Sighting of the New Moon & Rosh ha Shana

Q. Isn't it confusing and misleading when rabbi's designate their "new year" on Rosh Ha Shana instead of when the Torah says to begin a new year, which is by sighting of the new moon and aviv barley in the spring?

A. It's not confusing or misleading when one understands that the Bible operates on two calendars. There is the civil calendar that counts the years from creation and the religious calendar that sets the feast days. One begins in the fall and the other in the spring. Let's deal with the civil calendar first. Gen 1.14 says that the sun and the moon were to be for signs and seasons, which means they were used to set feast days. From Gen 1 to Exodus 12.1, all the dates given were according to the civil calendar, but after that the dates are according to the religious calendar. The civil calendar starts on Tishri 1 and goes to Tishri 1 of the next year. The religious year starts with the New Moon of Aviv and goes to the next New Moon of Aviv. In Exodus 12.1-3, the Lord says that the month of Aviv is the beginning of months for you. But, He is not negating the civil calendar, but stating that the religious festivals would begin in the month of Aviv, beginning with Passover. Now the months were to begin on a New Moon (Gen 1.14). Now, Aviv means "green ear" so we have an instruction here. The barley must be aviv (green) and the next new moon will begin the month of Aviv (green ear). How can you have the month of Aviv if the barley isn't "green" yet? So you must have green barley and a new moon sighted. The current Jewish calendar doesn't go by these rules. They calculate it ahead of time and that is not biblical, but that is another issue for another time. So, when Exodus 12 says that Aviv would be the beginning of months it means in setting the religious festivals. You have to have the first month before you know what days the festivals fall on, with each succeeding month starting on a visible new moon. The fall festivals are in the seventh month (or "moon") so you have to know when the first one is. The Bible uses two calendars then, one civil and the other religious. There are several verses where you will see both of them in use at the same time. In Exodus 23.16 it says that we should celebrate the "Feast of In-gathering (Sukkot) at the end of year." Now, to know when the Feast of In-gathering is you have to have the religious calendar starting in the spring with the month of Aviv. The phrase "end of the year" is referring to the civil year, in the fall. A similar verse can be found in Exodus 34.22 and the end of the year carries the meaning of "the turn of the year" meaning the civil year. So, you can see both calendars in use. Knowing this will help interpret many verses in the Scriptures and even give you a clue about the coming of the Messiah. Joel 2.23 says "So rejoice, O sons of Zion and be glad in the Lord your God; for He has given you the early rain for your vindication and He has poured down for you the rain, the early and latter rain as in the first month." Now, there is a lot here and you must know that the Bible goes by two calendars. First, where it says the early and latter rain it means "teacher of righteousness" in Hebrew and it is a clear reference to the Messiah. Hosea 6.1-3 and James 5.7 both equate these rains with the coming of the Lord. But, how can you have the early and later rains in the first month? They are seven months apart during the agricultural season in Israel! Well, you can if there are two calendars. So, if the teacher of righteousness is the Messiah and His coming is like the early and latter rain, then His first coming will happen in the spring and his second coming in the fall. Yeshua came during the FIRST month of the religious calendar (and the seventh month of the civil calendar) called Aviv and fulfilled Passover, Unleavened Bread and First fruits. If the Lord holds true to the types and shadows of the festivals, that means His second coming will come during the FIRST month of the civil calendar (and the seventh month of the religious calendar) called Tishri. Tishri 1 is Rosh Ha Shana and the day of the Rapture, and His second coming will be Yom Kippur and the Kingdom begins with Sukkot, all of which occur during the month of Tishri. So, here is a clear reference to two calendars being used in the same verse or else how can these comings be "in the first month." It can happen when you realize that there are two calendars and two "first months" used in the Scriptures.

Mountains in the Bible

Q. I know that "mountains" are symbolic of kingdoms and governments. Do you believe that a believer can have the faith to move physical mountains or the faith to overcome and "move" governments and change kingdoms?

A. The verse you are referring to is Mark 11.22-23 and so let's look at the verse to see what it is saying. One of the things that people forget when they look at a verse is context. In the context of our verse, Yeshua has come into the city of Jerusalem, overturned the money-changer tables, cursed the fig tree and has been very critical of the religious teaching of the chief priests and scribes. We know that they were more concerned with their traditions than with what the Lord was trying to say in the Scriptures. The fig tree (Israel) was not producing fruit and they were going to be sent into a worldwide captivity. When the Apostles noticed that the fig tree that Yeshua cursed had withered, they were amazed. Noticing this, Yeshua said in 11.22-23 "Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain "Be taken and cast into the sea and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted." So let's look at this verse. Yeshua is talking about what he has been experiencing, unbelief among the Jewish people in His words and to who He was. When He says "this mountain", He is referring to the Temple Mount and all the false teachings that come from it. Mountains in the Scriptures can mean kingdoms but it can also mean "obstacles" and false teaching is an obstacle, But if you have faith in God, the obstacle of false teaching can be overcome. So, the mountain here is the Temple Mount and He was saying that the city of Jerusalem and the Temple was going to be destroyed and cast into the sea. Archeology has confirmed that artifacts/stones from Jerusalem and the Temple were taken to Caesarea and literally cast into the sea. This judgment came upon Israel because many were keeping people away from the Kingdom of God through their false teachings, illustrated by the cursing of the fig tree. Yeshua is saying that with faith in God, the falsehood of their teaching can be overcome and they can enter the Kingdom of God. Some misguided teachers today take this verse and say that if you have faith you can say something and it will happen and it is one of the basic verses used by the Faith Movement to justify their false teachings. But, it is actually a verse that is saying quite the opposite. Any obstacle that tries to get in the way of the truth can be uprooted and removed with faith in God.

Marriage in the Messianic Kingdom

Q. I have been told that there will be no "giving of marriage" in the Messianic Kingdom. Is this true? Are there going to be married couples in the Kingdom?

A. Let's define some terms and look at this question in an eschatological manner. We are living in a period called the Olam ha Zeh or "this present age." This period will go for 6000 years from Creation to the Rapture of the believers on Rosh ha Shanah, year 6001 from Creation. The next time frame will go 1000 years and this period is called the Atid Lavo, or the coming age. After the Rapture, there will be a period of 10 days where the 144,000 will leave the United States and return to Israel and the United States will be attacked by Russia and destroyed. Europe, realizing they are in danger, convenes a meeting with their leaders and hands power over to a leader who will turn out to be the false messiah. All this will happen within 10 days of the rapture. On the 10th day, it is Yom Kippur and the false messiah will sign a treaty with Israel to protect them. This starts the 7 year Tribulation period. After 7 years or 2520 days. Yeshua the Messiah returns to Jerusalem on Yom Kippur and destroys the enemies of Israel. He will be accompanied by all the believers who were resurrected and changed at the Rapture. They will go into this Kingdom on Earth with glorified bodies but they will not be given in marriage. Then there is a 5 day period from Tishri 10 to 15 when the nations will be judged in Jerusalem. There will be many people who will survive the Tribulation period and be brought to the Lord for this judgment. The first group judged will be those who did not believe during the Tribulation. They will be killed and their bodies cast into the Hinnom Valley. Then those who believed during the Tribulation will be brought to the Lord. They will enter the remainder of the 1000 year Messianic Kingdom with their physical bodies. Depending on their age, these are the ones who will be given in marriage because they will have physical bodies. Some will get married and have children during the Kingdom period. Then, their parents will die and those children will get married and have children and so on. In this way the Earth will be repopulated. When the 1000 years have been completed, the people who have lived and died during the Kingdom will be judged. Those who did not believe, along with every unbeliever who ever lived will be judged at what is called the Great White Throne. They will go into the Lake of Fire. On the other hand,there will be those who are believers but are still in their physical bodies at this time and they will receive glorified bodies just like the believers did when they were resurrected and changed at the Rapture a 1000 years earlier. The period after the Atid Lavo or the coming age is called the Olam Haba, or the World to Come. It is the "8th" day, if you will, after the the 7000 years (Eschatological Sabbath Week) are over. Everyone who is a believer will have a glorified body by this time and there will be no marriages at this point and no children will be born. It is possible that whoever told you that there was no giving in marriage confused the Atid Lavo with the Olam Haba, or the Messianic Kingdom with the World to Come.

Why is the Catholic Church so interested in having control of the Holy sites in Jerusalem?

For centuries the Vatican has been pushing its "replacement theology" also called "super session-ism" and this view has been adopted by Protestant churches as well. The doctrine states that the Catholic Church has replaced Israel as the "New Israel" in that the promises made to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob now apply to Christianity. The Catholic Church believes they are the embodiment of the New Israel and this view can plainly be seen in the writings of the Church Fathers. Constantine formalized much of it and wanted to "root out the last vestiges of Judaism" from the Doctrines of the church at the Council of Nicea and it carried on from there. The Catholic Church wants Israel to lose sovereign control over the old city of Jerusalem so that the "promises" apply to the "New Jerusalem" or the Catholic Church. If Israel controls Jerusalem it is evidence that Rome's claims are false and that the literal interpretation of Scripture is correct. There is no place for the restoration of Israel in its theology. How can the Vatican claim to be the New Jerusalem and rightful heir to the Kingdom of God if the Jews control Jerusalem? Before 1948 that wasn't a problem, but Israel has returned to the land by the hand of God. How can the Vatican convince the world that their version of replacement theology is correct with Israel in control? So, the real goal is to have the Vatican "take control" over the old city of Jerusalem. Any "peace" agreement between Israel and the Palestinians is just a cover story to hide what is really going on. The Muslims want control of the Temple Mount and the old city for the same reason. It shows the dominance of Allah over the God of the Bible. Either way, the Jews cannot have this control because it shows that Catholic replacement theology is in error. Violence in the Middle East serves both purposes and it is really a struggle over whose theology is correct. Violence serves the interest of both the Muslims and replacement theology Christianity. The end goal of the Vatican is to seize control of the old city of Jerusalem out of the hands of the State of Israel. They have committed themselves in public to supporting Palestinian authority in Jerusalem. A deal with the Palestinians would include control over the holy sites and to control the old city of Jerusalem. In short, their plan is to "steal" Jerusalem from the Jews by trying to negotiate agreements meant to transfer ownership of national Israeli property into the hands of foreigners. They initiate or support any process that will wrestle control of the Temple Mount, Western Wall and Jerusalem out of the hands of Israel. Remember that the Roman Church inherited the legacy of Rome as the destroyer of Jerusalem and who had the Jews exiled. All the churches that exist in the land are the result of that destruction and the Vatican wants it to stay that way.

