FRESH IDOL SOUP!

1 Corinthians 10:14

… flee from idolatry.

IDOL SOUP RECIPE: You will need: 1 freshly worshipped golden calf; 1 angry prophet; a large rock; a big stick; a pestle and mortar; 1 blazing open-flame fire; a generous supply of water.

Remove idol from its elevated platform; meanwhile, heat open fire to full strength. Handling roughly, toss idol into open flames. Allow image to thoroughly melt. Wait till gold has assumed a shapeless mass. Poke with stick to make sure it is completely melted before extinguishing fire. Allow gold to cool. Once cold, crush gold with big rock into medium size chunks. Thoroughly grind gold chunks with pestle and mortar until they reach a powder-like consistency. Spread powder over surface of the water. Serve cold. Serves 603,550.

(Courtesy of First Fruits of Zion Ministries).

In the incident of the golden calf, God treated the Israelites like the woman suspected of adultery (emphasis on ‘suspected’). Here is the passage about it,

And if the spirit of jealousy comes over him (the husband) … the man shall bring his wife to the priest … And the priest shall take holy water … and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. … And when he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself … the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, …  But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she shall be free and shall conceive children (Num. 5:14-28).

In the last part of the section the Hebrew says, "she shall bear seed". I believe that Hashem is knowledgeable of human biology and that he knows that women do not bear seed. We also find the mention of a woman bearing seed in I will put enmity between … your offspring and her offspring (Hebrew text for offspring: seed) (Gen. 3:15), so this is not the first time that the Tanach תנך conceives the idea of the ‘seed’ of the woman. Both these references about women bearing seed are formidable Messianic expressions. The first one speaks of the final demise of the devil by the only woman (Miriam) to ever conceive seed without the agency of a man (Mat. 1:18—20), while the other speaks of the future destiny of Israel. How does that work?

The woman in question is merely suspected of adultery; she has not been caught in the act. If she had been, she would be stoned right away, but she is only suspected of adultery and that probably because of uncomely behavior. She shall then be put to the bitter water test; if she really is guilty she should become deadly sick and a curse to her people. Israel as a nation has been put through the bitter waters tests of Sinai, and of exile, but in the end has come out victorious. Looking at the full story, we see Israel again, the Israel of the believers, in the woman of Revelation 12 bearing seed from among the gentiles as a sign of her restoration.

Sometimes the Father allows us to go though bitter times. If our heart is pure towards him, these passing moments of our lives only enhance our station. Bitter times are coming to test all those that live upon the earth (Rev. 3:10). As in Horeb, these bitter times will also take the shape of an idolatrous image (Rev. 13:14). May we keep our heart pure from the world, that we may be found guiltless and bear ‘seed’ unto him.

IDOLATRY TODAY

1 Corinthians 8:4

…  "an idol has no real existence,"…

When Israel made the Golden Calf, they were not transferring their worship of Hashem to that of another deity. In their mind, they were still worshipping Adonai, albeit in a syncretized version. A literal translation of what Moses says in Exodus 32:4 reads: "this is your God Israel who brought you out of Egypt". They thought they could worship Adonai by the medium of something familiar, in this case the calf. Contrary to the claimed deities of the day, being the Creator of all things, the God of Abraham did not want to be represented through the mere medium of one His creations.

Let's look at idolatry in religion today. While the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church are a mixed bowl of ancient Jewish Messianism and their respective pagan cultures, Western Protestantism seems to have has adopted a form of religion that is very reminiscent to Hellenic ascetism and transcendentalism, along with an anti-Biblical materialism philosophy that over glorifies independence, wealth, and prosperity over the virtues of generosity, humility, and a submissive spirit.

There is also a form idolatry that empowers words of affirmation, astral bodies, and geometric shapes, through fear and acknowledgment. Hashem indeed created all languages, geometry, and the astral bodies, all in order to glorify Him (Revelations 4:11); that is why the enemy is intent on high-jacking creation for his own purposes. Witches today center their worship around new moons, and call some of their feast days ‘Sabbaths’. Does it mean that we should stop obeying God’s commandment to sanctify the new moon and remember the Sabbath just because the devil perverted these things (Numbers 29:6; Exodus 20:8)? Should we stop recognizing God’s Holy Days just because pagans also have special days (Colossians 2:16)? In the Bible God used a brazen snake on a pole to heal His people. They were told if they just gaze at it they will live. Several hundred years later, a Judean King Josiah had to destroy it because people had made it an object of worship (Numbers 21:8; 2 Kings 18:4).  

