Every word that YAHWEH speaks is important, but for some reason even within the Torah community divorce and remarriage has become common place, and it is my prayer that this message reaches the world so that they know the truth in these days. My sole job is to speak the truth as a servant of YESHUA and I love my brothers and sisters enough to not hold back the truth, I’d rather someone hate me for telling them the truth then to love me for lying to them.
A quick reminder is that the Torah was still being kept by the early assembly as I referenced in the first commandment of the Shepherd of Hermas, I did this to show that they had a great understanding of the commandments being that they were not too far removed from the days of YESHUA and the apostles. The early assemblies had a great understanding concerning the law of divorce and remarriage and they knew that it was not scriptural. The world has gotten so far removed from the ways of YAHWEH that it has allowed for many opinions to creep in versus the word speaking for itself; and the malach (angel) of repentance speaks to Hermas concerning this issue as another witness against this common practice of divorce and remarriage.
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.”
As I mentioned in the introductory of the first commandment of Hermas is that 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” and Origen was another who considered this book as canon. Now, with that foundation lets view what the malach of repentance says concerning this.
COMMANDMENT FOURTH ON PUTTING ONE’S WIFE AWAY FOR ADULTERY CHAPTER 1 “I charge you,” said he, “to guard your chastity, and let no thought enter your heart of another man’s wife, or of fornication, or of similar iniquities; for by doing this you commit a great sin. But if you always remember your own wife, you will never sin. For if this thought enter your heart, then you will sin; and if, in like manner, you think other wicked thoughts, you commit sin. For this thought is great sin in a servant of ELOHIM. But if any one commit this wicked deed, he works death for himself. Attend, therefore, and refrain from this thought; for where purity dwells, there iniquity ought not to enter the heart of a righteous man.” I said to him, “Sir, permit me to ask you a few questions.” “Say on,” said he. And I said to him, “Sir, if any one has a wife who trusts in YAHWEH, and if he detect her in adultery, does the man sin if he continue to live with her?” And he said to me, “As long as he remains ignorant of her sin, the husband commits no transgression in living with her. But if the husband know that his wife has gone astray, and if the woman does not repent, but persists in her fornication, and yet the husband continues to live with her, he also is guilty of her crime, and a SHARER IN HER ADULTERY.”
Mathew 5:31-32 (Hebrew Besorah/Gospel) matches the words of the malach of repentance:
“Moreover YESHUA MASHIACH said to his disciples, “The Torah says, ‘He who divorces his wife, must give her a letter of divorcement.” And I say to you that every man who divorces his wife—IF NOT IN THE TIME OF HER ADULTERY—HE PERFORMS ADULTERY.”
Deuteronomy 24:1 (Aramaic Peshitta)
“If a man takes a wife, and lies with her, and if she finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found some evidence of OPEN PROSTITUTION in her; then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it to her, and send her out of his house.”
If the husband does not divorce her in THE TIME of her adultery because he is aware that she is committing adultery, she has not repented and he does nothing about it, yet he continues to live with her then HE PERFORMS ADULTERY and is a sharer of her sin. YESHUA is the Written Word that became Living Flesh, He is the Living Torah; therefore, He is not going to break the Torah and speak contradictory to it. YESHUA said:
John 12:49
“For I have not spoken from My Soul, but the Father who sent Me. He gave Me a Commandment to Me what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His commands are eternal life. Therefore, these things that I speak just as My Father told Me, thus I speak.”
YESHUA never gave anyone permission to remarry and as we see He spoke the words of YAHWEH. YESHUA was ONLY stating the valid grounds for divorce as mentioned in the scriptures above; there is no exception clause to remarry in His words. If you must divorce her because she is committing adultery then you must remain unmarried because once you take another wife while the other lives you commit adultery. As we will see later on in this message that in the ancient dead sea scrolls that divorce was only the official separation of a couple, not the END of a marriage.
Our Father YAHWEH is uncovering so much truth in these days with lost books like The Shepherd of Hermas, The literal Hebrew New Testament and the Aramaic, that we can gain a better understanding of the truth. So, with the words of YESHUA from the literal Hebrew, the words of the malach of repentance and the literal translation from the ancient Aramaic Peshitta we no longer have a contradiction with Deuteronomy 24:1 that many will use to make a case because all of the ancient texts agree with each other; therefore the whole Deuteronomy 24 argument to support divorce and remarriage disappears.
Mark 10:10-12 (Hebrew Besorah)
“And they again asked Him about this in the house, and He answered them, Whosever, and whosever divorces his wife and TAKE ANOTHER, commits adultery. And if the wife divorces her husband, she commits adultery.”
