Deuteronomy 18:15-19
¹⁵ “Yehova your Elohim will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst—from your brothers. To him you must listen. ¹⁶ This is just what you asked of Yehova your Elohim in Horeb on the day of the assembly when saying, ‘I cannot continue to hear the voice of Yehova my Elohim or see this great fire any more, or I will die.’  ¹⁷ “Yehova said to me, ‘They have done well in what they have spoken. ¹⁸ I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will speak to them all that I command him. ¹⁹ Now whoever does not listen to My words that this prophet speaks in My Name, I Myself will call him to account.

We see a glimpse (one of many) of Yeshua Messiah (Jesus) in Deuteronomy 18.
Let’s take a look at some key points here in these verses.

—Yehova will raise us a prophet like Mosheh
—We must listen to Him
—Same situation as when the people wanted Mosheh to intecede with Yehova on their behalf
—Yehova’s words will be in the mouth of this prophet
—And He will speak all that Yehova commands
—Whoever does not listen to the words of Yehova from this prophet will be called to account by Yehova (not a good thing)

Here are some [but not all] of the references in scripture showing that Yeshua Messiah (Jesus) is the prophet like Mosheh:
—
First off, He’s definitely from “among the brothers” of Israel, so that’s a good start. The Prophet must be Jewish, and Yeshua’s heritage was from the tribe of Judah.
—Both were shepherds – Yeshua said, “I am the good shepherd”, and Mosheh also tended sheep – figuratively and literally.
—Both fasted for 40 days and nights – Mosheh while on Mount Sinai, and Yeshua in the Judean desert, when being tempted by haSatan
—Both spent time in Egypt as children (as Yeshua had to be hidden there for a while as a baby to escape Herod)
—Both were born at a time when evil kings pronounced death to all Hebrew baby boys in the area – Pharaoh had commanded all Hebrew baby boys to be drowned at birth, and Herod had issued a command to kill all baby boys under the age of two. Both were miraculously rescued from that threat
—Both were called by Yehova to lead and save
—Both did miracles to testify to their Yehova-given authority
—Both were given Yehova’s public stamp of approval with an audible voice from heaven, heard by the crowd – Mosheh at Sinai, and Yeshua at his baptism
—Both gave up great riches to lead a humble life of service and poverty – Mosheh from the palace of the King of Egypt, Yeshua from the heights of heaven. Both were noted for their great humility (Numbers 12:3, Hebrews 11:26-27, Philippians 2)
—Both were initially rejected by the Hebrews when the foretold salvation didn’t seem as if it was going to happen. When Mosheh first challenged Pharaoh, things got a lot worse for the Israelites, leading to despair and anger. Yeshua’s crucifixion looked like a hopeless defeat. Both salvation situations initially looked like the promises were not going to come true. But they did.
—Both were criticized by their own families – Mary and Yeshua’s brothers in Mark 3:20-21, and Mosheh’s sister and brother in Numbers 12:1.
—Both were willing to sacrifice their own lives for the sake of those they were leading, and to pay for the sins of their people – Mosheh in Exodus 32, and Yeshua’s own readiness to die on our behalf is evident in the Garden of Gethsemene
—Both miraculously provided the people with bread to eat – manna was sent from heaven [accomplished by Yehova] for the Israelites and Yeshua famously fed the multitudes. Twice.
—Both were accepted by Gentiles – Mosheh’s father in law, a Midianite, instantly believed (Exodus 18:10-11) The Egyptians too came to believe that the Yehova of Israel was real and true. And the non-Hebrews readily accepted Yeshua’s message of salvation.
—Under Mosheh, all those who believed him, those who followed the instructions and put the sacrificial blood on their doors, were saved from death. This means that all those who left Egypt had taken a step of faith and been saved. They were no longer just Hebrews ethnically, they had become a faith community. Similarly, under Yeshua, all those who appropriate his sacrificial blood, shed for us to save us from the power of death have entered into the faith community of those who follow Him.
—Seven weeks (50 days) after the Exodus, the Israelites waited upon Yehova to receive the Torah – now that they had been saved, how then should they live? Yehova gave Mosheh His covenant and instructions on how to live as a faith community. Seven weeks (50 days) after the resurrection, the disciples waited as Yeshua instructed them to receive the Holy Spirit, and the ekklisia was born – a new faith community.
—Both of their faces shone with the glory of heaven, as was noted by people who saw them – Mosheh had to wear a veil over his face because it was beaming so much, and Yeshua’s disciples saw His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration.
—Mosheh chose 12 spies to explore Canaan, and Yeshua chose 12 disciples. Mosheh appointed 70 rulers over Israel, and Yeshua sent 70 disciples out to share the gospel
—Mosheh led the people out from slavery into… the wilderness. 40 years of wandering, hardship, and a lot of lessons learned the hard way – but all with Yehova’s help and presence. The promised land would come only later. Yeshua has redeemed us into… life with Him, still on this fallen earth. A limited time not without pain and struggle, and many lessons learned the hard way – but all with Yehova’s help and presence. The life we were created for with no sickness, pain or death is yet to come.

