About the New Covenant

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah. (Jer.31:30)
הִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים, נְאֻם-יְהוָה; וְכָרַתִּי, אֶת-בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶת-בֵּית יְהוּדָה–בְּרִית חֲדָשָׁה

The covenant has caused a lot of controversies in church history. The church spoke many times about the covenant but it often ended up in disagreement. For me, as a remnant of the Protestant tradition, I learned some clear sayings in the period of the 17e -18e century by e.g. Calvin, Owen, Brakel and others. After that era, clearness disappeared more and more. But all leaders and denominations deal with the same problems: they want to see the things you can’t see. They utilized the Roman-Greek way to make things clear. And the problem is they propagate a covenant in which you enter by birth. They correlate the Jewish covenant of circumcision with baptism. And they argue, as a result, to baptize children too. So if you are born from a father and mother who believe and are consequently “grafted in the Jewish olive tree”, you are into the covenant. And when you are in the covenant, you receive the sign of the covenant: baptism, a few weeks after birth.

When you do this practice, your are instantly confronted with the huge warn from the apostle Paul to the Galatians. The warning that the sign of the covenant (circumcision) nothing has to do with entering the real covenant of grace, the new covenant.

However, many churches did and yet do give value to this (ethnical) covenant.

In contrast with the huge amount of books written by church members, it’s funny that the Apostolic Writings mentions very little about the covenant.

1.) Mark, Math. and Luke: This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. Repeated by Paul, 1Cor.11:25.
2.) In Galatians the covenant with Abraham.
3.) In Hebrews the covenant with Israel, the Torah.

Yeshua spoke about his blood being the new covenant, and the writer of Hebrews spoke about the new covenant, besides the old, related it to the words of the prophet Jeremiah and compared it with the blood of Yeshua. Paul in Galatians only spoke about the covenant with Abraham, but with an allegory pointed out to the new covenant.

The new covenant is effectuated by blood. Once the blood comes upon the soul, it is established. This is nothing new, we’ve seen this before. The people of Israel said “We will hear and do” and offered sacrifices to God, and then Moses sprinkled the people with blood to seal the covenant. (Ex.24:8)

To enter the new covenant we have to be circumcised of the heart and baptized with the spirit of fire. Those people are new-born ones. They enter the covenant of grace of Yeshua the Messiah. They are not merely came to the mount Sinai of thunders and fire (Hebr.12:18) but came to the Heavenly Judge, the almighty King and also their own Father full of love and His son full of grace. Surrounded by angels seeing the Living One and say: woe to me because I’m a sinner. They “are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling…” (Hebr.12:22-24)

And then, what are they going to say? Am I going to give my whole live to Him? Sure! Sure I will do that! I love You and I will always do what You want me to do! I’ll sign the covenant and whenever I draw away from your law, correct me and guide me on your preferred way and teach me how to follow. I will do al You want me to do. And this (I think you can see so) is the new covenant. Initiated by HaSjem, signed with heart and soul of the individual. Caused baptism and full repentance.

Now a have a question. What is the value of the old covenant, the physic line of Abraham and Israel? Because the world and specially the church wondered about the establishment of the state Israel in 1948. We couldn’t get around that fact and must agree that there were some special promises in the covenant with Abraham. Paul argued to the Galatians that you don’t need it to get to be saved, but what is the benefit of the “ethnic” covenant?

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PS: An easy article for more about biblical covenants you can find here. I think there are two main covenants, those with Noah (7 commandments) and those with Abraham/Israel (Torah) renewed with Yeshua.

Jesus as an idol

How is it possible to idolize Jesus? I asked myself: What do we understand by Jesus? Or Yeshua or whatever you call him. (I prefer his Jewish name Yeshua, so I will use that.) The question is what do we think who is Yeshua? Many people would answer the Messiah, the Son of God. And there would be some Christians who would say I know him. And a very few would say “I really know him but many others don’t.” But again, what do we understand. With a wrong understanding we may end up in idolatry.

