November 2021 - Page 3 of 3 - NazareneSpace Blog

The Prophet Like Moses (Video)

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I want to thank our supporters from the bottom of my heart. We are living in an exciting age! Elohim is going to bless us with even more knowledge and understanding regarding His plan. Elohim has called us not only to know “who we are”? and “where we are going” but also to realize the responsibilities that God has placed on us. We are His people and Elohim has a plan for us all to have a partnership with Him in bringing Torah and Messiah to the world. I am doing my part, and I believe that Elohim is pleased with our efforts (yours and mine).

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The Lost Tribes- A Jewish View (Video)

Handouts

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This Generation Shall Not Pass Away

This Generation Shall Not Pass Away
By
James Scott Trimm

In the Book of Matthew in the King James Version we see Yeshua’s Talmidim asking him about the time of his return:

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
(Matt. 24:3 KJV)

Then after a several verses, Yeshua says:

32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
(Matt. 24:32-34 KJV)

Some have been puzzled by this and asked why Yeshua did not return by the end of the generation of the disciples, was he a false prophet?

As I have said many time before, there are some passages in the New Testament which do not make sense at all in Greek, but only begin to make sense when we look at them in Hebrew and Aramaic, and the answer to this question is clear to see in the original Hebrew.

First let us look at verses 32-34 as they appear in the Hebrew of the DuTillet Manuscript of Matthew:

32 Learn you the parable from the fig tree: when its branch is tender, and the leaves
sprout, you know that the summer fruit is near.
33 So likewise you, when you will see all these things, know that it is near–even at the doors.
34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away, until the whole is accomplished.
(Matt. 24:32-34 HRV)

We can see plainly that “this generation” that “will not pass away” in verse 34 is the same as those who “will see all these things” in verse 33 and these are those who see the “summer fruit” in verse 33.

Now the Hebrew word for “summer fruit” in the DuTillet Hebrew Matthew manuscript of Matthew is קיץ. This is an ambiguous word which can be translated either “summer” or “summer fruit” especially that of the fig tree but was misunderstood by the Greek translator as “summer”. In fact the reference is to the “summer fruit” of the fig tree which is specifically mentioned here.

The word קיץ here is a word play in the Hebrew point back a few verses to verse 13 where we read:

But whoever endures to the end,
the same will be saved.
(Matt. 24:13 HRV)

The word for “end” in the DuTillet Hebrew manuscript for this verse is קץ which is a wordplay for קיץ “summer fruit”

1 Thus the Adonai YHWH showed me–and behold, a basket of summer fruit (קיץ).
2 And He said: Amos, what see you? And I said, A basket of summer fruit (קיץ). Then said YHWH unto me: The end (קץ) is come upon My people Yisra’el; I will not again pardon them any more.
(Amos 8:1-2 HRV)

The “this generation” which “will not pass away, until the whole is accomplished” (vs. 34) is those who “will see all these things” (vs. 33) referring to “the summer fruit” (קיץ) (vs. 32) which are the same as those “who endure to the end” (קץ) (vs. 13)

This refers not to the generation which Yeshua was speaking to in verse 3, but to those who endure to the end in verse 13.

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The Torah: Freedom from Bondage

The Torah: Freedom from Bondage
By
James Scott Trimm

The Torah brings freedom. This is completely contrary to what most people have been taught. The common wisdom is that the Torah is bondage and that “freedom in Christ” means freedom from Torah. For example one author writes:

“Many Christians today would return to Sinai. They would put upon the church the yoke of bondage, the Law of Moses.”
(God’s Plan of the Ages; Louis T. Tallbot; 1970; p. 66)

However as we shall see the scriptures teach that exactly the opposite is true.

The central story of Judaism is that of the Exodus from Egypt. The children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt. God promised to bring them out of bondage and give them freedom. Upon leading the children of Israel out of Egypt, YHWH led them to Mt. Sinai where he delivered the Torah to them. Note that the theme of this central story is that God promised freedom from bondage and gave the children of Israel Torah. Now why would YHWH lead the people out of bondage in Egypt, lead them to Mt. Sinai, and deliver them right back into bondage again? And why would he at the same time promise them freedom. God is no liar. He promised the people freedom and he gave them Torah because the Torah is freedom from bondage. The Torah is truth (Ps. 119:142) and the truth will make you free (John 8:31-32).

This truth is proclaimed by the Psalmist:

“So shall I keep your Torah continually forever and ever, And I will walk in freedom: for I seek your precepts.”
(Psalm 119:44-45)

As well as by Ya’akov HaTzadik (James the Just) who called the Torah “the Torah of freedom” (James 1:25; 2:12).

However the ANOMOS teachers today teach that the Torah is bondage and that Torah-lessness is freedom. They have exchanged the truth (Torah) of God for a lie (Torah-lessness) (Rom. 1:25). Of these 2Peter 2:19 states:

While they promise them freedom, they themselves are servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought into bondage.”
(2 Peter 2:19)

According to Kefa these men “turn from the holy commandment delivered to them” (2Peter 2:21) they promise freedom but deliver bondage.

