Category Archives: Scripture

Scripture Studies

The Glory Cloud … and YOU

Posted on by
Reply

Exodus 40:34–38. The glory of YHVH filled the tabernacle. This has to be one of the most beautiful passages in the Scriptures.

After YHVH lovingly leads his people out of Egypt, his first job assignment for them was to make him a tabernacle that he might “dwell with them” (Exod 25:8). Those who were of a willing heart (Exod 35:21–22) contributed to the effort, and approximately $4 to 5 million in material costs alone was spent building the tabernacle—all donated by the people.

The Israelites spent some nine months working on the project and the tabernacle was consecrated on New Year’s day of the second year out of Egypt.

YHVH expressed his approbation of his new house in a most tangible way. His manifest glory filled the tabernacle (Exod 40:34). From that point on, YHVH’s glorious Presence led his people through the wilderness into the Promised Land.

On the Day of Pentecost, the fire of Elohim’s Spirit came down and indwelt all those in the upper room.

We as redeemed believers are now the temples of the Holy Spirit, which is how Elohim’s glorious Presence now dwells in us.

Now for the tough question. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much are you walking a Spirit-led life now? How can we walk a more Spirit-led walk? Please share your thoughts and insights.

 

 

 

How Yeshua Perfectly Fulfilled the Passover

Posted on by
3
Hey folks, Passover is less than two weeks ago. It’s time to start thinking about it! Let’s jump in…

How did Yeshua the Messiah perfectly fulfill the Exodus Passover?

According to the laws of statistical probability, what are the chances of an event happening and then fifteen hundred years later another event occurring bearing an uncanny resemblance to the first one? Now suppose that not only did fifteen hundred years separate the two events, but that they occurred in two different countries several hundred miles apart. Further suppose that the second event involved the death of a person, and that the events leading up to their death including the manner and timing of that death was beyond the control of the individual dying so that in no way could the person dying stage his death to mirror the first event. In fact, those killing the individual possessed no foreknowledge of the event that had occurred fifteen hundred years earlier. What are the chances of this occurring?

This is not a fictional story! Truth is stranger than fiction. The details of these two events are chronicled in the pages of the Bible. The first event occurred in ancient Egypt and is recorded in the Book of Exodus chapters eleven and twelve. There we find recorded the details of the Children of Israel’s first Passover while they were yet slaves in the land of Egypt. A whole series of events led up to this first Passover, which culminated with each family’s ritual killing of a lamb, smearing its blood on the frame of their doors, roasting the lamb, and then eating it. Doing this insured that YHVH would pass over their homes leaving those inside alive. The firstborn of those whose homes did not have the blood painted on the door frames were killed.

Continue reading →

 

Blog Scripture Readings for 3/25–3/31/12 Midrash

Aside

Reply

Exodus 36–40; Lev 1–2; Isaiah 25–38; John 17–21 and Psalms 1–2

Most of this week’s blog discussion points will be on these passages. The full year’s Bible Reading Schedule can be found on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links.”

If you have general comments or questions on the weekly Scripture readings not addressed in a blog post, here’s a place for you to post those. Just use the “leave a reply” link below.

 

Vine … Branches: A Lesson From Tree Anatomy

Posted on by
1

John 15:5, I am the vine, you are the branches. Yeshua likened his followers to tree branches that when attached to him will produce much fruit. Let’s examine tree biology to see what we can learn spiritually from how trees operate.

Trees are phototropic. Tropism is the orientation of the direction of the tree’s growth in response to external stimulus. The leaves of a tree are phototropic. They orient themselves to catch the maximum energy from the sun’s light.

  • Spiritual parallel: Yeshua is the Sun of Righteousness (Mal 4:2) whose face shines like the sun (Rev 1:16), and the righteous man orients himself to catch the light and energy from Yeshua.

Trees are geotropic. They grow away from the earth and toward heaven.

  • Spiritual parallel: The spirit of righteous man must reach toward Elohim in heaven, though he came from the earth and the feet of his flesh are planted firmly in this world. His soul is in the middle with both heaven and earth battling for control over it.

Continue reading →

 

What Is it to “Abide in Yeshua”?

Posted on by
2

John 15:1–10, Abide in me.
The term abide is found nine times in this passage. Seven of the those nine times are in reference to abiding in Yeshua or his Father. Seven is the biblical number of completion or perfection. When we abide in Yeshua and his Father, then we’re made perfect or complete in all areas of our life: spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Let’s explore what it means to abide in Yeshua so that we produce good spiritual fruit for our Master and Savior.

  • We are made clean/katharos [to be made pure, blameless, innocent; free of corrupt desire, sin, guilt and from that which is false] through the Word of Elohim (John 15:3, 7).
  • We must continue/abide in the love of Yeshua by keeping his/the Father’s commandments (John 15:10).
  • We must love one another (John 15:12–17).

We must practice the key elements Yeshua taught in the Sermon on the Mount.