 Yehova says we must listen to Yeshua.
Did Yeshua Messiah refer to this idea?

Luke 6:46
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”

John 10:27
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

Yehova’s words will be in the mouth of this prophet…

John 7:16
Yeshua answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.”

John 12:49-50
For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. ⁵⁰ And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

Matthew 23:2-3
“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ Therefore whatever they tell you ^[a]to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.”

Yeshua Messiah tells us to do what is read from the seat of Mosheh.
A little research will show that the Torah [the Law] is read word for word from the seat of Mosheh, without any added commentary.

Yehova —the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob— told us that He would send a prophet like Mosheh.
We are told that we must listen to Him.

Yeshua Messiah (Jesus) taught the same things that Yehova taught in the Law.
We’ve all been taught that the law is done away with, but the only One who can save says otherwise.
These are the words of Messiah:
John 14:15
“If you love Me, you shall guard My commands.”
John 14:21
“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”
John 15:10
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”
Do you listen to Him?
Do you hear Him?
Do you know His voice?
Do you do the things He says?
Does He know you love Him, in the way that He commands?

If the “Law is done away with” then how do we explain these words of Messiah?
Matthew 5:17-18
 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fully teach it [pleroo; fill up, full, complete, fulfill]. ¹⁸ For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled [gianomai; to fulfill]

Messiah tells us He did not come to do away with the law, but that He came to fully teach it. And He did fully teach it, both in His words and in His actions by living it out flawlessly.
He then goes on to say that not a single penstroke of the law will change until heaven and earth pass away.

We are given this test in the New Testament, after Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, to determine if we even know Him:
1John 2:3-6
³ Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. ⁴ He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵ But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of Yehova is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. ⁶ He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

If we claim to know Jesus, but do not keep the commandments, then we are a liar and do not really know Him. [says scripture, not me]

Do you know Him?
Or do you know what you’ve been told about Him?
Did you know the prophets warned us long ago that our religious institutions woud teach nothing but lies?

Jeremiah 16:19-20
¹⁹ O Lord, my strength and my fortress,
My refuge in the day of affliction,
The Gentiles shall come to You
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”
²⁰ Will a man make gods for himself,
Which are not gods?

If all of what I’ve written here seems strange and not right, go back and review the direct quotes of Jesus (Yeshua Messiah).
He says that His sheep know His voice, and then He gives them what??? [Let’s add verses 28-30 to John 10:27 quoted above]
John 10:27-30
 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸ And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and My Father are one.”

Please do this…
Get a red letter bible and study all the words of Messiah, and nothing else.
Take notes.
Then decide if His words match what you believe.
You’ll then have to make a choice.
Choose wisely, because His sheep are given eternal life.
You don’t want to be found a liar as in 1John 2:3-6.

Messiah tells us how to get into His kingdom in Matthew 7:21-23
²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

In this statement, Yeshua Messiah is speaking to believers. He is speaking to people who claim to have served Him, calling Him their Master.
And yet, He does not know them.
They did not do the will of the Father, which is the Torah.

