what sin is. In 1 Jn. 3.4 it says that sin is the transgression of the Torah. Unless one realizes what sin is, he cannot truly repent. In many congregations a person believes that Yeshua is the Messiah but is taught that the Torah has been done away with. So, in reality he is not taught to turn away from sin (through the Torah comes the knowledge of sin), but to keep doing it. They are taught pagan concepts and festivals, they eat creatures forbidden by the Torah and not fit for human consumption and the list goes on and on. Now, you aren’t saved by observing the Torah and the Torah tells you that, nobody ever was and it is not a Bible doctrine. The Torah is our instruction manual from the Lord on how to live. It tells us how to love the Lord and our neighbor. How can you truly say you trust the Lord, then mistrust what He said. There is not one Scripture that says we are not to obey the commandments as given in the Torah, and as they apply to each of us. On the other hand, we are all familiar with the theology taught to most new believers that when you believe in Yeshua you don’t have to keep the commandments because they have been done away with. That never made much sense to me. Preachers will quote the Torah about sin and repentance, and then once they have you walking down the aisle, they tell you are free from the Law, then tell you the opposite again if you get out of line. They rebuke presidents for adultery, but don’t keep the Sabbath. Why is the Sabbath done away with for them, but adultery isn’t for presidents? If the Law has been done away with, how do you know what sin is. There is not one preacher who really believes that the Law has been done away with and they deceive many. Go commit adultery or steal and see what they say. What they really believe is “some of the Law” has been away with, and there is no Scripture to back that theology up so they are in error again. A new convert gets confused very quickly. He is told to read the scriptures, then is told don’t believe them, that “doesn’t apply anymore.” When you really examine this theology you will see the commandments that look too “Jewish” are the ones they tell you not to observe. In reality, there are no “Jewish” commandments, they are God’s. So, in answer to your question, how can a person really turn to God unless he hears the truth, and someone is sent to them with the truth. I believe Paul said the same thing in Rom 10.12-15. Much of the “gospel” preached today is not the gospel of Yeshua, Paul and the Apostles. But the Lord is not stopped by false teachers, that is why a new believer should find a place that believes that Yeshua is the Messiah and teaches the commandments (Rev. 12.17).

Q. What were the three things that Paul was instructed by the Jerusalem Council to tell the Gentiles?

A. If I understand your question I believe you are referring to Acts 15. The chapter deals with what to do with Gentile converts . Do they get circumcised and convert to Judaism (become Jewish) or not. A certain sect of the Pharisees (15.5) believed they should and other believers like Paul, Peter, Barnabas and others believed that they did not have to undergo ritual circumcision (become Jewish) to be saved. Paul and Peter gave evidence that God was saving Gentiles without it. After much heated debate it was determined by the elders that the Gentiles did not have to become Jewish (get circumcised) to be saved. However, they did not say they did not have to obey the Torah. They determined that the new Gentile converts had to begin to observe several things, not only because it was sinful, but to have fellowship with other believers, especially in the synagogues. They are listed several times in the chapter. They were instructed to abstain from idolatry, from eating carrion (things strangled), from eating blood and sexual immorality. These were minimal standards found in the Torah and given to them to start observing immediately. Then in 15.21 the council instructs them to go to the local synagogues and learn Moses (Torah) and begin to observe what applies to them. After this was decided, the elders of the Messianic community sent a letter by the hands of Paul to Antioch, Syria and Cilicia and the decision was read before the congregations and it was received with much joy.

Every so often I like to remind our assembly why we have a congregation in Waxahachie.

