41 How do we ensure that we wear wedding

How do we ensure that we wear wedding garments?

Our calling by YHVH at this time may be compared with the parable of the wedding feast for the king’s son in Matthew 22: 1 – 14, in this way: ‘And Yahshua answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying, (2) “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king, who gave a wedding feast for his son. (3) And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come (not many of those called to follow the way of Elohim, are willing to do so). (4) Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fatted livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.”’(5) But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business (very few are prepared to even bother about material regarding the coming kingdom of Elohim – fact is that they do not have enough time, due to their very ‘busy schedules’ to make a living; let alone sharing the message with like-minded believers), (6) and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. (7) But the king was enraged and sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and set their city on fire. (8) Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. (9) Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there invite to the wedding feast.’ (10) And those slaves went out into the streets, and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. (11) But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw there a man not dressed in wedding clothes, (12) and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And he was speechless. (13) Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (14) For many are called, but few are chosen.”

What is the meaning of all of this? We who are called at this time should feel extremely honored, but not so much so that we get swollen heads. The fact that we are here, is because those who were better than us, did not accept Elohim’s call in the first place. It is for this reason that YHVH is calling us from the highways to come and take the place of those who refused to answer His call or who followed the way of Elohim for a while, but got sidetracked and lost their way. We read about our calling from 1 Corinthians 1: 26 – 29, in this way: “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; (27) but Elohim has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and Elohim has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, (28) and the base things of the world and the despised, Elohim has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, (29) that no man should boast before Elohim.” Most of those of us called at this time cannot boast about whom we are and where we come from. Even though YHVH called the weak of the world, He expects us to grow in grace and knowledge, until such time as Yahshua returns, or until we die, as we read from 2 Peter 3: 14 – 18, in this way: ‘Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, (15) and regard the patience of our Master to be salvation; just as also our beloved brother Shaul, according to wisdom given him, wrote to you, (16) as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction (this is talking about those who teach that Rav Shaul was teaching against Torah observance). (17) You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest, being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness, (18) but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Master and Savior Yahshua Messiah. To Him be the glory (esteem), both now and to the day of eternity. Amein.’

Our main goal in accordance with our calling should be to qualify as kings and priests under Yahshua in His millennial Kingdom, no matter what. Our calling gives us the opportunity to become joint heirs with Yahshua, as we read from James 2: 5, as follows: ‘Listen, my beloved brethren: did not Elohim choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?’ We read further from Romans 8: 29 & 30, ‘For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; (30) and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.’ The Torah is the everlasting teachings of YHVH our Elohim, for both houses of Israel. It is His will and wisdom for all Israel. Even though the nation of Israel was taken captive because of her idolatrous ways, YHVH is again at this time calling out a remnant to return to Him and His ways. Like with the prodigal son, it is time we realize that the spiritual food that we were given during our period in exile were all false and contrary to the way of Elohim. After answering Elohim’s call to repent (to return from our previous false ways), we are immersed into Yahshua’s saving name. But as we all know, that is only the beginning of our walk with Elohim. We remain His workmanship for the rest of our lives, during which time, if we continue to follow His way, He will create His perfect character within us, as we read from Ephesians 1: 4 & 5, ‘just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (set-apart) and blameless before Him in love. (5) He predestined us to adoption as sons through Yahshua Messiah to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.’ As flesh and blood human beings, our characters are not permanent and we may change our minds and the patterns of our behavior – learning from our mistakes and successful decisions. Therefore we are now able to change our minds and repent from our wrong decisions in the past; Elohim is able to create in us the will and capacity to slowly but surely choose the right path. But, as we gain additional knowledge, Elohim requires that we recognize where we have gone wrong and be willing to repent and change for the better on an ongoing basis. It is for this reason that He gives us a portion of His Set-apart Spirit, which allows us to produce the fruits of the spirit, mentioned in Galatians 5: 22 & 23 in our lives.

