Exodus 25:1-27:19; 1 Kings 5:1-6:13; John 15-17 (All)
The Parashiot seem to be getting longer, and longer, and longer because from the feedback that we are getting, we are seeing that there is a lot of key, critical concepts that people just are not really getting yet. And it is critical that we get these key critical concepts.
So, we want to cover the material necessary and in this week’s Parasha, Parasha Terumah, we are going to see yet more amazing testimonies and signs that our King, Yahweh of hosts wants us to organize according to certain rules.
And as we are going to see, time and time again throughout this Parasha series, Yahweh orders and organizes His people in order that they might do a job for Him. Because of that, they become not just a family, but we also need to become a nation unto Him.
But sad to say, some of our brothers in Ephraim and some of the Messianics seems like they do not really care. They do not really want in their hearts to become a nation unto Him and that is (perhaps) simply because it is not as easy or free to serve Yahweh Elohim the way He says He wants to be served.
But the thing is this is just basically all part of Yahweh’s built-in bozo-filter in the Scriptures, because He needs some way to separate the sheep from the goats in Israel (so to speak). And if we love Him, then we need to be hearing His voice and doing everything that He says to do, because that is what Elohim always asks from His people; is that we hear His voice and obey everything that He tells us to do.
What we see is that Yeshua said basically the same thing; that there would be a broad easy pathway that most of the people who do not really love Him are going to follow.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 7:13
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.”
And it is a relatively easy and carefree trouble-free pathway, but unless you really love Yahweh, unless you really truly want to serve Him the way He wants to be served, unless you want to please Him, why not just sit in your friend’s living room and share a meal and break some bread and share some insights about the Torah and pretend that you are actively laying down your life to build Yeshua’s kingdom?
The problem is, sitting in someone else’s living room and breaking bread and sharing insights about the Torah and about Yeshua or even worshiping Yeshua, that is not the same thing as actually trying to become like Yeshua and to obey all of the commandments that we can right now. And that is very different than actively seeking to establish Yeshua’s kingdom the way He says we should establish it for Him.
It is also easier to sit in your friend’s living room than to support those who are laying down their lives in order to build Yeshua’s unified kingdom.
The only problem is, Yeshua says the broad easy road that most Ephraimites and Messianics are presently following leads to destruction and eternal damnation; because they knew the Son of the living Elohim, they received His Spirit, but they did not care enough about Him and about His cause to lay down their lives and to take up His fight as their own.
In other words, they say they love Yeshua, but their actions do not reflect it.
Yochanan Aleph (1 John) 5:3
3 For this is the love of Elohim, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
So, when our words and our actions are two different things, that makes us hypocrites.
So, would you like to make sure that you are not unknowingly breaking Scripture, and would you like to make sure that you and your family are walking the right road to salvation in Yeshua Messiah?
If so, then please join us for this Parasha; we talk about how the Torah, the Prophets and the Brit Chadasha (or the Renewed Covenant) all tell us that we all need to remain humble and listen for His voice in everything and do everything that He says, because the alternative is not good.
Ivrim (Hebrews) 3:15
15 While it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
So, the thing we all need to understand is that Yahweh Elohim has always wanted an obedient Proverbs 31 bride for His Son, Yeshua.
Only ever since the Garden of Eden, we humans just have not been getting it; we have just plain been disobedient. All we had to do in the Garden of Eden was to hear Yahweh’s voice and do what He said; that was it. Does that not sound good?
But then Satan showed up and he showed us things that looked good to our eyes and seemed like they would feel good to our flesh or to our senses. And we really like the thought of being worldly wise. Wow, we really go for that!
B’reisheet (Genesis) 3:5
5 “For Elohim knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like Elohim, knowing good and evil.”
So, (basically) our story as mankind is that we are always looking for ways to get around hearing Yahweh’s voice and doing what He says. If we would just do that, we never would have had to leave the Garden of Eden.
But we do not do that. And so, time and again the story of Israel is what? That periodically Yahweh has to raise up a leader to show the people how He wants things done. And then the people obey Yahweh for a while and life gets good and as a result, since life is good, now people feel like they do not need Yahweh anymore. So, why obey Him?
Well, then what happens? Times get hard again, because why? People have turned away from Yahweh and so Yahweh has to get everyone’s attention again. And so, here comes the rod. And this cycle repeats itself endlessly throughout Scripture, except that there is an end coming to it.
And this time, more than at any other time in Scripture, we need to be found doing absolutely everything that Yahweh and Yeshua tell us to do. Or as we show in the Revelation Study, we probably will not survive the Tribulation or Armageddon.
In other words, if we do not obey, then we and our children probably will not make it through to the Ingathering because we are not doing everything we have been told to do.
Hitgalut (Revelation) 14:12
12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of Yahweh and the faith of Yeshua
And it is also because the Tribulation is precisely designed to burn completely out any and all leaven from us. Meaning, ending all false doctrine (or sin).
So, each and every one of us is going to have to learn to grow and change during the Tribulation time frame. But the fact is, we are also going to have to be running as hard as we can just to survive; the default standard of lukewarm is not going to cut it anymore.
And if you want to consider it this way, survival is the new success. If we will do all that Yahweh commands us, then the lives of ourselves and our children will be given to us as a prize. And if we do not do all that Yahweh commands us to do, then the lives of ourselves and our children may not be given to us as a prize.
That sounds harsh, but that is how Yahweh plans to end the cycle.
You know, in times past, Yahweh would raise up someone like a Moshe, or like a Shemuel, or a King David figure and they would lead the people in the way they should go, even when the people themselves had different inclinations.
And so, what happened in Scripture, in Shemote (or Exodus), is the vast majority of Israelites could mess completely up, and backslide, and complain, and desire quail (or whatever it is that they want to do), but the thing we forget is their bones all dropped in the wilderness, and it was only their children who got to enter the land of Canaan.
And now, in these End Times, we and our children get to survive; to go to the promised land, if we will show through our actions that we are going to hear and obey Elohim’s voice, and then do everything He says.
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 5:33
33 You shall walk in all the ways which Yahweh your Elohim has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.
Well, if we do not get out of the lukewarm habit, most of us are going to be vomited out of His mouth. And it does not sound nice, but it is something that needs to be said.
This is how Yahweh plans to break the cycle for the millennium; is that He is only going to allow back into the land of Israel those who already love Him enough to obey all His commandments.
Yochanan (John) 14:15
15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
So, if we understand what is being said, that it is time to obey the bridal covenant and either we are going to do it the easy way or we are going to do it the hard way. Either we are going to make it with flying colors, or we are not going to make it. Or perhaps make it by the skin of our teeth (so to speak).
But given the fact that we need to work out our salvation with fear and in trembling, why do our people not really understand the need to obey Yahweh? It is the same message over, and over, and over again: “Hear My voice. Do what I say.” It is not hard.
Well, given that we know these things, why do our people not follow the way of Torah? Really? Why do they lie to themselves and deceive themselves, thinking that resting and reading on Shabbat; that is enough?
