Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

‘You are elohim.’

We who believe in Messiah and the Oneness of Elohim are often asked how we can believe that Yahshua is YHVH in the flesh, yet He is referred to as the Son of Man, but also the Son of Elohim in the Scriptures. We find the answer to the first part of the question, namely why do the Scriptures refer to Yahshua, Elohim in the flesh, as the Son of Man in the second part of Isaiah 49: 26, as follows: “And all flesh will know that I, YHVH, am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” Rav Shaul states this as one of the mysteries of our Nazarene Israelite faith in first Timothy 3: 16 (KJV), saying: ‘And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: Elohim was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.’

Yes, Yahshua who is Elohim manifested in the flesh, became the Son of Man so that He could become our kinsman redeemer to buy back the portion of the Promised Land that we from the lost sheep of the house of Israel lost through idolatry, but also to redeem us from the punishment due to us for transgressing Elohim’s Torah teachings, as our Savior. A second witness to this comes from Isaiah 63: 7 & 8, in this way: ‘I shall make mention of the lovingkindnesses of YHVH, the praises of YHVH, according to all that YHVH has granted us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He has granted them according to His compassion, and according to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses. (8) For He said, “Surely, they are My people, sons who will not deal falsely.” So He became their Savior.’ That answers the first part of the question. Now let’s determine why or how Yahshua the Word of Elohim who became flesh, also became known as the Son of Elohim. Yahshua our Messiah’s first advent was specifically to save the lost sheep of the house of Israel (as He also said in Matthew 15: 24). He came to reconcile those of us who are ‘far off’ together with the house of Judah who are considered near Elohim, together in one body or congregation to Elohim, as witnessed in Ephesians 2: 13 – 19, as follows: ‘But now in Messiah Yahshua you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah. (14) For He Himself is our peace who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, (15) by  abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances[1], that in Himself He might make the two (the house of Israel and the house of Judah) into one new man, thus establishing peace,  (16) and might reconcile them both in one body to Elohim through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. (17) AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; (18) for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. (19) So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of Elohim’s household.’ This is in fact what Yahshua also told the Jews in John 10: 14 – 17, saying: “I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me, (15) even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. (16) And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold (the Jewish congregation); I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd.’

Even though Yahshua is busy getting the two houses of Israel together through the efforts of Nazarene Israelite Two House congregations from the house of Israel and an organization known as Commonwealth of Israel (composed of members from both houses and established by Kolhator in Israel and like-minded groups in the USA), to ultimately become one congregation or nation making up the commonwealth of Israel over which YHVH promised King David eternal rulership in the coming kingdom of Elohim, the final restoration between the two houses will only be finalized at Messiah’s return. This has been revealed in a prophecy by YHVH through Ezekiel in Ezekiel 37:  19 – 24, in this way: “Say to them, ‘Thus says YHVH Elohim, “Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand. (20) And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes.  (21) And say to them, ‘Thus says YHVH Elohim, “Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; (22) and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations, and they will no longer be divided into two kingdoms. (23) And they will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their Elohim. (24) And My servant David will be king over them and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances, and keep My statutes, and observe them.” It was during the minor Jewish Feast of Dedication (also known as Chanukah, as may be see in John 10: 22 & 23) that Yahshua actually spoke to the Pharisees telling them that He is the good shepherd, which caused them to become uneasy with what He said to them, since they recall King David saying in Psalm 23 that YHVH is his shepherd.

We see later during the same teaching, that Yahshua presented to the Pharisees, they became even more upset and wanted to stone Him, when in John 10: 30 He said to them: “I and the Father are one.” When noticing that they picked up stones to stone Him, He asked them in verse 32, saying: “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” We continue with the conversation in John 10: 33 – 38, as follows: The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be Elohim.” (34) Yahshua answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I SAID, YOU ARE GODS?’ (35) “If he (meaning David in Psalm 82: 6 ) called them gods, to whom the word of Elohim came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), (36) do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, “I am the Son of Elohim’? (37) If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; (38) but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” Because YHVH blinded the minds of the house of Judah to the identity of Yahshua, this was blasphemy to the Jewish leaders and in accordance with Torah punishable by stoning to death. They did not realize that Yahshua came as a personal example to us from the lost sheep of the house of Israel, to show us how we will one day become sons of Elohim by being resurrected or born-again, the same way He was resurrected to become the Son of Elohim as witnessed in Romans 1: 1 – 4, in this way: ‘Shaul, a bond-servant of Messiah Yahshua, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of Elohim, (2) which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, (3) concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, (4) who was declared the Son of Elohim with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the spirit of holiness, Yahshua Messiah our Master.’  This is further explained by Rav Shaul in Colossians 1: 16 – 18, saying: ‘For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities ---all things have been created by Him and for Him. (17) And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. (18) He is also head of the body, the congregation; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.’

