Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

The congregation of Elohim.

Many of the lost sheep of the house of Israel believe the congregation of Elohim to be the small group of believers who came together on the first Pentecost/Shavuot after Messiah’s death, resurrection and ascension to heaven in 31 CE. However, we see from Acts 7: 36 – 38 that the congregation of Elohim is the one He started in the wilderness at Mount Sinai when He entered into the original covenant with Israel, 50 days after leading them out of Egypt, as follows: “This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. (37) This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘ELOHIM SHALL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN.’ (38) This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you.” Yahshua followed the same discipleship program started by Elohim in the wilderness, where He instructed Moses to teach Joshua to lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land. Yahshua did not begin a new religion or ‘church’, but simply continued building the congregation of Elohim started in the wilderness. Even though the quoted Scripture above tells us that the oracles were passed on to us, the truth is that other than with our Jewish Brothers, we have lost our culture, our religion and even our language when we were dispersed into the world because of idolatry – so much so that up to recently we all thought that we were Gentiles. This is why it is not very surprising that a bunch of ‘Johnny’s come lately’ calling themselves Karaites have since the early 1990’s tried to usurped the authority of the Jews in ‘upholding Elohim’s oracles’ in respect of the timing of His Set-apart Days.

In fact Yahshua the Messiah told the Jews of His day exactly that in John 10: 11 – 16, saying: “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. (12) He who is a hireling, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, beholds the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees, and the wolf snatches them, and scatters them. (13) He flees because he is a hireling, and is not concerned about the sheep. (14) I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me, (15) even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. (16) And I have other sheep (from the lost house of Israel), which are not of this fold (congregation or synagogue); I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd.” This was all in fulfilment of His main purpose as prophesied by Isaiah 49: 5 & 6[1] and as He told the Canaanite women who asked Him to heal her demon-possessed daughter in Matthew 15: 24, saying: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” The congregation of Elohim which Messiah is busy restoring is made up of Torah observant members of the house of Judah, plus a remnant of the lost sheep of the house of Israel (including a number of real Gentiles) whom YHVH is busy calling out of the churches of the world to follow His way, but also to do His will.  It is similar to the way Elohim called the ancient nation of Israel out of Egypt to be a model nation to the rest of the nations in the world, though not of the world. Elohim’s government is theocratic and is the very opposite of democracy from the top down; not a government for the people by the people. The government presently in Elohim’s congregation is a training ground for how it will be done during the Millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment period. The members do not appoint officials in the congregation; Elohim does, the same way that He appoints lay members in the congregation, by calling them out of the religions of the world. We read accordingly from 1 Corinthians 12: 12 – 20: ‘For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Messiah. (13) For by one Spirit we were all immersed into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. (14) For the body is not one member, but many. (15) If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less part of the body. (16) And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. (17) If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? (18) But now Elohim has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. (19) And if they were all one member, where would the body be? (20) But now there are many members, but one body.’

Those who follow Messiah’s discipleship program, whether they attend weekly services or get sermons, Torah and Haftarah portions via the internet, voluntarily place themselves under the guidance of the one teaching them. It is  a bit of a humbling experience for a person who used to make his/her own decisions about what to eat and when to attend religious services, to suddenly be told what to do and when to do it, even if it is in accordance with Torah.  It is only those truly led by the Set-apart Spirit who will voluntarily follow someone showing them the way of Elohim.  In addition those who follow a teacher in the way of Elohim should make sure that he understand that Yahshua Messiah is the Head of the congregation and not he or any other human agent, as witnessed in Ephesians 1: 18 – 23, in this way: ‘I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, (19) and what is the surpassing  greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might (20) which He brought about in Messiah, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, (21) far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. (22) 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.’  There is a further example of government in the congregation described in Ephesians 5: 22 - 24 as follows: ‘Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Master. (23) For the husband is the head of the wife, as Messiah also is he head of the congregation, He Himself being the Savior of the body. (24) But as the congregation is subject to Messiah, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.’ 