By contrast Yeshua said:

“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my load is light.”
(Matthew 11:28-30)

Now many of the teachers of Torah-lessness use this this passage as a proof text. To them this passage refers to freedom from the bondage of Torah. However notice the boldfaced portion. This bolfaced portion of Yeshua’s statement is a quotation from the Tanak. A quotation which gives a great deal of context to Yeshua’s statement. Lets look at this Tanak passage:

“Thus said YHWH, stand you in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and you shall find rest for your souls. But they said, we will not walk therein.”
(Jeremiah 6:16)

Notice that this “way” which gives “rest” is “the old path”. Now lets read a little further down in Jer. 6 to obtain more context:

“But they said, we will not walk therein.”
(Jer. 6:16)

…they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my Torah, but rejected it.”
(Jer. 6:19)

Notice that the “old path” that brings “rest for your souls” to which they said “we will not walk therein” (Jer. 6:16) is identified by YHWH as “my Torah”. This takes us up a bit further in the text of Jeremiah:

“…they are foolish, for they do not know the way of YHWH, the requirements of their God. So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of YHWH, the requirements of their God. But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds.”
(Jeremiah 5:4-5; see also Jeremiah 2:20)

Here we find that the “yoke” which brings rest is the yoke which was being rejected. The yoke of Torah. Now lets look again at Yeshua’s saying:

The yoke that Messiah asks us to take on ourselves, the yoke that will give us rest for our souls is the Torah. The Torah is freedom from the bondage of Torah-lessness. The freedom of Torah is freedom from the bondage to sin that results without Torah. Without Torah there is no true freedom, only bondage. True liberty does not include a license to sin (Romans 3:8; 6:1-2, 15)

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In Our Image

In Our Image
By
James Scott Trimm

26 And Elohim said: Let us make man in our image; after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.
27 And Elohim created man in His own image: in the image of Elohim created He him; male and female created He them.
(Gen. 1:26-27 HRV)

What does this mean? Let US make man in OUR image?

The Zohar gives a very interesting answer:

And Elohim said, Let us make man (Gen. 1:26). The secret (SOD) is to them who fear him (Ps. 25:14)…

That most reverend Elder opened an exposition of this verse by saying ‘Simeon Simeon, who is it that said: “Let us make man?” Who is this Elohim?’ With these words the most reverend Elder vanished before anyone saw him.

R. Simeon, hearing that he had called him plain “Simeon”, and not “Rabbi Simeon”, said to his colleagues: ‘Of a surety this is the Holy One, blessed be He, of whom it is written: “And the Ancient of days was seated” (Dan. VII, 9). Truly now is the time to expound this mystery, because certainly there is here a mystery which hitherto it was not permitted to divulge, but now we perceive that permission is given.’

He then proceeded: ‘A king had several buildings to be erected, and he had an architect in his service who did nothing save with his consent (Prov. 8:30). The king is the supernal Wisdom above, the Middle Pillar is the king below: Elohim is the architect above, being as such the supernal Mother, and Elohim is also the architect below, being as such the Divine Presence (Shekinah) below. Now a woman may not do anything without the consent of her husband. And all the buildings were created through his Emanation (aziluth), the Father said to the Mother by means of the Word (amirah), “let it be so and so”, and straightway it was so, as it is written, “And he said, Elohim, let there be light, and there was light”: i.e. one said to Elohim, let there be light: the master of the building gave the order, and the architect carried it out immediately; and so with all that was constructed in the way of emanation.
(Zohar 1:22a)

The Zohar understands “US” and “OUR” to be reflected in the “male and female” image of Elohim mentioned in verse 27 and these are here referred to as “the Father” and “the Mother” just as YHWH is expressed as a Father (Mal. 1:6; Is. 63:16; 64:7) and as a Mother (Is. 66:13) in the Tanak. (YHWH as a “Mother” is the “Comforter in Is. 66:13 which is the Holy Spirit in Jn. 14:16-17, 27; 15:26; 16:7).

The Male and Female image of Father and Mother are the Elohim which is the “Architect above” while the “architect below” is the “Elohim below” or the “king below” and identified as the “Middle Pillar”. Elsewhere the Zohar identifies the Middle Pillar as the “Son of Yah”:

Better is a neighbor that is near, than a brother far off.
This neighbor is the Middle Pillar in the Godhead,
which is the Son of Yah.
(Zohar 2:115)

Here (Zohar 1:22a) the Zohar also identifies the Middle Pillar with the Word.

So the words “Let Us create man in Our own image” are spoken from the Father to the Mother (Holy Spirit) and this is the Elohim above, and these words are carried out by the Word which is the Son of Yah, the Middle Pillar, the Elohim below.

Just as we read in the Ketuvim Netzarim:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Eloah, and the Word was Eloah.
2 This was in the beginning, with Eloah.
3 Everything existed through Him, and without Him, not even one thing existed of that which existed.
(Yochanan (John) 1:1-3 HRV)

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Is the House of Judah an Old Dried up Olive Tree?

Is the House of Judah an Old Dried up Olive Tree?
By
James Scott Trimm

At a Two House event back in 2004 heard a “teacher” say that the House of Judah is an old dried up olive tree.

THE DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM

After the death of Solomon the Kingdom of Israel was divided into a Northern Kingdom and a Southern Kingdom. The Northern Kingdom became known as the House of Israel; Joseph or Ephraim. The Southern Kingdom became
known as the House of Judah. The Northern Kingdom rebelled against the rightful king, High Priest and Temple. They established their own non-Davidic King, their own High Priest and their own Temple at a new location in the Northern Kingdom. They were unwilling to submit to the rulership of the House of Judah. They, in effect, started their own new religion. An Ephaimite religion, under Ephraimite authority.

