Category Archives: Scripture

Scripture Studies

Standing Like a Rock in the End Times—Nineteen Tips to Surviving Evil’s Onslaught Against Us

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 In light of Yeshua’s last days warnings in his Matthew 24 discourse, what should we do? Below are some suggestions that will help you not to only survive, but to thrive in these end times as we await the second coming.

In these increasingly dark and evil days in which we are now living where evil is made to appear to be good, down is up and black is white, and where YHVH’s people are being increasingly marginalized, persecuted and even killed, what should we be doing in the face of evil’s onslaught against us? The following list provides some answers from the Scriptures.

  • Watch and pray (Matt 26:41; Mark 13:33; 14:38; Luke 21:36).
  • Pray that you might be counted worthy to escape YHVH’s judgments that will be coming on the earth because of wickedness (Luke 21:36).
  • Endure to the end (Matt 24:13; Mark 13:13).
  • Keep your eyes on Yeshua the Lamb and follow him wherever he goes (Rev 14:4).
  • Occupy until Yeshua comes (Luke 19:13). Be busy doing what Yeshua has called you to do.
  • Engage in intercessory prayer, though at this time, it may not do much good, since biblical prophecy has to be fulfilled as end time events occur. This means that things will be getting worse and worse until Yeshua returns and destroys Babylon the Great New World Order.
  • Be an overcomer in every way possible. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21). Those who overcome spiritual evil will experience great rewards (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21)
  • Be prepared to engage in civil disobedience as a last resort, if necessary. If civil laws violate YHVH’s laws, the Bible tells us to obey YHVH’s laws over men’s laws (Acts 4:19; 5:29; Ps 94:16).
  • Be prepared to help persecuted brothers and sisters in any way possible. You might be next the next one to be persecuted!
  • Continue to be salt and light to those around you in every way possible (Matt 5:13–16).
  • Don’t expect things on earth to get better. Yeshua never said it would get better, but only darker before his return. He’s coming at the midnight hour when evil will be the most pervasive and rampant on the earth.
  • Expect intense persecution of Bible believers (2 Tim 3:12; Matt 5:10–12; 10:22–25; 23:34; Mark 10:30; John 15:19–21; 16:2, 33; 17:14; 1 Thess 3:3–4; 1 Pet 4:12–16; Rev 7:14). Yeshua and the Book of Revelation prophesy this will occur in the end times.
  • Be wise as serpents (Matt 10:16). Find ingenious ways to circumvent Caesar’s evil and unbiblical mandates without getting caught, while at the same time being obedient to YHVH’s higher laws.
  • Love not your lives unto death (Rev 12:11). Be willing to lose some or all of yourself for Yeshua including your material possessions. Greater rewards await you for your faithful obedience to Yeshua (Matt 10:39; 16:25).
  • Be inspired by the great faith heros of the Bible and the Christianity (Heb 11).
  • Come out of Babylon more completely (Rev 18:4) starting with the spiritual aspects of this evil and ungodly worldwide system. Eventually, this may mean leaving the cities and going into communal situations into the wilderness with others like-minded believers. Some of the Roman Catholic monasteries were started by those fleeing the corruption of Rome.
  • The more evil intensifies against you, love the light of YHVH’s truth, love Yeshua more and run to and hold on to him — the Rock of your salvation — more tightly.
  • Love your enemies, do good to those who despitefully use you and pray for them (Matt 5:44).

Finally…

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love (1 Cor 16:13). Let the following scriptures admonish you:

Put on the whole armor of Elohim, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of Elohim, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of Elohim; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints… (Eph 6:11–18)

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in Elohim for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Elohim, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Messiah, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. (2 Cor 10:3–6)

 

Warning: Guys, keep your pants up!

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Genesis 25:5, He sent them eastward. Ancient customs and cultures seems strange and foreign to us, even as many of our modern customs would doubtless have seemed strange to the ancients. What was behind Abraham’s banishment of his other sons? 

The Bible paints Abraham as a righteous man who was faithful to YHVH’s word including the Torah. He was also a very loving, hospitable and generous man. From this, we can safely say that whatever he did, it wasn’t evil, but was gracious, generous and was for the benefit of all parties involved. It is true that Abraham made some mistakes along the way such as having a son with Hagar. Romans 12:2 teaches us that there is a good, better and best or perfect will of Elohim for each our lives. 

Scripture reveals that Abraham wasn’t always in the better or perfect will of Elohim, just like all of us. Taking on extra wives and concubines was not the wisest thing that he could have done judging by the fruits thereof. The Bible in numerous places paints in graphic details the numerous family conflicts that arise when a men took on extra wives and concubines. 

Likely to keep peace in his large family, Abraham had to send these concubines and their children away in order to avoid conflict between them. This is what he had to do with Hagar on account of Sarah’s jealously. 

Even then, this verse states that the gracious Abraham blessed his other sons generously. It also appears that he sent them away to protect Isaac—the promised seed through whom all YHVH’s covenantal blessings were to come. This, again, was likely to protect the future Israelites from unnecessary conflicts with potentially jealous family members. 

