Ecclesiastes 1—Deep Insights on Life from the Wise Preacher

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As I rapidly move through my sixth decade of life, I have watched many people come and go, rise and fall, live and die. I have travelled to more than 20 countries on four continents, 25 U.S. states, lived in Europe, started businesses and ministries, been married for decades, raised four children, pastored a church for years, and written and published many writings. I have traversed, climbed and skied the mountains, hung from dizzying heights on ropes, swam in rivers, lakes and oceans, climbed 15 to 20 thousand trees, encountered demons, stared death in the face too many times to remember, and even been sprayed by a skunk. I have been loved as well as hated by those I thought were my friends. Much water has passed under the bridge called life, and now it is time to ponder it all.

Each of us has a story to tell, and as we grow older, we feel the need to share it, but why bother? Who will listen to it anyway? Most people are too wrapped in their own lives to care. Nevertheless, this all causes us to keep searching for meaning and purpose for our existence. And this compels me to return again and again to the Rock of Ages—the Bible, the Word of Elohim and to the source of the Truth that is above and way beyond each of us, for understanding and wisdom in order that I may more fully comprehend the complexities, that is, the whys and wherefores of life.

This all brings me to the book of Ecclesiastes (in Hebrew Kohelet meaning “the Preacher”) to hear from a wise man who had done it all. Here are my recent reflections on the wisdom found in this often overlooked and forgotten book of the Bible. Please enjoy and maybe something said will resonate and bless the reader. —Natan

Ecclesiastes 1

The Preacher (Heb. Kohelet)

Ecclesiastes 1:2, Vanity of vanities. This phrase is repeated twice in this book: once here at the beginning and once at the end (12:8). The word vanity is a theme that runs through this book occurring 32 times and every chapter at least once except chapter 10. In the course of his varied life, the Preacher discovers that the soft and ugly underbelly and the raison d’etre of nearly every human endeavor that one can imagine is vanity and pride. Vanity is the Hebrew word hebel meaning “vapor, breath, wind” or figuratively, as the author of this book often uses it, “worthless, senseless, empty, futile or vacuous.” The root of the word hebel is the verb “to act emptily.” Thus, as this book reveals, the vast majority of human activities can be summed up as nothing more than being emptiness, meaningless and senseless. 

The words vanity (Heb. hebel) and pride (Heb. room), as used in Scripture are different heads of the same evil monster of meaningless emptiness masquerading through the magician’s clever sleight of hand with the aid of smoke and mirrors as human exaltation. The former, as already noted, connotes “emptiness or meaninglessness,” while the latter means “to be high, rise up, extol, lift up, promote and to be haughty.” 

Pride is one of the so-called seven deadly sins that YHVH hates and calls an abomination (Prov 6:16–17). Therefore, Scripture reveals that vanity and pride in all of their manifestations are black and detestable in the eyes of Elohim and is not to be found on the paint palette that composes the character portrait of the saint or his life’s activities. On the contrary, Yeshua declares in his famous beatitudes statement that “blessed are the poor [literally, crippled, helpless, down and out] in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:3). In fact, YHVH looks with great favor on those who have “a poor and contrite spirit” and who “tremble at my word” (Isa 66:2). Therefore, it should not be hard to see that vanity and pride are the antithetical character traits of those who are poor or helpless in spirit, and that Elohim disdains and hates the one and highly regards the other showering upon the latter priceless gifts including inclusion in his heavenly kingdom.

Ecclesiastes 1:4, One generation passes away…the earth abides forever. Man is a microscopic drop of water in a vast ocean of time, space and material existence.

Ecclesiastes 1:5–7, The sun rises…and …goes down. The physical creation consists of an endless series of cycles involving time and natural forces. It is akin to a monstrous clock with myriads of integrated gears and wheels of many sizes all clicking along in sync with each other, while man is trapped in the middle of it with no way to escape. He is like a hamster in a cage mindlessly burning enormous amounts of energy running on an exercise wheel yet going nowhere.

Ecclesiastes 1:8, Full of labor. Energy and labor keep this giant cosmic machine going round and round endlessly with man in the middle of it all. Despite the vastness, complexity, wonder of this giant machine called this physical existence, the human eyegate and eargate are never satisfied. Man perpetually yearns for something more, some new thrill, a new achievement, or a new “high” to satiate some deep, longing to be fulfilled, unsated craving deep in his soul, yet to no avail. The relentless craving persists unabated.

