Born Again

Born again?

Only a few people today, understand that the fact that being born again is directly linked to the gospel of the coming Kingdom of Elohim. This was also true in the time of Yahshua and as much as Nicodemus did not understand when Yahshua spoke to him in John 3: 3, saying: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of Elohim.”, most people have not ever and do not even now, understand the meaning of these words. How many today know that the Gospel that Yahshua preached was not a message about His life, death and resurrection, as many claim, but about the coming Kingdom of Elohim. Ask yourself: Why have these truths never been understood by most people in the world? The reason is that the spiritual leaders of Yahshua’s time rejected it and because Christianity distorted and maligned it so much, that the whole world has been deceived and totally misunderstands it.

The good news about the Kingdom of Elohim is as Yahshua preached, after His temptation by Satan in the wilderness, as we read from Mark 1: 14 & 15, in this way: ‘And after John had been taken into custody, Yahshua came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of Elohim, (15) and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of Elohim is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”’ The question is: What did Yahshua mean by the Kingdom of Elohim? We know that a kingdom is usually made up of a nation, ruled by a king. We read in the Tanach how the children of Israel became the Kingdom of Israel, under King Saul. In a similar way to what the ancient Kingdom of Israel was made up of the human children of Israel, so the Kingdom of Elohim will be made up of spiritual born children of Elohim. Even so, what does this have to do with being born again? It is vitally important that we get to know the answer to this question. It is also necessary that we find out everything possible about it, since we now know, that only spirit begotten children of Elohim will one day be born again into His Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of Elohim over the commonwealth of Israel, consisting of both the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

The prophet Daniel prophesied about the Kingdom of Elohim after telling king Nebuchadnezzar about the major kingdoms of the world portrayed in the statue of man that the king dreamt about, starting with the Babylonian Empire in Daniel 2: 44, as follows: “And in the days of those kings the Elohim of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put to an end all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.” It is important to understand from what Daniel is saying here that the coming Kingdom of Elohim will be a world ruling kingdom. Daniel further clarifies the connection between being born again and the coming Kingdom of Elohim, in verses 17 & 18 of Daniel 7, in this way: ‘These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. (18) But the saints of the Highest One (the called out ones) will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.’ The word saints, as used here, simply means true believers in Elohim; so we see that this section of the Scriptures informs us that these believers will have to become immortal, to possess the Kingdom of Elohim forever.

Reading from Revelation 11: 15, we see that the coming Kingdom of Elohim will be ushered in at the return of Yahshua our Messiah, as follows: “And the seventh angel sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of YHVH and His Messiah; and He will reign forever and ever.” Despite this and many other clear Scriptural witnesses about the Kingdom of Elohim, Satan and his deceived agents, in the form of false religious leaders, have deceived people to believe that the Kingdom of Elohim is something to be established in their hearts. Groups believing in the coming Kingdom of Elohim only started proclaiming this truth, since the previous century. The reason why this message has not been proclaimed before requires that we reflect on the ancient history of mankind and even before. Whereas it was never trendy to talk about the existence of Satan, the Scriptures emphasize his existence extensively. It is important for us to understand that in the beginning the earth was ruled by Elohim. We see further from Acts 3: 20 & 21, that the Government of Elohim will again be set-up when Messiah returns, as follows: “and that He may send Yahshua, the Messiah appointed for you, (21) whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which Elohim spoke by the mouth of His Set-apart prophets from ancient time.” But, what is puzzling at this time is: Why can’t we have Elohim’s Government on earth right now? And why is it not here right now?

