206 People do not believe in Scriptures

People do not believe in the Scriptures any more.

I started studying the Scriptures in all earnest in June of 1971 and having been a fairly regular attendant of a Church up to that point, I realized that most of us, who claim faith in G-d, have no idea what is written in the pages of the Scriptures or what true faith in YHVH Elohim means. At that time, I was made aware of the truth recorded for us in Revelation 12: 9, in this way: ‘And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.’ This is clearly telling us that Satan and his many agents are continually busy deceiving the inhabitants of the world regarding spiritual matters. The reason for this is that Satan was destined to become a co-ruler of the universe with Elohim, before his rebellion to try and take over the throne of Elohim (as recorded in Isaiah 14: 12 – 15 and Ezekiel 28: 12 – 16). After Satan’s fall and the catastrophe that followed in which YHVH destroyed everything Satan had done with water, YHVH recreated the world and decided to create mankind as his children/helpers from physical matter in His image to learn to rule the earth and ultimately the universe and eventually develop spiritual character to conform to that of Messiah, during the duration of their lifetimes. As a result Satan does not want human beings to know the road to salvation and the kingdom of Elohim, since he knows that that position was once destined for him. Because the average church goer is totally oblivious of what occurred prior to the recreation of man, they usually try and refute the claim that Satan has deceived the whole world. They believe that there are numerous very intelligent learned people on the earth, who simply cannot be deceived. In addition they believe their church ministers who spend up to seven years studying religion and after many years of research and study have proven that the things they believe are indeed correct according to the Scriptures.

It was perhaps for this reason that Yahshua told the Jews in John 5: 43 & 44: saying: “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive (or believe) Me; if another shall come in his own name you will receive (believe) him. (44) How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only Elohim?” Yahshua said this because people simply do not believe what He said or what is taught in the Scriptures. Most believers, even today, tend to give far more attention to what their learned teachers of religion have to say, than what Yahshua taught in the Scriptures. We know that Yahshua was actually referring to Deuteronomy 18: 18 & 19 where YHVH said to Moses: ‘I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. (19) And it shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.’ But, because Churchianity came to believe that the so-called ‘Old Testament’ is not applicable to them any longer, they are not even aware of this important section of the Scriptures. Consequently, when you consider Yahshua’s teachings and compare it with what Churchianity came to believe, you will discover that there are major differences, for example Yahshua clearly taught in John 3: 3 that unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of Elohim. In verse 5 He explained further that a true believer has to be immersed in water to receive a portion of the Set-apart Spirit to merge with the spirit in man, to allow the believer to be raised from the dead to be literally born again from the dead, as we read about Messiah in Colossians 1: 18, as follows: ’He is also the Head of the body, the congregation; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.’ This clearly tells us that as opposed to those who believe they are born again once they have been immersed, that we will only be born again as spiritual children of Elohim, when we are resurrected one day at Messiah’s return, or if we are still alive at that time, will be changed from physical to spiritual children of Elohim, as Rav Shaul explained aptly in 1 Corinthians 15: 49 – 53, in this way: ‘And just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. (50) Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of Elohim; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. (51) Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable and we shall be changed. (53) For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

