There is a movement circulating amongst the Torah community that tells us that we cannot keep the commandments of the Torah outside of the land of Yisra’el! I said it before and I will say it again, Satan does not care how he gets you to rebel against YAHWEH, he only cares that you do! Satan has already deceived Christians into accepting a lawless doctrine and they believe they will be saved and now that same mentality has crept into the Torah community.
This is all according to the plan of the enemy because this must happen first to fulfill prophecy:
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“But in connection with the coming of our Master YESHUA the Messiah and our gathering together to meet Him, we ask you, brothers, not to be easily shaken in your thinking or anxious because of a spirit or spoken message or a letter supposedly from us claiming that the Day of YAHWEH has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For the Day will not come until AFTER THE APOSTASY HAS COME and the man who separates himself from Torah has been revealed, the one destined for doom.”
Merriam-Webster defines “Apostasy” as an act of REFUSING to continue to FOLLOW, OBEY, OR RECOGNIZE A RELIGIOUS FAITH.
So, not only has Christianity done this, but now those in Torah are refusing to follow and obey the commandments of YAHWEH under the guise of being obedient, and yet these hypocrites will tell the Christians that they need to be keeping the Shabbat and eating clean according to the dietary laws in Leviticus 11! Christians say we don’t have to obey any of the Torah and this so-called Torah group is picking the commandments they want to obey.
Can we keep the commandments in a foreign land?
Enoch 108:1-3
“Another book which Enoch wrote for his son Methusaleh and for those who will come after him, AND KEEP THE TORAH IN THE LAST DAYS. You who have done good shall wait for those days until an end is made of those who WORK EVIL; and an end of the might of the transgressors. And wait indeed until iniquity has passed away, for their names shall be blotted out of the book of life and out of the set-apart books, and their seed shall be destroyed forever, and their beings shall be slain, and they shall cry and make lamentation in a place that is a chaotic wilderness, and in the fire shall they burn; for there is no earth there.”
If you look at the table of contents in the Dead Sea Scrolls Scriptures, the oldest form of the scriptures found at Qumran, you will notice that Enoch is listed among the prophets. Notice how Enoch the prophet tells us that there will be those who will be keeping the commandments of the Torah in the last days? Currently, the children of YAHWEH are scattered to the four corners of the earth due the disobedience of our forefathers and will return back to the land when YESHUA regathers us! And yet, while scattered to the four corners of the earth we will be keeping the commandments of the Torah in the LAST DAYS WHILE IN DIASPORA! But that is not all! Enoch warns that we will wait until an end is made of those who work evil and how does scripture define those who work evil?
Psalms 119:53 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“Fury seizes me when I think of the WICKED, BECAUSE THEY ABANDON YOUR TORAH.”
2 Kings 17:13 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“YAHWEH had warned Yisra’el and Yehudah (Judah) in advance through every prophet and seer, “Turn from YOUR EVIL WAYS; AND OBEY MY COMMANDMENTS AND REGULATIONS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ENTIRE TORAH which I ordered your ancestors to keep and which I sent to you through my servant the prophets.”
It’s clear that those who do not keep the Torah are evil and liars in the sight of YAHWEH! Are there any more witnesses to verify the words of Enoch about keeping the commandments of the Torah while in exile? YES!
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 YOU 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.”
This scripture could not be any clearer! For YAHWEH to reverse our exile, means that we would have to be in exile among the nations to begin with! And in order for Him to reverse our exile from where He has scattered us, He says we must do one thing FIRST! And that is to return to Him with ALL OUR HEART AND ALL OUR BEING! How do we turn to YAHWEH with all our heart, soul, and might?
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 (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 (Psalms 119:1), 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.”
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 AND WITH ALL HIS POWER, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TORAH OF MOSES.”
1 Chronicles 29:18-19 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“YAHWEH, ELOHIM of Abraham, Isaac, and Yisra’el our ancestors, guard forever the inclinations of the thoughts in the HEARTS of your people; direct their HEARTS to you; and give to Solomon my son WHOLEHEARTEDNESS TO OBEY YOUR COMMANDMENTS, INSTRUCTIONS, AND RULES, TO DO ALL THESE THINGS…”
2 Chronicles 15:11-13 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“That day they sacrificed to YAHWEH 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep from the spoil they had brought; and they entered into covenant to seek YAHWEH, the ELOHIM of their ancestors, WITH ALL THEIR HEART AND WITH ALL THEIR BEING; they also agreed that whoever refused to seek YAHWEH the ELOHIM of Yisra’el should be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman.”
