232 Who or what is the mark of the beast

Who or what is the mark of the beast?

What I am about to tell you, will not go down well with most and sounds almost too unbelievable to be true. Those of us familiar with the annual Torah cycle, understand Yahshua’s warning to the congregation of Pergamum in Revelation 2: 14, saying: ‘But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit acts of immorality.’ Yahshua the revelator of the book of Revelation to His disciple Yochanan was speaking specifically about the account of Balaam who put a stumbling block before the people of Israel, when during their forty years of wandering in the wilderness they camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho.

Balaam was a prophet hired by Balak the son of Zippor to curse the children of Israel under the leadership of Moses, because he saw what all Israel had done to the Amorites and was scared of what they could do to Moab. The children of Israel were approaching the Promised Land and Balak didn't want Israel to be around them, so he hired Balaam (a prophet of a pagan nation, but who knew and also spoke to the Elohim of Israel) to set up altars and speak a curse from Elohim upon Israel. Balaam explained to Balak that he could only speak what the Elohim of Israel would allow him to say and since YHVH already blessed the nation of Israel, he could not curse them. A number of times Balaam spoke, but he could only bless the nation of Israel. As a result Balak became angry with him because he did not curse the nation of Israel. So, eventually because of greed since there was a substantial financial reward for Balaam involved, he offered a different approach suggesting to Balak that they get the sons of Israel to marry foreign daughters and in that way they would lose their identity as being the descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob. As a result they would mix other customs with theirs, thereby diminishing the value of their heritage and would gradually forget their culture and identity and become like the nations around them. In this way the sons of Israel would come to belief that they are no longer in a covenant relationship with Elohim through Moses and his teachings (meaning Torah). Now this is where the shocker comes in, since approximately 300 years after Yahshua’s death, resurrection and ascension to heaven, Esau under the guise of the Roman Catholic Church who does not want the children of Jacob to obtain the blessing of Abraham to live in the Promised Land eternally as co-rulers under Yahshua the Messiah took the house of Israel into captivity in precisely the same way. This happened after YHVH scattered the lost ten tribes into the nations of the world and they became Christianized whilst living in and around Greece during the time Messiah lived on earth. As a result they lost their culture, identity, language and their faith in the covenant YHVH made with Abraham, through Isaac and Jacob. Consequently the false teachings of Balaam continued in Christianity as they hold that Jesus Christ came to do away with the temple service and to set them free from obedience to Elohim’s Torah teachings. The main aim of the churches of the world was and still is, to make the house of Israel forget their identity as Elohim’s people and to reject the teaching of Moses, alter the customs of the Sabbath, Biblical holidays and kosher foods, as the Prophet Ezekiel prophesied would happen in Ezekiel 22: 25 & 26, saying: “There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing the pray. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her. (26) Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.” The spiritual reality is that holding to Moses and the Torah is in direct conflict with the teaching of the church (the teaching of Balaam) and since they reject Elohim’s Torah teachings, they reap the curse of the Law given in Deuteronomy 28.

In addition, instead of teaching their congregants for free as Yahshua told His disciples the first time He sent them out in Matthew 10: 5 – 7, they not only curse their congregants by their false teachings, but also do so for payment, similarly to what Simon Magus the father of this false believe system wanted to pay the disciples to receive the Set-apart Spirit as we read from Acts 8: 9 – 23, as follows: ‘Now there was a certain man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city, and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; (10) and they all, from smallest to the greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, “This man is what is called the Great Power Of G-d.” (11) And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts. (12) But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of Elohim and the name of Yahshua Messiah they were being immersed, men and women alike. (13) And even Simon himself believed; and after being immersed, he continued on with Philip; and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed. (14) Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of Elohim, they sent them Kepha and Yochanan, (15) who came down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Set-apart Spirit. (16) For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been immersed in the name of Yahshua Messiah. (17) Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Set-apart Spirit. (18) Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles hands, he offered them money, (19) saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Set-apart Spirit.” (20) But Kepha said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of Elohim with money! (21) You have no part or portion, in this matter, for your heart is not right before Elohim. (22) Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray YHVH that if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. (23) For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness[1] and in the bondage of iniquity.”’