In John 3: 13 Yahshua unambiguously said: “And no one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven, even the Son of Man.” Yet, very few people seem to believe Yahshua’s literal words, because most of Churchianity believes the reward of the saved to be eternity in heaven. Continuing In John 5: 45 – 47 Yahshua basically told his audience that unless they, meaning all who claim to believe in Him, believe in the Torah that Moses wrote, they cannot believe in Him. He was essentially saying to those who claim faith in Him (Yahshua) and believe He has abolished Torah for them are liars. In Matthew 23: 2 & 3 Yahshua told His disciples that the scribes and the Pharisees are seated in Moses’s seat and that they (the disciples including us His modern day disciples) should do what the scribes and the Pharisees say, but should not do what they do, since they are only human and we should not follow their deeds. Yet the Karaites refute that Yahshua actually said that (despite also not being believers in Yahshua), since they do not want to abide by the calendars specified by the Rabbinical Jews (modern day Pharisees) ordained by Elohim. Even after showing a known Karaite, scriptural witnesses about the Feast Days of Elohim in Malachi 2: 1 – 8, she insisted that it is not what is meant by these scriptures. Let’s therefore consider carefully what is being said in Malachi 2: 1 – 8, as follows: ‘“And now, this commandment is for you, O priests. (2) If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,” says YHVH of hosts, “then I will send the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart. (3) Behold, I am going to rebuke your offspring, and I will spread refuse on your faces, the refuse of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it. (4) Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant may continue with Levi,” says YHVH of hosts. (5) “My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me, and stood in awe of My name. (6) True instruction was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many back from iniquity. (7) For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of YHVH of hosts. (8) But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi.” Says YHVH of hosts.’ The Rabbinical Jews of today are the Pharisees of Messiah’s time. Like Rav Shaul who identified himself as a Pharisee, we see from Acts 15: 5 that there were also other Pharisees who believed (in Yahshua). Rav Shaul also clearly wrote in Romans 3: 1 – 3, saying: ‘Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? (2) Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of Elohim. (3) What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of Elohim, will it? However, this section is also refuted by those who follow calendars of their own design, believing that the Oracles of Elohim was taken away from the Jews because of unbelief, but we read further from verses 4 & 5: ‘May it never be! Rather, let Elohim be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “THAT THOU MIGHTEST BE JUSTIFIED IN THY WORDS, AND MIGHTEST PREVAIL WHEN THOU ART JUDGED.” (5) But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of Elohim, what shall we say? The Elohim who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.)

Obviously those who have been studying with us for some time know that there are many other areas where we are able to show that people do not believe in the Scriptures any longer. To discover the deeper reasons behind this problem, we need to read wider. When you read the latest Christian books on how to study the Scriptures, you will come across terms such as ‘Hermeneutics’ and ‘Theology’. But, what do these complex-sounding words mean? To start with ‘Hermeneutics’ is a Greek term denoting the science of applying certain rules of interpretation to the Scriptures in order to help the student understand better what is being discussed. However, this term also summarizes the biggest difference between Hebraic thought and the Greek Christian way of explaining the Scriptures. In Hebraic though there is an agreed upon system of interpretation of the Scriptures that has kept the Jewish people united on the question of interpretation. The differences in Judaism are not in interpretation, but in the question of observance of the commands (Halacha), rather than what Moses meant when he wrote something. These Hebraic principles of interpretation have maintained the unity in Judaism and the Torah for about 3,500 years. But, sadly Christianity has rejected these Hebraic principles of interpretation and substituted it with principles to be found in Greek mythology and their own philosophical logic. They rejected the literal interpretation of the Scriptures as Jewish and substituted the spiritual interpretation of the Scriptures as valid ‘dogma’. These dogmas and creeds were enforced and those who rejected them were branded as heretics and blasphemers. Words such as ‘grace’, ‘redemption’ and ‘salvation’ have entirely different meanings to what they truly mean in Hebrew.

Theology is the assertion or claim of a particular idea based upon a given meaning of terms into a system of dogmatic expression. It is a system in which a community is educated to ignore the inspired meanings of certain terms - It is for this reason that Protestant Christianity has become divided over basic doctrines and has become more and more fragmented over the centuries. Theology is yet another Greek term used to denote the study and understanding of the Scriptures. There is no such thing as theology to the Hebraic mind. A Hebrew mother is expected to simply teach her children the literal meaning of Torah, until they are old enough to start attending school, where their education including the Hebrew Language and the Scriptures are taught as part of their studies at school. The Jews have a system for Scriptural interpretation, making the development of theology unnecessary. With the correct method of interpretation, any given passage could be restricted to only one interpretation. The word ‘Hermeneutics’ is used to mean ‘speaking by the spirit’. In Greek Mythology Hermes was the speaker for the ‘gods’. He was the one who explained messages using the spirit or ‘Pheuma’ which is Greek for spirit. Hermeneutics is interpreting the message of G-d by the Spirit according to Greek thinking. Even though the Set-apart Spirit of YHVH plays an important role in our understanding of the Scriptures; we need to understand that YHVH has blinded both houses of Israel to certain truths according to His purpose.