The translator adds a footnote: “Repetition in Hebrew always adds emphasis.”
An example of that:
Genesis 41:32
“And as for that the dream was REPEATED to Pharaoh TWICE; it is because the thing is already prepared by ELOHIM, and ELOHIM will hasten to bring it to pass.”
YAHWEH gave this dream twice because He was confirming that He would bring the famine and this was true, and YESHUA repeated His words twice to show the severity of the matter and placing emphasis on it so the reader can understand it that whoever divorces his wife and takes another commits adultery and this thing is surely true.
Shepherd of Hermas continued: And I said to him, “What then, sir, is the husband to do, if his wife continues in her vicious practices?” And he said, “The husband should put her away, and REMAIN BY HIMSELF. BUT IF HE PUTS AWAY HIS WIFE AND MARRY ANOTHER, HE ALSO COMMITS ADULTERY.” And I said to him, “What if the woman put away should repent, and wish to return to her husband: shall she not be taken back by her husband?” And he said to me, “Assuredly. If the husband do not take her back, he sins, and brings a great sin upon himself; for he ought to take back the sinner who has repented. But not frequently. For there is but one repentance to the servants of ELOHIM. In case, therefore, that the divorced wife may repent, the husband ought NOT to marry another, when his wife has been put away. IN THIS MATTER BOTH MAN AND WOMAN ARE TO BE TREATED EXACTLY IN THE SAME WAY. Moreover, adultery is committed not only by those who pollute their flesh, but by those who imitate the heathen in their actions. Wherefore if any one persists in such deeds, and repents not, withdraw from him, and cease to live with him, otherwise you are a sharer in his sin. Therefore has the injunction (law, order, ruling, direction) been laid on you, that YOU SHOULD REMAIN BY YOURSELVES, BOTH MAN AND WOMAN, for in such persons repentance can take place.”
1 Corinthians 7:10 (Complete Jewish Bible and Lamsa’s Aramaic)
“And to the married I command, NOT I, but the Master (YESHUA): a wife SHOULD NOT separate from a husband. But if she is indeed separated, let her remain UNMARRIED or BE RESTORED TO FAVOR with her husband, and let a husband NOT desert/leave his wife (to withdraw from or leave usually without intent to return) his wife.”
Paul says this command is from YESHUA and not himself that a wife should not separate from her husband, BUT if she leaves him then she CANNOT remarry and that a man should NOT desert his wife. This matches what the malach of repentance said because in doing so, it allows the unfaithful spouse to repent and be restored back to her husband. You cannot leave the marriage and go marry another person because it literally is “Till death do you part!” And if she repents the husband HAS to take her back our else he sins! Think about it, we committed spiritual adultery against YAHWEH, we asked for forgiveness and He took us back, but the same concept applies that we cannot continue sinning against YAHWEH the same way a repentant wife cannot go on continuing to commit adultery once she is taken back.
Notice how the malach of repentance says that this applies to BOTH MAN AND WOMAN? This goes against all the men in the world who say this applies to the woman only, as if they have more rights to divorce and remarriage then a woman does, so do not be deceived by anyone who tells you this.
Shepherd of Hermas continued: “But I do not,” said he, “give opportunity for the doing of these deeds, but that he who has sinned may sin no more. But with regard to his previous transgressions, there is One who is able to provide a cure; for it is He, indeed, who has power over all.”
You can only remarry AFTER the death of your husband or wife:
Hermas wants to be sure that he has heard the information correctly because he does not want to make a mistake, so we see him propose another question in Chapter 4 of this same fourth commandment:
CHAPTER 4 And again I asked him, saying, “Sir, since you have been so patient in listening to me, will you show me this also?” “Speak,” said he. And I said, “If a wife or husband die, and the widower or widow marry, does he or she commit sin?” “There is no sin in marrying again,” said he; “but if they remain unmarried, they gain greater honor and esteem with YAHWEH; but if they marry, they do not sin.”
Luke 2:36-37 (Aramaic English New Testament)
“Then there was Hannah the prophetess a daughter of Peniel from the tribe of Asher, she was also advanced in her days. And she was seven years with her husband whom she had lived with since her virginity. And she was a widow for about eighty-four years. And she would not go out from the Temple. But would with fasting and with prayer serve by day and by night.”
Hannah did not remarry though she could have because she was a widow, and being that she did not marry again but rather set her heart to serve YAHWEH day and night she will receive greater honor for that.