For the answers to these questions, we need to go right back to the very beginning of creation. When Elohim created the universe including the earth at the very beginning, it was perfect and extremely beautiful, so much so that the angels shouted for joy, as we read from Job 38: 7, ‘When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of Elohim shouted for joy?’ Right from the start YHVH planned to create beings that could assist Him in administering the universe. He planned for these assistants or ‘children’, to eventually become like Him, in every respect. Over time they would have His character reproduced in them by His Set-apart Spirit. Elohim started His plan, by creating spiritual beings called angels. They were free moral agents, with the ability to choose between right and wrong, and for many years these angels followed Elohim’s instructions in exact detail. But, one day, a third of the angels followed the archangel Lucifer in rebellion against Elohim, when he decided to take over the throne of Elohim in the third heaven. They fought against the other two thirds of the angels, who remained loyal to Elohim, but, were defeated and thrown down to earth, where they now reside as fallen angels or demons. These angels, who are spirit beings, sinned with full knowledge and as a result could not change once they decided to follow a life of wrongdoing. We read consequently from Isaiah 14: 12 – 14, “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! (13) 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 the assembly in the recesses of the north. (14) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” We are given more detail about Satan’s rebellion in Ezekiel 28: 13 – 15, as follows: “You were in Eden, the garden of Elohim; every precious stone was your covering (or breastplate) the ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; the lapis lazuli, the turquois, 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. (14) You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of Elohim (Elohim’s government); you walked in the midst of stones of fire. (15) You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you.” This universe-wide rebellion by Satan and his demons resulted in the destruction and chaos on the surface of the earth and the rest of the planets, to the condition we find the earth in before YHVH re-created it in Genesis 1: 2.

Genesis 1: 3 – 31 records how YHVH recreated the heavens and the earth, but also how He decided not to create his future children as spirit beings again. Instead He decided to initially create us from physical matter, in His image with creative mind power to think, make decisions, and plan our lives. Again He gave us free moral agency to decide between good and evil. Elohim’s intention was that He wanted us to prove throughout our lives, that we would develop His perfect character and follow His way of life. But, we know that induced by Satan’s lies and temptation our forefathers Adam and Eve sinned. After Yahshua’s immersion by John the Immerser, He was also tempted by Satan as we read from Mark 1: 12 & 13, as follows: “And immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. (13) And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.” Yahshua came to qualify to replace Satan as the ruler of Elohim’s Government on the earth. But He also had to go through temptation by Satan, in a similar way that Adam and Eve was tempted, but different to them, He did not sin.

It is also for this reason, that immediately after qualifying to become the managerial administrator of Elohim’s Government on earth, Yahshua started preaching the gospel about the coming Kingdom of Elohim, as recorded in Mark 1: 14 & 15, in this way: ‘And after John had been taken into custody, Yahshua came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of Elohim, (15) and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of Elohim is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”’ Again this leaves us with the following questions: How was the time fulfilled? And why was the Kingdom of Elohim at hand then, and not earlier? The answer is simple; the gospel could not be announced before Yahshua qualified to replace Satan as the earth’s ruler. But, contrary to what some thought at that time, it was not Elohim’s intention for Yahshua to take over the rulership right there and then. YHVH is dealing with mankind over 7000 years. During the first 6000 years, He is allowing us to experiment with different forms of government; culture; education and religion, thereby letting us see for ourselves, that living life free of His leadership only leads to failure. In addition, Yahshua is coming to set-up a world ruling government with administrators consisting of qualified, experienced kings and priests. Mankind has proven during the past 6000 years that under the influence of Satan, we are incapable of solving our day-to-day problems, let alone ruling ourselves. The governments of the world have proven over the past 6000 years that they cannot ensure peace and prosperity for their citizens. However, they stubbornly refuse to admit their failures, even at this late stage. They are hopelessly trying to work for world peace and to solve the fast changing climatic conditions resulting in global warming and natural disasters! That is exactly the reason why we need to be born again.

