I continue to be quite surprised by how many Torah observant friends I meet who believe the mainstream church is OK and in the Kingdom, but just a little confused.
Those same people will compare the church doctrines to scripture, just as I do in this blog, and say they have it wrong.
These same people will describe their entry into Torah as a calling, and as having been Called Out of the Mainstream Church.

I guess my first question is this:
If the mainstream church is just confused but is still in the Kingdom, then why is it necessary to be called out of it?

Secondly, just how wrong can we have things, and still be in the Kingdom?  I think this question is incredibly important, because I don’t think any of us have it perfect.   Please be wary of anyone who says they are right about everything…

I may not be able to answer these questions perfectly, but I’ll give it a shot, using scripture.
Let’s take a look at why it might be necessary for us to be ‘called out of the mainstream church’ and into Torah.
I’ve mentioned this scripture a number of times in various articles, but it is so very important.  This is where I need to begin today:
Jeremiah 16:14-22

God Will Restore Israel

¹⁴ “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that it shall no more be said, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ ¹⁵ but, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers.
¹⁶ “Behold, I will send for many fishermen,” says the Lord, “and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. ¹⁷ For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity hidden from My eyes. ¹⁸ And first I will repay double for their iniquity and their sin, because they have defiled My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable and abominable idols.”
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?
²¹ “Therefore behold, I will this once cause them to know,
I will cause them to know
My hand and My might;
And they shall know that My name is the Lord.

I need to reference verses 19 and 20 here, but I included from verse 14 on in order to establish a time frame.
Is this warning regarding something that is ancient? Something that has already happened in our distant past?
No, that is not the case.
Verses 14 and 15 tell us of a second exodus. This second exodus will be so fantastic and amazing that people will no longer speak of the first exodus from Egypt.
The second exodus is not recorded anywhere in history, and mankind is still speaking of the Exodus from Egypt.
That tells us this has not yet occurred.
Verse 16 tells us “they” will be fished, and then hunted.
Who are “they”?
Verse 15 tells us:  “the children of Israel”
Yahuah will send for many fishermen, to fish for them.
I believe we are experiencing this phenomena right now.
People are returning to Torah.
People like me are writing blogs like this, fishing for those who are called, but need help understanding this calling.
After the fishers, we see that hunters will be sent.
I admit, I do not fully understand verses 16, 17, and 18 with regard to the hunters. It speaks of
being hunted in the holes of the rocks
double payment for iniquity and sin
defilement of His land
and filled His inheritance with carcasses of idols.

Is this referring to a different “they” or is this still in reference to the scattered children of Israel?  I’m not yet sure, and I’m still studying and praying about this.  But I can tell it is significant…

So then, we get to the part I need for this discussion:
The Gentiles will realize they have learned nothing but lies.
These lies are unprofitable and worthless.
As a result of these lies, men will create gods for themselves, except they will not be gods.

Whether this is happening now, or is still in the future, there will come a time when Gentiles (40,000 denominations of churches) will realize they have inherited nothing but lies.
Jeremiah, from way back in history, is telling us that there will come a time when we’ll know we’ve received false teaching.
Can we trust Jeremiah?

Amos 3:7
For the Master יהוה does no matter unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.

Are you more of a New Testament type? Does anyone in the NT tell us we can trust the prophets?

2Peter 2:19-21
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; ²⁰ knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, ²¹ for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God^[c] spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Ok, there we go.  Jeremiah is absolutely trustworthy.
So we can bank on it that it will happen, and I believe is happening, that Gentiles are waking up to the fact that we have been taught lies.
If you have experienced this calling to Torah, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you have not experienced this calling to Torah, then I imagine all of my thoughts, ideas, and shared scriptures are confusing beyond belief.

Are there any more prophets that predict a failed teaching system?Ezekiel 22:25-29
25“There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured life, they have taken wealth and precious matters, they have made many widows in her midst.
26“Her priests have done violence to My teaching [See Zeph. 3:4; Luke 16:16] and they profane My set-apart matters. They have not distinguished between the set-apart and profane, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean. And they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned in their midst.
27“Her leaders in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy lives, and to get greedy gain.
28“And her prophets have coated them with whitewash, seeing a false vision, and divining a lie for them, saying, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה,’ when יהוה had not spoken.
29“The people of the land have practiced oppression, and committed robbery, and have wronged the poor and needy. And they oppressed the stranger without right-ruling.

How about some thoughts from the prophet Isaiah?
Isaiah 2:2-4
2And it shall be in the latter days that the mountain of the House of יהוה [Elohim] is established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills. And all nations shall flow to it.
3And many peoples shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of יהוה [Elohim], to the House of the Elohim of Ya‛aqoḇ [Jacob], and let Him teach us His ways, and let us walk in His paths, for out of Tsiyon [Zion] comes forth the Torah [the law], and the Word of יהוה [Elohim] from Yerushalayim [Jerusalem].”

What about New Testament resources for this?
All of 2Peter Chapter 2 is about false teaching and false teachers:
Destructive Doctrines
2 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. ² And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. ³ By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.
Doom of False Teachers
⁴ For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; ⁵ and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one ofeight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; ⁶ and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; ⁷ and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked ⁸ (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— ⁹ then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, ¹⁰ and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, ¹¹ whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.
Depravity of False Teachers
¹² But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, ¹³ and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, ¹⁴ having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. ¹⁵ They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; ¹⁶ but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.
¹⁷ These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
Deceptions of False Teachers
¹⁸ For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. ¹⁹ While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. ²⁰ For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. ²¹ For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. ²² But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

That leads us into 2Peter 3:14-17, which is about false teaching due to misunderstanding and twisting of Paul’s writings [and the rest of the scriptures]:

¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; ¹⁵ and consider that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, ¹⁶ as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 

OK, there are several scriptures warning us that a time will come, and may very well be here now (I think so) when people will turn to truth, and turn away from false teaching from mainstream church culture.  We know for a fact that these things will happen.  The only remaining issue is to discern whether we are living in the time of these events…

OK, so back to the idea of whether or not the mainstream church is part of the Kingdom…
First of all, Jeremiah tells us a time will come when the people of the world will realize they have been taught nothing but lies, unprofitable and worthless.

If the church is taught lies, but they are still “In the Kingdom” then Jeremiah 16:19 would say this:
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, things that cause confusion and division, but not to worry, because God doesn’t mind a bit of confusion, and everyone is welcome in heaven, no matter what.”

That isn’t what it says, right?
Nope.
It says those lies are “Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”

Is there anything else in scripture that says these lies are a problem?
In Revelation 22:15, Yeshua Messiah tells us who is NOT in His Kingdom:
“But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.”
Straight from the mouth of our Savior – those who love and practice lies are not in His kingdom.  Sorry.  His words, not mine…

I recently was involved in a discussion on Facebook regarding this topic and idea.  A lady who sometimes attends my fellowship said this:
“Paul’s writings on LAW vs grace have brought the church into such a state of confusion- it will take YHVH to alleviate this problem!”
A statement like that sounds good, doesn’t it?
This is the kind of thing we hear in mainstream church.  When people don’t know something or don’t understand something, they write it off.  They claim that God will sort it all out one day.  Once that happens, then we’ll all be good, right?
Nope. Sorry, but scripture says otherwise.

What if I told you this isn’t going to be sorted out “SOMEDAY” by YHVH?  What if I told you this has already been sorted out?
Here are the words of Yeshua Messiah, sorting this very issue out for us so very long ago:
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!’

