36 The two resurrections in Ezekiel 37

The two resurrections in Ezekiel 37.

We read about the elementary principles of our Nazarene Jewish faith in Hebrews 6: 1 & 2, in this way: ‘Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Messiah, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward Elohim, (2) of instruction about washings, and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.’ There are basically three main resurrections discussed in the Scriptures, namely:

The resurrection of Messiah;
The first resurrection; and
The second resurrection.

Whilst Messiah’s resurrection is the most important resurrection, the book of Ezekiel discusses only the first and second resurrections of human beings, but we will also touch on Messiah’s resurrection as an example how true believers in Messiah will be resurrected at His return to earth.

We commence reading from Messiah’s teaching in Luke 14: 12 - 14, where He spoke a parable to the invited guests, saying: “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and repayment come to you. (13) But when you give a reception (Passover or at the Feast of Tabernacles), invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, (14) and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” But, what is the ‘resurrection of the righteous?’ When and how will it happen? We read about how Lazarus, the one whose sister Miriam anointed Messiah’s feet, fell ill and died in John 11. We pick the account up in verses 23 – 26, where Yahshua said to Martha (Miriam’s sister): “Your brother shall rise again.” (24) Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” (25) Yahshua said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, (26) and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” If we believe in Yahshua, even though we are unconscious after death, the spirits in us will never die.

The Sadducees of Yahshua’s time were different from other Jews in that they did not believe in the resurrection and tried to ask Him a trick question about it in Luke 20. They related to Him how according to Torah, if a man dies before he has children with his wife, his younger unmarried brother is obliged to marry his wife to raise offspring for his brother’s name. However, in trying to get their point across, they told Yahshua that in this case after the brother married his brother’s wife he also died, and the next brother married the first brother’s wife. This continued until all seven of the brothers of the first husband in turn married their brother’s wife and finally the woman also died. They then posed their question in verses 33, saying: “In the resurrection therefore, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife.” Yahshua answered them in verses 34 – 38, saying: ‘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 anymore, for they are like angels, and are sons of Elohim, being sons of the resurrection. (37) But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls YHVH THE ELOHIM OF ABRAHAM, AND THE ELOHIM OF ISAAC, AND THE ELOHIM OF JACOB. (38) Now He is not the Elohim of the dead, but of the living; for all live to Him.’ This clearly shows that angels who were created in their millions were not made to procreate and could therefore not have marital relations with people, and similarly when we are resurrected one day, we will not have marital relations any longer. Do you believe Messiah in this regard, or do you believe material ‘written’ by personalities mentioned in the Scriptures?

We know that even though the spirits that are in all men go back to the Father when people die, as is confirmed in Ecclesiastes 12: 7, only the spirits of righteous men and those who were justified in Messiah’s blood and were immersed in His saving name, will be made perfect whilst in heaven, as confirmed in Hebrews 12: 23, as follows: ‘to the general assembly and the congregation of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to Elohim, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect.’ Immersion in the name of Yahshua and the laying on of hands by a teaching elder is a prerequisite for obtaining the Set-apart Spirit, which is the key to eternal life for returning Israelites from the lost ten tribes, as is confirmed in Romans 8: 11, in this way: ‘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.’ Mankind consists of three main component parts, namely bodies, souls and spirits; the soul of man is his life, and once a returning Israelite (or believing Gentile) is immersed into the saving Name of Yahshua Messiah, he is given a portion of the Set-apart Spirit as witnessed in Ephesians 1: 13 & 14, as follows: ‘In Him (meaning Messiah), you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Set-apart Spirit of promise, (14) who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of Elohim’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.’ The Set-apart Spirit merge with the spirit in man, and the man’s soul or life, reflects the Spirit in him. In fact, we understand from Hebrews 4: 12 that the spirit in man and his soul is so closely intertwined, that one can only determine and judge the thoughts and intentions of his heart by means of the word of Elohim (the Scriptures). The Set-apart Spirit slowly but surely leads the new believer to repentance as he/she attends weekly Sabbath services with the teaching elder who immersed him/her, and grows in grace and knowledge of the faith once delivered to the original disciples; learning more about Elohim’s will and develops His righteous character by making decisions in conformance with His will, for the remainder of his/her life on earth. When a believer dies, his body is buried, whilst his life (soul) comes to an end, and his spirit, which combined with the portion of the Set-apart Spirit given at immersion, goes back to the Father who gave it. Then when Messiah returns to rule the world from Jerusalem, He will return the believer’s Set-apart Spirit and resurrect the believer’s body to eternal life, at which time all three component parts will be complete again as confirmed in first Thessalonians 5: 23, in this way: ‘Now may the Elohim of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Master Yahshua Messiah.’