Why do we think that is enough when Yeshua commands us to undertake to build Him a spiritual kingdom in His absence?
Yeshua is showing us a narrow and afflicted path that leads to life, but it is narrow and afflicted; it takes commitment, it takes work, it takes discipline. We must listen constantly for His voice and then we need to obey everything that we hear and not quench His Spirit.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 7:14
14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
And in addition to that, we also need to obey everything in the written Torah, because (really) if you think about it, the written Torah, that is just where Yahweh spoke, and someone wrote down Yahweh’s words. So, it is all about hearing His voice and obeying it (at least in a certain sense).
Well, the thing is, if we understand that Elohim calls us, then why do we respond to Him as if only to get the things that we feel that we need, and that is it?
Did we perhaps forget that Elohim called us in order that He has a job for us to do? That He wants us to order and organize ourselves in order to do a great big job for Him and He expects us to do this job collectively, voluntarily?
Because He expects us to realize this life is no longer about us, right? Because we are bought with a price. So, from this time forward, this life is all about Him.
So, our brothers and sisters in Ephraim are like, “No that is just not what I want. No, there has got to be some way to make this about me.”
And what I am saying brothers, sisters, is if we serve Him and we were bought with a price do we not need to be asking ourselves continually what does He want?
There are so many people that approach the throne and (you know), “Father, thank you for giving me the things that I want. Here is a list of more things that I want.”
It all becomes all about Him serving us. That is the opposite of what we need to do. It needs to become all about us organizing to serve Him better.
So, as we progress through this Parasha series we are going to keep seeing over and over, that Elohim has a whole plan for us as His people, but we cannot handle the whole, great, big grand plan all at once, so He must parcel it out to us.
We are in a little bit here in the wilderness; we are a little bit there, more in the land of Israel. Now, we are going to learn a lot more when Yeshua comes, but we do not really grasp. We do not really understand the whole thing, but Elohim has this whole program for us, that if we will just listen and just do what He says, we can be His special people, Israel, that are going to rule and reign over the earth with Yeshua’s rod of iron.
If we will only learn what it means to hear His voice and do what He says. Or, if we cannot hear His voice (a lot of people cannot hear), then listen to the counsel and the eldership or the leadership of someone who can hear His voice. And (mercy sakes), take advice from someone who obeys the correct doctrine. Do not take advice from someone who tells you to take this page from the Rabbis, or take that page from the Sadducees, okay?
We need to be doing everything that Elohim says to do. Both hearing His voice and obeying His written Word. We need to enroll in His program for us.
And I wish I could share the whole vision with you all at once, but we just do not have time at the moment. But just think about what it is that Elohim is asking us to do; to build a literal kingdom for His Son.
And just think about the promises that He promises to give His people (once they finally learn after 3,500 years to do things His way; to hear His voice and to do the things He says to us to do).
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 28:1-2
1 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of Yahweh your Elohim, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that Yahweh your Elohim will set you high above all the nations of the earth.”
And if we will just do that, He has such a banquet table of blessings for us (we cannot even imagine), but we must do some work; we must serve as the armies of the living Elohim.
Our forefathers, they wanted to leave slavery in Egypt; they were all for leaving Egypt, but then, once they got out in the wilderness, now they had to do some very difficult things for Yahweh. Now, suddenly they had to organize. They had to become an army. Now they must go to war. And everyone had to work together so that the nation could survive.
Well, they did not like that because it was not about them. They only wanted the exodus from Egypt. Our forefathers acted as if it was all about them.
Well, now we see the order and organization being set up in the exodus from Egypt, but now you can hear some of the feedback from the Messianic, some from the Ephraimites saying, “That is all old. We do not need organization. Organizations bad.”
Or what they could say, “Well, organization was cool back in the days of Moshe; and Yeshua might have been good with organization in the first century. and He only commanded organization as we saw in the last few Parashiot, but now that we are restoring the original organized faith, we no longer need to be organized.”
What!? Sometimes you just must ask people to listen to what they are saying. If they could just listen to their own comments. And if they could just do that… Hold on a minute, okay? Let us understand what is really going on here, okay?
Now, if Yahweh commanded order and organization in the Torah and if Yeshua also tells us to organize in the Renewed Covenant, then why do we not need to order and organize ourselves today, since we are practicing the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints, and since Yeshua taught order and organization?
What makes us think that we are going to escape destruction when we do not want to listen and obey? Which is rebellion; which is as the sin of witchcraft!
And we basically have nothing but excuses. And the whole point of the Tribulation is to weed out the tares and to select between sheep and goats.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 13:30
30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into My barn.”
Hello? Is Ephraim-body home?
Do people realize that, in the times that are coming, we are talking about the Great Tribulation (we have read about it all our lives, okay) obedience will be the necessary key for survival? We are going to need to hear His voice and do everything that He says, or we are not going to make it.
Because the point of the Tribulation is to weed out those who do not obey; it says that in all the parables. But the interesting thing about the church and the Messianics is they teach people to worship Yeshua, and they teach people a lot about Yeshua, and they teach people to be patient, and loving, and honest, and giving, and good, and kind; that is like Yeshua, but that is not the same thing as teaching people to walk like Yeshua as a Second Temple period Jew, or as an Israelite.
And the other thing that keeps cropping up time and time again is: Does Ephraim really understand who he is? Does he understand his identity? And does he understand the inheritance that he is called to if he will fulfill his identity?
There are certain promises given to our forefathers, but we still have to walk things out. And the whole point of imitating Yeshua is that there are certain protocols in Yeshua’s walk that show up. Once you do the five-fold ministry for a while, you begin to understand the reason for the five-fold ministry; you begin to understand it is effectively a catalyst for unity.
And if we will obey the five-fold ministry, if we will do what it says with discipline, that is literally going to build a global spiritual government for Yeshua. And if we do that, He is literally going to have us (or probably perhaps our children) are going to rule and reign over the nations for a thousand years with His rod of iron.
Hitgalut (Revelation) 20:4
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Yeshua and for the Word of Elohim, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Yeshua for a thousand years.
That means our children are going to rule over this thing. The only thing is, we must do everything that He says; just like He says. That is the whole point of these End Times.
We tend to follow manufacturer’s instructions and we tend to understand that, if you do not follow the manufacturer’s instructions for a product, you could end up with an epic failure!
We tend to follow the manufacturer’s instructions without even really thinking about it. If it is an appliance, we try to give it the right kind of electricity; we want to make sure we feed it the right voltage.
If it is a car or a motorcycle, we want to use the right kind of fuel. We also want to change the oil and the filters when the manufacturer says to.
If it is a computer; we want to assemble everything just exactly the right way. We just kind of assume through experience that if we follow the manufacturer’s instructions, then our car or motorcycle, or whatever it is, it is going to last a whole lot longer than if we do not. It will be much more pain free than if we do not follow the manufacturer’s instructions, right?
So, then what is it with us and Yahweh? I am talking about us as a people (Ephraim).
