Shepherd of Hermas command #4 part 2: REPENTANCE/IMMERSION

I asked him again, and said, “Since YAHWEH has vouchsafed to dwell always with me, bear with me while I utter a few words; for I understand nothing, and my heart has been hardened by my previous mode of life. Give me understanding, for I am exceedingly dull, and I understand absolutely nothing.” And he answered and said unto me, “I am set over repentance, and I give understanding to all who repent. Do you not think,” he said, “that it is great wisdom to repent? for repentance is great wisdom. For he who has sinned understands that he acted wickedly in the sight of YAHWEH, and remembers the actions he has done, and he repents, and no longer acts wickedly, but does good munificently, and humbles and TORMENTS his SOUL because he has sinned.”

This is how you know that you love ELOHIM and fear Him because you don’t take sin lightly and it grieves you that you have disappointed ELOHIM; therefore, you repent and afflict your soul. Some Examples:

Testament of Rueben 1:6-9

“And behold I call to witness against you this day the ELOHIM of the heavens, that you should not walk in the sins of youth and whoring, in which I indulged, and defiled the bed of my dad Jacob. And I tell you that He struck me with a heavy wound in my loins for seventh months; and had my dad Jacob not prayed to YAHWEH for me, YAHWEH would have destroyed me. For I was thirty years old when I worked evil before YAHWEH, and I was sick to death for seven months. And after this I REPENTED with determination of my being for SEVEN YEARS before YAHWEH. And did not DRINK WINE OR STRONG DRINK, AND FLESH (no meat) entered not into my mouth, and I ate NO PLEASANT FOOD; but I MOURNED OVER MY SIN, for it was great, such as had not been in Yisra’el.”

Jubilees 41:23-24

“And Judah acknowledged the deed which he had done was evil, for he had lain with his daughter-in-law, and he considered it HATEFUL in His eyes, and he acknowledged that he had transgressed and gone astray, for he had uncovered the skirt of his son. And he began to LAMENT AND TO PETITION before YAHWEH because of his transgression.”

Shepherd of Hermas continued: “You see, therefore, that REPTENTANCE IS GREAT WISDOM.” And I said to him, “It is for this reason, sir, that I inquire carefully into all things, especially because I am a sinner; that I may know what WORKS I should do, that I may live: for my sins are many and various.” And he said to me, “You shall live if you keep my commandments, and walk in them; and whosoever shall hear and keep these commandments, shall live to ELOHIM.”

The malach of repentance told Hermas that repentance is great wisdom and others witness to support this are:

Luke 13:1-5

“Now at that time men came and told Him about those Galileans, those whom Pilate had mingled their blood with their sacrifices. And YESHUA answered and said to them, “Do you think that those Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they were killed thus? I say no to you, but that all of you if you do NOT REPENT also, you will likewise be destroyed. Or those eighteen who had the tower fall upon them and were killed in Shiloh, do you think that they were greater sinners than all the people who live in Jerusalem? I say no to you, but that unless you REPENT, all of you like them will be destroyed.”

2 Esdras 7:132

“I answered and said, I know, O YAHWEH, that the Most High is now called ‘merciful,’ because He has mercy on those who have not yet come into the world; and gracious,’ because He is gracious to those who turn IN REPETANCE TO HIS TORAH…”

Jasher 6:19-21

“And Noah, with a loud voice, answered them from the ark, saying, “Have you not all rebelled against YAHWEH, and said that He does not exist? And therefore, YAHWEH brought this evil upon you, to destroy and cut you off from the face of the earth. Is this not the thing that I spoke to you about, one hundred and twenty years ago, and you would not listen to the voice of YAHWEH, and now do you desire to live upon the earth?” And they said to Noah, “We are ready to RETURN TO YAHWEH; only open for us that we may live and not die.”

Teshuvah in Hebrew means to repent and turn away from sin and not go back to it and live for ELOHIM! Which those in the flood were willing to do only when they saw the end was near, don’t be like them. ELOHIM gave them a lifetime, 120 years to repent, but they chose death.

Hermas also asks what WORKS must he do that he may live and the malach of repentance says “You shall live if you keep the commandments”, so works is equated with works of the Torah which Christianity says no works are required and that is false.

Revelation 12:17

“And the dragon was enraged against the woman; and he went to make war upon the remnant of her seed who KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF ELOHIM and have the testimony of YESHUA.”

Revelation 14:12

“Here is the endurance of the set apart believers who KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF ELOHIM, and the faith of YESHUA.”

2 Esdras 7:24

“They scorned His Torah, and denied His covenants; they have been unfaithful to His statutes, and HAVE NOT PERFORMED HIS WORKS.”

Mathew 5:16 (Parenthesis mine)

“Let your light (Torah) shine like this in front of the sons of man that they should see your good WORKS (Of the Torah) and they esteem your Father who is in heaven.”

Works of Torah includes loving your neighbor as yourself, so you will not only love them but you will also provide for what they need and not just professing it with your mouth, its action based as we see James say in his writings.

James 2:20:24

“Would you know, o weak man, that belief without works is dead? Abraham our ancestor, was not he justified by WORKS in offering his son Isaac upon the altar? Do you realize that his belief AIDED HIS WORKS, and that by the WORKS OF HIS FAITH was rendered complete? And the scripture was fulfilled which says: “Abraham believed in ELOHIM, and it was credited to him for righteousness” and he was called the friend of ELOHIM. You see that by WORKS A MAN IS JUSTIFIED AND NOT BY FAITH ALONE.”

James 1:22

“But be DOERS of the Word, and not HEARERS ONLY; and do not deceive yourselves.”

Romans 2:13 (Parenthesis mine)

“For not the HEARERS of Torah are righteous before ELOHIM; but the DOERS (Works) OF TORAH ARE BEING MADE RIGHTEOUS.”

Abraham had faith to leave his own country, he had faith to offer up his son which includes works, and also was circumcised out of obedience when he was 99 which is all works of Torah, Paul in Galatians 3 is saying the same thing as James regarding Abraham, and that is faith and works go together.

Then the malach of repentance says if you keep the commandments that you shall LIVE to ELOHIM:

Leviticus 18:5

“You shall therefore keep My commandments and My judgements, which if a man DO, HE SHALL LIVE IN THEM: I AM YAHWEH.”

Ezekiel 20:21

“Notwithstanding the children of Yisra’el rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My commandments, neither did they keep My judgements to DO them, WHICH IF A MAN SHALL DO, HE SHALL LIVE BY THEM; they have polluted My Shabbats: then I said, I will pour out My fury upon them and accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness.”

Deuteronomy 30:19

“I call heaven and earth to bear witness against you this day, that I have set before you LIFE and DEATH, blessings and cursing’s; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live…”

2 Esdras 7:129-131

“For this is the way of which Moses, while he was alive, spoke to the people, saying, ‘Choose for yourself life, that you may live!’ But they did not believe him, or the prophets after him, or even Myself who have spoken to them. Therefore there shall not be grief at their destruction, so much as joy over the life of those who did believe.”

CHAPTER 3 (Immersion)

And I said to him, “I should like to continue my questions.” “Speak on,” said he. And I said, “I heard, sir, some teachers maintain that there is no other repentance than that which takes place, when we descended into the water (immersion/baptism) and received remission of our former sins (sins before being immersed).” He said to me, “That was sound doctrine which you heard; for that is really the case. For he who has received remission of his sins ought not to sin any more, but to live in purity.

Firstly, the malcah of repentance confirms that immersion is a requirement just as YESHUA said in John 3 and as we saw the disciples doing in the Book of Acts, this destroys the argument that some make saying that you don’t have to be physically immersed in water.

Romans 6:1-6

“What will we then say? Will we continue IN SIN that favor may increase? Far be it: for if we are persons that have DIED TO SIN, how can we again live in it? Or do you not know that we who are immersed into YESHUA the Messiah are immersed into HIS DEATH? For we are BURIED WITH HIM IN IMMERSION to death; that as YESHUA the Messiah arose from the dead into the esteem of His Father, so also we, to walk in NEW LIFE. For if we have been planted together with Him into the LIKENESS OF HIS DEATH, so will we be also into His resurrection. For we know that our old man is PUT ON THE EXECUTION STAKE WITH HIM; that the body of sin might be abolished and we be NO MORE SERVANTS OF SIN…”

You are supposed to die to old self and your sinning ways and be spiritually reborn after immersion and the leading of the RUACH HA’KODESH, so this matches what the malach of repentance said is that you are to sin no more and live in purity.

John 5:14

“After some time, YESHUA found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold you are whole again. DO NOT SIN or else something that is worse than before should happen to you.”

