2nd Exodus END TIMES REMNANT! The True Way: YESHUA| Nazarenes | Qumran| Paul

John 8:31-32 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Then YESHUA said to those Yehudim (Jews) who believed in Him, “If you abide in MY WORD, YOU WILL BECOME MY TALMIDIM (DISCIPLES) IN TRUTH. And you will know the truth, and the truth will fulfill your requests.”

Jude 1:3 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Beloved brothers, after I wanted to write to you about our set-apartness, I found it necessary to REBUKE YOU IN WRITING, that you should STRENGTHEN YOURSELVES IN THE FAITH WHICH WAS GIVEN TO THE SET-APART ONES.”

This message is for the Torah community the Body of Messiah and Christianity! Are you one of YESHUA’s true disciples? Are you walking in the true original faith that YESHUA taught? Or are you walking in man-made religion and “playing church or synagogue?” This message will help you discover the answer to these questions! And whether you will strengthen yourselves in the faith that was given to the set-apart ones.

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls shows us what the original faith looked like before Rabbinical Judaism and Christianity began to take over. The purpose of this important message is to show that the teachings of the Zadok priest of the Qumran Community and the followers of YESHUA called Nazarenes matched the teachings/doctrines of YESHUA the Nazarene! I will show that the New Testament is written from a Nazarene perspective and that every follower of YESHUA needs to return to the original faith the ancient path because time is running out for us all!

Remember what YESHUA plainly told us!

Matthew 7:13-14 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“YESHUA MASHIACH said unto His talmidim (disciples), “Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the way that leads man to destruction, AND MANY ARE ENTERING BY IT. But the gate and the way that leads to life, it is EXCEEDINGLY NARROW; AND FEW ARE THEY WHO FIND IT.”

Jeremiah 6:16 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Here is what YAHWEH says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask about the ANCIENT PATHS, “Which one is the good way?” Take it, and you will find rest for your souls. BUT THEY SAID, ‘WE WILL NOT TAKE IT.’

YESHUA tells us that the way to eternal life is exceedingly narrow and only a few are going to walk on the ancient UNPOPULAR path! Many people are being seduced by doctrines that tickle the ears and please the flesh and Paul has already warned against this!

2 Timothy 4:3-4 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“For the time is coming when people will not have patience for SOUND TEACHING, but will cater to their PASSIONS and gather around themselves TEACHERS WHO SAY WHATEVER THEIR EARS ITCH TO HEAR. YES, THEY WILL STOP LISTENING TO THE TRUTH, but will turn aside to follow myths.”

Most believers will follow the popular crowd because they seek to be accepted and will look for the path of least resistance! This is in complete contrast to the unpopular ancient path and the reason why people avoid it!! Instead of saying “Everything YAHWEH says we will hear and do it!” People are saying what YAHWEH already knew they would say in Jeremiah 6:16 “We will not take it!”

Many Jews have rejected YESHUA, but they keep the commandments, and the Christians accept YESHUA but reject the commandments of the Torah!  Are any of these the ancient path that leads to eternal life? No! The answer lies in the middle, which those in Qumran and the Nazarenes understood, which is:

Revelation 14:12 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Here is the hope of the set-apart ones, and here are those who DO THE COMMANDMENTS OF YAHWEH, AND BELIEVE IN YESHUA.”

Simply put, we obey the commandments of the written Torah and have faith in YESHUA who is the Living Torah!  An example that matches Revelation 14:12 is a quote from Augustine in the fourth century concerning the Nazarenes!

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 78

“Augustine supplies us with the following information about the SECT: 1)they profess to be Christians and confess that Messiah IS THE SON OF ELOHIM; 2)They practice BAPTISM; 3)they KEEP THE OLD LAW, specifically including a) CIRCUMCISION, b)SABBATH OBSERVANCE, and c) FOOD RESTRICTIONS SUCH AS ABSTINENCE FROM SWINE; and 4) they are few in number”.

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 110

“Of particular interest is the Nazarene commentary on Isaiah. This work shows clearly that the rejection was not solely from the Jewish side. The Nazarenes REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE AUTHORITY ESTABLISHED BY THE PHARSIAIC CAMP after the destruction of Jerusalem, and in so refusing they adjudicated their own isolation from the converging flow of what we call Judaism. Just as they REJECTED THE CHURCH’S SETTING ASIDE OF THE LAW OF MOSES, SO ALSO THEY REFUSED THE RABBIS’ EXPANSIVE INTERPRETATION OF IT. In other words, they rejected halakah as it was developing in RABBINIC JUDAISM.”

The Nazarenes as they were recorded until the fourth century disagreed with Christians doing away with the Torah and they disagreed with the Pharisees and their oral torah which I will cover in more detail in the section titled “They rejected the authority of the Pharisees.”  I have been proclaiming for years that we need follow Revelation 14:12 because the truth does not change! Augustine said that the Nazarenes had “FOOD RESTRICTIONS SUCH AS ABSTINENCE FROM SWINE”.

The same restriction to food was practiced by the Qumran community which scholars call “The Essenes”. I personally do not use the Greek term, but for the sake of not confusing the reader I will explain the scholarly view on this topic. Robert Shriner the author of “YESHUA He will be called a Nazarene” explains on page 37 saying “I believe it was the normative embrace of singleness and celibacy that distinguished the Essenes from the Nazarenes. The NAZARENE “BRANCH” OF THE ESSENE SECT seems to have permitted and even encouraged marriage and family.”

Dead Sea Scrolls magazine (A reissue of a special edition) page 45

“The Essenes called themselves the SONS OF ZADOK, after the high priest from the time of King Solomon more than one thousand years earlier.”

On page 55 of “YESHUA He will be called a Nazarene”, Shriner calls them “NAZARENE ESSENES” as he is linking them together! According to Shriner the Nazarenes and Essenes are two branches of the same sect and followed the same Torah! With that understanding, we can see that “The Essenes” or members of the Qumran Community followed the strict dietary laws as the Nazarenes that we read from Augustine’s quote.

Geza Vermes who translated The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls writes on page 66 “Finally, Josephus depicts in vivid language the bravery of the ESSENES subjected to torture by the Romans. “The war with the Romans tried their souls through and through by every variety of test. Racked and twisted, burned and broken, and made to pass through every instrument of torture in order to induce them to blaspheme their lawgiver OR TO EAT SOME FORBIDDEN THING, THEY REFUSED TO YIELD to either demand, nor ever once did they cringe to their persecutors or shed a tear. Smiling in their agonies and mildly deriding their tormentors, they cheerfully resigned their souls, confident that they would receive them back again.”

The Qumran community refused to eat forbidden food as the Torah states in Leviticus 11 and we see the Nazarenes in the fourth century still obeying the same Torah command! The Qumran Community followed the exact same doctrine in that they kept commandments of the Torah, as a matter of fact, they were strict observers of the Torah, and they were awaiting the Messiah YESHUA which aligns with Revelation 14:12! Proof of this is found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Messianic Apocalypse aka Redemption and Resurrection (4Q521) The Dead Sea Scrolls a New Translation (Wise, Abegg, Cook) page 531, Frags. 2 + 4 Column 2

“…the heavens and the earth will listen to HIS MESSIAH and all which is in them shall not turn away from the commandments of the set-apart ones. Strengthen yourselves, O you who seek YAHWEH, in His service. Will you not find YAHWEH in this, all those who hope in their heart? For YAHWEH attends to the pious and calls the righteous by name. Over the humble His spirit hovers, and He renews the faithful in His strength. For He will honor the pious upon the throne of His eternal kingdom, setting prisoners free, opening the eyes of the blind, raising up those who are bowed down. (Psalm 146:7-8) And forever I shall hold fast to those who hope and in His faithfulness shall…and the fruit of good deeds shall not be delayed for anyone and YAHWEH shall do glorious things which have not been done, just as He said. For He shall HEAL THE CRITICALLY WOUNDED, HE SHALL REVIVE THE DEAD, HE SHALL SEND GOOD NEWS TO THE AFFLICED (Isaiah 61:1), He shall satisfy the poor, He shall guide the uprooted, He shall make the hungry rich, and…discerning ones…and all of them as the set-apart ones…”

This prophecy is one that John the Baptist would have understood when YESHUA told the disciples of John to report to them the following:

Luke 7:22-23 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“So He answered them by saying, “Go, tell John what you have been seeing and hearing: THE BLIND ARE SEEING AGAIN, THE LAME ARE WALKING, the people with leprosy are being cleansed, the deaf are hearing, THE DEAD ARE BEING RAISED, THE GOOD NEWS IS BEING TOLD TO THE POOR--- and how blessed is anyone not offended by Me!”

Matthew 11:4-5 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“So YESHUA answered, “Go and describe to John what you see and hear: the BLIND ONES SEE, AND THE LAME ONES WALK, and the leprous ones are cleansed, AND THE DEAF ONES HEAR, AND THE HUMBLE ONES ARE PREACHED TO.”

The Damascus Document 14:30  (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 138

“…Who have listened to the voice of the Teacher of Righteousness and have not despised the precepts of righteousness when they heard them; they shall rejoice and their hearts shall be strong, and they shall prevail over all the sons of the earth. ELOHIM will forgive them and they shall see His SALVATION because they took refuge in His Set-Apart Name.”

Footnote #9 says “The end of the Exhortation of CD is followed in 4Q266, fr. 4, lines 11-12, by a badly preserved ALLUSION TO THE MESSIAH: ‘ELOHIM will set up A SHEPHERD for His people and He will FEED THEM IN PASTURES…”

John 10:1-11 (Hebrewgospels.com

“Truth I say to you, whosoever does not enter through the gate to the house of the sheep, but goes up through another place, he is a thief. But he who enters through the gate—he is the SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP. And he opens the door, and the sheep follow His voice. He calls the sheep by name, and LEADS THEM OUTSIDE. And when He has led the sheep outside, He goes before them and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice; but they will not follow after the voice of the strange man.” (YESHUA told this parable to them, but they did not understand that He said to them.) So YESHUA said to them again, “In truth I say to you, that I am the door of the sheep. All those who had come before were thieves; but the sheep did not obey them. I am the door; if anyone will come and will enter, he will be saved; he will come in and GO OUT AND FIND PASTURE. The thief does not come, except that he may find to steal, and to murder and to exterminate; I, I came in order that you may have life and that you may have it in great abundance. I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD, and the GOOD SHEPHERD gives His nephesh (soul) for the sheep of the hirer.”

This is just a glimpse of what the original faith looked like, and I will be diving deeper into the topic in this message! ELOHIM tells us that we must return to Him completely for Him to regather us from the four corners of the earth, but how can we return in complete obedience to the Torah if we are not following the original Torah, the original faith and calendar that was kept? How can we return to Him walking in man-made religion? That is why this message is so important to Jews and Christians!

Deuteronomy 30:1-5 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

  “When the time arrives that all these things have come upon you, both the blessing and the curse which I have presented to you; and you are there AMONG THE NATIONS TO WHICH YAHWEH YOUR ELOHIM HAS DRIVEN YOU; then, at last, you will start thinking about what has happened to you; and you will RETURN TO YAHWEH your ELOHIM and pay attention to what He has said, which will be exactly what I am ordering you to do TODAY--- you and your children, with ALL YOUR HEART AND ALL YOUR BEING. At that point, YAHWEH your ELOHIM WILL REVERSE YOUR EXILE and show you mercy; He will return AND GATHER YOU FROM ALL THE PEOPLES TO WHICH YAHWEH YOUR ELOHIM SCATTERED YOU. IF ONE OF YOURS WAS SCATTERED TO THE FAR END OF THE SKY, YAHWEH YOUR ELOHIM WILL GATHER YOU EVEN FROM THERE, HE WILL GO THERE AND GET YOU. YAHWEH your ELOHIM will BRING YOU BACK INTO THE LAND YOUR ANCESTORS POSSESSED, and you will possess it; He will make you prosper there, and you will become even more numerous than your ancestors.”

Returning to YAHWEH with all our heart, soul, and might is defined as keeping the commandments!

2 Kings 23:25 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“No previous king was like him (Josiah); because he turned to YAHWEH with all his HEART, WITH ALL HIS BEING (SOUL) AND WITH ALL HIS POWER, IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALL THE TORAH OF MOSHE (Moses).”

Temple Scroll 59:10 pg. 215 (Dead Sea Scrolls)

“None shall save them because of their wickedness, because they have broken My covenant and their soul has loathed My law until they have incurred every guilt. Afterwards they will return to Me with all their HEART AND ALL THEIR SOUL, IN CONFORMITY WITH ALL THE WORDS OF THIS LAW, and I will save them from the hand of their enemies and redeem them from the hand of those who hate them, and I WILL BRING THEM TO THE LAND OF THEIR FATHERS. I will redeem them, and increase them and exult over them. I will be their ELOHIM and they shall be My people.”

 Again, how are we going to do this if we are not walking in the original faith that He gave? Would YESHUA recognize any of these religions today? The sons of Zadok in Qumran who kept the original faith before the rabbinical Judaism apostasy began to increase said:

Damascus Document (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) Colum 3:14-15 page 131

“But with the REMNANT WHICH HELD FAST TO THE COMMANDMENTS of ELOHIM He made His Covenant with Yisra’el forever, revealing to them the hidden things in WHICH ALL OF YISRA’EL HAD GONE ASTRAY!”

Israel has gone astray with the oral Torah, lunar calendar, and rejection of YESHUA and Christianity has gone astray by rejecting the commandments! In this message I will cover the original doctrine of the original faith! I will discuss that: YESHUA and His followers were called Nazarenes, the truth is hated, the Jews cursed YESHUA and Christians are doing the same, the divinity of YESHUA, the ELOHIM-head, they rejected the authority of the scribes and Pharisees, YESHUA and Melchizedek, Paul the Torah keeping Nazarene, The Sons of Light and the Solar Calendar, divorce and remarriage, baptism, eternal damnation, gentiles are grafted in, Sharing of property, Apocryphon of Jeremiah, proving they were not Ebionites and many more parallels with YESHUA, Qumran, and Nazarenes!

The True Way

2 Peter 2:1-2 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“But among the people there were also false prophets, just as there will be false teachers among you. Under false pretenses they will introduce DESTUCTIVE HERESIES, even denying the Master who bought them, and thus bring on themselves swift destruction. Many will follow their debaucheries; and because of them, THE TRUE WAY will be maligned.”

Songs of Shabbat Sacrifice Column 1:14-16, Dead Sea Scrolls A New Translation (Wise, Abegg, and Cook) page 465

“They (Angels) tolerate NONE who TRANGRESS THE TRUE WAY, nor is there any unclean in their set-part ranks. The precepts governing the set-apart ones has He inscribed for them, that all the eternally set-apart might thereby be sanctified. He has purified the pure who belong to THE LIGHT, that they may recompense all those who TRANGRESS THE TRUE WAY, and make atonement for those who repent of sin, obtaining for them His good pleasure.”

Damascus Document Column 1 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 129

“And ELOHIM observed their deeds that they sought Him with a whole heart, and He raised for them a Teacher of Righteousness to guide them in the way of His heart. And he made known to the latter generations what which ELOHIM had one to the latter generation, the congregation of TRAITORS, those who DEPARTED FROM THE WAY. This was the time of which it is written, Like a stubborn heifer thus was Israel stubborn (Hosea 4:16).

Damascus Document Column 2 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 130

“ELOHIM loves knowledge, Wisdom and understanding He has set before Him, and prudence and knowledge serve Him. Patience and much forgiveness are with Him towards those who turn from transgression; but power, might and great flaming wrath by the hand of all the Angels of Destruction towards those WHO DEPART FROM THE WAY and abhor the Precept. They shall have no remnant or survivor.”

Community Rule Column 8:12-14 Dead Sea Scrolls a New Translation (Wise, Abegg, Cook) page 129

“When such men as these come to be in Yisra’el, conforming to these DOCTRINES, they shall separate from the session of perverse men to go to the wilderness, there to prepare THE WAY OF TRUTH, as it is written, “In the wilderness prepare the way of YAHWEH, make straight in the desert a highway for our ELOHIM.” (Isaiah 40:3)

James 5:19-20 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Brothers, if one among you goes from the GOOD WAY to the evil, and someone restrains him know that whosoever turns him back from his wickedness he will deliver a life from the death and make atonement for many sins.”

What is the True Way that is being spoken of here? What was the original message that YESHUA handed down to the disciples who were known as Nazarenes aka followers of The Way? The Qumran Community followed “The Way” which means they understood the original message and were awaiting the coming of YESHUA! It is my prayer and desire that this message will open the eyes of many to return THE TRUE WAY!

The book written by Ray A. Pritz titled “Nazarene Jewish Christianity” that I will quote from a lot in this message has a subtitle on the cover which states “From the end of the New Testament period until ITS DISAPPEARANCE IN THE FOURTH CENTURY.”

YAHWEH is restoring the ancient truth to His end times remnant and a major part of this was the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls! So, this statement written in the Aramaic English New Testament confirms the reemergence of the Nazarene faith!

 Aramaic English New Testament page 914, under the section titled “Netzer” is written:

“Mashiach’s (Messiah’s) government is the only LEGITAMATE WAY of justice and peace on this earth and it is the NETZARI (NAZARENE) Faith that upholds the distinctions of Mashiach’s government, rather than just being another branch of the same MAN-MADE RELIGIOUS-POLITICAL hierarchy that crucified Mashiach. The NETZARI FAITH IS MAKING A RAPID RETURN TO THE EARTH, and just as the Prophets of YAHWEH foretold, OUR NUMBERS ARE STEADILY GROWING. YAHWEH HAS PLACED HIS CALLED-OUT ONES THROUGHOUT THE EARTH FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS. The followers of YESHUA MASHIACH will do valiantly and YAHWEH will most surely take back everything that belongs to Him.”

Now we can understand why Paul persecuted followers of THE WAY! These followers of “The WAY” were following the true original faith that opposed the man-made doctrine of the Pharisees whom Paul ONCE WAS a part of! Paul would be the perfect vessel to preach against the Oral Torah being that he was a master of it! Now he could go out and warn people to trust in YESHUA and obey the WRITTEN TORAH!

Acts 9:1-2 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Meanwhile, Paul still breathing murderous threats against the Master’s disciples, went into the high priest, and asked him for letters to the synagogues in DAMASCUS, authorizing him to arrest any people he might find, whether men or women who belonged to “THE WAY,” and bring them back to Jerusalem.”

Notice that Paul was going to DAMASCUS to persecute the followers of “THE WAY”? These again are the Zadok Priest and the Qumran community who were followers of THE WAY and wrote the DAMASCUS DOCUMENT! This is not a coincidence! As a reminder I will quote again from the Damascus Document!

Damascus Document Column 1 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 129

“And ELOHIM observed their deeds that they sought Him with a whole heart, and He raised for them a Teacher of Righteousness to guide them in the way of His heart. And he made known to the latter generations what which ELOHIM had one to the latter generation, the congregation of TRAITORS, those who DEPARTED FROM THE WAY. This was the time of which it is written, Like a stubborn heifer thus was Israel stubborn (Hosea 4:16).”

So, Paul who once persecuted The Nazarenes aka followers of The Way ended up becoming one of them! Paul will be mentioned throughout the message and a section will be dedicated to his teachings aligning with the Qumran Community.

Acts 24:9-11 (Aramaic English New Testament)

“Now there was a certain disciple in DAMASCUS whose name was Khanan-Yah. And Master YAHWEH said to him in a vision, “Khanan-Yah!” And he said, “Behold, it is I my Master.” And our Master YESHUA said to him, “Arise. Go to the street that is called STRAIGHT and inquire at the house of Judah for Paul who is from the city of Tarus.”

The street in Damascus called “Straight” represents the straight narrow path followed by the Zadok priests in Qumran and the sect of the Nazarenes that Paul would join. Matching again what was quoted above:

Community Rule Column 8:12-14 (Wise, Abegg, Cook) page 129

“When such men as these come to be in Yisra’el, conforming to these DOCTRINES…

Deuteronomy 5:29 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Therefore you are to be careful to do as YAHWEH your ELOHIM has ordered you; you are NOT TO DEVIATE EITHER TO THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT. You are to the follow the ENTIRE WAY which YAHWEH your ELOHIM has ordered you; so that you will live, things will go well with you, and you will live long in the land you are about to possess.”

Community Rule aka Charter of Jewish Sectarian Association Column 3:10-11 (The Dead Sea Scrolls A New Translation), by Wise, Abegg, and Cook page 119

“…In all the ways of ELOHIM , just as He commanded for the times appointed to him. Let him turn aside NEITHER TO THE RIGHT NOR THE LEFT, NOR YET DEVIATE IN THE SMALLEST DETAIL FROM ALL OF HIS WORDS.”

2 Peter 2:15 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“These people have left the STRAIGHT WAY and wandered off to follow the way of Bil’am Ben-B’or, who loved the wages of doing harm but was rebuked for his sin --- a dumb beast of burden spoke out with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s insanity!”

When you don’t deviate to the right or the left that means you are going STRAIGHT on the narrow path, sadly many people have this mentality:

Damascus Document Column 3 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 131

“And they dug a well rich in water; AND HE WHO DESPISES IT SHALL NOT LIVE. Yet they wallowed in the SIN OF MAN and in the WAYS OF UNCLEANNESS, and they said, ‘THIS IS OUR WAY.’

People would rather walk in “their own way” instead of the ancient path called “The Way!”

YESHUA the Nazarene

Isaiah 11:1 (Lamsa Aramaic Peshitta)

“And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stem of Jesse, and a BRANCH shall grow out of his roots.”

The Hebrew word for BRANCH used here by Isaiah is “Netzer” which is the root word for  “Nazarene” and the Aramaic English New Testament confirms this on page 913 saying “Netzarim” is derived from the word “Netzer” in Isaiah.” In the book titled “YESHUA He will be called a Nazarene”, Shriner writes on page 61 “I assert that Matthew did not use the term “Nazarene” to identify YESHUA as a resident of Nazareth, but as a person ASSOCIATED WITH THE SECT OF THE NAZARENES. I have hopefully already established that there was, at the time of YESHUA’s childhood, a sect called “The Nazarenes” that had existed for over a hundred and fifty years. This was the “branch” group of the Essenes of which Isaiah spoke in his book of prophecy Isaiah 11:1.”

Again, Shriner is connecting The Qumran Community to the Nazarenes! The members of Qumran knew YESHUA was the branch:

Midrash on the Last Days 4Q174 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 526

“YAHWEH declares to you that He will build you a House (2 Samuel 7:11). I will raise up your seed after you (2 Samuel 7:12). I will establish the throne of His Kingdom (for ever) (2 Samuel 7:13). I will be his father and he shall be my son (2 Samuel 7:14). He is THE BRANCH OF DAVID who shall arise with the Interpreter of the Law to rule in Zion AT THE END OF TIME. As it is written, I will raise up the tent of David that is fallen (Amos 9:11). That is to say, the fallen tent of David is HE WHO SHALL ARISE TO SAVE ISRAEL.”

The Branch (Netzer) is the root word for Nazarene and what was YESHUA called?

Matthew 2:23 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“So he sojourned in the district of Netseret (Nazareth), which was to fulfill the prophecy which said, “He will call His Name NOTSRI.”

The footnote for “Notsri” says “The Hebrew word for ‘NAZARENE.”

Matthew 2:23 (Aramaic)

“And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, so that what was said by the prophet might be fulfilled, He shall be called a NAZARENE.”

Mark 1:9 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And it happened in those days – that YESHUA NOTSRI came from a city of Gelilah (Galilee)…

Again, the footnote for “Notsri” says “The Hebrew word for ‘NAZARENE.”

Mark 1:24 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And there was a man in the house of gathering, and he was crying out, and saying, “What do you have to do with me, YESHUA NOTSRI! Did you come to destroy us? I know that you are the set-apart One of YAHWEH.’

Even the demons called YESHUA the NAZARENE and the Set-Apart One of YAHWEH!

Mark 15:26 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Now it was the third hour when they hanged Him up. And they set a writing over Him, “This is YESHUA NOTSRI, the King of the Yehudim (Jews).”

Mark 16:5-6 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And when they entered into the grave, they saw, sitting at the right side a young man clothed with a white garment, and they feared. But he said to them, “Do not fear, you are seeking YESHUA NOTSRI who was hanged --- He is not here! See, this is the place where they laid Him.”

Mark 16:6 (Lamsa Aramaic)

“But he said to them, Do not be afraid. You seek YESHUA THE NAZARENE, who was crucified; He has risen; He is not here; behold the place where He was laid.”

Acts 22:8 (Aramaic English New Testament)

“And I answered and said: ‘Who are you, My Master?” And He said to Me: ‘I am YESHUA THE NAZARENE, whom you persecute.”

Acts 22:8 NASB1995

“And I answered, ‘Who are You, Master? And He said to me, I am YESHUA THE NAZARENE, whom you are persecuting.’

Amplified Bible 1985 edition

“And I replied, Who are You, Master? And He said to me, I am YESHUA THE NAZARENE, Whom you are persecuting.”

Again, the earlier followers of YESHUA were called Nazarenes, and we see this with Paul who once was a Pharisee but later converted to the truth!

Acts 24:5 (Aramaic English New Testament)

“For we have found this man to be an assassin, and one who does treasonous work among all Yehudeans in the whole land; for he is a ringleader of the SECT OF THE NETZARIM.”

Acts 24:5 (James Etheridge 1849 Aramaic Peshitta)

“For we have found this man to be a destroyer, and an exciter of agitation among all the Jews, and in all the land: for he is A CHIEF of the DOCTRINE OF THE NATSROYEE (NAZARENES)…”

Paul was the ringleader of the sect and doctrine of the Nazarenes! Which means that YESHUA the Nazarene taught the doctrine of the Nazarenes as He spoke the words of His Father (John 12:49-50)! And the doctrine of the Nazarenes opposed the false doctrines of the Pharisees and Sadducees!

Matthew 16:5-12 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And when they came to the shore of the sea to pass on further, they forgot to take their bread. Then He said to them, “BEWARE of the LEAVEN of the SADDUCEES  AND PHARISEES.” So they thought in their inward parts saying, “He says this because we do not have bread.’ But YESHUA, who knew what they thought, said to them, “What do you think in yourselves, men without believing? You think that I said this because you do not have bread? Why do you not understand or remember the five loaves and the five thousand men, how many lumps remained? And seven loaves and four thousand men, and how many lumps remained? And why do you not understand that I am not speaking about the bread? But I say to you that you must beware of the leaven of the Sadducees and the Pharisees.” And then they comprehended that He did not speak about the leaven of the house, but OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE PHARISEES AND THE SADDUCEES.”

As we see the Nazarenes followed an ancient doctrine that those in Qumran followed. So, we see that one doctrine is the truth which leads to eternal life and all the rest are false doctrines that lead to death!

In the introduction I explained that the ancient narrow path is an unpopular and hated one that only a few will want to follow at all costs. We should give up our lives in this world to gain it in the world to come!

 To put this in perspective, when my parents, brother, sister, and I were attending a Messianic synagogue, a “Rabbi” came and spoke to us and inspired us by saying that the amount of Messianic Jews worldwide was 350,000! And this is confirmed in an article by jewsforjudaism.org stating “In an Atlantic article, titled “Kosher Jesus: Messianic Jews in the Holy Land,” Sarah Posner explains that “there are an estimated 175,000 to 250,000 Messianic Jews in the U.S. and 350,000 WORLDWIDE, according to various counts, they are A TINY MINORITY IN ISRAEL – just 10,000-20,000 people by some estimates- but growing, according to both its proponents and critics.”

350,000 Messianic Jews worldwide is not many at all.  Here is the astonishing thing about those numbers! Messianic Jews are Jews who believe in YESHUA; however, they are knowingly and others unknowingly walking in the authority and doctrine of Rabbinical Judaism with its oral torah and Babylonian lunar calendar. So, ask yourself, if Messianic Judaism is only 350,000 worldwide and are not walking in original faith that YESHUA taught His disciples, then how much smaller is the sect of those who are walking according to the original faith that those in Qumran and the Nazarenes followed? Those who keep the commandments of the written Torah, followed a 364-Day Solar Calendar and believe in YESHUA?

Damascus Document Colum 3:14-15 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 131

“But with the REMNANT WHICH HELD FAST TO THE COMMANDMENTS of ELOHIM He made His Covenant with Yisra’el for ever, revealing to them the hidden things in which all Yisra’el had gone astray. He unfolded before them His set-apart Shabbats and His glorious feasts, the testimonies of His righteousness and the ways of His truth, and the desires of His will which a man must do in order to live.”

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz, page 108

“There emerges from our considerations an entity, a viable entity of LAW-KEEPING CHRISTIANS OF JEWISH BACKGROUND. THESE WERE DIRECT DESCENDANTS OF THE FIRST JEWISH BELIEVERS IN YESHUA.”  A little further down in the second paragraph reads “While their corroborating testimonies (Epiphanius and Jerome) cannot fairly be dismissed, even without them we must allow for the continuation of the NAZARENES at least to the third century. THE SECT NUMBERED ONLY A FEW MEMBERS NO DOUBT.”

Quoting Augustine again from Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 78

“Augustine supplies us with the following information about the sect: 1)they profess to be Christians and confess that Messiah is the Son of ELOHIM; 2)they practice baptism; 3)they keep the old law, specially including a)circumcision, b)Sabbath observance, and c)food restrictions such as abstinence from swine; and 4)THEY ARE FEW IN NUMBER.”

Dead Sea Scrolls magazine (A reissue of a special edition) page 45

“The Essenes called themselves the Sons of Zadok, after the high priest from the time of King Solomon more than one thousand years earlier. The members of the sect --- numbering roughly 4,000 according to the first-century CE Jewish writers and historians Josephus and Philo…”

1 Kings 19:18 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Still, I will SPARE SEVEN THOUSAND in Yisra’el, every knee that hasn’t bent down before Ba’al and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

If Messianic Judaism at 350,000 people world-wide is considered small, then how much more the 4,000 at Qumran? And the few Nazarenes that existed after YESHUA ascended? Are you following the masses and blindly accepting tradition? Or are you on the narrow path and walking according to the original faith given to the disciples? In the Damascus Document we see the Zadok priests and members were a remnant who kept the commandments and were awaiting the coming of YESHUA and the Nazarenes who followed YESHUA continued to be a remnant. In other words, the truth will always result in few followers and the hatred that comes with it.

Midrash on the Last Days 4Q174 page 526

“Why do the nations rage and the peoples mediate vanity? Why do the kings of the earth rise up and the princes take counsel together against YAHWEH and against HIS MESSIAH? (Psalms 2:1). Interpreted, this saying concerns the kings of the nations who shall RAGE AGAINST THE ELECT OF ISRAEL IN THE LAST DAYS. This shall be the time of trial to come concerning the house of Judah so as to perfect…Belial and a REMNANT of the people shall be left according to the lot assigned to them, and they shall PRACTICE THE WHOLE LAW…”

The REMNANT will be keeping the whole written Torah in the last days which matches the prophecy from Enoch!

Enoch 108:1

“Another book which Enoch wrote for his son Methuselah and for those who will come after him, AND KEEP THE TORAH IN THE LAST DAYS.”

YESHUA said you will be hated like Him

Before getting into more parallels of Qumran and the Nazarenes I want to point out the truth of YESHUA’s words when He said that we will be hated!

John 15:18-19 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“If the world is angry with you, you must know that it rejected Me first. If you were of this world, the world would love whatever is his. But because you are not of this world, therefore THEY ARE ANGRY WITH YOU.”

The sect of the Nazarenes was hated, and their doctrine was rejected just as it is by Judaism and Christians today!

Aramaic English New Testament page 914

“There has been a continuum of Netzari believers from the days of Mashiyach (Messiah) until today, but it has been an underground Faith that is largely SCORNED BY CHRISTIAN THEOLOGIANS AND DESPISED BY RABBINCAL JUDAISM. However, throughout history numerous church founders/leaders have publicly scorned Christian groups that observe Shabbat and the Feasts of YAHWEH and who followed a Hebraic rather than a Grecian faith. Rather than to test the ancient truths with a thorough investigation of the obvious evidences, most Christian theologians today are quick to voice all matter of polemic against the Aramaic and Hebrew primacy of Renewed Covenant writings.”

This statement is true, again lets revisit how Rabbinical Judaism viewed Paul the Nazarene!

 Acts 24:5 (James Etheridge 1849 Aramaic Peshitta)

“For we have found this man to be a destroyer, and an exciter of agitation among all the Jews, and in all the land: for he is A CHIEF of the DOCTRINE OF THE NATSROYEE (NAZARENES)…”

Acts 28:22 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“But we do think it would be appropriate to hear YOUR VIEWS from you, yourself; for all we know about THIS SECT is that PEOPLE EVERYWHERE SPEAK AGAINST IT.”

Acts 28:22 (John Etheridge 1849 Aramaic Peshitta)

“But we are willing to hear from thee what it is that thou thinkest; for we know that THIS DOCTRINE IS BY NO MAN RECEIVED.”

The doctrine and sect of the Nazarenes is spoken against and rejected by Judaism as we see from the scriptures above. Now let’s see how the Christians viewed them!

Epiphanius a Catholic and historian in the fourth century called the Nazarenes heretics for believing in YESHUA and keeping the commandments of the Torah!

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz, page 34-35

“[8,5] For thus it is with EVERY HERESY, often trying to outdo each other in the matter prescribed concerning the KEEPING OF THE SABBATH AND CIRCUMCISION and other things, even though our Master freely gave us a more perfect way. And how can such maintain any argument, when they do not listen to what was said by the Set-Apart Spirit through the apostles to the believers from the Gentiles: ‘to lay on you no greater burden than these essentials: refrain from blood and from things strangled and from fornication and from things sacrificed to idols’? And how will they not fall way from the grace of ELOHIM when Paul the set-apart apostle says that ‘if you are circumcised Christ will be of no benefit to you,’ you who boast in the Law, you have fallen from grace’? [9,1] The brevity of this exposition will also be sufficient for this HERESY. For such people make a fine object to be refuted and are easy to catch, for they are rather JEWS AND NOTHING ELSE. However, they are very MUCH HATED BY THE JEWS. For not only the Jewish children cherish hate against them but the people also stand up in the morning, at noon, and in the evening, three times a day and they pronounce curses and maledictions over them when they say their prayers in the synagogues. Three times a day they say: ‘May God CURSE THE NAZARENES.’ [9.3] For they are more hostile against them because THEY PROCLAIM AS JEWS THAT YESHUA IS THE MESSIAH, WHICH RUNS COUNTER TO THOSE WHO STILL ARE JEWS WHO DID NOT ACCEPT YESHUA.”

