It is very important for us to do our best at determining when the moedim are (the biblical feast days) as well as when Sabbath begins and ends.
These are “appointed times” with Yahweh, our Creator and Elohim.
But the topic is very confusing…
I’ve learned there are roughly 30 different biblical calendar ideas being used in Torah communities.
If someone has it right, that means 29 are wrong.
If no one has it right, then 30 are wrong!!

I’ve been studying the idea of when a biblical day starts for the last couple months.
I am not finished…
I’ll post a more in depth study soon, but I wanted to post a single verse that has me “backed into a corner.”
There are lots of verses all throughout the scriptures that apply to this idea, but it is difficult to find information that gives us a black and white, indisputable answer.
Depending on how you look at all of the details, day could start at sundown or a day could begin at sunrise.
But Matthew 28:1 seems to be fairly black and white.
I need to look at numerous bible translations, as well as interlinear resources.
I need to confirm the meanings of words used, and really dig into the idea.

But in simple English, taken word for word, Matthew 28:1 seems to dial this in for us…

But late in the sabbath, as it was dawning into day one of the week, Miryam from Maḡdala and the other Miryam came to see the tomb. [ISR2009 Scriptures]

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. [NKJV]

In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. [KJV]

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. [ESV]

Now after Shabbat, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Miriam of Magdala and the other Miriam came to look at the tomb. [TLV]

After Shabbat, as the next day was dawning, Miryam of Magdala and the other Miryam went to see the grave. [CJB]

And on the eve of the sabbaths, at the dawn, toward the first of the sabbaths, came Mary the Magdalene, and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre, [YLT]

G2020
ἐπιφώσκω
epiphōskō

Strong’s Definitions (Strong’s Definitions Legend)
ἐπιφώσκω epiphṓskō, ep-ee-foce’-ko; a form of G2017; to begin to grow light:—begin to dawn, × draw on.

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon (Jump to Scripture Index)
ἐπιφώσκω; (imperfect ἐπεφωσκον); to grow light, to dawn (cf. Buttmann, 68 (60)): Luke 23:54; followed by εἰς, Matthew 28:1, on which see εἰς, A. II. 1.

This single verse appears to say that the Sabbath was coming to a close at dawn of the first day of the week.
Is this a slam dunk?
I’m not sure…
Prayer and more study is to come, but I wanted to share this verse.
Let me know what you think.

How many of us that are following Torah have had a difficult [if not impossible] time trying to communicate what we have learned to others?
When I first began to understand Torah, I was really excited about it.
Understanding Torah enabled me to then understand many other things in the scriptures.  Things that used to confuse me…
And I wanted to share it with anybody and everybody, but especially with friends and family.
So I did…
And what happened?
People were not excited about it as I was.
In fact, many got angry about it.
I lost lots of friends. I’ve been called many things, and countless friends have ditched me, both in real life and online.
Not a single family member has opted to seek out and study Torah, and fortunately, not many have all-out rejected us because of it.
I did not say none, but not many…
Others have not been as fortunate, losing contact with family, or even losing their spouses over Torah Observance.

So why won’t they listen?
Or even if they will listen, why can they not comprehend?
Did you know that Yeshua Messiah (Jesus) answers this question for us?

Matthew 13:10-15
10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore 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 Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:
‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not perceive;
15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
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 hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.’

Messiah tells us that understanding is intentionally withheld from some people.
They see but do not perceive.
They hear but do not understand.
Why would Yeshua Messiah do such a thing?
It is all about the heart.
These people have hearts that have grown dull.
Here is how it is phrased in other bible translation versions:
NIV: For this people’s heart has become calloused
NLT: For the hearts of these people are hardened
CEV: All of them have stubborn minds! They refuse to listen; they cover their eyes.
Aramaic: For the heart of this people has become dense
GWT: These people have become close-minded and hard of hearing
WNT: For this people’s mind is stupefied

These are people who have not submitted their hearts to Yahweh (God).
They have hardened their hearts against Yahweh, and as a result, Yeshua Messiah says that understanding is withheld from them.

So —- what is the cure?  How can this be remedied?
We find the answer in 2Corinthians 3
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 is read, a veil lies over their heart. 16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Again, it is about the heart.
When one turns their heart to Yahweh and Yeshua Messiah, then their veil is lifted.
When they submit to the Father, they are then given understanding.
Of what?
The ancient covenant.
The Old Testament.
The Torah.

I see many people frustrated that their loved ones will not or cannot understand Torah.
They say that the Father has just not revealed it to them yet.
While there is truth in this statement, it is often said without the understanding that it is intentional, and that we as people must do something to correct this problem.
It is not a matter of waiting for God to stop playing games.
The Father does not play games.
The reason for a lack of understanding is spelled out for us in the scriptures, coming directly from our Savior!!

If you are experiencing this, as most of us are, pray for your loved ones.
Pray that they will submit to the Father.
Pray they will soften their hearts and submit their will to His will.
Until they do, it is not likely they will understand.
Pray for them.

 

The Words of Yahweh
Deuteronomy 13
…for Yahweh your Elohim is testing you to know whether you love Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁴ You shall walk after the Yahweh your Elohim and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.

The Words of Yeshua
John 10:27-28
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.

What does it mean to know His voice?
What happens if we don’t know His voice?
What if we use the voices of others to create doctrine in conflict with the Voices of Yahweh and Yeshua?

I write this blog to encourage others to follow Yahweh wholly and completely.
This is the standard that both Yahweh and Yeshua have established for us.

The Words of Yahweh
Deuteronomy 12:28
²⁸ Take care and listen to ALL THESE WORDS that I am commanding you, so that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the eyes of Yahweh your Elohim.

The Words of Yeshua
Matthew 28:19
¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, immersing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Ruach ha-Kodesh, ²⁰ teaching them to observe ALL I HAVE COMMANDED YOU.