EPHRAIM GOES THEIR OWN WAY APART FROM JUDAH

In Jeremiah Chapter 3 the two houses of Israel are discussed. Notice that Israel and Judah are allegorical sisters in this prophecy (Jer. 3:6-7) In Jer. 3:8 YHWH says:

And I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Yisra’el
had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her
a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Yehudah did not fear,
but went and committed whoring too.
(Jer. 3:8 – The Scriptures Version)

However YHWH did not divorce Judah as well, as that would have left no remnant. Instead the Prophet Hosea compares the two Houses of Israel this way:

“Ephrayim has surrounded Me with lying,
and the house of Yisra’el with deceit.
But Yehudah is still wandering with El,
and is true to the Set-apart One.”
(Hosea 11:12 – The Scriptures Version)

JUDAISM

While the House of Israel abandoned the one true faith, a remnant of the House of Judah remained faithful to the one true faith. Since the one true faith had now become the faith of only the House of Judah, it had come to be called “Judaism”.

No one knows just when the one true faith came to be known as “Judaism”. The earliest known usage of the term “Judaism” in written literature is 2Maccabees 2:21 where it is said that the Maccabees, fighting the Greeks are described as “those who strove zealously on behalf of Judaism”. The term Judaism was in common use well before the first century being commonly used by writers such as Josephus and Philo.

Paul himself uses the term “Judaism” in Galatians 1:13 to describe his own faith (see Acts 23:6 for proof that this passage was comparing Paul’s former life in Judaism with his current life in Judaism).

THE REMNANT OF THE HOUSE OF JUDAH

In the first two chapters of Isaiah we see a prophetic rebuke of each of the Two Houses of Israel. Isaiah 1:1-23 contains a prophetic rebuke “concerning Judah and Jerusalem” (1:1) while Isaiah 2:5-22 contains a prophetic rebuke directed at the “House of Jacob” (2:5).

The House of Judah (“Judah and Jerusalem”) is observing Torah in some way… they are offering sacrifices and incense and observing new moons and sabbaths and the calling of assemblies (1:13). But note that Isaiah 1
calls them “YOUR new moons” and “YOUR appointed feasts” but the Torah calls them “My appointed feasts” etc..

This is why YHWH’s nefesh (soul) HATES their appointed feasts (1:14). The House of Judah is observing Torah, but in an empty way (because they have violated Deut. 18:15-18 in rejecting Messiah). Their Torah observance is
empty and meaningless because it has lost the Soul of the Torah the Messiah himself.

The House of Israel (also called the “House of Jacob”) is rebuked for having turned from the “light of YHWH” (2:5) (i.e, the Torah see Isaiah 8:20); forsaking “your people” (2:6) and turning to idolatry (2:7).

But in Isaiah 1:9 there is a key passage:

Except YHWH of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant,
we should have been as Sodom,
and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

Note that this verse takes place in YHWH’s rebuke of the House of Judah. While the House of Jacob abandons the Torah and their own people (the House of Judah) and turn to idolatry, and most of the House of Judah observes Torah in an empty way (having rejected the Messiah) there is a remnant of the House of Judah which has not rejected Torah or the Messiah.

In a footnote to Isaiah 1:9 the Ryrie Study Bible has the following comment:

“Quoted in Rom. 9:29 with reference to Christian Jews.”

Now I do not always agree with Ryrie’s comments and I certainly do not agree with the usage of the term “Jewish Christians”, what Ryrie would call “Jewish Christians” I would identify as “Nazarene Jews”. However it is very important that Romans 9:29 does quote Isaiah 1:9 with reference to Nazarene Jews. The “remnant” of the
House of Judah in Isaiah 1:9 does in fact refer to Nazarene Judaism.

ONE FAITH ONCE AND FOR ALL DELIVERED

Now at this point I want to establish that their is only one true faith (Eph. 4:5) which was once and for all delivered to the set apart ones (Jude 1:3) and that one true faith is the Nazarene sect of Judaism.

This brings us to the encounter between Yeshua and an Ephraimite woman (a Samaritan). There is no doubt that this Samaritan woman is to be counted as an Ephraimite because she refers to “our father Jacob” (Jn. 4:12) and
Yeshua makes no attempt to correct her on this point. (Note she mentions the two different places of worship on different mountains in 4:20). Then Yeshua tells her her religion is false and that the Jewish religion is the one true faith saying:

“You worship what you do not know.
We worship what we know,
because the deliverance is of the Yehudim.
“But the hour is coming, and now is,
when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth,
for the Father also does seek such to worship Him.
(Jn. 4:22-23 – The Scriptures Version)

Yeshua makes it clear that the “true worshipers” are the Jews who practice Judaism “in spirit and truth” as opposed to an Ephraimite religion. (“in spirit and truth” – a reference to the Torah – see Ps. 119:142, 151; Ezek. 36:27).

Moreover Paul writes:

“…what is the advantage of the Jew? Or what is the profit of
circumcision? Much in everything!…” (Rom. 3:1-2)

EPHRAIMITES TAKING HOLD

Now the question is: What is the prophetic hope of the House of Israel? Is there to be a last days restoration of a distinct and separate House of Israel (as opposed to the House of Judah) or is the hope of divorced Ephraim to be joined to the House of Judah?