So, once we return to YAHWEH with all of our HEART, SOUL, AND MIGHT which mean to keep the commandments of the Torah, THEN YAHWEH will regather us back to the promised land! Does it make any sense for YAHWEH to scatter His children for being disobedient to His commandments to only turn and regather His children for continued disobedience while in exile? That makes no sense! Let us view the same verses in the Samaritan Torah!
Deuteronomy 30:1-4 (Samaritan)
“And it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind IN ALL NATIONS WHERE YAHWEH YOUR ELOHIM WILL BANISH YOU. And you shall RETURN to YAHWEH your ELOHIM, and OBEY HIS VOICE according to all that I command you today, you and your sons, WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND SOUL. And YAHWEH your ELOHIM will RESTORE YOU FROM CAPTIVITY, and have compassion on you, and will RETURN AND GATHER YOU FROM ALL THE PEOPLES WHERE YAHWEH your ELOHIM HAS SCATTERED YOU. If your outcasts are AT THE ENDS OF THE HEAVENS, from there YAHWEH your ELOHIM will GATHER YOU, and from there He will BRING YOU BACK!”
As we read in the Complete Jewish Scriptures and the Samaritan Torah, we have to return to ELOHIM with all our heart, soul/being, and might to be gathered back to the land. Someone might say “obey His voice” in verse two is different than keeping the commandments, is this true?
Deuteronomy 30:10 (Samaritan)
“If you obey THE VOICE OF YAHWEH your ELOHIM, TO KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS AND HIS STATUTES WHICH ARE WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW. IF YOU TURN TO YAHWEH YOUR ELOHIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND SOUL.”
So again, YAHWEH is just reiterating that obeying His voice IS to keep the commandments and He again connects keeping the commandments with us doing it with all of our heart, soul, and might! It should be abundantly clear by now that YAHWEH does NOT approve us His children being LAWLESS while in exile! There is another witness to this.
Nehemiah 1:4-9 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“On hearing this answer, I sat down and wept; I mourned for several days, fasting and praying before the ELOHIM of heaven. I said, “Please, YAHWEH! ELOHIM of heaven! You great and fearsome ELOHIM, who keep His covenant and extends mercy to those who love Him and OBSERVE HIS COMMANDMENTS! Let your ear now be attentive and your eyes be open, so that you will listen to the prayer of your servant, which I am praying before you these days, day and night, for the people of Yisra’el your servants---even as I confess the transgressions of the people of Yisra’el that we have committed against you. Yes, I and my father’s house have transgressed. We have deeply offended you. We haven’t observed the commandments, laws or rulings you ordered your servant Moses. Remember, please, the word you gave through your servant Moses, ‘If you BREAK FAITH, I will SCATTER YOU AMONG THE PEOPLES; BUT IF YOU RETURN TO ME, OBSERVE MY COMMANDMENTS AND OBEY THEM, THEN, even if your scattered ones are in the most distant part of heaven, nevertheless, I will collect them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen for bearing my name.”
Let’s view some other examples:
2 Esdras 3:1-3
“In the thirtieth year after the DESTRUCTION OF OUR CITY, I, Salathiel, who am also called Ezra, WAS IN BABYLON. I was troubled as I lay on my bed, and my thoughts welled up in my heart, because I saw the DESOLATION OF ZION and the wealth of those WHO LIVED IN BABYLON. My spirit was greatly agitated, and I began to speak anxious words to the Most High, and said…”
2 Esdras 5:15-17
“But the malach (angel) who had come and talked with me held me and strengthened me and set me on my feet. Now on the second night, Phaltiel, a chief of the people, came to me and said, “Where have you been? And why is your face sad? Or do you not know that Israel has been entrusted to you IN THE LAND OF THEIR EXILE?”
I wanted to list these two scriptures to show the context that Ezra and the Israelites are in EXILE IN BABYLON! And what does Ezra say regarding the commandments while in Babylon?
2 Esdras 7:45
“I answered and said, “O YAHWEH, I said then and I say now; Blessed are those who are alive and KEEP THY COMMANDMENTS!”
