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Abide in YHVH’s River of Life and…

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everything in your physical life will take care of itself including all your trials and difficulties. This is because YHVH’s grace is sufficient to carry you through the flood and fires of life (2 Cor 12:9; Isa 43:2), and through the valley of the shadow of death (Ps 23:4). Also all things work together for good to them that love Elohim, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Rom 8:28). Why? Because YHVH Elohim is love (1 John 4:8–16), and he loves his children and wants to save them (John 3:16).

By J. Nathan Lawrence

There Is a River of Life That Flows From Heaven’s Throne

Imagine this: for days you have been trekking through a vast, sun-baked desert devoid even of cactuses. Sand and rocks are everywhere. Even the snakes and scorpions have fled this wasteland. Your skin is dry and cracked, your tongue cleaves to the roof of your mouth. Will this hellscape ever end? You drag your beleaguered over another sand dune, and…! Below you is a tree-lined river with crystal clear waters. Have you died and gone to heaven? Is this a cruel joke or a desert mirage? You wipe the dust from your eyes and blink. Yes, it is real. With the last atom of energy left in your sagging body, you pull yourself up the river’s edge. What next? Are you just going to stand there starring in disbelief at this heavenly sight?  But you’re no fool. So you jump in and imbibe in the life-giving waters that are before you! Thankfully, you realized that your mortal life has miraculously been spared at the last moment. However…

There is another river—a spiritual one—that flows from heaven, which offers much more than any physical river. It promises both physical and spiritual blessings.

What is this spiritual river of life that flows from heavenly high places bringing with it all manner of blessings in its life–giving waters? In a couple of places, the Bible pulls back the curtains of heaven and gives us some glimpses of this river of life. 

And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of Elohim and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (Rev 22:1–2)

Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.…And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine. (Ezek 47:1, 12)

Rivers are often a biblical metaphor that speak of how to maintain one’s spiritual relationship with one’s Creator and the blessings that come therefrom.

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of YHVH; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For YHVH knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. (Ps 1:1–6)

Thus saith YHVH; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from YHVH. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in YHVH, and whose hope YHVH is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. (Jer 17:5–8)

Yeshua the Messiah spoke of this river of life that flows from heaven and revealed that this same river can flow through a person and out again as a spiritual, life-giving blessing to others.

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Yeshua stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Yeshua was not yet glorified.) (John 7:37–39)

Heaven’s river of life flows from YHVH through his Holy Spirit into man’s spirit, then into man’s soul (ones mind will and emotions) and then into his physical body. For this to occur, one has to be in a right relationship with one’s Creator. Sin, bad lifestyles and destructive habits, like kinks in a garden hose, will prevent this river from flowing into one’s life. To the degree that one loves YHVH and walks in accordance with his Word (his commandments) is the degree to which this river will flow and vice versa. Too many times people want heaven’s blessings without following heaven’s rules. There are no shortcuts or end runs around this process. To defy heaven’s ways is like defying the law of gravity. The results can be disastrous! Heaven dispenses its blessings only to those who follow thee rules. Therefore, the wise person will remove everything from one’s own personal river that is blocking YHVH’s river of life. We must get our lives in synch with the YHVH Elohim, Yeshua, the Word of Elohim and the Holy Spirit to receive heaven’s favor. There is no other way. Man has been trying other ways for thousands of years but every other way leads to misery and eventually to death. It is ludicrous, foolish and illogical to expect good results when we are not following heaven’s rules.

