Fulfilling Torah Ministries

December 13, 2014 Shabbat Bible Study

©2014 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries

Year 2 Shabbat 37 – 17Dec2011

Vayikra 16:1-34 – Yechezkel 22:1-16 – Tehellim 81 – Yehuda 1:6-21

Links:

http://www.agapebiblestudy.com/documents/The%20Significance%20of%20Numbers%20in%20Scripture.htm

www.wisdomintorah.com/is-islam-the-beast/

 

 

Vayikra 16:1-5 – V.1 gives us a ‘time stamp’ for this chapter, “After the death of Nadav and Avihu”. This does not necessarily mean that everything in ch.11-15 occurred or was received between their deaths and now. It only means that what we see here needs to be seen in light of their deaths, and that what Y’hovah commands is done so that no other priests die needlessly or due to priests THINKING they are doing what he wants. I think that this is what Paul later called a ‘doubtful disputation’ (Rom.14.1, KJV). There is no doubt, if one is obeying the Word of Y’hovah, but when one presumes that he knows without consulting his Word he may be taking his life into his own hands. Since this chapter is about the Yom Kippur service, the implication is pretty strong that the Yom Kippur service is at least partially related to N’s & A’s sin of presumption.

The Kohen Gadol is not to presume to enter the Holiest of all at just any time he thinks is appropriate, possibly because it was he who had fashioned the golden calf before which Israel sinned (also a sin of presumption, IMO, as well as a sin of commission). And perhaps that is why he had to bring a bull of his own to atone for himself and his own family before he could approach before Y’hovah as the people’s advocate. The rabbis say that the offering for his own family was purchased from his own funds, while the goats of atonement were purchased from congregational funds, and this makes sense. Since the Hebrew letter Aleph is the first, and in the paleo-Hebrew pictograph represents the head of a bull (strong leadership), it also makes sense that the Kohen Gadol must, as the religious leader of the nation, lead the people by example and offer his bull of atonement first, before the people’s goat of atonement. He was also to bring a burnt, or freewill, offering of his own as a sweet savour before Y’hovah.

He had to put on the linen vestments to offer the atonement. Schottenstein’s Chumash has an interesting commentary on this on pp.108-109. He immersed himself in a mikvah each time he changed garments – 5 times, and had to wash his hands and feet BEFORE he touched the new set of vestments for a total of 10 hand washings and 5 full mikvoth – 10 symbolizes ordinal perfection (10 commandments, etc) and 5 symbolizes Ruach’s grace and power to the believer. V.4 tells us the priest wears white linen vestments (בגדי לבן – bigdei lavan) to perform the atonement, and there are 4 separate linen garments; the britches, the coat, the girdle and the mitre. Also, the High Priest’s ‘gold vestments’ (בגדי זהו – bigdei zahav) are 8 in number, 4 with gold (the breastplate, the ephod, the woven girdle and the plate on the mitre that said קדש ליהוה – kadosh l’Y’hovah) and 4 without gold (linen britches, mitre, robe of the ephod and the laces that held the plate to the mitre (Ex.28). The number 4 symbolizes the creative works of Y’hovah℘. The number 8 symbolizes ‘new beginnings’. The atonement is what creates the ‘new creature’ that Paul speaks of in:

Therefore if any man be in Moshiach, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (II Corinthians 5:17)

For in Moshiach Yeshua neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. (Galatians 6:15)

The priest took the kids from the people and placed them at the northwest corner of the altar of burnt offering to await the choice of Y’hovah and the atonement for the people. Q&C

 