Epiphanius stated “even though our Master freely gave us a more perfect way.” How and why would YESHUA change anything when He clearly said that He did not speak His own words, rather He spoke the words of His Father (John 12:49-50)! Furthermore, the Nazarenes obviously did not interpret Acts 15 the way Epiphanius’ and the Christian church interpret it otherwise he would not be calling them heretics!

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz, page 76-77

“Augustine of Hippo (354-430) marks a decisive point in the history of the Church’s view of the Nazarenes. While Epiphanius was the first to brand them CLEARLY AS HERETICAL, it was the authority of Augustine’s acceptance of this judgment which seems to have fixed their fate and led to their FINAL REJECTION BY THE CHURCH. As we shall see, later Christian writers generally followed Epiphanius’ statements about the sect, but theirs was only a reflection or echo of the definitive stamp of authority which permeates so much of what Augustine wrote. He mentions the Nazarenes in five places in his writings, ALWAYS IN A NEGATIVE TONE, as if to complete their REJECTION, he never once quotes from or even mentions the Gospel according to the Hebrews. In his treastise de baptism contra Donatistas he says, “just as they persist to the present day who call themselves NAZARENE CHRISTIANS AND CIRCUMCISE the carnal foreskins in a JEWISH WAY, ARE BORN HERETICS in that error into which Peter drifted and from which he was called back by Paul.”

Sadly, Augustine was another who did not understand the writings of Paul and Christianity has followed his and Epiphanius’ lead on this.

Mention the Shabbat and circumcision to a Christian today will get you called all kind of names and labeled a ‘Judaizer’, yet we see the Nazarenes who kept the original faith did both, even 300-400 years after YESHUA ascended into heaven. Now we can see where Christianity has gotten their doctrine from and the false interpretation of Acts 15! I have done a message clarifying what was being said in Acts 15, which was simply that the gentiles were needing the milk and not the meat as they were turning to ELOHIM. Verse 21 tells us that they would continue to learn the Torah of Moses as they attended the assembly on the Shabbat. Sadly this view has major issues and contradictions because according to them Christians can steal, murder, covet, bear false witness, and commit adultery because these things were not mentioned in the list of what Gentiles were expected to do. This view in the 4th century has continued for over more than 1,500 years!

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz, page 44-45

“The parting of the ways is at the Law of Moses. It is their observance of the Law—and this alone—which, for Epiphanius, separates the Nazarenes from the main Church. ‘Only in this respect they differ from the…Christians.’ It is the one thing which so stands out that it is essentially the only thing remembered by subsequent Fathers against the sect, starting with anacephalaiosis. It makes little difference that the first Jewish believers continued to keep the Law (Acts 15; 21:20-26); it is immaterial that the epistle to the Galatians was addressed to Christians from gentile background or that Paul perhaps never wrote against Jewish Christians keeping the Law. The significance of all of this has long since been lost to men like Epiphanius. THE LAW IS TABOO. To attempt to keep it is to put oneself under a curse. If the Nazarenes want to observe parts of the Law, THEN THEY ARE ‘JEWS AND NOTHING ELSE.’  Never mind if the same could be said for James or Peter, or, indeed Paul. For our purposes, of course, this matter of the Law only reinforces the conviction that we have here a body of JEWISH BELIEVERS WHO HAVE MANAGED TO PRESERVE THE VERY EARLIEST TRADITIONS OF THEIR FOREBEARS.”

The sect and doctrine of the Nazarenes was not accepted even in YESHUA and Paul’s day, just like it is not accepted today! Judaism rejected it and so does Christianity! People will call the Nazarenes extremists today but in actuality according the Zadok Priest in Qumran, those who are lax in their observance and interpretation of the Torah are seekers of smooth things who strive to walk in the flesh and not the spirit. The Jews hated Paul and found him to be a pest, a ringer leader, and agitator among them because the true doctrine threatened their false doctrine and the reason why wherever Nazarenes were present, the synagogues would curse them as we saw from an earlier quote and here are some more examples of that!

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz, page 55

“In other matters also Jerome supports what we have found earlier about the sect. He tells us that they are CURSED in the synagogues “by the Pharisees, that they MIX FAITH IN MESSIAH WITH THE KEEPING OF THE LAW, and that they have a gospel in Hebrew.”

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz, page 105

“We find clear references to the synagogue curse in Epiphanius and Jerome. Ephiphanius (pan.29 9, 2) states:

“However, they are very much HATED BY THE JEWS. For not only they cherish hate against them, but the people also stand up in the morning, at noon and in the evening, three times a day, and they pronounce curses and maledictions over them when they say their prayers in the synagogues. Three times a day they say: “May God CURSE THE NAZARENES.”

Jerome wrote to Augustine (ep. 112, 13): “Until now a heresy is to be found in all of the synagogues of the East among the Jews; it is called ‘of the Minaeans’ and is CURSED by the Pharisees until now. Usually they are called NAZARENES.” In Amos 1:11-12; “until today they blaspheme the Christian people in all their synagogues under the NAME OF NAZARENES.” In Is. 5:18-19: “Three times each day they anathematize the Christian name in every synagogue under the NAME OF NAZARENES.” In Is 49.7: “They CURSE HIM (MESSIAH) three times a day in their synagogues under the NAME OF NAZARENES.” In Is. 52.4-6 adds nothing different to the above.”

John 3:20 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“For every man who does the evil, CURSES THE LAMP; and he is not in the lamp – so that he will not be caught in his deeds.”

Most Jews refuse to come to the light of the Living Torah, which is YESHUA as we see from their quotes above, they cursed the Light YESHUA that came into the world to save us. His preaching of the written Torah exposed the evil traditions of their man-made oral torah that they placed over it! And Christians refuse to come into the light of the written Torah by not understanding that YESHUA the Living Torah and the written Torah are the same. They will say you are under a curse for keeping the Torah, so essentially, they are calling YESHUA a curse just as the Jews do; however, they don’t understand that it is a curse to not keep the Torah (Deuteronomy 11:26-27). They refuse to come to light of the Torah because their lawless deeds will be exposed. This keeps the Christian trapped in living a lawless life and justifying their sins. Paul tells us that the Torah exposes your sins!

Romans 7:7 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Therefore, what are we to say? That the Torah is SINFUL? Heaven forbid! Rather, the function of the Torah was that without it, I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN WHAT SIN IS. For example, I would not have become conscious of what greed is if the Torah had not said “Thou shalt not covet.”

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz, page 106

“Add this to Schafer’s suggestion that the wording of the twelfth benediction varied according to locality, and we may conclude that the name NOZRIM appeared only in places where there were (or had been) NAZARENES THREATENING SYNAGOGUE LIFE.”

Again, this hatred and cursing is a sign of being on the right path! What did YESHUA say about this?

Matthew 5:10-11 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Blessed are those who bear the persecutions because of righteousness, for theirs will be the heavenly kingdom. Blessed ones you will be when the men CURSE YOU, and PERSECUTE YOU, and say ALL KINDS OF EVIL THINGS against you, and lie BECAUSE OF ME. Shout with joy- your wages are great in the heavens, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

So why would the Nazarenes be a threat to synagogue life? We know that the Pharisees wanted to kill YESHUA the Nazarene because He was the Son of EL and taught them to keep the written Torah and not the Oral Torah/Babylonian Talmud/Tradition of the Elders! The Nazarene followers of YESHUA were teaching the same doctrine He taught! The true Nazarene doctrine opposed the Pharisees false doctrine and threatened the power they had over the people who relied upon their expansive interpretation of scripture.

This reminds me of when my family attended the synagogue around the time YESHUA woke me up completely. I felt an urgency to be immersed (baptized) and the “Rabbi” wanted to meet and interview me before doing so.  During this conversation the topic of Xmas and Thanksgiving came up and I said it was wrong, and he said to me “What’s wrong with celebrating Xmas and Thanksgiving?” In those days I automatically assumed that everyone who observed the Torah was attempting to serve YAHWEH the way He commanded, but it finally hit me that YAHWEH uses the term “stiff necked” for a reason.

The result was that I wanted to follow what was written only and the “Rabbi” wanted to follow the Pharisaical rabbinic Judaism tradition and paganism. The words YAHWEH spoke are still occurring today!

2 Kings 17:37-41 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“You are to observe forever the laws, rulings, Torah and mitzvah (commandment) which he wrote for you. You are not to fear other elohim, and you are not to forget the covenant I made with you. No, you must not fear other elohim, but must fear YAHWEH your ELOHIM; then He will rescue you from the power of all your enemies.” However, they didn’t listen, but followed THEIR OLD PAGAN PRACTICES. So these nations MIXED FEARING YAHWEH WITH SERVING THEIR CARVED IDOLS; likewise their children; and TO THIS DAY, THEIR DESCENDANTS DO THE SAME AS THEIR ANCESTORS DID.”

Later on during this meeting the “Rabbi” said to me, “YESHUA has given you a certain boldness!” And it was clear that our doctrines were completely different, and they decided that they did not want to immerse me there and I’m glad that it did not happen. It turns out that over the years I have not been accepted anywhere due to my strict interpretation of the Torah! So, I literally was overjoyed when I found out that my belief was in line with that of the Qumran Community when I began to study the Dead Sea Scrolls. I have been rejected for the books I consider Torah, acceptance of Paul, belief that YESHUA is EL and born of virgin and turning away from the traditions of men to the authority of the written Torah alone.

About 5 years ago I went grocery shopping with my mom. We loaded the groceries into the car, and I grabbed the cart to take it back to the cart corral. My mom insisted on taking the cart back so that she could “get her steps in”. So, I sat in the car and waited and about 5 minutes later I was wondering what was taking her so long to come back to the car. Then she called my phone and said “Damien, come up here, I’m speaking to a Jew!” I was excited and jumped out of the car to meet the man, but upon my arrival I saw his whole face change. I was wearing my purple shirt with the bright yellow writing that says, “YESHUA died for you, now live for Him!” I knew immediately that He did not believe in YESHUA! A couple of minutes into the conversation I asked him if he believed in YESHUA just to confirm my suspicion. He replied “No! We don’t believe that He has come yet.” Then I asked him another question, I said “Who has the power to forgive sins?” And he said, “The Father”, so I said, “That’s correct, so when we look at Exodus 23:20-21 why do we find another who is Not the Father forgiving sins?” He replied to me “Nice talking to you son!” And he walked away.

In a message I did in the summer of 2023 titled “Chains! The ornaments of the Saints!” I wrote “Almost two weeks ago, my brother joined me as we went downtown to a crowded area preaching the Good News and we got persecuted as expected, but one incident drives home the point I was making about how those who don’t truly know YAHWEH and YESHUA will persecute us. We came to a location on the public sidewalk that was in front of a Church, and we were talking to our new brother in YESHUA we met 5 minutes earlier, who is a Jew from Poland, when suddenly the pastor approached and asked us to move away from his Church. You would think a pastor who believes in YESHUA would be all for what we were doing right? Not at all! It was obvious that he did not like the signs, which reads on the front: YESHUA is EL (God) Who became flesh and died for you, and on the back of the sign it says “YESHUA said if you love Me you will keep My commandments, Satan is lawlessness!” Though he believes in YESHUA, he hated the truth of obeying the Torah! So again, just professing faith in YESHUA does not mean you know Him and that was evidenced in that moment just as YESHUA said. This mindset will be completely in line with the COEXIST agenda.”

John 16:1-2 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“These things I have spoken to you so that you should not be hurt. They, they will put you outside the houses of their assemblies. And a time will come, that EVERY MAN who comes will try to kill you, and it will seem to him that he is DOING SERVICE TO YAHWEH. And these things they will do to you, because they do NOT KNOW THE FATHER, NOR ME.”

These are just a few testimonies of what I have experienced to show you that the true doctrine is HATED everywhere! Amazingly, I was a Nazarene before I knew that I was a Nazarene, but ELOHIM already knew it before I was born! Likewise, some of you reading this message have been called to the ancient path of the Nazarenes and He is just waiting for you to answer the call!

What is the doctrine of the Nazarenes?

They believed YESHUA is EL

I have already completed multiple messages on this topic, if you have not seen the playlist, you can view it here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeRn1p1XVATTB9cNppBDYFB_DN-0Gu9Fo&si=RqEo7HYaC44CRc1V

You will see YESHUA called Himself EL, The Qumran Community knew YESHUA was EL, The Nazarene writers in the New Testament called Him EL, the Nazarenes continued to call Him EL up as recorded up until the fourth century.

John 8:24 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Because of this I have told you that you will die in your iniquities—unless you believe THAT I AM HE, you will die in your iniquity.” Then they said to Him, “You who are you?! So YESHUA answered and said to them, “THE ANCIENT ONE, WHO SPEAKS many things unto you, and speaks of you, and judges. But He who sent Me, is true, and I, the words which I hear from Him, them I speak in the world.”

Micah 5:2 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“But you, Beit-Lechem near Efrat, so small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth to Me the future ruler of Yisra’el, whose ORIGINS ARE FAR IN THE PAST, BACK IN ANCIENT TIMES.”

YESHUA is eternal and uncreated, He always existed! He became a human being and walked the earth and died for our transgressions!

Isaiah 48:16 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Come close to Me, and listen to this: SINCE THE BEGINNING I have not spoken in secret, SINCE THE TIME THINGS BEGAN TO BE, I HAVE BEEN THERE; and now YAHWEH ELOHIM has sent Me and His Spirit.”

Yochanan Ha’Matbil (John the Baptist) knew this:

John 1:29 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And on the next day John saw YESHUA who came unto him: and he said, “Behold, this is EL, who takes away the iniquities from the world.”

John the son of Zebedee knew this:

John 1:1-3 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“In the beginning was THE SON OF ELOAH. The SON OF EL was both with EL, and the SON OF EL WAS ELOAH. This One was IN THE BEGINNING WITH EL. All things were made by Him; and without Him nothing was made, of that which was made.”

Paul knew this:

Psalm 45:7-8 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“YOUR THRONE, EL, will last forever and ever; you rule your kingdom with a scepter of equity. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore EL, YOUR EL, has anointed you with the oil of joy in preference to your companions.”

Hebrews 1:8-9 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“But to THE SON, He says, YOUR THRONE, O EL, will last forever and ever; you rule your Kingdom with a scepter of equity; you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore O EL, YOUR EL has anointed you with the oil of joy in preference to your companions”

Philippians 2:5-6 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Let your attitude toward one another be governed by your being in union with the Messiah YESHUA: Though He was IN THE FORM OF EL, He did not regard EQUALITY  WITH  EL something to be possessed by force. On the contrary, He emptied Himself, in that HE TOOK THE FORM OF A SLAVE BY BECOMING LIKE  HUMAN BEINGS ARE. And when He APPEARED AS A HUMAN BEING, He humbled Himself still more by becoming obedient even to death—death on a stake as a criminal!”

Philippians 2:5-7 (Aramaic English New Testament)

“And think so in yourselves, as YESHUA the Mashiyach also thought; who, as He was in the LIKENESS OF ELOHIM, did not regard it sinful to be the COEQUAL OF ELOHIM; yet disinherited Himself and assumed THE LIKENESS OF MEN AND WAS FOUND IN FASHION AS A MAN…”

The Nazarenes in YESHUA’s day knew who He was! Many believers in Torah reject the deity of YESHUA, they say things like “He was a man approved by The Father”, “He is our Big Brother, but not EL”, or “You are an idol worshiper by saying YESHUA is EL!” https://youtu.be/UsITcX3R42w?si=lYjcwa9xMiqoBlY4

 Sadly, just because Christianity believes this truth, many in the Torah community reject it. The same way Christians reject the truth about keeping the commandments, when the truth is in the middle and that we should accept both as explained in the introduction! Many who keep Torah believe in the false doctrine called “Arianism”, which believes that YESHUA was created and not divine: https://youtu.be/vcFB2FU6feA?si=DBkl5ih9y7x6KMZ4

The term “Son of EL” according to Qumran and the Nazarenes was attached to the divinity of YESHUA! Today, believers will twist the truth about what the original meaning of the “Son of EL”  and walk in the footsteps of the Ebionites who denied His divinity, which will be covered in another section.

Again, John identified “The Son of EL as EL!”

John 1:1-3 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“In the beginning was THE SON OF ELOAH. The SON OF EL was both with EL, and the SON OF EL WAS ELOAH. This One was IN THE BEGINNING WITH EL. All things were made by Him; and without Him nothing was made, of that which was made.”

 “YESHUA He shall be called a Nazarene” by Dr. Robert Shriner writes on page 53-54:

“Here the incarnation narrative of the Messiah identifies Him as the Word. It is said that He was both with EL…and WAS EL. Therefore, He was A DIVINE BEING. The concept of the Messiah as A DIVINE BEING IS WELL REPRESENTED IN THE WRITINGS OF THE ESSENES IN THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS.

“He will be called the SON OF ELOHIM…He is a great EL among the Elohim” (4Q246 1 7-9, II 1-7)

“For behold, ELOHIM leaves His place and descends upon the heights of the earth…” (1QpMic 1-5)

“This is the day when ELOHIM will make a visitation…” (CD-B XIX, 5-13, 15)

The DIVINITY OF MESSIAH IS A CRUCIAL DOCTRINE, reflected in the writings of the New Covenant/Testament and embraced throughout the successive ages by the Christian Church.” On page 54 Shriner writes “YESHUA WAS AND IS A DIVINE PERSON OF THE ELOHIM-HEAD operating in perfect harmony with the other TWO PERSONAGES. He has authority within Himself.” Further down on page 54 he writes “The truth is that YESHUA came on the historical scene as the EL/MAN with a doctrine and ministry practiced by His Heavenly Father and empowered by the indwelling of the Set-Apart Spirit.”

I completely agree with Shriner that the divinity of Messiah is a crucial doctrine and just as YESHUA said in John 8:24. The author agrees with what I have been proclaiming for years! We see again that the Son of ELOHIM is connected to the divinity of YESHUA and that YESHUA is a divine Person of the ELOHIM-Head operating in perfect harmony with the other two personages! Ray A. Pritz the author of Nazarene Jewish Christianity agrees that this was apart of the Nazarene doctrine on page 108 writing “What we have seen of their DOCTRINES lines up well with the developing Christological doctrines of the greater catholic church. The sect seems to have been BASICALLY TRINITARIAN.”

Nazarene Jewish Christianity page 54 (Concerning Isaiah 11:1-3 commentary)

“What we do find in that passage, however, is a clear statement of Christology which Jerome (and perhaps the Nazarenes themselves) connected to Paul’s statement in his epistle to the Colossians (Col. 1:19, 2:9): “because in Him the whole fulness of the ELOHIM-HEAD took pleasure to dwell corporally; not as in the other set-apart ones moderately, but according to the Gospel read by the Nazarenes which was written in the Hebrew language: “The whole fountain of the Set-Apart Spirit came upon Him.”

In connection with “The Son of ELOHIM” being divine title as John and the Dead Sea Scrolls testify, matches the statements of the Nazarenes who continued in the same doctrine that was handed down to them by the first Nazarenes.

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 53- 54

“The clearest statement comes in Jerome’s letter to Augustine, written about 404: “They believe in Messiah, the SON OF ELOHIM, born of Mary the virgin, and they say about Him that He suffered under Pontius Pilate and rose again.” This statement, giving the impression almost of an early creedal formula, is corroborated in part in a couple of other places in Jerome’s writings. That the Nazarenes believed Messiah to be the SON OF ELOHIM we can derive from two citations from their commentary on Isaiah 29:17-21 the Nazarenes say AGAINST the Pharisees and Scribes that they “made men SIN against the Word of ELOHIM in order that they should DENY THAT MESSIAH WAS THE SON OF ELOHIM.” And similarly we read at 31:6-9: “The Nazarenes understand this passage in this way: O sons of Yisra’el, who DENY THE SON OF ELOHIM WITH SUCH HURTFUL RESOLUTION.”

The Nazarenes know that the false doctrine of denying the divinity of YESHUA is hurtful to their salvation because it is a crucial doctrine!

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 55

“According to Jerome, then, Nazarenes Christology is basically what we have noted previously, a belief in the DIVINE ORIGINS and virgin birth of YESHUA in accordance with the accepted doctrines of the greater Church. Here we also see an express approval of YESHUA’s death and resurrection.”

YESHUA is eternal and was here from the beginning and the Nazarenes accepted this truth! Peter the Nazarene uses the same words to acknowledge who YESHUA is!

Matthew 16:13-16 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Then YESHUA came into the borders of Caesarea Philippi. And He asked His talmidim (disciples), “What do the men say about Me? And they said, some men say that you are Yochanan Immerser (John the Baptist), but some say Eliyahu (Elijah) and other Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah), or one of the prophets.” So YESHUA said to them, And you, what do you say about Me?” Then Simon Keipha (Peter) answered and said, “You are Mashiach, THE SON OF THE LIVING EL.”

John 6:67-69 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Then YESHUA said to the twelve who remained, “Do you also want to go?” So Shimon Keipha (Peter) answered, “Adon (Master), to whom can we go? The words of everlasting life are yours! And we believe you, and we know that you are the Mashiach, THE SON OF EL.”

Robert Shriner whom I quoted earlier said that the divinity of YESHUA is well represented in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and I agree. In Qumran they believed YESHUA was Melchizedek and recognized Him as EL!

The Coming Melchizedek 11Q13, Column 2:15-25 (The Dead Sea Scrolls, Wise, Abegg, and Cook) page 592-593

“This visitation is the Day of Salvation that He has decreed…through Isaiah the prophet concerning all the captives, inasmuch as Scripture says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, YOUR DIVINE BEING REIGNS’” (Isa. 52:7) This scripture interpretation: “the mountains are the prophets, they who were sent to proclaim ELOHIM’s truth and to prophesy to all Israel. And “the messenger” is the Anointed of the Spirit, of whom Daniel spoke, “After the sixty-two weeks, an Anointed One shall be cut off” (Dan 9:26). The “messenger who brings good news, who announces salvation” is the one of whom it is written, “to proclaim the year of YAHWEH’s favor, the day of vengeance of our ELOHIM; to comfort all who mourn” (Isa 61:2). This scripture’s interpretation: he is to instruct them about all the periods of history for eternity…and in the statutes of the truth…dominion that passes from Belial and returns to the Sons of Light…by the judgment of ELOHIM, just as it is written concerning him, “Who says to Zion “YOUR DIVINE BEING REIGNS’” Isa 52:7. “Zion” is the congregation of all the sons of righteousness, who uphold the covenant and turn from walking in the way of the people. ‘YOUR DIVINE BEING IS MELCHIZEDEK who will deliver them from the power of Belial.”

The Son of EL is also a Messianic Title for the coming King and Priest and connected to His resurrection:

Psalm 2:5-7 (Septuagint)

“But I HAVE BEEN MADE KING BY HIM on Zion His set-apart mountain, declaring the statute of YAHWEH; YAHWEH said to Me, YOU ARE MY SON, today have I begotten You.”

2 Samuel 7:13-14 (Septuagint)

“He shall build a house for Me to My name and I will set up HIS THRONE EVEN FOREVER. I will be a Father to him and he shall be A SON to Me…”

In the peshat (the literal meaning) refers to Solomon, in the remez (hint to a deeper spiritual meaning) is referring to YESHUA!

Luke 1:32 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“He will be great, He will be CALLED SON OF HA’ELYON. YAHWEH, ELOHIM, will give Him THE THRONE OF HIS FOREFATHER DAVID.”

Hebrews 5:5 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“So neither did the Messiah esteem Himself to become cohen gadol (HIGH PRIEST); rather, it was the One who said to Him, “YOU ARE MY SON; today I have become your Father.” Also, as He says in another place, “YOU ARE A COHEN (PRIEST) FOREVER, to be compared with Malki-Tzedek.”

Acts 13:32-38 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“As for us, we are bringing you the Good News that ELOHIM promised to the fathers, He has fulfilled for us the children in raising up YESHUA, as indeed it is written in the second Psalm, “YOU ARE MY SON; today I have become your Father.’ And as for His RAISING HIM UP FROM THE DEAD, to return to decay no more, He said, ‘I will give the set-apart and trustworthy things of David to you.’ This is explained elsewhere: ‘You will not let your Set-Apart One see decay.’ For David did indeed serve ELOHIM’s purposes in his own generations; but after that, he died, was buried with his fathers and did see decay. However, the one ELOHIM RAISED UP DID NOT SEE DECAY. “Therefore, brothers, let it be known to you that through this Man is proclaimed forgiveness of sins!”

Romans 1:4 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“ELOHIM promised this Good News in advance through His prophets in the Tanakh. It concerns HIS SON---He is descended from David physically; He was powerfully DEMONSTRATED TO BE SON OF ELOHIM spiritually, set apart by His having been RESURRECTED FROM THE DEAD; He is YESHUA the Messiah, our Master.”

We see in each instance that “The Son” is attached to Him being King and Priest as well as referring to the resurrection! YESHUA is eternal, uncreated, and the Son of EL has a special relationship with the Father. He is King, Priest, and Prophet! So, to denote “The Son of EL” to mean that YESHUA is just “a man approved by the Father”, misses the mark and deviates from the original truth that the Nazarenes and The Qumran Community understood.

Born of a Virgin

I did a message on this a year ago, if you have not seen it you can view it here: https://youtu.be/uf9SPTxD2b4?si=rsyTUgqAbODOwZqU

Although, I have proved the virgin birth to be true and scriptural, I feel it’s critical to add these new witnesses to this message because this is another crucial doctrine. Many deny that YESHUA was born of a virgin which is also a dangerous doctrine because they are denying prophecy and are calling ELOHIM a liar. Let’s see what the Nazarenes in the fourth century believed and what YESHUA said about Himself.

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz, page 53

“The clearest statement comes in Jerome’s letter to Augustine, written about 404: “They believe in Messiah, the SON OF ELOHIM, BORN OF MARY THE VIRGIN, and they say about Him that He suffered under Pontius Pilate and rose again.”

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz, page 108

“The sect seems to have been basically trinitarian. THEY ACCEPTED THE VIRGIN BIRTH and affirmed the deity of YESHUA.”

YESHUA said He was born of a virgin:

Matthew 13:37 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“So He (YESHUA) answered and said, “He who sows good seed is the SON OF THE VIRGIN.”

Matthew 24:30 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Then a man will see the sign of the Son of ELOAH in the heavens. And then all the tribes of the earth will howl, and they will see THE SON OF THE VIRGIN coming with the clouds of the heavens with great power and image and appearance, and He will send His messengers, shouting with great voices, and they will gather the chosen ones of EL from the four portions of the world—from the heavens and unto the earth.”

 Matthew 24:37 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And just as it was in the time of Noah, so will it be at the coming of THE SON OF THE VIRGIN.”

Matthew 26:24 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And a man who walks with Me will betray the Son of ELOAH, as it was prophesied of Him. Woe to him! – To the man by whom the SON OF THE VIRGIN will be betrayed: It would have been a good thing for him if he had not been born.”

Matthew 26:63-64 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“But YESHUA was quiet. So the chief of the priests said to him, “I adjure You by the living EL that you tell us whether you are Mashiach (Messiah), the Son of the living EL.” Then YESHUA said unto him, “You are saying it. Truly I say to you that you will also see the SON OF THE VIRGIN sitting at the right side of EL and coming with the clouds of the heavens.”

Mark 8:38 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And He who will acknowledge Me and proclaims Me and My word in this sinful, fornicating nation—the SON OF THE VIRGIN will acknowledge him before YAHWEH the Father, when He comes in His light with the messengers.”

YESHUA taught His followers the Nazarenes that He was born of a virgin, and this same doctrine was still being preached at the time of Jerome in the fourth century, which means that this doctrine was already accepted in the New Testament!

THE RUACH HA’KODESH (The Set-Apart Spirit)

If you haven’t seen the message, I have done on ELOHIM being 3 in 1 you can view it here: https://youtu.be/BCbz9a7y1tM?si=iXLE6fG7AIRkvI0D

The Qumran Community was familiar with the RUACH HA’KODESH and what they taught aligns with YESHUA, John the Baptist, John son of Zebedee and Paul!

Damascus Document (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) 2:12-13

“And in all of them He raised for Himself men called by name that a remnant might be left to the Land, and that the face of the earth might be filled with their seed. And He made known His SET-APART SPIRIT to them by the hand of His anointed ones, and He proclaimed the truth to them. But those whom He hated He led astray.”

Community Rule, The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls pg. 101

“For it is through the SPIRIT OF TRUE COUNSEL concerning the ways of man that all his transgressions shall be expiated, that he may contemplate the light of life. He shall be CLEANSED from all his iniquities by the SET-APART SPIRIT (SPIRIT OF HOLINESS) UNITING HIM TO HIS TRUTH.”

The RUACH HA’KODESH will unite us to YAHWEH’s TRUTH! And truth is the Torah (Psalm 119:142)! This is the same thing that YESHUA taught!

John 16:13 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“But when the RUACH (SPIRIT) OF TRUTH will come, He will TEACH YOU ALL TRUTH. For He will not speak of His own heart, only the words which He hears He will speak, and make known to you those words.”

Community Rule aka Charter of Jewish Sectarian Association Column 3:6-9  (The Dead Sea Scrolls a New Translation), by Wise, Abegg, and Cook page 119

“For only through the spirit pervading ELOHIM’s true society can there be atonement for a man’s ways, all of his iniquities; thus only can he gaze upon the light of life and so be JOINED TO HIS TRUTH BY HIS SET-APART SPIRIT, purified from all iniquity. Through an upright and humble attitude his sin may be covered, and by humbling himself before all ELOHIM’s laws his flesh can be made clean.”

Community Rule aka Charter of Jewish Sectarian Association Column 9:3-4 (The Dead Sea Scrolls A New Translation), by Wise, Abegg, and Cook page 130

“When, united by all these precepts, such men as these come to be a community in Israel, they shall establish ETERNAL TRUTH GUIDED BY THE INSTRUCTION OF HIS SET-APART SPIRIT.”

Thanksgiving Hymns, Hymn 23 fragment 2  (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 303

“And Thou has shed Thy SET-APART SPIRIT over dust to bring him into the company of the ‘elohim’ and unite them with the Sons of Heaven. Thou hast shed Thy SET-APART SPIRIT to atone for guilt…for they are established in Thy truth.”

Community Rule aka Charter of Jewish Sectarian Association Column 3:17-19 (The Dead Sea Scrolls A New Translation), by Wise, Abegg, and Cook page 120

“He created humankind to rule over the world, appointing for them TWO SPIRITS in which to walk until the time ordained for His visitation. These are the SPIRITS OF TRUTH AND FALSEHOOD.”

1 John 4:6 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“We are from ELOHIM. Whoever knows ELOHIM listens to us; whoever is not from ELOHIM doesn’t listen to us. This is how we distinguish the SPIRIT OF TRUTH FROM THE SPIRIT OF ERROR.”

Matthew 3:11 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“I am immersing you with water at the place of repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not worthy to draw off His shoe. And He will immerse you with RUACH HA’KODESH, AND HE WILL HEAL YOU WITH FIRE.”

Community Rule Dead Sea Scrolls (Ken Johnson translation) pg.67 Fruits of the SPIRIT

“These are the foundation FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT for the Sons of Truth in this world. The reward for those who walk in these and peace with long life. They are SPIRITUAL SONS with all the will be HEALING eternal blessings. They will receive joy with eternal life, and a crown of esteem clothed in light.”

The Qumran Community understood that those who are led by the RUACH HA’KODESH and walk in the fruits of The Spirit become spiritual sons and this is what Paul said in Romans 8:14 (Complete Jewish Scriptures) “All who are led by ELOHIM’s SPIRIT ARE ELOHIM’S SONS.”

The RUACH HA’KODESH will also heal us with fire as John said! Fire purifies, just as the fire of the RUACH HA’KODESH purifies us and makes us acceptable to serve ELOHIM in preparation for The Day of YAHWEH!

Malachi 3:2 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“But who can endure the day when He comes? Who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a REFINER’S FIRE, like the soap maker’s lye. He will sit, testing AND PURIFYING THE SILVER; HE WILL PURIFY THE SONS OF LEVI, refining them like gold and silver so that they can bring offerings to YAHWEH uprightly.”

Thanksgiving Hymns (Hymn 8) The Complete Dead Scrolls pg. 258

“And therefore I implore You BY THE SPIRIT which You have given me to perfect Your favors to your servant forever, PURIFYING ME BY THE SET-APART SPIRIT.”

Wisdom Literature (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) 4Q436 (combined with 4Q435) Column 2

“And Thou has placed the SPIRIT OF SET-APARTNESS into my heart and hast taken away from me the eyes of fornication.”

When we walk in the Spirit and not the flesh then He will lead us to obey the Torah and get rid of the desires of this world and the Wisdom Literature of the Dead Sea Scrolls understood this by saying He has “taken away from me the eyes of fornication.”

Damascus Document 2:15 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 130

“Hear now, my sons, and I will uncover your eyes that you may see and understand the works of ELOHIM that you may choose that which please Him and reject that which He hates, that you may walk perfectly in all His ways and not follow after the thoughts of the guilty inclination and after EYES OF LUST. For through them, great men have gone astray and mighty heroes have stumbled from their former times till now.”

The eye of fornication is not of ELOHIM as John tells us, so its important to understand how the RUACH HA’KODESH will purify us in this way to remove that old nature from us when we are reborn of the RUACH HA’KODESH!

1 John 2:15-16 (Lamsa Aramaic Peshitta)

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. He who loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world is the  lust of the body, THE COVETOUSNESS OF THE EYES, and the pride of material things; these things do not come from the Father but from the world.”

Damascus Document Ken Johnson page 66-67

“Men should have a spirit of: meekness, patience, gentleness, eternal goodness, intelligence, understanding, potent wisdom (trusting in ELOHIM for everything and depending on His great mercy), knowledge (in all plans), enthusiasm (for righteousness), set-apart purpose (with all seriousness), kindness (for all the Sons of Truth), magnificent purity (hating all unclean idolatry), temperance (wise behavior in everything), self-control (concealing the truth of the mysteries of knowledge).” These are the foundation FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT for the Sons of Truth in the world. The reward for those who walk in these will be healing and peace with long life. They are spiritual sons with all the eternal blessings. They will receive joy with eternal life, and a crown of glory clothed in light.”

The description of the fruit of the Spirit listed in The Community Rule in Qumran resembles that of what Paul taught:

Galatians 5:22-23 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“ But the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT  is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 humility, self-control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things.”

Again, we see what the Qumran Community taught aligns with YESHUA, John the Baptist, John son of Zebedee and Paul!

Gentiles grafted in!