Messiah is the Head of the congregation in a similar way that a husband is the head of the wife. However, this concept is not well-liked by woman’s liberation groups. Women are made by YHVH to be more merciful and nurturing than men. The Jewish sages comment on the fact that animals and even insects were created before man. Therefore, if man acts like a mensch who lives according to the golden rule, ‘to do unto others, what you want them to do to you’, it is said about him: ‘You preceded all of the works of creation’, but if not, it is said of him: ‘A snail preceded you.’ Once we have received the Spirit of Elohim at immersion and lives according to the will of Elohim, we are considered Elohim’s people, but whilst we are still part of the physical world, man is sadly at the bottom of the proverbial totem pole and does not take precedence over other species. In addition we, different to animals are at birth totally dependent upon our mothers. Man’s weakness and unimpressive nature are manifest to the greatest extent in the traits, skills and natural instincts of newborn babies: As a species we are deficient, for insomuch as humans have no chance of survival on their own, they are inferior to all other forms of creation. In fact the continuation of our species depends on the spirit of man and his (or, more specifically her) ability to care for and nurture the young. Just imagine the mortality rate of small babies in the wilderness on their own; indeed a snail or a fly has a greater chance of survival. Even though physically, we possess a commonality with other creatures; spiritually we are able to soar above them all. This is true of most human mothers, whether they were immersed or not. Their mother’s instinct makes them want to nurture and care for the baby. This is also why Rav Shaul wrote in 1 Timothy 2: 15, “But women shall be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.” Sadly women who espouse the views of women liberation organizations do not believe the Scriptures and have just the opposite opinion – they want to be Mechanical and Electrical Engineers and even want to work in steel plants and the mining sector, doing jobs normally reserved for men, where brute force is sometimes required.

I am not saying that women should never go out to work, but ideally mothers were created with the necessary skills to train children during their formative years, even teach them Torah principles from childhood. Certainly, there are many jobs in which women thrive, such as teaching, nursing and even doctoring the sick, doing welfare work amongst the destitute of this world, because of the way in which YHVH created them.  Women should also be involved in the design of clothing, furniture and even places such as hospitals. But the construction of buildings and machinery should best be left to men. The point is: to administer society, we need both men and women. The woman was taken from the side of man, to be supportive of him and their children; someone to stand by Him in good and difficult times, to care for him and their children with her and even assist in society by providing health and welfare care. Men on the other hand should work to earn their living, building and maintaining the environment into a suitable place for him and his family to dwell. Having said that, let’s return to the subject at hand, namely the congregation of Elohim. Before one can teach others in the congregation of Elohim, Elohim’s way of life must become part of our everyday life. It is a matter of practicing Elohim’s way of life for a number of years before we are truly able to teach others. If you have only recently left Christianity or any other way of life, you are not nearly ready to guide anyone in the truth. It takes more than just knowing what is right; it takes practicing righteousness for at least three and a half years. It is for this reason that Rav Shaul wrote about teachers and leaders in 1 Timothy 3: 1 – 8, and especially in verse 6, saying: ‘and not a new convert, lest he become conceited and fall into condemnation incurred by the devil.’  In fact Yahshua confirmed this by saying in Luke 6: 39 & 40, “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? (40) A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.” We need to understand that YHVH introduced a training program and part of the learning process is to respect the authority that YHVH placed over His congregation. Immersion and the laying on of hands by a teacher who has gone through the discipleship program re-instituted by Messiah for the receipt of the Set-apart Spirit, shows our recognition of the authority that Elohim has placed in Yahshua’s commissioned teaching program.

YHVH placed certain people in positions where we have to listen to them, before we will learn anything. It takes humility to listen to someone who might not be special in our minds.  But it is not about being special, Elohim’s way can only be taught by those who have been through similar teaching programs themselves. It is because some do not regard the people teaching them as being good or learned enough to teach them, that they venture out into the field and attempt to do the work of Elohim on their own, by trying to call their friends and family to accept the real Messiah. This despite Yahshua’s own words in John 6: 65, where He said categorically: “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me (Yahshua), unless it has been granted him from the Father.” The point is that even if you were a teacher in Christianity (or most other religions) before, you have to learn the way of Elohim before you can start teaching others. We need to realize that Christianity, even though they say they follow Messiah (the one they call Christ), teach the exact opposite of what is contained in the Scriptures and have to relearn most of what they learnt before. If new converts will only remain with their teacher, whilst also practicing Torah for the allotted time, they will not so easily be deceived and in the end be ready to teach others, as Rav Shaul explained about Yahshua in Ephesians 4: 10 – 16, saying: ‘He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. (11) And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, (12) for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Messiah; (13) until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of Elohim, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Messiah. (14) As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; (15) but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Messiah, (16) from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.’ 

The question is how does Messiah rule His congregation? We read the answer from Ephesians 5: 25 – 32, as follows:  ‘Husbands, love your wives, just as Messiah also loved the congregation and gave Himself up for her; (26) that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, (27) that He might present to Himself the congregation in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless. (28) So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; (29) for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Messiah also does the congregation, (30) because we are members of His body. (31) ‘FOR THIS CAUSE A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, AND SHALL CLEAVE TO HIS WIFE; AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. (32) This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Messiah and the congregation.’  The same line of authority in the house of YHVH is spoken about by Rav Shaul in 1 Corinthians 11: 1 – 3, saying: ‘Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Messiah. (2) Now I praise you because you remember me in everything, and hold firmly the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. (3) But I want you to understand that Messiah is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and Elohim is the head of Messiah.’ Continuing in verses 23 – 29 Rav Shaul wrote:  ‘For I received from the Master that which I also delivered to you, that the Master Yahshua in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; (24) and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” (25) I the same way He took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”  (26) For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Master’s death until He comes. (27) Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the cup of the Master in an unworthy (or flippant) manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Master.  (28) But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. (29) For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly (becoming an Elohim fearing community, accurately representing the body of Messiah).’

