Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

Factors that keep Ephraim and Judah apart.

Over the past two years, we have discussed various tenets of our Nazarene Israelite faith, including false beliefs those of us who come from Christianity had to renounce, including the various false ideas they and others used to discredit Rav Shaul the apostle Yahshua specifically taught to help bring us from the lost sheep of the house of Israel back to the covenant that we made with YHVH, together with the house of Judah at Mount Sinai, in order that we may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Yahshua. Now that we are ready to engage in discussion with the house of Judah with a view to become one with them, prior to the return of Yahshua the Messiah, let’s discuss three of the final problems some of the returnees have with Judaism.

The title Rabbi or teacher: There is one anti-Jewish teaching, taught in Christian Churches which their congregants accept without question. The problem is that most non-Jewish members of the Nazarene Israelite Two House congregations are called out of Christianity and they also tend to hold to this same doctrine. Yahshua supposedly commanded His disciples in Matthew 23: 8, saying that no one should be called or referred to as Rabbi or teacher. They insist that Yahshua taught here that He was their only teacher or ‘Rabbi’ and therefore forbid His followers from using this title for those whom He commissioned to teach His people in Matthew 28: 18 – 20 and elsewhere. But, is that really true? To commence with we need to understand that the title Rabbi, simply means teacher in Hebrew, nothing more and nothing less. In Ephesians 4: 11 - 15 Rav Shaul explains that teachers or Rabbis are Elohim’s personal gift to His congregation, to teach, build up and encourage members to walk in truth, until they come to the unity of the faith; saying: ‘And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, (12) for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Messiah (the congregation); (13) until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of Elohim, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Messiah. (14) As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; (15) but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Messiah.’ The question is: Why would Yahshua supposedly first forbid believers to address those who teach them as their teachers or Rabbis; and then have Rav Shaul, one of His apostles (one sent forth to teach) state that the title ‘teacher’ is but one of His fivefold office gifts (mentioned above) to His people? If the title was forbidden to be used for men, why do we read from John 3: 26, that Yochanan the Immerser was addressed by his disciples as their Rabbi, as follows: ‘And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness, behold, He is immersing, and all are coming to Him.”’  In addition Yahshua taught His disciples in a parable in Luke 6: 39 & 40, saying: ‘A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? (40) A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.’

 

The lesson of this parable clearly shows that new members should not be allowed to teach Elohim’s congregation, but should go through the same discipleship program that He continued with His disciples and was started by Moses when he taught Joshua in the wilderness; once a believer is fully trained, he should start his own discipleship program, provided he meets the requirements of an overseer set in 1 Timothy 3: 2 – 7, and understands to base (or build) his teachings on that of Yahshua the Rock of our salvation. But, those who are against the use of teacher in the congregation, also hold that Yahshua similarly forbid His followers to call anyone ‘father’ in the religious sense on earth in Matthew 23: 9.  However, we notice that in 1 Timothy 5: 1 & 2 Rav Shaul taught his follower, saying: ‘Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, (2) the older women as mothers, and the younger woman as sisters, in all purity.’ Did Rav Shaul disregard Yahshua’s teaching here? Why would Rav Shaul who was personally taught by Yahshua for three years, as may be seen from Acts 9: 23 and Galatians 1: 17 & 18 turn around and disobey Yahshua, by referring to mature believers in the ecclesia as "fathers"? The truth of the matter is that the Hebrew language makes use of two different words to address or talk about our heavenly Father and our earthly fathers. Jews in Israel get really upset, when Messianic believers visiting the land of Israel, talk about our heavenly Father as Abba YHVH, something that was also mistranslated in most copies of the Scriptures in the English language.  In Hebrew the transliterated word ‘Abba’ means father or daddy, but it is distinguished from the word ‘Avinu’, which is specifically reserved to address our heavenly Father. An example being the model prayer that Yahshua taught His disciples in Matthew 6: 9 – 13, beginning with the words, “Our Father who art in heaven” – which is transliterated in Hebrew as: ‘Avinu Sheba’shamayim, Yikadesh shemecho.’ Continuing in Matthew 23: 10, we see that Yahshua also supposedly taught His disciples to avoid the title of ‘leader’ for religious purposes.  However, we are told in Isaiah 28: 9 – 13 that without someone to teach or lead us, we would go back to where we come from and stumble backward, and be taken captive again. The lack of leadership could result in the scattering of Elohim’s sheep, as mentioned in Jeremiah 23. Rav Shaul asks those of us who believe in Messiah to follow or imitate him as he follows Messiah in 1 Corinthians 11: 1. He also wrote to Timothy one of his disciples, to follow his leadership.