  • We must do the beattitudes (Matt 5:3–12)
  • We must love the Torah (Matt 5:17–19)
  • We must love our enemies (Matt 5:21–26, 38–42).
  • We must keep our word (Matt 5:33–37).
  • We must be a charitable giver (Matt 6:1–4).
  • We must pray without ceasing (Matt 6:5–15; 1 Thess 5:17).
  • We must fast regularly (Matt 6:16–18).
  • We must flee materialism and greediness (Matt 6:19–21).
  • We must set our life’s priorities spiritually straight — seek first the kingdom of Elohim in all that you do (Matt 6:24–34).
  • We must seek Elohim’s help/trust in him in every way in all that you do, say and think (Matt 7:7–11).
  • We must live by the golden rule (Matt 7:12).

What are the results of abiding in Yeshua?

  • Being made clean, pure, free of sin, corruption, defilement and guilt (John 15:3).
  • Bearing much fruit (John 15:5). What fruit? The fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22–25).
  • Avoiding the (lake of) fire (John 15:6).
  • We can ask whatever we want of the Father and he will give it to us (John 15:7, 16).
  • Glory comes to the Father as a result of our bearing much fruit (John 15:8).
  • We are filled with joy (John 15:11).
  • We become the friends of Yeshua (John 15:14).
 

Spirit to Spirit: How the Holy Spirit Helps Us

Posted on by
2

John 14:16, Another helper/Comforter.

The Spirit of Elohim Energizes our Spirit to Keep the Torah
At the end of his ministry, Yeshua promised his disciples to send them his Holy (Set-Apart) Spirit or Comforter after he had left earth (John 14:16). He declares that his Set-Apart Spirit:

  • Would dwell in them (John 14:17)
  • Would testify of him (John 15:26)
  • Would convict the world of sin (or Torahlessess, John 16:8)
  • Would guide them into all truth (i.e., Torah, see Ps 119:142, 151)
  • Would tell them things to come (John 16:13)
  • Would glorify the Son and speak to them on behalf of the Son (John 16:14).

How, therefore, does the Spirit of Elohim interact with man?

Continue reading →

 

Isaiah’s Prophecy on America?!

Posted on by
4

Isaiah 18:1–3, In the chapter heading in some Christian Bibles, Isaiah chapter 18 is titled “Ethiopia.” Is this an accurate chapter heading?

Isaiah 18:1 refers to “the land … which is beyond [on the other side of] the rivers of Ethiopia.” The traditional view among many biblical commentators (both from Christian and Jewish sources) is that this prophecy is referring to the area of modern Ethiopia, which is just south of Egypt. It is believed that the river mentioned in this passage is the Nile with its tributaries, while the ships are a reference to boats that regularly ply those waters, and the whirring wings refer to either locusts or to tsetse flies, which are abundant in that region. These same commentators offer various views on how this prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled in ancient times. In these commentaries, no explanation was given of the meaning of the word sea in verse two and how that relates to Ethiopia, or how Ethiopia was a nation that was feared far and wide (verse 2). Perhaps another interpretation could be offered that would better fit the descriptions of the land and its people given in this prophecy.

It would be presumptuous to base our entire premise that America is in Bible prophecy on this passage alone, but united with other similar passages that speak clearly of end-time Ephraim, perhaps Isaiah 18:1–3 should be considered in this context. This is all the more plausible when we consider the fact that the scholarly views that this prophecy pertains only to ancient Ethiopia are from before the twentieth century when America was not yet a world power, and airplanes were yet to be invented. Also consider the fact that as rabbinic Jewish scholars do not know who end-time Ephraim is, so Christian scholars do not know who Ephraim is either. Neither group relates Ephraim to “Gentile” Christianity.

Now with some of these things in mind, let us take another look at Isaiah 18:1–3 and see how several well-known Bible translations render these passages.

Verse 1, This verse literally refers to “a land buzzing/whirring with wings” beyond Cush (Ethiopia, Africa), or to “clamorous wings” (ASET), or to “whirring wings” (NAS). Could this be a reference to the modern airplane and the role of aircraft in end-times America? Which nation on earth has more aircraft than America? Where was the airplane invented? What nation is the world’s leader in the aero-space industry and technology? Where can one not go in America without hearing aircraft overhead? What nation of people fly more than any other people?

Verse 2, This country sends ambassadors by sea, is a nation which has been feared from its beginning, is feared far and wide (KJV and NAS), is a powerful and oppressive nation (NAS) whose land is full of rivers meaning there are many mountains and lakes as well—it’s a well-watered land, and it is a land where people speak a strange language. English is a very recently developed language! Additionally, America has been a mighty nation from its founding. It twice defeated the mighty British empire in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. America is also a land of many large and small rivers flowing out of numerous mountain ranges.

(This article is excerpted from a much larger teaching I have published entitled, “Is America In End-Times Bible Prophecy?” You can read this article at http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/america.pdf.)