Yahshua the Messiah was actually trying to show these Jewish leaders about the potential true believers in either Torah or Him the embodiment of Torah have, provided they remain faithful to Elohim and His Torah until their dying day, or at Messiah’s coming (the second time for us, but the first time for them) in the near future. By saying, ‘You are gods’ to them He was not minimizing His person to be anything less than Elohim, but rather He was trying to elevate their understanding of what Israel was and His relation to them. We know from what King David wrote about us that YHVH has planned a great deal more for us than what mankind knows, without studying His word. We read from Psalm 8: 4 - 9, King David saying: ‘What is man, that Thou dost take thought of him? And the son of man, that Thou dost care for him? (5) Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than Elohim, and dost crown him with glory and majesty! (6) Thou dost make him to rule over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet, (7) all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, (8) the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the sea. (9) O YHVH, our Adonai, how majestic is Thy name in all the earth!’ From Genesis 1, we get to see that YHVH created animals and birds according to their kind (verse 21), but that He created mankind according to His image and likeness (verses 26 & 27), essentially showing us our potential to become part of the Elohim-kind, when we are resurrected as spiritual children of Elohim, when Messiah comes to establish the Kingdom of Elohim on earth, as it is now in heaven. The spiritual power that a true believer has within, even in our physical bodies at present, is absolutely unlimited as we conform to the will of our heavenly Father, and as Rebbe Yahshua showed and also clearly testified that it was not only his own to possess, in Matthew 17: 14 – 20, in this way: ‘And when they came to the multitude, a man came up to Him, falling on his knees before Him, and saying, (15) “Master, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic, and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire, and often into the water. (16) And I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” (17) And Yahshua answered and said, “O unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me. (18) And Yahshua rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once. (19) Then the disciples came to Yahshua privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” (20) And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a  mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you.”’

When Thomas on another occasion after Yahshua told His disciples that they know the way where He is going when He will leave them in the future, he said to Yahshua in John 14: 5 – 12: “Master, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” (6) Yahshua said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me. (7) If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” (8) Philip said to Him, “Master, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” (9) Yahshua said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ (10) Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. (11) Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me; otherwise believe on the account of the works themselves. (12) Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the woks that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father.” YHVH created mankind to “rule over the works of His hands” and “put all things under his feet.” At this time we might not feel as if we are in control of what Elohim created, and might even at times see ourselves as victims with very little power. Until we understand that with the Set-apart Spirit given us at immersion and the laying on of hands of the teaching elder who immersed us, we are potential elohim and are able to proclaim the coming Kingdom of Elohim boldly and by our example, as a witness to the last generation before Messiah’s return. The Author of Hebrews (who most scholars of the Renewed Covenant agree was Rav Shaul) answers the questions King David asked Elohim in Psalm 8, in Hebrews 2: 8 – 11, saying: “THOU HAST  PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.” For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him (meaning mankind). But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. (9) But we do see Him who has been made for a little while lower that the angels, namely, Yahshua, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of Elohim He might taste death for everyone. (10) For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. (11) For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.’

In Yahshua’s prayer to the Father for us (His disciples) in John 17, Yahshua said to the Father in verses 9 - 11 and 20 – 22: “I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine; (10) and all things that are Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. (11) And I am no more in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep them in Thy name, the name which Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, even as We are. (20) I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;  (21) that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me.  (22) And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one.” Believers cannot become ‘elohim’ in their own authority, since it is impossible for us or angels to share Elohim’s divine nature. Yahshua came specifically to show us how we like our Jewish Brothers who get the Set-apart Spirit for being obedient to Elohim’s Torah teachings, are able to be born-again as Spiritual children of Elohim by the indwelling of the Set-apart Spirit. Through the congregation of YHVH and King Messiah Yahshua our High Priest we are able to become part of the Elohim Family and will one day at Messiah’s return be changed to immortal children of Elohim to dwell in the Promised Land eternally with our fathers in the faith, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Rav Shaul tells us about this change in first Corinthians 15: 49 – 54, saying: ‘And just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. (50) Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of Elohim; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. (51) Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. (53) For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. (54) But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.”’ We read further about our transformation when Messiah comes from 1 John 3: 2, in this way: ‘Beloved, now we are children of Elohim, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is.’

Churchianity does not want their members to know this truth, and it makes theologians furious. The clergy do not believe these Scriptural truths, and even if they are shown it, they still refuse to believe, as Rav Shaul also witness in 2 Corinthians 4: 3 & 4, saying: ‘And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, (4) in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Messiah, who is the image of Elohim.’  These religious leaders hold that it was sin that separated us from what we were destined to become. They want their members to continue to believe that they are going to remain as they are – a lower life form, yet Yahshua our Messiah taught that once we are going to be glorified we will be like angels in Matthew 22: 30, saying: “for in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.” Even so, there is a danger with all this potential, because of the fall of mankind we now have inherited a good and an evil inclination, as testified by Jeremiah in Jeremiah 17: 9, saying: “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick (the KJV reads wicked); who can understand it?   Rav Shaul also wrote about our evil inclination in Romans 8: 7, saying: ‘Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward Elohim; for it does not subject itself to the law of Elohim, for it is not even able to do so.’  However, he tells us how we are able to overcome our evil inclination in Romans 8: 9 – 11, saying: ‘However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of Elohim dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Messiah, he does not belong to Him. (10) And if Messiah is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. (11) 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 to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.’