As a French-born naturalized American, as long as I am on American soil the laws of France cannot affect me. In the same manner, when we renounce allegiance to the enemy, as long as we remain on spiritual God’s territory, none of the devil’s trinkets have power over us. Idols, astral bodies, and geometric shapes only have the power we allot them through fear or ignorance.

Judaism teaches that when we use an element of creation for the glory of God we capture it from the hands of the enemy to the glory of God. Wood can make an idol, but also an Ark to house a Torah scroll. Metal can make money, the love of which is the source of all evil, but it also can be fashioned into a head piece to crown the King of Kings. Mathematics, Geometry, physics and astronomy are all related as sciences proving God’s ownership of creation.

It is high time we recapture God’s creation and give it back to him, along with our own hearts, minds, souls, and spirits.

THE 'RENEWED' COVENANT.

John 14:8

"Adoni, show us the Father,”

The Children of Israel blew it. Impatient for the return of Moses they make themselves a god of gold. They did not transfer their loyalty to an idol of gold. Unfamiliar with the idea of an unseen god with no image or temple, they concretized the unseen One who had qualified Himself by taking them out of Egypt into the similitude of a calf. Hashem seems to have an issue with identity theft.

Israel played the harlot during her betrothal so God calls off the wedding. The first covenant made at Sinai is already broken. Israel, the bride is technically allegeable to the death penalty. Justice is an invariable concept. When justice is not paid, we give way to injustice and God cannot be found to be unjust. Justice has to be given its due but here where Moses found a legal loophole: it doesn’t matter by whom it is paid. In this case, Moses negotiates with Hashem. Moses drives a hard bargain. Knowing that the Father wants to destroy Israel but that he also himself found favor in the sight of God, Moses places himself on the side of Israel. He stops talking in 'I', ‘You’, and ‘them’ terms, but uses ‘we’, and ‘You”. Therefore if God kills Israel, He has to also kill Moses. Moses saves the day by identifying himself with Israel, by putting his own life on the line alongside Israel. As a result, by the righteousness of one, the whole nation is saved. This is a very important concept foreshadowing Messiah’s mission.

Having heard Moses’ pleas, Hashem rewards his sacrificial stand and shows His True compassionate nature by renewing the broken covenant. It will be the same covenant but renewed, not a new covenants such, this 'renewed covenant' (brit Chadasha) carries the same terms as the first one.

Hashem does so because of His own character and desire. In the third chapter of the Book of Exodus, as the Almighty Creator of the Universe reveals His identity to Moses,. He uses the words “HEHIYEH ASHER HEHIYEH”, or “I Will Be That I Will Be” (Exodus 3), which means something to the essence of “I Am the Eternal Existential Being and I keep Covenant Forever’. In Exodus thirty-four, Hashem continues revealing His identity. He does so using a list of thirteen attributes. These attributes represent the Father’s compassionate nature and are a central motif in Jewish liturgies. Because Hashem is forgiving and compassionate, there will be a wedding in Horeb after all.

It is so funny that so many people think that divine grace and forgiveness is something our Master Yeshua brought, and that it didn’t exist before. Yeshua’s grace was only a reflection of the Father’s never-changing willingness to atone and forgive. Yeshua came to show and represent the Father's eternal comapssion to us. Do we forget that it is actually God who so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16)?

STAND AND BE COUNTED

John 10:3

… He calls his own sheep by name …

The Torah tells us that when a census is taken, each man is to bring the price of his atonement to avoid the plague (Exodus 30:12-13). A census in the Bible is a very serious and dangerous thing. It means to be counted and recognized as a full subject of the Kingdom of God. In that moment, regardless of our social standing, our worth is the same as anyone else. It is the time when our name and lineage are fully recognized in front of all Israel. This is the time when a man stands in the full posture of his person to be counted.

The price of a man’s ransom is universal: half a shekel. The half a shekel price is not to be understood as a payment for salvation in the liking of the old catholic indulgences to redeem us from our sins. The Hebrew word used here is ‘kaphar’, a word meaning: covering’ or ‘atonement’ (Exodus 30:12). It is an awesome thing to come into the presence of God to be counted; we need a covering. In the Hebrew Scriptures, Messiah is often called the ‘Shield” (Psalms 5:12). Messiah truly is our shield whose agency connects us safely to the Almighty. The money collected is to be used for the maintenance of God’s sanctuary. Through it, we each and all take personal responsibility for our enrolment into Israel and for the care of the Temple. Our giving makes us a part of the work of God.

