Fulfilling Torah Ministries

March 29, 2014 Shabbat Bible Study
©2014 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries
Exodus 12:1-20 – Ezekiel 45:16 – 46:18 – no Psalm – Col.2:1-3:7

Shemoth 12.1-10 – This first month is determined – how? First of all, this day is probably
on or shortly after the new moon day – Rosh Chodesh. If it were the end of the month,
this statement wouldn’t make much sense. But how did they know when the year was to
change? Some say it has to be when the equinox occurred, the day when the light and the
darkness were of equal length. This would happen in the month of March, according to
our reckoning, on either the 20th, 21st or 22nd. But is the equinox the beginning of the
biblical year/1st month? Perhaps, but not necessarily. In fact, the word month derives
from moon. And the new moon is when the month begins. The new moon COULD
coincide with the equinox, but seldom does. But without direct revelation from Y’hovah
how would Moshe be able to know which new moon would begin the new year?

 
Just using what information we have in scripture, I think we need to accept that the time
was when the barley was ready to harvest and the wheat was still green grass, because the
plague of hail and fire destroyed the flax and barley grain and straw and not the wheat or
rye grasses (9.31-32). Therefore, I think that the new moon that falls when the barley is
ready for at least parching (in the ear) is what Y’hovah was talking about. This new moon
could be before the equinox or after. What SEEMS to happen every year (with very few
exceptions) is that the first day of unleavened bread falls out on the full moon following
the vernal equinox. What MUST happen are 2 things; 1) The 1st day of unleavened bread
falls out on the full moon of the 1st month – the 15th day of the lunar month is ALWAYS
a full moon, and 2) The barley MUST be harvestable for the day following the next
weekly shabbat so that there can be a sheaf of ripe barley waved before Y’hovah as a
firstfruits thanksgiving offering. So the sun must have been warm enough to ripen the
barley and flax in the southeastern Mediterranean area and the moon must be full for the
Feast of unleavened bread to begin. And the evening offering before that full moon is the
Passover offering. Without BOTH of those conditions the new biblical year cannot begin.
So the sun and moon together witness to the beginning of the biblical year and the cycle
of the Feasts of Y’hovah. I believe that this next new moon (either the night of the 31st of
March or 1st of April, 2014) will be the beginning of the new Biblical year.

 
Israel went out to look over their flocks to see which yearling lamb was the best to offer
to Y’hovah. They were to separate this lamb from the flock and not allow it to go into the
fields with the other sheep. They were to watch it and care for it for 4 days, examining it
for any character defects; they had already examined it for physical defects and found it
to be the best of the yearlings. Then they were to kill it and drain its blood into a basin.
They were to use a branch of hyssop (v.22) to apply the blood of their lamb to the lintel
and doorposts of their homes. Then they were to roast the lamb whole. It was not to be
eaten raw, boiled or fried, but roasted. After the blood was applied to the doorposts and
lintel, they were not to leave the house until Elohim was finished killing all the firstborn
of the Egyptians. I assume that if they were outside the house and not under the
protection of the blood on the lintel and doorposts, they were fair game for the Death
Angel. After all the plagues Y’hovah had sent on Egypt, LOTS of Egyptians knew who
the only true Elohim was, and MANY of them followed Moshe’s instructions as well.
When they painted their doors with lamb’s blood, they marked themselves out as
Israelites and renounced their membership in the Egyptian club. And Y’hovah honored
their decision to identify with him. What remained of the lamb was to be burnt by the
time of the morning offering.

 
Vv.11-20 – Next Y’hovah gave instruction on their demeanor and style of dress and
HOW they were supposed to eat the lamb, herbs and bread. They were to eat the lamb
ready for fight or flight; loins girt, shoes on, staff in hand. They would, therefore,
necessarily have had to eat one handed. There is no provision to sit or recline to eat, so I
assume they ate on their feet and probably with go-bags packed, strapped firmly on their
backs and ready to move out. They were supposed to make sure they didn’t cook too
much lamb and to eat it quickly, so they wouldn’t need to take the time to burn it. Is this
how WE are supposed to remember the Passover? It is not required, for in Yeshua’s day,
they were keeping a much more traditional Passover:

16 And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and
they made ready the passover. 17 And in the evening he cometh with the twelve. 18 And as they
sat and did eat, Yeshua said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray
me. (Mk.14)
14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. 15 And he said
unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: 16 For I say unto
you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. (Lk.22)

We should probably do as Yeshua did, for even the Passover Yeshua kept with his
talmidim was a commemoration of what had happened about 1500 years before.
Who would go through the land of Egypt? Y’hovah, not a man. Who would smite the
Egyptians? Y’hovah, not a messenger. Who would kill the firstborn of every critter in
Egypt? Y’hovah, not an angel. Y’hovah was going to go through the land and kill the
firstborn in every house on which the blood was NOT found on the lintel and doorposts.
The father of the house took a sprig of hyssop in his hand (yud) and, after dipping it in
the blood from the basin he would paint the lintel and doorposts (chet) with the blood.
The significance is the word spelled with those 2 letters, chet yud, or chai; life. So
Y’hovah would not bring death to the house marked twice by life, the Word that means
life painted in the substance that is the life of the body, the dom or blood.