Gentiles being grafted into Yisra’el with the native-born is not a new concept! We see this in Exodus 12:49-50, Leviticus 19:34, Numbers 15:15-16, Isaiah 56:6, Ezekiel 47:21, in Qumran and many other places. The purpose here is to show that YESHUA reconfirmed it, and His disciples the Nazarenes continued to teach it.

Matthew 28:19-20 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Therefore go preach to ALL THE PEOPLES, and immerse them in the Name of the Father and the Son and of RUACH HA’KODESH and TEACH THEM, and keep all that I commanded you. And I will be with you in all time, until the end of the world.”

Matthew 28:19-20 (Lamsa Aramaic Peshitta)

“Go, therefore, and CONVERT ALL NATIONS; and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Set-Apart Spirit; and TEACH THEM TO OBEY everything that I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you always, to the end of the world. Ahmein.”

YESHUA commanded His disciples to teach all the peoples the truth and make disciples of all the nations which means to convert both Jews and Gentiles to the doctrine of the Nazarenes!

John 10:16 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Now, there are other sheep which are not of this fold, and I am compelled to lead them too; and they will know My voice, and it will be ONE FOLD AND ONE SHEPHERD.”

YESHUA the Shepherd leads the Jews and Gentiles as one flock, as one people, Yisra’el! Again, The Qumran Community and the Nazarenes understood this! There are too many “exclusionary” doctrines in the world today that forbid people from becoming a part of Yisra’el based on skin color, genealogy etc. And this is a huge error!

Damascus Document, Column 14:3-6, The Dead Sea Scrolls (A New Translation by Wise, Abegg, and Cook page 75

“The rule of dwelling in all the camps. All shall be mustered by their names: the priests first, the Levites second, the children of Yisra’el third, the PROSELYTE FOURTH. Then they shall be recorded by name, one after the other: the priests first, the Levites second, the children of Yisra’el third, THE PROSELYTE FOURTH. In the same order they shall sit, and in the same order they will inquire of all.”

What is the definition of a proselyte?

Oxford languages defines it as “a person who has CONVERTED from one opinion, RELIGION, or party TO ANOTHER.”

Matthew 28:19-20 (Lamsa Aramaic Peshitta)

“Go, therefore, and CONVERT ALL NATIONS; and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Set-Apart Spirit; and TEACH THEM TO OBEY everything that I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you always, to the end of the world. Ahmein.”

This clearly means that there is ONE TRUTH that leads to eternal life that we are all invited to join and not thousands of different “religions” with a thousand different doctrines!

The Dead Sea Scrolls Column 5:3-6 (A New Translation by Wise, Abegg, and Cook) Community Rule aka Charter of a Jewish Sectarian Association

“They are to practice truth together with humility, charity, justice, loving-kindness, and modesty in all their ways. Accordingly, none will continue in a willful heart and thus be seduced, not by his heart, neither by his eyes, nor yet by his lower nature. Together they shall circumcise the foreskin of this nature, this stiff neck, and so establish a foundation of truth for Israel---that is to say, for the Yahad of the Eternal Covenant. They are to atone for all those in Aaron who volunteer for set-apartness, and for those in Israel who belong to the truth, AND FOR GENTILE PROSELYTES WHO JOIN THEM IN COMMUNITY.”

The Dead Sea Scrolls (A New Translation by Wise, Abegg, and Cook) write concerning the Community Rule on page 114

“As the work describes it, the association is made up of priests, Levites (a secondary priestly order), “Israel,” and GENTILE PROSELYTES. In this context “Israel” means NOT THE GENERALITY OF JEWS, BUT ONLY THOSE WHO ACCEPT THE TEACHINGS OF THE GROUP. Other Jews, along with the surrounding Gentile nations, are considered “Men of Perversity” who “walk in the wicked way.”

Jewish Nazarene Christianity by Ray A. Pritz, page 10

“All of the first Christians were JEWS, EITHER BY BIRTH OR BY CONVERSION…”

Jewish Nazarene Christianity by Ray A. Pritz, page 19-21

On Justin Martyr “In his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew Justin gives us the following information: “But if some, even now, wish to live in the OBSERVANCE OF THE INSTITUTIONS GIVEN BY MOSES, AND YET BELIEVE IN THIS YESHUA who was crucified, recognizing Him to be the Messiah of ELOHIM, and that it is given to him to be absolute judge of all, and that his is the everlasting kingdom, can they also be saved?” He [Trypho] inquired of me.’ “And Trypho inquired again, ‘But if someone, knowing that this is so, after he recognizes that this man is Messiah, and has believed in and obeys Him, wishes, however, to OBSERVE THESE INSTITUTIONS, will he be saved?’ I said, ‘IN MY OPINION, Trypho, such a one will be saved, IF HE DOES NOT STRIVE IN EVERY WAY TO PERSUADE OTHER MEN---I MEAN THOSE GENTILES who have been circumcised from error by Messiah, TO OBSERVE THE SAME THINGS AS HIMSELF, TELLING THEM THAT THEY WILL NOT BE SAVED UNLESS THEY DO.”  After explaining that some Christians condemn these, he says that as far as he is concerned if they ‘wish to observe such institutions as were given by Moses…along with their hope in this Messiah…yet choose to live with the Christians and the faithful…then I hold that we ought to join ourselves to such, and associate with them in all things kinsmen and brethren. Justin goes on to indicate that for him the test is whether THEY BELIEVE IN THE MESSIAH OR NOT, AND NOT WHETHER OR NOT THEY KEEP THE LAW.”

It becomes clearer when you see the doctrine that Justin believed. According to Britannica.com “The Dialogue with Trypho is a discussion in which Justin tried to prove the truth of CHRISTIANITY to a learned Jew named Trypho. Justin attempts to demonstrate that a NEW COVENANT HAS SUPERSEDED THE OLD COVENANT OF ELOHIM with the Jewish people; that YESHUA is both the Messiah announced by the Old Testament prophets and the preexisting logos through whom ELOHIM revealed Himself in the Scriptures; and that THE GENTILES HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO REPLACE ISRAEL AS ELOHIM’S CHOSEN PEOPLE.”

So, we see that the Nazarenes were teaching the gentiles to believe in YESHUA and keep the commandments which again matches Revelation 14:12 and also what Qumran did, but in Justin’s “opinion” who lived from 100-165 AD, just like modern Christianity, believed that all you have to do is believe in YESHUA and that the law is not necessary, he did not agree with the Nazarenes approach and believed in replacement theology as most Christians do today. We see that the Nazarenes continued with the true doctrine that was handed down to them and Paul did the same thing.

Acts 18:4 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Sha’ul (Paul) also began carrying on discussions EVERY SHABBAT in the Synagogue, where he tried to CONVICE BOTH JEWS AND GREEKS.”

Ephesians 2:17-19 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Also, when He came, He announced as Good News shalom (peace) to you FAR OFF (Gentiles) and peace to those NEARBY (Jews), news that through Him we BOTH have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then, you are NO LONGER FOREIGNERS AND STRANGERS. ON THE CONTRARY, YOU ARE FELLOW-CITIZENS WITH ELOHIM’s PEOPLE AND MEMBERS OF ELOHIM’S FAMILY.”

Baptism/Immersion

Matthew 28:19-20 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Therefore go preach to ALL THE PEOPLES, and IMMERSE (BAPTIZE) them in the Name of the Father and the Son and of RUACH HA’KODESH and TEACH THEM, and keep all the I commanded you. And I will be with you in all time, until the end of the world.”

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 78

“Augustine supplies us with the following information about the sect: 1)they profess to be Christians and confess that Messiah IS THE SON OF ELOHIM; 2)They practice BAPTISM; 3)they KEEP THE OLD LAW, specifically including a) CIRCUMCISION, b)SABBATH OBSERVANCE, and c) FOOD RESTRICTIONS SUCH AS ABSTINENCE FROM SWINE; and 4) they are few in number”.

Community Rule aka Charter of Jewish Sectarian Association, Column 2:25-26 and 3:1-6 (The Dead Sea Scrolls A New Translation), by Wise, Abegg, and Cook page 119

“Anyone who refused to enter the society of ELOHIM, preferring to continue in his willful heart, shall not be initiated into the Yahad (unity) of His truth, inasmuch as his soul has rejected the disciplines foundational to knowledge: the LAWS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. He lacks the strength to repent. He is not to be reckoned among the upright. His knowledge , strength and wealth are not to enter the society of the Yahad. Surely, he plows in the muck of wickedness, so defiling stains would mar his repentance. Yet he cannot be justified by what his willful heart declares lawful, preferring to gaze on darkness rather than the WAYS OF LIGHT. With such an eye he cannot be reckoned faultless. Ceremonies of atonement cannot restore his innocence, neither cultic waters his purity. He cannot be sanctified by BAPTISM IN OCEANS AND RIVERS, nor purified by mere ritual bathing. Unclean, unclean shall he be all the days that he REJECTS THE LAWS OF ELOHIM, refusing to be disciplined in the Yahad of His society.”

Matthew 3:7 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“But as he saw great multitudes of Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his IMMERSION/BAPTISM…”

Community Rule 5:13-14 (The Dead Sea Scrolls, A new translation, Wise, Abegg, and Cook) page 123

“None of the perverse men is to enter PURIFYING WATERS used by the Men of Set-Apartness and so contact their purity.  (INDEED, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BE PURIFED WITHOUT FIRST REPENTING OF EVIL, inasmuch as impurity adheres to all who transgress His word.)

Peter uses similar language by saying repent of your sin first (which is transgression of the Torah 1 John 3:4), then be immersed/baptized!

Acts 2:38 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Kefa (Peter) answered them, “TURN FROM YOUR SIN, return to ELOHIM, and each of you BE IMMSERED (BAPTIZED) on the authority of YESHUA the Messiah into forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the RUACH HA’KODESH!”

Acts 22:14-16 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“A man named Hananyah, an observant follower of the Torah who was highly regarded by the entire Jewish community THERE, came to me, stood by me and said, ‘Brother Sha’ul (Paul), see again!’ And at that very moment, I recovered my sight and saw him. He said, ‘The ELOHIM of our father determined in advance that you should know His will, see the Tzaddik (Righteous) and hear His voice; because you will be a witness for Him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. So now, what are you waiting for? Get up, IMMERSE (BAPTIZE) yourself and have your sins washed away as you call on His Name.”

Hananyah as we saw in Acts 9:10 was a disciple of YESHUA IN DAMASCUS and a follower of “The Way”, the sect that Paul was going to persecute. Paul says that Hananyah was an observant follower of the Torah as we know they were in Qumran, Hananyah believed in YESHUA, which again matches Revelation 14:12, and he immersed/baptized Paul. Not only was Hananyah following YESHUA’s command to immerse but that he was also following what was already being practiced in Qumran.

They rejected the authority Pharisees!

Matthew 15:2-3 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Why do your talmidim (disciples) TRANGRESS THE TIQUNIM of the ancient ones? Why do they not ritually wash their hands when they want to eat? But He answered them and said, “And why do you transgress the COMMANDMENTS OF EL ON ACCOUNT OF YOUR DECREES?”

The footnote for Tiqunim says “Masculine of Taqanot) are MANMADE REGULATIONS,’ OR MANMADE AMENDMENTS OR ‘IMPROVEMENT’ TO THE TORAH, THAT ARE NOT A PART OF THE ORIGINAL COMMANDMENTS OF YAHWEH’S TORAH.”

Matthew 15:7-10 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Rightly did Yeshayah (Isaiah) speak about you, saying, “This people which honors me with words but their heart is far from Me, they honor Me in vain, IMPOSING YOUR INSTRUCTIONS AND COMMANDMENTS OF THE MEN.”

Titus 1:14-16 (Lamsa Aramaic Peshitta)

“And not give heed to JEWISH FABLES AND COMMANDMENTS OF MEN WHO HATE THE TRUTH. To the pure, all things are pure; but nothing is pure to those who are defiled and faithless; even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess to know ELOHIM, but in works they deny Him, and they are abominable and disobedient, condemning every kind of good work.”

As explained in the introduction about Paul’s conversion to the sect of the Nazarenes aka “The Way” is that he is now speaking AGAINST the Pharisees that he once belonged to. Orthodox Judaism refers to the sect of the Pharisees!

Galatians 1:13-14 (Aramaic English New Testament)

“You have heard then, regarding my PREVIOUS CONDUCT IN TRADITIONAL JUDAISM, especially about how I followed the congregation of ELOHIM and greatly devastated it. And how greatly advanced I was in ORTHODOX JUDAISM, SUPERIOR to most of my countrymen who were also my kin.”

The Dead Sea Scrolls Introduction (A New Translation, Abegg, Wise, and Cook) page 18

“The Pharisees were distinguished in particular for their ORAL LAW, an unwritten adjunct to the Scriptures that CLAIMED TO PROVIDE THE CORRECT INTERPRETATION OF HOLY WRIT. As Josephus Wrote, “The Pharisees have imposed on the people MANY LAWS FROM THE TRADITIONS OF THE FATHERS NOT WRITTEN IN THE LAW OF MOSES (Ant. 13.297).

The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls (The History of the Community) page 62

“From this it follows ‘Ephraim’, equated in the Commentary on Nahum with the ‘SEEKERS OF SMOOTH THINGS’, symbolizes THE PHARISEES, and that if so, ‘Manasseh’ and his dignitaries must refer to THE SADDUCEES. In other words, the political and doctrinal OPPONENTS OF THE ESSENE COMMUNITY, through itself with proto-Sadducean links on account of its priestly leadership is insinuated by MMT, were the Sadducees and the Pharisees. This division of Jewish society into three OPPOSING GROUPS corresponds to the conformation described by Josephus as existing from the time of Jonathan Maccabaeus (Antiquities XIII, 171), but the new insight provided by the Scrolls suggests that the united resistance to Hellenism first fell apart when the Maccabees, and more precisely Jonathan, refuse to acknowledge the spiritual leadership of the Teacher of Righteousness, the priestly head of the Hasidim. From then on, the sect saw its defectors as ‘Ephraim’ and ‘Manasseh’, these being the names of the sons of Joseph, associated in biblical history with the APOSTATE NORTHERN KINGDOM, and referred to itself as the ‘House of Judah’, the FAITHFUL SOUTH.”

The reference to “seekers of smooth things” is found in the Damascus Document Column 1:18 (Ken Johnson translation)

“Then the curses of the covenant took hold on them, delivering them to the sword to avenge the breaches of the covenant. These “SEEKERS OF SMOOTH THINGS” CHOSE DECEIT AND LOOPHOLES IN THE TORAH.”

Damascus Document by Steven Fraade writes on page 32 “1:18: they sought smooth things. The Hebrew rendered as “smooth things” is halaqot, referring to LIES AND FALSEHOODS, as in Isa 30:10. Elsewhere, “the seekers after smooth things” SEEMS TO REFER TO THE PHARISEES, who, from the perspective of the Qumran community, WERE TOO LAX IN THEIR INTERPRETATION AND APPLICATION OF THE LAW.”

To see the message, I did on “Seekers of Smooth things” you can view it here: https://youtu.be/Km4byK5kZug?si=2il804_Q83Z0KBCh

YESHUA He shall be called a Nazarene by Robert Shriner page 27

“While the Pharisees had a high regard for ELOHIM’s Word, the Set-Apart Scriptures, they also had so much RELIANCE ON HUMAN EDUCATION AND THE WISDOM OF THE SAGES, that their theology devolved into an anthology of HUMAN OPINION THAN GOVERNANCE BY ELOHIM’S WORD ALONE. Thus a Pharisee would argue a theological point citing the STATEMENTS AND WRITINGS OF RABBI SO-AND-SO AND RABBI SUCH-AND-SUCH. These HUMAN WITNESSES BECAME, AT LEAST IN PRACTICE, MORE AUTHORTATIVE THAN ELOHIM HIMSELF.”

This fact concerning the Pharisees quoting rabbi’s and sages instead of scripture has continued in Rabbinical Judaism aka the modern Pharisees! When those seeking to return to the ancient path start quoting books from the Dead Sea Scrolls like Enoch and Jubilees, then they will respond by saying these books was not considered scripture by rabbi so-and-so!

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 63

Ray writes this: “It is clear that the Nazarenes considered the final authority in any such DEBATE to be the Old Testament and NOT LATER RABBINIC INTERPRETATION…”

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz pages 62-63

Quotes the commentary of Isaiah 8:20-21 by the Nazarenes which says” For the rest the Nazarenes explain the passage in this way: when the SCRIBES AND PHARISEES tell you to listen to them, men who do everything for the love of the belly and who hiss during their incantations in the way of magicians in order to DECEIVE YOU, you must answer them like this: “It is not strange if you follow YOUR TRADITIONS since every tribe consults its own idols. We must not, therefore, consult your dead about the living ones. On the contrary, ELOHIM has given us the Law and the testimonies of the scriptures. If you are not willing to follow them you shall not have light, and the darkness will always oppress you. It will cover your earth and YOUR DOCTRINE so that, when you see that they have BEEN DECEIVED BY YOU IN ERROR and they feel a longing for the truth, they will then be sad or angry. And let them who believe themselves to be like their own Elohim and kings curse you. And let them who look at the heaven and the earth in vain since they are always in darkness and they can not flee away from your ambushes.”

In the quote above we read “It will cover your earth and YOUR DOCTRINE so that, when you see that they have BEEN DECEIVED BY YOU IN ERROR and they feel a longing for the truth, they will then be sad or angry.”

This is true! In the beginning of most of our walks with YESHUA we unknowingly turned to Rabbinical Judaism thinking they had the truth, but when the RUACH HA’KODESH woke us up as we were longing for the truth only, and that we had been deceived in that quest with man-made traditions, it led to sorrow and anger. Now we rejoice knowing the ancient truth of YAHWEH’s word!

Acts 24:5 (James Etheridge 1849 Aramaic Peshitta)

“For we have found this man to be a destroyer, and an exciter of agitation among all the Jews, and in all the land: for he is A CHIEF of the DOCTRINE OF THE NATSROYEE (NAZARENES)…”

Matthew 16:5-12 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And when they came to the shore of the sea to pass on further, they forgot to take their bread. Then He said to them, “BEWARE of the LEAVEN of the SADDUCEES  AND PHARISEES.” So they thought in their inward parts saying, “He says this because we do not have bread.’ But YESHUA, who knew what they thought, said to them, “What do you think in yourselves, men without believing? You think that I said this because you do not have bread? Why do you not understand or remember the five loaves and the five thousand men, how many lumps remained? And seven loaves and four thousand men, and how many lumps remained? And why do you not understand that I am not speaking about the bread? But I say to you that you must beware of the leaven of the Sadducees and the Pharisees.” And then they comprehended that He did not speak about the leaven of the house, but OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE PHARISEES AND THE SADDUCEES.”

Outside of the Oral Torah, what is a part of their doctrine? The Babylonian Lunar Calendar is!

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 64 (Commentary on Isaiah 9:1-4):

“The Nazarenes, whose opinion I have set forth above, try to explain this passage in the following way: When Messiah came and His preaching shone out, the land of Zebulon and Naphtali first of all were FREED FROM THE ERRORS OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES and He shook of their shoulders THE VERY HEAVY YOKE OF THE JEWISH TRADITIONS. Later, however, the preaching became more dominant, that means the preaching was multiplied, through the Gospel of the apostle Paul who was the last of all the apostles. And the Gospel of Messiah shone to the most distant tribes and the way of the whole sea. Finally, the world, which earlier walked or sat in darkness and was imprisoned in the bonds of idolatry and death, has seen the clear light of the Gospel.”

This is exactly what YESHUA was saying in:

Matthew 11:29-30 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Let all those who are TROUBLED AND OPPRESSED come unto Me, and I Myself will help you. And carry MY YOKE upon you and LEARN FROM ME, that I am humble and restful of heart, and you will find rest in your nephashot (souls), for MY YOKE IS RESTFUL AND MY BURDEN IS EASY.”

The Nazarenes who followed YESHUA knew exactly what He taught. YESHUA was saying that those of you who have been troubled and oppressed by the heavy yoke of the oral torah/traditions of the elders of the scribes and the Pharisees need to come to Him, The Living Torah and He will teach you the truth of the written Torah that is not a burden (1 John 5:3) and free you from the heavy yoke of oral Torah  which is a burden (Matthew 23:4)!

Acts 5:27-29 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“They conducted them to the Sanhedrin, where the high priest demanded of them, “We gave you strict orders not to TEACH IN THIS NAME! Look here! You have filled Jerusalem with YOUR TEACHING; moreover, you are determined to make us responsible for this man’s death!” Kefa (Peter) and the other emissaries answered, “We must OBEY ELOHIM, NOT MEN.”

Galatians 1:10 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Now does that sound as if I were trying to win human approval? No! I want ELOHIM’s approval! Or that I’m trying to cater to people? IF I WERE STILL DOING THAT, I would not be a servant of the Messiah.”

Paul is saying if he was still trying to win human approval with the human traditions of the oral torah that he USED to follow then he wouldn’t be a servant of YESHUA! Why? He preached the unpopular truth of the Nazarene doctrine that is rejected everywhere (Acts 28:22).

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 62-63 commentary on Isaiah 8:20-21

“For the rest the Nazarenes explain the passage in this way: when the SCRIBES AND PHARISEES tell you to LISTEN TO THEM, men who do everything for THE LOVE OF THE BELLY and who HISS during their incantations in the way of magicians in order to DECEIVE YOU, you must answer them like this…”

The Nazarenes said that the Pharisees do everything for the love of the belly, which agrees with Paul.

Philippians 3:17-18 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Brothers, join in imitating me, and pay attention to those who live according to THE PATTERN we have set for you. For many --- I have told you about them often before, and even now I say it with tears --- live as enemies of the Messiah’s execution-stake. They are headed for destruction! Their elohim IS THE BELLY; they are proud of what they ought to be ashamed of, since they are concerned about the things of the world.”

Romans 16:17-18 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put snares alongside the TEACHING IN WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINED --- KEEP AWAY FROM THEM. For men like these are not serving our Master the Messiah BUT THEIR OWN BELLY; by smooth talk and flattery they DECEIVE THE INNOCENT.”

Matthew 23:14 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Woe to you knowing literature, PERUSHIM (PHARISEES), deceivers! WHO EAT WHAT BELONGS TO THE WIDOWS with a lengthy prayer. And on account of this you will bear the length of the oppression.”

Damascus Document Column 6 (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 134

“They shall not rob the poor of His people, TO MAKE OF WIDOWS THEIR PREY and of the fatherless their victim (Isaiah 10, 2).

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 62-63 commentary on Isaiah 8:20-21

The Nazarenes also said the “Pharisees “HISS” during their incantations in the way of magicians in order to deceive you.”

 Snakes are the ones who hiss! The snake aka the serpent deceived Eve in the garden and snakes/vipers is also what YESHUA and John the Baptist called the Pharisees, which again shows that 400 years after YESHUA the Nazarenes maintained the same doctrine.

Revelation 12:9 (Lamsa Aramaic)

“Thus the great dragon was cast out, that OLD SERPENT called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the world; he was cast out on the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

Satan the serpent is the father of lies and the Pharisees are being compared to snakes for teaching lies to the people!

Matthew 3:7 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“But as he saw great multitudes of PERUSHIM (PHARISEES) AND TSADUQIM (SADDUCCEES) coming to his immersion, he said unto them “FAMILY OF VIPERS, who taught you to flee from the anger of YAHWEH?”

Matthew 23:33 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“SERPENTS; GENEALOGY OF FIERY SNAKES, how will you be delivered of the judgment of Gei-Hinnom?”

The Damascus Document (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) 5:13-14, page 133

“But although the laws against incest are written for men, they also apply to women. When, therefore, a brother’s daughter uncovers the nakedness of her father’s brother, she is also his near kin. Furthermore, they defile their set-apart spirit and open their mouth with a blaspheming tongue against the laws of the Covenant of ELOHIM saying ‘They are not sure.’ They speak abominations concerning them; they are all kindlers of fire and lighters of brands (Isaiah 1, 11), their webs are spiders’ webs and THEIR EGGS ARE VIPERS EGGS (Isaiah 59, 5).”

The Zadok priests said the Pharisees eggs are viper’s eggs in connection to their view on a man being able to marry his niece as a righteous which again it a lie that snakes tell!

It should be quite obvious that YESHUA, the Zadok Priests, Paul the Nazarene and all the Nazarenes rejected Rabbinical Judaism. So how can one follow the Hillel or Shammai doctrine which would include their Babylonian Lunar calendars? This will be covered more in the section “Sons of Light.”

The Nazarenes Were NOT EBIONITES!

Who were the Ebionites and what were they beliefs? This is important because scholars and historians have often confused the two sects, but when we look closely, we can see that they were different sects with different doctrines. Ray A. Pritz says they can be easily distinguished based on “Christology” which means the study of YESHUA’s nature, work, and relationship to humanity and ELOHIM.  The Ebionites denied much of the truth as you will see below.

 By establishing this crucial point, we can determine who John the disciple of YESHUA, was speaking against in his letters.

Aramaic English New Testament page 914

“The rest of the post-apostolic Gentile church founders never met the original Apostles and knew very little or nothing of the original Hebrew and Aramaic-based Netzari (Nazarene) Faith. There is no mention of “the Netzarim” among the church founders yet they bother to mention the EBIONITE FACTION THAT BROKE AWAY FROM THE NETZARIM COMMUNITY.”

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 86-87

“So on the one hand we find both Nazarenes and Ebionites calling their gospels “Matthew,” while on the other the works are demonstrably NOT THE SAME. We may recall that it is Epiphanius who tells us that THE EBIONITES AROSE OUT OF (OR SPLIT OFF FROM) THE NAZARENES. In such a split it would be natural that the dissenters take with them the gospel they had used. But if the split arose as a result of Christological differences, then we might expect that the basic document would be REVISED, DELETIONS MADE (like the genealogies), and appropriate phrases added.”

As you will see further down in this section, the Ebionites did not believe in the virgin birth and therefore deleted the first two chapters of Matthew.

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 86

“When writing about the Ebionites (pan. 30 3, 7) he also credits them with accepting Matthew, which they call (“according to the Hebrews”). However, this cannot be equated with the canonical Matthew, both because IT OMITTED THE OPENING TWO CHAPTERS and because quotations from it which Epiphanius does preserve for us are not found in Matthew.”

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 108

“The Nazarenes WERE DISTINCT FROM THE EBIONITES AND PRIOR TO THEM. In fact, we have found that it is possible that there was a SPLIT IN NAZARENE RANKS around the turn of the first century. THIS SPLIT was either over a matter of Christological doctrine or over leadership of the community. OUT OF THIS SPLIT CAME THE EBIONITES, who can scarcely be separated from the Nazarenes on the basis of geography, but who can be EASILY DISTINGUISHED from the standpoint of Christology.”

Just like there was a split from the sect of Nazarenes in the first century; likewise, there was a split in Qumran when the Wicked priest and his followers split from and persecuted the Teacher of Righteousness who led the Qumran Community.

Damascus Document 20:14-15  (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls)  page 137

“From the day of the gathering in of the Teacher of the Community until the end of all the men of war who DESERTED TO THE LIAR there shall pass about forty years…”

Vermes page 510 Commentary on Habakkuk 2:15

“Behold the nations and see, marvel and be astonished; for I accomplish a deed in your days; but you will not believe it when told (1, 5). Interpreted, this concerns those who were UNFAITHFUL together with THE LIAR, in that they did not listen to the word received by the Teacher of Righteousness from the mouth of ELOHIM. And it concerns the unfaithful of the New Covenant in that they have not believed in the Covenant of ELOHIM and have profaned His set-apart Name.”

The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls (The history of the Essenes) page 54

“A similar picture emerges from the Habakkuk Commentary with its explicit mention OF DESERTION BY DISCIPLES OF THE TEACHER OR RIGHTEOUSNESS TO THE LIAR, and also by members UNFAITHFUL TO THE ‘NEW COVENANT’. The allusions to the protagonists of the conflict are sharper in this work than in the Damascus Document. We learn that the villain, known in this Scroll as the ‘Wicked Priest’ as well as the ‘Liar” and ‘Spouter of Lies’, was ‘called by the name of truth’ before he became Israel’s ruler and was corrupted by wealth and power (VIII, 8-11)---the implication being that for a time he had met with the sect’s approval.”

Likewise, the Ebionites met the approval of the sect of the Nazarenes in the beginning before they departed and became heretics and unfaithful to the New Covenant. The plain truth was hard to accept in Qumran, it was hard to accept during the days of the early Nazarenes, and its hard for people to accept today. They will join you then begin to backslide into heresy and persecute you, there is nothing new under the sun.

Newadvent.org writes concerning the Ebionites “The doctrines of this sect are said by Irenaeus to be like those of Cerinthus and Carpocrates. They DENIED THE DIVINITY AND THE VIRGINAL BIRTH OF MESSIAH; they clung to the observance of the Jewish Law; they REGARDED ST. PAUL AS AN APOSTATE, and used only a Gospel according to St. Matthew.”

Being that the Ebionites are Jews and kept the commandments of the Torah people began to mix them up with the Nazarenes. Before quoting anything further from this book, I want to express how important it is to understand that the Nazarenes and the Ebionites are NOT the same sect. Many people have lumped up the two groups together which has caused much confusion. As we can already see is that the Ebionites deny the divinity of YESHUA and that He was not born of a virgin. I have already shown in a earlier section that the Nazarene’s believed YESHUA was EL and born of a virgin, so as the author Ray A. Pritz says “we have an early misuse of the name Ebionite to include all Jewish Christian Law-keepers.” And that misuse continues to this day.

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 21

“Some twenty years after Justin issued his Dialogue, the pagan author Celsus wrote his “True Discourse” against the Christians. This work was answered by Origen, about seventy years later, in the Contra Celsum, which supplies us with all extant fragments from the work of Celsus. Both Celsus and Origen show a firsthand acquaintance with viable Jewish Christian communities. What is of interest to us here is a statement in the fifth book (chap. 61):

 “Let it be admitted, moreover, that there are some who ACCEPT YESHUA, and who boast on that account of being Christians, and yet would regulate their lives, like the Jewish multitude, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JEWISH LAW,-- and these are the TWOFOLD SECT OF THE EBIONITES, who either acknowledge with us that YESHUA was born of a VIRGIN, OR DENY THIS, and maintain that he was begotten like other human beings…”

The author continues “This reference to the TWO KINDS OF EBIONITES must remind us of the testimony of Justin, and it is not without significance that here again they are to be SEPARATED ON THE BASIS OF CHRISTOLOGY, and that one of the two sects holds the orthodox line in the disputed matter WHILE THE OTHER DENIES ANYTHING DIVINE IN YESHUAS’ ORIGINS. If the more orthodox Jewish Christians (who can only be faulted for keeping the Law) are Nazarenes, then we have an EARLY MISUSE OF THE NAME EBIONITE TO INCLUDE ALL JEWISH CHRISTIAN LAW-KEEPERS.”

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 27

The other possible source is Origen’s in Ep. Ad Titum:

“But now one and the same must be believed also with regard to him who thinks something wrong about our Master YESHUA HA’MASHIACH, or according to those who say that HE WAS BORN OF JOSEPH AND MARY, LIKE THE EBIONITES and the Valentinians, or according to those WHO DENY THAT HE IS THE FIRST BORN, ELOHIM OF ALL CREATION, Word, Wisdom, which is the beginning of the ways of ELOHIM, before anything came into being, founded before the world’s and generated before the hills, BUT SAY THAT HE WAS ONLY A MAN…”

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 28

“In summary we may say that Justin knows of TWO DIVISIONS OF JEWISH CHRISTIANS, one of whom held an orthodox Christology with regard to the virgin birth and pre-existence of YESHUA. Origen, who also knows of TWO GROUPS, identifies the UNORTHODOX GROUP OF JUSTIN AS EBIONITES. While he calls his more orthodox Jewish Christians EBIONITES ALSO, he is inconsistent in this, and we may be justified in concluding that the two groups did not carry the SAME NAME.” The last sentence on this page says “This establishes the continued existence, into the third century at least, if not later, of a Jewish Christian entity whose doctrines tend to distinguish it --- in the direction of “orthodoxy”—FROM THE EBIONITES. THESE ARE THE NAZARENES. In the chapters which follow we shall further isolate them and define their doctrines.”

After Ray Pritz goes through all the sources and shows how historians kept mixing the Nazarenes together with the Ebionites he says on page 82:

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 82

“The most important conclusion of this chapter is that the Nazarenes were not mentioned by earlier fathers not because they did not exist but rather because they were still generally considered to be acceptably orthodox. The history of the Nazarene sect must be CLEARLY DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT OF THE EBIONITES. Once Epiphanius FAILED to do so, he introduced a CONFUSION WHICH CONTINUES UNTIL TODAY.”

Again, the Ebionites did not believe that YESHUA was EL, they did not believe that He was born of a virgin, and that Joseph was his literal father, they believed YESHUA was a vegetarian, and they rejected the writings of Paul. They believed YESHUA BECAME the Messiah because He obeyed the Jewish Law and that He was ADOPTED as the Son of YAHWEH, which contradicts Him being the literal, uncreated, eternal, SON OF EL as explained in the section “YESHUA is EL”.

Hebrewgospel.com not to be confused with Hebrewgospels.com says “Some Gnostics such as the Ebionites taught that the Set-Apart Spirit was the MOTHER OF YESHUA, the spirit being who embodied itself as Mary in order to come to earth and birth YESHUA.”  The authentic Hebrew gospel of John from Hebrewgospels.com emphasizes that the Set-Apart Spirit is a “He”!

John 16:13-14

“But when that Ruach of truth will come, HE will teach you all truth. For HE will not speak of HIS own heart, only the words which HE hears HE will speak, and make known to you those words. HE will glorify me—from my Father HE will take, and will make known to you all the things which are my Father’s—which are mine—and HE will make them known to you.”

YESHUA uses “He” seven times and “His” one time! The number 8 in Hebrew means “New beginnings” and points to our new life walking in obedience to YAHWEH by the leading of the RUACH HA’KODESH! And the part that is bolded is the emphasis in the Hebrew text and not mine nor Hebrewgospels.com as they express in the introduction. I believe that emphasis is to again separate the Nazarenes from the Ebionites!

Now that we are familiar with the heresies of the Ebionites we can know understand who John was speaking against in his letters.

1 John 2:18-19 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Children, this is the Last Hour. You have heard that an Anti-Messiah is coming; and in fact, MANY ANTI-MESSIAH’S HAVE ARISEN NOW --- which is how we know that this is the Last Hour. THEY WENT OUT FROM US, BUT THEY WEREN’T PART OF US; FOR HAD THEY BEEN PART OF US, THEY WOULD HAVE REMAINED WITH US.” Verse 22-24 “Who is a liar at all, if not the person who denies that YESHUA is the Messiah? ---he is denying the Father and the Son. Everyone who denies the Son is also without the Father, but the person who acknowledges the Son has the Father as well. Let WHAT YOU HEARD FROM THE BEGINNING REMAIN IN YOU. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you will also remain in union with both the Son and the Father.”