Censuses were often taken for the purpose of military enrolment when only male twenty on up were counted. The reasons a census incurred a plague are not given to us clearly in the Torah text, so they have been left to scholars’ personal deduction and speculations. One thing is sure though: we want to be part of such a census. From Genesis to Ezra, Israel was numbered on nine occasions. The tenth time will be in the future when ‘… flocks shall again pass under the hands of the One (Messiah) who counts them, says Adonai (Jeremiah 33:13).   

In that day, the Messiah will be counting His sheep from both Israel and the nations: He is our ‘half-shekel’, whose confession is priceless as the shield of our souls while dangerous in the world of men. In my case, a long time ago it caused me the scorn and separation of my family; hasn’t He said that He came as a stumbling and an offence (1 Peter 2:6-8)?

No matter what anyone does to them; those counted in this final census, in the census of all census' at the end of He says, I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand (John 10:28).  

PEACE IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM

Mark 4:40

“Have you still no faith?"

The Master sails on a small fishing boat with His student. They are crossing the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:35). As a great storm arises almost filling the boat with water (Mark 4:37), the disciples begin to be swamped and feel in danger (Luke 8:23). The Master sleeps soundly in the stern of the boat. This passage alludes to Jonah’s story which narrates, But Adonai hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep (Jonah 1:4-5). In both stories the main character sleeps peacefully during a dangerous storm; terrified sailors awaken the sleeper and rebuke him; the principal character has the solution to the danger; the storm miraculously calms down; the sailors are amazed; and the boats in both stories are on route to a gentile city; the fact that in Mark’s account the disciples meet a pig herder tells us so.

From their cave carved in the rock, two demoniacs look down towards the lake below in fear and trembling. The spirits in them are panicking. They know exactly who is coming, And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us (Hebrew idiom for: ‘don’t meddle with us’), O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time" (Matthew 8:28-29)? Evil spirits know they look forward to a time of everlasting judgment (1 Enoch 10:13; 55:4). They were surprised to see Yeshua a bit early so they panicked and reminded the Master that their time had not arrived yet. Yeshua took pity on the poor victims and delivered them which created a mixed reaction among these gentiles. On the one hand they rejoiced for the healing, but it came at the cost of their herd.

Even so today the Master’s footsteps are heard and evil spirits fear in anticipation of their coming eternal fiery future. His people are being restored to the Land and His message crosses borders reaching all nations creating mixed reactions. Because he knows his time is at hand, the enemy fills the world with political, financial, social, theological and physical storms which creates fear but again the Master says, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith (Mark 4:40)”? The worst I fear is the storm of new technologies which floods our youth with evil media and ungodly relationships. The evil one tries to destroy the generation that will have to maybe face him before they even get a chance. He will actually succeed in establishing himself for a while, but only for awhile for the King of Kings rises to deliver His people, He will also deliver those of the nations and send the evil ones to their everlasting torment (Revelations 19:11-21).

May it come soon Abba, even in days! 

PEACE AND UNITY

Matthew 5:9

"Blessed are the peacemakers”

As Aaron is anointed High-priest, he became a foreshadow of Messiah. The one time anointing of Aaron is remembered in Psalms 133 in the following words, Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there Adonai has commanded the blessing, life forevermore (Psalms 133:1-3). Why did David compare Aaron’s anointing to peace and unity? We have learned before of the little scheme Aaron used to get people at odds with each other back in fellowship. Jewish sages taught that we should emulate Aaron in our efforts to bring peace within our families and communities.

 We all search for peace and unity but seem to be plagued with division and conflicts. Maybe we have a wrong idea of what peace and unity are. Peace and unity does not mean 'absence of conflict' and uniformity. Debates from differences of opinions are healthy. They keep us intellectually alive and sharp while seeking for better answers. Also, as humans, we are naturally divided into cultural groups and thought patterns. Who said that we were all supposed to be uniformed zombies all thinking the same thing? Hashem made us human beings with free will, not preprogrammed robots.

What creates our inability to be together is not the way Hashem made us, but the way we react to those that are different from us. We generally fear that which we do not understand and do not have the control over, and that is what causes the problem. We all believe in unity but because of our fear mixed with intolerance, we want that unity to orbit around us.  

The Master had around Him twelve men coming from diverse walks of life, culture, and religious affiliation from Israel, and He taught them to love, accept, understand each other, so they could work together. As a result, they taught about the God of Israel to the whole world. Let us therefore learn not to concentrate on what divides us but on what unites us; not on what we dislike but on what we appreciate about each other; not to merely see each other, but see Yeshua, the image of the Father in our brethren.

Didn't our Master say, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God (Matthew 5:9)?

THE URIM AND THE THUMMIM, lost and returned!