Vv.6, 11-14– All of the sin and burnt offerings are whole burnt offerings. None of these offerings were eaten by the priest or the people. First Aharon (or his successor) offered the bull for his and his family’s sins. The sin offering was for inadvertent sins or those committed against a lesser commandment while in pursuance of a greater one. If the Kohen Gadol committed a willful sin he was removed from his office, either by his own volition or death. Since there were only 10 high priests from Egypt to Solomon, the average length of time in office was around 50 years, and that includes the 37-38 years that Aharon himself filled the office. There is no record in scripture of a High priest resigning or dying prematurely, so chances of any of them having committed willful sin is pretty slim. [This supports my contention that Hebrews was written to priests who believed in Moshiach Yeshua and were considering return to the sacrificial service. It explains the numbered sound bite in Heb.10.26-29 after the subject matter of 7.1-10.15.] From Solomon to Babylon (mid 900s-587 BCE) there were 12 more high priests, for an average length in office of 35 years. I think it is safe to assume that willful sin was not something they did. Eli’s sons, Hophni and Pinchas, never got to fill the office because of their less than sterling character, and Eli was taken almost immediately after receiving notice of their deaths, perhaps for allowing Y’hovah’s Name to be dragged through the mud by his sons. Y’hovah could not allow an habitual sinner to represent him to his people. So there was no trespass offering for the high priest or his family. A High Priest’s willful sin brought the death sentence before it could infect the body of Moshiach, the people of Yisrael.

The manner of the sin offerings is given in Ex.29 (12Jul2013 Study) and Lev.4 (4Oct2014 Study), so there is no need to hit on the details again. The order HAD to go like this (though it is not apparent in our passage): Aharon would mikvah and put on the linen vestments (v.4). Then he would take the censer and place the fire from the altar in it and place the incense on the coals (vv.11-13), and place the censer with the smoke gushing out behind the veil, which I assume means between the incense altar and the mercy seat. He knew where that was because the poles that had been drawn partially out of the rings on the mercy seat made a bulge in the veil directly behind the incense altar. The smoke filled the Holiest of all presumably so that Aharon would not look directly on the kavod of Y’hovah. Aharon would verbally confess his and his family’s sins as he slaughtered the bull, catching its blood in a basin to offer for their sins. See Schottenstein’s Chumash pg.109-110 for the preface on confession. On this day ONLY he was to take of the blood of the bull to sprinkle 7 times on the east side of the mercy seat. Aharon entered behind the veil to sprinkle the blood of the bull for his and his family’s sins.

Next, he would go out to the ‘holy place’ designated to kill the offerings (Lev.14.13) near the northeast corner of the altar of burnt offering where the goats awaited (v.5, 8-10, 15). He brought the goats to the door of the tent of meeting, where he cast lots for the goat for Y’hovah and the goat for Azazel (according to Josephus, until the year that Yeshua was killed, the lot for Y’hovah ALWAYS was miraculously drawn first and the lot for Azazel was miraculously drawn second. After his death and resurrection it NEVER was drawn in the proper order again, signifying to me [and Josephus] that Yeshua is who he claimed to be – Moshiach ben Yoseph.) Then Aharon would (vv.15-19) slaughter Y’hovah’s goat and bring its blood to sprinkle it for the nation’s atonement in the same manner as he had the bull’s blood for his own atonement. He would apply the blood of the bull and goat to the altar of burnt offering (the holy place we alluded to earlier) and the tent of meeting to cover the sins, iniquities and transgressions of the people and make a new beginning for the nation in the eyes of Y’hovah.

Then he brought the live goat for Azazel and lay both of his hands on that goat (for both houses, Ephraim and Yehuda?) and confessed all the sins, iniquities (lawlessness) and transgressions of Yisrael, placing them on the head of the goat for Azazel, and sent the goat by a ‘fit man’ into the wilderness. This ‘fit man’ is symbolic of Moshiach, who took our sins, iniquities and transgression as far from us as the east is from the west.

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalms 103:12)

Noone else by Moshiach could be fit for the task.