Immersion is vitally important since it shows the believer’s commitment to want know more about the true gospel of the coming kingdom of Elohim and His salvation truth. We read about the meaning and benefits to be had by being immersed from Romans 6: 3 – 7 & 12 – 16, 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, (6) knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; (7) for he who has died is freed from sin. (12) Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, (13) and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to Elohim as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to Elohim. (14) For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace. (15) What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! (16) Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?’ So, we see that sin and righteousness are two opposites. Righteousness is defined in the 2nd part of Psalm 119: 172, as follows: ‘For all Thy commandments are righteousness.’ Jews who always remained faithful to Elohim because they knew and obeyed the Torah teachings from the time our forebears received it as a covenant between YHVH and them, have been given the Set-apart Spirit of Elohim[1], because of obedience (as per Acts 5: 32[2]). Similarly have those of the ten lost tribes and others whom YHVH called 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[3]), 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, but those millions of people who never heard or believed Elohim’s true gospel, and never knew the true Messiah in their lives on earth, will be resurrected as human beings in the second resurrection, since they did not have Elohim’s Spirit within them, yet.

Yahshua our Messiah came to show us from the lost ten tribes, how to return to the Father, to be born again as Spirit beings, as He became when He was resurrected. According to Colossians 1: 18 He is the first ‘human being’ to be born again from the dead, 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.’ It is then also for this reason that we read from Romans 8: 28 – 30: ‘And we know that Elohim causes all things to work together for good to those who love Elohim, to those who are called according to His purpose. (29) For 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; (30) and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.’ Those of us who remain faithful to the end, when Messiah returns or when we die, will be glorified when we are either changed or resurrected at His return, and given of His Shekinah glory as a covering - the covering man had before Adam and Eve sinned. It is no wonder that King David who fully understood these truths many years ago, wrote in Psalm 17: 15, saying: ‘As for me, I shall behold Thy face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Thy likeness when I awake.’

We read about Yahshua’s resurrection from first Corinthians 15: 20 – 23, in this way: ‘But now Messiah has been raised from the dead, the first fruit(s)[4] of those who are asleep. (21) For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. (22) For as in Adam all die, so also in Messiah all shall be made alive. (23) But each in his own order; Messiah the first fruit(s) after that those who are Messiah’s at His coming.’ This clearly tells us that as Messiah was resurrected, so those who died in Messiah will also be resurrected. Rav Shaul continues in verse 35 – 44 asking a few questions in his normal fashion and continues to answer them, as follows: ‘But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” (36) You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; (37) and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. (38) But Elohim gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. (39) All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. (40) There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. (41) There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. (42) So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; (43) it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; (44) it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.’ Yahshua our Messiah was telling Nicodemus this in a discussion with him in John 3: 3 – 8, saying: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of Elohim.” (4) Nicodemus said to Him, “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?” (5) Yahshua answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit (meaning immersed in water and given the Set-apart Spirit), he cannot enter into the kingdom of Elohim. (6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (7) Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ (8) The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Yahshua was essentially saying to Nicodemus that only those who will be born again as Spirit beings will have rulership positions in Elohim’s Kingdom.