How can we follow Yahweh wholly and completely if we do not know the things They said?
This is how I approach it:
1. Study the direct quotes of Yahweh in scripture.  I accept the idea that His words are 100% truth and are truth forever.
2. Study the direct quotes of Yeshua in scripture.  I accept the idea that His words are 100% truth and are truth forever.
3. If my understanding of other scriptures causes me to let go of anything Yahweh or Yeshua have said, then I have to pray and study more for the proper understanding of those other scriptures.
Am I saying those other scriptures are incorrect, or in conflict with Yahweh?
No, I’m saying it is not possible for me to understand those words in such a way that they invalidate the words of Yahweh or Yeshua.

Let the Words of the Father and the Son establish your faith, your beliefs, and your doctrine.
Use the remainder of scripture to help guide your way IN THE THINGS THEY SAID, not INSTEAD OF THE THINGS THEY SAID.

If you respond to the words of Yahweh or the words of Yeshua with, “Yeah, but…”
then I believe you are doing it wrong.
Let the Creator of all that there is, the author of life, establish your beliefs.
Do not depart from His words, “for Yahweh your Elohim is testing you…”

 

My blog topics are difficult because they do not line up with what most people have been taught, with the ideas that are understood and taught by mainstream Christianity going back many generations, over the course of many centuries.
This is what the bible says about it:
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?

My message is a hard pill to swallow.
I get it.
I participated in mainstream Christianity for over 30 years.
I was in the same buildings and congregations, doing and saying and believing the very same things that our churches teach.

But then…  I read my bible.
I started on page one and continued on from there, believing each and every word that I read.
It required me to let go of many ideas I’d been taught in church.
Why?
Because the Creator of all things, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob made some statements that He said are forever, for all generations, never ending, and a perpetual covenant.
If I begin with believing what He said and not letting go of what He said, then it forces me to purge much of what the church teaches.

And that is the gist of this blog.
It is difficult.
It is hard.
But it is based on believing what Yahweh [God] said, and later what Yeshua Messiah [Jesus] said.

And my blog makes some people angry.
Some of you may already know this about me, but I’ll try to explain in detail so you know where I am coming from with this blog…

I study the direct quotes of Yahweh [God] and Yeshua [Jesus].
They are my main authority. I build my foundation of knowledge, understanding, doctrine, beliefs, etc upon Their words.
If I read other scriptures that seem to be in conflict with Their words, I do the following:

#1
I keep my foundation built on the words of Yahweh and Yeshua and I do not change it. This is non-negotiable.

#2
I’ll evaluate the other scriptures and figure out why they “seem” to be in conflict.
I must understand the words of others within the boundaries set by the words of Yah and Yeshua. [never the other way around]

#3
If I can’t sort it out just yet, I’ll keep Yah’s and Yeshua’s words as my foundation and I’ll set aside the words of others that I am struggling with, and come back to them later after prayer and more study.

I do not believe we can EVER use the scriptures authored by people [prophets, apostles, etc] to render the words of Yahweh and Yeshua as empty, obsolete, or not true.
In my opinion, this is dangerous to create knowledge, understanding, doctrine, and beliefs by prioritizing the words of others over the words of Yah and Yeshua.
This was actually a problem in the first century church, and Peter warned us about it, especially with regard to the writings of Paul:

2Peter 3:14-17
^{14 “}Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; ¹⁵ and consider thatthe longsuffering 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…”

 

A friend asked me two serious questions…
They were:
Do you believe that Yeshua is Yah in the flesh?
What do you believe about Salvation?

These are great questions.
We live in a time where Yahweh is restoring His Torah to the scattered ten tribes of the House of Israel after 2730 years of exile.
Spend even a few minutes in any Torah related social media and you’ll quickly see much discussion and debate, and not always healthy versions!
The unhealthy variety of interaction leads to arguments and division.

But do not be discouraged!!
There are people out there who will have real dialogue.
They will engage in discussion that is respectful and productive, even if they disagree with you.
One such person (who probably disagrees with me in many things) asked these two very good questions.

Here are my answers:

Do you believe that Yeshua is Yah in the flesh?
Yes, I believe that Yeshua Messiah is Yah in the flesh, and that He was not “just a man” used by Yahweh.
We are told exactly this in John 1—
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Yahweh, and the Word was Yahweh. 2 He was in the beginning with Yahweh. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”

What do you believe about Salvation?
This is a complicated question!!!
I spent over 30 years in mainstream Christianity, believing what they told me.
I believed that “accepting Jesus into my heart” meant I was saved.
In being “saved” I was taught this guaranteed my place in heaven, and that I would receive eternal life with Jesus.

When I submitted my will to the Father because of a tragedy in 2014, my veil was lifted, just as we are told will happen in 2Corinthians 3:14-16
14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Messiah. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to Yahweh, the veil is taken away.

Yeshua said this in John 14
Yeshua said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Up to that point in my life [even though I was a ‘Christian’ for 30 years] I had never “come to the Father” as Messiah instructs us to do above…
I did what the church teaches, which is to come to Jesus.
We are taught to sit down at the foot of the cross and stay there.
That is not what Yeshua tells us.
He says we must go on to the Father, and churches do not teach this.
But through a tragedy, in the depth of my soul, I realized I had to go to the Father and stop sitting at the cross.
And I did.
And I submitted my will to His will.
Here is another quote of Messiah, whose example we are to follow:
Matthew 26:39
³⁹ He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

And as a result of submitting to the Father, my veil was lifted [again, see 2Cor 3:14-16 above] and I began to understand the scriptures ‘for real’.
I began to study the scriptures intently, countless hours spent doing so.
By studying the very words of Yahweh and Yeshua, I had questions that I could not answer.
For example, we are told this in Romans—
Romans 10:3
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

But Yeshua says this:
Matthew 7
“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.”

We see this in Mark 16
“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

But we see this 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.”

