Author Archives: Natan Lawrence

Do you see and believe, or doubt and mock?

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Luke 1:41–45, When Elizabeth heard. During this greeting, Elizabeth had a spiritual encounter that helped her to connect the dots to understand what was going on in YHVH’s divine plan for John and Yeshua.

By now, it is likely that Zechariah would have revealed to her the angel’s previous message (vv. 13–17). Now when the babe leapt in her womb at Mary’s arrival, and she was filled with the Spirit (a visceral experience), and then prophetic words came out of her mouth, this was evidence and confirmation to both Elizabeth and Zechariah of YHVH’s plans for their son.

YHVH has supernatural ways of conveying his divine will to his people, so that only people of faith will see and understand his ways and his plans for their lives. All others, unless confronted with visible signs and empirical evidence (as verified by logic, or observable evidence or experience), will dismiss these spiritual revelations and circumstances as delusion.

Even when signs and miracles occur, it is unlikely that the hard hearted unbeliever will even then believe YHVH. This was often the case with the children of Israel and many who saw the miracles surrounding Yeshua’s ministry.

In the face of supernatural occurrences, sadly and to their own detriment, the unbelievers usually resort to mockery and to scoffing ridicule. Those, on the other hand, who walk by faith and hear the voice of YHVH and know his ways of communication and will remain undeterred, will have their faith strengthened, and will follow Elohim wherever he leads them.

 

I AM THAT I AM and the Weightier Matters

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Exodus 3:14–15, I AM THAT I AM. The name YHVH is Elohim’s memorial name forever. It reflects that fact that he is; that he is undefinable in human terms, and that he has always existed. This is the name by which he is to be remembered (not forgotten as is the case with the ineffable name concept of the rabbinic Jews whereby the names of deity are forbidden to be used). Exodus 3:14 and 15 read as follows:

14 And Elohim said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM (EHYEH ASHER EHYEH): and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM (EHYEH YHVH) hath sent me unto you. 15 And Elohim said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, YHVH the Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name [Heb. shem] for ever, and this is my memorial [Heb. zeker] unto all generations.

Here are some examples of how various Bible versions translate the name of YHVH:

  • I Am That I Am (KJV)
  • I Am Who I Am (NAS, NIV, NKJV
  • I Am That Which I Am (YLT)
  • I Shall Be As I Shall Be (The ArtScroll Stone Edition Tanach)
  • I Will Be What I Will Be (The Gutnick Edition Chumash, JPS)
  • I Will Be There Howsoever I Will Be There (The Schocken Bible)
  • I Am the Being (LXX, Brenton)

Exodus 3:15 states that YHVH is Elohim’s memorial name that Moses was to use when referring to I AM THAT I AM. I AM THAT I AM is Elohim’s actual name and what he calls himself, but men are to refer to him as YHVH, which means “the existing one, the one who is, the one who will be.” Both the former and latter are forms of the Hebrew verb hayah meaning “to be.” YHVH instructed that YHVH was to be his memorial name forever. In other words, humans were to use YHVH to remember him by. There is no indication anywhere in the Bible that it was YHVH’s intention that his name was to be forgotten or hidden through euphemization. The word memorial in Exodus 3:15 is the Hebrew word zeker and means “memorial, remembrance or memory.” There is nothing here to indicate that his name was to be forgotten.

It must be noted here that we don’t refer to YHVH as I Am, for were we to do so it would be necessary to say “I Am,” and in all reality, we aren’t the I Am, but YHVH is the I Am. Just so there is no confusion when communicating YHVH’s name in every day speech, the Bible uses, not the Hebrew ehyeh meaning “I Am,” but the form of the verb which means “He Is.” In this way, every time we say his name we’re glorifying him, and not inadvertently glorifying ourselves.

The name YHVH, referred to as the tetragrammaton, is the personal name of the Creator and occurs some 6800 times in the Tanakh. The exact pronunciation of this name has been lost down through the ages, and there is debate among well-meaning individuals on how to pronounce this four consonant Hebrew name. Because there are now vowels in this name, scholars can only speculate and make educated guesses about what the vowels between the consonants should be. No one knows for sure how to vocalize the consonants Y-H-V-H. The best scholarly opinions on this subject are just that—educated guesses.