The third chapter of the Book of Proverbs lays out the process for man to follow if he wants heaven’s blessings. There YHVH’s Torah-law or instructions in righteousness is referred to as wisdom and is likened to the metaphorical tree of life as well as to a woman. The author talks about the blessings, riches, long life, happiness and honor that accrue to those who her (i.e., Torah-wisdom; vv. 13–18). This chapter shows that the result of Torah-obedience (v. 1) is long life and peace (v. 2), favor and high esteem among men and Elohim (v. 4) and divine guidance in life (v. 6). The author then goes on to show that such a man tithes to YHVH (i.e., he honors YHVH with the first fruits of all his possessions, v. 9) resulting in material blessing (v. 10). Such a person also accepts YHVH’s chastisements (vv. 11–12), is happy (v. 13), experiences long life (v. 16), has pleasantness and peace (v. 17), receives life to one’s soul (v. 22), is the beneficiary of safety and protection in life (v. 23), has no fear when one is asleep, so one’s sleep will be peaceful and sweet (v. 24), experiences no fear of terror from the wicked (v. 25), and has confidence in dangerous situations (v. 26). Such a man does good to others when he is able (v. 27), treats his neighbor charitably (vv. 28–29), is not pugnacious and a causer of strife (v. 30), and is not envious of others (v. 31), and is not perverse (devious or crooked, v. 32). These are the expected traits and qualities of every Christian disciple of Yeshua the Messiah.

How to Get Into and Stay In YHVH’s River of Life 

Natan Lawrence

As a redeemed disciple and follower Yeshua the Messiah, how can you immerse yourself and then stay in heaven’s river of life, so that you may be the happy beneficiary of all that heaven has to offer you in this life…and in the next? Here are some suggestions:

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The Facts Revealed Behind the Fiction About Islam

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By J. Nathan Lawrence at HoshanaRabbah.org

The following three articles are based on my research into the religion of Islam as well as its “holy” book called the Koran (or Qur’an). The first article is a review of a book where the author explores the dark and uncertain origins of the world’s second largest religion (after Christianity) and, based on unimpeachable evidence, comes to some surprising conclusions that will shock the reader. The second article is a study on the biblical figure called “the Antichrist” and “the spirit of antichrist”. Based on the Bible’s criteria for this person and the spirit behind the personage, the Islamic religion fits the definition of “the antichrist spirit” better than any other religious system.  My third study is a critique on the Koran itself based on my reading the book from cover to cover. There I expose the most troubling things that the Koran teaches about the religion of Islam, what Muslims practice and their view toward and treatment of non-Muslims or “the infidels.”

Did Muhammad Exist—An Inquiry Into Islam’s the Obscure Origins

By Robert Spencer ISI Books; 2021 Wilimington, Delaware

A Book Review and Commentary on Muhammad and Islam’s Questionable Origins
By J. Nathan Lawrence at HoshanaRabbah.org

This impeccably and meticulously well researched book makes a compelling case for the following:

The religion of Islam fits the biblical definition of the spirit of antichrist and most likely the end times Antichrist figure will arise out of this religious system (see notes below).

The historical evidence presented in this book indicates that Islam was the spawn of an earlier aberrant and apostate form of first or second century Hebraic Christianity that denied the virgin birth of Yeshua, that he was the Son of Elohim, that he was incarnated, and resurrected from the dead. Clearly, the several of these points are defining characteristics of the spirit of antichrist as defined by John the apostle in his first and second epistles. The precursor Arabic religious system that over the period of a couple of hundred years eventually developed into what we now know as Islam may have been influenced by aberrant and heretical Christian influencers such as Marcion of Sinope, or possibly by religious movements known as Manichaeism, Nestorianism, Arienism and the Ebionites. To wit, like Islam, Manichaeism, for example, was an amalgam of several Rabbinic Jewish, Christian, Greek and other religious systems although Islam took on a more Arabic flavor, and then purported to be the final word (or divine revelation) of these religions which influenced it. However, unlike Manichaeism, Islam was decidedly mono-theistic and dogmatically anti-poly theistic. 