John 8:11 (Hebrew)

“So she, she answered, “Master, here no stone was thrown after me.” Then YESHUA said to her, “Neither will I punish you; GO AND STOP SINNING—FROM NOW AND ONWARD.”

What is sin?

1 John 3:4 (Complete Jewish scriptures)

“Everyone who keeps sinning is VIOLATING TORAH—indeed, sin is VIOLATION OF TORAH.”

Shepherd of Hermas continued: Since, however, you inquire diligently into all things, I will point this also out to you, not as giving occasion for error to those who are to believe, or have lately believed, in YAHWEH. For those who have now believed (already believe), and those who are to believe (those who will believe), have not repentance for their sins; but they have remission of their previous sins (once immersed). For to those who have been called before these days, YAHWEH has set repentance. For YAHWEH, knowing the heart, and foreknowing all things, knew the weakness of men and the manifold wiles of the devil, that he would inflict some evil on the servants of ELOHIM, and would act wickedly towards them. YAHWEH, therefore, being merciful, has had mercy on the work of His hand, and has set repentance for them; and He has entrusted to me power over this repentance. And therefore I say to you, that if any one is tempted by the devil, and sins after that great and kodesh (set-apart) calling in which YAHWEH has called His people to everlasting life, he has opportunity to repent but once. But if he should sin FREQUENTLY after this, and then repent, to such a man his repentance will be of no avail; for with difficulty will he live.”

This verse completely destroys Christianity where it’s believed that YAHWEH sees YESHUA in everything that we do; therefore, they can live however they want and repent for it later and never lose salvation. There is a difference between unintentional sin and willful sinning/practicing sin. I’ll give you an example, if you were reading scripture and had no clue that pork was unclean, it is still a sin, but it’s unintentional because you did not know better, but once you know the truth and disregard it and keep eating the pork that is willful sin. Or you are fornicator and you repent because you know that it is wrong, but then you go out and do it again a few days later, this is willful sin.

1 John 3:4 (Aramaic)

“And everyone that PRACTICES SIN, perpetrates iniquity (lawlessness) for all sin is iniquity.”

Hebrews 10:26-31

“For if a man sin VOLUNTARILY after he has received a KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH, there is no longer a sacrifice which may be offered for sins: but the fearful judgement impends, and the zeal of fire that consumes the adversaries. For if he who transgressed the Torah of Moses, died without mercies at the mouth of two or three witnesses; how much more, do you think, will he receive CAPITAL PUNISHMENT who has trodden upon the Son of ELOHIM (The Living Torah) and has accounted the blood of His covenant by which He is set apart, as the blood of all men and has treated the Spirit of favor in an insulting manner? For we know Him who has said, retribution is mine I will repay: and again, Master YAHWEH will judge His people. It is very terrible to fall into the hands of the living ELOHIM.”

Testament of Judah 19:3-4

“For the sake of money I lost my children, and had not my repentance and my humiliation and the prayers of my dad been accepted, I would have died childless. But the ELOHIM of my ancestors had kindness on me, BECAUSE I DID IT IN IGNORANCE. And the prince of deceit blinded me, and I sinned as a man and as flesh, being corrupted through sins; and I learned my own weakness while thinking myself to be invincible.”

Judah said the prince of deceit (Satan) blinded him and he acted out of ignorance, this matches what the malach of repentance said “. For YAHWEH, knowing the heart, and foreknowing all things, knew the weakness of men and the manifold wiles of the devil, that he would inflict some evil on the servants of ELOHIM, and would act wickedly towards them. YAHWEH, therefore, being merciful, has had mercy on the work of His hand, and has set repentance for them; and He has entrusted to me power over this repentance.”

Jubilees 41:23-24

“And Judah acknowledged the deed which he had done was evil, for he had lain with his daughter-in-law, and he considered it HATEFUL in His eyes, and he acknowledged that he had transgressed and gone astray, for he had uncovered the skirt of his son. And he began to LAMENT AND TO PETITION before YAHWEH because of his transgression.” And we told him in a dream that it was forgiven him because he petitioned earnestly, and lamented, AND DID NOT DO IT AGAIN.” No more WILLFULL sinning!

 1 John 2:1

“My children, these things I write to you that you DO NOT SIN. But if anyone should sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, YESHUA the Messiah, the righteous.”

Proverbs 24:16

“For a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again; but the wicked shall fall into mischief.”

Shepherd of Hermas continued: And I said, “Sir, I feel that life has come back to me in listening attentively to these commandments; for I know that I shall be saved, if in the future I sin no more.” And he said, “You will be saved, you and all who keep these commandments.”

My brothers and sisters be born again through immersion/baptism and die to your old self and then walk in the newness of life and stop sinning! In doing so, we die to self in this world and to gain it in the world to come.

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

First-Fruits 2022

We have already begun the spring moedim the Appointed Times of our ELOHIM and we just completed celebrating Pesach and The Feast of Unleavened Bread. Now coming up on April 17th will be First-Fruits. First-Fruits is NOT a shabbat where we are commanded to do no work as the first day and seventh day of Feast of Unleavened were, this is to inform everyone of the events moving forward.

Leviticus 23:9-16 (Aramaic)

“And YAHWEH spoke to Moses, saying, “speak to the children of Yisra’el, and you shall say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I give you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest to the priest; and he shall wave the sheaf before YAHWEH to be accepted for you; on the morrow the priest shall wave it. You shall offer that day when you wave the sheaf of a male lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering to YAHWEH. And its meal offering shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to YAHWEH for a sweet savor; and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, a fourth part of a hin. And you shall eat neither bread nor parched wheat nor green ears until that same day, until the day when you have brought an offering to your ELOHIM; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. And you shall count to you from the morrow, that is, from the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Shabbats shall be complete; even to the morrow AFTER THE SEVENTH SHABBAT (The weekly 7th Day Shabbat) you shall count fifty days; and you shall offer a meal offering of a new wheat to YAHWEH.”

Aviv in Hebrew means the month of green ears of barley when the barley is ripening. The children of Yisra’el would take the first-fruits of the barley harvest which is the earliest and best of their crops and tie them into a bundle and bring it to the high priest. The high priest would then wave the sheaf (omer) before YAHWEH to accept the future crops and then begin the 50 day count to Shavuot. They were not allowed to put the sickle to grain nor eat any of the harvest until after this ceremony was completed. This reminded the children of Yisra’el that ELOHIM gave them this land and all the harvest belongs to Him. As we see barley is the crop that matures faster than the other crops:

Exodus 9:31-32 (Aramaic Peshitta)

“And the flax and the barley were lost; for the barley was in the ear and the flax was bolled. But the wheat and rye were not lost; for they were sown late.”

As for the offering, YESHUA is the Lamb of YAHWEH who takes away the sins of the world and offered Himself with His blood and not the blood of bulls and goats. It is important to see what YESHUA’s blood did for us being that we do not have to sacrifice animals for atonement today. YESHUA fulfills the animal offerings for us with His blood and is the sweet fragrance that YAHWEH mentions:

Ephesians 5:2

“And walk in love, as Mashiach (Messiah) also has loved us, and gave Himself for us, a gift and an offering to YAHWEH for a SWEET-SMELLING FRAGRANCE.”    

 YESHUA is the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:20 meaning that those who are in the grave that lived for YESHUA will be resurrected as He was.

1 Corinthians 15:20-22

“But now Messiah has been raised from the dead, and has become the first-fruits of those having fallen asleep. For since death is through a man, resurrection of the dead is also through a Man. For as all die in Adam, so also all shall be made alive in Messiah.”

2 Baruch 30:1-2

“And after these, when the time of the advent (the coming) of the Messiah will be fulfilled and He will return in esteem, then all those who have fallen asleep in HOPE OF HIM will rise. At that time, those reservoirs will be opened in which the number of the souls of the righteous have been preserved, and they will come out, and the abundance of the souls will appear in one assembly, of one mind. The first will rejoice, and the last will not be saddened, for they know that the time has arrived of which it is said that it is in the consummation of times.”

This is beautiful because Paul is using Old Testament terminology in the Torah as he always does, because he observed the Torah. As mentioned above first-fruits is when the earliest and best of the crops were brought to the priest to wave and then 50 days later would be the full harvest (Shavuot). Same applies with YESHUA, He is our first-fruits He is the best offering as He is the Son of YAHWEH, became flesh and died for our sins and rose on the third day, and in doing so we afterwards became the harvest ready for reaping, now we have to walk in Torah and believe in YESHUA and found to be wheat and not the tares.

