55 Are we part of the one faith spoken

Are we part of the one faith spoken about in the Scriptures?

The best time of the year to get rid of the false doctrines that we inherited from the religions where we come from, is during the fifty days that we count the Omer between the Passover and Shavuot (or Pentecost). Now that this period is behind us, let’s consider the many false doctrines we learnt or heard about in our lifetimes and see if we truly rid ourselves of them. To commence with; evolutionists believe that this life is all there is and that we have to make the best of what we have been dealt with, knowing that at least our children are more improved models of us[1]. Are they correct? Is there a purpose for us to be here on earth? Ask yourself: Why am I here and where am I going? Yes, I mean during this life on earth, but also in the hereafter. Do you believe that you are going either to heaven or to hell when you die one day? Are those the options open to you? Many believers, even pastors, elders, and some rabbis have been deceived to believe that the good go to heaven and the evil go to hell, when they die. However, they are deceived and are also deceiving their followers regarding this very important matter. We read in Revelation 12: 9, ‘And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.’ Have you ever considered this statement carefully? Is it possible for Satan to have deceived all the inhabitants of the earth? How is this possible? Do you realize that most of the doctrines taught by most of Churchianity are the exact opposite of what the word of Elohim teaches?

We read about Yahshua’s conversation with Nicodemus regarding being born-again in John 3: 13, saying: “(And) no one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven, even the Son of Man.” Do you believe Yahshua the word of Elohim in this regard? But, I hear you asking: is our father Abraham not in heaven? What about David? We read from the faith chapter in Hebrews 11: 8 – 10 about Abraham, as follows: ‘By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. (9) By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; (10) for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is Elohim.’ However we see from verses 39 & 40 of Hebrews 11 that Abraham and our other fathers in the faith did not receive what they were promised, in this way: ‘And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, (40) because Elohim had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.’ Father Abraham and the rest of the faithful who died without receiving their reward of living in the Promised Land eternally, will only receive that reward when they are in the first (better) resurrection (as per verses 32 - 35[2]) when Messiah returns one day in the near future. We also read about king David, in Acts 2: 29, Rav Kepha, saying: “Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.” For those who assert that this is only talking about king David’s body and that his soul is now in heaven, read further and you will get the answer in verses 32 - 35, as follows: “This Yahshua Elohim raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. (33) Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of Elohim, and having received from the Father the promise of the Set-apart Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. (34) For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘YHVH SAID TO MY ADONAI, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, (35) UNTIL I MAKE THINE ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR THY FEET.”’ Do you believe in the resurrection of the dead? If you do, then why do you want to go to heaven - especially if Yahshua is coming back to resurrect the dead?

Satan the master counterfeiter has taken every doctrine to be found in the word of Elohim and changed it only ever so slightly to make it into a counterfeit of the original. Have you ever seen counterfeit money? Are you able to recognize counterfeit money when you see it? Some counterfeits are so close to the original, that it takes an expert to detect that it is a counterfeit. Satan being the master counterfeiter is able to make a counterfeit to look so close to the real thing that most people are not able to detect it. There are many false teachings in modern Christianity and other religions about Satan the devil. Some say that he is merely the embodiment of all that is evil, and not a real being. Others believe that Satan appears as a red monster with horns, a tail and a pitchfork. But is that the truth? The Scriptures reveal that Satan is the god (small g) of this world. Rav Shaul calls him that in 2 Corinthians 4: 4, saying: “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” In an attempt to defeat Messiah, Satan claimed in Luke 4: 6 & 7, saying: “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. (7) Therefore if You worship before Me, it shall be Yours.” The present world belongs to Satan - if he made this statement falsely, Messiah would certainly have told him so. But, Yahshua did not refute Satan's claim about the kingdoms of this world, instead, He rebuked him in verse 8, saying: “It is written, ‘You SHALL WORSHIP YHVH YOUR ELOHIM AND SERVE HIM ONLY.” Yahshua warned His Disciples in Matthew 7: 13, saying: “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.” He was telling his disciples that the majority of mankind would be misled, and follow the easy broad way, without Torah limiting their actions – the way to destruction. In Ephesians 2: 2 we see that Satan the deceiver is known as the prince of the power of the air. He continually broadcast wrong attitudes and ideas into the minds of human beings, to get them to transgress Elohim’s commandments. We have already read in Revelation 12: 9 that Satan deceived the whole world, after he and his angels were thrown down to earth, following his rebellious attempt to take over the throne of Elohim in the third heaven. In Isaiah 14: 12 (in the King James Version of The Scriptures) we see that Satan was called Lucifer, son of the morning before his fall. Today he is known as Satan and his angels are now known as demons.