YESHUA said the same words:
Luke 11:28 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“But He (YESHUA) said, “For more blessed are THOSE who hear the word of YAHWEH and OBEY IT.”
2 Esdras 7:70-74
“He answered me and said, “When the Most High made the world and Adam and all who have come from him, He first prepared the judgment and the things that pertain to the judgment. And now understand from your own words, for you have said that the mind grows with us. For this reason, therefore, those who dwell on earth shall be tormented, because though they had understanding they committed iniquity, and though THEY RECEIVED THE COMMANDMENTS THEY DID NOT KEEP THEM, AND THOUGH THEY OBTAINED THE LAW, THEY DEALT UNFAITHFULLY WITH WHAT THEY RECEIVED. What, then WILL THEY HAVE TO SAY IN THE JUDGMENT, OR HOW WILL THEY ANSWER IN THE LAST TIMES?”
This is the same question I present to all the heretics that are telling people not to keep the commandments! How will you answer on judgment day knowing that you taught lawlessness and directed people in the ways of Satan?
2 Esdras 9:9-12
“Then those who have now ABANDONED MY WAYS shall be amazed and those who have rejected them with contempt shall dwell in torments. For as many as did not acknowledge Me in their lifetime, although they received My benefits, and as many as SCORNED MY LAW while they still had freedom, and did not understand but despised it while an opportunity of repentance was still open to them, these must in torment acknowledge Me after death.”
What does it mean to abandon the WAYS of YAHWEH? Please read Psalms 119:1 and Psalms 103:7, but here is another.
2 Chronicles 12:1, 5 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“But in time, after Rehoboam had consolidated his rulership and had become strong, he, and with him all Yisra’el, ABANDONED THE TORAH OF YAHWEH.” Verse 5 “Now Sh’ma’yah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who had gathered in Jerusalem because of Shishak and said to them, “Here is what YAHWEH says: “Because you have ABANDONED ME, I HAVE ABANDONED YOU TO THE HANDS OF SHISHAK.”
In the Peshat the (literal meaning), those in the time of Rehoboam abandoned YAHWEH by not keeping Torah, so He in turn abandoned them; likewise, the Remez (the hint to a deeper spiritual meaning) those who abandon the Torah, YAHWEH will abandon them on judgement day and send them into eternal exile which is the lake of fire!
2 Baruch 77:11-12
“And the whole people answered and said to me: “Everything we are able to remember of the good things that the Mighty One has done unto us we will remember, and those things that we do not remember He knows in His mercy. Nevertheless, do this for us, your people: write ALSO TO OUR BROTHERS IN BABYLON A LETTER OF INSTRUCTION AND A BOOK OF HOPE, so that you strengthen them, too, before you no longer walk among us.” For the shepherds of Yisra’el have perished, and the lamps that have shone are extinguished, and the springs have withheld their stream from which we used to drink. For we have been left in the darkness and in the wood of the forest and in the thirst of the desert.” And I answered and said to them: “Shepherds and lamps and springs come from the Torah. And though we pass on, THE TORAH ABIDES. If, therefore, YOU LOOK TO THE TORAH AND WILL BE HEEDING WISDOM, THE LAMP WILL NOT BE WANTING and the shepherd not departing and the spring not drying up. Nevertheless, I AM WRITING ALSO TO YOUR BROTHERS IN BABYLON, as you have said to me, and will send by means of men. And I will write to the nine and a half tribes in this manner and send by the means of a bird.”
Baruch said the Torah will abide even when shepherds are gone and dictionary.com defines abide as TO REMAIN; CONTINUE; STAY…” And the context is that Baruch is writing a letter to those who ARE IN EXILE and what does he say to them in the letter?
2 Baruch 84:1
“I therefore make these things known to you while I am alive. For I have said that, above all, YOU SHOULD LEARN THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE MIGHTY ONE, WHO ADMONISHED YOU. AND I WILL SET BEFORE YOU SOME OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF HIS JUDGMENT BEFORE I WILL DIE.”