John 14:26

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

One of the mysteries of ancient Israel is the ‘Urim and Thummim’: ‘Lights’ and ‘Perfections’ (Exodus 28:29-30). According to tradition, these referred to the twelve stones set in the High-Priest’s breastplate and were often used to consult God’s will. Only the High-Priest would wear them and only a king or prominent leader could inquire of them. The High-Priest and the inquirer would stand in the ‘Holy’, the first chamber of the tabernacle, and the answer would be given by the light of the Menorah shining on certain letters from the names of the tribes written on the stones of the breastplate.

Until they were lost with the destruction of the first Temple, Israel often consulted with Hashem by the means of the Urim and Thummim. One of the most popular examples is how Saul turned to the witch of Andor when a priest deprived him from the linen ephod carrying the Urim and Thumim by bringing them to David, who through their consultation was always able to stay one step ahead of Saul. (1 Samuel 23:6; 28:6).

Hashem wants us to consult Him (Proverbs 3:5-7). Why did He allow the Urim and Thummim to disappear? Only He knows, but during the time of the Babylonian exile Israel filled the void by developing systems of studies that kept them close to the Word and thereby to Hashem. After the exile, Ezra established these systems in rural center synagogues in a yearly Torah reading program.

When the people returned from the Babylonian captivity, Ezra also worked at re-establishing the Temple priesthood. When some families could not prove their Levitical descent, they were refused the offices of the priesthood (Ezra 2:61-62). Their name was not enough. They needed to be found written in the registry. Disobedience had had a disastrous effect on the country so Ezra was therefore determined to stick to the Torah commands about Levitical priesthood; circumstantial evidence was not accepted. Ezra then told potential priests, not to partake of the most holy food, until there should be a priest to consult Urim and Thummim (Ezra 2:63), a prophetic statement which lends itself to the idea that one day, a High-Priest will return with the Urim and Thummim.

Only that High-Priest-Priest, He who is Light and Perfection truly knows whose name is written in the ‘registry’ (Hebrews 5:5; Revelations 20:15). He promised through Moses and confirmed through Peter that we are a nation of priests (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:5, 9). As Yeshua HaMashiach returns with the Urim and Thummim, He will confirm whose name is written in the ‘Book’. We will then be able to partake of the ‘most holy food’, that of the ‘peace offering’ (Leviticus 7:31-32).

In the mean time may we, through the agency of the Holy Spirit learn to consult Him about all our affairs. May we learn to seek His advice and follow it no matter what it says.

THE OIL OF THE SHEKINAH

From the time of its introduction to Israel, the world has been rich in speculations concerning the seven-branch candelabrum of the Tabernacle. Since He hasn't told us what its seven mysterious lights are about, studies abound with Menorah enthusiasts desirous to fill this knowledge void. They may all be right, they may all be wrong. Hashem certainly has a way of teasing our curiosity.

From their position in the tabernacle, the menorah lights shined on the twelve loaves of the bread of presence representing the tribes of Israel. Agreeing with Jewish sages of the past, Yeshua not only informed us that He was the light of the world, but that His disciples were also the light of the world (John 8:12; Matthew 5:14). In the words of Jewish sages, the Hebrew word 'or' which stands for 'light', not only refers to physical illumination, but also to mental understanding and mostly, spiritual enlightenment.

The menorah was fueled by scented oil specially prepared for that purpose (Exodus 25:6). In the mouth of the Torah sages, this oil represents our earthly works of obedience to Hashem's commandments. In telling us 'let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5;16), the Master encourages our obedience to Torah in a way that it becomes a light bearing witness to God in the world. In that 'light', the Master's parable of the ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom becomes 'clear'. They all had the 'light', but without the oil of obedience the five foolish virgins' lamps quit burning exposing the shame of their dark spiritual state in which they could not face the bridegroom.  

Scholars taught that Hashem's shekinah (indwelling presence) rests on His children like the wick of an oil lamp. To burn bright and strong this wick not only needs to be trimmed, but also deeply immersed in oil. May our lives provide this oil that the presence of God in us through the agency of His Mashiach may be seen and felt by all, providing light and warmth to the very dark and cold world around us.

THE FRAGRANCE OF GETHSEMANE

2 Corinthians 2:14-15

For we are the aroma of Messiah to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

There is a fragrance reserved for the anointing of the holy. It is a fragrant scent distinguishing the consecrated from the profane (Exodus 29:7; 30:22-33).  As a man distinguishes his wife’s perfume personalized by her own scent, it is a sign for all to recognize what has been consecrated to God.

