Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth
Head coverings discussed in 1 Corinthians 11.
Let us go back to the Genesis 1:26 when YHVH created man in His likeness and image. YHVH originally planned for mankind to live forever and eventually eat of the fruit of the ‘Tree of Life’ and not from the other tree in the middle of the Garden of Eden, namely the ‘tree of good and evil’. Originally man was covered with (YHVH)’s garment of light or glory for excellency and splendor as proclaimed in Psalm 104: 1 – 2, as follows: Bless YHVH, O my soul! O YHVH my Elohim, Thou art very great; Thou art clothed with splendor and majesty, (2) covering Thyself with light as a cloak.” We know this because there are two Hebrew words used for "naked" in Genesis before the fall of man the word ‘arom’ is used in Genesis 2: 25 meaning a partially naked state. AFTER the fall in Genesis 3: 7 the word ‘erom’ is used in the Hebrew meaning nudity or complete nakedness. Something happened to man after he fell. He lost the "covering" he had from YHVH at creation. YHVH then clothed them in skin a substitute covering in Genesis 3: 21 which essentially doomed them to eventually die and return to the dust from which they were made.
Since then humans are in the likeness of sinful flesh (as per Romans 8: 3). We are no longer perfect as YHVH wanted us to be and as Yahshua commanded us to be in Matthew 5: 48. Since the fall of man, ONLY YAHSHUA IS NOW IN THE TRUE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF YHVH (1 Corinthians 11: 7; 1 Corinthians 5: 49; and Romans 8: 29). At the resurrection we shall be born again into His image and likeness as a son of Elohim - the ONLY TRUE RIGHTEOUS ONE, after putting off this sinful, corruptible flesh and putting on the incorruptible body like Yahshua’s. After the Exodus from Egypt YHVH told Moshe to set-apart the first-born as priests to Him in Exodus 13: 1-2 and Exodus 19: 5 & 6. This changed after the "golden calf" incident and YHVH chose the sons of Levi to be the priests since the "First-born" had sinned against him. They disqualified themselves from the office of priest by idol worship. YHVH commanded them to REMOVE the "ornaments" from them in Exodus 33: 5 & 6. By stripping them of their "headpieces" YHVH removed them from their office as priest and gave the positions to the Levites. The Aaronic or Levitical priesthood was commissioned to minister directly to YHVH in the Tabernacle in Exodus 28: 1; and Numbers 8: 16.
The priestly garments were given to the priests and Levites for "esteem (glory) and for (beauty)" as per Exodus 28: 2. Yahshua our Messiah came to earth to specifically bring the house of Israel back to the covenant we made with YHVH, together with the house of Judah at Mount Sinai. When we return to the covenant the way Rav Kepha (Peter) explained in Acts 2: 36 – 39[1] we are given a portion of the Set-apart Spirit and by growing in grace and knowledge from then on until we die one day or when Messiah returns and we as the first fruits are resurrected to be born again as children of Elohim (as per 1 Corinthians 15: 50 – 53 and Revelation 20: 4 – 6), as Messiah became a Son of Elohim when He was resurrected as witnessed in Romans 1: 1 – 4. Once we are immersed in Yahshua’s name we again become priests as witnessed in Revelation 1: 5 & 6 and as Rav Kepha explains in 1 Peter 2: 5 – 10. Because we are already made to be a kingdom of priests again by Yahshua, we again wear the head coverings described to be worn by priests earlier in Exodus 28 and 29.
It is only when we as Nazarene Israel embrace Yahshua as the Messiah through belief that we can requalify for the priesthood because of His righteousness. We wrap ourselves in His righteousness and His garment of Salvation. The head covering and tallit are physical symbols and reminders of that righteousness.
What about 1 Corinthians 11:4?
Let’s look at that verse in the Greek and see what it really means. First you have to understand that this verse was mistranslated from Greek. According to the correct translation this verse reads: Complete Jewish Bible by David Stern, "Every man who prays or prophesies wearing something down over his head." The Greek word used for covering is katakalupto.
katakaluptó: to cover up
Original Word: κατακαλύπτω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: katakaluptó
Phonetic Spelling: (kat-ak-al-oop'-to)
Short Definition: A veil, cover the head
Definition: To veil, cover the head.
2619 katakalýptō (from 2596 /katá, "down, according to" and 2572 /kalýptō, "to cover") – properly, cover down to make appropriate (complete), i.e. to wear a veil.
KATA- means down, about, AGAINST, in OPPOSITION TO, down from (like a VEIL hanging from his head) –Thayer’s page 327. This word then can mean to hang down from the head (over the face) like a woman’s veil [which in context makes sense as Rav Shaul is contrasting the worship of men and women, and that men are not to look like women. It can also means in opposition to or opposed to.