In regards to the Christian origins of Islam, read the eyewitness testimony of John of Damascus in Syria (a.d. 675/6-749), a Christian monk who lived in the time and place of the birth of the religious system that later became known as Islam. He gives a detailed first hand account of how this religious system was spawned from aberrant and heretical form of Christianity. (See http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/stjohn_islam.aspx; https://hugoye.bethmardutho.org/article/hv11n2griffith.html; https://almuslih.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Sahas-D-–-John-of-Damascus-.pdf; https://malankaralibrary.com/ImageUpload/e2ff05250ebc2278dd24208a9dbb8ae4.pdf; https://www.catholic365.com/article/30037/saint-john-of-damascus-his-encounter-with-islam.html; https://theologiaorthodoxa.wordpress.com/2025/06/25/john-of-damascus-against-islam/; https://medium.com/@albani/critically-examining-john-of-damascus-claims-about-islam-with-scholarship-7943fa965638). 

Several Koranic scholars have discovered that the text of the Koran contains hidden behind it a ground layer containing a pre-Islamic Christian subtext or substratum (pp. 166ff; 181). The Koran’s defiantly anti-trinitarian viewpoint and dogmatic insistence that Christ is not divine coupled with the hard line assertion that  Allah is one and there is none beside him seems to be a response to the Christian Orthodox position that Christ is the only begotten Son of God and that the biblical Godhead is a tripartite though singular Being (p. 181f). Moreover, the first few decades of the Arab conquest show the conquerors holding not to Islam as we know it, but to a vague creed with ties to some form of aberrant Christianity and Judaism (p. 182).

Spencer suggests that the Islamic belief that Jesus Christ was merely a created and not a divine being originated from either the heretical Christian teachings of Arius, a fourth century Christian priest, or the Jewish Christian Ebionites whose influence spread throughout to Syria and the surrounding areas in the centuries prior to the advent of Islam (p. 179).

This book confirms my previous discernments that Muhammad, if he even existed, was a sex-crazed, demon-possessed pedophile, who was driven by his craven lust for sex, conquest and power. Whether he existed or not or is merely a folkloric personality is immaterial. Millions of people believe that he existed, that he was  “the messenger of God”(what god that may be is open to debate), and is therefore the epitome of what it is to be a Muslim, and, therefore, his life is to emulated including his lust for women and multiple wives and his penchant for the conquest and murder of his enemies. Thusly Islam is a religion that is driven by the desire to kill, steal and destroy (attributes of Satan himself according to Yeshua; see John 10:10), and is further empowered by the craven and rabid testosterone-driven lust for sex with one’s wife, wives, with children, as well as one’s slaves or with conquered infidels coupled with a lust for power, with no prohibition against one’s craven anger-fulled hatred against all non-Muslims or even other Muslims who do not believe as you do.

Spencer shows that Islam, based on numerous Koranic passages, is a totally contrived, confused and mongrelized amalgam of various beliefs and ideologies formed from the religions that were indigenous to the Arabian region of its era including Judaism, Christianity, Greek dualism, and various Arabian pre-Islamic pagan religious beliefs and practices and possibly even Persian Zoroastrian elements tossed into the mix. 

Moreover, the Koran (or Qur’an) is a disjointed book full of out of context and unrelated and often contradictory and non-cohesive ideas manifesting a lack of unity and harmony with itself. The thumbprint or imprimatur of a transcendent Divine Intelligence that is present in the Bible is totally absent in the Koran. Spencer shows that Islam is more a political movement rather than a religious one. It is about empire building, the lust for conquest, power, material possessions and territory under the thin and unifying veneer of religion. 

After reading this book and studying the history of Islam, the historical record confirms that Islam’s rapid spread across the Middle East, Near East, northern Africa and into southern Europe of the seventh and later centuries was driven by the lust for blood, power, sex, and booty and this remains the driving force behind Islam’s spread to this day. 