But, as mentioned before, the term ‘born again’ has been misunderstood by most people. For lack of an appropriate word, Elohim’s Government will be a ‘Spiritual Government’, by fully converted, Torah observing believers, who will be changed into Spirit beings, at Yahshua’s return. Those born again of Elohim’s Set-apart Spirit will be spirit beings, as much as those born of a human father are human beings. They will be born again at the first resurrection and as immortal beings will enter the Kingdom of Elohim. This is as Yahshua told Nicodemus; flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of Elohim, as we must be born again as spirit beings to enter. Elohim’s plan of salvation requires that we, who were severed from Him because of sin, be reconciled to Him, through the penalty that Yahshua paid, by dying on our behalf. Subsequently to dying for us, He was resurrected so that we may receive Elohim’s gift of the Set-apart Spirit, as a deposit with a view to Eternal life. Yahshua came specifically to bring us from the lost ten tribes back to the faith into which he was born, and thereby reconciling us to the Father and Brother Judah, so that He may be able to re-establish the kingdom of Elohim, consisting of both the house of Israel and the house of Judah, at His return. Whereas YHVH gives His Set-apart Spirit to those who obey His Torah, as is confirmed in Acts 5: 28[1], those of our Jewish Brothers who know Torah and remain obedient to the Father’s teachings obtain the Set-apart Spirit because of obedience, we from the lost ten tribes, who lost our knowledge of Torah (due to the lies of the false religion we started following in our exile), and therefore do not even know what sin is, has to be immersed into Yahshua’s saving name to be able to receive the Set-apart Spirit once again. In addition, after immersion, we need to keep the commandments of Elohim and the faith of Yahshua (meaning Judaism), if we want to be born again to inherit eternal life. Yahshua ascended to the third heaven to become our High Priest, during which time we are being trained and developed, as fellow heirs of Elohim to assist Yahshua in the administration of Elohim’s Government. According to the parable of the nobleman in Luke 19, Yahshua went to heaven to receive the Kingdom, before He will return to rule us from Jerusalem. Whilst Yahshua was on earth, His disciples and others could not understand why He could not set-up the Kingdom of Elohim at that time.

Similarly the Jewish leaders in Yahshua’s time expected Him to take over the rulership of the world, as prophesied about Him in Numbers 24: 17, in this way: “I see him, but not now; I behold him but not near; a star shall come forth from Jacob, and a scepter shall rise from Israel, and shall crush through the forehead of Moab, and tear down all the sons of Sheth (the footnote against this name reads: i.e. tumult).” Nicodemus a Pharisee who believed in Yahshua came to Him in private; because he and other Pharisees understood Yahshua’s message about the Kingdom of Elohim and that it will replace all human governments. Even so, they feared because Yahshua, a Jew like them, was proclaiming the Kingdom of Elohim: They thought that He was planning to overthrow Roman rule immediately, which could result in them losing their power and perhaps be put to death for threatening to overthrow the government. That is why Yahshua clearly told Pilate in John 18: 36 that the Kingdom of Elohim is not of this world, but of the world that is to come. The reason is that it will not be made up of flesh and blood human beings, but of immortal spirit beings. We should not forget that Yahshua told Nicodemus that unless a man is born again from above – meaning that he is begotten by the Set-apart Spirit of Elohim who is in heaven, he cannot enter the Kingdom of Elohim. Nicodemus did not understand what Yahshua meant, witnessed by his question in John 3: 4, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” He obviously knew what it meant to be born as a little baby, but he did not understand the concept of being born again. Yahshua showed clearly that the Kingdom of Elohim will not be something which we as flesh and blood human beings could enter, but confirmed that if we are born again one day at Messiah’s return, we may enter.

To further explain the subject, about being born again, let’s compare it with the birth of a human baby: When a baby is born, it is delivered from its mother’s womb into this world. Similarly will a person being born again of the Spirit be delivered into the Kingdom of Elohim, at the resurrection of the dead. Rav Shaul explained in 1 Corinthians 15: 47 - 52 that even though we are presently flesh and blood beings, we will be changed into spirit beings when we are born again, as follows: “The first man is from earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. (48) As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. (49) And just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. (50) Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of Elohim; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. (51) Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” We see from verse 53 of 1 Corinthians 15 how this change will come about: “For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.” We will only inherit eternal life in the Kingdom of Elohim, after the first resurrection. We continue in the second part of Romans 8: 9, where we read: ‘But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Messiah, he does not belong to Him.’ It is only by immersion into Yahshua’s saving name (as per Acts 2: 38) and after the laying on of hands by the elders (as per Acts 8: 12 – 16) that we receive a portion of Elohim’s Set-apart Spirit. The Set-apart Spirit entering us could be compared to a sperm cell impregnating an ovum, thereby giving us spiritual life, later to be born again as a spirit being. A fertilized ovum is not yet a born human being; at conception life is passed on from the human father (in other words the father has begotten a new life), but at that point neither the embryo nor the fetus is ready to be born as a person yet.