What do we see here?
People who thought they were good finding out they are far from good.  We have confused people here. We have people who thought they were serving Messiah, and yet, He had no idea who they were. 
Not only did He not know them, He told them to leave.
We cannot say that God will one day sort out this mess about law and grace, Torah or no Torah. Confusion about these things will not be allowed, because the truth has already been given to us.
Messiah has already spoken.
Messiah has already solved this problem.
“Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”
How could He be any more direct?
How could Messiah be any more clear?
No, the confusion between law and grace is not to be figured out by God someday…
It is done.
It is finished.
It is already sorted out.

If you’ve read many of my writings in this blog, you know that I point out all of the warnings in scripture.
I point out all the scriptures that sort these things out for us.  The problem is, few are interested in those scriptures. Few are interested in heeding those warnings.  People will say they mean something else.  Or people will take a snippet of scripture out of context to refute the very words of Messiah!!
Such is life. I can only study and share.  I cannot decide what others will think and believe.  And so, I pray for them in love, not in criticism.

Let’s take a look at the most important question I raised at the beginning of this study.

“Just how wrong can we have things, and still be in the Kingdom? “
Wow. Did I say that out loud?
Yes, I did.
I will say again that I do not believe any of us have everything figured out perfectly. But I have hope that when the two witnesses come, they will correct all misunderstandings…  Until that time, we pray and we study.

But, that nagging question…
How imperfect can we be and still be in the Kingdom?
Revelation 14:12 answers this question for us.
This describes who the saints are, who are the elect:
¹² Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Messiah.

There you go. 
Do your best to keep the commands, and have the faith/testimony of Yeshua Messiah.
Do these things and you are part of the kingdom.

Still wondering how “perfect” we need to be?
Take a look at David.
His writings in Psalms shows his absolute love for the Torah, for Yahuah’s truth, for Yahuah’s ways.
Was he perfect in keeping the ways of Yahuah?
Absolutely not.
He committed adultery, and then sent her husband to the front lines in battle to be killed in order to keep his adultery a secret.
That is not good behavior, eh?
David was not perfect. But he loved the ways of Yahuah.
And he repented for his sin, for his failures.
We gain salvation through faith. It is a gift so that no man should boast.
We keep the commands in order to show that we love the ways of Yahuah, and want to be His.

Did Messiah ever tell us how to love Him?
I’m glad you asked…

John 14:15
 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
In case you missed it, He tells us a second time:
John 14:21
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.”

We do not keep the Torah commands to achieve salvation, as we are often accused (and then called legalists, heretics, that we are cursed and under a burden, etc).
We simply keep the commands because Messiah told us to.
He said that is how He will know we love Him.

 

 

 

What if you knew you were going to die?
Not someday, but let’s say in a week.
Would you have something important to say?

Did you know that we get to see this exact scenario play out in the bible? The book of 2 Peter is his death bed exhortation.
He states in chapter one that he is going to die.
This book is his final words.
This book, therefore, are the most important things he has to say, after all that he has experienced.

Let’s take a close look at the very most important things an Apostle of our Messiah and Savior had to say:

A summary of 2Peter, his final words to all of mankind.
He states that he will die soon.
These are the most important things he had to say, knowing of his impending death:

Here are the paragraph headings for all of 2Peter
Chapter 1
Greeting the Faithful
Fruitful Growth in the Faith
Peter’s Approaching Death
The Trustworthy Prophetic Word

Chapter 2
Destructive Doctrines
Doom of False Teachers
Depravity of False Teachers
Deceptions of False Teachers

Chapter 3
God’s Promise is Not Slack
The Day of the Lord
Be Steadfast

We need to remember this entire text is a letter, start to finish.
It is not a document, broken down in outline form…

We see in Chapter 1 that Peter knows he will die soon.
This letter is basically his very last words, and therefore, probably his most important words.
We should pay careful attention to the point he is trying to get across.
This is not just insignificant things to say in a letter to far off friends…

We get a greeting, followed by advice about fruitfulness in faith, notice of his pending death, followed by the very important statement that he is leaving this advice for after his death.

Peter explains how the words of the prophets are trustworthy, as his own experience has shown.

Then we get to Chapter 2. He spends this entire portion of the letter speaking of false teachers.

2Peter refers to the Old Testament eleven times, and also is entwined with Jude, and as a result, the Book of Enoch, specifically when speaking of the fallen angels being imprisoned in Tartarus (2Peter 2:4).

In Chapter 3, Peter tells us that the promises of God are not to be discounted, much in the same way that he previously indicated the words of the prophets could be trusted.
When Peter mentions the “Day of the Lord” in 2Peter 3:10-13, it is not changing subject to speak of some future end time.
This is still part of the narrative to explain that the promises/statement made by God are still true and applicable.

And then we get to his very important warning of 2Peter 3:14-17.
These are his last words. Ever. Before his death.
This is the pinnacle of what he is trying to convey.
Everything else was just leading up to this point.
1. Be fruitful in the faith.
2. I’m going to die.
3. Prophets are trustworthy.
4. False teachers.
5. God’s promises (including clear consequences) are trustworthy.
6. Then we get to his warning, the last words he leaves with the world.

Because of items 3, 4, and 5 above:
Look forward to these things.
Be found by HIM in peace, blameless.
That Messiah’s suffering is salvation, just as Paul has written

And then we get to the meat>
That all these things, also written about by Paul, are sometimes hard to understand in his writings…
Which people who do not understand twist to their own destruction, as they do the rest of the Scriptures [at this point in time, the new testament had not been compiled – Peter is referring to the Torah and the Prophets, just as Messiah did in Matthew 22:40]

Just in case we missed the significance of this warning, he states it a second time in verse 17.

Since we know this beforehand
Beware!!
Lest you fall from your sure footing
Being led away with the error of the lawless.

This entire letter leads up to his final warning, which is so very important, he made it his final words to the entire world.

In April 2016, my wife had an idea to hand write the entire bible.
Wow, that would be quite an undertaking, but it sounded like an awesome idea to me!
We purchased journals, and even special pens (Kohinoor Rapid-o-graph technical pens).

I created a Facebook page to encourage others to join our project, and to post progress photos.  I wanted to create a community out of this project.
Here is a link if you would like to join:
Hand Write The Bible

I worked on my copy from April 2016 until approximately October 2016, which is when I began to do research and write this blog.
I spent a year writing over 100 articles, making an attempt to show people the warnings in scripture regarding the differences between what churches teach and what the bible actually says.
After a year, I found that I was repeating myself.
At about the same time, there was a resurgence in interest in my Hand Write the Bible Facebook page, with lots of new members arriving daily.
I decided to go back to the project, and make it my main focus (instead of this blog).

Instead of picking up where I left off, I began anew.
The main reason for this is because I was using the New King James Version the first time. Since then, I’ve learned much with regard to the original Hebrew and Greek, and have switched to using the ISR2009 Scriptures and the Eth Cepher bibles.

I also purchased new Leuchtturm 1917 Master Classic journals, and Lamy Al Star fountain pens to use this time around.

Make no mistake about it…
This project is a massive undertaking.
It will take a significant amount of time, and a significant amount of effort.
So why do it?

I am currently on Chapter 16 of Bereshith/Genesis.
It is phenomenal how much information I have noticed by hand writing the text, as opposed to just reading it.
I am also looking up key words in Hebrew, and including their reference and definitions in my text (see light blue writing):

If you would like to take on a project that will be one of the greatest accomplishments of your entire life, then I encourage you to join us!!

Ezekiel 22:25-28
There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing prey. They have devoured lives, they take wealth and valuables, they multiply widows in her midst. ²⁶ Her kohanim [priests] have violated My Torah [the law] and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, nor have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean. They shut their eyes to My Shabbatot. So I am profaned among them. ²⁷ Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing at prey, spilling blood and destroying lives for dishonest gain. ²⁸ Her prophets have plastered them with whitewash, seeing false visions and predicting lies to them, saying ‘Thus says Elohim,’ when Elohim has not spoken.

