Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

The Temple of Elohim.

 

The Temple (or tabernacle) of Elohim is first mentioned after YHVH gave the nation of Israel the Ten Commandments and right rulings (transliterated as ‘Mishpatim’ in Hebrew) at Mount Sinai after leading them out of the land of Egypt by the hand of Moses.We read about Elohim’s commands regarding the construction of the tabernacle from Exodus 25: 1 – 9, as follows: ‘Then YHVH spoke to Moses saying, (2) “Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise My contribution. (3) And this is the contribution which you are to raise from them; gold, silver and bronze, (4) blue, purple and scarlet material, fine linen, goat hair, (5) rams’ skins dyed red, porpoise skins, acacia wood, (6) oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, (7) onyx stones and setting stones, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. (8) And let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them.(9) According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construction.”’ The transliterated Hebrew word for Sanctuary is ‘Mikdash’, meaning Set-apart place, temple or tabernacle.

 

What is the importance of the first temple?  Did you know that Crusaders and Templars fought battles to try and find it and the secrets it holds, since its structure did not originate out of this world? What was the fascination about this portable structure?  For example it took YHVH only six days to recreate the world after He destroyed it after Satan’s rebellion, but He spent 40 days to instruct Moses about the construction of the temple and it took six chapters in Torah regarding the details of the pattern of the Tabernacle. It is clear to see from these instructions that there was no room for improvisation. In fact this reference to detail is repeated in Hebrews 8: 4 &5 where we read: ‘Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; (5) who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by Elohim when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, “SEE,” He says, “THAT YOU MAKE all things ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH WAS SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN.”’We find a very similar statement Elohim made to Ezekiel the Prophet regarding the construction of the millennial temple in Ezekiel 43: 7 - 12, saying: “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever. And the house of Israel will not again defile My holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their harlotry and by the corpses of their kings when they die, (8) by setting their threshold by My threshold and their door post beside My door post, with only the wall between Me and them. And they have defiled My holy name by their abominations which they have committed. So I have consumed them in My anger.(9) Now let them put away their harlotry and the corpses of their kings far from Me; and I will dwell among them forever. (10) As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the plan. (11) If they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the house, its structure, its exits, its entrances, all its designs, all its statutes, and all its law. And write it in their sight, so that they may observe its whole design and all its statutes and do them.(12)  This is the law of the house; its entire area on the top of the mountain all around shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.”YHVH emphasized in extreme detail how He wanted the place where He will dwell amongst His people to be constructed.

 

Does that sound like He does not care what we do as long as our hearts are right? No, He cares enough about what we do and do not do, that He gave us exact written instructions and ignorance of it is taken into consideration, but time is running out. Our hearts and the specifics of how to follow YHVH have to line up, as King David wrote in from Psalms 51: 16 – 19, saying:‘For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. (17) The sacrifices of Elohim are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O Elohim, You will not despise. 18) By Your favor do good to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem. (19)Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, in burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.’ This is where Christianity usually interjects, by quoting from 1 Corinthians 13: 1 – 3, in this way: ‘If I speak with tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. (2) If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. (3) And If I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.’Unfortunately this blessed passage is often misquoted in an effort to absolve mankind from any responsibility to obey Elohim’s commandments. This is testified in both the original covenant and again in the New Covenant that YHVH made with the children of the Israelite nation who died in the wilderness because of disobedience, in the second part of Deuteronomy 5:  9 & 10: saying:  ‘For I YHVH your Elohim, am a jealous Elohim, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me, (10) but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.’ In fact Rav Yochanan the disciple who Yahshua loved confirmed that love and obedience are connected in 1 John 5: 2 & 3, saying:“By this we know that we love the children of Elohim, when we love Elohim and observe His commandments. (3) For this is the love of Elohim, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.”