2 Baruch 84:7-9
“Let then THIS LETTER be a testimony between me and you, so that you will REMEMBER THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE MIGHTY ONE, and so that in this way I will also have an excuse before him who has sent me. REMEMBER Zion and THE TORAH, also the Set-Apart Land, and your brothers, and THE COVENANT, and your fathers, AND THE FESTIVALS, AND THE SHABBATS DO NOT FORGET. And PASS THIS LETTER AND THE TRADITIONS OF THE TORAH ON TO YOUR SONS AFTER YOU, AS YOUR FATHERS HAVE ALSO PASSED THEM ON TO YOU.”
So, what does Baruch tell his brothers to do in Babylonian exile? To REMEMBER the Torah, the Festivals, the Shabbats, and the traditions of the Torah and not to forget them! And not only that, but to pass them down to the future generations! Baruch says REMEMBER them, just as YAHWEH says in:
Exodus 20:8 (Septuagint)
“REMEMBER the SHABBAT DAY to keep it Set-Apart.”
Malachi 4:4 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“REMEMBER THE TORAH of Moses My servant, which I enjoined on him at Horev LAWS AND RULINGS FOR ALL OF YISRA’EL.”
The etymology of the word “Remember” is Zakar H2142 and defined by Strong’s as a primitive root; PROPERLY TO MARK (SO AS TO BE RECOGNIZED). That is, to remember; by implication to mention; BE MINDFUL…”
YAHWEH MARKS His people who remember to keep His Shabbats!
Ezekiel 20:12, 20
“I gave them My SHABBATS AS A SIGN between Me and them, so that they would know that I, YAHWEH, am the One who makes them set-apart.” Verse 20 “And keep My SHABBATS set-apart; and they will be a SIGN between Me and you, so that you will know that I am YAHWEH your ELOHIM.”
The etymology for the word sign is “Oth” H226 and defined by Strong’s as a SIGNAL (literally or figuratively), as a flag, beacon, monument, prodigy, evidence, MARK, miracle, sign.
They say we can’t keep the Feasts!
Sadly, these hypocrites will run around telling other Torah observant believers that they can’t keep the feasts outside of Jerusalem, yet they are observing the Shabbat WHICH IS A FEAST DAY! So according to their own false doctrine, they should not be observing the Shabbat either.
Jubilees 2:21
“And thus He created a sign in accordance with which they should guard the SHABBAT with us (ELOHIM and angels) on the seventh day, TO EAT AND DRINK, and to bless Him who has created all things, as He has blessed and set-apart to Himself a peculiar people above all peoples, and that they should keep Shabbat together with us.”
Jubilees 50:9
“You shall do no work whatsoever on the SHABBAT DAY except what you have prepared for yourselves on the sixth day, so as to EAT, and DRINK, and rest, and keep Shabbat from all work on that day, and to bless YAHWEH your ELOHIM, who has GIVEN YOU A DAY OF FEAST and a set-apart day, and a day of the set-apart kingdom for all Yisra’el is this day among their days FOREVER! For great is the honor which YAHWEH gave to Yisra’el that they should eat and drink and be satisfied on THIS FEAST DAY, and rest on it from all labor which belongs to the labor of the children of men…”
Do we see the Shabbat and other feasts being kept outside of Jerusalem in any other books? YES! We will start with the Damascus Document discovered in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Damascus Document 6:19 (Penguin Classics)
“They shall distinguish between clean and unclean, and shall proclaim the difference between set-apart and profane. They shall KEEP THE SHABBAT DAY according to its exact interpretation, AND THE FEASTS AND THE DAY OF FASTING according to the finding of the members of the Covenant IN THE LAND OF DAMASCUS.”
Can we be sure that they kept the commandments outside of Jerusalem? Yes!
Damascus Document 6:5 (Penguin Classics)
“The well is the Law, and those who dug it were the converts of Yisra’el who WENT OUT OF THE LAND OF JUDAH TO SOJOURN IN THE LAND OF DAMASCUS.”
The Jewish Virtual Library confirms this on page 1 writing “The Book of the Covenant of Damascus (the Zadokite Documents or the Damascus Document) is a work presenting the views of the sect which is said to have LEFT THE LAND OF JUDAH AND EMIGRATED TO THE LAND OF DAMASCUS.” Emigrate is defined by Oxford languages as “LEAVE ONE’S OWN COUNTRY IN ORDER TO SETTLE PERMANETNLY IN ANOTHER.”
On page 2 of the same article is written “At the end of the destruction of the land,” when the influence of the backsliders and adversaries of the sect became stronger, those who remained true to the covenant WENT OUT OF THE SET-APART CITY AND “ESCAPED TO THE LAND OF THE NORTH.”