KEPHALE; KAPTO the HEAD (literally or figuratively) supreme, chief, prominent, MASTER page 345 Thayer’s. This is the same word used twice in this verse. Why was one capitalized and the other isn’t? There are no capitals in Greek.
This verse is NOT against head coverings for men. It is against the wearing of a veil by a man over his face, as was the custom of the women 2000 years ago. Why does Rav Shaul speak of men wearing long hair or actually adoring the long locks of hair with ornamental jewels as women do. Shaul did not want the men of Corinth (center for male temple prostitutes of Apollo, Poseidon and other gods) to be mistaken for women in their dress and hairstyle- otherwise NO CROSS-DRESSING. The men were pulling their long locks of hair over their faces as a veil as was the manner of women and imitating their hairstyles and manner in prayer. THIS IS NOT TALKING OF A MAN WEARING A HEAD COVERING IN PRAYER OR WORSHIP BUT A VEIL!
Let me also explain in light of the real meaning of the word –KATA and KEPHALE. In verse 3 Rav Shaul says, the HEAD of every man is Messiah, the HEAD of every woman is man, and the HEAD of Messiah is Elohim. There are three HEADS here. The HEAD here is speaking of RULERSHIP or AUTHORITY! Yahshua is HEAD of the Congregation as per Ephesians 1: 22. Verse 4 therefore means that "Every MAN praying or prophesying, that is teaches, refutes, reproves, admonishes and comforts having OPPOSITION TO HEADSHIP (AUTHORITY) brings shame upon (dishonors) the Messiah, the HEAD of him." Verse 3 is all about headship, YHVH is the head of Messiah and Messiah is the head the man, as much as the man is the head over the woman.
If in verse 5 a woman brings shame or dishonor to her HEAD – MAN by being unveiled or akatakaluptos or literally without veil down, then a man shames his HEAD-MESSIAH YAHSHUA by having his VEIL DOWN OVER HIS FACE! Verse seven is speaking of Yahshua the HEAD being in the image and esteem of YHVH as we have shown previously. It should read, "Now a man truly ought not to cover his HEAD (Yahshua) by hiding and opposing Him, for He (Yahshua) is the image and glory of YHVH; but the woman is (the expression of) man’s glory (majesty, pre-eminence). The word cover is katakalupto –to cover wholly-hide, VEIL.
These verses are all about delegated authority from the HEAD down. Anyone with delegated authority should have a head covering on his or her head. YHVH is the SUPREME HEAD-then Messiah-then man-then woman. Only Yahshua is in the image and likeness of YHVH at this time. Messiah is man’s head and this fact is not to be opposed by man. A man is the head of woman-and she is to acknowledge this fact by wearing a veil upon the hair of her head. Man is under the authority of Messiah the very same way woman is under the authority of her husband. Man also is to show he is under authority in the same manner a woman shows she is under authority- man covers his own head with the ordained head covering of the priesthood.
The head covering that priests wear do not ever hang down from the heads of the priest wearing it since it was in the form of a turban or kippah, like those worn by the original priests in Israel, but also the ones that they will wear during Messiah’s millennial rule as we see from Ezekiel 44: 10 – 14. But as Rav Kepha tells us in 1 Peter 2: 9, we are already a royal priesthood and we therefore already wear head coverings for men, but never veil our heads like our ladies should.
There are two different Greek words are used in 1 Corinthians 11: 1 – 15. First the Greek word translated ‘covering’ in verse 15 is peribolaion, a word that is different from and unrelated to katakalupto, the "covering" spoken of in all the previous verses. If Shaul had meant that the hair is the only covering a woman needs, he would have used the word katakalupto -- the term he uses all six times that the "covering" is mentioned in the preceding verses. But Paul does not write "her hair is given her for a katakalupto." He uses a totally different word, peribolaion, when he tells us the hair is a "covering."
It is therefore essential for woman to cover their hair as Rav Shaul says in 1 Corinthians 11: 10, as follows: “Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.”
Acts 2: 36 – 38, saying: “Therefore let all the house of Israel (from the lost ten tribes) know for certain that Elohim has made Him both Master and Messiah—this Yahshua whom you crucified (for your sins).” (37) Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Kepha and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” (38) And Kepha said to them, “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. (39) For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as YHVH our Elohim shall call to Himself.’ The words far off mean the house of Israel who were dispersed into the nations of the world because of idolatry. The house of Judah is the ones near to YHVH as Daniel explained in Daniel 9: 7. So Jews do not have to be immersed. In addition only those called by YHVH must be immersed.