Tree of Life Leaves of Healing

Q. In the last chapter of Revelation there is a statement that the leaves of the tree of life would be used for the healing of the nations. What affect do the leaves have and why are the nations being healed. Was it as a result of all the judgments poured out during the Tribulation?

A. The book of Revelation concerns the closing of God's "controversy" with creation, angels, Satan, and man. It links Genesis to Revelation and it is filled with Hebraic thought, images, symbols, and idioms called "apocalyptic style" and it is used to unveil and unfold things not previously known , either past, present or future and this technique is found in many other books of the Bible. They key to understanding Revelation is to be very familiar with biblical idioms, signs, and symbols. The verses you are referring to can be found in Revelation 22:1-2 and so we will concentrate on those verses. Chapter 21 and 22 deal with what happens after the Messianic Kingdom is over and where the Lord sets up "the World to Come" on earth. These chapters do not happen in heaven but on earth and that is very important to understand. Once you understand the idioms and phrases, these are very easy to understand. The best way to do this is to write the verse and in parentheses give the meaning of the symbolism or idiom.
"And he showed me a river (channel of truth) of the water of life (word of God) clear as crystal (no impurities) coming from the throne of God (the Father) and the Lamb (Messiah) in the middle of its street (the way of life). And on either side of the river was the tree of life (wisdom-Prov 3.13-19) bearing twelve (number of teaching and divine government) fruit (results) , yielding its fruit every month and the leaves (teachings) of the tree were for the healing of the nations (promotes life with no conflicts)." In other words, God will be present with the redeemed of mankind and there will be prosperity and peace throughout the world. The word of God will be known and obeyed and the wisdom that comes from that knowledge will promote peace among all the nations. There will be no more war, sin, death and all the things that weigh down mankind today. The earth will be restored back to the way it was in Eden and the Lord will be the center of all life and worship. Revelation 22.3-4 sums it up where it says that "there shall be no more curse and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it (Shekinah, presence of God) and His bond-servants (believers) shall serve Him (experience His favor) and they (believers) shall see His face and His name (also known as the word of God -Rev 19.13) will be on their foreheads (seat of the intellect, profession and comprehension).

Azazel (Scapegoat) and the False Messiah

Q. All through the Torah animals are treated with kindness and cruelty was not allowed. So was the killing of the Azazel goat on Yom Kippur really how God wanted it done?

A. One of the most important feast days in the Scriptures is Yom Kippur. Several sacrifices were made on this day and they were used to purify the Temple and the altar. They were also used to cleanse the priests and the entire Israelite congregation. The service can be found in Leviticus 16. What we are going to concentrate on is the two goats mentioned in the service. Lots were cast and one goat was a sacrifice to the Lord and the other was called in Hebrew "Azazel" but in many Bibles that word is translated "scapegoat" but in this article it will be referred to by its biblical name Azazel. The first goat was "to the Lord" or L'Adonai in Hebrew and this represented Yeshua. It's the second goat that many are confused about. While the first goat was slain as a means of atonement for the people, the actual sins of the people were placed on the head of the second goat. Just like we use the word "scapegoat" today, the actual blame for the sins of the people was placed upon the second goat. The first goat was a blameless, innocent sacrifice just like Yeshua (2 Cor 5.21). So we see that the first goat "bore" the sins, the second goat took the blame. Not only was the second goat not killed but it was released into the wilderness. There is no indication that this goat was led out there to die, goats can survive in the wilderness. It was for this reason the Jews changed the Mosaic Law and they began to take this second goat to a cliff and have it pushed over the edge and be torn to pieces. This would prevent the goat from wondering back into a village or something. This procedure was an addition of the Rabbi's and not commanded by the Lord. So, that should help with your question. From this point let's go into some deep truths. The term Azazel means "complete removal" and in Hebrew literature Azazel is the name of an individual who leads people against the Lord. In the book of Enoch, chapter 54.4-6 it says that chains were being prepared for the hosts of Azazel who have subjected themselves to Satan and leading astray those who dwell on the earth. Other references to Azazel in the book of Enoch can be found in 10.4-9; 10.11-14; 13.1-3; 55.3-4. Azazel fits the description of the false messiah and here is why. We know that the Lord will return to earth on Yom Kippur. Not the rapture but the second coming. The false messiah will closely resemble the true Messiah and will deceive many into believing that he is messiah but he isn't. Just like the the two goats on Yom Kippur, they will look very similar on the outside. This was actually acted out on Passover when the Lord was brought before Pilate and Barabbas was brought forth also. The two of them stood there and Yeshua was judged blameless but condemned and Barabbas was released into the world (the wilderness) and nothing was ever heard of him again. In like manner, Azazel is the false messiah and he is not a believer, his sins are on his own head, as are the sins of those who follow him and they are dismissed and removed from before the Lord. It seems that Azazel is not a picture of the Messiah but a picture of the false messiah and that he will meet his end on Yom Kippur when the true Messiah will return to the city of Jerusalem.

Who are the two witnesses in Rev. 11?

Q. Who are the two witnesses spoken about in Rev. 11?

A. There has been a long debate on who these individuals are. Many think that they will be Moses and Elijah, who will come back and others think that it will be Enoch and Elijah because they didn't die. Both of these theories are highly unlikely. First , let's look at Enoch and Elijah. Both died and here are the reasons why. Hebrews said that Enoch "did not see death" but that was in regard to the second death (Jn 8.51, 11.26). In Heb 11.13 it says that all the people previously mentioned "died in faith" so that means Enoch died. In Genesis 5.24 it says that Enoch "walked with God and was not." But, compare that phrase with Psa 37.36 where it says " Yet he passed away and , lo, he was not." Psa 39.13 basically says the same thing. Also check Gen 42.13, 44.20, Matt 2.18. So, this phrase can indicate a physical death. With Elijah, it says that Elijah was taken from Elisha and the people in the whirlwind and was taken somewhere else. The Bible does not mention where but he was taken further away than the fifty men searched (2K 2.17) but did not die at that time because Elijah wrote a letter to Jehoram 10 years after the events in 2 Kings 2.1-12, but eventually Elijah died. As far being taken into heaven we know that neither Enoch or Elijah were taken there because Yeshua said that "no man has ascended into heaven" (Jn 3.13). Moses and Elijah were "seen" at the transfiguration but remember that this was a vision and not reality. It was a "picture" but not a physical reality. The vision was not to be interpreted as literal. They were still in their graves. So, Elijah and Enoch aren't the two witnesses based on the fact that they didn't die because the Scriptures say they did. We know Moses died also. Now, God can do anything He wants and can certainly bring them back from the dead but the two witnesses are going to be killed so it is unlikely that Moses, Elijah or Enoch will be resting in their heavenly reward, be "reincarnated" into human bodies and die again.

So, just who are the two witnesses? God has said that everything should be established by 2 or three witnesses. The Law and the Prophets are the witnesses that we use to establish truth and many other biblical concepts including who the Messiah is. The Law and the Prophets are "personified" by Moses and Elijah, that's why they "appeared" in the vision at the Transfiguration. They were discussing prophecy. You will also notice that in Rev 11 they perform miracles very similar to Moses and Elijah by turning water to blood and calling fire down from heaven. The concept of two witnesses has been seen in the Scriptures before. For example, there has been Moses and Aaron, Ezra and Nehemiah, Joshua and Caleb, Yeshua and John the Baptist, plus many more. Zechariah 4.11-14 describes them as being two "olive trees" meaning that they are Jewish (olive) and human (trees). When the angel was asked by Zechariah about who they were the angel said in v 14 that they are the "two anointed ones" who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth." In Hebrew, "anointed ones" means "sons of fresh oil" meaning that the two witnesses will be empowered by the Holy Spirit. These individuals will not be Moses, Elijah or Enoch but two individuals who the Lord will raise up and they will come in the spirit and power of Moses and Elijah, who symbolize the Law and the Prophets. You see, the Torah and Prophets are the two witnesses and they are "personified" by Moses and Elijah. Prophecy says that the Lord is going to send Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord (Mal 4). When Yeshua came he raised up John as a witness who came in the spirit and power of Elijah ( Lk 1.17). Yeshua said that the kingdom was being offered and that if the people accepted the Kingdom, then John was Elijah, fulfilling Mal 4. Now, he wasn't saying that John was literally Elijah "reincarnated" because John himself denied he was Elijah in John 1, but he did come in the spirit and power of Elijah and even looked like him (camel hair/leather girdle). But, what this tells you is that a witness came in the spirit and power of Elijah, but it didn't have to literally be Elijah, and that is what is going to happen in the Tribulation. Also, these two witnesses allude to the two witnesses of a Jewish wedding. One witness was assigned to the bride and one to the groom. Moses was assigned to the bride in that he brought the people out to Sinai to receive the Torah and to "meet" the groom (Jer 2.2). Elijah was assigned to the groom and brought the groom to the bride. The Torah (Moses) prepares the bride to meet the groom and the Prophets (Elijah) reveals the groom to the bride. That's why John the Baptist ( Elijah) said that he was the friend of the bridegroom who stands at the door of the bed chamber and rejoices when he hears the voice of the groom saying that the marriage has been consummated.(John 3:29) He did his job and he was successful. So, in conclusion, the two witnesses will be two Jewish men that the Lord will empower with the Holy Spirit for the first half of the Tribulation. Their ministry will be to bring Israel back to the Lord and to His Anointed One ,Yeshua. They will be killed at the exact mid-point of the Tribulation, Nisan 10, by the false messiah and be resurrected at noon on Nisan 14, Passover. They will not be Moses, Elijah or Enoch but will come in the power and spirit of Moses and Elijah.

