Deuteronomy 34:5, So Moses… died. Even at age 120, Moses never retired; he died with his boots on continuing in the spiritual mission that YHVH had given him. Retirement, as in sitting around doing little or nothing productive once one has reached a certain age, is not a biblical concept. Yeshua instructed his saints were to occupy until he returns (Luke 19:13). Elsewhere, Paul tells the followers of Yeshua to stand (not sit) as they battle against the forces of darkness (Eph 6:14). Moreover, the Bible characterizes the spiritual journey heavenward of the child of Elohim as a walk, not sit and do little or nothing. The concept of retirement as it is commonly meant in our modern culture is a recent one, and not a biblical one as I discuss in the article below.
Where is retirement mentioned in the Bible?
Here is a challenge. Show me in the Bible where the word retirement or the concept is even mentioned? Retirement as it is commonly understood to mean ceasing to work and doing little or nothing after a certain age is not to be found from one end of the Bible to the other. What the word of Elohim teaches, however, it that we are to work six days each week and to rest on the seventh day (the Sabbath or Shabbat, Exod 20:8–11). Moreover, it is clearly evident that because of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, the Creator told us that the “free lunch” had ended and we had to get to work (Gen 3:17–19). What does this mean for you and me if we claim to be Bible followers—especially after we reach the age where due to health and age regular physical work may be a challenge?
Only in our overindulgent, materialistic and wealthy western society is retirement an option.
For many who are lacking in a spiritual faith and who have no concept of biblical truth, retirement has become their “heaven on earth.” Retirement, in fact, is a sort of humanists’ heaven on earth until one dies and goes back into the soil.
Admittedly, as one becomes elderly, the body doesn’t function as it once did. But that doesn’t mean one has to resort to a life of inert, non-productive inactivity. For example, in ancient Israel, when the Levites reached the age of fifty, they presumably took on more of an advisory role in helping to train the next generation of Levites (Num 8:25). This rule didn’t, however, apply to those in the priesthood who served until death. The kings and prophets and prophets of Israel served until their death as well. Moses never retired and served YHVH and the Israelites until age 120! Neither did Joshua, David or the apostles retire from the ministry. As they grew older, they likely slowed down, but they never retired to life on a golf course, or sitting in front of the television watching old re-runs of Western movies or the daytime soap operas and game shows. No! They all died with their boots on doing YHVH’s work.
Once we reach a certain age where hard physical labor becomes impractical or even impossible, we are faced with two choices: we can rust out or burn out. Like an automobile or piece of equipment, it can sit there rust away inactively, or it can be used until the engine wears out. Wouldn’t you rather burn out then rust out? Similarly, Yeshua commended the wise servants in the Parable of the Talents for being profitable with the talents the master had given them while he was away in a far country. Conversely, the master sternly rebuked the servant who did nothing but bury his talents in the soil (Luke 19:11–27).
Moreover, the elders (wise and older people) were to serve as leaders of the congregational assembly in the New Testament era. To be sure, the older generation was busy during their so-called retirement years.
These things being the case, why is it that so many Bible followers and even supposedly Torah-obedient individuals don’t work six days a week, but stop working when they reach a certain age and acquiesce to the concept of what our humanistic society calls “retirement age”? Similarly, why do so many woman support their husbands, who proudly laud their new status as “house husbands”? Why are there so many men on welfare feigning a disability, so they can collect a check from the government, when, for many of them, there is something they could do to help support their families, but instead, they proudly live off the labors of others? In reality they’re lazy bums—thieves! This is hardly a godly virtue. Unless is bed-ridden due to severe health issues, there is something everyone can do to be a profitable servant rather than a lazy couch potato bum.
Even those who have worked hard and have the financial resources to be able to “retire” at a certain age, is it biblical to resort to a life of laziness and self-indulgent ease? Hardly! The biblical model is for the older folks to be using their resources including their time, knowledge and wisdom to help others—especially the younger generation. Kudos to those who are doing so. Shame on those who aren’t!
Sadly, we have become a society of lazy bums all too often living off of the labor of and resources of others. Is this something to be proud of? If this is our lifestyle, do we really think we will hear YHVH’s words on the day of judgment, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant”?