1 Thessalonians 4:16

“Because the Master Himself shall come down from the heavens with a shout, with the voice of a chief messenger/angel, and with the trumpet of ELOHIM, and the dead IN Mashiach shall rise first. Then we, the living who are left over, shall be caught in the clouds to meet the Master in the air…”

Enoch 49: 1-3

“For wisdom is poured out like water, and esteem failed not before Him for eternity. For He is mighty in all the secrets of righteousness, and unrighteousness shall disappear as a shadow, and have no continuance; because the ELECT ONE (YESHUA) stands before YAHWEH of hosts, and His esteem is forever and ever, and His might unto all generations. And in Him dwells the spirit of wisdom, and the spirit which gives insight, and the spirit of understanding and of might, and the spirit of THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

So do we observe first-fruits and the counting of the omer during the Feast of Unleavened Bread?

Leviticus 23 reveals that YAHWEH never overlapped or mixed the Feasts. YAHWEH separates them by saying “AND then YAHWEH spoke to Moshe”. Calendars today are lumping First-Fruits in with the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

This article will show that we are to begin counting on April 17th after The Feast of Unleavened Bread is completed to arrive at the 15th day of the THIRD MONTH which is June 5th on our Gregorian calendars. Keep the 15th day of the 3rd month in mind because the Scriptures below will show that is the day when Shavuot is to be celebrated.

The Appointed Times are separated and do not mix or overlap!

So, Passover is on the 14th day of 1st month (Abib), feast of unleavened bread is on the 15th-21st of 1st month (Abib). And First-Fruits is on the 26th day of the 1st month of (Abib) AFTER the Feast of Unleavened bread is completed; then that morrow after the Shabbat is first-fruits which is April 17th.  First-Fruits is tied to Shavuot so it cannot overlap with The Feast of Unleavened Bread, because they are separate.

 The problem is that many calendars have first-fruits fall on any day depending on what day they observed Passover, for example since the first day of Unleavened bread is a “High Shabbat” many interpret the next day after the first day of unleavened bread to be “Day after the Shabbat” and that is when they begin their count which could fall on the 3rd, 4th or 5th day of the week; whereas on the Zadok Priestly calendar it always falls on a Sunday after the completion of Unleavened Bread.

Leviticus 23:16 (Aramaic Peshitta)

“Even to the morrow AFTER THE SEVENTH SHABBAT (The weekly 7th Day Shabbat) you shall count fifty days; and you shall offer a meal offering of a new wheat to YAHWEH.”

The Aramaic Peshitta clarifies that first-fruits is AFTER the 7th day Shabbat which is a Sunday and no other day; and this is when we begin the 50-day count, which matches the Book of Jubilees.

 Scriptural Timeline:

The Israelites left Egypt on 15th day of 1st month which is the first day of the feast of unleavened bread:

Exodus 12:17

“And you shall guard the Matzah (Feast of Unleavened Bread 15th Day of 1st Month), for on this SAME DAY I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt. And you shall guard this day throughout your generations, an everlasting Law.”

And then almost exactly TWO MONTHS later on the 12th Day of the 3rd MONTH which was a Thursday the Israelites arrive at Sinai according the Zadok Priestly calendar.

Exodus 19:1

“In the THIRD MONTH after the children of Yisra’el had come out of the land of Egypt, on this day they came to the Wilderness of Sinai.” For they departed from Rephidim, and had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Yisra’el camped there before the mountain.”

So basically, if we don’t start the count of First-Fruits on the 26th day of 1st month to get to the 15th day of the 3rd month, then Shavuot the beginning of the barley harvest will be celebrated too soon, before the Israelites even entered into Sinai. The Book of Jubilees confirms this:

By the Israelites arriving on the 12th day of the 3rd month would give them time to celebrate Shavuot on the 15th which is a Sunday, because YAHWEH spoke to Moses on the next day the 16th, which means that the tablets of stone were given to Moses on a Monday the second day of the week.

Jubilees 1:1

“And it happened in the first-year of the exodus of the children of Yisra’el out of Egypt, in the third month, on the SIXTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH, that YAHWEH spoke to Moses, saying, “Come up to Me on the Mount, and I will give you two tablets of stone of the Torah and the command, which I have written, that you may teach them.”

Celebration of Shavuot on the 15th day of 3rd month:

Jubilees 15:1

“And in the fifth year of the fourth week of this Jubilee, in the THIRD MONTH, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH (15th Day) Abram celebrated the Festival of the First-Fruits (Shavuot) of the grain harvest.” The Book of Enoch says there are only 30 days in a month; therefore, the middle of the month is the 15th day.

Jubilees 16:13

“And she bore a son in the THIRD MONTH. And in the MIDDLE OF THE MONTH (15th Day) at the time of which YAHWEH had spoken to Abraham, on the Festival of the First-Fruits (Shavuot) of the Harvest, Isaac was born.”

So we see that Abraham celebrated Shavuot also known as First-Fruits in Jubilees because  the two are connected by the 50 day counting of the omer, which is why it’s important not to start counting during the Feast of Unleavened Bread because they are separated.

 The messenger/angel goes into great detail about the two-fold meaning of The Festival of Shavuot and First-Fruits together:

Jubilees 6:15-21

“And He gave to Noah and his sons a sign that there should not be a flood on the earth again. He placed a rainbow in the cloud for a sign of the everlasting Covenant that there should not be a flood again on the earth to destroy it all the days of the earth. For this reason it is ordained and written on the tablets of the heavens, that they should celebrate the FESTIVAL OF SHAVUOT IN THIS MONTH ONCE A YEAR to renew the Covenant every year.” Verse 19 “But Abraham observed it, and Isaac, and Jacob, and his children observed it up to your days, and in your days the children of Yisra’el forgot it until you celebrated it anew on this mountain. And you shall command the children of Yisra’el to observe this Festival in all their generations for a Command unto them; one day in the year in this month (3rd MONTH) they shall celebrate the Festival. For it is the Festival of Shavuot AND THE FEAST OF FIRST-FRUITS: This Feast is twofold and double nature: according to what is written and engraved concerning it, celebrate it.”

Again, we know that this Festival/Appointed Time is in the THIRD MONTH because the beginning of Jubilees 6 says:

Jubilees 6:1

“And on the new month of the THIRD MONTH he went out from the ark, and built an altar on the mountain.” And we have seen that Abraham celebrated Shavuot on the 15th day of the THIRD MONTH.

The Festival of Shavuot is the same festival Abraham celebrated and was called the Festival of First-Fruits because they are connected and twofold and we have to remember that we slaves in Egypt. Which I’ll cover as Shavuot approaches for us to celebrate, ELOHIM willing.

Jubilees 44:1-8

“And Yisra’el took his journey from Haran from his house on the new month of the THIRD MONTH, and he went on the way of Beersheba, and he offered an offering to the ELOHIM of his dad Isaac on the seventh of this month. And Jacob remembered the dream that he had seen at Beyth El, and he feared to go down to Egypt. And while he was thinking of sending word to Joseph to come to him, and that he would not go down, he remained there seven days, if it came to be he should see a vision as to whether he should remain or go down. And he celebrated the HARVEST FESTIVAL OF THE FIRST-FRUITS with old grain, for in all the land of Canaan there was not a handful of seed, for scarcity of food was over all the beasts and cattle and birds, and also over man.” And on the sixteenth (16th) YAHWEH appeared to him, and said to him, Jacob, Jacob.” YAHWEH spoke to Jacob on the 16th after he celebrated Shavuot on the 15th day of 3rd month.

So if we count the 50 days starting on April 17th (on our Gregorian calendar) which is the 26th day of the 1st month on YAHWEH’s calendar, then we will arrive in the middle of the 3rd MONTH (15th Day) when Abraham, Noah, and their sons celebrated it. So, Shavuot will be observed this year on June 5th a NO WORK day. It is important to get the exact days of YAHWEH’s appointed times because this is what the messenger/angel says concerning the days of YAHWEH:

Jubilees 6:32-35

“And you shall command the children of Yisra’el that they observe the years according to this reckoning: THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FOUR DAYS (364 days), and these shall constitute a complete year, and they shall not disturb its time from its days and from its Festivals; for all shall fall out in them according to their witness, and they shall not leave out any day nor disturb ANY FESTIVALS. But if they neglect and do not observe them according to His Command, then they shall disturb all their seasons, and the years shall be dislodged from this order; and they shall NEGLECT THEIR LAWS. And all the children of Yisra’el shall forget, and shall not find the path of the years, and shall forget the new moons, and seasons, and Sabbaths, and they shall go astray as to all the order of the years. For I know, and from this time on I shall declare it to you, and it is not of my own devising; for the Book is written before me. And on the tablets of the heavens the division of days is ordained, lest they forget the FESTIVALS OF THE COVENANT and WALK ACCORDING TO THE FESTIVAL OF THE GENTILES after their straying and after their ignorance."

