Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.

This concluding sentence of Galatians 3: 29 have been misunderstood for more than 1900 years, since it was first written by Rav Shaul. Galatians 3 is one of a few Scriptural references used by Churchianity to try and prove that the Torah penned by Moses, has been abolished by Yahshua the Messiah. However, from studying this chapter carefully it is clear that just the opposite is true. The only section of the Law that was changed according to Galatians 3, was when Yahshua became the Passover sacrifice for the sins of the first-fruits of the lost sheep from the house of Israel YHVH is busy calling out of the churches of the world, He effectively did away with the sacrificial requirements of the Law in respect of sin. The sacrificial Law was introduced because of the sin of the golden calf that came 430 years after the covenant made with Abraham according to Galatians 3: 17, which did not invalidate the covenant of circumcision previously ratified by Elohim, so as to nullify the promise that YHVH made to Abraham, that he and his descendants through Isaac and Jacob will live eternally as Spiritual sons and daughters of Elohim in the Promised Land, provided they remain loyal to YHVH and circumcise their sons at the age of eight days old (as per verse 18).

Even though we are told in Galatians 3: 24 that the sacrificial law was our tutor to help us understand that there has to be a sacrifice where blood has to be shed every time we sin, until Messiah became the sacrifice when He was crucified and gave us His lifeblood for the forgiveness of our past sins, there is no longer a need for a sacrifice in respect of sin. This is also confirmed by Rav Shaul in Hebrews 9: 22 – 26, as follows: ‘And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (23) Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. (24) For Messiah did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of Elohim for us; (25) nor was it that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood not his own. (26) Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.’  However, we need to understand that circumcision was never supposed to be a sacrifice for anything, but that it is an eternal sign of the covenant between YHVH and Abraham and his offspring through Isaac and Jacob. Nevertheless, we need to be aware of the fact that the very first thing that the house of Israel did when they became assimilated into the pagan cultures of the world, was to stop circumcising their sons. This is also a major point of contention with those who do not believe in the two-house doctrine, to be found throughout the Scriptures. If you believe that you are simply a Messianic with very little or no Jewish blood running through your veins, why don’t you simply go back to the church system from where you came? Messianic Jews believe that they should keep the entire Torah, but that people from Christianity who join them, need not do so. They may partake of the ‘Jewish’ Festivals, but are also allowed to do the things they used to do in the Christian church, despite Elohim’s instruction to Moses in Numbers 15: 15, saying: ‘As for the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the alien who sojourns with you, a perpetual statute throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the alien be before YHVH.’ The word perpetual as mentioned here means that the statute is forever – even during the Kingdom of Elohim and onto eternity, as we read from Revelation 22: 14 (KJV), in this way: ‘Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.’ This is also the city which Abraham believed he would enter one day, as we read from Hebrews 11: 9 & 10, as follows: ‘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.’  We know that Abraham already qualified to inherit the Promised Land forever, but since he and our other father’s and mother’s in the faith died in faith, they did not inherit it yet, as recorded in Hebrews 11: 13 and 39 & 40, in this way: ‘All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth (much like we are today). (39) 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 (like Yahshua was when He became the first born from the dead).’

About 200 years after Messiah’s death, resurrection and ascension to heaven, Christian literature showing their rejection of ‘Israel’, based on the erroneous idea that Elohim (the one they refer to as G-d), rejected Israel because they rejected and killed Messiah. The Christian Church has since the beginning of the third century started teaching that they have become the Israel of Elohim and that He has given them the authority to determine how and when to worship Him. The reason for this is because Satan has deceived the whole world to misunderstand Messiah’s main purpose for coming to earth the first time and accordingly also the true gospel about the coming kingdom of Elohim, when Messiah comes to replace Satan as the present ruler of the earth, as Rav Shaul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4: 3 & 4, as follows: ‘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.’ Even though Messiah’s main purpose for coming to earth the first time was recorded in the Scriptures for the past two thousand years, it only became known to most during the last days (i.e. the past 10 – 15 years), as this was shown to the prophet Daniel in Daniel 12: 1 – 4, by Elohim, as follows: “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. (2) And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. (3) And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. (4) But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.” The heartbreaking result for not understanding Messiah’s main purpose for coming to earth the first time, has been what is known today as ‘Replacement Theology’ which is about the important question: Who is Israel? This false theology claims in the main that Israel (in their case meaning the Jewish people), have been cast aside and replaced by a separate entity, called the ‘church’, which started at Pentecost (30 or 31 CE) after Messiah’s death, resurrection and ascension to heaven. This is the origin of all anti-Semitism with a so-called Biblical justification for the genocide of the Jewish people.