As shown above the Ebionites went out from the Nazarenes as they were once a part of them, but they did not remain with them because of the false doctrine they believed.

1 John 4:1-4 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Dear friends, don’t trust every spirit. On the contrary, test the spirits to see whether they are from ELOHIM; because MANY FALSE PROPHETS have gone out into the world. Here is how you recognize the Spirit of ELOHIM; every spirit which acknowledges that YESHUA the Messiah CAME AS A HUMAN BEING IS FROM ELOHIM, and every spirit which does not acknowledge YESHUA is not from ELOHIM --- in fact, this is the spirit of the Anti-Messiah. You have heard that he is coming. Well, he’s here now, in the world already!”

John 1:14 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And so EL WAS MADE FLESH and dwelt among you.”

The Ebionites do not believe YESHUA was here from the beginning and that He is not EL; therefore, they reject that EL became a human being and died for humanity that the Creator did not die for His creation. To them, YESHUA was just a righteous man who obeyed the law.

2 Peter 2:1-2 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“But among the people there were also false prophets, just as there will be false teachers among you. Under false pretenses they will introduce DESTUCTIVE HERESIES, even denying the Master who bought them, and thus bring on themselves swift destruction. Many will follow their debaucheries; and because of them, THE TRUE WAY will be maligned.”

This means that John and Peter were writing  from a Nazarene perspective!

2 John 2:7-11 (The Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“For many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not acknowledge YESHUA THE MESSIAH’s COMING AS A HUMAN BEING. Such a person is a deceiver and an ANTI-MESSIAH. Watch yourselves, so that you won’t lose what you have worked for, but will receive your full reward. Everyone who goes ahead and does not remain true to what the Messiah has taught does not have ELOHIM. Those who remain true to His teaching have both the Father and the Son. If someone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, DON’T WELCOME HIM IN YOUR HOME. DON’T’ EVEN SAY, “SHALOM!” to him: for the person who says, “SHALOM!” TO HIM SHARES IN HIS EVIL DEEDS.”

John agrees with the teaching of the Qumran Community regarding anyone who was banned because of false doctrine!

Damascus Document Manuscripts from Cave 4 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) 4Q266, fr. II (4Q270, fr. 7 i-ii) page 155

“And the dismissed man shall leave, and whosoever eats from what is his, and GREETS (LITERALLY, INQUIRES ABOUT THE WELFARE – SHALOM --) the man who has been dismissed, and agrees with him, his case shall be recorded by the Guardian according to the decree, and his judgement shall be complete.”

The Nazarenes did not reject Paul

One of the distinguishing factors between the Nazarenes and the Ebionites is that the Nazarenes accepted Paul, but the Ebionites rejected Paul and called him an apostate. The Ebionite spirit lives on in the Torah community today; therefore, you know how to identify them as Ebionites and not Nazarenes. It should be obvious that if Paul belonged to the sect of the Nazarenes that all the sect of the Nazarenes accepted him.

Acts 24:5 (Lamsa Aramaic)

“We have found this man to be a pestilent fellow and a worker of sedition among the Jews throughout the world, for he is the ringleader of the SECT OF THE NAZARENES.”

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 64, On Isaiah 9:1-4

“The Nazarenes, whose opinion I have set forth above, try to explain this passage in the following way: When Messiah came and His preaching shone out, the land of Zebulon and Naphtali first of all were freed from the errors of the scribes and the Pharisees and he shook off their shoulders the very heavy yoke of the Jewish traditions. Later, however, the preaching became more dominant, that means the preaching was multiplied, THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF THE APOSTLE PAUL WHO WAS THE LAST OF ALL THE APOSTLES. And the Gospel of Messiah shone to the most distant tribes and the way of the whole sea. Finally, the whole world, which earlier walked or sat in darkness and was imprisoned in the bonds of idolatry and death, has seen the clear light of the Gospel.”

Sadly, the author Ray A. Pritz came to the same conclusion as most of the world concerning Paul preaching a lawless doctrine. This is one of the few times that I have disagreed with his conclusion. Nowhere in the statement from the commentary of the Nazarenes on Isaiah says ANYTHING about Paul preaching lawlessness. Pritz writes on page 64 “Let us note once again the polemic against Scribes and Pharisees and the Jewish traditions. The two most significant things about this excerpt from the Nazarene work are its positive view of Paul, and the refusal to bind Gentile Christians to keeping the Law. We see here that the Nazarene view of Paul’s mission corresponded very closely to that of Paul himself.”

Where does the Nazarene commentary state that the Nazarenes accepted Paul’s refusal to bind Gentile Christians to keeping the law? We don’t! As a matter of fact, it would completely contradict the section “The Gentiles were grafted in” in an earlier section. Rather it is a misinterpretation of the text by assuming Paul taught a lawless doctrine to the gentiles. The reason why the Nazarenes accepted Paul’s mission is because he was a fellow Nazarene himself tasked with preaching to the gentiles. Peter, a fellow Nazarene, says this about Paul:

2 Peter 3:15-17 (Lamsa Aramaic Peshitta)

“And consider that the long suffering of the Master is salvation; even as our BELOVED BROTHER PAUL also, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you; as also in ALL HIS EPISTLES, he spoke concerning these matters, in which there are certain things SO HARD TO BE UNDERSTOOD THAT THOSE WHO ARE IGNORANT AND UNSTABLE PERVERT THEIR MEANING, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, my beloved, seeing that you know these things beforehand, beware lest you follow the ERROR OF THE LAWLESS, and fall from your own steadfastness.”

I have stated multiple times over the years that many twist Paul’s words to their own destruction and promote a lawless doctrine and Peter already warned about this happening in his day! Peter said Paul’s words are hard to understand and not to let those hard-to-understand words lead you into lawlessness! Furthermore, Paul agreed with YESHUA about keeping the commandments of the Torah!

Matthew 5:17 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Moreover YESHUA MASHIACH said to His talmidim, “Do not think that I came to throw down the Torah and the Prophets, on the CONTRARY, I CAME TO CONFIRM.”

Romans 3:31 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Does it follow that we abolish Torah by this trusting? Heaven forbid! On the CONTRARY, WE CONFIRM TORAH.”

Aramaic English New Testament page 914

“Polycarp and Clement were the only two post-apostolic writers who had met or known an original Apostle (Yochanan/John). Polycarp was extremely anti-Maricon, referring to him as the firstborn of the devil, he rejected the introduction of Easter into the church and taught that Christians must return to the Torah based Pesach (Passover). Clement stated that the BOOK OF HEBREWS WAS ORIGINALLY PENNED BY PAUL IN THE HEBREW LANGUAGE and then translated into Greek by Luke.”

Interestingly enough Lamsas’ Aramaic Peshitta names the book of Hebrews “The EPISTLE OF PAUL the Apostle to the Hebrews”

The 1st Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, Chapter 5 page 7

“Owing to envy, PAUL also obtained the reward of patient endurance, after being seven times thrown into captivity, compelled to flee, and stoned. After preaching both in the east and west, he gained the illustrious reputation due to his faith, having taught righteousness to the whole world, and came to the extreme limit of the west, and suffered martyrdom under the prefects. Thus was he removed from the world, and went into the set-apart place having proved himself a striking example of patience.”

Divorce and remarriage

The Qumran community, Paul, and John the Baptist’s teachings on divorce and remarriage all align with what YESHUA taught!

Mark 10:11 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And He answered them, “Whosoever, and whosoever sends away his wife AND TAKES ANOTHER, COMMITS ADULTERY.”

Luke 16:17-18 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter in the Torah to become void. Every man who divorces his wife and married another woman COMMITS ADULTERY, and a man who marries a woman divorced by her husband COMMITS ADULTERY.”

Damascus Document 4:21 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 132

“They shall surely spout (Mic. 2, 6)—shall be caught in fornication twice BY TAKING A SECOND WIFE WHILE THE FIRST IS ALIVE…”

1 Corinthians 7:39 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“A wife is bound to her husband AS LONG AS HE LIVES, but if the husband DIES she is free to marry anyone she wishes, provided he is a believer in the Master.”

Romans 7:1-3 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Surely you know, brothers – for I am speaking to those who understand Torah – that the Torah has authority over a person only so long as he lives? For example, a married woman is bound by Torah to her husband WHILE HE IS ALIVE; but if the HUSBAND DIES, she is released from the part of the Torah that deals with husbands. Therefore, while the HUSBAND IS ALIVE, SHE WILL BE CALLED AN ADULTERESS IF SHE MARRIES ANOTHER MAN; BUT IF THE HUSBAND DIES, she is free from that part of the Torah; so that if she married another man, she is not an adulteress.”

Matthew 14:3-4 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“For Herod detained Yochanan (John) bound, because he caught him for the sake of Herodias, the wife of his brother. For Yochanan said to him, “IT IS NOT FIT to take your brother’s wife for yourself.”

Why did John the Baptist say that Herod’s marriage was forbidden? According to Josephus there was two reasons!

Antiquities 18.5.4 by Josephus writes:

“Herodias took upon herself to confound the laws of our country, and DIVORCED herself from her HUSBAND WHILE HE WAS ALIVE, and was married to Herod her husband’s brother.”

Two wrongs were committed because she married Herod while her husband was alive and the other because Herodias was the niece of Herod.

More evidence for Paul

1 Corinthians 13:1 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“I may speak in the TONGUES of men, EVEN ANGELS...”

1 Corinthians 13:1 (Good News Translation)

“If I may be able to speak THE LANGUAGES OF HUMAN BEINGS AND EVEN OF ANGELS…”

The Dead Sea Scrolls (A New Translation Wise, Abegg, and Cook) page 463 write concerning the Songs of Sabbath Sacrifice:

“The Sabbath songs intended to unite the worshiper with the angels worshiping in heaven. What happens on earth is but a pale reflection of that greater, ultimate reality. What, then, could be more desirable than to join that worship in mystic fashion? The variety of heavenly beings who play a role is dizzying. The apostle PAUL WROTE OF THE “THE TONGUES OF MEN AND OF ANGELS” (1 COR. 13:1), AND INDEED, OUR AUTHOR SUPPLIES THE ANGELS WITH DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, each endowed with its own particular character, each singularly specialized to praise ELOHIM.”

Songs of Sabbath Sacrifice frag. 2 (The Dead Sea Scrolls A New Translation Wise, Abegg, and Cook), page 463

“A psalm of blessing will be spoken IN THE LANGUAGE of the first CHIEF PRINCE to the eternal ELOHIM, incorporating HIS LANGUAGES’s seven wondrous blessings. Then he will bless the King of all the eternally set-apart seven times with seven wondrous words of blessing. A psalm of exaltation will be spoken IN THE LANGUAGE of the second CHIEF PRINCE to the King of truth and righteousness, incorporating his LANGUAGE’S seven wondrous exaltations.”

Who are the chief princes that are blessing ELOHIM in different languages? They are angels just as Wise, Abegg and Cook mentioned. Let’s view Daniel for confirmation.

Daniel 10:13 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“The prince of the kingdom of Persia prevented me from coming for twenty-one days; but MICHAEL, one of the CHIEF PRINCES, came to assist me; so that I was no longer needed there with the kings of Persia.”

2 Timothy 3:8 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“In the same way as JANNES AND JAMBRES opposed Moshe, so also these people oppose the truth.”

Paul knew the names of the two brothers that opposed Moses, and we find this mentioned in the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran specifically the Damascus Document!

Damascus Document, 5:18-19 (Ken Johnson translation) page 32

“In the past, the Prince of Lights raised up Moses and Aaron. Belial raised up JANNES AND JAMBRES with their evils to try to stop Israel’s deliverance.”

Damascus Document, 5:18-19 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 133

“For in ancient times, Moses and Aaron arose by the hand of the Prince of Lights and Belial in his cunning raised up JANNES AND HIS BROTHER when Israel was first delivered.”

Priestly Blessings for the Last Days Column 5:23-25 (The Dead Sea Scrolls A New Translation Wise, Abegg, and Cook), page 143

Note from the authors “A blessing for the Prince of the Congregation, a Davidic war leader who was to arise in the Last Days. Much of the language of this blessing is drawn from Isaiah 11, which has often been interpreted by both Jews and Christians as speaking of THE MESSIAH.”

“May YAHWEH lift you up to an eternal height, a mighty tower in a wall securely set on high! Thus may you be righteous by the might of your mouth lay waste the earth with your rod! With the BREATH OF YOUR LIPS may you kill the wicked!”

2 Thessalonians 2:8 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Then the one who embodies separation from Torah will be revealed, the one whom the Master YESHUA will slay with the BREATH OF HIS MOUTH and destroys by the esteem of His coming.”

Paul speaks of mysteries which have parallels to other scriptures!

Psalms 25:14 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“YAHWEH RELATES INTIMATELY with those who fear Him; He makes them know His covenant.”

Proverbs 3:32 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“For the perverse is an abomination to YAHWEH, but He SHARES HIS SECRET COUNSEL with the upright.”

Matthew 13:11 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And He answered them saying, “To you is given to understand the CONFIDENTIAL COUNSELS OF THE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENS, but not to them.” The footnote for “Confidential” says “Or Private”.

So private or confidential counsel of hidden things can be revealed to ELOHIM’s people that others won’t understand or have not been given!

This matches what we see in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the words of Paul!

(The Dead Sea Scrolls A New Translation Wise, Abegg, and Cook) Introductory notes on The Community Rule/Charter of a Jewish Sectarian Association page 115:

“Particularly striking is the notion of HIDDEN TEACHING, called the “mystery”. Early Christianity and rabbinic Judaism also embraced similar but distinct notions of “CONTINUING REVELATION” not known to outsiders. This is the idea that ELOHIM continued to reveal new truth in their own day and that the Bible was neither the only, nor the final, repository of His communication with humankind. Paul speaks often of “THE MYSTERY that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to His saints (Col. 1:26).

Damascus Document (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) Fr. 2 (4Q276, fr. 1; 268, fr. 1) page 147

“flesh and creature…until it comes to them for they shall not be either early or late from their appointed times…He decreed an age of wrath for the people who did not know Him, and He established appointed times of goodwill for those who search His commandments and walk in the perfection of way. And He revealed HIDDEN THINGS TO THEIR EYES, and opened the ears so that they might hear DEEP SECRETS AND UNDERSTAND ALL FUTURE THINGS BEFORE THEY BEFALL THEM. Listen now all you who know righteousness…”

Romans 16:25 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Now to ELOHIM, who can strengthen you, according to my Good News, in harmony with the REVELATION OF THE SECRET TRUTH which is the proclamation of YESHUA the Messiah, KEPT HIDDEN in silence for ages and ages, but manifest now through prophetic writings, in keeping with the command of ELOHIM the Eternal, and communicated to all the Gentiles to promote them  trust- grounded obedience---to the only wise ELOHIM, through YESHUA the Messiah, be the esteem forever and ever! Ahmein.

Ephesians 3:3-5, 9

“I assume that you have heard of the work ELOHIM in His grace has given me to do for your benefit, and that it was by A REVELATION THAT THIS SECRET PLAN WAS MADE KNOWN TO ME. I have already written about it briefly, and if you read what I have written, you will grasp how I understand this SECRET PLAN concerning the Messiah.”

Introduction to the Community Rule/Charter of a Jewish Sectarian Association (The Dead Sea Scrolls A New Translation Wise, Abegg, and Cook) Column 5:23-25, page 116

“Perhaps the most striking conceptual---even verbal---SIMILARITY between early Christian thought and that OF THIS CHARTER (Community Rule) is the notion of community AS TEMPLE. PAUL speaks of the believers being “built upon the foundation of the apostle and prophets, with Messiah YESHUA Himself as the cornerstone. In Him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a set-apart temple in the Master; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for ELOHIM.” (Eph. 2:20-22) Our text describes the believers as a “TEMPLE for Israel and…Holy of Holies…to tested wall, the PRECIOUS CORNERSTONE whose foundations shall neither be shaken nor swayed…a blameless and true house in Israel” (8:5-9. Thus both early Christians and MEMEBERS OF THIS ASSOCIATION conceived of themselves abstractly as the TRUE TEMPLE. They had replaced the physical structure in Jerusalem. This was an idea with a transcendent implication since the Bible could be read as saying that ELOHIM lived in the Jerusalem temple. For both of these groups, ELOHIM did not dwell in that mere hollow edifice built by human hands. He LIVED IN THEM.”

Ephesian 4:30 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Don’t cause GRIEF TO ELOHIM’S RUACH HA’KODESH (Set-Apart Spirit), for He has stamped you as His property until the day of final redemption.”

Damascus Document 7:3-4 (Ken Johnson translation) page 34

“And let no man GRIEVE THE RUACH HA’KODESH but fulfill what ELOHIM has called him to do. For unto all who walk in these things with perfect holiness according to all their ordinances, the Covenant of ELOHIM stands firm to grant them eternal life as it is written that ELOHIM will keep the covenant and have mercy to those who love Him and keep His commandments for a thousand generations (Deuteronomy 7:9).

Colossians 2:8 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Watch out, so that no one will take you captive by means of PHILOSOPHY and empty deceit, following human tradition which accords with the elemental spirits of the world but does not accord with the Messiah.”

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 68, Isaiah 31:6-9 commentary

“The Nazarenes understand this passage in this way: O Sons of Israel, who deny the Son of ELOHIM with a most vicious opinion, turn to Him and His apostles. For if you will do this, you will reject idols which to you were a cause of sin in the past, and the devil will fall before you, not because of your powers, but because of the compassion of ELOHIM. And his young men, who at a certain time earlier fought for him, will be the tributaries of the church and any of his power and stone will pass. Also THE PHILOSOPHERS and every perverse DOGMA will turn their backs to the sign of the cross. Because this is the meaning of the Master that His will take place, whose fire or light is in Sion and His oven in Jerusalem.”

How can Paul be accused of preaching a lawless doctrine when his teachings line up with YESHUA’s and the Zadok priests in Qumran? Now we see why he was the ringleader of the DOCTRINE of the Nazarenes!

Apocryphon of Jeremiah

Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray A. Pritz page 56

“Jerome tells us of two pieces of literature which the Nazarenes possessed, and a consideration of these is an issue central to this chapter. In 398 in his rapidly completed commentary on Matthew we read: “Recently I read a certain Hebrew work, which a Hebrew person of the Nazarene sect offered me as the APOCRYPHAL BOOK OF JEREMIAH, in which I found these words literally.” Page 57 the author concludes “The very most his words can tell us is that some individual Nazarene possessed such an apocryphal work. In this light, the “Hebrew of the Nazarene sect” does indeed seem like a literary device to add credibility to Origen’s “APOCRYPHON OF JEREMIAH.”

The Apocryphon of Jeremiah was dismissed by the author, but we see in the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls that there is a scroll with this title. The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls by Geza Vermes on page 602 translated a scroll found in Qumran called “APOCRYPHON OF JEREMIAH” 4Q383, 285a, 387, 387a, 388a, 389-90).  I have shown how Qumran and the Nazarenes are the same sect and that their teachings align with YESHUA before YESHUA became flesh and walked the earth. It is very possible that the Nazarenes had a copy of the Apocryphon of Jeremiah in their possession that the Qumran community read.

Sons of Light and the 364-Day Solar Calendar

Again, it is no coincidence that YESHUA and Paul who were Nazarenes used the phrase “sons of light”, which was used by the Qumran Community. The phrase has a literal meaning called “peshat” and a hint to a deeper spiritual meaning called “remez.”

John 12:36 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“While you have THE LAMP, believe in the LAMP in order that you may becomes SONS OF THE LAMP. YESHUA said these words to them, and went and hid Himself from them.”

John 12:36 (Lamsa Aramaic Peshitta)

“While you have the LIGHT, believe in the LIGHT, so that you may become the SONS OF THE LIGHT. YESHUA spoke these things, and went away and hid Himself from them.”

Lamp and Light are synonymous for the Torah and YESHUA is the Living Torah!

Proverbs 6:23 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“For the mitzvah (commandment) is a LAMP, Torah is LIGHT.”

The Community Rule Column 3:13-14 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls)

“The Master shall instruct all the SONS OF LIGHT and shall teach them the nature of all the children of men according to the kind of spirit which they possess…”

Damascus Document Manuscripts from cave 4Q266, fr. 1a-b (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls), page 147

“For the Master to instruct the SONS OF LIGHT to keep away from the ways of wickedness…”

Rule of the Community Column (Charlesworth) 2:16-17

“May ELOHIM set him apart for evil that he may be cut off from all THE SONS OF LIGHT because of his backsliding from ELOHIM through his idols and the stumbling-block of his iniquity.”

The Coming Melchizedek Col 2:20-22 The Dead Sea Scrolls (A New Translation), by Wise, Abegg, and Cook page 593

“To proclaim the year of YAHWEH’s favor, the day of vengeance of our ELOHIM; to comfort all who mourn” (Isa 61.2). This scripture’s interpretation: He is to instruct them about all the periods of history for eternity…and in the statutes of the truth…dominion that passes from Belial and returns to the SONS OF LIGHT.”

Testament of Amram 4Q548 (Ancient Testaments of the Patriarchs) Autobiographies from the Dead Sea Scrolls page 147

“…I declare the TRUE PATH to you. I will instruct you…the SONS OF LIGHT will teach truth, and all the sons of darkness will teach deceit. By their knowledge all the SONS OF LIGHT will…but the sons of darkness will be removed…Every wicked fool will flee to the darkness but every righteous sage will seek the light. For all the SONS OF LIGHT WILL BE DRAWN TO THE LIGHT, but all the sons of darkness will be drawn to death and destruction…”

The Testament of Amram tells us that “The sons of light will be drawn to the light” and this is what YESHUA tells us!

John 3:21 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“But whosoever DOES TRUTH, COMES UNTO THE LAMP in order that his deeds may be revealed, that they are done in the Name of EL.”

Likewise, the sons of light will be drawn to the light of 364-Day Solar Calendar that was used by YESHUA and the Qumran Community!

1 Thessalonians 5:5 (Lamsa Aramaic Peshitta)

“You are all the CHILDREN OF LIGHT and the children of day; and you are not the children of the night nor the children of darkness.”

YESHUA He shall be called a Nazarene by Robert Shriner page 55

“The NAZARENE ESSENES referred to themselves as “SONS OF LIGHT.” They saw themselves in a cosmic battle with the “Sons of Darkness.” (Cf. Dead Sea Scrolls 1QM, and 4Q491-497.) This struggle was obviously against the unbelieving, pagan world, but also against individuals and sects within Judaism which COMPROMISED WITH PAGANS, failed to live up to the sanctity standard of the Nazarene Essenes, and which disagreed with them doctrinally. These SONS OF LIGHT did not sit idly by and heap criticism and judgment on the “Sons of Darkness,” but felt a responsibility to share the good news of their theology, the power of their piety, and the MESSIANIC HOPE they enjoyed. This was also YESHUA’s mission when He entered the world for ELOHIM didn’t send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him (John 3:17).”

In the “peshat” the literal meaning of the “sons of light” is not do the wicked deeds of darkness that goes against the Torah and “remez” the hint to a deeper spiritual meaning is the sons of light followed the 364-day SOLAR calendar and not the lunar calendar aka the “sons of darkness”.

In Rachel Elior’s book called “Ancient Jewish Calendars: A Response” on page 294 she writes “According to the Bible and the book of Ben Sira, the first group (Zadok priests) officiated in the Jerusalem Temple from the time of David and Solomon in the tenth century BCE until the second century BCE. The latter group (Hasmoneans) officiated in the Jerusalem Temple from 152 to 37 BCE. They ousted the ZADOKITE PRIESTHOOD perceived the Hasmonean USURPERS as evil transgressors, led by an evil priest known as the kohen rela. The ZADOKITE PRIESTS, who described themselves as “priests of righteousness “AND “SONS OF LIGHT,” believed that TIME IS DIVINE. Time and its divisions were revealed from heaven and established the foundation of the angelic and priestly ritual order in heaven and earth as a holy, eternally symmetrical, and cyclical pattern reflecting a HEAVENLY SCHEME OF 364 DAYS, divided symmetrically into four seasons of 91 days and into 52 weeks of seven days or into 52 “sabbaths” divided fourfold into 13 parallel sabbaths in each quarter.”

Apocryphal Psalms, An Account of David’s Poems (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 313

“David son of Jesse was wise and brilliant like the light of the sun; he was a scribe, intelligent and PERFECT IN ALL HIS WAYS before ELOHIM and men. YAHWEH gave him an intelligent and brilliant spirit, and he wrote 2,600 psalms and 364 songs to sing before the altar for the daily perpetual sacrifice, FOR ALL THE DAYS OF THE YEAR; and 52 songs for the Shabbat offerings; and 30 songs for the New Months, for the Feast-Days and for the Day of Atonement.”

Revelation 22:16 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“I YESHUA sent My messengers to show this to the assembly. Even I am the ROOT OF THE FAMILIES OF DAVID!”

YESHUA who is from the bloodline of David, the promised Messiah and the rightful heir to the throne walked in the same 364-day calendar as David and the Zadok Priests aka “The Sons of Light”.

Penelope.uchicago.edu regarding which calendar YESHUA follows quotes Pope Benedict XVI in his Homily for Holy Thursday in 2007 says: “We can now say that JOHN’S ACCOUNT IS HISTORICALLY PRECISE. Jesus truly shed His blood on the eve of Easter at the time of the immolation of the lambs. In all likelihood, however, He celebrated the Passover with His disciples IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE QUMRAN CALENDAR, HENCE AT LEAST ONE DAY EARLIER, He celebrated it without a lamb, like the Qumran community which did not recognize Herod’s temple and was waiting for the new temple.”

I do not agree that YESHUA did not eat lamb and have proven that He did eat the lamb in the 2023 message I did titled “Passover prophecy and instructions.” The Pope could have possibly confused the Nazarenes with the Ebionites in regard to thinking YESHUA was a vegetarian. I wanted to share this quote because although I do not agree with everything written in the article, I think it’s amazing and important to show that even the Pope connected YESHUA with the Qumran community and the same 364-Day Solar Calendar. The evidence is too strong to ignore!

 The pope recognized that YESHUA had His Passover meal ONE DAY before the Pharisees did on their lunar calendar. It makes perfect sense and accounts for the one-day difference we see in the “Synoptic Gospels” of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Many have concluded that John “did his own thing” and that his account of events contradicts the other three gospels, but as the Pope said, “John’s account is historically precise” and we know this too be true because the scriptures cannot contradict themselves! Upon closer examination John was showing the readers that the Pharisees were following a different calendar, and that year YESHUA was crucified there was a one-day difference between the two calendars. In 2023 the same occurrence happened when the solar calendar was one day ahead of the lunar calendar Passover! The Zadok Priestly Calendar Passover was on Tuesday, April 4th and the Lunar calendars was April 5th.  The Pope knows what calendar YESHUA used the same way the Catholic church acknowledges that the Shabbat (Sabbath) is on Saturday, but that they changed it to Sunday.

The Biblical Calendar Then and Now by Bill and Karen Bishop page 68

“Israel Institute of Biblical Studies -http://jewishstudies.eteacherbiblical.com/upper-toom-jpart-two-judith-green-jonathan-lipnick-hebrew-univeristy-jerusalem/ It is said that Caiphas lived in the ESSENE QUARTERS close to the Temple, also that the UPPER ROOM WAS THE PLACE WHERE THE LAST SUPPER HAD TAKEN PLACE.” Such a quarter is verified as well in the excellent study on the Qumran community by Philip R. Davies, George J Brooke, and Phillip R. Callaway. They make the following statement:

“The Complete World of the Dead Sea Scrolls—by Philip R. Davies, George J Brooke, and Phillip R. Calloway-p.58-

Josephus never associates the Essenes with a specific location like Qumran, but says that they settled throughout Palestine. He elsewhere mentions an ‘ESSENE GATE’ on the SOUTH SIDE of Jerusalem, which has recently been discovered and which is generally thought to have belonged to an ‘ESSENE QUARTER’ IN THAT CITY.”

The 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia- Jewish Encyclopedia.com (the UNEDITED full text of the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia)-http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles15265-zion-

The SOUTHERN-MOST wall encompassed the upper and the lower city and Ophel. It started at Hippicus, ran SOUTH TO THE GATE OF THE ESSENES AT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE CITY, then east, curving as it approached the Kidron Valley, from which it ran north-northeast, joining the Temple enclosure at its southeastern extremity.”

Bill and Karen Bishop continue after quoting several sources saying “We notice in verse 15 that this room had ALREADY BEEN “PREPARED” for Passover observance.

Mark 14:15

(15) And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us.

Torah says that such preparation consists of removing all leaven from the premises in advance of the arrival of Passover. This had already been done because the Essenes were on the SAME CALENDAR YESHUA WAS OBSERVING, and it was already the 14th day of the month on this calendar, ONE DAY EARLIER THAN ON THE STANDARD CALENDAR.”

I don’t believe any of this to be a coincidence! We have seen throughout this message that the teachings of Qumran align with YESHUA’s, and that the Pope admits that YESHUA used the calendar at Qumran in the Dead Sea Scrolls and now we see YESHUA ate the Passover meal in the upper room located in Southern Jerusalem in the same location where the Essene gate was located and why the upper room would already be prepared! The evidence is strong enough to conclude that YESHUA the Light of the World and His followers the ‘Sons of Light’ would follow the Light of Solar calendar and not the darkness of a lunar one.

Males only for Passover

Again, we see agreement with YESHUA and what The Zadok priests in Qumran on the 364-Day Solar Calendar concerning the Passover command, that women and children shall not eat the Passover. If you have not seen the full message you can view it here: https://youtu.be/48vDJYEABPA?si=FaPs8vYgu_OD8nhq

Damascus Document Fragment 3 page 156 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls)

“…Why does a man betray his brother…Let NO YOUNG MAN OR WOMAN EAT THE SACRIFICE OF PASSOVER…”

Damascus Document (Wise, Abegg, and Cook) Fragment 3, page 358 Proscriptions concerning the Passover:

“…Have we not all one father? Has not one ELOHIM created us? Why then are we faithless to one another? (Mal. 2:10) LET NOT A YOUNG BOY OR A WOMAN EAT THE PASSOVER SACRIFICE…”

Matthew 26:20 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And when it was evening He sat by the table to eat with His TWELVE TALMIDIM (disciples).”

Mark 14:17-18 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And when it was evening, YESHUA came with the TWELVE TALMIDIM—and while they were eating, YESHUA said to them, “Truth I say to you that one of you who EATS WITH ME will betray Me.”

Luke 22:14 (Lamsa Aramaic)

“And when it was time, YESHUA came and sat down, and the TWELVE APOSTLES with Him.”

YESHUA Melchizedek

As I mentioned in the section “YESHUA is EL” the Qumran Community knew YESHUA was EL and connected Him with Melchizedek!

The Coming Melchizedek 11Q13 Column 2:15-25 (The Dead Sea Scrolls, Wise, Abegg, and Cook) page 592-593

“Who says to Zion “YOUR DIVINE BEING REIGNS’” Isa 52:7. “Zion” is the congregation of all the sons of righteousness, who uphold the covenant and turn from walking in the way of the people. ‘YOUR DIVINE BEING IS MELCHIZEDEK who will deliver them from the power of Belial.”

Melchizedek was a KING and PRIEST and brought out bread and wine!

Genesis 14:18-19 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Melchizedek being KING OF SALEM brought out BREAD AND WINE. He was COHEN (PRIEST) of EL’ELYON, so He blessed him with these words…”

So, during Passover, YESHUA was showing His disciples that He was the coming Melchizedek the King and Priest that they were looking for!

Matthew 26:26-28 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“While they were eating, YESHUA took THE BREAD, and blessed it, and did a prayer of thanksgiving, and broke it and said, “Take and eat, for this is My body.” And afterwards He took the CUP, and did a prayer of thanksgiving, and gave it to them, and said, “Drink this – all of you, for this is the blood of the new, which will be shed to atone your iniquities.”

Community Rule 6:5 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 105

“Wherever there are ten men of the Council of the Community there shall not lack a PRIEST AMONG THEM. And they shall all sit before him according to their rank and shall be asked their counsel in all things in that order. And when the table has been prepared for eating, and the new wine for drinking, the Priest shall BE THE FIRST to stretch out his hand to bless the firstfruits of the BREAD AND NEW WINE.”

YESHUA our High-Priest and King was the FIRST to stretch out His hand to bless the BREAD AND WINE in the same order we see was done in Qumran!

Similar language is found in another place in the Dead Sea Scrolls called The Messianic Rule 2:20 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 162!

Sharing Property

Acts 4:32-37 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“All the many believers were one in heart and soul, and NO ONE CLAIMED ANY OF HIS POSSESSION FOR HIMSELF, BUT EVERYONE SHARED EVERYTHING HE HAD. With great power the emissaries continued testifying to the resurrection of the Master YESHUA, and they were all held in high regard. No one among them was poor, since those who owned lands or houses sold them and turned over the proceeds to the emissaries to distribute to EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEED. Thus Yosef (Joseph), whom the emissaries called Bar-Nabba (which means “the Exhorter”), a Levite and a native of Cyprus, sold a field which belonged to him and brought the money to the emissaries.”

Nazarene Jewish Christianity, Ray A. Pritz page 39-40

“Philo’s description shows that he ‘recognized the divine mission of the apostolic men; 17,5-6: THEIR COMMUNITY OF PROPERTY WAS LIKE THAT OF THE CHURCH IN THE BOOK OF ACTS; 17,12: their scriptures probably included the Gospels and apostolic writings; and finally this statement at the end of Eusebius’ treatment (17,24): ‘it is plain to everyone that Philo perceived and described the FIRST HERALDS of teaching according to the Gospel and the customs HANDED DOWN FROM THE BEGINNING BY THE APOSTLES.’

We learn that this same practice of sharing property was also done in the Qumran community!

The Essenes and the Qumran Community (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 47

“One of the principal characteristics of the Essenes was COMMON OWNERSHIP OF PROPERTY. New members HANDED OVER THEIR BELONGINGS TO THE SUPERIORS, who collected also the wages earned by every sectary. Agriculture was the main Essene occupation. Having renounced private possessions, the members received all THAT THEY NEEDED: food, clothes, care.”

The Community Rule 1:15 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls)

“All those who freely devote themselves to His truth shall bring all their knowledge, powers, AND POSSESSIONS into the Community of ELOHIM that they may purify their knowledge in the truth of ELOHIM’s precepts and order their powers.”