“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

Are you lawless?
Will you be sent away, when you were expecting to hear, “Well done, My good and faithful servant”?

We all have a basic understanding that our [hopeful] destination is “heaven”.  Heaven is spoken of in our churches and even in our non-religious culture.  People who hate religion and ‘God’ still want to end up in “heaven”.
If you’ve been to any funerals, the deceased is ALWAYS smiling down on us from a better place, no matter how wretched of a human being they might have been. We are all promised that we’ll get to see them again one day, when we also go to this magic place in the sky.
Funerals are about comforting grieving friends and family.  They are not about teaching anyone the truth.

All it takes is about thirty minutes of bible study to figure out this is all bogus.  There is no magical heaven-place off somewhere in the universe, where the deceased can hang out in comfort while smiling down on all of us, watching us go about our lives.

We are told in Revelation where “heaven” is…
Heaven is right here on earth.
Nobody is going anywhere, folks.
Let’s take a look at Revelation 21-22.

A New Heaven and a New Earth

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
² I also saw the holy city—the New Jerusalem—coming down out of heaven from Yehova, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 
³ I also heard a loud voice from the throne, saying,
“Behold, the dwelling of Yehova is among men,
    and He shall tabernacle among them.
They shall be His people,
    and Yehova Himself shall be among them
    and be their God.
⁴ He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes,
    and death shall be no more.
Nor shall there be mourning or crying or pain any longer,
    for the former things have passed away.”

⁵ And the One seated upon the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new!” Then He said, “Write, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
⁶ Then He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will freely give from the spring of the water of life.  ⁷ The one who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. ⁸ But for the cowardly and faithless and detestable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars—their lot is in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem

⁹ Then came one of the seven angels holding the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues, and he spoke with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
¹⁰ Then he carried me away in the Ruach to a great and high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from Yehova, ¹¹ having the glory of Yehova—her radiance like a most precious stone, like a jasper, sparkling like crystal. ¹² She had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and above the gates twelve angels. On the gates were inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of Bnei-Yisrael—¹³ three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.  ¹⁴ And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve emissaries of the Lamb.

¹⁵ The angel speaking with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls.  ¹⁶ The city is laid out as a square—its length the same as its width. He measured the city with the rod—12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. ¹⁷ He also measured its wall—144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. ¹⁸ The material of the city’s wall was jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. ¹⁹ The foundations of the city wall were decorated with every kind of precious stone—the first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; ²⁰ the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, carnelian; the seventh, yellow topaz; the eighth; beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. ²¹ And the twelve gates were twelve pearls—each of the gates was from a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.
²² I saw no temple in her, for its Temple is Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot and the Lamb. ²³ And the city has no need for the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of Yehova lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb.  ²⁴ The nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory into it.  ²⁵ Its gates shall never be shut by day, for there shall be no night there! ²⁶ And they shall bring into it the glory and honor of the nations. ²⁷ And nothing unholy shall ever enter it, nor anyone doing what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Book of Life.

REVELATION 22
Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life—bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of Yehova and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the city’s street. On either side of the river was a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  ³ No longer will there be any curse. The throne of Yehova and of the Lamb shall be in the city, and His servants shall serve Him. ⁴ They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.  ⁵ Night shall be no more, and people will have no need for lamplight or sunlight—for Adonai Elohim will shine on them. And they shall reign forever and ever!

We get a glimpse of heaven on earth in Revelation 21 and 22. It is the City of New Jerusalem.
This is the destination of those whose names are written in the Book of Life.  This is the destination of the elect, the saints, the saved.
This is where the Tree of Life exists.
This is where the saved will dwell with the glory of Yehova.

Who gets to go there?
We are told in Revelation 22:14
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
Right there you have it…
Those who keep the commands of Yehova are allowed to enter.
Who is not allowed into New Jerusalem?
We see in Revelation 22:15
¹⁵ But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
Those who love and practice a lie.  This is referring to those who seek, hear, love, and follow false doctrine.
Jeremiah told us all about it way back in the day.
Jeremiah 16:19-20
¹⁹ O Lord, my strength and my fortress,
My refuge in the day of affliction,
The Gentiles shall come to You
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”
²⁰ Will a man make gods for himself,
Which are not gods?