 
We are commanded to keep this feast in remembrance throughout our generations – all
our descendants are to celebrate chag haMatzah for 7 days, following the Passover. The
1st day and the 7th are each a Kodesh Miqra, a set-apart gathering of believers. There are 3
such gatherings every year, Passover/Unleavened Bread, Shavuoth/Pentecost and Feast of
Tabernacles/Sukkoth. It is these days, along with the weekly shabbats on which we are
not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together (Heb.10.25, Lev.23.3, 7, 8, 21, 24, 27,
35, 36), at least 52 weekly sabbaths + 7 special yearly sabbaths which can fall on any day
of the week. Beginning not later than sundown ending the 14th day of the 1st month we
are to eat matzot until sundown ending the 21st day of the 1st month – 7 full days. Why?
For the same reason that there is a Red Heifer for the water of purification – because
Y’hovah commands it. It is not ours to question why. It is our part to obey. For those
same 7 days we are to not have leaven in our homes. Why? Same reason, ultimately.
Y’hovah wills it. It is this kind of obedience that leads us to garner wisdom from Torah.
When we choose to obey Y’hovah, he rewards us in the best manner possible, the way
that is designed to bring us closest to him in the shortest possible time. Q&C

 

 
Ezekiel 45:16 – 46:18 – Since 1] this Temple has never been built, 2] there is no Temple
in the NEW Jerusalem (for Y’hovah and the Lamb will be the Temple of it) and 3] it is
prophesied by a true prophet of Y’hovah, I assume that this will be the Millennial
Kingdom Temple. The only way that cannot be true is if there is another epoch of future
history of which scripture gives absolutely no clue. People are going to bring their
oblation to the prince of Israel, who just happens to be Moshiach ben David, Yeshua.
And then he will bring the offerings to the Temple from those oblations. Why would that
be? Why would Yeshua prepare sin, meat, burnt and peace offerings in the Temple? Is it
possible that he is acting as mediator? It sure looks like he is taking people’s offerings
and bringing them to the Temple, doesn’t it? And he only prepares the offerings for the
priests to offer. We know that he will not be offering any sin or trespass offerings for his
own reconciliation. The bullock will be offered to reconcile the Temple, to cleanse it to
receive the freewill offerings of Y’hovah’s people.

 
45.21-25 make it clear that there are but 2 ‘presentation’ Feasts to be observed in this
Temple, Pesach and Sukkoth – the spring and fall 7 day Feasts. Shavuoth, Yom Teruah
and Yom Kippur are conspicuous (to me) by their absence. Perhaps the Feasts and the
fast have seen their completion by then. We may see final fulfillment of Shavuoth this or
next year, and the final fulfillments of Yom Teruah (Resurrection Day, Last Trump) and
Yom Kippur (and Yovel) 3 – 3½ years after that. I think the final fulfillment of Shavuoth
will be the anointing of the 2 witnesses, and possibly the 144K on Shavuoth (some year
very soon, if I don’t miss my guess). I believe there will be at least 1 Adar Bet during
those 3 years, perhaps 2. If 2 Adar Bets occur in that time, it will set the stage for Rev.11,

3 And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred
threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 4 These are the two olive trees [ZecharYah 4] , and the two
candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth
out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this
manner be killed. 6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy:
and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often
as they will. 7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of
the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. 8 And
their dead bodies in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where
also our Master was crucified. 9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall
see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in
graves. 10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall
send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. 11
And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon
their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. 12 And they heard a great voice from
heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their
enemies beheld them. (Rev.11.3-12)

IF there are 2 Adar Bets, 1260 days from Shavuoth would put us in the ballpark of Yom
Teruah 3+ years after. IF I am correct on this, the 2 witnesses would be slain by Antimessiah
perhaps on the 26th of the 6th around sunrise. 3½ days later to be resurrected (at
the end of the 29th as the 1st of the 7th month begins) and called up to the heavens just as
the last trumpet blows in the heavens and the vials begin to be poured out. Rev.9.13-
11.14 = first 2 woes, the 5th and 6th trumpets. 11.15 = last woe and the 7th trumpet. Please
remember all the qualifiers I just put out – if, may, I think, etc. This idea about the 2
witnesses and Shavuoth just came to me as I was studying, so I certainly COULD be
wrong.