But it’s not limited to just those who attend but those in the community need to know so I’d like to explain it this week to those who read these articles. In the 1st century many gentiles were coming into the faith and there were basic instructions given in Acts 15. These 4 instructions were the basic requirements in order to have fellowship with other believers but it was not limited to that. In v 21 it says “for Moses (Torah) from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath”. The main reason we have a congregation in Waxahachie is because Moses was not being taught anywhere. In fact, he was being taught against and that bothered me. I am quite familiar with the “we are free from the Law” theology and I have spoken out against this for years. Believers in the 1st century went to synagogues to hear Moses and to learn how to walk in Messiah. This practice has never changed but there was no place to go in Waxahachie. So I began to ask the Lord about it and asked for a sign. This was June of 1996 and I was involved in a Bible study since the late 80’s. It was a typical hot Texas summer with little rain. My father had open heart surgery in Wisconsin and I couldn’t go right away so my wife, who is a nurse, flew up to help my mother and was gone for 3 weeks and had a lot of time to concentrate on this impulse in my heart. I had a compulsion to start an assembly for quite some time and even tried to get something going several times but it never lasted, but I couldn’t shake it. I needed to confirm this one way or another. I was attending some mandatory job training in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex and during a break I looked outside and it was sunny and bright so I asked the Lord to make it rain for 15 minutes if He wanted a congregation that taught Moses to be started in Waxahachie. Now keep in mind this was a hot Texas summer. After several hours the training for that day was over around 5p.m. and I got into my car and drove down I-35 towards Waxahachie and I could see this little dark cloud going north right down I-35, coming right at me. From the time the rain hit my car to the time it stopped was 15 minutes! The Lord wanted Moses taught in Waxahachie! I didn’t say anything to anyone at first, I didn’t need to. But, we needed a place to meet so we could get out of private homes first and finally a building with a small meeting room opened up in April of 1997, 10 months after the Lord confirmed what he wanted and we moved in. The weekly Bible study began to meet there and I began to go on Saturday mornings alone, stayed alone, prepared for what was coming and left. When everything was ready and it was the Lord’s time a recovering drug addict and a homeless guy named Monty started coming. The people in the Bible study didn’t even come at first and there were some who tried to discourage me in one way or another, but I never listen to people like that and still don’t because I knew what the Lord had showed me. Slowly one would come, then another and people have been coming ever since. Some stay, some don’t but that has always been up to the Lord. Taking the example from the model of the 1st century synagogues that Paul and the Apostles set up we wanted a place where spiritual and physical needs could be met and people could serve the Lord in their particular gifts. This is not a “lifestyle” to us but our Life! It is not a place to “act holy”, we are holy, but not because of anything we do but because of what the Lord has already done. We are saved by God’s grace through the gift of faith. It begins with Him and ends with Him. There is nothing we have done to merit this salvation. The desire to obey the commandments is a sign we have the genuine gift of salvation. It is to be place where symbol is in line with the substance, balanced. We do not say “that was fulfilled so we don’t do it anymore” as many teach. Fulfilled does not mean “done away with” it means “to give meaning to, to confirm” and that is what we try to do. The Torah has many symbolic things and we try to give them substance by obeying them, the “word of God becoming flesh” if you will, finding out what the Lord was teaching through them. Nobody keeps the commandments to gain righteousness in our congregation.

We believe that Yeshua is the Messiah and the Holy Spirit is not a “sideshow” who performs at our bidding. The manifestations of the Spirit are evident and often, but they are not for our entertainment but for edification and comfort. We want people who want to serve the Lord with their whole hearts. We are not interested in people who want to make “contributions” but commitments to love the Lord and our neighbors, to lay our lives down for each other which does not include petty bickering and complaining. We are not interested in personal agendas or someone peddling their own religious bigotries or doctrines. If Moses is taught consistently and correctly the wolves in sheep’s clothing are eventually identified and dealt with by the Lord Himself. We have very seldom had to lift a finger in our own defense, the Lord is a good shepherd and an olive tree needs to be trimmed every so often. Another reason for our assembly is we know that 10 righteous in a city can deliver that city from judgment and we’ll never know in this life what catastrophes, if any, have been avoided in this city. All of the Scriptures teach that every generation was to hear the voice of God that spoke from that mountain so long ago and that is what we try to do when Moses is read in our congregation. It was Yeshua’s custom, it was Paul’s custom and every Torah observant believer’s custom to go to a synagogue in the city they were in to hear the Scriptures in the 1st century. Is our assembly perfect? No, not by a long shot. As long as people are involved there will be mistakes, errors and problems of some sort or another but with the Lord’s help and humble, repentant and pure hearts you can know that there is a lamp-stand still burning and standing in Waxahachie and that is why there is a congregation in this city. Like the commercial says, “we’ll keep a light on for you”, Lord willing!