The serpent-headed Greek mythological monster called the Hydra
The Manifestations of the Spirit of Antichrist
Medusa
Like the mythical Greek Medusa monster, the hair of whose head was comprised of numerous serpents, or the Hydra monster who had a body with multiple serpent heads, the Babylon the Great, Antichrist system of the New World Order has numerous manifestations that all stem from the same source—Satan the devil, YHVH Elohim’s chief adversary. If we focus on the grotesque, individual manifestations of this evil spirit (e.g., Antifa, Black Lives Matter, Big Pharma, the Great Reset, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, ESG, AI, the WEC, Progressivism, Leftism et al), the pieces of this puzzle can appear disparate and confusing. However, when we realize who and what the source behind it all is, then the picture comes into clear focus. This is simply the Babylon the Great, global Satanic, Leviathan system that the Bible prophesied long ago would control the earth in the end times and that the Warrior-King Yeshua the Messiah will destroy at his soon coming return. This short article helps tie all of the pieces together into one, simple cohesive, Bible-based picture.
Below is a glossary of terms that are labels for current demonic societal trends, movements and ideologies that are working synergistically under Satan’s authority to promote the destruction of whatever moral and spiritual biblical Judeo-Christian values remain in our formerly Western, Christian culture and to replace it with devil worship or Luciferiansim.
Antifa—This is merely locally-based movement of criminal malcontents that promotes anarchy, God-hating leftist, communist and Marxist ideologies as well as the abolishment of law and order through street violence, vandalism, intimidation and thuggery. They are, in fact, what they claim to be against—fascists.
Big (Tyrannical) Government—This is the opposite of the idea of small or limited government. Big government or the concept of Statism, often referred to colloquially as “Big Brother” or the “Nanny State” occurs when governments attempt to control many aspects (e.g., political, economic, sociological, philosophical, moral and sometimes even spiritual) of people’s lives, which usually occurs at the expense of civil liberties, personal freedoms, free choice and individualism.
Big Pharma—The major pharmaceutical companies are a mixed bag situation. True, they produce some drugs that help people, but they also produce many drugs that have serious deleterious side-effects. Of the greatest concern to Bible believers is a troubling prophetic passage in the Book of Revelation that seems to speak condemningly of drug or pharmaceutical companies in the last days. This is an end times prophecy concerning international business leaders controlling or socially engineering earth’s population through pharmaceutical drugs for their own malevolent purposes in a similar manner as witch doctors, shamans, witches and sorcerers endeavor to control people through their herbal often mind-altering concoctions and potions (Rev 18:23). This scripture indicates that these drug pushers are an aspect of Babylon the Great’s efforts to enslave and control earth’s population (Rev 18:11–13), which is something that YHVH detests and will destroy at his second coming.
Black Lives Matter—This is merely a less violent, community-organizing movement (than Antifa) that promotes leftist, communist or Marxist ideologies through street demonstrations, looting, vandalism and intimidation of those who disagree with them.
Cancel Culture—This is a leftist, “progressive” (actually regressive) concept where those people, businesses, institutions or organizations that do not go along with the prevailing ideas of leftism, “progressivism” or wokism must be boycotted, discriminated against, resisted through violence and ultimately destroyed.
Climate Change—Climate change has been occurring as long as the earth has been in existence whether that is for thousands, millions or billions of years. Who know? The earth and its inhabitants (plant, animal and human) have been adapting to the vicissitudes of the climatological, astronomic (i.e., sunspot) and geological cycles of nature during this time. Now all of a sudden, the earth is threatened with destruction because of so-called man-caused global climate change. The critical and knowledgable thinker can hardly swallow this theory. No. Climate change is a politically motivated agenda by the globalists to bring the world’s inhabitants under the control of global governance. These global power brokers care nothing about the environment as they leave their huge carbon footprints jetting and yachting around from one mansion to another preaching the religion of environmentalism. It is all about money, power, control and world domination for satanic purposes pure and simple.
Critical Race Theory—This is nothing more than a form of revisionist history that promotes racism against white people. Any serious and well-educated student of history can plainly see this.
Diseases and Pandemics—The recent “pandemics” whether real or constructed emergencies are tools by the globalists where the masses through fear and government control can forcefully be brought into alignment with New World Order ideologies. The so-called “vaccine passports” that are required to travel, buy and sell, and to engage in certain social privileges are nothing more than preparatory social engineering for the purpose of conditioning the masses to accept the mark of the beast.
Medusa—the ancient mythical Greek monster whose hair was comprised of serpents.
Hydra, the mythical Greek monster that had multiple snake heads.