As the fit man was carrying our sins away for us, Aharon would go out for his 2^nd mikvah and exchange the linen for the gold vestments, leaving the linen behind in the holy place in the tent of meeting. Then he would offer the burnt offerings on the altar as well as the fat of the sin offering. Q&C

 

About that time, the fit man was returning and doing his own mikvah and washing his clothes and re-entering the camp. Please notice that the fit man was NOT defiled until evening, even after having carried all the sins of Yisrael as far as the east is from the west and, according to the rabbi’s tradition, dispatching the goat by throwing him off a craggy cliff (Mic.7.19, “depths of the sea”) to ensure that it wouldn’t return to the camp. By this time, Aharon is finished with the sin and burnt offerings. It seems that another man COULD have taken the carcasses of the bull and goat out of the camp, but it could ALSO have been the same fit man who had taken the goat of Azazel out and had mikvah’d and come back into the camp undefiled. Again, if it was the same man, it could symbolically be none other than Moshiach. But even if these were 2 different men, they COULD have been Yehoshua and Kalev, elders of Ephraim and Yehudah, while Yisrael was in the wilderness. As the elders of the 2 Houses of Yisrael, they both were symbolic of Moshiach, Yehoshua as Moshiach ben Yoseph and Kalev as Moshiach ben David. I am not married to this, it just occurred to me as I was studying that those 2 elders were quite literally the only fit men in Yisrael, as we will see in Numbers 14

6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Kalev the son of Jephunneh, of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: 7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, an exceeding good land. 8 If Y’hovah delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. 9 Only rebel not ye against Y’hovah, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and Y’hovah with us: fear them not. (Num.14.6-9)

Notice again that the man who carried off the carcasses and burned them without the camp washed his clothes and mikvah’d and returned to the camp – once again, not defiled although he had handled the carcasses of the animals that were offered for the sins, iniquities and transgressions of chol Yisrael. He was not even defiled until evening. I lean toward it being one man doing both jobs, and I lean toward it being either Yehoshua or the next in line to be High Priest, Elezar at this time, Pinchas in a few years.

Washing their clothes brings to mind

9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our Elohim which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped Elohim, 12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, unto our Elohim for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation of John 7:9-14)

These are the overcomers of the great tribulation, I thinkב. If I am right, they have walked in this world defiled by the greatest evil of men that one could imagine and have come out needing nothing more than to wash the filth of the world system off their bodies and clothing. They are ‘fit men’, able to just do a rinse and then walk among the children of Yisrael spotlessly clean. May we all attain to this place of honor by doing as Yeshua did.

Usually, the priests and Levites ate the sin and burnt offerings, but these were whole burnt offerings – everything was consumed by fire. I think that had anyone eaten of this offering it would have symbolized returning to the sins and iniquities just atoned for and there would be no forgiveness or atonement provided. Besides that, this was the only day in which Y’hovah made it mandatory to fast, for it is a day of ‘COMPLETE REST’, “no work at all”. Not ‘no servile work’, but “no work at all’. We can’t even prepare food to eat, can’t even open the refrigerator door or light a fire to cook it, even if we COULD eat. Y’hovah DOESN’T call for a fast, but the implication is pretty clear – “No work at all.” The 10^th day of the 7^th month is a Shabbat of rest (v.31), regardless the day of the week.

Were the High Priest and the ‘fit man’ defiling the Shabbat by doing the service of atonement? Were they exempt from the prohibition of “no work at all”? This is, to my twisted mind, a prime example of doing a greater mitzvah while breaking a lesser one. Do you think that the sin offering the priest made this day was preventing (in the biblical sense of going before or higher than) the sin of breaking Shabbat? I think so. He was personally commanded directly by Y’hovah to do the service of atonement ON the Shabbat of complete rest. If he had observed the complete rest, he’d have been insubordinate to Y’hovah. This is an everlasting statute for chol Yisrael, which includes all believers whose hearts are after his. There is no respect of persons in Y’hovah. He didn’t create second-class citizens for his Kingdom. All are one in Moshiach – Jew, gentile and Ephraimite. Q&C

 