One of the most beautiful prophecies of the reunion of the two houses of Israel is the “two sticks” prophecy in Ezekiel 37:15-20. In this prophecy each of the two houses of Israel are symbolized by two “sticks” which are brought together and made as one (Ezek. 37:15-18) the text goes on to specify that YHWH will:

…take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim,
and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him,
even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick,…
(Ezek. 37:19)

Now lets look at another prophecy in Zech. 8:23:

Thus said YHWH of hosts, ‘In those days ten men
from all languages of the nations take hold,
yea, they shall take hold of the edge of the garment of a man,
a Yehudite, saying, “Let us go with you,
for we have heard that Elohim is with you .” ‘ “j

Now lest anyone think that the “Jew” (Yehudite) in this passage is a certain Jew, such as the Messiah, I must point out that in the Hebrew the word “you” in “let us go with “you” and “Elohim is with you” is PLURAL and therefore refers not to an individual Jew, but to the House of Judah. No doubt the number “ten” here implies the lost ten tribes of Ephraim. Not that Ephraim says to Judah:

“let us [Ephraim] go with you [Judah]
for we [Ephraim] have heard that YHWH is with you [Judah].”

Finally let us look at the olive tree prophecy of Romans 11. This prophecy parallels the two “sticks” prophecy of Ezekiel 37 (note that the word STICK in Ezek. 37 is ETZ which also means “tree”).

Rom. 9 begins the contrast of the “Jews” and “Gentiles” by quoting Hosea 2:25(23); 2:1 (1:10) in Rom. 9:25-26. But if we look up the context of the people “which were not my people” which he calls “my people” in Hosea we find that they are the “children of Israel” (Hosea 2:1 (1:10)) as opposed to “the children of Judah” (Hosea 2:2 (1:11)) So if Paul is quoting Hosea in context and contrasting Jews and Gentiles (Rom. 9:24) using Hosea 2:1-2 (1:10-11) then the “Jews” of Rom. 9:24 are the “Childern of Judah” of Hosea 2:2 (1:11) and the “Gentiles” of Rom. 9:24 are the “children of Israel” of Hosea 2:1 (1:10). If this is true then as this contrasting pair advances into Rom. Chapter 11 the two trees are the two Houses.

Now the uncultivated olive tree in Romans 11 is clearly therefore Ephraim and the cultivated olive tree is clearly that of Judah. This prophecy tells us that branches from the tree/stick of Ephraim will be broken off and grafted into the tree/stick of Judah, are to be fed by the root of the tree/stick of Judah and are not to boast against the natural branches (Jews).”

The House of Judah is NOT a “old dried up olive tree”!!!!

The House of Judah is the cultivated olive tree that Ephraimite branches are being grafted into.

Judaism is the one true faith that was once and for all time given. Messiah did not come to create a new religion whether Christian or a new Ephraimite religion. Messiah came to be the Messiah of Judaism.

Many of those of Ephraim and the Gentiles being drawn to Torah truth and taking hold of Judah are being troubled by those wishing to discourage them from being grafted into Judah. These would have Ephraim return to the initial Ephraimite error of creating an Ephraimite faith apart from Judah and Judaism.

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Through a Mirror, Darkly

Through a Mirror, Darkly
By
James Scott Trimm

In the KJV of 1Corinthians we read:

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
(1Cor. 13:8-13 KJV)

And as we read in the Aramaic as translated in the HRV:

8 Love never fails. For prophecies will cease, and tongues will be silent, and knowledge will cease.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 Now when that which is complete comes, then that which is partial will cease.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, and I thought as a child, and I reasoned as a child: but when I became a man, I ceased these [things] of youth.
12 Now as in a mirror, we see in a parable, but then face-to-face. Now I know in part, but then I will know, as I am known.
13 For there are these three that abide: trust, and hope, and love. But that which is the greatest of these, [is] love.
(1Cor. 13:8-13 HRV)

In order to understand these verses, it is necessary to understand that according to Jewish tradition, the revelation of YHWH is compared to a mirror. YHWH was revealed to Moses through a “clear mirror”, but to the other prophets after Moses only through a “dim mirror”, as we read in the Talmud:

[Do not] the contradictions between the Scriptural texts, however, still remain? — ‘I saw the Lord’,(Is. 6:2) [is to be understood] in accordance with what was taught: All the prophets looked into a dim mirror, but Moses looked into a clear mirror.—
(Yeb. 49b)

And also as we read in the Zohar:

R. Simeon remarked: ‘Ezekiel the prophet said: “As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it I fell upon my face, etc.” (Ez. 1: 28). This verse illustrates the difference between the other prophets and Moses, of whom it is written, “And there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses” (Deut. 34:10). For Moses gazed into the clear mirror of prophecy, whereas all the other prophets looked into a hazy mirror.
(Zohar 1:170b)

In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul is telling us that though the manifestations of the Ruach HaKodesh give the revelation of YHWH to us only through the dim mirror, the time will come when these dim mirror manifestations will cease and we will see through the same clear mirror through which Moses himself saw. This will happen when the Messiah returns. As we also read in the Zohar:

“Righteousness” reveals the Supernal Power and the reign of the Holy One, blessed be He, who delegates to that Righteousness authority to rule over all the worlds, to guide them and lead them towards perfection. For this reason does it go on to say: “Gave nations before him and made him rule over kings”, since all the kings of the world are under the authority of that “Righteousness”, as it is written: “And he will judge the world in righteousness” (Ps. 95:13). Moreover, when it says “Righteousness calleth to his foot”, the question is: Who calleth whom? The answer is that “Righteousness” calls to the resplendent mirror, which is ever bright and refulgent, as it is written: “Keep not thou silence, O God; hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God” (Psa. 83:1). Now the Holy One has let His light shine upon us on our way for the sake of my son Eleazar, who called down the supernal light upon us, and it has not waned. Happy is the lot of the righteous in this world and in the world to come.’

