Tag Archives: Yeshua

Yeshua’s Response to the Las Vegas Shooting? Repent or Perish!

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I don’t want to be so arrogant as to presume exactly what Yeshua would have said in response to the recent tragic Las Vegas shooting. No doubt his heart would have been broken. This we know. All humans were made in the image of the Creator and Yeshua died for everyone (John 3:16) and he loved us while we were yet sinners (Rom 5:8 and Eph 2:4–5).

However, the Gospel of Luke reveals that a similar events happened in Yeshua’s day where there was a huge loss of “innocent” life due to tragic circumstances that no one could have foreseen. When asked what he thought about it, Yeshua didn’t judge or condemn anyone. He simply had a pithy word to those who were still living—an important lesson for us all.

We read his response in Luke 13:1–5.

There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

The point? Repent or perish! Everyone will die eventually one way or another. No one knows the  time or place of their death. Therefore, make the most of your life while you have it and especially repent of sin and turn to YHVH Elohim the Creator while you can.

So Yeshua’s message to America and to everyone is this: REPENT OR  PERISH!

After you have repented, then what? Start reading your Bible. It will tell you what to do from that point on. The Hoshana Rabbah Bible reading schedule will you to that in a systematic, organized and balanced manner. You can down load for free at https://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/read-bible-in-a-year_2017-18.pdf.

 

Yom Kippur 2017— Opening the Treasure Chest! (Pt 2)

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Leviticus 16—The Protocols for Coming Into the Presence of the Almighty Creator

By Ya’acov Natan Lawrence
Hoshana Rabbah Biblical Discipleship Resources
www.hoshanarabbah.org

How do humans come into the Presence of YHVH Elohim? There is one proper way to do so, and there many improper ways to do so. The Torah’s discussion pertaining to the rituals associated with the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) reveal to us what the proper protocol is and also alludes to the fact that there is an improper way to approach the Almighty Creator of the universe as well—something which brings disastrous results.

Now YHVH spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before YHVH, and died… (Lev 16:1)

Elohim killed Nadab and Abihu because they came into the holy of holies in the Tabernacle of Moses (a representation of Elohim’s heavenly throne room) in a careless and indifferent manner. Not only were they intoxicated with alcohol, but they failed to follow the proper ceremonial protocols outlined by YHVH Elohim to come into the Presence of the Almighty. The next few verses lay out what those protocols are to come before the King of the universe. To not follow those protocols brings the death penalty on the person. Such a person is entering illegally as an unauthorized trespasser.

Who hasn’t seen signs on private property that say something like this: “Private Property, No Trespassing,” “Government Property, No Trespassing,” “Unauthorized Entrance Prohibited,” “Violators Will Be Prosecuted to the Full Extent of the Law,” or “Violators Will Be Shot”? What happens to an uninvited intruder who climbs over the fence around the White House or over the walls of Buckingham Palace? He’s arrested if not shot on the spot. Similarly, there are penalties for coming into the throne room of the Almighty YHVH Elohim illegally.

…and YHVH said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat. (Lev 16:2)

YHVH Elohim doesn’t allow humans to casually saunter into his Presence anytime and in anyway they want. Though he is our loving Heavenly Father, he is still the Creator of the Universe who is to be feared and respected. He has the power of life and death; he gave life and can take it away. Humans (especially Christians) would do well to know their place before the Almighty, to treat him with the respect he is due and to follow his instructions in all areas of their relationship with him. YHVH wants humans to come into his Presence, but in the right way.

It is utter folly on the part of humans to ignore the clear commands and instructions of Elohim. Nadab and Abihu found out the hard way; their folly cost them their lives. There are no theologies regardless of the respectability or age of the religious institution or denomination or the erudition of the biblical scholars that invented them that can circumvent the clear instructions of YHVH Elohim. The oft-quoted phrases “It has been done away with,” “It has been nailed to the cross,” “We’re under grace now, not under the law,” “That was for the Jews,” “Jesus fulfilled that for me, so I’m not required to do that” Continue reading →

 

Yom Kippur 2017— Opening the Treasure Chest! (Pt. 1)

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The Gospel Proclaimed in Leviticus 23:27–32

By Ya’acov Natan Lawrence
Hoshana Rabbah Biblical Discipleship Resources
www.hoshanarabbah.org

Let’s explore Leviticus 23:27–32 where we find the command to observe the Day of Atonement (Heb. Yom Kippur) to see what surprising nuggets we can find here. In the simplicity of this text, we will discover outlined the entire gospel message of salvation prophetically foreshadowed some 1500 years before the birth and death of Yeshua the Messiah.