Yechezkel 22:1-16 – The word ‘moreover’ indicates that there is no break in the action from ch.21. In 21.20, Y’hovah speaks against Rabbath, which is the ancient name of present day Amman, Jordan, and against J’lem. In 21.28, Y’hovah speaks a prophecy of judgment against Ammon, which is the present day nation of Jordan. He is bringing “the sword, the sword” and slaughter thereby. Sounds like today’s newspapers, doesn’t it? Like modern-day Moslem Jihad against Jordan, which is the probable next nation to be overthrown by the Moslem Bro’hood/ISIS once Damascus goes down. Just a piece of curiosity – the word translated ‘glittering’ in 21.28 is ברק – ‘barak’, which literally means lightening and implies a sword glittering in the moonlight. I see that imagery as prophetic of the Moslemist hordes of today. What kind of judgment do you suppose Y’hovah is going to rain down on Jerusalem and Amman, Jordan that will look like a glittering sword from the skies? MRBMs maybe? Medium Range Ballistic Missiles, perhaps like the Shahab 3 missile from Iran? Or perhaps cruise missiles from American ships, aircraft and subs?

He calls the city bloody, and that it sheds blood right in the midst of it. I have taken this to speak of abortions and I don’t doubt that is happening, but I think with recent events in the area, we need to think that the same kind of stuff as we’ve seen since 2011 in the Arab world is going to break out in Amman, probably with help from outside, like the ‘Occupy Cairo, Tripoli and Damascus’ Campaigns. And much of it will be backed by the regime in Washington right now. They may move more precipitously now for fear of losing control this January.

10 times Y’hovah says ‘in thee’. Not in me. The actor here is going his own way and doing his own thing. I assume that this nation is ostensibly after Y’hovah, or it wouldn’t be remarkable enough to point out that he is accountable 10 times, as he did to Egypt in the plagues and the Exodus of Yisrael from her midst. All the wickedness addressed in vv.7-12 are covered in Shemoth 20 and Vayikra 18. Because of all the wickedness that the ‘bloody city’ has done (it could certainly be describing America and her political capital), Y’hovah is bringing sudden judgment. V.13 sounds like American political businessmen, the fascists who have taken complete control of the power structure in Washington, D.C. and who send our military to fight their wars of economic hegemony to build their corporate bottom line at the expense of the average American and the blood of whomever they decide to overthrow or invade next – regardless the political party ‘in power’. Their god is truly their belly and they completely dismiss Y’hovah’s instructions and commands. All they want is what they want, influence, power and wealth.

In v.14 Y’hovah asked the really telling question;

14 Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I Y’hovah have spoken, and will do. (Ez.22.14)

Then in v.15, Y’hovah pronounced his judgment against this wicked nation, or group of nations. When they are scattered to the 4 winds, they will experience the purging of Y’hovah. The fire of oppression will purge them of their filthiness, lewdness and sin. Y’hovah is merciful even in his punishment and will make those who hear and obey his Word fit for his use – those who washed their robes in Rev.7 and Lev.16. The whole point is to get us to remember the Covenant we have with him and live in it. Q&C

 

A Gittith can be either a specific type of harp OR a female resident of Gath, the city of Goliath and to which David fled during Sha’ul’s pursuit. I lean toward the harp.

Tehellim 81.1-16 – While this psalm is addressed to Israel, it never mentions Yehudah, while it does mention Yoseph. For this reason, I think it is addressing the northern kingdom and Ephraim/Menashe in particular, though it can be generally applied to chol Yisrael. It addresses conditions that had been historically attributable to Ephraim and Menashe, but can be prophetically attributed to their descendants in Western civilization.