Is there anywhere else in scripture that tells us who gets to enter the kingdom of heaven, and who does not?
Matthew 7:21-23 [Direct quote of Yeshua Messiah]
²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Messiah Himself tells us point blank who gets to be in the kingdom:
Those who do the will of My Father.
Yehova gave us His will and told us to do it.  The Torah.
Am I wrong about this?
What does Yeshua say in verse 23 above?
And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
In this phrase, Messiah is speaking to people who thought they followed Him. People who thought they were going to heaven.
Messiah says He does not know them.
He rejects them and tells them to depart from Him.
Why?
Because they practice lawlessness.
They do not uphold the will of the Father, which is the Torah.

Is this really important?
“This can’t be important, because I’ve been taught the opposite my whole life.”
Messiah also said this:
John 14:15
 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
and this…
John 14:21
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
and this…
John 15:10
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

Seems like this idea is highly important to Yeshua Messiah.
Messiah says this is how He will know if we love Him.

“Yeah, but, all we have to do is “come to Jesus” and we are good, right?”
Well, what does Messiah have to say about it?
John 14:6
⁶ Yeshua said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life! No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Yes, we must start with the forgiveness that Messiah offers.
This is critical. There is no other way.
But we don’t stay there. We don’t sit at the foot of the cross and remain there for the rest of our lives.
It is a starting point on this journey, not the finish line.
We must continue on to the Father.

We all desire to end up in heaven, even those not willing to admit it.
How do we get there?
Easy.
We must do the will of the Father.
This is not what any of us have been taught, just as Jeremiah pointed out in ancient times.
We have inherited lies about what heaven is.
We have inherited lies about how to get there.

I highly encourage you to read your bible and sort it out in prayer.
Do not take my word for anything.
Study it.
Pray about it.
Go find the truth, because you will not get the truth sitting in a church pew.

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the bible tells me so…

Most people know this song from Sunday School or elsewhere.
Yes, the bible does tell us that we are loved.
But does that mean Messiah is always accepting, tolerant, and forgiving, no matter what?
For the most part, that is what we’ve been taught most of our lives.
But is there any chance Messiah might be harsh at times?
We’d have to look at the scriptures to find out, so let’s go.

Matthew 23 is an all out scathing rebuke of the religious leaders of Yeshua Messiah’s time.
He loves them, and tells them they will all go to heaven, no matter what they teach or believe, right?
No, not exactly.
Far from it, in fact.
Messiah tells us this regarding the teaching of the Pharisees:
Matthew 23:1-3
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, ² saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.
This passage might be a bit confusing without some background information.  Messiah says to do what they say, and then not to do what they do…
Why is this?
We are instructed to do what the religious leaders of His time say when they teach from the seat of Moses. 
This is the background information we need:
The Torah (first five books of the bible containing the Law, the instructions of Yehova) is read word for word without any commentary when teaching from the seat of Moses. The Torah are the writings of Moses, as instructed by Yehova.
In other words, ‘from the seat of Moses‘ you are getting the Torah straight up without any adding to nor taking away from it. 
These instructions we are to observe and do.
Messiah warns us not to conduct ourselves the way the Pharisees did, in how they lived. We are NOT TO FOLLOW the example they set as leaders.
Why is this?
We find out in Matthew 15:6-9
Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. ⁷ Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
⁸ ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
⁹ And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

OK, this is just great clarification and instruction.
But harsh?
Not really. This is just simple truth.
But here comes the harsh part:
Matthew 23:13
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”

Messiah says two very important [and harsh] things about the religious leaders’ false teaching:
1.  The false teachers will not enter the Kingdom.
2.  Those they teach will not enter the Kingdom.

Wow, that IS harsh!!
But the followers are just victims, right?
No way can this be true…
Is there another occurrence of this type of message?
Yes, there is a second witness in the scriptures.

Matthew 15:14
“Leave them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
Again, speaking of false teachers, Messiah points out that both the teacher and the follower will fall into the pit.