The text of Leviticus 23:27–32 is highlighted in bold with explanations following.

27 Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement [Heb. kippur]. 

This day is about atoning, reconciliation and purging, which is the meaning of kippur. Purging who of what? We’ll soon find out.

It shall be a holy convocation for you;

Yom Kippur is a commanded assembly or a sacred convocation for YHVH’s people. It was made holy not by men, but by the Creator of the universe. Men can’t make anything holy, for men aren’t holy. Only the Holy (Heb. Kadosh) One of Israel can do this. The Day of Atonement is also a divine appointment (Heb. moed, Lev 23:2) as determined by the YHVH Elohim. It is a time when the Creator demands to meet with his people. Humans who miss it defy the Creator’s commands.

…you shall afflict your souls,

Afflict is the Hebrew word anah meaning “to oppress with the idea of humility or meekness in mind coupled with the idea of a suffering life rather than with one of worldly happiness and abundance” (The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, vol. 2, p. 682).

First, what is your soul? It is who you are. It is what makes you unique. It is your personality, your emotional makeup, your mental abilities and your willpower. Your soul determines what you say, do and think. Yeshua called it the heart of man (Matt 12:35; 15:19). It is attached to and in charge of the human body.  It tells the body what to do, saw and think. The soul is the source of sin in the human (Ezek 18:4).

Why does YHVH command his people to afflict their souls (i.e. to go one day without food and water) on Yom Kippur?

The reason for this is that the soul must be put down, or sublimated and brought under the control of the Word and Spirit of Elohim if man is to have a spiritual relationship with the Creator, which can eventually result in man receiving eternal life and membership into his heavenly kingdom. Yeshua taught his disciples that “he who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for [Yeshua’s] sake will find it” (Matt 10:39), and that “whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for [Yeshua’s] sake will find it” (Matt 16:25). The sinful soul (the mind, will and emotions) of men is what prevents man Continue reading →

 

Is Yeshua “the only begotten” or “the one of kind, unique” Son of Elohim?

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John 1:14, Only begotten [Gr. monogenes]. The Greek word monogenes means “unique, one of a kind” and not “only begotten” as is commonly translated in most of our English Bibles. The NIV and ESV translations more correctly substitutes the phrase “only begotten” found in this verse and in John 3:16 (along with John 1:18 and 1 John 4:9) with the word only.

Why is this latter translation a better though not a perfect one? This is because Greek scholars originally thought that monogenes was derived from two Greek words: mono (only) and genao (to beget, to bear). Greek scholars have now discovered that monogenes actually derives not from genao, but from genos meaning “one of a kind or class” and therefore means “unique, the one and only, the one and only of a family” (The Unseen Realm, pp. 36–37, by Michael S. Heiser; see also The Complete Word Dictionary pp. 995–996, by Spiros Zodhiates).

Clearly the Bible teaches that YHVH has other sons (e.g. the divine sons of Elohim or beney Elohim [e.g. see Gen 6:2, 4; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7]), so Yeshua is not literally the only begotten son of Elohim according to Scripture. But he is the unique Son of Elohim of which there is no other like him. He is without peer and in a class of his own, and as Elohim (John 1:1), he is above and superior to all the other sons of Elohim.

So give him the praise, glory, honor and worship he is due!

 

What did Yeshua mean when he said, “You are elohim/gods”?

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John 10:34, You are gods. Yeshua is here quoting Ps 82:6 where the term elohim in Hebraic thought and as used biblically simply refers to all divine beings whether good (e.g. Elohim, his heavenly council and angels) to evil (e.g. Satan, evil spirits and demons).

Elohim can also refer to human (righteous) judges, who are acting on behalf of Elohim on this earth making righteous judgment between humans (e.g. Exod 21:6; 22:8–9). Yeshua gave this same authority to his apostles (or church leaders) to adjudicate between the saints and to make ecclesiastical decisions as did the Jewish Sanhedrin of old, and he promised that as Elohim’s agents on earth, he would honor their decisions (e.g. Matt 16:19; 18:18–20).

In this passage, Yeshua is clearly stating that the Jews in his audience were divine beings.

What did he mean by this?

The verse here doesn’t indicate that those in his audience were Jewish judges or members of the ruling elite. He was speaking generically to a group of lay people to whom the word of Elohim had been given (v. 35), which is why they were at that time in Jerusalem on the temple mount observing the Feast of Dedication of the temple or Hanukkah (John 10:22–23).