This bit of scripture from Ezekiel 22 is a pretty harsh assessment.
Is this specifically speaking of the modern church?  No, not necessarily, but we can draw some comparisons…

1. “they take wealth and valuables“
The mainstream church (in general) teaches that ‘the law’ has been done away with.  They teach that trying to keep the law is a burden and a curse, that it is extreme legalism.
And yet, they borrow the principle of the tithe from the law and teach it to be applicable today.
So… is the law and its principles done away with, or are they only done away with as long as they do not benefit the church?
A detailed, in-depth study of the tithe in scripture will tell us several things.  We learn that the tithe was always the increase of the fields.  It consisted of produce, grains, livestock, fruit, wine, etc.  The tithe consisted of commodities, not money.
Additional study will show the purpose of the tithe.  It was to support the Levites (priests of the temple) because they had no land inheritance. Tithes were also used to fill the store houses to feed the poor, and yet another was used for travel to observe mo’edim (Yahuah’s appointed times, outlined in Leviticus 23).
The temple is not in existence today. The Levites were scattered among the nations and no longer practice their intended purpose.

What do churches do with the tithes that they demand?
Most of it goes to purchase commercial property, maintain that property, and to pay salaries of church workers.
That is an enormous twisting and violation of what the tithe actually is…  I’ve heard many modern mainstream Christian church leaders claim to be the Levitical priesthood, and they use this claim to justify their salary.
Again, the Levites have been scattered among the nations and no longer practice their intended purpose.  Your pastor is not a Levitical priest, no matter what claims he/she might make.  Besides, why would someone who says the Old Testament Law is done away with want to claim he is a modern day Old Testament Law Levite?
I know why — because he wants ten percent of your income.

2. “have violated My Torah”
Many, many times in scripture, Yahuah says that His Torah is forever, for all generations, a perpetual covenant, never-ending.
The mainstream church teaches that the Torah, the instructions for living, the law, is done away with. This makes Yahuah a liar, and that is not possible. Please refer to other teachings of mine to see why this is not possible…

3. “have profaned My holy things”
In Leviticus 23, Yahuah gives us His mo’edim, His set apart times, His appointed times that we are to honor.  These include the Sabbath, the Spring feasts, and the Fall feasts.  These are enormously important, and again we are told to do these throughout all of our generations.
The mainstream church does not observe these holy days, and instead, has adopted Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and other secular holidays.
Wiccans and pagans will quickly tell you all of these mainstream holidays are completly rooted in pagan practices.  They will tell you these customs come from their own religions, not from Christianity. Do a little research.  It won’t take you long to figure out this is a huge problem…

4.“nor have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean”
Go to just about any church function or potluck and you’ll find pork being served.  Go to a seafood restaurant with your pastor and don’t be surprised to see him/her ordering shrimp, lobster, clams or other shellfish.
The last mainstream church we attended prior to learning and following Torah had an annual pig roast right in the church parking lot.
Yahuah created man and all that there is.  Certain animals were created to be the garbage disposals of the earth, and they are not to be eaten.  They are unhealthy at best, and toxic and parasite ridden at worst.  Study the science of clean and unclean animals. You will find that clean animals eat healthy, and incorporate fermentation processes into their digestive systems.  This yields a meat with high nutritional value and low toxicity to humans. Unclean animals eat dead carcasses, rotting things, and will eat their own feces or the feces of other animals.  You will find that unclean animals do not have a fermentation process in their digestive system, and they hold in toxins and parasites.
Scripture tells us what fish are clean to eat, and what sea creatures are not to be eaten.  Shellfish are the poop-filters of the ocean.  They feed on feces and dead creatures that sink to the bottom.  They are the pigs of the oceans.
This one is simply a no-brainer.  If you buy a new car and its manual says to put 5W-30 motor oil in the engine, you are not going to put maple syrup or mud or cleaning products in the engine instead.  If you do so, that engine will fail, and everybody knows this without having to be told so.
It is the same with our bodies.  Scripture tells us what to eat and what not to eat, and it is for our health and for our benefit. Dietary laws are not just random, strange rules that we are to follow for no reason.
Again — study the science of nutrition and health regarding clean and unclean foods…  You will quickly come to understand these instructions.

5. “They shut their eyes to My Shabbatot”
Genesis chapter one clearly establishes the Sabbath as the seventh day.  Work for six days and rest on the seventh.  This is quite simple…
Shabbat (or Sabbath) is from Friday evening until Saturday evening.  It is to be a time of rest, and a time of meeting with Yahuah.  It is commanded for us to keep and observe the Sabbath. It is one of His mo’edim, or appointed times.
Scripture says the Sabbath is a sign between Yahuah and His people.  If you do not keep and observe the biblical Sabbath, then you do not have the sign of being His.
Scripture says that anyone who profanes the Sabbath will surely die and be cut off from the people.  These are not good things.
The biblical Sabbath was honored on Saturdays throughout time, until Constantine (of the Roman Empire) made it punishable by death to continue doing so.  He changed the ‘day of worship’ to Sunday, to merge his pagan traditions with biblical instructions, thus creating new doctrine in violation of Torah.

If you’d like to understand these things, start reading your bible at the beginning, and continue through to the end.
Take notes on the things that are mentioned to be forever, never-ending, for all generations, or is called perpetual.
When you get to the New Testament writings of Paul, which are used by the mainstream church to establish their doctrine, remember what Yahuah (God) said is never changing…
It will force you to make a decision.  Trust in the things that Yahuah said, or discard the things He said in order to create new doctrine in violation of His word.

If you do this, and you wonder how such things could happen…
Keep these warnings in mind:

2Peter 3:14-17
¹⁴ Therefore, loved ones, while you are looking for these things, make every effort to be found in shalom, spotless and blameless before Him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that the patience of our Lord means salvation—just as our dearly loved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom given to him. ¹⁶ He speaks about these matters in all of his letters. Some things in them are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist (as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures)—to their own destruction. ¹⁷ Since you already know all this, loved ones, be on your guard so that you are not led astray by the error of the lawless and lose your sure footing.

This warns us that Paul’s writings are difficult to understand, and that some will twist them, along with all the scriptures, to their own destruction.  If what your church teaches about Paul’s writings makes Yahuah a liar, then you need to heed this warning and study some more.  Paul’s writings do not violate the words of Yahuah, and Paul upholds Torah.  
Just in case we missed this idea in verse 16, Peter reiterates what he is trying to say in verse 17:  Do not be led astray by the lawless, those who do not keep/follow Torah, the law.

Yeshua Messiah (Jesus, our Savior) says the same thing…
Matthew 7:21-23
²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, and drive out demons in Your name, and perform many miracles in Your name?’ ²³ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’”

If you are unwilling to heed Peter’s warning, will you listen to the warning of your Messiah?  He will send away all who practice lawlessness.

If it still does not seem possible that the entire church could have all of these things wrong, check out Jeremiah’s prophecy saying this would happen:
Jeremiah 16:19-20
Elohim, 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?

Really??? Yes, really….
We are told that a day will come when all the Gentiles will realize they have inherited nothing but lies.
If you don’t believe me, will you believe a prophet in the bible?

Please study these things, and pray about these things.
You don’t want to hear, “Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

 

Most people, even those who don’t care for the scriptures, are familiar with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Evil, wicked people were destroyed by Yahuah, mostly because of homosexuality, as it is taught.
Let’s explore whether the issue was homosexuality, or something else???

We see the beginning of this story in Genesis 18:20-21
²⁰ Then Elohim said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great indeed, and their sin is very grievous indeed. ²¹ I want to go down now, and see if they deserve destruction, as its outcry has come to Me. And if not, I will know.”

Abraham then intercedes on Lot’s behalf, who lives in Sodom.
Yahuah sends His two angelic messengers to Sodom, to warn and protect Lot and his family, and then to destroy the cities.