It has therefore become evident that even with many years spent at university researching and studying, many in Churchianity have no idea what the kingdom of Elohim entails. The reason for this is that YHVH only gives such knowledge to those individuals whom He calls out of the world (like our fathers in the faith, who were called out of their families to follow Elohim), to start doing His will and way on earth, as Yahshua explained in Matthew 13: 11, 12 and the first part of verse 19, saying to His disciples (and by implication us His modern day disciples): “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. (19) When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.” A second witness comes from 2 Corinthians 4: 3 & 4, as follows: ‘And even if our gospel (the gospel that Messiah preached in among others Mark 1: 14 & 15 about the coming kingdom of Elohim) is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing (at this time and will be resurrected during the second resurrection after Messiah’s thousand year rule in His Kingdom, to have the Scriptures opened to their minds at that time as per Revelation 20: 12 and Isaiah 25: 7 – 9, after which they will be able to make an informed decision as to whether they too want to follow Elohim’s way, or not), (4) in whose case the god of this world (Satan) 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.”

YHVH has at this time blinded the minds of Judah to the identity of Yahshua the Messiah and even though they believe that Messiah is coming to rule them for a thousand years in the soon coming Kingdom of Elohim, they do not believe that Yahshua, the one who came two thousand years ago, was the Messiah. The reason for blinding them at that was so that He could be killed for the sins of all mankind, as witnessed in first Corinthians 2: 4 – 8, in this way: ‘And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, (5) that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of Elohim (meaning Yahshua Messiah – as per first Corinthians 1: 24). (6) Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; (7) but we speak Elohim’s wisdom in a mystery (Yahshua – being both the power and wisdom of Elohim as per first Corinthians 1: 24 and Colossians 2: 2 & 3), the hidden wisdom, which Elohim predestined before the ages to our glory; (8) the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Master of glory.” This is essentially saying that those who are presently (YHVH)’s Lawgivers (meaning the Jews) have been blinded to the identity of Yahshua, so that He could die for the sins of all mankind. However, there is also a second reason, as most of us who have come to realize that Messiah came, not only to redeem us from the penalty of breaking Torah, but to bring us back to YHVH and Brother Judah; and until the fullness of the Gentiles (those of us from the lost ten tribes who were dispersed into the nations and some real Gentiles have returned to the faith of our fathers in the faith), then all Israel (both houses) will be saved. They will not only be saved, but those of us called out of the world during this age, plus those of our Jewish Brothers who remain faithful to YHVH and His Torah, will remarry YHVH our savior as per Jeremiah 31: 31 – 33, when He will write His Torah on the hearts of the house of Israel again and enter into a marriage covenant with both houses once again.

This is ‘scheduled’ to happen when Messiah returns one day on Yom Teruah (or Rosh Hashanah) in the near future, when He will save the tents of Judah first as per Zechariah 12: 7. He will enter their synagogues on that day and when they see His hands they will accept Him as their Master and Savior (as per Zechariah 12: 10). At that very moment the dead in Messiah will be resurrected as witnessed in first Corinthians 15: 50 – 52[1] and Romans 11: 15[2]). However, as much as our Jewish Brothers have been blinded to the identity of Yahshua for a purpose, so have Christianity been blinded to the true Gospel that Yahshua preached. The reason for this is because they do not truly understand who Yahshua is and how He purposed to build His congregation of called out believers. King David fully understood Yahshua’s purpose and His identity and therefore wrote in Psalm 118: 21 & 22: ‘I shall give thanks to Thee, for Thou hast answered me; and Thou hast become my salvation. (22) The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone.’ Yahshua being a Jew was fully familiar with this Psalm of David, because it is part of the festival liturgy read before the slaughtering of the Passover lambs for Passover, explained the parable about the landowner in Matthew 21: 33 - 40 to the religious leaders of His day. In this parable the heavenly Father is the landowner, who sends His Son when it was harvest time to receive the produce, but instead of giving Him the produce they killed Him. Yahshua then asked the religious leaders what they think the owner will do to those vine-growers when He comes. They replied that He will obviously bring an end to those wretches and will rent out the vineyard to vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper season (harvest time). Yahshua replied to them in verse 42 of Matthew 21, saying: “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM YHVH, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES?’”