DOUBLE BOOM!!

Can we trust these statements in the scriptures?
These two examples in the New Testament are the words of Yeshua Messiah, the Son of the Living Elohim.
Yes, we can trust them.

Is there evidence of similar situations in the Old Testament?
Yes.
Let’s review Deuteronomy 13:13-19
¹³ “Suppose you hear it said in one of your cities, which Yehova your Elohim is giving you to dwell in, ¹⁴ that worthless fellows have gone out from among you and enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let’s go and serve other gods’—that you have not known. ¹⁵ Then you are to investigate, search out and inquire thoroughly. If indeed it is true and the matter certain that this abomination has been done in your midst, ¹⁶ you will surely strike down the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it and all that is in it and its livestock with the sword. ¹⁷ You are to gather all its plunder into the middle of the street, and you are to burn with fire the city and all its plunder—all of it to Yehova your Elohim. It will be a ruin forever—it shall never be built again. ¹⁸ Nothing from the ban should cling to your hand, so that Yehova may turn from the fierceness of His anger and show you mercy, and have compassion on you and multiply you, just as He swore to your fathers—¹⁹ when you listen to the voice of Yehova your Elohim, keeping all His commands that I am commanding you today, doing what is right in the eyes of Yehova your Elohim.

TRIPLE BOOM!!!

This is even harsher!!
[as if not being included in the Kingdom can be outdone…]
These people who turn away from the words and the ways of Yehova are put to death, when involved in a covenant-following community. Every single detail of their lives is burned with fire, to completely eliminate the memory of these people from the earth.

Our thoughts have consequences.
Our beliefs have consequences.
Our actions have consequences.
Whom we choose to listen to and follow has consequences.

“But, followers are just victims of bad teaching.
Why should they suffer the same fate?”
This is a really great question and left to the pondering of men, it just seems unfair.
But the reasoning for these scenarios is not left to men.
This is the justice of the perfect Elohim.
This is right and true, even if it does not seem right and true from our perspective.

Is there more we need to know?
Are there more details that will help us to understand?
Yes, there are.
Let’s head back to the scriptures.

John 8:31-32
³¹ Then Yeshua said to the Judeans who had trusted Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly My disciples. ³² You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free!”

The truth will set us free.
But how do we get the truth?
We must abide in the Word of Messiah.
What does that mean?
It means we must learn the word and do it.
It is not enough to simply know the word.
Abiding in His word means we know it and live in it.

James reiterates this:
James 1:22-25
²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror— ²⁴ for once he looks at himself and goes away, he immediately forgets what sort of person he was. ²⁵ But the one who looks intently into the perfect Torah, the Torah that gives freedom, and continues in it, not becoming a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts—he shall be blessed in what he does.

“Ok, but what is all this about truth and being a follower of false teaching?”

This is important:
Deuteronomy 4:29
But from there you will seek Yehova your Elohim and you will find Him, when you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Jeremiah 29:11-14
For I know the plans that I have in mind for you,” declares Yehova, “plans for shalom and not calamity—to give you a future and a hope.
¹² “Then you will call on Me, and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek Me and find Me, when you will search for Me with all your heart. ¹⁴ Then I will be found by you,” says Yehova…
Psalm 25:8-14
Good and upright is Yehova.
Therefore He directs sinners in the way.
⁹ He guides the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble His way.
¹⁰ All Yehova’s ways are loving kindness
and truth
    to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.
¹¹ For Your Name’s sake, Yehova,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
¹² Who is this man who fears Yehova?
He will instruct him in the way he should choose.
¹³ His soul abides in goodness,
and his offspring will inherit the land.
¹⁴ The secret of Yehova is for those who fear Him.
He makes His covenant known to them.
Luke 11:9-13
⁹ “So I say to you,
‘Ask, and it shall be given to you.
Seek, and you shall find.
Knock, and it shall be opened to you.
¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.’ ¹¹ What father, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? ¹² And if he asks for an egg, will he give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Ruach ha-Kodesh [Holy Spirit] to those who ask Him!”
James 1:5-8
⁵ But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of Yehova, who gives to all without hesitation and without reproach; and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, without any doubting—for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord— ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

What do you see in these verses?
Those who seek will find.
Those who TRULY seek Yehova will find Yehova.
Wisdom and understanding are promised if we truly seek it.