But how did Satan become the god of this world? Many people have falsely assumed that the devil is the god of this world against Elohim’s will. In so doing, they have mistakenly followed one of Satan’s great false doctrines; that there is a great controversy between Elohim and him. This doctrine assumes that Satan is much more powerful than YHVH our Elohim. Despite all the work that Christian missionary workers have done over many centuries, we must agree that there seems to be far more human beings ‘lost’ than what there are ‘saved’. Considering the alleged contest between YHVH and Satan for human 'souls', we must admit that Elohim seems to be on the 'losing' side - it is very clear that most people are totally enveloped in sin today. It raises the question in our minds: If YHVH is OMNIPOTENT, why have so few people, who ever lived, heard the good news of salvation? Is this doctrine of Satan true? The answer is found in Romans 11: 30 - 36 as follows: ‘For just as you once were disobedient to Elohim, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, (31) so these also now have been disobedient, in order that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. (32) For Elohim has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all. (33) Oh, the depth of riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of Elohim! How unsearchable His judgments and unfathomable His ways! (34) FOR WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF YHVH, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? (35) OR WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? (36) For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amein.” According to Elohim’s plan of salvation, depicted by His annual Set-apart Days, there will be two resurrections or harvests of souls. The first resurrection is for those people who are called during this age to be a kind of first fruits, as witnessed in James 1: 18, in this way: “In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures.” If we make it into the first resurrection, we will become first fruits unto YHVH. We will be made Spirit beings as those who are in the first resurrection, as witnessed in Revelation 20: 6, as follows: ‘Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests to Elohim and of Messiah and will reign with Him for a thousand years.’ The second harvest of souls will occur after the millennium rule of Messiah, as it clearly shows in the last part of Revelation 20: 4 and in verse 5: “and they came to life and reigned with Messiah for a thousand years. (5) The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.” Rav Shaul also wrote about this in 1 Corinthians 15: 22 – 24, saying: “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 fruit(s), 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.”

We read further about the second resurrection in Isaiah 25: 7 - 8, in this way: ‘And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, even the veil which is stretched over all nations. (8) He will swallow up death for all time, And YHVH Elohim will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For YHVH has spoken.’ When will that veil be destroyed? When will death be swallowed up? After the Day of Judgment of course! The Day of Judgment for all the billions who lived over the past centuries will only come after the Millennial rule of Yahshua Messiah. We see that these people who were blinded in the past will have the veil, which is stretched over them, removed. Make no mistake: If these untold billions of formerly blinded people are merely judged by their works, many of them were thieves, prostitutes, dictators and false prophets will all perish in the lake of fire. They did not ever repent and were not immersed as we are taught to do in Acts 2: 38. They did not study the Scriptures to grow in grace and knowledge, as we are taught in 2 Peter 3: 18. YHVH our Elohim’s purpose remains. He is not trying to save everyone during this age; If He was, they would not all be saved. Elohim is at this time calling a remnant of Israelites from the lost ten tribes (plus a number of Gentiles) to be reconciled to Him through Yahshua and return to the covenant they together with the house of Judah made with Him at Mount Horeb, then to join their Torah observant Jewish Brothers as first fruits to rule with Yahshua during the Millennium and onto eternity. The vast majority of blinded individuals will be brought back to life during the Great White Throne Judgment. Then He will call them to spiritual understanding and will fill those who are willing with His Set-apart Spirit. He will grant them salvation in His kingdom. Those not willing will be burnt to ashes, with the wicked ones who sinned willfully after being called, during this age. There is no second chance - we read accordingly in Hebrews 10: 26 & 27: ‘For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, (27) but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.’

