49 Falsehood versus truth | nazareneisrael2house

Falsehood versus Truth.

A while back a now fairly well-known proponent of the Christian faith in South Africa wrote: ‘There are no Hebrew Roots in Christianity.’ He wrote this because of a new ‘so-called’ fad which started about 30 – 50 years ago, where some in Christianity started investigating the Hebrew roots of their faith, which over time started affecting church attendance with a commensurate drop in monthly tithes and offerings made to the church. His mission is to try and stem the effect of this new belief on church membership, and to get former members to return in order to improve the cash-flow into the church coffers.What this man wrote and said obviously upset a number of Messianic Jews and others, who were involved in the movement to get Christians to consider their Hebrew Roots. However, at that time as now, even though I do not agree with anything else this man tries to teach people who have and are leavening their churches, I agree fully with him, that there are no Hebrew Roots in Christianity.

Fact is that most people including those who try to teach especially Christianity about the Hebrew roots of their faith are totally unaware of Messiah’s main purpose for coming to earth. In addition there are many Messianic Jews and like-minded believers who similarly misunderstood the writings of Rav Shaul (the one whom the Christian Bible refers to as Paul) who was personally taught by Yahshua after His resurrection and ascension to heaven for 3 years, as may be seen from Acts 22: 7 – 10[1] and Galatians 1: 11 – 18[2]. But before I go into more details let me add; most people in the western world of which the majority are also affiliated with the Christian faith, have Israelite blood flowing in their veins. However, very few of them know that they were in their distant past related to what is now known as the lost ten tribes of Israel. These truths were not known for many years and true to a prophesy by Daniel in Daniel 12: 8 – 10, those who live during the end time are beginning to understand, as follows: ‘As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, “My master, what will be the outcome of these events?” (9) And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. (10) “Many will be purged, purified and refined; but the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.”’From this it is clear that the prophecies in Daniel were closed up and sealed until the time of the end.

Since we know from the Scriptures that even the Great White Throne judgment period after Messiah’s millennium rule will last for a period of one hundred years, the time of the end started almost a hundred years ago when the founder of the Church of G-d, Mr. Herbert Armstrong discovered the correct Sabbath Day, the annual Feast Days of Elohim according to Leviticus 23, and the eating of kosher food according to Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. In addition the group started by this man began making people aware of the location of the lost ten tribes throughout the world.So even though the prophecies of Daniel were closed and sealed until our time, the wise started understanding the information given to Daniel in prophecy more than 2,500 years ago. But who are the wise according to the Scriptures? We are given the answer in Psalm 111: 10 in this way: ‘The fear of YHVH is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments.’ In a book entitled: ‘The United States and Britain in prophecy’ first published in 1967, Mr. Armstrong wrote: ‘And even most professing “Christians” refuse utterly to do that. No wonder they can’t understand.’ This quote tells us that since Mr. Armstrong put the word ‘Christians’ in quotes, he and the group founded by him believed that there were two types of Christians, namely those who refuse to believe the commandments of Elohim, and those who obeyed Elohim’s commandments.I believed that this was one of the reasons the Church of G-d were virtually ‘destroyed’ after Mr. Armstrong’s death when his group became influenced by nominal Christianity that did not like to be singled out as law-breakers. Fact is that the Church of G-d, like most Christians had it wrong, since the original followers of Yahshua never referred to themselves as Christians, but were known as Nazarenes which was a sect of the Pharisees, as witnessed in Acts 24: 5, 14 & 15, as follows: “For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. (14) But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the Elohim of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law, and that is written in the Prophets; (15) having a hope in Elohim, which these man cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.”Despite the fact that Mr. Armstrong corrected many falsehoods of nominal Christianity, and also correctly pointed out Ezekiel’s prophecy about Christianity in Ezekiel 22: 25 – 26, in this way: “There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her 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 holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.”This is the most serious but correct indictment against Christianity found in the Scriptures, but the point is that our Father does not want us to improve the Christian Church which was based on false premises from the start, but as He warned us in Revelation 18: 4, saying: “Come out of her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins and that, you may not receive of her plagues.”