Like the mythical Greek Medusa monster, the hair of whose head was comprised of numerous serpents, or the Hydra monster who had a body with multiple serpent heads, the Babylon the Great, Antichrist system of the New World Order has numerous manifestations that all stem from the same source—Satan the devil, YHVH Elohim’s chief adversary. If we focus on the grotesque, individual manifestations of this evil spirit (e.g., Antifa, Black Lives Matter, Big Pharma, the Global Reset, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, ESG, AI, the WEC, Progressivism, Leftism et al), the pieces of this puzzle can appear disparate and confusing. However, when we realize who and what the source behind it all is, then the picture comes into clear focus. This is simply the Babylon the Great, global Satanic, Leviathan system that the Bible prophesied long ago would control the earth in the end times and that the Warrior-King Yeshua the Messiah will destroy at his soon coming return. This short video helps tie all of the pieces together into one, simple cohesive, Bible-based picture.
The Historical Roots of Our Faith, Present Relevance for believers & Prophetic End-Time Implications
Ya’acov Natan Lawrence A Teaching Ministry of Hoshana Rabbah Biblical Resources
Spiritual and Ceremonial Aspects of Sukkot
Overview of the Season
Sukkot (also spelled “Succoth”) or the Feast of Tabernacle (also known as the Feast of Booths, the Feast of Ingathering) is the sixth of YHVH’s seven annual feast days in Creator’s plan of redemption for mankind. This festival is mostly prophetic in its spiritual significance and pictures what the world will be like after the second coming of Yeshua the Messiah when he will come live one earth with his people as he sets up his world-ruling government. Like a river of life, his word and Spirit will go forth from Jerusalems and his glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. During this time of global peace and prosperity, Satan, the wicked one and his minions, will have either been destroyed or will be confined to the bottomless pit, and the lion and lamb will happily play together with the little child, and YHVH’s Torah-law will be universally taught and adhered to. And there is much more beyond this to learn about Sukkot or the Season of Our Joy as we are about to discover.
Sukkot occurs in the early fall of the year on the fifteenth day of the seventh month on YHVH’s biblical calendar fifteen days after Yom Teruah (the Day of Shofar Blowing) and five days after Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). This festival lasts for seven days and directly following it is a separate festival called Shemini Atzeret literally meaning “the Eighth Solemn Assembly”and commonly referred to as “the Eighth Day.”
We see in the early fall a rapid succession of biblical feasts with one coming right after another. It is a time of great energy, excitement and anticipation both in the natural realm and prophetically.
We also observe a transition from the somber and repentant, even frightening, mood of Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur to the joyous and celebratory mood of the Feast of Sukkot, and no wonder, for the first two fall festivals of YHVH represent a very dark and ominous time in human history—the end of the age with the judgments of Elohim being poured out upon the earth (great tribulation, wrath of Elohim, battle of Armageddon, and Satan being bound and cast into the bottomless pit). But this same period culminates in the return of the Messiah, Yeshua, to rule the earth during the Messianic Age as King of kings and Lord of lords. The Feast of Tabernacles pictures this glorious epoch in the history of humanity’s tenure upon this earth—a time of unspeakable joy and triumph of good over evil, righteousness over wickedness, the children of light over the children of darkness, love over hate, and the truth of YHVH (epitomized by Yeshua) over the lies of Satan.
Thus Saith YHVH’s Word on the Feast of Tabernacles and the Eighth Day
The Word of Elohim must be the foundation for all that we do, say and think. With that in mind, here are the scriptures that reveal YHVH’s Truth about this glorious, upward-looking festival:
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto YHVH. 35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto YHVH: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto YHVH: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. 37 These are the feasts of YHVH, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto YHVH, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: 38 Beside the sabbaths of YHVH, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto YHVH. 39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto YHVH seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. 40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before YHVH your Elohim seven days. 41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto YHVH seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: 43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am YHVH your Elohim. (Lev 23:34–43)
Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. 15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) 16 And the feast of harvest, the first fruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field. 17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Adon YHVH. (Exod 23:14–17)
And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto YHVH seven days … [all the sacrifices and offerings are to be made on these days are then listed] …. 35 On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly: ye shall do no servile work therein … [the sacrifices and offerings that are to be made on this day are then listed]. (Num 29:12, 35)
Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine: 14 And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates. 15 Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto YHVH thy Elohim in the place which YHVH shall choose: because YHVH thy Elohim shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice. 16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before YHVH thy Elohim in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before YHVH empty: 17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of YHVH thy Elohim which he hath given thee. (Deut 16: 13–17)
And they found written in the law which YHVH had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month: 15 And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written. 16 So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of Elohim, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim. 17 And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness. 18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of Elohim. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner. (Neh 8: 14–18)
And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, YHVH of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. 17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, YHVH of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. 18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith YHVH will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. 19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. (Zech 14:16–19)
Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand. 10 But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. 11 Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? 14 Now about the midst of the feast Yeshua went up into the temple, and taught. 37 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. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Set-apart Spirit was not yet given; because that Yeshua was not yet glorified.) (John 7: 2, 10, 11, 14, 37–39)
Meaning of the Word Sukkot
The word sukkot (plural of sukkah) is Hebrew for “tabernacles, booths, or any tent-like temporary dwelling.” The Tabernacle or Mishkan that YHVH commanded Moses to construct in the wilderness was a sukkah—literally, a portable tent or habitation for YHVH himself. In fact, the time period of the Feast of Sukkot marks the beginning of Israel’s construction of the mishkan (tabernacle), for Moses received the second tablets containing the ten commandments or statements of YHVH on Yom Teruah and it was immediately after this that the Torah records that the Israelites began building the tabernacle.