I am concerned of the Yeshua about who is spoken, would be the right Yeshua. Him that is true. I think that the church has developed a man-made Yeshua. The church, by many doctrines and dogma’s to avoid deviation and apostasy, they became apostasy themselves by philosophy of man. Most known example is the doctrine of trinity. I would not say whether such doctrines are good or not. The problem is that we have to deal with an opinion about Yeshua which is not good, at least if I look around me. We have learned a lot about Yeshua, but what did we learn from the only G-d? Did He show us his salvation? His real Yeshua? A man who is drawn towards G-d is facing One G-d, who shows Himself as a righteous G-d. That causes a humble man convinced to be a sinner, who ask forgiveness. And in answer of doing good works, he begins to understand he couldn’t do anything on his own. He loses everything of his own and becomes more and more a subject of Yeshua, because He is the image of G-d which is going to be established in the sinner. His eyes are opened to look and he wants to see the mystery.

But about the right look on Yeshua, it’s not easy to draw a figure of him. Neither in mind, as certainly not on scripture. And how does it relates to the commandment “Do not make idols”? To know him the eyes must be opened first. It’s certainly a mystery that G-d brings a sinner to Him by grace. But it’s also certain that G-d is revealed in Yeshua. Only a right look on Him, the Savior, would often give the experience which would say: I have nothing. You, G-d, have it all, I not. And you have it all for me, I know, You did let me know it, but for now I am missing you, please have mercy, I love you. That’s it: LOVE. Love for G-d and love for your neighbor. And love for his Torah, John explained this in his letters by mention to love your brother and obey his law. As James do.

For me, such a confession of having nothing is far more worthy than the many who say: “I know Yeshua! He is my savior and I can tell you everything about him! And if you want to know him, listen to me and I’ll explain it. And if I can’t convince you, read the doctrines of my church!” Does he has the true one? Otherwise he’s serving an idol.

How do we understand the true Messiah? John wrote at the end of his first letter: “We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”

And James, who mention Yeshua only one time in his letter (except its opening), he says:”My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory, with respect of persons.” (James2:1) I agree that conform the following context it is meant for persons as you and I, but it does not necessarily exclude the person Yeshua as a human being. Many people saw Yeshua when he lived on earth, but they didn’t saw him real, as the true one. Thomas was not convinced by seeing the person Yeshua alone. Until it came from heaven, as it were, he was and said: My Lord and my G-d. (John20:28) Who knows Him without divine revelation? Yeshua said: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven.” (Math.16:17)

John Howe, Expectations of the Spirit in the latter days

As I said in my last post, many old English theologians gave clear explanations on bible texts concerning the future. John Howe (died 1705) is one of them and he wrote 15 sermons on Ezekiel 39:29. “Neither will I hide my face any more from them; for I have poured out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord Jehovah.” This treatise was added later to “all the works of John Howe” by John Evans in 1725. You can find it here in a copy from 1835.

I’ll summarize some beautiful sayings here. He expected a prosperous state of the nation of Israel and the church (body/people of Christ) before the end of time, e.g. when the conversion of the Jews takes place, as he said. “We can not in a few words have a fuller account given of a happy state.”

He points out (Sermon1):
—1. The import of this negative expression, “Neither will I hide my face any more from them ;” and,
—2. How to understand the subject of the promised favour here, as it is designed by this name, “the house of Israel.”

He said about point 1:

It must mean, that He would put them into a prosperous condition; the course of his providence toward them should be such as would import favour and kindness to them. And, it imports the permanency and settledness of this happy and prosperous state ; that it should not be a short, lucid interval only; but through a very considerable and continued tract of time this should be the posture and course of his providence towards them.

And point 2 about the house of Israel, he said:

I doubt not but that it hath a meaning included, as it is literally taken, of that very people wont to be known by that name, the house of Israel, the seed of Jacob. But I as little doubt, that it hath a further meaning too. And it is an obvious observation, than which none more obvious, that the universal church, even of the Gospel constitution, is frequently in the prophetical scriptures of the Old Testament represented by this, and by the equivalent names of Jerusalem and Zion, and the like.