 

The Prophet Ezekiel prophesied by the word of YHVH about those ministers who teach their congregants that Torah is not important for the followers of Messiah in Ezekiel 22: 24  - 26, saying: “Son of man, say to her, ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’ (25) “There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst like a roaring lion tearing the prey. 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 set-apart things; they have made no distinction between the set-apart 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.”’ This is unfortunately exactly what is happening in modern day Churchianity. But what is the meaning of the words, ‘distinguish between the Set-apart and the profane’ used in verse 26? Rav Shaul gives us  the answer from a Nazarene Israelite perspective in 1 Thessalonians 4: 3 – 7, saying: ‘For this is the will of Elohim, your sanctification (or Set-apartness); that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; (4) that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, (5) not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know Elohim; (6) and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because Adonai is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. (7) For Elohim has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. (8) So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the Elohim who gives His Set-apart Spirit to you.’It is important to notice that in the Tabernacle the priests did not wear shoes or sandals and the bronze laver was used to wash their hands and feet before entering into the Set-apart and most Set-apart places. This teaches us a vital lesson of how we should wash us by the Word of Elohim and keep clean as we walk in complete Set-apartness and not to be found soiled by walking the way the nations around us do, but also to wash our hands and feet before serving YHVH the King of the Universe. Ask yourself, is your walk of set-apartness clearly identifiable from the rest of the world, or do you try to blend in and follow the way the rest of the world do?

 

As called out believers, set-apart to become a royal priesthood are you distinguishablydifferent to the rest of the world who walks in unclean ways that profane the Master who saved us, or do you conveniently blend in with their ways and compromise so much that you are no different from them? YHVH made it very clear to us through Moses how to distinguish about what is clean and what is unclean in Leviticus 11: 45 - 47, saying: “For I am YHVH who brought you out from the land of Egypt (which in our case can be defined as our personal sin) to be your Elohim; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.’” (46) This is the law regarding the animal and the bird, and every living thing that moves in the waters and everything that swarms on the earth, (47)to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the edible creature and the creature which is not to be eaten.’ We see that Rav Kepha (or the apostle Peter)agreed fully when he spoke about our salvation through Messiah in 1 Peter 1; 10 – 16, saying: ‘As to the salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, (11) seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Messiah within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Messiah and the glories to follow. (12) It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Set-apart Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look. (13) Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Yahshua Messiah. (14)As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, (15) but like the Set-apart One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; (16)because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” We know therefore that this comes from Leviticus 11, but it also tells us that the grace that everybody believes they live under will only really come into effect when Messiah comes and it will depend on our set-apartness from the world.

 

True servants of Elohim should know how to distinguish between that which is clean and that which is unclean as they should study and meditate Elohim’s Torah day and night and guard to walk according to it so as not to become defiled by walking in unclean ways. Rav Shaul made it very clear to Titus that to the unbelieving nothing is clean in Titus 1: 15 & 16, saying: ‘To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience is defiled. (16) They profess to know Elohim, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.’Let’s for a moment consider the Hebrew word for Set-apart or Holy. According to Strong’s concordance the Hebrew word (Vdq) transliterated as ‘qodesh’ means‘apartness, consecrated, dedicated or that which is dedicated and separated unto YHVH.’ Our ability to be properly set-apart for service to Elohim involves our ability to study and meditate Torah on a daily basis, eating only food that is set-apart and keeping all the appointed times of Elohim as He outlined for us through Moses in Leviticus 23 (and Deuteronomy 16), which includes the weekly Sabbath, as we read accordingly form Leviticus 23: 1 – 4, in this way: ‘YHVH spoke again to Moses, saying, (2) “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘(YHVH)’s appointed times which you shall proclaim as my Set-apart convocations—My appointed times are these: (3) For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a Sabbath of complete rest, a Set-apart convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a Sabbath to YHVH in all your dwellings. (4) These are the appointed times of YHVH, Set-apart convocations which you shall proclaim at the appointed times for them(the KJV reads in their season).’ When we fully understand this we should know that the line of separation between Set-apart and profane cannot ever be removed. When Churchianity turned against Torah after the lost ten tribes were taken captive by Assyria and taken north-west into Europe, they were deceived by Esau under the guise of The Roman Catholic Church and their protesting daughters to Christianize the world; they resorted to take a violent and malicious stand against the need to walk according to Elohim’s Torah instructions. The corrupt state of the twisted man-made theologies that have shaped Churchianity has caused many professing believers to show disrespect and even anger to the thought of obeying Torah, thereby corrupting their lives into a state of lawlessness, which assumes the grace of Elohim has given them license to disobey Torah and their ability to distinguish between Set-apart and common or profane has been lost.

