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!