This oil has a special name. It is called: ‘Shemen HaMashiach’: ‘The Anointing Oil’. “Mashiach’ in Hebrew simply means ‘anointed one’, and the use of this oil was reserved to anoint the offices that required it such as priest, king and prophet. Only three people were known to carry the three offices: Moses, King David, and Yeshua. There is a decree of banishment for whoever replicates this oil or pours it on a common person (Exodus 30:31-33).

Exodus speaks of this fragrance in sacrificial terms, but in Song of Songs it appears in a lover’s language. ‘Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine; your anointing oils are fragrant; your name is oil poured out; therefore virgins love you (Song of Songs 1:3)’. The Torah’s fragrant oil is called: ‘Shemen HaMashiach’. Oil poured out’ speaks of someone being anointed; the context of the Song is about King Solomon’s kingship, the son of King David. This verse therefore from the Song of Song alludes to the future coming One, the Messianic King who will be known as: Messiah, or ‘The Anointed One’. It is remarkable that one of the steps of His anointing was a passage at a place called 'The Olive Press": Gethsemane.

The Apostolic Scriptures take up the theme of the Anointing Oil in the following terms: But thanks be to God, who in Messiah always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Messiah to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing (2 Corinthians 2:14-15). Through Moses God promised that Israel will become a nation of priests. As the Levites are the priesthood for Israel, Israel is the priesthood for the world. About fifteen hundred years later Galilean Jewish fisherman Peter tells the mixed (Jews and Gentiles) congregation of Messiah that they are a royal priesthood (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9).

As a nation of priests dedicated unto God we are now carriers of the holy scented oil. May our lives truly exhale His fragrance in every case and every situation we meet throughout the day lest we profane the Spirit that is vested in us.

THE FRAGRANCE OF MASHIACH

2 Corinthians 2:16

… a fragrance from life to life.

Three offices in the Torah require oil anointing: that of priest, king, and of prophet. The Hebrew word ‘Mashiach”, from where we derive the English ‘Messiah’ and the Greek anglicized word ‘christ’ simply means: ‘anointed one; ‘one upon whom oil has been poured’. Yeshua is the ‘Messiah’, the ‘Anointed One’; ‘He upon whom oil has been poured’, and He fulfills the three offices which require anointing. He first came as the promised prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15); He performed the function of High-Priest (Hebrews 9:11); and He returns as the King of kings (Revelations 19:16). 

Whereas the priests were simply sprinkled with the fragrant oil, the precious ointment was poured upon the head of the High-Priest head; it anointed him from head to toes thus the High-Priest emanated of the special oil’s sweet fragrance. In those days oil, especially olive oil, was used for washing, and perfume. It provided a shine and a shining sweet fragrance to the bearer.

Hear David’s poetic description of the anointing of Aaron: Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes (Psalms 133:1-2)! Jewish sages saw Aaron as the quintessential man of peace. He would go to two enemies and say to one, “Would you agree that in spite of all his faults, _ (his enemy) is a good carpenter?” When the man agreed, Aaron would go to his enemy and say, “Hey do you know what _ (first man) said about you? (”I can imagine …!” he would reply) He said that you were a good carpenter. I know you don’t like him too much but you can agree that he is a good cook!” When the second man heartily agreed, Aaron would take the precious statement back to the first man. When the two met each other next, they were able to have a positive rapport. It is because of this reputation of Aaron that in the Psalms, David compared the sweet fragrance of Aaron’s anointing to brethren united and in peace together (Psalms 133:1).

Hear now Paul’s praise, about the fragrance of Messiah, But thanks be to God, who in Messiah always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Messiah to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life (2 Corinthians 2:14-16).

Let us spread this sweet fragrance of peace throughout the whole world. Let us be example of the sweet fragrance of the peace of Messiah because really, if our application of Torah doesn’t bring us to the nitty-gritty of being at peace between each other as families, communities, and congregations, we are totally missing the point.

May our heads, faces, hands and feet be filled with the radiant fragrance of Messiah, the prince of Peace. May we be part of those whom the Master called ‘peace-makers’ that we in turn may be called the ‘Children of our God’ (Matthew 5:9).  

THE THIRD TEMPLE

Revelation 3:12

The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God.

While the children of Judah were exiled in Babylon, they witnessed the capture of their king, the devastation of their beloved Jerusalem, and the destruction of God’s Temple. Ezekiel the prophet was among the captives who, after all hopes were gone for the deported nation, was given the ministry of encouragement. Hashem used Ezekiel to encourage exiled in the Babylonian dispersion by telling them of the wonderful future of a rebuilt Jerusalem hosting a magnificent glorious temple where the Messiah Himself will serve (Ezekiel 40: and forward).