 

The Hebrew root word for distinguish is (ldB) transliterated as ‘badal’meaning ‘to be divided, separate, or to make a distinction.’ It was YHVH who separated us as Israelites from the rest of the peoples of the world. The word ‘badal’ is used in Leviticus 20: 22 – 26, as follows: ‘You are therefore to keep all My statutes and all My ordinances (judgments) and do them, so that the land to which I am bringing you to live will not spew you out.  (23) Moreover, you shall not follow the customs of the nation which I will drive out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I have abhorred them. (24) ‘Hence I have said to you, “You are to possess their land, and I Myself will give it to you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am YHVH your Elohim, who has separated you from the peoples. (25)You are therefore to make a distinction between the clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean bird and the clean; and you shall not make yourselves detestable by animal or by bird or by anything that creeps on the ground, which I have separated for you as unclean.  (26) Thus you are to be Set-apart to Me, for I YHVH am Set-apart; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.’We also look for the same word in Greek as used in 2 Corinthians 6: 17, in this way: “THEREFORE, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says Adonai. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; and I will welcome you.” The Greek word used for ‘separate’ is transliterated as ‘aphorizó’ meaning ‘to mark off by boundaries, ostracize, separate, set-apart’ and comes from two words namely‘apo’ a preposition meaning ‘from, away from, against’ and ‘horizon’ meaning ‘predetermined, fixed, appointed, to mark off by boundaries.’ So, it is clear from both the Tanach and the Renewed Covenant that we are called to come out and be separate. If we do not do this we will find ourselves among those who will be taken and thrown into the furnace at the end of this age, as witnessed in Matthew 13: 49 & 50, as follows:“So it will be at the end of the age, the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, (50) and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”The Scriptures clearly calls for a separation and the ability to distinguish between the Set-apart and the profane and can only be achieved when we respond positively to the call to ‘come out and be separate.’

 

In a clear vision of Messiah’s millennial reign given to Ezekiel, he saw that the priesthood will again perform this important task in Ezekiel 44: 23 & 24, saying: “Moreover, they shall teach My people the difference between the Set-apart and the profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. (24) In a dispute they shall take their stand to judge; they shall judge it according to My ordinances. They shall also keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed feasts and sanctify My Sabbaths.”We see further that the temple walls in this millennial temple will be built specifically to ensure the division between the set-apart and the profane in verse 20 of Ezekiel 42, in this way: ‘He measured it on the four sides; it had a wall all around, the length five hundered and the width five hundred, to divide between the set-apart and the profaned.’ While this highlights the service in the millennium Temple we as Nazarene Israelites should also take note that it is also a clear and important lesson of the royal priesthood we are becoming according to the order of Melchizedek, that we come out of the ways of the world. We were commanded by our Master to make disciples of the Israelites who were dispersed among the nations of the world and to immerse them in His Set-apart name, teaching them all that He commanded us. Our duty as part of the future bride and body of Messiah together with the house of Judahis to teach our children and new returning believers to properly distinguish between the Set-apart and the profane. We need to strengthen our resolve to make it into the coming kingdom of Elohim and the rest it provides, so that we do not lose out because of unbelief as the ancient Israelites lost out and were destroyed in the wilderness, as witnessed in Hebrews 3: 14 – 19, as follows: ‘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 would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? (19)So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.’

