269 Counseling for candidates required

Counseling for candidates requiring immersion into Yahshua’s saving Name.

Because YHVH promised our fathers in the faith Abraham, Isaac and Jacob two ways to obtain eternal life[1], we from the lost ten tribes of the house of Israel are able to return to the covenant our forefathers made with Him at Mount Sinai through Yahshua our Messiah, who as our kinsman redeemer bought back our piece of the Promised Land which we lost because of idolatry, but also paid the penalty due to us for breaking His commandments, when we did not even know what sin was. Yes, our Jewish Brothers attain eternal life by obeying Elohim’s Torah, as Yahshua explained to the Jewish man who asked Him this very question in Luke 10: 25, saying: “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” We read Yahshua’s answer to him in the discussion in verses 26 – 28, as follows: “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” (27) And he answered and said, “YOU SHALL LOVE YHVH YOUR ELOHIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” (28) And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; DO THIS, AND YOU WILL LIVE.” For our Jewish Brothers who know what sin is because they remained loyal to Elohim and His Torah ever since Ezra and Nehemiah returned to the Promised Land, after their captivity by the king of Babylon for not keeping the land Sabbath, they only need to repent and return to full Torah observance every time they sin and they will inherit eternal life, as YHVH tells us through the Prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 18: 32, saying: “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares Adonai Elohim. “Therefore, repent and live.”

Even though we know Abraham, Isaac and Jacob died in faith without receiving the promises to liveeternally in the Promised Land as spiritual children of Elohim yet (as also confirmed in Hebrews 11: 13[2]), Yahshua told some Sadducees in Matthew 22: 31 & 32, that because they will be in the first better resurrection (as per Hebrews11: 35) they are already as good as alive, saying: “But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by Elohim: (32) ‘I AM THE ELOHIM OF ABRAHAM, AND THE ELOHIM OF ISAAC, AND THE ELOHIM OF JACOB’? He is not the Elohim of the dead but of the living.” However, for anyone to be in the position that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob finds themselves, they have to have a portion of Elohim’s Set-apart Spirit or Divine Nature indwelling them, when they die or when Messiah comes to rule the world from Jerusalem in the near future. Because we from the lost sheep of the house of Israel have forgotten what sin is after we were dispersed into the nations of the world, since we falsely assume that Messiah came to abolish Torah for His followers, we have a different way of receiving the Set-apart Spirit, as Rav Kepha explained to some of the returnees of the lost ten tribes when they attended the first Shavuot after Messiah’s death and resurrection, in Acts 2: 36 – 39, saying: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that Elohim has made Him both Master and Messiah—this Yahshua whom you crucified (through your disobedience to Torah).” (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 Adonai our Elohim will call to Himself.”But, it is important to notice that the Set-apart Spirit will only be given to a newly immersed believer, once the elders of the ecclesia laid hands upon the believer, as witnessed in Acts 8: 12 – 17, in this way: ‘But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of Elohim and the name of Yahshua Messiah (meaning the salvation of YHVH) 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 the master Yahshua. (17) Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Set-apart Sprit.’

This leaves us with two important questions, namely: (1) Why is it so important for a believer to receive Elohim’s Set-apart Spirit? And (2) why do we have to be immersed in Yahshua’s name? We read the answer to the first question from Romans 8: 11, which is also the key to eternal life, as follows: ‘But if the Spirit of Him who raised Yahshua from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Messiah Yahshua from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.’ When we are immersed in Yahshua’s saving name we are given a portion of the Set-apart Spirit as a deposit of the immortal life we will inherit in the kingdom of Elohim, when we are resurrected at Messiah’s return, as Rav Shaul explained in Ephesians 1: 13 & 14, in this way: ‘In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation— having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Set-apart Spirit of promise, (14) who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of Elohim’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.’Immersion into Yahshua’s saving name is a believer’s first step onthe way to salvation. All those who are immersed into Yahshua’s name are in the process of becoming part of the commonwealth of Israel and are betrothed to Yahshua the Messiah as Hispotential future bride, when He returns to rule the world from Jerusalem.Immersion symbolically pictures the death, burial and resurrection of Yahshua Messiah, but it has a dual meaning, as many things in Elohim’s plan are dual in meaning.