… And he who thus strengthens it becomes worthy of the white light, the light of the “refulgent mirror”, and of the world to come. This mystery is expressed in the words: “And those that seek me (meshahrai) shall find me” (Prov. 8:17), namely those who, out of the blackness of the dawn, prepare a light. The double n in yimzaunni (“they shall find me”) signifies that they will merit the two lights: the dim, blackish light of dawn and the white light of day: or, the mirror that is not refulgent and the mirror that is.
(Zohar 2:139a-140b)

Our teachers have laid down that Moses derived his prophetic vision from a bright mirror, whereas the other prophets derived their vision from a dull mirror. So it is written concerning Ezekiel: “I saw visions of God”, whereas in connection with the difference between Moses and all other prophets it says: “If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord will make Myself known to him in a vision…. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all my house: and with him I will speak mouth to mouth” (Num. 12: 7-8). R. Jose remarked that all the prophets are in comparison with Moses like females in comparison with males. The Lord did not speak to him in “riddles” (Ibid.), but showed him everything clearly. Blessed, indeed, was the generation in whose midst this prophet lived! Said R. Jose the son of R. Judah: ‘The Israelites saw the splendor of the glory of their Lord face to face; and, moreover, there were neither blind, nor lame, nor deaf, among them: they all saw (Ex. 20: 18); they all stood (Ibid. 19:17); they all heard (Ibid. 19:8). And of the Messianic Age it says: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped, then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing” (Isa. 35: 5-6)
(Zohar 2:82b)

(Note the word translated “parable” in 1Cor. 13:12 may also be translated “riddles” as we read in the Zohar above.)

This also agrees with what Paul writes in his second letter to the Corinthians:

11 For if that which has ended was glorious, that which remains will be increasingly glorious.
12 Therefore, because we have this hope, we conduct ourselves more boldly:
13 And not as Moshe who put a veil over his face so that the B’nai Yisra’el could not look on the consummation of that which was ended,
14 But they were blinded in their understanding. For until this day when the ancient Covenant is read, that veil rests upon them and it is not known that, in the Messiah it ended.
15 And until this day when Moshe is read, a veil is put over their heart:
16 But when any man from them should turn to YHWH, the veil is lifted from him. (Exodus 34:34)
17 Now YHWH Himself is Spirit, and where the Spirit of YHWH [is], [there] is freedom.
18 But all of us, with open faces, behold the magnificence of YHWH as in a mirror: and we are being changed into that likeness, from glory to glory, as by YHWH, the Spirit.
(2Cor. 3:11-18 HRV)

What does Paul mean by “from glory to glory”? He describes here the ladder of the Tree of life, as we read in the Zohar:

A “vision” (mar’eh=vision, or mirror) is so called because it is like a mirror, in which all images are reflected. (Thus we read: “And I appeared… as El Shaddai” (Ex. 6:2), this grade being like a mirror which showed another form, since all supernal forms are reflected in it.) AND BEHOLD A LADDER SET UP ON THE EARTH. This ladder signifies the grade on which the other grades rest, to wit, the “Foundation of the world”. AND THE TOP OF IT REACHED TO HEAVEN , so as to be attached to it. For this grade is the conclusion of the Body standing between the upper and the lower world in the same way as the sign of the covenant is situated at the end of the trunk of the body, between the thighs. AND BEHOLD, THE ANGELS OF GOD ASCENDING AND DESCENDING ON IT ; this alludes to the Chieftains who have charge of all the nations, and who ascend and descend on that ladder. When Israel are sinful, the ladder is lowered and the Chieftains ascend by it; but when Israel are righteous, the ladder is removed and all the Chieftains are left below and are deprived of their dominion. Jacob thus saw in this dream the domination of Esau and the domination of the other nations. According to another explanation, the angels ascended and descended on the top of the ladder; for when the top was detached, the ladder was lowered and the Chieftains ascended, but when it was attached again, the ladder was lifted and they remained below. But it comes to the same thing.
(Zohar 1:149b)

AND JOSEPH DREAMED A DREAM, ETC . On the subject of dreams, R. Hiya discoursed on the text: And he said: Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord do make myself known unto him in a vision, I do speak with him in a dream (Num. 12:6). ‘God’, he said, ‘has brought into existence a series of grades, one higher than the other, one drawing sustenance from the other, some on the right, others on the left, all arranged in a perfect hierarchy. Now all the prophets drew their inspiration from one side, from the midst of two certain grades which they beheld in a “dull mirror”, as it says: “I do make myself known unto him in a vision”, the word “vision” denoting, as has been explained, a medium reflecting a variety of colors; and this is the “dull mirror”.
(Zohar 1:183a)