 

The prophet Ezekiel has given us an unbelievable vision of the Glory of Elohim (the Shekinah) sitting on His throne between the Cherubim (a higher class of angel), in the first chapter of the book of Ezekiel. The Jewish Sages called this vision of the throne of YHVH;The Chariot of YHVH transliterated ‘HaMerkavah’ in Hebrew, since it is a vision of the throne of Elohim being moved by the angels called ‘wheels’. In chapter 10 of Ezekiel we see the meaning of the vision given in verses 18 & 19 as follows: ‘Then the glory of YHVH departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. (19)When the cherubim departed, they lifted their wings and rose up from the earth in my sight with the wheels beside them; and they stood still at the entrance of the east gate of Elohim’s house,and the glory of the Elohim of Israel hovered over them.’We know that when YHVH gave the Torah to Israel through Moses on Mount Sinai, He came to dwell amongst His people. The dwelling place of YHVH our Elohim moved from its place in heaven to the Tabernacle in the wilderness. We know that the Glory (Shekinah) of Elohim also came to dwell in the Temple that Solomon built after he completed and dedicated it to Elohim.However we see from Ezekiel 10 that the Glory of Elohimmoved from its dwelling place in the Temple in Jerusalem and never again filled the second Temple as it did the first. However, in the book of Acts in chapter 2, we see an extraordinary thing occurring on the day of Pentecost; Yahshua’sdisciples were gathered in the second Templewith theirTorah observant Jewish Brothers who in obedience to the commands given in Leviticus 23 kept Shavuot or Pentecost and in the same way as the fire and wind that appeared at Mount Sinai and in Ezekiel’s vision, the Presence of Elohim returned to the Temple to take up residence. But instead of entering the Holy of Holies as in the first Temple, He takes up residence in the bodies of the believers present on the day of Pentecost.

 

The message was clear. The first century believers from the house of Israel  together with Torah observant members of the house of Judah became the Temple of Elohim, as Rav Shaul explained in 1 Corinthians 3: 16 & 17, saying: ‘Do you not know that you are a temple of Elohim and that the Spirit of Elohim dwells in you? (17) If any man destroys the temple of Elohim, Elohim will destroy him, for the temple of Elohim is Set-apart, and that is what you are.’ Rav Shaul continues to admonish us in verses 19 & 20 of 1 Corinthians 3, saying: ‘Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Set-apart Spirit who is in you, whom you have from Elohim, and that you are not your own? (20) For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify Elohim in your body.’The Ark of the Covenant which was the dwelling place of Elohim was never recovered for the second Temple and will never again be found, despite the assertions of some who during the late 1980’s claimed that they discovered it in Israel. We read this together with the marvelous prophesy that is playing out before our very eyes today in Jeremiah 3: 14 – 16, as follows: ‘Return, O faithless sons,’ declares YHVH; ‘For I am a master to you, and I will take you one from a city and two from a family, and will bring you to Zion.’ (15) “Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding. (16) And it shall be in those days when you are multiplied and increased in the land,” declares YHVH, “they shall say no more, ‘The ark of the covenant of YHVH.’ And it shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they miss it, nor shall it be made again.” YHVH is today calling out a people who will obey Him fully. We are to become the first fruits of His creatures, as we read in James 1: 18 ‘In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures.’ Yahshua continues to show the importance and promised that the Set-apart Spirit will come after His death, resurrection and ascension to heaven in John 14: 15 & 16, saying: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. (16) And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever.” It is clear that disciples of Yahshua (including us His modern day disciples)and our Torah observant brothers from the house of Judah are the Temple of Elohim today and it is for that reason necessary for us to ensure that we clean out the Temple on a regular basis, as is confirmed in Ephesians 2: 17 – 22, in this way: ‘AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR;  (18) for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.(19) 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 on 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.’If you can recall, whilst the Shekinah of YHVH lived in the Holy of Holies inside the Tabernacle in the wilderness, the Priest went inside once a year on the day of Atonement, to make atonement for the sins of the people. Believe it or not the sins of the Israelites were ‘covered’ by the sacrifice that the Priest made on that day, as is confirmed in Hebrews 9: 13 & 14 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 up Himself without blemish to Elohim, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living Elohim?’The blood of the animals sacrificed for the sins of the Israelites indeed cleansed them from sin. But, we from the lost sheep of the house of Israel required that Messiah offered up Himself to redeem us from our past sins, since we have forgotten what sin was. Churchianity believe that Yahshua nailed the Torah to the cross by quoting Colossians 2: 13 & 14 which reads as follows: ‘And when you were dead in your transgressions and the un-circumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, (14) having cancelled our certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.’  It is clear from this that Yahshua nailed the certificate of our debt and not the Torah to the cross. In addition he told some Jews in John 5: 45 – 47, saying: “Do not thinks 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?” We may twist and turn as much as we like, but Yahshua clearly said that if you do not believe the Torah that Moses wrote, you cannot believe in Him.