Where does that leave the followers of false teachers?
It leaves them falling into the same pit as the false teacher.
If they are seeking truth, it is promised to them.
God is not a liar.
It is not possible for someone to seek truth and not find it.

Is it possible for someone to seek false teaching and love it?
Yes.
Scripture tells us all about it:
2Timothy 4:3-4
³ For the time will come when they will not put up with sound instruction, but they will pile up for themselves teachers in keeping with their own desires, to have their ears tickled. ⁴ And they will turn away from hearing the truth and wander off to myths.

There is no such thing as a victim of a false teacher.
If one seeking truth stumbles into a false teacher, he will not stay and listen.
He will seek the truth elsewhere, in other ways.
He will find the truth, as is promised.
If one seeking truth stumbles into a false teacher, and likes what he hears, then he will stay.
Just as is described in 2Timothy.

There are no accidents.
Yehova and Yeshua Messiah are not unfair.
The followers of false teachers will not find their way to the Kingdom, not because they are victims, but because they have found something they like.
And what they like does not lead to life.

Messiah tells us who will not be in the kingdom in Revelation 22:15
But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
What lies?
We are told in the prophecy of Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 16:19-20
O Lord, my strength and my fortress,
My refuge in the day of affliction,
The Gentiles shall come to You
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”
²⁰ Will a man make gods for himself,
Which are not gods?

Yes, those lies.

Messiah tells us who will not be in the kingdom in Matthew 7.
Matthew 7:21-23
²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Yes, many who think they will enter into the Kingdom will be shut out.  They will be told to depart, that they are not known by Messiah.

And there was weeping and gnashing of teeth…

 

Back to the original question:
Is Messiah harsh?
The answer is sometimes yes, but not because of Him. It is because of what we choose to think, believe, and do.
Our own choices have consequences.
Good choices result in good consequences.
Bad choices result in bad consequences.
Free will.

Messiah is not unfair.
He is just.
Deuteronomy 30:15-16
¹⁵ “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, ¹⁶ in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.

Some will say this only applies to one generation of Hebrews, entering into the promise land in the Exodus story.
By studying the whole of scripture, I find the Exodus story to be a parable regarding how we are to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
But that will be a different study and article.

OK, let’s wrap this up with one last scripture.
How can one ensure their own understanding of the scriptures, of the truth?
We are told in 2Corinthians 3:14-16
¹⁴ But their minds were hardened. For up to this very day the same veil remains unlifted at the reading of the ancient covenant, since in Messiah it is passing away. ¹⁵ But to this day, whenever Moses [the Torah] is read, a veil lies over their heart. ¹⁶ But whenever someone turns to Yehova, the veil is taken away. 

Do you understand this passage?
We need to read and understand the Torah.
How are we guaranteed to understand it?
By turning our heart to Yehova.

There are many who turn their hearts to church, to pastors, to the traditions (and false teaching) of men.
But we must turn to Yehova, the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Messiah tells us we must begin with Him, and then go to the Father.
John 14:6
⁶ Yeshua said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life! No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Don’t spend your life at the foot of the cross.
Start there, and then go to the Father.
Learn and do His Torah and live.

Tracy and I had a major crisis and tragedy to deal with in 2014.
That situation made me realize that I had never fully submitted to God in thirty plus years of calling myself a Christian.
It forced me to get on my knees before my Creator, and acknowledge Him as Sovereign, and I gave Him control of every single thing…
If you’d like to learn more about this, I included the details in this article:
My Testimony
What followed has been wonderful, but also has resulted in a series of difficult realizations.
Let’s take a look at some of this…

#1  When I submitted to the Father, I began to gain new understanding of the scriptures.  
I didn’t know it at the time, but I was experiencing what is described in 2Corinthians 3:14-16
But their minds were hardened, for to this day, when the Old Testament is being read, that same veil remains, not lifted, because in Messiah it is taken away.
But to this day, when Mosheh is being read, a veil lies on their heart.
And when one turns to the Master, the veil is taken away.