Because of these apparent contradicting statements in the Scriptures, we need to have another look at what Yahshua really meant in Matthew 23: 8 – 10 and ask that YHVH open our minds to understanding these verses. We should not make the mistake that so many make by quoting verses of the Scriptures out of context to prove their personal interpretations. Did Yahshua pick these three titles above all other titles and forbid their usage among His followers? No, He did not. The anti-Semites in the churches would like you to believe that, but the essence of Yahshua's teaching regarding the titles of Rabbis, fathers and leaders, was simply that men should resist the tendency to label themselves with titles to put themselves above fellow believers in Messiah. Any title that we assign to ourselves; to be noticed and to lift ourselves above our brethren is pure arrogance, sinful and wrong. Yahshua was not attacking Jews or Rabbis; He Himself was called Rabbi as was Yochanan the Immerser.  He was simply exposing the religious gymnastics that men play by giving themselves meaningless titles to support their egos and desire for acknowledgment. If the Scriptures refer to those who teach as teachers, you may refer to them as your teachers or even Rabbi’s, if you speak Hebrew. Similarly we may refer to older men and women in our communities, as fathers and mothers, and others as our brothers or sisters.  If on the other hand, we designate ourselves by any title (not limited to these three), to ensure that our brethren acknowledge our ‘superiority’ then we are being hypocritical, vain and self-seeking. We need to ensure that those whom we teach do not see us as more important than any other person serving them in the congregation, such as ladies making intercessory prayers for fellow believers, or those serving tea after services. We are all servants of YHVH and Yahshua did not single these three titles out for prohibition in a world having an excess of man-made titles and declaring only these three to be evil. But, He singled out the sinful tendency in man to promote himself through public recognition and pride.

Since we are known as the Nazarene sect of the Pharisees (a Jewish sect from before Yahshua’s time), we should avoid being called Nazarene or Messianic Pastors, as that is a Christian title. As leaders in our Nazarene congregations we are simply Torah teachers or if addressed in Hebrew, we may be called Rabbi, but not because we are greater than anyone else in the congregation. Knowing this should release us from this religious legalism handed down to us through faulty church doctrine and unbiblical traditions. Yahshua continued with the teacher/discipleship program that was started by Moses when he trained Joshua. However, being a Rabbis Rabbi, Yahshua is referred to as our Rebbe.

The Star of David:  Many Nazarene Israelite and like-minded believers, who are familiar with the two house doctrine, falsely assume that the star of David, connected with the house of Judah for more than 2,000 years, is evil. Some even go so far as stating that it is demonic in origin and usage and as a result true believers should not wear or display it. Because the star of David is associated with the Jewish people, during and before World War II, the Nazis forced the Jews to wear a yellow star of David on their clothing. It marked them for suffering, death and extermination. This symbol used to mark 6 million people for death in this century alone, became a symbol of suffering and ultimately Jewish survival. It serves to remind Jews of painful periods that they had to deal with throughout their history, and it is a symbol not always chosen by them, but linked with them. In fact today they wear it as a symbol of the power of YHVH to preserve them despite the enemy’s plans to exterminate them. Today it is on the flag of the free and independent State of Israel, once again showing that Jews overcome and survive. Symbols also convey concepts and are chosen to display the history, the culture, or the faith of a people. Today 16 million Jews see the Star of David as symbolic with their essence as Jews.