 

Those in Churchianity who teach that Messiah abolished Torah have no idea what sin is? If Churchianity is correct about the passage in Colossians 2, then Yahshua must have introduced sin, as Rav Yochanan further wrote in 1 John 3: 4, saying: ‘Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness (meaning to live without the Torah or any law of the country in which they reside); and sin is lawlessness.’ Since we have all sinned, we have all defiled the Temple of Elohim. We read accordingly from Romans 8: 6 - 9: ‘For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, (7) because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward Elohim; for it does not subject itself to the Law of Elohim, for it is not even able to do so; (8) and those who are in the flesh cannot please Elohim. (9) However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of Elohim dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Messiah, he does not belong to Him.’ It is therefore evident that we all have to do something if we want to be saved and want to be the Temple acceptable for Elohim’s Spirit to dwell in. We know that Rav Shaul said that each one of us have to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.The question is: How do we do that? We see from the answer given to the crowd the returning members of the house of Israel who asked Kepha and the other apostles what they should do to also receive the Set-apart Spirit like the Torah observant Jews have and Messiah’s disciples received as an example to returnees in Acts 2: 36 - 38, as follows: ‘Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that Elohim has made Him (meaning Yahshua)both Master and Messiah—this Yahshua whom you crucified.” (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) Kepha said to them, “Repent, and each of you be immersed in the name of Yahshua Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Set-apart Spirit.”’ Immersion symbolizes our death and burial in a watery grave with Yahshua and then we are again resurrected with Him as a new person cleansed from our past sins, by the blood of Messiah.

 

This is confirmed for us in Romans 6: 3 – 5 as follows: ‘Or do you not know that all of us who have been immersed into Messiah Yahshua have been immersed into His death? (4) 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. (5) For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.’However, this is only the starting point. We are not only to repent of past sins, but we must commence to live a life free from sin. In Romans 6: 12 – 14, we read: ‘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. (14) For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.’ Being familiar with the portion of the ScripturesChurchianity quote to teach against the keeping of the commandments, we need to determine what Rav Shaul meant when he wrote these verses. If correctly understood, we will know that he meant that when we are forgiven our past sins we are no longer under the penalty of the Law. Once we repent and accept that the blood of Yahshua atoned for our sins, we are forgiven and our death penalty is nailed to the tree.This is aptly explained in Romans 6: 23, in this way: ‘(For) the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of Elohim is eternal life in Messiah Yahshua our Master.’ Without having the Spirit of Elohim indwelling us we cannot inherit the Kingdom of Elohim. We also cannot clean up our minds unless we have the Spirit of YHVH to help us. It is also true that we cannot receive the Set-apart Spirit until we repent. It is therefore important for each one of us to clean up our minds and bodies, the Temple of Elohim, by repenting and returning to Torah. We need to stay close to YHVH and if we ask Him on a continuous basis to give us more of His Set-apart Spirit, His Spirit will lead us into all truth. As the Set-apart Spirit shows us more truth (we know that Torah is truth), we are required to respond by changing our lives and obey Torah. If we are shown by the Set-apart Spirit that we need to change and we make the required changes (and refrain from breaking Torah), YHVH will lead us into more truth. We are only responsible for what we know, but as we are lead into more truth, we are required to correct our previously incorrect actions and return to full Torah observance.We are what we think and what we consume physically and spiritually. If we eat unclean physical food then we are unclean. The same applies if we fill our minds with violent and filthy literature, movies and TV programs, we will be influenced adversely spiritually. We also need to ensure that our language is kosher: as the people of Elohim we must not use hurtful or filthy language; we should also refrain from ‘evil talk’ (Lashon Hara in Hebrew) - meaning that we should not be tale bearers. We need to care for our children’s diet as far as both the food they eat and the movies, books and TV programs they are allowed to watch. YHVH has given us our bodies and minds to glorify Him. In Matthew 5: 16 we read: “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” We are also responsible for our own families, as we read in 1 Timothy 5: 8, as follows: ‘But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his own household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.’ We need to uphold our part of the covenant that we made with YHVH at immersion as we read in 1 Corinthians 6: 20,‘For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify Elohim in your body.’