I had turned my heart to Yehova, and as a result, my veil was lifted.
The writings of Moses had been withheld from my understanding up to that point, just as this bit of scripture describes.
But when I submitted my life to Messiah [for real, for the first time, even though I had claimed to do so previously], my veil was removed and I began to understand things very differently.
I began to realize that the Torah is forever, and is still applicable today.
This was an exciting journey of discovery and learning. It was fascinating. And I loved it.

But a second realization began to plow through my mind:
#2 If the Torah is true and applicable, then what about the mainstream churches who reject the Torah, stating that the Law is done away with?
I began to study just who is our Messiah?  There is a wealth of information in the scriptures.  I began to piece together who He is based on scriptures.  I began to realize that “Jesus of the Mainstream Church” is not the same as our Messiah. [Everybody grab yer torches and pitchforks!!!]
I know this is an extremely difficult idea to wrap our heads around, but wrap we must…
As much of a surprise as this was to me, it would not have been surprising had I simply known the scriptures.
Jeremiah tells us this would happen:
Jeremiah 16:19-20
O Yehova, my strength and my fortress,
My refuge in the day of affliction,
The Gentiles shall come to You
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”
²⁰ Will a man make gods for himself,
Which are not gods?
Jeremiah tells us that we will have learned nothing but lies.
And the results of those lies?
Men will make up gods for themselves (as in a Jesus that does not match Yeshua Messiah in the scriptures).

While this idea is understandably offensive and hurtful for those who have dedicated their lives to “Jesus” [as I did for thirty years], if Jeremiah predicted this problem, we owe it to ourselves to study it in scripture and find out where we stand.
I wrote this article long ago in December 2016, comparing Jesus to Yeshua Messiah. Keep in mind, I had not yet studied the scriptures in great depth, but this article begins the exploration and study of this idea:
Which Jesus Do You Love?

#3 Then the third realization hit me…  If Jesus is not the same as Messiah, what will happen to the people who seek him out?
Jeremiah told us indirectly.
He said the lies are worthless and unprofitable.
Salvation is profitable, so this is quite bad.
Verse 20 above says men will make up gods who are not gods.
If they are not gods, then they cannot save us.
But the true Messiah in scripture is YHWH (God), and He can save us!!

Yes, these ideas are difficult.  But let’s keep going.
Realization #4  Two years ago, I became angry that I had been lied to.  I became angry that many millions, if not billions, of people have been lied to.
I was pretty upset with our church organizations and leaders. I realized that churches voluntarily enter into 501C3 contracts with the US Government (at least here in the States), even though the 501C3 forms specifically say churches are not required to do so. Churches are already considered tax exempt organizations by definition in the IRS code.  And yet, churches sign agreements (contracts) with the government anyway, even though the instructions say not to.  Scripture says we cannot serve two masters.  We can either be in covenant with Yehova, or we can be under contract to the IRS and US Government.  We can’t do both.
Having served on a church board, I learned that nearly all of the money brought into a church goes to self-preservation.  They spend nearly all of their budget on salaries, rent or mortgages, maintenance and upkeep of commercial property, etc.
Very little church money goes to support the food pantry or to help the congregation or community.  Do churches help with these things? Not exactly.  This responsibility is typically placed on the congregation, by donating money and time above and beyond the contributions to the church.  The congregants do these acts of benevolence, but the church gets (and takes) credit for it.