This same root of bitterness resulting in unbelieve is also present in those from the lost sheep of the house of Israel whom YHVH is busy calling out of the churches of the world, preventing them from eventually entering the Promised Land or kingdom of Elohim, because of a lack of faith in Elohim’s promises as Rav Shaul aptly warned believers in Hebrews 3: 12 – 19 and 4: 1 & 2, saying: ‘Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living Elohim. (13) But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” (meaning Olam Hazeh – the present age) lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (14) For we have become partakers of Messiah, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end; (15) while it is said, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.” (16) For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? (17) And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? (18) And to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? (19) And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.’ (4: 1) “Therefore, let us fear lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest (in the Promised Land or kingdom of Elohim during Messiah’s millennial rule), any one of you should seem to have come short of it. (2) For indeed we have had good news (about the coming kingdom of Elohim) preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.”

As much as eternal life in the coming kingdom of Elohim is still valid, so Messiah showed in John 5: 43 – 47 that Torah is still with us and valid, saying: “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another shall come in his own name, you will receive 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? (45) Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. (46) For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me. (47) But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” In addition Yahshua clearly told His disciples in Matthew 5: 17 – 20, saying: “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. (18) For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished. (19) Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. (20) For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Nevertheless, this is not enough to convince Churchianity, because of the teachings of Balaam. They dispute the meaning of the word ‘fulfill’. However, it is clear from the context of Matthew 5 that the word ‘fulfill’ is not a synonym for abolish, but means to make it more binding, especially when reading from verses 21 – 48 of Matthew 5. This is also in line with what Isaiah prophesied about Yahshua in Isaiah 42: 21, saying: ‘YHVH was pleased for His righteousness’ sake to make the law great and glorious.’ In addition, we see that heaven and earth are still with us; therefore logically Torah remains valid for us. Clearly, Churchianity failed to understand and reconcile this with what Yahshua taught whilst He was on earth 2000 years ago.

Because Churchianity misunderstood the reason for Messiah’s first advent to earth, they came full circle into denying or more correctly to contradict every teaching Yahshua ever gave His disciples. However, despite all the deception by Satan and his many agents the heavenly Zodiac bears witness to the Abrahamic covenant from the cutting of the covenant recorded in the book of Genesis, through to the future fulfillment of the covenant. In fact, it tracks the transmission of the seed of Abraham through historical events where the covenant appeared to be in danger of being nullified and the people it concerned were almost destroyed. It is therefore possible to track Scriptural historical events with the heavenly signs of the Zodiac, which prophesied these events thousands of years before they actually happened. The constellations of the heavens are intended to be understood easily by those who are searching for truth and whose minds and hearts are open to (YHVH)’s precepts. Nevertheless, it is important to understand that the account of the constellations is definitely not related to astrological predictions based on the personal interpretations of future events according to the alignments of the planets. Pagan nations overlaid the original meaning of the constellations and changed it to their own myths to create a false belief system which they can control and since Churchianity is fully aware of the ‘pagan’ use of astrology they often belief the depiction of the Zodiac on the floors of many synagogues to be of pagan origin. However, it for this reason that the account of Yahshua’s birthday is recorded in Matthew 2: 1 - 2, as follows: ‘Now after Yahshua was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, (2) “where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him.”’ These magi (pronounced as ‘may-ji’) were in fact Rabbis whose ancestors remained in the east since queen Esther’s time, who were learned in astronomy (as opposed to astrology used by pagans), medicine and natural science.