Q. Is the current struggle over the Temple Mount a sign of the end times?

A The answer to that would be “yes” and “no” so let me explain. The struggle over the Temple Mount is nothing new. It has been going on for thousands of years. Solomon predicted that if Israel ever turned away from the Lord and His Torah the Temple Mount would be a proverb among the peoples (2Chr 7.16,19-21). Battles over the area predated Moses going back to Abraham (Gen 14.1-18). Deut 12.10 says that when Israel finally has rest from their enemies a Temple would be built and they would worship Him there. King David fought over the Temple Mount and finally secured peace. I Kings 12 documents how Israel lost access to the Temple through rebellion and even set up another religious system to keep people from going south to Jerusalem to worship. Pharaoh Shishak plundered the Temple and it’s treasuries in 1 Kings 14. We have the episode in 2 Chr 22 with Baal worship in the Temple, Joash abandoning the Temple and serving idols in 2 Chr 24. Not to mention obvious battles with the Assyrian, Babylonian and Roman conquests spanning over 800 years. For nearly 1900 years Israel and Jerusalem were conquered by different nations. In our lifetime we have seen British control of Jerusalem then Israel becoming a nation in 1948 which leads us up to your question. So, you can see that struggling over that area is nothing new and it will even continue into the Birth-pains and Messianic Kingdom (Rev. 20.9). The next question would be “What can we expect in the near future?” I believe a possible scenario will look something like this and this is based on what has happened before. The High Holy Days will fit prominently into the timing of all this. Everything discussed from now on will be based on Scripture and/or history. Israel will very soon gain total control over the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock will be removed. They will feel secure enough to erect a Temple. Seven days prior to the korbanot (offerings) services beginning, the area, the Altar, the vessels, the priesthood , the worshippers will need to be cleansed with the ashes of the Parah Adamah (red heifer-Num 19). This will begin on the 24th of the month of Elul (Hag. 1.15). The korbanot will begin to be offered on Tishri 1, year 6001 from creation (Ezra 3.1-6) which will be the first significant Rosh Ha shanah to Yom Kippur of the Tribulation but the foundation for the Temple will not be laid yet. You do not need a Temple building to offer the korbanot, all you need is the Temple Mount and the Altar. It is believed by some that the day the offerings begin on the Temple Mount Altar the believers will be caught up to Heaven in the Natzal (catching away) . True believers will see the acquisition of the Temple Mount, the red heifer and the cleansings according to the Torah before this event happens giving them ample warning to prepare and warn others of the impending events, mostly falling on deaf ears and scoffing.. When you see this start happening there will be at least seven days before the time for the Natzal and the Birth-pains begin. Unbelievers ,PETA and professing believers will go out of their minds when this happens. Many false teachers will condemn Israel for the” barbaric practice”. Theologians will go on religious and secular talk shows to discuss why the Temple services have been done away with and how this is such a tragic event. Israel will be hated among the nations and apostate Christianity will be at the forefront, as she always has been. The media will stir up the masses to try and pull political strings to stop this from happening with major opposition coming from America. But America’s days are numbered and the opposition here will be quickly silenced by God Himself. There is no escape or pardon for this nation. The United States will be destroyed by a Russian attack 8 to 9 days after these offerings begin. Our nation’s crimes before God are too numerous to mention. This sets up the scenario for the false messiah to rise to power in Europe because of the sudden power vacuum left by the destruction of America. He is given immediate power to defend Europe from an attack and he signs a defense treaty with Israel on Yom Kippur, beginning the 2,520 days of the Birth-pains or Tribulation period. Three years later the second significant Rosh Ha Shanah to Yom Kippur begins and Russia will invade Israel. Russia has tried to invade Israel before on a Yom Kippur in 1973 and will now return to finish the job but will be destroyed (Ezek 38-39), leaving the false messiah in power in the west. The powers of the east and south come against him for the remaining three and a half years culminating in his final defeat during the third significant Rosh Ha Shanah to Yom Kippur of the Tribulation period. So as you can see the struggle over the Temple Mount is ancient, present and future. There is nothing new under the sun.

Q. In Luke 16.9 it says “make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when it fails they may receive you into the etern