We are told this in Ephesians 2
 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

The rich young ruler asked this question in Matthew 19
16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

And Yeshua said…
“But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

I began to realize that the criteria for “being saved” is different than the criteria for being “granted eternal life and a place in the kingdom.”
I realized that if “being saved” and “being in the kingdom” are one and the same, then many verses in scripture cannot be reconciled.
They are in conflict.
These ‘conflicts’ caused many, many hours of discussion and debate.
People want to stick with the idea that we are saved by belief/faith/grace without doing anything of our own accord.
But at the same time, Yeshua Messiah (and others in scripture) clearly point out that we “must do something” in order to be in the kingdom.

I prayed about it and asked for His understanding in this.
And this is where I am today, with regard to “being saved” and “being granted salvation” or “being in the kingdom”:

In my humble opinion, they are two separate events, with two different sets of criteria to be achieved.
This is not a popular idea, even in Torah community.
I have only heard of two other people who have studied this out and found the same conclusion in the scriptures.

But here’s the thing…
Either “being saved” and “salvation” are two separate things, or Yahweh and Yeshua are liars, and I know that is not the case.
I am still digging deeper into this topic, moving on to the original Greek language.
I’m finding that our English translations sometimes use “saved” and “salvation” interchangeably, even though there are specific words in the Greek for each concept, and they are sometimes mistranslated.

I currently believe that turning to Yeshua, repenting of our sin, being baptized – the typical concepts of the gospel —- result in us being “saved”. 
Saved from what?
I believe we are saved from our sins up to that point in our lives.
We are saved from living in the flesh, and are now baptized, having died to self – we come out of the baptism water as a new creation.  We are given the Ruach, with the idea that we live by the spirit and not by the flesh. Paul speaks of this a great deal.
Here is one example:
Romans 8
Life in the Spirit
8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yeshua has set you free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what was impossible for the Torah—since it was weakened on account of the flesh—God has done. Sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as a sin offering, He condemned sin in the flesh— ⁴ so that the requirement of the Torah might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Ruach.
⁵ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Ruach set their minds on the things of the Ruach. ⁶ For the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Ruach is life and shalom. ⁷ For the mindset of the flesh is hostile toward God, for it does not submit itself to the law of God—for it cannot. ⁸ So those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
⁹ However, you are not in the flesh but in the Ruach—if indeed the Ruach Elohim dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Ruach of Messiah, he does not belong to Him. ¹⁰ But if Messiah is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the Spirit is alive because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Ruach of the One who raised Yeshua from the dead dwells in you, the One who raised Messiah Yeshuafrom the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Ruach who dwells in you.
¹² So then, brothers and sisters, we do not owe anything to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Ruach you put to death the deeds of the body, you shall live. ¹⁴ For all who are led by the Ruach Elohim, these are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall again into fear; rather, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Ruach Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. ^[a] 17 And if children, also heirs—heirs of God and joint-heirs with Messiah—if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

I do not believe we are capable of obeying the Torah, His instructions, His commands, if we are walking in the flesh. But if we walk in the Spirit, we are empowered by the Spirit to walk in His ways, and to obey.
Just as Yah said, His commands are not too hard for us.
Just as Yeshau said, His yoke is light.

We can do this, in the Ruach!! 
And I have experienced exactly that!!
I can overcome sin and no longer commit sin if I yield to the Spirit.
If I indulge the flesh, I fail, just as Paul describes.

I believe that being saved is our transformation from walking in the flesh to walking in the spirit.
We are saved from the wages of sin, which are death.
We are saved from the law of sin and death.

But then what?
Again, Paul speaks greatly of what comes next.
Paul tells us that athletes train to compete and win.
They do not train to come in second.
They do not train to come in last.
Athletes train to win, to be victorious.
And Paul tells us to run our race and to finish our race, as if to win.
1Corinthians 9
²⁴ Don’t you know that in a stadium the runners all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win! ²⁵ Every competitor exercises self-control in all respects. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we do it to receive an imperishable one. ²⁶ So I run in this way—not aimlessly. So I box in this way—not beating the air. ²⁷ Rather, I punish my body and bring it into submission, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Paul tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
Philippians 2:12
Therefore, my loved ones, just as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence—work out your salvation with fear and trembling. 
We have a part in our salvation. We have a responsibility; there are things we must do. Once we are “saved” by Yeshua’s works and not our own,  we must then walk on the narrow path and not on the broad path.
Words of Yeshua Messiah in Matthew 7
¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. ¹⁴ How narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

Again – let’s look at this direct quote of Messiah 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!’

Yeshua is not speaking to atheists, agnostics, or even Satanists.
He is speaking to people who thought they served Him.
He is speaking to people who “think they are going to heaven”.
But look closely at what He says:
They will not be in the “kingdom of heaven.”
Why?
Because they did not do the will of the Father.
What was the disqualifier?
They practice lawlessness.

Were these people “Christians”?
Sure.
Of course.
Were these people “saved”?
Yes, I believe they were saved.
Will they be granted “salvation” and a “place in the kingdom”?
Nope, not according to Yeshua.

Look at the parable of the ten virgins.
Again, these are not five believers and five non-believers.
All ten are competing for the same prize – to be the bride.
5 were wise and prepared themselves well.
They ran their race.
They finished their race.
They walked the narrow path.
They worked out their salvation with fear and trembling.

What about the other five believers?
They were unprepared.
They did not run their race.
They did not finish their race.
They walked the broad path that leads to destruction.
They did not work out their salvation with fear and trembling.

The only way for Yeshua to NOT be a liar is if “being saved” and “salvation” are separate concepts and separate events.

 

These are direct quotes of Yeshua Messiah (Jesus).
Can you hear Him?
John 14:15
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
John 14:21
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he 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.”
Luke 6:46
“Why do you call Me ‘Master, Master’ and do not do what I say?”

Do you think we should keep the commandments?
Do you know the voice of your Messiah?
These are the things that He said. He wants us to keep the commandments.

John 10:27-28
“My sheep hear My voice. I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life! They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”
Are you His sheep?
Do you know His voice?

He said this:
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!’”