In similar manner a spirit begotten human is not a Spirit being yet. But, we are told in Romans 8: 11, ‘But if the Spirit of Him who raised Yahshua from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Messiah Yahshua from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.’ So it is clear, there is a direct comparison between being born of the flesh, and being born again of Elohim. After a human father has impregnated an egg cell from the mother, the father has begotten the child, but the child remains in the mother’s womb for the gestation period of nine months before it is delivered into this world. In the same way, the process of being born again begins when Elohim gives us a portion of His Set-apart Spirit after immersion, and the laying on of hands. The Set-apart Spirit from the Father combines with the spirit of man (in us) and we are begotten anew, to be born again as spirit beings, when we are resurrected (or changed if we remain alive) at Yahshua’s return. The human mother’s womb serves the function of feeding the unborn child with physical food, so that it may develop and grow physically. After immersion, we also need to grow in grace and knowledge and are fed Spiritual food by those whom YHVH called into discipleship, before us. It is through the guidance of the Set-apart Spirit that our teachers feed us Spiritual food, but, it is important for us to make sure that what they teach us, comes from The Scriptures.

We are told in Ephesians 4: 11 – 15 that after Yahshua’s ascension: ‘(And) He (Yahshua) gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some evangelists and some as pastors and teachers, (12) for the equipping of the Saints (or those Set-apart by the Set-apart Spirit) for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Messiah; (13) until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of Elohim, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Messiah. (14) As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; (15) but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Messiah.’ At Messiah’s return, those of us who died in Messiah will be resurrected, after which those believers, who are still alive, will be changed into Spirit begotten children of Elohim. Yahshua, who is the first born of many brethren, came to show us the way. We read accordingly from Romans 8: 29, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren.” He led the way, thus setting us the example that we too may be born of Elohim, as may be understood from Colossians 1: 18, as follows: ‘He is also head of the body, the congregation; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.’

According to Philippians 3: 20 & 21, when we are resurrected (or changed) one day, we will become like Yahshua, as follows: ‘For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Master Yahshua Messiah; (21) who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His esteem, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.’ The Scriptures confirm that being born again is a process, involving a time element, as much as being born as a human being involves a gestation period. When YHVH begets us with His Set-apart Spirit, we become His children, but we are still human. In similar fashion, when a human father begets a child, the unborn child is already his child. So after immersion we are already children of Elohim, but we still require a period of time (similar to the gestation period) to grow and develop spiritually, but are not born again yet. As a human embryo must grow till it becomes a fetus, and then grow to the point of being born into the human family, so a new believer, who was immersed into Yahshua’s name and in whom spiritual life has been started, must grow toward perfection to be born again as a child of Elohim.

Rav Kepha gives an analogy of this in 1 Peter 1: 23 - 25 saying: ‘for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of Elohim. (24) For “ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS, THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF, (25) BUT THE WORD OF YHVH ABIDES FOREVER.” And this is the word which was preached to you.’ Rav Kepha continues in verse 2 of chapter 2, saying: ‘like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.’ He compared the Spiritual gestation period of a true believer with that of a newborn baby, simply, because at that time, without ultra sound scans and the like, it was not easy to compare it to a physical embryo and fetus. He showed that similar to the way in which a new born baby has to be nurtured to grow physically, so must new believers grow spiritually (as we see from 2 Peter 3: 18). However, when we are born again one day, we shall not be helpless spiritual babies, but perfect spirit beings incapable to sin. We have the gift of the Set-apart Spirit within us, but like a human embryo or fetus, we could still lose eternal life and be aborted. Abraham and our fathers in the faith were like us also begotten of Elohim; they had Elohim’s Spirit within them, but have not yet been born again, as we read in Hebrews 11: 39 & 40, as follows: ‘And all these (talking about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, (40) because Elohim had provided something better for us, so that apart from us, they should not be made perfect.’ Yahshua was indeed the first to be born of Elohim; the first born of many brethren. That was His second birth, as the resurrection will be ours and that of our fathers in the faith. When Yahshua returns one day, all those who will be in the first resurrection (or those alive who believe in Him at His return that will be changed) will be born again, at the same time. Our flesh and blood bodies will be changed to become like Yahshua in His glorified body.