Satan introduced his doctrine that man has an immortal soul to mother Eve, when he spoke to her in Genesis 3: 4 as follows: ‘And the serpent said to the woman, "You surely shall not die!.”’ This despite the fact that Elohim told Adam in Genesis 2: 17, saying: “but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall die.” Many assume that because Adam and Eve did not die during the first day on which they ate of the forbidden fruit, that YHVH told an untruth. However, do not forget that according to The Scriptures a day to YHVH is like a thousand years, as confirmed in 2 Peter 3: 8, in this way: “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with YHVH one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” We also know according to The Scriptures in Genesis 5: 5, “(So) all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.” So it was Satan the father of lies, who lied. Induced by Satan’s lies and deception Adam and Eve did sin. Since then all humankind have sinned and fall short of YHVH's glory. Death spread to all humankind through the sins of our forefathers. However, after Adam and Eve’s fall, and after YHVH scattered mankind abroad over the face of the earth, because of the rebellion started by Nimrod in Babylon, YHVH started afresh with one man called Abraham. YHVH basically made a two-fold promise to Abraham; the first being that his descendants through Isaac and Jacob would inherit the Promised Land eternally, provided they like Abraham prove their faith in YHVH by obedience to Him, including to circumcise their male children at the age of 8-days old, as a sign to this eternal covenant. The second part of the promise, that YHVH will bring the people who will eventually become known as the lost ten tribes because of disobedience to Him, back to the covenant relationship they had with Him together with their Jewish Brothers, to again have an opportunity to become first born heirs of Abraham to inherit their part of the Promised land which they lost, through Abraham’s one Seed, Yahshua, who will also finally save the rest of mankind after learning Elohim’s true way after the 2nd resurrection, and decide to follow it, as second born children into Elohim’s eternal family.

Nevertheless, Satan has succeeded in selling his own desires as well as his final destination to his deceived audience, as their most important teaching. Satan wanted to go to heaven to take over Elohim’s throne in rebellion, as recorded in Isaiah 14: 13 & 14 as follows: “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of Elohim, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. (14) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” Christianity, Moslems, Hindus and other religions believe that ‘good’ people go to heaven, beholding the face of Elohim for eternity and evil people go to hell to burn eternally in an ever burning fire, at the time of their death. However, this doctrine inspired by Satan, is nowhere to be found in The Scriptures. As mentioned before, Satan as a spiritual being is immortal and has deceived mankind and more specifically many in Christianity, to believe that man is also immortal. We know that the devil will be thrown into the lake of fire and will be tormented day and night forever and ever, as witnessed in Revelation 20: 10 as follows: “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are (more correctly, had been thrown) also; and they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Many in Christianity and some other religions teach accordingly, that the wicked will be tormented in an everlasting fire. Human beings are made from physical matter and without having received Elohim’s Set-apart Spirit at repentance and immersion or because of obedience as Torah observant Jews; they do not have Elohim’s Spirit as a pledge of redemption and are therefore not assured of immortal life at Messiah’s return. When physical matter is thrown into a fire, it burns until it becomes ashes. This is exactly what will happen to the wicked, who will not accept Yahshua as their Savior, according to Malachi 4: 1 - 3 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze.” says YHVH of hosts. “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” (2) But for you who fear My name the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. (3) And you will tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says YHVH of hosts.” A second witness to this can be found in Isaiah 26: 14 as follows: “The dead will not live, the departed spirits (spirits in man – without the Spirit of YHVH given at immersion into Yahshua’s saving Name) will not rise; Therefore Thou hast punished and destroyed them, And Thou hast wiped out all remembrance of them.” This tells us that when the wicked are thrown into the Lake of fire, after the second resurrection, they will not burn forever, but will be wiped out from remembrance. So we see eternity in an ever-lasting fire cannot be the fate of un-repented human beings. After the second resurrection, those who refuse to go Elohim’s way and repent will be thrown into the Gehenna fire, an all-consuming fire that will completely destroy them from all memory. We have seen through the examination of the words translated as ‘hell’ that the traditional view of an everlasting torment where sinners will be punished for eternity is simply not scriptural.