Ecclesiastes 1:9–10, That which has been will be. As this giant set of cosmic gears grinds inexorably on with miniscule man at its center, the cycles continue to repeat themselves endlessly. It is true that the actors, costumes, stage venue may change over the millennia, but the quintessential plot remains ever the same. When boiled down to its essential ingredients,reduced to its lowest common denominator, nothing has changed; therefore, there is nothing new under the sun. The nature of man is the same, the plot is the same. Life is still a burdensome task or a sore travail that can be summed up as vanity of vanities leading to emptiness and nothingness. (Actually there is a point to it all, and a way of escape, but that comes later in the book and that is the message of the rest of the Bible!)

Ecclesiastes 1:11, No remembrance. All is soon forgotten. The ripples made by the pebble dropped into the pond of life soon subside and are remembered no more as the pond to as it was before. Therefore, we are back where we started from—vanity, meaninglessness and nothingness.

Ecclesiastes 1:13, Burdensome task [sore travail, KJV]. Everything is a burdensome task or sore travail—an escapable hard labor prison camp of time and space and endless cycles to which man has been inextricably confined since the fall. (So what is the point of it all? The rest of the Bible contains the message of hope for the hopeless.)

Ecclesiastes 1:14, Vanity. Eventually, all of man’s works will come to nothing, nothingness is the definition of hebel, the Hebrew word for vanity. Everything that man does will come to nothing. All houses, buildings and monuments eventually deteriorate and become overrun with weeds and return to dirt from whence it came. Riches come and go, and no one can take it with them when they die. Memories of great people, events and ideas eventually fade away. Nothing physical is permanent.

Grasping for the wind [or vexation of spirit, KJV]. The physical pursuits, pleasures and acquisitions of man do not satiate the inner longings of the spirit of man that is connected to Elohim and to eternity—the spiritual and eternal realm. It is all grasping for the wind—elusive and unattainable.

Ecclesiastes 1:15, Crooked. Man is incurably crooked and Elohim is unwaveringly and immutably straight. The heart of man is especially crooked and cannot be made straight, for as Jeremiah declares, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked [i.e. incurable and sick]; who can know it?” (Jer 17:9). Each person has a giant log of pride wedged into his eye, and he views everyone and everything through the lens of his own strongholds of pride and his past hurts that involve fear, bitterness and unforgivingness. Dislodging that beam takes an act of God! This is because the disease called sin is incurable and terminal and everyone was born with it, and no one can cure himself because sin has too strong of a hold on each person’s heart and mind. Due to his sinful condition, man’s spiritual lack is incalculable.

Ecclesiastes 1:16–17, Look. When all is said and done, man’s condition and the life that he lives still remains the same: a grasping for the wind or seeking that which is unattainable.

When man walked away from Elohim in the garden by partaking of the forbidden fruit in his quest for forbidden knowledge, he bit the big one, so to speak, biting off way more than he could chew. What appeared to be appealing to the eyes, touch and taste quickly turned bitter in his gut, when the reality of the consequences of his actions punched him full force in the face. It was at this time that he had to go to work scraping out a living from the unforgiving weed and briar infested earth. Man was condemned to the hard labor penal colony of this earth to run endless circles on the hamster wheel of making a living day after tedious day before collapsing exhausted at the end of life. When the foolishness naivete of childhood and youth give way to the burdensome and demanding responsibilities of adulthood, only then do a few enlightened souls awaken to the brutal reality of this physical existence. The rest of humanity is too occupied attempting to self-medicate (via drugs, booze, sensual pleasure and entertainment, the acquisition of material good, the seeking of power and fame, etc.) against the pain and reality of a lifetime spent grasping for the wind to wake up to the truth that they need help from above if they are to break free from his life sentence due to his sin. (There is only one way of escape and Jacob dreamed of it when he saw the vision of the ladder to heaven in Genesis 28 and Yeshua interpreted the vision for us in John 1:51.)