Why can’t people understand that Yahshua is Immanuel meaning YHVH with us? If they really understand that Yahshua is the visible image of the invisible Elohim and that as much as the person you know and see as yourself consist of body, soul (transliterated in Hebrew as ‘Nephesh’ - meaning you are alive, but are destined to die one day, or be changed into a spiritual son of Elohim when Messiah returns, since you have repented of your past Torah-breaking and were suitably immersed into Yahshua’s saving Name), and spirit (or mind transliterated as ‘Neshamah’), similarly YHVH our Elohim is composed of an immortal soul (eternal life), a visible image or body as per Colossians 1: 15[3] and Hebrews 10: 5, 19 & 20[4], and the Set-apart Spirit, which is His Divine Nature. These verses explain that we from the lost ten tribes of Israel, as the prodigal son, have been brought back to the Father through Messiah and as further expounded in Ephesians 2: 11 – 19, we have been reconciled to the Father and Brother Judah by the blood of Yahshua. But many like-minded believers also stumble over Yahshua the word of YHVH in the flesh, as Isaiah prophesied, using the same images in Isaiah 8: 8 -10, 14 – 17, saying: ‘“Then it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass through, it will reach even to the neck; and the spread of its wings will fill the breath of the land, O Immanuel. (9) Be broken, O peoples, and be shattered; and give ear all remote places of the earth. Gird yourselves, yet be shattered; gird yourselves, yet be shattered (this happened at Messiah’s first advent, but will again happen at His second coming). (10) Devise a plan but it will be thwarted; state a proposal, but it will not stand, for Elohim is with us.” (14) “Then He shall become a sanctuary; but to both houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, and a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (15) And many will stumble over them, then they will fall and be broken; they will even be snared and caught.” (16) Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. (The Testimony mentioned here is the same one mentioned in Revelation 12: 17, meaning the testimony of Yahshua – what He taught and how He lived, whilst He was on earth and the law being Elohim’s Torah). (17) “And I will wait for YHVH who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him.”’ The prophet Isaiah explains in Isaiah 45: 15 that Yahshua being the image of Elohim is also His face, in this way: “Truly, Thou art an Elohim who hides Himself, O Elohim of Israel, Savior!” The underlined sentence is translated from the Hebrew: (מושיﬠ ישראל אלהי) and transliterated as ‘Elohey Yisrael Moshiya.’

But, in what we’ve just read from Isaiah, is encapsulated the answer to the puzzle! In fact Yahshua went to great lengths to ensure that Rav Kepha (Peter) fully understand what He was saying and that what he said, became the reason why Churchianity is blinded to the true Yahshua, but also why many Messianic/Nazarene Israelites/Jews and like-minded believers stumble over the stumbling stone as prophesied by Isaiah. Even though Yahshua explained the fact that He is the rock upon which His congregation of called out believers will be built in Matthew 7: 21 - 24[5], most did not understand what He was saying in Matthew 16: 18 & 19, when He said to Kepha (Peter): “And I also say to you that you are Peter (a stone), and upon this rock (meaning Himself) I will build My congregation; and the gates of Hades (the grave) shall not overpower it. (Meaning there will still be some of His people alive, when He returns one day) (19) I will give you (those disciples who eventually become teachers) the keys of the kingdom of heaven (meaning the Set-apart Spirit at immersion in Acts 2: 38 & 29 and the laying on of hands by a teaching elder in Acts 8: 12 – 17, which will ensure eternal life for those who remain faithful to their calling to the end); and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” This means that when new believers are immersed in the name of Yahshua, their names are written in the book of life, but if they neglect to become fully trained by their teachers, or to obey Torah, their names will be deleted from the book of life. It does not mean that teachers in Yahshua’s congregation have the right to change any doctrines or Halacha in the way we follow Elohim, since as prophesied by Isaiah in Isaiah 8: 17, our doctrine regarding the Torah and Yahshua’s Halacha is already established, amongst His disciples.