Enoch 74:12-14

“And the sun and the stars bring in all the years exactly, so that they do not advance or delay their position by a single day unto everlasting; but complete the years with PERFECT JUSTICE IN THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FOUR DAYS. In three years there are one thousand and ninety-two days ( 1,092 days divided by 3= 364), and in five years; one thousand eight hundred and twenty days  1, 820 days divided by 5=364), so that in eight years there are two thousand nine hundred and twelve days ( 2, 912 days divided by 8=364.)

What are we to do on it First Fruits?

As we read in Leviticus 23 that the Israelites were not to eat any grain of the new harvest until they brought their initial crops (first-fruits) and bring the barley sheaf to the priest so he could wave it before YAHWEH to accept the future crops and begin counting down the 50 days to the next Appointed Time which is The Festival of Shavuot aka The Festival of First Fruits aka Pentecost (50 in Greek).

Leviticus 23:14

“And you do not eat bread or roasted grain or fresh grain until the same day that you have brought AN OFFERING to your ELOHIM.”

We know that YESHUA gave Himself up once and for all with His own blood and not the blood of bulls and goats. This is what Paul says about how we can also apply this by living holy lives and being obedient to our ELOHIM!

Romans 12:1

“I call upon you, therefore, brothers, through the compassion of ELOHIM, to present your bodies a LIVING OFFERING-holy, well pleasing to ELOHIM-your reasonable worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you prove what is that good and well-pleasing and perfect desire of ELOHIM.”

This means to die to self, to die to sin, and live righteously by faith in YESHUA and keeping the commandments of Torah, and distancing yourself from the world.

1 Peter 2:4-5

“Drawing near to Him, a living Stone-rejected indeed by men, but chosen by YAHWEH and precious-you also, as living stones, are being built up, A SPIRTUAL HOUSE, a holy priesthood, to OFFER UP SPIRITUAL SLAUGHTER OFFERINGS acceptable to YAHWEH through YESHUA HA’MASHIACH.”

Other than that we all we need to do is count down the 50 days to get to Shavuot which is on June 5th this year.

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

Shepherd of Hermas command #4: DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE

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!

Shepherd of Hermas command #3: Avoid FALSEHOOD

ON AVOIDING FALSEHOOD, AND ON THE REPENTANCE OF HERMAS FOR HIS DISSIMULATION

“Again he said to me, “Love the truth (Psalms 119:142 the Torah), and let nothing but truth proceed from your mouth…

Sirach 9:15

“Let your talk be with the wise and your communication in the Torah of the Elyon (EL Most High).”

Since the Torah is the truth and the truth of the Torah is constantly being heard from your mouth, then you will not have the opportunity to speak any falsehood.

Shepherd of Hermas continued: “That the spirit which ELOHIM has placed in your flesh may be found truthful before all men; and the Master, who dwelleth in you (YAHWEH, YESHUA, and RUACH are ONE), will be esteemed, because YAHWEH is truthful in every word, and in Him is no falsehood.

Titus 1:2

“Concerning the hope of eternal life which the EVER-TRUTHFUL ELOHIM promised before the times of the world…”

Numbers 23:19

“ELOHIM is not a man that He should LIE; neither the son of man that He should be given counsel; He speaks and He shall do it, and His word abides forever.”

Shepherd of Hermas continued: “They therefore who lie deny YAHWEH, and rob Him, not giving back to Him the deposit which they have received.”

2 Esdras 7:78

“Now, concerning death, the teaching is: When the decisive decree has gone forth from the Most High that a man shall die, as the spirit leaves the body to return again to Him who gave it…”

Mathew 27:50 (Hebrew Besorah)

“Then again YESHUA cried out with a loud voice and released The RUACH HA’KODESH The Set-Apart Spirit.”

Shepherd of Hermas continued: “For they received from Him a spirit free from falsehood. If they give him back this spirit untruthful, they pollute the commandment of YAHWEH, and become robbers.”

Think of it this way, our Father YAHWEH has given you a shiny brand new car right off the lot, so the car is without any blemishes when He gives the car to you, yet you give the car back to Him full scratches, dents, and covered completely in mud, meaning you have taken a gift that He has given you and you have defiled the gift. YAHWEH has given us the RUACH HA’KODESH when YESHUA ascended into heaven and He is a gift that dwells within us;

Acts 2:38 (Aramaic English New Testament)

“Simon (Peter) said to them, “Repent and be immersed each of you in the Name of Master YAHWEH-YESHUA for the forgiveness of sins, that you may receive the gift of the RUACH HA’KODESH.”

Therefore, we are to be truthful in words and deeds, because the RUACH HA’KODESH will lead us into all truth (John 16:13-16), but you have freewill to tell lies and grieve Him, because lying is the exact opposite of who He is and what He wants to do while living in you, and that is for you to obey YAHWEH and His Torah (See Romans 8).

Shepherd of Hermas continued: “On hearing these words, I wept most violently. When he saw me weeping, he said to me, “Why do you weep?” And I said, “Because, sir, I know not if I can be saved.” “Why?” said he. And I said, “Because, sir, I never spake a true word in my life, but have ever spoken cunningly to all, and have affirmed a lie for the truth to all; and no one ever contradicted me, but credit was given to my word. How then can I live, since I have acted thus?” And he said to me, “Your feelings are indeed right and sound, for you ought as a servant of ELOHIM to have walked in truth, and not to have joined an evil conscience with the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13-16), nor to have CAUSED SADNESS to the kodesh (set-apart) and True Spirit.”

Ephesians 4:30 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“And do not GRIEVE ELOHIM’s RUACH HA’KODESH (Set-Apart Spirit), for He has stamped you as His property until the day of final redemption .”

 Shepherd of Hermas continued: “And I said to him, “Never, sir, did I listen to these words with so much attention.” And he said to me, “Now you hear them, and keep them, that even the falsehoods which you formerly told in your transactions may come to be believed through the truthfulness of your present statements. For even they (previous lies) can become worthy of credit. If you keep these precepts, and from this time forward you speak nothing but the truth, it will be possible for you to obtain life. And WHOSOEVER shall hear this commandment, and depart from that great wickedness falsehood, shall live to ELOHIM.”

The malach of repentance said: “Now you hear them, and keep them, that even the falsehoods which you formerly told in your transactions may come to be believed through the truthfulness of your present statements.” In other words, now that you know the truth and see how wicked lying is and turned away from it, then people will see the complete change in you and will hear nothing but the truth being spoken from you from here on; therefore, they will disregard the previous lies you told and focus on your present statements.

The malach of repentance said that those who lie DENY YAHWEH, so this is not a light matter at all, now let’s examine some scriptures concerning lying.

Supporting scriptures about lying:

Exodus 20:16

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

Bearing false witness is lying because you are acting as an eyewitness to something that you did not see, yet claiming your stateements to be true.

Proverbs 6:16

“There are six things which YAHWEH HATES; the seventh is abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a LYING TONGUE, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness who speaks LIES, and he who sows discord among brothers.”

Proverbs 12:22

“Lying lips are an abomination to YAHWEH; but those who deal truly are His delight.”

Proverbs 13:5

“A righteous man HATES LYING; but a wicked man is loathsome, and shall be ashamed and confounded.”

Proverbs 17:7

“Excellent speech is unbecoming to a fool, and LYING LIPS to righteous man.”

Proverbs 30:8

“Remove far from me vanity and LIES…”

Sirach 20:24-27

“A LIE is a foul blemish in a man, yet it is continually in the mouth of the untaught. A thief is better than a man that is accustomed to LIE: but they both inherit DESTRUCTION. The disposition of a LIAR is dishonorable and his shame is always with him.

Colossians 3:8-9

“But now, you put away from you all these: wrath, anger, malice, reviling, filthy talking; and LIE NOT one to another but put off the old man with all his practices; and put you on the new man that is renewed in knowledge, after the likeness of his Creator.”

Revelation 22:14-15 (Hebrew besorah)

“Blessed are those who do His commandments that they may have a share in the tree of life, and be pure to walk in the city. For the dogs and sorcerers and the harlots and the murderers and the LIARS stay outside.”

As the malach of repentance said: “And WHOSOEVER shall hear this commandment, and depart from that great wickedness falsehood, shall live to ELOHIM.”

May our Father YAHWEH bless you all in YESHUA’s Name!

Correction regarding food preparation on “Important questions for Shabbat” message!

About a year ago, I did a message titled “Important questions for the Shabbat” and everything contained within the message is true, but I want to apologize for one thing! I mentioned that we could turn the crockpot on before the start of the Shabbat and just leave it on to keep the food warm; though I have never used the microwave or stove I did implement the crockpot occasionally before the start of the Shabbat. However, with a new revelation from the Aramaic Peshitta the ancient scriptures, this is something that I will no longer do, and I want to share this with you all so that you can make a decision and take it to YAHWEH in prayer.