I mean, Yahweh is our manufacturer, right? He is our Maker and He gave us a book full of instructions on what He wants us to do for Him, right? He tells us how to assemble, how to organize.
As we saw last week, He sent His Messenger (or His Angel), Yeshua to show us what He wants done and how, right? So, it just stands to reason: If we love Yahweh and if we love His Messenger (or His Angel), Yeshua, then why do we not want to follow His instructions?
You know, when your children love you, they want to please you, they want to follow your instructions. So, why do we not, as a people, why do we not want to follow His instructions?
Why do we lie to ourselves and say, “Well, if we will just rest and read on Sabbath, that is good enough”?
Do we believe what He says when He tells us that if we will indeed obey His voice and keep all His commandments, then that is when we will be a special treasure to Him in all the earth?
Shemote (Exodus) 19:5
5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.
And do we believe Him when He says that if we do not do everything He says, then we will not be taken as a bride to Him on that day, and He is not going to intercede for us?
Shemote (Exodus) 23:21
21 Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him.
The church teaches us to worship Yeshua, but the problem is the church does not teach us to walk like Yeshua, and we need to walk like Yeshua. Because that is really what the faith on Yeshua is all about; it is learning to imitate Yeshua in all things. We want to learn to imitate our one and only Rabbi as best as we can in everything.
Yochanan Aleph (1 John) 2:6
6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also walk just as He walked.
But it is not an armchair spectator kind of a faith. We do not get to sit back and learn from this ministry, and learn from that ministry, and drink from this fountain, and nibble from that feed trough, because that does not bring unity.
Because the thing is, in Yeshua’s world, it does matter what you know, but it does not only matter what you know. Mostly it matters what you do with what you know.
He is not asking us to be little armchair Einstein’s who know everything about Him in the whole world, but we do not want to pick up our burdens and follow Him; we do not want to build His kingdom the way He wants us to because, for whatever reason, we do not really truly love Him enough do we?
Or perhaps we do not really see this as our fight do we? And this is something a lot of people (I think) might have a hard time with, but there is such a thing as a peacetime mentality, and a lot of people have a peacetime mentality.
We need to wake up to this fact because, really, if we are serious about serving and pleasing Yeshua, then what we need to know is that joining Yeshua’s Melchizedekian army is really kind of like joining the army.
I mean, you pretty much go down to the induction station and you basically sign your life away on the dotted line. And that is what you do for the privilege of laying down your life as a civilian in the outside world; so that then you can have the privilege of serving your country by living a whole new kind of lifestyle.
Timotheus Aleph (2 Timothy) 2:3
3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Yeshua Messiah.
You are going to lay down your old life in the world and now you are going to be born again (so to speak) into your new life of hardship and discipline as a soldier. That is what they do in the military.
Timotheus Aleph (2 Timothy) 2:4
4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
When you love your country, it does not really seem like such a great big deal sacrifice to lay down your life as a civilian; to pick up your new life of service.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 16:25
25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
It just seems like something good; it seems like something you want to do because you should want to make a sacrifice for your country. Something in us should want to give of ourselves to others.
Well, and then, of course we learn that democracy is of the red horse, and the whole democratic system is of Babylon, and we are not to give our allegiance to democratically elected governments because they are Babylon. But we are only to give our allegiance to Yahweh and His government because He is to be our One and only King. He demands our absolute allegiance and loyalty in all things.
And He is worth it because He is better than the best we can ever give. So, what is the net upshot, is we just have to run our best race for Him; we just have to run and work as hard as we can, trying to work together with our brothers and sisters. Submitting first to His Spirit, then submitting one to another in the Spirit.
And once we are submitted one to another in His Spirit, then that is when we can begin to build Him the global Melchizedekian government that He wants. Because now we are all submitting to the same Spirit and that really is the very best thing that we can do, and that is what He likes.
And that is why He takes mercy on us; is when He sees that, yes, we are doing the very best that we can for Him and His Son. We are not making excuses, we are not looking for ways out, we are not looking for reasons why we do not need to (things of this sort).
But anything less than running our best race Shaul says that “Do you not know that of all those that run in a race only one receives a prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” Because anything less than that – where is the proof of our utter, absolute devotion to Elohim?
Qorintim Aleph (1 Corinthians) 9:24
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
Now, running a race against Shaul that is pretty difficult, but we need to try because if we do not try to at least do our very best we are not guaranteed much of anything.
So, Elohim is looking for a Proverbs 31 bride for His Son. He is not looking for anything else. And I know there is a lot of positions in the kingdom, but why not (at least) try our best to become His Proverbs 31 bride?
Because if you think about it, that is really what He wants out of this whole thing is a Proverbs 31 bride who is eagerly doing her best to build Yeshua’s kingdom so let us be that. Let us have a prayer, let us have a heart commitment to do that for Him.
Okay, so we have to drop the whole world; we have to forget our past life; we have to die to our old life. We no longer give our allegiances to goy governments and then we do all that we can in a loving peaceful positive way to help Yeshua establish His true kingdom here on earth; working together with all the others.
Yochanan Aleph (1 John) 2:17
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of Yahweh abides forever.
And if you think about it, we and our families are going to be beneficiaries. So, what kind of a sacrifice is it investing in her Husband’s kingdom? Over which we, ourselves and our children, are going to be the ones to rule and reign.
And why are people against this? Why are people not head over heels to get involved in Yeshua’s program? Why are people not excited to build a global government which we and our children will rule?
To raise up a global government for Him; to realize His wish. Yeshua’s dream can come true if we will just get motivated and work together the way He tells us to.
So, if that is what we are supposed to do, why do people not want to get involved?
Well, sadly, just having spoken with so many people over so many years the problem is a lot of your brethren they are still in it for themselves, they do not want to make any sacrifices for Him. They come here only for the benefits.
It is the bless-me-club. “Oh, He saved me! Therefore, I can live a blessed life is that not what He wants for me? No, He does not want us to build His Son’s kingdom, He just wants us to have a blessed life, right?”
No, because it is still all about them and what they want. They are not interested in hearing about what Yeshua wants unless it also gets them something that they want.
And you typically see a lot of people, they are focused on knowledge, they are gleaning from all these different ministries. They are trying to gain knowledge, but they are not doing the things Yeshua wants them to do with that knowledge.
Qorintim Aleph (1 Corinthians) 8:1
1 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
It is like when you go to work. It is like everyone wants a retirement package, but how many people are really trying to do the job the right way to help their employer without getting involved in office politics?
And is it not the same way in the Ephraimite movement? Are there not many who want Yeshua’s retirement plan, but how many of us are putting in the work? And how many of us are supporting and partnering with those who are doing Yeshua’s work?
Yeshua healed the ten lepers, only one came back even so much as to give Him thanks. Not even to say, “How can I help further your kingdom Master?” Just even to give Him thanks.
Luqa (Luke) 17:16-18
16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.
17 So Yeshua answered and said, “Where there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?
18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to Elohim except this foreigner?