Instead of getting all worked up about how exactly to pronounce Elohim’s name, let’s just love, worship and obey YHVH! These are the weightier matters of the Torah (Matt 23:23; 1 Cor 13:1–13). This is the distinguishing mark a true disciple of Yeshua (John 13:35), and what will separate the goats from the sheep (Matt 25:37–44)—not how we pronounce YHVH’s name!

 

Is your job a launch pad into your ministry?

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Exodus 3:1, Tending the flock. Moses spent forty years in the wilderness of Midian tending the flocks of Jethro, his father-in-law. After this phase of his life, YHVH called and commissioned Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt and then to shepherd them through the wilderness en route to the Promised Land. This was the very same wilderness where Moses had shepherded Jethro’s sheep for forty years. Moses’ job as a physical shepherd prepared him for the next phase of his life—his ministry as a spiritual shepherd. 

Often YHVH chooses individuals as his servants based on their vocational background, which provides training for the spiritual ministry to which he then calls them. For example, David was a shepherd before he became the king over Israel. Yeshua was a carpenter before he became a builder of the spiritual house of Israel (Heb 3:3–6; 1 Pet 2:5), and several of Yeshua’s disciples were commercial fishermen before becoming “fishers of men” or apostolic evangelists. Sometimes our physical vocations may be an indicator of what our spiritual calling is. 

Being a shepherd of physical sheep is a most suitable profession to prepare one for tending YHVH’s spiritual sheep. A shepherd has to put the needs, comfort, care and protection of the sheep above that of his own. This is one reason why the Scriptures refer to those who care for and protect YHVH’s spiritual sheep as shepherds or pastors. There are many similarities between physical and spiritual shepherds, and physical and spiritual sheep. Unless one has been a physical shepherd and cared for physical sheep, it is unlikely these reasons will be readily apparent.

 

Christmas—The Rest of the Story

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How and When Christmas Came Into the Church

Did you ever wonder how the non-biblical holiday called “Christmas” came into the mainstream Christians church? What follows is the backstory to Christmas: the rest of the story.

Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church. Irenaeus and Tertullian omit it from their lists of feasts;  Origen glancing perhaps at the discreditable imperial Natalitia, asserts (in Lev. Hom. viii in Migne, P.G., XII, 495) that in the Scriptures sinners alone, not saints, celebrate their birthday;  Amodbius (VII, 32 in P.L., V, 1264) can still ridicule the “birthdays” of the gods. (The Catholic Encyclopedia, “Christmas”)

Saturnalia was an ancient Roman festival in honour of the god Saturn, held on 17 December of the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities through to 23 December. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn, in the Roman Forum, and a public banquet, followed by private gift-giving, continual partying, and a carnival atmosphere that overturned Roman social norms: gambling was permitted, and masters provided table service for their slaves. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia)

Saturnalia may have influenced some of the customs associated with later celebrations in western Europe occurring in midwinter, particularly traditions associated with Christmas, the Feast of the Holy Innocents, and Epiphany. (ibid.)

The popularity of Saturnalia continued into the 3rd and 4th centuries AD, and as the Roman Empire came under Christian rule, many of its customs were recast into or at least influenced the seasonal celebrations surrounding Christmas and the New Year. (ibid.)

According to The Catholic Encyclopedia, Christmas is not included in Irenaeus’s nor Continue reading →

 

Notes on Luke Chapter One

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Luke 1:6, Righteous…blameless. Zachariah and Elizabeth (Heb. Elishevah) were totally Torah-observant to the point of being blameless in YHVH’s eyes. This confirms Moses’ words in Deut 30:11–14 that Torah-obedience isn’t outside the realm of human possibility as some in the church erroneously teach today.

Luke 1:10, Praying … incense. Incense is not only a biblical metaphor for prayer (Ps 141:2; Rev 5:8; 8:3–5), but in the temple, was used while praying. 

Luke 1:19, Gabriel. Beside this reference, Gabriel is only elsewhere mentioned in Daniel (Dan 8:16; 9:21). Gabriel means “strong, mighty man or warrior of El.” Michael is the only other archangel mentioned in the Scriptures (Dan 10:13, 21 12:21; Jude 9; 12:27).