General teachings on this subject indicate that the angels stayed with Lot in his home due to Lot’s hospitality.  We are told a group of men demand that Lot give up the angelic guests, so they might have homosexual relations with them. The angels blind the group of men to prevent any craziness. The angels urge Lot, his wife, and two daughters to leave, Lot’s wife turns to a pillar of salt for looking back, and then the cities are destroyed.

I’ve learned that a funny thing happens when we dig into scripture, as opposed to basing our understanding on the teachings of men.
I find this especially true when we study the Hebrew…
Let’s do just that. Let’s take a closer look.

Genesis 19:1-3
Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, while Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them, and bowed down with his face to the ground. ² Then he said, “Here, please my lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house, spend the night and wash your feet. Then you can get up early and go on your way.” But they said, “No. We will spend the night in the open plaza.” ³ But he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and they came into his house.

Just to confirm who Lot was dealing with:
angel;  H4397; mal’ak
מֲלְאָךְ mălʼâk, mal-awk’; from an unused root meaning to despatch as a deputy; a messenger; specifically, of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher):—ambassador, angel, king, messenger.

What did Lot immediately suggest to these angels?
‘turn aside’ ~ H5493; cuwr
to turn aside, depart, turn in unto, depart from way, avoid, to be removed, to come to an end, to cause to turn aside, cause to depart, remove, take away, put away, depose, to put aside, leave undone, retract, reject, abolish, to be taken away, be removed

And to explore Lot’s countenance in insisting that the angels stay in his home:
‘urged them strongly’ ~ H6484; patsar
פָּצַר pâtsar, paw-tsar’; a primitive root; to peck at, i.e. (figuratively) stun or dull:—press, urge, stubbornness.
to beat, to make blunt, with a hostile mind

Let’s glean a few details from the story so far:
1. The angels arrived in the evening.
2. Lot realized they were special, and bowed down before them.
3. Lot offered them hospitality.
4. Lot, not knowing their purpose, tried to steer them to turn in early and then to rise and leave early in the morning.
5. The angels intended to stay in the city plaza.
6. Lot “urged them strongly” to stay with him instead.

We find some peculiar things happening here, if we slow down and think about it.
How would you respond if you came to be in the presence of angels, and knew it?
Would you urge them to turn in and then leave first thing, with no regard to their purpose? That is exactly what Lot did.
Does that make sense to you?
Would you be fascinated by the presence of angels?
Would you be fascinated in knowing their purpose?
Or would you encourage them to go to sleep and then leave as soon as possible?

When Lot was given first choice of the land he would take when he separated from Abraham, he chose what he liked with his eyes.  He sought after what pleased him most. He chose to live among the evil of Sodom and Gomorrah.
When the angels arrived, Lot knew the evil ways of the people in Sodom and Gomorrah.
His first priority in dealing with the angels was to prevent them from seeing the people of the city and their deeds, and to urge them to leave before being able to do so.
Was Lot trying to protect the evil of his home?  Was he trying to protect that which he knew would not be pleasing to messengers of Elohim?  Did he really think he could fool these angels, to hide the true nature of Sodom and Gomorrah from their sight?
I find this very interesting…

Let’s continue with the story in Genesis 19:4-8
⁴ They had not yet lain down when the men of the city (the men of Sodom) surrounded the house—from youth to elderly, all the people without exception. ⁵ And they called out to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have relations with them!”
⁶ But Lot went out to them at the doorway and shut the door behind him, ⁷ and said, “Please, my brothers, don’t act wickedly. ⁸ Look, I have two daughters who haven’t been intimate with a man. Please let me bring them out to you—do to them whatever is good in your eyes! However, do nothing to these men—since they have come under the protection of my roof.”
⁹ “Get out of the way!” they said, and they said, “This one came as an outsider and dares to judge! Now we’ll treat you worse than them!”
So they strongly pressed against the man, Lot, and moved in close to break the door down. ¹⁰ But the men reached out their hands, brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. ¹¹ Then they struck the men at the doorway of the house with blindness—from youth to elderly—so that they gave up trying to find the doorway.

The story is often portrayed that a group of homosexual men surrounded Lot’s home.  A small, perverted, unruly mob, willing to rape and do harm.
But…   What does scripture tell us?
“from youth to elderly, all the people without exception.”
We find that every single person in Sodom, from young to old, without exception, and having nothing to do with gender, came to Lot’s home.
When the scriptures state that the ‘men of the city’ came, that verbiage is in conflict with the remainder of the verse which says ‘all the people without exception’.

Let’s take a look at the Hebrew. Is this translation correct?
H582  ~  ‘enowsh
man, mortal man, person, mankind; of an individual; men (collective); man, mankind
And from the Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon:
a man, but only in poetic language. It is rarely used as a singular in sense, but instead, generally a collection of the whole human race.

This word can certainly mean man, but this word can also mean persons, and it can refer to a general group of peoples, as in mankind or the human race.  In the context of this story, I believe this word is referring to the whole population of Sodom, not just the men as is depicted in our typical English translations.  And since the verse goes on to say “all the people without exception,” I’m pretty sure we can bank on it!!

So, back to the story…
The ENTIRE city population was there, not just a group of wicked men.  Think about the town or city you live in.  What would it take to get EVERY SINGLE PERSON, young or old, to show up in one place.
Not some…
Not most…
But every-single-person?
It doesn’t matter whether you live in a small  town or a big city.
It would be nearly impossible to get every single person to show up for something.
Obviously, something very special was happening in Sodom.
Something extraordinary.

So here is the question:
Is it just a matter of knowing angels were in their midst?
To be honest, that would be enough for me.  I would show up for that reason alone.

But what else do we know from the story?
“Bring them out to us so that we can have relations with them!”
Well, there you have it.  [The collective whole, all of] the people of Sodom wanted to have sex with the angels. Is it purely homosexual in nature?  That is the assumption as far as typical church teaching goes.
But we know that “all the people without exception” were present, regardless of their age or their gender. So when they say they wanted to have sex with the angels, it is not explicitly stating homosexuality only.  If we take this verse literally instead of how it has been taught to us, the request to have sex with them was a request by ALL the people, as a collective whole.

What happens next?
Lot offers his two virgin daughters to the crowd, instead of the angels.
“Look, I have two daughters who haven’t been intimate with a man. Please let me bring them out to you—do to them whatever is good in your eyes! However, do nothing to these men—since they have come under the protection of my roof.”

What kind of a man would do this?
The angels fall under the protection of Lot’s roof (his hospitality).
How much more so should his daughters be offered the protection of his household?
And yet, Lot is willing to offer up his daughters to prevent something else from happening. Lot is taking drastic, horrific measures to prevent something bad from happening…
I believe that this “something bad” is far worse than homosexual relations with angel messengers.
The crowd responds with violence, stating their intention to harm Lot far worse if he does not give in to their demands. The angel messengers struck the crowd with blindness, again specifying both young and elderly.
Then they struck the men at the doorway of the house with blindness—from youth to elderly

Why am I even writing this article?
Why am I looking at the details of this story so closely?
What does it matter.
Consider this:
Do we know anything from scripture that refers to angels having sex with humans?
While this might be a surprise to you, the answer is yes.
Churches don’t teach this, although most pastors are aware of it (I know because I’ve asked some).

I believe this has to do with the consequences of a fallen world.
After Adam and Eve (and haSatan) committed sin, Yahuah gave consequences for their actions, because He is a just Elohim.
Genesis 3:15 is especially interesting:
I will put animosity
    between you and the woman—
        between your seed and her seed.
    He will crush your head,
        and you will crush his heel.