But I DOUBT it!

 
On the 14th of the 1st month, in this Temple, there is a bullock offered as a sin offering,
which is offered for inadvertent or ‘had to do it’ sins (‘had to’ break a lesser command,
like walking over a grave, to perform a greater commandment, like preserving a life).
V.23 recalls Shavuoth metaphorically with 7 bulls for each of the 7 days, and 7 rams for
each of the 7 days (49 of each) and a goat for each of the 7 days. 49 +1 = 50. And
Shavuoth metaphorically points at Yovel, which is proclaimed every 50th Yom Kippur.
The trespass offering is also conspicuous by its absence. The trespass offering is the one
that Yeshua completely fulfilled on the tree. There is one, as we’ll see in a few minutes,
but I don’t think it is associated with Yom Kippur. All the same offerings are made on all
the days of Sukkoth, according to v.25. Q&C

 

 
46.1- – The Millennial Temple will be open to the people only on Shabbats. THE New
Moon is a Shabbat in accordance with,

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, “In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall
ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.” (Leviticus 23:24)

I think THIS is THE New Moon that was required to be observed by Israel as a Shabbat,
not necessarily EVERY new moon. I think every new moon will be acknowledged, as
they should be now. But this is the only New Moon that is designated as a Shabbat. 46.1
says, “the day of the new moon” the Temple will be opened. It is a singular day. It
doesn’t say, “the new moon days”, or “the days of the new moons”. In v.3, the people
will worship in the Shabbats and the new moons. There will be 1000 years in the
millennium, so 1000 New Moon Shabbats, 2000 Pesach Shabbats, 2000 Sukkoth
Shabbats and 51000+ weekly Shabbats for the people to worship Y’hovah in. Of course,
this does NOT mean that Y’hovah will not be worshipped on other days, as well. It
DOES mean that ALL days designated as Shabbats SHALL be observed by
EVERYONE. And that will be one of the sources of chafing and rebellion at the end of
the Millennium.

 
It surely looks like Moshiach offers offerings in the Millennial Temple. Why? He
certainly is not offering because he needs justification, for he is justified enough that his
justification justifies US! So these offerings cannot be for his own NEED to be reconciled
to Avinu. I think these offerings he offers are done for a witness to us and that the
animals offered are metaphors to teach us something. The witness to us is that if the
prince/king does this, then we ought to, as well. When he walked the earth in his ministry
years, he told his cousin, Yochanan about this attitude:

13 Then cometh Yeshua from Galilee to Jordan unto Yochanan, to be baptized of him. 14 But
Yochanan forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15 And
Yeshua answering said unto him, Suffer now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.
Then he suffered him. (Matthew 3.13-15)

“It becometh us” means that they need to stand out for people to see. The word is prepo,
and literally means “to tower up” or “be conspicuous”. The people needed to SEE that
what they did was different from the Jews, by which I THINK the gospels mean the
leaders of the Hebrew religion, and NOT the Hebrew people. I see the Moshiach’s
offerings as exactly the same thing. He is conspicuous in his righteousness and is an
example for the people to follow. I think the metaphor in the animals sacrificed is that the
lambs represent the 6 work days and the ram represents the Shabbat, i.e.; that we worship
everyday, but the Shabbat is set apart in every way, including our offerings. This burnt
offering is a freewill offering that the prince offers for the people as an example and a
metaphor, not because it HAS to be offered for any atonement. The ‘meat’ offering for
the ram is prescribed, but the offering for the lambs is to be given ‘as he is able’, or ‘as
Y’hovah prospers’ the one who offers, in this case, as the people provide the stuff of the
meat offering. “Meat” ≠ flesh food, but = grain or flour.