Evidence of the theme of the preservation of the righteous seed of Abraham until the coming of Messiah when He will totally conquer His enemies and restore the earth, but also the rest of the universe into one integral whole, as it was when Adam and Eve walked in the Garden of Eden with Elohim as also depicted in the heavenly Zodiac. When Adam was originally created he was made in the image of Elohim and similar to the angels, unable to reproduce. However, when Eve was created from Adam’s side, it opened the way for mankind to reproduce after the Elohim kind, similar to what the animals did after their own kind. When YHVH Elohim chose Abram to be the carrier of the seed, which would ultimately destroy Satan and his kingdom, it placed a price on the head of every generation after Abraham, until Yahshua was born to a Jewish family as a baby. We see from the account of Yahshua’s birth, that His mother Miriam was impregnated by YHVH with His Word, as witnessed in John 1: 1 – 3 and 14, in this way: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim. (2) He was in the beginning with Elohim. (3) All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. (14) And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.’ The Scriptures is defined as the ‘Tree of Life’ in Proverbs 3: 18. It is therefore clear that Yahshua is literally the embodiment of Torah. Whereas the house of Judah who remained loyal to YHVH and continued to obey Torah and the covenant that YHVH made with them, together with the house of Israel at Mount Sinai, obtain the Set-apart Spirit through obedience of Torah, we from the lost sheep of the house of Israel, who are returning through the one seed of Abraham namely, Yahshua, obtain the Set-apart Spirit and ultimately eternal life in the Kingdom of Elohim, through immersion into the name of Yahshua Messiah (as per Acts 2: 38) and the laying on of the hands by a teaching elder (as per Acts 8: 12 – 17), if we remain faithful to the end.

Because the knowledge about what is about to happen to those of us living during the end of the age have been hidden from mankind, as YHVH told Daniel in the prophecy in Daniel 12: 4, saying: “But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.” I firmly believe that ever since some Nazarene Jews/Israelites discovered Messiah’s main purpose to bring the lost sheep back to the covenant we made jointly with the house of Judah at Mount Sinai (as He told the woman who asked Him to heal her demon possessed daughter in Matthew 15: 24[2]) about 10 to 15 years ago, Satan and His agents are doing everything in their power to keep the knowledge of the identity of the house of Israel away from especially those under the guise of the Roman Catholic Church and her protestant daughters. The generations from Noah’s time have been spared the schemes of the fallen angels since they are entombed in the Tartaroo[3]. But, they will not stay there for much longer and when it is opened the anti-messiah will gain control of the world. This is when the time of Jacob’s trouble will commence and terror and torment will be greater than anything mankind has ever experienced. It is also for this reason that YHVH will shorten the days to preserve His bride as Yahshua told His disciples in Matthew 24: 22, saying: ‘And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short.’ It is therefore evident that those who wish to be spared the full Satanic effect from the releasing of the fallen angels from Tartaroo, should focus on righteousness as their lives need protection. Safety will only be found for those of the house of Judah who keep Torah and those of us from the lost sheep of the house of Israel who obey Elohim’s commandments and have the testimony of Yahshua the Lamb of Elohim. This is also why we are warned in Revelation 18: 4 & 5 to come out of the churches of the world, as follows: ‘And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her plagues; (5) for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and Elohim has remembered her iniquities.”’

The question most ask or being in their minds, is how was it possible to keep so many learned people deceived throughout the past almost 1800 years? Yahshua our Messiah warned His disciples in Matthew 24: 24, saying: “For false Messiah’s and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” Our kinsman redeemer and Savior was born in Bethlehem of a Jewish mother who spoke Hebrew. He was born a Jew and at the time of His birth, the house of Judah already returned from their captivity in Babylon and Hebrew was the common language. In addition the Scriptures or Word of Elohim is a Hebrew book. The only language spoken until the Tower of Babel was Hebrew. We understand from Genesis 10: 30 that the tribes of Shem did not join the project to build the Tower of Babel at the plains of Shinar. Knowing these facts we must ask, why do our version of the Scriptures refer to our Savior as ‘Jesus Christ’ which is neither a Jewish name nor Hebrew? Whereas the Name Yahshua or Yahushua the name for the book named after the person whom Moses taught to take over rulership of the nation of Israel after his death, is a Hebrew name. One only has to look at how the name of the book Joshua is written in the Tanach in Hebrew (i.e. [awhy) to see that it is written the same as the name the angel Gabriel gave Yahshua’s mother Miriam to name Him, meaning the salvation of Yah or Yahshua. Why then would a Jewish mother, who spoke Hebrew, living in a Jewish community call her son by a hybrid Latinized-Greek name which has no meaning at all! Fact is that Jesus was not our Savior’s name as the renowned Bible scholar and archeologist Ernest Renan writes that our Savior was never called Jesus whilst He lived on earth 2000 years ago. In addition, even the English letter ‘j’ is only of recent origin, appearing only about 500 years ago, when it replaced the letter ‘I’, usually at the beginning of a word.