Islam’s chief enemies are firstly Jews and Christians and then all people who are not Muslim. Why the intense hatred for the first two? My assessment is that this is because Christianity has Hebraic or Jewish roots, and from Christianity came the recognition of man’s Jewish Redeemer (Jesus or Yeshua). Moreover, it is the biblical religions of Christianity to a larger degree and Judaism to a lesser degree which have continuously opposed Satan and his counterfeit religious systems at every turn from the beginning and will continue to do so until Yeshua the Messiah’s return, at which time Satan will be forever deposed and bound in the bottomless pit for a season and then cast into the lake of fire for eternity. This whole idea is anathema to the satanic religion of Islam for obvious reasons. 

Based on the evidence Spencer produces in his book (p. 207ff), he shows how Islam sprung from an amalgamation of several religious strains. This includes several Christian groups (e.g., the Nestorians and Jacobites) that were forced out of the Christian Byzantine Empire because of their denial of the tripartite Godhead after the Christian ecumenical councils which deemed them as heretics. These groups adhered to a strict monotheistic and non-trinitarian view of God. Moreover, Spencer points out that the earliest pre-Islamic Arab rulers appear to have been adherents to Hagarism, a monotheistic religion centered around Abraham and Ishmael where the worship  of the (one) God of Abraham was the main focus as opposed to Christianity’s tripartite view of God. Additionally, Islam’s monotheistic focus seems to have encompassed some of the main elements of the monotheistic movements of its era including Hagarism, Judaism, Christianity and even Persian Zoroastrianism (to a lesser degree). Initially, and this is reflected in numerous passages in the Koran, Islam was more favorable to both Judaism and Christianity than it later came to be (which is also reflected in several Koranic verses pertaining to the murder and dismemberment of “the people of the book” or Jews and Christians). Islam’s former orientation vis-à-vis its religious rival is evidenced by Christian crosses that are to be found on early Muslim coinage and even in some early mosques, which Spencer documents elsewhere in his book. Spencer then goes on to postulate that from the seventh century onward over the next several hundred years, Islam slowly developed into what it is known as today in response to the need to unify politically and culturally the vast empire that the Arabs had conquered in a relatively short time from the second part of the seventh century onward, even as Constantine had effectively done when he embraced Christianity as the Roman Empire’s state religion in the early decades of the fourth century. Spencer postulates that the unification of the Arabic empire was the impetus for the codification of the Koran long after the supposed death of Muhammad and establishment of a distinct and defined Islamic theology and culture.  

Revealing the Identity of the Antichrist

By J. Nathan Lawrence at HoshanaRabbah.org

In his first epistle epistles, John the apostle mentions a term that has become synonymous with the archenemy of Christ or the Messiah and Christians everywhere. It is Antichrist. This word’s meaning is self-evident, but, by John’s own definition, let’s now discover who really fits the strictest definition of Antichrist.

The first place John mentions this term is in the second chapter of his first epistle.

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. (1 John 2:18)

John then goes on to make two further references to this arch-villain of the Messiah and his disciples.

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The Bride of Yeshua Prepares for the Lamb’s Marriage Feast Called Sukkot

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The Biblical Feast of Tabernacles known in Hebrew as Sukkot is a prophetic picture of Yeshua the Messiah’s millennial reign on this earth after his second coming. But Sukkot is colloquially simply referred to as “the Feast.” Why? Because this is when the marriage feast of Yeshua the Lamb of Elohim will occur. Who will be Yeshua’s bride and how does this tie into the millennium? Also, who will be his bride? Not every Christian will be Yeshua’s bride. This is because the Bible reveals that are several levels of rewards in Yeshua’s kingdom based on one’s works of righteousness, which determines the level and depth one’s intimacy and relationship with Yeshua. This teaching explores all of these concepts and ties them all together into an easy to understand package.

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

If you are interested in participating in Hoshana Rabbah’s weekly Shabbat online fellowship (Oasis Elim Online), send an email to hoshanarabbah@earthlink.net for more information.