Did you catch that?
This consequence has to do with haSatan (the serpent in the garden) and Messiah.  But it is not limited to haSatan and Messiah.
It says there will be enmity between his seed and her seed.
The decendents of each…
Things that make you go hmmmmmm,,,,

Fast forward to the giants in scripture. Everyone has heard of David and Goliath. We all know that Goliath was referred to as a giant.
Was he really a “giant” or was he just an abnormally large man?
Genesis 6 tells us the answer…

Genesis 6:2
² then the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were good and they took for themselves wives, any they chose.
Genesis 6:4
⁴ The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, whenever the sons of God came to the daughters of men, and gave birth to them.   Those were the mighty men of old, men of renown.

First of all, these verses speak of the offspring between the daughters of men and the sons of God.
Let’s take a closer look at these offspring:
Nephilim
H5303, nĕphiyl
נְפִיל nᵉphîyl, nef-eel’; or נְפִל nᵉphil;  
giants, the Nephilim

OK, right there in the Hebrew, we see there are giants in the land, referred to as Nephilim.
Here is the King James version:
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

Giants!!
Not the Jolly Green Giant.
Not Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum giants.
But biblical, scriptural giants, like Goliath and Og of Bashan: [Deuteronomy 3:11 ~ For only King Og of the Bashan survived from the remnant of the Rephaim. In fact, his bed was made of iron—is it not in Rabbah of the Ammonites? Nine cubits (13 1/2 feet) was its length and four cubits (6 feet) its width, according to the cubit of a man.]
Biblical, scriptural giants, just as we seen in Numbers 13:28-33
²⁸ Except, the people living in the land are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw the sons of Anak there! ²⁹ Amalek is living in the land of the Negev, the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites are living in the mountains, and the Canaanites are living near the sea and along the bank of the Jordan.”
³⁰ Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “We should definitely go up and capture the land, for we can certainly do it!”
³¹ But the men who had gone up with him said, “We cannot attack these people, because they are stronger than we.” ³² They spread among Bnei-Yisrael a bad report about the land they had explored, saying, “The land through which we passed to explore devours its residents. All the people we saw there are men of great size! ³³ We also saw there the Nephilim. (The sons of Anak are from the Nephilim.) We seemed like grasshoppers in our eyes as well as theirs!”

There are many more references to giants in scripture, but this is enough for now…
Back to their origins in Genesis 6.
The Nephilim, the giants, came to be as the offspring between sons of God and the daughters of men.
The Hebrew word ‘ben’ does not tell us they were angels EXACTLY in a straight forward manner, but the definition as angels is included in Strong’s:
H1121 ben
son, grandson, child, member of a group; sons (as characterisation, i.e. sons of injustice [for un- righteous men] or sons of God [for angels], people (of a nation) (pl)

How can we verify that in this case, the definition of angels is applicable?
There are two ways to confirm:
1.  The fact that they mate with human women and create GIANTS is one obvious proof. How does that happen if human men mate with human women? It doesn’t.
2.  We see the same Hebrew words used in context in Job 1:6-8
⁶ One day the sons of God came to present themselves before Elohim, and the satan also came with them. ⁷ Elohim said to the satan, “Where have you come from?”
The satan responded to Elohim and said, “From roaming the earth and from walking on it.”
⁸ Elohim said to the satan, “Did you notice my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth—a blameless and upright man, who fears God and spurns evil.”

Obviously in Job 1, the ben elohym are supernatural beings, angels, including haSatan himself!! Not only does this bit of scripture confirm that ben elyhym can be and are angels, but it also confirms that these angels have the ability to go to and fro on the earth, thus having access to the daughters of men.

So we have used scripture, including a look at some Hebrew words, to set the precedent that rebellious or fallen angels mated with human women, and the results were a giant race called Nephilim.
How does this play out?
Are you ready for this?
Noah’s flood.
Yes, that’s right.
We are taught beginning in Sunday School that Noah’s flood was the result of men becoming evil over time.
Well, there were evil men before Noah’s time. Cain killed Abel.
There have been evil men after Noah’s time.
There are evil men today.
So what???
Is it worth destroying all of creation except for eight individuals because there were some evil men upon the earth?

Let’s explore the details a bit more…
Genesis 6:5
⁵ Then Elohim saw that the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their heart was only evil all the time.

Churches teach that this verse tells us men became evil.
Most people just accept this idea and do not study it any further.
But let’s take a close look at EXACTLY what this is saying.
It says 
EVERY INCLINATION
OF THE THOUGHTS
OF THEIR HEART
WAS ONLY EVIL
ALL THE TIME.

Think of the most evil person you’ve ever heard of…
Hitler?
Charles Manson?
Stalin?
Pol Pot?
Che?
Mao Zedong?
American treatment of Native Americans?

We can identify numerous atrocities in the history of mankind, and we can typically identify a single influence for this evil.
Take Hitler, for example.
Was Hitler only evil, all the time, in every inclination?
No, he was not.
He was married. He had children. He had friends.
Was he capable of evil? History tells us that yes, he was.
But this does not fit the description of Genesis 6:5.

What kind of creature is this:
EVERY INCLINATION
OF THE THOUGHTS
OF THEIR HEART
WAS ONLY EVIL
ALL THE TIME.

This is not possible for a human being.
Even the worst of humans have good thoughts, good deeds, loved ones, etc.

What if the offspring of fallen angels were this evil?
Is that plausible?
If we are to believe the book of Enoch, this is exactly possible and probable. The book of Enoch describes this atrocity in great detail.

Getting back to the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, let’s wrap this up.
Were Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed because of homosexuality?
In depth study of the verbiage, including looking at the Hebrew, we find this is not the case.
Sure, it is possible that homosexual behavior might have been present in Sodom and Gomorrah, but is there any precedence of Yahuah destroying civilizations for it?
No, there isn’t, even though He calls it an abomination.

Is there any precedence in scripture showing that Yahuah would destroy civilizations because of genetic corruption of His Creation?
Absolutely. Noah’s flood, to cleanse the earth of the Nephilim giants, who were ‘only evil all the time’.

Looking back at Sodom and Gomorrah, is it possible the entire population [young and old, every single person] of Sodom wanted the two angel messengers in order to have relations, in order to recreate the Nephilim?
I think this is not only possible, but also probable.

If your knowledge of scripture only comes from what you’ve learned from other men, from what is taught in churches, then the ideas I’ve presented here probably seem quite bizarre, even crazy.

However, everything I have presented here aligns with the Hebrew text, and also makes sense, when the details of the text are studied and evaluated.

Think on these things, and pray about them…

 

Genesis 25:22-26
²² But the children struggled with one another inside her, and she said, “If it’s like this, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of Elohim. ²³ Elohim said to her:
“Two nations are in your womb,
 and two peoples from your body
will be separated.
One people will be stronger
than the other people,
but the older will serve the younger.”
²⁴ When her time came to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. ²⁵ Now the first came out reddish, all of him was like a fur coat, and they named him Esau. ²⁶ Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding onto Esau’s heel—so he was named Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when he fathered them.

These five verses in scripture are quite fascinating.
These brief statements convey so much meaning in just a few words.

This is the story of the children of Isaac and Rebekah, Esau and Jacob.  The two boys were twins, and we see that they fought one another, even from within the womb. Verse 22 says they ‘struggled’ with one another in the womb.
Let’s check out the Hebrew on this…
H7533  ratsats;  ~rä·tsats’ 
to crush, get crushed, be crushed, oppress, to be crushed, be broken, to crush in pieces, to grievously oppress
Strong’s Definition: a primitive root; to crack in pieces, literally or figuratively:—break, bruise, crush, discourage, oppress, struggle together.