Our Savior told some Pharisees in John 5: 43 (quoted earlier) that He came in His Father’s name and as already stated and just as today the family name is passed on from Father to son. In Yahshua’s case He also came in His Father’s authority and if we as the lost sheep of the house of Israel want eternal life, we better listen and obey as He tells us, since this is exactly what YHVH, who knows the end from the beginning told Moses in Deuteronomy 18: 18 & 19, saying: ‘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.’ It was in agreement with this that Yahshua who attended the synagogue during one of the Passovers after He started His ministry in John 5: 24 - 30, saying: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgement, but has passed out of death into life. (25) Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of Elohim; and those who hear shall live. (26) For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; (27) and he gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. (28) Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in their tombs shall hear His voice, (29) and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of Judgement. (30) I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgement is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” Even though Yahshua said this to a Jewish audience in a synagogue, it is only meant for those of us from the lost sheep of the house of Israel. This is evident because of the fact that YHVH presently blinded the minds of the house of Judah to Messiah’s identity, to allow a remnant of us from the lost sheep of Israel to return to the covenant relationship we made with the Father, together with the house of Judah at Mount Sinai, to become part of the bride of Messiah as Rav Shaul explain in Ephesians 2: 11- 19 and Jeremiah 31: 31 – 33, is confirmed in John 12: 37 – 45, as follows: “But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him; (38) that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, ‘YHVH, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF YHVH BEEN REVEALED?’ (39) For this cause they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, (40) ‘HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES, AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART; LEST THEY SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED, AND I HEAL THEM.’ (41) These things Isaiah said, because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him. (42) Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; (43) for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of Elohim. (44) And Yahshua cried out and said, ‘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.’”

This is further evident in the fact that YHVH reveals the identity of Yahshua as the Messiah only to those whom He is calling at this time to return to the Renewed Covenant which YHVH gave Moses at Horeb and was in Torah all along as Yahshua told His disciple in Luke 10: 21 – 24, saying: “At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Set-apart Spirit, and said, ‘I praise Thee, O Father, Master of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes. Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight. (22) All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.’ (23) And turning to the disciples, He said privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, (24) for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see, and to hear the things which you hear, and not hear.’” The name Yahshua acknowledges both the Father and the salvation that is in His Son Yahshua. Upon learning this important truth, we need to understand that even though YHVH called most of the lost sheep of the house of Israel to return to Him through the name they learnt to call the savior by in the churches of the world, there is only one name by which you and I will eventually be saved, as Rav Kepha also explained in Acts 4: 11 & 12, saying about Yahshua: “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 those of us who are the so-called ‘Far Off’); for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.”

Upon learning this truth, we are to walk obediently in it. Most of us have learned deeper truths in small increments and then put into practice what we have learned. Our heavenly Father YHVH will continue to reveal more truth only if we accept and follow those things he has shown us. Ask yourself, why should He give more insight to those who reject and rebel at what He has already revealed. Once we know the truth, past ignorance does not justify our continuing in ignorance, as taught by Rav Shaul in Acts 17: 30 & 31, saying: “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, Elohim is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, (31) because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” Yes, YHVH reveals His truth to those who willingly seek and follow it, similar to the way our father in the faith Abraham did, earning him the honor of being identified as the father of the faithful. We need to understand that in the Scriptures, the name of God is most significant and understandably so. It is inconceivable to think of spiritual matters without a proper designation for the Supreme Deity. Thus the most common name for the Deity is God, a translation of the original ‘Elohim’. One of the titles for God is Lord, a translation of ‘Adonai’. There is yet another name which is particularly assigned to God as His special or proper name, that is, the four letters YHWH (Exodus 3: 14 and Isaiah 42: 8). This name has not been pronounced by the Jews because of reverence for the great sacredness of the divine name. Therefore, it has been consistently translated Lord. The only exception to this translation of YHWH is when it occurs in immediate proximity to the word Lord, that is, Adonai. It is for this reason that we read from the foreword of the New American Standard Bible: ‘In that case it is regularly translated God in order to avoid confusion.’ Continuing in the foreword of the NASB, we read: ‘It is known for many years YHWH has been transliterated as Yahweh’ This is also how it is given in ‘A concise Encyclopedia of Judaism’, followed by the words: ’G-d’s sacred name which is never pronounced.’ In addition we all are fully aware that the word Halleluyah means to praise the name of Yah.

