123 Is there more than 1 day of salvatio

Is there more than one day of Salvation 1?

YHVH planned to bring forth beings that could become his children from the very beginning. These children would be like Him in every respect and would have His character reproduced in them by His Set-apart Spirit. YHVH commenced His plan to reproduce Himself by creating powerful spiritual beings called angels. These angels were free moral agents, with the ability to choose to go the way of Elohim – the way of giving and sharing, or the way of get. For many years these angels followed the correct way, until one day, Lucifer, decided in rebellion against Elohim, to take over the throne of Elohim in the third heaven (as revealed in Isaiah 14: 12 - 15[1] and Ezekiel 28: 13 - 15[2]). Being a cherub, or one of the three original archangels, Lucifer, was in charge of a third of the angels: We know that in the Scriptures angels are referred to as stars (as explained in Revelation 1: 20[3]); Comparing the first part of Revelation12: 4 with verse 9 we see that Satan was thrown down to the earth and a third of the angels of heaven under his control, were thrown down with him.

Satan and his angels fought against the other two archangels and their angels, still loyal to Elohim, but they were overcome and thrown down to earth, where they are now living as fallen angels or demons. These angels, who are spirit beings, could not change once they had decided to follow a life of wrongdoing and as a result of war between the angels and demons, the world was left formless and void. This is the condition we find the earth in when we open our Scriptures at Genesis1: 2. At that time YHVH Elohim decided to recreate the heavens and the earth, but He chose not to create his future children as spirit beings again, but to (initially) create them from physical matter. He created them in His image with mind power to think, plan and ‘create’ and like the angels, they too had free moral agency to decide between good and evil. But, they had to prove throughout their lives that they would develop Elohim’s perfect character and follow His way of life. After creating mankind in His image, Elohim offered Adam and Eve the opportunity to receive eternal life through His Set-apart Spirit, as witnessed in Genesis 2: 8 - 9 & 16 - 17, in this way: ‘And YHVH Elohim planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. (9) And out of the ground YHVH Elohim caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (16) And YHVH Elohim commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; (17) but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.” However, deceived by Satan, sin entered the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed Elohim and instead of eating from the ‘Tree of Life’, they chose to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which Elohim had forbid them to do. YHVH therefore sentenced them and their offspring to 6,000 years of spiritual exile, during which they would be cut off from salvation. As a result Adam lost his opportunity to conquer Satan and replace him as ruler of this world; instead Adam obeyed Satan, placing himself and his descendants under Satan’s government.

After Elohim barred Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and the ‘Tree of Life’ (symbolic of His Torah teachings by means of which He gives believers a portion of His Holy Spirit, provided they remain obedient to Him), the whole world became corrupt and YHVH destroyed all life from earth in the flood, except for Noah, his family and the animals which YHVH led to enter the ark that Noah built to protect them during the flood. After the initial failure of mankind was repeated after the flood with the rebellion at Babylon led by Nimrod, YHVH started over again with one man called Abram. YHVH entered into a two-fold covenant with Abram; namely that he and his descendants through Isaac and Jacob would eventually possess the Promised Land eternally – meaning they would one day be resurrected to become spiritual beings over which the second death has no power, provided they remain faithful to His commandments including circumcising their male children at eight days old. The second part of the promise was that those descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, who eventually disobeyed and were scattered into the world, would be able to return to the covenant though Abraham’s one seed, namely Yahshua (the Word who became flesh – or the embodiment of Torah), through whom the rest of mankind will also be saved after Messiah’s millennial rule, if they decide to follow Him when Elohim will open the Scriptures to their understanding (as per Isaiah 25: 7 - 9). Those who decide against following Messiah at that time will be burnt to ashes (as per Malachi 4: 1). As promised, YHVH later saved Jacob’s children which by then became the nation of Israel from their enslavement in Egypt, during the first Passover. Fifty days after the First day of Unleavened Bread, YHVH entered into a covenant relationship with the united nation of Israel at Mount Sinai, by giving them a constitution in which He told them how to respond to Him as their Creator and Savior, but also to their fellow human beings.