In 2 Corinthians 3 Paul is telling us that our knowledge or the Torah was diminished after the death of Moses, as we also read in the Zohar:

On the death of Moses, the sun in his splendor was darkened and the Written Torah was locked up, that light of the luminous mirror. The Moon withdrew her light when King David died, and the Oral Torah ceased to shine. Since that time the lights of the Torah have remained hidden, and controversy has increased over the Mishnah (i.e. the traditional Law), and the wise men dispute, and all the great thinkers are in confusion, so that to succeeding generations the joy of the Torah has been lost. When a great man dies the scholars proclaim a fast. Seeing, then, that the joy of the Written and Oral Torahs was gathered in at this hour, is it not fitting that the gates of the Torah should close then? This, then, is the reason why we repeat the three “justifications of judgment”, as explained.’
(Zohar 2:156a-156b)

Thus if we approach Paul’s words from a Jewish perspective, we understand the significance of the “mirror” mentioned in 1Corinthians 13:12 and 2 Corinthians 3:18.

Prophecy, tongues and interpretation of tongues are a dim mirror through which we receive the revelations of YHWH, but when the Messiah returns and establishes the Messianic Kingdom, we shall know see though the same clear mirror through which Moses saw.

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The Torah is Truth

The Torah is Truth
By
James Scott Trimm

There is a spiritual battle taking place. A battle between light and darkness. A battle between truth and deception. Paul writes:

“and put on all the armour of Eloah, so that you may be able to stand against the strategies of ‘Akel Kartza, because your struggle is not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and with authorities and with the possessors of this dark world and with the evil spirits that are under heaven. Because of this, put on all the armour of Eloah that you may be able to meet the evil one, and being prepared in everything, you may stand firm.”
(Ephesians 6:11-13 HRV)

Paul goes on to describe the parts of this armour as:

The Belt of Truth
The Breastplate of Righteousness
The Shoes of the Goodnews of Peace (Shalom)
The Shield of Faith
The Helmet of Salvation
The Sword of the Word

Now Paul is making a play on words here. The Aramaic word for “Armour” is ZAYNA while the Aramaic word for for “whiles” is TZEN’TA. Paul is contrasting the ZAYNA with the TZEN’TA. The four fixed (non mobile) pieces of armour correspond to the four whiles of HaSatan which are depicted in the Tanak:

Deception/Lies (Gen. 3) / Belt of Truth
Temptation/Pride (1Chron. 21:1) / Breastplate of Righteousness
Oppression (Job) / Shoes of Peace
Accusation (Zech. 3:1-5) / Helmet of Salvation

Now we will not cover each of the items here, instead we will concentrate only on the belt of truth.

Now it should be understood that the armour Paul is speaking of is not Roman armour, it was not inspired by Roman Soldiers. The armour was originally inspired by the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 11:5; 52:7 and 59:17) as well as the apocryphal Wisdom of Solomon (5:17-20). Therefore the subject of this passage is ancient Hebew armour and not Roman armour at all. Now ancient Hebrews wore a skirt like garment. Before going into battle a Hebrew warrior would gird himself with the a belt, he would gather his skirt-like garment up and tuck it up under his belt to allow free movement. This prevented him from getting tripped up in his own garment while trying to fight.

Now when he was on trial before Pilate Yeshua said:

“For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness of the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.”
(John 18:37-38)

To this Pilate asked the all important question:

“What is truth?”
(John 18:38)

Let us look back to the Tanak to find the answer to Pilate’s question:

Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your Torah is truth.”
(Psalm 119:142)

You are near, O YHWH, and all your commandments are truth.”
(Psalm 119:151)

This definition explains many phrases in the New Testament:

“Obey the truth”
(Galatians 3:1)

“But he that does truth…”
(John 3:20)

“And I rejoice that I found your children walking in the truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.”
(2 John 1:4)

The Tanak definition of truth gives whole new meaning to Yeshua’s words:

“For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness of the truth.Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.”
(John 18:37-38)

Yeshua came to bear witness of the Torah, those who hear the Torah hear his voice. This leads us to another important saying from Yeshua:

“Then Yeshua said to those Jews who believed on him, ‘If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ “
(John 8:31-32)

Paul, however, speaks of those “who changed the truth of God into a lie” (Rom. 1:25) Now if Messiah came to bear witness of the truth then what has HaSatan to bear witness to? The scriptures tell us:

“He [the devil] was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not the truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and ther father of it.”
(John 8:44)

“…HaSatan, who deceives the whole world…”
(Revelation 12:9)

When HaSatan speaks a lie, he is merely speaking his native language.

Now if the Torah is truth, then what is HaSatan’s lie? His lie is that there is not a Torah, that the Torah has been done away with. There is a Greek term for this teaching. This term is ANOMOS (Strong’s Greek #459). ANOMOS is made up of the Greek prefix A- (there is not/without) with the Greek word NOMOS (Torah). ANOMOS means “without Torah” or “Torah-lessness.” While Messiah came to bear witness to the Torah, HaSatan comes to bear witness of ANOMOS (Torah-lessness). Two entire books of the New Testament (2Kefa and Jude) are dedicated to combating this false ANOMOS teaching. Yeshua tells us that these teachers will be called “least” in the Kingdom (Matthew 5:19).

