The Torah and Testimony—A Stone of Stumbling

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In the following several verses we see an amazing prophecy concerning the two houses of Israel who, generically speaking, have become the modern church and the rabbinic Jews.

Here Isaiah prophesies about the canonization of the Bible into two subdivision—the Torah (or loosely speaking, the Old Testament) and the Testimony (the New Testament). He also predicts that each of these two religious groups (the Jew and he Christians) would spiritually stumble over or have a problem with the identity of the Messiah, who is the Stone of Stumbling and the Rock of Offense. In general, as we shall see, the Christians struggle with the pro-Torah message of the Old Testament (or Word of Elohim), and the Jews reject the message of the New Testament (or Testimony of Yeshua) about the Messiahship of Yeshua.

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Isaiah 8:14–15, Stone of stumbling. Both houses of Israel (Ephraim and Judah; i.e., the Christian [see notes at Gen 48:14,16] 48: and the Jews) have stumbled over the stone of stumbling, who later on is identified as Yeshua, the Messiah (1 Pet 2:4–8; Rom 9:32–33; 1 Cor 1:23). The non-believing Jews stumbling over the Messiahship of Yeshua who is the Living Torah-Word of Elohim incarnate (John 1:1,14), while the Christians stumble over the Written Torah, which they claim was abolished and is minimally relevant to them.  This stone of stumbling is an obvious reference to Yeshua who is a stone of stumbling to both houses of Israel (i.e., the non-believing Jews and the Christians.) The Christians stumble over or reject (at least, in part)Yeshua who is the Written Torah-Word of Elohim (John 1:1). The non-believing Jews, on the other hand, reject Yeshua, the Living Torah-Word of Elohim who came in flesh form (John 1:14). Continue reading →

 

Be Wholly Holy As He Is Holy

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Isaiah 6:3, Holy, holy, holy. (See also Rev 4:8.) Since these are the words of worship being proclaimed to Elohim in his throne room continually, then holiness must be his chief attribute—not love, mercy, grace, etc. as many teach and believe.
Elsewhere, we learn that YHVH made man and woman in his own image (Gen 1:26–27). What was the reason for this? One reason is that YHVH wants humans to become a part of his spiritual family as sons and daughters (John 1:12; Rom 8:14–15, 23; 9:4; 2 Cor 6:18; Gal 4:5–6; Eph 1:5; 1 John 3:1–2; Rev 21:7). When the saints receive their glorified spiritual bodies at the resurrection, they will be like Yeshua is in his glorified state, although we don’t have a clear idea of what that means (1 John 3:1–2). Man is destined to become part of the God family as the children of Elohim, although no one will ever be equal to him in all his attributes (Isa 44:6, 8).
Because Elohim wants to have glorified children in his spiritual family who will live with him forever, and because his chief attribute is holiness, is this why he wants man to become holy as he is holy (Lev 11:44, 45; 19:2; 20:7; 1 Thess 4:7; 1 Pet 1:15–16; Heb 12:14 cp. Amos 3:3)?

 

New Video: YHVH’s Plan of Salvation in the Seven Biblical Feasts

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In this video, learn how the seven biblical feasts as outlined in Leviticus 23 are YHVH’s seven-step plan of salvation (or redemption) for mankind. They are the chronological template of the seven steps each one must take to go from being a slave to the world, flesh and the devil in the spiritual Egypt of this world to becoming a child of Elohim (God) forever in the New Jerusalem. The feasts show man how to be reconciled to our Father in heaven through Yeshua the Messiah.

Watch this video now at

 

YHVH’s Plan of Salvation in the Biblical Feasts

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The seven biblical feasts are a chronological step-by-step template of YHVH’s plan of redemption or salvation for mankind. This process begins with Passover—a picture of a believer’s initial salvation, and concludes with the Eighth Day—a picture of eternal life for each bonafide and glorified member of the spiritual family of Elohim. The first step in this spiritual journey starts with one’s turning their back on spiritual Egypt,which is the realm of the world, the flesh and the devil, and embarking on a life-long spiritual journey that leads one progressively to higher planes with the ultimate goal being the paradise of the New Jerusalem—literally a heaven on earth.

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Sadly, the church system has failed to reveal these essential truths to believers. It has robbed the saints of their biblical, Hebraic and Torah-based heritage including an understanding of the biblical feasts and has replaced it with many lies. This has left believers without a full moedim_f_smunderstanding both their spiritual heritage and destiny. For most believers caught up in the Babylonian church system, it’s merely a matter of getting saved, doing some good works along the way and going to church. Beyond that, one bides their time standing on the street corner waiting for death or the rapture bus—whichever come first—to take them to heaven. But is this all there is to the believer’s life? What is supposed to happen from the point of one’s initial salvation until they “get to heaven”? Hmm?! Now there’s a good head-scratcher for most!