Exodus 16:23 (Aramaic Peshitta)

“Moses said to them, this is what YAHWEH has said, tomorrow is a day of kodesh (set-apart) rest, a Shabbat to YAHWEH; BAKE that which you will BAKE today, and COOK  what you will COOK and that which is left over, keep it COLD for yourselves until the morning…”

I never want to remain complacent in this walk and I’m constantly seeking for the truth and reading the ancient text to get a better understanding of what YAHWEH wants us to do, and in return I can share it with you all.  I have repented and again, I apologize to you all and may our Father YAHWEH bless you in YESHUA’s Name!

Shepherd of Hermas command #2: Part 2 Almsgiving/Giving to the poor

This week we will continue with the second part of the second commandment which is to help the poor.

Helping the poor

 “Practice goodness; and from the rewards of your labors, which ELOHIM gives you, give to all the needy in simplicity, not hesitating as to whom you are to give or not to give. Give to all, for ELOHIM wishes His gifts to be shared amongst all. They who receive, will render an account to ELOHIM why and for what they have received. For the afflicted who receive will not be condemned, but they who receive on FALSE PRETENSES will suffer punishment. He, then, who gives is guiltless. For as he received from YAHWEH, so has he accomplished his service in simplicity, not hesitating as to whom he should give and to whom he should not give. This service, then, if accomplished in simplicity, is esteem with ELOHIM. He, therefore, who thus ministers in simplicity, will live to ELOHIM. Keep therefore these commandments, as I have given them to you, that your repentance and the repentance of your house may be found in simplicity, and your heart may be pure and stainless.”

The malach (angel) of repentance makes it clear that you are to give to ANYONE who is need and not hesitate in doing so.

Testament of Zebulon 7:1-4

“Now I will declare to you what I did, I saw a man in distress, being naked in wintertime, and had compassion on him, and secretly took a garment from my dad’s house, and gave it to him who was in distress. Therefore you, my children, should also do, from that which ELOHIM gives to you, show compassion and kindness WITHOUT HESITATION to ALL MEN, and give to every man with a good heart. And if you do have the means to give to him that is in need, have compassion for him in bowels of kindness. I know that my hand did not find the means to give to him that needed, and I walked with him weeping for seven furlongs (7/8 of a mile), and my bowels yearned towards him in compassion.”

Mathew 6:3 (Aramaic English New Testament)

“But whenever you do almsgiving (charity), you should not reveal what your left hand does to your right hand.”

Your left hand not knowing what the right hand does is to say that you are giving in simplicity and not giving thinking about whether you should or should not give, you give out of love from your heart without even thinking about it. How many people have used the excuse by saying “Well, I don’t know what they are going to use the money for!” or “They are probably living in a mansion and don’t need the money!” or “They will probably just use it on drugs!” etc. Of course, you don’t know them personally to even make that decision; therefore, we are to give in simplicity. It’s not up to us to decide who gets and who doesn’t, because if they are NOT in need and they take the money then they will have to answer for it, but you will be innocent. But if you don’t give and they are in need they you will be guilty! So just give! Plus, you never know if you are entertaining a malach (angel):

Hebrews 13:1-2

“Let love for the brothers dwell among you. And do not forget kindness to strangers; for by this some have been privileged to entertain messengers without even knowing!”

Supporting scriptures

Luke 3:10-11

“And the crowds would say to him (John the Baptist), “What then should we do?” And he answered and said to them, “He who has two coats let him give to him who does not have. And he who has food, likewise let him do.”

Proverbs 14:21, 31

“He who despises his neighbor sins; but he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.” Verse 31 “He who oppresses the poor provokes his Maker; but he who honors YAHWEH has mercy on the needy.”

Proverbs 19:17

“He who has pity upon the poor is a companion of YAHWEH; and he shall be repaid according to his works.”

Proverbs 21:13

“He who closes his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry to ELOHIM, but he shall not answer him.”

Proverbs 28:27

“He who gives to the poor shall not lack; but he who turns his eyes away from the needy shall have many a curse.”

Psalm 41:1

“Blessed is he who looks after the poor; YAHWEH will deliver him in time of trouble.”

Tobiyah 4:7-11, 16

“Give charity of your substance; and when you give charity, do not let your eye be envious, neither turn your face from any poor and the face of ELOHIM shall not be turned away from you. If you have abundance give charity; accordingly, if you have but a little, do not be afraid to give according to that little, for you lay up a good treasure for yourself against the day of necessity. Because that charity delivers from death and does not allow you to come into darkness. Verse 16 “Give bread to the hungry and of your garments to those who are naked; and according to your abundance give charity: and do not let your eye be envious (stingy), when you give charity.”

James 2:14-17

“Or if a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of food, and one of you say to them, “Go in peace, warm yourselves, and be full;” and you do not give them the necessities of the body, what is the use? So also belief alone, without works is dead.”

1 John 3:17-18

“But whoever has worldly possessions and sees his brother in need and closes off his bowels (of merciful nature) from him, how is the love of ELOHIM in him? My children, let us not love one another in words and in tongue, but in acts and in truth.”

Sirach 4:1-6

“My son do not defraud the poor of his living do not make the needy eyes wait long. Do not make a hungry soul sorrowful; neither provoke a man in his distress. Do not add more trouble to a heart that is vexed; and postpone giving to him that is in need. Do not reject the supplication of the afflicted, neither turn away your face from a poor man. Do not turn your eye away from the needy and give him no occasion to curse you: for if he curses you in the bitterness of his soul his prayer shall be heard by Him that made him.”

Deuteronomy 15:7-9

“If there is among you a poor person of one of your brethren within any of your towns in the land which YAHWEH your ELOHIM gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother: But you shall open your hand wide to him, and shall surely lend him whatsoever he lacks. Beware that there be not a wicked thought in your heart, and you say, the seventh year, the year of release, is near; and your eye be evil toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; and he cry to YAHWEH against you, and it be SIN TO YOU.”

Sirach 7:32

“And stretch your hand to the poor, that your blessing may be perfected.”

Sirach 18:25

“When you have enough, remember the time of hunger: and when you are rich, think of poverty and need.”

Sirach 29:9

“Help the poor for the commandment’s sake and do not turn him away because of his poverty.”

Testament of Benjamin 4:4

“If anyone is esteemed, he does not envy him; if anyone is rich, he is not jealous; if anyone is valiant, he praises him; he exalts the virtuous man; he shows kindness to the poor man; he has compassion on the weak; he sings praises to ELOHIM.”

Job 31:16-22 (Aramaic Peshitta)

“If I have withheld the poor from his desire, or have defrauded the widow, or have eaten my bread alone, and the orphans did not eat of it because from my youth I was brought up in sorrows, and from my mother’s womb with sighing; if  have seen anyone perishing for want of clothing, or any poor without covering (but they were reared upon my knees, and were warmed with the fleece of my sheep); If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless (when I saw him at the door I helped him); then let my arm fall from my shoulder blade from the bone.”

Don’t forget about the orphans and widows

James 1:27

“For the worship that is pure and set-apart before ELOHIM the Father is this: to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction; and: that one keep himself without blemish from the world.”

1 Timothy 5:3

“Honor widows who are truly widows”

Sirach 4:10

“Be as a dad to the dad less and in place of a husband to their mother: so shall you be as the son of the Most High and He shall love you more than your mother does.”

Psalm 82:3

“Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy out of the hand of the wicked.”

Job 29:12

“Because I delivered the poor out of distress, and the fatherless who had none to help him.” The blessing of him who was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow’s heart to rejoice.”

Deuteronomy 10:18

“He does execute justice for the dad less and the widows, and loves him who turns to him, and gives him food and clothing.”

Deuteronomy 26:12

“When you have finished tithing all the tithes of your produce in the third year, which is the year of tithing, then you shall give to the Levite, the sojourner, the dad less, and the widow, that they may eat within your towns and be filled.”

Exodus 22:22

“You shall not harm any widow or orphan. If you harm them, and they pray before Me, I will surely hear their prayer; and my wrath shall kindle, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall become widows and your children dad less.”

Mathew 23:14 (Aramaic Peshitta)

“Woe to you scribes and Pharisee’s hypocrites for you embezzle the property of widows, and that for a pretense you lengthen your prayers. Because of this you will receive a greater judgment.”

Sirach 35:14-16

“He will not despise the supplication of the dad less; nor the widow, when she pours out her complaint, do not the tears run down the widow’s cheeks and is not her cry against him that causes them to fall?”

As we can see, helping the poor, needy, dad less, orphans and widows is a huge part of being a servant of YAHWEH and YESHUA, so remember to give freely to all those in need without hesitation. Then according to the malach of YAHWEH, you will live unto ELOHIM! As always, may our Father YAHWEH bless you in YESHUA’s Name!