 

At this point we need show that Yahshua refuted both these false philosophies, (that Yahshua abolished Torah keeping for His followers and that the Jews of His day was responsible for His death) by His words in John 5: 46 & 47, where He stated: “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me. (47) But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” and John 10: 16 – 18: “And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold (meaning that they are not Jewish); I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd (they will ultimately return to the faith of their Father’s in the faith, namely Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – meaning worshippers of YHVH: Yahudaism (or simply Judaism). (17) For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again. (18) No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father[1].” These false philosophies were in fact introduced to modern day Christianity during the middle of the second century CE by the church father Justin who claimed that Christianity superseded Judaism and that the church became the true Israel. He also taught that the Jews killed Messiah and that circumcision was no longer required as a sign between G-d and His people. This despite the fact that YHVH referred to circumcision in Genesis 17: 7 - 12, saying: “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be Elohim to you and your descendants after you. (8) And I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their Elohim,” (9) Elohim said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout your generations. (10) This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. (11) And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. (12) And every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, a servant who is born in the house or who is bought with money from any foreigner, who is not of your descendants.”  In addition we read from Galatians 3: 7 & 27 - 29, ‘Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. (27) For all of you who were immersed into Messiah have clothed yourselves with Messiah. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Messiah Yahshua. (29) And if you belong to Messiah, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs (of the Promised Land) according to the promise.’ This means that if we have as the result of (YHVH)’s calling us out of the false religions of the world, come to believe in Him through Yahshua our Messiah, who is Elohim’s perfect example, showing us how to walk in His way, we have become Abraham’s offspring and are heirs of the promises made to him.  These promises are two-fold as we’ve come to understand, namely salvation through Yahshua Messiah and heirs of the Promised Land for all eternity.

 

As our perfect example Yahshua our Messiah was both immersed (as per Matthew 3: 16) and circumcised (as per Luke 2: 21), so those who claim to follow Him should likewise be immersed by a Torah teacher (Rabbi[2]) and every male should also be circumcised, as an heir of the Promised Land. This is obviously the requirements that we as believers in Messiah have to fulfill if we want to partake of the annual Passover, as specified in Exodus 12: 48, as follows: “But if a stranger sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to YHVH, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised (male) person may eat of it.” We all have been taught that if we overcome our human nature, the world and Satan, we will  become kings and priests to Elohim, as per Revelation 5: 10, in this way: “And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our Elohim; and they will reign upon the earth.” We also read from Ezekiel 44: 9, ‘Thus says YHVH Elohim, “No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart (meaning immersed into Yahshua’s saving name) and uncircumcised in flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the sons of Israel, shall enter my sanctuary.”’ This is telling us in no uncertain terms, that if we want to serve as priests in Elohim’s temple during the millennium, we need to be both immersed in Yahshua’s name and circumcised in the flesh. Yes, if we are Abraham’s seed we need to make sure that we fulfill our part of the covenant that YHVH made with him and his descendants after him, if we want to dwell in the Promised Land (the Kingdom of Elohim) for all eternity. We read further that when the children of Israel came into the Promised Land, after their parents died in the wilderness after forty years of wandering around aimlessly, they were all circumcised before they could partake of the Passover, as witnessed in Joshua 5: 3 – 5 and 10 & 11, in this way: ‘So Joshua made himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. (4) And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way, after they came out of Egypt. (5) For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised. (10) While the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal, they observed the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day 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.’