A. This verse is part of a parable that was addressed to the scribes and the Pharisee’s (v14). To get the basic idea let’s go through the verses. Yeshua starts out talking about a steward (scribes/Pharisees) who worked for a certain rich man (Lord). The rich man calls the steward to account for himself about why he was squandering his possessions. God repeatedly did this through the prophets, John and Yeshua. They had corrupted the Word, committed acts of theft and covetessness. The devoured widows houses (Matt. 23.14), tried to obtain land and worldly things and squandered God’s possessions. Fearing that his stewardship was going to be taken away (v3) he began to forgive some the debt owed to his master to try and secure their favor so that he had a place to go once he was relieved of his duties. Finally (v8) the master praised the steward for his shrewdness saying the sons of this world are more shrewd in securing a worldy place to live than the sons of light are about their heavenly home. They are wiser in temporal things than believers are in spiritual things is the point. So now we come to v 9 and the basic meaning is this. We should turn money to our “spiritual” advantage by showing mercy to the poor, helping the orphans and the widows, giving to those in need. Then, as a result, in life and death those that were relieved and helped will rise as a witness on your behalf at the Judgement on the Last Day. In other words, with the same wisdom, energy and creativeness we invest in earthly things, lay up our treasures in heaven which will have eternal benefits not just temporary ones. The scribes and the Pharisees were interested in securing a place of honor in this world and exploited the Word of God, the Temple and the land for personal gain using some in-genius interpretations and machinations to secure a place of honor in this world. Yeshua was saying that they should’ve used the same wisdom in securing a heavenly inheritance. He is clearly aiming this parable at them because in v14 it says that the Pharisees were lovers of money and were listening to this parable began to scoff at Yeshua. They knew he was talking about them, but the meaning carries over to today. The scribes and the Pharisees are alive and well today but this parable and it’s teaching has practical application to all of us.

Q. What does it mean in Revelation 4.1 when it says “a door was opened” in Heaven?

A. This is a Hebrew idiom that literally means that a door of opportunity to discern spiritual truth and prophecy is being opened to a particular individual. In this case Yeshua has appeared to John on the island of Patmos. He has told him that many things are going to be revealed to him, including prophecies about the end times. Many of the things in the book of Revelation has been mentioned in other parts of the Scripture but John is going to get some insight on these things. So, in Revelation 4.1 a door (of opportunity to discern) was opened (for insight) in Heaven (where God is). This is alluding to several practices in the Temple that John would have known. The Tamid service is done twice a day ( Num 28). When the lamb was to be sacrificed 3 trumpets sounded and the massive doors to the Temple were opened and people gained access to the courts. Also, on several festivals the curtains of the Sanctuary were opened. This curtain had the stars of Heaven on them (7 planets that were visible) and this was seen as “the Heavens opening” and people could see into the Holy Place. This was to illustrate the concept that when you came to the Temple, kept the Torah that the God would reveal from the heavens (an open door) deeper insight to His plan, the Scriptures, prophecy or whatever. This is what is going on in Rev. 4.1. There are some who believe that this is also referring to the Natzal, or the “snatching away” of the believers before the Tribulation and that certainly is a possibility also. But, in the literal (peshat) level of interpretation this is referring to deeper insight was going to be given to John and to whoever reads and studies this book (Rev. 22.6).

Q. A Jewish friend of mine said that Gentiles are under the Noahide Laws but not the Torah. Could you explain this?

A. The Noahide Laws is a rabbinic interpretation of some of the laws found in the Scripture. They are called the Noahide Laws because these laws were binding upon all people who descended from Noah, therefore universal and by their interpretation there are only 7 but in actuality there are 30 or more. They say these laws predated Mt. Sinai. Any law repeated at Sinai applied to Gentiles and Jews, and any law not repeated applied to only Jewish people. The seven basic laws are in regard to idolatry, not to blaspheme the name of the Lord, establishing courts of justice, murder, adultery, robbery and not to eat the flesh cut from a living animal. These laws required a lot of speculation on the part of the rabbis and leave out pre-Sinaitic laws like circumcision and the Sabbath to name a few. The current idea that your friend was talking about is that rabbinic Judaism today does not believe that a Gentile should obey the commandments given after Mt. Sinai. This interpretation is of course preposterous and does not even warrant serious consideration but there is a growing movement called “B’nai Noach”” or “sons of Noah” in the orthodox Jewish world that attracts many Gentiles into rabbinic indoctrination, which also includes the rejection of Yeshua as the Messiah. The mindset behind this is the exclusion of Gentiles into Jewish community life basically. If a Gentile followed just these seven laws he could not fellowship with orthodox Jews unless he converts to Judaism and that seems to be the idea behind it quite frankly. Messianic Jewish leaders are beginning to say the same thing in such movements like the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations and the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America. They say that the Gentiles are not to follow the Torah because that is a “culturally distinctive” aspect of their walk with Yeshua as Jews and for a Gentile to follow Torah “confuses” the difference between Jews and Gentiles. Also, the major Messianic movements want to be accepted eventually as a part of mainstream Judaism and they can’t have Gentiles observing laws that would offend other Jews. So, in short there is no biblical evidence that there are only 7 Noahide Laws that Gentiles need to obey with the exclusion of other Torah commands. Jews and Gentiles are to obey the Scriptures as they apply to each person (1 Cor. 7. 17-24). This is a very basic explanation of this concept. For more information on this subject do a search on the Internet or go to “ Jewish Encyclopedia.com” and find out more.

