Olive Tree Bible Group

Monday, September 29, 2014

Q Doesn't Eph 2.15 say that the law has been done away with in Jesus?

Q Doesn't Eph 2.15 say that the law (Torah) has been done away with in Jesus?

A. Let's look at a few things first. Noboby can do away with G-d's commandments, they are eternal (Mt 5.18, Isa 40.8) so it must means something else. Let's look at verse 14 and 15 and then analyze it, "For he himself is our peace who made both one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,having abolished in his flesh the emnity, the law of commandments in ordinances; that in himself he might make the two into one new man, establishing peace." In the first century there were man-made ordinances passed by the School of Shammai, the leading group of the Pharisees, that seperated Jew and Gentile from eating or associating together and did not even allow a Jew to enter into the house of a Gentile.

That's why the centurion said the Yeshua "it is not lawful for you to come under my roof, but say the word and my servant will be healed." These ordinances or commands, are called the 18 edicts. Alfred Edersheims book "The life and times of Jesus the Messiah" (p .166) talks about them. These "fences " were put in place to keep the Jewish people from defiling themselves by eating unkosher food and other types of uncleanliness. Well, G-d never said a Jew could not go into a gentiles house. It is those man -made commands and ordinances that are being broken down so that Jew and Gentile can be one in Messiah. The term "ordinances" is the Greek word for "dogma" or man-made commands. So let's look at this again."

For he himself (Yeshua) might make the two (Jew and Gentile) into one (group, body, bride,olive tree, etc) and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall (the man-made fences, 18 edicts that separated the two) having abolished (made useless) in his flesh the emnity(the antagonism between the two caused by) the law of commandments in ordinances( dogmas, man-made doctrines and opinions of men) that in himself (Yeshua) he might make the two (Jew and Gentile) into one new man, establishing peace (between the two)".. So, in short, Yeshua is breaking down the man-made fences and dogmas that seperated Jews and Gentiles so that we can felllowship together, following the L-rd in peace. This verse has nothing to do with the Law (Torah) being done away with. Now, go and study! by Bill Riley Nov. 8, 2005

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Least in the Kingdom of Heaven

Q. In Matthew 5:19, is this scripture saying that one who teaches others of doing away with commandments will still be in the kingdom of heaven, just least in it. Any thoughts???

A. It is thought by many that from this scripture there will be a least and greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. But, that doesn't fit with the whole of Scripture. First we have to consider that the phrase "in the kingdom of heaven" is an idiom or synonym for Elohim/God. We need to see that it is a matter of "are we willing to be under HIS Authority and HIS Rule?" Not a religion, a Kingdom, with Yeshua as King and His Rule of Law is/will be the Torah which includes The Commandments.

So, instead of looking at this as a statement saying that those who annul the least of commandments will still be allowed into the Kingdom, we need to see it as a statement from the perspective from Heaven. Those who annul commandments are Lawless/ Torahless. We see in Matthew 7:21-23 that He doesn't know them and He tells them to get away from Him.

The following link will help: http://otbg.blogspot.com/search?q=kingdom+of+heaven

Maranatha, John

144,000 in the Torah?

Q. 144 thousand is where in Torah?

A. Its not. It is in Rev. 7 &14. Is it possible that 12 tribes of Israel multiplied by the number 12 times 1,000 (aleph) that represents His Government ? These 144,000 will be His Earthly Agents of His Government during the Tribulation. They will have the Name of the Father and Son. The Shem/Attributes/Torah. I see the number 144 as a picture of Great, Impenetrable Strength like the walls of the New Jerusalem are 144 cubits in Rev. 21:17. Could it be a number that speaks to His Great and Impenetrable Strength that will exist Forever? Olam / Forever, Aleph multiplied by Aleph to the power of Aleph !

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Yeshua, our Unleavened Bread from Heaven

When was the first Biblical account of unleavened bread?

Abraham with the 3 Heavenly Visitors. Gen. 18:6

How do we know that this bread was unleavened?

Look at the word "cakes"=uggah=disc or cake of bread. Cake baked on hot stones.

Notice the word "uggah" is used 7 times in the entire Bible. The context of all of the verses that this word is used in is with unleavened bread.

This includes Matzah, Manna and Lechem ( Dan. 5:1 uses Lechem as meaning Feast. A feast of Food).. All 3 words can give a picture of Yeshua, the Bread of Life. Sinless... No Leaven.... Most, if not all of these verses have an urgency to them and Chametz (Leaven) doesn't appear in connection with them.

Please look up these 7 references. Genesis 18:6; Exodus 12:39; Numbers 11:8; 1 Kings 17:13; 19:6; Ezekiel 4:12; Hosea 7:8..