Matthew 23:1-2 & Rabbinical Teachings

Q. There are some teachers who say that Matt 23.1-2 means that we should be following what the Orthodox Rabbi's teach when it comes to halakah. What is your opinion on this. I see many believers in Yeshua putting themselves under what these Rabbi's teach and they use this verse to prove it.

A. Let me try and give some insight into this verse and hopefully it will help you in seeing the true intent of this verse. In verse 1 He mentions the "scribes and the Pharisees" because they were the two main groups that came nearer to the truth than the Saduccees and some of the other groups. The Pharisees gave the literal and the traditional sense of the Scriptures and the others didn't. So, He addresses these groups because the majority of the people followed what they said. When it says that they have "seated themselves in the seat of Moses" it means that they interpreted Scripture. They read and explained the Torah to the people and this phrase is referring to teaching because that was done "sitting down" (Luke 4.16-20) and this is not saying that they had legislative power. This has to do with having the right to read and interpret Scripture. When it says in v 2 "all that they tell you, you do and observe" it doesn't mean we have to follow all their teachings and oral traditions. It simply means that when they give an interpretation be alert and obey what they are saying unless it disagrees with the Torah. The mistakes people make with this verse is they think that Yeshua is saying that the Rabbi's should be followed no matter what they say and it isn't true. The Rabbi's teach that you must obey them even if what they say isn't true. They think they have the authority based on Deut. 17.8-13 but there is a problem with that. First, Deut. 17.8-13 is talking about the courts, not interpretations. Second, when Deut. 17.9 was written they had a High Priest with the Urim and Thummim who could consult the Lord directly for a clarification so that is why you went and consulted him if there was a problem. Third, where it says to consult the judge (Deut 17.9) and these were appointed by the people (Deut.16.18). That's why if a person didn't listen to what the High Priest or the judge said they could be put to death. These verses do not apply to the Rabbi's today. Who says the Rabbi's of today are judges? Yeshua had some serious things to say about the Scribes and Pharisees of His day and he certainly didn't obey many of the oral traditions of the Rabbi's (the case of hand-washing for example). The teachings of the Scribes and Pharisees, in most cases, was seen as an enemy of the Faith. He said that their teachings were plants that would be rooted up (Mt 15.13). Also that their teachings were planted by the enemy (Mt 13.37-39). He said that these teachings affected the outer man but left the inner man untouched (Mt 23.25-28). He also said their teachings are leaven and if left unchallenged would leaven the whole (Mt 16 6-12). So, to follow the teachings of the Rabbi's today and to use Mt 23.1-2 to justify it is wrong and it doesn't give the meaning to what Yeshua was saying. He is talking about the teachers of His day who "sit" and teach and that if what they say is correct we should listen to them. If what they say contradicts the Scriptures we are never obligated to obey it, This applies to any teaching we hear, not just from the Rabbi's. If a Messianic or Christian minister is teaching things not in line with the Scriptures, then we are not obligated to obey it. The Rabbi's in Judaism today are not the spiritual leaders of a believer in Yeshua and it would be wrong to put yourself under their authority. I have known many who have and eventually get to the point of denying that Yeshua was God, or even the Messiah. What they will do is get you to doubt the New Testament Scriptures and once that happens it won't be long before you deny everything it teaches. On the other hand, that doesn't mean we can't get insight and information from rabbinical books and teachings because their is a wealth of information available to help with our understanding, but it is not a good thing to use the words of Yeshua, especially in this verse, to justify following these Rabbi's and putting ourselves under their authority.

Two House Theory

This week I want to go over a belief among many believers called the Ephraimite or "two house" theory that says that in European and American Christianity there are some Christians who claim to be Jews with a "bloodline" from Ephraim, a son of Joseph, with a genealogical link. These "Ephraimites" who claim a blood link use a theological premise rooted in replacement theology. They believe in the 10 lost tribes of Israel. But, the these tribes were never really lost and many remained in Israel after the Assyrian dispersion and Scripture says they were still in the land.

In the New Testament Anna was from Asher and the book of James was written to the 12 tribes of Israel. Those individuals who have adopted this label have opened their hearts to the Holy Spirit and have adopted a Torah observant lifestyle which, to them, proves they are of Jewish descent. However, having the Torah written on their hearts is evidence of true repentance but this does not change their DNA. They believe themselves to be a Jewish "remnant" found among the nations. This "theory" never appears in Scripture and there are four major flaws in this thinking. First, as mentioned above, it presumes that the Northern tribes lost their identity but the Scriptures prove otherwise. In 2 Chr 30. 1-18 it says that many from the northern tribes participated in Hezekiah's re institution of Passover. Secondly, it presumes that all or most believers in Yeshua are descendants of these 10 "lost" tribes but God's plan of salvation is for "all nations" not just the 12 tribes of Israel. Third, it presumes that only when one "realizes" that they are one of the descendants of Ephraim can the prophecies of the union between Judah and Israel be realized. However, this union comes as an event distinct from the salvation of the nations. And last, how can one prove they are a descendant of one of the lost tribes anyway. There are no genealogies. This theory seems to be popular among those who think their salvation is lacking in some way unless they can show that they are Jewish. The Lord said that the Holy Spirit would move among the Gentiles and that the Torah would be written upon their hearts. This does not prove that they are of Jewish descent but shows true repentance. Many Messianic Bible teachers today are deceiving many into thinking that they are of Jewish descent and who knows what their true motivations are. Maybe it is to develop a following that fills their pockets and supports their ministries, but it is not based on Scripture and it is an error. Rather than judge their motivations, a deeper study into the flaws of this theology will help you avoid the pitfalls of such a belief and help you obtain a balanced view of the prophecies and the role of the Gentiles in the Body of Messiah. God doesn't care about your genealogy when it comes to salvation. His call goes out to Jew and Gentile alike and He does care about changing the hearts of those He calls with no respect to a persons genealogy.

If the Apostle Paul was Torah observant as you say, why do his writings say otherwise? Part 3

During the last several weeks we have looked at the Apostle Paul and what he taught and there is no doubt that he taught the Torah and was Torah observant himself. This week we will look at some passages in light of Paul's Torah observant lifestyle to help free them from many preconceived assumptions taught by many today. Once we look at these passages through Paul's Torah observant life, the evidence for otherwise turns out to be faulty. So, lets look at a few of the passages that some use to "prove" that Paul was not Torah observant nor did he teach others to be.
1. "If you are led by the Spirit then you are not under law ." But being led of the Spirit is closely linked to to obedience to God's Law (Ezek 36.26-27). The term "under Law" in Greek simply means that you don't rely on the Law for righteousness.
2. "Do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, new moon or Sabbath" (Col 2.16-17). Those causing the trouble here were those teaching "deceptive philosophies, human tradition, idle notions and human commands in contrast to the Sabbath, feasts and dietary laws given by God, not man (Col 2.20-23).
3. "Man of Lawlessness"- Now, the word "lawless" is the word "anomos" in Greek and it means "without Torah, no Torah or without the Law". If the false messiah is called the "man of lawlessness" how can people think that they are to be without the Law?
4. " If you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ is of no value to you" (Gal 5.2). This relates to ritual circumcision as a Jewish convert, which was a rabbinical command but not from God. Some came to Galatia and told the believers there that they needed to be circumcised to be saved and Paul was telling them that they did not have to. But if they believed their faith was incomplete and they had to "do something else" then Messiah was of no value to them. This ritual circumcision was an issue in the first century. It crops up in Acts 15.1 and also in Galatia but it is not to be confused with Abrahamic circumcision. This is biblical and to be done to a descendant of Abraham. Paul said that this circumcision is of great value (Rom 3.1-2) and Paul personally circumcised Timothy because he was a descendant of Abraham in the flesh and this was according to the commandment.
5. "Christ is the end of the Law" ( Rom 10.4). The word "end" means goal or target in Greek This would make sense in the context of what Paul was teaching in Rom 10 and would agree with the Old Testament. Psalm 40, Luke 24 and John 5 say that the Scriptures point and teach and testify about Yeshua.
Paul himself believed everything that agreed with the Law and the prophets (Acts 24.1) Translators chose to translate "telos" as end which gives the impression that the Torah is no longer a reliable guide. That idea agrees with the religious traditions of the translators but it disagrees with numerous passages in the Torah and Prophets. By choosing "end" the translators have not only made Paul contradict what he said he believed. Also, they have led people think that the Law has been done away with, even though Yeshua said otherwise in Matt 5.17-19. Peter warned that in his day Paul's writings were being misinterpreted (2 Pet 3.16). Since people have been misinterpreting Paul's writings, how can we interpret them correctly. We are to use the same test that He has set forth in the Scriptures. Isaiah 8.20 and Acts 17.10-11 says that we are to test everything by the Scriptures. Paul's teachings will agree with the Old Testament Scriptures. The problem is people have not been taught the truth nor do they pursue it themselves. They want to be told what to believe without knowing the Scriptures themselves. Anybody can quote the Scriptures to you but not everybody can tell you what it means accurately. The New Testament must be seen through the eyes of the writers and who they were and they all were Torah observant Jews and to interpret their writings to be anti-Torah is a gross miscalculation.