But then Realization #5 hit me.
Church leaders do not know what they do not know.
I learned from scripture that the truth is promised to those who truly seek it.
We are promised that if we truly seek Yehova, we will find Him.
We are promised for wisdom and understanding from Yehova in James 1:5-8
⁵ But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God,^[b] who gives to all without hesitation and without reproach; and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, without any doubting—for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord— ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

But many do not know the truth, even though they spend a great deal of time seeking and pursuing churchy things.
But then, I found this direct quote of Messiah:
Matthew 13:10-16
10And the taught ones came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11And He answering, said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the secrets of the reign of the heavens, but to them it has not been given. 12“For whoever possesses, to him more shall be given, and he shall have overflowingly; but whoever does not possess, even what he possesses shall be taken away from him. 13“Because of this I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14“And in them the prophecy of Yeshayahu is completely filled, which says, ‘Hearing you shall hear and by no means understand, and seeing you shall see and by no means perceive, 15for the heart of this people has become thickened, and their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their heart, and turn back, and I heal them.’ 16“And blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear…”

Yeshua Messiah says that the secrets of the kingdom of heaven are intentionally withheld from those with thickened or calloused hearts. [Those who have not turned their hearts fully to the Master, as 2Corinthians 3 describes, quoted above at the beginning.]
They don’t know what they don’t know.
They believe what they believe, and don’t know any different.
They are not teaching lies on purpose.
They teach lies because they don’t know the truth.
And this explains why no mainstream church leaders could answer any of my questions early in my Torah walk.

Realization #6
While handwriting the bible, word for word, I learned the Exodus story in great detail.  When I handwrite the bible, nothing escapes my attention.  I see and read and write every minute detail.
I noticed something really great about Moses.
Every time the people rebelled against Yehova, and Yehova wanted to destroy them for it, Moses fell on his face and prayed.
He interceded for the people and prayed to Yehova that He would not destroy them.  And Yehova honored his prayers.
We are told these details throughout the Exodus story as it occurs.
But I noticed in Deuteronomy, these events are “reviewed” with additional details given.
Moses prayed for forty days and forty nights for the people.
Let that sink in for a moment…
When you agree to pray for someone, how much effort do you put into it?  Do you pray once and forget about it? Do you pray several times as the circumstance comes to mind?
I know for a fact that I have never prayed for anyone for forty days and forty nights while fasting the whole time!!
Deuteronomy 9:18-19
¹⁸ “Then I fell down before Yehova like the first time, for 40 days and 40 nights. I did not eat bread or drink water—because of all your sin that you committed, doing evil in Yehova’s sight, provoking Him to anger. ¹⁹ For I was afraid of the fierce wrath and fury which Yehova bore toward you—to destroy you. But Yehova listened to me that time also.

It took time to study and to learn all of these [and many more] details in scripture.  And, by the way, I am barely scratching the surface regarding these things in this writing. I have 200 plus articles in this blog if you’d like the details…

Realization #7 
It is not my place to be angry with false teachers.  
It is not my place to be upset with men and women who teach falsely.
Why?
It is because they do not know they teach falsely.
It is their fault, because according to scripture, they have not turned their hearts to Yehova.
But it is between them and Yeshua Messiah.
It is not my responsibility to put this weight on my shoulders.
It is not my place to deal with this problem.
Here is what Messiah says about them:
Matthew 15:14
^{14 “}Leave them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

Instead, I study scripture and write about it. I speak about it to anyone who wants to listen.
I share what I learn with others, as much as I possibly can.
I pray frequently that Yehova would help me, that He would guide my words.  I pray frequently that I do not misrepresent His truth.
No, that isn’t it.  I actually pray that He would prevent me from misrepresenting His truth.

If you’ve been through some of this, as I have, and are angry with the church — forgive them.  They do not know what they do.
Pray for them, just as Moses prayed for the people of Israel.
Is this difficult for you?
Then follow the example set by Yeshua Messiah:
Luke 23:34
³⁴ But Yeshua was saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

And now I am working through Realization #8:
Many who call themselves Torah Observant are not really.
Many follow partially, only doing the things they are comfortable doing.
Many follow only when it is convenient for them.
Many believe they follow Yehova, but turn away from Him when tested.
I see many arguments and disputes on Torah sites.
If you see someone who is following partially, pray for them.
Do not argue with them, because it is not profitable.
Yehova tells us numerous times to do ALL that He has commanded.
Not some.
Not just the parts we like.
Not just the parts we find easy enough.
ALL that He commanded.
Encourange your friends to do so as well, especially if they are not.
But don’t argue with them.