Do you think Messiah did away with the law, as typical mainstream Christian doctrine teaches? What did Yeshua Messiah say about it?
Matthew 5:17-18
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets! I did not come to abolish, but to fully preach. 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.”

Let’s circle back and take a look at these direct quotes of Messiah:
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.”
“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.”

Messiah will judge every single man and woman who has ever lived, and He [and only He] will decide the eternal fate of each.
What is the end result for those who are granted eternal life?
They will live in the kingdom of heaven with Messiah F-O-R-E-V-E-R.
Let me ask you this:
Do you believe Yeshua Messiah will allow people into His kingdom, to spend eternity with Him, if these people do not love Him?
Let that sink in for a second…
John 14:15
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

Will people who do not love Him be allowed into His presence for all eternity?
Messiah tells us in the last few sentences of the entire bible who will be allowed in:
Revelation 22:14
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.

Messiah tells us again who will be allowed into the kingdom:
Matthew 19:16-17
16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” 17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Do you know His voice?
Do you believe what He says?
Are you willing to do what He says?

John 14:15
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
Do you love Yeshua Messiah, on His terms?

 

If Yahweh/Yehovah, Yahuah, God — the Creator of all that there is — were speaking, would you interrupt and say, “Yeah but…”?

No???

If you wouldn’t do it live and in-person before His presence, do you find yourself doing it now?
Is there a difference?
If He said something difficult in scripture, do you believe it, or do you [insert other idea here]?

This is what I’ve been studying the last couple years.
There are lots of statements/verses in scripture that might make you want to say, “Yeah but…” to God or to His Son our Messiah.

If that is the case, I’d take a really deep look at those other verses. [Start with 2Peter 3:14-17].
Pray for His understanding in all things!!

Did you know there are some extremely difficult concepts to consider with regard to the biblical Sabbath?  I am not talking about mildly difficult here…
I’m going to show you some words of יהוה and then ask some very difficult questions.

Let’s take a look at the Sabbath in Exodus 20 and Exodus 31.
EXODUS 20
1 And Elohim spoke all these Words, saying,
2 “I am יהוה your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, out of the house of slavery…
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to set it apart.
9 “Six days you labour, and shall do all your work,
10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath of יהוה your Elohim. You do not do any work – you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.
11 “For in six days יהוה made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore יהוה blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart.

EXODUS 31
12 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
13 And you, speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘My Sabbaths you are to guard, by all means, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, to know that I, יהוה, am setting you apart.
14 ‘And you shall guard the Sabbath, for it is set-apart to you. Everyone who profanes it shall certainly be put to death, for anyone who does work on it, that being shall be cut off from among his people.
15 ‘Six days work is done, and on the seventh is a Sabbath of rest, set-apart to יהוה. Everyone doing work on the Sabbath day shall certainly be put to death.
16 ‘And the children of Yisra’ĕl shall guard the Sabbath, to perform the Sabbath throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant.
17 ‘Between Me and the children of Yisra’ĕl it is a sign forever. For in six days יהוה made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ ”
18 And when He had ended speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Mosheh two tablets of the Witness, tablets of stone, written with the finger of Elohim.

First of all, let’s establish some basic facts.
Whose words are these? Are these statements made by a man, that we should question or doubt them?
No, we see in both passages that these are the very words of יהוה.
Shall we believe these words?
I for one accept and believe these words of my Creator, down to the very last letter and pen stroke.
I believe these words to be infallible.

With this idea in mind, that these are the words of יהוה and they are true and trustworthy, let’s ask some very difficult questions.

1.  Were these words temporary?  Were these words spoken with the intent that one day they would no longer be applicable?  Would He care about His Sabbath in ancient times, but not be concerned about it today?
What does יהוה say about it?
…throughout your generations
and again
…throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant.

Well, that settles it.
Everlasting covenant, and for all generations.
I think it is safe to say His words are as serious today as they were in the time of Mosheh.

2. How important is the biblical Sabbath to יהוה?
“Remember the Sabbath day, to set it apart.”
He tells us to remember, don’t forget.
Most of humanity has forgotten, sadly.
He tells us to “set it apart”.
What does that mean? To be set apart?
קָדַשׁ qâdash, kaw-dash’; a primitive root; to be (causatively, make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally):—appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, hallow, (be, keep) holy(-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify(-ied one, self), wholly.

The biblical Sabbath is to be kept clean, holy, appointed, sanctified or sacred.
How do we keep it that way?
In my opinion, we keep it set apart by reading His words that describe the Sabbath.
We must keep it exactly as He has presented it to us.
That means we cannot change it.
We cannot decide for ourselves what it is, when it is, or how we observe it (if at all). We cannot decide if we are going to observe it sometimes, but not all the time.
If “our idea of Sabbath” does not match the Sabbath of יהוה exactly as He described it, then we have not kept it set apart.  We have changed it and defiled it. This is not a good thing…

3. How else is the Sabbath important to יהוה ?
Check out this very amazing blessing:
“…for it is a sign between Me and you”
And He clarifies this a second time:
“‘Between Me and the children of Yisra’ĕl it is a sign forever.”
Do you understand what is happening here?
יהוה is literally labeling us as His people.
We get to wear His mark of authenticity!!
Do you know why this is such a big deal?
It is because without this mark or sign, we are NOT His people.
יהוה establishes the definition that His people have this sign, so it makes sense that people WITHOUT this sign are not His people.
Am I wrong about this?
Am I stretching things that should not be stretched?
Am I making this more complicated than it really is?

Let’s have יהוה answer this question for us:
He says this:
“Everyone who profanes it shall certainly be put to death, for anyone who does work on it, that being shall be cut off from among his people.”
And this…
“Everyone doing work on the Sabbath day shall certainly be put to death.”
Does יהוה seem serious about this?
Or is He playing games?
Does He think “close enough is good enough”?
Or has He given us life-altering instructions here (literally, life altering!!)?