In making this statement, Yeshua is most likely referring to the potential that spiritually enlightened humans, who have received the word of Elohim, have for becoming glorified sons of Elohim some day (i.e. at the resurrection) if they believe in him (John 1:12).

Whatever Yeshua means, he is clearly stating that those humans (to whom the word of Elohim was given, v. 35) possess some divine element, to one degree or another, that qualifies them to be included under the rubric of elohim. Whether he is thinking of the term elohim vis-à-vis humans in present or future prophetic terms is not clear from this passage. He simply states as a fact that “You are elohim” (if you have been given the word of Elohim).

 

Call 9-1-1 in the Bible: An Uplifting Commentary on Psalm 91

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Psalm 91:1 (and the rest of Psalm 91) Is the Biblical 9-1-1 to Call in Our Time of Trouble

Psalms 91:1, Secret. Heb. cether means “covering, shelter, hiding place, secrecy,” and is from the root word meaning “to hide, conceal.” When troubles comes our way like a tidal wave, the natural human reaction is to stand and fight or to flee in fear. In psychology this is known as the fight or flight response. There is a time to fight, but at all times we need to be hiding in the secret place of our relationship with our Almighty Father in heaven, to which the latter part of this verse alludes. Out of that place, and from under the shadow of the wings of the Almighty and in his throne room, we will not be cowering in fear from our enemies, but we will find the courage, will and stamina to stand firm in faith, and, if necessary, to come out and to fight the enemy not in our own strength, but in that of Elohim as led and guided by his Spirit.

Abide. Heb. luwn means “to lodge, stop over, pass the night or abide.” A lodge is a place where one temporarily spends the night. When dark times come our way, we need to stop over, spend the night, run to and abide in the throne room of the Almighty! This speaks of prayer, worship, praise and studying his Word.

Psalms 91:1, 4, Under the shadow of the Almighty…under his wings. According to the ancient Jewish sages, Moses composed this psalm for the tribe of Levi who dwelt under the shadow of the wings of cherubim that stood over the ark of the covenant in the Tabernacle of Moses—a physical representation of YHVH’s throne room in heaven. The sages go on to explain that the psalmist describes the devout man of faith who lives with Elohim in his heart, and who never leaves Elohim’s shadow. Such a man is a true biblical hero of faith to whom Elohim pledges (v. 16) he will satisfy with long life and show him his salvation (The ArtScroll Tanach Series Tehillim/Psalms Commentary on Ps 91). This psalm ends with the promise of the blessing of long life to those love and serve YHVH, and beyond that, salvation, which is the Hebrew word Yeshua—the very name of the coming Messiah who would offer his people deliverance from the ultimate enemy, namely sin and its death penalty. The result of this deliverance is the glorious divine gift of eternal life through faith in Yeshua the Messiah—the supreme gift and blessing of all! This psalm is a prophecy pointing to the Messiah.

In Jewish understanding, the Tabernacle of Moses wasn’t complete until the glory of YHVH’s presence took residence in the tabernacle’s inner chamber, the holy of holies. This was evidence that YHVH was making this habitation his own in a most intimate way. How was it possible, they ask, for the Creator of the universe to inhabit a mere tent? They explain that he focused his presence into this tiny spot. This isn’t unlike a magnifying glass that reflects the suns rays into a small but focused point on a piece of wood or paper. Were the earth closer to the sun, it would be burned up. Yet the sun’s light can be brought to the earth in a concentrated form that will not cause harm. This is exactly what Elohim did when he incarnated Yeshua into the womb of Mary. The sages had the understanding that the holy of holies is a picture of man’s heart that the Creator wants to indwell, which is the most sacred sanctuary of all.

The conception and birth of Yeshua was the fulfillment of this prophecy. The fire of the Set-Apart Spirit that came down upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 was a fulfillment of this desire of YHVH of which the fiery glory cloud that dwelt in and over the Tabernacle of Moses was a prophetic portent. Yeshua promised his disciples that through this same divine fire he would dwell in their hearts after his death, resurrection and ascension. The result of this divine encounter of Elohim with those in the upper room resulted in many repenting of their sins and coming to faith in Yeshua the Messiah (Acts 2:38–41), which is the greater message of Psalm 91.

Psalms 91:3, Snare of the fowler. This is literally referring to a bird trap and the trapper. In ancient times, birds were trapped and used for food. This could be a poetic picture of Satan and his demons who fly through the air searching for human prey. A biblical example Continue reading →