Shepherd of Hermas continued: “Guard, therefore, your chastity and purity, and you will live to ELOHIM. What commandments I now give you, and what I am to give, keep from henceforth, yea, from the very day when you were entrusted to me, and I will dwell in your house. And your former sins will be forgiven, if you keep my commandments. And all shall be forgiven who keep these my commandments, and walk in this chastity.”
The Shepherd of Hermas agrees with all the scriptures I did in the last message about divorce and remarriage, and states that a man or woman can remarry AFTER their spouse dies because they have been released from covenant as they were bound by the Torah.
Marriage is a covenant and until death do you part:
Malachi 2:14-16
“And you said, “Why”? Because YAHWEH has been witness between you and the WIFE of your youth, against whom you have acted treacherously, though she is your companion and the WIFE OF YOUR COVENANT. And did he not make one? And He had the remnant of the Spirit? And what is the one? He seeks a seed of ELOHIM. So you shall guard your spirit, and let none act treacherously against the wife of his youth. For I HATE DIVORCE,” said YAHWEH ELOHIM of Yisra’el, “and the one who covers his garment with cruelty,” said YAHWEH of hosts.”
Notice how YAHWEH says to Malachi that she is the WIFE OF YOUR COVENANT? This means that marriage is a covenant between the married couple and YAHWEH. And what is expected when a covenant is made?
Hebrews 9:16-17
“For where a COVENANT IS, it is necessary for the DEATH OF THE COVENANTED ONE TO BE ESTABLISHED. For a covenant over those DEAD IS FIRM, since it is never valid while the COVENANTED ONE IS LIVING.”
We know a covenant has been made during a marriage; therefore, this principal can be applied here. So, in order for a covenant to cease means that there has to be a death, so if you are married to your husband or wife you are in a covenant which means that you are bound by the Torah until your spouse dies, because you cannot remarry another while the other spouse is living.
Proverbs 2:17
“Who forsakes the companion of her youth (covenant spouse) and has forgotten the COVENANT of your ELOHIM.”
1 Corinthians 7:39
“A wife is BOUND by Torah as long as HER HUSBAND LIVES, and if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she desires, only in the MASTER.”
I just want to point out that after the husband dies, Paul says marry another only in the Master YESHUA meaning that they would have to be a believer. As we already know that we should not be unequally yoked with unbelievers to begin with.
Romans 7:1-3
“Or do you not know, brothers-for I speak to those knowing the Torah-that the Torah rules over man as long AS HE LIVES? For the married woman has been bound by Torah to the LIVING HUSBAND, but if the husband dies, she is released from the Torah of her husband. So then, while her husband lives, she shall be called an adulteress if she becomes another man’s. But if her husband dies, she is free from that Torah, so that she is not an adulteress, having become another man’s.
Sirach 23:22-27 (Parenthesis mine)
“So it shall also be for the wife that leaves her husband, and brings forth an heir by another. For firstly, she has disobeyed the Law of the Most High (divorcing her husband who is STILL LIVING and taking another husband); and secondly, she has trespassed against her own husband; and thirdly, she has committed whoring by ADULTERY, and brought forth children by another man. She shall be brought out into the assembly, and inquiry shall be made of her children. Her children shall not take root, and her branches shall not bring forth fruit. She shall leave a cursed remembrance, and her reproach shall NOT BE BLOTTED OUT.”
Jubilees 33:15
“And let them not say, “to Rueben was granted life and forgiveness after he had lain with his dad’s concubine, and to her also though she had a husband, and her HUSBAND JACOB, HIS DAD, WAS STILL ALIVE.”
Tobiyah 3:7-8
“It came to be the same day, that in Ahmetha a city of Madai, Sarah the daughter of Raguel was also reproached by her dad’s female servants; because she had been married to seven husbands, whom Ashmedai the evil spirit killed before they had lain with her. “Do you not know,” they said (female servants), “that you have strangled your husbands? You have already had seven husbands, neither were you named after any of them..” verse 17 Raphael was sent to heal them both, that is, to scale away the whiteness of Tobiyah’s eyes and to give Sarah the daughter of Raguel AS A WIFE to Tobi the son of Tobiyah…”
So, Sarah had 7 husbands but all of them died because of an evil spirit and she was able to remarry ONLY after the deaths of her husband’s being a widow which released her from the Torah. Then she was given as a wife to Tobit’s son.