He shows that the chapters 36-39 of Ezekiel spoke of the people of Israel. (Sermon2) He said the following will happen to that people:

1. Their reduction from their captivity; that they shall all be brought back and gathered out of the several heathen nations of the world, where they were scattered and dispersed to and fro.
2. The reparation of all desolation, the great building of their wasted cities.
3. The great fruitfulness of their land. I will not direct you to the particular passages, where these things are mentioned; but you may at your leisure view over these chapters, and you will find them all.
4. The great multiplication and numerousness of their inhabitants.
5. Their most entire victory and conquest over their most potent and troublesome enemies.
6. Their entire union among themselves, under one king ; as you may see in the 37th chapter. The making of that scattered people entirely one, that so divided people, so broken from themselves, Israel and Judah, one stick in God’s own hand. And,
7. God’s owning them visibly as his people, and taking them anew into covenant with himself, having pardoned their iniquities, and cleansed them from all their filthiness and their idols, and so restored the relation between himself and them. Certainly the concurrence of all these things cannot but make a very happy state.

In Sermon 5 he argues that family order and religion will be restored by the Spirit in the latter days.

I make no doubt, but when it shall be so, this will be found to do a great deal towards the reviving and restoring religion amongst men. There will be a time, when it shall be said severally and singly concerning the families of Israel, that God is the God of all their families, (as it is in Jer. xxxi. 1.) and they shall be his people; so as that the relation shall not be only with the bulk and body of the people in gross, but even with particular families. And this, it is said, should be in the latter days, if you look back to the close of the foregoing chapter, chap. xxx. 24. In the latter days, ye shall consider it. And at the same time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. And it is said, it should be at such a time, as wherein there should be planting of vines upon the mountains of Samaria, (chap. 31:5.) and when the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim should cry, ” Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion, unto the Lord our God ;” (ver. 6.) when the people of Ephraim, that is, of the other ten tribes that use to go under that name, and those that did belong to Samaria, should go to Zion, as heretofore; a thing which certainly hath not yet been.

John Howe is very clear in his expectation of the conversion of the Jews and a very happy and fruitful Jewish nation extended with the gentile nations. One big family with in particular a relationship with God.

Such numerous accessions to the church (read to the followers of Yeshua, JW) by the power of the Holy Ghost in converting work

would take place. (Isaiah 54:1) And about the community/ecclesia of the latter days he said:

There should be a far greater fruitfulness, than in the time of their more formed, stable church state, when they appeared a people in covenant-relation, married to God.

The numerous increase of converts

is most emphatically signified by the apt and elegant metaphor used Psalm 110:3. Where it is said the subjects of Christ’s kingdom should be multiplied ‘as dew from the womb of the morning.’ That is a vast and spacious womb; imagine, how innumerable drops of dew distil out from thence; such shall the multitude of the converts be.

He argues further that there would be a great calling. Many scriptures

seem to intimate, that there shall be a time of far more general calling, than hath been hitherto; when the receiving and gathering in ‘of the Jews shall be as life from the dead,’ as a resurrection from the dead, Rom. 11:15.

If you like this, I suggest to read sermon 5 (preached 1679), pag. 576-579, The work of the holy Spirit in reference to the Christian church, All the Works, John Howe, New York, 1835.

He closed with a little prayer:

Lord, that Spirit of thine that shall one day so flow down upon the world, may not I have some portion of it to answer my present necessities? and that Spirit, that can new-make the world, that can create new heavens and a new earth, cannot that new-make one poor soul! cannot it better one poor heart? – To have a new heart and a right spirit created and renewed in us, is better to us, than all the world; and we have no reason to look up diffidently and with despondency, but with hearts full of expectation. He will give his Spirit to them that ask him.