Within the Feast of Unleavened Bread we see the pattern of the 7. Perfection, Completion. To be "sinless" all the days of our life". But in the world, Leaven is all around us..

Beware the Leaven of the Pharisee's, Sadducees, and Herod: Hypocrisy and Murder.. It is pernicious and tends to infect others...

Mat. 16:6-12; Mk 8:15; Luke 12:1

We need to get rid of the Leaven and partake of the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Cor. 5:6-8

Although Leaven generally is a picture of Sin or Corruption, however it doesn't always point to "sin". Leavened Bread can also refer to the Good News, Yeshua, the Bread of Life, spreading.. Mat. 13:33; Luke 13:21.

Yeshua is the Bread of Life. Unleavened/Sinless and also Leavened with Sincerity and Truth.

Matt. 26:26; (Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:24.); John 6:32,33, 35, 48, 51.

Man shall not live by bread alone: Dt. 8:3, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of G-D. Matthew 4:4.. "Word" in Greek is "Rhema"=speech, what is uttered from a living voice, any sort of message, a narrative, a spoken matter of command... by meaning, "Rhema" is related to "Logos"...

Who spoke and who Created? John 1:1-5,14; Colossians 1:16.

The LOGOS... The Davar/Dabar. The Speaker and that which was Spoken, that which Created and that which causes everything to exist...

THE TORAH ! The Torah/Word made Flesh... Yeshua !

I believe the lesson that we are to receive from unleavened bread is that of living a "sinless" life, all the days of our life', through Yeshua, The embodiment of The Torah. The Bread of Life. Maranatha, John

Friday, August 1, 2014

Asceticism & Antinomianism

Gnostic Asceticism and Antinomianism was prevalent in the days of the first century. This, along with Rabbinic Judaism was Paul's main contentions. The letter to the Colossians is a perfect example of his struggle with the Gnostics. If you read the book of Colossians without knowing and staying within context, it can be twisted around and interpreted as talking against the Torah and Torah keepers. It is Not. On the contrary it is to encourage those who are trying to walk in Torah Truth so they won't lose heart and fall back into their old "pagan" ways. Worldly traditions, philosophies and false knowledge were the order of the day during the Apostle Paul's ministry. I see it still alive and well today and is what is being taught by most "churches" of today... Maranatha, John

The Carpenter's Board

Concerning Judah and Israel in Ezekiel 37:16-17, notice that Judah and "the sons of Israel, his companions" is written on one "stick" and the other for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions". You have "Israel" within both of the "sticks". The Sons of Israel and all of "the House of Israel". Both are Israel, but one is "Son" and the other is "House". Most of the studies that I have ever read or heard only speak of Judah and Ephraim becoming Echad or becoming Unified. But, as you can easily see, there is more going on here than with just Judah and Ephraim. Within them is the "Sons" and the "House". Ezekiel 37 is a prophetic vision of the Redemption of the people of Israel before Messiah comes to set up His Kingdom and reign for a 1000 years. Reading all of Chapter 37 really fits with this line of thinking. I also see this making sense because Ezekiel 40 thru 48 are concerning the Temple during the Messiah's reign as King on Earth. I also found something else interesting. In Ezekiel 37:15 etc. when the English rendering says "stick", in Hebrew it can mean "wood", like a carpenter's board or piece of wood as it is rendered in the English of the TaNaK. They actually have a note to the side that says "One tablet-- one Nation". If we read all of the writings of Hosea, we get an understanding of why Judah and the Son's of Israel and Ephraim and the whole house of Israel's names are written on two tablets of wood and then made into one. They both committed idolatry and transgressed the Torah. The story is about their restoration back into the Whole House of Israel when they repent of their sins. I think that what really matters here is that all of the "sons" and "houses" which make up Israel are to become Echad, or One in Unity. One mind, one language, one Torah, one identity... 12 Tribes or Houses in complete Unity in Mashiyach Yehoshua (Messiah Yeshua). This is when the B'rit (Jeremiah 31:31-34) will be in it's fullness, because our Master, Himself will be here with us and no man will have to witness to an unbeliever, because all will "Yada'at" Him. All of this will happen "in that day". I see it as everything coming back around full circle till finally all is restored to our Father's original intention for His Creation before the onset of Sin and Rebellion. Galatians 3:28-29 seems to sum it up pretty well and I think that we could probably even say that since we are descendants of Abraham through Messiah and heirs to the promise, then we are Truly "Hebrew". As Abraham "crossed over", we have also through our "Shema", (hearing, believing, obeying) of the Anointed Word of YHWH...