Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

We are to become first born kings and priests.

When reading from Exodus 11: 4 & 5 and Exodus 12: 1 – 7 & 13, we see that that the Passover lamb was slaughtered specifically to protect the first-born children of Israel during the final plague, before Pharaoh let the children of Israel leave Egypt, as follows: ‘And Moses said, “Thus says YHVH, ‘About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, (5) and all the first-born in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first-born of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the first-born of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the first-born of the cattle as well.”’ (1) ‘Now YHVH said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, (2) “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. (3) Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household. (4) Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb. (5) Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. (6) And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight. (7) Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the house in which they eat it. (13) And the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.’”’

 

Yahshua represented by the male lamb without blemish and the fine flour mixed with oil in Leviticus 23: 12 & 13, symbolic of the beating and scourging through which He was perfected. The accompanying hin of wine mentioned in Leviticus 23: 13, was symbolic of Messiah’s blood to pay the punishment due for the transgressions of those from the lost sheep of the house of Israel called out of the churches of the world, who are destined to become first-born kings and priests with their Torah observant brothers from the house of Judah, as confirmed in 1 John 1: 7, as follows: ‘But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Yahshua His Son cleanses us from all sin.’  We read further from Hebrews 5: 8 & 9, ‘Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. (9) And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.’  Messiah gave Himself as a sacrificial offering on our behalf and we need to be mindful that soon after YHVH called ancient Israel out of Egypt and even before He gave them the commandments at Mount Sinai, He told them depending on their obedience to His commandments, they shall be a kingdom of priests and a Set-apart nation to Him, as recorded in Exodus 19: 5 and the first part of verse 6, as follows: ‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; (6) and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a set-apart nation.’  YHVH declared Israel to be His treasured possession before all nations and accordingly they were to be a kingdom of priests and a set-apart nation to Him. They were to be stewards of the Oracles of Elohim; the conduits through which Elohim’s teachings regarding His Torah truths and blessings were to be disseminated. The entire nation was destined to become priests who would perform priestly duties before Elohim, but, it appears that they did not feel themselves qualified to enter into the responsibility of their priestly calling assigned by Him and they wanted a mediator for themselves to carry on a relationship with YHVH the Elohim of Israel.

 

Because YHVH anticipated Israel’s need for a mediator, He communicated His agreement to give them Moses as their mediator from that time forward in Deuteronomy 5: 28 – 31, as follows: “And YHVH heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and YHVH said to me, ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken. (29) Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever! (30) Go, say to them, “Return to your tents.” (31) But as for you, stand here by Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and the statutes (how to apply the commandments in your lives) and the judgments (punishment due for transgressing Torah) which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I give them to possess.’” YHVH appointed Moses as the mediator of Israel during their forty years of wandering in the wilderness, before entering the Promised Land. They failed to be a model nation when Moses ‘delayed’ coming down from the mountain and Aaron asked them to give him the gold rings in the ears of their wives and children and fashioned it with a graving tool into a molten calf. He proceeded to tell them that the golden calf is their god, who brought them out of the land of Egypt and declared the next day to be a feast to YHVH. We read from Exodus 32: 6, ‘So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.’  The commentary in the New American Standard Mac Arthur Study Bible, against the words ‘to play’ reads - ‘The Hebrew word allows for the inclusion of drunken and immoral activities so common to idolatrous fertility cults in their revelry’. The incident of the golden calf included cultural practices which the Israelites must have learnt in Egypt; i.e. burnt offerings were intermixed with pagan customs of sexual immorality and idolatry, totally unacceptable to Elohim. At this point Elohim’s anger flared up against them and He was ready to destroy the entire nation, but Moses’ pleadings on behalf of the nation made YHVH change His mind.

Moses came down the mountain with the two engraved tablets in his hands and when he saw the golden calf and the dancing, he became very angry and he threw the tablets of stone from his hands shattering them at the foot of the mountain. Then he grounded the golden calf into powder, threw it into the water and made the Israelites drink it. Moses recognized the actions of Aaron and the Israelites as a sin, punishable by death, so he stood at the gate of the camp as shown in Exodus 32: 26, saying: “Whoever is for YHVH, come to me!” The tribe of Levi gathered together around him and he instructed them to go back and forth in the camp to kill every man his brother and every man his neighbor. As a result of the action taken by the Levites, YHVH chose them to take the place of the first-born Israelites, to serve as priests under Aaron and his sons, as we read from Numbers 3: 9 – 13, in this way: “You shall thus give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel. (10) So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the layman who comes near shall be put to death.” (11) Again YHVH spoke to Moses, saying, (12) “Now, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every first-born, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be mine. (13) For all the first-born are Mine; on the day that I struck down all the first-born in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the first-born in Israel, from man to beast. They shall be Mine; I am YHVH.”  At this time YHVH called Aaron and his family and set them apart by law to be the priesthood for the nation of Israel.