Oddly enough, as particular as Hashem can be on these things, the architectural plans and service details of the Messianic era Temple are different than those of the first Temple. When the captives returned and started rebuilding, it would have seemed natural that they would follow the blue print of Ezekiel’s prophetic temple but they did not. The prophets of the day believed that the temple they were to build right after their return from Babylon would not last forever. So whereas they decided to incorporate some of Ezekiel’s plan, they stuck close to the layout of the first temple. They understood that the Temple of Ezekiel’s vision belonged to another time, to the time pertaining Messiah’s actual reign on earth.

Since Ezekiel’s Temple prophecies have therefore not been fulfilled, they now serve as an encouragement for us who are still in dispersion, for all believers are strangers and exiles on this earth (Hebrews 11:13) waiting to return to where we belong in the Kingdom of God.  

So whatever upheaval we see in the Middle-East, we must fix our eyes on these prophecies which tell us of the glorious future of the Messianic age when Messiah Himself who has the true roadmap for peace in the area will reign from His Temple in Jerusalem. The Torah will be the Law of the Land flowing out of Zion to fill the nations of the world who will bring their glory to Jerusalem. It will be a time of great restoration when Messiah Himself will wipe our tears away while bringing true justice to the world.

May it come soon Abba, even in our days!

THE PROTOCOL OF HOLINESS

Luke 2:49

I must be about my Father's business?

The U.S. has become the icon of Western civilization, and as a teacher in the U.S., I notice that its people have become very casual. I was raised in France, and in my school days, I would have never dreamed of calling my teachers or any other adult around me in any other way than by their title such as Mr. or Mrs. I would have certainly gotten slapped if I'd call my parents or any relative in any other way than ‘Papa’, ‘Maman’, or 'Tonton', 'Tata' (Uncle or auntie).

I am of the belief that our style of rapport in human relationship reveals the way we are with God. We serve God the way we serve humankind made in the image of God. You cannot say that you have a good relationship with God while you have trouble living and working with others, or that your behavior is so obnoxious that others have a hard time getting along with you. You cannot tell me that you hear the Voice of God when you have difficulty hearing those around you whom God has placed to advise you. You cannot tell me that you have respect for God and His will when you are not reverent of His Word and of the people around you whom He has called ‘kedoshim’, or ‘saints’.

Because of a society that has rejected the ideas of protocol and respect of individuals placed in position of authority, it seems we also want to have a very casual and familiar relationship with Hashem, and even with the Master but is that right? During the time of His manifestation on earth (2 Timothy 1:9-10), the Master compared Himself to the Temple. An understanding therefore of Temple and Tabernacle protocol as described in the Book of Exodus helps us understand what kind of relationship we are to have with Him.

God is not content to merely peer down at us from above. He desires to engage in a relationship with us, but because of His status of holiness and ours of non-holiness, there are protocols to be respected and accommodations to be organized for the relationship to work, The Tabernacle/Temple system became this protocol and accommodation, and the Master compared Himself to it (John 2:21). That should tell us that our relationship with the Master is anything but casual. Look at what happened when people of a much greater spiritual caliber than you and I like the prophet Daniel, and John, the disciple, encountered the Master (Daniel 7:13-28; Revelations 1:10-17).

 After Yeshua’s death and resurrection, the disciples basically became a Temple sect, hanging out there all the time (Acts 2:46; 3:1-3; 5:42). They were in what the Master coined as the ‘House of Prayer’ (Matthew 21:13), doing His ‘Father’s business’ (Luke 2:49). Their base of operation was Solomon’s porch (Acts 3:11; 5:12).

While creation is described in one chapter in the Book of Genesis, the description of and measurement of the Tabernacle takes a large chunk of the book of Exodus. May we learn from the study of the Temple; there is a blessing in it (Ezekiel 43:10).

JUDAH AND LEVI TOGETHER

Hebrews 7:17

"You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek."

In the Book of Hebrews Yeshua is spoken of as ushering a new priesthood; it even seems speaks of a change of Torah. It says, For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the Torah as well. For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe … altar (Hebrews 7:12-13). This poses a problem because the Aaronic priesthood stems from an eternal covenant (Exodus 29:9), the Torah is established through an eternal covenant (Exodus 24:8), and God Himself doesn’t change (Malachi 3:6); how then could the levitical priesthood and the Torah be terminated?.  Here is more: For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (Hebrews 7:18). What?! The Torah?! Weak and useless?! Context, context, context.