It was the Church father Tertullian (who lived from 150 – 230 CE) who taught that the Torah was given to ancient Israel to curb their tendency toward idolatry, sensuality and greed. He wrote that J*e*s*u*s* was the giver of a new law and to make way for His new law, He abolished the old law.  He was also the first one to maintain that Father YHVH and the son Yahshua are two separate persons (or gods).  He taught that Christians now celebrate the divine and eternal Sabbaths, offering spiritual offerings. As a result of what is being taught in the seminaries, this same anti-Torah thinking has filtered right down to church members. They regard Torah as perverted legalism and good works do not fit in with their way to salvation. Unknowingly they have eroded the authority of the word of Elohim and will reap the fruits thereof when Messiah returns. If these people who claim to follow Messiah truly knew Him as the Israelite Messiah who was from the tribe of Judah, their minds could be renewed to the importance of Torah and good deeds.  Few understand that Yahshua our Messiah was a Jewish rabbi or teacher using rabbinical teaching methods, of the Second Temple period. He was never opposed to the Torah, but as I said in a previous sermon, He criticized the religious leaders of His time for their hypocrisy. Yahshua was never opposed to the Oral Torah and the traditional observances of His day, as is commonly taught in Christian Churches and even in some Messianic circles. Yahshua criticized the religious leaders of His time, for elevating their oral traditions over Torah, so that Torah was broken in order to observe these traditions, as He told them in Mark 7: 9, saying: “You nicely set aside the commandment of Elohim in order to keep your tradition.”

However, Rav Shaul shows in first Corinthians 11, that we as Nazarene followers of Messiah also have certain traditions taught us by Messiah, such as head coverings for our ladies during worship services, as well as partaking of the Passover a day before our Jewish Brothers do, as recorded in verses 1, 2, 10, 23 – 26, in this way: ‘Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Messiah. (2) Now I praise you because you remember me in everything, and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. (10) Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. (23) For I received from the Master that which I also delivered to you, that the Master Yahshua in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; (24) and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” (25) In the same way He took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” (26) For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Master’s death until He comes.’  Yes, the Passover is a yearly reminder that Messiah died as the Lamb of Elohim who takes away the sins of the world. We read further about our Nazarene traditions in 2 Thessalonians 2: 13 – 15, Rav Shaul saying:  ‘But we should always give thanks to Elohim for you, brethren beloved by the Master, because Elohim has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. (14) And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Master Yahshua Messiah. (15) So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by a letter from us.’ In fact Rav Shaul warns us against those who do not keep to the traditions once delivered to believers, saying in 2 Thessalonians 3: 6, ‘Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Master Yahshua Messiah, that you keep aloof from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us.’

Contrary to what some Assemblies of YHVH/Messianic Jews/Nazarene Israelites are teaching, there is Scriptural proof that the early followers of Messiah knew and observed some Oral Traditions of the Second Temple period. We know that Yahshua our Messiah kept Chanukah (or the Feast of Dedication) with His fellow Jews, as recorded in John 10: 22 & 23, in this way: ‘At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; (23) it was winter, and Yahshua was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon.’ In addition Yahshua also attended the water drawing ceremony at Sukkot on the Last Great Day of the Feast as recorded in John 7. This is when He said in verses 37 & 38: ‘Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Yahshua stood and cried out saying: “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. (38) He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’”’ Even though these traditions do not appear in Torah, Yahshua participated in them as a Jew and used them to teach about Himself. The truth of the matter is that the early Nazarene movement was a strictly Jewish movement. Like today the struggle between the Nazarene believers in Messiah and Judaism was focused upon the identity of the Messiah. Both groups believed the Torah to be the standard for all Israelite believers. The Nazarenes insisted on the interpretations and Halakah of their Rebbe Yahshua, whilst the Jews based their Halakah on the interpretations of Shammai or Hillel. But, the real conflict later came when the Christian Church claimed that circumcision, fringes (Tzitzit), the Feast Days of Elohim, the Sabbath, Kosher food and the other 613 good deeds (mitzvoth) are no longer applicable since Messiah came and fulfilled them for them. In addition the church which started after Messiah’s ascension to heaven in 31 CE or AD as they refer to it, replaced the institution to which Messiah and His disciples belonged. This so-called newly established church was considered a separate entity from the congregation of Israel of the Tanach.