 

Jacob’s Trouble, Yeshua’s End Times Warrior Bride & the Second Coming

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YHVH’s saints are people who walk in the past, present and the future all at the same time. How is this? The saints of YHVH, who are wise and filled with wisdom, knowledge and understanding, look to history to show them their roots to learn who they are, where they have come from, which in turn guides them forward into the future. YHVH’s wise children, the disciples of Yeshua also learn from the mistakes of those who have gone before them, so that they do not repeat these mistakes of the past and suffer the consequences of past failures. This understanding guides us in the present and helps to lead us forward into our future destiny, which is the anchor of our hope for tomorrow. This is why we are people of the past, present and future. The warrior bride of Yeshua as a  child of the light knows her spiritual ancestry and heritage, who she is along with her divine mission and her future destiny.

One key to unlocking the mysteries of the Bible is understanding the cycles of history. Like a giant wheel that keeps turning relentlessly and irrevocably, the Bible chronicles the endless cycles of YHVH’s people as they encounter the forces of evil and darkness and either overcome it, or succumb to it. To know the past is also to understand the future. In these end times, heaven’s enemies are pulling out the stops to destroy YHVH’s plans and purposes on this earth along with his people who are executing those plans to defeat his enemies and to spread and enlarge his kingdom here below through the spreading of the gospel. Yeshua’s bride will play a pivotal role in the end times in helping to prepare the way for Messiah’s return and will be part of his heavenly army that will defeat the forces of Antichrist. 

As end time warriors for Yeshua our soon coming Warrior King—the Messiah Son of David—YHVH’s saints do not have to be children of darkness who are unprepared and who do not know what lies ahead. If we read the road map of the Bible, it will guide our steps like radar through the darkness and foggy mist of the future. Yeshua’s warrior bride will know who she is and what her role and destiny will be in the end times. She will be like the wise virgins in Yeshua’s Matthew 25 parable prepared and ready for her Bridegroom’s wedding (Matt 25:1–13).

The shofar trumpet is sounding in the distance for those who have the ears to hear announcing the soon coming King of kings, the saints’ Heavenly Bridegroom (Matt 24:31 cp. 25:6). Now is the time to awaken from our spiritual sleep (Rev 3:14–22), then to exit Babylonian religious systems which are mixture of good and evil (Rev 18:4), and to make ourselves ready by repenting of the sins, and donning the white ropes of the works of righteousness to be the bride for which Yeshua is coming from his Father’s house to marry (Rev 19:6–9). Yeshua through his apostolic servants is calling his bride to awaken and be ready for his soon return.

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overt take you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For Elohim did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. (1 Thess 5:1–11)

And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Rom 13:11–14)

In our quest to learn more about the end times role of the bride of Yeshua, let us step back into the annals of biblical history and uncover a mystery that will enlighten us as to what is happening on earth today with regard to the epic struggle between good and evil, light and darkness. We are literally going back into history to learn about the future, for, again, like a giant wheel that goes round and round, history often repeats itself again and again. Through this, we will gain an understanding of how Yeshua’s warrior bride figures into the giant picture of the events of the last days and how she can prepare to meet her Heavenly Bridegroom. Let us begin gathering the puzzle pieces and then begin assembling them to see what the Bible reveals about this rather mysterious figure which we refer to as Yeshua’s warrior bride. So buckle your seat belts as we embark on an epic journey through several thousand years of biblical history. It’s back to the future! 

  Let first start in Jeremiah  30:7 where we find a rather cryptic and arcane passage that has engendered much fanciful speculation among many Christian Bible teachers. Here is the passage:

Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it. (Jer 30:7)

Forget the past speculations you have heard concerning Jacob’s Trouble. Instead let’s read the Bible and it will tell us. Understanding Jacob’s Trouble will unlock a treasure trove of  information that will reward us with understanding concerning where we are presently at regarding the end times world as it relates to Yeshua’s bride as well as her role to play and her ultimate destiny.