יהוה is so very serious about this that it will cost us our lives if we ignore His instructions.
During the time of a Torah covenant nation, it would actually cost your life to disobey:
Numbers 15
32 And while the children of Yisra’ĕl were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Mosheh and to Aharon, and to all the congregation. 34 And they put him in under guard, because it had not been declared what should be done to him. 35 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “The man shall certainly be put to death, all the congregation stoning him with stones outside the camp.” 36 And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, as יהוה commanded Mosheh, and he died.

We do not live in a Torah governed covenant nation today, so being stoned to death for violating the Sabbath is not something we’ve had to worry about.
Nobody slinks around at the Mall on Sabbath, looking over their shoulder for an ancient-looking guy with a bunch of rocks.
Nobody goes to work on Sabbath, watching out for an angry Hebrew mob.
But יהוה says that we will die.
Did He tell anyone else this very same thing?
Genesis 2
16And יהוה Elohim commanded the man, saying, “Eat of every tree of the garden, 17but do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it you shall certainly die.”

Well, we all know how this turned out for Adam and Eve, right?
They went from being immortal to mortal.
They went from living with יהוה in His perfect Garden, to being banned to the cursed earth.
They went from bliss and perfection to knowing about sin and evil.
Then they died, many centuries later.
If we violate the Sabbath, not remembering it and not keeping it set apart, we will certainly die, just as יהוה says.
Will this death be physical in nature, or will it be a spiritual death as well, preventing us from being in the Kingdom of Heaven?
That is a good question, but I think יהוה has already answered this question.
“that being shall be cut off from among his people”
Being “cut off” from יהוהs chosen people does not sound like a good thing to experience.

Now, I’m going to ask even more difficult questions.
4.  What does this mean for people who have the scriptures and know about the ten commandments (which include the Sabbath) and choose not to remember it or keep it set apart?
Do we remember what יהוה said about His Sabbath?
Perpetual covenant.
For all generations.
That includes past generations.
That means people today.
That means future generations.
Every single generation is given this instruction and expectation.
יהוה makes His intentions known.  Very clearly.
How many countless millions or billions of people have come and gone from this earth without remembering the Sabbath and without keeping it set apart?
How many have worked, or made others work?
How many countless numbers of people all throughout humanity have not esteemed יהוהs instructions regarding the Sabbath?
What will be their fate?
According to יהוה, they are not His people, as they do not have the sign to identify them as such.
According to יהוה, they are cut off and not included among His chosen.
This is a big deal.

But it gets worse, even in Torah community.
How many folks do we know in Torah community who work on the Sabbath?
Or will go out to eat on the Sabbath, or go see a movie?
These sound like simple things, right?
No big deal, right?
If you or someone you know is nonchalant about the Sabbath, go back to the start of this study and begin again.
Go back and review what יהוה says about His Sabbath.
Go back and review what יהוה says will be the result of profaning His Sabbath.
Do you still want to work on the Sabbath?
Do you still want to go out to eat, or to the movies, or to the grocery store?
Do you still want to violate His Sabbath, and think it is not a big deal?
It is a huge deal!!

There is a way out, though.
The good news of the gospel tells us how to repent and be forgiven by Yeshua Messiah, the Son of the Living Elohim!!
So that’s how it works, right?
Keep the Sabbath when convenient, and violate it when it is not convenient or desired.
And then just repent, right?
No, that is not how it works.
Yes, we are forgiven our sins when we repent and come to Yeshua.
But then we are expected to become a new creation, living not for ourselves, but for Him.
We are to separate ourselves from the World, because we are no longer of the world.
Do the scriptures tell us what will happen if we do not hold the Sabbath in high esteem, choosing to remember and honor it and keep it set apart?
Yes, we are told.
Numbers 15:30-31
30 But the being who does whatever defiantly, whether he is native or a stranger, he reviles יהוה, and that being shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of יהוה, and has broken His command, that being shall certainly be cut off, his crookedness is upon him.’ ”

If we know about the Sabbath and choose to defile it, because it is not convenient, or because we think it won’t matter once in awhile, consider these words of יהוה. If we choose to disobey intentionally, יהוה says that we revile Him.  That is how He views our disobedience.
What else does יהוה say?
“he has despised the word of יהוה, and has broken His command, that being shall certainly be cut off, his crookedness is upon him.”
יהוה says we despise His word if we break it on purpose.
He again says that being will be “cut off” which is bad.
And his sin remains upon Him.
Obviously I’m simply misunderstanding, right?
Obviously I’m making a bigger deal out of this than I should, right?
We are told how this is going to work yet again in the New Testament:
Hebrews 10:26-31
26 For if we sin purposely after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a slaughter offering for sins, 27 but some fearsome anticipation of judgment, and a fierce fire which is about to consume the opponents. 28 Anyone who has disregarded the Torah of Mosheh dies without compassion on the witness of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment do you think shall he deserve who has trampled the Son of Elohim underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was set apart as common, and insulted the Spirit of favour? 30 For we know Him who has said, “Vengeance is Mine, I shall repay, says יהוה.” And again, “יהוה shall judge His people.” 31 It is fearsome to fall into the hands of the living Elohim.

This is a HUGE deal.
If we have the knowledge of the truth (in this case, an understanding of Sabbath) and choose to disobey the Sabbath instructions, then there no longer remains a sacrifice for us?
What sacrifice is this?
The price that Yeshua Messiah paid for our sins!!
That sacrifice no longer pertains to us, if we are nonchalant about the truth, about the instructions, about keeping the Sabbath (among other things).
Knowing the truth and choosing to disobey it is likened to trampling Yeshua underfoot!!
Are you seeing the strong nature of this language in the scriptures?
This is no small matter.
This is as serious as it gets!!!
If you know people who reject and disobey the Sabbath instructions, the 4^th of the 10 commandments, they need to know these things.
They need to have this spelled out for them.
This applies to the Christian church.
This applies to folks within our Torah fellowships and communities.
This applies to all.
For all generations.
A perpetual covenant.