If the Apostle Paul was Torah observant as you say, why do his writings say otherwise? Part 2

This week we are going to continue with the teaching that the Apostle Paul taught the Torah and not some new theology. Remember that the only Scriptures Paul and all the writers of the New Testament used was the Tanak. Paul affirmed the whole Law in 1 Tim1.8; Rom 2.13; Rom 3.29-31, 7.12-22; 1 Cor 7.19. There never was a distinction between the Moral and Ceremonial Law as some say. It is never used in all of the Bible. The whole Torah was considered as one set of instructions that applied to Jews and Gentiles. The Torah was used by Paul as a textbook for teaching all believers (Acts 17. 2-4, 17.11; 1 Tim 4.13; 2 Tim 3.15; Rom 15.4). There was no New Testament Scriptures for Paul to use, in fact the term "new" testament for the Gospels and epistles is not even a biblical name for them. The epistles were Torah commentaries for the life of a believer in Yeshua. Paul never taught that any part of the Torah was irrelevant ( 2 Tim 3.16-17, Acts 26.22-23). The New Testament contains examples where Paul taught the Gentiles to follow certain laws found in the Torah (Acts 16.4) and to follow the elders in Jerusalem who were all Torah observant Jews (Acts 15.29). The "yoke" Peter was talking about in Acts 15 was not the Torah because it was never considered "unbearable" (Deut 30.11-14). This yoke was the layers and layers of oral tradition and religious practice accumulated over the centuries of Rabbinic theology. Yeshua's yoke was easy (Mt 11.29-30) and we know He was Torah observant and wanted believers to follow Him. The Torah was considered a delight (Psa 119). It maintained unity in the congregations, which is the reason why there are so many Christian denominations today. They don't follow the Torah and do whatever seems right in their own eyes. We know the Corinthians celebrated Passover with Paul because he used he used the concepts of Passover to teach life lessons (1 Cor 5.6-8). 2 Cor 6.16 through 7.1 infers that they had to have learned about what contaminates the body and spirit and how to purify themselves. In Eph. 2.11-22, 3.6 and Col 3.11-12 Paul teaches that Gentiles are united with Jewish believers as fellow citizens of Israel. He also uses Jer. 11.16 as a metaphor of the olive tree to explain that the Gentiles were grafted in (Rom 11.17-18,24). People who believe that the Torah is only for Jews have failed to realize that Paul said that believers cannot separate from the Jews without pruning themselves from the olive tree ( Rom 10.11; Gal 3.28-29). When writing to the Thessalonians Paul told them to imitate the "ekklesia" or congregations in Judea and we know they were set up like synagogues otherwise they would not have been permitted to exist. The concept of the New Covenant is not a new teaching beginning with Yeshua and the apostles but found in Jer 31.31-34. In this New Covenant, God said that He will write the Torah on the heart. The circumcision of the heart is found in the Tanak (Deut 10.16, 30.6; Jer 4.4, 9.26; Ezek 44.7-9) and it is where the term "born again" derives. To have a circumcised heart means to live or be born again. Yeshua taught that the Law would not be changed until heaven and earth passed away (Mt 5.17-19). He also did not give his disciples a separate "curriculum" for Gentiles (Mt 28.19-20). Paul taught the Gentiles to observe and obey the Parts of the Torah that applied to them. There is not one verse in the New Testament that says that God expects believers to NOT follow the Torah. So, instead of having a clear "Thus saith the Lord" that the Lord has changed His mind, many teachers just assume that God's guidelines (Torah) were old and have used that assumption as the foundation for interpreting New Testament passages, thus developing a "replacement theology" over the centuries. What people need to do is to lay aside all preconceived assumptions and study the New Testament in the context of Paul being a Torah observant Jew. Once you see it from that point of view you will find that the passages used to say otherwise will be faulty. Next week we will continue with this all important teaching and give some examples of those passages that people use to support their view that the Law has been done away with and show you that when you understand what Paul taught you will see how flimsy those interpretations are.

Q. If the Apostle Paul was Torah observant as you say, why do his writings say otherwise?

A. One of the things that I have been constantly confronted with is the fact that many people believe that the Apostle Paul was not a Torah observant Jew and that his writings prove it. They then quote Galatians or Romans to show that they are correct. The truth is, Paul was not only Torah observant but he taught others to do so as well. People who believe that Paul was not Torah observant and believe that his writings also reflect that, have a fundamental misunderstanding of the Scriptures. That misunderstanding will reflect back on how they interpret the Bible and this false premise is very hard to point out unless the person is open to studying and investigating the real Saul of Tarsus. So, over the next several weeks I am going to show you that the Apostle Paul not only was Torah observant but he taught it to other believers.
First of all, Torah observance was never for salvation or righteousness. The Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation are very clear about that. Righteousness is a gift from God and it is by faith that we receive it. But the Lord wants us to be obedient to His commands and that is where the Torah comes in. Torah is Hebrew for "teaching, instruction, guidance" and it is an archery term for "hitting the mark." The term for sin in Hebrew is "Chata'at" and it is also an archery term for "missing the mark." What Paul did not teach was the man-made laws of the Rabbi's of his day. He did not teach people to offer animal sacrifices outside of the Temple, in fact, he offered animal sacrifices himself at the Temple 30 years after Yeshua (Acts 21.17-26). He did not teach people to punish people by stoning. That could only be done by properly appointed judges. Most of Paul's teaching was not recorded because it was done verbally, face to face. His instructions for new believers was not included in his letters. In several synagogues he remained for over a year teaching from the Torah (1 Thes 4.2; 2 Thes 2.15, 3.6; 2 Tim 1.13; 2.2). According to Paul, all his teachings agreed with his own lifestyle ( 1 Cor 4.16-17). Other Jewish believers remained Torah observant after their conversion and so did Paul (Acts 22.12; Acts 21.20). When one investigates the lifestyle of first century believers according to historical records we find that Torah observance was normal and not done when only in the presence of other Jews. That would have been hypocritical and Paul did not approve of that sort of behavior. 1 Cor 9.20 is interpreted by many to say just that, but what he means there is that he accommodated Gentile customs that were not in direct violation of the Torah. Paul rebuked Peter for this type of behavior in Gal 2.11-14 and so so say that Paul acted like a Jew with Jews and a Gentile with Gentiles is not only a bad interpretation but down right hypocritical. In Acts 21.24 Paul is coming out of a Nazarite vow and not only offered his own sacrifices but paid for the offerings of four other messianic believers to show he was Torah observant, contrary to some of the rumors going around about him. He came to Jerusalem to keep a festival and offer sacrifices according to the Torah instruction about coming out of a Nazarite vow (Num 6; Acts 24.17). When on trial, Acts 23.6 says that Paul was a Pharisee (present tense) and said he was in "good conscience" in doing so (Acts 23.1). Some try to refute this but there was enough evidence to show that Paul's claim was valid because other Pharisee's stood and said that they found nothing wrong with him(Acts 23.9). In Acts 24.14 he says that he serves the Lord, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law (Torah) and the Prophets. In Acts 26, Paul is still on trial and is brought before King Agrippa. He says in verse 5 that his enemies have known about him for a long time and if they are willing to testify (which they didn't) that he lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion. Notice he says "our" religion, not "their" religion!. Paul's words and deeds led people to believe that he was living according to the Torah (Acts 28.17). Paul also taught the Gentiles to follow his lifestyle ( 1 Cor 11.1-2; Phil 3.17, 4.9; ! Cor 4.16-17; 1 Thes 1.5-7; 2 Thes 3.6-9). He wanted them to follow him as he followed the Messiah and wanted others to be like him ( Acts 26.28). So far, we have seen that Paul's own lifestyle and teachings show that he wanted others to follow the Torah. Next week we will continue with this all important premise that will help you interpret the Scriptures correctly. You have to see the writers of the New Testament for who they were. In other words, they were Torah observant believers in Yeshua saved by grace and so their writings could not have reflected anything otherwise. They weren't doing one thing and writing another. They were consistent in what they did and what they wrote. The confusion came in later when people who were anti-Torah began to take their built-in biases and make the New Testament fit into their own preconceived theological misconceptions.

Last week we were dealing with the question of effectual prayer and gave the example of how the Tabernacle was set up and how this teaches us about how to approach God for effectual prayer. The Tabernacle is called the Mishkan in Hebrew. It means the "dwelling" and it was were the Shekinah, Kivod and the Ruach Ha Kodesh manifested. You can see the root for "shki'nah" (shekinah as most say it, but it's "shki'nah") in the word "Mishkan" (tabernacle). It was called the House of Prayer, as was the succeeding Temples. In Exodus 25.8 God showed Moses the "tavnit" or pattern of the Mishkan and that was where He would dwell. He goes on and gives Moses the pattern for everything connected with the Mishkan and its construction. Then in Exodus 40 He tells Moses to set up the Mishkan, and then tells him how to do it. In a way, that is how the Lord see's us. If He is in the Holy of Holies looking out, that is how it was set up, from the inside out. That is how He sets up His "mishkan" in us, from the inside first, working outward. But, when we approach the Lord in prayer it is just the opposite. Coming into his presence (shki'nah), the first thing you encounter is the veil at the door and an anointed priest (Yeshua) and then we come to the Altar (cross). Then we come to the Laver that held water (the Word of God). Moving past that Laver we enter the Mishkan and on the north side ( north speaks of intellect) we have the Table of Bread ( which speaks of provision not only spiritually but physically). On the south side (south is the direction of faith) we have the Menorah (speaks of bearing the light). In the middle, before the veil we have the Altar of Incense (speaking of prayer) . Then we have the veil (speaks of a barrier of space or understanding) and then the Ark of the Covenant (God's commandments await you). All of these speak of the Messiah also and this is not the time to go into all the pictures we have of these articles but there is something being said here. This is how we come to the Lord, not only in salvation but daily. Most believers have no problem coming in, encountering the priest and the Altar. They have no problem with the Laver which symbolizes the Word. They have no problem moving on with the idea of God's provision of "bread" (altar of Bread) or understanding, the"light" of the Menorah or even prayer (altar of incense) but many stop right there. They have a problem with that "servant" business. They say "All I need is Jesus" (the priest) or "All I need is back out there on the Altar." They will say "I want the mercy (mercy seat on the Ark) but I don't want what's down there in that box!" But in the New Covenant, the Torah will be written on our heart's (Ark) as God builds us into His Mishkan. For effectual prayer, we must ask "Are we following the pattern He gave us to "approach" Him? Will you follow the pattern given to Moses? Many believers say that following the pattern given to Moses is "legalism" but Moses had effectual prayers. Yeshua followed Moses and His prayers were effectual. The apostles followed Moses and they had effectual prayer. What some call legalism, God calls obedience. So, for effectual prayer ask yourself "How is my Tabernacle set up?" When things don't go right we need to make sure things are "set up" according to the pattern. That is, in order and everything in the right place, nothing missing. Ask yourself, "Have I got water (word of God) in the Laver?" "Have I got bread on the table?" "Have I got the commandments in the Ark (my heart)?" For effectual prayer, start looking at these things and see if you are approaching the Lord according to the pattern He has set up. If everything is in order, then wait and the Lord promised that He would speak to you "between the wings of the Cherubim" of the Ark of the Covenant. I hope this helps you with your question about effectual prayer.