However, Matthew 16: 18 about the authority to change congregational doctrines have been misunderstood by the Roman Catholic Church and many Nazarene/Messianic Israelite Jewish congregations, in that they believe Yahshua gave the authority to determine not only congregational doctrines but also timing of the Feast Days of Elohim to them. However, Rav Kepha the disciple to whom Yahshua spoke the words in Matthew 26: 18 & 19 understood fully what He meant, as witnessed in what he wrote in Acts 4: 8 – 12, in this way: ‘Then Kepha filled with the Set-apart Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, (9) if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, (10) let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Yahshua Messiah the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom Elohim raised from the dead – by this name this man stands here before you in good health. (11) He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone. (12) And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.’ Later Rav Kepha confirmed this when he told called out believers in Messiah that they have become a chosen royal priesthood again as YHVH intended in Exodus 19: 6, saying in 1 Peter 2: 5 – 10, as follows: ‘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. (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 excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (10) for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF ELOHIM; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.’ ‘This also effectively reversed the curse put on the house of Israel by Hosea in Hosea 1.

The Catholic Church believes that Yahshua gave the Pope the right to change Elohim’s Sabbath to Sunday and Elohim’s Feast Days given in Leviticus 23 to Xmas, Halloween etc. But similarly did many Messianic/Nazarene Israelites/Jews and like-minded believers understand from Matthew 16: 18 that they have now replaced the Jews as the custodians of the Oracles of Elohim and have the right to change doctrines as well as the timing of the Feast Days of Elohim. How did Satan succeed in deceiving the whole world? Here you have the answer. However, ask yourself: Do you believe the Scriptures as the word of Elohim? If so, you better believe that the whole world is currently following the god of this world. Members of the lost ten tribes only become Jacob, when they realize that they are called out of the religions of the world. But they are not part of the Israel of Elohim until they stop stumbling over the Rock of our salvation, namely Yahshua, similar to the way Jacob had to wrestle with the angel and prevailed, after which he realized that the angel was YHVH himself (as per Hosea 12: 3 – 5). It is at that point that they are made a kingdom of priests, a holy nation together with Brother Judah, as Rav Yochanan also confirmed in Revelation 1: 4 - 6, as follows: ‘John to the seven churches (or congregations) that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne; (5) and from Yahshua Messiah, the faithful witness, the first-born (again) 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.’ Let’s for the moment revisit the Greek idea or concept of the Spiritual interpretation of the Scriptures. It is important to understand that the Set-apart Spirit or ‘Breath of Elohim’ is a Hebraic concept, and is never in conflict with the written Torah. An interpretation of the Scriptures cannot ever violate the laws of the system. The Hebraic concept of interpretation was basically rejected by the so-called church fathers, because they were considered too Jewish. But, in 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 as follows: (P) ashat = ‘literal’ meaning; (R) emez = ‘hinted’ meaning; (D) rash = ‘search’ for the meaning; (S) od = ‘hidden’ meaning.

Each layer is deeper and more intense than the last. The rabbis teach that it is like layers of an onion; the more layers you peel off, the stronger it becomes: Pashat: the first level of interpretation is the keystone of Scriptural understanding. If you discard the ‘pashat’ level, you lose any real chance of an accurate understanding. Consider what we read in 2 Peter 1: 20 & 21: ‘But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scriptures is a matter of one’s own interpretation, (21) for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Set-apart Spirit spoke from Elohim.’ A prime example of this is first Timothy 4: 3 & 4, as follows: ‘Men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods, which Elohim has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. (4) For everything created by Elohim is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude;’ How many false teachers have told you that this clearly states that you can eat anything you want including pork, shellfish, skunk, etc., as long as we receive it with thanksgiving and pray over it. But is that really what is written here? Notice in the Scriptures that verse 4 is not concluded by means of a full stop, but ends in a semi-colon, meaning the sentence does not end there, but continues in verse 5, in this way: ‘for it is sanctified (a word that means to set-apart by YHVH for holy use) by means of the word of Elohim and prayer.’ At this point we need to ask which foods did the word of Elohim specifically set-apart for holy use. If the word of YHVH does not label something as food, we should never eat of it. But where did YHVH set-apart food for holy use by His people? We get the answer in both Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. If something claiming to be food does not meet these requirements, those whom YHVH have called out of the world and Set-apart, should not partake of such un-kosher meats. No matter how hard these agents of Satan try to convince you, what is written in the Renewed Covenant can never ever disagree with the ‘pashat’ or simple literal meaning of the rest of the Scriptures.