Ecclesiastes 1:18, Much wisdom…much grief. It almost sounds as if the Preacher is affirming the idea that ignorance is bliss. In reality, ignorance is not bliss; it is still ignorance. Yet, sometimes two seemingly opposite propositions can be true at the same time. That is to say that too much wisdom and knowledge can lead to frustration, weariness and sorrow; therefore, it is perhaps advisable to know just enough to keep oneself on the straight path, but not so much that such knowledge ruins the little enjoyment that one can squeeze out of this prison camp called life.

My commentary on Ecclesiastes chapter two is coming soon…so stay tuned.

 

Confronting the Lies About Paul—Galatians Explained from a Hebraic Perspective

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The church has lied to YOU about Paul and his epistle to the Galatians!  NOW learn the truth…

An Important Question

When addressing the lies that the mainstream church has been dishing out like a load of dung against Paul and the Word of Elohim (i.e. Yeshua the Messiah, the Word of Elohim) since the time of the early church fathers, let us first ask an important question that has far-reaching implication including whether you can trust the Bible and whether you are saved or not. In the Epistle to the Galatians. It is this: Is Paul advocating the abrogation of the Torah-law as mainstream Christianity teaches or not?

This is the lens through which most Christians view Galatians. For example, the chapter subheadings in my NKJV Bible reveal the antitorah bias of mainstream Christianity. The heading above Galatians 2:11 reads, “No Return to the Law,” and the heading over Gal 3:10 reads, “ The Law Brings a Curse.” When Christians study their Bibles and encounter these subheadings that are written by men and not inspired by the Spirit, what are they to think? Most don’t questions the scholars who translate the Bible or the publishers sell the Bibles. Most readers will automatically thinks to themselves, “After all, these translators and publishers are Bible experts, they know more than I do, so who am I to question them?”

Interestingly, the same author of Galatians elsewhere admonishes us to, “Prove/test all things; hold fast to that which is good” (1 Thess 5:21). This is the responsibility of each saint as he studies the word of Elohim. Therefore, it behooves us to have a touch of intellectual scepticism when studying the Scriptures to insure that we’re not unwittingly putting our faith in the traditions and doctrines of men by which the word of Elohim has been made of none-effect (Mark 7:9, 13), and that we haven’t inherited lies that have been passed on down to us from our spiritual fathers (Jer 16:19). Let us instead be like the righteous Bereans who “searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).

Instead of looking at Galatians as a stand-alone book, let’s view it in the broader context of all the New Testament writers’ and Yeshua’s view of the Torah. After all, the Scriptures cannot contradict themselves. The Bible doesn’t lie, Elohim doesn’t change, and Yeshua declared that the Scriptures can’t be broken (or loosened, untied, dissolved, annulled, John 10:35).

In 1 Cor 11:1, Paul instructed us to imitate him as he imitated Messiah. So let’s follow Paul’s advice.

What did Yeshua teach and do vis-à-vis the Torah? 

He never violated the Torah (or sinned), or else he couldn’t have been our sin-free Savior and taken upon himself the consequences or penalty of our sins, which is death.

Yeshua advocated Torah-obedience for his followers (Matt 5:17–19; John 14:15).

Paul goes on to tell us to imitate him as he imitates Yeshua. This includes obedience to the Torah.

Elsewhere, in many places, Paul advocates Torah obedience as we will see next.

How Did Paul View the Torah (“Law”)?

In answering this question, let us allow Paul to speak for himself in order to establish his predisposition with regard to the Torah-law. Was he a proponent or opponent of it? Several Scriptural quotations from his own pen should suffice in answering this question:

Wherefore the law [Torah] is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. (Rom 7:12)

For we know that the law [Torah] is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. (Rom 7:14)

For I delight in the law [Torah] of Elohim after the inward man… (Rom 7:22)

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin [i.e. violation of the laws/Torah of YHVH, see 1 John 3:4], that grace may abound? Elohim forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Rom 6:1–2)

Do we then make void the law through faith? Elohim forbid: yea, we establish the law. (Rom 3:31, Romans was written in about A.D. 56)

But we know that the law [Torah] is good, if a man use it lawfully…(1 Tim 1:8, First Timothy was written just before Paul’s martyrdom in about A.D. 66)

But if, while we seek to be justified by Messiah, we ourselves also are found sinners [i.e. violators of the law/Torah], is therefore Messiah the minister of sin [lawlessness/Torahlessness]? Elohim forbid. (Gal 2:17, Galatians was written between A.D. 55 to 56)

Toward the end of Paul’s life and ministry when, according to many Christian theologians, Paul was supposed to have already liberated the first-century believers from the “shackles and bondage” of the Torah-law, yet in the Book of Acts we read the following:

And when they heard it, they glorified YHVH, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe [in Yeshua the Messiah]; and they are all zealous of the law [Torah]: And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. What is it therefore? The multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come. Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law [Torah]. (Acts 20:20–24, written in about A.D. 58 to 60)

While he answered for himself, Neither against the law [Torah] of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all. (Acts 25:8; Paul made this statement in a court of law about A.D. 62.)