Yes, do people not know that when Yeshua returns the kingdom is going to be like a little red hen scenario?
I do not know if everyone knows that children’s story, but there is a children’s story about a little red hen that is believed to come from Russia, originally. But the hen comes across some grains of wheat (or some wheat seeds) and so she asks all the other animals on the farm for help in planting the seeds, and taking out the weeds, and raising the crops, and harvesting the grain, and baking the bread, and no one wants to help whenever the work is needed.
But everyone is right there with their hands out and their mouths open when it comes time to eat the bread. Well, guess what? The little red hen said that no one helped her with the work. So, she and her chicks will be the ones to enjoy all the bread, and do we not imagine that is how it is going to be with Yeshua’s kingdom as well?
Yeshua is going to have certain faithful servants (like He says in His parables) who are doing all the work faithfully. And others who begin to become lazy and slothful. And they get drunk, and they beat the other servants for their own personal gain and what happens to them?
A lot of people (I think) think that salvation is a whole lot easier than it really is. Yaakov (or James) chapter 1 and verse 22 tells us we need to be doers of the Word and not just hearers only. Because to be hearers only, that would be to deceive ourselves.
Yaakov (James) 1:22
22 But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
It is just kind of shocking or amazing to see how most of Ephraim today is basically asking Satan to come into their hearts and deceive them. They are basically asking Satan to come in and rule and reign over them. They want to help build Satan’s kingdom because they do not want to hear Yahweh’s voice and do all the things that He said.
Because then you would have to leave Satan’s kingdom (or Mystery Babylon) and then they would have to organize and tithe and work together with discipline for Yeshua.
And the sad fact is, most of Ephraim is not in it for that. Scripture says, the reason the vast majority of the Ephraimite’s are going to die is they are not in it for what Yahweh wants; they are not in it for what Yeshua wants; they are in it for what they want.
A great, big, horrible surprise await them if they do not repent and wake up.
Ephesim (Ephesians) 5:14
14 Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Yeshua will give you light.”
Do we as Ephraimites, do we as Yeshua’s faithful, do we really think about Yeshua? Do we think about what He wants? We say we love Yeshua; do we think about what He wants?
Because there are a lot of people, they think they are disciples, but they do not seem to even realize that Yeshua has a program that He wants us to work at together here. There is a whole mission, there is a whole job for us to do.
Father willing, hopefully we can share the whole vision, but right now, we are just trying to get everyone focused on doing what we need to do right now so we can survive the Tribulation. But once the Tribulation is done and we are back in the land there is a whole other program that goes on for a thousand years. We could talk about it, but we need to get this one down first.
There are a lot of people, they want to gather in the knowledge. We eat Yahweh’s good spiritual food, but they do not want to do any work.
Can you imagine, you raise children, you feed them, you clothe them, you send them to school, they want to study, they want to learn all the good things. Oh, but they do not ever want to work; they do not actually want to get a job.
They just figured: Well, they have got the knowledge, they do not want to work for Yeshua, they do not want to work for Elohim.
Why do they not understand that Yeshua has a program? If we love Yeshua like we say we do and we truly want to be His helper, His helpmeet as we say we do, then do we spend any time learning about Him, and what He likes, and what He wants?
We want to be His bride and we do not even know what He likes? What kind of bride is that?
If you are a bride and you love your earthly husband, do you not try to find out what He does and does not like?
I mean, do you ever talk with your spouse to find out what he or she likes?
It is like, hello? So, here we are in Ephraim thinking that Yeshua is going to take us as His help meet, based on what? We took the vow, we (our forefathers) swore at Mount Sinai. They said all that Yahweh has said we will do, and we will be faithful, and we will obey Him, we will be a good bride. So, we signed up for the oath, now we are under the oath.
Brothers and sisters, if we believe, then hear what I am saying. If we do not obey everything, we will not survive the Tribulation.
When children are small, they like to ask each other what they want to be when they grow up, right? Do you not, children? Right?
So, like when you say, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and then sometimes someone will say, “I want to be a doctor, or a lawyer, or a businessman.” Or some people say, “I want to be a musician, or a movie star, or songwriter (something like that).”
I know some will say, “Happy. I just want to be happy.” But why do they say that? Why do we not teach our children to say instead, “I want to be pleasing to Yeshua” because one day we are all going to go stand before that great and awesome throne.
Qorintim Bet (2 Corinthians) 5:9
9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.
And if you look at the news, the day of judgment is coming very, very fast. And it seems like the pace is picking up and getting more rapid all the time. And we still have lots more years yet (we talk about that in the Revelation timeline in our study on Revelation and The End Times).
But when we get to the judgment, and the books are opened, and they record what we did for Him with our life, and everything that we failed to do with our life, and we come to the judgment on our life. Did we live up to Yeshua’s example?
None of us is going to be able to stand. I will not be able. Not one – No one. Apostle Shaul, as good as he was, he would not stand based on his own works.
Because no matter how hard we try, we are just not that good. Because that is not what He wants. He does not want us working, He wants Him working in us. He wants us to allow Him to work through us with that connection; abiding in the vine, in Him and us. That is what does the job.
But we must work for Him because when it comes to the day of judgment we are going to be standing there and you will listen: why did you not? Did you read My book? Did you do what I said? Yes, or no?
“Well, mostly I did, but…” not going to cut it, you know? So, all of us are going to fall down in that day and all of us are going to depend upon Yeshua to vouch for us in that day.
Yochanan Aleph (1 John) 2:1
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Yeshua HaMashiach the righteous.
And what we are (kind of) hoping, that Yeshua is going to do, is He is going to say, “Hey Dad. I know this one here. This one I know. Those 4,000, and the 5,000, and the myriads, and the multitudes, I do not know them. They did not work for Me. They came and got fed, they came for dinner and a show. Basically they came to the entertainment, and they left. They are Roman amphitheater material. You come and you have your performance, and you leave.”
“But this one, this one worked for Me. This one tried hard. This one, it mattered to him (or to her) if my kingdom got built. So, I know his history’s kind of messed up, his history is a little spotty. Father, I am going to vouch for this one because he has been trying to do the best, he can to help me set up my kingdom. He invested his mina, so he is worth it. I will vouch for him.”
Because what He wants is a Proverbs 31 bride. So, what is His means of selecting His Proverbs 31 bride going to be?
We are going to review the books in the Day of Judgment and everything we did and everything we failed to do. It is going to be right there.
So, everything that we did and failed to do is going to be revealed and we are going to need Him to vouch for us. And what is the standard that we are talking about here? This (I think) is another thing that a lot of Ephraimites just do not understand.
What people do not seem to understand is the same thing that our forefathers did not understand in the day that Israel was leaving the wilderness. You had a few people like Moshe, like Joshua, like Caleb, they were actually doing their best to serve; to go above and beyond. That is the true standard.
Shaul says that we are even supposed to try to outrun him!