Thankfully, YHVH hasn’t abandoned his spiritual children to wander aimlessly through the wilderness of life. He has a plan for each of us. Continue reading →

 

Blog Scripture Readings for 2/17 through 2/23/13

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Parashat Tetzaveh — Exodus 27:20 – 30:10
Haftarah — 1 Samuel 15:2 – 34 **
Prophets — Isaiah 5:1 – 13:22
Writings — Psalms 130:1 – 138:8
Testimony — John 7:1 – 10:21

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 2/17 through 2/23/13.

** A different Haftarah is read when it is a special sabbath in Jewish tradition. On 2/23 is the traditional “Shabbat Zachor” (Sabbath of Remembrance), which is the Sabbath just before Purim. This haftarah is read as a reminder on the instruction in Deuteronomy 25:17-19 to not forget to remember what Amalek did and to blot out the remembrance of Amalek. It is read at this time because Haman (“the Agagite” Esther 3:1) was a descendent of the king of the Amalekites who had been spared by Saul.

 

Welcome to the Tabernacle of Moses

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If you were the Creator of the universe, what means would you use to communicate with those that you had created through love in your likeness and image? In a remote way, it’s like a human standing over an anthill trying to communicate with the ants. What’s more, how does an all powerful, Spirit Being, loving Father in heaven relate to his mortal children who are but mere dust without vaporizing them with his raw power? The difficulty is compounded when fearful humans don’t want to hear the voice of Elohim, which is what happened when YHVH Elohim’s voice thundered from Mount Sinai. The children of Israel begged him not to talk to them, lest they die. They asked the Almighty One to speak to them instead through Moses (Exod 20:19).

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When man sinned at the tree of knowledge and YHVH kicked them out of the Garden of Eden, direct communications between man and his Maker were hampered, if not all but cut off. However, Elohim had a plan to restore the loving relationship he had with man before the rebellion. But if men refuse to hear you when you speak, what are you do?

To be certain, the Almighty doesn’t lack for ways to communicate with men. Man is without excuse when it comes to hearing Elohim, for even the heaven’s declare the glory of the Creator and the plans he has for mankind. The visible things of this creation shout loudly about the spiritual mysteries heaven desires to reveal to its earthly subjects. Furthermore, Elohim speaks to select servants through dreams, visions, signs, wonders, angels, and even jackasses! But how does he speak to a whole nation, if that nation is plugging its ears refusing to hear its Master’s voice?

Enter into the picture the Tabernacle of Moses, which was literally a three-dimensional gospel message tract. It is the visual demonstration Continue reading →

 

Did Yeshua Break the Sabbath?

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John 5:18, [Yeshua]… broke the Sabbath. Listen to an interesting and sad, but true story. Many years ago, I was in a meeting where a Christian Bible teacher was giving a message on the end times. In the middle of his teaching and totally out of context, he quoted this passage from John and claimed that Yeshua broke the Sabbath. There was a rustle in the audience of about 300 people. A little later, he made the same statement again and began to deride the Sabbath. This time there was an audible moan from some in the audience — many of whom were Sabbath keepers. A feeling of being hit in the gut went through me. A little later, he made the same statement again, and continued to bash Sabbath observance. This time, I could hold my peace no longer, and I stood up and challenged him in the middle of the meeting. I told him that to say that Yeshua had broken the Sabbath was to call Yeshua a sinner, and that Yeshua had not broken the Sabbath, but some Jewish legal traditions (or halakhah) pertaining to the Sabbath. The speaker was flustered and had no response, and the host of the meeting decided to take an intermission.

A year later, it was announced that this Bible teacher had suddenly and unexpectedly dropped dead in the pulpit while preaching. One can’t help but wonder…

Yeshua didn't come to set men free from the Sabbath. He came to set the Sabbath free from men's unbiblical traditions.

Yeshua didn’t come to set men free from the Sabbath. He came to set the Sabbath free from men’s unbiblical traditions.

Had this false teacher simply pulled down a concordance from his bookshelf and looked up the word broke in the Greek, and had read John’s statement in verse 12 in the context of verses 8–10, he wouldn’t have been teaching this blasphemous heresy about our Master and Savior!

Here is the explanation of this passage: The word broke Continue reading →