As it was, the children of Israel still had on-going conflicts with the descendants of Ishmael, Esau or Edom as well as with Moab and Ammon, who were Lot’s children. To wit, the modern day Arab-Israeli conflict can trace much of its origins back to these ancient family feuds.

What can we learn from these lessons on Abraham’s life? Choose your marriage partner carefully. Resist the hormonal urges and social pressure to spread your seed indiscriminately through casual sexual liaisons or by taking on new marriage partners. The affects of doing so can have deleterious, multi-generational effects long after the momentary pleasure of the sex act have passed. If you’re widowed or divorced, move extremely slowly into new marital relationships with great care, if at all, considering the long term consequences it will have on your family and successive generations.

 

What Is the Ultimate Goal of the Torah?

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Matthew 23:23, Weightier matters of the Torah.What are the weightier matters of the Torah? Torah is not an end-all. It is a vehicle that leads us to something. What is that? What really matters to YHVH when all is said and done???? It is the greater Torah or the higher Torah. The Gospel of Matthew (23:23) records that Yeshua rebuked the religious leaders of his day for their not following the higher Torah. What did Yeshua really mean by “the weightier matters of the Torah”?

The Higher Torah and the Highest Torah Explained

This is a teaching that every saint who is returning to the biblical, Torah roots of their faith needs to read? Why? So they don’t become hyper-focused on the dos and don’ts of the Torah-law, become legalistic, become head-knowledge oriented people who have forgotten the spirit and heart of the law, become those who end up bowing down to the idol of intellectualism, and, most importantly, so they don’t forget the centrality of the gospel message with Yeshua the Messiah at its center. 

A strict obedience to the Torah is NOT the ultimate goal of the Torah! The Torah, as wonderful as it is, points us to something even better and higher!

What are the weightier matters of the Torah? Perfect obedience to the Torah is not the ultimate goal of the saint. The Torah is merely a vehicle to lead us to something. What is that? What is the greater Torah, the higher and the highest Torah? What really matters to YHVH when all is said and done???? The Gospel of Matthew (Matt 23:23) records that Yeshua rebuked the religious leaders of his day for their not following the higher Torah.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the Torah, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

What did he really mean by “the weightier matters of the Torah”?

The Deeper Meaning of the Word “Torah”

Almost every place where you see the word “law” in the Old Testament (or Tanakh), it is the Hebrew word “Torah.” This word is used 219 times in the Tanakh, and in almost every case it is translated in the KJV and in most other English Bibles as “the law.” Is this all this word means? Is “law” even its main definition according to the Hebrew?

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Nuggets from the Psalms

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Psalm 34:18, Broken heart. This could be understood to be a circumcised heart rather than a heart broken by grief.

Psalm 35:13, Humbled…fasting. The Hebrew word for humbled means “to afflict the soul.” This verse connects the concept of afflicting the soul with fasting.

Psalm 36:1, An oracle within my heart. The Spirit of YHVH will speak to a person from within their personal spirit and give them divine revelation. (See also Ps 13:2–3.)

Psalm 36:8–8, River…fountain of life…in Your light. When we are in Elohim’s river of life, it is a fountain of life to us and we are bathed in YHHV’s light and we will see light (cp. Pss. 18:28; 44:3).

 

Lessons from Abraham’s Seeking a Wife for Isaac

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Genesis 24:4, Take a wife for my son Isaac. Some Bible students see in Abraham’s sending Eliezer his servant an allegory of our Heavenly Father choosing a bride for Yeshua, his Son with the help of the Set-Apart Spirit. The analogy goes like this: When speaking to Abraham, YHVH refers to Isaac as “your only son…whom you love” (Gen 22:2). 

In this statement, it’s hard to miss the similarity with the well-known John 3:16 passage where Yeshua refers to himself as the only begotten Son whom his Father in heaven loves. Isaac is an obvious prophetic picture of Yeshua in that Abraham sacrificed a ram in place of his only son whom he loved on the very spot where, one thousand years later, the Temple of Solomon would be built and where sacrifices were made to atone for men’s sin. 

Moreover, this is the same spot later in biblical history where Yeshua himself was condemned to death and not far from there became the Lamb of Elohim who was sacrificed to atone for men’s sins. 

What even more amazing, the name Eliezer means “my El helps,” which many biblical students see as an allusion to the Set-Apart Spirit who helps or comforts us, and to which Yeshua refers to as the Comforter or Helper (e.g. John 14:16). It is the Set-Apart Spirit that is choosing and preparing a bride from among called and redeemed Israelites for Yeshua the Messiah, the Son of Elohim.

Genesis 24:6, 8, Beware that you bring not my son there again.Why was Abraham insistent that Isaac not be exposed to Babylon? What was there to beware of (shamar/RNA) meaning “to guard against, protect from, keep watch and ward, preserve, keep oneself from”)? The key is verse seven. What does this teach us about protecting our children and loved ones from the corrupting influences of this world? We must be ever vigilant like a soldier on guard duty to preserve and protect our children (or those under our spiritual care) from those things that could lead to their spiritual ruination. 