Q James 5.16 talks about "effective prayer." What is that?

A. The followers of Yeshua asked Him to teach them to pray because they saw that He had results, so He goes into what has been called "The Lord's Prayer." This prayer is not "original" and it was a very typical Jewish prayer. It was a model prayer and that means we should pray as the Scriptures teach us. This prayer sums up the major themes of what true prayer is. This also shows us, contrary to what many teach today, that Jews were not hypocrites because "they did not know what to say." Their prayers were fine. Yeshua used them in His "model prayer." The problem was not with the words, the form, the content or the petitions. All of that was how it should have been. The problem was that did not pray with sincerity and truth. There was no repentance or faith. The best prayer is useless if it doesn't express the true intentions of the heart. The Lord looks on the heart and judges any prayer by the faith with which it was offered. Any Jewish person who heard Yeshua this model prayer would have agreed with its contents and found it acceptable. However, there is a warning to praying the same words over and over again thinking repetition will gain favor. This was the mentality of many people in book called "The Didache" that "The Lord's Prayer" should be said three times a day like Jewish prayers. This carries a fatal tendency to turn prayer into a performance instead of the language of faith, love and gratitude. Prayer is a real dependance on the Lord. That is the true essence of prayer, but the form and content, no matter how orthodox, is worthless if the heart is not humble before the Lord and if the prayer is not the true utterance and expression of the heart. Yeshua's prayers were effective and that is why His followers asked Him to "teach us to pray." Look at how the Tabernacle was constructed. It starts with the Ark and works its way outward (Exodus 40). This is how God see's us. It is as if He is in the Holy of Holies looking "out" if you will. Now, the Tabernacle was a House of Prayer and how it was constructed gives us a clue to effective prayer. But, when you approach the Tabernacle from the outside going in, the Lord gives us a lesson on how to approach Him. Next week we will discuss this teaching in Exodus and give some insights into effective prayer.

This week we are going to conclude our look into the question about the Image of God. As we talked about before, the ultimate plan of God is the "unification of His Name" (Zech 14.9) and there are many teachings out there on this subject. This has been symbolized in such ways as the union of the heavens and the earth in which the "evil or mixed realm" is removed, Ezekiel's Temple is established, the Messiah has returned and the marriage of the Messiah to his bride. If we understand this concept of the "unification of His Name" we will better understand prophecy and the Book of Revelation. In short, Satan's plan is to thwart this "unification" and establish his own name. We see from Scripture that he has had many attempts to stop what God was trying to do and become " like the Most High" (Isa 14.14) and "displaying himself as God"(2 Thes 2.4). In warfare, strategy is how you win a war, tactics is how you win battles. We know Satan's strategy is to stop God from the unification of His Name and all that it implies. His tactics are lying, cheating, stealing, counterfeiting and overall psychological warfare. But, whatever Satan does serves God's purpose so we should take heart that the Lord is in control and His ultimate plan to conform us into His image will not fail.
At this time, however, God's "shekinah" (God's presence in the world) can be "separated" or in "exile" in a way because man disregards the Torah. This is especially true with Israel. The tactics and what Satan really does can be seen in the historical enemies of Israel from Amalek to the enemies of Israel today (Ecc 1.9). We see God's Shekinah, Kivod, and Ruach departing at various times due to the people and their apostasy. The result is greater power to Satan to deceive many and many hearts to fail. But, in the end all this will be positive in that the Messiah arrives. A picture of this can be seen in many parts of Scripture but one of the most important ones is Leviticus 13 and the teaching about a leper. Biblical leprosy is not what people think it is today. This was an affliction sent by God called "tzara"at" so the person with this skin disease was called a "metzora" and he was to see a priest, not a doctor and was not treated with medicine. Tzara'at could also come upon houses and clothing as well. We know that a metzora is ritually unclean and was not to have contact with others, was put out of the camp and so on. But, when the tzara'at covered his whole body he is declared clean. This teaches that when Israel is in a similar state of uncleanliness (whole) another "priest" (Messiah) will come and declare them clean due to their faith in Yeshua. In the same way, any sinner who knows that he is completely lost can come to the Lord and be declared "clean" but we must acknowledge we are a complete sinner. If we make excuses or blame others for our sins then we we are not "clean", just like the metzora is not clean if he has some tzara'at on him. Only when he is completely covered (or completely admits his own guilt) can he be declared clean. Then we are ready to be conformed into His own image, unity is achieved and we can help bring "tikkun olam" (repair to the world).

Q. What does it mean in Gen 1.27 when it says that man was made in the image of God?
A. Gen 1.27 says "So God made man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."
Now, there is much to be said about this verse, so let's rule out a few things first. He is not talking about the physical because he is Spirit. He doesn't have flesh and blood or even looks like us. The Bible uses terminology that says God has hands and feet, a mouth and so on but that is so we can understand him better. Being in the image of God is not physical so that leaves the spiritual so we are going to concentrate on that aspect. Unity is an important subject in the Scriptures. When God created the heavens and the earth, including man, everything was in union with God but that is not the state the creation is in right now. This union is what the redemption is all about and it will be brought about as the Kingdom progresses. Until that time, those who follow God are to work towards what is called the "tikkun olam" or the repairing of the world. This includes bringing peace and healing into the lives of people. This is a very difficult task today because many have their own ideas about God and the truth, but we are to strive to bring the truth, thus unity, where possible. The mitzvot, or commandments of God as given in the Torah are structured to bring about "tikkun" (repair) in both the physical and spiritual levels. Things like divorce goes against the concept of tikkun therefore it is not the will of God except that he permitted it because of the hardness of people's hearts (Mt19.8) but from the beginning it was not so, or his intention. Even God himself divorced himself from Israel and Judah. But, that brings up the question that if divorce is wrong in the sight of the Lord, why did he allow it? It's Scripture and a part of his revelation to us. Someone could say, why did God allow for multiple wives? Why did he allow slavery? Why did he allow for war? We are going to be confronted by some very interesting things here.
Although the Scriptures does not speak in favor of divorce, polygamy, slavery or war it does set up "rules" for how to deal with such issues. When God created the universe and man, it was in a perfect state but sin entered the world and this brought disunity in every area. The Torah was given because of sin. It identifies the problem and the sin situation that has been in effect since that time. God knows that man is going to sin and if there is a right way or a wrong way to do something, we tend to look at the wrong way a long time. The commandments of God, on a most basic level, helps keep man "in the corral" so he doesn't go too far from God's ways. God understands that we are weak and knows that an outright "no" can stir up our desires and Paul talks about this in Romans 7. As a result, the Torah commands regulating certain issues like divorce, polygamy, slavery and war. As one studies deeper into the things of God, the Scriptures will show that although God allows certain things they do not represent his perfect character. One of the things that Messiah is doing and will do is to reveal the deeper meanings of his Word so that man can better conform themselves to the image of God, his character, and work with him towards "tikkun olam" or the repairing of the world. There is a biblical term for working towards this "repair" and it is called "halachah" which means to walk in God's ways. Let me give you a small example of this "repair" in the life of Paul. In Acts 21 he is coming to Jerusalem to keep a festival and he was going to give alms and sacrifices (Acts 24.17). A rumor was being circulated that Paul was teaching people to forsake Moses (Acts 21.21) and of course Paul denied this to James, the "nasi" or president of the sect called the "the Way" (to walk=halachah). So James asked Paul to pay the expenses for the animal sacrifices of four other believers so that "all will know that there is nothing to the things which have been said about you, but that you yourself also walk (halachah) orderly, keeping the Torah" (Acts 21.24). You see, walking orderly in the things of God brought unity to the believers but it stirred up Satan, whose job is to bring disunity, and he stirred up those opposed to walking orderly in the things of God and they arrested Paul.
And that brings up another subject, but we will continue with that next week as we talk about the nature and tactics of Satan in his opposition to God's unity and the "tikkun olam", the repairing of the world and being made in the image of God.

