204 Why regular Torah study i... | nazareneisrael2house

Why regular Torah study is important for us.

Most of us whom YHVH the Elohim of Israel has been calling from the churches of the world have neglected to study Torah on an annual basis, since we came to believe that it is not necessary for believers in Messiah any longer. Even though most of us read portions of the Torah as part of our Sunday school lessons, we did not believe it to be binding on us any longer, as we came to believe we are now living under a dispensation of grace. As a result we have lost a great deal of knowledge, so necessary to retain Elohim’s Set-apart Spirit required for salvation, as witnessed from Acts 5: 32, as follows: “And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Set-apart Spirit, whom Elohim has given to those who obey Him.”

In fact to the minds most of Churchianity the Torah is viewed as an outdated collection of books containing commandments, statutes and judgments against those who fail to keep them to the letter. Some imagine these ‘laws’ as a way to trip up human beings, because they believe that we cannot possibly know, understand or implement them in our lives. These negative images do grave injustice to Elohim’s revelation of Himself to His children. They therefore teach Torah as something harsh, bad and transient, which was superseded by grace, when Yahshua died for the sins of the world. They usually quote the following two passages from the Renewed Covenant in support of their teachings; i.e. John 1: 16 & 17, ‘For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. (17) For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Yahshua Messiah.’ Secondly Romans 13: 10, ‘Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.’ The fact that we as returnees from the house of Israel to the covenant that YHVH made with us, together with the house of Judah through Abraham’s one seed, Yahshua who took the curses or punishment of the Law due to us for our past sins upon Himself and placed us under a dispensation of grace, bewitched some to believe grace and obedience to be two direct opposites. However, we read Rav Kepha’s warning in this regard in 1 Peter 1: 13 – 16, saying: ‘Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Yahshua Messiah. (14) As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, (15) but like the Set-apart One who called you, be Set-apart yourselves also in all your behavior; (16) because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”’ Rav Kepha like Yahshua our Messiah was a Jew who knowing Torah, immediately recalled where the quoted capitalized section comes from and showed that since we have returned to the covenant relationship our ancient forefathers made with YHVH at Mount Sinai, we are now obliged to obey Elohim’s given Law as those who are betrothed (meaning we were Set-apart transliterated as ‘Kiddushin’ in Hebrew) to Messiah when we were immersed in His saving name and should therefore be careful how we live as per Leviticus 19: 2[1], but also that we live according to the Kosher rules given in Leviticus 11[2]. Rav Kepha tells us in no uncertain terms here that we will only receive the grace we require for salvation when Messiah returns to give it to us. In addition those who came to believe that different to us, Jews are required to keep the Torah rules YHVH specified for Israel more strictly, since they do not have the same grace we have through Messiah, are in for a shock, since we read from Zechariah 12: 7 – 10: “YHVH also will save the tents of Judah first in order that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not be magnified above Judah. (8) In that day YHVH will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like Elohim, like the angel of YHVH before them. (9) And it will come about in that day that I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (10) And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born.” The grace by which both houses of Israel will be saved will therefore occur on the same Yom Teruah, when Messiah comes to rule the world from Jerusalem.

YHVH created mankind and especially the commonwealth of Israel for an incredible purpose, but even the wisest people on earth are totally oblivious of His purpose for us. The question is why these extremely talented and learned Doctors and Professors of science and religion don’t understand the real meaning of what is happening in our world today? The reason for this is twofold, namely:

1. They have been deceived by Satan through the false education (and religious) systems of the world, which appealed to the vanity of their intellect causing them to reject Scriptural knowledge that can only be understood by those who have the Set-part Spirit indwelling them; and

2. The key to understanding Scriptural prophesies, namely the identity of the lost ten tribes of Israel and the other nations in the catastrophic events soon to occur, has been lost.

We are almost at the end of 6,000 years of Scriptural history, about to enter the world to come (Olam Haba). Today, we face conditions which the world has not ever experienced before. After World War II, the nations of the world started developing weapons of mass destruction that are able to erase all life from earth. Most nations are in deep financial trouble and their citizens suffer from many incurable diseases. Soon a world-wide famine caused by natural disasters and inclement weather will result in millions starving to death. The major powers of the world, which used to turn to Science and Technology for help in the past, cannot find solutions to their problems any longer and have no-where to turn to. Even those who turn to the Scriptures cannot find the answers, because they believe the Scriptures to be outdated and only offered solutions to the ancient nation of Israel.