But, we know that even after Messiah’s ascension to heaven His disciples who then became apostles (sent out by Yahshua to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom of Elohim), continued to teach that the original congregation of Elohim started in the wilderness, as Stephan, a deacon in the congregation reminded his Jewish counterparts in Acts 7: 37 – 39, saying: “This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘ELOHIM SHALL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN.’ (38) This is the one  who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel (meaning Messiah) who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you. (39) And our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to (the paganism of) Egypt.” This is unfortunately where the majority of the people from the house of Israel are still dwelling – even though the paganism attached to their festivals like Xmas and Easter have been published in News Papers throughout the western world, they insist to do these things for their children! Yes, without understanding what they are saying, they are the ones cursing their own children, by clinging to proven pagan practices and rejecting Elohim’s Torah as explained in Deuteronomy 28. Any part of the Tanach which did not point to Messiah (the one they refer to as C*h*r*i*s*t*) was simply treated as obsolete by Christianity. But we see that even after Messiah’s death and resurrection He used the Tanach to open His disciples minds to the Scriptures, as recorded in Luke 24: 27, 44 & 45, in this way: ‘And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures (which we know at that time could only have referred to the Tanach). (44) Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”  (45) Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.’ However, as long as the Renewed Covenant is referred to as the ‘New Testament’, the Hebraic understanding of these Scriptures will remain unknown to Christianity and Messianic Israel. The Tanach will continue to be a book for the Jews, and a book that only foreshadowed Messiah to a believer. As a result Ephraim, who are in the main to be found amongst the Christian religions of the world, will continue to be ignorant of the true teachings of Yahshua the Messiah.

We need to understand that as Nazarene Jews/Israelites the Tanach is a dictionary of Hebraic words used by writers in the Renewed Covenant and an encyclopedia filled with shadows and types discussed in the writings of Rav Shaul and also in Revelation (penned by Rav Yochanan). It is important to understand that we need to interpret the Scriptures with Scriptures and also allow the Hebrew meaning of the text to aid in our understanding. Christianity has been interpreting everything in the Scriptures according to the Christological method taught by their seminaries, thereby spiritualizing the text and forgetting the basic meaning thereof. They have allowed Greek and Roman philosophers to define and interpret the Scriptures for them. As a result they find themselves in a swamp of excessive spiritualization of the text, instead of allowing the text to speak for itself.  Many so-called believers in Messiah do not want to acknowledge the influence of the Oral Traditions during the time period of Messiah and His disciples, including Rav Shaul (a Pharisee). By studying the Dead Sea Scrolls and some of the apocryphal books contained in some Bibles, one can get an idea of the various religious practices and sects during Messiah’s time. Messiah used the same method of teaching as the other rabbis of His day. For example the pharisaic or rabbinical teachings have more than 5,000 parables of which more than 800 are Kingdom parables.  Yahshua a Jewish Rabbi of His day used Hebrew idioms and rabbinical principles to teach His disciples and speak to the multitudes, one example is His teaching on measure for measure in Matthew 7: 1 & 2, as follows:  “Do not judge lest you be judged. (2) For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.”