 

The temple currently being planned by the house of Judah and spoken about in Ezekiel 40 –43 might be the Temple to be used during Messiah’s millennial rule, provided that they bear in mind that Messiah and the returnees from the house of Israel (those who are presently ‘Far off’) will actually rebuild it, as witnessed in Zachariah 6: 12 – 15, as follows: “Then say to him, thus says YHVH of hosts, ‘Behold, a man whose name  is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of  YHVH. (13) Yes, it is He who will build the temple of YHVH, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He, will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices. (14) Now the crown will become a reminder in the temple of YHVH to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen the son of Zephaniah. (15) Those who are far off will come and build the temple of YHVH. Then you will know that YHVH of hosts has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely obey YHVH your Elohim.’”The prophet Amos wrote about a time when the Tabernacle of David that has fallen will be rebuild in Amos 9: 11 – 15, saying: ‘“In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, and wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old;  (12) that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by My name,” declares YHVH who does this. (13) Behold, days are coming,” declares YHVH, “when the plowman will overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; when the mountains will drip sweet wine and all the hills will be dissolved. (14)Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, and they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; they will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit.  (15)I will also plant them on their land, and they will not again be rooted out from their land which I have given them,” says YHVH your Elohim.’The reason why the remnant of Edom is mentioned in verse 12 is that it is likely that YHVH will protect the chosen ones from the lost ten tribes and the Torah observant Jews in Bozrah or Petra in the land in which Edom used to dwell in. We will literally set up the encampment of Israel as YHVH showed Jeremiah in Jeremiah 23: 3 – 6, saying: “Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the counties where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. (4) I will also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares YHVH. (5) Behold, the days are coming,” declares YHVH, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. (6) In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, ‘YHVH our righteousness’”

 

Ezekiel wrote about the second Exodus in Ezekiel 34: 13 & 25, saying: “I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. (25) I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.” The great tribulation is considered to be seven years. But, Yahshua promised to personally cut it short for the elect’s sake in Matthew 24: 22, saying:“Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” We see from the prophecy about the congregation given to Yochanan in Revelation 12: 6 & 14: ‘Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by Elohim, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. (14) But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.’As described in Isaiah 63: 1 & 2 Yahshua will after His return go to Bozrah to recompense Edom, as follows: ‘Who is this who comes from Edom, with garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, this One who is majestic in His apparel, marching in the greatness of His strength? It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” We notice from Revelation 17 that when Messiah comes to reign as King of kings, ten kings will wait for Him to make war with Him, but we read from verse 14: “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Master of masters and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and the chosen and faithful.”We need to make sure that we remain Set-apart until He fetches us to assist Him in ruling the world.  Think about it!