And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, [i.e. the Torah] yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. (Acts 28:17, written about A.D. 63)

Viewing Galatians Through a Different Lens

In view of the fact that Paul instructed us to imitate him as imitated Yeshua, who was Torah observant, and in light of the fact in numerous places in Paul’s own writings and in the Book of Acts we see that Paul was Torah observant to the end of his life, what conclusion can we come to in light of these facts? Either the Bible is consistent, and the Torah is for all people for all time, or Paul was an inconsistent liar in telling us, on the one hand, to follow the Torah, and on the other hand, telling us not to obey it. Which is it? If Paul is inconsistent, then the truth of the Bible is inconsistent, the Scripture is broken, Yeshua is a liar and the Bible is a lie. Which one is it?

There is another answer to this dilemma. Perhaps the mainstream church has misinterpreted Paul in the Book of Galatians and has come to a skewed view in believing that Paul abrogates the Torah in Galatians. We take the position of the inerrancy of Scripture, that it can’t be broken, that Elohim and Yeshua don’t lie, and that Paul wasn’t a duplicitous schizophrenic. Instead of viewing Galatians as an antitorah tirade courtesy of Paul, maybe there is something else going on here that needs to be discovered—the real message of Galatians that in no way contradicts the rest of the Bible.

Galatians Explained

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Welcome to Galatians—A Fun, Though Controversial Book!

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I love the book of Galatians! Why? One reason is this: The more difficult and controversial a biblical book, chapter or passage is, once understood by the light of YHVH’s Spirit, the greater the opportunity for the light of YHVH’s truth to shine through and illuminate the darkness of men’s understanding for His glory! Besides that, I like challenges and understanding the Epistle to the Galatians provides a challenge.

A Quick Overview of the Book of Galatians

Below is a quick overview of the book of Galatians. My explanatory comments are in brackets. 

The main theme of the book of Galatians is that one is saved by the grace of Elohim through faith in Yeshua the Messiah, not by the works of the Torah-law. Here, it’s not Paul’s point to discuss the validity of the Torah in a believer’s life. This he does, for example, in the book of Romans. Rather, in Galatians, he discusses how one is saved: Is it by works (i.e. obedience to the Torah and men’s non-biblical religious doctrines), or by the grace of Elohim?

In chapter one, Paul warns against accepting a “different gospel” and shares his personal testimony.

Chapter two describes Paul’s confrontation with Peter about not having to adhere to Jewish (non-Torah) traditions. He then begins to define what the gospel is by asserting that men are justified (made righteous) before Elohim not by the works of the law, but by faith in Yeshua. [This is because a man can never keep the laws of Elohim well enough to measure up to his high standard of righteousness or perfection. This in no way gives man a pass to violate the laws of Elohim — only that man can’t be saved by the good works of Torah-obedience.] Once a man is saved, Yeshua now lives his righteousness through the man [through the help of the Holy Spirit].

In chapter three, Paul further explains the concept of justification by faith stating that this method of salvation goes back to Abraham who trusted Elohim, and because of that faith YHVH accounted him as righteous. At the same time, if one attempts to be justified by the works of the law, because he can’t keep the whole law perfectly, he will fall under the curse or penalty of the law [which is death. Elsewhere we learn the that sin is the violation of the law (1 John 3:4) and the wages or penalty of sin is death (Gal 3:22; Rom 6:23).]. Paul goes on to explain that all believers in Yeshua [both Jews and non-Jews] are children of Abraham (v. 28, 29), and so the same salvation model applies to them that YHVH established at the time of Abraham. What then is the purpose of the Torah, Paul asks? It is to bring sinners to the cross of Yeshua [who died in our place to take on himself the penalty for our sins]. [This isn’t the only purpose of the Torah, as Paul teaches us elsewhere. This is the only purpose he mentions in Galatians for the sake of this discussion. The Torah’s other purpose — once we are brought to Messiah because of our sin, which the violation of the Torah — is that it shows us how to walk without sinning; namely how to love Elohim and our fellow man.] Paul concludes this chapter by saying that once the Torah has brought us to Yeshua, we’re no longer under penalty phase of the Torah, and this applies to all people, not just the Jews.