When Daniel wrote the prophecies in the book of Daniel,King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon already invaded and took the Kingdom of Judah captive during 604 and 585 BCE. The Kingdom of Israel were taken into captivity about 130 years earlier, when they were invaded and taken into slavery in Assyria. By that time the Assyrians together with their Israelite slaves migrated from ancient Assyria northwest into Europe and the house of Israel became known as the lost ten tribes.As Daniel prophesied in Daniel 12: 4, saying: “But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.” Daniel’s prophecy was not a message for the ancient house of Israel, or even for the house of Judah, no, his prophecies were sealed up until our time, the end of time, when people will travel back and forth from one country to another in a very short time, and knowledge about science and technology, but also about Elohim’s word, is increasing at a phenomenal rate. In fact the book of Daniel is the key to the most misunderstood book of the Scriptures, namely Revelation. The book of Revelation put all the prophecies in a correct time order, even though the book of Revelation was also a closed book until our time.

The people of the house of Israel migrated with their captors northwest across Europe, until they reached what is known as Germany today. Their Assyrian captors remained in Germany and they continued into France, Belgium, Holland, Scandinavia and the British Isles. Later some went further on into the United States and as part of the British Commonwealth to Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and North and South Rhodesia. In Ezekiel 20, YHVH first speaks about ancient Israel in verses 10 – 13, saying: “So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. (11) And I gave them My statutes and informed them of My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live (eternally). (12) And also I gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am YHVH who sanctifies them. (13) But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not walk in My statutes, and they rejected My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live; and My Sabbaths (weekly and annual) they greatly profaned.Then I resolved to pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness to annihilate them.”Then Elohim pleaded with their children in the wilderness verses 18 - 24, saying: ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, or keep their ordinances, or defile yourselves with their idols. (19) I am YHVH your Elohim; walk in My statutes, and keep My ordinances, and observe them. (20) And sanctify My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am YHVH your Elohim.(21)But the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to observe My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live; they profaned My Sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness.(22) But I withdrew My hand and acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. (23) Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands, (24) because they had not observed My ordinances, but had rejected My statutes, and had profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were on the idols of their fathers.’Notice carefully! Elohim’s emphasis here on differentiating between His statutes, judgments and Sabbaths and the statutes, judgments and sabbaths of their fathers. Do you realize that ancient Israel must have already at that time observed different statutes, judgments and ‘holy days’ from what Elohim ordained!

When we continue with this astonishing prophecy in verses 33 –38 of Ezekiel 20, we begin to understand that it is meant for us living at the time of the end, in this way: “As I live,” declares YHVH Elohim, “surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm (meaning Yahshua)and with wrath poured out, I shall be king over you. (34) And I shall bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out; (35) and I shall bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I shall enter into judgment with you face to face. (36) As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you,’ declares YHVH Elohim. (37) And I shall make you pass under the rod, and I shall bring you into the bond of the covenant; (38)and I shall purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I shall bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am YHVH.” Now that YHVH is calling us from the lost ten tribes of Israel to return to Him through Yahshua, we need to make sure that we do not fail Him again; else we will not enter to possess the Promised Land with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as an everlasting possession. The expression ‘with wrath poured out’ refers to the seven last plagues immediately prior to Messiah’s return to rule the world from Jerusalem. The point is that every prophecy in the Scriptures show where our people Israel will be at the second coming of Messiah and the coming second exodus back to the Promised land, picturing them in captivity and slavery once again. If you don’t believe this, just consider how the Israelites in South Africa and elsewhere in the world have become slaves to systems where our children cannot get jobs for which they studied and qualified.

The above prophecy tells us Yahshua the right hand and power by which Elohim created the universe (as per Jeremiah 32: 17)[3] is coming to bring the house of Israel and the house of Judah together into the Promised Land when He returns, at which time He will remarry His bride made up of a remnant of members of the house of Judah and the house of Israel, as Jeremiah also testified in Jeremiah 31: 31 – 33, saying: “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. (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.” Notice, even though YHVH will have to remarry both the house of Israel (because He divorced them) and the house of Israel (because He died as Messiah for the house of Israel), He will only write His laws on the hearts of the house of Israel and become their Elohim – because He has always been the Elohim of Judah who remained faithful to Him ever since Mount Sinai.