Before defining Jacob’s Trouble in detail, we must first step back. Before facing Jacob’s Trouble, YHVH had to prepare his people for the face-off with evil they were about to encounter. YHVH will not leave his people defenseless and unprepared to face their enemy. He is a good and loving Father and Shepherd who goes before his children-sheep and prepares them for what is to come—IF they will follow his instructions! IF is a big word. YHVH’s protection and provision is always based on how his people respond to him. The choice is theirs. Wake up and get prepared or go back to the sleep of spiritual complacency.

The Bride of Messiah

Yeshua views the saints as his bride as do the apostolic writers. Yeshua cryptically alludes to this idea several times in the Gospels (Matt 9:15; 22:1–14; 25:1–13; Mark 2:19–20; Luke 12:25–40). Several apostolic writers openly discuss this theme in some of their writings as well. 

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Messiah. (Col 11:2)

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Messiah; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto Elohim. (Rom 7:4)

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of Elohim. (Rev 19:7–9)

And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. (Rev 21:9)

Two Old Testament prophets also predict Yeshua’s marriage to his Israelite bride.

And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know YHVH. (Hos 2:19–20)

For thy Maker is thine husband; YHVH of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the Elohiim of the whole earth shall he be called. (Isa 54:5)

Yeshua’s Warrior Bride—Getting Ready For Battle

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Learn More About Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement

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https://hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/yom_kippur.pdf

https://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/page/2/?s=YOM+KIPPUR&submit=Search

 

A Yom Kippur Message: Biblical Humility—A Key to Entering the Kingdom of Heaven

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By J. Nathan Lawrence
Hoshana Rabbah Biblical Resources (HoshanaRabbah.org)

Humility. This is a beautiful treasure box with a label on it, but what is inside? We all have a sense of what humility is and know it when we see it, but can we define it? Are we humble? Perhaps. Maybe, oxymoronically we are even proud of our humility. For sure, true humility is a noble virtue albeit a rare one. The Bible gives this character trait high praises, for it is a spiritual currency that if one possesses has extreme value with YHVH Elohim. Perhaps it is even  a key that unlocks the door to the kingdom of heaven. As confirmation of its  high value in the eyes of our Creator, we read in his Word,

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 18:4)

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, Elohim resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.…Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. (Jas 4:6, 10)

Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for Elohim resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of Elohim, that he may exalt you in due time. (1 Pet 5:5–6)

Again, what does the Bible mean when it speaks of being humble or humility?

The Bible teaches us that humility is more than a mere theological abstraction, or simply an individualistic and introspective reality. It is an aspect of the social order and requirement of the kingdom of Elohim (The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia or ISBE, vol. 2, p. 776). Humility is something that has to be learned, so that it becomes a state of one’s heart and mind and that will then radiate out into a lifestyle which determines what a person says, as well as how one thinks and acts. 

The biblical truth of justification by grace through faith speaks to the central importance and reality of humility as evidenced in Yeshua’s Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee in Luke 18:9–14. The Pharisee’s lack of humility before Elohim manifested itself as arrogance toward others, resulting in rejection by Elohim. On the other hand, the publican who humbled himself before the Almighty by admitting his sinful condition was justified in the courts of heaven. The people who know that their salvation is a result of Elohim’s grace do not act presumptuously toward others (ibid. pp. 776–777). The well-known saying, “There for the grace of God, go I,” should be front and center in every Christian’s consciousness. The ISBE goes on to say, “The reign of God constitutes a realm in which all previous ideas of prestige, privilege, and protocols are transformed. To submit to God’s kingship is to participate in a new social reality. ‘Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ (Matt 18:1). The one who submits to the rule of God” (ibid.)

The obverse of humility is pride, which like a leaky, wooden ship, seeps in and out of our every pore and is so endemic to us as to be virtually unrecognizable and undetectable as it defiles us from within. As Yeshua said,

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man. (Matt 15:19–20)

Jeremiah did not speak kindly about the natural condition of man either when he declared by the Spirit of Elohim,

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jer 17:9)

Though, unlike pride, humility is a rare asset in man’s spiritual bank account, yet is a vital asset in YHVH’s spiritual economy and is an essential attribute if one is to have any kind of relationship with their Creator, But again, what is humility?