Remez: the second level of understanding is known as Remez or the hinted meaning. This is the implied meaning of the text and is deeper than the ‘pashat’ level. An example of the implied meaning can be found in Proverbs 20: 10, as follows: ‘Differing weights and differing measures, both of them are abominable to YHVH.’ The ‘pashat’ would be concerned with a shopkeeper using the same scale to weigh goods sold to all his customers on the same scale. The ‘remez’, however, implies that this goes beyond fairness in business, and that we should be fair and honest in all aspects of our lives. ‘Drash’ bases its interpretation on an entire narrative rather than a single word or phrase. It is used to search the text in relation to other Scriptures in order to develop a typological application of the text. It is through this process that we understand the phrase to ‘let the Scriptures interpret the Scriptures’. In the ‘drash’ interpretation, we look to the Scriptures themselves to define the components of the parable or allegory. For example Yahshua showed many who followed Him, that He was the one spoken about by the prophet Isaiah by quoting from Isaiah 42: 1 – 4 in Matthew 12: 15 – 21, as follows: ‘But Yahshua, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed Him, and He healed them all, (16) and warned them not to make Him known, (17) in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, might be fulfilled saying, (18) “BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL IS WELL-PLEASED, I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES, (19) HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS. (20) A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY. (21) AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.” The servant whom YHVH has chosen is usually meant to be the nation of Israel, but in Isaiah 42: 1 – 4 it is undoubtedly talking about Yahshua, as He has shown in Matthew 12 above. Isaiah 43: 10 & 11 therefore conveys the dual meaning of the word servant, to mean both houses of Israel, but also Yahshua Himself, in this way: “You are my witnesses (talking about both houses of Israel here),”declares YHVH, “and My servant whom I have chosen (both Judah and the remnant of the lost ten tribes called out of the world at this time, but also implying Yahshua), in order that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He (Yes, this is a shorter form of the Sh’ma, but YHVH is also telling us that He is His own servant, as may be understood from the following lines). Before Me there was no Elohim formed, and there will be none after Me. (11) “I, even, I am YHVH; and there is no savior besides Me.” This makes clear what Yahshua meant when He said in John 12: 44 & 45: “He who believes in Me does not believe in Me, but in Him who sent Me. (45) And he who beholds Me beholds the One who sent Me.” We read Yahshua’s reply to Philip when He asked Yahshua to show them the Father in John 14: 9 - 11, saying: “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ (10) Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. (11) Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me; otherwise believe on account of the works themselves.” This reminds me of the Hebrew word stone (אבן) transliterated as ‘Even’: The two words Father transliterated as ‘Avinu’ (אב) and Son transliterated as ‘Ben’ (בן) in Hebrew overlap in the word stone, and we can literally say that the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son as Yahshua confirmed in John 14: 11.

The fourth and final level of understanding the Scriptures is ‘sod’ meaning the secret or hidden meaning. This is exactly what we covered earlier in first Corinthians 2: 6 – 13 , as follows: ‘Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; (7) but we speak Elohim’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which Elohim predestined before the ages to our glory; (8) the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Master of glory; (9) but just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT ELOHIM HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” (10) For to us Elohim revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of Elohim. (11) For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of Elohim no one knows except the Spirit of Elohim. (12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from Elohim, that we might know the things freely given to us by Elohim, (13) which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words” The discussion about the stone of stumbling is another example of the ‘sod’ level of interpretation.

There is no magic in interpreting the Scriptures or word of Elohim and the last thing servants of YHVH need is the spirit of Hermes or Hermeneutics to help them understand His word. The Scriptures should be clear to anyone who reads it without needing a person with a doctorate to interpret it. Even so, we all need to go through a discipleship program like the one Messiah used to train His disciples, before we will be suitably equipped to immerse and train new believers in Messiah. Baruch HaShem YHVH!

[1] First Corinthians 15: 50 – 52: ‘Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of Elohim; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.’

[2] Romans 11: 15, ‘For if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?’

[3] Colossians 1: 15 ‘And He is the image of the invisible Elohim, the first-born of all creation.’

[4] Hebrews 10: 5, 19 & 20 ‘Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING THOU HAST NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY THOU HAST PREPARED FOR ME;” Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Yahshua, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh.’

[5] Matthew 7: 21 – 24: ‘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. 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?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.”’