Going back to Exodus 32: 28 & 29 we read: ‘So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day. (29) Then Moses said, “Dedicate yourselves today to YHVH—for every man has been against his son and against his brother—in order that He may bestow a blessing upon you today.”’ YHVH is again calling first-fruit believers from the lost sheep of the house of Israel to come out of the churches of the world to set them apart for service to Him. For those who respond, there is a reward of the priesthood.  We also read from Numbers 25 that when Israel stayed at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab, who invited them to the sacrifices of their gods. The people ate and bowed down to the pagan gods of the Moabites, including Baal-peor and YHVH became angry with them and instructed Moses in verse 4 of Numbers 25, saying: “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before YHVH, so that the fierce anger of YHVH may turn away from Israel.” Moses obeyed and instructed the judges of Israel, as recorded in verse 5 of Numbers 25, saying: “Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.” At this same time one of the sons of Israel brought a Midianite woman in full sight of Moses and the sons of Israel, whilst they were still weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting. When Phinehas the son of Eleazer, the son of Aaron saw it, he got up from the midst of the people, taking a spear in his hand; he went into the tent of the man and pierced both the man and woman through their bodies, effectively checking the plague and those who died by the plague were 24,000. YHVH made a covenant of peace (shalom in Hebrew) with Phinehas; thus making a covenant with him and his descendants after him that they will hold the office of priest (or Cohen) forever.

Those from the lost sheep of the house of Israel called out of the churches of the world to become priests under Yahshua in the coming kingdom of Elohim, have to be zealous for Elohim and His righteousness like Phinehas was. We are presently being trained to become priests (teachers) with our Torah observant Jewish Brothers in the world tomorrow and should not neglect our responsibility to warn fellow believers from the house of Israel about their transgressions, as we are told in Isaiah 58: 1, as follows: “Cry loudly, do not hold back; raise your voice like a trumpet, and declare to My people their transgression, and to the house of Jacob their sins.” YHVH wants us all to be ready to take action when there is a need to do so and we need to be mindful of the duty of a Nazarene or watchman described in Ezekiel 3: 17 – 21, as follows: “Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. (18) When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die’; and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.  (19) Yet if you have warned the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself. (20) Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle before him, he shall die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. (21) However, if you have warned the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; and you have delivered yourself.” Phinehas and his descendants after him will hold the office of priest forever. Even though Phinehas a Levite is a descendant of Aaron the High Priest, YHVH did not give him the office of High Priest forever, since we know that Yahshua our Messiah has become the one and only High Priest forever.

As mediators between YHVH and the people of Israel, the priesthood had to stand as righteous as humanly possible between YHVH and His people and at the same time represent both YHVH and the people according to His plan for Israel. However, we saw that the Aaronic priesthood failed horribly, as they partook in human nature and not in the divine nature of Elohim at all. It was clear at that point that YHVH had to give the house of Israel another mediator, since Moses and Aaron only met the needs of the people. Only Yahshua as YHVH with us, could meet both the needs of Elohim and the people and could release them from their sin, as it is described in Galatians 3: 20, in this way: ‘Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas Elohim is only one.’  Even though some object to the reference of Yahshua as being YHVH with us, YHVH confirmed this in Isaiah 43: 10 & 11, as follows: “You are My witnesses,” declares YHVH, “And My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. 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.” A second witness comes from Isaiah 63: 8, in this way: ‘For He said, “Surely, they are My people, sons who will not deal falsely.” So He became their Savior.’ Moses told the nation in Deuteronomy 18: 15 – 19, saying: “YHVH your Elohim will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. (16) This is according to all that you asked of YHVH your Elohim in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of YHVH my Elohim, let me not see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ (17) And YHVH said to me, “They have spoken well. (18) ‘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.’” Yahshua came as a physical manifestation of YHVH and in Him the fullness of Deity (Elohim) dwells in bodily form (as per Colossians 2: 9). The point is that no man can fulfill the dual role of physical man and Elohim.  We read accordingly from Isaiah 59: 16, in this way: ‘And He saw that there was no man, and was astonished that there was no one to intercede; then His own arm brought salvation to Him; and His righteousness upheld Him.’  Yahshua is the Messiah and Savior promised in the Torah and the Prophets. We read fittingly from Hebrews 7: 26 & 27, ‘For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy (set-apart), innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; (27) who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.’