Q. How can Yeshua be High Priest if he isn't descended from Aaron? Wouldn't that prove that the Torah is not for today?

A. The verse you are referring to is Heb 7.12-14. The covenants were for the "natural" children of Israel, that is Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Non-Jews were once "cut off" from these covenants. Yeshua directed his earthly ministry to the "lost sheep" of the House of Israel, not Gentiles, but things were changing. After the resurrection the good news was to go to "all nations" and that was predicated on faith. Gentiles are brought near to the covenants by the blood of Yeshua (Eph 2.11-22) and are in union with Jewish believers. In Mt 5.17-19 Yeshua did say that the Law and the Prophets would not pass away, but what did he mean. He is talking about the entire Torah and Prophets. Laws are valid but change in application and administration. Laws concerning the Temple, priests, sacrifices are valid but can change in application and who it applies to. For instance, the High Priesthood changed from Abiathar to Zadok, Eli's son's were cut off, Passover changed, all meat was to go to the door of the Tabernacle (Lev 17.3-4) but later it didn't have to be brought there, but to your gates (Dt 12.20-26), the Tamid offering will only be offered in the morning, not the afternoon as before (Ezek 46.13-15), the first Temple was different than the Tabernacle, the second Temple different from the first, Ezekiels Temple is not like any previous Temple, priests can't marry a widow in Ezekiels Temple, Ezekiels Temple will not be in Jerusalem and eventually there will be no Temple at all. There are hundreds of other examples of how things have changed and how things will change. Laws are valid in purpose, but change in administration and application. The Torah is eternal, as Yeshua said in Matt 5.17-19, as the whole, revealed revelation from Genesis to Revelation. None of it will be "discarded" until all is fulfilled but some of it does change in application and administration. In Jer 31 circumcision of the heart is done by God and it is the circumcision required and is the "New Covenant." The problem is that people think the terms Torah and Law mean the same thing, but they don't. Torah is not equated with "law." Torah means "teaching, guidance, instruction." It is the revelation of God's will and intent. The Greek word used for Torah is "nomos" which means law and it is not a correct rendering of Torah. A "law" may not have to be in force at all for it to be still considered Torah (instruction). We can learn and be instructed by the story of Noah's Ark but we don't have to build another one. Torah reveals the heart and character of God as a guide on how to think and act. The Torah had history and genealogies so that's why Torah is not equated with law. So, an eternal Torah would not require a set of eternally set "in force" or continually binding regulations.
God's will is the rule of justice and goodness. Whatever he requires is just and good. Although his creatures are bound by his laws, he himself is not. He is the giver and maintains them. He has a right to dispose of what he wants, when he wants and how he wants by any means he thinks fit, or as I like to put it, it's "his ball." So Heb 7.12-14 does not mean that the Torah has been done away with for all of the above reasons. The Torah is eternal but the "law" on that particular point has changed, as other laws have changed since creation. But, there is scriptural precedent for this change and the change itself is written into the scriptures. It would not be wise to change other laws God has given without it being written by God himself. We are not to add to or detract from that which is written.

Q. When Paul talks about people being "weak" in the Book of Romans is he talking about those who continued to follow the Torah?

A. That is the traditional interpretation and you will hear it taught that way but that is not what Paul is meaning. The Roman congregation was not a "Christian" church because there was no such thing at the time. That would not have been allowed under Roman law and this congregation was obviously flourishing and a viable entity right there in Rome itself. Paul was writing to a Messianic congregation still meeting under the oversight of a traditional synagogue. This includes any meetings held outside of the synagogue building. Gentiles were coming to faith in Yeshua and were attending traditional synagogues on Holy Days, including the Sabbath in order to be participants in the faith. Their behavior was the subject of much discussion as seen in Acts 15 and the Jerusalem Council. Certain minimal standards were required so that these gentiles could participate in synagogue activities which included not only messianic believers in Yeshua but also with the greater body of Jewish people who did not believe in Yeshua. The responsibility was on the gentiles to modify their behavior in Acts 15, not the other way around. They did not have to become Jews through circumcision and ritual conversion and practicing all of Torah but they had minimum standards to follow, with the intention they would continue to learn and observe what applied to them as found in the Torah (Acts 15.21). As they exposed themselves to what they heard in the synagogue, they would comply and observe what which was applicable. In Romans, Paul teaches that the responsibility for this change was upon the gentiles who attended. In the first 12 chapters of Romans Paul dealt with two groups of people, gentiles who believed in Yeshua and Jewish people who did not believe. Both groups were to remain Torah observant however. Paul was not introducing conflicting issues that would have led to contention between these groups. Where Paul brought up critical matters concerning Torah, he was addressing the Jewish believers who did not follow Yeshua, not Jewish believers who followed the Torah. In chapters 9-11 Paul deals with his Jewish brethren who did not follow Yeshua yet and the arrogance of some gentile believers who thought that they replaced Israel. He also deals with how these gentiles were to behave towards these Jews who did not accept Yeshua. The idea that someone who followed the Torah was "weak" is completely foreign to what Paul actually believed and taught. He said that the Torah is confirmed by our faith (Rom 3.31). The concept of "weak" faith is not to be looked at on some sort of measuring line but those "weak" in faith were those Jews who did not believe that Yeshua was the Messiah. What makes a believer strong is the knowledge and acceptance of Yeshua. Paul continued to see the faith of his Jewish brethren who had not yet accepted Yeshua as a valid faith. What they observed biblically was given by God and approved by Him. The "strong" in the Book of Romans are not to judged by the "weak," but they are are to accommodate them in practice. These Jews are the ones who are "weak" because they are lacking the knowledge that Yeshua was the Messiah, not because they are Torah observant.

Q. What is the "mark of the Beast?"

A. The "mark of the Beast" comes out of Revelation 13.16-18 where it says "he (the false prophet) causes all (a lot of people but not all) the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on the forehead and that no one would be able to buy or sell, except the one who has the mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of man and his number is 666." Many have the belief that this will be some mark, tattoo or a bio-chip that will be placed under the skin in the right hand or forehead and this will allow financial transactions and so on. To get this "mark" you must accept the false messiah. The Bible says that anyone who does this will suffer eternal damnation ( Rev 14.9-10). On the other hand there are those who believe that this mark is "spiritual" in that God marks those who are His and those who are not. There are several Scriptures that seem to support this view so let's look at those. In Ezekiel 9.4 God tells his "executioners", probably angels, to go through the city of Jerusalem and put a "mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst." He then tells them to slay everyone who does not have the "mark", starting with the elders. No particular mark is specified and it could not be seen by anyone with the natural eye but the angels knew who they were. In Revelation 14.1 it says that the 144,000 will have God's name and the name of the Messiah "written on their foreheads."So, here are two examples where believers are "marked" by God in their foreheads because they follow the Lord. This was not a physical mark, but spiritual. Now, the forehead was used to indicate comprehension or a mental assent to something. With believers, it was to indicate their faith in the Lord and a desire to follow Him. In Psa 37.37 it says that we should "mark the blameless man and behold the upright." But, Rom 16.17 it says to "mark those who cause division" or in other words, take notice of them. There are many other verses which convey the same idea In Revelation 13 it seems to indicate that unbelievers will be "marked" by their behavior. It "marks" those who do not believe and they have a comprehension or a mental assent to follow the false messiah and the false prophet. Now, it says that the 144,00 have God's name on their foreheads and in Hebrew, the letter "shin" stands for God. It is the first letter for the name "shaddai" and "shalom", both names of God. The letter shin is also the first letter in the name "satan" in Hebrew. This letter has three heads when you write it. Now, in Rev 13.18 it says that this mark of the beast is his name or number and that number is 666. The number six in Hebrew is the letter "vav" and it looks like an upright snake. The number 6 is the number of man and the three 6's in our numerics would look like 3 vavs in Hebrew, with three heads. If you put 3 vavs together (name of the beast) you can make it look like the letter shin (God's name). In other words unless you have understanding from God you can be deceived into thinking that you are following the Messiah. when you are following a false messiah and that is the idea being conveyed here in Revelation. It is possible that the mark of the beast has to do more with a mental assent or a comprehension in line with the false teachings of the false prophet in regards to who the false messiah is and those who follow him. It could involve a physical mark but doesn't have to. Part of the deception is to get people looking for a physical mark when in reality they already have it by what they believe, comprehend or mentally assent to. But, it says you won't be able to buy or sell without the mark and if it isn't a physical thing, how can that be possible? Well, nations have been able to control buying and selling without computers for centuries. Rome did it, Spain, England and the United States did it with blue laws and rationing, the Nazi's did it buy marking Jewish stores and vendors and warning people to avoid them. You are also "marked" by your behavior. If one doesn't buy or sell on the Sabbath it will become known very quickly, especially in an atmosphere of persecution which will be the norm in the realm of the false messiah (Rev 12.17, Dan 7.25). One other point needs to be brought out here. The false messiah will not control the whole world nor will he control the economy of the world with this mark. This will only be imposed in his kingdom. There are many nations that will oppose him such as Russia, Kings of the East and the Kings of the South and he will be at war with these nations during the Tribulation, so this is not worldwide and seems to confined to Europe for the most part. There is so much more to this subject but this should give you some other things to think about and investigate as far as the mark, and it may not be what has been traditionally taught. A delusion is when you believe something that isn't true and an illusion is seeing something when in fact it isn't there. Both could be at play here and it is all a part of the deception of the last days.

There are several questions that have come up and so this would be a good time to answer a number of them with shorter answers.

Q. What is your opinion on who the false messiah is? I've heard he may be a Muslim
A. I've heard some Bible teachers teach that but that doesn't line up with what the Bible actually teaches. He will be a political leader from Europe and probably Jewish. His rise to power will have the backing of apostate Christianity and the false prophet but contrary to popular opinion he will not be controlling the world. He will have a 3 year war with Russia and Russia will be winning until they invade Israel and are defeated. Exploiting that void, the false messiah will move into Israel and be fighting the Kings of the East and the Kings of the South, so that hardly looks like world control.

Q. In Colossians 2.14 it says that the Law was nailed to the cross so why do people teach that the Law has not been done away with?
A. Well, that verse does not talk about the Law being done away with. Let's look at it for moment. It says that the certificate of debt was cancelled out, consisting of decree's against us. The word "cheirographon" is a term for payment owed, a debt. When Yeshua died, out debt to God was cancelled, our debt was paid. What is important to see here and what is grammatically important is that the record of debt was erased not he ordinances. The idea being illustrated here by Paul is the placard on our own cross that lists our crimes against God (sin). A condemned man on a cross had his crimes listed and placed over his head or somewhere around so that people would know why he was being executed. Paul says that Yeshua took our placard and it was nailed to his cross. The Torah is not being done away with here but the record of debt against us that could only be satisfied by our death.

