Category Archives: Scripture

Scripture Studies

The Sun (Yeshua), the Moon (the Saints): Light to the World Via YHVH’s Feasts

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In Genesis chapter one when Elohim created the sun and moon, he called the former “the greater light” and the latter “the lesser light” (Gen 1:14–18). The former rules the day and the lesser rules the night. 

Then Elohim said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons [Heb. moedim], and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. Then Elohim made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. Elohim set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And Elohim saw that it was good.

When these verses are viewed from the drash or third level of biblical interpretation, we soon discover a surprising prophetic and allegorical revelation about the divinely intended role of Yeshua and the saints in the world. 

Let us first understand the spiritual significances of the key figures in our Genesis chapter one passage. The sun in Genesis 1:16 symbolically and prophetically represents Yeshua the Messiah, who the Bible later reveals is the Light of the world (John 1:6–9; 8:12; 9:5) or the Sun of Righteousness (Mal 4:2). That is to say, spiritually speaking, he is Greater Light of Genesis 1:16 to show man the path of spiritual light in the darkness of this world. As the sun was created in the fourth day, so Yeshua the Messiah came into this world in the fourth millennia of man’s existence on earth. 

The moon or lesser light (Gen 1:16), on the other hand, represents the saints, who are like the moon or the lesser light, and whose divine mission it is to reflect the light of the sun or the Greater Light of Yeshua the Messiah into the darkness of this world. In other words, Yeshua shines his spiritual light onto his disciples who then take that light and evangelize those people who are lost in spiritual darkness of this world with the message of the gospel. This is the great commission (Matt 28:18–20; Mark 16:15–18)!

Now let us go to the next level in this discussion. In Genesis 1:14 we find an oblique reference to the YHVH’s Leviticus 23 biblical feasts in the word “season,” which is the Hebrew word moedim meaning “appointed times.” This same word is used in Leviticus 23:2 where it is translated as “feasts.” According to the Bible, together the sun and moon interact to determine the biblical calendar. The sun determines the length of the year, while the moon determines months. This is the case with our modern calendar. The solar year is 365.25 days while months are approximately 30 days. Both of these calculations are based on the solar and lunar cycles. In the Bible, the biblical feasts are calculated based on the lunations of the moon. The greater light and lesser lights of Genesis 1:16 as astral timepieces determine the length of the year and month respectively, and this in turn determines the timing of YHVH’s biblical feasts. 

Moreover, YHVH’s seven Leviticus 23 biblical holidays chronologically lay out YHVH’s seven step plan of salvation to show man the way to Yeshua who is the Greater Spiritual Light as represented by the sun. The feasts are like a gospel tract or sermon which outline the step-by-step gospel message of salvation. The saints have been tasked as the lesser light to reflect the message of salvation through Yeshua the Greater Light into the darkness of this world through their adherence to the biblical feasts. This is one reason why the moon—the lesser light—is so pivotal to YHVH’s calendar and feasts. 

Currently, many false Torah and Hebrew roots teachers have recently risen up who are promoting so-called alternative, non-biblical calendars (e.g., the vernal equinox calendar, the rabbinic or Hillel II calendar, the Zadok/Enoch calendar and the like) that relegate the moon to irrelevance when determining the timing of YHVH’s biblical feasts. These false teachers have jumped the rails by ignoring biblical spiritual and prophetic patterns as they lead YHVH’s people, to their shame and ultimate judgment, down aberrant spiritual path. YHVH will hold them accountable for perverting his truth and leading his people astray!

For example, the traditional calendar currently used by the non-believing, rabbinic Jews, while claiming to be lunar based, is off; it is not in accordance with the moon though the Jews erroneously purport it to be. At the same time, these same rabbinic Jews are not bringing the gospel message of Yeshua to the world; rather, they are promoting the doctrines of men and men’s traditions. Error always begets more error. Their whole message is askew and fails to reflect the Greater Light of Yeshua the Messiah.

Similarly, while the mainstream church attempts to preach the gospel, without an understanding of the moon, YHVH’s feasts and his biblical calendar, the gospel message they preach is only a partial one and is also off spiritually. Therefore, they are not transmitting the full light of Yeshua into the darkness of this world.