Dead Sea Scrolls witnesses:
An article written by jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/Qumran states:
“The institution of marriage and family life has a strong and direct influence on women’s lives. Marriage as shown in the sect’s literature is unique both in comparison with scripture on the one hand and with rabbinical halakhah on the other. Several places prove that Qumran halakhah prohibited bigamy (the act of going through a marriage ceremony while already married to another person). The writer of the Damascus Covenant attacks his opponents because they are “taking two wives in their lives, while the foundation of Creation is ‘male and female He created them’ And those who entered (Noah’s) ark went two by two into the ark. And of the prince it is written, ‘Let him not multiply for himself’” (Damascus Covenant 4:20–5:2). From the term “taking two wives in their lives” it emerges that Qumran halakhah forbade not only bigamy BUT ALSO SECOND MARRIAGE DURING THE PREVIOUS SPOUSE’S LIFETIME.
As proof, the author of the Damascus Covenant cites Deuteronomy 17:17 concerning the king: “Yet he should not take many wives.” This verse is similarly interpreted in the Temple Scroll: “He shall not take a wife from the women of the other nations, but he shall take a wife from his father’s house, his father’s family; and he shall not take another wife beside her since SHE ONLY shall be with him ALL THE DAYS OF HER LIFE. And if she should die, he shall marry another woman of his father’s house and his father’s family” (Temple Scroll 57: 15–19).
Qumran halakhah acknowledges the possibility of divorce, but its practical significance is greatly restricted. Thus, for example, the Temple Scroll (54: 4–5), following the Torah (Numbers 30:10), rules that a divorced woman is exclusively responsible for her vows, unlike a married woman whose husband may annul them under certain conditions. Thus, divorce was only the OFFICIAL SEPARATION of a couple, who were NOT ALLOWED TO REMARRY. All of this applied, as previously stated, as long as the previous spouse was alive, but after his or her death, remarriage was permitted. This law apparently stems from the perception of marriage not as a legal act but as the expression of the couple’s physiological union.
As we can see from the Damascus Covenant’s citation of “male and female He created them,” the Qumranic perception of marriage is based on the account of creation in the book of Genesis, which continues thus: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and they shall become one flesh.” Hence the conclusion that the essence of marriage is the physical act of union between husband and wife, which can never be broken. This conception later found its way into Christian belief. The New Testament cites YESHUA as saying: “What ELOHIM has joined together let no person put asunder.” (Mark 10, 6–9).”
Mathew 19:3-9
“And the Pharisees drew near to Him there, and were tempting Him and saying, “Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for ANY CAUSE? But He answered and said to them, “have you not read, that He who created from the beginning, He created them male and female? And He said, because this, a man will leave his dad and his mother and will be joined to his wife, and they will both of them ONE FLESH. Henceforth, they will NOT BE TWO, RATHER ONE FLESH. Therefore, what ELOHIM has united, man SHOULD NOT SEPARATE (divorce courts and judges, etc). They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a letter of divorce and put her away? And He said to them, “Because of the HARDNESS OF YOUR HEART, you were allowed to put away your wives, but it was NOT THUS FROM THE BEGINNING. But I say to you that he who leaves his wife without a charge of adultery, AND takes another, commits adultery. And he that takes a divorced woman commits adultery.”
Since you have become one flesh with your wife and the wife becomes one flesh with their husband, how can you divorce and marry another when they are now a part of you? It’s like cutting off your own arm and saying it never belonged to you.
Many say that divorce and remarriage is not the unforgivable sin and I beg to differ on this. The Hebrew word for repentance is “teshuvah” that means to turn away from sin and don’t go back to it, so if you are repenting of a sin yet continue to live in that sin, how are you truly repenting and turning away? If you were to die in an adulterous marriage, how can you repent from it? The same way if someone dies will drunk, how can they repent from it? If someone dies while in a same sex marriage or relationship, how can you repent from it? The scriptures are clear on this that no adulterer will enter into the Kingdom of ELOHIM, so if you are in this situation REPENT!
Exodus 20:14
“You shall not commit adultery.”
Deuteronomy 5:18
“You shall not commit adulteriy.”
1 Corinthians 6:9 (Aramaic English New Testament)
“Or don’t you know, that the unrighteous will NOT INHERIT the Kingdom of ELOHIM. Make no mistake! Neither sexual sinners (fornicators), nor idol-worshippers, nor ADULTERERS, nor the corrupt, nor men who lay down with other men, nor the oppressors, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of ELOHIM.”
Revelation 22:15 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“Outside are the homosexuals, those involved with the occult and with drugs, the SEXUALLY IMMORAL, murders, idol-worshippers, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”
Let us walk this narrow path and obey the commandments of YAHWEH and not give into the desires of the flesh. Get right with YESHUA while we are in the betrothal stage with Him, because when He comes back, He is coming back for His bride to take to the marriage supper of the lamb and consummate the marriage forever!
May YAHWEH bless you all in YESHUA’s Name!