Immersion also pictures our voluntary crucifixion or the putting to death our old sinful self, as explained by Rav Shaul in Romans 6:6 & 7, in this way:‘Knowing this, that your old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; (7) for he who has died is freed from sin.’ Our coming up out of this watery grave pictures a changed person – one ‘resurrected’ to a new, righteous obedient life dedicated to Elohim as witnessed in verses 4, 11 – 13 of Romans 6, as follows:‘Therefore we have been buried with Him through immersion into death, in order that as Messiah was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. (11) Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to Elohim in Messiah Yahshua. (12) Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, (13) and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to Elohim as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to Elohim.’One of the final commands that Yahshua gave His original disciples and by implication also us His modern day disciples, was to immerse new believers whom Elohim specifically called out of the religions of the world, saying in Matthew 28: 18 – 20, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, 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.” That means that the person who immerses a new believer should already be familiar with what Yahshua taught whilst He was on earth. Yes, a novice cannot and should not immerse new believers, since he will be responsible to teach the new believer all that Yahshua commanded His disciples. Such a person should always be mindful of Rav Yaa’cov’s warning in James 3: 1, saying:‘Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment.’ Believers who immerse fellow new believers should therefore already be teachers who know how to correctly handle the word of Elohim, as we read from 2 Timothy 2: 15, as follows: ‘Be diligent to present yourself approved to Elohim as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.’Such teachers should conform to the qualities specified for them in first Timothy 3: 2 – 7[3] and must hold to the common confession of the mystery of our Nazarene Israelite faith with a clear conscience, as given in verse 16 (KJV) in this way: ‘Elohim who was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.’

As teachers who immerse new believers we should also be mindful of Messiah’s words when he send out His original 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; (6) but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (7) And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ (8) Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give.’” Since Messiah commanded us to be immersed, we express our faith in Him as our Savior by asking for immersion; we show our acceptance of His death for our sins and belief in His resurrection to eternal life! For it is by His life that we are saved as Rav Shaul wrote in Romans 5: 8 – 10, saying: ‘But Elohim demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us. (9) Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of Elohim through Him. (10) For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to Elohim through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.’ Immersion is an outward symbol of repentance of our old sinful disobedient way of lifeand also a complete departure from the falsedoctrines we used to espouse in the religions where we come from.

To answer the second question, let’s turn to John 14: 23 - 26, where we read Yahshua’s own words as follows: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him. (24) He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. (25) These things I have spoken to you, while abiding with you. (26) But the Helper, the Set-apart Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” We read further about what Yahshua said in this regard in John 16: 7 – 14, saying: “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. (8) And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; (9) concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; (10) and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; (11) and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. (12) I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. (13) But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. (14)He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you.” We are given yet another reason for Yahshua our Messiah to die here. Yes, in addition for dying to pay the penalty for the forgiveness of our sin – to redeem us from the wages of sin, He had to die for the Set-apart Spirit to come.

But even more importantly Yahshua our Messiah died so that He will be able to remarry His adulterous bride Israel, whom He divorced because of all her adulteries as witnessed in Jeremiah 3: 8. It is for this very reason that one of Yahshua’s final words on His impalement stake was as we read from John 19: 30, in this way: ‘When Yahshua therefore had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit.’ The word finished is transliterated in Hebrew as ‘Kalah’ which also means ‘my bride’. The moment Messiah died He was actually saying that because He died for His adulterous wife Israel, He could now remarry Her when He is resurrected from the dead three days and three night after His burial late on the fourth day of the week, 14 Aviv 31 CE, the day before the annual high day Sabbath, the First Day of Unleavened Bread, 15 Aviv. We read accordingly from Romans 7: 1 – 4, as follows: ‘Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law –in this case Rav Shaul was talking about the law of divorce and remarriage – Deuteronomy 24), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? (2) For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. (3) So then if, while her husband is living, she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress, though she is joined to another man. (4) Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Messiah, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for Elohim.’ When we die through immersion in Yahshua’s name we are betrothed to Him and since He died for us on the impalement stake, He became free to remarry us at His return. As Messiah’s bride we enter into the sandal covenant with Him during the foot washing ceremony when we partake of His memorial Passover annually. The sandal covenant reminds us of what we stand to inherit with Messiah when He returns to remarry His bride consisting of both the house of Israel and the house of Judah as witnessed in Jeremiah 31: 31 – 33, as follows: ‘“Behold, days are coming,” declares YHVH, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, (32) not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares YHVH.’ (Even though YHVH divorced the house of Israel because of idolatry, He especially sent Yahshua the Messiah to bring a remnant of us back to the covenant that He made with us, jointly with the house of Judah at Mount Sinai.) (33) But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares YHVH, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.”’Even though YHVH is going to remarry both houses again, He will only have to write His Torah on the heart of house of Israel, since our Jewish Brothers remained Torah observant all along.