So, it is really that striving to do our very best for Him, that is really where it is at. Because we are never going to reach His standard, but no matter who we are, no matter where we are placed in His body, no matter where we are in the world, we know what we can do for Him, and we know how much time we can make for Him, and we know how much we can help build and support His kingdom. And that commitment is the very first step for anyone who truly wants to survive the Tribulation and become part of His bride.
So, in this week’s Torah portion, we are going to start in Shemote (or Exodus) chapter 25 and verse 1.
Shemote (Exodus) 25:1
1 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying:
We are going to see some more (you guessed it) amazing foreshadows of how Yahweh wants us to leave spiritual Egypt, stop working for Satan’s kingdom and then organize so that we can become one nation, so we can be effective as the armies of the living Elohim. And this is just as He commands the Tabernacle to be one in this Torah portion.
Now before we begin, last week, in Parasha Mishpatim, we saw that Yeshua was the manifestation of Yahweh. Yeshua was the Messenger (or the Angel) that was sent with our forefathers on the way out of Egypt, to guide us and guard us in the way.
And this manifestation tells us, at least three times, to do everything according to the pattern that was shown to us on the mountain. That means we need to be sure to be clear and careful to do things Yahweh’s way.
Now for example, in Shemote chapter 25 in verse 8, again Yeshua, the manifestation of Yahweh, tells Moshe that we should make Him a sanctuary so that He may dwell among us again.
Shemote (Exodus) 25:8
8 And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.
Well, okay, if we back up in the history, the Garden of Eden was a place where Yahweh made where we could come into Yahweh’s House (so to speak) and meet with Him in His House.
But that did not work because why? Because like everything else we did not want to hear His voice and we did not want to do what He said so He kicked us out. That simple.
Well, now that we have been in spiritual time out for a long time now leaving Egypt, now our forefathers get an opportunity to try to meet with Yahweh again. Only this time, instead of going to His House, now we are going to build Him a House where He can come and meet with us.
And then if that all goes well, then maybe (perhaps) the wedding can be back on again. Only, and Yahweh emphasizes this so many times, He says it again and again, and again, and again, we must do everything the way He tells us to do it. Meaning (you guessed it) we need to listen for His voice and obey it.
Ivrim (Hebrews) 3:15
15 “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
Well, someone in Ephraim right now is saying, “Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Not that again. Oy vey, gevalt! It just seems like every time we turn around, Yahweh is asking us to hear His voice and obey it. Who does He think He is, anyway?”
But then in verse 9 He tells us that, according to everything that was shown to us, the pattern of the Tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, we should follow these patterns and make everything just so. So, we should make the Tabernacle just exactly so.
Shemote (Exodus) 25:9
9 According to all that I show you, that is the pattern of the Tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.
So, again some Ephraimites, they are probably wondering “Hmm… Do you wonder what Yahweh meant by that when He said to do everything according to the pattern that was shown to us on the mountain? You do not suppose He is thinking that we need to listen carefully to what He says and to do everything the way He says like He is the boss or something? You mean like it is His way or the highway?”
Well, if you ever have thoughts like that you might just be an Ephraimite. Because then we look, and in Shemote chapter 25 and verse 40. Again, here we have Yahweh (or Yeshua) telling us to see that we make everything according to the pattern which He showed us on the mountain.
Shemote (Exodus) 25:40
40 And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown to you on the mountain.
We have got some more Ephraimites there wondering again and said, “No, hold on a minute here. When Yahweh says, ‘Be careful and see to it that you make everything according to the pattern that Yahweh showed us on the mountain’ are you sure He means that? Are you sure He means everything? What if He just means some of the things?”
Okay, well, if you ever wonder if you ever hear Yahweh saying, “Hear My voice and do all that I say to you to do”, if you ever wonder if maybe Yahweh means something other than “Hear My voice and do everything all that I say to you” then you might just be an Ephraimite.
And then here we come to Shemote chapter 26 and verse 6. And we see something so essential in what seems like one of the smallest of little details.
Now for those of us who come from a Christian background (if you come from a Jewish background, you probably have always been interested in the symbolism of the Tabernacle and what everything stands for, what everything means). Those from a Christian background might sometimes tend to fast forward over the details of the Tabernacle because we are not building a Tabernacle tomorrow and so it does not seem like there is really that much urgency to learn all the sizes, and specifications, and what connects what, but that is wrong.
Because even if we do not build a Tabernacle tomorrow, we still need that information. Because not only does it show us important things about Yeshua, but it also shows us some important things about how we as Yeshua’s body are supposed to organize and operate.
So, here in these, what seem to many people like trivial details about how to build the Tabernacle, in Shemote chapter 26 and verse 6, Yahweh tells us to make 50 clasps of gold and to couple the curtains together with the 50 clasps so that the Tabernacle would be one.
Shemote (Exodus) 26:6
6 And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains together with the clasps, so that it may be one Tabernacle.
Well, that is a very important little detail right there. If we think about it a little bit, who would have thought that Yahweh put such importance on a clasp?
Now, obviously each part of the Tabernacle is important, and each part of the Tabernacle has an important part to fulfill, but do we understand the text correctly, that the Tabernacle is not one until there are 50 gold clasps holding each curtain to the others?
Or does that mean that these 50 gold clasps on each curtain that hold the curtains together – are we saying that is what makes the Tabernacle one?
In other words, without those 50 gold curtain clasps holding each curtain to its neighbors, the Tabernacle would not be one, right?
So, I mean if we think about this, is Yahweh crediting those 50 gold clasps per curtain as being that which holds the Tabernacle together making it one?
Qorintim Aleph (1 Corinthians) 12:12
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being so many, are one body, so also is Messiah.
Those gold clasps are like glue, right? Okay, well, that is amazing. Because when we think about how we build houses, we do not really think about the nails, we think more about the wood. We do not really think about the mortar, we think about the bricks.
So, as we are looking at the Tabernacle, we might think about the Tabernacle curtains, but who among us has spent a lot of time thinking about the 50 gold clasps that are being used to hold the Tabernacle together and to make the Tabernacle one?
Well, we will probably have to talk about the details in another place, but if we think about it, we know that the function of the Melchizedekian Priesthood is to hold all the assemblies together.
Now, as far as 50 goes, now we do not know exactly why 50 clasps per curtain, but the number 50, we know, represents fullness. Because we have 50 days until the fullness of Pentecost, we have 50 years in the fullness of the jubilee cycle.
And while we are on that subject, you will not find a 49-year anything in Scripture, so please let the 49-year jubilee theory rest. It is old, and tired, and needs to be retired. There is no 49 anything in Scripture. As an end product you get to 49 as a step before 50, but there is no end product 49 anything.
So, but really, in the world (if you think about it), we do not really pay a whole lot of attention to fasteners unless it is something new and exciting like Velcro, then we might pay attention to it.
But if you think about the importance of fasteners, we know that no house or no building can stand unless all the pieces are securely fastened together so it effectively becomes one single structure (or one building), because everything is all put together.
We also know that an airplane is held together with hundreds of small little rivets. There is a framework to the aircraft, it is not stable until the skin is riveted on and then they fasten the plane all together by its skin. Well, we know in the case of airplanes and buildings that if someone does not fasten all the parts and pieces together correctly, then someone is going to have a sad face (we do not like that).