It is time for both Jewish and Christian leaders along with their more Hebraic or Messianic and pro-Torah minded counterparts to return to the rails of biblical truth by observing why, how and when YHVH intended his feasts to be observed as outlined in Genesis chapter one, Leviticus chapter 23 and elsewhere from one end of the Bible to the other. May YHVH bless the Bible teachers who have not jumped the rails of biblical truth but are leading the saints down the right track. On the other hand, YHVH Elohim will judge those who are teaching doctrines of men by which his Word has been made of none effect!

 

The Lord’s Supper Explained in Its Hebraic Context & How to Conduct a Communion Service as Yeshua Instructed

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The Importance of Memorials and Symbols

Obedient and truth-seeking disciples of Yeshua will want to love him by keeping his commandments (John 14:12), and by teaching and doing everything he commanded (Matt 28:20). They will be following Paul’s example to imitate Yeshua the Messiah (1 Cor 11:1) as well heeding John’s admonition “to walk just as [Yeshua] walked” (1 John 2:6). This applies to the important biblical ritual of communion as well. How can we celebrate communion just as Yeshua did it? How closely is your typical mainstream Christian church following Yeshua’s commandments when it conducts a communion or the Lord’s supper? We shall discover the answer below.

With regard to obeying YHVH’s commands, symbols and memorializations figure prominently in YHVH Elohim’s spiritual economy. Why is this? They are teaching aids. Physical humans need physical things to help them to comprehend spiritual truths and ideals. Using symbols, commemorations and memorializations is a method of teaching and relates to pedagogy, which is “the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept.” A effective teacher endeavors to build bridges of understanding between what the student knows and what the teacher wants to teach the student— between the known and the unknown, between what the student understands now and what the teacher wants his students to learn. A successful teacher learns the skill of building bridges of understanding with his students to bring them to a higher level of understanding. The same is true of YHVH Elohim as we works with humans to teach them about spiritual things.

On a spiritual level, YHVH Elohim, our Heavenly Teacher, employes similar pedagogic or teaching techniques as he endeavors to bring men to a higher level of understanding heaven’s spiritual truths and realities. The use of symbols and memorials as teaching tools is essential to this process of teaching and learning.

The Bible is full of symbols and memorials that represent or point to something else and act as teaching aids to assist humans in learning about Elohim and what he requires of us. For example, the very name of the Creator, YHVH (Yehovah), is a memorial, symbol or remembrance (Heb. zeker from zakar) of who Elohim really is (Exod 3:15). His name is a way for humans to connect with him. The same is true of each of our names. Our name is a label, a pointer, a symbol of who we are, but it’s not really us. Similarly, eating unleavened bread during the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a memorial (Heb. zikrown from zakar) of coming out of Egypt and putting sin out of one’s life (Exod 13:9). The twelve stones on the high priest’s breastplate were memorials (Heb. zikrown from zakar) of the twelve tribes of Israel (Exod 28:12). The grain offering that was made on the altar of sacrifice in the Tabernacle of Moses was a memorial (Heb. azkarah from zakar) or remembrance that prophetically pointed to Yeshua the Messiah’s death on the cross and the fact that he is the bread of life (Lev 2:2). Blowing shofars on the Day of Trumpets is a memorial (Heb. zikrown from zakar) of many things past, present and prophetically including the second coming of Yeshua and the firstfruits resurrection (Lev 23:24). In fact, the whole Tabernacle of Moses, the Levitical priesthood, the sacrificial system, the Sabbath and biblical feasts is a complex system of memorials, remembrances and symbols to point humanity to the higher, upward spiritual path, which eventually brings him to Yeshua the Messiah. This is so abundantly clear in the Bible. Why don’t more people see this? Why do so many Christians and their leaders have such an apathy, even antipathy for these things? It’s mind boggling, especially in view of the fact that these teaching aid memorial and symbols were ordained of Elohim himself!