By obeying Torah we are slowly but surely elevated into a higher spiritual plane. This is one way in which we have a relationship with YHVH, which in itself elevates us to a higher level, as we read from Jeremiah 7: 23, as follows: “But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your Elohim, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.’” The word ‘mitzvah’ in Hebrew means commandment, but as we obey YHVH, we also develop a companionship or union with Him. It is true that Yahshua’s death was to reconcile us back to the Father, but it is by keeping Elohim’s commandments that we have fellowship with Him. We read accordingly from 1 John 1: 6 & 7, ‘If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth (Torah); (7) but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Yahshua His Son cleanses us from all sin.’ As much as we need physical food to survive and grow physically, we need the teachings of Elohim to survive and grow spiritually. This is why Yahshua when He was tempted by Satan to change a stone into bread, answered: “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.’” Yahshua did not mean that we also need other foods such as meat and vegetables, but He quoted from Deuteronomy 8: 3, where we read: “And He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of YHVH.” In other words, since man was both created and made, he needs both physical food to feed his body, and spiritual food to sustain the spirit in him.

Let’s backtrack a bit, to clarify the point. After the recreation of the earth discussed from Genesis 1: 2 onward, after having creating all animal species and making all plant species after their kind, Elohim created man in the image of Elohim, after the Elohim kind (as per Genesis 1: 26 & 27). The word create (‘barah’ in Hebrew) is something that only Elohim can do and it means to make something out of nothing that already exists. To make (‘asah’ in Hebrew) on the other hand is to use something physical and transforming it into something else, such as when a Carpenter takes a piece of wood and makes a chair from it. The process of putting the first man on earth, involved both creation of man in the image of Elohim and making/forming (See Genesis 2: 7) him out of the dust of the ground. In creating man, Elohim used nothing physical. Elohim created the spirit in man from Himself - from the very essence/the Spirit of Elohim. Next He made man from the dust of the ground. A truism that we have all learnt; is that from whatever (source) something living is made, such a living thing needs to sustain or nourish it. Example: Both cattle (animals) and plants are made from the dust of the ground; therefore plants need to be in the ground to grow. In the same way, cattle need to eat plants (which is nothing but dust or soil) to sustain them. Similarly, man needs food – meat and vegetables (dust) to sustain him physically. But in addition, the spirit in man needs to remain in contact with Elohim who is Spirit, to sustain him spiritually. Yes, the spirit in man makes him yearn to be in touch with his/her Creator. The fact that we are made from the very essence of Elohim means that we (man) have the potential of becoming sons of Elohim. However, if we do not stay in touch with our Creator we shall die like mere animals, from dust to dust. It is for this reason that we read from Psalm 82: 6, ‘I said, “You are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High.”’ If we remain in touch with Elohim and feed from His word, we are assured of eternal life as sons of Elohim. Even so, because of the original sin (disobedience to Elohim’s teachings) by Adam and Eve, we were cut off from Eternal life (known as the tree of life).

But, because Elohim’s original plan was to make for Himself sons and daughters, He also had a contingency plan should His original plan ‘fail’. After destroying all life on earth, except for Noah, his wife, and his sons and their wives, and the animals that He made to enter the ark Noah made, Elohim started afresh with one man named Abraham, after mankind failed Him again. Elohim essentially made two promises to Abraham and His descendants through Isaac and Jacob; if they like father Abraham prove their faith by their deeds, they and their descendants would one day inherit eternal life in the Promised Land - implying that they will be resurrected as spiritual children of Elohim to rule the world under Messiah. The second promise made to Abraham, was that Elohim would during the latter days bring those of His people who became known as the lost sheep of the house of Israel, because of disobedience to Him, back to the covenant relationship they had with Him together with the House of Judah, to again have a chance to become first born heirs of Abraham and inherit their part of the Promised land which they lost, through Abraham’s one Seed, Yahshua; through whom He will also save the rest of mankind as second born children into Elohim’s eternal family, after teaching them His true way after the 2nd resurrection, provided they agree to follow His way.