Most of us are aware of the fact that YHVH is dealing with mankind over a period of 7000-years.Apart from the united nation of Israel, YHVH has allowedthose from the house of Israel who rejected Him and His Torah and the rest of mankind to experiment with different forms of government, culture, education and religion, for most of the almost past 6000 years. The Torah observant Jews who remained faithful to Elohim because they knew and obeyed His Torah teachings from the time our forebears received it as a covenant between Elohim and the united Israel, have been given the Set-apart Spirit of Elohim[4], because of obedience (as per Acts 5: 32[5]). Similarly have those of the ten lost tribes and others whom YHVH is calling to return to Him and His Torah covenant, during this lifetime on earth and are immersed in Messiah’s name, been given the Set-apart Spirit as a pledge to the redemption of Elohim’s own possession to the praise of His glory (as per Acts 2: 38 & 39[6]), provided they overcome Satan, the world and their own human natures from that time forward. Both these groups will be resurrected as Spiritual children of Elohim at Messiah’s return, provided they remain faithful until then, or their dying day. Butthose millions of people who never heard or believed Elohim’s true gospel and never knew the true Messiah, YHVH is allowing them to learn that by living life free of His leadership only leads to failure. This sounds unfair, but the good news is that YHVH wants everyone that He has ever created to be in His family one day. We read accordingly from 1Timothy 2: 3 & 4, ‘This is good and acceptable in the sight of Elohim our Savior, (4) who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.’ Even so, it must also be understood that no one can come to Yahshua unless the Father who sent Him draws him, as we read from John 6: 44 & 65, as follows: “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.” (65) ‘And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father.”

YHVH does not want to force us to be saved; He gave us free moral agency allowing us, once called, to come to Him out of our own free will. However, to become sons and daughters of Elohim takes more than just joining the local church on the street corner. It also takes more than just "accepting J*e*s*u*s*" in some evangelical revival meeting filled with emotion. Those of us from the lost ten tribes (including a number of real Gentiles) whom Elohim is calling to return to the covenant our forefathers made with Him at Mount Sinai during this age;need to fully surrender our lives to our heavenly Father by means of a personal relationship with Yahshua the Messiah. We need to follow in the footsteps of Yahshua and learn to keep the Torah Commandments to the best of our ability, with the help of the Set-apart Spirit. Yahshua Himself said in John 14: 6: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” Comparing this quote with the previous one (in John 6:44) sounds like a bit of a contradiction. However, this is one example where we should let the Scriptures interpret the Scriptures.Let’s therefore turn to Luke 10: 21 – 24, where we read:‘At that very time He (Yahshua) 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 them, and to hear the things you hear, and did not hear them.”’ Here Yahshua tells us that He will reveal the identity of the Father and the Son to whoever He desires todo so. However, He also tells us in John 14: 21 that there are certain prerequisites to be met before He will do so, in this way: “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him.” It is as Yahshua said in John 10: 30, “I and the Father are one.”

How then will Elohim accomplish His purpose to create a family of sons and daughters for Himself, with a perfect character like His own? (YHVH)’s plan of salvation for all mankind gives us the answer. A Remnant of the lost ten tribes and eventually all of mankind would be redeemed at a price of greater value than the value of the lives of all mankind put together. The price was as high as the life of our Creator himself, as Rav Kepha explained about returnees during this age in 1 Peter 1: 18 & 19, saying:‘Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, (19) but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Messiah.’ It was for this reason that we read of Zechariah's prophecy in Luke 1: 68, in this way: “Blessed be YHVH Elohim of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people."(YHVH)’s plan of salvation for all mankind tells us that mankind still has the potential of becoming sons of Elohim, as Yahshua the visible image of the invisible Elohim (as per Colossians 1: 15[7]), died for us and was the first ‘human’ to be resurrected as a Spirit Being. He made it possible for us to go through the same process to be born again. YHVH died as the ‘man’ Yahshua, and was resurrected, to give us a second chance. Almighty YHVH did all this by Himself - without any god besides Him. This is in line with what we read from Psalm 49 verse 7 “No man can by any means redeem his brother, or give to Elohim a ransom for him.” And inverse 15“But Elohim will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol; for He will receive me.”

The feast days that we as Nazarene Jews/Israelites are commanded to keep, picture Elohim’s plan of salvation for all mankind. We read accordingly from Leviticus 23: 1 & 2:‘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 asholy (Set-apart) convocations - My appointed times are these.”’These days were given to Israeland even though most other religions think that these are the feast days of the Jews only, YHVH says in Leviticus 23: 4 that "These are the appointed times of YHVH, holy (Set-apart) convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them."We read from Colossians 2:16 ‑17: ‘Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— (17) things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Messiah.’ We keep the Feast Days of Elohim as a shadow of things to come. Let’s therefore consider each of the Feast Days in turn:

Passover: YHVH displayed His power to deliver Israel from slavery in Egypt by a series of plagues. He told the Israelites that on the night of the Passover, He would kill all the firstborn of Egypt to convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go from slavery. YHVH protected the firstborn of Israel from death provided the sign of the blood of a lamb was seen on the doorposts of their homes. YHVH said that the Passover should be a memorial, which they shall keep as a feast to Him throughout their generations. This pointed forward to Yahshua's sacrifice to protect those of us from both houses of Israel who are first fruits destined to become first-born children of Elohim from the second death, but also to pay the death penalty for the rest of mankind, when they accept Him during His millennial rule, but also during the 100 year period of the great white throne judgment, as the lamb of Elohim who takes away the sins of the world. We partake of Unleavened Bread and Wine representingYahshua’sbody and blood shed for us, and wash one another's feet during the annual Passover as per Messiah’s example in John 13:1-15. We keep Passover in remembrance of Yahshua’s death in the evening of the 14thof Nisan, the night during which He was betrayed, according to 1 Corinthians 11: 23 - 26.

Days of Unleavened Bread: The First Day of Unleavened bread is the first annual Set-apart day or Sabbath of Elohim. Every year that the Israelites kept the days of unleavened bread they were and are still reminded that YHVH delivered them from Egypt. The Israelites coming out of Egypt foreshadowed us coming out of a life of habitual willful sin. Partaking of unleavened bread for seven days in our case means coming out of sin completely – seven meaning complete. We gladly get rid of the leaven in our homes for seven days to remind us of cleansing ourselves of sin and false doctrines. We eat unleavened bread for seven days, from the 15th through the 21st of Nisan (also known as Aviv); the 15th and the 21st being annual Sabbaths. The wave sheaf of the first fruit of the harvest, was waved on the day after the first annual Sabbath in the evening (erev) of the 16thof Nisan, from which time we count fifty days to get to Shavuot on the 6th of Sivan.

Pentecost (Shavuot):The Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai on the third day of the third month (Sivan) on the Hebrew calendar, as may be read from Exodus 19: 1. They camped in front of the mountain and Moses went up to Elohim, whereHe instructed Moses to go to the people and tell them to consecrate themselves for two days, during which time, they were to wash their clothes; refrain from marital relations and be ready on the third day – the 6th of Sivan. This is essentially the day on which the Torah was given to Israel at Mount Sinai. It is also the day, many years later, upon which the Set-apart Spirit was given, as recorded in Acts 2: 1 (KJV), as follows: ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place[8].’ It is by the indwelling of the Set-apart Spirit that we are able to keep the Torah with a Spiritual intent, thus worshipping the heavenly Father in Spirit and in Truth, as Yahshua said in John 4: 24[9]. Pentecost or Shavuot is at the time of the first small harvest of wheat in Israel. Rav Yaa’cov likens those of us called at this time as first fruits in James 1: 18 in this way: ‘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.’Rav Shaul wrote about Yahshua our Messiah in Romans 8: 29 as the "first-born among many brethren." Pentecost is also referred to as the Feast of First fruits, and is a shadow pointing to the initial harvest of souls at Messiah’s return on Yom Teruah one day - a kind of first fruits unto YHVH.As first fruits we and our Jewish Brothersare being judged at this time, as Rav Kepha also wrote in 1 Peter 4: 17, saying:‘For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of Elohim, and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of Elohim?’ This is pictured by the two loaves spoken about in Leviticus 23: 17, when those from the two houses of Israel are waved before Elohim, to be accepted as first fruits unto YHVH, in this way: ‘You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to YHVH.’Whereas the Matzos eaten during Passover are unleavened, these two loaves are baked with leaven; because the Matzos eaten at Passover represent Messiah’s sinless body and the two loaves offered at Pentecost represent us, first fruits from the two houses of Israel – still prone to sin.

Feast of Trumpets: The Feast of Trumpets begins at the new moon on the seventh month and is a Set-apart convocation. We look forward with eager anticipation to the return of Yahshua the Messiah, for He will return at the sound of the last trumpet and the shout of the archangel. The Feast of Trumpets is two days long as may be read from Nehemiah 8: 2 & 13 and 1 Samuel 8: 5, 27 & 34.The blowing of trumpets was used to call Israel together to prepare for a journey, to summon the congregation for an assembly or for war. When Yahshua our Messiah returns to the Mount of Olives one day, the nations of the earth will gather together to fight against Him. Satan has deceived the whole world (Revelation 12: 9) and they will try to destroy the Messiah at His return. The Feast of Trumpets also signals the (first) resurrection of the dead in Messiah, as Rav Shaul wrote 1 Thessalonians 4: 13 – 17, as follows: ‘But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Yahshua died and rose again, even so Elohim will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Yahshua. (15) For this we say to you by the word of YHVH, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Master, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. (16) For the Master Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of Elohim; and the dead in Messiah shall rise first. (17) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Master in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Master.’Yahshua described the Feast of Trumpets in Matthew 24: 29 – 31, as follows: “But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, (30) and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. (31) And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

