After seeing so many being led astray by the false teaching surrounding Paul’s words in Colossians 2:16-17, it is necessary to address this situation because time is running for believers to wake up and accept the full truth. Paul said in Thessalonians that those who perish would perish because they refused to love the truth.
2 Thessalonians 2:11-12
“And for this reason ELOHIM sends them a working of delusion, for them to believe the falsehood, in order that all should be judged who did not believe THE TRUTH, but have delighted in the unrighteousness.”
So ELOHIM will send a strong delusion to believers who say they know Him by sending a strong delusion because they have delighted in UNRIGHTEOUSNESS and refused THE TRUTH! What is the opposite of unrighteousness? It is Righteousness! So now let us see how The Scriptures define righteousness and truth?
Deuteronomy 6:25
“And it is RIGHTEOUSNESS for us when we guard to do all these Commands before YHWH our ELOHIM, as He has commanded us.”
Psalms 119:142
“Your righteousness is righteousness forever and Your TORAH IS TRUTH.”
So now armed with those two definitions we can go back to what Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12; and we see that Paul is saying that ELOHIM will send a delusion for those who believe falsehood, because they have REJECTED the truth which is defined as the Torah/Laws; and have delighted in unrighteousness, which means they delighted in being “LAWLESS!” They did the exact opposite of what the definition of righteousness is by saying the law is done away with and did not obey the Torah, Laws, and Commands. These will perish because to them it’s “once saved always saved” and “saved by grace alone” “I can esteem any day I want while rejecting the Sabbath” this is the strong delusion that they have been following and believing a lie and not the truth.
Romans 1:18
“For the wrath of ELOHIM is revealed from the heavens against all wickedness and unrighteousness of men, who SUPPRESS THE TRUTH IN UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.”
We see that people today and the Pastors have suppressed (hidden) the Truth which is defined as the Torah/Law in favor of unrighteousness which is (Lawless/doing away with the law), which is why so many are deceived by their false teachings.
Uncovering Colossians 2:16-17
Colossians 2:16-17
“Let no one therefore judge you in eating or in drinking, or in respect of a Festival or a New Moon or Sabbaths-which are a SHADOW OF WHAT IS TO COME- but the Body of ha’Mashiach.”
This is the scripture that believers will point to and say “see you can’t judge me in Festival, Sabbaths or New Moons.” And with this mindset, lawless doctrines are formed making them believe that the commandments are “Just for the Jews” and they also believe that there is a law for the Jews of the Old Testament and another for the New Testament Christians. This is a huge lie because there is only ONE FAITH and ONE LAW for native-born and gentiles that are grafted in. Once you accept YESHUA as your Savior and keep the commandments that were NEVER DONE AWAY WITH you will be grafted into the nation of Yisra’el just as the native-born. It’s not New Testament it’s the Renewed Covenant founded on better promises through the Mediator of the New Covenant in YESHUA! So that means there are not even two different faiths let alone 51,000 different denominations of Christianity, which is why Paul says:
Ephesians 4:4-6
“ONE BODY, and ONE SPIRIT, as you also were called in ONE expectation of your calling, ONE MASTER, ONE FAITH, ONE IMMERSION (BAPTISM), ONE ELOHIM and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
So what was Paul saying in Colossians 2:16-17?
Paul is saying let no man judge you for knowing the TRUTH, because The Festivals (Leviticus 23), New Moons, and Sabbaths are PROPHETIC EVENTS that we will still be doing in the future when are YESHUA returns; therefore, do not let anybody judge you for obeying ELOHIM and keeping His Commandments, because we are REHEARSING ON EARTH for the arrival of YESHUA! And how do we know this?
Zechariah 14:16-19 says:
“Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, YHWH Almighty, and to celebrate the FESTIVAL OF SUKKOT (THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES). If ANY OF THE PEOPLES OF THE EARTH do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the king, YHWH Almighty, they will have no rain. If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. YHWH will bring on them the plague He inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate The FESTIVAL OF SUKKOT (THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES). This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of ALL the nations that do not go up to celebrate the FESTIVAL OF SUKKOT (THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES).”