Shepherd of Hermas command #2: Part 1 AVOID EVIL-SPEAKING

Last week we went over the first commandment that the malach (angel) of repentance told Hermas, and this week we will look at the first part of the second command which is to avoid evil speaking, and YAHWEH willing next week we will go over the second part of the command which is about giving to the poor, this way no one will be overwhelmed with too much information at one time.

 He said to me, “Be simple and guileless (innocent without deception), and you will be as the children who know not the wickedness that ruins the life of men. First, then, speak EVIL OF NO ONE, nor listen with pleasure to anyone who speaks evil of another. But if you listen, you will partake of the sin of him who speaks evil, if you believe the slander which you hear; for believing it, you will also have something to say against your brother. Thus, then, will you be guilty of the sin of him who slanders. For slander is evil and an unsteady demon. It never abides in peace, but always remains in discord. Keep yourself from it, and you will always be at peace with all. Put on a (kadushah) set-apartness in which there is no wicked cause of offense, but all deeds that are equable and joyful.”

The world can easily speak evil about others on social media platforms for the world to see. Then do it in private by way of phone calls, and text messages, and about 99% of the time when slander is presented, people accept it as truth without having any evidence. Slander is also called evil speaking in the scriptures and is defined as the action or crime of making a FALSE spoken statement or false report that is damaging to a person’s reputation. Also accusing someone of being guilty without evidence or witnesses. The hearer hears the information and then jumps to conclusions by believing the false report that is damaging to someone’s character and then they too will spread the false report, making them just as guilty for believing it whether they spread it or not.

By you listening to it and accepting it as factual makes you just as guilty as if you said it yourself.  Scripture tells us that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established. Make sure you have evidence and witnesses concerning a matter before immediately jumping on someone’s side and accept what is being said as factual without investigating the matter. An example of this:

Deuteronomy 13:12-14

“When you shall HEAR, in one of your cities which YAHWEH your ELOHIM gives you to dwell in, one saying, certain wicked men have gone out from among you, and have led astray the inhabitants of their cities, saying, “Let us go and serve other mighty ones, whom you have not known; THEN YOU SHALL INQUIRE, AND MAKE SEARCH, AND ASK DILIGENTLY; and behold, IF THE THING IS TRUE, that such an abomination has been done among you; you shall surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword…”

The point is that YAHWEH said diligently ask and inquire to see if the report they heard was true, not accept it as factual first and go destroy them, that would be making them guilty before investigating a matter. How many times have you pronounced someone guilty based off a report of “he said she said?”

Deuteronomy 19:15

“A single witness shall not rise up against a man for any offense, or for any crime, in whatever offense or crime he may commit; on the testimony of two witnesses, or on the testimony of three witnesses, shall a charge be established.”

Mathew 18:16

“And if he does not listen to you, take with you one or two others, because of the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word shall be established.”

1 Timothy 5:19

“Against an elder do not receive a accusation/complaint except at the mouth of two or three witnesses.”

This would explain why YAHWEH hates false witnesses, because your word is expected to be truthful:

Exodus 20:16

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

Proverbs 24:28

“Be not a false witness against your neighbor; and do not deceive him with your lips.”

Proverbs 12:22

“Lying lips are an abomination to YAHWEH; but those who deal truly are His delight.”

Beware of Slander scriptures

Mathew 12:36-37

“And I say to you that for every idle WORD men speak, they shall give an account of it in the Day of Judgment. For by your WORDS you shall be declared righteous, and by your WORDS you shall be declared unrighteous.”

James 4:11 (Hebrew Besorah/gospel)

“Do not go about SLANDERING among yourselves, for whosoever goes about as a slanderer against his brother, is a slander against the Torah, and if you do so, you do not establish the Torah.”

Psalms 101:5 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“If someone SLANDERS another in SECRET, I will cut him off.”

Testament of Joseph 1:6

“I was alone, and ELOHIM comforted me. I was sick and YAHWEH visited me.  I was in prison, and my ELOHIM showed favor to me. I was in bonds, and He released me. I was SLANDERED, and He pleaded my cause. I was bitterly spoken against by the Egyptians, and He delivered me. I was envied by my fellow-slaves and he exalted me.”

Sirach 27:22-23

“He that winks with the eyes works evil; and he that knows him will depart from him. When you are present, he will speak sweetly and will admire your words: but in the end he will twist his mouth and SLANDER YOUR SAYINGS.”

James 3:3-10

“Look, we put bits in the mouths of horses, for them to obey us, and we turn their body. Look at the ships too: although they are so big and are driven by strong winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot intends. So too the tongue is a little member, yet boasts greatly. See how a little fire kindles a great forest! And the tongue is a fire, the world of unrighteousness. Like a forest among our members the tongue is placed, the one defiling the ENTIRE BODY, and lighting on fire the course of generations, rolling from the beginning and in the end is lit on fire itself. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man is able to tame the tongue. It is unruly evil, filled with deadly poison. With it we bless our ELOHIM and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of ELOHIM. Out of the same mouth proceed blessings and cursing.”

Proverbs 11:9

“The defiled one destroys his neighbor with his mouth, but the righteous is delivered by knowledge.”

Backbiting

Is defined by Oxford languages as malicious talk about someone who is not present and is linked to slander.

1 Peter 2:1

“Therefore, cease all evil and all deceit and hypocrisy and jealousy and BACKBITING. And be like very small children; and crave the Word…”

Sirach 28:14-16

“A backbiting tongue has disquieted many and driven them from nation to nation: it has pulled down strong cities and overthrown the houses of great men. A backbiting tongue has cast out virtuous women and deprived them of their labors. Whoever listens to it shall never find rest and never dwell quietly.”

Romans 1:30 (Aramaic English New Testament)

“And backbiting and slander; and being haters of ELOHIM, scoffers, proud, vain-esteem, devisers of evil things, destitute of reason, disregardful of parents. And to whom a covenant is nothing, neither affection, nor peace, and in whom is no compassion. These, while they know the judgment of ELOHIM, that He condemns those to death who perpetrate such things, are not only does of them, but the companions of such as do them.”

Gossiping words

Gossip is defined as a person who habitually spreads intimate (personal) or private rumors or facts, also trivial chatty talk or writing. We know this is someone who is talking about someone else and most of the time it’s based off of a rumor, which others will accept as factual information. People whisper these words because they don’t want others to hear what they are saying because they would never be able to see it to the person in question.

1 Timothy 5:13

“Moreover, they learn to be idle, going about from house to house, and not only idle but also GOSSIPS and busybodies, speaking what is IMPROPER.”

Sirach 19:6-10

“And he who hates gossip shall have less evil. Do not repeat to another that which is told to you, and you shall not suffer harm. Whether to friend or enemy, do not speak of another’s life; and if you may without offense, do not reveal them. For if he hears and sees you, so in time to come he shall hate you. If you have a word, let it die with you…”

Wisdom 1:11

“Therefore beware of grumbling, which is useless, and keep your tongue from secrecy. For no secret word is without evil, and a lying mouth destroys the being.”

Ezekiel 22:9 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)

“In you, people GOSSIP to the point of inciting bloodshed; in you are those who go to eat on the mountains; in you, they commit lewd acts. In you, they commit incest; in you, they force themselves on women during their menstrual impurity.”

As we see gossip is mentioned in the same breath as all these other abominations. At the end of the day, speak evil of no one.

Sirach 5:12-15

“Esteem and shame is in speech; and the tongue of man is his downfall. Do not be a whisper, and do not lie in wait with your tongue; for foul shame is upon the thief, and an evil condemnation upon the double-tongued. Do not be ignorant of any matter, small or great.”

2 Timothy 3:3 (Aramaic English New Testament)

“But know this: That in the latter days hard times will come: and men will be lovers of themselves and lovers of money, boasters, proud, revilers, unyielding towards their own people, deniers of mercy, wicked, unloving, addicted to irreconcilable MALICIOUS GOSSIPS, ferocious, haters of the good, treacherous, rash, inflated, attached to the pleasure more than to the love of ELOHIM, having a form of respect for ELOHIM but wide from the power of ELOHIM.”

Titus 3:1-2

“And admonish them to be submissive and obedient to princes and powerful leaders; and that they are ready for every good work; and that they speak ill of NO MAN; that they will not be argumentative, but mild; and that in everything they manifest generously towards all men.”

The malach of repentance confirms a brief message I did on this months ago, but if you can refrain from speaking evil against others, then you will live unto ELOHIM! And next week, YAHWEH willing, we will go over the second part of this commandment that is required as well.

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

YESHUA is Creator! Shepherd of Hermas commands: Belief in ONE ELOHIM!