Truth is that most of the prophecies in the Scriptures were never written for the ancient nation of Israel, but is about the people and nations alive today. We are also able to see from many of the prophecies in the Scriptures where the people of Israel will reside prior to Messiah’s return and the coming exodus back to the Promised Land, picturing them in captivity and slavery. Speaking firstly of ancient Israel, YHVH says in Ezekiel 20: 10 – 12, “So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. (11) And I gave them My statutes and informed them of My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live (eternally). (12) And also I gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am YHVH who sanctifies them.” Nevertheless we read in verse 21: “But the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to observe My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live; they profaned My Sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness.” As a result, we see from verse 23 that YHVH scattered ancient Israel in national captivity and slavery and instead of becoming the model nation YHVH wanted them to be, they became trapped in the worship practices of the pagan nations around them, as shown in verses 24 – 26, as follows: “Because they had not observed My ordinances, but had rejected My statutes, and had profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were on the idols of their fathers. (25) And I also gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live; (26) and I pronounced them unclean because of their gifts, in that they caused all their first-born to pass through the fire so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might know that I am YHVH.”’

Yet, Yahshua the one these people claim to believe in, unambiguously told the Jews who attended an annual Feast Day with Him in John 5: 45 – 47, saying: “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. (46) 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?” In addition the Renewed Covenant states clearly in 1 John 5: 3, ‘For this is the love of Elohim, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.’ In agreement with this, let’s therefore dispel these erroneous negative thoughts from the minds of believers and replace it with truth based on the Scriptures. However, we need to be mindful when studying Torah, that no communication, be it written or verbal can be understood without interpretation. Torah is basically a communication from YHVH given to the children of Israel through Moses for all eternity, as YHVH prophesied to Moses in the first part of Exodus 19: 9, saying: “Behold, I shall come to you in a thick cloud, in order that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe in you forever.” It is therefore important for us to know the rules of interpretation in order not to misunderstand the Torah and to know what it really says. The point is that misinterpretation causes misunderstanding and misunderstanding results in false doctrines. YHVH has placed in Torah everything a student of Torah needs to ‘hear’ to understand the text. Even though, the Jewish or Hebraic concept of interpretation was basically rejected by the ‘so-called’ church fathers, because they were considered too Jewish, we are told in Romans 3: 1 & 2 that the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of Elohim and for this reason we need to consider the way they view the Scriptures, to truly understand it. But, by rejecting the Hebraic ways, these church fathers had to substitute the literal interpretation with their idea of a ‘spiritual interpretation’. The end result was a so-called ‘dogmatic theology’ that was based on Greek logic, which separated the ‘church’ from the Olive Tree of Israel. The Hebraic interpretation of the Scriptures is divided into four levels and is known as ‘PaRDeS.’ The four levels of understanding supported by the word ‘PaRDeS’ are:

(P)ashat - ‘literal’ meaning; (R)emez - ‘hinted’ meaning; (D)rash - ‘search’ for the meaning; and (S)od - ‘hidden’ meaning.

The first level of interpretation namely Pashat is the key to Scriptural understanding. If you discard the ‘Pashat’ level, you lose any real chance of an accurate understanding. If for example you read in Genesis 2: 9, ‘And out of the ground YHVH Elohim caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.’ You need to accept that that is at the basic level the true meaning of this verse, i.e. there were two literal trees in the middle of the Garden of Eden. Pashat is the basic meaning of the text and no Scriptural interpretation ever abandons its plain, literal meaning. So no matter what other interpretative modes are used, the text always retains its literal meaning. A second verse misinterpreted or even rejected by some who insist that Eve’s son Cain was fathered by Satan, is Genesis 4: 1, where we read: ‘Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a manchild with the help of YHVH.”’ This clearly shows that Adam fathered Cain and Satan had nothing to do with his conception. We need to understand, that we cannot add or take away from what is written in the Torah, as explained by Moses in Deuteronomy 4: 2, saying: “You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of YHVH your Elohim which I command you.’ We also need to be ever mindful of Messiah’s words in Matthew 22: 29 & 30, when the Sadducees questioned Him about the resurrection of the dead in which they did not believe, as follows: ‘But Yahshua answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures, or the power of Elohim. (30) For in the resurrection they (those in the first resurrection as also explained in first Corinthians 15: 50 – 53 and Revelation 20: 6) neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.” This is clearly saying that angels cannot procreate and Satan being a fallen angel can also not have children. In addition for those who insist that the first sin had to do with sex, it is important to notice that it was only after Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, when Adam had relations with His wife and she conceived and gave birth to Cain.