Now lets take a look at how the Bible uses this term ANOMOS:

“…I [Yeshua] will profess to them, I never knew you, depart from me, you that work ANOMOS.”
(Matthew 7:23)

“…and they [angels] shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend, and them which do ANOMOS.”
(Matthew 13:41)

“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because ANOMOS shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold.”
(Matthew 24:11-12)

“For the mystery of ANOMOS does already work… And then shall the ANOMOS one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth,… whose coming is after the working of HaSatan with all power and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness… because they received not the love of truth… That they might be damned who believed not the truth…”
(2 Thessalonians 2:7-12)

Many people have been taken in by the ANOMOS teaching. In fact two of Christendom’s largest theological sub-sets, Dispensationalism and Replacement Theology, submit detailed theories to explain why they teach that the Torah is not for today.

Dispensationalism is a form of Premillennialism which replaces the eternal “covenants” with finite “ages”. Two of these finite ages are “The Age of Torah” which basically encompasses “Old Testament times”, and “The Age of Grace” which basically encompasses “New Testament times”. According to these Dispensationalists, during “Old Testament times” men were under Torah, but during “New Testament times” men are under grace. Some Dispensationalists, called “Ultra-Dispensationalists”, even teach that men were saved by Torah in “Old Testament times,” but are saved by grace in “New Testament times.” As a result, Dispensationalists teach that “the Torah is not for today” or “we have no Torah.”

Replacement Theologians teach that G-d has replaced Israel with the Church; Judaism with Christendom; The Old Testament with The New Testament; and Torah with grace. As a result, they too teach that “the Torah is not for today” or “we have no Torah.”

Now you may be saying to yourself: “Ok, so they teach Torah-lessness, but don’t the Torah-less teachers of 2Peter & Jude go so far as to teach sexual immorality? Surely the Torah-less teachers of within the church would never use their “the Torah is not for today” teaching to promote sexual immorality.” Wrong! Some of Christendom’s teachers have already carried the “the Torah is not for today” reasoning to its fullest and logical conclusion. A sect of Christendom known as “The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches” has published a tract which does just that. The nameless author of the tract writes:

“Another Scripture verse that is used to show that the Bible condemns the gay lifestyle is found in the Old Testament Book of Leviticus, 18:22, “Thou shalt not lie with a man as thou would with a woman.” Anyone who is concerned about this prohibition should read the whole chapter or the whole Book of Leviticus: No pork, no lobster, no shrimp, no oysters, no intercourse during the menstrual period, no rare meats, no eating blood, no inter-breeding of cattle, and a whole host of other laws, including the Law to kill all divorced people who remarry.
“As Christians, our Law is from Christ. St. Paul clearly taught that Christians are no longer under the Old Law (for example in Galatians 3:23-24); that the Old Law is brought to an end in Christ (Romans 10:4); and its fulfillment is in love (Romans 13:8-10, Galatians 5:14). The New Law of Christ is the Law of Love. Neither Jesus, nor Paul, nor any of the New Testament Scriptures implies that Christians are held to the cultic or ethical laws of the Mosaic Law.”
(Homosexuality; What the Bible Does and Does not Say; Universal Fellowship press, 1984, p. 3)

[Editor Note: I first wrote an early version of this blog in 1993, at which point I had no idea that mainline Christian denominations would digress to teaching this same pro-homosexual doctrine in my lifetime!]

Thus Christendom’s teaching that “the Torah is not for today” is already being used to “turn the grace of our Elohim into perversion.” (Jude 1:4; see also 2 Peter 2:18-21)

There is indeed a spiritual battle taking place. It is a battle between the truth and a lie. It is a battle between light and darkness. It is a battle led by the one who came to bear witness to the Torah, and the one who comes to bear witness to Torah-lessness. The Torah is truth. The belt of truth is the belt of Torah. Gird yourselves with the belt of Torah that you may withstand the Torah-less one.

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Did Yeshua Say “Call No Man Rabbi”?

Did Yeshua Say “Call No Man Rabbi”?
By
James Scott Trimm

So often I hear people supposedly quote Yeshua as teaching “Call no man Rabbi” and proclaim that the term Rabbi should not be used by believers.

This is absolutely false, and can be shown to be in error for several reasons.

Yeshua was not addressing a clergical title. In fact the first Jewish teacher to actually use the term “Rabbi” as a clergical title was Rabbi Judah (around 250 C.E.) who is for that reason sometimes simply called “Rabbi”. Whenever one reads “Rabbi” without a name in the Talmud it is taken to refer to Rabbi Judah. Catholics did not make the term “Father” into a clergical title for their clergy until much later.

Be Not Called Rabbi

The passage in question, often misquoted “Call no man Rabbi” but it actually says “Be not called Rabbi” (Matt. 23:8). Now there is a big difference between calling someone a “Rabbi” and being called a “Rabbi”, one is an active while the other is purely passive. To confuse the two statements is to confuse “Thou shalt not steal” with “Thou shalt not be stolen from.” The two are actually opposites. Stealing may be a sin, but being stolen from most certainly is not. So there is just no basis to interpret “be not called Rabbi” to mean “call no man Rabbi”, and even if one were a sin, that would not mean that the other is.

Now if we stick with the actual wording of the passage, “be not called Rabbi” then we must ask the question, is it reasonable to conclude that being called Rabbi is a sin? Of course not. It would be ridiculous to think that a person commits a sin whenever someone else calls them a Rabbi, as this is not even within their control. By that reasoning I could run around calling random people “Rabbi” and thus bestowing a sin upon them each time I did so.