Ok, the Hebrew paints a very different picture for us.  We are not talking about ‘rough-housing’ boys.  We are not talking about simple sibling rivalry.
We are talking about crushing and breaking and oppressing.
These are very strong words.
Do these words sound familiar?
Check out Genesis 3:15, where the consequences of the fall of man are given by Yahuah:
I will put animosity
    between you and the woman—
        between your seed and her seed.
    He will crush your head,
        and you will crush his heel.

Again, we see the idea of crushing, bruising, breaking ~ depending on which translation you are using.  This bit of scripture is often taught as though it only pertains to haSatan and Yeshua Messiah.
But that is not the case…
“between your seed and her seed”
It is not just between haSatan and Messiah, but between genetic lines, people groups, his seed and her seed.

Scripture tells us that when born, Esau emerged first, and Jacob came second, but Jacob was holding the heel of Esau.
Imagine this…  We know they “struggled,” which we know means to crush or break.  If someone tries to crush your skull/head by kicking, what might you do?  Grab ahold of their foot to prevent the kicks?
Is it possible that Jacob was holding Esau’s heel in self-defense?

Is it possible that haSatan tried to reverse the curse in Genesis 3:15?
We know that Messiah will crush haSatan’s head, and that haSatan will crush Messiah’s heel…

In studying the lives and the descendants of Esau and Jacob, we see that Esau despised his birthright and sold it to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Esau wanted nothing to do with the spiritual nature of the promises made to Abraham.

Jacob received the spiritual blessings of the nation of Israel, the promises made to Abraham. His descendants became the tribes of Israel.
Esau continued in life to create a race of people whom Yahuah hates!

Malachi 1:2-3
“Yet I loved Jacob ³ and Esau I hated.”
Obadiah 1:18
The house of Jacob will be a fire,
and the house of Joseph flame,
while the house of Esau will be straw—
they will set them on fire and consume them.
So there will be no survivors of the house of Esau.”
—for Elohim has spoken.

Are Esau and Jacob the beginning of “his seed” and “her seed”?
Is this why they “struggled” with one another in the womb, and also afterwards in life?
This blog post is not so much to say what’s what, but more to ponder the significance of these words and the ideas behind them…

What exactly does it mean to be “Called To Torah”?
I’ve heard these exact words over and over again the last several years, and I’ve used them myself.
What does it mean?

First of all, what is the Torah?
It is the first five books of the bible, attributed to Moses.
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Many Christians believe the Torah, and the Old Testament in general, are useful for teaching the history of creation and the history of mankind.  But is there useful doctrine in the Torah?
In general, mainstream Christian doctrine teaches that “the law” of the Old Testament is done away with.
In general, it is taught that we, men and women, are not capable of following the law, that it is a curse and a burden, and it is too hard for mankind to follow.
In general, it is taught that Yeshua Messiah fulfilled the law, and as a result, we are not required to do so.
Does this sound familiar?  That is exactly what I was taught during thirty plus years in the mainstream Christian churches.

Since approximately 2009/2010, many people all around the world have been “Called to Torah.”  Many people have given up mainstream Christian ideas and teachings and have been studying and following the guidelines and instructions given in the Torah.
Why this big shift in doctrine and ideology?
Is this just a novelty movement in the name of religion?
Is it a cult? Is it a fad that will soon pass?

Man can answer these questions with their own thoughts and ideas, and many are doing just that.  Various labels are given to this “new movement”:
Hebrew Roots, Torah Observant, Messianic, and even full blown Judaism.
But let’s not dig into the ideas of men, but instead, let’s explore this concept using scripture.

First, let’s give a brief history lesson, because the history of Yahuah’s people is the foundation of this idea.

In the beginning, Yahuah created all that there is. He intended mankind to be immortal, made in His own likeness.  Mankind was intended to live in the paradise of the Garden of Eden.
Man failed to follow some very simple instructions and introduced sin to the world, changing the nature of mankind from immortal to mortal.
Over time, Yahuah took a righteous man who followed His ways, and decided to make a great nation of this man’s descendants.
These people were given instructions to live by (the law), which would bring them life and blessings.  Yet, if they did not follow these instructions to live by, death and curses would follow instead.

Yahuah told the people that if they chose not to follow His ways, they would be scattered among the nations, and unfortunately, this is exactly what happened.
Mankind split this nation of people into two kingdoms.  The southern Kingdom of Judah, made up of two tribes, and the northern Kingdom of Israel, made up of the northern tribes.

Both kingdoms strayed from the word of Yahuah.  Judah repented and turned back partially, but Israel did not repent, nor did they turn back. As a result, both kingdoms endured a punishment, and in addition, Israel was divorced from the covenant with Yahuah.

Let’s see some scripture about these things.
First of all, in Deuteronomy, Yahuah gives His warning that if the people stray from His ways, they will be scattered among the nations.

Deuteronomy 28:58-65
⁵⁸ “If you do not take care to do all the words of this Torah, the things written in this scroll, to fear this glorious and awesome Name, Elohim your God, ⁵⁹ then Elohim will make your plagues and the plagues of your descendants extraordinary—terrible and prolonged plagues, severe and prolonged illnesses. ⁶⁰ He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt that you were afraid of, and they will cling to you. ⁶¹ Also every illness and plague that is not written in the scroll of this Torah, Elohim will bring on you, until you are destroyed.
⁶² “You will be left few in number, instead of being like the stars of the sky in number—because you did not listen to the voice of Elohim your God. ⁶³ Now just as Elohim rejoiced over you to do you good and to multiply you, so Elohim will rejoice over you to ruin and destroy you; and you will be uprooted from the land that you are going in to possess.
⁶⁴ “Elohim will scatter you among all peoples from the one end of the earth to the other, and there you will serve other gods—wood and stone—that you and your fathers have not known. ⁶⁵ Among these nations you will find no rest, and there will be no rest for the sole of your foot. But there Elohim will give you a trembling heart and failing eyes, and a despairing spirit.

OK, so there is the prediction of what will happen, should the people discard the ways of Yahuah.

Both strayed, but Israel did not repent or turn back, and therefore, was divorced from the covenant with Yahuah.
Jeremiah 3:8
⁸ I noted that when backsliding Israel committed adultery I sent her away and gave her a certificate of divorce.

Now let’s take a look at the punishment of each kingdom.
This is described in Ezekiel chapter 4.
Ezekiel 4:3-7
…This will be a sign to the house of Israel. ⁴ “Then you are to lie on your left side, and set on it the punishment of the house of Israel; according to the number of days that you lie on it, you will bear their iniquity. ⁵ I have appointed the years of their punishment to you as a number of days—390 days. So you will bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. ⁶ When you have completed these, you will lie on your right side and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah—40 days—a day for each year, I have appointed to you. ⁷ You will set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm bared, and prophesy against it.

As we see, the punishment is equal to one year for each day that Ezekiel was to lay on his side.  For Israel, this punishment was 390 days, and therefore, 390 years.
But, scripture tells us that the kingdom of Israel did not repent.
We are told multiple times in Torah that if one does not repent, their punishment is multiplied by seven.
Leviticus 26:18
¹⁸ “If you, in spite of these things, will not listen to Me, then I will chastise you seven times more for your sins.
Leviticus 26:23-24
²³ “Now if in spite of these things you will not be chastened by Me, but walk contrary to Me instead, ²⁴ then I will also walk contrary to you. Then I will strike you, I Myself, seven times for your sins.

Since Israel did not repent, their 390 year punishment is multiplied by seven, in accordance with Torah instructions.  This means their punishment was to last for 2730 years instead of 390 years.

What does all of this have to do with modern times?
Let’s break it down.
Israel was divorced from the covenant with Yahuah.
The ten tribes of the kingdom of Israel were scattered among all the nations of the world.
This punishment was to last for 390 years. Since they did not repent, their punishment became 2730 years instead.
Looking back in history, we can see when this punishment began.
“…in about 722 BC, the capital city, Samaria, was overtaken by the Assyrians under Shalmaneser V. After first forcing tribute payments, Shalmaneser later laid siege to the city when it refused to pay. Following a three-year siege, 2 Kings 17:5-6 notes that, “in the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.””