We are suitably warned by Rav Kepha about false teachers who sees sexual connotations in almost everything they read in the Scriptures, as in 2 Peter 2: 9 – 20: ‘Then the Master knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, (10) and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, (11) whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before YHVH. (12) But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, (13) suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, (14) having eyes full of adultery and that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; (15) forsaking the right way they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, (16) but he received a rebuke for his own transgression; for a dumb donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet. (17) These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. (18) For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, (19) promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. (20) For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Master and Savior Yahshua Messiah, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.’

At a deeper level, the passage about the two trees in the middle of the Garden of Eden may also be used as an illustration or principle to teach about the different attitudes of mankind. According to this interpretation, the tree of life may simply be seen as Elohim’s instruction (or Torah), which we need to follow to the letter to inherit eternal life. The tree of good and evil on the other hand may be interpreted as man’s own unguided idea of how to live life. A good example being Elohim’s teaching that we should not eat pork meat based on Leviticus 11: 4 – 7, as it renders us unclean. If we follow this teaching of Elohim, we show our obedience to Him and apart from those who disobey this teaching, we will also be healthier. Those who eat pork without taking into account what YHVH taught in Torah are even now taking from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. In addition we need to be mindful that YHVH our Creator and the King of the Universe is also our loving heavenly Father. As our Father, He like all fathers wants the best for us, His children and has lovingly given us instructions which we as His children are to follow for our own good. YHVH is our creator and similar to any manufacturer of the equipment we use, He gave us a manual to ensure that we operate to our full potential. The instruction manual that YHVH gave us, His creation is His Torah teachings, but also the rest of the Scriptures from Exodus to the book of Revelation.

A major misunderstanding is what is meant by the transliterated Hebrew word ‘Mitzvah’ (singular) or ‘Mitzvot’ the plural form of the commandments of Elohim, which may also be interpreted as good deeds. There are 613 commandments given in Torah, of which 248 are positive commands and 365 are negative commands. Positive commandments require Elohim’s subjects to do something, such as wear tzitzit, keep Elohim’s Sabbath and annual Feast Days and to give charity (transliterated as ‘tzedakah’ in Hebrew) to the poor in our midst. Negative commands are commands that tell us to refrain from doing something, such as not to commit adultery, not to steal and not to bear false witness. The problem for those who reject Torah, yet tell us that they are serving G-d is that without the Torah they have no idea what sin is. Such believers who insist they love and serve Elohim the same way we do, but that they are doing so strictly according to the Renewed Covenant or so-called ‘New Testament’, need not overlook the fact that Rav Yochanan (also known to them as the apostle John) wrote in 1 John 5: 2, saying: ‘By this we know that we love the children of Elohim, when we love Elohim and observe His commandments.’ In addition Yahshua the one these believers claim to believe in, told His disciples in Matthew 7: 21 – 23, saying: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. (22) Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Master, Master, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ (23) And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’’’ It is quite surprising how many in protestant Christian circles claim to be prophets or prophetesses; and how many are involved in the casting out of demons and performing miracles. Some of these groups thrive on having so-called healing crusades where they do all sorts of miracles. But let’s also get to the final point Messiah mentioned in verse 23, namely Lawlessness. How does the Renewed Covenant interpret ‘Lawlessness’? We find the answer in 1 John 3: 4, in this way: ‘Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.’