Exposition on Revelation, by Wilhelmus à Brakel

From his book “The Reasonable Service”

Wilhelmus a Brakel, died in 1711, wrote a big part on the Revelation in his by the reformed church of the Netherlands common known work “The Reasonable Service”. (De Redelijke Godsdienst) He was a Dutch pastor in Rotterdam

Wilhelmus à Brakel (1635-1711)

and one of his beauties is that he expected a national repentance and return of the Jews to their promised land Israel. While Palestine at that time still was a dessert under reign of the Ottomans, he just read Roman 11 as what it states. He was not alone, dr. M van Campen wrote an interesting (Dutch) dissertation on (positive) opinions on the Jews by reformed theologians of the 17^th and 18^th century: “Gans Israel” (whole Israel). And I can’t omit to say that at the same time many English Puritans had very good insights on the prophecies on Israel. I think they had it even more than the Dutch theologians. Sadly enough there wasn’t paid attention to it by the church. Millennianism wasn’t accepted by the mainstream. Even in this very day many (pastors) are afraid of being tagged as a millennialist. Brakel was a historical millennialist though. He was very clear in his expectation of a peaceful dynasty of the community of Christ, for a time of 1000 years. This was very diminished in the church. And how sadly is this: the english translator Bartel Elshout of The Reasonable Service has omitted this beautiful exposition of hundreds of pages on Revelation. So (I think) we have it only in Dutch. You can find a free copy of the missing section (Deel III) in two parts here and here.

I’ll give a few points of the last chapters of his book concerning the Revelation.

First he describes the common sights and events John saw.

Then he’s arguing that the 7 letters aren’t 7 eras and aren’t prophetical. The author is the Messiah and the purpose is to teach the communities.

After that, he comes to the part of the prophecy (the revelation of Yeshua) which describes the future. This main part exists of the three images which are: the seals, the trumpets and the bowls as three sequential periods:

1. The church (community of Christ) under the heathen Caesars +- until 325 CE.
2. The church under the antichrist (the Pope/might of Cath.church) for a period of 1260 years.
3. The church in its free state, first struggling under the 7 bowls and finally rules with Christ.

Interesting is his explanation of the 5^th and the 6^th bowl of the wrath of G-d.

- By the fifth he expected the fall of the beast i.e. the might of the (Catholic) church. This happened with the Enlightenment and the French Revolution.

- By the sixth he expected a fall of the great Ottoman empire. He said it has to happen for enabling the Jews to return to their promised land. And so it happened. In 1870 the Ottoman empire was drawn back to their current borders. And through very difficult times though, the state of Israel was established in 1948.

Brakel was very sure about the coming repentance of the Jews and the return to their land. He said: I don’t know what will happen first, repentance or returning. But both will happen. And it will cause, he said, repentance of “kings and people around Israel”. That would be the beginning of the time (millennium) of the what he called: “glorious state of the Church”. The Church written with a capital was meant to be the community of true believers at that time, the mystical body of God. (Ef.4) It would be a time when Yeshua is King, honored and obeyed by all the nations.

If you want to get more of this, I recommend to read The Rise and Fall of Papacy by Robert Fleming. For example, he predicted the decline of the influence of the Roman church about 100 year prior to the events. He stated it would start in 1794 which correlates with the French Revolution and it would be completed by around 1848 which was the year that the papacy was forced to leave Rome. And very interesting are the works of the great sir Isaac Newton. He spend most of his life not on physics, but on theology. Recently his manuscripts are available at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the name Newton’s secrets. And at The Newton Project, were you can find his “Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John” e.g.

Shavuot and the gift

When receiving finally the Torah and the Messiah at the 50th day of the counting of the omer, the light comes into the soul and therefore into the world. How great, how glorious, when you experience the beautiful Torah, i.e. the holiness of G-d, the salvation of the Messiah, all together planted in the heart, how then is the soul rejoicing in happiness and the restoration G-d gives by enabling the soul to walk in the image of G-d by the Messiah. How great is it to see the whole case which is the Messiah who brought salvation to us.

It came directly into the heart.