We see from Hebrew 1: 1 &2 what Messiah will inherit at His return, in this way: ‘Elohim, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,(2) in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.’We readaccording to the sandal covenant from Romans 8: 14 – 17 that if we are led by the Set-apart Spirit, we will be co-heirs with Messiah at His return, as follows:‘For all who are being led by the Spirit of Elohim, these are sons of Elohim. (15) For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry, “Avinu! Father!” (16) TheSpirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of Elohim, (17) and if children, heirs also, heirs of Elohim and fellow heirs with Messiah, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.’ We read further how the Set-apart Spirit helps us in our journey to become more like our Messiah, the perfect example YHVH left returnees from verses26 – 30 of Romans 8, in this way: ‘In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; (27) and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of Elohim. (28) 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 those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; (30)and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.’ We will be glorified when Messiah returns one day as witnessed by Rav Yochanan in 1 John 3: 2, saying: ‘Beloved, now we are children of Elohim, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.’

We are given another witness about the two ways YHVH has given to Jews and those of us returning to the covenant our forefathers made with Him at Mount Sinai from Hebrews 9: 13 – 15, as follows: ‘For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, (14) how much more will the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish (sin) to Elohim, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living Elohim?(This is essentially saying that the blood of goats and bulls atoned for the sins of the Jews who remained in the main Torah observant, but since we have forgotten Torah and therefore required a better sacrifice, Messiah offered Himself for the forgiveness of our sins.)(15) For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance (promised to Abraham and his descendants through Isaac and Jacob).’ When we are immersed in Yahshua’s saving name we enter into the same covenant that ancient Israel entered into with Elohim at Mount Sinai. It is for this reason that we need to repent from breaking Elohim’s commandments and return to full Torah observance. The very first step that we go through during the immersion ceremony is toread and discuss each one of the Ten Commandments given to ancient Israel at Mount Sinai, in turn:

Have no other gods before (or besides) YHVH our Elohim – i.e. we need to believe in the Oneness of Elohim. Yes, He is one and the only One and not two or three as some people believe.
Do not make for yourself an idol to worship – having pictures of J*e*s*u*s*, spending more time watching TV and playing golf than what you do worshipping Elohim. Yahshua said that we are required to love Him more than our families and friends – we need to make sacrifices if we want to make it into the kingdom of Elohim.
You shall not take the Name of YHVH your Elohim in vain, i.e. keeping pagan holidays in Elohim’s name. Elohim’s name should only be used in prayer, during worship services and Scripture Studies.
Remember the Sabbath Day – as well as the annual Sabbaths – the annual Set-apart Days of Elohim.
Honor your father and your mother – not only when they are perfect.
You shall not murder – includes cursing another person.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor – don’t tell lies.
You shall not covet – want what does not belong to you.

At this point it is good for Israelites and others who come from Christianity to confess their past sins, where they used pagan ways to worship Elohim, without even realizing it, sincethey were in the past taught that Torah was abolished for so-called ‘New Testament’ believers. The point is, if you knew Torah you would have known that you should not go to other nations to find out how they worship their gods and then do the same,since YHVH our Elohimtold all Israel in Leviticus 18: 3, saying: “You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes.” In addition you would have known not to add or take away from any of the commandments that YHVH the Elohim of Israel commanded us as recorded in Deuteronomy 4: 2, saying: “You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of YHVH your Elohim which I command you.”Because people coming from Christianity have come to believe what they do,because of what they were taught by their forefather’s, it is necessary for them to state the confession found in Jeremiah 16: 19, in this way: ‘O YHVH, my strength and my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of distress, to Thee the nations (the ten lost tribes) will come from the ends of the earth (to where Elohim scattered them because of their idolatry) and say, “Our fathers have inherited nothing but falsehood, futility and things of no profit.”’ Unless we repent of our past sins, we cannot be immersed in Yahshua’s saving name.

We may believe that the various churches in the world are not so bad, but Elohim talking about religious leaders inthe modern day nations of Israel saying about them in Ezekiel 22: 26, “Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy (Set-apart) 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.” Because Christianitybelieves the Torah has been abolished, they do not care about the things they eat – since they never read Scriptures like Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. In addition because they do not keep Elohim’s ordained weekly and annual Sabbaths, they are totally oblivious toElohim’s plan of salvation for all mankind. Even though we are promised the gift of the Set-apart Spirit at immersion, Elohim will definitely take His Spirit away from those who do not obey Him, as witnessed in Acts 5: 32, in this way: “And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Set-apart Spirit, whom Elohim has given to those who obey Him.’ We have to stop sinning after we are immersed, else we will be aborted from being born-again at Messiah’s return one day, as we read from Hebrews 10: 23 – 27, as follows: ‘Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; (24) and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, (25) not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near. (26) For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, (27) but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.’