Second Coming during Feast of Tabernacles?

Q. Can we expect Jesus’ Second coming to occur on the first day of the feast of Tabernacles?

A. I believe that the prophetic scenario will play out this way. We are approaching the 6000^th year from creation. When the year 6001 occurs, it begins the last 1000 years of history, of time as we know it. This time period is called “the Day of the Lord”, “the Last day”, “the Sabbath of God” “the Millennium” and other terms. This last 1000 years begins on Yom Teruah or as it is known today as Rosh Ha Shannah which means “the head of the year”. Yom Teruah is the biblical name for this day (Num 29). It is also known as “the day no man knows” because this is the only festival that occurs on a new moon and you can’t start a month without sighting the new moon first so “no man knows” when a month starts until the new moon is sighted.

This festival has many themes attached to it but the four main ones are resurrection, the coronation of the Messiah, judgment and the wedding of the Messiah. This is the day the Yeshua will resurrect the bodies of the departed believers and those who are alive physically at the time will be caught up with them, called the Natzal (1 Thes 4.13-18) and be taken to Heaven for 7 years, or wedding week called a “shavuah.” 10 days later is Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. This is the day the Birth-pains of the Messiah will begin, or the Tribulation period. The countdown of 2,520 days, a time, begins on this Yom Kippur, year 6001 from creation. The exact halfway point of the tribulation will be Nisan 10. This is the day Yeshua rode into Jerusalem and presented Himself as Messiah. This will also be the day the false Messiah will go into the Temple of God and declare Himself “Jesus” the Messiah as well. This will begin the last 1260 days, or a “time, times and half a time” leading up to another Yom Kippur. So the Tribulation will begin on a Yom Kippur.

The halfway point of the Tribulation will be Nisan 10 and the last day will be a Yom Kippur. It is this Yom Kippur (Matt 24.29-31) that ends the 7 year Tribulation that I believe Yeshua will return to Jerusalem and destroy the False Messiah, the false Prophet and their followers (Rev 19). In the Temple service there were two goats on Yom Kippur. One was sacrificed “to the Lord” but the other was called “Azazel” which means “to the wilderness” and it is killed and it is this goat that is symbolic of the False Messiah. Yeshua will return to the city on Yom Kippur. For the next 5 days there will a judgment of those who survived the Tribulation. Some will be believers and some will not. This judgment is discussed in many places in the Scripture but Matt. 25 is a good start. After these 5 days we come up to the Feast of Sukkot, or Tabernacles, and by this time there are no unbelievers who have survived the Tribulation and the judgment of the sheep and goats.

These believers along, with those who returned from Heaven with Yeshua, will enter the Messianic Kingdom for the balance of the 1000 years (Rev 20). At the end of the 1000 years Satan will be released from his bonds and instigate another rebellion with many of those born from the Tribulation survivors and their descendants. This will quickly be put out and then there is another resurrection. Those that have died as believers after year 6001 will be resurrected as a part of the first resurrection. The first resurrection has already started, beginning with Yeshua (first phase) and the second phase will bethose resurrected after Him in the first century (Matt 27.52-53). The third phase happened on Yom Teruah year 6001 with the Natzal or catching away of the believers before the Tribulation began and the final phase will be these believers. The second resurrection will involve all unbelievers of all time.

These unbelievers will stand before the Great white Throne of God and be condemned forever in the Lake of Fire. After this we enter what is called “the Olam Haba” or the world to come and there isn’t a lot of Scripture about this age but whatever it is the Scripture says we can’t even imagine what it will be like, so I won’t speculate. Understanding the biblical festivals is a must if you are going to understand biblical prophecy. The spring festivals are Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits and Shavuot. The literal fulfillment of these festivals were accomplished on the very day they were celebrated by Yeshua in His first coming. The fall festivals are Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot and there is no reason to believe that Yeshua will not fulfill these literally, on the day they are celebrated as well. Of course these are my observations, beliefs and opinions and I submit them for you to consider. Thanks for the question.