Rav Shaul makes this a little clearer in first Corinthians 15: 48 – 53, saying: ‘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 (to inherit the kingdom of Elohim means to inherit it like Yahshua did – it means to become a co-ruler with Him); 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 (in Messiah[5]) will be raised imperishable (as Spirit beings), and we (who will still be alive at His return) shall be changed. (53) For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.’ We see from Hebrews 11: 32 – 35, that those in Messiah who will be resurrected at His return will be in a better resurrection, as follows: ‘And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, (33) who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, (34) quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. (35) Women received back their dead by resurrection; and other were tortured, not accepting their release, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection.’

Those first fruits whom YHVH is calling at this time will together with righteous Torah observant Jews (who will accept Him at His return – as per Zechariah 12: 7 – 10, when He will give them the Spirit of grace and they are given eternal life as His eternal priests) get positions of rulership in the coming Kingdom of Elohim, since we are at this time required to overcome in much more difficult circumstances, under continues interference from Satan. Rav Shaul confirmed this in Revelation 20: 4 & 6, saying: And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them[6]. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Yahshua and because of the word of Elohim, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; 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.’

The children of the first fruit priests and the great multitude who survive the great tribulation, will because they will recall when we proclaimed the good news about the coming kingdom of Elohim to them before, repent earnestly in fear of their very lives as we read from the following two Scriptural witnesses: (a) Isaiah 61: 6 – 9: ‘But you will be called the priests of YHVH; you will be spoken of as ministers of our Elohim. You will eat the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. (7) Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, and instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, everlasting joy will be theirs. (8) For I, YHVH, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; and I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. (9) Then their offspring will be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples. All who see them will recognize them because they are the offspring whom YHVH has blessed.’ And (b) Revelation 7: 9 – 14: ‘After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands. (14) And I said to him, “My master, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”’ These people will learn the additional salvation truths they require during the millennium, without Satan’s presence and will also be changed into spirit beings with the passing of time.

The prophet Ezekiel prophesied about the coming together of the house of Judah and the house of Israel prior to Messiah’s return and into the millennium from Ezekiel 37 : 15 - 28 as follows: ‘The word of YHVH came again to me saying, (16) And you, son of man, take to yourself one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.’ (17) Then join them for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. (18) And when the sons of your people speak to you saying, ‘Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?’ (19) say to them, ‘Thus says YHVH, “Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.” (20) And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. (21) And say to them, ‘Thus says YHVH Elohim, “Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; (22) and I will make them one nation in their land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be divided into two kingdoms. (23) And they will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their Elohim. (24) And My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances, and keep My statutes, and observe them. (25) And they shall live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons, and their sons’ sons, forever; and David My servant shall be their prince forever. (26) And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. (27) My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their Elohim, and they will be My people. (28) And the nations will know that I am YHVH who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.’

Those in the second resurrection will be resurrected as flesh and blood human beings after Messiah’s millennial rule is over, as witnessed in the first part of Revelation 20 : 5 as follows: ‘The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.’ Ezekiel also prophesied about this physical resurrection in Ezekiel 37: 1 – 14, saying: ‘The hand of YHVH was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of YHVH and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. (2) And He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. (3) And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O YHVH Elohim, Thou knowest.” (4) Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of YHVH.’ (5) Thus says YHVH Elohim to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. (6) And I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin, and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am YHVH.’ (7) So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. (8) And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew, and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. (9) Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says YHVH Elohim, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.”’’ (10) So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life, and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. (11) Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.’ (12) Therefore prophesy, and say to them, ‘Thus says YHVH Elohim, “Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. (13) Then you will know that I am YHVH, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. (14) “And I will put My Spirit within you, and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, YHVH, have spoken and done it,” declares YHVH.’