We as Nazarene Israelites believe that YHVH is one; some groups believe that He consists of three persons in one; another group believes that Yahshua was an Angel before His human birth; and groups like the Assemblies/congregation of YHVH believe that Yahshua is a second YHVH. Some who hold to this doctrine, quote the following verses in support of this doctrine: Jeremiah 23: 6 and 33: 16 which clearly speaks about Yahshua being called YHVH our righteousness. Next they quote Genesis 19: 24, as follows: ‘Then YHVH rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from YHVH out of heaven.’ According to them, this proves without a doubt that there are two beings called YHVH. However, what does YHVH our Elohim say to this assertion? We read in Deuteronomy 4: 39, YHVH talking to Moses, saying: “Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that YHVH, He is Elohim in heaven above and on earth below; there is no other.’ There are numerous witnesses to this statement in Isaiah, one of which appears in Isaiah 45: 21, as follows: “Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, YHVH? And there is no other Elohim besides Me, a righteous Elohim and a Savior; there is none except Me. Do you take YHVH at His word and believe that He is indeed One, or are you prepared to contradict the word of Elohim, saying that you know He is two, as some Assemblies/congregations of YHVH do?

There are those who say that we who believe in the Oneness of Elohim are according to the second part of 1 John 2: 22 the ‘anti-Messiah’. The term anti-Messiah (or Antichrist) appears only in the 1st and 2nd books of John. Let‘s consider the test Scripture in 1 John 4: 2, ‘By this you know the Spirit of Elohim: every spirit that confesses that Yahshua Messiah has come in the flesh is from Elohim.’ Yes, Yahshua is the Messiah, but what does that mean? Do you believe that Messiah came in the flesh? This is indeed a mystery, the answer of which is given in 1 Timothy 3: 16, as follows: ‘And by common confession great is the mystery of godliness: He (some later manuscripts read Elohim) who was revealed in the flesh (as we are told in John 1: 14), was vindicated (justified) in the Spirit, beheld by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.’ We also read in Isaiah 7: 14 ‘Therefore YHVH Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.’ The footnote against Immanuel reads: G-d with us. Yahshua is Messiah, but He is also YHVH in the flesh. Do you now understand what it means to confess that Yahshua Messiah has come in the flesh? It implies that Yahshua was somewhere else before He was born as a ‘man’. Knowing the Scriptures, we are able to confirm this in John 1: 1 – 3 and 14, as follows: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim. (2) He was in the beginning with Elohim. (3) All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being[3]. (14) And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.’ This fact about Yahshua our Messiah tests the spirit of the professing believer according to 1 John 4: 2 (quoted earlier).

