Blog Scripture Readings for 3/31 through 4/6/13

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Parashat Shemini — Leviticus 9:1 – 11:47
Haftarah — 2 Sam 6:1 – 7:17
Prophets — Isaiah 54:1 – 61:11
Writings — Proverbs 26:1 – 31:31; Job 1:1 – 22
Testimony — Acts 11:1 – 15:41

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 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 3/31 through 4/6/13.

 

He Is Risen!—Proof of the Resurrection from Isaiah

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Here is proof from the Tanakh (Torah, Prophets & Writings aka Old Testament) that Yeshua’s resurrection was prophesied some 700 years before his death on the cross. This is found in a phrase from Isaiah 53:11 that is missing from most of our English Bibles.

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Isaiah 53:11, See the light. The Qumran Great Isaiah Scroll translates verse 11 as follow:

Of the suffering of his soul he will see light and he will find satisfaction. And through his knowledge his servant, the righteous one will make many righteous, and he will bear their iniquities” (The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible, by Abegg, Flint and Ulrich, p. 360; Harper Collins Publishers, New York, N.Y.:1999).

Note the highlighted portion that is missing in the Masoretic text from which our most common English Bibles’ “Old Testament” portions are derived. The New International Version (NIV) translates this verse as follows and notes in its footnotes that this phrase originates from the Isaiah Dead Sea Scroll and from the Septuagint (LXX):

After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

Note the Septuagint (LXX) translation of this verse:

The Lord also is pleased to take away from the travail of his soul, to shew him light, and to form him with understanding; to justify the just one who serves many well; and he shall bear their sins. [translated by Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton (1807-1862) originally published by Samuel Bagster & Sons, Ltd., London, 1851]

Light in bible is synonymous with life. In Bible times, a late night traveller would see light in a house and know there was life therein. The phrase in this verse, “he will see the light”, speaks of resurrection from the shadows of death into the light of life. What else could this mean except that Messiah would resurrect from the grave?

 

Easter Replaces Passover—120 years after the death of Yeshua!

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When Did the Early Christians First Celebrate a Day Commemorating the Resurrection of Yeshua?

Although the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah is a biblical and historical fact, it’s celebration (known as Easter), is neither commanded in the Scriptures, nor was it celebrated by the original disciples of Yeshua. It is purely an invention of the church, and that eventually replaced Passover! Here are the facts:

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In A History of Christianity (vol. 1), Kenneth Scott Latourette states that notice of Easter as a festival occurs in the middle of the second century, but that festivals commemorating the resurrection of Messiah were presumably observed by at least some Christians from much earlier times (p. 137). Philip Schaff also attributes the beginning of the Easter festival to the middle of the second century (History of the Christian Church, vol. 2, p. 207). He states that the Christian Passover naturally grew out of the Jewish Passover, as the Lord’s Day (Sunday) grew out of the Sabbath. “It is based on the view that Christ crucified and risen is the centre of faith. The Jewish Christians would very naturally from the beginning continue to celebrate the legal Passover, but in the light of its fulfillment by the sacrifice of Christ, and would dwell chiefly on the aspect of the crucifixion. The Gentile Christians, for whom the Jewish Passover had no meaning except through reflection on the cross, would chiefly celebrate the Lord’s resurrection as they did on every Sunday of the week.” He notes that the early Christians commemorated the entire period between the death and resurrection of Yeshua with vigils, fasting, special devotions, meetings culminating in a resurrection feast celebrating the whole work of redemption. The feast of the resurrection gradually became the most prominent aspect of the Christian Passover (Easter celebration), but the crucifixion continued to be celebrated on Good Friday” (Ibid., pp. 207–208). Continue reading →

 

Does Peter’s Vision Tell Us to Eat Pork?

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Many Bible believers view Peter’s vision in Acts 10 as proof that it is now permissible for disciples of Yeshua to eat non-kosher food, like pork, which the Torah (law of Moses) forbids. Is this so? Here is a short answer to this question.

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Acts 10:13–15, In Peter’s vision of the sheet covered with unclean animals the voice from heaven commanded him three times to kill and eat these unclean animals. Peter was confused by the meaning of this vision since being a Torah-law abiding Jew he knew that eating unclean meat was forbidden and in good conscience he could not do that which was contrary to YHVH’s Torah-law, for to do so was sin (sin is the violation of the law, 1 John 3:4).

Often visions are metaphorical in nature and not literal. There are many examples in the Scriptures of people receiving metaphorical visions. Just read the books of Daniel and Revelation, for example. Indeed, Peter’s vision was no exception, for no sooner had the vision ended when three Gentile men appeared at his door seeking the gospel and the Spirit of Elohim bade Peter to go and to meet them. Peter then realized that the interpretation of vision was that he should not call any man common or unclean; that is, the gospel message is for all whether Jew or those of the nations (verse 28). The Bible interprets itself in this passage and the issue is not about whether it is now permissible to eat non-kosher meat or not, but rather the Spirit of Elohim was now directing the apostles to begin taking the gospel to the Gentiles, who by Jewish standards were considered common and unclean (verse 28).

Now consider this. If Yeshua had meant to say in Matthew 15:11 and Mark 7:18–19 that it was now permissible to eat all foods including those meats that the Torah prohibits to be eaten (e.g., pork, shellfish, etc.), presumably Peter would have known this, since he was present when Yeshua made the statement (see Matt 15:15). If Peter knew that Yeshua had given the okay for his disciples now to eat unclean meat, why then did Peter so strongly object when the voice from heaven commanded him to eat the unclean animals in the vision (Acts 10:13–14)? Obviously, Peter had not changed his opinion about not eating unclean meat, since Yeshua had never annulled the Torah command forbidding the eating of unclean meats in the first place.

 

New Video: How to Tie Biblical Fringes or Tzitzit

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In this video, Natan Lawrence shows you how to make your own fringes or tzitzit (plural: tzitziyot). It’s fun and easy to fulfill the biblical command to wear fringes on your garments (Numbers 15:37–41).

 

New Video: The Law of the Fringes

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In this video, Natan Lawrence teaches you about the curious biblical law of the fringes from Numbers 15:37–41 and how it relates to you. Learn about the prayer shawl and how it helps to point man to his Creator—YHVH Elohim.