The overarching purpose and meaning of the Hebrew word zakar and its derivatives is something that “gets men to think about something, to meditate upon something, to pay attention to something, to remember something, to mention something, to declare or proclaim something or to commemorate something” (see The TWOT on the meaning of zakar). 

Why do people need to remember something or to stop and think about something? Simply this. In the busyness of life, people forget a lot of things that they should remember, meditate on, ponder, be thankful for and learn from. The fact that people tend to forget important things is the whole reason we have national holidays, statues, gravestones, war medals, a national flag and anthem, birthdays and anniversaries, photo albums and other manmade traditions. These are culturally important to humans and add meaning and depth to life. They help us to stay connected to past, significant events.  They aid us in remembering where we have come from and who we are. None of us just spontaneously combusted, or appeared out of nowhere as if some cosmic hand just dropped each of us down onto this planet non-contextually and without a past history. Biblically, the same can be said of a Torah scroll, the Bible itself, the Sabbath, the biblical feasts, the cross as a symbol of something, the ritual of baptism and Passover, which had embedded in its observance the Lord’s supper (1 Cor 11:20), communion (1 Cor 10:16) or the Lord’s table (1 Cor 10:21). All of these remembrances or memorials are designed to cause us to pause and stop and to reflect on something that is beyond us (in the past or future) or above us. The memorialization of past events should cause us to better appreciate those who have gone before us—our past history—and be thankful for our present blessings.  Such reflections can help us not to repeat the mistakes of past generations and at the same time learn from their wisdom. Simultaneously, things that memorialize future events (like the Sabbath and the biblical feasts) should encourage us onward and upward in our spiritual journey. They strengthen our faith and give us hope for tomorrow. Symbolic rituals like baptism and communion can help us to connect to present realities that relate to our upward spiritual walk and our relationship to Yeshua the Messiah—our Master and Savior.

What Does Communion Memorialize?

So what does the Christian ritual or sacrament of communion called “the Lord’s supper” memorialize? To its credit, the mainstream Christian church understands the basic meaning of communion quite well. But let’s review this basic understanding, while, at the same time, adding some Hebraic or whole Bible background information. This will hopefully help us to appreciate more fully this glorious sacrament, which, sadly, due to its frequent occurrence in many churches, can become banal ritual that is easily taken for granted.

Continue reading →
 

he Leaven of False Teachings & Hypocrisy in the Hebrew Roots Movement

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The winds of false doctrines are blowing ferociously in the Messianic/Hebrew roots movement as money-grubbing false teachers peddle heresies based non-biblical sources and lead people away from the Truth of the Bible and the basic message of the gospel. This is the leaven of the Pharisees, false doctrines and hypocrisy that Yeshua warned his true disciples against. He prophesied that the deceptive delusions of false teachers claiming to be speaking for him would intensify as his coming draws near. Beware! This teaching is a wake up warning to all those who have ears to hear and eyes to see!

This and other videos by Nathan are available as podcasts on Spotify and Apple podcast under “Hoshana Rabbah.”

If this message has been a blessing to you, please consider showing your appreciation by making a donation to Hoshana Rabbah at http://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/. Thank you!

 

2025 Dates for Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread

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Shalom Torah-truth seekers and lovers of Yeshua the Messiah. The emails are coming in asking us about the dates for the upcoming biblical feasts of YHVH based on the visible crescent new moon and abib/aviv barley in the land of Israel. Well, the reports have come in from Devorah Gordon at https://www.facebook.com/datetree/ and others from Israel, so now we know.

Our family will be celebrating the Passover seder starting the late afternoon and going into the evening of Sunday April 13. The first high holy day Shabbat of the Feast of Unleavened Bread will be on Monday April 14, and the last high holy day Shabbat of the Feast of Unleavened Bread will be on Thursday, April 20.

If you have any more questions about YHVH’s biblical feasts or the biblical calendar, please go to the search button at the top this page and type in key words such as “biblical calendar” or “biblical feasts” or “Passover” or “Feast of Unleavened Bread”. Numerous articles and videos that I have made in the past will come up and likely answer all of your questions. Instead of having to re-invent the wheel over and over again by answering the same questions the people have over and over again, I have made these articles and videos available for your convenience to freely access whenever you like.