The Assemblies/congregations of YHVH are not any different from the Roman Catholic Church, since they, like the Catholics believe that their congregation was built upon Peter and the other disciples of Yahshua, who later became the apostles. They believe that ‘having been given’ the Oracles of Elohim, give them the right to proclaim the Feast Days of Elohim, including doing away with the postponement rules that the Rabbinical Jews introduced. They like the Catholics base this teaching on Matthew 16: 18, where Yahshua said to Peter: “And I also say to you that you are Peter (Petros in Greek, meaning a pebble), and upon this rock (Petra in Greek, meaning a rock) I will build My congregation; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.” They assume that Yahshua was referring to Peter (Kepha) as the rock upon whom the congregation is to be built. However we know that He was saying to Peter that His congregation will be built upon Him, the rock of our salvation. This is confirmed by Yahshua in Matthew 7: 24 & 25 , as follows: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. (25) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew (winds of change and false doctrines), and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.” Who or what is this rock. We read in 1 Corinthians 10: 4 ‘And all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Messiah.’ We need to make sure that the fellowship which we follow is built upon Yahshua the rock of our Salvation, and not on Peter, who the Catholics claim to be the first pope. Yes, we are Yahshua’s disciples; He is our Master (Rabbi) and has commissioned us to continue with His rabbi/discipleship program, until He comes back to rule the world from Jerusalem. Evidently Peter (Rav Kepha) knew what Yahshua meant in Matthew 16, as he explains in Acts 4: 11 & 12,saying: “He (Yahshua) is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the very corner stone. (12) And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name (the name Yahshua means the salvation of YHVH) under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.” Rav Kepha confirmed that He knew who Yahshua was, adding that those who stumble over these facts were appointed for this doom. as we read in 1 Peter 2: 7 & 8, as follows: ‘This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve, “THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,” (8) and, “A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.’ Those who built their house on the pope or on the Apostles alone are bound to come crashing down in the near future. Rav Shaul was also fully aware of what Yahshua meant. To this end he confirmed that our Jewish brothers were given the Oracles of Elohim. They preserved the Sabbath, the annual Feast Days of Elohim, koshering of meats (extracting all the blood), as well as the Hebrew language for us, as recorded in Roman 3: 1 – 4: ‘Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? (2) Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of Elohim. (3) What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of Elohim, will it? (4) May it never be! Rather, let Elohim be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “THAT THOU MIGHTEST BE JUSTIFIED IN THY WORDS, AND MIGHTEST PREVAIL WHEN THOU ART JUDGED.”’ Those who usurp the authority of the Jews (who sit in Moses’ seat) to proclaim the Feast Days of Elohim, and follow a calendar of their own design, are in fact the synagogue of Satan (as per Revelation 3: 9), since they are also part of the congregations called out of the churches of the world.

We know that YHVH will always remain the same, as is confirmed in Malachi 3: 6, “For I, YHVH, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.” Judah will remain Elohim’s lawgiver, until Yahshua returns to rule the world from Jerusalem. This is confirmed in Genesis 49: 10, as follows: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” When Yahshua returns, He is not coming back as a baby in a manger; No, He is coming to put down the misguided governments of this world. The question is: What did Yahshua give to the congregation, which is built upon the rock? We read His conversation with Kepha in Matthew 16: 19, where He said: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Both Rav Kepha and Rav Shaul knew what Yahshua meant, when saying this. We read from Acts 2: 38, where Rav Kepha explains to brethren from the house of Israel how to obtain the gift of the Set-apart Spirit, saying: “Repent, and let each of you be immersed in the name of Yahshua Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Set-apart Spirit.” Rav Shaul further explains in Romans 8: 11, saying: ‘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.’ This is one of the keys to the kingdom of Elohim. A second key is the understanding that we have regarding Elohim’s plan of salvation for all mankind, by observing Elohim’s annual Feast Days given in Leviticus 23. The Christian belief of going to heaven, instead of proclaiming the good news about the coming kingdom of Elohim, where Messiah and His first fruits believers who will if they qualify become the first born (again) spiritual children of Elohim, to rule the world from Jerusalem at His return, is part of Satan’s plan to keep the Bridegroom and His bride separate in the minds of their followers.