So, Yeshua speaks of this same exact principle in Mattityahu (or Matthew) chapter 12 and verse 25. That is where Yeshua tells us that every kingdom that is divided against itself will ultimately be brought to desolation. And that every house (House of Ephraim) and every city divided against itself will not stand.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 12:25
25 But Yeshua knew their thoughts and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.”
So, if you think about this, which of these two do we think Yeshua wants us to be? Do we think Yeshua wants us to be independent, and free, and divided Messianics, and fallen as a House of Ephraim?
Does He want us to be divided so that we fall? No, of course not. Yeshua wants us to be unified; He wants us to be united so that we can stand.
Well, I talked to so many Ephraimites and some people, they say, “Listen I do not know what the fuss is all about. I do not know why you say we all must be unified and united. Just because the Tabernacle was one, why does that mean that we must be one?”
Does Scripture not say that if I am not against you, that even if I do not join you, then in a certain sense I am still on your side?
And that is true in a certain sense; you still are on our side in a certain sense, but it is also not true in the sense that what Yeshua says He wants is for us all to organize ourselves according to the fivefold ministry structure. So that together we can invest our minas and build Him a unified ministry kingdom based on a single foundation of apostles and prophets.
[We talk about that in Acts 15 Order and in the Torah Government study.]
But what Elohim wants is that, together, we are earnestly contending for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. And that is a job we can do so much more effectively together.
Yehudah (Jude) 1:3
3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
So, if you think of yourself as a Nazarene, then are you partnering with us? Because we all together have a great big job to do and resources and manpower (at least they always seem like) they are in a limited supply. Yahweh is giving us opportunities to do things for Him.
But we need to talk about something else first before we talk about what we are doing for Yeshua, first let us talk about our identities. In other words, how do we see ourselves? How do we identify ourselves?
For example, do we perhaps identify ourselves as one of Yeshua’s servants and yet we are not helping our King to build His unified global kingdom? Are we perhaps not doing the work ourselves and we are also not helping those who are?
Well, if we think about it, is that not like the parable of the lazy servant who knew what his master wanted him to do, but he did not do it? So, how does it go for him?
It says in Luqa (or Luke) chapter 12 and verse 46 that when the master finally returns, he is going to catch his servant unaware, and the master is going to cut that lazy servant in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
Luqa (Luke) 12:46
46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his potion with the unbelievers.
Because why? Because that servant knew in his heart what his master wanted; but did not do it. Do we understand that is a gross major violation of our wedding contract; is to know what our bridegroom Yeshua wants us to do, but we do not want to do it?
That is a complete deal breaker right there. How can we marry Yeshua if we are not eager to do everything He says? How do we love Him if we are not eager to keep all His commandments?
If we are not eager to help Him build His kingdom, how is there love if we do not want what our Husband wants, if we do not want to see Him sitting on His throne ruling and reigning, with us serving Him, working as His hands and His feet?
How is that love, to know what Yeshua wants and yet we do not want to do it for Him?
Well, I think maybe part of the problem is that a lot of people do not really take their bridehood seriously. We understand that the Torah is a bridal contract, and we understand that there are certain things that we are supposed to do, and then we do not do them.
If we do our part, if we do our best to obey the bridal contract, He is always going to do the right thing by us.
But if we do not do our part in the bridal contract, if we do not do our part of the Torah, He is under no obligation at all to take us as a bride.
And it says here in verse 47 that the servant who knew his master’s will; he knew what Yeshua wanted, but he did not prepare himself to be of service as a servant, and he did not do according to his Master’s will, he shall be beaten with many stripes because he knew what his Master wanted. He did not care what his Master wanted.
Luqa (Luke) 12:47
47 And that servant who knew his masters will and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Rather, he was thinking about himself and what he wanted and that is a very bad servant. When you are a servant, your job is to look out for your master’s best interests.
And we were bought with a price. Should we act like it every day? Should we make it clear by our actions that we love Him because we are doing everything that we can to help Him establish His kingdom? The concept of stewardship comes into play here.
Qorintim Aleph (1 Corinthians) 6:20
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify Elohim in your body and in your Spirit, which are Elohim’s.
I am not ever quite sure how to mention this, but if we are not setting up Yeshua’s kingdom or worse yet, if we are actively setting up an alternate ministry or an alternate kingdom, then we are doing effectively the completely wrong thing.
Because if we are setting up another ministry apart from Yeshua’s ministry then what that means is we are setting up an alternate kingdom. What it means is we are setting up a deception (or a stumbling block).
And that is why in Mattityahu (or Matthew) chapter 12 and verse 30 Yeshua says:
Mattityahu (Matthew) 12:30
30 He, who is not with Me, is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.
Because we are not helping to build His single unified kingdom. And if we are setting up alternate ministry kingdoms, how is that any different than the Pharisees and the Sadducees?
How is that building Yeshua’s true kingdom? Are we not just distracting people and giving them an opportunity to stumble at an alternate kingdom?
Those who are fragmenting the body with independent ministries, they just need to stop and repent. They need to understand just how not pleasing that is to Yahweh; to have here a ministry, there a ministry, everywhere a ministry- ministry. Saturday Night Fever ministries, passion for half the truth ministries. All these ministries are not teaching what Yeshua wants us to do. And that is because they are teaching us about Yeshua, they are not teaching us to walk like Yeshua.
Amos chapter 3 and verse 3 asks a very important, critical, rhetorical question. It asks, “Can two Israelites walk together (meaning can two Israelites live and worship and serve Elohim together) unless they be agreed?” And the answer is quite clearly: No, of course not.
Amos 3:3
3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
So, if that is the case, then the very first thing we must do, if we must agree with Elohim, is to read and study His Word and to make sure we agree with Yahweh in His Word. Should that not be our number one priority until we are in doctrinal agreement with Elohim?
And in fact, is that not what the Feast of Unleavened Bread is all about; is getting rid of false doctrine which is like unto leaven so that we can be found faithful and not die? Because He promises those who have leaven, those who have false doctrine, they are not going to make it.
And the time for reconciliation is now. It is coming up now, soon, the Tribulation. Just looking at the news every week, things are happening in the news that… And every week the pace gets faster, and faster, and faster, and faster.
Qorintim Bet (2 Corinthians) 6:2
2 For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
So, that is the thing, in Scripture a nation is a group of people that all believe the same way. But you must have the same doctrine, so if we are setting up a different sect with a different doctrine, we are setting up a different nation. We need to not be doing that. He does not like that. He wants one single nation, the nation of Israel. The nation of Nazarene Israel; those who follow the Nazarene Yeshua.
And again, each week in the Parashiot it is the same message: Yahweh is trying to take us out of Satan’s kingdom which is based on selfishness. He is trying to get us to work together to build His kingdom which is based on selflessness.