Yahshua was killed as the Passover Lamb on the 14th Aviv, when He was impaled at about 9 o’clock in the morning and at about 12 o’clock until 3 o’clock in the afternoon darkness fell over the whole land, as recorded in Luke 23: 44 & 45, as follows: ‘And it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, (45) the sun being obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two.’  At that time Yahshua died (or was cut off) as prophesied by Daniel in the first part of Daniel 9: 26, in this way: “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.” He died as the Passover Lamb, but was also cut off as the wave sheaf offering on the impalement stake before YHVH and as witnessed in verse 46 of Luke 23, crying out in a loud voice He said: ‘“Father, INTO THY HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” And having said this, He breathed His last.’  Three days and three nights later Yahshua was resurrected at the end of the weekly Sabbath and became the first ‘human’ to be born again as the first-born from the dead. This is why Rav Shaul wrote in Romans 8:  28 – 30, saying: ‘And we know that Elohim causes all things to work together for good to those who love Elohim, to those who are called according to His purpose. (29) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; (30) and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.’ So we see that as with the very first Passover, Yahshua’s last Passover was to protect the congregation of called out believers, who as first-fruits will become first-born children of Elohim when Yahshua returns one day. They will be the first to be resurrected after Yahshua and be protected from the second death, as we read from Revelation 20: 6, as follows: ‘Blessed and holy (set-apart) is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of Elohim and of Messiah and will reign with Him for a thousand years.’

As Nazarene believers in Yahshua, we are fully aware that Yahshua is the corner stone upon which we 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 (as per 1 Peter 2: 7). He is “THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone.”  He is the stone of stumbling (σКάνδαλον in Greek; meaning scandal) or a major stumbling block, which resulted from the way Elohim revealed Himself in the Torah. YHVH revealed Himself as the Creator and Sustainer of mankind: informing them that; He is YHVH their One and Only Elohim; to honor His Name; and not to make any idols or likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.  But, in order to accomplish His redemptive work, part of YHVH had to become a ‘man’ in Yahshua the Messiah. Rav Kepha explained in Acts 4: 10 - 12, that not only may we be saved through the scandal of YHVH incarnate, but the scandal of His crucifixion is the only way for mankind to be reconciled to Elohim. It is in His incarnation as Yahshua our Messiah, the Lamb of Elohim, that we worship YHVH our Creator and Redeemer. The Scriptural revelation requires that the name of Elohim be made known to mankind and when He revealed Himself in Exodus 3: 14, He said to Moses: “I AM WHO I AM.” -The footnote against ‘I AM’ in this verse in the New American Standard Bible reads: ‘Related to the Name of G-d, YHVH rendered LORD, which is derived from the verb HAYAH, to be.’ This essentially means that YHVH can be whatever we need Him to be, as may be understood from His various names given in the Tanach, as follows:  In Genesis 22: 14, YHVH-YIRAH meaning YHVH our Provider; in Exodus 17: 15, YHVH-NISSI meaning YHVH is My Banner; and in Jeremiah 23: 6, YHVH-TSIDIKENU meaning YHVH Our Righteousness, which refers to Yahshua the righteous Branch, through whom we His creation attains righteousness. In addition most of us are aware that the meaning of Yahshua’s name is the Salvation of YHVH, since the purpose of His first advent was to save the lost sheep of the house of Israel from their sins, but also to buy back (or redeem) the piece of property we lost in the Promised Land, because of idolatry.