When YHVH calls us out of the world, He specifically wants those of us from the house of Israel, to follow the perfect example that He gave us, namely Yahshua, in the way He interpreted Torah (His Halacha) in Matthew 5, 6 & 7. Messiah rules His congregation – His bride-to-be in love, always teaching what is best for her.  In fact He loved His future bride so much; that He redeemed the piece of property in the Promised Land they lost because of idolatry and paid the penalty or punishment due to them for their past sins and to be able to remarry her at His return. Similarly husbands are to submit to Messiah and follow His example of love toward their own families. They too, are to learn to govern in love – not as tyrants. Believing husbands should lead their families in accordance with Torah; by governing for the good of those governed. It is very clear from what we read in Ephesians above, that Elohim’s people learn to rule, by being ruled. Mothers similar to husbands should be in charge of young children, whilst the husband is out earning a living for his family. The congregation of Elohim should like a believer’s household be thoroughly organized, as witnessed in Ephesians 2: 19 – 22, in this way: ‘So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of Elohim’s household, (20) having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Messiah Yahshua Himself being the corner stone, (21) in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Master; (22) in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of Elohim in the Spirit.’ Elohim’s household is composed of physical people, who will like Yahshua be resurrected (or changed) at His return to earth. The congregation is compared to a family, but also to the human body with its different parts. The organization of the congregation discussed in Ephesians 4: 11 & 12 (quoted before), should ideally operate as follows: Starting with the position of Apostles, we need to understand that an apostle, simply means a teacher who taught a number of small groups in the past and are experienced enough, to proclaim the good news of the coming Kingdom into the world (wherever, there are Israelites dispersed amongst the nations of the world). After all, the meaning of the word ‘apostle’ simply means ‘one sent forth’ with Messiah’s gospel. The prophets set in the foundation of the congregation are those who lived during the Tanach era, whose writings were used to form a sizable part of the Renewed Covenant teachings. The term ‘prophesy’ often refers to those who ‘preach and proclaim’. Therefore some of the teachers in Elohim’s congregation might well be ‘prophets’ in that they see things in the Scriptures, which are aligned or might presently occur right before our eyes in the world today. Evangelists are teachers proclaiming the good news in the hearing of the public, with a specific view to draw those whom Elohim are beginning to call. Similarly Pastors are teachers placed over a group or local congregation are to care and nurture for those following him.

Where should those preaching the truth that they teach Elohim’s congregation, get their doctrine from? We read the answer from Matthew 28: 18 – 20, where Yahshua said: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations (meaning specifically those from the lost-ten-tribes scattered into the nations of the world[2]), immersing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Set-apart Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” The original 12 disciples received their teachings from Yahshua personally. Therefore the congregation after Yahshua did not decide on any of their doctrines for themselves, nor did they receive the truth individually from Messiah. The doctrine that we preach comes from the Torah and the testimony of Yahshua, which includes the Gospel or ‘Besorah’ that Yahshua proclaimed. The word ‘besorah’ in Hebrew means the Gospel, but also meat – the deeper things including salvation truths.  Even though we have to go to our Jewish Brothers to get the oracles of Elohim (likened to milk by Rav Shaul), as given in Romans 9: 3 - 5[3] we obtain the meat of the word the ‘besorah’ from Messiah. But this presents a problem: People do not want to accept that our Jewish Brothers preserved the Torah, the timing of the Feast Days of Elohim, as well the Koshering of meat and the Hebrew language for us. The arguments about who preserved the oracles of Elohim have been around since Rav Shaul’s time.  Obviously as an apostle sent forth personally by Yahshua, Rav Shaul was most upset by such arguments and wrote about it in 1 Corinthians 3: 1 – 3, saying: ‘And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Messiah. (2) I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, (3) for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men.’ We read a second rebuke about those who cannot get past the milk of the gospel or the elementary principles of the oracles of Elohim, from Hebrews 5: 9 – 14, in this way: ‘And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, (10) being designated by Elohim as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. (11) Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. (12) For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again from someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of Elohim, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. (13) For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. (14) But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.’ The unfortunate thing is that people have been arguing about the oracles which Yahshua confirmed comes from the Jews, saying to the women at the well in John 4: 21 - 22, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father. (22) You worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we know, for salvation is from the Jews.”  Yes, this meant that He the salvation of YHVH was a Jew, but it also means that the Jews are still worshipping Elohim, the way He specified in Torah.