Many returnees from the lost ten tribes often think they know more than just about any Jewish person, continue to claim that the Star of David belong to occultism and should be avoided. Is this claim based on facts, or deception? Perhaps the motives of returnees who continually raise and pound this issue may be pure, but the fact that it is most often raised in ignorance, offends and hurts the Jewish people with whom they are trying to reconcile and in whom they are trying to create a jealousy for the Truth. Archeology has borne out the fact that both Judaism and Christianity used a variation of the hexagram or star of David in the past. But, according to the snowflake of creation, it was YHVH who created and first used a hexagram. Snow is in essence moisture, or water, but Satan is determined to destroy anything near or dear to (YHVH)’s chosen people and has hijacked this symbol first used by YHVH, to convince returning Israelites from the lost ten tribes that it belongs to occultism. The star of David known as the shield of, or the Magen David, is a reference to YHVH Himself, as seen in Psalms 7: 10, Psalms 84: 11, Genesis 15: 1, Deuteronomy 33: 29, and many other Scriptures. Certainly YHVH is not offended and does not consider references to the 6-pointed shield/star as pagan, demonic, or part of occultism. In ancient or paleo Hebrew David’s name is written as two tri-angles or paleo Hebrew ‘dalets’ with a ‘vav’ or straight line in between. The Magen David in paleo Hebrew is the linking of 2 paleo daleds, the 4th letter of the Hebrew Alphabet and signifies two doors linking the two houses of Israel together in the Tabernacle of David at the end of this age. According to Encyclopedia Judaica early Jewish believers displayed the Star of David in their synagogues.

Satanists have used many symbols including crosses, to pervert truth. If they have perverted and abused the cross, or execution stake to symbolize their disdain and mockery of Yahshua’s atonement for His people, one would expect them to also mock other symbols used by the House of Judah. As seen in satanic occult practices, these two symbols representing both houses, are the most abused and ridiculed symbols for their evil purposes, and are direct attacks on the atonement of Yahshua and on the Torah preserved by Judah. Anyone with an open mind, can see that the pentagram used by the occult is a 5-pointed star and not the hexagram, or 6 pointed star used by the house of Judah. The Star of David is in fact symbolic of the 2 house restoration, with the 2 paleo daleds linked together as echad, both symbolizing the interdependence of both houses! Those who falsely demand that the Star of David be seen as a symbol of occultism need to understand that it is one of the symbols that has stood for Jewish triumph in the face of hate, and that their disdain of the symbol is an attack on Jewish Israel, that is fast becoming major stumbling block for 2 house reconciliation. The question is: do you see the symbol of the rectangle or square, both used by Buddhists to chant and in Buddhism and Confucian worship, these shapes serve as altars and contain offerings to their deities, as well as housing other meditation tools for pagan worship. The Kaaba in Mecca is also a box shaped like a television. Based on the rule of equity and Torah justice of equal weights and measures, all believers who attack the Star of David as being a symbol of occultism, must trash their Television sets and their home entertainment centers, since it is the same shaped symbol used as an altar of pagan worship by many Buddhists and Muslims. Are these folk prepared to trash their Televisions and home entertainment systems because they are in the shape of a square used by world religions? Fact is that in some cases the Television has become like a family altar, which dominates and preoccupies our lives. And yet we do not hear returnees from Ephraim claiming the need to rid themselves of their Televisions, which certainly mimics the shape of many pagan items used in occult practices.

YHVH told Avraham that his seed would be literally as numerous as the stars of heaven. So we see that stars were assigned by YHVH to represent all the children of Avraham, Isaac and Jacob. In Genesis 37: 9 Joseph sees the sons of Jacob as 11 stars in a dream.  In Numbers 24: 17 – 19 Balaam a pagan prophet foresaw the star that the people saw at Yahshua’s first advent (and will most probably also see at His second advent), as is confirmed in Matthew 2: 1 & 2 as the star of Bethlehem that lead the magi to Messiah’s house after His ‘human’ birth. This star was a planetary conjunction in the constellation of Pisces. Yahshua being born from David’s loins, as the prophesied Star of Deliverance from David, or of David, was thus the true “Star of David” and “Star of his loins.” Subsequently, every believer should be proud to be associated with that symbol and all it symbolizes. Moreover the two parts of the star link together as echad/one symbolizing the plurality of manifestations downwards from YHVH towards mankind and mankind reflecting that image pointing upwards in his pursuit of YHVH and His goodness, so that both the Creator and creation look alike, as it is written ‘as we have born the image of the earthly in Messiah Yahshua and through His redemption, shall in fact also bear the image of the Heavenly Adam.’ So the Star of David is an exciting and vivid reminder of our future when we will be like Him, shining in that day when we see Him, as He really is, the bright Morning Star of David (as per Revelation 22: 16). As YHVH began the Good News with a proclamation using the stars that would become the stars of David’s family, He ends this age with the rising of the One that is called in Scripture the bright MORING STAR, Yahshua Himself, as He makes His appearance to lighten the darkness at the end of this age.