May YHVH bless you as you learn to walk as Yeshua and his disciples did. A whole new world of revelation will open to you, your faith in Yeshua will be strengthened and your love and understanding of the Word of Elohim will be deepened beyond measure.

Love and blessings to everyone!

Nathan Lawrence

 

How to Prepare Yourself for Passover and YHVH’s Spring Feasts

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But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. (1 Thess 5:1–8)

It’s time to get spiritually clean!

Repent of Sin and Get Under the Lamb’s Blood. As the children of Israel applied the lamb’s blood to the door posts and lintels of their house, so we must apply the sin-cleansing and Satan-defeating blood of Yeshua afresh to our lives (i.e. to our thoughts as represented by the door lintel and and to our hands or actions as represented by the door posts). This occurs as we repent of our sins, and pray for and receive YHVH’s forgiveness. He will then cover our sins over or wash away our sins by Yeshua’s blood (1 John 1:9; Rev 1:5).

In Egypt at Passover time, YHVH judged all those who had failed to put the lamb’s blood on the door posts of their houses. In other words, they weren’t under the blood of the lamb, but were still under the penalty of sin, which is death (Ezek 18:4; Rom 6:23). Any unrepented of sin in our lives brings the curse of death on us. To the degree that one has sin in their life is the degree to which the spirit of death has a legal claim on us. Now is the time to repent of sin by confessing it and seeking Elohim’s forgiveness under the blood of Yeshua and then forsaking that sin through YHVH’s grace (1 John 1:9). 

Here are some things of which to repent. 

  • Pride. Do you always think that you’re right? Your opinion is what matters the most? Do you have a hard time with those who don’t see it your way, when you don’t get your way? Do you have a fit when people disagree with you? Do you criticize others and put others down (especially those who are closest to you)? Do you belittle, mock, scorn and ridicule others? Do you focus on other people’s faults? Do you have a hard time identifying any sins that you have committed? Are you proud of your humility? Are you proud of how Torah-observant you are (compared to others)? Are you overly defensive when someone corrects you or challenges your opinion? Do you blame others when things don’t go right instead of taking personal responsibility for your actions? Are you proud of (instead of grateful to YHVH for) your achievements in life? Do you constantly have to be talking about yourself? Is much of what you do, say and think focused on yourself? These are all signs of pride. Pride is self-idolization. Elohim hates pride and calls it an abomination (Prov 6:16–17).
  • Ungratefulness and selfishness. Are you ungrateful? Are you discontent about your place in life? Do you always want more? Are your material possessions and personal belongings really important to you? Do you have a hard time giving things away? This is a form of self-idolatry, pride and idolization of things.
  • The love of this world over love of YHVH and the things that matter to him. This is a form of idolatry. In this case, we’re concerned with what others think more than what Elohim thinks about things. Therefore, our thoughts and actions are geared at trying to please ourself and others instead of pleasing Elohim (Jas 4:4; 1 John 2:15).
  • Sins of the mouth include mean, selfish, unkind, angry, impatient, egotistical words and gossip. This is idolization of self. What matters most is what I have to say, how I feel, my opinions and I have the right to say what I want when I want. This is also pride.
  • The lack of the fear of Elohim. Are you more concerned with what others think than what YHVH Elohim thinks about something? Anything in our lives that we put ahead of Elohim is idolatry.

Ask yourself this: In everything that I do and say, am I advancing the kingdom of Elohim and bringing glory to Yeshua or am I doing the opposite? Am I being a river of life to all those around me, or am I dragging them downward by being a purveyor of negativity and darkness? Are my words, thoughts and deeds leading people to the light of YHVH Elohim and to Yeshua or away from them?

Tell the Redemption Story. It is the responsibility of parents and elders to pass on to the next generation the Passover story (Exod 12:24–27). Explain how the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt (a metaphor for the world), to Pharaoh (a metaphor for Satan), and how YHVH delivered the Israelites from the judgment of the destroyer (YHVH’s judgment against sin) because they put the blood of the lamb on their doorposts (a picture of Yeshua’s sin-atoning death on the cross). In reality, this is the basic gospel message. This is what the Passover seder is all about and why we celebrate it.