 
The prince also offers a special offering for ‘the new moon’. I’ve already told you what I
think that means – the 1st of the 7th month. It COULD be every new moon day, but I lean
toward it being specific to the 7th month’s new moon that sets apart the beginning of
Creation. At any rate, it includes all the offerings for the Shabbat and adds a bullock for
this special Shabbat, designated as such in Lev.23 and alluded to in Gen.1.14, where the
month is conspicuous by its absence (signs, seasons, days and years – no months).
Vv.1&12 designate the prince’s gate as the East Gate, while v9&10 shows the people
using the north and south gates. The prince approaches and departs using the same gate,
while the people go straight through; enter from the north, depart to the south and vice
versa. I think that if we left by the gate we entered, it would symbolize repenting of going
Y’hovah’s Way. Meanwhile, there is no mention of a west gate. The prince stays
throughout the Shabbats – he doesn’t leave until the last of the people has departed. Once
again he is conspicuous to the people every Shabbat at the Temple; weekly, monthly (if
applicable) and yearly. V.10 could be metaphorical as well as literal. I think he arrives at
the festivals with the first of the people and leaves with the last of them. But he may also
arrive spiritually with each worshipper and go out with him – a literal spiritual battery
recharge.

 
Why the change of number in vv.13&14, from 3rd person singular he, meaning the prince,
to 2nd person singular thou? Is he speaking to the reader or the priest or the prince? I lean
towards it being instruction for both the prince and the priest on duty, because v.15
changes number again to 3rd person PLURAL, they. Remember that the people bring their
oblation to the prince and he then brings all these offerings from out of that oblation
(45.13-16). The prince is offering our offerings FOR us, as he offered himself FOR us.
The monkey wrench that gets thrown into the works is in 46.16-18, where the Prince can
give an inheritance to his sons, or a gift to his servants. The part about the servants being
given a gift is pretty straightforward, and I have no problem with it. But will Moshiach
the Prince have physical sons to whom to give an inheritance? Or are the servants from
among those who are NOT members of his body, while the ‘sons’ ARE members of his
body? The inheritances given are in perpetuity, l’olam va’ed. But the gifts to his servants
revert back to the Prince in the Yovel year. I think that v.18 points up the wickedness of
inheritance taxes. They rob the people of their property and scatter the people to the
winds. Q&C

 

 
Colossians 2.1-10 – When the scripture speaks of a mystery, it is revealing a deep thing
of Elohim. This is something that is not readily apparent in the Peshat, but is hidden from
plain view in the Sod. This was done so that the plans of Elohim would not be open the
understanding of everyone, including haSatan. If haSatan had known what Y’hovah’s
plans were, he would have at least tried to not do some of things he did – for example, he
would have worked hard to NOT crucify Moshiach, as Paul revealed in

Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified
the Master of tifereth. (I Corinthians 2:8)

Please notice that it says the mystery is singular, but the mystery of Elohim has 2
descriptors, Avinu and Moshiach. I think that this says that Avinu and Moshiach both
reveal Elohim. And the simplest and most contextually correct way of reading v.3 has all
the treasures of wisdom and knowledge being hid in Moshiach. The grammar and syntax
of the sentence (vv.1-3) says that the mystery of Moshiach is that all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge of Elohim and Avinu are hid in him.

 
Vv.4-7 tell us to not even listen to anyone who would turn us away from the Truth of
Torah. If anything would draw us away from Torah Truth we ought to ignore it, no matter
how good it sounds. But we need to stay in the Truth and ensure that we are rooted in
Moshiach, who is the Root. The whole ‘Roots and Branches’ analogy that Paul uses in
Romans and alludes to here is a very ancient biblical teaching that the rabbis use to great
effect in their deeper teachings. For a taste of that, look at Derech Hashem, by Rabbi
Moshe Chaim Luzatto, which is the closest thing to a Jewish systematic theology I’ve
ever read. That may have actually been his purpose in writing it back in the 18th C. CE. If
you DO read it, you will be amazed at the Pauline character of it, at least in part. But be
wary, since Luzatto was a kabbalist, and I think Rav Sha’ul was also.

 
V.8 begins a treatise on the difference between life in Moshiach and life according to oral
law, life in Torah liberty and life in bondage to the traditions of men. Philosophy means
traditions of men and vain deceit means rudiments of the world, all of which is contrasted
to Moshiach. Philosophical traditions and the useless meanderings in the base things of
the world’s systems do nothing but spoil the believer’s savour to Y’hovah. When we get
caught up in them, we stink. V.9 says that all that is Elohim dwelt in the person of
Moshiach Yeshua, not 1/3 of the Trinity. Y’hovah is ONE! And we are complete in him.
The greek word there is pleroo and means crammed full, like the net in Jn.21. Yeshua is
also the head of all principality and power, both designations for spiritual beings in the
heavenlies (Eph.1.21). Paul is the only author who uses the terms, and the
aforementioned Luzatto refers to the ideas in his Derech Hashem, where he talks about
angels and shedim (demons). These principalities are very real, though to our limited
physical perception are invisible (cf.1.16). Many modern day kabbalists, like Madonna,
Angelina Jolie and such, are misusing the ability we have to affect things in the spiritual
realms, not to draw closer to Y’hovah, which is the legitimate purpose of Kabbala. The
problem with messing with kabbala is that the enticement to power in spiritual realms
plays into our covetousness, and will tend to witchcraft in most of us. For that reason I
will steer clear of it, and recommend that you all do the same. I don’t trust myself to not
aggrandize my own lusts and thereby walk to the right hand or the left. Q&C