Some claim that in the pagan star spoken about in Amos 5: 25 - 27 and Acts 7:43 there are prohibitions against the Star of David. However a closer look at these verses indicates something quite different. In Amos 5: 25 YHVH asks Israel consisting of all 12 tribes, if they offered and worshipped Him correctly in the wilderness at one time. This is a rhetorical question, whose answer is yes. Then in verse 26, He adds a contrast to what had befallen Israel when they adopted the worship of both Moloch and the god Rompha, symbolized by the star of Kiyyun. So naturally YHVH rebukes their worship, their false gods and pagan symbols that symbolize Moloch and Rompha and had even turned the symbols themselves into icons of false worship. Backslidden Israel adapted these pagan symbols as objects of their own worship. By searching for the star of Rompha on google search, you will find that it is a five pointed star used in occultism and is definitely not the Star of David. To say that the Star of Moloch is in fact the Star of David, is the worst kind of Scripture twisting imaginable, and is similar to saying that anyone who wears a brown shirt and trousers is a Nazi, because the Nazis wore brown clothes. It displays the ignorance of those running around propagating these attacks on David’s Star. If the Star of David is the same thing as the Star of Moloch and the Star of Kiyyun, then YHVH will bring judgment on the disciples of Yahshua our Messiah, since archeology in Capernaum and elsewhere prove beyond debate that early believers used the Star of David as symbol of our Nazarene Israelite faith. There is no Scriptural, or historical record that forbids Jews from using David's Star, which when viewed through eyes of purity, speaks of the Messiah. Those who have attacked the Star of David would like us to think the Jews who have been given the oracles of Elohim use an occult symbol. The truth of the matter is that if anyone turns any star into an idol, it is paganism, and if returning Israelites from the lost ten tribes are honest, their ancestors and many modern day Israelites are even today worshipping the host of heaven, when they decorate their Xmas trees with balls representing the planets, with the gold and silver tinsel representing the milky way and the five pointed star on top of the tree. The point of these two Scriptures where the star of Rompha or Kiyyun is mentioned is to warn all Israelites to avoid the worship of pagan deities. No one can make a connection between these pagan symbols and the Star of David from Scripture, or history. Moreover, neither you nor I have ever met a Jew of any persuasion that actually worships the Star of David. Jews who are fully Torah observant know that the second commandment forbids the making of images of things in the heavens and earth and under the earth, to worship them. They know if they should do so, they will lose their access to the Set-apart Spirit that eventually ensures eternal life. I hope we have now learnt the same lesson.

Head coverings for men:  Before YHVH entered into the covenant with Israel 50 days after leaving Egypt at Mount Sinai, He told Moses in Exodus 19: 5 & 6, saying: ‘”Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; (6) and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.’ YHVH was offering the first-born children whom He saved from death, a royal priesthood when He killed all the first-born in Egypt during the night of the Passover in the evening of the 14th day of Aviv (the 1st month). Prior to descending Mount Sinai in the cloud and fire, Elohim told Moses to tell the people of Israel to consecrate themselves for two days, to enable them to stand before Him and hear His voice. On the third day after consecrating themselves for two days, the people gathered around the mountain, which Elohim had warned them not to touch.  Because of our inherit weakness and tendency to worship that which we see with our eyes and touch with our hands, YHVH send Moses down the mountain a second time to warn the people not to touch the mountain, or break through the set boundary. Then YHVH commanded Moses to go down again and tell the priests to consecrate themselves as recorded in verse 22 of Exodus 19, repeating the charge in verse 24, saying: “Go down and come up again, you and Aaron with you; but do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to YHVH, lest He break forth upon them.” Who were these priests? To determine who they were, let’s consider the ordination of the Levitical priests in Numbers 3: 12, where YHVH says to Moses: “Now, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every first-born, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine.” The Levites had replaced the firstborn’s priestly position.