The Sukkah
The sukkah, a flimsy, tent-like dwelling, represents the frailty of man’s physical life, for the physical body of man is nothing more than a “temporary dwelling” in which mortal man lives (2 Cor 5:1–6) until physical death occurs followed by the resurrection of the saints into eternal life.
While in this physical state man must totally depend upon his Creator for everything, without whom we would perish both physically and spiritually in this wilderness in which we find ourselves called life. This is exactly the lesson we learn from the children of Israel’s experience during 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. They depended totally upon YHVH for food, water, clothing and protection from the heat, cold and their enemies.
The Bible explicitly and implicitly delineates certain standards that must be met before one can assume leadership roles over the people of YHVH. Israelites should know what the Word of Elohim demands of leaders, and should expect leaders to meet those biblical standards. If they don’t, Israel should reject such individuals.
These standards must apply to leaders over and within congregations. Many individuals who are in ministry are not associated with a congregation, so it may be questioned whether these standards should apply to them as well. It seems self-evident that the same biblical standards that apply to leaders within a congregational context should also apply to itinerate minsters, while not connected to or holding leadership in a local congregation, yet they minister to local congregations, and therefore, are perceived to be leaders and elders within greater Israel by those they teach. Therefore, we take the approach that these ministry standards apply to all leaders within the spiritual body of Yeshua whether they are connected to a local body or not. The body of Yeshua is a interconnected, and all must be playing by the same rules, and be held to the same standards.
We draw, furthermore, from the whole counsel of YHVH’s Word (i.e., Genesis to Revelation) guidelines for leadership qualifications. YHVH’s standards of righteousness for his leaders has not changed over the ages, for he has not changed. His character is inviolate and immutable, and what he requires of those whom he has appointed as servants over his people has not changed and is based on his character, which defines his standards of righteousness.
Prevalent Non-biblical Standards for Leadership
Within the Christian church and, as an offshoot of that, within the Messianic or Hebrew Roots Movements, there are many non-biblical standards that, in the eyes of many people, qualify a person for leadership roles within the body of Yeshua. These “qualification,” in fact, may or may not meet YHVH’s standards of leadership. Some of these “qualification” include:
Self-appointment resulting in the formation of a “successful” ministry.
The use of ecclesiastical titles, the earning of academic degrees.
Popularity among men.
Oratory and public presentation skills.
Professional-looking packaging of persons, ministries, websites and materials to merchandize.
The size of one’s following, mailing list, ministry, or all the material trappings associated with the ministry.
Length of time in the ministry.
Acceptance among peers and within the church.
Financial or material success.
The number of books published, the number electronic media one has been on.
The Bible nowhere indicates that any of these criteria necessarily qualify one to be in a leadership role. In fact, the biblical record clearly shows that usually the more popular (among men) and successful (by worldly standards) religious leaders were, in fact, more unpopular with YHVH. Yeshua, for example, when addressing the religious leaders of his day, emphatically stated that that which is highly esteemed (uplifted, eminent, exalted, influential or honorable) of men is an abomination (or a foul thing, detestable or idolatrous) in the sight of Elohim (Luke 16:15). Why is this? Because YHVH looks at the heart of man, not on the outward appearance of things (1 Sam 16:7; Isa 29:13; Matt 15:8). YHVH sees the true content of a man’s character, which is often hidden under the false facade of appearance.
Biblical Standards of Leadership
What are some of the more obvious biblical standards that must be applied to all spiritual leaders? Those leaders who reject any of these criteria, we reject them as not meeting the biblical standards of leadership. The following is a list of criteria that one must meet in order to meet the qualifications of biblical leadership.