Next in chapter four, Paul explains in more detail the glorious gospel message of salvation by grace. Messiah came to redeem us (set us free) from slavery to sin and the world and to give us a spiritual inheritance as sons of Elohim. He then asks a question. After having received the glorious message of salvation by grace, how can one turn to a works-based salvation and to other non-biblical religious doctrines of men? He then answers the question by using an illustration to make his point. He compares the old or former covenant that YHVH made with the Israelites at Mount Sinai with the new covenant through Yeshua. This was prefigured in Abraham’s two sons: Ishmael and Isaac. The first son (Ishmael) was a result of human effort and brought bondage, while the second son (Isaac) was a result of YHVH’s grace and brought freedom. [Similarly, if one seeks to do Elohim’s will through one’s own effort, it will result in spiritual bondage. On the other hand, if one seeks to do Elohim’s will through his grace and the divine empowerment of the Holy Spirit, it will bring freedom from sin (i.e. Torahlessness) and it’s death penalty.]

In chapter five, Paul exposes the false teachers who were bringing “another gospel.” They were teaching that one can’t be saved, born again, justified or redeemed unless one is physically circumcised. [Although this doctrine is nowhere to be found in the Scriptures, it had become a belief in first-century Judaism. This was hindering the spread of the gospel message among uncircumcised non-Jewish peoples to whom Paul had been commissioned.] Again, Paul restates the idea that salvation is by grace through faith in Yeshua, and that if one seeks to be saved by one’s good works including circumcision, then one must keep the entire law [perfectly without sinning, which is an impossibility]. Evidently, this false teaching was causing much division and strife within the church at Galatia, and Paul urges the believers there to fulfill the Torah-law by loving one another. [Yeshua sums up the entire Torah as loving YHVH with everything and one’s neighbor as oneself (Mark 12:29–31).] Paul admonishes believers to walk according to the Spirit of Elohim that is living in them, which will lead them away from sin (Torahlessness) and towards righteousness (Torah-obedience). Walking in accordance to the leading of the Holy Spirit leads us away from Torahlessness (the works of the flesh including murder, lying, stealing, fornication, uncleanness, witchcraft, idolatry, worldliness and other fleshly passions and desires) and towards righteousness (the fruit of the Spirit).

Paul concludes this letter in chapter six by giving further instructions about living as a follower of Yeshua.

 

Blog Scripture Readings for 7-11 Through 7-17-21

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Parashat D’varim — Deuteronomy 1:1 – 3:22
Haftarah —Isaiah 1:1-27
Prophets — Ezekiel 23:1 – 29:21
Writings — Nehemiah 2:1 – 8:18
Testimony — Galatians 1:1 – 6:18; Ephesians 1

Our annual Scripture Reading Schedule for 2020-2021 with daily readings that began on 10/11/20 is available to download and print. The link to the previous 2019-2020’s Scripture Reading Schedule will still be available on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links” into next year. If you are using a mobile device or tablet, the link may be below, meaning you’ll need to scroll down instead.

Most of this week’s blog discussion points will be on these passages. 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 or the “share your thoughts” box below.

The full “Read Through The Scriptures In A Year” schedule, broken down by each day, can be found on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links.” There are 4 sections of scripture to read each day: one each from the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings, and from the Testimony of Yeshua. Each week, the Torah and haftarah readings will follow the traditional one-year reading cycle.

Weekly Blog Scripture Readings for 7/11 through 7/17/2021.

 

Put a cork in it already!

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Ecclesiastes 3:1–8, There is a season. 

There is a time…and there is not a time 

There is a time and season for everything. That sounds like an innocuously bland and self-evident statement, but not really.

There is a time do to things, as the wise preacher informs us in his famous Ecclesiastes three passage, which begins with the famous words, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die…” and so on.