 

 
V.11-23 – V.11 says we are CCd in Moshiach, which is the CC of the heart. We are not
just CCd in him, we are also buried with him in our immersion and raised in him by our
coming out of the mikvah, according to Yeshua’s faith and faithfulness. The ordinances
in ch.2 have nothing to do with Tanakh. They have to do most with the practices of the
pagan religions of the world.

 
As in all of Paul’s letter to the Kehalim in Asia and Europe, the pronouns he uses are
important in knowing to whom or about whom he is writing. He uses a LOT of you’s and
ye’s in this letter, by which he means the gentiles in the kahal. When he uses the pronoun
we or us, he is generally talking to Jews/Hebrews. And when he says our, he is generally
speaking of both Hebrew and gentile together in Moshiach.

 
The context at this point is CC, and there were a bunch of Pharisee CCers going out into
the kehalim trying to force CC on the new gentile converts against the instructions of the
Netzari Beit Din in Acts 15. Sore losers, eaters of sour grapes, don’t you know. These are
the same guys who brought false accusation against Sha’ul in J’lem in Acts 21. (On
pg.751 of the AENT is a good treatment of CC that I will not go into, because it is 4
pages long in REALLY miniscule type. If there’s time read the 6-7 marked paragraphs.)
The ‘handwriting of ordinances in v.14 is talking about the traditions of men and the oral
law, and it makes reference to the bitter water in Num.5.22-24. Yeshua drank of that
bitter water for us and the curse didn’t fall on him, as it would have on every one of us. It
was the handwriting of the priest against the woman with the jealous husband, the
accusation against us that is unfounded because we are found in Yeshua, which
accusation was nailed to the tree with him, not his instructions in Torah. V.15 shows us
the source of the false accusations and traditions of men; the very principalities and
powers that Yeshua showed up on the day of his resurrection.

 
In v.16, notice the word therefore, and look at the previous verses to see what it’s there
for. The Handwriting that was nailed to Yeshua’s tree; the false accusations of the enemy
against us were contrary to us and died with him. HE took those false accusations on
himself, drank of that bitter water and blotted them out. So don’t let any man rob you of
the liberty that you have in Moshiach and his Torah, and don’t you even THINK of going
back to the rudiments of this world system. In v.16, Paul is speaking to whom? The
pronoun tells us that he is writing to the gentiles in Colosse. He is warning them against
letting their gentile acquaintances bully them back into doing the ‘rudiments of the world
system’, i.e.; their paganism. He says don’t let those guys who haven’t a clue judge you
about your keeping the instructions of Lev.11. Let the body of Messiah judge you in your
righteousness, not your former pagan buddies in your lack of iniquity as they try to steal
away your fellowship with Y’hovah. Vv.20-23 brings us to the conclusion of the matter –
the rudiments of the world are the doctrines of men, not the instructions of Elohim.
Living in the world is not obedience to Y’hovah, but it is being subject to ordinances –
the ‘commandments of the doctrines of men’. Therefore being subject to ordinances is
living in disobedience to Torah’s instructions. Those commandments of the doctrines of
men may have the appearance of wisdom, but are, in fact, pagan foolishness.

 
Ch 3 begins with an admonition to quit worrying about keeping men’s ordinances, and to
start keeping the Word of Y’hovah. As Paul tells us in Rom.6, we are to consider
ourselves dead to sin and alive to Moshiach with whom our lives are hidden in Elohim.
V.5 tells us to mortify, or consider dead, the works of the flesh. This is not to literally kill
our bodies, but to submit to the Ruach haKodesh and thereby to nullify the deeds of the
flesh. All those 5 deeds of the flesh in v.5 deal with a sensual desire and are a part of the
pagan temple worship. Vv.6-7 shows that all of these things will be judged in the
tribulation and especially in the vial judgments of Y’hovah’s wrath and that these gentile
believers have been delivered from them by the work of Yeshua on the tree. These
ordinances of men (as well as the 2nd person pronouns) make it plain that his main
audience in Colosse was gentile, for no religious Jew would consider doing any of these
things as a part of their worship of Y’hovah. Q&C

 
End of Shabbat Bible Study