Some people think I share these types of articles because I have no love for others.
That assessment could not be further from the truth.
I read the words of יהוה and believe them.
This causes me to have great concern for others, and out of love, I try to share this information with them.
They need to know.
They must know.
The harsh things I’ve shared in this article are not my own thoughts.
They are the words of the Creator of all things.
I’m not concerned with what you call Him:  God, Lord, Yehova, Yahweh, Yahuah, Elohim, Adonia, יהוה…
Pick any name that works for you.
These words I’ve shared are His words.
Do you believe Him?
If you do believe Him, do you need to repent and make any changes?
Do you need to encourage others to learn these things, or to take them seriously if they already know about them?
If so, share this because you love them, not because you want to criticize them.
That is where my heart is.

Please know that this article does not mean that I am trying to decide the eternal fate of others.
Yeshua Messiah, and only Him, has the authority to make such a decision.
I am simply reading the instructions of יהוה and sharing them with anyone who is willing to listen.  What happens between you and Yeshua Messiah and the Father is up to you, and not up to me.
I”m just here to encourage you to know these difficult things.
If you do not have the sign of belonging to God, Lord, Yehova, Yahweh, Yahuah, Elohim, Adonia, יהוה, then repent and go get it.
Let Him place His sign upon you, and wear it proudly and with confidence!
Protect it.
Remember it.
Keep it holy and set apart.
Just as יהוה tells us:  “…by all means.”

 

According to Jeremiah, pretty much everything we’ve been taught by our churches has been false, and results in people following false, made-up gods. 

A Warning To Torah Community
Ecclesiastes 1:9-11
⁹ That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.
¹⁰ Is there anything of which it may be said,
“See, this is new”?
It has already been in ancient times before us.
¹¹ There is no remembrance of former things,
Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come
By those who will come after.
We are told in Ecclesiastes that events in this life are cyclical.
All that has happened before will happen again.
We are told that people will not remember what came before…
And people will not understand what came before in order to apply it to what will come.
Why could these thoughts be considered a warning to today’s Torah community?
Let’s take a look at it.
As many know, people all around the world, in all walks of life, are returning to Torah. Many are questioning what we’ve been taught for many generations, calling it into question, and wiping the slate clean.
Jeremiah foretold this…
Jeremiah 16:19-20
¹⁹ 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?
Many are learning today that Torah is applicable now, just as it was in ancient times.
This is a good thing.
And it was prophesied, as we are told in Isaiah and Micah.
Isaiah 2:3
Then many peoples will go and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of Yehova,
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 Yehova from Jerusalem.
Miach 4:1-2
But at the end of days
the mountain of Yehova’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 Yehova,
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 Yehova from Jerusalem.
Does everybody understand the background events that make this prophecy necessary? I’ll do a quick summary:
Yehova stated numerous times that if His people, Israel, turned their backs on Him that He would scatter them among all the nations of the earth.
The entire chapter of Leviticus 26 is one such warning (with a promise of return at the end):
Faithfulness Ensures Blessings
³ “If you walk in My statutes, keep My commandments and carry them out, ⁴ then I will give you rains in their season, the land will yield its crops, and the trees of the field will yield their fruit. ⁵ Your threshing will last until grape gathering, the grape gathering will last until the sowing time, you will eat your bread to the full, and live securely in your land.
⁶ “I will bring shalom in the land, and you will lie down, with no one making you afraid. I will remove dangerous beasts from the land and no sword will pass through your land. ⁷ You will chase your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword. ⁸ Five of you will chase 100 and 100 of you will chase 10,000, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.
⁹ “I will turn toward you, make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will confirm My covenant with you. ¹⁰ You will eat the old harvest and clear out the old because of the new. ¹¹ I will set My Tabernacle among you, and My soul will not abhor you. ¹² I will walk among you and will be your God, and you will be My people. ¹³ I am Yehova your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, so that you would not be their slaves, and I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk upright.
Faithlessness Ensures Misery
¹⁴ “But if you will not listen to Me, nor carry out all these commandments, ¹⁵ and if you reject My statutes and if your soul abhors My ordinances, so that you do not keep all My commandments, but instead break My covenant, ¹⁶ then I will do the following to you in return. I will appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever that will dim the eyes and cause the soul to pine away. You will sow your seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. ¹⁷ I will set My face against you and you will be routed before your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one pursues you.
¹⁸ “If you, in spite of these things, will not listen to Me, then I will chastise you seven times more for your sins. ¹⁹ I will break your pride of power. I will make your sky like iron and your earth like bronze. ²⁰ Also your strength will be spent in vain, for your land will not yield its increase, nor will the trees of the land yield their fruit.
²¹ “if you keep walking contrary to Me and will not listen to Me, then I will multiply the plagues on you seven times like your sins. ²² I will send the wild animals among you, which will rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and make you so few in number that your roads will become deserted.
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. ²⁵ I will bring a sword upon you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant, and you will be gathered together inside your cities. I will send the pestilence among you and you will be given into the hand of the enemy. ²⁶ When I break your staff of bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will bring back your bread by weight, so that you will eat but not be satisfied.
²⁷ “Yet if in spite of this you will not listen to Me but walk contrary to Me, ²⁸ then I will walk contrary to you in wrath. So I will chastise you seven times for your sins. ²⁹ You will eat the flesh of your sons and you will eat the flesh of your daughters. ³⁰ I will destroy your high places and cut down your altars of incense, cast your dead bodies upon the bodies of your idols, and My soul will abhor you. ³¹ I will lay waste your cities and devastate your sanctuaries. I will not smell your soothing aromas. ³² I will make the land desolate and your enemies settling there will be astonished at it. ³³ I will scatter you among the nations and I will draw out the sword after you. So your land will become a desolation and your cities will become a waste. ³⁴ Then the land will enjoy its Shabbatot all the days of its desolation, while you are in the land of your enemies. Then the land will rest and enjoy its Shabbatot. ³⁵ As long as it lies desolate it will have rest, that rest which it did not have from your Shabbatot, when you lived on it.
³⁶ “As for those who remain, I will bring weakness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies, so that the sound of a driven leaf will put them to flight, and they will flee as one flees from the sword and fall, even when no one is pursuing. ³⁷ They will stumble over one another, as if before the sword, when no one pursues, and you will have no strength to stand before your enemies. ³⁸ You will perish among the nations and the land of your enemies will devour you. ³⁹ Those of you who are left in the land of your enemies will rot away because of their iniquity, and because of the iniquities of their fathers they will rot away with them.
Yehova Remembers His Own
⁴⁰ “But if they confess their iniquity and that of their fathers, in the treachery they committed against Me, and how they walked contrary to Me ⁴¹ —in return I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies—and if at that time their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled, so that they accept the punishment for their iniquity, ⁴² then I will remember My covenant with Jacob and also My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. ⁴³ But the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its Shabbatot while it lies desolate without them, and they will accept the punishment of their iniquity, because they rejected My ordinances and their soul abhorred My statutes.
⁴⁴ “Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I hate them into utter destruction, and break My covenant with them, for I am Yehova their God. ⁴⁵ But for their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am Yehova.”
⁴⁶ These are the statutes, ordinances and laws, which Yehova made between Himself and Bnei-Yisrael at Mount Sinai by Moses.
The nation of Israel ended up splitting into two separate kingdoms, the House of Israel in the north and the House of Judah to the south. We see this play out in 1Kings chapter 12.
Both kingdoms turned away from Yehova, and turned away from His Ways.
Israel was divorced from the covenant and scattered among all the nations of the earth.
Judah was not divorced from the covenant, but was also punished for their harlotry.
Jeremiah 3:6-10
⁶ Then Yehova said to me in the days of King Josiah: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel did? She went up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there she committed adultery. ⁷ Yet I thought that after she had done all this she would return to Me. But she did not return. Even her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. ⁸ I noted that when backsliding Israel committed adultery I sent her away and gave her a certificate of divorce. Yet, unfaithful Judah, her sister, did not fear. Instead she also went and committed adultery. ⁹ It happened that through her frivolous prostitution, she polluted the land and committed adultery with stones and with wood. ¹⁰ Yet after all this her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with her whole heart, but only insincerely,” It is a declaration of Yehova.
Both the House of Israel and the House of Judah suffered consequences for their disobedience, however, it is important to note that Israel was divorced from the covenant, while Judah was not divorced.
In Ezekiel 4, we are given the intended time of their punishment.
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.
390 years of exile for Israel, and 40 years of exile for Judah.
What kind of exile?
Most people believe this exile is just a physical scattering.
But it is not.
It begins with a physical scattering, but also includes a separation not only from Yehova, but also from the Torah!!
Not only was the original disobedient generation exiled, but also their children!
Hosea 4:6
⁶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Since you rejected knowledge,
I will also reject you from being My kohen.
Since you forgot the Torah of your God,
just so I will forget your children.
Deuteronomy 28:32
³² “Your sons and daughters will be given to another people while your eyes look on, longing for them all day long—but your hand will be powerless.”
This is a terrible consequence, but they were forewarned, numerous times.
They were told how to obtain life and blessing:
Deuteronomy 28:1-2
“Now if you listen obediently to the voice of Yehova your God, taking care to do all His commandments that I am commanding you today, Yehova your God will set you on high—above all the nations of the earth. ² Then all these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, if you listen to the voice of Yehova your God…
But they did not listen to His voice.
They did not obey His Words and His Ways.
The terrible consequence is not Yehova’s fault. He warned them not to, and yet, they chose disobedience and its consequences anyway.
And what is the result of their disobeience and scattering?
Deuteronomy 28:62-64
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 Yehova your God. ⁶³ Now just as Yehova rejoiced over you to do you good and to multiply you, so Yehova 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 “Yehova 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.”