We see the Zadok priests and Levites left the set-apart city in Jerusalem to go the Damascus, which is north of Yisra’el, and there they kept the commandments of the Torah.
Tobit 1:22
“And Achiacharus entreating for me, I RETURNED TO NINEVEH now Achiacharus was cupbearer and keeper of the signet and steward and overseer of the accounts and Sarchedonus appointed him next to him: and he was my brother’s son.”
Tobit 2:1
“Now when I had arrived HOME AGAIN (NINEVEH, Tobit 1:22) and my wife Channah was restored to me, with my son Tovi’yah, IN THE FEAST OF SHAVUOT, which is the set-apart feast of the seven weeks, there was a good dinner prepared for me, in which I sat down to eat.
Tobit, a righteous man celebrated Shavuot in Nineveh!
Acts 20:5-6 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“These men went on and waited for us in Troas, while we sailed from Philippi AFTER THE DAYS OF MATZAH (The Feast of Unleavened Bread)…”
Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are so closely connected that at the time of YESHUA the entire feast was called the Feast of Unleavened Bread or Festival of Matzah which is confirmed in Luke:
Luke 22:1 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“But the FESTIVAL OF MATZAH (THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD), KNOWN AS PASSOVER, was approaching…”
Therefore, we can see that Paul celebrated Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread in Philippi, and where is Philippi? Strong’s G5375 says “Philippi, a place in Macedonia” and where is Macedonia according to National Geographic Education “Macedonia still exists today as a geographical region in Southeast Europe that currently includes the nation of North Macedonia as well as parts of Greece, Albania, Serbia, and Kosovo.”
So, the biggest argument is that there is no Temple; however:
John 4:19-21 (Hebrew)
“Then the woman said to Him, “Master, I realize that you are a Prophet. Our fathers prayed to YAHWEH in this mountain (Mount Gerizim), but You say that the place where everyone has to pray to EL (God) is in Jerusalem. So YESHUA said to the woman, “Believe Me that a time will yet come, that you will not worship the Father on this mountain, NOR IN JERUSALEM. You pray to whom you do not know; but we pray to whom we know-for shalom (peace) is about to come for the Jews. But a time WILL COME, and is now, that the true worshippers will worship The Father in Spirit and truth, for the Father asks them that they WORSHIP ACCORDING TO THESE. EL is Spirit, and those who pray to him---it is required that they pray to Him in SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH.”
What is The Spirit? That would be the RUACH HA’KODESH The Set-Apart Spirit.
John 16:13 (Hebrew)
“But when the 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. He will esteem 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.”
The RUACH HA’KODESH (The Set-Apart Spirit) will lead us into ALL TRUTH and what is the truth?
Psalms 119:142
“Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness and Your TORAH IS TRUTH.”
So, YESHUA says we must worship YAHWEH in Spirit and Truth, which means we are to be filled and led by The Set-Apart Spirit as He will lead us into obeying the Torah/Law. YESHUA knew that the Temple would be destroyed in 70 A.D. as He prophesied in Matthew 24:1-2 and that the temple of the Samaritans would be destroyed in 128 BC and that when He ascended into heaven that He would give us the RUACH HA’KODESH (The Set-Apart Spirit); therefore, the presence of ELOHIM dwells in us and we worship Him the best we can wherever we are as we are scattered to the four corners. Which is why Paul says we are the TEMPLE OF ELOHIM!
1 Corinthians 3:16
“Do you not know that YOU are the TEMPLE OF ELOHIM and that the SPIRIT of ELOHIM dwells in you?”
John 2:19-21
“YESHUA answered them, “Destroy THIS TEMPLE, and in three days I will raise it up again.” The Judeans said, “It took 46 years to build this Temple, and you’re going to raise it in three days?” But the “TEMPLE” He had spoken of was HIS BODY.”
YESHUA was filled with the RUACH HA’KODESH just as we are! The same way ELOHIM’s presence dwelt in the PHYSICAL TEMPLE is the same way His presence now dwells IN US with the filling of the RUACH HA’KODESH making us the Temple. Without His presence we become an empty vessel that will be destroyed, just as when ELOHIM’s presence left the Temple it became a building that would be destroyed, IT IS HIS PRESENCE THAT DWELT WITHIN IT THAT MAKES IT SET-APART.