Dead Sea Scrolls magazine (A reissue of a special edition) page 45

“Membership in the group called for a trial period of several years. Initiates were made to take vows of religious devotion and secrecy. Once accepted, members GAVE UP THEIR POSSESSIONS, POOLING THESE RESOURCES INTO A COMMUNITY FUND FROM WHICH A SMALL ALLOWANCE WAS PROVIDED.”

Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls by James VanderKam and Peter Flint page 246-247

“The sectarian texts from Qumran and the ancient descriptions of the Essenes attribute the same distinctive practices to them. The Essenes may have caught the attention of ancient writers because of their unusual practices—or so it seems from the amount of space they devote to them. An example, let us take the finances of the group. Josephus says:

“They despise riches and their communal life is admirable. In vain would one search among them for one man with a greater fortune than another. Indeed, it is a law that those who ENTER THE SECT SHALL SURRENDER THEIR PROPERTY TO THE ORDER; SO NEITHER THE HUMILIATION OF POVERTY NOR THE PRIDE OF WEALTH IS TO BE SEEN ANYWHERE AMONG THEM. Since their POSSESSIONS ARE MINGLED, there exists for them all, as for brothers, ONE SINGLE PROPERTY (War 2.122).”

A few lines later the Jewish historian adds:

“They neither buy nor sell anything among themselves; each man gives what he has to whoever needs it, and receives in return whatever he himself requires. And they can even receive freely from whomsoever they like without giving anything in exchange. (War 2.127; see also Antiquities 18.20).”

Philo reinforces the point while speaking about the Essene’ fellowship:

“First of all, then, no one’s house IS HIS OWN in the sense that it is not SHARED BY ALL, for besides the fact that they dwell together in communities, the door is open to visitors from elsewhere who SHARE THEIR CONVICTIONS. Again they all have a SINGLE TREASUREY AND COMMON DISBURSEMENTS; their clothes are held in common and also their food through their institutions of public meals. In no other community can we find the custom of sharing roof, life and board more firmly established in actual practice. And that is no more than one would expect. For all the wages which they earn in the day’s work they DO NOT KEEP AS THEIR PRIVATE PROPERTY, but throw them into the common stock and allow the benefit thus accruing to be shared by those who wish to use it. The sick are not neglected because they cannot provide anything, but have the cost of their treatment lying ready in the common stock, so that they can meet expenses out of the greater wealth in full security. (Every Good Man is Free, 85-87; see also Hypothetica, 8.11, 4-5, 10-13)”

In think its also interesting to note that Philo said, “In no other community can we find the custom of sharing roof, life and board more firmly established in actual practice.” So, this uncommon yet ancient practice in Qumran makes it even more special to see that the Nazarenes continued this practice in the New Testament.

The Dead Sea Scrolls, Introduction to the Community Rule/Charter of a Jewish Sectarian Association (A New Translation by Wise, Abegg, and Cook) page 114

“Some of the convert’s wealth (according to 7:6-8 he retained an unspecified portion of his funds) is MERGED WITH THAT OF THE GROUP, a MARKED SIMILARITY TO THE PRACTICE OF EARLY CHRISTIANS DESCRIBED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT BOOK OF ACTS.”

Do not sell yourself or the truth for wealth

Mark 8:36 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And what will it profit a man, even if he will HAVE ALL THE WORLD FOR HIMSELF, BUT HE LOSES HIS NEPHESH (SOUL)?”

Thanksgiving Hymns, Hymn 4:15 The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls page 254

“I will NOT BARTER THY TRUTH FOR RICHES, NOR ONE OF THY PRECEPTS FOR BRIBES…”

Exhortation to seek Wisdom 4Q185 Column 2 The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls page 420

“And why have you given UP YOUR SOUL TO VANITY,…judgment? Hearken to me, O my sons, and do not rebel against the words of YAHWEH.”

A Sapiential Work (4Q416, fr. 2 ii (4Q417 2 ii, 4Q 418 8, 21, 22, 4Q418a) The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls page 426

“Let your spirit not diminish because of your words; DO NOT EXCHANGE YOUR SET-APART SPIRIT FOR ANY WEALTH, FOR NO PRICE EQUALS IT…”

Commentary on Habakkuk 2:5-6) The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls page 513

“Interpreted, this concerns the Wicked Priest who was called by the name of truth, when he first arose. But when he ruled over Israel his heart became proud, and HE FORSOOK ELOHIM and BETRAYED THE PRECEPTS FOR THE SAKE OF RICHES. He robbed and amassed the riches of the men of violence who REBELLED AGAINST ELOHIM, and he took the wealth of the people, heaping sinful iniquity upon himself. And he lived in the ways of abominations amidst every unclean defilement.”

Outer Darkness and the eternal soul

This is not an exhaustive list of all the witnesses concerning eternal punishment. I made a video on this topic a few years ago and ELOHIM willing, I will share every occurrence I know of, but for now I just want to show the connections between the Nazarenes and The Qumran Community since that is the focus of this message.

Matthew 8:12 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“But many of the sons of Yisra’el will be humiliated OUTSIDE IN DARKNESS. And there will be weeping and trembling from EL.”

The Qumran community gives a similar description!

The Community Rule 2:5 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls)

“Be cursed without mercy because of (4Q256) the darkness of your deeds! Be DAMNED IN THE SHADOWY PLACE OF EVERLASTING FIRE!”

The Dead Sea Scrolls, Introduction to the Community Rule/Charter of a Jewish Sectarian Association (A New Translation by Wise, Abegg, and Cook) page 115:

“One passage of the text may speak of the hope of resurrection (11:16-17). Believers will one day receive a “crown of glory” and a “robe of honor.” On the other hand, everyone not belonging to the group is fated to EVERLASTING DAMNATION, AN ETERNITY OF TORTURE by the evil “angels of perdition,” all while BURNING IN UTTER DARKNESS.”

Meaning of Dead Sea Scrolls by James VankerKam and Peter Flint page 261

“Included are everlasting life for the righteous and ETERNAL DAMNATION FOR THE WICKED.”

Vocabulary.com defines “damned” as “people who are condemned to eternal punishment.” Collinsdictionary.com defines it as “1. condemned or doomed, esp. to eternal punishment. The wailing of damned souls 2. Detestable; loathsome

YESHUA and the Zadok priests say the lake of fire is in outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!

Mark 3:29 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Besides iniquity against RUACH HA’KODESH. This is he who does not have hope. This iniquity will not be atoned for ever. But it is worthy of ETERNAL NEPHSHITH (soul) death.”

Dead Sea Scrolls magazine (A reissue of a special edition) page 45

“Essenes believed that ELOHIM controlled all earthly affairs. THE HUMAN SOUL WAS IMMORTAL and would be rewarded in heaven --- or PUNISHED IN THE FIRES OF HELL FOR DEEDS DONE ON EARTH.”

And again, Paul the Nazarene has the exact same doctrine as YESHUA and The Qumran Community!

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 (Lamsa Aramaic Peshitta)

“At which time He will avenge with flaming fire those who know not ELOHIM and those who do not acknowledge the gospel of our Master YESHUA HA’MASHIACH; for they, AT THE JUDGMENT DAY, shall be rewarded with EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION from the presence of our Master from the glory of His power…”

Community Rule 2:15 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 100

“Hearing the words of this Covenant, he blessed himself in his heart and says, “Peace be with me, even though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart” (Deut 29, 18-19), whereas his spirit, parched for lack of truth and watered with lies, shall be destroyed without pardon. ELOHIM’s wrath and His zeal for His precepts shall consume him in EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION.”

Shabbat Day’s Journey

Acts 1:12 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Then they returned the SHABBAT-WALK DISTANCE from the Mount of Olives to Yerushalayim (Jerusalem).”

Damascus Document 10:21 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 141

“No man shall walk in the field (or his field) to do business on the Shabbat. He shall NOT WALK MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND CUBITS beyond his town.”

Damascus Document 11:5-6 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 142

“No man SHALL WALK MORE THAN TWO THOUSAND CUBITS after a beast to pasture it outside his town.”

The Damascus Document by Steven D. Fraade page 98

“10:21: by more than a thousand cubits, Approximately 500 yards (450 meters). This is OUR EARLIEST EVIDENCE FOR A “SABBATH LIMIT” (tehum sabbat), derived, presumably, from Num 35:2-5, which defines the limits of the Levitical cities as extending one thousand cubits of pastureland beyond the cities themselves.” Further in the sentence he writes “CD differentiates between the first thousand cubits as being the limit for walking on the Sabbath and the combined two thousand cubits being the limit for pasturing livestock.”

There is much debate about the distance for the Shabbat Day journey and it’s not my aim to delve into that here. Many translations have inserted a distance in the text, but the Complete Jewish Scriptures leaves it at “Shabbat Walk Distance” that was known among the Nazarenes. The purpose is to show that the EARLIEST evidence for a Shabbat journey is dated back to The Qumran Community and that this practice continued in the New Testament right after YESHUA ascended into heaven, which means that He taught this to His followers!

Be Perfect

Matthew 5:48 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“If so, you must be COMPLETE ONES, like your heavenly Father is COMPLETE.”

Matthew 5:48 (Lamsa Aramaic Peshitta)

“Therefore become PERFECT, just as your Father in heaven is PERFECT.”

Genesis 17:1 (Samaritan)

“And Abraham was ninety and nine years old. And YAHWEH envisioned unto Abram and said to him, I am EL SHADDAI. Walk before Me, and be COMPLETE.”

Jubilees 15:3

“YAHWEH appeared to him, and YAHWEH said to Abram: “I am EL SHADDAI. Please me AND BE PERFECT.”

The word for perfect in Genesis 17:1 is H8549 “tamiym” and Strongs defines it as “entire (literally, figuratively or morally); also (as noun) integrity, truth: without blemish, COMPLETE, full, PERFECT, sincerely…”

The words complete and perfect are used synonymously and pertains to our walk with ELOHIM being blameless. Being “perfect” is another term used throughout the Dead Sea Scrolls.

John 12:49-50 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“For I do not speak of Myself; but the Father who sent Me, He commanded Me to speak and to command and I know that His commandment is everlasting life. And that which I speak is IDENTICAL TO THAT WHICH THE FATHER SPEAKS-so I speak.”

YESHUA told us to be perfect and His words are identical to that of His Father as we see in the Temple Scroll!

Temple Scroll (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) Column 60:20 page 216

“When you enter the land which I give you, do not learn to practice the abominations of those nations. There shall be found among you none who makes his son or daughter pass through fire, nor an augur or a soothsayer; a diviner or a sorcerer, one who cast spells or a medium, or wizards or necromancers. For they are an abomination before Me, all who practice such things, and it is because of these abominations that I drive them out before you. You shall be PERFECT towards YAHWEH, your ELOHIM.”

And the Zadok priests understood this concept!

The Community Rule (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 98-99

“The Master shall teach the saints to live according to the Book of the Community Rule, that they make seek ELOHIM with a whole heart and soul, and do what is good and right before Him as He commanded by the hand of Moses and all His servants the Prophets; that they may love all that He has chosen and hate all that He has rejected; that they may abstain from all evil and hold fast to all good; that they may practice truth, righteousness, and justice upon earth and no longer stubbornly follow a sinful heart and lustful eyes, committing all manner of evil. He shall admit into the Covenant of Grace all those who have freely devoted themselves to the OBSERVANCE OF ELOHIM’s PRECEPTS, that they may be joined to the counsel of ELOHIM and LIVE PERFECTLY before Him…

Damascus Document Column 2,  (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 130

“Hear now, my sons, and I will uncover your eyes that you may see and understand the works of ELOHIM, that you may choose that which pleases Him and reject that which He hates, that you may WALK PERFECTLY IN ALL HIS WAYS and not follow after thoughts of the guilty inclination and after eyes of lust.”

Damascus Document Column 8 (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 136

“And thus shall it be for every man who enters the congregation of men of PERFECT SET-APARTNESS but faints in performing the DUTIES OF THE UPRIGHT. He is a man who has melted in the furnace (Ezek. 22:22); when his deeds are revealed he shall be expelled from the congregation as though his lot had never fallen among the disciples of ELOHIM. The men of knowledge shall rebuke him in accordance with his sin against the time when he shall stand again before the Assembly of the men of PERFECT SET-APARTNESS.”

Damascus Document Manuscripts from Cave 4 (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls), Fragment. 2 (4Q268, fr. I; 268, fr.I) page 147

“He decreed an age of wrath for the people who did not know Him, and He established appointed times of goodwill for those who SEARCH HIS COMMANDMENTS and walk in the PERFECTION OF WAY. And He revealed hidden things to their eyes, and opened their ears so that they might hear deep secrets and understand all future things before they befall them.”

Damascus Document Manuscripts from Cave 4 (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls),4Q266, fr. 5, page 148

“And these are the precepts for the Master in which he shall walk (1QS 1X, 12) in regard to all Israel, for ELOHIM shall not save any of those who are not established in His ways to WALK PERFECTLY.”

Thanksgiving Hymn 6 (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 261

“Hear, O you wise men, and meditate on knowledge; O you fearful, be steadfast! Increase in prudence, O all you simple; O just men, put away iniquity! Hold fast TO THE COVENANT, O all you PERFECT OF WAY…”

Thanksgiving Hymn 12:30 (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 271

“Righteousness, I know, is not of man, nor is PERFECTION OF WAY of the sons of man: to the Most High ELOHIM belongs all righteous deeds. The way of man is not established except by the spirit which ELOHIM created for him to make PERFECT A WAY for the children of men, that all His creatures may know the might of His power, and the abundance of His mercies towards all the songs of His grace.”

Apocryphal Psalms (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) Syriac Psalm 154, page 308

Verses 1-3

“Esteem ELOHIM with a great voice. Proclaim His majesty in the congregation of the many. Esteem His Name amid the multitude of the upright and recount His greatness with the faithful. Join your souls to the good and TO THE PERFECT to esteem the Most High.” Verse 18 “Bless YAHWEH who redeems the humble from the hand of strangers and delivers THE PERFECT from the hand of the wicked…”

Apocryphal Psalms, Apostrophe to Zion verses 6-7(Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 312

“Your sons shall rejoice within you, and your cherished ones shall be joined to you. How much they have hoped in your salvation, and how much your PERFECT ONES have mourned for you?”

Apocryphal Psalms, An Account of David’s Poems (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 313

“David son of Jesse was wise and brilliant like the light of the sun; he was a scribe, intelligent and PERFECT IN ALL HIS WAYS before ELOHIM and men.”

Songs of Shabbat Sacrifice (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 333

“In the name of the mighty deeds of the elohim the sixth sovereign Prince shall bless with seven words of his marvelous mighty deeds all who are mighty in wisdom. He shall bless all the PERFECT OF WAY with seven marvelous words to be in attendance forever.”

Poetic Fragments on Jerusalem and King Jonathan (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) 4Q448 page 341, Column A

“And for those who are PERFECT…Behold the eyes of YAHWEH have compassion on the good, and His mercy is great over those who esteem Him. From an evil time He saves their soul. He redeems the poor from the hand of oppressors, and delivers the PERFECT from the hand of the wicked. He desires His tabernacle in Zion, and chooses Jerusalem forever.”

Blessings (1QSh=IQ28b) The Blessing of the Faithful (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 387

“Words of blessing. The Master shall bless them that fear ELOHIM and do His will, that KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, and hold fast to His set-apart COVENANT, and walk PERFECTLY in all His ways of His truth, whom He has chosen for an eternal Covenant which shall endure for ever.”

Wisdom Literature (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 456, fr.5

“The intelligent will bring out…and all those who WALK IN PERFECTION will turn aside injustice, but they will not reject her admonitions and will carry her…The sensible will recognize her ways and meditate on her depths.”

Though not a part of the Dead Sea Scrolls, another book agrees with everything quoted above!

2 Esdras 7:88-89

“But this is the order of those who have kept the ways of the Most High, when they shall be separated from their mortal vessel. During the time that they lived in it, they laboriously served the Most High, and withstood danger every hour, that they might keep the law of the Lawgiver PERFECTLY.”

Poor in Spirit

Matthew 5:2 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“He opened His mouth and taught them saying, Blessed are the HUMBLE ONES OF SPIRIT, for theirs is the kingdom of YAHWEH.”

Hebrew gospels has a footnote for “humble ones of spirit” which says: “Lit. LOWLY ONES OF SPIRIT,” refer to Isa. 57:15, Pro. 16:19 and 29:23.”

Matthew 5:2 (Lamsa Aramaic Peshitta)

“And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying, Blessed are the HUMBLE, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Lamsa has a footnote for “humble” which says “Aramaic, POOR IN PRIDE; unassuming.”

Matthew 11:4-5 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“So YESHUA answered, “Go and describe to Yochanan (John) what you see and hear: the blind ones see, the lame ones walk, and the leprous ones are cleansed, and the deaf ones hear, and the HUMBLE ONES are preached to.”

Hebrew gospels have a footnote for “humble ones” which says: “Or POOR ONES.”

YESHUA taught that blessed are those who are humble in spirit, meaning poor in pride. This is the same terminology that was used in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Narrative and Poetic Composition (Formerly ‘A Joseph Apocryphon’ 4Q371-3) page 566

“And he cried…and called on the mighty ELOHIM that He should save him from their hands. He said, ‘My Father and my ELOHIM, do not abandon me to the hands of the nations. Execute judgement for me so that the HUMBLE AND THE POOR may not perish.:

The Community Rule Cave 4 Fragments, (cf. 1QS 3.7-13) Charlesworth page 59

“It is by his Set-Apart Spirit, given to the Community in his truth, that he is cleansed from all his iniquity and by an upright AND HUMBLE SPIRIT that his sin can be atoned. It is by HUMBLING HIS SOUL TO ALL OF ELOHIM’S STATUES that his flesh can be cleansed by the sprinkling of any waters of purification and by sanctifying himself with waters of purity.”

The Thanksgiving Hymns, Hymn 8 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) Page 264

“I thank Thee, O YAHWEH, for You have fastened Thine eyes upon me. Thou hast saved me from the zeal of lying interpreters and from the congregation of those who seek smooth things. Thou hast redeemed the SOUL OF THE POOR ONE whom they planned to destroy by spilling his blood because he served Thee. Because they knew not that my steps were directed by Thee, they made me an object of shame and derision in the mouth of all the seekers of falsehood. But Thou, O my ELOHIM, hast succored the SOUL OF THE POOR AND THE NEEDY against one stronger than he…”

The Thanksgiving Hymns, Hymn 13 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) Page 273

“Thou hast preserved the SOUL OF THE POOR ONE in the den of lions which sharpened their tongue like a sword.”

The Thanksgiving Hymns, Hymn 14 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) Page 274

“Blessed art Thou O YAHWEH, for Thou hast not abandoned the fatherless or despised the poor. For Thy might is boundless and Thy glory beyond measure and wonderful Heroes minister to Thee; yet hast Thou done marvels AMONG THE HUMBLE in the more underfoot, and among THOSE EAGER FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, causing all the WELL-LOVED POOR to rise up together from the trampling.”

The Thanksgiving Hymns, (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) Page 394

“For He humbles the proud spirit with no remnant and from the dust he LIFTS UP THE POOR to eternal heights. And He lifts him up to the clouds to share a common assembly with the ‘elohim’.

Apocryphal Psalm (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) Page 314

“The POOR shall eat and the ELOHIM-FEARERS shall be sated.”

Hymn of Glorification A (4Q491, fr. 11) The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls page 342

“…and the COUNCIL OF THE POOR into an eternal congregation. The PERFECT…

A Messianic Apocalypse (4Q521) The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls page 412

“For YAHWEH will consider the PIOUS and call the righteous by name. Over the POOR His spirit will hover and will renew the faithful with His power.”

James 4:6-7,10 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Yet he gives much steadfast love, for the Torah says that YAHWEH exalts THE HUMBLE ONES, and humiliates the proud ones. Therefore you must be HUMBLE before YAHWEH, and fight against the satans—they will flee away from you.” Verse 10 “HUMBLE yourselves before YAHWEH, He Himself will hear you.”

Pure in heart

Matthew 5:8 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Blessed are the PURE ONES OF HEART, for they will see YAHWEH.”

Psalm 73:1 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“A psalm of Asaf: How good ELOHIM is to Israel, to those who are PURE IN HEART.”

In Hebraic thought the mind and the heart are connected!

Genesis 6:5 (Lamsa Aramaic Peshitta)

“And YAHWEH saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the THOUGHTS OF HIS HEART was evil continually.”

To be pure in heart means to be pure in mind to think like YAHWEH which is to do His will by keeping His commandments as David did! Being pure in heart allows us to walk in the way of YAHWEH’s heart and thus we will be children after YAHWEH’s own heart.

1 Samuel 13:14 (Lamsa Aramaic Peshitta)

“But now your kingdom shall not continue; for YAHWEH has chosen for himself a man after HIS OWN HEART, and YAHWEH has commanded him to be a ruler over his people, because you HAVE NOT KEPT ALL THE COMMANDMENTS THAT YAHWEH YOUR ELOHIM GAVE YOU.”

Damascus Document 1:15 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 129

“And ELOHIM observed their deeds, that they sought Him with a whole heart, and He raised for them a Teacher of Righteousness to guide them IN THE WAY OF HIS HEART.”

The Thanksgiving Hymns, Hymn 12 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) 270

“For they hearken not to Thy voice, nor do they give ear to Thy word; of the vision of knowledge they say, ‘It is unsure’, and of the WAY OF THY HEART, “It is not the way’. But Thou, O ELOHIM wilt reply to them, chastising them in Thy might because of their idols and because of the multitude of their sins, that they who have TURNED ASIDE FROM THY COVENANT may be caught in their own designs. Thou wilt destroy in Judgement ALL MEN OF LIES, and there shall be no more seers OF ERROR; for in Thy works is no folly, no guile in the design of Thy heart. But those who please Thee shall stand before Thee for ever; those WHO WALK IN THE WAY OF THY HEART shall be established for evermore. Clinging to Thee, I will stand. I will rise against those who despise me and my hand shall be turned against those who deride me; for they have no esteem for me that Thou mayest manifest. Thy might through me. Thou hast revealed Thyself to me in Thy power as perfect Light, and Thou hast not covered my face with shame. All those who are GATHERED IN THY COVENANT INQUIRE OF ME, AND THEY HEARKEN TO ME WHO WALK IN THE WAY OF THY HEART who array themselves for Thee in the COUNCIL OF THE SET-APART.”

The Thanksgiving Hymns, Hymn 14 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 266- 267

“Thou hast saved me from the congregation of vanity and from the assembly of violence; Thou hast brought me into the Council of…and has purified me of sin. And I know there is hope from those who TURN FROM TRANGRESSION and for those WHO ABANDON SIN…and to walk WITHOUT WICKEDNESS IN THE WAY OF THY HEART.”

The Thanksgiving Hymns, Hymn 14 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 278

“Whereas Thou, O my ELOHIM, did command them to mend their ways by WALKING IN THE WAY OF SET-APARTNESS, where no man goes who is uncircumcised or unclean or violent, they have STAGGERED ASIDE FROM THE WAY OF THY HEART and languish in great wretchedness. A counsel of Belial is in their heart and in accordance with their wicked design they wallow in sin.”

The Thanksgiving Hymns, Hymn 17 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) 283

“Thou hast established my feet in THE WAY OF THY HEART, and hast opened my ears to Thy wonderful tidings, and my HEART TO UNDERSTAND THY TRUTH.”

ELOHIM opened his heart to understand His truth which is the Torah (Psalm 119:142) so that he could walk in the way of YAHWEH’s heart. So as YESHUA said ““Blessed are the PURE ONES OF HEART, for they will see YAHWEH.” Because they were the ones to obey the commandments of YAHWEH as David did.

You are the instruction of the world

Matthew 5:13-16 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And it happened furthermore, that YESHUA MASHIACH said unto His disciples, “YOU ARE THE INSTRUCTION OF THE WORLD, but the instruction is cut off by them who are not saved, and nothing else is fit, except to cast them to the street and trample them. The LIGHT OF THE WORLD is not able to hide the city that rests on the mountain. No man lights a lamp in order to set it under a covering, but to set it upon the menorah, in order to give light to all those who are in the house. So let your lamp shine before all, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father who is in the heavens.”

Damascus Document (Community Rule 4:2 Ken Johnson’s translation) page 66

“The WAY OF LIGHT IN THIS WORLD is to ENLIGHTEN THE MINDS OF ALL MEN by making straight the path of true righteousness and teaching their heart to reverence ALL THE COMMANDS OF ELOHIM!”

The Community Rule, Column 4 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 102

“These are their WAYS IN THE WORLD FOR THE ENLIGHTMENT FOR THE HEART OF MAN, and so that all the paths of true righteousness may be made straight before him, and so that the FEAR OF THE LAWS OF ELOHIM MAY BE INSTILLED IN HIS HEART…

The Community Rule/Charter of a Jewish Sectarian Association 4:2 (The Dead Sea Scrolls a New Translation by Wise, Abegg, and Cook) page 120

“Upon earth their OPERATIONS are these: one ENLIGHTENS A MAN’S MIND, making straight before him the PATHS OF TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS and causing his heart to FEAR THE LAWS OF ELOHIM.”

Matthew 28:19 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Therefore go preach to ALL THE PEOPLES, and immerse them in the Name of the Father and the Son and of RUACH HA’KODESH (The Set-Apart Spirit), AND TEACH THEM, AND KEEP ALL THAT I COMMANDED YOU.”

YESHUA says that we are the instruction of the world, which is a perfect match to what we read in the Dead Sea Scrolls which is to enlighten the minds of ALL MEN and teach them to reverence ALL the commandments of ELOHIM (Matthew 5:17)!

Philippians 2:14-15 (Aramaic)

“Do all things without disputing and doubting, that you may be sincere and blameless, like the innocent children of ELOHIM, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you SHINE AS LIGHTS IN THE WORLD; for you are to them the LIGHT OF LIFE, for my pride and esteem in the day of Messiah; for I have not run in vain nor labored in vain.”

The Blessing of the priests (Zadok Priest) The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls page 389

“May He make you set-apart among His people, and an eternal LIGHT TO ILLUMINE THE WORLD WITH KNOWLEDGE and to enlighten the face of the Congregation with wisdom.”

In the message I did “Bible definitions: The Truth” I showed how the words knowledge and wisdom are connected to the Torah!

James

Galatians 2:12 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“For prior to the arrival of certain people from THE COMMUNITY HEADED BY YA’AKOV (JAMES)…”

Acts 21:17 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“In Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. The next day Sha’ul (Paul) and the rest of us went in to YA’AKOV (JAMES), and all the elders were present.”

Acts 12:16-17 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Meanwhile, Kefa (Peter) kept knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. Motioning to them with his hand to be quiet, he told them how YAHWEH had brought him out of the prison and said, “Tell all this to YA’AKOV (JAMES) and the brothers.”

Galatians 2:9 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“So, having perceived what grace had been given to me, YA’AKOV (James), Kefa (Peter), and Yochanan (John), the acknowledged pillars of the community…”

Aramaic English New Testament page 843 (Regarding head coverings)

“In reality Rav Shaul (Paul) would have appealed to Ya’akov (James) HaTsaddiq (James the Righteous) and other disciples in Jerusalem to establish such a directive.”

Brittanica.com “The early church designates him (James) the FIRST BISHOP of Jerusalem…”

The word Bishop is defined by biblstudytools.com as “AN OVERSEER” or SPIRTUAL SUPERINTENDENT.”

Damascus Document Steven Fraade page 77

“OVERSEER. Hebrew mebaqqer. Translated by others as Examiner, GUARDIAN, etc. An important communal official who had administrative oversight for several aspects of the community’s life, such as instruction, the admission and advancement of members, communal finances and trade, oversight of meetings, and the keeper of communal records.”

1 Peter 5:1-4 (Lamsa Aramaic Peshitta)

“I exhort the MINISTERS (Congregational Leaders) who are among you, for I also am minister and a witness of the sufferings of Messiah and a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. Feed the flock of ELOHIM which is entrusted to your care and shepherd them spiritually, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but with all your heart. Live not as overmasters over the flock, but as good examples to them. And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, you will receive a crown of glory that will not fade away.”

The Damascus Document Column 13 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 144 section titled “This is the Rule for the GUARDIAN of the Camp.”

“He shall INSTRUCT THE CONGREGATION in the works of ELOHIM. He shall cause them to consider His mighty deeds and shall recount all the happenings of eternity to them according to their explanation. He shall love them as a father loves his children, and shall carry them in all their distress like A SHEPHERD HIS SHEEP. He shall loosen all the fetters which bind them that in his Congregation may be none that are oppressed or broken.” Verse 15 “And the GUARDIAN shall instruct their sons and their daughters in a spirit of humility and in loving kindness and shall not KEEP ANGER (4Q266, fr. 9 ii) towards them…”

Giving examples to the duties of an overseer or guardian that Fraade listed up are:

Damascus Document Steven Fraade page 77

“OVERSEER. Hebrew mebaqqer. Translated by others as Examiner, GUARDIAN, etc. An important communal official who had administrative oversight for several aspects of the community’s life, such as instruction…”

James and the elders instructed Paul on what to do concerning the false accusation that he was preaching lawlessness!

Acts 21:17-24 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“In Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. The next day Sha’ul (Paul) and the rest of us went in to YA’AKOV (JAMES), and all the elders were present. After greeting them, Paul described in detail each of the things ELOHIM had done among the Gentiles through his efforts. On hearing it, they praised ELOHIM; but they also said to him, “You see, brother, how many tens of thousands of believers there are among the Judeans, and they are all zealots for the Torah. Now what they have been told about you is that you are teaching all the Jews living among the Gentiles to apostatize from Moses, telling them not to have a b’rit-milah (covenant of circumcision) for their sons and not to follow the traditions. What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. SO DO WHAT WE TELL YOU. We have four men who are under a vow. Take them with you, be purified with them, and pay the expenses connected with having their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is nothing to these rumors which they have heard about you. But that, on the contrary, you yourself stay in line and keep the Torah.”

Again, quoting Fraade:

Damascus Document Steven Fraade page 77

“OVERSEER. Hebrew mebaqqer. Translated by others as Examiner, GUARDIAN, etc. An important communal official who had administrative oversight for several aspects of the community’s life, such as instruction, the admission and advancement of members, communal finances and trade, oversight of meetings, and the keeper of communal records.”

Concerning the admission and membership of gentiles, James the head of the Jerusalem Council oversaw the meeting and gave instruction about what to do regarding them!

The Damascus Document (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 144

“No member of the camp shall have authority to ADMIT A MAN to the Congregation against the DECISION OF THE GUARDIAN OF THE CAMP.”

Acts 15:13

“Because of this I (JAMES) SAY, DO NOT TROUBLE THOSE who turn to ELOHIM from among the Gentiles: But let us send word to them that they abstain from defilement by sacrifices to idols and from fornication and from animals strangled and from blood. For Moses, from the very early centuries, had preachers in the synagogues in every city to read his books on every Shabbat day.”

Another duty of the Guardian was to love the flock!

“He shall love them as a father loves his children”

Mwerickson.com writes “In the midst of outlining the persecution of the church in his Ecclesiastical History, Eusebius details the death of James in Book 2, Ch. 23:

“He alone was permitted to enter into the set-apart place; for he wore not woolen but linen garments. And he was in the habit of entering alone into the temple, and was found upon his knees BEGGING FORGIVENESS FOR THE PEOPLE, SO THAT HIS KNEES BECAME HARD LIKE THOSE OF A CAMEL, in consequence of his CONSTANTLY BENDING THEM IN HIS WORSHIP OF ELOHIM, AND ASKING FORGIVENESS FOR THE PEOPLE.”

 Anger

James as a Guardian was to be able to handle anger and would be able to instruct others to avoid it!

“And the GUARDIAN shall instruct their sons and their daughters in a spirit of humility and in loving kindness and shall not KEEP ANGER (4Q266, fr. 9 ii) towards them…”

James 1:19-20 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Because of this, beloved brothers, all the sons of man must be quick to listen; but not to speak and NOT TO ANGER. For THE ANGER of the sons of man does not do that which is good before YAHWEH.”

The Damascus Document (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 145 under the section titled “This is the Rule for the Congregation by which it shall provide for all its needs:

“They shall place the earnings of at least two days out of every month into the hands of THE GUARDIAN and the Judges, and from it they shall GIVE TO THE FATHERLESS, AND FROM IT THEY SHALL SUCCOUR THE POOR AND THE NEEDY, the aged sick and the man who stricken with disease, the captive taken by a foreign people, the virgin with no near kin, and the maid for WHO NO MAN CARES…”

James the Guardian/Overseer spoke about caring for the orphans and widows!

James 1:26 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“But the pure service, without lack before YAHWEH the Father, is this: he who goes to visit the FATHERLESS ONES AND THE WIDOWS IN THEIR DISTRESSES.”

James 1:27 (Lamsa Aramaic Peshitta)

“For a pure and SET-APART MINISITRY before ELOHIM the Father is this: To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and keep himself unspotted from the world.”

James’s heart was also to care for the poor and needy, which was also a role of the Guardian!

James 2:2-6, 15 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“For when one arrives at the house of judgment, with a golden ring and with lovely clothes, and also a POOR ONE with worthless clothes; and you show respect to him who wears the lovely clothes, and say to him, “Sit by us on this good seat;” and say to the poor, “Stand there” or “Sit at our feet.” Then they will not look justly on the poor one, but will be judges who make a bad division. Listen to me beloved brothers, did not YAHWEH choose the poor ones in this world, who are rich in faith, and possessors of the promise which He promised to those who love Him? But you, you put the poor to shame. As for the rich ones, is it not they who do everything to you with force, and bring you out to the judgment? Verse 15 “For if there is a brother or sister who lacks to sustain themselves every day, and one of you speak words of comfort to them: “May YAHWEH give you to gratification,” but he does not give them anything to profit the body, what profit will they have by these words? So the faith, if it does not have the works, is dead by itself.”

Jude

Jude quotes the Book of Enoch that was considered scripture in Qumran! But we see a statement he makes that parallels to what we see in the Damascus Document.

Jude 1:23 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Indeed, some of you are with good deeds, but, KEEP DISTANCE FROM THE SINNERS!’

Damascus Document Column 6 (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 134

“They shall take care to act according to the exact interpretation of the Law during the age of wickedness. They shall SEPARATE FROM THE SONS OF THE PIT…”

Sacrifice of praise through prayer and obedience

1 Peter 2:4-5 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by people but chosen by ELOHIM and precious to Him, you yourselves, as living stones, are built into a spiritual house to be priests set apart for ELOHIM to OFFER SPIRTITUAL SACRIFICES acceptable to Him through YESHUA the Messiah.”