At this point in the immersion ceremony, we also read Psalm 51 where David confessed his sin after he committed adultery with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife and sent Uriah to fight in the front line of the fiercest battle and withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and die. Different to what king Saul did when he disobeyed Elohim’s commandment and blamed the nation for his sin, David did not blame anyone else for his sin; he admitted to Elohim that it was entirely his fault. He repents asking Elohim to deliver him from his blood guiltiness (killing another human being in the image of Elohim), and begs Elohim not to take his Set-apart Spirit away from him, but rather renew it within him. As people who are given the Set-apart Spirit at immersion, we need to be aware of the fruits of the Spirit, but also of the deeds of the flesh that we should get rid of in our lives. We read accordingly from Galatians 5: 19 – 25, in this way: ‘Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immortality, impurity, sensuality, (20) idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, (21) envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of Elohim. (22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (24) Now those who belong to Messiah Yahshua have crucified (at immersion) the flesh with its passions and desires. (25) If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.’We also read Mark 16: 16 as part of the immersion ceremony where Yahshua said:“He who has believed and has been immersed shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” Finally we read from Acts 22: 16 as follows: ‘And now why do you delay? Arise and be immersed, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’ This is read immediately before we enter the water to immerse the new believer. Then once in the water we ask the believer if he/she accepts Yahshua the Messiah as his/her personal Savior (Passover), and immerse the believer in the name of Yahshua the Messiah for the forgiveness of his/her sins. As the person goes down into the water he/she will say: “Yahshua Messiah forgive me my sins”, as per the instruction in verse 16 above. After immersion the elder(s) who immersed the person will lay hands on the believer, anointing him/her with oil and praying as follows: “Almighty YHVH our Elohim, we ask that You will give thenewly immersedperson a portion of Your Set-apart Spirit, to continue his/her walk in life serving You and believing in the One whom You have sent. We also ask that the Set-apart Spirit of YHVH Elohim who raised Yahshua from the dead, will dwell in the immersed person and that the Set-apart Spirit will give life to him at the return of Yahshua the Messiah. Amein!’”

After we are immersed we are eligible to partake of Elohim’s annual Passover, provided that all male believers are also circumcised in the flesh, as per the instruction in Exodus 12: 47 – 49, as follows: “All the congregation of Israel are to celebrate this (meaning the annual Passover). (48) But if a stranger sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to YHVH, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it. (49) The same law shall apply to the native as to the stranger who sojourns among you.’ If we continue in our walk with Elohim, we will qualify to enter the Kingdom of Elohim one day at Messiah’s return, to rule under Him as kings and priests as witnessed in Revelation 20: 6, in this way: ‘Blessed and holy 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.’We need to remember that when we are immersed in Yahshua’s name we are set-apart for marriage to Him. Betrothal according the Jewish way is the same as being married and we should be very careful how we live and not commit adultery with the pagan churches of the world, but remain faithful to our Master and Savior only, until He returns, or until we die one day, whichever occurs first.

Finally we need to be mindful that it is the duty of the person who immerses us to assist us in growing in grace and knowledge, by teaching us what Messiah taught His disciples when He was on earth. Even though we will still sin after immersion, we need to make sure that we do not practice sin – i.e. continue to live a life of sin. But we read from first John 1: 8 & 9, ‘If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’We partake of the Passover as a memorial of Messiah’s death for our sins, but also to remember that in this way He became our personal Passover when we were immersed. Hope this help us better understand the immersion ceremony as commanded by Yahshua our Messiah. Hallelujah!

[1]YHVH made a twofold promise to Abraham in Genesis 17, telling him that he and his descendants through Isaac and Jacob will inherit eternal life in the Promised Land, provided they remain obedient to Him and His Torah throughout their lives and as a sign of the everlasting covenant circumcise their male children at the age of eight days old. The second part of the promise YHVH made to Abraham was that He would bring a remnant of the lost sheep of the house of Israel whom He will scatter into the nations of the world because of idolatry, back to the covenant relationship they made with YHVH, together with the house of Judah at Mount Sinai, through Abraham’s one seed, Yahshua, through whom He will also eventually save the rest of mankind, during the great white throne period.

[2]Hebrews 11: 13, ‘All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.’

[3]1Timothy 3: 2 – 7, ‘An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious (aggressive), but gentle, un-contentious, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the ecclesia of Elohim?); and not a new convert, lest he become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the ecclesia, so that he may not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.’