So we see that when YESHUA comes to reign for 1,000 years on the earth that ALL NATIONS including the Egyptian will have to come up to Jerusalem to celebrate The Festival of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) or have no rain. This points exactly to what Paul was saying about the Festivals being “a prophetic shadow of what is to come.” If the entire world will have to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles when YESHUA returns, then how is the law done away with? Or if the law just for the Jews, then why do the ALL NATIONS including the Egyptians having to celebrate it? We know the Egyptians are not native born Israelites/Jews. And where is Sukkot aka The Feast of Tabernacles found? We find it in the Torah that Christianity says is done away with.
Leviticus 23:34
“Speak to the children of Yisra’el, saying, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the FESTIVAL OF SUKKOT (FEAST OF TABERNACLES) for seven days to YHWH.”
Deuteronomy 16:13-15
“Perform the FESTIVAL OF SUKKOT (FEAST OF TABERNACLES) for seven days after the ingathering from your threshing floor and from your winepress, and you shall rejoice in your Festival, you and your son and your daughter, and your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite, and the STRANGER (GENTILE) and the fatherless and the widow who are within our gates.”
So the same Festival that YHWH commanded us to observe in the Old Covenant will be celebrated when YESHUA comes!
The Sabbath Day
Isaiah 66:22-23
“For as the NEW HEAVENS AND THE NEW EARTH that I make stand before Me,” declares YHWH, “so your seed and your name shall stand. And it shall be that from New Moon to New Moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, ALL flesh shall come to worship before Me,” declares YHWH.”
So again we see during the 1,000 reign with the new heaven and earth that YHWH has made, He says from New Moon to New Moon and from Sabbath to Sabbath that ALL (not some) flesh will worship Him. This again is a prophetic shadow of what will happen when YESHUA comes just as Paul said. And we can see the Sabbath will still be observed as also the New Moon that Paul spoke about.
Ezekiel gives us a prophecy of the 1,000 year reign and even gives details about what the Temple of YHWH will look like in Chapter 41. Does Ezekiel still say the Sabbath and New Moon will be observed?
Ezekiel 46:1
“Thus said the Adon (Master) YHWH, “The gate of the inner courtyard facing east is shut the six days of work, but on the SABBATH it is opened, and on the day of the NEW MOON it is opened.”
Passover
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
“For I received from the Adon (Master) that which I also delivered to you: that the Adon
YESHUA in the night which He was delivered up took bread, and having given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat, this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the Renewed Covenant in My blood, as often as you drink it, do this in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you PROCLAIM THE DEATH OF THE ADON UNTIL HE COMES.”
So we are to observe Passover every year to proclaim the death of YESHUA until He comes as remembrance of Him! So if you aren’t observing Passover then you aren’t remembering Him as YESHUA says. And when YESHUA comes we will be observing Passover with Him in the Kingdom!
Mathew 26:26-29
“And as they were eating, YESHUA took bread, and having blessed, broke and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat, this is My body.” And taking the cup, and giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood, that of the Renewed Covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I shall certainly NOT DRINK OF THIS FRUIT OF THE VINE FROM NOW ON TILL THAT DAY WHEN I DRINK IT ANEW WITH YOU IN THE REIGN OF MY FATHER.”
Micah 4:1-2
“And in the LATTER DAYS it shall be that the mountain of the House of YHWH is established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills. And PEOPLES SHALL FLOW TO IT. AND MANY NATIONS shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of YHWH, to the House of ELOHIM of Jacob, and let Him teach us HIS WAYS, and let us walk in His paths. For out of Zion comes forth the Torah, and the Word of YHWH from Jerusalem.”