Shavuot gives us not only the remembrance of the gift onto the Mount Sinai, but also the gift of Yeshua. The former happens into the letter, the latter into the flesh. Both are the revelation of G-d. The second was a more, a greater revelation, as it comes by stages in history. When Yeshua appeared on earth he got the Divine Spirit (by John the Baptist) and then when he passed away and was in heaven, he poured out his Spirit and it came into the heart. So actually G-d spoke directly unto the heart. He didn’t need to write it down in scripture. It was direct spoken. And the power of this divine holy Word made a new being with a new desire and a new voice and a new conscience convinced with truth. That’s why the (Jewish) people (who well known the Torah) started to say “What shall we do?” (Acts2:37) Here came a correction of the diversion of the (written and oral) Torah. And not only a correction, but also a gift of repentance and remission of sins. The Torah was fulfilled here and applied to the heart. This great gift, greater than the gift of Sinai, was given in a special way. The Spirit came down and was seen as tongues of fire upon the people.

The advance of this oral word spoken directly into the heart was considered by Paul as the highest benefit, for G-d speaks now directly to us. Nobody could hear the words of G-d at Sinai except Moses. But now his people will hear the word of life. They who deserved dead, received life! This word make “dead to sin but alive because of Christ.” (Ro.6:1-14) This word of life was received directly and plainly from the highest Authority, therefore Paul was been cautious to write a letter to the Corinthians. At first sight he doesn’t want to do it. Read this:

Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? or need we, as do some, epistles of commendation to you or from you? Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men; being made manifest that ye are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in tables [that are] hearts of flesh. (2Co.3:1-3)

Paul was ministering the word but not (again) with an own written word and confessions. G-d wrote the epistles into the heart.

Two Torah’s

Nobody reads without interpretation. So how do we read the bible? We need someone who explain and teach us. Someone who we can trust.

I came across an interesting story from the Talmud:

Our Rabbis taught: A certain heathen once came before Shammai and asked him, ‘How many Toroth  have you?’ ‘Two,’ he replied: ‘the Written Torah and the Oral Torah.’  ‘I believe you with respect to the Written, but not with respect to the Oral Torah; make me a proselyte on condition that you teach me the Written Torah [only].  [But] he scolded and repulsed him in anger. When he went before Hillel, he accepted him as a proselyte. On the first day, he taught him, Alef, beth, gimmel, daleth;  the following day he reversed [them] to him. ‘But yesterday you did not teach them to me thus,’ he protested. ‘Must you then not rely upon me?  Then rely upon me with respect to the Oral [Torah] too.’ [1]

Who did us teach the bible? We all use and need the oral tradition. Doesn’t the disciples give us an oral tradition of the revelation of the new covenant/Torah? Didn’t Yeshua give a renewal and correction of the oral tradition? Certainly, at the feast of the Shavuot (Pentecost) we received the Holy One who we can trust as the best counsellor, explainer and teacher of the Torah.

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[1] Avot de-Rabbi Natan B29, fol. 31a-b. (this translation comes from: http://www.come-and-hear.com/shabbath/shabbath_31.html )

The Word of our Father, revealed by Yeshua

But we don’t see it. (John1:5) And I would post an article about? How can I do? All I can do is point to the apostle John, he wrote about it.
 
The Word, the eternal Torah,  was became flesh, was made a human body and it dwelt (tabernacled) among us. (And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. Here came the Word about 2000 years ago in human body. If we want to learn the real Torah, we have to go to Yeshua. It’s certainly not possible to learn Torah without that “grace and truth”. Torah without a divine application isn’t the Torah which it would be by G-d. And how could there be Torah without grace? Torah demands perfect holiness, because otherwise a man cannot live by G-d. And the only satisfaction of a human being can be to fulfill the complete Torah. And that’s what Yeshua did. And more than that, he enters our lives. And in fact here it is the one and only G-d, HaSjem, holy be his name, who came down to earth in the human body. And with him his word, because he is one. Sjema Yisrael. And the point of John the Baptist made great sense, because the Ruach haKodesh came also upon the son. Although the promise was not fulfilled until he said “it is finished” on the famous Pesach. They had to wait by counting the Omer to the 50th day. Until then they received the Torah, a new holy definitive version, full of grace and truth. Not in stone but in flesh. By this a man is purified. And it’s really more then just words.
 