Luke 1:20, Because you did not believe. There is a lesson for us in YHVH muting the mouth of Zachariah for a season. If the spiritual leaders are unable to believe what YHVH has told them already, how can he give them more revelation—more things to speak and teach about? If we’re not hearing new revelation from Elohim, maybe it’s because we haven’t believed what he has already told us.

Luke 1:28, Blessed are you among women. These words of Gabriel were repeated verbatim in Elizabeth’s prophecy concerning Yeshua (verse 42). Doubtless this was a supernatural confirmation to Mary concerning her role as the mother of the Messiah, for how could her cousin have known what the angel had spoken to her previously?

Luke 1:36, Elizabeth your relative. While Mary was of the royal lineage of David through her father, she also was a relative on her mother’s side of Elizabeth, the priest-wife of Zacharias, who was a daughter of Aaron (Luke 1:5).  In Matthew one and Luke three two different genealogies are given for Yeshua, both of which  go back to King David. One is presumed to be that of Joseph and the other is that of Mary. In this way, Yeshua was a direct descendant of David legally through Joseph, his step-father, and genetically through Mary, his mother. Does this mean that Mary was of priestly as well as Davidic lineage. Yes, but not patrilineally, only matrilineally. In the Scriptures, tribal lineage was determined through the father’s family line and not the mother’s. 

In the case of Mary and Elizabeth, they would have shared common grandparents making them cousins. Their grandfather would have been a priest. In the case of Elizabeth, her father—the son of her priestly grandfather—would have carried the priestly line making her a daughter of Aaron (Luke 1:5). In the case of Mary, her mother would have been her priestly grandfather’s daughter meaning that she was of priestly lineage but not her children, unless she married a priest.

It seems that Yeshua would have carried some priestly blood in his genes, but he was not legally a priest through patrilineal descent. To be sure, Yeshua was a priest, but not one of Aaronic lineage but after the order of Melchizedek, which was the priesthood of the firstborn son passed on generationally. Yeshua was the first born son of Elohim eternally, which is why he is presently at the right hand of Elohim acting as our Great High Priest (Heb 1:3 cp. 3:1; 4:4; 8:1).

Therefore, Mary laid claim to a Davidic as well as a priestly lineage (Jesus the Messiah, by Edersheim, p. 105). This means that Yeshua was not only of direct Davidic lineage but was of priestly lineage as well.

Has also conceived…in her old age. Was Mary an older, barren woman like Elizabeth? If not, why the word also?

 

Notes on Exodus Chapters One and Two

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Overview of the Book of Exodus (Main Themes)

Exodus (Heb. Shemot) is the book whose principle theme is redemption—Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. Here we learn how YHVH saves his people and we are shown that his people are redeemed in order to worship him. 

The Theme of Redemption

Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, “I am YHVH, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your Elohim; and you shall know that I am YHVH your Elohim, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession; I am YHVH.” (Exod 6:6–8, emphasis added)

Worship

And he said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be a token unto you, that I have sent you, when you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve Elohim upon this mountain.” (Exod 3:12, emphasis added)

And I say unto you, “Let my son go, that he may serve me, and if you refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay your son, even your firstborn.” (Exod 4:23, emphasis added)

And you shall say unto him, “YHVH Elohim of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, ‘Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness, and, behold, until now you would not hear.’” (Exod 7:16, emphasis added)

The Basic Outline of Exodus

Chapters 1–6 show us the need for redemption.

Chapters 7–11 show us the power or might of the Redeemer as the ten plagues are poured out upon Egypt.

Chapters 12–18 show us the character of redemption; purchased by blood and emancipated by power.

Chapters 19–24 teaches us the duty of the redeemed.

Chapters 25–40 instructs us about the restoration of the redeemed—provisions are made for the failures of the redeemed when they fall spiritually.

The Metaphors in Exodus

Egypt is a metaphor for the world, the place of sin and bondage where one is held captive before being delivered or redeemed by the power of YHVH and the blood of Yeshua, the Lamb of Elohim. It is interesting to note that ­although Egypt was the land of science and art, it was simultaneously the land of death in that their religion that is was morbidly fixated with death. 