Because that is the problem. We end up with governments of the elites, by the elites and for the elites at the expense of everyone else. It is because people are always electing the elites to work for them instead of finding out who is Yahweh working through to establish His kingdom?
It is not very popular because selflessness hurts; selflessness costs. If we do not know Yahweh is there, there is no reason to be selfless, there is no reason to be good.
But when we know Him, we want to serve Him, we want to please Him the way He wants to be served. What He is asking us to do is to establish a global spiritual government based on selflessness; we put other people first, put ourselves last. Just like Moshe put himself last. Just like the prophets all put themselves last. Like Yeshua put Himself last.
And when we do that, one day when we truly come together in the kind of union and order that He wants. That is when He is going to give us the power and dominion over all nations to rule and reign in His Son Yeshua’s stead, as His body, as His arms as His hands and His feet.
Hitgalut (Revelation) 20:4
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Yeshua and for the Word of Elohim, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Yeshua for a thousand years.
Now I wish we had time to share the whole vision with you and hopefully, someday we can. But for right now please just pray that Yahweh is going to lead His people to start taking His Son’s Word seriously, because the Tribulation is on us. If we cannot get the need to obey him now, when are we ever going to get it?
Well, what can we say? There is a whole lot of us in Ephraim, we consider ourselves to be Yeshua’s people, we consider ourselves to be disciples. We do not want any discipline because we do not want to have to hear His voice. We do not want to have to do what He says. And the problem is, that is the attitude that is going to get most of Ephraim killed.
As we explain in other places, most of Ephraim is slated to die because they will not obey. They do not want to listen; they do not want to obey. You do not be one of them.
You be one of the good ones who genuinely loves Yeshua and wants to fight Yeshua’s fight, so that when Yeshua returns, and behold He is coming quickly, and His reward is with Him to give to every man according to His work.
That we have some good works building Yeshua’s kingdom. Because that is what He wants to see from His Proverbs 31 bride, is someone who wants to fight His fight; His cause is her cause. She is all in, she is dedicated, she is committed, she has made a commitment. This is what she is going to do with her life; she wants to be pleasing to Yeshua. That is her greatest goal in life.
Now, there are a lot of analogies we can use. Israel is described as a bride; we are described as the armies of the living Elohim. And we know that Yeshua’s body follows the Melchizedekian Order to order itself. And that the Melchizedekian Order is also a spiritual military order.
Israel can be described as a bride, as a family, as an olive tree, or we can be described as a Temple made with living stones. We can also be described as the Tabernacle of David. We know from our other studies that the Tabernacle of David is Yeshua’s global spiritual government which is supposed to increase until it fills the whole world like the stone and the prophecy in Daniel (or in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream).
So, in other words, Yeshua’s kingdom is the Tabernacle of David; the Tabernacle of David is Yeshua’s kingdom, and it is our job to expand the Tabernacle of David as much as we can.
Again, that is the parable of the minas; it is the same thing, just said in different ways, over and over, and over again. We just hear His voice and do what He says to do. Which in almost every case is to establish Yeshua’s kingdom.
Shemote (Exodus) 15:26
26 …and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of Yahweh your Elohim and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am Yahweh who heals you.”
That is the whole point, that is the whole purpose, that is the whole, main precept; do what He says, to build His Son a kingdom. And He gives us the mina; He gives us a safe lifetime and He wants to see what we are going to do for Him with it.
And you know what? That is all we must do! We just must hear His voice, and do what He says, and then keep all His commandments. And if we do that, then He will give us and our children such an inheritance. We are going to rule and reign with Him for a thousand years.
[We have a four-part mini-series on The Tabernacle of David in Nazarene Scripture Studies, Volume Four, and I would recommend that series highly.]
Hopefully we will have time to do more future studies based on the Tabernacle of David because, according to Acts chapter 15, it is basically our job, is to set it back up.
Ma’asei (Acts) 15:16-17
16 ‘After this I will return and will rebuild the Tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up;
17 so that the rest of mankind may seek Yahweh, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says Yahweh who does all these things.’
And that is what our forerunners were busy doing before Nazarene Israel went outside the land of Israel. And then the great falling away into Torah-lessness took place. But here we are. The time of punishment is over and now we are back.
And now we understand that it is our duty to set the Tabernacle of David back up like our forerunners were doing in the first century before things got so rudely interrupted into the great falling away.
Again, we have a study on the Tabernacle of David in Nazarene Scripture Studies, Volume Four, but (basically) this was another tabernacle that King David set up. The Levitical tabernacle had become defiled in the days of Eli and Shemuel, so David then constructed a different Tabernacle which we understand from our studies in Torah Government that the purpose of the Tabernacle of David was to make it so that the rest of mankind could seek Yahweh. Even all the returning gentile Ephraimites who would be called by His name Yahweh-Yeshua.
But if we are going to use the tabernacle analogy, because we are the Tabernacle of David, where our purpose and mission is to set it back up, what is so important about these 50 small clasps of gold? And what is it about simply clasping the curtains of the Tabernacle together with 50 small gold clasps? Why does that make the Tabernacle one?
Well, not to be obvious, but is it possible that the purpose of a clasp is to clasp? And is it possible (I do not want to go out on a limb here) is it possible that the purpose of the clasp is to bring unity? That it is simply the act of holding the Tabernacle together, that is what brings unity, that is what makes the Tabernacle one?
Or what is it about these clasps that Yahweh identifies something seemingly so insignificant as being the thing that unifies the whole thing together?
Well, one way or another, if we think about it, any kind of a tabernacle (a physical tabernacle, a living Tabernacle, a Tabernacle of David), somehow or other, the parts and the pieces of the tabernacle are going to have to be held together. They are going to have to be clasped together or the tabernacle is not going to be together. All the curtains must be connected by the clasps, or the tabernacle is not one.
So, could the message perhaps be that you need proper tight connections to bring about unity, and then you need an active agent to clasp the curtains of the Tabernacle together?
Well, what does this say to us in Ephraim today? Are we willing to hear the implied message in that?
In our studies on Acts 15 Order, in Torah Government we saw that all the various parts and pieces of Yeshua’s body all around the world are supposed to come together and unify on what Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 20 refers to as ‘the single foundation of apostles and prophets’.
Ephesim (Ephesians) 2:20
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Yeshua Messiah Himself being the chief cornerstone
If you think about it, it is kind of like if we use the Temple analogy (or the body analogy), it is kind of like all the parts of the body unifying around the spinal cord, because not only does the spine and the skeleton provide structure and a framework, but it also provides order in that it is also the spinal cord’s pathway for communication.
So, not only does the spinal cord in this column provide structure, but also provides information and communication. And these are, not surprisingly, the functions of the Melchizedekian Priesthood are to provide structure, framework, and order.
And if we will, to provide spiritual leadership and communication; to clasp all the various assemblies together to unify and connect the whole.
When all the various parts and pieces of Yeshua’s body all around the world begin reporting to this single foundation of apostles and prophets or this single Nazarene Beit Din Gadol, that is when we become a single body. That is when we become the unified Temple for Yeshua and that is when He will ultimately bless us, because that will be the time when we have finally understood that we must decrease so that He might increase.