We will now begin a study in the book of The Shepherd of Hermas and covering the 12 commandments that Hermas was given by a malach (angel) of repentance that guides the people of YAHWEH into righteousness. These commandments are not “additions” to the Torah, rather they just give detailed insights to further explain what YAHWEH expects out of us and how narrow this path is. So, the first command that the malach of repentance gives to Hermas is “Belief in One ELOHIM and that He created all things.”

Firstly, I would like to give some background information concerning this book for anyone who is unfamiliar with this work. The Encyclopedia Britannica says:

“An IMPORTANT piece of patristic (writings of the early “church fathers”) literature, it was regarded AS SCRIPTURE by St. Irenaeus, St. Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Tertullian. However, the Muratorian Canon denied that it was inspired, and St. Jerome stated that it was known very little in the Western assembly. Much more popular in the EASTERN ASSEMBLY, the work is contained in the 4th century Codex Sinaiticus of the Greek Scriptures. Manuscripts in Greek, Latin, and Ethiopic and fragments in Coptic and Persian exist.”

This same article states this as well:

“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.”

A few things I would like to mention 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”, this shows you that he was not saying the Torah was done away with. Secondly, The Shepherd of Hermas was widely accepted in the Assembly of the East where the Scriptures originate, which has an Eastern mindset, but rejected in the Western world that has adopted an anti-torah, pagan, Roman mindset; so its no wonder this book was rejected in the western world. It is also my belief that this book was rejected because of it’s views on divorce and remarriage which we will cover in the fourth commandment YAHWEH willing; and also how this book tells followers of YESHUA to keep the commandments, which further proves that many in the early assembly not far removed from the days of YESHUA and the apostles did not believe the Torah was done away with.

The Shepherd of Hermas is said to have been written in 150 AD. The Ambrosia Library at Milan by Muratori said that Shepherd was written in Rome (where Hermas is mentioned in Romans) quite recently “In our times”, and that its author was Hermas, a brother of Pius who was then bishop and Rome, which would mean this is the same Hermas that is mentioned in:

Romans 16:14

“Send peace to Asyncritus and Phlegon, and HERMAS, and Patrobas, and Hermes, and the brothers who are with them.”

And Hermas is said to be one of the 70 disciples that YESHUA sent out in:

Luke 10:1

“After these things, YESHUA appointed seventy from His OTHER disciples and sent them two by two before His face to all regions and cities that He was about to go.”

First Commandment: Believe in One ELOHIM

With that background information which establishes the importance of this book let us now examine the first command that Hermas was given by the malach of repentance.

“First of all, believe that there is ONE ELOHIM who created and finished all things, and made all things out of nothing. He alone is able to contain the whole, but Himself cannot be contained. Have belief therefore in Him, and fear Him, and fearing Him, exercise self-control. Keep these commands, and you will cast away from you all wickedness, and put on the strength of righteousness (Deuteronomy 6:25), and live to ELOHIM, if you keep this commandment.”

Hermas is told to fear ELOHIM:

Ecclesiastes 12:13 (Aramaic Peshitta)

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: FEAR YAHWEH and keep His commandments; this given by ONE MASTER TO EVERY MAN.”

Next, as we are told to believe in One ELOHIM and that He created all things and we know that YAHWEH and YESHUA are One (Echad) so that means that both had to be present during the creation account.  I have done a message on this previously, but now we are going to take a deeper look into the matter especially for those who doubt YESHUA’s pre-existence and His Oneness with YAHWEH the Father.

Revelation 19:13 (Aramaic English New Testament)

“And He was clothed with a vesture sprinkled with blood; and His Name is called, “THE WORD OF ELOHIM.”

John 1:1-3 (Aramaic English New Testament)

“In the beginning was the Miltha/WORD (Physical Manifestation of YAHWEH, the Substance of YAHWEH). And that Miltha/WORD was with ELOHIM. And ELOHIM was that Miltha. This was with ELOHIM IN THE BEGINNING. Everything EXISTED THROUGH HIS HANDS, and without Him not even one thing existed of the things which have existed.”

John 1:1-3 (Hebrew Besorah/Gospel)

“In the beginning the SON was ELOAH. The SON OF EL (God) 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.”

Notice how the Aramaic says that everything came into existence “through the hands of YESHUA who is the Word of YAHWEH!”

Andrew Gabriel Roth’s comments saying, “Literal Aramaic reading; “through His hands” indicates the Word as a CREATIVE FORCE, like a SCULPTOR working under the orders of a King.”

Job 12:8-9

“Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach you; and the fishes of the sea shall declare to you. Who does not know in all these that the HAND OF YAHWEH made them?” And YESHUA sits at the right HAND OF YAHWEH!

John 1 shows us plainly that YESHUA was in the beginning with YAHWEH, so how do we make this work in the creation account? Firstly, YAHWEH and YESHUA are ONE and I see it this way, YAHWEH spoke the words as the orders of a King and YESHUA the Word went forth as a sculptor and created it. We will see the usage of that in this article as The Word of YAHWEH doing the action and other scriptures about the WORD creating!

John 15:10

“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept the commandments of My Father, and I abide in His love.”

YESHUA always obeyed the command of His Father, and we see the same thing happening during the creation account as YESHUA obeyed what was spoken and He went forth created everything.

An article written that discusses the Book of Adam and Eve says:

Last week Jeff brought up the use of "the Word" in The First Book of Adam and Eve. Many say the main story was created/written down around 2 to 3 hundred years before Christ, though additions continued into the 3rd century A.D. Of the numerous apocryphal works written, this one seems to have been most influential on early theologians, and was widely popular from the 3rd to the 13th century A.D.

This book is a written history of what happened in the days of Adam and Eve after they were cast out of the garden. Although considered to be pseudepigraphic by some, it carries significant meaning and insight into events of that time.

In it, there seem to be basically three heavenly beings that interact with Adam and Eve: ELOHIM, His malachim (angels), and the Word of ELOHIM (YESHUA). ELOHIM is usually the one speaking, but when ACTION is taken, He sends angels or the Word of ELOHIM to do it. Plus at times ELOHIM says the plan and covenant with Adam is to eventually send His "Word" in the flesh to save them (We know this is YESHUA based on John 1). We saw in our study last week that the "Word of YAHWEH" as used in the Tanakh (Old Testament) was the visual manifestation of YAHWEH. We saw that the Hebrew Scriptures taught a second YAHWEH. The First Book of Adam and Eve collaborates this idea…”

Jubilees 12:4

“Worship the ELOHIM of heaven, who causes the rain and the dew to descend on the earth, and does everything upon the earth. He has created everything by HIS WORD, and all life is from before His face.”

Psalms 33:6

“By the WORD OF YAHWEH were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.”

Hebrews 11:3

“For by belief we understand that the worlds were shaped BY THE WORD OF ELOHIM; and that things seen originated from those that are not seen.”

2 Esdras 6:38-43

“I said, “O YAHWEH ELOHIM, You didst speak at the beginning of creation, and didst say on the first day, ‘Let heaven and earth be made,’ and thy WORD ACCOMPLISHED THE WORK. And then the Spirit was hovering, and darkness and silence embraced everything, and the sound of man’s voice was not yet there. Then You didst command that a ray of light be brought forth from Your treasuries, so that Your works might then appear. Again, on the second day, You didst create the spirit of the firmament, and didst command HIM to separate the waters, that one part might move upward and the other part remain beneath. On the third day, You didst command the waters to be gathered together in the seventh part of the earth; six parts You didst dry up and keep so that some of them might be planted and cultivated and be of service before You. For Your WORD WENT FORTH, and at once the work was done.”

2 Baruch 21:4

“O He who has made the earth, hear me, He who fastened the firmament by HIS WORD, Who made firm the height of the heavens by the spirit, He who called from the beginning of the world that which had not yet come to be, and they obey You!”

2 Baruch 54:13

“For with Your mind You guide all creatures, Whom Your RIGHT HAND CREATED, and You have established every source of light beside You, and You have prepared the reservoirs of wisdom under Your throne.”

Baruch says “Your Right Hand created all creatures” and we know that YESHUA sits at the Right Hand of YAHWEH.

Mark 14:61-62

“But He was silent and did not answer him anything. And again the high priest asked Him and said, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” And YESHUA said to Him, I AM. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the RIGHT HAND of power and coming upon the clouds of heaven.”

Shepherd of Hermas Chapter 3

“Lo, the ELOHIM of powers, Who by His invisible strong power and great wisdom has created the world, and by His esteemed counsel has surrounded His creation with beauty, and by HIS STRONG WORD has fixed the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth upon the waters, and by His own wisdom and providence has created His kodesh (set-apart) assembly, which He has blessed, lo!”