Pharaoh is a metaphor for Satan, a merciless taskmaster who opposes the people of YHVH every step of the way.

Pharaoh’s magicians represents demonic spirits that are active in the world and are doing Pharaoh’s (Satan’s) bidding in opposing Israel, the people of Elohim, and Elohim’s plans.

Moses is a prophetic metaphor for Yeshua (his first coming), the Deliverer of his people from the bondage and power of sin, death and hell, which is the power of the enemy, Satan.

The blood of the lamb on the door posts is a metaphor for Yeshua, the Redeemer, whose death on the cross atoned for man’s sins causing YHVH’s judgment against sin to pass over his people.

The crossing of the Red Sea is a metaphor the saint’s union with Messiah Yeshua in his death and resurrection via the ritual of tevilah (immersion or baptism) at a mikvah (a gathering of waters).

The journey through the wilderness is a metaphor for the trials and testing that occur during the redeemed believer’s spiritual walk through this life with YHVH’s provision to meet every need and his protection from every attack of the adversary.

The giving of the Torah represents one’s spiritual walk after having exited spiritual Egypt, and teaches YHVH’s people the importance of obedience and submission that they owe him for freeing them from Satan and the world. He is now their new Master.

The Tabernacle of Moses with its furnishings is a picture, layout or blueprint of the steps in YHVH’s plan of redemption (salvation) for mankind and the steps in man’s spiritual maturation into intimacy with the Father through Yeshua the Messiah. It is like a giant gospel tract!

Exodus 1:11, Taskmaster…afflict them. Taskmaster literally means “gangs of government officials who exacted or levied tribute or taxes from the Israelites by forcing them to work as serfs.” These government bureaucratic goons forced the Israelites, through affliction, into compulsory service involving government works projects. The Egyptians imposed a fascistic socialistic system upon the Israelites, which was a form of slavery. 

Exodus 1:19–21, Midwives said. The righteous, Elohim-fearing midwives (v. 17), chose to obey Elohim rather than to follow government edicts that violated the laws of the Creator. This necessitated them lying to the Egyptians to preserve the lives of the innocent babies. This teaches us that it is not only acceptable to lie, but it is even commendable in YHVH’s eyes, to preserve life (see also Josh 1:17 where Rahab lied to protect the Israelite spies from certain death, and 1 Sam 20:6 where David had Jonathan lie for him to save his life from the murderous Saul). For their work of preserving innocent lives, YHVH blessed the midwives (vv. 20–21). In reality, the midwives were pro-life, anti-abortion activists who were given a place of honor in YHVH’s hall off fame for the righteous.

Exodus 2:16; 3:1 (also 18:1), Priest of Midian. Heb. kohen meaning “priest, principal officer or chief ruler.” In the days prior to the Levitical priesthood, the Bible considers a father to be the priest of his family (see Exod 19:22, 24). Since Torah mentions three times that Jethro was the priest of Midian, evidently he was more than just a spiritual leader to his family; he was likely also a regional leader.

 

Ezekiel’s Temple: Literal or Metaphorical or Both?

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I often get asked what I think about the vision that Ezekiel had of a temple (commonly called  “Ezekiel’s Temple”), which is recorded in chapters 40 to 48 of the book bearing his name. Here are my thoughts on the subject to this point. —Natan

Ezekiel 43:10–27,Understanding the Mystery of Ezekiel’s Temple. Ezekiel’s vision of a temple is enigmatic. Few passages in the entire Bible are more difficult to understand than chapters 40 to 48 of the Book of Ezekiel where the prophet describes in detail a temple—a habitation for YHVH himself—that he saw in a vision. Ezekiel’s temple is similar to the Tabernacle of Moses and Solomon’s Temple, but different and grander. 