Romans 12:1-2 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“I exhort you, therefore, brothers, in view of ELOHIM’s mercies, to offer YOURSELVES AS A SACFRICE, LIVING AND SET APART FOR ELOHIM. This will please Him: it is the LOGICAL ‘TEMPLE WORSHIP” FOR YOU.” In other words, do not let yourselves be conformed to the standards of the ‘olam hazeh (this present world). Instead, keep letting yourselves be transformed by the renewing of your minds; so that you will know what ELOHIM wants and will agree that what He wants is good, satisfying and able to succeed.”

The Community Rule/Charter of a Jewish Sectarian Association Introduction (The Dead Sea Scrolls a New Translation by Wise, Abegg, and Cook) page 116

“The members of this charter’s association likewise believed that sacrifice was in itself ineffectual. They were not so radical as the early Christians, however, and could not simply discontinue sacrifice altogether, since it was, after all, commanded by ELOHIM and regulated in great detail by the writing of Moses. They conceived of themselves as atoning for sin through SACRIFICE OFFERED in the CONTEXT OF PRAYER, RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND BLAMELESS BEHAVIOR (9:4-5). Without the proper inner attitude, sacrifice meant nothing (3:11).”

The Community Rule/Charter of a Jewish Sectarian Association Column 3:10-12 (The Dead Sea Scrolls a New Translation by Wise, Abegg, and Cook) page 119

“Let him order his steps to walk faultless in all the ways of ELOHIM, just as He commanded for the times appointed to him. Let him turn aside neither to the right nor the left, nor yet deviate in the smallest detail from all of His words. Then indeed will he be accepted by ELOHIM, OFFERING THE SWEET SAVOR OF ATONING SACRIFICE, and then only shall he be a party to the Covenant of the Eternal Yahad.”

The Community Rule/Charter of a Jewish Sectarian Association Column 9:3-5 (The Dead Sea Scrolls a New Translation by Wise, Abegg, and Cook) page 130

“When, united by ALL THESE PRECEPTS, such men as these come to be a community in Israel, they shall establish eternal truth guided by the instruction of His Set-Apart Spirit. They shall atone for the guilt of transgression and the rebellion of sin, becoming an ACCEPTBALE SACFRICE for the land through the flesh of burnt offerings, the fat of sacrificial portions, and PRAYER, BECOMING---AS IT WERE---JUSTICE ITSELF, A SWEET SAVOR OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND BLAMELESS BEHAVIOR A PLEASING FREEWILL OFFERING.”

Testament of Levi 3:5 (Dead Sea Scrolls)

“In it are the Ruling Messengers (angels), who minister and MAKE OFFERINGS to YAHWEH for all the sins of ignorance of the righteous; offering to YAHWEH a SWEET-SMELLING AROMA, A REASONABLE AND A BLOODLESS OFFERING.”

Sirach 35:1-2

“He that KEEPS THE TORAH brings SUFFICENT OFFERINGS; he that takes heed to the COMMANDMENTS OFFERS A PEACE OFFERING.”

In conclusion, all these parallels between the early Nazarenes: Paul, John, James, and Peter, to include the Nazarenes after them as recorded up until the fourth century, and the Qumran Community all align with the teachings of YESHUA and cannot be a coincidence! Rather the original faith has been revealed for us to obey in these last days and the truth we all should be following! There was never a period of 400 years of silence, rather we see a faithful remnant in Qumran who understood the truth and that truth was to keep the commandments of the Torah and to prepare the way for YESHUA!

Community Rule/Charter of a Jewish Sectarian Association 8:12-15 (Dead Sea Scrolls a New Translation) Wise, Abegg, and Cook

“When such men as these come to be in Israel, conforming to these doctrines, there to PREPARE THE WAY OF TRUTH, as it is written, “in the wilderness PREPARE THE WAY OF YAHWEH, MAKE STRAIGHT IN THE DESERT A HIGHWAY FOR OUR ELOHIM” (Isa 40:3).

John 1:23 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“He answered, “I am ‘the voice which cries, ‘In the wilderness MAKE THE WAY OF YAHWEH STRAIGHT;” as Yeshayah the prophet had said.”

The way has been prepared, and ELOHIM is restoring all things in His Torah and the 364-Day Solar Calendar! Will you be a part of it? Will you walk in the original faith that was once delivered to the saints?  Choose wisely and join the end times remnant that YESHUA is going to regather!

Temple Scroll 59:10 pg. 215 (Dead Sea Scrolls)

“None shall save them because of their wickedness, because they have broken My covenant and their soul has loathed My law until they have incurred every guilt. Afterwards they will return to Me with all their HEART AND ALL THEIR SOUL, IN CONFORMITY WITH ALL THE WORDS OF THIS LAW, and I will save them from the hand of their enemies and redeem them from the hand of those who hate them, and I WILL BRING THEM TO THE LAND OF THEIR FATHERS. I will redeem them, and increase them and exult over them. I will be their ELOHIM and they shall be My people.”

As always may YAHWEH bless you in YESHUA’s Name!              

No women or children during Passover?

This is another important topic that we need to be aware of as we return to the ancient path! I have done a message titled “Uncovering the Ancient Torah,” which shows that the Temple Scroll and Jubilees are Torah, if you have not seen the message, you can view it here: https://youtu.be/lQoN-diWM_A?si=lgKrkb5KnuSABmu- . And the Temple Scroll message by itself, you can view it here: https://youtu.be/ZdXPVHtuA8M?si=bSNqcbJoqL_FARS7

Both books include important commands that we need to be aware of regarding Passover. And it starts with the understanding that the Zadok priests knew already.

Damascus Document Fragment 3 page 156 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls)

“…Why does a man betray his brother…Let NO YOUNG MAN OR WOMAN EAT THE SACRIFICE OF PASSOVER…”

Damascus Document (Wise, Abegg, and Cook) Fragment 3, page 358 Proscriptions concerning the Passover:

“…Have we not all one father? Has not one ELOHIM created us? Why then are we faithless to one another? (Mal. 2:10) LET NOT A YOUNG BOY OR A WOMAN EAT THE PASSOVER SACRIFICE…”

The Zadok priests were adamant that only males can eat the Passover! They were the ones entrusted by YAHWEH for making the proper rulings as they properly understood and interpreted the Torah!

Ezekiel 44:24 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“They (Zadok priests) are to teach My people the difference between the set-apart and common and enable them to distinguish between clean and unclean. They are to be JUDGES IN CONTROVERSIES, and they are to RENDER DECISIONS IN KEEPING WITH MY RULINGS. At all My designated festival they are to keep My laws and regulations, and they are to keep My shabbats set-apart.”

 Where are they getting this from? We find this command written to the very two books that are a part of the Torah.

Temple Scroll (Wise, Abegg, and Cook) Column 17:6-9

“On the fourteenth day of the first month, at twilight, let them keep the Passover to YAHWEH. They shall sacrifice the Passover offering prior to the evening offering. EVERY MALE AGED TWENTY YEARS AND UP shall prepare it. Then they are to eat it at night, in the courtyards of the Temple. Afterwards they shall arise early in the morning and return home.”

Temple Scroll (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 195-196

“Let them prepare on the fourteenth day of the first month between dusk and dark the Passover of YAHWEH. They shall sacrifice it before the evening offering and shall sacrifice…MEN from TWENTY YEARS OF AGE AND OVER shall prepare it. They shall eat it at night in the set-apart courts. They shall arise early and each shall go to HIS tent…”

Temple Scroll (Charlesworth) Column 17:6-9 pages 293-295

“And they shall prepare on the fourteenth day of the first month, between the evenings, the Passover to YAHWEH and they shall sacrifice it before the evening meal-offering. They shall sacrifice it, EVERY MALE from the AGE OF TWENTY YEARS AND ABOVE. They shall prepare it and eat it at night in the courts of the set-apart place. And they shall rise early and each MAN shall go to HIS tent.”

Jubilees 49:16-17 (Hermeneia translation)

“It is not therefore to be eaten outside of YAHWEH’s sanctuary but before YAHWEH’s sanctuary. All the people of the Israelite congregation are to celebrate it at its time. EVERY MAN who has come on its day, WHO IS 20 YEARS OF AGE AND ABOVE, is to eat it in the sanctuary of your ELOHIM before YAHWEH…”

Therefore the “all souls” in Exodus 12 would have to meet these requirements!

Why do the males have to be 20 years old and upward? Because according to scripture, 20 is the age of maturity.

Exodus 30:14-15 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

 “Everyone over TWENTY YEARS OF AGE who is subject to the census is to give this offering to YAHWEH — 15 the rich is not to give more or the poor less than the half-shekel when giving YAHWEH’s offering to atone for your lives.:

Numbers 1:2-3 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Take a census of the entire assembly of the people of Isra’el, by clans and families. Record the names of all the men 3 TWENTY YEARS OLD AND OVER who are subject to military service in Isra’el. You and Aharon are to enumerate them company by company.”

Numbers 14:28-29 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, YAHWEH swears, as surely as you have spoken in my ears, I will do this to you: 29 your carcasses will fall in this desert! Every single one of you who were included in the census OVER THE AGE OF TWENTY, you who have complained against me…

The Messianic Rule (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 160

“He shall not approach a woman to know her by lying with her before he is fully TWENTY YEARS OLD, when he SHALL KNOW GOOD AND EVIL.”

Temple Scroll (Wise, Abegg, Cook) Column 39:1-6

“Entering the courtyard shall be all the congregation of Yisra’el, together with any fourth-generation proselyte born among you, AGES TWENTY AND UP. NO WOMAN SHALL ENTER IT, NOR ANY YOUNG MAN BEFORE THE DAY on which he fulfills the law and pays his atonement money to YAHWEH:”

Damascus Document (Wise, Abegg, Cook) Column 15:5-6 page 68

“Whoever enters the covenant, for all Israel this is a perpetual observance; any children who REACH THE AGE to be included in the registrants, they shall impose the covenant oath upon them.”

Damascus Document (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) Column 15:6 page 138

“And all those who have entered the Covenant, granted to all Israel forever, shall make their children who HAVE REACHED THE AGE OF ENROLMENT, swear with the oath of the Covenant.”

The Damascus Document by Steven D. Fraade page 77

Concerning the age of enrollment he writes “This is TWENTY YEARS OLD, as in Exodus 30:14, with similar language, and 1Q28a (1Qsa) 1:8-11.”

This does not mean that the woman was not at home eating unleavened bread while he was gone as we know that the command to eat unleavened bread extends to the entire household, but we see that no woman or a child under 20 was not allowed to enter the courts with the males to participate in the ceremony. I believe the reason for the women being excluded from eating the Passover is attached to the first-born MALES being struck down during the 10th plague and therefore serves as a reminder to them. Though it would already been understood the Good News Translation makes it quite clear that it was the males who were struck down in Egypt.

Exodus 11:4-5 (Good News Translation)

“Moses then said to the king, “YAHWEH says, ‘At about midnight I will go through Egypt, and every FIRST-BORN SON, who is heir to the throne, to the SON of the slave woman who grinds grain. The first-born of all the cattle will die also.”

Exodus 12:12, 29 (Good News Translation)

“On that night I will go through the land of Egypt, killing every FIRST-BORN MALE, BOTH HUMAN AND ANIMAL, and punishing all the elohim of Egypt. I am YAHWEH.” Verse 29 “At midnight YAHWEH killed all the FIRST-BORN SONS in Egypt, from the king’s SON, who was heir to the throne, to the SON of the prisoner in the dungeon; all the first-born of the animals were also killed.”

We are given the reason as to why the males are to partake of the Passover because it is a reminder of what happened in Egypt. The precept is given in:

Exodus 13:11-15 (Good News Translation)

“YAHWEH will bring you into the land of the Canaanites, which He solemnly promised to you and your ancestors. When He gives it to you, you must offer every FIRST-BORN MALE to YAHWEH. Every FIRST-BORN MALE of your animals belongs to YAHWEH, but you must buy back from Him every FIRST-BORN MALE donkey by offering lamb in its place. If you do now want to buy back the donkey, break its neck. You must buy back every FIRST-BORN MALE child of yours. In the future, when your SON asks what this OBSERVANCE MEANS, you will answer him. ‘By using great power YAHWEH brought us out of Egypt, the place where we were slaves. When the king of Egypt was stubborn and refused to let us go, YAHWEH killed every FIRST-BORN MALE in the land of Egypt, BOTH HUMAN AND ANIMAL. THAT IS WHY WE SACRIFICE EVERY FIRST-BORN MALE ANIMAL TO YAHWEH, BUT BUY BACK OUR FIRST-BORN SONS. This observance will be A REMINDER, like something tied on our hands or on our foreheads; it will REMIND us THAT YAHWEH brought us out of Egypt by His great power.”

Therefore, when we read in Exodus 12:3 “Give these instructions to the whole community of Yisra’el: On the tenth day of this month each man must choose either a lamb or a young goat for his household.” That this would be according to the instructions given from the Temple Scroll and Jubilees.

We can now connect the dots to the Passover that YESHUA had with His disciples!

 Matthew 26:20 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And when it was evening He sat by the table to eat with His TWELVE TALMIDIM (disciples).”

Mark 14:17-18 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And when it was evening, YESHUA came with the TWELVE TALMIDIM—and while they were eating, YESHUA said to them, “Truth I say to you that one of you who EATS WITH ME will betray Me.”

Luke 22:14 (Lamsa Aramaic)

“And when it was time, YESHUA came and sat down, and the TWELVE APOSTLES with Him.”

We see that there were no women in attendance, even His own mother Mary was not there even though she was alive (Acts 1:14). There has been a conjecture about other people being present in the room, but there is no evidence for it. The scriptures say plainly that it was YESHUA and the twelve disciples who were all males! YESHUA’s Passover did not look like our modern versions where males and females gather and partake of it. This is further evidence that the Temple Scroll and Jubilees are both Torah and that YESHUA was following the guidelines contained within them, as we know He followed the Torah perfectly.

Numbers 9:6-14 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

6 But there were certain people who had become UNCLEAN because of someone’s corpse, so that they could not observe Pesach on that day. So they came before Moshe and Aharon that day 7 and said to him, “We are unclean because of someone’s corpse; but why must we be kept from bringing the offering for YAHWEH at the time designated for the people of Isra’el?” 8 Moshe answered them, “Wait, so that I can hear what YAHWEH will order concerning you.” 9 YAHWEH said to Moshe, 10 “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘If any of you now or in future generations is unclean because of a corpse, or if he is on a trip abroad, nevertheless he is to observe Pesach. 11 But he will observe it in the second month on the fourteenth day at dusk. They are to eat it with matzah and maror, 12 they are to leave none of it until morning, and they are not to break any of its bones — they are to observe it according to all the regulations of Pesach. 13 But the person who is clean and not on a trip who fails to observe Pesach will be cut off from his people; because he did not bring the offering for YAHWEH at its designated time, that person will bear the consequences of his sin. 14 If a foreigner is staying with you and wants to observe Pesach for YAHWEH, he is to do it according to the regulations and rules of Pesach — you are to have the same law for the foreigner as for the citizen of the land.’”

The only unclean concern mentioned for Pesach was touching a dead body or away on a long journey. It is interesting that they did not asking about the menstruating women. This would have been a concern since this is a reoccurring bodily function of a woman. And what would happen if this occurred on Passover? However, there is complete silence on this issue as they did not even bring it up, so the issue of purity concerning Passover was already understood amongst the children of Yisra’el. Baumgarten confirms this as well in an article on this subject which I will quote in another section.

Qumran

by Aharon Shemesh Qumran | Jewish Women's Archive jwq.org/encyclopedia/qumran

“The comparison of women with little children is also the basis for the following halakhah in 4Q265: “No young boy and woman shall eat from the Paschal sacrifice.” This halakhah is also found in the Book of Jubilees, where it is written explicitly that TWENTY IS THE AGE OF MATURITY: “Any man who has come of age, that is twenty years and more, shall eat it in the Temple of your God, before God” (Jubilees 49:17). There appears to be NO DOUBT that “MAN” here DOES NOT INCLUDE WOMEN. The exclusion of women from ritual thus finds expression in two ways: they are not permitted to enter the Temple beyond a certain point, though men may do so; and they may not eat from the Paschal sacrifice.”

I would like to confirm what Aharon Shemesh said in the article regarding women not being able to enter the Temple beyond a certain point is true. This is found in The Temple Scroll gives us the specifics regarding the Temple Courts where only priests could enter the inner court, men 20 years old and upward could enter the middle court, and only women and children under 20 would enter the third court. page 611

The Temple Scroll (Wise, Abegg, Cook) Column 38:12-15, Column 39:1-11

“You shall build a second court surrounding the inner court at a distance of one hundred cubits. The length of its eastern wall shall be four hundred eighty cubits, the same dimension applying to all its walls: south, west, and north. Its wall is to be four cubits thick and twenty-eight cubits high. Chambers must be built into the outside surface of the wall, distant from each other three and one-half cubits…Entering the courtyard shall be all the congregation of Yisra’el, together with any fourth-generation proselyte born among you, AGES TWENTY AND UP. And when they enter to prostrate themselves before Me, all the congregation of the sons of Yisra’el, NO WOMAN SHALL ENTER IT, NOR ANY YOUNG MAN BEFORE THE DAY on which he fulfills the law and pays his atonement money to YAHWEH: one half-shekel. This is an eternal law, a memorial wherever they may dwell. The shekel shall equate to twenty gerah. When they collect a man’s half-shekel, I shall be satisfied; afterward he may enter-anyone TWENTY YEARS OLD AND UP.”

The next section is a article written by Joseph M. Baumgarten on the topic:

Scripture and Law in 4Q265

Joseph M. Baumgarten

Baltimore Hebrew College

“Let us now narrow our focus to one fragment of 4Q265, which juxtaposes a biblical citation with a very specific 'halakhic' ruling. The passage quotes Malachi 2:10, "Have we not all one father ? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother?". The following line, which is the last of the column, reads:

hGsph hG[bzb] h#)w +w+(z r(n lk)wy [l)]

Let [neither] a young lad nor a woman eat the paschal [sacrifi]ce

The word before xsp was restored by one of the original editors to read g[xb] but gx without xbz usually refers to a festival, and only rarely to its offering (Ex 23:18). The lectio facilior xG[bzb] may in this case be preferable and it seems compatible with the vestiges on the facsimile.

The exclusion of women and children from sharing in the paschal lamb at first sight seems odd, particularly in the light of the description in Exodus 12, where it is an offering shared by all the 'souls' of each household. However, the passover sacrifice of later generations, twrwd xsp, as the Rabbis called it, was fashioned in accordance with the deuteronomic centralization of all sacrifice in the Temple (Deut 16:5-6). The levitical purity of all who partook of the paschal lamb was consequently a cardinal requirement. It is noteworthy that in Numbers 9:6, r#) My#n) yhyw
xsph t#(l wlky )lw Md) #pnl My)m+ wyh , the problem of those who were impure at the time of Passover SEEMS TO PERTAIN ONLY TO My#n) MEN. The description of the paschal offerings in the days of Josiah as having been distributed M(h ynb lkl (2 Chron 35:13) is likewise susceptible of being understood as limited to males. The author of Jubilees makes this explicit when he restricts the consumption of the paschal sacrifice to men twenty years or older who are to eat it in the sanctuary of the Lord (49:17). A similar ruling is found in the Temple Scroll 17 8-9:

hlylb whwlk)w wtw) w#(y hl(mw hn# [M]yr#( Nbm
#dwq[h ] twrcxb

Those twenty years and older shall perform it and eat it at night in the sacred courts.

The implied exclusion of women and minors from partaking of the paschal offering was apparently a sectarian stringency, later perpetuated in Karaite exegesis.7 The practice prevalent in the late Second Temple period was evidently more lenient, as one gathers from the description of Josephus. He states that each offering was eaten by a fraternity of between ten to twenty people, from which were EXCLUDED "those afflicted with leprosy or gonorrhea, or MENSTROUS WOMEN (gunaixi\n e_pemmh&noij), or persons otherwise defiled" (J.W. 6.426). This is in accord with tannaitic (rabbinic) halakha, such as M. Pesahim 8,1, which allows a woman to partake of the paschal lamb offered by either her father or her husband. Even a menstruant (hbz) who had completed her seven days of purification, could be counted as a participant on the eighth day (8,5): ynym#b hyl( Ny+xw# hbzhw.

The Mishnah does have some limitation on women and minors, that is that they must not be joined with slaves as participants in the Passover offering: Myn+qw Mydb(w My#n trwbx Ny#w( Ny)w "One should not form a group consisting of women, slaves, and minors" (8,7). The reason given in Tosefta (Pes. 8,6) is to prevent indecency, hlpth t) twbrl )l#. In Yerushalmi (Pes. 8,7 36a) the reason stated is "in order to avoid disgracing sacred offerings," Nwyzb ydyl My#dqh t) w)yby )l#, which S. Lieberman took to refer to a hrwbx of all women.8 In 4Q265 the exclusion of women and young lads from the paschal feast is not explained. We note, however, that the same exclusion is applied in 1QM 7:3 to their presence in the war camp: h#(w +w+(z r(n lwkw
Mtwnxml w)wby )wl. Presumably, in both cases their presence was viewed as incompatible with the maintenance of STRICT PURITY.

We must now consider the question: What is the relationship between the quote of Malachi 2:10 in Frg. 4 and the exclusion of women and minors which follows it? That there is such a relationship we consider as assured, for the possibility that the sequence of rhetorical questions ("Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother?") pertained to something in the preceding context which is missing appears remote. On the other hand, it seems plausible that the Qumran legist, AWARE OF LAX PRACTICES by which men who were participants in the paschal meal would share their portions with their wives and children, was impelled to denounce them as a BREACH OF TRUST AGAINST THEIR PARTNERS. For by involving those whose ritual purity was in doubt the errant partner was seen as subverting the purity of the common meal. It is noteworthy that tannaitic halakha was lenient also in this regard; for according to the Mishnah a paschal lamb which was slaughtered with the intention of feeding it to both the ritually pure and the impure is held to be kosher; those who are pure are not affected by the participation of the unqualified (M. Pes. 5,3).

From a literary perspective, the use of the Malachi quote as a prelude to the Passover rule seems to be an unusual rhetorical device in Qumran 'halakhic' writings. The Damascus Document, which we now recognise as primarily a legal composition, begins with an extended admonition and a historical discourse, but the function of the latter is to bolster the general call for repentance and the acceptance of the sect's interpretation of the laws. The laws themselves are set forth in the legal corpus without additional paraenetic material. Only the ban on polygamy, uncle-niece marriage, and the defilement resulting from failure to properly observe the separation from menstruants, are intertwined with a quote from Isaiah which serves to depict the three nets of Belial (CD 4, 9 -5, 11).

In MMT, the hortatory appeal to the addressee follows the 'halakhic' assertions, which repeatedly use the formula Myrmw) wnxn) "we say". However, the pronouncement concerning intermarriage (twnz) is accompanied by an extended analogy to the biblically forbidden mixing of species. Thus, the use of biblical allusions in 4Q265 in order to support Qumran legal rulings is not entirely without parallels. Moreover, rhetorical questions as literary devices are found elsewhere in Qumran writings (e.g. 1Q27 1 i 10-11)

As the article stated is that the rabbi’s became lenient on allowing women to eat it as long as she was not on her period and given to her by her father or husband. The explanation given by Baumgarten saying “AWARE OF LAX PRACTICES by which men who were participants in the paschal meal would share their portions with their wives and children, was impelled to denounce them as a breach of trust against their partners.” And in another section of the article he says “It is noteworthy that tannaitic halakha was LENIENT ALSO IN THIS REGARD; for according to the Mishnah a paschal lamb which was slaughtered with the intention of feeding it to both the ritually pure AND THE IMPURE IS HELD TO BE KOSHER; those who are pure are not affected by the participation of the unqualified (M. Pes. 5,3).”

The lax practices is a theme that the Zadok priests accused the Pharisees of doing which is being a “seeker of smooth things”

Damascus Document (Ken Johnson) page 25

“Then the curses of the covenant took hold on them, delivering them to the sword to avenge the breaches of the covenant. THESE “SEEKERS OF SMOOTH THINGS” CHOSE DECEIT AND LOOPHOLES IN THE LAW.”

Mary

A theologian by the name of John Gill comments on Luke 2:41 regarding Mary:

Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year…”Joseph was obliged to go three times a year, as were all the males in Israel, at the feasts of the Passover, Pentecost, and tabernacles, Deu 16:16. The first of these is expressed here, at the feast of the Passover; BUT THE WOMEN WERE NOT OBLIGED TO GO UP: FOR SO IT IS SAID BY THE JEWS, “the Passover of women is voluntary”, or in their own power; they might go up to the feast, or not, as they pleased. It is indeed said of HILLEL, who was now alive, that HE OBLIGED THE WOMEN TO THE FIRST, BUT NOT TO A SECOND PASSOVER: to which THE KARAITES OBJECT; the account they gives is as follows “truly the women WERE OBLIGED BY THE SCHOOL OF HILLEL, to the offering of the Passover; but if they were hindered from the first Passover; the second was in their power; that is, the thing depended upon their will and pleasure, whether they would offer or not, which may be justly wondered at; for why should they be obliged to the first, and not the second? For behold, as to the obligation of the Passover, there is no difference between the first Passover, and the second, the sum of the matter is, our wise men on whom be peace, have determined and say, that THERE IS NO OBLIGATION BUT TO MALES, WHO ARE ARRIVED TO MATURITY.”

The ruling of the Karaite Jews happens to agree with the Temple Scroll and Jubilees that only males who were 20 years old and upward could partake of the Passover. This matches what we read in the article above by Joseph Baumgarten in his article regarding the Karaites’ objection to Hillel’s ruling on the topic stating:

“The implied exclusion of women and minors from partaking of the paschal offering was apparently a sectarian stringency, later perpetuated in Karaite exegesis.7 “

We can determine that Mary traveled with Joseph but was not in the Temple courtyard eating the Passover nor did YESHUA as He was not yet 20 years old. And again, she was not present during the Passover of YESHUA when He was an adult. So, we see that even during the first century there were disagreements on this topic, but the Karaites got this right and it aligns with the Temple Scroll and Jubilees! There would be no room for conjecture or guessing had Israelites been following the ancient Torah to this day. I have exhorted the Body of Messiah to run away from the Hillel lunar calendar to the 364-Day Solar Zadok Priestly Calendar and now it’s time to walk away from Hillel’s and the rabbi’s doctrine concerning women eating Passover.

And more evidence that we should be reading these priestly books that have been suppressed by Judaism but revealed by YAHWEH in these last days.

As always may YAHWEH bless you in YESHUA’s Name!

YESHUA IS EL!

John 1:45-49 (Hebrewgpspels.com)

“Then he found Netanel (Nathaniel), and said to him, “We, have found YESHUA the son of Yoseph (Joseph) of Nazareth – it is He of whom Moses wrote in the law and in the prophets!” But Nathaniel said to him, “Can there be any good thing in Nazareth!?” Philip said to him “Come and see Him!” YESHUA MASHIACH saw Nathaniel who came there, and said, “Whom do you think that truth is from --- man of Yisra’el who is without any deception? Nathaniel said to him, “HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE ME?” YESHUA answered and said to him, “BEFORE Philip had called you, I saw you UNDER THE FIG TREE! Nathaniel answered Him and said, Rabbi, YOU ARE THE SON OF ELOAH --- YOU ARE THE KING OF YISRA’EL!”

Why did the words of YESHUA make an instant believer out of Nathaniel? The Hebrew gospels translation of John has the words “Under the fig tree” in bold text.  The introduction section of John has an explanation about the translation and they state, “Certain words were marked in BOLD according to EMPHASIS IN THE HEBREW MANUSCRIPT—based on special word order etc. – and are NOT OUR EMPHASIS OR INTERPRETATION.”

So, emphasis was placed here for a very good reason because it is drawing our attention to something special. Bishop K. C. Pillai in his book titled “Eastern Customs and Idioms of the Bible” writes on page 46 “If you would say to any man, ‘I KNEW YOU SINCE YOU WERE A CHILD,” you would say, “I SAW YOU UNDER THE FIG TREE.”

Remember Nathaniel said, “How do you recognize me?”  or as the Complete Jewish Scriptures says, “How do you know me?” YESHUA was telling Nathaniel that He is EL and already knew him from the womb, just as we see it written in:

Jeremiah 1:4-5 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Here is the word of YAHWEH that came to me: “BEFORE I formed you in the womb, I KNEW YOU; BEFORE YOU WERE BORN, I separated you for Myself. I have appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.”

Psalms 139:13-16 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“For you fashioned my inmost being, YOUR KNIT ME TOGETHER IN MY MOTHER’S WOMB. I thank you because I am awesomely made, wonderfully; your works are wonders I know this very well. MY BONES WERE NOT HIDDEN FROM YOU WHEN I WAS BEING MADE IN SECRET, intricately woven in the depts of the earth. YOUR EYES COULD SEE ME AS AN EMBRYO, BUT IN YOUR BOOK ALL MY DAYS WERE ALREADY WRITTEN; MY DAYS HAD BEEN SHAPED BEFORE ANY OF THEM EXISTED.”

Psalms 119:73 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“YOUR HANDS MADE AND FORMED ME; give me understanding, so I can learn your commandments.”

Thanksgiving Hymns, Hymn 7 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 256

“You alone did create the just AND ESTABLISH HIM FROM THE WOMB.”

Thanksgiving Hymns, Hymn 17 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 289

“For You have KNOWN ME from the time of my father, AND HAS CHOSEN ME FROM THE WOMB. From the belly of my mother You have dealt kindly with me…”

John 1:1-4 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“In the beginning was THE SON OF ELOAH. The SON OF EL was both with EL, and the SON OF EL WAS ELOAH. This One was IN THE BEGINNING WITH EL. ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM; and without Him nothing was made, of that which was made. For He is life – this life is the LAMP OF MEN.”

Nathaniel recognized that YESHUA was divine and His creator. He instantly recognized that YESHUA was the promised Messiah and King of Yisra’el. Furthermore, YESHUA said that there was no deception/nothing false found in Nathaniel, which means that he was righteous. So, adding to this, YESHUA was telling Nathaniel that He has observed his uprightness since His youth, just as it was said to Ezra:

2 Esdras/4th Ezra 6:32

“Because your voice has surely been heard before the Most High; for the Mighty One has seen your UPRIGHTNESS and has observed the purity which you have maintained FROM YOUR YOUTH.”

We know that those who accept YESHUA and walk in righteousness will have eternal life. The fig tree symbolizes peace, prosperity, and abundance that the righteous will have in eternity.

Micah 4:1-4 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“But in the acharit-hayamim (end of days) it will come about that the mountain of YAHWEH’s house will be established as the most important mountain. It will be regarded more highly than the other hills, and peoples will stream there. Many gentiles will go and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of YAHWEH, to the house of the ELOHIM of Jacob! He will teach us about His ways, and we will walk in His paths.” For out of Zion will go forth Torah, the word of YAHWEH from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and arbitrate for many nations far away. Then they will hammer their swords into plow-blades and their spears into pruning-knives; nations will not raise swords at each other, and they will no longer learn war. Instead, each person will sit under HIS VINE AND FIG TREE, with no one to upset him.”

May we all be like Nathaniel to know YESHUA is EL, Messiah, King, Priest, and Prophet, walk in righteousness and obtain eternal life.

Uncovering the ANCIENT TORAH!

Luke 10:25-26 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“An expert in Torah stood up to try and trap Him by asking, “Rabbi, what should I do to obtain eternal life?” But YESHUA said to him, “What is written in the Torah? How do you read it?”

Noce that YESHUA points back to the Torah that He does not limit “Torah” to the five books of Moses alone? He never says what is in the Torah of Moses which is Genesis Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy! We arrived at that conclusion because that is what has been handed down to us. I have mentioned this in previous messages that TheTorah.com mentions that the Torah in the Second Temple period included more than five books.

In the Second Temple Period the idea of “Torah” was not limited to the Five Books of Moses. Prof. Molly M. Zahn writes:

Expanding Torat Moshe

“Ezra-Nehemiah refers to certain laws as torah that are not found in versions of the Pentateuch that we are familiar with. For example, Nehemiah 10:35 mentions a wood offering:

נחמיה י:לה וְהַגּוֹרָלוֹת הִפַּלְנוּ עַל־קֻרְבַּן הָעֵצִים הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם וְהָעָם לְהָבִיא לְבֵית אֱלֹהֵינוּ לְבֵית־אֲבֹתֵינוּ לְעִתִּים מְזֻמָּנִים שָׁנָה בְשָׁנָה לְבַעֵר עַל־מִזְבַּח יְ־הוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ כַּכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה.

Neh 10:35 “We have cast lots [among] the priests, the Levites, and the people, to bring the wood offering to the House of our God by clans annually at set times in order to provide fuel for the altar of YHWH our God, as is written in the Torah.

It is possible that the authors of Ezra-Nehemiah knew a version of the Pentateuch that did contain these laws.[8] But it is also possible that the authors are attributing the laws to Torah as a way of indicating (or claiming for them) a CERTAIN LEVEL OF AUTHORITY.[9] In other words, they have a broader idea of “Torah of Moses” than what was contained in the written Pentateuch. The latter interpretation is likely in light of a number of Second Temple period texts that present themselves as SINATIC TORAH. Two premier examples are the book of JUBILEES AND THE TEMPLE SCROLL.”

What did YESHUA say?

Matthew 23:13 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Woe to you, scribes and Perushim (Pharisees) and deceivers! Who hold back THE WAY of the heavenly kingdom from the peoples. So you do not go in, NOR ALLOW THEM TO GO IN.”

YESHUA said that the Pharisees hold back “The Way” of the heavenly kingdom! This is important because what is the scriptural definition of “The Way?”

Psalms 119:1 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“How happy are those whose WAY OF LIFE is blameless, who live by the TORAH OF YAHWEH!”

Psalms 103:7 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“He made His WAYS known to Moses, His mighty deeds to the people of Yisra’el.”

What was given to Moses on Mount Sinai? The 10 commandments! Therefore, the Torah is ELOHIM’s literal WAYS!

2 Esdras 14:30-31

“And received the LAW OF LIFE, which they did not keep, which you also have transgressed after them. Then land was given to you for a possession in the land of Zion; but you and your fathers committed iniquity and did not KEEP THE WAYS which the Most High commanded you.”

Isaiah 64:4 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“You favored those who were glad to do justice, those who remembered You in YOUR WAYS. When you were angry, we kept sinning; but if we KEEP YOUR ANCIENT WAYS, we will be SAVED.”

Malachi 2:9 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Therefore I have in turn made you contemptible and vile before all the people, because you did not keep My WAYS but were partial in applying THE TORAH.”