Look again at what John says in chapter 13. When the disciples were taking supper according to the Seder, Yeshua laid aside his garment and began to wash the feet of the disciples. And he said: “Someone who has bathed only needs to have his feet washed, but is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.” So who is purified here? They were all washed, but one of them wasn’t clean. So you can clean yourself according to the Torah, and that’s good, but it doesn’t consequently affect the heart. Also John the Baptist was baptizing with water, but he knew there was more because he said “he (Yeshua) shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire.”(Matthew 3:11) The real divine Torah doesn’t come without fire. A light applicated personaly.
 
Yeshua spoke about the new Torah on the Seder meal, John 13:31 to John 16. This was the last speech he gave to his disciples. He brought it back to the very base: Love. (13:34) and called it a new Mitswah. (Although it was given before, Lev.19:18) He talked about the house of the Father, which is above. And the way to get there. How do we know the way? Said Thomas. “I am the way” was the answer. Even as the Torah before was (and is) the guide and way to get into the land. He spoke about emoena and the Ruach haKodesh. He said: He who has my mitswoth and keep them, loves me and I shall manifest myself to him. Jehudah asked: “How is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?” (14:22) And here it is: Yeshua answered: “If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” What here is said is the same for an individual as for the people of Israel who received or established the temple as a holy house for HaSjem. There the Torah and the Shechinah resides. And this makes the difference: “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.” So here we see that the word has been revealed to those who love Yeshua. Certainly rather than to those who are scrutinising the scripture in a scientific way. The Ruach haKodesh will give it to you. (14:26)

In fact Yeshua finished the scripture. Last time I was looking at the Muslims and wondered that they could be proud about their Quran. They simply say Mohammed is the last prophet and he has given the final version of the scripture. If you believe this, you’ll have a good point, it’s a solid base. But when we say Yeshua is the last prophet, we have more. Because he fulfilled everything and is exalted in heaven, and he is even with his holy spirit in our midst. In fact he is G-d with us. He restored the relationship between G-d and man. So we have the Torah completed and applied. And our final place is prepared in heaven. We don’t have to fight for the world, it’s all done. And we even don’t have to fight to win ourselves. Yeshua has done it already. The word of G-d is holy and come to us in a perfect way. We have not only the written text, but we have the Living Word, the letter and the spirit. Those both gives us the real joy and faith in the word of salvation of our Father in heaven.

 Also Peter, arguing how to walk the halacha hakodesh (holy walk/way, 1Pe1:15) brings it back to the very base mitswah: Love. (1Pe.1:22) And then answering the question: what’s the word of G-d, he brings up the prophecy of Isaiah “Comfort, comfort my people” which was fulfilled just in his days. He just quote two verses, (1Pe.1:24-25) but I think he had Isaiah 40:1-20 in mind. The same as John as he began his gospel with quoting vers 3. This prophecy describes the receiving of the Torah, a new one, even as the people of Israel got a new one, a new berith (covenant) after the first tables were broken. I’ll put some verses here:

“The voice of him who cries in the wilderness, Prepare the way of Jehovah, make straight a highway in the desert for our God.” Because HaSjem comes to us with his Messiah. “and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah has spoken” At this time the glory of YHWH and his word shall be revealed not only to Israel, but to the whole world. And then a voice is calling: “All flesh is grass, and all the beauty of it is as the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the Spirit of Jehovah blows on it; surely the people is grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the Word of our God shall stand forever.” Flesh has to die. Even the Messiah has to die. We all have to die. But there’s more. The Word of our G-d, the Torah of HaSjem will be eternal. When this Torah came to flesh and that human body died, it consequently has to risen up because it has the eternal Life in itself, and it is worked out in the Messiah as promised. “O Zion, who brings good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, who brings good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!” And then a hymn on his almighty power followed. (Is.12-31)