YHVH had led Abraham out of the spiritual filth of Babylon. In no way did he want Isaac to go back to what he had left behind. If Isaac had seen the prosperity and convenience of a Babylonian lifestyle, he might have been tempted to stay there—especially if he had found a suitable wife there. 

Abraham insisted that any potential mate leave Babylon and come to Isaac and not vice versa. 

Are we investing the necessary time and energy into our children to insure that they do not return to the spiritual Babylon from which we fled prior to our conversion, and that they find spouses who are willing to leave spiritual Babylon behind before marrying our children?

Genesis 24:12, Give me success. Scripture directs us to, “Trust in YHVH with all your heart and lean not unto your own understandings, but in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths” (Prov 3:5–6). Explain how Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, did this in executing his responsibilities in finding Isaac a wife.

Abraham was a man of faith—even the father of the faithful (Rom 4:12, 16). Eliezer was likewise a man of faith. Abraham had taught him well, just like a son. 

How does Eliezer evidence faith? Simply this. He blesses Rebecca even before he knows who she really is (Gen 24:22) all on the basis of an answered prayer. 

Do we walk in such trusting faith, day-by-day, moment-by-moment? Are we teaching the little ones under our charge these same attributes as Abraham taught his dependents?

To read more about Isaac, in the search box on the main page of this blog (in the upper right hand corner) type in the key word “Isaac” to pull up my previous blog articles on this subject.

 

What Should Be Our Involvement With Rabbinic Judaism?

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Matthew 23:3, Whatever they tell you. First what is Moses’s seat as Yeshua uses the term? If Moses’s seat is what you seem to think it is and we have to do ALL that the rabbinic Jews tells us, then the disciples went against what the Jews and Yeshua told them to do when they disobeyed the Jews who told them to stop preaching Yeshua in Acts 5. Into other words, if we’re going to follow everything the rabbinic Jews tell us, then we must all become Yeshua-deniers. Are you a Yeshua denier? If so, this blog is not the place for you. If you’re not, then you’re not following ALL that the Jews say to do. Period. It’s really that simple. I’m trying to be kind and gracious here and speak the truth in love.

We need to make another point here as well. If Yeshua meant in Matthew 23:1–3 that we have to do everything the Jews tell us, then why did he spend the rest of that chapter pointing out all the things that do that are wrong and contrary to the Scriptures? In other words, to NOT do everything they tell you to do. Hmmmmm???!!! There must be more to this Moses’ seat thing than doing all that they tell you to do.

What Should Be Our Involvement With Rabbinic Judaism?

The discussion that follows is in response to the idea that because the Pharisees (and the modern rabbinic Jews who are their spiritual descendants) sit in Moses’ seat, we should do whatever they tell us to do including following their traditions and oral law. Some even have embraced the idea that following rabbinic Judaism is to walk a higher spiritual road (because they ostensibly understand and observe the Torah. What is the truth of the matter and what is Yeshua really saying in this passage? 

Admittedly, there is much we can learn from our Jewish brothers. If you have read my Torah study guides and commentaries and my hundreds of teachings, you would know that I draw heavily from the wisdom of the Jewish sages. My approach is very multi-faceted and my learning is very broad. In my mind, and in the mind of Yeshua and apostles (as we shall point out below) the sun does not rise and set on the Jewish sages. Moreover, the Judaism of today is not that of Yeshua’s era. It is true that the rabbinates of today are the direct descendants of the Pharisees of old, but their religion is as far removed from that of their predecessors as modern Christianity is from its originators. In fact, after A.D. 70, the religion of Judaism was virtually reinvented to accommodate the dual realities of the temple’s destruction and the cessation of the priesthood with the fall of the Sadduceean sect. To assume that what the modern Jews teach is an exact replica of the religion of the Pharisees of Yeshua’s day is very presumptive and ignores the facts of history.

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Where do you go to inquire of Elohim?

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Psalm 27:4, Behold. Literally to see as a seer in an ecstatic state, to perceive by experience or with intelligence. (See also Ps 63:12.) There is more than one way to come into contact with the beauty, favor, delightfulness or pleasantries of YHVH. 

The psalmist talks about going into the tabernacle to encounter YHVH. Since there is no longer a tabernacle in which the saints can go to seek YHVH, where do they now go? 

The saint is the tabernacle or temple of the Spirit of Elohim, and the Spirit dwells in one’s personal spirit. This means that one must go inside himself to seek and behold beauty of YHVH. Perhaps this is “the secret [or the covered, private, hidden or protected] place” to which the writer makes reference in v. 5.

Psalm 27:4, 8, Inquire…seek. Literally “look for, consider or reflect.” Such an effort takes time and energy to do, and to accomplish, one must quiet down the rambunctiousness of the soul (the mind, will and emotions), so that the personal spirit can rise up and speak.