2 Baruch 7:1-8:4
“And after these things, I heard that malach (angel), who said to these angels who were holding the torches: “Now destroy and demolish its walls to the foundations, lest the enemies should boast and say: ‘We, we have demolished the wall of Zion and we have burned the place of ELOHIM, the Mighty One.” And they took me back to the place where I was standing before. Then the angels did as He had commanded them. And when they had broken down the CORNERS of the wall, a voice was heard from WITHIN THE TEMPLE, after the wall had fallen, and it said: “Enter, enemies, and come, those who hate, for HE WHO PRESERVES THE HOUSE HAS LEFT IT BEHIND.” And I Baruch, went away. And after these things, the Chaldean army entered and seized the house and everything around it.
Once YAHWEH’s presence left the Temple, THEN it was able to be destroyed by the Chaldeans.
2 Baruch 64:6
“The wickedness of Manasseh increased so much that the ESTEEM OF THE MOST HIGH DEPARTED FROM THE SANCTUARY.”
Now we can really see why Paul said this:
Ephesian 4:30 (Complete Jewish Bible)
“Don’t cause grief to ELOHIM’s RUACH HA’KODESH, for He has stamped you as HIS PROPERTY UNTIL THE DAY OF FINAL REDEMPTION.”
Deuteronomy 16:16
“Three times in a year all your males shall appear before YAHWEH your ELOHIM in the place of which He WILL CHOOSE, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths.”
The place YAHWEH CHOSE was Jerusalem where the Temple was before it was destroyed as YESHUA said, but now He has CHOSEN us as the Temple to appear before Him with the filling of the RUACH HA’KODESH!
2 Corinthians 3:17 (CJB)
“Now YAHWEH in this text means the Spirit. And where the Spirit of YAHWEH is, THERE IS FREEDOM.”
Freedom to serve YAHWEH wherever we are as the Temple because of the RUACH HA’KODESH dwelling in us.”
The Zadok Priests in the Damascus Document understood this as they were filled with the RUACH HA’KODESH and so was Paul, which is why they knew the freedom to keep the Torah in Damascus and Paul keeping Passover in PhillipI.
Damascus Document 5:13, pg. 31 Ken Johnson
“The Wall builders blasphemy grieved the SET-APART SPIRIT when they spoke against the statutes of ELOHIM’s covenant, saying that they were not specific enough.”
Other evidence
Brittanica.com writes “Letters of John, abbreviation John, three New Testament writings, all composed sometime around 100 CE and traditionally attributed to St. John the Apostle, son of Zebedee and disciple of Jesus (YESHUA). “
So, John’s letters were written around 100 AD which was 30 years after the destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70 AD, the Israelites are scattered, and what does John tell us?
1 John 2:3-4 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“The way we can be sure we know Him is if we are OBEYING HIS COMMANDS. ANYONE who says, “I know Him,” but ISN’T OBEYING HIS COMMANDS IS A LIAR---THE TRUTH IS NOT IN HIM.” But if someone KEEPS DOING WHAT HE SAYS, then truly love for ELOHIM has been brought to its goal in him.”
Anyone who does not keep the commandments of YAHWEH is a liar, which is confirmed by YAHWEH Himself:
Isaiah 30:9 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“For this is a REBELLIOUS PEOPLE; they are LYING CHILDREN, CHILDREN WHO REFUSE TO HEAR THE TORAH OF YAHWEH.”
1 John 3:4 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“EVERYONE who keeps transgressing is VIOLATING TORAH—indeed, transgression is VIOLATION OF TORAH.”
1 John 5:3 (Aramaic)
“For this is the love of ELOHIM, that we KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS; and His COMMANDMENTS ARE NOT DIFFICULT.”
John is still telling us to keep the commandments while being scattered to the four corners with no Temple because we are the Temple!
Polycarp letter to Philippians (Written 108 AD which is 38 years after the destruction of the Temple).
Chapter 2
“But He who raised Him up from the dead will raise us up also, IF WE DO HIS WILL, AND WALK IN HIS COMMANDMENTS, and love what He loved, keeping ourselves from all unrighteousness, covetousness, love of money, evil speaking, false witness; not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing…
Chapter 4
“Ephesians 6:11 and let us teach, first of all, ourselves to walk IN THE COMMANDMENTS OF YAHWEH.”