In a similar way was Yahshua ‘s main purpose for coming to earth the first time prophesied in Isaiah 49: 5 & 6, as follows: ‘And now says YHVH, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, in order that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of YHVH, and My Elohim is My strength), (6) He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”’ When Yahshua first instructed His disciples to go out to proclaim the kingdom of Elohim into the world in Matthew 10: 5 – 8, He specifically said to them: “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.” In fact Yahshua told the Jewish Pharisees in John 10: 14 – 16, that His purpose is to eventually bring the lost sheep of the house of Israel back to the congregation or fold of the Jews to make them one flock with one shepherd, saying: I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me, (15) even as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. (16) And I have other sheep, which are not of this(Jewish) fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd.” We also read a prophecy by Caiaphas in John 11: 49 – 52 that Yahshua’s death atoned for the nation of Judah, but also for the lost sheep of the house of Israel, as follows: ‘But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, (50) 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.” (51) 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, (52) and not for the nation only, but that He might also gather together into one the children of Elohim who are scattered abroad.’ Yahshua later confirmed His main purpose when a Canaanite woman asked Him to heal her demon possessed daughter in Matthew 15: 24, saying to her: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Yahshua was born a Jew and came only to bring the lost ten tribes back to the covenant relationship they entered into with Elohim together with their Jewish Brothers at Mount Sinai

Yahshua’s disciples all knew and eventually after He sent them out taught the same thing as we see firstly in Acts 2: 36 – 39, where Rav Kepha told the members of the house of Israel who were even at that time being called back to YHVH, saying: “Therefore let all thehouse of Israel(all ten tribes) know for certain that Elohim has made Him both Master and Messiah—this Yahshua whom you crucified (because of your transgressions of 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 (Our transgression of Elohim’s Torah); and you shall receive the gift of the Set-apart Spirit (which we as the house of Israel lost because of breaking Elohim’s commandments to the point that we did not even remember what sin was). (39) For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off[4], as many as YHVH our Elohim shall call to Himself.” The last sentence in verse 39 was one of the most misunderstood verses, but has become clear during the past 10 – 15 years. It clearly shows that we should only immerse returning members of the house of Israel whom YHVH is calling at this time, and not Jews who remained faithful to YHVH and His Torah, but also not all those who we would like to save. It is as Yahshua clearly taught in John 6; 44, saying: “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day (of this age).” The point is, if YHVH did not call a believer, such a believer cannot follow Him, as Yahshua explained to His disciples in Matthew 13: 11, 12 and the first part of verse 19, saying: “To you (meaning His disciples, but also us who were called by the Father to become His modern day disciples) it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. (12) For whoever has, to him shall more be given, and he shall have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. (19) When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.’

Yahshua also warned those of us whom YHVH is calling at this time in Luke 14: 28 – 33 that when we are ready and prepared to follow Him, that we need to understand that our calling will embrace every aspect of our lives and will become very costly, saying: “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? (29) Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, (30) saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ (31) Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and take counsel whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? (32) Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks terms of peace. (33)So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.” Yes, Yahshua warned us to count the cost before fallowing Him, since the way we have to walk in is very narrow (meaning we have to keep Torah in detail) as He also indicated in Matthew 7: 13 – 19, saying: “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.(14) For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it. (15) Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. (16) You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?(17) Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit. (18) A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.(19) Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’

At this point let’s get back to those who teach against Rav Shaul, saying he teaches against Torah. In most cases those who insinuate that Rav Shaul teaches against Torah like to site part of the book of Galatians to ‘prove’ their point. So let’s turn to Galatians 3, which false teachers use to malign the teachings of Rav Shaul, and right from the start we see that they are wrong about Rav Shaul, as we read from verse 1 in the King James Version, as follows: “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey truth, before whose eyes Yahshua Messiah hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” Here Rav Shaul asks the Galatians, who fooled them that they no longer believe truth? But the question is what did Rav Shaul mean by truth? If we recall that he was personally trained by Yahshua, and we remember Yahshua’s words in prayer to the Father in John 17: 17, saying: “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth.” So here we have Yahshua’s answer about what truth is – namely the word of Elohim is truth. But, we who are now reading these words of Yahshua in the Renewed Covenant need to also be aware of the fact that at the time Yahshua walked the earth, there was no Renewed Covenant in any written form, and the only word of Elohim that was available at that time was the Tanach (the Torah, the Prophets and the writings). Therefore, it is clear according to Yahshua’s definition, the Tanach is truth, and Rav Shaul was asking the Galatians, who deceived them not to believe in the Tanach any longer. By now, we know who deceived these Galatians. It was none other than the Christian teachers from Rome who sold religious teaching at a price, as per the example of Simon Magus their originator (as per Acts 8: 9 – 11 and 18 -20). Rav Shaul continues saying to the Galatians 3: 10 (KJV): ‘For as many as are (not) of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, ‘Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.’The word ‘not’ in brackets should be included in verse 10, as can be seen from reading the rest of the verse after thecolon.