There are three major categories of Torah teachings, namely the commandments, statutes and judgments. The commandments tell us at a higher level what to do and what not to do, such as in Deuteronomy 5: 7: ‘You shall have no other gods before (or beside) Me (YHVH our Elohim).’ The statutes give us more details as to what is given in the command, by breaking it down as may be read from Deuteronomy 6: 14 as follows: “You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you.” The judgment in this case is given in verse 15, in this way: “For YHVH your Elohim in the midst of you is a jealous Elohim; otherwise the anger of YHVH your Elohim will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.” In addition to these three categories of Torah commands, we have witnesses (testimonies) transliterated as ‘Edot’ in Hebrew; right rulings transliterated as ‘mishpatim’; and laws or statutes that do not have an explanation for performing the same, transliterated as ‘chukim’. Testimonies (‘edot’) are commands such as keeping the Sabbath and Feast Days of Elohim. These Set-apart days testify that YHVH our Elohim is the creator of the universe, but also about His soon coming Kingdom on earth, as it is now in heaven. In addition these witnesses or testimonies remind us that YHVH is faithful and that we are His people Israel, whose forefathers received the Torah from Him by the hand of Moses. The Right Rulings (‘mishpatim’) are moral and ethical laws such as ‘you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal’, etc. The laws and statutes without explanation are laws such as not to plow with two types of animal at the same time and not to wear clothing made from two types of material, such as linen and wool. Those who teach that we need only obey the right rulings and that the testimonies and chukim need not be kept by believers in Messiah, need to read Messiah’s own words in Matthew 5: 17 – 20, as follows: ‘Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. (18) For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished. (19) Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (20) For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.’ We do not only obey Torah because everything makes sense to us, the fact that an instruction may not have a reason behind it makes obedience to it even more a step in belief. It shows YHVH that we place His instructions above our own personal reasoning. When YHVH told Abram to leave his country and family, he did not give him a reason, but father Abram obeyed without question and later His name was changed to Abraham. Because Abraham was later willing to sacrifice his only son to YHVH for no given reason, YHVH promised him and his offspring the Promised Land forever. Abraham proved his faith by performing the works YHVH required of him. Similarly, the only way that we are able to show YHVH that we love and obey Him is by keeping His commandments without question.

To the Hebrew mindset, the idea of doctrinal formulation is a foreign concept. The crux of true set-apartness is tied to a relationship with YHVH and not to a creed or doctrinal statement. The Torah gives its followers direction of how the people of Israel should relate to YHVH and each other through action, not thoughts and expression of words. Their relationship with Father YHVH was therefore expressed in obedience to Torah not by stating doctrines. Their love for YHVH and each other is action orientated rather than mere words, as Rav Yaa’cov explained in James 1: 21 – 27 and 2: 14 – 26, saying: ‘Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. (22) But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. (23) For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; (24) for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. (25) But one who looks intently at the perfect law (Torah), the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does. (26) If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. (27) This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our Elohim and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (2: 14) What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? (15) If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, (16) and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? (17) Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. (18) But someone may well say, “You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (19) You believe that Elohim is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. (20) But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? (21) Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? (22) You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; (23) and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED ELOHIM, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called a friend of Elohim. (24) You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. (25) And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? (26) For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.’

The Jews fully authenticate their humanity – they are not ashamed of their emotions and express them by laughing, crying, dancing and singing, shouting, clapping their hands and drinking of wine. They celebrate (YHVH)’s Feast Days by rejoicing; the drinking of wine is a sign of joy and accompanies their celebrations at the Feasts Days of Elohim. Jews make no distinction between what is Set-apart and secular. All of it belongs to YHVH and is submitted to Him, including eating, working, marital relations and worship services. Religion is defined as the way they live their lives. To an Israelite his religion is the Way he has chosen to walk out his redemption. It is a relationship with YHVH in His path of righteousness, shown us by Yahshua, (YHVH)’s perfect example as to how to follow Him. As Israelites we learn truth by practicing it, not just think it - truth is an encounter with Divine reality through doing the commandments. As people whom YHVH has called in a similar way that He called our father Abraham, we need to renew our minds that have been defiled by the Greco-Roman system of religion and by adopting a new Hebrew mindset, as we are admonished in Hosea 14: 1 – 9, as follows: ‘Return, O Israel, to YHVH your Elohim, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. (2) Take words (meaning Torah) with you and return to YHVH. Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously, that we may present the fruit of our lips.” (3) Assyria (those who took us captive right at the beginning) will not save us, we will not ride on horses; nor will we say again, ‘Our god,’ to the work of our hands; for in Thee the orphan finds mercy. (4) I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from them. (5) I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily, and he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon. (6) His shoots will sprout, and his beauty will be like the olive tree, and his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon. (7) Those who live in his shadow will again raise grain, and they will blossom like the vine. His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon. (8) O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like a luxuriant cypress; from Me comes your fruit. (9) Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of YHVH are right, and the righteous will walk in them, but transgressors will stumble in them.’