 

Now, let’s return to the day on which YHVH took the sons of Israel out of Egypt. One of the first things that He did was to take the first-born unto Himself in Exodus 13: 2, saying: “Sanctify to Me every first-born, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me.” These first-born of man and beast did not belong to themselves; rather they belonged to YHVH for His work and purpose. They were to be priests unto Him, set-apart for His use. By Scriptural definition a priest is a first-born who does not belong to himself, but is (YHVH)’s special treasure and possession. After Yahshua our Messiah fulfilled His redemptive role as the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world, YHVH began to draw out the progeny of Abraham, a first fruit of the New Universal order. The initial outpouring of the Set-apart Spirit upon the disciples on the Feast of Pentecost, the exact date upon which YHVH entered into a marriage covenant with ancient Israel, by giving them the Ten Commandments under the cover of Mount Sinai, was the beginning or germination of the Abrahamic seed which was to grow and become an expression of a priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. We read accordingly from Revelation 1: 5 & 6, ‘and from Yahshua Messiah, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, (6) and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His Elohim and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amein.’ 

Immediately after giving the children of Israel the commandments, statutes and judgments in Exodus 20 – 23, Moses wrote down all the words of YHVH, took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and in the last part of Exodus 24: 7, they said: “All that YHVH has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” So Moses took half of the blood of the young bulls that the young men (mentioned in verse 5) offered as peace offerings to YHVH and sprinkled it on the altar and the other half he sprinkled on the people saying in verse 8: “Behold the blood of the covenant, which YHVH has made with you in accordance with all these words.” The statutes that YHVH gave to the children of Israel included how to deal with murderers, thieves, sorcerers and the disorderly, how to settle different charges and claims, how to observe Elohim’s annual Sabbaths and even how to deal with vicious and problematic animals. YHVH warned Israel that they will be confronted by nations of idol-worshippers when they get near Canaan, but that He shall weaken their armies with swarms of hornets, so that they will be able to take over the land bounded by the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the desert of Arabia and the Euphrates River, a land much bigger than the present state of Israel in the Middle East. Next YHVH tells the children of Israel through Moses that they should raise a contribution for YHVH in order that they may construct a sanctuary for Him to dwell among them. He gives Moses the detailed pattern according to which the tabernacle should be constructed, after which he tells him how to make the altar and its utensils. Then YHVH tells Moses to bring Aaron and his sons from among the sons of Israel, to minister as priests to Him. He further tells Moses to make holy garments including caps for the priests for glory and for beauty. The covenant or agreement made at Mount Sinai between Elohim and the united nation of Israel was later referred to in the Scriptures as a sacred marriage contract between Elohim, as the husband, and Israel as the wife. The rules of the marriage covenant were the Ten Commandments and the statutes and judgments given on Mount Sinai. The terms were that Israel was to remain faithful by obeying Elohim’s laws to ensure good health, prosperity and happiness. Unfaithfulness would mean misery, disease, poverty and possible divorce. To better understand the old or original marriage covenant, it is necessary to go forward in Israel’s history and show how the house of Israel failed to live up to the terms of the contract that they entered into with Elohim at Mount Sinai. As a result YHVH eventually divorced the house of Israel (as witnessed in Jeremiah 3: 8). Many years later Yahshua Messiah came to earth, to come and renew the marriage covenant with Israel. He came as a mediator of the new covenant, much like Moses was a mediator of the original covenant between Elohim and Israel.

 

However, the Renewed Covenant will not be completed until Messiah returns to rule the world, as witnessed in Hebrews 8: 6 – 10, in this way: ‘But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. (7) For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.  (8) For finding fault with them (the house of Israel), He says, “BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS YHVH, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; (9) NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS YHVH. (10) FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS YHVH: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM UPON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR ELOHIM, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.”’ After proposing the New Covenant Yahshua died, thus freeing Israel from the first marriage covenant. Those of us who have come out of Christianity, with their no-law teachings, often have a hard time determining just what of TORAH was changed and what was not. A good guideline to remember: Things that had to do with animal sacrifices in respect of sin, while not “done away”, are now suspended until those things are re-instated, during the Millennium rule of Messiah.  At this time however, Christianity teaches that because the original covenant was broken, the Ten Commandments are dead and not to be obeyed any longer. But, nothing could be further from the truth. Belief in that lie has caused much misery to the children of Israel and indeed to the entire world. The Ten Commandments were the basis of the original covenant and as Rav Shaul wrote in Romans 7 are living, unchanged spiritual laws, remaining in effect as does Elohim’s physical law of gravity, regardless of what anyone has to say about it. The breaking of the covenant did not lessen their effect; they existed before YHVH entered into the original covenant with the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai. In fact those are the main spiritual laws of the New Covenant. Yahshua our Messiah had to die because they were broken and came to reconcile us to YHVH as well as to Brother Judah. The Sacrificial Laws introduced after the original covenant agreement was to remind the Israelites of their sins and were not part of the original covenant made with Israel, as we read from Jeremiah 7: 22 – 23, as follows: “For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. (23) 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.’” 