Let’s focus on the House of Israel…
Their exile, separation from Yehova and separation from the understanding of Torah, was to last 390 years.
But we are told they did not repent and turn back to Yehova.
What does the Torah tell us about the unrepentant?
Leviticus 26:18
⁸ “If you, in spite of these things, will not listen to Me, then I will chastise you seven times more for your sins.”
Leviticus 26:21
^{“if you keep walking contrary to Me and will not listen to Me, then I will} multiply the plagues on you seven times like 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.”
Leviticus 26:28
²⁷ “Yet if in spite of this you will not listen to Me but walk contrary to Me, ²⁸ then I will walk contrary to you in wrath. So I will chastise you seven times for your sins.”
If one is unrepentant and does not turn back to Yehova, then consequences are multiplied by seven.
The House of Israel was to be scattered and exiled, both physically and spiritually, for 390 years. But they did not repent, and in accordance with Torah instruction, their consequence became 2730 years!!
As men and women, we cannot fully understand the idea of 2730 years.
It is just a number.
We understand years and decades.
I’m not even sure we understand full lifetimes, until we reach the end of our own.
We do not have the capability to understand 2730 years in our own sliver of existence. Many of us do not even know the names of our great-grandparents –– and that is only 3 generations, maybe 60-80 years ago.
Do you understand what I am showing you?
An exile of 2730 years is horrific and beyond comprehension!
And yet, it is spelled out for us in the scriptures.
The House of Israel chose disobedience.
The House of Israel chose to not repent.
The House of Israel chose to not turn back to Yehova.
This physical and spiritual exile began in approximately 720BC when the Assyrians defeated Israel, captured them, and began to scatter them among all the nations of the earth.
If we add 2730 years duration to this time period, we see that the exile ended in 2009/2010 timeframe!!
Yes, we are living at a time of great significance in biblical history/prophecy!
We are alive to witness the House of Israel regain understanding of the Torah and be called back into covenant with Yehova!!
I have experienced this calling, to return to Yehova and His Words and His Ways!!
This is fascinating and praise worthy!!
If this is a good thing [and it is] then why would I title this article “A Warning To Torah Community”?
Do you remember how we began this study?
Ecclesiastes 1:9
⁹ That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.
What example in ancient times do we have in the scriptures where Torah was given to Israel?
The Exodus story.
The Torah was given to Israel [and to the strangers among them, the mixed-multitude] on Mt. Sinai.
There were over 600,000 Hebrew men, plus the women and children, plus the mixed-multitude who came out of Mitsrayim [Egypt] with them and chose to be part of Israel.
How many adults of these several million people made it to the promise land?
Two.
Exactly two men of this original generation made it into the promise land.
Joshua and Caleb.
That’s it.
The nation of Israel made a golden calf and worshipped it almost immediately!!
Yehova wanted to destroy them, but He relented.
And the people continued in disobedience from there, never ending their rebellion and lack of faith.
All throughout the Exodus story, we see the people rebelling against Yehova.
And He struck them all down, save Joshua and Caleb.
Numbers 14:26-30
²⁶ Yehova then said to Moses and Aaron saying, ²⁷ “How long will this wicked community be grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of Bnei-Yisrael grumbling against Me. ²⁸ So tell them, ‘As surely as I live,’ says Yehova, ‘I will do to you just as I heard you say in My ears. ²⁹ In this very wilderness your bodies will drop—every one of you 20 years of age and older who was numbered in the census and grumbled against Me. ³⁰ Not one of you will enter the land about which I lifted My hand to make home for you—except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
Why were Joshua and Caleb allowed to enter the promise land?
Numbers 32:11-13
¹¹ ‘The men who came out of Egypt, from 20 years old and upward, will not see the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, for they have not followed after Me with a whole heart— ¹² except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they were wholehearted after Yehova.’ ¹³ The anger of Yehova burned against Israel and He caused them to wander in the wilderness 40 years until all the generation doing that evil in Yehova’s sight was gone.
Joshua and Caleb followed Yehova wholly and completely.
They were included in the promise because they followed Him wholeheartedly.
This is the standard that is set for us:
We are to follow Yehova wholeheartedly.
Completely.
Not a little.
Not when it is convenient.
Not when we feel like it.
We are to have complete faith and follow Him all the time, in everything that we do, say, and think.
We are to follow completely.
Lest we fall in the wilderness.
Deuteronomy 13:1
“Whatever I command you, you must take care to do—you are not to add to it or take away from it.”
Deuteronomy 13:4-5
“…for Yehova your God is testing you, to find out whether you love Yehova your God with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁵ Yehova your God you will follow and Him you will fear. His commandments you will keep, to His voice you will listen, Him you will serve and to Him you will cling.”
We are a new generation.
We are the first generation following the 2730 year curse and exile, to be given the Torah, and understanding of the Torah.
And this is the warning I have for Torah community:
Will we cling to Yehova?
Will we add to His Word?
Will we take away from His Word?
Will we walk His path, not turning to the right or to the left?
Deuteronomy 5:29-30
²⁹ “So you must take care to do as Yehova your God has commanded you—do not turn aside to the right or to the left. ³⁰ You are to walk in all the way that Yehova your God has commanded you, so that you may live and it may be well with you…”
The Torah was given to Israel at Mt Sinai.
They were given this charge:
Deuteronomy 30:19-20
¹⁹ “I call the heavens and the earth to witness about you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore choose life so that you and your descendants may live, ²⁰ by loving Yehova your God, listening to His voice, and clinging to Him. For He is your life and the length of your days, that you may dwell on the land that Yehova swore to your fathers—to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob—to give them.
Yehova is asking for our complete and total faith and obedience.
It brings life and blessing, while disobedience brings death and curse.
Why is this important?
It isn’t just so that we can enter our promise land (kingdom of heaven), but so that our descendants might live. Our children.
Remember Hosea…
Since you forgot the Torah of your God,
just so I will forget your children.
We must follow Yehova completely!!
Deuteronomy 12:28
Take care and listen to ALL THESE WORDS that I am commanding you, so that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the eyes of Yehova your God.
We are just like the children of the Exodus.
We are being given the Torah.
Will we guard it and protect it, walking in ALL of His ways?
Or will we stray from it, only doing the parts we like?
Will we stray from it, only following His ways when convenient?
Will we turn our backs on Yehova if we see something shiny, or if we think we know better?