Torah should be translated as teachings and not law; in fact the word Torah means to be impregnated or to receive seed into oneself. This is why Yahshua our Messiah used the idea of seeds to explain the coming kingdom of Elohim. The Torah is implanted like a seed in a receptive, nurturing environment, to bring forth the fruit of the Kingdom in the life and hearts of the people in whom it has been sown. The Torah has the power to motivate us to correct our behavior to eventually become citizens of the future kingdom of Elohim, by already making Him King in our lives in this life. The ideal of true Torah teaching is to implant seeds that are maturing and ultimately allow us to express its concepts and truths through mature thoughts and actions. True Torah is never mindless, ritualistic living of religion; it is by practicing obedience to the commandments that we get to know the difference between the reason for a command and the purpose of a command. Our approach to study Torah should accept the existence of the command and try and define its meaning by finding the purpose for it to be observed by a Torah observant Israelite. To understand the concept of Kosher, niddah, circumcision and tzitzit, we should, observe them without trying to look for a reason for doing so. Even though YHVH gave some commandments without giving the reason for keeping it, we need to understand that every commandment given by YHVH has a purpose. Pursuing the purpose of a command dictates that we perform the command and experience satisfaction by doing so. The covenants that YHVH made with our forefathers in the faith are what produce purpose of Torah. It teaches what is right and wrong, and gives us the Laws of a just nation, knowing Elohim’s Torah is for our good.

Yahshua understood the concept of Torah being seed sown into the hearts of His disciples. His words which were all Torah received from the Father could fall on various types of hearts, whether the words took root and bore fruit depended on how well the listeners could hear (Sh’ma) the parables and truth He spoke. He said accordingly to His disciples (and by implication to us His latter day disciples) in Matthew 13: 11 – 15: “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. (12) For whoever has, to him shall more be given, and he shall have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.(13) Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. (14) And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; (15) FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES LEST THEY SHOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I SHOULD HEAL THEM.’” The capital letters used by Yahshua in this section is a quote from Isaiah 6: 8 – 10. Turning to Isaiah 6, we see that this quote is followed by verses 11 – 13, in this way: ‘Then I said, “YHVH, how long?” And He answered, "Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant, houses are without people, and the land is utterly desolate. (12) YHVH has removed men far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. (13) Yet there will be a tenth portion in it, and it will again be subject to burning, like a terebinth or an oak whose stump remains when it is felled. The holy seed is its stump.” After the punishment to be unleashed upon the world not prepared to hear (YHVH)’s words before Messiah returns to earth, will only leave a remnant who will inherit the Promised Land or kingdom of Elohim during the millennium. The vast majority who did not listen with understanding, will only be resurrected during the second resurrection, during which time every knee will bow before Yahshua – when they will get an opportunity to learn Torah truth and accept Yahshua as their personal savior who died for the sins of the world. Yahshua’s parables were intended for those who hear and understand His words. They will become the Spiritual children of the Kingdom of Elohim. In the meantime Rav Shaul told us the reason we as returnees of the house of Israel should study Torah with our Jewish Brothers on a weekly basis in 1 Corinthians 10: 11, saying: ‘Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.’

By looking a little deeper; the gematria of the Hebrew letter (ק) transliterated as ‘qof’ is 100. It is a symbol of ‘growth cycles’ and Set-apartness. All the cycles of the universe teach us that everything in the universe has purpose. The cycle of seven is repeated in Torah a number of times. The gematria of 100 is a cycle of 10 times 10. The millennium is on the same cycle of seven; the seventh millennium. The millennium of the kingdom age is in a cycle of 10, 10 times 10 times 10 which equals 1000 years. A seed must follow its natural cycle to bear fruit in the life of an Israelite. It must be sown, watered, grow, bear fruit and be harvested. Yahshua is busy sowing the seed of Torah through the discipleship program that He started into the fertile hearts of Israelites. It needs to be watered by means of prayer, studying, hearing and obeying Torah and then it will bear fruits of the Set-apart Spirit specified in Galatians 5: 22 – 26. The end result will be, to be harvested into the Kingdom of Elohim, during the end of this age. Our purpose for studying Torah is therefore to get to know the way of Elohim, to show Him that we love Him and to be able to teach it during the millennial rule of Messiah and beyond. Rav Yochanan wrote fittingly in 1 John 2: 3 – 7, saying: ‘And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. (4) The one who says “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; (5) but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of Elohim has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: (6) the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. (7) Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.’ Think about it!

[1] Leviticus 19: 2, “Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I YHVH your Elohim am holy.’”

[2] Leviticus 11: 44 - 47: ‘For I am YHVH your Elohim. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. For I am YHVH, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, to be your Elohim; thus you shall be holy for I am holy.’