If we add 2730 years to the time of defeat and scattering of the kingdom of Israel, we see this punishment ended in approximately 2008. In the 2009 time frame, many people around the world began studying Torah and returning to the ways of Yahuah described in Torah.
This is no small miracle.
People who had spent decades in various religions began shedding a lifetime of doctrine to learn and follow the ways of Yahuah!!
Find someone who has experienced this, and ask them for their testimony.  Many will tell you it has cost them their family, their spouses, their careers, and many other things.  Many have suffered greatly as a result, and yet, they hold on tightly to what they have learned in Torah.

Why would someone do this?
If you want to truly understand what it means to love the ways of Yahuah, read the Psalms.  David transcribed his love for the ways of Yahuah so very poetically in the book of Psalms.
Specifically, review Psalm 119.  It is quite amazing…

With regard to many people being “Called To Torah,” can we label it a fad or a cult? Is it a movement in truth, or is it false doctrine?
Men tend to view things from within the perspective of their own lives.  We live approximately 80 years, and then we are no more.
What we are witnessing, and some of us are experiencing, is a biblical phenomena that is 2730 years in the making!

Throughout my life, I often wondered what it would have been like to live during biblical times. I often wondered what it would be like to witness an actual miracle, to witness the events spoken of in scripture.
I no longer have to wonder about such things!! We are living in a time spoken of in scripture.  We get to witness the return of the lost ten tribes, now that their punishment has ended.

Riddle me this, Batman…
Am I just making things up?
Have I let my imagination get the best of me?
Let’s check scripture to find out.

Isaiah 2:2-3
² It will come to pass in the last days
that the mountain of Elohim’s House
will stand firm as head of the mountains
and will be exalted above the hills.
So all nations will flow to it.
³ Then many peoples will go and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of Elohim,
    to the House of the God of Jacob!
Then He will teach us His ways,
    and we will walk in His paths.”
For Torah will go forth from Zion
    and the word of Elohim from Jerusalem.

And we see this repeated again in Micah, just in case we missed it the first time…
Micah 4:1-2
But at the end of days the mountain of Elohim’s House will be established as chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills. Peoples will flow up to it.
² Then many nations will go and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of Elohim,
    to the House of the God of Jacob!
Then He will direct us in His ways,
    and we will walk in His paths.”
For Torah will go forth from Zion,
and the word of Elohim from Jerusalem.

“But those are just ancient writings of a time long ago.
How can we be sure this is referring to our time, and not to some ancient time that already came and went?”
Check out this direct quote of Messiah:
Matthew 15:24
But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

If this idea is truth, it presents a huge problem.
If the Torah is still applicable today, then what about mainstream church doctrine?  We’ve been taught for many centuries and for many generations that ‘the law’ has been done away with…
There is no way that many hundreds of millions of people throughout this span of time could have been wrong…
Does scripture mention this?
Yes, it does.

Jeremiah 16:19-20
¹⁹  Elohim, my strength, my stronghold,
        my refuge in the day of affliction,
    to You will the Gentiles come
        from the ends of the earth and say:
    “Our fathers have inherited nothing
        but lies, futility and useless things.”
²⁰ Will man make gods for himself?
    Yet they are not gods.

Yes, what we are experiencing today was spoken of so very many years ago.
Yahuah does nothing without first telling us about it through His prophets:
Amos 3:7
For Elohim, will do nothing,
unless He has revealed His counsel
    to His servants the prophets.

We should not be surprised by this “Call To Torah” because it is all laid out before us in scripture and in the words of the prophets.
And yet, with man’s perspective focused on decades instead of centuries, this phenomena is a surprise.
And since it is a surprise, many reject it.
Many choose to hold onto what they have always known, as opposed to answering this calling and returning to the truth.

The Book of Revelation are the final words given to us in scripture. It is not the revelation of John, but it is the Revelation of our Messiah, as given to him by the Father:

Revelation 1:1-2
The revelation of Yeshua the Messiah, which God gave Him to show to His servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, ² who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Yeshua the Messiah—to everything he saw.

Is there any information in Revelation that would indicate a return to Torah is necessary?

Revelation 14:12 describes to us who the saints are.  If you want to belong to Messiah, here is the criteria given to us:
¹² Here is the perseverance of the saints—those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Yeshua.

Just in case we misunderstand or miss this concept, Yeshua Messiah tells us who will be in His kingdom 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.

Still wondering?
Check out Messiah’s words in John 14:15
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

“But if we are to believe these ideas, and if we are to return to Torah instructions, does that make us of the ten tribes of the house of Israel?”
That is a really good question.
Does scripture talk about this?

Galatians 3:28-29
²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for you are all one in Messiah Yeshua. ²⁹ And if you belong to Messiah, then you are Abraham’s seed—heirs according to the promise.

Did you catch that?
If you belong to Messiah, then you are the seed of Abraham and heirs according to the promise Yahuah made to Abraham.
If you are not the seed of Abraham, then you do not belong to Messiah.
Do not be fearful or unsure of new ideas.
Scripture predicts these things…
Do not be afraid to let go of what you think you know…

1Corinthians 3:18-19
¹⁸ Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.

 

There is a shop in Downtown Colorado Springs that prints media using an antique print press.
They have large bins of old type blocks for sale for a dollar each.

I found T-O-A-H pretty quickly, but apparently R’s are popular.
I took quite a bit of digging to finally come up with an R.

Have you ever heard of the seat of Moses?
Yeshua Messiah mentions it in Matthew 23, so I think we should take a look at it…
If our Messiah speaks of it, then we should know and understand what He said.

We see this direct quote of Messiah in Matthew 23:1-3
Then Yeshua spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, ² saying, “The Torah scholars and Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses. ³ So whatever they tell you, do and observe. But don’t do what they do; for what they say, they do not do.

What basic information can we pull from these verses?
1.  Messiah is speaking to ‘the crowds’
Since the word crowd is plural, this record may indicate He spoke        this on more than one occasion.
2.  Messiah also spoke this to His disciples.
3.  He is referring to the educated religious leaders of His day, the
Torah scholars and Pharisees.
4.  Specifically, He is referring to when they sit in the seat of Moses
5.  Messiah says to do what they say when teaching from the seat of
Moses
6. But then He warns to not do what they do, to not follow their
example of what they live out

This leads to the main question of:  Why is there a difference between what they say in the seat of Moses, and what they actually do in their lives?  Messiah instructs us to do one and not the other.

If we take a close look at the Greek, we see Strongs NT #2515.
καθέδρα
Transliteration:
kathedra;  kä-the’-drä
Definition:
a chair, a seat
used of the exalted seat occupied by men of eminent rank or influence, as teachers and judges
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon:
of the exalted seat occupied by men of eminent rank or influence, as teachers and judges: ἐπί τῆς Μωϋσέως καθέδρας ἐκάθισαν, sit on the seat which Moses formerly occupied, i. e. bear themselves as Moses’ successors in explaining and defending his law,

This word by itself could simply mean a seat or chair.  When combined into a specific noun as “Moses’ Seat” or “The Seat of Moses” it takes on a new meaning.
Thayer’s describes it well, stating that it is a seat of authority used by men of eminent rank or influence, used to explain and defend the law of Moses.
Historically, when in the seat of Moses, teachers read the Torah word for word, without injecting any commentary.
Messiah says to do what they say when they teach from the seat of Moses.  In other words, Messiah says to do what the Torah says.