Those who will be in the first resurrection, will be born of the Spirit and as Yahshua said in Matthew 22: 30, ‘For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.’ Marriage is decidedly a physical fleshly union. In the Kingdom of Elohim, when we are born again of the Set-apart Spirit, we will be composed of spirit, not flesh. Yahshua did not say that we will be angels, but will be like them, composed of Spirit. Angels were created spirit beings, not begotten and born of Elohim, as the children of Elohim, as is confirmed by Yahshua in Luke 20: 34 – 36, in this way: ‘And Yahshua said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, (35) but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage; (36) for neither can they die any-more, for they are like angels, and are sons of Elohim, being sons of the resurrection.”’ We will therefore have higher positions than the angels in the Kingdom of Elohim, as we read from Hebrews 2: 6 – 8 (quoted from Psalm 8), as follows: ‘But one has testified somewhere, saying, “WHAT IS MAN, THAT THOU REMEMBEREST HIM? OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT THOU ART CONCERNED ABOUT HIM? (7) THOU HAST MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; THOU HAST CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND HAST APPOINTED HIM OVER THE WORKS OF THY HANDS; (8) THOU HAST PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.”’ At this point it should be abundantly clear, why Satan (a fallen angel) would like to destroy our ministry (and that of likeminded believers) and us as individual believers. The only way in which we from the lost ten tribes have access to the Father is through Yahshua our Messiah. We read accordingly about Yahshua’s death in Luke 23: 44 - 46, ‘And it was now about the sixth hour (12 o’clock in the afternoon), and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour (3 o’clock in the afternoon), (45) the sun being obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. (46) And Yahshua, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, INTO THY HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” And having said this, He breathed His last.’ Rav Shaul explains what happened here in Hebrews 10: 18 - 20, saying: ‘Now therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Yahshua, (19) by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, (20) and since we have a great priest over the house of Elohim, (22) let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.’ The point is that we cannot inherit eternal live, before we died and are resurrected or changed at Yahshua’s return, in a similar way to what Yahshua died to become the Son of Elohim, as witnessed in Romans 1: 1 - 4 in this way: ‘Shaul, a bond-servant of Messiah Yahshua, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of Elohim, (2) which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, (3) concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, (4) who was declared the Son of Elohim with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the spirit of holiness, Yahshua Messiah our Master.’

In closure, we need to understand that, we who have been immersed in Yahshua’s name are already begotten sons of Elohim, but we cannot yet see what we shall be like. But we are promised in 1 John 3: 1 & 2, as follows: ‘See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of Elohim; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. (2) Beloved, now we are children of Elohim, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is.’ YHVH the creator of the Universe is not prepared to give His power over to those who are not prepared to follow him fully. We read accordingly from Romans 8: 14, ‘For all who are being led by the Spirit of Elohim, these are sons of Elohim.’

If we continue to be led by the Spirit of Elohim and grow in grace and knowledge, to become more and more like Elohim in spiritual character, we will be born again as spiritual children of Elohim (else we could be aborted). That is the reality of being born again, which if we qualify will be far more glorious than the false so-called ‘born again’ experiences that many deceived thousands think that they have already had.

[1] Acts 5: 32, “And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Set-apart Spirit, whom Elohim has given to those who obey Him.”