Celebrate the Feasts. Prepare your heart and mind to obey YHVH by keeping his appointed times of Passover and Unleavened Bread. Are you willing to obey his commands pertaining to these observances? How much do you love him (John 14:15)? How much do you want to know him (1 John 2:6–7)? Celebrating YHVH’s feasts help us to love him and to know him better.

Examine Yourself. At this time of the year, we must each examine ourselves to insure that we will not be partaking of the cup of redemption (i.e. the communion cup) unworthily (1 Cor 11:28).

Rediscover the Cross. It is time to rediscover the cross of Yeshua again and your place at its foot. It is also time to rediscover the power of the resurrected Yeshua in one’s life. Marvel at the miracle of the resurrection and consider the fact that you have access to Yeshua’s resurrected life through faith in him and through the work of his Set-Apart Spirit as you obey the Word of Elohim. 

A Time of Spiritual Awakening and New Beginnings. Passover occurs in the spring at the beginning of the biblical year. Spring is a time of new beginnings physically and spiritually. It’s the time of year to take stock of one’s life, assess any weaknesses and deficiencies you have, and then resolve to make the necessary changes. It is the time to make improvements through the power of YHVH’s grace, his Word, his Spirit all through a vibrant, daily relationship with Yeshua our Master and Savior.

The Season for Spiritual Housecleaning. It’s Time to Deleaven.  Passover is time of spring cleaning and deleavening our physical houses (Exod 12:15–20) and removing the leaven of sin from our spiritual houses as well (Pss 26:2; 139:1, 23–24). We must root out and eradicate the old sin habits from the crevices and dark areas of our life. In Scripture, leavening represents sin, pride, hypocrisy and false doctrine.  Do the sinful practices, evil habits and illicit delicacies of Egypt still hold sway on us? Do any unclean spirits or filthy habits still have control over us? It is time to take control of these sins and eliminate them and become wholly consecrated unto YHVH-Yeshua, his Word, his plans and purposes. It is time to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness (Matt 6:33). One can’t serve two masters at the same time (i.e. the world and the flesh) and expect to be pleasing to YHVH (Matt 6:24). It’s time to forsake all these things that drag us down spiritually and pull us away from our Father in heaven. It’s time to move onward and upward spiritually!

Time to Renew Our First Love For Yeshua. Take this time to rediscover the glorious beauty of Yeshua our Heavenly Bridegroom (Rev 2:4–5). Now is the time to rekindle our passion and zeal for Yeshua and to repent of spiritual lukewarmness (Rev 3:15–21).

 

The Name of “Father God”, “Jesus,” and “Yah” was just lifted up over the US by Trump and team!

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President Trump at today’s US cabinet meeting asked that a prayer be made before the meeting commenced. Listen to this prayer where Father God, Jesus, Yah and the Bible is mentioned, and where Elohim’s guidance is asked for. MAKE AMERICA HOLY/RIGHTEOUS AGAIN! This is a small step, but, at the same time, a giant step in the right directions in light of the recent past. Pray for President Trump and our leaders! What are YOU doing to help make America Holy/Righteous Again? We all have a part to play in this no matter how small or large or our role may be. Combined, our efforts can and will make a difference for the kingdom of Elohim! Who can despise the day of small beginnings (Zech 4:10).

 

YHVH’s Two Marriages to His People & How This Relates to YOU

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YHVH Elohim “married” the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai on the day of Pentecost. The circumstances around this event bear striking parallels not only to what happened on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two, but also relates to Yeshua’s marriage to his bride at his second coming. Who is and who is not Yeshua’s bride and and how does this related to you? How can you ensure that you will a wise virgin bride of Yeshua in his coming kingdom as opposed to merely a foolish virgin onlooker? This video answers these questions and much more!

This and other videos by Nathan are available as podcasts on Spotify and Apple podcast under “Hoshana Rabbah.”

If this message has been a blessing to you, please consider showing your appreciation by making a donation to Hoshana Rabbah at https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=Y…. Thank you!