Through the commandments given in Exodus 20: 3 – 11, YHVH ensured that His people understood the importance of His name in worshipping Him. If our proclamation that Yahshua is YHVH with us offends some, then it will have to be the scandal that Yahshua said it would be in Matthew 21: 42 – 44, as follows: “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’? (43) Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of Elohim will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it. (44) And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” Elohim has truly gone to extremes to make His name and deeds known to mankind throughout the Scriptures. David attested to the fact that YHVH became our salvation, in Psalm 118: 21 – 26, saying: ‘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. (23) This is (YHVH)’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. (24) This is the day which YHVH has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (25) O YHVH, do save, we beseech Thee; O YHVH we beseech Thee, do send prosperity! (26) Blessed is the one who comes in the name of YHVH; we have blessed you from the house of YHVH.’ Rav Kepha tells us in 1 Peter 2: 9 that we who believe this truth about our Master and Savior Yahshua the Messiah are again ‘(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.’ Are we like our ancient Israelite forefathers going to avoid our responsibility as priests? As priests of Elohim, most of us recall the set-apart garments which were placed on Aaron and his sons. Similarly Yahshua is giving us priestly garments to wear. We read from the prophesy about Yahshua in Isaiah 61: 1 – 10, as follows: ‘The Spirit of YHVH Elohim is upon me, because YHVH has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners; (2) To proclaim the favorable year of YHVH, and the day of vengeance of our Elohim; to comfort all who mourn, (3) To grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland (a peer shaped head covering) instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of YHVH, that He may be glorified (esteemed). (4) Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will raise up the former devastations, and they will repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations. (5) And strangers will stand and pasture your flocks, and foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers. (6) But you will be called the priests of YHVH; you will be spoken of as ministers of our Elohim. You will eat the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. (7) Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, and instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, everlasting joy will be theirs. (8) For I, YHVH, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; and I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. (9) Then their offspring will be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples. All who see them will recognize them because they are the offspring whom YHVH has blessed. (10) I will rejoice greatly in YHVH, my soul will exalt in my Elohim; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland (the KJV reads: decketh himself with ornaments; the side reference against in the KJV reads: decketh as a priest), and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.’

YHVH also informs our Jewish Brothers in Isaiah 66: 20 & 21, saying: ‘Then they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as a grain offering (first-fruits) to YHVH, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says YHVH, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of YHVH. (21) I will also take some of them for priests and for Levites,” says YHVH.’  Yes, those of us called at this time, who manage to overcome Satan, the world and the self, will become kings and priests during the millennium and beyond, as we read from Revelation 5: 10, as follows: “And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our Elohim; and they will reign upon the earth.” The first time that we read in the Scriptures about a person or being, holding the two offices of king and priest together, is in Genesis 14: 18: ‘And Melchizedek king of Salem (meaning king of peace) brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of Elohim Most High.’ We see in Hebrews 7: 3 that Melchizedek was without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of Elohim. In Psalm 110: 4 talking about our Messiah, David wrote: ‘YHVH has sworn and will not change His mind, “Thou are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” In Hebrews 5: 5 & 6 we read accordingly: ‘So also Messiah did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, “THOU ART MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN THEE”;  (6) just as He says also in another passage, “THOU ART A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.” The Order of the Priesthood of Melchizedek will consist of the High Priest and King, Yahshua with other priests who were called by YHVH and remained faithful throughout their human lives, to be changed into spiritual children of Elohim at Yahshua’s return, reigning under Him.

We need to practice to become kings and priests during the coming Kingdom of Elohim, as we will be required to perform priestly duties then, and have to learn to do so, during this age. We should practice righteousness in our lives by doing what YHVH requires of us in His Torah, so that we may teach our siblings, those who survive the tribulation into the millennium, as well as those in the second resurrection, the physical and spiritual application of Torah in their lives.  But, let’s also turn to Exodus 29: 38 & 39 to see what some of the other duties of royal priests are: “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar; two one year old lambs each day, continuously. (29) The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight.”  We do not sacrifice animals any longer, but are nevertheless required to make two offerings per day, as we read from Exodus 30: 7 & 8, “And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps. (8) And when Aaron trims the lamps at twilight (in the evening), he shall burn incense. There shall be perpetual incense before YHVH throughout your generations.”  In Psalm 141: 1 & 2 David wrote about such offerings, saying: “O YHVH, I call upon thee; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to Thee!  (12) May my prayer be counted as incense before Thee; the lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.” We also read from Revelation 5: 8 that the prayers of the saints are considered as incense before YHVH, as follows: ‘And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.’  A second witness comes from Revelation 8: 4 in this way: ‘And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before Elohim out of the angel’s hand.’ 