Q. What is the Book of Galatians about?
A. There were some believers in the first century that thought that a gentile had to be ritually circumcised and become Jewish to be saved (Acts 15.1). Some of these brethren had come to Galatia and told them this and they believed it. Paul comes there and tried to show them that one is saved by faith and that there is nothing you can do to become saved, no works to perform. This has nothing to do with Abrahamic circumcision which was a command in the Torah for any descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. There was an oral tradition that said that along with faith in Yeshua one had to be "ritually" circumcised to be saved. Acts 15 and the Book of Galatians refutes that teaching.

Q. Who is Babylon the Great and the great Whore in Revelation 17?
A. These terms are symbolic of spiritual idolatry and false, seducing religion. This system has been around since the beginning and it certainly will be around in the end. It's not taking about any one particular religion that many suspect today but any false religious system that seduces would be considered a part of the great harlot. She is the antithesis of the virtuous woman in Rev 12 and in the Proverbs. Mankind is intoxicated with her false teachings and she is the habitation of demons. It seems she has wealth, a history and class and notice she commits fornication (17.4) not adultery because the Lord "never knew you." She is called "Babylon" because the word means to confuse, to mix and that is exactly what she taught by confusing the Lord's Torah and mixing pagan beliefs in with it. Any belief system that does this would be considered a part of Babylon the Great

Q. Based on your last article about false prophecy, how can you tell whether someone is a false prophet?

A. The basic sign of a false prophet is that his word will go against the Word of God. But, that is also where the problem lies because many people do not know the Word of God correctly and have never been taught the Scriptures so they don't know enough to test the words of a so-called prophecy. But, it is possible to know the Scriptures and to be taught correctly so it is on that basis that I will proceed with how it is done .I'm going to use several Scriptures as my basis and so let's start. There are basically two things that will tell if a person is a false prophet. First, does his word contradict the Scriptures and secondly if his predictions come true or not. So, let's look at the first test, whether his word contradicts the Scriptures. Deut 13.1-5 says " If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder and the sign or wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying 'let us go after other gods whom you have not known and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the word of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing (examining) you to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep his commandments, listen to his voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you."
In this passage, the Lord is saying that if a prophet or a dreamer comes forward with a word to depart from the ways of God (v5) and shows a sign or a wonder, you are not to listen to what he says. In fact, God will cause this to happen to test you to see if you will follow the sign or wonder, or follow the Word of God. You do not follow anyone or their words if it contradicts the Scriptures, no matter what sign they give. An example of a false prophecy can be found in 1 Kings 13.18. In this passage, God told a prophet to do a certain thing and another prophet came along and told him that God told him that he didn't have to do it. The first prophet was deceived and he died. True prophecy cannot be annulled by another prophet unless the first prophet hears directly from the Lord that it was. Another verse that goes along the same lines can be found in Isa 8.20 where it reads "To the Law (Torah) and to the testimonies (prophets). If they do not speak according to this word it is because they have no light (understanding)." In Acts 17.10-11 it says that the Bereans were "more noble than those in Thessalonica for they received the word (which Paul spoke) with great eagerness, examining daily, to see whether these things were true." They did not rely on some "oral law" passed down from the rabbis but checked the Word of God. And the Word they were checking was the Tanak, or "old" testament. Everything Paul taught was out of the Tanak and it could be verified by the Tanak, and that's what we need to do when confronted with anyone's teaching, check it out. Unfortunately, many have been taught wrong doctrine and that needs to be straightened out before they will be able to test anything.
The second thing used to test a false prophet is whether what they say comes to pass or not. Deut 18. 21-22 says "And you may say in your heart,' how shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?' "When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him." So, if the person prophesies in the name of the Lord and the event does not come true or come about, then he is a false prophet. Now, notice he does it "in the name of the Lord" and that is important. Nobody has all the answers and we see through a glass dimly so we aren't always right about some of our interpretations, but that doesn't make us a false prophet. A false prophet will say that the "Lord has shown me", or has "told me to say" something and if it isn't true, then he is false. Yeshua had these things in mind when he discussed false prophets in Mt 17.10-11 where he says "Beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You shall know them by their fruits . Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So, then, you will know them by their fruits" What Yeshua is saying here is that a tree is a person and the fruit is their doctrine. A good tree, or a believer, will have sound doctrine and an unbeliever will have corrupt doctrine. So, how can you know? You have to test their doctrines by the Scriptures. External works is not really the intent of "fruits" here otherwise a false prophet can appear righteous outwardly. But the true prophet will be true to the Word of God and a false prophet can't.
In conclusion, there are two tests for a false prophet. First, check to see if what they say lines up with the Word of God (Deut 13.1-5; Isa 8.20) no matter what sign or wonders happens to occur. Remember, the false prophet may perform many signs and wonders but he wants you to follow the sign and not the Word of God. Secondly, if a person makes a prediction in the name of the Lord and it does not come to pass, then the Lord did not speak. So, in short, check what a person says by the Word of God and disregard any signs or wonders. A sign or a wonder just calls attention to what the person is saying and check the event, if it occurs or not. These are two basic ways to test for false prophets.

Q. There is a man on the radio that says judgment day is May 21, 2011 and he seems to be very sure of it. Is he right?

A. I am familiar with this teaching and have listened to his reasoning and his conclusions and he couldn't be more wrong. He has predicted the same thing before and obviously he was wrong and he is wrong again. This hasn't prevented him from making this prediction and people still listen to him. That is because his listeners are more ignorant of the Scriptures than he is. They make the same fundamental errors over and over again, and he isn't the only one. Many so-called "prophecy experts" on TV and radio are unaware that the Lord has given us a blueprint in the Word that will guide us to what He is doing. Again, as I have said over and over, you must understand the Torah, the biblical festivals, the Temple services and what the Lord has given through the Hebrew prophets to understand prophecy. This man does not understand any of these but misinterprets many verses to come up with that date.
Let's look at the biblical festivals for an example. In Leviticus 23, God lists 8 festivals, if you include the weekly Sabbath day, so let's start with that one. The Lord created the heavens and the earth in 6 days and then rested on the Sabbath day.Why would the Lord take 6 days to create the world and everything in it. He could have done it in a second, or millions of years. It's because he is giving us a blueprint, a pattern, a plan for mankind. We know from several verses found in Psalms and 2 Peter that a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day to the Lord. So, the six days of creation relate to 6000 years of history since creation. The Sabbath day, or seventh day, relates to 1000 years. In other words, God gave a blueprint of the time when man was created till the Lords day. Adam, therefore, was created less than 6000 years ago. When the 6000 years are complete, we enter into the Lords day, the day of the Lord, the Sabbath rest as it is known in the Scriptures. Now, years always begin on a Rosh ha Shanah, which means "head of the year" so this "day of the Lord" will not begin until 6000 years (6 days) are complete. The first 7 years of this "day of the Lord" will be what is called the "birth pains of the Messiah" or the Tribulation period. So, the time of the end cannot start until a Rosh ha Shanah, year 6001 from creation. May 21st of this year is not a Rosh ha Shanah so this individual is incorrect in teaching that judgment day will happen then. Now, there are seven more festivals given in Leviticus 23. There is Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Rosh ha Shanah, the Day of Atonement and Tabernacles. The Lord will fulfill certain aspects of the redemption on these days. One must study each festival with its corresponding services, prayers, themes, idioms and phrases to get a proper picture of what the Lord is trying to communicate in regards to Bible prophecy. It is "prophecy 101" if you will. If one does not fully understand these festivals he will not fully understand Bible prophecy, and this man doesn't. Yeshua was crucified on Passover, he was buried on Unleavened Bread, he was raised from the dead on First Fruits and sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. These are call the Spring festivals. Now, if he fulfilled each of the first 4 festivals by accomplishing something in regards to our redemption, it is reasonable to deduct that the last 3 will be fulfilled on their exact day in regards to something else concerning the redemption. So, one must study the corresponding services, prayers, themes, idioms and phrases of these 3 remaining festivals to see what the Lord is going to do next.
After Pentecost, there is a long growing period of about 4 months for the wheat, then comes the harvest period. On the first day of the seventh month we have Rosh ha Shanah, the head of the civil year. This festival in Hebrew is called "Yom Teruah" or the day of the awakening shofar blast. It is called "the last trumpet " and Paul teaches that the resurrection of the righteous will happen on this day. Judgment will begin on earth after this and if the Lord fulfilled 4 previous festivals on their exact day, he is going to fulfill this on it's exact day also. Ten days later there is another feast called Yom Yippur. That is the day the 7 year Tribulation will begin. We know this from several verses. We know the Lord returns in his second coming on a Yom Kippur from Matt 24. It says that he will return at the sound of "the Great Trumpet" which is an idiom for Yom Kippur. We now that the Tribulation period is 2520 days long, or 7 biblical years of 360 days each. So if he comes back on a Yom Kippur the Tribulation must start on a Yom Kippur. This individual does not take into account any of this and totally neglects God's blueprint for prophecy so his conclusions are way off. After the Lord returns there is one remaining festival called the Tabernacles. This teaches all aspects of the coming Messianic Kingdom and the "tabernacling" among us. It was the day Yeshua was born and it is the day the kingdom will begin on earth. There is not enough room to go into each and every aspect of these festivals but if the Lord gave these festivals it was for a reason and one of those reasons was to show us his plan. Paul says that he taught these things and that those he taught were not ignorant of the times and seasons so that they should not be taken by surprise when prophetic things occur. But, those who are ignorant are living in darkness and they will be surprised like those who are asleep when the thief comes. May 21st of this year is not judgment day and they Lord is not coming because it is not Rosh ha Shanah and it is as simple as that. The Lord has a specific prophetic plan that he has laid out in the Scriptures and he will not deviate from it. This is deceiving many and he will have his reward, but there are many unknowing people who will be devastated in their walk with the Lord because they are ignorant of God's plan. Please, with all earnestness, study the biblical festivals and their prophetic significance. There's plenty of help out there.