Once believers from the lost ten tribes returned to Elohim’s way by being immersed into Yahshua’s name and having received the Set-apart Spirit after the laying-on of the hands by a teaching elder, they like their Jewish Brothers are required to keep the Commandments of Elohim, but also their faith in the salvation of YHVH; and partake of Yahshua’s annual Passover sacrifice in remembrance of the Renewal of the covenant relationship our forefathers made with Elohim. The Set-apart Spirit is given to those who obey Elohim (as per Acts 5: 32), who know that sin is the transgression of the Law (Torah), and repent (by being truly sorry) when they transgress the commandments and return to full Torah obedience once again. Because, we from the lost ten tribes of the house of Israel rejected Elohim’s Torah, and started following the pagan ways of the nations into which we were scattered, we even forgot what sin is and the only way in which we are able to return to Elohim’s way, is by being reconciled to Him through the blood of Yahshua to pay for the penalty/judgments of the Law that we earned because of our past sins. The Set-apart Spirit is the Key to the Kingdom of Elohim; when the Set -apart Spirit combines with the spirit in man, we are begotten anew, giving us a fresh chance to, like Yahshua be resurrected to eternal life. At immersion and the laying-on of hands by the elders, we are given a pledge of our inheritance when we are sealed by the Set-apart Spirit according to Ephesians 1: 13 & 14 “In Him you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of salvation – having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Set-apart Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of Elohim’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” In addition we read the comforting words in Romans 8: 11, in this way: ‘But if the Spirit of Him who raised Yahshua from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Messiah Yahshua from the dead will also give life (eternal life) to your mortal bodies through His spirit who indwells you.’ It is only mankind with the incredible potential to become the very sons and daughters of Elohim. Animals do not have the same potential, as they were not created from the Spirit or essence of Elohim.

As much as physical food is required for the welfare of a person, so is spiritual food required for the spiritual welfare of a person. When His disciples offered Yahshua physical food after His meeting with the woman at the well in John 4: 31, Yahshua answered them in verse 32, saying: “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” Continuing in verses 33 & 34, we read: ‘The disciples therefore were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” (34) Yahshua said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.”’ When we study Torah, we get a better understanding of who YHVH is and what He requires of us. In addition, because Torah is Elohim’s wisdom, we read from Psalm 19: 7, ‘The law (Torah) of YHVH is perfect, restoring the soul (which is an integrated part of the spirit – as may be read from Hebrews 4: 12[1]); The testimony of YHVH is sure, making wise the simple.’ So here too we have the answer how we are able to improve from the weakness in which we were called, to become sons and daughters of Elohim; if we want to make it into the kingdom of Elohim, we will have to do His will.

There are a number of Messianic/Nazarene Israelites, Assemblies of YHVH, as well as some of the many off-shoots of the Church of G-d, who believe in two (YHVH) s Yahshua being the so-called lesser YHVH. But, as is confirmed in Luke 10: 21 – 24, the Oneness of Elohim is not learnt, it is revealed to us, as follows: ‘At that very time He (Yahshua) rejoiced greatly in the Set-apart Spirit, and said, “I praise Thee, O Father, Master of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes. Yes, Father, for thus it was well pleasing in Thy sight. (22) All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” (23) ‘And turning to the disciples He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, (24) for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them,”’ In addition we read from Isaiah 53: 1, ‘Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of YHVH been revealed? We are told by Yahshua himself in Matthew 15: 24 that He came primarily to bring back the lost sheep of the house of Israel, as follows: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Rav Shaul explained in Romans 11 and especially in verse 32 that at this time YHVH has blinded Judah to the identity of the true Messiah, until all the fullness or remnant of the lost ten tribes who currently think they are Gentiles (including some genuine Gentiles) have been called and returned, then all Israel (including Judah) will be saved (as per verses 25 – 27). In fact Yahshua explained this whole matter extensively in John 12: 37 – 45, in this way: ‘But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him; (38) that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, “YHVH, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF YHVH BEEN REVEALED? (39) For this cause they could not believe, for Isaiah said again. (40) “HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES, AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART (belief system); LEST THEY SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED, AND I HEAL THEM.” (41) These things Isaiah said, because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him. (42) Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him (there have always been Torah observant individuals who believed in Yahshua as their Messiah), but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; (43) for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of Elohim. (44) And Yahshua cried out and said, “He who believes in Me does not believe in Me, but in Him who sent Me. (45) And he who beholds Me beholds the One who sent Me.”’