Rav Shaul also explains aptly in verses 16 – 24 of Galatians 3, the verse most in Churchianity twist to their own demise namely verse 19. As per Rav Shaul’s custom he discusses various parts of Torah in the different letters that he wrote to different churches. In verse 19 of Galatians 3, Rav Shaul is clearly discussing the Sacrificial Laws given in the first seven chapters of the book of Leviticus, saying (from verse 16): ‘Now the promises (to dwell in the PromisedLand eternally) were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He (YHVH) does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is Messiah. (Through Abraham’s one seed Yahshua, YHVH promised to bring the lost ten tribes who have forgotten Torah back to Him and Brother Judah, to once again form the commonwealth of Israel, as the Kingdom of Elohim, when Messiah returns to rule one day, but to also buy back their portion of the Promised Land which they lost because of idolatry.) (17) What I am saying is this; theLaw, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by Elohim, so as to nullify the promise. (18) For if the inheritance (of the Promised Land) is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but Elohim has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.(19) Why the (Sacrificial) Law then? It was added because of transgressions (meaning the sins of the golden calf), having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed (Yahshua) should come to whom the promise had been made. (20)Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas Elohim is only one. (21) Is the (sacrificial) Law then contrary to the promises of Elohim? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life (Yahshua himself said to the Jewish person who asked Him what to do to inherit eternal life, that he should keep Elohim’s commandments), then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. (22) But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise (to Abraham through his one seed) by faith in Yahshua Messiah might be given to those who believe. (23) But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the (sacrificial) law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. (24) Therefore the (sacrificial) Law has become our tutor to lead us(from the lost ten tribes) to Messiah, that we may be justified by faith (in Him).’ Yes, the sacrificial law was our tutor, until Messiah became the Sacrifice for our non-compliance to Torah

So, here we see that Rav Shaul did not ever suggest that we stop obeying Torah, as Christianity teach. We see further that Rav Shaul also agreed with what Yahshua’s main purpose was in Ephesians 2: 11 – 19, saying: “Therefore remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Un-circumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— (12) remember that you were at that time separate from Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel (consisting of both the house of Judah and the house of Israel), and strangers to the covenants of promise (made with Abraham and David), having no hope and without Elohim in the world. (13) But now in Messiah Yahshua you who formerly were far off (A! here Rav Shaul also uses the words ‘far off’ to indicate those of us from the lost ten tribes) have been brought near by the blood of Messiah. (14) For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, (15) by abolishing in His flesh the enmity (the punishment or judgment due to us because of our disobedience to Torah), which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances (yes, the ordinancesis the section of Torah which specifies the punishment due to each one of us for breaking the commandments, Yahshua took upon Him by dying in our place), that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, (16) and might reconcile them both in one body (or congregation) to Elohim through the cross, by having put to death the enmity (our punishment).(17) 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.”Rav Shaul taught and did what Yahshua taught him and never once abolished Torah

Rav Kepha also admonished those who teach that Rav Shaul taught against Torah in 2 Peter 3: 13 – 16, saying very clearly: ‘But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. (14) Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, (15) and regard the patience of our Master to be salvation; just as also our beloved brother Shaul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, (16) as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.’Finally for those who insist that Yahshua did away with Torah we have His own words recorded in John 5: 43 – 47, in this way:‘I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another shall come in his own name, you will receive him.(44) How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only Elohim? (45) Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. (46) For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me. (47) But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?’ Knowing this will allow most Nazarene Israelites to distinguish between the falsehood that Christianity and Messianic Jews teach and the truth taught us, by Yahshua and Rav Shaul. Now, we know how Satan is busy deceiving the whole world (as recorded in Revelation 12: 9). Think about it!

[1] Acts 22: 7 – 10: ‘And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, “Shaul, Shaul, why are you persecuting Me?” And I answered, ‘Who art Thou, Master?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Yahshua the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ And those who were with me beheld the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. And I said, ‘What shall I do, Master?’ And the Master said to me, “Arise and go on into Damascus; and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.”’

[2] Galatians 1: 11 – 18: ‘For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Yahshua Messiah. For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the congregation of Elohim beyond measure, and tried to destroy it; and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. But when He who had set me apart, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.’

[3] Jeremiah 32: 17, ‘Ah Adonai Elohim! Behold, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power and by Thine outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for Thee.’

[4] The words ‘Far off’ used here comes from a prayer that Daniel said whilst the nation of Judah was still in captivity in Babylon as recorded in Daniel 9: 7, as follows: “Righteousness belongs to Thee,O YHVH, but to us open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those who are nearby (meaning the house of Judah) and those who are far away in all the countries to which Thou hast driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against Thee (meaning the house of Israel).”