The writer of Hebrews uttered these words, the Messianic Jews of Israel had just witnessed the assassination of James, Yeshua’s brother who was also their leader, by a wicked Rome-appointed High-Priest. As Yeshua had forewarned them (John 16:2), the disciples were now being evicted from the synagogues where they had continued worshiping. The congregations were at a loss so the author of Hebrews tries to comfort the Israeli believers telling them to now look up to the Temple and priesthood which are upward. He tells them: ‘Don’t worry; for the Torah appoints men in their weakness (weak because they had to make yearly offerings for their own atonement) as high priests, but the word of the oath (Psalms 110:4) … appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever (Hebrews 7:28). Yeshua is not an Aaronic priest (not a Levite; He was from the tribe of Judah), and as such not fit to serve in the Temple which is  below (Hebrews 8:4) but He is a priest according to the order of Melchizedec who serves in the Temple which is above. The text then explains to us that the Aaronic priesthood being efficacious solely for the ritual purifying of the flesh, the priesthood of Yeshua serves to clean the conscience (Hebrews 9:8-14). The Levitical service is not therefore to be replaced by another; it is simply completed. The Aaronic priesthood was weak in that it could not save (Salvation was never the goal of the Torah), Yeshua, the priest according to the order of Melchizedec, holds his priesthood permanently (He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices for Himself every year as levitical priests do), because he continues forever consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:24-25). Now the equation is solved.

The problem is that whereas people do read the Word, they read it with the glasses of a theology already established for them, so they read into the Text instead of letting the Text instruct them.

Jeremiah the prophet tells us of the Messianic age when a third Temple with the two priesthoods serving together (Jeremiah 33:22). May that time come Adonai, even in our days! In the mean time, may we like our brethren from the Book of Hebrews find comfort in lifting our eyes upwards, towards He who is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25). 

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

John 9:5

“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

Adonai said to Moses, "You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. …. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel (Exodus 27:20-21). This lamp was a seven branch candelabrum called: the Menorah. This Menorah was to be perpetually lit in the first chamber of the Tabernacle usually called the holy place. In the letter to the Hebrews, this chamber was also called the ‘first’ (In Hebrews 8:13, the word ‘covenant’ was added in the text by KJV editors thus changing the context of Hebrews 9; that is why it is italicized in KJV Bibles) in front of the ‘second’, the Ark’s chamber (Hebrews 9:7) which represented the very presence of God.

When the Temple was built, this lamp was again placed in the ‘first’, right in front of the ‘second’. The Aaronic priesthood alone had the charge to care for it, to make sure it was perpetually lit, but all of the people had the charge to provide the oil; in this way, all of Israel was represented before God and had a part in being the 'light of the world' in Jerusalem. Now, without a temple the command cannot be performed, but in the days of the Third Temple the practice will again resume since it is a ‘forever’ commandment given to Israel (Exodus 27:21).

In the mean time, the Menorah is charged with messianic symbolism. Several prophets and servants of God were privy to enter the Father’s throne room. The first one we know of is Moses who was asked to reproduce what he saw and therefore to put this seven-branch candelabrum in the room in front of the Ark (Exodus 25:40). The last one we know of is John who wrote what he saw in the following words, And between the throne and the four living creatures … I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God … (Revelations 5:6).

Yeshua well proclaimed ‘As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (John 9:5)  Yeshua is now with the Father, and He also told to His disciples, "You are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).

We are on a mission. We who proclaim the Name of the Messiah, the Almighty’s Agent of redemption, have a role to perform, a duty to be the Menorah or the ‘Light of the world’. When He was on earth, the Light of Messiah shone for all to see. He did not hold back no matter how dangerous it was. Now the staff (the baton) is passed on to us and we must also perpetually let our light (the Light of Messiah in us) shine before others, so that they may see our 'mitzvot' (good works of obedience to Torah) and give glory to our Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). 

As the light of Messiah, we stand as His representative to the world. When the day of reckoning comes, may we not be found to have hid our light under a bushel (to have been a believer in secret for fear of man), but through obedience, to have set it on a candlestick for all to see (Matthew 5:15).

THE COVERING SHIELD

Matthew 6:12

Forgive us our debts

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life (Leviticus 17:11). What a mystical verse! Much is spoken about blood atonement in Scriptures.  We are even told of the voice of the blood of Mashiach speaking a better word than that of the blood of martyred Abel’s crying to God from the ground (Genesis 4:10; Hebrews 12:24).

Much has been lost in our understanding of Scriptures, some due to translations (which can never be perfect), but mostly due to our failure to acknowledge the Semitic culture of their linguistic dynamics. The issue we have here is with the word ‘atonement’. The word ‘atonement’ is very important in the Sacred Texts. It’s what they are all about, so we surely must make an effort to understand this word properly according to its own cultural context, values, and merits.