Q. What does it mean in Mark 10.43-47 where it says that we are to cut off our hands and feet and cut out our eyes if they cause us to stumble?
A. These are idioms for things that are important to us. Let's start in v 43 with the hand. His sense is that dear friends and relatives are to be renounced or "given up" if they draw us away from the Lord. It is better to part with everything now that is detrimental to us. In v 45 he mentions the foot. The foot is what supports us and he is saying that we have to give those up who "support" us than to give in to evil. In v 47 he mentions the eye and that symbolizes that which is most dear to us (Deut 32.10). Now, in these verses he mentions "where their worm does not die" and that has to do with the conscience (Rev 20.10; Isa 66.24). If one does not give up those people or things that are important to us and they keep us from entering into the salvation that the Lord has, we will be lost. It would be better to lose those things here, in this life, than to lose our souls. If we don't, than in hell our consciences will "gnaw at us like a worm" and torment us, filling us with anguish over what was lost. The key to this whole passage is v 49 where it says "for everyone will be salted with salt.". This means that every follower of the Lord will have "fiery trials" to go through. And, like the sacrifices in the Temple had to be salted with salt to be acceptable, we, too, must be salted with salt to be acceptable and a well pleasing "odor" to the Lord, so we must be salted. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how are we to make it favorable again? We are to have salt in ourselves, which means we are to retain in ourselves those valuable qualities that will make us a blessing (favorable) to others.

This week we are going to continue with the topic of "coverings" and we have been working out of 1 Cor 11. 1-16 and hopefully what Paul intended to convey is much clearer. He was dealing with the marriage relationship and he was using Gen 3.16 and Num 30 as a source for what he was teaching. Now we are going to look at several verses in the New Testament in light of what we have learned and to clear up what the meanings are. Remember, we are reading from translations and although most do a good job in trying to convey a proper meaning, the text often will come across with the particular slant of the translators. We do not have the original autographs of Paul so we have to do the best we can to decipher what was really going on. In the verses we are going to look at, this truly is the case and they have been misinterpreted for a long time. But, if we look at them with what we have now learned about coverings as based on what the Torah teaches they become much clearer.
The first one we are going to take a look at is 1 Cor 14.34-35. What Paul is basing his teaching on is Gen 3.16 and Num 30.1-16. Also, Zodiates Hebrew-Greek translation of the Bible has excellent notes on these verses. So, let's look at these verses like before with some commentary to help bring out the meaning. Keep in mind what we have already gone over in 1 Cor 11 as we do this.
v34....Let the women (wives in particular) keep silent in the churches (be courteous, don't interrupt by breaking in to judge a prophecy. Paul already said that they could speak, pray and prophesy in 1 Cor 11.5. So, silent is not the issue but judging a prophecy is)
....for they are not permitted to speak (or go against the authority of the their husbands. This instruction had to do with the Corinthian women in particular and not an overall injunction for all believing women. They did not have the knowledge or experience yet and some believed that they were superior to men)
....but let them subject themselves, just as the Law (Torah) also says (Gen 3.16, Num 30 ..they key to understanding these passages)
v35....and if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands (their covering) at home, for it is improper for
a woman (wife) to speak in church (against the authority of her husband).
The second verse is1 Tim 2.11-15 which has a very similar theme as 1 Cor 14so let's look at this verse.
v11....Let a woman (wife) quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness (learn in tranquility, silence or an attitude of composure)
v12....But I do not allow a woman (wife) to teach (wrong doctrine) or exercise authority (by dominating) over a man (husband), but to remain quiet (composed). Zodiates in his translation says this "A wife, in quietness, I let learn in submission, but a wife I will not let dominate a husband but to be in all quietness." Now, Paul was writing to believers in Ephesus which was home to the Diana cult and they tried to seduce believers with wrong doctrine and the women believed in their superiority over men. Paul is trying to lay a proper, Torah-based foundation with these believers which went against much of their previous religious training
v13....For it was Adam who was first created, not Eve (which is why she is to be subject to her own husband)
v14....and not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression
v15....But women (wives) shall be preserved through the bearing of children (women are preserved for this even though they bring forth children in pain and sorrow according to the original curse in Gen 3.16) if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self restraint (and not a temporary confession like in Luke 8.13).
So, as you can see, once you put these verses back into their proper Hebraic context you can see that Paul was teaching the proper authority in a marriage and "who covers who" in a spiritual context before the Lord and using that knowledge to deal with particular issues that had arisen in Corinth and Ephesus, two very pagan and Greek cities. It is a classic example of Hebraic thought over Hellenistic thought. It was a problem back then and it is a problem now but hopefully you have some better insight into what Paul was trying to communicate. These verses and their misinterpretation has subjected women to a second class position in congregations but that was the furthest thing from Paul's mind. Why would God fill a woman with the Holy Spirit and then tell her to be silent! The answer is He doesn't and this can be shown using these controversial verses and putting them into the correct Hebraic context.

This week we are going to continue with 1Cor 11.1-16 and the subject of head coverings. Again, the key to understanding this portion is v3 and we are going to continue with verse 10 and will intermingle commentary with the verse.
v10....Therefore, the woman ought to have authority (a ruling power, like a husband or father) on her head (v3), because of of the angels (who usurped authority that wasn't theirs and fell).
v11....However, in the Lord neither is woman independent of man nor is man independent of the woman(but together are complete).
v12....For as the woman originated from man, so also the man has his birth through a woman and all things originate from God.
v13....Judge for yourselves, is it proper for a woman (remember, woman in many cases is to be understood as "wife", especially here) to pray to God uncovered (by going against her husband's authority..no!).
v14....Does not even nature teach you that if a man has long hair, it is dishonorable to him..
v15....but if a woman has long hair it is a glory to her. For her hair is given to her for a covering.
v16....But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice nor have the churches (don't bother to argue about this because the Scriptures teach this headship concept).
So, with that in mind let's briefly look at Num 30. 1-16. This chapter is called the Law of the Tongue and it has to do with the power of the spoken word and it is based on tribal concepts and customs. These concepts would be carried down even after Israel was settled in their own land. When congregations were established, these concepts were used to keep order not only in the congregation, but also the family. The basis for this Torah instruction is found in Gen 3.16. Basically, the heads of the tribes were told that if a man makes a vow, he better keep it. Also, if a woman makes a vow but lives in her father's house and her father hears the vow, he can annul the vow. But, if he does nothing the vow stands. The same is true for a wife.The husband can annul her vow on the day he hears of it, but if he says nothing then it stands. The point is the daughter and the wife have a head over them and they cannot usurp authority over their "head". This basic order goes all the way back to Gen 3.16 and when Paul is giving this basic instruction in 1 Cor 11 he is drawing from many verses and concepts found in the Torah. This concept in 1 Cor 11 is nothing new and is merely passing on to the Corinthians what was already being taught since creation. The Corinthians had a particular problem at that time because of the Greek religious cults that told women that they didn't have to listen to men, that they were independent and could do what they wanted to. Well, once these pagan people became believers they still carried some of their old religious concepts with them and that's why Paul had to deal with it. This is not saying that a man is better than a woman but that there was an order established since creation and the Corinthians had no idea about them, so Paul is establishing a biblical order for their congregation. Remember, he praised them in 1 Cor 11.2 for holding fast to the "traditions" (Jewish concepts and laws in line with Scripture) and this one of the concepts he is teaching them. Now, in light of what we have learned so far about authority, next week we'll look at 1 Cor 14.34-36 and 1 Tim 2.11-15 in the New Testament and hopefully clear up some misinterpretation concerning these verses.

Q. In 1 Cor 11.1-16 it talks about a woman having her head covered. Does this mean a woman should be wearing a head covering or what is Paul trying to say.
A. No, Paul is not telling women to cover their heads with a head covering but he is laying out what the proper behaviors are in public worship concerning the husband-wife relationship. This teaching is based on several passages in the Torah, particularly Num 30 where it says that a wife is under her husbands authority when it comes to what she says she is going to say or do. This concept will also come up in 1 Tim 2.11-12 and I will deal with that verse later. But first, let's go 1 Cor 11.1-16 verse by verse so that we can get it into context. In verse 1 he says that the people should imitate Paul as he imitates Messiah. He them praises them in v 2 because they are holding fast to the "traditions" as he delivered them to the Corinthians. The word traditions is the Greek word "paradosis" which means the traditional and biblical concepts found in the Torah and the ones he taught, not all the man-made traditions the Jewish people had at the time. Now, v 3 is the key to understanding this whole passage. He lays out the line of authority and the roles that each should play. It seems that the Corinthians still had Greek concepts about the roles of men and women that were not consistent with the Scriptures. He tries to show that this authority does not mean that men were better, smarter and more capable than women but he is laying out what the biblical roles for each were. Messiah is the "head" of every man and the man is the "head" of every woman. In this context "man" and "woman" should be understood as husband and wife. So I am going to write the verse from now on and then add commentary that will bring out what Paul is trying to say.
v4....every man who has his head covered (by anything else but Messiah. This could be his own wife, family, an organization or whatever interferes with what Messiah has told him to do) while praying or prophesying disgraces his head (Messiah)
v5....but every woman who who has her head uncovered (against the ruling authority in her life like a husband or father..Num 30, Eph 5.22) while praying or prophesying disgraces her head( her husband, father or biblical ruling authority) for she is one who and the same with her whose head is shaved (done to an adulteress. So she is like a "spiritual" harlot).
v6....for if a woman does not cover her head (goes against her husbands authority) let her have her hair cut off (not literally but he is saying she is like an adulteress); but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off and her hair shaved, let her cover her head (come under her husband's authority)
v7....for a man ought not to have his head covered (by any other authority than Messiah) since he is in the image and glory of God (who made him) but the woman is the glory of man ( in Greek there is a definite article before man. It means a definite man, "a" man, in this case Adam)
v8....for man does not originate from woman, but woman from man (that's why her husband is her authority)
v9....for indeed man was not created for the woman's sake, but woman for the man's sake.
Next week we will pick up in verse 10 and then look at a few other passages in the New Testament in light of our understanding of 1 Cor 11. 1-16 which will hopefully clear up some misunderstanding.