Mankind is prone to idolatry because we inherently ‘know’ that we were eventually to become elohim. It is for this reason that many are so concerned with themselves, that they knowingly or unknowingly worship the self. It is also for this reason that many have become inward looking and everything is about me, I, and myself. YHVH our Elohim is against this mindset when He tells us in Exodus 20: 2 & 3, saying: “I am YHVH your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. (3) You shall have no other gods before Me.” Self-worship is the most common form of idolatry that there is. In John 1: 13 Yahshua told Nicodemus that unless someone is born of water and the Set-apart Spirit he is not able to enter the kingdom of Elohim. YHVH promised us from the lost sheep of the house of Israel through the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 36: 24 – 27, saying: “For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands, and bring you into your own land. (25) Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. (26) Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (27) And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”  We are slowly but surely progressing in our spiritual development as Rav Kepha wrote for us, in 2 Peter 1: 3 – 7, 10 & 11, saying: ‘Seeing that His (Yahshua’s) divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. (4) For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. (5) Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; (6) and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; (7) and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. (10) Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; (11) for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior Yahshua Messiah will be abundantly supplied to you.’  Churchianity objects vehemently to verse 4 above, since they believe it is impossible for us to become like Elohim. However, Rav Shaul agreed with Rav Kepha saying in 2 Corinthians 3: 17 & 18: ‘Now YHVH is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of YHVH is, there is liberty. (18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of YHVH, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from YHVH, the Spirit.’

Rav Shaul explains that it is Elohim’s purpose for us to be glorified in Romans 8: 28 – 30, saying: ‘And we know that Elohim causes all things to work together for good to those who love Elohim, to those who are called according to His purpose. (29) 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.’ Even though we are already justified we are as good as glorified, provided we remain loyal to YHVH and His word. Dying is just the last move as we move through the birthing channel. Salvation in Messiah is the defeat of death. Death has been the fear of mankind since Adam sinned; therefore salvation of mankind involves the liberation from death. What saves us is not only the impalement of Messiah offered to the heavenly Father as a sacrifice, but the reality that Yahshua the Torah or literal  Word became flesh, was immersed in water that became sanctified as Messiah entered into them as the Father’s Spirit hovered over Him and the waters; His descent into Hell to defeat the evil nature and take the keys of death and the grave, His resurrection and ascension and ten days later the realization that His offering was accepted as the sacrifice with the giving of the Set-apart Spirit at Shavuot. In the original faith of the Nazarenes, Elohim became human in order to change fallen Israel and ultimately all of mankind from within, uniting them forever to YHVH at Atonement or at-one-ment.  We read accordingly from first Corinthians 15: 20 – 28: “But now Messiah has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. (21) For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. (22) For as in Adam all die, so also in Messiah all shall be made alive. (23) But each in his own order, Messiah the first fruits, after that those who are Messiah’s at His coming, (24) then comes the end (ones), when He delivers up the kingdom to the Elohim and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. (25) For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. (26) The last enemy that will be abolished is death. (27) For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is expected who put all things in subjection to Him. (28) And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that Elohim may be all in all.’

That is when we will all be part of the Elohim Family as Rav Shaul further witnessed in Ephesians 3:  14 – 19, saying: ‘For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, (15)  from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, (16) that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; (17) so that Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breath and length and height and depth, (19) and to know the love of Messiah which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of Elohim.’ As little babies we grow up to learn our purpose in life and as adults we are supposed to repent, by returning to the way of Elohim and be immersed to receive the Set-apart Spirit of Elohim. (YHVH)’s plan to turn the commonwealth of Israel into the Kingdom of Elohim on earth has been laid out in the sacred Scriptures – our Handbook of faith. We read therefore fittingly from 1 John 3: 1 – 8, as follows: ‘See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of Elohim, and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. (2) Beloved, now we are children of Elohim, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. (3) And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (4) Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. (5) And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. (6) No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. (7) Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; (8) the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of Elohim appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil.’  We are no longer sinners, but are sons and daughters of YHVH our Elohim. In fact we are elohim in the making and as such, we are a reflection of Elohim on the earth. We ought to be better than what we are – striving to improve the old self on a continuous basis. Like Messiah was our perfect example, we should be examples and ambassadors of the coming kingdom of Elohim, showing family, friends and new believers how to live the way of Elohim.  Let’s therefore start living up to our high calling. Halleluyah!   

 

[1] Commandments contained in ordinances – the Torah is basically made up of commandments, statutes and judgments or ordinances. The commandment is at the top level telling us for example not to commit adultery. The statutes break the commandments down in more detail and inform us that adultery involves relationships with other partners outside the marriage relationship, including incest; not to have such relationships with animals or partners of the same gender, as these are an abomination to Elohim. The judgments or ordinances being part and parcel of the commandments, tell us the punishment due for breaking any of the statutes contained in the law. Yahshua abolished the punishment due to us for breaking Elohim’s commandments in our ignorance, by dying in our place, since most of the sins we committed were punishable by stoning to death –  examples being those of us who used to break the Sabbath and bow before images of a man nailed to a cross. But now that we are reconciled to Elohim, we are once again obliged to obey His Torah, if we want Him to be our Elohim who provides for and protects us.