 

Galatians 3 & 4 tells us that Messiah came to introduce a new way of dealing with the sins of mankind; If we accept Him as our personal Passover, repent from breaking the original covenant made with Israel and are immersed in Yahshua’s saving name, we enter into the Renewed Covenant with YHVH, and are betrothed to Him, until He returns one day to remarry His bride consisting of a remnant of faithful believers from both houses, provided we qualify to be in His everlasting Kingdom. This is why we read from Galatians 4 that we will one day inherit the promised land with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, since we are like Isaac children of promise (as per Galatians 4: 28). But, as children of promise, even though we are heirs of Abraham through faith in Messiah, we have to comply with our part of the covenant made between YHVH and Abraham and let our children be circumcised on the eighth day after birth, if we want to live in the Promised Land. Obviously those who were not circumcised at eight days old will like Abraham have to do it after we come to believe in Messiah, if we want to legitimately partake of Elohim’s Passover. The point is that every Israelite is required by Elohim to partake of the Passover annually as it is commanded by Him. We should therefore not delay too long before we partake legally thereof, meaning we have to be circumcised before it is too late, because of an untimely death, or before our Master returns,  in which case our sin will be on our own heads, as explained in Numbers 9: 13.

 

However, the qualifying factor turning us into a chosen race, a royal priesthood and a holy nation is as Rav Kepha wrote in 1 Peter 2: 3 – 9, saying: ‘If you have tasted the kindness of the Master. (4) And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of Elohim, (5) you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to Elohim through Yahshua Messiah. (6) For this is contained in Scripture: BEHOLD I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” (7) 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[1]. (9) But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE for Elohim’s OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excelencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Apart from being called, we also need to believe that Yahshua Messiah is as Rav Shaul has written in 1 Corinthians 3: 11, the foundation and corner stone upon which His ecclesia of called out believers are being built, in this way: ‘For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Yahshua Messiah.’ Those who believe that they have the right to decide on their own when to keep Elohim’s Feast Days and other doctrinal matters believe that they are the foundation upon which the ecclesia is built. According to what Rav Kepha wrote, such believers should definitely not wear head coverings, as they are disobedient to the word, or Messiah.

 

Since we are already a royal priesthood, we should wear head coverings, as was the requirement for those serving as priests in the Tanach, as this also conforms to Rav Shaul’s ruling in 1 Corinthians 11: 4, which read as follows: ‘Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying, disgraces his head.’ The correct translation from Greek reads: ‘Every man who has something hanging down on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head.’ The Greek word used here is (Strong’s 2619) ‘katakalýptō’ from (Strong’s 2596) ‘kata’ meaning down and (Strong’s 2572) ‘kalýptō meaning to cover – properly, cover down, i.e. to wear a veil. This ruling is therefore not against a kippah as worn by all Jews including Nazarene Jews/Israelites during worship services and prayer, but is a prohibition against men wearing veils hanging down like a woman’s veil or scarf, as it was a sign of cross-dressing which is forbidden in Torah, as may be read from Deuteronomy 22: 5. This is also against a veil of hair in the form of a long fringe of hair worn over the forehead as a woman. Torah warns against all cross-dressing, whether it is veiling the face as the temple prostitutes did in Athens and Corinth, or using long hair for similar purposes. In ancient Israel as a nation of priests, men were always to have their heads covered. The same holds true today. We see in Isaiah 61: 3 that when Yahshua returns one day, He will give those in Zion a garland (head covering like a priest) instead of ashes, and oil of gladness instead of mourning. Isaiah also tells us in verse 6, that we will be called priests of YHVH and will be spoken of as ministers of our Elohim. Continuing in verse 10 of Isaiah 61, we read: ‘I will rejoice greatly in YHVH, my soul will exult in my Elohim; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.’ This is talking about the congregation of Elohim, who remained faithful to the end and are ready to remarry Messiah at His return.