 

Elohim prepared a body of flesh for Yahshua to dwell in, as witnessed in Hebrews 10: 5, as follows: ‘Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING THOU HAST NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY THOU HAST PREPARED FOR ME.”’ This is the body in which the Word of YHVH dwelt among us, but it is also the body of the congregation of Elohim, as we are told by Rav Shaul in Ephesians 1: 22 & 23, in this way: ‘And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the congregation, (23) which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.’ Here we see again how the duality principle that runs throughout the Scriptures comes to play. Yahshua the visible image of the invisible Elohim died for us and was the first being to be resurrected as a Spirit Being. He made it possible for us to go through the same process to be born again. Yes, Yahshua as the Head of the body was first to be brought forth or born again as per Colossians 1: 18. YHVH is now calling a remnant of first-fruits to learn to become teachers (kings and priest) under Yahshua during the Millennium, as we read from  James 1: 18, in this way: ‘In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures.’ After being called, we should be immersed into the saving name of Yahshua our Messiah, upon which, we will be given the Set-apart Spirit, as we read from Acts 2: 38, where Rav Kepha (Peter) said, “Repent, and let each of you be immersed in the name of Yahshua Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Set-apart Spirit.’  We see that according to Ephesians 4: 30 that we are sealed at immersion in the name of Yahshua, as follows: ‘And do not grieve the Set-apart Spirit of Elohim, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.’ We also read in the last part of Revelation 14: 4 that: ‘These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to Elohim and to the Lamb.’ When we as believers die, the Spirit given us by the Father returns to heaven whilst our dead bodies are buried. It is during the time that we die, until Messiah’s return that our Spirits are made perfect in heaven as we read from Hebrews 12: 23 in this way: “…to the general assembly and the congregation of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to Elohim, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect.”

 

The first-fruits for the Kingdom of Elohim will receive a double portion indicating a bigger responsibility in the Kingdom. They are called during this age and are being trained to become kings and priests with Torah observant members of the house of Judah. They will be changed into spiritual sons and daughters of Elohim to rule as kings and priests under Yahshua in the Kingdom of Elohim. Prior to the death and resurrection of Yahshua, only a few individuals were chosen to perform special responsibilities. Their accounts have been recorded in the Tanach: They were such people as Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Moses, Deborah, Samuel, David, Isaiah, Ester and a handful of others. Other that the nation of Israel, of whom only the house of Judah remained faithful to YHVH, the uncounted numbers from Adam to Messiah were not yet given an opportunity for salvation. During the time from Messiah’s resurrection, ascension and second coming, Elohim is busy calling a selected few to be part of His elect, or first fruits. They are known as the remnant according to Elohim’s gracious choice as per Romans 11: 5. Once YHVH has called the full number required, they will be saved with the chosen house of Judah, to again become the kingdom of Elohim, as the commonwealth of Israel, ruled by King David as was also prophesied in Ezekiel 37. Our calling is by the will of Elohim, who wants us to follow Him with everything we have. Yahshua became our example of being a first-fruit living in the world, but not of it. We read about Yahshua in Titus 2: 14, ‘…who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.’  Back in John 17: 18 we read: “As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” As a new creation, Yahshua sent us to display a new nature and the likeness of Messiah into the world. When we separate ourselves from worldly ways, YHVH will receive us as we read in 2 Corinthians 6: 16 & 17: ‘Or what agreement has the temple of Elohim with idols? For we are the temple of the living Elohim, just as Elohim said, “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR ELOHIM, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. (17) Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says YHVH. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you.”’ These promises of Elohim remain for those who maintain a lifestyle, even though in the world, separate from the ways of the world. This is how we show the people in the world, the example Messiah showed His disciples, whilst He lived here two thousand years ago.

 

Finally we read from Daniel 9: 21 that we as priests should pray in the evening and in the morning, as follows: ‘…while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering.’ We should pray for the Kingdom of Elohim to come; for the peace of Jerusalem; for forgiveness of our many sins. We should ask YHVH to give us more of His Set-apart Spirit and pray for both our spiritual and physical leaders; asking that our spiritual leaders will assist us to find the way of Elohim and that our physical leaders will make decisions which will allow us freedom to worship YHVH our Elohim and to live in peace. It has also become time for us to be truly reconciled with the house of Judah as the commonwealth of Israel and as the body of Messiah to become the bride that He will remarry at His return. Halleluyah!