Shepherd of Hermas
The Shepherd of Hermas was written in 90 AD which was 20 years after the destruction of the 2nd Temple, and they were still keeping the Torah in Rome!
Encyclopedia Britannica states:
“Type of Jewish Christianity-STILL ADHERING TO THE MOSAIC LAW (TORAH)-evident in Rome during 2nd century. The Shepherd of Hermas was ORIGINALLY INCLUDED TO CANONICAL RANK and was bound WITH THE NEW TESTAMENT in the Codex Sinaiticus. It was listed between the Book of Acts and the Acts of Paul in the list of the Codex Claromontanus. Eventually, the text fell out of favor among the Christian bishops and it was excluded from the finalized list of canonical scriptures.”
The early “church fathers” as they are called, considered this book to be canon and that they were still following the Torah as the article mentions (adhering to the “Mosaic laws”.) So, these are early assemblies not too far removed from the days of the apostles who are following Torah and accepted this book as canon. Irenaeus was a commandment keeper and even wrote a book called “Against Heresies” endorsed this book as scripture as well.
In the 12th commandment section of the Shepherd of Hermas the malach (angel) of repentance says this to Hermas:
“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.”
1 John 5:3 (Aramaic)
“For this is the love of ELOHIM, that we KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS; and His COMMANDMENTS ARE NOT DIFFICULT.”
The other argument!
Lamentations 2:9 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“Her gates have sunk into the ground; He destroyed and broke their bars. Her kings and rulers are among the nations, THERE IS NO MORE TORAH, and her prophets do not receive visions from YAHWEH.”
There is no more Torah? What does this mean? It means that the Torah was burned due to them being exiled, but watch what happens next!
2 Esdras 14:19-22
“Then I answered and said, “Let me speak in the thy presence, Master. For behold, I will go, as You have commanded me, and I will reprove the people who are now living; but who WILL WARN THOSE WHO WILL BE BORN HEREAFTER? For the world lies in darkness, and its inhabitants are WITHOUT LIGHT (Proverbs 6:23). FOR YOUR LAW HAS BEEN BURNED, and so no one knows the things which have been done or will be done by You. If, then, I have found favor before You, send the RUACH HA’KODESH (THE SET-APART SPIRIT) into me, and I will WRITE EVERYTHING that has happened in the world from the beginning, the things which were WRITTEN IN YOUR LAW, THAT MEN MAY BE ABLE TO FIND THE PATH, AND THAT THOSE WHO WISH TO LIVE IN THE LAST DAYS MAY LIVE.”
Ezra cared about the future generations being that they did not have the Torah because it was burned, but he rewrote it by the leading of the RUACH HA’KODESH so that those would came after him would follow the truth again and it started in Babylon! And we know that according to YAHWEH’s words in Deuteronomy 30, that once they would keep the Torah while in exile He would regather them back to the land and we see this happen under the rule of Cyrus the king of Persia. Furthermore, Ezra said “THAT MEN MAY BE ABLE TO FIND THE PATH, AND THAT THOSE WHO WISH TO LIVE IN THE LAST DAYS MAY LIVE.”
Ezra said that men would be able to find the righteous path by keeping Torah and that those living in the last days MAY LIVE. We are living in the last days while in exile and those who obey Torah will live, which takes us back to:
Enoch 108:1
“Another book which Enoch wrote for his son Methusaleh and for those who will come after him, AND KEEP THE TORAH IN THE LAST DAYS.”
Leviticus 18:5 (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.”
In conclusion we must always remember this:
Malachi 3:6 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“But because I, YAHWEH, DO NOT CHANGE…”
Hebrews 13:8 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“YESHUA the Messiah is the SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER.”
YAHWEH and His Son YESHUA do not change, rather it is those who are walking in the flesh who want to make Him change to fit the lifestyle that they want to live. YAHWEH wanted us to obey His commandments while we were in Yisra’el so that we would not be removed from the land, now we must return back to Him while in diaspora with all our heart, soul, and might by keeping the commandments to be regathered back to the land. Continual disobedience for breaking His Torah which got us here in the first place is not pleasing in His sight! As always may YAHWEH bless you all in YESHUA’s Name!