Yeshua Messiah then goes on to tell us to NOT do what the religious leaders do when outside of the seat of Moses.  We are NOT to follow their example in life.
If the narrative ended here, we wouldn’t have much to go on, although we could follow these simple instructions.
1. Do what the Torah says.
2. Do not do what men say.

But there is much more…
The remainder of Matthew 23 is a scathing rebuke of the educated religious leaders of His day.
We learn from the rest of the chapter why we should not follow their example.
What the Pharisees live out in their own lives and expect from others is a heavy burden.  Their requirements are born out of arrogance and self-importance. They honor themselves, while discouraging the people.

Verses 13 and 14 are especially horrific:
¹³ “But woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not enter yourselves, nor do you let those enter who are trying to go in.

Messiah says these teachers will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Even worse, He says they shut others out of the kingdom, by teaching them false doctrine.

Messiah calls them hypocrites. He calls them blind guides.  He calls them whitewashed tombs (pretty on the outside, but dead on the inside).
Messiah says they are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
He calls them murderers of the prophets.
He calls them snakes, and a brood of vipers!
He asks how they will escape the condemnation of Gehenna?

Matthew 23 does not paint a pretty picture.
Messiah absolutely detested the educated religious leaders of His day, and He told them so in significant detail!!

What are we to learn from this?
First and foremost, we learn that Messiah tells us to do what the Torah says. If you are unfamiliar with what that means, the Torah consists of the first five books of the bible.  Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.
This is where we learn the commandments given by Yahuah.

Do you see the significance of this?
Mainstream Christianity teaches that the law of the Old Testament has been done away with…
Messiah is telling us to do what it says.
Whoa…
Can this possibly be right?
Does Messiah say this anywhere else, so that we can be sure?

John 14:15
 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
John 14:21
“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me.”
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.” 

~~~~~~  “Yes, but my pastor says the writings of Paul teach us that the law has been done away with…”  ~~~~~~

Well, Messiah says otherwise…
Matthew 5:17-19
¹⁷ “Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets! I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. ¹⁸ Amen, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or serif shall ever pass away from the Torah until all things come to pass. ¹⁹ Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps and teaches them, this one shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

~~~~~~  “But my pastor went to seminary and has his PHD in theology and religious studies”  ~~~~~~

We are warned against twisting Paul’s writings in a way that would lead to lawlessness (not following Torah, as Messiah commands us to do).

2Peter 3:14-17
¹⁴ Therefore, loved ones, while you are looking for these things, make every effort to be found in shalom, spotless and blameless before Him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that the patience of our Lord means salvation—just as our dearly loved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom given to him. ¹⁶ He speaks about these matters in all of his letters. Some things in them are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist (as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures)—to their own destruction.
¹⁷ Since you already know all this, loved ones, be on your guard so that you are not led astray by the error of the lawless and lose your sure footing. 

Scripture says that making this mistake will lead to our destruction.
Not cool…

What else can we learn from Messiah’s words in Matthew 23?
We learn that Messiah is not concerned about the knowledge, wealth, power, and influence that educated religious leaders have in society. He will tell them straight up that they have missed the mark, and that their false teachings will prevent other good men and women from entering the kingdom of heaven.

If we ask mainstream church pastors where they get their authority to teach scripture, most will refer to the diplomas neatly displayed on their office walls.
How much authority do pastors have according to scripture?
Matthew 28:18
¹⁸ And Yeshua came up to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.

If “ALL” authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Messiah, how much authority is left over for church leaders?
Exactly none.

Is it possible that educated religious leaders of modern times could compare to the educated religious leaders of Messiah’s time?Ecclesiastes 1:9
What has been is what will be,
and what has been done will be done again.
There is nothing new under the sun.

Let’s wrap this up with a statement from the wisest man to ever live:  What is the responsibility of man in this life?
Ecclesiastes 12:13
¹³ A final word, when all has been heard:
    Fear God and keep His commandments!
For this applies to all mankind.

So tell me…
What is the difference between these two signs?

The first sign conveys only a portion of a whole message, while the second sign gives us all the information we need. The second sign paints the entire picture regarding free sandwiches being offered.

The first sign implies free sandwiches, no matter what, anytime, to anyone, without any conditions what-so-ever.
The second sign also indicates free sandwiches, but with clarifications and specific conditions.
If someone sees the first sign, they will feel entitled to free sandwiches, all the time, no matter what.
There is only one problem…
The first version is only a partial picture. It is not a complete message. It is going to result in some people being disappointed when they don’t get a free sandwich.

What do free sandwiches have to do with scripture?
Why am I showing this illustration?
I want to use it to show the same concept in the bible.
The whole bible gives us a complete message. However, if we pick and choose little bits and pieces, we can quickly become believers of a false concept. If enough people make this mistake, then false concepts become mainstream knowledge, and false expectations will ensue…

We can apply this to many biblical concepts, but let’s take a look at the popular “Once Saved, Always Saved” philosophy. Many people believe, and many churches teach, that salvation is forever, no matter what happens afterwards…
However, if you read the entire message (the whole bible), we see some conflicting thoughts…

Romans 11:22 – Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.

1Corinthians 9:24-27 – Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

1Corinthians 15:1-2 – Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

Luke 12:41-48 – Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?”
42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

Matthew 13:18-22 – “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

We must be careful to avoid building doctrine with partial information.  For example, we must read ALL of John 3 to develop a full understanding of what  is being stated.

John 3:16 gives us a very encouraging idea and promise. It is sort of like “unconditional free sandwiches.”
However, just as we see in the signs above, there is more to the story.  John 3:36 gives a bit more clarification…

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:36
 He who trusts in the Son has eternal life. He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

The information presented in John 3:36 adds clarification to the promise made in John 3:16. It is important to have this clarification and to understand it!!

Scripture tells us that a matter is established with two or three witnesses. Is there other scripture that would indicate more is required than just “believing in Messiah” as John 3:16 states?

Check out Hebrews 10:26-31.
²⁶ For if we keep on sinning willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but only a terrifying expectation of judgment and a fury of fire about to devour the enemies of God.  ²⁸ Anyone who rejected the Torah of Moses dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much more severe do you think the punishment will be for the one who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, and has regarded as unholy the blood of the covenant by which he was made holy, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know the One who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “Elohim will judge His people.” ³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

OK, what about a third witness?

James 2:14-26
¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but does not have works? Can such faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Go in shalom, keep warm and well fed,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is that? ¹⁷ So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.
¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works. ¹⁹ You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder! ²⁰ But do you want to know, you empty person, that faith without works is dead? ²¹ Wasn’t Abraham our father proved righteous by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? ²² You see that faith worked together with his works, and by the works his faith was made complete. ²³ The Scripture was fulfilled that says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness”—and he was called God’s friend.  ²⁴ You see that a man is proved righteous by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵ And likewise, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also proved righteous by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out another way? ²⁶ For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

If you want to understand the message of the bible, if you want to understand Yahuah’s will for your life, if you want to understand the whole truth of the gospel message, you must read the WHOLE bible. James 1:5-8 tells us how to seek God’s wisdom. Do you want to understand the WHOLE gospel message? It is not complicated.
Approach it in this way:
James 1:5-8 – If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of Yahuah, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

I am not posting this to offend anyone. I’m not posting this to start an argument. I am simply posting this to illustrate that the gospel is a WHOLE message, and latching onto just a portion of it will lead to confusion and possible disappointment.

If you are wondering if I’m implying the mainstream church has this concept wrong (Once Saved Always Saved), then yes, I am implying that.
I’ve been asked (and not very nicely) how it is that I could possibly think and believe something different than millions or hundreds of millions of Christians before me…
How could I be so arrogant to think that my study of scripture could come to a different doctrine than what the churches teach?

Believe it or not, it is predicted in scripture.
Jeremiah prophesied about this very idea.

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?

Please pray about these things, and study these things!!