Biblical Humility Succinctly Defined

Let’s now define the word humility from a biblical Hebraic perspective. Humility or humbleness is a modest or low view of one’s own importance. It is “a freedom from arrogance that grows out of the recognition that all we have and are comes from God” (Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary it its article entitled Humility). To the heathen Greek philosophers of the biblical era, “humility implied inadequacy, lack of dignity, and worthlessness….This is not the meaning of humility as defined by the Bible” (ibid.). In the secular world, pride in oneself not only is an accepted trait, but is expected of leaders and people of renown. As is the case here and in other areas of human understanding, the ways of Elohim are not only not men’s ways, but often the complete opposite.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith YHVH. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa 55:8–9)

YHVH Set the Example

Have you ever heard a sermon or Bible teaching on the humility of YHVH Elohim? Probably not. Neither have I. The thought of it never occurred to me until one day I heard a praise song in French the lyrics of which mentioned “the humility of God.” Initially I chaffed at this concept, but the more I meditated on it, the more it became obvious that YHVH set us the ultimate example of what it is to be humble.

For the disciples of Messiah, Yeshua is the central focal point of all biblical truth including the living example of how humility is to be walked out. Think of it. Yeshua, came from heaven, and then humbled himself and became a human, and was then murdered by the very humans he had created. 

Who, being in the form of Elohim, thought it not robbery to be equal with Elohim: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Phil 2:5–8)

Moreover, Yeshua taught about and lived a humble lifestyle as a homeless itinerant preacher serving others. He then died a humble death as mankind’s Savior.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Matt 11:29)

[Yeshua] riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. … if I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. (John 13:4–5, 14–15)

Let this mind be in you, which was also in the Messiah Yeshua. (Phil 2:5)

For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

When it comes to humility, Yeshua blazed a new path for the world to follow, which his true disciples have been endeavoring to emulate ever since. He set aside his divine glory and power and became a lowly human. While on this earth, he came to serve, not to be served. He hung out with the lowliest echelon of people and those the powerful, rich and elite of his day disdained such as publicans, sinners, tax collectors, common working people, Roman soldiers and even demonized prostitutes. He then suffered a brutal and demeaning death, was crucified naked on a cross by the very people that in his preincarnate state had created. Yeshua was merely mirroring and in complete accord with the humility of his Father in heaven, who so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Moreover, the all powerful YHVH Elohim still humbles himself in love to forgive the sinners for whom his Son died, and in the mean time demonstrates never-ending compassion, longsuffering patience with wicked and rebellious humanity, when it is in his power, and is his divine right to punish, if not obliterate defiant and hateful humans. To endure the calumny, blasphemy, rebellion and hateful vitriol of lowly humans without retaliating instantly is the expression of humility in the extreme! 

The Way of Humility

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 Mystery Prophetic Revealed—Jacob’s Trouble, Yeshua’s Warrior Bride & the Second Coming

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Jacob’s Trouble—a phrase found in Jeremiah 30:7—is a prophetic codeword for some important end time events that will occur at Yeshua’s second coming and involve the warrior bride of Yeshua who will be the resurrected and glorified saints. Understanding the enemies that Jacob encountered when returning to the Promised Land after his exile in Babylon is a biblical road map to help the last days’ saints understand who they are and what their role is presently as Yeshua’s disciple as well as their future destiny at Yeshua’s return and subsequently in his millennial kingdom. This message along with the previous ones in this series is a wake up call to all Christians—who are the potential bride of Yeshua—to prepare herself for Yeshua’s soon coming NOW before it’s too late. This is a message to the wise virgins who have ears to hear.

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

If you are interested in participating in Hoshana Rabbah’s weekly Shabbat online fellowship (Oasis Elim Online), send an email to hoshanarabbah@earthlink.net for more information.