The origins of the word ‘atonement’ is the Hebrew root word ‘kaphar’ from which we derive the words ‘lid’, ‘cover’, and ‘covering’. The word ‘kapporeth’ for the golden lid of the Ark covered by the wings of the cherubs and called in English ‘mercy seat’ has the same etymological root (Exodus 25:17). ‘Kippur; for 'Yom Kippur' or the 'Day of Atonement' (Leviticus 23:27) is also a derivatives of ‘kaphar’. What does 'kaphar' mean then? A way to explain the use of this word is by of analogy with a credit card . Let’s say that like many of us, you have contracted a very large balance on your credit card and you are unable to pay it. You risk losing your credit, even losing your car, or your house, until a generous soul comes around and say, don’t worry; I’ll ‘cover’ your credit card balance; (wouldn't that be nice!).

It is not that the balance never existed or that it has been deleted from the records, it is only that it has been covered. The credit card company then doesn’t look anymore at your failure to pay your debts (which is a biblical command), but at the covering that expunged it. Even Matthew quotes the Master on the forgiveness of sin using financial terminology, he says, forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors (Matthew 6:12).

Indeed, because of sin, we have a bad credit rating; we have even lost all credit in the sight of the Father. He is ready the yank the rug from under us but Someone comes to the rescue and covers the balance of our sins. It is not like we never sinned, but all the Father sees now is the covered balance by Yeshua. King David related to this principle as a shield. Here are a few of his statements, But you, O Adonai, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. For you bless the righteous, O Adonai; you cover him with favor as with a shield. My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart (Psalms 3:3; 5:12; 7:10). 

As Ruth by kinsman redeemer Boaz, may you be ‘covered’ (atoned) under the ‘wings’ of Yeshua the Messiah (Ruth 3:9). 

HEAVEN ON EARTH

Matthew 6:10

"Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven".

Many teach after the Catholic idea that the final goal of our natural state is to eventually leave this earth and go dwell in a place far away called ‘Heaven’. Part of this teaching concludes that ‘Heaven’ is where we all go after we die or shortly after, unless of course we go to the 'other place'. Many also report having had dreams about being in this ‘Heaven’ or even encountered loved ones living in it. Apostolic Scriptures though tell us that no-one goes to ‘Heaven’, but rather that ‘Heaven’ comes to us (Revelations 21-22).

When Moses entered the cloud on the mountain, Hashem instructed him to tell the Children of Israe to build Him a sanctuary (Exodus 25:8-9). Jewish sages teach that at that moment Moses actually entered the heavenly realm; that there he saw the ‘pattern’ after which he was to build the Tabernacle and all its elements. God had brought His realm down on earth to show Moses.

The idea of the Tabernacle was to establish the necessary protocol so that the Holy One may be able to dwell among us on the earth (Exodus 25:8). We often speak of the 'restoration' of all things. 'Restoration' implies the return of something that was, of the original model of God’s creation, of God’s ‘Heaven', when He fellowshipped with us on the earth (Genesis 3:8). The Garden of Eden is the ideal we all desire to return to: living in complete unobstructed fellowship with God within the realm of His marvelous unadulterated creation. That is ‘Heaven’.

You may ask “But what about these people who claim to have had dreams of a wonderful place, or to even have sojourned there?” Well, maybe they are just reacting to their experience with the only information that they have (we often do). Maybe they have simply gone to the place where the soul sleeps or rests, awaiting the final resurrection (1 Samuel 28:15; Daniel 12:2; Revelations 6:9-11). Yeshua spoke of resurrection as a time following biological death, and as He did, He spoke of that place where people awaits the resurrection, a place corresponding to our works on the earth (Luke 16:19-24). Remember, He told the thief at His side that he would be in paradise with Him that very night but three days later Yeshua hadn’t yet gone to the Father (Luke 23:43; John 20:17). Paul also speaks of several levels of heavenly dimensions.

From the beginning, Hashem’s work has been to restore the original conditions of the Garden of Eden. The way Josephus describes the first 1,000 years on earth under Seth sounds very heavenly (Ant. 2.3.68-69). Later, when the world is already gone astray, God chooses a people through whom He makes a covenant to be able to dwell among them. The Tabernacle and the Temple housed the Shekinah, the very Presence of God. Yeshua came to earth to show how godliness is experienced and lived. He prayed, Your kingdom come, …  on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10), and the whole thing ends with Yeshua spending 1,000 years restoring all things on earth to prepare it for the arrival of New Jerusalem, again, on the earth (Revelation 20-22). 

May it be soon Abba, even in our days!