Vv.1-5 are introductory in nature and establishes, to my mind, at least, that the intended audience is the 10 tribes of Israel in particular. It seems that vv.1&2 constitute a general call to teshuvah to the Elohim of Ya’acov and the joy it will bring for the 10 tribes. In Israel’s history, after Yerovoam caused Israel to go up and keep the Feasts of Y’hovah in Dan, all the Feasts of Y’hovah were kept a month out of time. V.3 calls for Israel to observe THE New Moon, which is a reference to Yom Teruah, not all new moons in general;

3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

That specifically points to Yom Teruah, because that is the ONLY New Moon that is an appointed, solemn Feast of Y’hovah. Yehudah had BEEN observing the Feasts in their appointed times. The reason Israel is being called to do teshuvah and observe this Feast is that it is the mishpat, or judgment, of the Elohim of Ya’acov and will put all the rest of the solemnities back in their proper places.

Asaph, who wrote this psalm, was the son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo, who came back to Israel from Persia with Zerubabel. He must, to my mind, therefore be speaking and prophesying to the Samaritans who were a mixed population of the few Israelites who were left behind and the Sumerians and others who had been moved to Israel by their Assyrian conquerors in the late 8^th or early 7^th C. BCE. The new inhabitants asked the Empire to send priests of Y’hovah back to teach them his ways, when they could have gone to Yehudah for REAL priests of Y’hovah, not the syncretists of the northern kingdom. I think this is what Asaph is proposing to the Samaritan Israelites in the early years of Yehudah’s return from their own exile – to return to true worship of Y’hovah.

That Y’hovah had ordained the Feasts in Yoseph, I think, is a reference to that ½ of the MelechTzadik Priesthood that Ephraim received from his grandfather Ya’acov just before the old man’s death. Yoseph was the tzadik. Yehudah was the Melech. Yoseph was delivered in Egypt from his position as trustee of the lock-up (a servant to the prisoners of high rank in the court of Paroh) to the second seat of power in the empire. Yoseph was always in communication with Y’hovah, even in the prison Y’hovah was with him, and when the time was right, Y’hovah brought him to Paroh’s attention. Yoseph’s descendants and the Leviim continued to call out to Y’hovah for deliverance from their bondage in Egypt, and he answered that call, as well. I think their call for deliverance continued on the east shore of the Yam Suf after Y’hovah destroyed the armies of Paroh in that flood.

When they got to the bitter waters of Marah, Moshe (and probably Yehoshua and Kalev) kept the comm lines open to Y’hovah and saw the deliverance there. Only a week or so later (Ex.17), they were running out of water again in a place where there was no visible water to be had and the people rebelled against Moshe and Y’hovah in what is called Meribah. While the test was on the entire nation, Y’hovah was actually testing the mettle of Yoseph, for immediately after the water appeared in super-abundance, Amalek came to try to take it from Yisrael. When Moshe held his hands aloft, Yisrael prevailed over Amalek, and when his arms got tired and he needed to rest them, Amalek would prevail. So Aharon and Hur (their cousin) brought a rock for Mo to sit on and then held up his hands, which is when Yehoshua (of the tribe of Ephraim/Yoseph) wiped up the floor with Amalek and made them run away whimpering like a bunch of little girls. He tested Yoseph through Yehoshua at Meribah and with Amalek. He retested Israel 38-39 years later in Num.20. Again, the test was over water and is called Meribah, because they chided Moshe.

Here, in Tehellim 81.1-7, Asaph is trying to call to mind the history of Israel as being faithful to Y’hovah and Moshe in the Wilderness Adventure. In vv.8-16 he was calling them to that same kind of faithfulness that Yehoshua had exhibited. He told them that if they would be faithful to Y’hovah, the Elohim of their father, Ya’acov (cf.Jn.4 – the Samaritan woman at Ya’acov’s well), he would bless them with the blessings promised to Ya’acov. Y’hovah wanted Yoseph’s children in Samaria to eschew their false gods, make teshuvah and follow him and his Word. He calls them to their genetic memory. As he fed and watered Yisrael for 40 years in the wilderness, he would feed and water them, like had not happened in the north since LONG before Samaria was conquered. When I say ‘as he fed and watered them’, I refer to v.16, where he said he would give them ‘honey out of THE rock’, ‘and that Rock was Moshiach’ [1Cor.10.4], IM[not so]HO. He promised them not just the water from the rock, but delectable nourishment from it, too.