All of this may be burdensome and technical, but necessary to show the evidence that the name of the Hebrew Savior is Yahshua, since He came in His Father’s name Yah. However, as part of Esau’s plan to keep the blessings to be had by obeying Torah away for the house of Israel, they introduced a so-called Trojan Horse by a similar ploy Balaam used to sideline the ancient house of Israel to commit immorality and curse themselves and their children with the curses (or punishment due for the transgression) of the Law, keeping the majority of their Christian followers deceived by introducing a Latinized-Greek name for our savior which some believe to be the mark of the beast, to prevent them from calling on the only name by which we must be saved, namely Yahshua or the salvation of Yah on the day of YHVH! Rav Shaul also exalted the name of Yahshua in Philippians 2: 9 - 11, saying: “Therefore also Elohim highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, (10) that at the name of Yahshua EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, (11) and that every tongue should confess that Yahshua Messiah is Master, to the glory of Elohim the Father.” Furthermore, Rav Shaul wrote that eventually the entire family of Elohim will be called by the name of the Father, namely ‘Yah’ in Ephesians 3: 15. However, Satan the great deceiver would like most human beings from attaining the position of rulership he once had and will make sure that most remain deceived, as witnessed 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.’ People often refuse to use known Hebrew names for our Creator and Savior as used in the original translations of the Scriptures, but oddly enough Satan has made sure that most people are aware of his Hebrew name ‘Satan’. Are we also going to refuse to eventually use the correct transliterated Hebrew names, especially knowing what is written in Romans 10: 13 – 14 (which is quoted from Joel 2: 32) as follows: ‘For “WHOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF YHVH WILL BE SAVED.” (14) How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?’

It is also for this reason that YHVH provided the latter day disciples of Messiah with teachers who are responsible to make sure that they get to know enough truth to assure their salvation, as Rav Shaul confirmed in Ephesians 4: 11 – 16, saying: “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.” Think carefully about it!

[1] To understand what the ‘root of bitterness’ is, we read from Deuteronomy 29: 10 – 18: “You stand today, all of you, before YHVH your Elohim: your chiefs, your tribes, your elders and your officers, even all the men of Israel, your little ones, your wives, and the alien who is within your camps, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water, that you may enter into the covenant with YHVH your Elohim, and into His oath which YHVH your Elohim is making with you today, in order that He may establish you today as His people and that He may be your Elohim, just as He spoke to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Now not with you alone am I making this covenant and this oath, but both with those who stand here with us today in the presence of YHVH our Elohim and with those who are not with us here today (for you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed. Moreover, you have seen their abominations and their idols of wood, stone, silver and gold, which they had with them); lest there shall be among you, a man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from YHVH our Elohim, to go and serve the gods of those nations; lest there shall be among you a root bearing poisonous fruit of wormwood (a herb with bitter aromatic taste).”

[2] Yahshua the Messiah told the Canaanite woman who asked Him to heal her demon-possessed daughter clearly in Matthew 15: 24, saying: ”I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

[3] Tartaroo. A word used once in 2 Peter 2: 4 to describe the place where the fallen angels are restrained before their judgment. ‘The Expository Dictionary of Bible Words’ explains that Tartaroo means ‘to confine in Tartaros.’ ‘Tartaros’ was the Greek name for the mythological abyss in which rebellious gods were confined (page 337). Kepha used the reference to the mythology of his time; to show the fate of sinning angels. YHVH “committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment.” The angels were restrained awaiting the ultimate judgment for their part in the rebellion against YHVH and for their influence on mankind. Tartaros only applies to fallen angels or demons and never refers to a fiery hell in which human beings are punished after they die.