But the more the years and decades slide past me and am not in the grandparenting season of my life, the more I realize that there is, perhaps, more importantly, a time not to do a lot of things that I might have done at an earlier time in my life. There are battles not to fight, things not to thing (for a Scripture declares elsewhere, “As a man thinketh, so is he”—a scary thought!) things not to do, and definitely things not to say. There are several reasons that immediately come to mind for not doing these things. 

First, and, perhaps, most importantly, it’s about priorities. As one reaches the top of the hill of one’s life and begins the descent on the other side toward death, one can see more circumspectly one’s past life as well as that which remains whether it be a long or a short time. With the stark reality of one’s life in full view and the idealizations of past expectations unfulfilled gone like dust in the wind, that which remains in one’s life suddenly becomes as valued treasure. Add to this the unexpected deaths of loved ones and friends around you, which, to any young people reading this, occurs more frequently the older one gets, suddenly, every breath and heartbeat becomes a cherished gift from the Creator.

The second reason for not doing or saying many things that I might have in earlier years has to do with following the leading of the Set-Apart Spirit of Elohim more precisely instead of jumping unquestioningly in lockstep to the demanding impulses of my impatient, impetuous and sin-oriented flesh. This too has to do with priorities—desiring to be in the perfect will of the Almighty by seeking first the kingdom of Elohim as Yeshua instructed his disciples to do instead of seeking all those other carnal and earthly things.

The third reason for adding the negative adverb not to the statements in Solomon’s famous Ecclesiastes three passage is that the older one gets, one starts getting a little more tired if not physically, at least emotionally from chasing the wind and ending up with little or nothing to show for it. Many things become, as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes definitively declares repeatedly, is vanity of vanities. Suddenly one wakes up and discovers the wisdom of working smarter, instead of harder. This is wisdom, which only comes with age and perspective. It’s wise to conserve energy and to save it for those things that are worth the time and effort, and for which there is a payoff especially in the next life. All else is little more than emptiness and chasing the wind.

Fourth, so much of what we do and say is an expression of human pride and vanity. We are all guilty, so raise your hand. I’ve got mine up! As I get older, I agree with the preacher’s words in Ecclesiastes verse two of chapter one, “‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher; ‘Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” When one gets brutally honest with oneself and analyses most of one’s words and actions, human pride and vanity is the pathetic though realistic label that must be applied to most of it. So what does the Almighty have to say about this? What reasons will we give to him on judgment day as to the motives behind most of what we have said and done? What legacy of value are we really leaving to the next generation? Will we be leaving behind a grandiose frozen-in-time, stone cold and lifeless monument to ourselves, or will we have sown seeds into the fertile ground of the lives of those around us that will hopefully bring forth fruit that will not only make the world a better place, but that will also serve to expand the kingdom of Elohim at the expense of the kingdom of darkness? 

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Spiritual Warfare 101…and Beyond!

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2 Corinthians 10:4, The weapons of our warfare…spiritual. 

A Redeemed Believers Authority Through Yeshua—The Biblical Concept of Spiritual Warfare

Is the concept of spiritual warfare a biblical one? Perhaps no scripture of the Bible states the fact that it is more clearly than 2 Corinthians 10:3–5. (Eph 6:10–18 would be a close second!)

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:(for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal [but, by implication are spiritual], but mighty through Elohim to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Elohim, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Messiah. (2 Cor 10:3–5, emphasis mine)

Obviously, Paul understood and taught that redeemed believers are in an ongoing spiritual battle against something or someone, but what and who? James reveals that there are three possible sources of conflict for the redeemed believer: the world, the flesh and the devil (Jas 3:15). The flesh (man’s sin nature) is the greatest enemy that the saint faces. Paul discusses his struggles we face with the carnal man in Romans 7. The world is also a formidable enemy of the redeemed righteous ones. In John 17, Yeshua tells his disciples that though they are in the world, they are not to be of the world (John 17:11,14). He then goes on to describe the conflicts they would have with the world because they are his disciples. Finally, in Ephesians six, Paul describes the spiritual combat the saints face with Satan and his cohorts (Eph 6:10–18). He is constantly seeking to destroy us (1 Pet 5:8), and to find opportunistic inroads into our lives to establish a spiritual beachhead (Eph 6:16; 1 Pet 5:8). It is this latter subject which we will discuss in the following study.