Revelation 15:3 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And they sang the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb, and said, “Great are the works of YAHWEH Elohei Tseva’ot (YAHWEH Elohim of the armies)! RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUTH are your WAYS o King of kings!

Righteousness is Torah (Deuteronomy 6:25) and so is truth (Psalms 119:142)!

YESHUA is saying that the Pharisees have HELD BACK THE TORAH from the people and by them doing so, it prevented not only the Pharisees from entering the kingdom, but also those who were deceived by them.

Matthew 15:12-14 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And His disciples drew near to Him and said, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended because of the word which they heard?” So He answered them and said, “Every plant that My Father did not plant will be uprooted. Let them alone, for they are BLIND LEADERS OF BLIND ONES. And the blind who leads another blind, THE TWO OF THEM WILL FALL INTO THE GRAVE.”

Hosea 4:6 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“My people are destroyed FOR WANT OF KNOWLEDGE. Because you rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as priests for Me. Because you FORGOT THE TORAH OF YOUR ELOHIM.”

As I stated in the message “Bible Definitions”, knowledge is the Torah.

Malachi 2:7 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“A priest’s lips should safeguard KNOWLEDGE, and people should SEEK TORAH from his mouth, because he is the messenger of YAHWEH-Tzva’ot.”

Thanksgiving Hymns (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 269

“And they, TEACHERS OF LIES AND SEERS OF FALSEHOOD, have schemed against me a devilish scheme, to exchange the Law engraved on my heart by You for the smooth things which they speak to Your people. And they WITHHOLD FROM THE THIRSTY THE DRINK OF KNOWLEDGE, and assuage their thirst with vinegar, that they may gaze on their straying, on their folly concerning their feast days, ON THEIR FALL INTO THEIR SNARES.”

The writer of the Thanksgiving Hymns agrees with YESHUA that the false teachers have held back the Torah and taught lies and was a snare to them. They held back the truth from those who were seeking it. The point is that if we do not have the full Torah then that means we will not be able to walk in the complete truth and will be breaking YAHWEH’s commandments. There is proof that the Rabbis have hidden the truth:

In a lecture by Rachel Elior titled “Who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls and why were they forgotten?” she states, “Rabbi’s said any book dealing with the PRIESTHOOD, ANGELS, OR 364 DAY CALENDAR are external books.”

Sefaria.org writes:

“In the Mishnah (Sanhedrin 10, 1) Rabbi Akiva issues a shocking statement: one who reads “SefarimHitzonim” (“external books”) has no share in the world to come!”

The books that they banned just happened to deal with the calendar and angels. The festivals in Temple Scroll are based on the 364-day solar calendar and it strictly defines the commandments of the Torah. Jubilees is also based on the 364-day solar calendar, has angel interaction, angels involved as priests in heaven (Jubilees 30:18) and shows how Noah and Abraham performed priestly duties before the Levitical law. So, it’s easy to see why the Pharisees would want to ban these books and label them as “external” because these books threatened the lunar calendar they adopted, and it threatened the power they had over the people who accepted their oral torah and interpretation of the scriptures as authoritative. So, the best thing for them to do was to threaten the salvation of anyone who dared to read those books and to this very day their threat worked.

If anyone were to read The Temple Scroll and Jubilees, then they would see that what is written in them contradicts the teachings of the Pharisees aka Rabbinical Judaism.

7 Books of the Torah

Understanding that the truth has been intentionally held from believers is critical as outlined above to show that YESHUA never limited His teaching to only 5 books! What did He teach?

Matthew 16:5-12 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And when they came to the shore of the sea to pass on further, they forgot to take their bread. Then He said to them, “Beware of the leaven of the Sadducees and Pharisees.” So they thought in their inward parts saying, “He says this because we do not have bread.’ But YESHUA, who knew what they thought, said to them, “What do you think in yourselves, men without believing? You think that I said this because you do not have bread? Why do you not understand or remember the five loaves and the five thousand men, how many lumps remained? And seven loaves and four thousand men, and how many lumps remained? And why do you not understand that I am not speaking about the bread? But I say to you that you must beware of the leaven of the Sadducees and the Pharisees.” And then they comprehended that He did not speak about the leaven of the house, but OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE PHARISEES AND THE SADDUCEES.”

Firstly, how many lumps were picked up with the 5,000?

Matthew 14:17-21 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“They answered Him, “We have nothing here besides five loaves and two fishes.” So He said to them, “Bring them to Me.” And He commanded that the people should sit on the grass. Then He took the loaves and the two fishes, and looked into the heavens and blessed them—and broke them and gave them to the disciples. And the disciples gave them to the people. And all of them ate and were satisfied. And the leftovers remained TWELVE FULL LUMPS. And the number of those who ate were five thousand men, besides both women and children.”

How many lumps were picked up with the 4,000?

Matthew 15:34-38 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“But YESHUA said to them, “How many loaves do you have? And they said, “Seven, and a few fishes.” Then He commanded the people that they should sit on the ground. And afterwards He took the seven loaves and the fishes, and He did a prayer of thanksgiving to YAHWEH and broke them and gave them to His disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. And all of them ate and were satisfied. And of that which remained, they took up SEVEN FULL LUMPS. And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.”

The key numbers in these two accounts are 7 and 12, but what do they represent? 7 is the number of completion and perfection and represents the 7 books of the Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Temple Scroll and Jubilees. The number 12 represents the 12 festivals of YAHWEH!

Temple Scroll Column 11:9-13 (A New Translation by Michael Wise, Martin Abegg and Edward Cook)

“And you shall offer sacrifices upon the altar of burnt offering for all YAHWEH’S FESTIVALS: On the SHABBATS and at the BEGINNING OF MONTHS, and on the FIRST OF THE FIRST MONTH, and on the FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD, and on the day of the WAVING OF THE OMER, and on the FEAST OF THE SECOND PASSOVER, and on the FEAST OF WEEKS, that is, of the Feast of First fruits for Wheat, and on the FEAST OF WINE…and on the FEAST OF NEW OIL and on the SIX DAYS OF THE WOOD OFFERING, and on the DAY OF REMEMBRANCE (YOM TERUAH) and on the DAY OF ATONEMENT and on the FEAST OF BOOTHS…”

In this list we see that the 2nd Passover is mentioned which would make the total13; however, we know that only ONE Passover is to be celebrated by each person. The 2nd Passover is only for those who are unclean or on a long journey (Numbers 9:3-14), therefore, the total number of festivals to be observed by an individual is 12 total!

Also, there are 52 Shabbats in a year, ELOHIM lumps them together and counts them as 1 Festival and although there are 12 months in a year He counts the first day of each month as 1 festival. This would include the Days of Remembrance in Jubilees 6:23 which all fall on the 1st day of month and will be covered in more detail in another section. And the first day of the first month is separated from the other beginning of the months because it is a High-Shabbat just like Yom Teruah is on the 1st day of the 7th month.

Notice after YESHUA asks them how many lumps were picked up after breaking the loaves and fish which were 12 and 7 that YESHUA goes on to tell them to beware of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees! YESHUA was telling His disciples that He taught them that there are 7 books in the Torah and 12 festivals! Teach this to the people and feed them spiritually and physically as I have shown you, but do not teach them the false doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees!

Proverbs 6:23 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“For the COMMAND IS A LAMP, TORAH IS LIGHT, and reproofs that discipline are the way to life.”

The etymology for the word lamp in Proverbs 6:23 is “niyr” pronounced neer (H5216) and is the same word for lamp in Leviticus 24:2-4, which are the 7 lamps on the Menorah. So, the command is a lamp and the torah is a light, so just as the menorah is LIGHT with 7 LAMPS, so is the TORAH a LIGHT (Proverbs 6:23) and LAMP unto our feet (Psalms 119:105) with 7 BOOKS. And the 12 loaves of shewbread (Leviticus 24:5) represents the 12 festivals!

The number 12 is important because it also represents the 12 Tribes of Yisra’el, 12 disciples, 12 months in a year, and 12 gates in the New Jerusalem.

We see YESHUA rebuke Pharisees several times and warns His disciples not to follow them.

Matthew 16:12 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And then they comprehended that He did not speak about the leaven of the house, but OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE PHARISEES AND THE SADDUCEES.”

Matthew 15:8-9 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“This people which honors Me with words but their heart is far from Me, they honor Me in vain, imposing YOUR INSTRUCTIONS AND COMMANDMENTS OF THE MEN.”

The Dead Sea Scrolls a New Translation (Wise, Abegg, and Cook page 18)

“As Josephus wrote, “The Pharisees have imposed on the people MANY LAWS FROM THE TRADITION OF THE FATHERS NOT WRITTEN IN THE LAW OF MOSES” Ant. 13.297).

Testament of Levi 16:1-2

“And now I have learned in the book of Enoch that for seventy weeks you will go astray, and profane the priesthood, and pollute the slaughtering’s. And you will MAKE VOID THE TORAH, and set the words of the prophets at nothing by evil perverseness.”

Temple Scroll

I have done a message showing that the Temple Scroll is Torah so I will not focus on the witnesses in this message, but if you have not seen it, you can view it here: https://youtu.be/ZdXPVHtuA8M?si=3HjVrsX2cftUP6tQ

One more witness showing that the Temple Scroll is a part of the Torah involves John the Baptist.

In an article by Kyle Pope titled “It is Not Lawful for You to Have Her” he writes “As John prepared the way for Jesus, the Bible tells us he called all the people to repent and prepare for the Messiah (Luke 3:7-14). One of the boldest demonstrations of this came when he had the courage to rebuke the UNLAWFUL MARRIAGE of Herod and Herodias. He told Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have her” (Matt 14:4, NKJV). According to Josephus, Herodias was Herod’s NIECE by his brother Aristobulus (Antiquities 18.5.1), but she was ALSO “his brother Philip’s wife” (Matt. 14.3).”

This is important because Rabbinic Judaism says that it is lawful for a man to marry his niece because it is not specified in the laws of Leviticus 18. The only place where marrying a niece is forbidden is in the TEMPLE SCROLL! And if what Josephus says is correct this is more evidence that John the Baptist was familiar with this law from the Temple Scroll in order to express the two reasons why Herod’s marriage was unlawful.

Temple Scroll (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) Column 66 page 220

“A man shall not take his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother, for this is abominable. A man shall not take his father’s sister or his mother’s sister, for this is immoral. A man shall NOT TAKE THE DAUGHTER OF HIS BROTHER OR THE DAUGHTER OF HIS SISTER for this is abominable.”

Again, the Zadok Priest in the Damascus Document understood this:

Covenant of Damascus 5:7 (Compete Dead Sea Scrolls page 133).

“And each man marries the DAUGHTER OF HIS BROTHER OR SISTER, whereas Moses said, You shall not approach your mother’s sister; she is your mother’s near kin (Leviticus 18:13). But although the laws against incest are written for men, they also apply to women. When, therefore, a brother’s daughter uncovers the nakedness of her father’s brother, she is also his near kin.”

Jubilees

Mark 2:27-28 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Then He said, “The SHABBAT (Sabbath) was made for the sake of MAN, not the man on account of the Shabbat. And because of this the Son of ELOAH is Adon (Master) of EVERYTHING, whatever is in the world – and OF THE SHABBAT.”

Jubilees 2:24-25 (James VanderKam’s  Hermeneia translation with Hebrew fragment)

“It was granted to these that for all times they should be set-apart and blessed ones. This the TESTIMONY AND THE FIRST LAW as it was SANCTIFIED AND BLESSED ON THE SEVENTH DAY. He created the heavens, the earth, and everything that was created in six days. YAHWEH gave a set-apart festal day to ALL HIS CREATION. For this reason He gave orders regarding it that anyone who would do any work on it was to die; also the one who would defile it was to die.”

YESHUA said that the Shabbat was made for the sake of mankind! Why? Because the Shabbat was the FIRST LAW given to humanity as a gift of rest. YESHUA says that He is the Master of the Shabbat because as the Creator He instituted the Shabbat as the first law for mankind during creation.

John 1:1-3 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“In the beginning was the SON OF ELOAH. The SON of EL was both with EL, and the SON of EL was ELOAH. This was in the beginning with EL. ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM; and without Him nothing was made, of that which was made.”

YESHUA speaking pre-incarnate says:

Isaiah 48:16 (The Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Come close to Me, and listen to this: SINCE THE BEGINNING I have not spoken in secret, since the time things began to be, I HAVE BEEN THERE; and now YAHWEH ELOHIM has sent Me and His Spirit.”

YESHUA and Jubilees on Shabbat

Matthew 12:5 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And have you yourselves never READ IN THE LAW that the priests at times break the Shabbats in the Sanctuary with NO INIQUITY?”

YESHUA appeals to the Pharisees about reading about this in the law, but we don’t find a statement like this in Numbers 28 concerning the sacrifices. Benson’s commentary states: Benson Commentary

Matthew 12:5-6. Have ye not read in the law, &c. — He does not mean that the words following were to be found in the law, but only that they might read in the law, how the priests were obliged, on the sabbath days, to perform such servile work in the temple as, considered separately from the end of it, would have been a profanation of the sabbath, but really was not so, because it was necessary to the public worship of God, on account of which the sabbath was instituted.”

We will arrive at the same conclusion as Benson with only the five books of Moses, but if we turn to Jubilees, we will find a statement in the law that excuses the work of the priests as the only work that can be done on the Shabbat.

Jubilees 50:10-11 (James VanderKam Hermeneia translation)

“For great is the honor that YAHWEH has given Yisrael to eat, drink, and be filled on this festal day; and to rest on it from any work that belongs to the work of humanity EXCEPT TO BURN INCENSE AND TO BRING BEFORE YAHWEH OFFERINGS AND SACRIFICES FOR THE DAYS AND SHABBATS. ONLY THIS KIND OF WORK IS TO BE DONE ON THE SHABBAT DAY IN THE SANCTUARY of YAHWEH your ELOHIM in order that they may atone continuously for Yisra’el with offerings from day to day as a memorial that is acceptable before YAHWEH. And in order that He may receive them forever; day by day, as you were ordered.”

75 in Jubilees, Acts, Seputagint, and Dead Sea Scrolls

In the New Testament we find the RUACH HA’KODESH pointing back to Jubilees and other ancient translations when He was speaking through Stephen.

Acts 7:14 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Joseph then sent for his father Jacob and all his relatives, SEVENTY-FIVE PEOPLE.”

Many people have concluded that Stephen was quoting from another tradition or that he made a mistake, but it would be impossible for Stephen to make a mistake as he was speaking by the RUACH HA’KODESH and the truth is found below.

Jubilees 44:33-34 (James VanderKam Hermeneia translation)

“All the persons of Jacob who entered Egypt were SEVENTY PERSONS. So all of these sons and grandsons of his were SEVENTY, AND FIVE WHO DIED IN EGYPT BEFORE THEY MARRIED. THEY HAD NO CHILDREN. Judah’s two sons Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan. They had no children. The sons of Yisra’el buried those who died, and they were place among the seventy nations.”

Jubilees tells us that 75 total people came from Jacob and entered Egypt, but FIVE of them died in Egypt before they were married and had no children; therefore, since that occurred the number 75 is technically 70. And 75 souls that came out of the loins of Jacob are confirmed in other ancient manuscripts.

Exodus 1:5 (Septuagint)

“But Joseph was in Egypt. And all the souls born of Jacob were SEVENTY-FIVE.”

Exodus 1:5 (Dead Sea Scrolls Bible, 4Q1)

“And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were SEVENTY-FIVE SOULS.”

Seasons or Appointed Times

Genesis 1:14 (Septuagint)

“And ELOHIM said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven for shinning, to divide between day and night and let them be for signs and for SEASONS and for days and for years.”

Genesis 1:14 (Dead Sea Scrolls Bible)

“And ELOHIM said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to separate the day from the night; and they were for signs, and for SEASONS, and for days and for years…”

Genesis 1:14 (Samaritan)

“And ELOHIM said, let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to light the earth and separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs, and for SEASONS, and for days, and years.”

Genesis 1:14 (TS2009)

“And ELOHIM said, “Let lights come to be in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and APPOINTED TIMES, and for days and years…”

The common doctrine concerning Genesis 1:14 is that the moon is used for the appointed times aka the feast days but notice that all the ancient translation says “seasons”. So, the ancient translations say seasons and other translations place “appointed times” where “seasons” is. The etymology for the word season is “Mo’ed” H4150 and defined by Brown-Driver-Briggs as “1)Appointed place, appointed time, meeting 1a) appointed time 1a1) APPOINTED TIME (general) 1a2) SACRED SEASON, SET FEAST, APPOINTED SEASON 1b) APPOINTED MEETING 1c) appointed place 1d) appointed sign or signal 1e) tent of meeting.

Strongs defines it as “properly an appointment, that is, a FIXED TIME OR SEASON; SPECIFICALLY A FESTIVAL; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose); technically the congregation; by extension, the place of meeting; also a signal (as appointed beforehand): appointed (SIGN, TIME), (SET, SOLEMN FEAST.)

In the etymology for season, we see the words: season, festival, and appointed times mentioned. So, when we combine seasons with appointed times, we get the truth of the command found in Jubilees that during the four divisions of the year (the beginning of each SEASON) is an APPOINTED TIME AND WE ARE TO HAVE A FEAST. The first day of the first month is SPRING, the first day of the fourth month is SUMMER, the first day of the seventh month is FALL, and the first day of the tenth month is WINTER.

Jubilees 6:23-29 (James VanderKam Hermeneia translation)

The Four MEMORIAL DAYS and DAYS OF SEASONS

“On the first of the first month, the first of the fourth month, the first of the seventh month, and the first of the tenth month are memorial days and DAYS OF THE SEASONS. They are written down and ordained at the FOUR DIVISIONS OF THE YEAR AS AN ETERNAL TESTIMONY. Noah ordained them as FESTIVALS for himself throughout the history of eternity with the result that through them he had a reminder. On the first of the first month he was told to make the ark, and on it the earth became dry, he opened it and saw the earth. On the first of the fourth month the openings of the depths of the abyss below were closed. On the first of the seventh month all the openings of the earth’s depths were opened, and the water began to go down into them. On the first of the tenth month the summits of the mountains became visible, and Noah was very happy. For this reason he ordained them for himself forever as memorial FESTIVALS. So they are ordained, and they ENTER THEM ON THE HEAVENLY TABLETS.”

In conclusion, we can see that books have been removed and or hidden by the Pharisees and by doing so they held back the way of the heavenly kingdom for those who want to enter. Do not be one of the blind ones who are following the blind leaders and their man-made doctrines. Let us come back to the ancient Torah that has been uncovered for us in these last days so that we can completely obey YAHWEH! As always may YAHWEH bless you in YESHUA’s Name.

Was Abraham involved in paganism?

In the last message I defended the Book of Jubilees in regard to fasting on the Shabbat. Another reason Torah believers are rejecting the Book of Jubilees is because they believe that the book contains Greek customs being that Abraham wore a wreath, and we will examine that. I have stated in other videos that Jubilees and the Temple Scroll are both Torah and that both books are a direct revelation from ELOHIM to Moses and accept their claim.

Jubilees 16:30 (James VanderKam, Hermeneia translation)

“For this reason it has been ordained on the heavenly tablets regarding Israel that they should celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles joyfully for seven days during the seventh month which is acceptable in YAHWEH’s presence—a law that is eternal throughout  their history in each and every year. This has no temporal limit because it is ordained forever regarding Israel that they should celebrate it, live in tents, PLACE WREATHS ON THEIR HEADS, and take leafy branches and willow branches from the stream.”

Temple Scroll Composite Text, Column 17:1 (Charlesworth translation page 293)

“…the PRIESTS, and they shall put WREATHED-CROWNS UPON THEIR HEADS.”

If YAHWEH ordains it, then we know it is not pagan at all. This section of the Temple Scroll concerns the ordination of the priests, and we see that they put wreathed-crowns upon their heads, and Jubilees shows us that Abraham performed priestly duties during his lifetime before the Levitical law. I prove this in a message I did three years ago, If you have not seen that video, you can view it here: 

https://youtu.be/P7jj8Eqp4Ow?si=QXHAzE8_BvOmwjcR 

Other witnesses in the sixty-six books:

Proverbs 1:9 (Septuagint)

“For you shall receive for your HEAD A CROWN of favor and a chain of gold around your neck.”

Proverbs 1:8-9 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“My son, heed the discipline of your father, and do not abandon the teaching of your mother; they will be a GARLAND to grace your head, a medal of honor for your neck.”

Proverbs 4:9 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will bring you honor; and she will give your head a GARLAND of grace, bestow on you a crown of esteem.”

The word garland is also translated as “ornament” or “crown” in both of these scriptures from Proverbs and the etymology for the word is “Livyah” H3880 and defined by Brown-Drivers-Briggs as “WREATH” and Strongs defines it as “something attached, that is, A WREATH: - ornament.”

Ancient Hebrew defines it as: LYW-YH (Lamed, yod, waw, yod, hey) WREATH: As JOINED TOGETHER

Though used metaphorically we can conclude that the wreath in the scriptures above are connected to favor, grace, and honor not paganism. This is confirmed by what YAHWEH says in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 16:11-12 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“I GAVE YOU jewelry to wear, bracelets for your hands, a necklace for your neck, a ring for your nose, earrings for your ears and a beautiful CROWN FOR YOUR HEAD.”

The etymology for the word crown is “Atarah” H5850 and defined by Brown-Driver-Briggs as: “CROWN, WREATH”.

Ancient Hebrew defines atarah as: AhTh-RH (Hey, Resh, Tet, Ayin) “WREATH: As ENCIRCLING THE HEAD. Used as a sign of authority LIKE A CROWN.”

1 Kings 7:17 (Complete Jewish Scriptures) Concerning the building of the temple.

“He also made checker-work nets and CHAINED WREATHS, even for the top of each capital.”

The etymology for the word is “gedil” H1434 and defined by Strongs as: “(in the sense of TWISTING); thread, that is, a tassel or festoon: -fringe, WREATH.”

Although in this scripture the wreath is not being worn on the head of a human, the word was still used in the building of the temple which involved TWISTING material together as we know a wreath involves the TWISTING of vines, branches, leaves, etc.

James 1:12 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And “blessed is the man whom ELOAH chastens so do not refuse the discipline of SHADDAI,” for after the chastisements you will receive the CROWN OF LIFE, which YAHWEH promised to those who love Him.”

2 Timothy 4:8 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“All that awaits me now is the CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS which YAHWEH, “The Righteous Judge,” will award to me on that Day--- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for Him to appear.”

I do not have a Hebrew lexicon to define these words and can only look them up with the concordance that is currently available. The etymology for the word crown is “stephanos” G4735 and defined by Thayer as “1b) metaphorically the eternal blessedness which will be given as a prize to the genuine servants of ELOHIM and Messiah: the CROWN (WREATH) which is the reward of the righteousness.” From an apparently primary stepho (TO TWINE OR WREATHE).”

Twine defined by Oxford languages is “cause to wind or spiral round something.” And a synonym for twine is WREATHE.”

In conclusion we see that a wreath is a crown that encircles/winds or spirals around the head and there are different forms of it. They are commonly called “wreaths,” but they are worn on top of the head LIKE A CROWN. Abraham did not participate in anything pagan related, rather he was wearing a wreath/crown around his head that the priest wore in the Temple Scroll. Or being that he was celebrating Sukkot which is the festival of in-gathering that he was wearing wreathed-crown of vines, olives, or branches around his head. Either way we can safely conclude that the command was scriptural and again proves the authenticity of Jubilees.

And just as James and Paul said that those who endure until the end will receive the crown of life, which is connected to the wreath, we know that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will also receive the crown of life.

Matthew 8:11 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And I say to you that many will come from sun-rising and from sunset, and will REST with ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVENS…”

Testament of Judah 25:1

“And after these things ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB WILL ARISE TO LIFE, and I and my brothers will be rulers of the tribes of Yisrael…”

Testament of Levi 18:10-14

“And He will open the gates of paradise, and will remove the threatening sword against Adam. And He will give to the set-apart ones to eat from the tree of life, and the spirit of set-apartness will be on them. And Belial will be bound by Him, and He will give power to His children to tread upon the evil spirits. And YAHWEH will rejoice in His children, and be well-pleased in His beloved ones forever. Then will ABRAHAM AND ISAAC AND JACOB rejoice, and I will be glad, and all the set-apart ones will clothe themselves with joy.”

As always may YAHWEH bless you in YESHUA’s Name!

Jubilees and FASTING ON SHABBAT?

I have noticed that there is a growing number of people who are rejecting the Book of Jubilees and the biggest argument I have heard is “The Book of Jubilees says that anyone who fasts on the Shabbat shall be put to death, and we know that YESHUA and Moses both fasted for 40 days!” I understand your concerns and would like to address the issue in this message. This book along with the Temple Scroll is needed in these last days as we return back to the ancient path.

Jubilees 50:12-13 (James VanderKam translation)

“Any person who DOES WORK: who goes on a trip; who works farmland whether at his home or in any other place; who lights a fire; who rides any animal; who travels the sea by ship; any person who beats or kills anything; who slits the throat of an animal or bird; who catches either a wild animal, a bird, or a fish; WHO FASTS and makes war on the Shabbat day---a person who does any of these things on the Shabbat day is to die…”

On the surface it does appear that we have an apparent contradiction with the rest of the scriptures but lets dig deeper. In VanderKam’s translation there is a colon before we get a list of what is forbidden on the Shabbat.

Jubilees 50:12

“Any person who DOES WORK:

What is the function of a colon?  yourdictionary.com says “A colon is a punctuation mark that introduces or POINTS TO OTHER DIRECTLY RELATED TEXTS.”  Merriam-Webster dictionary says “a punctuation mark: used chiefly to DIRECT ATTENTION TO MATTER (such as a list, explanation, quotation, or amplification) that follows.” And dictionary.com says “used to mark a major division in sentence, to indicate that what follows is an elaboration, summation, implication, etc…”

So, the context of the list is all pertaining to work and we see the work activities of butchers, fisherman, hunters, and farmers listed here. We know that we cannot work on the Shabbat. Being that we cannot speak about our own interests, work, business, or wealth on Shabbat, is the same way we cannot FAST IN RELATION TO ANY OF THESE THINGS ON SHABBAT. Let’s view the scriptures about not talking about work, business, or wealth on Shabbat.

Isaiah 58:13 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“If you hold back your foot on Shabbat from pursuing YOUR OWN INTERESTS on My set-apart day; if you call Shabbat a delight, YAHWEH’s set-apart day, WORTH HONORING; then HONOR IT by not doing YOUR USUAL THINGS OR PURSUING YOUR INTERESTS OR SPEAKING ABOUT THEM.”

Damascus Document (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 141-142

Under the section titled “Concerning the Shabbat to observe it according to its law” states “No man shall speak any vain or idle word on the Shabbat Day. He shall make NO LOAN to his companion. He shall make NO DECISION IN MATTERS OF MONEY AND GAIN. HE SHALL SAY NOTHING ABOUT WORK OR LABOR TO BE DONE ON THE MORROW. NO MAN SHALL WALK IN THE FIELD TO DO BUSINESS ON THE SHABBAT.”  Verse 15 “No man shall PROFANE THE SHABBAT FOR THE SAKE OF RICHES OR GAIN ON THE SHABBAT DAY.”

4Q Halakhah B (4Q264a) The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls

“No man shall revise the scroll of a book reading its script on the day of Shabbat…But they may read and study it. No man shall make plans with his mouth….on the day of Shabbat. HE SHALL NOT TALK ABOUT ANY MATTER RELATING TO WORK OR WEALTH or…on the day of Shabbat.”

Amos 8:5 (Good News translation)

“You say to yourselves, “We can hardly wait for the set-apart days to be over so that we CAN SELL OUR GRAIN. WHEN WILL THE SHABBAT END, SO THAT WE CAN START SELLING AGAIN? Then we can overcharge, use false measures, and fix the scales to cheat our customers.”

As we see the scriptures are very strict about how we are to observe the Shabbat and the strong stance against even talking about work or gain. Furthermore, we saw in Isaiah 58:13 we are to call the Shabbat a delight and honor that day, yet in Amos we see that the people’s hearts were not right! They weren’t honoring the Shabbat, they didn’t delight in it, they were waiting for Shabbat to end so they could go right back to work! Likewise, the person who is fasting about work related issues or gain on the Shabbat does not have their heart set on honoring YAHWEH’s set-apart day.

Jubilees 2:26

“Now you command the Israelites to observe this day so that they may sanctify it, not do any work on it, and not defile it for it is MORE SET-APART THAN ALL OTHER DAYS.”

James 4:1-3 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And why is there war among you? Is it not because of your DESIRES/LUSTS which fight in your members? So you desire, but do not receive; and he who takes revenge and stays angry does not profit by it. And why all this? Because you do not pray, and when you do a prayer, it is not answered BECAUSE YOU PRAY WRONGLY.”

They were praying “amiss” for their worldly lusts, likewise one can “fast amiss” for worldly lusts on a day we shouldn’t even be talking or thinking about work, business, or gain.

The Shepherd of Hermas has a scripture relating to fasting, and though it is not specifically about the Shabbat, we can glean from it regarding “fasting amiss” for worldly things.

Shepherd of Hermas (5th Similitude, Chapter 3)

“This fasting,” he (Angel of repentance) continued, “is very good, provided the commandments of YAHWEH be observed. Thus, then, shall you observe the fasting which you intend to keep. First of all, be on your guard against every evil word, AND EVERY EVIL DESIRE, AND PURIFY YOUR HEART FROM ALL THE VANITIES OF THIS WORLD. If you guard against these things, YOUR FASTING WILL BE PERFECT.”

We can safely conclude that YESHUA, Moses, Elijah, Ezra, and Baruch did not fast for any evil desires or vanities of this world; rather, when they fasted it was for revelation, protection, and to further the Kingdom of YAHWEH which would be acceptable on Shabbat! Furthermore, we do not see either of them making a daily habit out of this practice, but when they did it was FOR GOOD!

YESHUA fasted for 40 days as He was getting ready to start His ministry and to bear witness of the truth to the world and to die to free us from all violation of the Torah (Titus 2:14).

John 18:37 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Then Pilate said to Him, “If so, are you King? YESHUA answered, “You say that I am King. I, for this matter I was born – and because of this I came to the world – to do truthful witness. Every man who is truthful obeys My words.”

Moses received the Torah which is for the entire world and which YAHWEH says will give life:

Leviticus 18:5 (The Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“You are to observe My laws and rulings; if a person does them, He will have LIFE THROUGH THEM; I am YAHWEH.”

Ezekiel 20:11 (The Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“I gave them MY LAWS and showed them My rulings; if a person obeys them, HE WILL HAVE LIFE THROUGH THEM.”

Acts 7:38 (The Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“This the man (Moses) who was in the assembly in the wilderness, accompanied by the angel that had spoken to Him at Mount Sinai and by our fathers, the man who was GIVEN LIVING WORDS TO PASS ON TO US.”

Although Moses did not eat physical food on Mount Sinai he was eating spiritual food as YAHWEH says He is the Fountain of Living Water:

Jeremiah 2:13 (The Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“For My people have committed two evils: they have abandoned Me, the FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATER, and dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water!”

The RUACH HA’KODESH is Living Water:

John 7:37-39 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And in the great day of the Feast, YESHUA stood, calling out and saying, “If any one does come unto me, he will drink; as whosoever believes in Me, as the Scripture says, ‘a stream of LIVING WATER will run from his belly.: And He said this concerning RUACH HAKODESH—which those who believe in Him would receive; for He had not yet given the RUACH because YESHUA had not yet come into the light/esteem of the Most High.”

And YESHUA is Bread:

John 6:35 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Then YESHUA said to them, “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE; whosoever comes unto me will not be hungry, and whosoever believes in Me will not have thirst in eternity.”

Moses had spiritual Bread and Water and this food is better than any food on earth! Likewise, I believe that when one is led to fast for the good reasons, I mentioned above that they are receiving the same food as Moses did.

As always may YAHWEH bless you in YESHUA’s Name!

Sunrise a Babylonian custom? Acts 20:7 breakdown!

With the rise of the morning-to-morning doctrine there are some brothers and sisters coming into Torah who are confused with the conflicting information they are hearing. In response, I have made five videos to show from the scriptures and even from the bees that the Shabbat day is from evening to evening. The goal is simply to let the truth prevail.

The irony of it all is that those who observe the “morning to morning” doctrine will accuse those who observe “evening to evening” as learning it from Babylon; although it is not conclusive on either side here is what five sources have to say in regard to morning to morning being observed by the Babylonians:

A secular site says:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-chronicle-of-timekeeping-2006-02/

“Uniform Hours

“ALTHOUGH THE MECHANICAL CLOCK could be adjusted to maintain temporal hours, it was naturally suited to keeping equal ones. With uniform hours, however, arose the question of when to begin counting them, and so, in the early 14th century, a number of systems evolved. The schemes that divided the day into 24 equal parts varied according to the start of the count: Italian hours began at sunset, BABYLONIAN HOURS AT SUNRISE, astronomical hours at midday and great clock hours (used for some large public clocks in Germany) at midnight. Eventually these and competing systems were superseded by small clock, or French, hours, which split the day, as we currently do, into two 12-hour periods commencing at midnight.”

www.yrm.org (YAHWEH’s Restoration Ministries) write:

“I have heard some teach that the Scriptural day begins at sunrise, rather than the Jewish sunset. Is this true? The sunset ending and beginning of a day is not a “Jewish” determination but a BIBLICAL ONE. The Romans and Egyptians began their day at midnight, as the world does today. THE BABYLONIANS BEGAN THEIR DAY AT SUNRISE BECAUSE THEY WERE WORSHIPERS OF THE SUN.”

www.lastmessageofmercy.com writes:

“The BABYLONIANS CONSIDERED A DAY BEGINNING AT SUNRISE, while the Egyptians and Romans were the first to begin the day at midnight. Only the Hebrews observed the day as BEGINNING AT SUNSET AND ENDING THE NEXT SUNSET: as God had declared is a day.” (Bonita M. Quesinberry, Truth Gathering, p. 227)

Wikipedia states in the section “Counting hours” under the subtitle “Counting from DAWN” states ”BABYLONIAN HOURS” divide the day and night into 24 equal hours, reckoned FROM THE TIME OF SUNRISE.”

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2008725

“The Jews were not the only people to reckon days in this way. The Athenians, the Numidians, and the Phoenicians did likewise. The BABYLONIANS, on the other hand, CONSIDERED SUNRISE TO BE THE BEGINNING OF EACH NEW DAY, while the Egyptians and the Romans reckoned their days from midnight to midnight, as is the modern custom. Present-day Jews, however, still begin and end their Sabbath observance at sundown.”