The second resurrection is a resurrection to judgment; Yahshua spoke about this period during which people from all ages will be resurrected at the same time in Matthew 11: 21 & 22 saying: ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, ‘Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. (22) Nevertheless I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.’ The people to whom Yahshua spoke in this section of the Scriptures will be judged more severely because they already knew and witnessed most of the truths, but did not believe. This Great White Throne judgment will last for one hundred years as we read from Isaiah 65: 17 -20, in this way: ‘For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. (18) But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing, and her people for gladness. (19) I will also rejoice in Jerusalem, and be glad in My people; and there will no longer be heard in her the voice of weeping and the sound of crying. (20) No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his days; for the youth will die at the age of one hundred and the one who does not reach the age of one hundred shall be thought accursed.’

YHVH is a merciful Elohim and will not judge people before ensuring that they are taught His salvation truths as witnessed in Revelation 20: 11 & 12 as follows: ‘And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. (12) And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.’ The books spoken about in verse 12 are the books of the Scriptures which will be opened to the understanding of those who died without ever knowing Torah and/or believed in Yahshua. YHVH will open their minds in a similar way to how Yahshua opened the Scriptures to the understanding of His disciples after His resurrection in Luke 24: 44 & 45, in this way: ‘These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. (45) Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.’

YHVH is not going to resurrect people just to kill them immediately afterwards; He will first ensure that they are taught His salvation truths, after which they will like those of us who are having our chance during this age (‘today’), get an opportunity to make an informed decision to follow Him or not. We see from Isaiah 25: 7 & 9 that most of them will at that time be converted to Elohim’s way, as follows: ‘And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, even the veil which is stretched over all nations. (8) He will swallow up death for all time, and YHVH Elohim will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; for YHVH has spoken. (9) And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our Elohim for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is YHVH for whom we have waited; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”’ King David speaks about this time after the Great White Throne judgment period, when even those who sinned during this lifetime and could not keep their souls alive, will eventually worship YHVH our Elohim in Psalm 22: 27 – 29 saying: ‘All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to YHVH, and all the families of the nations will worship before Thee. (28) For the kingdom is (YHVH)’s, and He rules over the nations. (29) All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship, all those who go down to the dust will bow before Him, even he who cannot keep his soul alive.’

Those who accept YHVH at that time, will be changed into spirit beings and those of us who sinned with full knowledge, will be in the second resurrection to die the second death, together with those who after learning the truth during the millennium, or the 100 year period of judgment after the millennium and decide not to follow YHVH, will be burnt to ashes as described in Malachi 4: 1 as follows: ‘For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,’ says YHVH of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” The scene described in Isaiah 25: 8 above, will occur when death and Hades will be thrown into the lake of fire as Rav Yochanan also described in a vision in Revelation 20: 14 & 15, saying: ‘And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. (15) And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.’

As we keep the Last Great Day of the Feast after the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles yearly, we are reminded about the wonderful opportunity open to those of our family who never knew the truth and get to understand (YHVH)’s plan of Salvation in its entirety, when we will one day see the New Jerusalem coming out of heaven as we read from Revelation 21: 1 – 3 as follows: ‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. (2) And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from Elohim, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. (3) And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of Elohim is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and Elohim Himself shall be among them.”’ I hope and pray that this will give you all a clearer picture of (YHVH)’s plan of Salvation for all mankind depicted in His annual Holy Days. Halleluyah!

[1] Jews like all men have souls (transliterated as ‘nephesh’ in Hebrew) and the spirit in man (transliterated as ‘neshamah’ or higher level soul), but in the case of Torah observant Jews containing the Set-apart Spirit (transliterated as ‘Ruach’). Since returning Israelites lost the Set-apart Spirit due to disobedience to Torah, they have to be immersed into the name of Yahshua (who came specifically to reconcile them to Elohim & Brother Judah to eventually re-establish the kingdom of Elohim over Israel), to receive the Set-apart Spirit.

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

[3] 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.”’

[4] This should be first fruit, not first fruits as the Greek word arpache’ from which this is translated denotes only one.

[5] First Thessalonians 4: 16, “For YHVH 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.”

[6] Those in the first resurrection will assist Messiah to Judge the world as we read from the first part of 1 Corinthians 6: 2, as follows: ‘Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world?’