So this passage is not a restriction on calling anyone “Rabbi” and it also cannot mean that being called a Rabbi is a sin.

No Teachers of Fathers Either?

The passage in question also states in parallel “call no man your father” (Matt. 23:9) and “neither be you called teachers” (Matt. 23:10) (The KJV has “master” rather than “teacher” but translates the same word as “teacher” in many places, including Eph. 4:11).

So does this mean that my children should not call me “father”? Obviously that is ridiculous. There should be no harm in my son calling me exactly what I am.

Does this man that no man should be called “teacher”? Again this is ridiculous, as Scripture plainly states:

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
(Eph. 4:11-13 KJV)

Clearly some have been called by Elohim to serve as “teachers” and so why would it be a sin for one to be called a teacher, if in fact YHWH has called him to be a teacher?

You Shall Not Add to the Torah

The Torah states clearly:

“You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish a thing from it, that you may keep the commandments of YHWH your God which I command you.”
(Deuteronomy 4:2)

“Whatever thing I command you, observe to do it: you shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it.”
(Deuteronomy 12:32)

The prophets after Moses did not add to the Torah, they admonished Israel for not following the Torah, and at times elaborated on the meaning of a commandment. For example when Jeremiah says “Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day,” (Jer. 17:22) he is actually only elaborating on what “work” includes.

(Although some accuse the so called “Oral Law” of violating this commandment, that is actually not true. There are two kinds of Oral Law. Oral Law from Sinai was not added, as it was always part of the Torah. And the judgments of the elders, are themselves an extension of Torah (Deut. 17:8-13).)

Yeshua and the Emissaries in the Ketuvim Netzarim, never add to the Torah, they only admonish us to observe Torah and elaborate on its meaning.

So if calling a man a “rabbi”, “teacher” or a “father” was a sin, where is this commandment laid out in the Torah?

Rabbi Yeshua

In fact Yeshua himself was regularly called “Rabbi”:

Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
(John 1:38 KJV)

Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
(John 1:49 KJV)

The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him
(John 3:2 KJV)

And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
(John 6:25 KJV)

Now why would Yeshua engage in activity in which he tells us not to participate?

Remember Yeshua set the example for us. When he came to Yochanan to be immersed the following exchange took place:

13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
(Matt. 3:13-15 KJV)

Notice Yeshua did not claim that we need to be immersed for the remission of sins, but he did not, he did what we should do so as to serve as our example. So why would he willingly be called “rabbi” if he objected to men being called “rabbi”?

A common T-shirt in Christian circles today says WWJD “What Would Jesus Do?” The implication is that we should act as Yeshua acted. As the Scripture says:

He who says, I am in him, ought to conduct himself
according to his conduct.
(1Jn. 2:6)

So how did Yeshua conduct himself regarding being called “rabbi”?

Rabbi Yochanan

We also have a Scriptural example of another man (other than Yeshua) being called “rabbi”. We read in the Goodnews according to Yochanan:

And they came unto John, and said unto him,
Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan,
to whom thou barest witness, behold,
the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
(John 3:26 KJV)

So it is clearly biblical to call a man other than Yeshua “rabbi”.

He Gave Some Rabbis For Edifying the Body of Messiah

We read earlier:

Now it is important to understand that the Scriptural meaning of the word “rabbi” is teacher. As we read in John:

Then Yeshua turned, and saw them following, and said unto them, What seek you? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, teacher,) where dwell you?
(John 1:38)

(The KJV has “master” where most translations have “teacher” however the KJV translates the very same word as “teacher” in other passages, including Eph. 4:11 above).

So if the word “rabbi” is a synonym for “teacher” then we may understand Ephesians 4:11-13 as telling us that some have been called as “rabbis”.

What Does the Passage Really Mean?

So what does Yeshua really mean? If these three terms were not clergical titles in the first century, what did they have in common and what does Yeshua mean?

Here we must apply the fifth and seventh rules of Ishmael.

Here we have a list of specific examples (23:5-11) followed by a generalization (23:12). The fifth rule of Ishmael tells us that when specific instances are stated first and followed by a generalization, instances other than those in the specific examples, but which fall within the generalization are also intended. Thus the list of examples in 23:5-11 are only understood as being examples of self exaltation as stated in 23:12.

This brings us to the seventh rule of Ishmael, which tells us “The general requires the particular and the particular the general”. That is to say that specification is provided, by taking the general and particular together, each requiring the other. In other words each of the specific instances cited in 23:5-11 must be understood in light of the generalization given in 23:12. Any application of the specific examples in 23:5-11 which is not an example of the generalization in 23:12 is not a valid understanding of what the text is saying. In this case the specific instances of 23:5-11 are intended only in context of being examples of self exaltation. Any application of these specific examples which is not a case of self exaltation is not a valid application. Thus any use of the term “Rabbi” as a appellation of an actual teacher (as in Eph. 4:11-12) is not a case of self exaltation and is not being prohibited in this text.

In fact the terms “Father” and “Rabbon” (closely related to “Rabbi”) were both used in the first century as euphemisms for YHWH (certain Targums substitute “Rabbon” for “YHWH”). Yeshua is saying that men should not be exalted to God-like status.