I believe that Yahshua also used to wear some sort of head covering whilst He was on earth, but since it was a custom for all men to wear head coverings at the time, there was no need to make mention of it. I also believe that when He returns to rule the commonwealth of Israel from Jerusalem, He will again wear a head covering as may be seen in Zechariah 3, which is the prophet’s vision of Joshua the high priest. In verse 3 he sees Joshua clothed in filthy garments and standing before the Angel.  This is a reference to Yahshua, who according to Galatians 3: 13 has redeemed us from the curse of the law: having become a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” Yahshua became dirty with our sins and was cursed on our behalf. He was standing before the Father as the first of the first-fruits, to be  accepted on the day that He was cut off as the lamb of Elohim who takes away the sins of the world, as well as the waive sheaf or grain offering, as witnessed in Leviticus 23: 12 & 13 and Daniel 9: 27.  We read from verse 4 of Zechariah 3, how He was accepted before the Father where we read in the second part of the verse: “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.”  In verse 5 of Zechariah 3, we read that a clean turban is put on His head and that He is clothed with clean garments, while the angel was standing by. In verse 8 we read a reference to ‘the Branch’ who we know refers to Yahshua, but also read about His friends who are sitting before Him. This is talking about Yahshua’s disciples (including us His modern day disciples), whom Yahshua called His friends in John 15: 14 & 15, saying: ‘You are My friends, if you do what I command you. (15) No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.’ In Zechariah 6: 11 we see it talks about Joshua the high priest again and in verses 12 – 13 we read about the Branch who will build the Temple of YHVH and who will have two offices, namely, that of both King and Priest. We know that kings wear crowns and according to Exodus 29: 9, a High Priest wears a cap. So, yes our King and High Priest Yahshua is pictured in Zechariah as wearing a turban and will certainly wear some sort of a head covering during His rulership as our King and High Priest during the millennium, as He is shown in a vision to Yochanan in Revelation 14: 14 wearing a golden crown.

Those who insists that the kippah or head covering that our Jewish brothers wear come from the Catholic Church, are definitely not familiar with Torah, where the High Priest as well as the priests who serve under him, were given caps to wear, as witnessed in Exodus 28: 4, 37,38, 39 & 40; 29: 6 & 9; 39: 28. This will again be the case after Messiah’s return, as witnessed in Ezekiel 44: 18. It is true the pope and priests in the Catholic Church wear a type of kippah similar to the ones we and our Jewish Brothers wear, since they maintain that they are in the Aaronic priesthood. Because, we as the called out congregation of Elohim are already a kingdom of priests, we wear priestly garlands during prayer and worship services. The Catholic Church is like the Great Deceiver, a very good counterfeiter; they know that priests are supposed to wear head coverings, but they wear scarlet kippahs - the color of the attire worn by the whore, discussed in Revelation 17. Our kippahs should be the color associated with royalty, i.e. blue. YHVH rejected Israel from being priests before Him because they forgot His Torah. He will again reject His called out people from becoming priests, as witnessed in Hosea 4: 6, in this way: ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your Elohim, I also will forget your children.’ They will not be rejected because knowledge is not available, but because they reject knowledge available in His word, they will be rejected as priests in the coming kingdom of Elohim, and worse is when YHVH forgets their children, especially when we are assured in Isaiah 61: 9, that ‘Then their offspring (of those who will be called priests in verse 6) will be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples. All who see them will recognize them because they are the offspring whom YHVH has blessed.’ Think carefully about it!

 

[1] In Matt 13: 11, 12 & 19 we see that YHVH is not calling everybody during this age. There will be two harvest periods - like in Israel today. First the first fruits during the First Resurrection and then the rest during the Second Resurrection. In James 1: 18, we see that those of us called during this age are going to be the first fruits, who will, if we make it, become kings and priests ruling under Messiah during the millennium (as per Revelation 5:10). We are being judged at this time, whilst most of those who are resurrected during the second resurrection never really had a chance and will be given an opportunity to repent. The people who died without the knowledge we have today, never had a chance - remember, there is no such thing as a second chance. But if you never heard the name of Yahshua or about YHVH’s plan of Salvation in your life time, how can you be considered to have had your chance?