The foundation for waging effective spiritual warfare is to have a deep spiritual relationship with Yeshua — to be loving him by obeying is laws through him (Rom 7:25–26).

The Legal Basis for the Believer’s Spiritual Authority

(Taken from Destined for the Throne by Paul E. Billheimer, pp. 71–80 with additional comments by NL.)

Universal Jurisprudence. It is vitally important for every redeemed believer to know the fullness and extent of the victory over sin, death and the devil that Yeshua secured for us at the cross. To fully understand this, we must comprehend the legal basis for that victory. Elohim is an El (God) of total justice. He established the universe to be governed by a legal system. As Supreme Judge of the universe, he must follow the laws of justice he established that keep order in the universe.

Adam’s Commission. It all started in the Garden of Eden where man was created in YHVH’s image and was given authority and dominion over the entire earth and all thereon (Gen 1:26; Ps 8:6).

Adam’s Failure and Fall. YHVH gave man legal authority to rule the earth. But then Adam “fumbled the ball” and submitted to Satan’s authority by sinning, YHVH could not step in (though he had the authority to do so). To go over man’s head and to forcibly repossess the title to this earth from Satan would have been to do so without due process of law. At that moment, Satan became the god of this world. Even Yeshua, when confronting the devil in Matthew 4:5 did not question Satan’s authority.

The Search for a Legal Challenger. Adam chose to obey Satan and to sin against Elohim, and thus became the devil’s slave. Whatever we yield ourselves to we become the slave to (Rom 6:16). Once a slave to Satan, man lost all his legal rights to his person and to his domain (the earth). If Satan’s dominion was to be revoked, a way had to be found to redeem fallen man and recover his lost authority without violating universal principles of justice. YHVH had to abide by his own moral code of justice. He could not simply annul it and at the same time remain just and righteous. Only a member of Adam’s family could enter into this universal court and wrest Adam’s lost inheritance and dominion away from Satan, the usurper and slave master. The government of man was lost by man and had to be reclaimed by man. But where could such a man be found? All men had forfeited this right when they had sinned (Rom 3:23) and become a slave to Satan, as their forefather Adam had done at the Tree of Knowledge. A slave has no legal standing and cannot enter a court or lawfully participate in litigation. Thus a member of the human race had to be found upon whom Satan had no legal claim—one who had not endorsed Adam’s rebellion.

The Problem Solved: The Incarnation. With man it was an impossible situation, but with YHVH, all things are possible (Matt 19:26). “But when the fullness of the time was come, Elohim sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the [penalty of] the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons [of Elohim, as Adam and Eve were]” (Gal 4:4–5). YHVH solved this dilemma through the incarnation. Yeshua was conceived by the Spirit of Elohim, and YHVH’s divine nature was present in him. Because he was sinless, Satan had no claim upon him, but because he was “made of a woman,” he was an authentic human being and could therefore qualify as a bona-fide member of the human race to enter the legal fight to reclaim Adam’s lost estate. This is why it was necessary for Yeshua to be born of a virgin.

Yeshua’s Sinless Life. Satan’s challenger not only had be a member of the human race, but he had to have lived a perfectly sinless life so that Satan could have no legal claim on him. If Yeshua were not the son of Elohim through Mary by virtue of supernatural conception, then he was merely the son of Adam. A mortal man, if he lived a sinless life, could redeem his own life only, but one man’s life is not of sufficient worth to redeem the entire human race. Only the Creator of man can do that. Only if Yeshua was fully man, and fully divine and fully the Creator of man would he have the power to redeem man, since the life of the Creator is of greater worth than all that he created. Though tempted by Satan at every place in is life, Yeshua remained sinless. That is why, when he died, the power of death had no legal claim on him and the could not legally stay in the grave. Because of Yeshua’s sinless life, his death resulted not only in defeating Satan’s purpose to obtain a legal claim on him, but it also canceled all of Satan’s legal claim on this earth and for those of the human race who put their trust in Yeshua for salvation and redemption (Heb 2:14; Col 2:14–15).