Is this temple to be actually built during the Messianic Era or Millennium (which is the most common interpretation of this prophetic passage)? Or is this temple not a literal temple that will be built, but only figurative and spiritual in nature containing some hidden spiritual message? Bible commentators are uncertain. The Christian commentator Matthew Henry brushes off the vision with a scant commentary giving the following reasoning why: “Here is a vision … which is justly looked upon to be one of the most difficult portions in all the book of God. When we despair to be satisfied as to any difficulty we meet with, let us bless God that our salvation does not depend upon it, but that things necessary are plain enough; and let us wait till God shall reveal even this unto us.” Not content to leave this issue on Matthew Henry’s spiritual back burner, this author has assembled a series of insightful quotes from scholars who have studied Ezekiel’s Temple in depth and have some thought-provoking ideas as to its spiritual significance that may well spur the reader to examine this subject more thoroughly for himself.

Next, we present some excerpts from some Jewish and Christian commentaries on the subject of Ezekiel’s temple.

The Soncino Pentateuch sees this vision describing a temple that will be built in the New Jerusalem after the return of the exiled Israelites, which occurs when Messiah comes to establish his kingdom on earth. “This new temple was … to symbolize and embody in concrete form the teachings of Holiness and Purity preached by the Prophet in the preceding 39 chapters of his book.… The real hope of the future for Ezekiel lies in perfect and willing obedience to the Law” (p. 350).

The ArtScroll Chumash notes that at the beginning of the Book of Ezekiel the prophet is shown the glory of YHVH departing the Temple in Jerusalem because of all the abominations done therein (Ezek 9 and 10). That Temple became but an empty shell destined for soon destruction at the hands of the Babylonians. “But [Elohim] removes his Presence from places, not from his people. Throughout Ezekiel’s sad task of warning the nation of the consequences of its waywardness, [Elohim] told him that Israel would remain his people, that he would share their exile, and that he would bring them home again. In the concluding chapters of the book, Ezekiel saw the vision, the architecture, the dimensions, the laws of the Third Temple. Finally, he saw the vision of the Shechinah’s [YHVH’s glorious Presence] return—the same Shechinah whose departure he had tearfully witnessed twenty years earlier” (pp. 1158–1159).

The essence of the nine chapters devoted to describing this temple is found in 48:35 where the name of the city is given: YHVH Is There/YHVH Shama (vnÑ vuvh), according to the ArtScroll Tanch Series Ezekiel Commentary. The focus of the New Jerusalem is that it is the resting place of the Divine Presence. “[Elohim] wills that there be a New Jerusalem only because he wills that there be a place of welcome for the Divine Presence.… This Temple is to become the throne and footstool for the Divine Presence (43:7) and, in contrast to the two previous Temples which became defiled—and subsequently destroyed—through Israel’s sins, this one is to stand inviolate. [Elohim] is to dwell in it, never to depart (43:7)” (p. 605).

Adam Clarke in his commentary sees a direct correlation between the layout of Ezekiel’s temple and the message of the cross. “The tabernacle and temple were types of the incarnation of [Yeshua the Messiah]: ‘Destroy this temple, and after three days I will raise it up;—but this he spoke of the temple of his body’ (John 2:19,21). And in that Temple ‘dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.’ Into this immaculate humanity did the glory of the Supreme [Elohim] enter; and thus, ‘[Elohim] was in [Messiah] reconciling the world to himself.’ And this [Yeshua] is Immanuel, [El] with us” (Clarke’s Commentary, vol. 4, p. 540).

E.W. Bullinger in his noted Companion Bible says of Ezekiel’s Temple or Sanctuary, that it is the palace or habitation of the Messiah in connection with “the city of the great King” (Ps 48:2; Matt 5:35) (Appendix 88, p. 126).

“These closing chapters [Ezek 40 through 48] describe the new temple and a new order of worship for Israel. Most important they conclude with the name of the city, [YHVH] Is There. This is the key for understanding this whole vision of Ezekiel, which is paralleled by Revelation 21:1–22:15. As John has an angel guide to show him around his New Jerusalem, so Ezekiel has an angel to explain to him his temple vision. Though scholars vary in their interpretation, the temple is best interpreted symbolically, representing the ­worshiping community of the Messiah, during the church age, the Millennium, and climaxing in the world to come” (Spirit Filled Life Bible, notes on Ezek 40:1).

So what is the bottom line here? Will Ezekiel’s Temple literally be built or is it merely metaphorical symbology or both? There are valid points to be made on all sides the issue. My answer is that I don’t know who is right or wrong.