Day of Atonement:The Day of Atonement on the tenth day of the Seventh Month is a time of fasting, "afflicting our souls," not eating or drinking for the 24-hour period from the evening of the 9th until evening of the 10th day. We read from Leviticus 23: 27 – 32, “On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to YHVH. (28) Neither shall you do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before YHVH your Elohim. (29) If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. (30) As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. (31) You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. (32) It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath.“The Day of Atonement pictures our sins being covered; reconciliation with Elohim and the marriage of Yahshua, the Son of Elohim, to His bride the congregation, who has made herself ready, 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, (Yahshua have to remarry both houses of Israel again, since He divorced the house of Israel, but His death atoned for both houses as recorded in John 11: 49 – 52[10]) (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. (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.” The reality that Torah observant Jews remained loyal to Elohim and His Torah, is borne out by the fact that He will only have to write His Torah on the hearts and minds of the house of Israel. The Day of Atonement also pictures the putting away of Satan for the duration of Messiah’s millennium rule,as we read from Revelation 20: 1 – 3, in this way: ‘And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. (2) And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, (3) and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.’

Feast of Tabernacles:Once Satan has been bound hand and foot and thrown into the bottomless pit, Yahshua’s thousand-year reign will commence from Jerusalem. We read from Leviticus 23: 34 – 43:“Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to YHVH. (35) On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind. (36) For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to YHVH. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to YHVH; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work. (37) These are the appointed times of YHVH which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, to present offerings by fire to YHVH – burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and libations, each day’s matter on its own day – (38) besides those of the Sabbaths of YHVH, and besides your gifts, and besides all your votive and freewill offerings, which you give to YHVH. (39) On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of YHVH for seven days, with a rest on the first day and a rest on the eighth day. (40) Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before YHVH your Elohim for seven days. (41) You shall thus celebrate it as a feast to YHVH for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. (42) You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, (43) so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am YHVH your Elohim.’”During Yahshua’s thousand-year rule from Jerusalem, He will restore all things to its former glory. Those of us, who qualified as first fruits, will be part of the first resurrection, will serve under Yahshua as kings and priests, assisting Him in the restoration of all things, as we read from the last part of Revelation 20: 4 and 6, in this way: ‘and they came to life and reigned with Messiah for a thousand years. (6) 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 read further from Revelation 5: 10, “And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our Elohim; and they will reign upon the earth.”Halleluyah!

We will continue with part 2 of this lesson next Sabbath.

[1] Isaiah 14: 12 – 15: “How you have fallen from heaven, o star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of Elohim, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit.”

[2] Ezekiel 28: 13 – 15: “You were in Eden, the garden of Elohim; every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; the lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald; and the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, was in you. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of Elohim; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you.”

[3]Revelation 1: 20, “As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven congregations, and the seven lampstands are the seven congregations.”

[4] Jews like all people have (or are) living souls (transliterated in Hebrew as ‘nephesh’) with the spirit of man or higher level soul in them(transliterated as ‘neshamah’). Torah observant Jews also possessthe Set-apart Spirit (transliterated as ‘Ruach HaKodesh’), because of obedience to Elohim. Since returning Israelites lost the Set-apart Spirit due to idolatry and Sabbath breaking, they have to be immersed into the name of Yahshua (who came to reconcile them to Elohim & Brother Judah to re-establish the kingdom of Elohim over Israel at His return), to receive it again.

[5] Acts 5: 32, ‘And we (Messiah’s disciples) are witnesses of these things; and so is the Set-apart Spirit, whom Elohim has given to those who obey Him.”

[6] Acts 2: 38 & 39, ‘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. 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.”’

[7] Colossians 1: 15, ‘And He is the image of the invisible Elohim, the first-born (again) of all creation.’

[8]Note those who attended the first Pentecost after Messiah’s resurrection all agreed on which day to keep the day of Pentecost.

[9]John 4: 24, “Elohim is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

[10] John 11: 49 – 52:‘But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish.” Now this he did not say on his own initiative; but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Yahshua was going to die for the nation (the house of Judah), and not for the nation only, but that He might also gather together into one the children of Elohim who are scattered abroad (the lost sheep of the house of Israel).’