The questions on everyone’s lips are: Why do those people who know so much Scriptural truths, still stumble over Messiah Yahshua the rock of our salvation? Why don’t they know who He is? And; what conditions need we fulfill before Yahshua will reveal Himself to us? Having been part of the groups who believed in two (YHVH) s, I also used to espouse this false doctrine, which in fact contradicts the Shema found in Deuteronomy 6: 4 and many other verses in the Scriptures. During the mid-90’s when the group we belonged to disintegrated, we became Nazarene Israelites and slowly but surely started studying the actual Torah, as found in the first five books of the Scriptures. It is not that we did not keep the Sabbath; the annual Feast Days of Elohim, eating only food approved according to Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, as well as now and then study selected portions of the Torah, but we never studied the Torah and the prophets, like our Jewish brothers do on an annual basis. It was only after having studied the same that we truly started believing in the Oneness of Elohim. As a fellow believer and returning Israelite, may I confidently tell you, if you do not want to stumble over the stumbling stone mentioned in Isaiah 8: 14 any longer, start studying and obeying Torah and Yahshua will reveal Himself to you, as He said in His own words in John 14: 21, as follows: “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him.” The secret is that like with the lesson of tefillin (arm and head phylacteries); where you tie the tefillin to your left arm first and then to your forehead, we learnt to do Torah before we studied it. So even if you do not know why you observe a certain Torah command that is not fully logical at first, you will eventually get to understand the reason for doing so, after studying (not only reading) the same.

YHVH wants each and every one of us to take time out to get to know Him, as we read from Deuteronomy 4: 29, in this way: “But from there you will seek YHVH your Elohim, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart (belief system) and all your soul (the way we live).” This is specifically talking about those returning Israelites who were scattered amongst the Gentiles as is confirmed in verses 27 & 28 Of Deuteronomy 4, as follows: “And YHVH will scatter you among the peoples, and you shall be left few in number among the nations, where YHVH shall drive you. (28) And there you will serve gods, the work of man’s hands, wood and stone (images of a man on a cross – something we were forbidden to do), which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.” If we build our spiritual house on ‘the rock’ of our salvation namely Yahshua, it will withstand any storm. But those who build their spiritual house on the foundation of mere men, will perish, as we are told in Yahshua’s own words in Matthew 7: 21 – 27, in this way: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. (22) Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Master, Master, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ (23) And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ (24) Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his home upon the rock. (25) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock. (26) And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. (27) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall.”

But let’s before we close, answer the question asked at the beginning, namely, how do we ensure that we wear wedding garments at Yahshua’s return? When we study and keep Torah, for a number of years, Yahshua requires us to teach new believers what we have learnt from Him, through self-study and teachers commissioned by Him to go into the entire world to all the nations where the lost ten tribes were scattered into, and proclaim the good news of the coming kingdom of Elohim, to every-one. It is when we study, discuss, and teach Torah that we fully understand the deeper things of Torah; at that point the spirit of a believer, gets to understand the spiritual things of YHVH and we become clothed with the garment of Torah (which is Spiritual – as per Romans 7: 14). As much as our physical clothes may be changed because of dirt, so does Torah change our garments of deeds, decisions and speech ( which is in control of the spirit in us – as per Job 32: 8), for different thoughts by the renewal of our minds. It is as Rav Yaa’cov taught in James 1: 21 – 25, saying: ‘Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. (22) But prove yourselves doers of the word (Torah), and not merely hearers who delude themselves. (23) For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; (24) for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. (It is by looking into Torah like a mirror, that we discover our sins or shortcomings; and it is then that we are supposed to clean the dirt on our faces – the sin which makes us unclean.) (25) But one who looks intently at the perfect law (Torah), the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer, but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.’

We need to put aside our filthy garments and put on Torah, as confirmed by Rav Shaul in Colossians 3: 8 – 10 saying: ‘But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. (9) Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, (10) and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.’ A second witness comes from Ephesians 4: 22 – 24, as follows: ‘That, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, (23) and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, (24) and put on the new self, which in the likeness of Elohim has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.’ We need to put on Torah, so that we may become like Yahshua the image (or likeness) of Elohim, whom we know is the living incarnation of the Torah (the will[2] and wisdom[3] of YHVH). This agrees with the words in Revelation 22: 14, as follows: ‘Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.’ The King James Version substitutes the underlined words in verse 14 from the New American Standard Bible, with ‘they that do his commandments’.

We may therefore conclude that we wash our robes by keeping the commandments. But, for us the returning lost sheep from the house of Israel, it is only because of our faith in Yahshua, when we become fully Torah observant that we will be suitably clothed for the wedding feast when Yahshua our Messiah returns. Think carefully about it!

[1] Hebrews 4: 12, ‘For the word of Elohim is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of the soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.’

[2] John 1: 13, ‘Who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of Elohim.’

[3] 1 Corinthians 1: 24, ‘But to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Messiah the power of Elohim and the wisdom of Elohim.’