Didn’t you think Yeshua is the Torah itself? And the holy word we have as a anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entered into the holy of holies? (Hebrews6:19)

The Word of G-d

I always thought that the word of G-d was a perfect canonical book given to mankind, which was completed by a historical process and is closed now. But I’ve learned now that it contains textual errors and even traditional presuppositions are traceable in different codex’s. This challenged me to think over again where the reliability of this for me so lovely word, is come from. In this way of learning I realized more and more that the word of G-d has a divine nature besides of its physical existence. In fact the very word of G-d, the Torah, was given after the redemption out of Egypt, on the mount Sinai. This was such a great gift, one cannot see this beauty until the eyes are opened to see the glory of the L-rd who revealed himself in that way. This was the salvation of the people of Israel. All the prophets, scriptures and the psalms are speaking about and mentioning this great happening. The gift they received was not only the direct Word of G-d. It was the way of salvation. Explained by many ceremonials with sacrificing as the main core, beside the ten words. That’s why the Jewish custom is not only looking at the written text, but considers the whole case, the oral tradition inclusive.

What I’m trying to say is not to diminish the written word, but to extend it beyond the physical borders. It’s just more. And we can see it when we go to the second great revelation of HaSjem in the world, the coming of Yeshua the Messiah as the fulfillment of the complete Torah by his sacrifice. It was the light which was in the Word which was G-d himself. This Word became flesh and dwelled among us. (John1) Here we see the word (Torah) in flesh after the first time when it came in text. And the latter is more than the former because it’s a fulfillment of prophecy and the goal all prophets were looking for. Namely: Salvation and restoration of mankind in the true image of G-d.

And now we have witnesses of this case by the so called New Testament or Apostolic Scriptures. This word also belongs to the word of G-d, it is the word of the Messiah, according to Paul as he said: (Col.3:16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. My English/Hebrew Brit Hadashah translated the Greek word Logos used here to Torah. And I think you can do that. The complete Torah unveiled by Yeshua unto mankind. And more than that, it’s applied unto his chosen people as HaSjem said by Jeremiah: (31:33) I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts. As a new covenant. And in the Torah itself was already written: (De.30:14) But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. Other places gives: (where law means Torah) Gal.6:2: The law of the Messiah. Ro.8:2: The law of the spirit of life. Ro.10:4: Messiah is the end of the law. And as you may know, Paul used the Greek word Nomos for law. Without doubt he had Torah in mind. And then, when he spoke about this in verse Ro.7:23 he says “the Torah of my mind”. And here we see that (the living) Torah has come into the heart of the faithful. By Yeshua it was completed. Now Torah has a curse as well as salvation in one heart connected with Yeshua. Without further sacrifice, as He said: “It is finished”. (Jo.19:30)

So this considering, I would say that, in fact, Yeshua closed the scriptures, or closed the Torah in certain sence. I’m not saying that the NT is not inspired canonical scripture, but I’m saying that there’s more than just scripture. You would find, as I do, the holiness of all things in Yeshua, the holy truth. In him everything is holy, even me, picked up from dead, put into life, eternal life and eternal beauty, forever with him, rejoicing in his eternal Torah, his Word. Through his grace and sacrifice I’ll live and it caused me to say with Peter: (1Pe.1:3-4) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven” for us. Which is Yeshua the Messiah. (8-9) “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”

And then, what’s the benefit of the scriptures? This is the first, to be converted and saved through the written, but also the living and eternal word of G-d. And this is the Word: (1Pe.1:25) “which by the gospel is preached unto you.” Which is Yeshua, let I say the extended Torah. As is written: (Ps.19:7) “The Torah of YHWH is perfect, converting the soul.”