Had Yerovoam’s nation of Israel honored Y’hovah as HE wanted to be honored, rather than how THEY wanted to show him honor, they would have been exalted far above the highest they’d ever attained in history. But, much like Yehudah, they assumed the good position they had was by their own merit, and not a residual blessing from the years of faithful service to Y’hovah by their fathers.

He promises to honor us Yisraelites, IF we will hearken to his Word and obey it. This whole psalm is a Word for the ‘church’, gentiles and Ephraimites, in general – all who name the Name of Yeshua. It isn’t enough to make a mental assent to the Messiahship of Yeshua. If your lifestyle is the same today as it was before you made that mental assent, you are missing the greatest blessing he has for you. He wants to make you the same as he is, thoroughly and throughly righteous. This can ONLY show itself in your life by obeying his Word, and you can only do that by the gracious power of the Spirit of Y’hovah in your life, just like it was in Yeshua’s life. Yeshua knew the Word of Y’hovah and always obeyed it. YOU can, too, by reading his Torah, Prophets, and Writings (including the Brit Chadashah) and obeying them through the power of Y’hovah’s Spirit. You cannot overcome the Enemy without knowing the power of Y’hovah – his Word and his Spirit. Q&C

 

Yehudah 6-10 – The ‘angels who left their first estate’, I thinkÀ, could be those who either manifested themselves as human or humanoid, or actually invaded and indwelt human bodies. Either way, this speaks of the source of knowledge that was far beyond the abilities of men to conceive, IMO. What makes those likely is the phrase in v.7 likening those spirits to the people in Sodom and Gomorrah going after ‘strange flesh’, or doing what is not ‘natural’. Sodom and Gomorrah did not suffer literal eternal fire, as they are not still burning. But that shows a biblical way of seeing eternal fire or suffering as something that completely annihilates, like my own perspective on the Lake of Fire in Rev.20 – not an eternal existence in a burning place of torment, but suffering utter destruction and total entropy, ultimate nonexistence. The wicked suffers throughout his remaining existence, which is momentary, but not l’olam va’ed.

The ‘filthy dreamers’ of v.8 refers to the ‘certain men’ of v4.

4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of Elohenu into lasciviousness, and denying the only Mara Elohim, and Maran Yeshua haMoshiach. (Jd.4)

These are the men who have, like the angels who left their first estate and like the men of Sodom and Gomorrah went after strange flesh, turned the grace of Elohim into license. These are the same men who would change the righteous justice of Y’hovah at the utter destruction of the wicked into the Draconian thought of an eternal torment in hell fire. They say that since Elohim is so gracious as to forgive us based on the finished work of Yeshua on the tree and in his resurrection from the dead, that he actually has no problem with ANY of our sins anymore. Nothing, of course, could be further from the truth. Sin is still sin, and the wages earned thereby have never changed. To think in this way is to despise the Spirit of Y’hovah and to tread under our feet the blood of our Master Yeshua

Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of Elohim, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace. (Hebrews 10:29)

These filthy dreamers care nothing for Y’hovah’s laws concerning cleanness in body, soul or spirit, they think themselves above the Word of Elohim and speak lashon hara and hamotzi shem ra against members of the body. They are foolish who will not hear the warnings Y’hovah’s people deliver. Their god is truly their belly. They speak evil of things about which they haven’t a clue and defile themselves in their flesh – eating flesh that Y’hovah has called unclean and bowing to gods of their own design and choosing that they have always followed, but changing the names of those gods to yahweh and jesus. When the great tribulation arrives (this biblical year, if my own calculations are correct – which they very well may not be), they will be sorely disappointed and may abandon what faith they have, turning completely to the enemy and pointing out believers in the One true Y’hovah, thinking they are doing Y’hovah service.