I wanted to share those articles to give you something to think about. Could you be the ones walking in Babylonian customs? But, as I stated earlier, neither is conclusive as to whether they observed evening to evening or morning to morning; therefore, we cannot let these contradicting articles be the source of our truth, so as always, we will go to the scriptures. Let’s look at the New Testament and we will see that Paul and those that were with him also observed the Shabbat from evening to evening!

Acts 20:7 (Aramaic and most translations)

“And on the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, while the disciples were assembled to break bread, Paul preached to them, and because he was ready to leave the next day, he prolonged his speech UNTIL MIDNIGHT.”

Acts 20:7 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“On MOTZA’EI-SHABBAT, when we were gathered to break bread, Sha’ul addressed them. Since he was going to leave the next day, he kept talking until midnight.”

1 Corinthians 16:2 (Aramaic and most translations)

“On the FIRST DAY OF EVERY WEEK, let each of you put aside and keep in his house whatever he can afford, so that there may be no collections when I come.”

1 Corinthians 16:2 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Every week, on MOTZA’EI-SHABBAT, each of you should set some money aside, according to his sources, and save it up; so that when I come I won’t have to do fundraising.”

Most translations will translate this as the “first day of the week”, which is technically correct because when the sunsets on Saturday it is the start of Sunday the first day of the week. The Aramaic is reflecting the Hebraic thought that they would all have been familiar with.

Glossary of Shabbat Buzz-words by aish.com writes:

“Motzei Shabbat-SATURDAY NIGHT, AFTER SHABBAT IS OVER.”

Acts 20:7 (Good News Translation)

“On SATURDAY EVENING we gathered together for the fellowship meal. Paul spoke to the people and kept on speaking until midnight, since he was going to leave the next day.”

Acts 20:7 (The Aramaic English New Testament)

“And on the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, when we assembled to break bread, Paul spoke with them, because he was to depart the next day; and he continued his discussion till midnight.”

There is a footnote #168 for this verse which says “AFTER THE SEVENTH DAY SHABBAT there is a traditional Jewish ceremony known as havdilah, which makes a separation between Shabbat and the first day of the week. ALTHOUGH SHABBAT IS OFFICIALLY OVER AT SUNSET, the sweet FELLOWSHIP enjoyed during Shabbat often extends far into the night, and sometimes until morning of the next day. Paul’s fellowship until midnight has absolutely nothing to do with why Christians go to church on Sunday morning.”

Again, Shabbat ended at SUNSET, and they all recognized that the day shifted to the first day of the week, but they continued to fellowship together until midnight. It makes more sense to realize that on Saturday night AFTER THE SUNSET aka Motza’ei Shabbat that Paul would fellowship with brethren and speak until midnight which would be about 6 hours. When it says that he would leave “the next day” is referring to the DAYLIGHT portion of Sunday the first day of the week. Paul was speaking to them during the NIGHTTIME HOURS of Sunday the first day of the week.

www.lastmessageofmercy.com writes:

When Luke writes that Paul’s sermon went until midnight, he is speaking of what we would call, “SATURDAY NIGHT.” Notice these alternate translations:

Good News Translation: "On SATURDAY EVENING we gathered together for the fellowship meal ..."

Revised English Bible: "On the SATURDAY NIGHT, when we gathered for the breaking of bread ..."

New English Bible: "On the SATURDAY NIGHT, in our assembly for the breaking of bread ..."

According to Hebraic timing (which Luke, the author of Acts, is clearly using) “midnight” would BE ROUGHLY SIX HOURS INTO THE NEXT DAY which, in this context, is the NIGHT PORTION of the Festival of Firstfruits when they would begin counting the Omer (the seven weekly Sabbaths) until Shavuot/Pentecost. Paul then departed at “the break of day” (Sunday morning) and did not stay for any so-called Sunday worship service.

But why did Paul stay so long Saturday night with these believers? Quite possibly because of a Jewish custom called, Motza’ei-Shabbat (also called, Havdalah). In his Jewish New Testament Commentary, David H. Stern writes:

“Motza’ei-Shabbat in Hebrew means ‘departure of the Sabbath’ and refers to Saturday night … the Greek sabbaton transliterates Hebrew Shabbat and may be translated ‘Sabbath’ or ‘week,’ depending on the context … A Saturday night meeting would fit more naturally with Jewish Shabbat observance, wherein the restful spirit of Shabbat is often preserved into Saturday evening, after the official end of Shabbat itself, WHICH OCCURS AFTER SUNSET when it gets dark enough to see three stars. It would be natural for Jewish believers who had rested on Shabbat with the rest of the Jewish community to assemble afterwards to celebrate their common faith in Yeshua [Jesus] the Messiah.”

So David Sterns commentary of the Complete Jewish Scriptures matches what was written in the Aramaic English New Testament. These scriptures match one that I have used in a previous video concerning a day being from evening to evening:

Ezekiel 46:1-2

“This is what YAHWEH Elohim says: ‘The east gate of the inner courtyard is to be SHUT ON SIX WORKING DAYS, but on SHABBAT IT IS TO BE OPENED, and on Rosh-Hodesh (New Month)  it is to be OPENED. 2 The prince is to enter by way of the outer vestibule of the gate and stand by the support of the gate. The priests are to prepare his burnt offering and peace offerings. Then he is to prostrate himself in worship at the threshold of the gate, after which he is to leave; but THE GATE IS NOT TO BE SHUT UNTIL EVENING.”

This scripture is very clear! The gate is to be shut on six working days but is to be opened on the Shabbat which is a non-working day! Then after the Shabbat is over in the EVENING the gate is shut! Why? The evening is the start of Sunday, which is one of the six WORKING DAYS. I pray that this has been helpful and will open up the eyes of those who were still confused.

As always may YAHWEH bless you in YESHUA’s Name!

BEES testify that Shabbat starts in the EVENING!

I recently did a video showing how Beaver’s rest on the Shabbat Day and testify to humanity and more so, Christianity who has rejected the Shabbat for Sunday the first day of the week. In this message is proof from an article that Brazilian bees in the Amazon rainforest start the Shabbat at sunset on Friday. This is another witness from creation to verify the videos I have done showing that a scriptural day starts at sunset and not the morning. If you have not seen those videos, you can watch them here:

1.     https://youtu.be/R0b07K0FP88?si=uWzepeLaNFMOZAqk  (

2.     https://youtu.be/nuPwxpNS1Ho?si=RgrVHBNRCKT7ushw 

3.     https://youtu.be/mGc8FLpF3Oc?si=8OVFuMTZeCj-AxmM 

4.     https://youtu.be/fgHEIPOSRWk?si=SJgzLDWGboKJKa0N     

This article is from www.salvation1.com and written by Slawek Gromadzki, if you want to read the entire article click here: Sabbath Keeping Bees & Sabbath Instinct | Salvation1

I have taken two excerpts from the article that pertain to the subject below:

“When Dr Lee arrived there it was still Sabbath so he wanted to see with his own eyes that the bees were really resting. And sure enough, although there were many hives in that apiary, there were no bees seen around in the field. He was very excited about it and wanted to learn as much as possible, so he told the pastor to ask the beekeeper to open one of the beehives so that he could see if the bees were there. The beehives were made of empty tree stumps and on the top, they were sealed with a lump of clay. Encouraged by the beekeeper Dr Lee put his ear to one of the holes made in the clay, and when he did that he could hear a clear buzzing noise made by bees inside the hive. It was amazing that none of them was trying to get outside although it was a very sunny and bright day with plenty of colorful flowers around.

Then Dr Lee asked that man when the bees STOP WORKING AND START THEIR SABBATH REST. The answer he received made him even more thrilled as the beekeeper answered that the bees always STOP WORKING EXACTLY AT THE SUNSET EVERY FRIDAY.”

“Dr Lee was also told that if someone wanted to move these hives, it could be done only after SUNSET ON FRIDAY, as otherwise, it would cause a big problem.”

YAHWEH is awesome and has given us plenty of witnesses with the scriptures and even with the bees to show us how and when to observe the Shabbat properly. Repent and turn from the morning-to-morning doctrine to the scriptural evening to evening days in obedience to YAHWEH’s commandment!

 More scriptural witnesses:

Genesis 7:11-12

“ On the SEVENTEENTH DAY of the second month of the 600th year of Noach’s life all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of the sky were opened. 12 It rained on the earth forty days and forty nights.”

Jubilees 5:23

“He (Noah) entered it during its sixth year, in the second month---on the first of the second month UNTIL THE SIXTEENTH. He and all that were brought to him entered the ark. YAHWEH closed it from outside ON THE SEVENTEENTH IN THE EVENING.”

Scripture makes it clear that 16 full days had passed and then on the evening of the 16th, which is the start of the 17th day when the sunsets, the rain began to fall at the start of the judgement for the flood. Jubilees uses this same language in Chapter 49 to show us the shift of a day starting at sunset.

Jubilees 49:1

“Remember the commandments that YAHWEH gave you regarding the Passover so that you may celebrate it at its time on the FOURTEENTH OF THE FIRST MONTH, that you may sacrifice it before evening, and so that they may eat it AT NIGHT ON THE EVENING OF THE FIFTEENTH FROM THE TIME OF SUNSET.”

Jubilees 32:27-30 (Concerning Sukkot and the 8th Day)

“He celebrated ONE MORE DAY THERE (8TH DAY). On it he sacrificed exactly as he had been sacrificing on the previous days, and called its name ‘Addition,’ for this day was added and the previous days he called ‘The Feast.’ And thus it was manifested that it should be, and it is written on the heavenly tablets: why it was revealed to him that he should celebrate it, AND ADD IT TO THE SEVEN DAYS OF THE FEAST (SUKKOT). And its named was called ‘Addition,’ because it was recorded among the days of the Feast Days, according to the number of the days of the year. AND IN THE NIGHT, ON THE TWENTY-THIRD OF THIS MONTH, Deborah, Rebecca’s nursed died…”

The Zadok Priestly calendar shows us that Sukkot starts on Wednesday which is the 15th day of the 7th month and runs for 7 days ending on Tuesday the 21st day of the 7th month. The 8th Day Closing Assembly is on Wednesday which is the 22nd day of the 7th month. So, after the celebration of the 8th day AT NIGHT when the sunset the day transitioned from the 22nd to the 23rd day of the 7th month which is a Thursday the day that Deborah died.

And the same Zadok Priest that declared Jubilees to be a part of the Torah specified it in their own writings in the Damascus Document, that I have already quoted in a previous video, but as a refresher it says:

Damascus Document (The Weekly Shabbat)

“Guard the Shabbat according to its law. No man is to do work on the sixth day FROM SUNSET when the diameter of the sun can still just be seen above the horizon. For that is what He said, guard the Shabbat Day to keep it set-apart (Exodus 20:8; Deuteronomy 5:12).

As always may YAHWEH bless you all in YESHUA’s Name!

Beaver’s rest on SHABBAT/SATURDAY do YOU?

Beavers that rest on Saturday: https://youtu.be/49T5unQEIbY?si=_USh0JQZOdTIVHhz

This video was shared with me by a sister in YESHUA! I was so amazed by this video that I wanted to share it with anyone who has not seen it. How is it that beavers know how to rest and obey YAHWEH on the Shabbat, but human beings do not? I pray that this video and the scriptures I want to add with this video will convict you to keep the Shabbat (Saturday) as YAHWEH commanded.

Exodus 20:8-11

 8 “Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for ELOHIM. 9 You have six days to labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Shabbat for yahweh your ELOHIM. On it, you are not to do any kind of work — not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, NOT YOUR LIVESTOCK, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. 11 For in six days, YAHWEH made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why YAHWEH blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself.”

Jubilees 50:12

“Any person who does work: who goes on a trip; who works farmland whether at his home or in any other place; who lights a fire; WHO RIDES ANY ANIMAL…”

YAHWEH commands that the animals also need to rest, as human beings need to! Animals and creation naturally obey YAHWEH, but will you?

Jeremiah 8:8-9 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Storks in the sky KNOW THEIR SEASONS; Doves, swallows and cranes THEIR MIGRATION TIMES; but MY PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW THE RULINGS OF YAHWEH! How can you say, “We are wise; YAHWEH’s Torah is with us,” when in fact the lying pen of the scribes has turned it into falsehood? The wise are put to shame, alarmed, entrapped. They have rejected the word of YAHWEH, so WHAT WISDOM DO THEY HAVE?”

Isaiah 1:2-3 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Hear, heaven! Listen, earth! For YAHWEH is speaking. “I raised and brought up children, but they REBELLED AGAINST ME. An OX KNOWS ITS OWNER AND A DONKEY ITS MASTER’S STALL, BUT YISRA’EL DOES NOT KNOW, MY PEOPLE DO NOT REFLECT.”

To Yisra’el’s shame an ox and donkey know how to return home to their masters, yet mankind is rebellious and they don’t understand how to repent and return back home to their Master YAHWEH!  

Enoch 2:1-3

“Observe everything that takes place in the heavens, how they DO NOT CHANGE THEIR ORBITS, and the luminaries which are in the heavens, how they all rise and set in order each in its season, AND DO NOT TRANGRESS AGAINST THEIR APPOINTED ORDER. Behold the earth, and observe the things which take place on it, from first to last, how steadfast they are, how NONE OF THE THINGS ON EARTH CHANGE, but all the works of ELOHIM appear to you. Behold the summer and the winter, how the earth is filled with water, and the clouds cause the dew and rain to rest upon it.”

Enoch 3:1

“Observe and see how in the winter all the trees seem as though they had withered and shed all their leaves, except fourteen trees, which do not lose their foliage but renew their foliage after two to three years.”

Enoch 4:1

“And again, observe the days of summer how the sun is above her and ahead of her. And you seek shade and shelter because of the heat of the sun, and the earth also burns with blazing heat, and so you cannot walk on the earth, or on a rock because of its heat.”

Enoch 5:1-5

“Observe how the green trees are covered with leaves and bear fruit. Now pay attention and know with regard to all His works, and recognize how He that lives forever has made them so. And all His works go on from year to year forever, AND ALL PROSPERS AND OBEYS HIM, AND DOESN’T CHANGE, BUT EVERYTHING WORKS ACCORDING TO THE WAY ELOHIM HAS ORDAINED. And behold how the sea and the rivers in like manner accomplish and DO NOT CHANGE THEIR TASKS FROM HIS COMMANDS. But YOU: YOU HAVE NOT BEEN STEADFAST, NOR DONE THE COMMANDS OF YAHWEH, but you have turned away and spoken proud and hard words with your impure mouths against His greatness. Oh you hardhearted, you shall find no peace. Therefore you shall curse your days, and the years of our life shall perish, and the years of your destruction shall be multiplied in eternal cursing, and you shall find no kindness.”

Baruch 3:33-35

“The One who sends forth the light, and it goes; He called it, and it OBEYED HIM, TREMBLING; the stars shone in their watches, and were glad; He called them, and they said, “Here we are!” They shone with gladness for Him who made them.” This is our ELOHIM; no other can be compared to Him.”

Testament of Levi 3:9

“Therefore when YAHWEH looks at us, ALL OF US ARE SHAKEN; yes, the heavens, and the earth, and they abysses TREMBLE AT HIS MAJESTY. But the SONS OF MEN, NOT PERCEIVING THESE THINGS, SIN AND PROVOKE THE ANGER OF THE MOST HIGH.”

Deuteronomy 10:16 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Therefore, circumcise the foreskin of your heart; and don’t be STIFFNECKED ANY LONGER!”

Repent! Don’t be one who doesn’t obey the commands of YAHWEH and walk in the error of false doctrine. All creation knows to obey YAHWEH and does not transgress against Him, except for humans! Turn back to your Master YAHWEH and follow the example of the beavers and rest on the Shabbat.

As always, may YAHWEH bless you in YESHUA’s Name!

Don’t be a "seeker of SMOOTH THINGS!:

Jubilees 1:12 (James VanderKam translation with Hebrew fragment)

“I will send witnesses to them so that I may testify to them, but they will not listen and will kill the witnesses. THEY WILL PERSECUTE THOSE TOO WHO STUDY THE LAW. They will neglect everything and will begin to do evil in My presence.”

Make no mistake these aren’t just Christians who will persecute those who study the Torah, but also the seekers of smooth things will persecute them too. They will accuse those who want to obey all the Torah without turning to the right nor the left by saying “You are doing too much!” or “You are going too far!”  They will also call them Pharisees! Calling someone who wants to walk in the written Torah is an improper label when we know what the real meaning of a Pharisee is. A pharisee added to the Torah and put the oral torah above the written! So how is a person who is obeying the written Torah a Pharisee? That would be saying that ELOHIM who is the giver of the Torah is a Pharisee! Let it not be!

Who are the seekers of smooth things?

Damascus Document page (Ken Johnson) page 25

“This brought down the ancient hills by departing from righteousness and moving the landmarks of the ancients in their inheritance. Then the curses of the covenant took hold on them, delivering them to the sword to avenge the breaches of the covenant. These “SEEKERS OF SMOOTH THINGS” chose DECEIT AND LOOPHOLES IN THE LAW.”

Is this you? Do you read the Torah and see a command that you don’t want to do and then search for loopholes and gray areas to get out of obeying? My brothers and sisters, you cannot tell a Christian to obey the Torah when you don’t want to obey it yourselves. The Zadok priests knew this to be true as they saw the laxed approach of the Pharisees interpretation of the Torah. The Sadducees had a stricter interpretation of the Torah, yet the rejected any books outside of it, while also rejecting the resurrection, existence of angels and spirits. Simply put, we can’t look Eastern on the outside but have Western hearts on the inside. We will go into more detail about “seekers of smooth things” in another section.

Romans 12:1-2 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“I exhort you, therefore, brothers, in view of ELOHIM’s mercies, to offer yourselves as a sacrifice, living and set apart for ELOHIM. This will please Him; it is the logical “Temple Worship” for you. In other words, do not let yourselves be conformed to the standards of this present world. Instead, keep letting yourselves be transformed by the renewing of your minds; so that you will know what ELOHIM wants and will agree that what He wants is good, satisfying and able to succeed.”

Instead of being transformed by the renewing of their minds and carrying the light yoke of YESHUA, people will make excuses as to they don’t have to wear tsit-tsit, don’t have to practice circumcision, don’t have to obey the purity laws, saying we can wear mixed fabrics, and that divorce and remarriage is permissible and more.

This same spirit lives on today whether believers are aware of it or not. The Zadok priests only confirmed what YAHWEH already knew as He has declared the end from the beginning!

Words of Moses 1Q22 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 574

“ELOHIM spoke to Moses in the fortieth year after the children of Yisra’el had come out of the land of Egypt, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, saying: ‘Gather together all the congregation and go up to Mount Nebo and stand there, you and Eleazar son of Aaron. Interpret to the heads of family of the Levites and to all the Priests, and proclaim to the children of Yisra’el THE WORDS OF THE LAW which I proclaimed to you on Mount Sinai. Proclaim carefully into their ears ALL THAT I REQUIRE OF THEM. And call heaven and earth to witness against them; FOR THEY WILL NOT LOVE WHAT I COMMANDED THEM TO DO, NEITHER THEY NOR THEIR CHILDREN, DURING ALL THE DAYS THEY SHALL LIVE UPON THE EARTH. For I say that they will ABANDON ME, and will choose the abominations of the nations, their horrors and their idols. They will serve false mighty ones which shall be for them a snare and a pitfall. They will transgress against the set-apart days, and against the Shabbat AND THE COVENANT, AND AGAINST THE COMMANDMENTS WHICH I COMMAND YOU TO KEEP THIS DAY.”

We simply must be doers of the word and not hearers only!

Hearers and not doers

Hosea 10:11 (Aramaic)

“Ephraim is like a heifer that is trained, and loves to tread out the wheat; but I bent her neck under the yoke; I will make Ephraim to be ridden upon, I will cause Judah to tread wheat, and Jacob shall be plundered.”

In ancient Yisra’el, the grain would be placed on the threshing floor and then the cows would step on the grain and crush it with their weight. This was an easy job for the cows to do! A yoke is a wooden beam or frame that joins oxen together so that they can pull the weight of the plow, which is harder to do. In other words, Ephraim, just like Torah followers today, want it easy, they want to hear the word only, which is easy to do, but don’t want to pull the plow, meaning to pull the yoke of the Torah by putting it into action and being doers of the word. Scripture has already warned us about this:

Romans 2:13 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“For it is NOT MERELY THE HEARERS OF TORAH whom ELOHIM considers righteous; RATHER; IT IS THE DOERS OF WHAT TORAH SAYS who will be made righteous in ELOHIM’s sight.”

James 1:22 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“But you must be of those WHO DO THE WORD AND NOT OF THOSE WHO HEAR ONLY – by which they deceive you.”

Luke 11:28 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“As YESHUA was saying these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice to call out, “How blessed is the mother that gave birth to You and nursed you from her breast!” But He said, “Far more BLESSED are those who HEAR THE WORD OF ELOHIM AND OBEY IT!”

Exodus 20:16 (Samaritan)

“You go near and hear all that YAHWEH our ELOHIM may say. And tell us all that YAHWEH our ELOHIM says to you, and we will HEAR AND DO IT.”

Deuteronomy 5:24 (Samaritan)

“You go near and hear all that YAHWEH our ELOHIM says, and you speak to us all that YAHWEH our ELOHIM speaks to you, and we will HEAR AND DO IT.”

Exodus 24:7 (Samaritan)

“And he took the book of the covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, all that YAHWEH has spoken WE WILL HEAR AND WE WILL DO.”

Exodus 24:7 (Septuagint)

“And he took the book of the covenant and read it in the ears of the people and they said, ALL THINGS that YAHWEH has spoken we WILL DO AND LISTEN TO OBEY.”

Will you put His Torah into action by doing it? Or will you only listen and obey the parts you like?

ELOHIM expects us to follow Him completely!

Deuteronomy 5:29 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Therefore you are to be careful to do as YAHWEH your ELOHIM has ordered you; you are not to deviate either to the right or the left. You are to follow the ENTIRE WAY WHICH YAHWEH your ELOHIM HAS ORDERED YOU; so that you will live, things will go well with you, and you will live long in the land you are about to possess.”

Deuteronomy 10:12 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“So now, Yisra’el, all that YAHWEH your ELOHIM asks from you is to fear YAHWEH your ELOHIM, follow ALL HIS WAYS , love Him and serve YAHWEH your ELOHIM with all your heart and all your being; to obey, for your own good, the commandments and regulations of YAHWEH which I am giving you today.”

Temple Scroll page 215

“Afterwards they will return to Me with all their heart and all their soul, in conformity with ALL THE WORDS OF THIS LAW, and I will save them from the hand of their enemies and redeem them from the hand of those who hate them, and I will bring them to the land of their fathers. I will redeem them, and increase them and exult over them. I will be their ELOHIM and they shall be My people.”

Thanksgiving Hymns (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 255

“I have loved Thee freely and with all my heart and soul I have purified…that I might not turn aside from ANY OF THY COMMANDS. I have clung to the Congregation…that I might not be separated from ANY OF THY LAWS.”

The Torah is clear on these topics!

People will say that the Torah isn’t clear on what should be done and how to apply them today, which leaves room for one’s own interpretation and eventually rebellion.

Damascus Document (Ken Johnson’s translation) page 31

“The Wall Builders blasphemy grieved the RUACH HA’KODESH when they spoke against the statutes of ELOHIM’s covenant, saying that they WERE NOT SPECIFIC ENOUGH. THEY CONSTANTLY SPEAK ABOMINATIONS AGAINST THE STATUTES.”

Damascus Document (Vermes translation) page 133, Chapter 5

“Furthermore, they DEFILE THEIR RUACH HA’KODESH and open their mouth with a blaspheming tongue AGAINST THE LAWS of the Covenant of ELOHIM saying, ‘THEY ARE NOT SURE.’

YAHWEH has already told us what to do, it’s just a matter of whether you want to obey them or not.

The Damascus Document Column 16, page 139 (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls)

“For ELOHIM made a Covenant with you and all Yisra’el; therefore a man shall bind himself by oath to return to the LAW OF MOSES, for in it ALL THINGS ARE STRICTLY DEFINED.”

The Dead Sea Scrolls magazine (Special edition) page 12 says:

“This scroll (Temple Scroll), nearly thirty feet long, had been copied several times at Qumran, indicating that it was considered a KODESH (SET-APART) BOOK. It contains elaborate plans for the building of the Jewish Temple, and it’s overriding characteristic is STRICT ADHERENCE TO THE LAW, WHICH IS SPELLED OUT EXPLICITLY. The laws, pertaining to the city of the Temple, include instruction on furniture, utensils, sacrifices, personal hygiene, and separation of people according to gender, health, and standing with the community. The Temple Scroll also refers to some festivals and set-apart days not mentioned in scripture, such as the New Wine Festival, the New Oil Festival, and the Wood Offering Festival. The frequent use of the FIRST PERSON WHEN ELOHIM SPEAKS IS ANOTHER INDICATION that this scroll is related to the Pentateuch (The first five books of the Bible, called the Torah of Moses.)

 YESHUA told us plainly that His yoke is light, yet the “seekers of smooth things” look for a way out of doing parts of the Torah they don’t like.

Matthew 11:29-30 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And carry MY YOKE upon you and learn from Me, that I am humble and restful of heart, and you will find rest in your nepahshot (souls), for MY YOKE IS RESTFUL AND MY BURDEN IS EASY.”

YAHWEH tells us that His people would not like what He commanded them to do, yet we know that scripture tells us that His Torah can be obeyed and that it isn’t difficult nor burdensome!

The Torah is not burdensome!

1 John 5:3 (Aramaic)

“For this is the love of ELOHIM, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are NOT DIFFICULT.”

1 John 5:3 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“For loving ELOHIM means obeying His commands. Moreover, His commands are NOT BURDENSOME.”

Oxford languages define “burdensome” as- difficult to carry out or fulfill; taxing. Undesirably RESTRICTIVE and a synonym is OPPRESSIVE.

This is a terrible way to feel about the Creator’s commandments! People feel that YAHWEH’s Torah is restrictive and oppressive and in return they will seek the path of least resistance which leads to being a seeker of smooth things and looking for loopholes.

Deuteronomy 30:14 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“However, all this will happen only if you pay attention to what yahweh your ELOHIM says, so that you obey his commandments and regulations which are written in this book of the Torah, if you turn to YAHWEH your ELOHIM with all your heart and all your being. (LY: vi) 11 For this mitzvah (commandment) which I am giving you today is NOT, TOO HARD FOR YOU it is not beyond your reach. 12 It isn’t in the sky, so that you need to ask, ‘Who will go up into the sky for us, bring it to us and make us hear it, so that we can obey it?’ 13 Likewise, it isn’t beyond the sea, so that you need to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea for us, bring it to us and make us hear it, so that we can obey it?’ 14 On the contrary, the word is very close to you — in your mouth, even in your heart; therefore, YOU CAN DO IT!”

YAHWEH’s commands are not difficult, they just simply need to be obeyed by applying it to our lives and Moses says, “It is NOT TOO HARD FOR you, and you can DO IT!” Pull the plow by doing the works of the Torah!

Shepherd of Hermas Command #12

“I say to him, “Sir, these commandments are great, and good, and glorious, and fitted to gladden the heart of the man who can perform them. But I do not know if these commandments can be kept by man, because they are exceedingly hard.” He answered and said to me, “If you lay it down as certain that they can be kept, then you will EASILY KEEP THEM, AND THEY WILL NOT BE HARD. But if you come to imagine that they cannot be kept by man, then you will not keep them. Now I say to you, if you do not keep them, but neglect them, YOU WILL NOT BE SAVED, nor your children, nor your house, since you have already determined for yourself that these commandments cannot be kept by man.”

So, if the commandments in the Torah are strictly defined and we can do them, especially with the discovery of the Temple Scroll, then why is this topic being ignored or rejected?

2 Timothy 4:3 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“For the time is coming when people will NOT HAVE PATIENCE FOR SOUND TEACHING, but will cater to their passions and gather around themselves TEACHERS WHO SAY WHATEVER THEIR EARS ITCH TO HEAR.” YES, THEY WILL STOP LISTENING TO THE TRUTH, but will turn aside to follow myths.”

That time is here brothers and sisters and in the next section shows that these are the signs of the last days.

Seekers of smooth things and the end times!

Malachi 2:9 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Therefore I have in turn made you contemptible and vile before all the people, because you did not keep My ways but were PARTIAL IN APPLYING THE TORAH.”

Damascus Document (Ken Johnson) page 25

“This brought down the ancient hills by departing from righteousness and moving the landmarks of the ancients in their inheritance. Then the curses of the covenant took hold on them, delivering them to the sword to avenge the breaches of the covenant. These “SEEKERS OF SMOOTH THINGS” chose DECEIT AND LOOPHOLES IN THE LAW.”

Definition of “loophole” by Merriam-Webster says “a means of ESCAPE especially: an ambiguity or omission in the text through which THE INTENT OF A STATUTE, CONTRACT, OR OBLIGATION MAY BE EVADED.”

Statute is a law and YAHWEH’s covenant is a binding contract, so when people seek loopholes in the Torah to satisfy their flesh their intention is to EVADE YAHWEH’s commandments no matter how smooth they present their case.

Damascus Document (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) pg. 130

“For they SOUGHT SMOOTH THINGS and PREFERED ILLUSIONS (Isaiah 30:10) and WATCHED FOR BREAKS (Isaiah 30:13).”

Oxford languages defines “Illusions” a FALSE IDEA OR BELIEF.

Romans 16:17-18 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put snares alongside the teaching in which you have been trained — keep away from them. 18 For men like these are not serving our Master the Messiah but their own belly; by SMOOTH TALK and flattery they DECEIVE the innocent.”

Thanksgiving Hymns (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) pg. 262

“But to the elect of righteousness Thou hast made me a banner, and a discerning interpreter of wonderful mysteries, to try those who practice truth and to test those who love correction. TO THE INTERPRETERS OF ERROR I HAVE BEEN AN OPPONENT, but a man of peace to all those who see TRUE THINGS. TO ALL THOSE WHO SEEK SMOOTH THINGS I have been a spirit of zeal; like the sound of the roaring of many waters to have all the deceivers thundered against me; all their thoughts were devilish scheming’s”.

Thanksgiving Hymns (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) pg.264 Hymn 8

“I thank Thee, O YAHWEH, for Thou has fastened Thine eye upon me. Thou hast saved me from the zeal of LYING INTERPRETERS, and from the congregation of those WHO SEEK SMOOTH THINGS. Thou hast redeemed the soul of the poor one whom they planned to destroy by spilling his blood because He served THEE. Because they knew not that my steps were directed by Thee, they made me an object of shame and derision IN THE MOUTH OF ALL THE SEEKERS OF FALSEHOOD.”

Thanksgiving Hymns (Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) pg. 269

“I thank Thee, O YAHWEH, for Thou has illumined my face by Thy Covenant and sure as the dawn Thou appearest as perfect Light to me. TEACHERS OF LIES HAVE SMOOTHED THY PEOPLE WITH WORDS, and false prophets have led them astray; they PERISH WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING FOR THEIR WORKS ARE IN FOLLY. For I am despised by them and they have no esteem for me that Thou mayest manifest Thy might through me. They have banished me from my land like a bird from its nest; all my friends and brethren are driven far from me and hold me for a broken vessel. And they, TEACHERS OF LIES AND SEERS OF FALSEHOOD, have schemed against me a DEVILISH SCHEME, to exchange the Law engraved on my heart by Thee FOR THE SMOOTH THINGS WHICH THEY SPEAK TO THY PEOPLE. And they withhold from the thirsty the drink of Knowledge, and assuage their thirst with vinegar, that they may gaze on their straying, on their folly concerning their feast-days, on their fall into their snares.”

The writer of the Thanksgiving Hymns who I believe to be the Teacher of Righteousness was persecuted by the Wicked Priest and his followers, which again matches the scripture I quoted in the beginning.

Jubilees 1:12 (James VanderKam translation with Hebrew fragment)

“I will send witnesses to them so that I may testify to them, but they will not listen and will kill the witnesses. THEY WILL PERSECUTE THOSE TOO WHO STUDY THE LAW. They will neglect everything and will begin to do evil in My presence.”

The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls pg. 499 Commentary on Isaiah 30:15, 4Q163

“This saying, referring to THE LAST DAYS, concerns the CONGREGATION OF THOSE WHO SEEK SMOOTH THINGS IN JERUSALEM…WHO DESPISE THE LAW AND DO NOT TRUST IN ELOHIM…As robbers lie in wait for a man…they have DESPISED THE WORDS OF THE LAW…”

We are in the last days as we see that not only Christians despise the Torah of YAHWEH, but also those within the Torah community despise the law and change it to satisfy their flesh. Sadly, the congregation of those who seek smooth things are concerned more with standing together in false unity versus completely standing for the truth. When a law is too difficult or a burden to them, they simply ignore it or reject it.

In conclusion let us remember this, that simply saying you are Torah observant isn’t enough, but are you doing the work of the Torah by pulling the yoke or are you content with treading the grain only? It’s time to be doers of the word and not hearers only, because YESHUA has already warned us!

Matthew 7:13-15 (Hebrew)

“YESHUA MASHIACH said unto His talmidim (disciples), “Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the way that leads man to destruction, and many are entering by it. But the gate AND THE WAY that leads to life, is EXCEEDINGLY NARROW; and FEW ARE THEY WHO FIND IT.” Guard yourselves from the PROPHETS OF DECEPTION, who come in clothes of ewes but in their inside they are rending wolves.”

Proverbs 11:31 (Septuagint)

“If the RIGHTEOUS ARE NARROWLY SAVED, where shall the impious and the sinner appear?”

1 Peter 4:18 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“If the RIGHTEOUS IS BARELY DELIVERED, where shall the unrighteous and sinful end up?”

Let us return to YAHWEH completely:

Temple Scroll page 215

“Afterwards they will return to Me with all their heart and all their soul, IN CONFORMITY WITH ALL THE WORDS OF THIS LAW, and I will save them from the hand of their enemies and redeem them from the hand of those who hate them, and I will bring them to the land of their fathers. I will redeem them, and increase them and exult over them. I will be their ELOHIM and they shall be My people.”

What is the definition of “conformity” according to Oxford Languages? COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS, RULES, OR LAWS! YAHWEH says that once we do this, then He will regather His people. So let us strive to obey and encourage our brethren to do the same.

Deuteronomy 5:26 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“Oh, how I wish their hearts would stay like this always, that they would fear Me and OBEY ALL MY MITZVOT (COMMANDMENTS); so that it would go well with them and their children forever.”

As always, may YAHWEH bless you all in YESHUA’s Name!