After salvation, then we go fishing

Peter and the disciples, a few days after their Master’s dead and arise, decided to go fishing. The question whether this is good or not is different answered by many theologians. Why? What’s not good about going fishing? I’m sure that when it happens in our days if someone had experienced the same things as Peter, he would shouting out all over the world 24/7: Hear me, listen to me! I’ll tell you the truth! But Peter he went fishing. What’s wrong with that? Certainly he observed Torah. More then that, in his Master he fulfilled the Torah, it was written in his heart. And it’s also written that we were created as human beings with hands and feet to use them, to work with.

That’s why the Master didn’t say: hey, what are you doing now? Didn’t I make you catchers of men? (Lu.5:10) Instead he said, go on, but cast the net on the other side. And then things are not going as usual. He shows himself as the Master of heaven and earth. For they were catching a multitude of fishes then. Then they saw it was Yeshua. They took a meal together and Yeshua tested the love of Peter. And that’s it: Love G-d and your neighbour. And the call was renewed: Follow me. That call always come to us, when we are fishing or even when we are busy with theology. Peter aware of his salvation, had to be called again. And he knew about that. He was looking for his Master all the time, even when he was fishing. Undoubtedly he was also counting the omer and looking for the gift of heaven. Until the 50^th day. We go fishing, but once, when time comes, we receive the Comforter, the menachem. He will learn us what to do further. 

The re-establishment of the temple – part 2

Many times when speaking about the third temple, questions arise. Also for me. I prefer to speak about the second temple instead of the third. Because that’s more according to the prophets. (Hag.2 en Zech.2-6) “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: and he shall grow up out of his place; and he shall build the temple of JHWH.” Haggai en Zechariah are speaking of the second temple, which was in building at that time. Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah didn’t finish this temple. Also Herod didn’t finish it. Yeshua did it, or, if you want, will finish it.

I think its hard to understand because we have to deal with two dimensions. One which we can see, and one which we can not see. The temple (and tabernacle) are always a place where G-d resides on earth. The Holy One down on earth. Can you imagine? No. And that’s the point. Otherwise, the holy things resides in the divine world. We can’t imagine to. With our natural eyes we can’t see things in heaven. We are here on earth and that’s an other dimension then the divine world. So what can we expect? A (third) temple made with hands, physically, according to the measurements of the prophet Ezekiel? Maybe, but I certainly can’t see it without all of it’s divinity, especially the Messiah Yeshua with all of his properties as there are his kingdom, high priesthood and his prophetical word.

For me an important key is the word of Yeshua unto the Jews: “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” (Joh.2:19) He said this while he was standing in the temple before pesach. This was the second temple erected by Zerubbabel, governor of Judah (around 500 BCE), and expanded by Herod (around 20 BCE). Although Yeshua said it of the temple of his body, it’s obviously that the context let us see that it concerns the matter of the temple itself. Also the people understood by replying: “46 years was this temple in building and you will raise it up in three days? (Joh.2:20) I think here is more in case then just his body. A divine dimension appears, we can’t see this clear. Because it goes beyond intellect.

As I said in the post before, Haggai states that G-d will fill this house (2e temple) with glory and the glory of the latter house will be greater than the glory of the former, and in this place I will give peace. That the latter will be greater than the former is not new. The first world was destroyed, the second gives a new change. The first Adam was fallen, the “second” stands forever. Most significant is the berith (covenant) which is given to Israel. When Moses gave the first, they broke it down. With the second table of the covenant they said unanimous “we shall do this.” Also circumcision, the first, in flesh, was not enough. A second “of the heart” was required. The first Torah causes (in certain sense) penalty of dead. The second, Yeshua, gave life by grace and made Torah perfect. And so fort. I can add another one, but it extends in future. The first return ended in crucifixion and lost of the temple, the second return will lead to the acceptance of Yeshua and rebuild of the temple.

And so the temple. By the first HaSjem said unto David: Would you make a house for me? But he wants to do it and his son built it and it was good. Then after hundreds of years it has been destroyed and later a new second temple arises. This new second temple will be forever according to the prophets. But how do we understand this. JHVH said: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: what manner of house will ye build unto me? and what place shall be my rest?” (Isa.66:1)