But the problem will remain until the return of our Master and Savior, because they do not truly know who Yahshua is. In addition there will always be those agents of Satan who because of personal agendas and greed deceive people to follow them, being  deceived themselves , as Rav Kepha warned in 2 Peter 2: 1 – 3, saying: ‘But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying (which comes from the Greek word ‘arneomai[4]’ which means deny, but also contradict) the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. (2) And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be maligned; (3) and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.’  So we see that these false teachers are people who contradict what Yahshua taught and did whilst He was on earth. In addition we see that such teachers are more concerned about ‘selling the word of Elohim’, than teaching people freely as Yahshua said in Matthew 5: 8. The problem is in fact so great that Yahshua spoke about the unrighteousness prevailing in our time in Luke 18: 6 – 8, as follows: “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; (7) now shall not Elohim bring about justice for His elect, who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? (8) I tell you that He will bring about justice for them speedily. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”  My fellow believer, only you and I as watchmen can have an effect on these words, if we continue the job function for which we have been called out of the world, by doing what Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 58: 1, saying: “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.”  It is incumbent upon each and every one of us called at this time, to warn people about false prophets, who contradict what Yahshua taught and insist in selling their teaching materials to unsuspecting babes in Messiah. 

A second look at the transliterated Hebrew word for gospel, namely ‘besorah’, reveals that it shares its root with the word ‘meat’ or ‘flesh’.  Therefore, when ‘the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us’ (as per John 1: 14) the announcement of grace and truth came to life in Yahshua the Messiah. An added dimension to this flesh and blood witness is the restoration of our (earthly) identity as a remnant of the lost ten tribes. What a declaration of ‘good news’ of the righteousness of heaven kissing the earth, as witnessed in Psalm 85: 10 & 11, in this way: ‘Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. (11) Truth springs from the earth; and righteousness looks down from heaven.’ What a wonderful and enlightening revelation of Elohim’s faithfulness. But, as magnificent as it is, it is only the beginning of our destiny as a redeemed chosen race. Within Elohim’s judicial order in the family of man, He has a purpose for Israel; He prophesied about a priestly first-born nation, whom He destined to become His royal priesthood here on earth. However, now through the true ‘besorah’ of Messiah Yahshua, the Israelite believer has been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light, as Rav Kepha witnessed in 1 Peter 2: 9, saying: “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.” Yes, Elohim’s order for redemption of the universe is on the road to fulfillment, but still requires His intervention.  Yahshua our kinsman redeemer came to reconcile the present house of Israel to YHVH with the house of Judah, in order to put it in its rightful order, so that the Kingdom of Life and Light would dispel death and darkness. YHVH has called us; His people Israel, to be first fruits with our Jewish Brothers in humanity’s restored priesthood.

 

The Father of Life did not send His Son to the Abrahamic family to die, in order to form some kind of new religion among all the other religions of the world. He sent Yahshua, so that He might reconcile the house of Israel back to the original relationship with Himself and the house of Judah.  In this way our worship of Him in spirit and truth will fill us again with His glory or light. When Yahshua returns we will again be covered in light as witnessed in 1 John 3: 2 & 3, in this way: ‘Beloved, now we are children of Elohim, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as His is. (3) And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.’  It is important that we continue to strive to better ourselves in terms of the teachings of Elohim and the testimony of Yahshua; what He taught and how He lived whilst He was on earth 2000 years ago, but also to accept the authority of the Jews in respect of the Set-apart day calendar and the kosher food laws we follow, the wearing of tzitzit, tefillin, the placement of mezuzahs on the doorpost of our homes and the Hebrew language. Think about it!

 

 

 

 

[1] Isaiah 49: 5 & 6: ‘And now says YHVH, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, in order that Israel might be gathered to Him (for I am honored in the sight of YHVH, and My Elohim is My strength), He says, “It is too small  a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach the end of the earth.”’

[2] According to Yahshua’s instruction earlier to His disciples in Matthew 10: 5 -8, saying: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give.”  Messiah’s teachers should not claim money for teaching believers Elohim’s truth.

[3] As Rav Shaul wrote in Romans 9: 3 - 5, saying: “For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Messiah for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are (also) Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the (timing of) temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Messiah according to the flesh, who is over all, Elohim blessed forever. Amein.”

[4] Strong's Greek: 720. ἀρνέομαι (arneomai) -- to deny, say no biblesuite.com Greek/720.htm 720 arnéomai – properly, deny (refuse); hence, contradict, refuse to affirm or to confess (identify with); disown (repudiate).