So again, we see the prophetic picture of YESHUA reigning in Jerusalem for 1,000 years and all the nations will come to learn the Way of YHWH and even the Torah is mentioned. Notice how Micah says the nations will say “and let Him teach us His Ways?” How is “The Way” defined in Scripture?
Psalms 119:1
“Blessed are the perfect in THE WAY, WHO WALK IN THE TORAH OF YHWH.”
So we see that “The Way” points right back to the Torah the commandments that Christianity says are done away with. Yet we see the Torah being kept and being taught when YESHUA comes. Those who are alive living outside the gates of Jerusalem (those not reigning with YESHUA) during the 1,000 year reign are going to have to come up to learn the Torah and we already have seen how The Festivals, New Moons, and Sabbaths will still be observed. So I encourage everyone to learn His Ways now! And just to show that the scripture from Micah is a prophecy we can look at :
Micah 4:7 which says:
“And I shall make the lame a remnant, and the outcast a strong nation. And YHWH shall reign over them in Mount Zion, from now on and forever.” And we all know that this has not happened yet.
Paul’s words confirmed
These Moedim/Appointed Times/Festivals/Holy Days remind us of the things that YHWH has done and what He plans to do, and also points to the coming of our MASTER YESHUA!
So again Paul’s words are confirmed that everything we do on earth is a rehearsal and a prophetic shadow of what is to come. The Sabbath, New Moon, and all of the Festivals found in Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16 which are Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Shavuot/Pentecost, Yom Teruah/Trumpets, Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement, Festival of Sukkot/The Feast of Tabernacles, and the 8th Day Closing assembly were never done away, people just twisted Paul’s words because they wanted them to be done away with!
If The Torah and Festivals are not important, then why are they still being observed when YESHUA returns? The word miqra in Strong’s #4744 (mik-raw) in Hebrew means an assembly, a holy convocation, a reading, or REHEARSEL. So not only does YHWH want to meet with us on these important Holy Days, He also wants us to gather together as an assembly and rehearse these Festivals/Holy Days forever because they do not end on this present earth. YHWH has commanded His people to observe and practice these Feasts because they are “dress rehearsals” for the coming of our King YESHUA and we must be ready. We know that rehearsal is the practice of something in order to perfect it before the “real event” or finale and that is what He expects from us
So if you aren’t rehearsing them now, then how will you be ready for the finale when YESHUA returns?
Don’t forget that we will be serving YHWH and YESHUA as kings and priests:
Revelation 1:5-6
“And from YESHUA ha’Mashiach, the trustworthy Witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us KINGS AND PRIESTS to His ELOHIM and Father, to him be esteem and rule forever and ever. Ahmein.”
Revelation 5:9-10
“And they sang a renewed song, saying, “You are worthy to be take the scroll, and to open its seals, because You were slain, and have redeemed us to YHWH by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and made us KINGS AND PRIESTS to our ELOHIM, and we shall reign upon the earth.”
Revelation 20:6
“Blessed and holy is the one having part in the first resurrection. The second death possesses no authority over these, but they shall be PRIESTS of YHWH and of Messiah, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”
On earth as it is in heaven
Many believers recite the words when saying the “Master’s Prayer” prayer, but they hold a deeper meaning than they ever noticed. “Our Father who are in heaven let Your Name be holy, let Your reign come, let Your desire be done on earth as it is in the heavens.” This should be one of the greatest indicators that we are rehearsing on earth to what is done in heaven.
The thing is that we can’t do it on our own, we need the grace of YESHUA with His blood atonement, but also as the Holy Spirit.
Ezekiel 36:26
“And I shall give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. And I shall take the heart of stone out of your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh, and put My Spirit within you. And I shall cause you to walk in My Laws and guard My Right-Rulings and shall DO THEM”
Ecclesiastes 12:13
“Let us hear the conclusion of the ENTIRE matter: Revere (fear) ELOHIM and guard His Commands, for this is to ALL MANKIND! (Not just the Jews!)”
As always may our Father YAHWEH bless you all in YESHUA’s Name!