Because it is not about pleasing us, it is not about doing our will, it is about all of us coming together and helping each other along day by day to do His will. That is when He is going to bless us.
And for the Haftara prophetic portion we are going to modify it next year to include all of First Kings chapter 5 and then continue through First Kings chapter 6 and verse 13.
And here in this passage, this is where we read about the building of the first Temple, through King Solomon. And we can easily understand why the Rabbis would choose this for Haftara, but for our purposes, really it is more important to see what Yahweh tells us in Divre HaYamim Aleph (or First Chronicles) chapter 28 in verse 3.
And in First Chronicles chapter 28 in verse 3, that is where Yahweh told David that He would not be the one to build the Temple because David, as good as he was, he had been a man of war and he had shed blood, so he could not build a clean Temple; He would just only defile it.
Divre HaYamim Aleph (1 Chronicles) 28:3
3 But Yahweh said to me, “You shall not build a house for My name, because you have been a man of war and have shed blood.”
So, then in verse 6, Yahweh tells us that Shelomo (or Solomon), he would be the one to build the Temple.
Divre HaYamim Aleph (1 Chronicles) 28:6
6 Now He said to me, “It is your son Shelomo who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father.
And in verse 7 Yahweh tells us that Shelomo’s (or Solomon’s) kingdom could have lasted forever if he had chosen to obey all of Yahweh’s commandments and His judgments.
Divre HaYamim Aleph (1 Chronicles) 28:7
7 Moreover I will establish his kingdom forever, if he is steadfast to observe My commandments and My judgments, as it is this day.”
However, (sadly) as we show in the Nazarene Israel study, Shelomo’s disobedience was the trigger that led the nation to being split in two.
Well, in First Kings chapter 6 in verse 12, Yahweh told Melech Shelomo (King Solomon) that, concerning the physical structure he was about to build for Yahweh, not to place too much trust in it, because really, a Temple is only symbolic.
Melachim Aleph (1 Kings) 6:12
12 “Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgments, keep all My commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My Word with you, which I spoke to your father David.”
Melech still had to walk in Yahweh’s statutes. He still had to hear Yahweh’s voice; he still had to execute Yahweh’s judgments, and keep all His written commandments, and walk in them to do them as his father David has done. That is when Yahweh would perform His Word with Shelomo and give him a dynasty forever.
But it seems like it is always the same thing every time Yahweh tells us just how good it is going to be if we will hear His voice and then do the things He says, but we do not do it. Just going all the way back to the Garden of Eden.
We think everything is going to be just fine, we are going to make up our own way of doing things. And then the correction hits. And even a great sovereign like this is not immune to this kind of thing. Because if the leader of the nation of Israel did not obey Yahweh’s Torah, the nation would soon be split in two.
[If you want more details on that, we cover that in the Nazarene Israel study.]
So, now for the Brit Chadasha (or the Renewed Covenant) portion. What shall we say? We look at what the commandment is that we are given by Yeshua, and we see in various ways that what it amounts to (effectively) is a commandment to build a global spiritual government for Yeshua which will rule and reign over the nations for a thousand years.
And from what we can see, everything is right on track with the timeline we lay out in the Revelation Study, that scenario. We propose everything is moving along nicely regarding that timeline and things are supposed to get a whole lot worse before they get better.
And so, if we know these things, again we keep bringing up the same point, but it is like the same thing that Ephraim keeps hearing over, repeatedly.
Who is it that Yahweh promises to protect? Who is it that Yahweh promised to deliver? Those who are hearing His voice and doing the things that He tells them to do.
It is like, how many times can we hear it and not get it? It is like knock, knock, knock…is Ephraim-body home? How do we not understand what it is He is asking us to do?
Well, then we have Yochanan (or John) chapter 17 starting in verse 21. And in this passage John 15, 16, 17, Yeshua is praying for His disciples before He is taken to judgment.
So, before He is taken to the Kangaroo Court, what Yeshua asks is that His disciples would be coupled together with Him and He in them so that they, what? They might become one together in Him!
Yochanan (John) 17:21
21 That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
And He prays that we all might become one with His Father, just as Yeshua is in His Father and His Father is in Him and Him and us and us in Him. And He prays that we all might be one together in Him.
Notice He does not pray that He can be one with this person, and one with that person, and one with the next disciple, and one with another disciple. That is not what He prays. He prays that we might all be one together in Him. And how we do that is to submit first to Him and His spirit and then submit one to another in His Spirit.
And how is that functionally different than the single foundation of apostles and prophets? It is not, really, because that is what the foundation of apostles and prophets is. It is the group of men who have dedicated themselves to serving Yeshua and so Yeshua puts His Spirit in them, so they might all be one together in Him.
That is why we see the first disciples; they were all part of the Beit Din Gadol. And the reason why is because they all have the same Spirit. And so, because they have the same Spirit, now there is a possibility of all having the same doctrine.
And they need to have the same doctrine (of the same halacha) because they must earnestly contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. That means there is one doctrine, one halacha, for all the saints. That means that we are all to practice just as Yeshua practiced, as a faithful Jew and as a faithful Israelite.
Yehudah (Jude) 1:3
3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
And there is so much more we could say here. But is it not enough just to know that Yeshua wants us all to be one in Him and Him in the Father and the Father in Him and us in Yeshua and Yeshua in us?
Is it not enough to know that we are supposed to be led by a group of men who are submitted first to Elohim Spirit and then one to another in His Spirit?
And is it not enough to know that it is their job to make sure that we are obeying every verse of Scripture in keeping with Yahweh’s Word so that we can then walk together with Him as the bridal nation that we are all called to be?
If we love Yeshua, let us pray and ask Yahweh to show us what it is that He wants from us. And then let us realize He has already commanded us to go into all nations and immerse true disciples for Him. And that being true disciples, they need to be eager to do everything Yeshua tells us to do.
Anything less than that, Yeshua is a King, He considers it treason. And Yeshua wants (especially) all His servant leaders to be there together with Him so His body might be led by Him and His Spirit.
Well, the question of leadership is a very important question. We know from our studies that Yeshua was the Pesach. And as we saw in Shemote chapter 12 in verse 46, not even one of the Pesach’s bones was to be broken.
Shemote (Exodus) 12:46
46 In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones.
If we are willing to hear it and we have ears to hear, that means that not a bone in Yeshua’s body was to be broken. The bones represent the servant leadership because the servant leadership provides structure and direction. And if the bones (or the leadership) are broken, well how does the body function?
So, does this not say that what is really the requirement is that we should not have any broken leadership within Yeshua’s body? That we should not have any leadership in Ephraim that does not hear Yahweh’s voice and seek to obey it. Because there are blind leaders of the blind out there, most of them are going to fall into a ditch.
Is it not the best thing to do really, just to leave them alone?
He who has ears let him hear.
Let us do what our King wants us to do.
Shabbat Shalom.