Though Yeshua has not yet enforced that legal claim over the physical earth and the kingdom’s thereof (this will occur at his second coming when he defeats Babylon the Great, the devil, and becomes King of kings), he is establishing his spiritual kingdom in the lives of his redeemed one’s — the saints or called out ones (the ecclesia). As such, they have the power of Yeshua in them to begin to reclaim the world for Yeshua away from Satan. It is called “kingdom authority.” Yeshua gave his disciples that authority when he sent them forth to regather the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Luke 9:1; 10:17; Mark 16:15–18).

Identification With Messiah’s Death and Resurrection. To access this victory of Yeshua over Satan and death, one has to identify spiritually with Yeshua from his death on the cross to his enthronement at the right hand of power in heaven. We are to be crucified with him, buried with him, raised with him, and exalted with him (Rom 6; Eph 2; 2 Cor 5:14,17; Gal 2:20; 2 Tim 2:11).

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Exploring the Concept of Atonement as It Relates to the Tabernacle and Salvation

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Numbers 31:50, Make atonement.

What is the big deal about the concept of vicarious atonement, that is, someone dying in another person’s place to repair a wrong or an injury? Does there really need to be the shedding of blood for the atonement of sin? This is a concept shared only by Christianity and no other major religions in the world including Judaism. The Christians are always making a big deal about “the cross” and “Jesus dying for our sins,” or “Jesus paying for our sins.” Is this a biblical concept or just some idea of man to put people under bondage to some ancient religious and irrational superstition? Knowing the answer to this question is a matter of life and death. 

In Numbers 31:50 we read, “We have therefore brought an oblation for YHVH, what every man has gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before YHVH.” In a similar passage in Exodus 30:15–16, we read, “The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto YHVH, to make an atonement for your souls. And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before YHVH, to make an atonement for your souls” (emphasis added). The question before us is this: Do these passages in the Torah imply that YHVH grants man absolution from sin based something other than the shedding of blood, and by logical extension, does this call into question our redemption from sin through our faith in Yeshua the Messiah’s blood atonement death on the cross?

The concept of atonement can be a confusing one. Some scholars in rabbinic Jewish circles teach that the Torah (i.e. the first five books of the Bible) does not require the shedding of blood for atonement of one’s sin to occur. According to the above scripture, this could appear to be the case. Before briefly discussing the subject of atonement, let us not forget the stern warnings of the Peter the apostle when he warned end-time saints against false teachers who would lure people away from the simple truth of the gospel:

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingers not, and their damnation slumbers not….But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceiving while they feast with you; having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children, which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Yeshua Messiah, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. (2 Peter 2)

In the Testimony of Yeshua (New Testament), there is no question that when the concept of atonement (i.e. to make ransom for or to cover over man’s sins) is presented, it is related to the blood of Yeshua, the Lamb of YHVH, being shed for the remission of man’s sins, which is the means through which reconciliation between Elohim and man occurs. In the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), however, the idea of atonement is somewhat broader and at times more generalized in scope. Herein lies the confusion and the misconceived disparity between the Former (Old) and Latter (New) Testaments or Covenants. Are they in opposition to one another, or is the latter the logical outgrowth of the former and compliments or ­elucidates the former?

The Hebrew word for atonement is kapar. A verb, it means “to make an atonement, make reconciliation, purge. In its noun form, kapar means a ransom, gift, to secure favor”(see Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament [or TWOT], word 1023). Kapar also means “to cover over”and is the same Hebrew word meaning “to cover or smear with pitch”as in caulking the seams of a wooden ship so that it becomes waterproof (see Brown-Driver-Briggs H3722). Our English words cap (as well as the Hebrew kipah, which is a small hemispherical hat that many religious Jewish men wear)and cover are related etymologically to kapar (see The Word—The Dictionary That Reveals the Hebrew Source of Our English, by Isaac E. Mozeson). 

What can we learn from all this? Kapar means “to cover” that which is bare, such as the human head. It also means “to smear (or cover) with pitch”so that your ship will not sink drowning all aboard. For example, YHVH instructed Noah to “pitch/kopar [Strong’s H3722] [the ark] within and without with pitch/koper [Strong’s H3724].” Furthermore, kapar means “to ransom” someone that would otherwise be a prisoner of one’s enemy and without the ransom being paid one would probably be killed. Kapar also means “to reconcile”with someone who has the power of life and death over you (e.g. Elohim) and to pacify someone who has the power to do you harm. 

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