We are told that there is nothing new under the sun.
As it was in ancient days, so it will be again.
We see this concept played out in scripture time and time again.
We are now the generation living during a monumental time spoken of in scripture.
Will we repeat history, just as Ecclesiastes says?
Will we fail to heed His Word?
Or will we follow Him wholly and completely?
We are being given an opportunity like no other!!
We live in THE VERY GENERATION when Yehova is giving His Torah back to the people!!! Just as we saw in Isaiah 2 and Micah 4!!
Will we embrace it and follow Him completely, wholeheartedly?
Or will we follow in the path of the Exodus generation and fail?
Will we all drop in the wilderness, not seeing our promise land (the kingdom of heaven)?
I urge all of you, myself included, to be like Joshua and Caleb.
Take all of the Words of Yehova to heart.
Take them seriously.
Do not mix in the traditions and thoughts of Judaism.
Do not add the traditions and thoughts from mainstream Christianity.
Follow Him.
Cling to Him.
Do not be lukewarm and fall in the wilderness.

Please do not error as described in Isaiah 30:1
“Oh, the rebellious children”
—it is a declaration of Yehova—
“Who carry out a plan, but not Mine,
and make an alliance, but not of My Ruach,
so they may add sin to sin…”
And remember…
The Exodus generation who fell in the wilderness was a Torah Observant community.

And please keep in mind how much Yehova and Yeshua hated the traditions of men.

If your Torah walk includes the traditions of Judaism that are not given in scripture, repent and separate from it.

Do not add to nor take away from His Word!!

If your Torah walk includes having one foot in the truth and one foot in lawless Christianity, repent of it and separate from it!!

Do not add to nor take away from His Word!!

I pray for life and blessing for you by clinging to ALL THAT HE HAS COMMANDED!