Without this insight, Ephraim has come up with ridiculous meanings for ‘fulfill and destroy’ as well as for ‘binding and loosing’, which even though used by Yahshua are both rabbinical terms. Yes, our early Nazarene fathers were all Jews or true Israelites. By misinterpreting the Tanach and the person of Yahshua, Churchianity disconnected themselves from Yahshua our Jewish Messiah. This was in fact the main reason for Yahshua to come to earth the first time. He came to bring the house of Israel back to the faith of our father’s in the faith, thus making us one flock with His Jewish congregation and reconciling us back to Father YHVH. He did not come to convert the Jews to Christianity as some Messianic Jews came to believe. But, He came to save His people (Israel) from their Lawlessness. All the covenants that YHVH made with our fathers in the faith and later with the children of the Israelites who died in the wilderness are still valid for Israelite believers, whom the Father is calling out of the false religious systems of the world, as He Himself said through Moses in Deuteronomy 4: 30 & 31, in this way: “When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days, you will return to YHVH your Elohim and listen to His voice. (31) For YHVH your Elohim is a compassionate Elohim; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.”  Even though most in the house of Israel (Ephraim) teaches that all these covenants were abolished after Messiah’s ascension to heaven, YHVH tells us that He did not forget them. It is for this reason that we also read from Malachi 3: 6, YHVH saying: “For I, YHVH, do not change; therefore you O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.” The two-fold promise that YHVH made to our fathers in the faith, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will soon come to fruition, whether Churchianity believes this or not, as was also prophesied through the Prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 31: 1 - 12, as follows: “At that time,” declares YHVH, “I will be the Elohim of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people,” (2) Thus says YHVH, “The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness—Israel, when it went to find its rest.” (3) YHVH appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness. (4) Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! Again you shall take up your tambourines, and go forth to the dances of the merrymakers. (5)  Again you shall plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the planters shall plant and shall enjoy them.  (6) For there shall be a day when watchmen on the hills of Ephraim shall call out, ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to YHVH our Elohim.’” (7) For thus says YHVH, “Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chiefs of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say. ‘O YHVH, save Thy people, the remnant of Israel.’ (8) “Behold, I am bringing them from the north country, and I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together;  a great company, they shall return here. (9) With weeping they shall come, and by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, on a straight path in which they shall not stumble; for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is My first-born.” (10) Hear the word of YHVH, O nations, and declare in the coastlands afar off, and say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.” (11) For YHVH has ransomed Jacob, and redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he. (12) And they shall come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the bounty of YHVH—over the grain, and the new wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; and their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall never languish again.”

Even though Esau under the guise of the Roman Catholic Church kept most of Jacob’s children in captivity for the past 1800 years, as him who was stronger than he,  thus preventing them from receiving the blessings of Abraham, by offering them a counterfeit salvation through a false messiah who came to abolish Torah for them, resulting in them to come under the curses of the Law (of Deuteronomy 28), with the so-called reward of the saved to spend eternal life in heaven and that of the wicked to spend eternity in an everlasting hellfire. However, now that we know that we are again part of the promise YHVH made to Abraham, through His one seed, Yahshua, we should aim to keep Torah in accordance with Messiah’s stricter Halacha given in Matthew 5, 6 & 7 and believe in the coming Kingdom of Elohim. If we are indeed Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise once again, let us follow the example of our Master and Savior. The prophecy in Ezekiel 44: 9 is an end-time prophecy about after Messiah’s return and is rather a scary one at that. If we think we are circumcised in the heart, but refuse to be circumcised in the flesh, can we truly have a circumcised heart? Is that not tantamount to rebellion? Let’s determine to be circumcised in both our hearts (meaning to be immersed in the proper way) and in the flesh (if we are male), especially in the light of the warning YHVH gave the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 20: 38 against rebels, saying: ‘And I shall purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I shall bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am YHVH.’  Think about it!

 

[1] We read in this regard from Ephesians 1: 3 - 5: “Blessed be the Elohim and Father of our Master Yahshua Messiah, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Messiah, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Yahshua Messiah to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.”

[2] Yahshua was immersed by Yochanan the Immerser who was a Rabbi (or Torah teacher) like Himself, as per John 3: 25 & 26, in this way: ‘There arose therefore a discussion on the part of Yochanan’s disciples with a Jew about purification. And they came to Yochanan 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.”’