Many Messianic believers as well as the Assemblies/congregations of YHVH count the Omer from the day after the Sabbath, falling between the First and the Last Days of Unleavened Bread. The reason for this being that they do not understand the annual Set-apart Days are also known as annual Sabbaths, as is confirmed in John 19: 31, ‘The Jews therefore, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.’ In addition we need to compare Leviticus 23; 9 – 15, where this command is given, with Deuteronomy 16: 9 and Joshua 5: 10 – 11, where the Israelites actually arrived in the Promised Land. In verse 9 - 14 of Leviticus 23, we read: ‘Then YHVH spoke to Moses, saying, (10)“Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. (11) And he shall wave the sheaf before YHVH for you to be accepted; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. (12) Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to YHVH. (13) Its grain offering shall then be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire to YHVH for a soothing aroma, with its libation, a fourth of a hin of wine. (14) Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your Elohim, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.’ We are told in verse 15 to count seven complete Sabbaths. However, we see from Deuteronomy 16: 9 that we shall count seven complete weeks, because this Feast is also known as the Feast of Weeks (not the Feast of Sabbaths). Now, let us turn to Joshua 5: 10 & 11, where we read about the Israelites ‘when they entered the land,’ as follows: ‘While the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal, they observed the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day (which commenced as the 13th came to a close – since the Hebrew calendar dictates that a day starts in the evening as per Genesis 1: 5) of the month on the desert plains of Jericho. (11) And on the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.’ Israel was forbidden to eat grain or corn until the Omer was harvested and waved by the priest. If the day after the weekly Sabbath is where we count the Omer from and Sunday is always the day on which the Feast of First Fruits is to be kept, then Joshua sinned and caused the whole house of Israel to sin with him, as he allowed them to eat grain and the produce of the land the day after Passover. In addition, if one has to wait for the Sabbath between the First and Last Days of Unleavened Bread to pass before eating unleavened bread, you will also during certain years be forced to disobey (YHVH)’s given command in Leviticus 23: 6, saying: ‘for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread”, since the Passover does not always fall on a specific day of the week.

The wording of Joshua 5 shows that what allowed Israel to eat grain was the passing of the Passover and not the passing of the alleged weekly Sabbath. Fixed Sunday-to-Sunday (First Fruits to Pentecost) counting is a direct contradiction of Joshua chapter 5: 10 – 12. Here we see that the grain was eaten on the night of the 15th becoming the 16th. The expression ‘the day after the Sabbath’ in Leviticus 23 has been misunderstood as meaning that the first fruit sheaf was always to be waved on the day following the weekly Sabbath. This view was adopted by the Sadducees (Karaite Jews today) and certain modern interpreters. However, it is clear from the above discussion that the first annual Sabbath day (the 1st day of Unleavened Bread) was meant as may be seen in Joshua 5: 11. We are also aware that some of the other Set-apart days of YHVH are referred to in Leviticus 23(KJV) as Sabbaths in verses 24, 32 and 39. Most believers agree that Yahshua was impaled on a Wednesday (or the middle of the week) on the 14th of Aviv. He rose exactly three days later at the end of the weekly Sabbath. We know that Yahshua kept the Passover 24 hours before our Jewish brothers of His day did. Yahshua kept the Passover in the night during which He was betrayed; we keep it annually on the same evening, i.e. the 14th of Aviv as the 13th of Aviv ends, in remembrance of His death. Yahshua did not change any of the other Feast Days of Elohim during His first advent, else Rav. Shaul (or one of His other apostles) would have recorded it for us, as he (Rav Shaul) did the Passover in 1 Corinthians 11: 23 - 26. Instead of a major change, we notice in Acts 2: 1 (KJV), ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.’ Wow, this is rare! Nobody argued about the calendar like we do today and this was only days after Yahshua’s ascension recorded in Acts 1: 9. Enough said.

These are but some of the counterfeit belief systems that various groups have come up with over the years. Those of us called during this age, will if we faithfully follow in the footsteps of Messiah be resurrected together with those of our Jewish Brothers who remain Torah observant, as the called out bride of Messiah when He returns. Then we will be part and parcel of the Tabernacle of David that will be rebuilt as witnessed in Ezekiel 37: 21 -24, as follows: “And say to them, ‘Thus says Adonai 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.” Think about it!

[1] It reminds me of the joke about the Rabbi and the evolutionist traveling by train with their sons. The evolutionist’s son was very rude and ran all over the place, without listening to reprimands from his father. The Rabbi’s son sat quietly next to him, reading a book. Seeing this, the evolutionist asked: ‘How do you manage to control the lad so well?’ The Rabbi answered: ‘My son respects me as being one step closer to the Creator than what he is, as opposed to your son, who sees himself as superior to you, since he is one step further away from a monkey, than what you are.’

[2] Hebrews 11; 32 – 35: ‘And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Woman received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection.’

[3] Elohim created the universe by the word of YHVH, as is confirmed in Psalm 33: 6.