They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth Elohim service. (John 16:2)

15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. (Rev.13.15) Q&C

John 16.2 sounds remarkably like a Moslemist killing an ‘infidel’, doesn’t it?

In v.11, Jude pronounces a WOE on the ‘filthy dreamers’, who have gone the way of Cain, which I think speaks of the sacrifice he brought before Y’hovah – the fruit of his labors. The way of Abel, by contrast, is to do as Y’hovah required, the blood of a substitute. Abel obeyed, Cain went his own way. The error of Balaam is given to us in the text, going after greedy gain rather that the way of obedience to the revealed Word of Y’hovah. The gainsaying of Korah is in promoting himself above the intent of Y’hovah. Korah thought he was every bit as good as Moshe and Aharon, and technically speaking, he was not. But Y’hovah had appointed Mo and Ahri. Korah didn’t much care about that. After all, he was a Kohen, too! The certain ungodly men of v.4 were every bit as guilty as the men of Sodom and Gomorrah, Cain, Balaam and Korah. Jude likened them to the people in 1Cor.11.20-22

20 When ye come together therefore into one place is not to eat the Lord’s supper. 21 For in eating every one taketh before his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. 22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of Elohim, and shame them that have not?

They are self-centered, despising the body of Moshiach and allowing the poor among them to even die of hunger (Jd.12), rather than denying their own momentary pleasure while allowing the poor to get a decent meal, perhaps the only one available to them. They LOOK good at a cursory glance, but have no substance (clouds sans water, blown about by the lightest wind). They make a lot of noise and employ dangerous histrionics to get attention, but believers and unbelievers alike see through it. Do you see what is reserved for them forever in v.13? The blackness of darkness, lightless emptiness like Gen.1.2

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness upon the face of the deep.

That speaks of non-existence; nothing but emptiness, nothing to form, nothing of potential difference. No matter and no energy to form matter from.

Enoch spoke of Yeshua judging them on his arrival with myriads of his faithful. This tells me that the world will actually get worse than it presently is, and its persecution of the faithful will be led in part by the church. Remember what Yeshua says to the church at Laodicea,

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation of John 3:20)

He’s OUTSIDE this church that is pretty well accepted among evangelicals to represent the church at the end of the age – the church of TODAY! Rico has a DVD teaching, Is Islam the Beast? In it he makes the observation that Moslemism fits the description of the Beast in Revelation, and it is quite well documented. I do not discount that this is a VERY real possibility. Now, the Laodicean church is expecting to be raptured out of here before the ‘tribulation week of years’. If the great tribulation, or the last 3½ years of this wicked age come upon us without a rapture of believers [and it WILL – mark my words], they will ‘take the mark of the Beast’, because they have said their fire insurance prayer and will think, “I don’t have to worry about accepting this mark of Islam, because I have my free ticket to heaven; my ‘Get out of Hell FREE’ card”, never thinking of Yeshua’s words in

33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man’s foes, they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. (Matt.10.33-39)

When they accept the ‘mark of the Beast’ of Islam to preserve their worthless hides, they will deny Yeshua before men, and they will think it’s OK because they really don’t mean it. But Yeshua says VERY PLAINLY that if you deny him before men – I take that to mean ANY men, even Moslemists who are holding a scimitar above your grandchildren’s necks – he will deny you before Avinu. We must warn our kids in advance. We must be prepared for this possibility, folks. It MAY come to that, and it may be soon. Q&C.    

End of Shabbat Bible Study         If you haven’t seen Rico’s teaching, get it. Here’s a link:

www.wisdomintorah.com/is-islam-the-beast/

You may need to subscribe to see it. Or you may wish to purchase the DVD.

 

 

℘ http://www.agapebiblestudy.com/documents/The%20Significance%20of%20Numbers%20in%20Scripture.htm

ב An italicized I think denotes an educated guess. I COULD be wrong …. But I DOUBT IT!