Colossians 1:12-19 (Aramaic English New Testament)

“And may, with joy, give thanks to ELOHIM the Father Who has fitted us for a portion of the inheritance of the Set Apart (kodesh) believers in light; and has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of His beloved Son by Whom we have redemption and forgiveness of sins: Who is the LIKENESS OF THE INVISIBLE ELOHIM and the First-born of all creatures: And by Him was CREATED EVERYTHING that is in heaven and on earth, all that is visible and all that is invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; everything was through Him and was CREATED BY HIM: and He was PRIOR TO ALL, and by Him EVERYTHING EXISTS.”

John 1:1-3 (Aramaic English New Testament)

“In the beginning was the Miltha/Word (Physical Manifestation of YAHWEH, the Substance of YAHWEH). And that Miltha/Word was with ELOHIM. And ELOHIM was that Miltha. This was with ELOHIM IN THE BEGINNING. Everything EXISTED THROUGH HIS HANDS, and without Him not even one thing existed of the things which have existed.”

Hebrews 1:1-2 (Aramaic English New Testament)

“In many ways and many forms, ELOHIM anciently conversed with our ancestors by the prophets: but in these latter days, He has conversed with us by His Son Whom He has constituted heir of all things, and by Whom HE MADE THE WORLDS…”

Revelation 3:14 (Aramaic English New Testament)

“And to the messenger of the assembly which is at Laodicea, write: “These things says the Ahmein, the witness, the faithful, the true, the CHIEF OF THE CREATION OF ELOHIM.”

And we know that YESHUA is the One speaking in Revelation and He confirms that He is the Chief of the creation of ELOHIM, which solidifies that He is the Word of YAHWEH and that everything was created through His hands a sculptor taking orders from a King.

 As the malach of repentance aka the shepherd of Hermas told him, that if you believe that ELOHIM is One and created all things you shall live unto ELOHIM. So, do you believe that YAHWEH and YESHUA are ONE, and that YAHWEH spoke and YESHUA the Word went forth and created everything? If so, you will live unto ELOHIM according to the first command. Next week YAHWEH willing we will cover the second commandment.

As always, may our Father YAHWEH bless you all in YESHUA’s Name!

Feast of Unleavened Bread 2022 Instructions!

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a “High Shabbat” a “no workday” that begins on April 6th and another “no workday” on April 12th; therefore, it ties in with Passover as explained last week, which is why we start eating unleavened bread the night of the 5th which is the start of the 6th, with the Passover meal. I will include a copy of a link to a resource that lists all types of leavening agents that need to be disposed of on the first day of the feast of unleavened bread.

Paul observed Feast of Unleavened Bread

Acts 20:6-7

“And we departed from Phillipi, a city of the Macedonians, AFTER THE DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD; and proceeded by water and arrived at Troas in five days, and remained there seven days. 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.”

Paul observed Passover as I mentioned in the message last week, and here we see that he also observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread that follows it. Paul was with the group observing The Feast of Unleavened Bread and we see that they did not even sail until AFTER the Feast was over, so again just a reminder to all Christians that the holy days apply to you all as well to be grafted in with the native-born Israelites and be one within the body of Messiah.

Instructions

John 19:31 (Parenthesis mine)

“Therefore, since it was the Preparation, that the bodies should not remain on the stake on the Shabbat-for that Shabbat was A HIGH ONE (1st Day of Feast of Unleavened Bread, 15TH DAY OF 1ST MONTH).

If you have not read the message I did a few months ago titled “When was YESHUA crucified?” You will see that YESHUA was crucified on Wednesday which was the 1st Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread; and John mentions that the first day of The Feast of Unleavened Bread was a High Shabbat; meaning a kodesh (holy) day of no work which is commanded in the Torah, which further proves that the Torah was kept in the New Testament. YAHWEH instructs us to eat unleavened bread for 7 days and do no work on the 1st day and no work the 7th day of The Feast of Unleavened Bread because they are High Shabbats (Holy Days), so this year that would be April 6th and April 12th.

Leviticus 23:6-8

“And on the FIFTEENTH day of the same month (1st month) is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to YAHWEH; for SEVEN days you must eat unleavened bread. On the FIRST DAY you shall have a holy convocation; you shall DO NO MANNER OF WORK THEREON. But you shall offer an offering made by fire to YAHWEH seven days; on the SEVENTH DAY is a holy convocation; you shall DO NO MANNER OF WORK THEREON.”

Exodus 12:14-20 saying:

“This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to YAHWEH---a LASTING LAW. For seven days you are to eat bread made without leaven. On the first day remove the leaven from your houses (April 6th), for whoever eats anything with leaven in it from the first day through the seventh day must be cut off from Israel. On the FIRST day (APRIL 6TH) hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the SEVENTH DAY (APRIL 12TH.) Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat---that is all you may do.”

Exodus 34:18

“Guard the Festival of Matzah (Feast of Unleavened Bread). For seven days you eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the Appointed Time of the month of Abib, because in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt.”

Numbers 33:3

“So they departed from Ramses in the first month, on the 15th day of the first month (Feast of Unleavened Bread), on the MORROW OF THE PASSOVER, the children of Yisra’el went out with a high hand before the eyes of all the Egyptians.”

Remove leaven from your homes

YAHWEH also commands us to remove ALL leaven from our homes on the 1st Day of the Feast (April 6th). The definition of leaven is described below titled “What is leaven?”

Exodus 12:17-20 (Parenthesis mine)

“Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance forever. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. Seven days there shall be NO LEAVEN FOUND IN YOUR HOUSES; for whoever eats that which is LEAVENED, that person shall perish from the congregation of Yisra’el, whether he is a STRANGER (gentile) or  NATIVE OF THE LAND.” You shall eat nothing leavened in all your habitations you SHALL EAT UNLEAVENED BREAD.”

What is leaven?

Leaven or (Se’or in Hebrew) are leavening agents that cause dough to rise:

Firstly, we have the natural form of leaven in bread which is called Sourdough bread. This is what the scriptures were originally referring to, when it says that they did not have time for the dough to rise.

Exodus 12:34

“And the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their garments on their shoulders.”

Sourdough bread is defined as: Sourdough is an old form of bread LEAVENING. It relies on a mix of wild yeast (from the air) and lactic acid bacteria that are naturally present in flour, RATHER than baker's yeast, to leaven the dough. It is fermented bread that begins to leaven the longer it sits.  An article titled “What is Sourdough? The bread that rises without yeast” written by Alice Zou says “Sourdough is the oldest form of leavened bread, dating back to Ancient Egypt. BEFORE the use of commercial yeast, ALL BREAD was either unleavened or sourdough. It is thought that sourdough bread was first made on accident when unleavened bread dough was left sitting out, and wild yeast began to grow in the dough. In modern times, sourdough is still popular, and many artisan bakeries still make sourdough bread.”

Then there is the chemical/commercial leavening agents the world is accustomed to today such as: (Yeast, baking powder, baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, horn salt etc.)

When leavening agents are combined with flour it becomes Chametz (Ha-mets) which is baked bread that has risen due to the leavening agents. We are to dispose of any Chametz that you have made yourself including sourdough or any store-bought baked breads, cakes, cake mixes containing leavening agents, also beware of matzah ball soup mixes because they contain sodium bicarbonate which is a leavening agent that we should not be eating during this feast.

Also, all of the leavening agents must be thrown away on the FIRST DAY (April 6th) and to be found NOWHERE in your homes, for example I put everything in the trashcan and take it to the street which is not on my property/borders. And do not give the chametz/baked goods or the leavening agents to a neighbor to get them back after the feast is over. Throw them away as YAHWEH commanded and He will provide the provisions for being obedient as always. Trying to find loopholes to circumvent the commandments of YAHWEH because one finds them to be burdensome is not the spirit of Torah, as 1 John 5:3 says YAHWEH’s commands are not burdensome.

We are to eat Matzah, which is called unleavened bread, for seven days which does not contain anything to make the dough rise or the original leavened sourdough bread. Simply flour, water, and maybe oil is all that is required to make unleavened bread.

Wine is popular to drink on Passover, though I personally opt for grape juice as the fruit of the vine, because most wine contains ADDED yeast or a leavening agent during the fermentation process, which would break the command of no leavening agent. So, if you can find a wine that doesn’t break the command then you should have no problems, otherwise I would drink grape juice. I only bring this up for awareness purposes so that each person can do their own research and follow the instructions as closely as they can.

We are commanded not to possess Chametz or leavening agents because leaven is a representation of sin. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8:

“Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little leaven works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old leaven that you may be a new batch without leaven—

Once you allow a little sin to enter your life it will grow, spread, and rise like yeast or leavening agents, because the sin/yeast will spread through the entire batch of dough/body, the same way the leaven of the Pharisees and their false doctrines will do. I’ve heard it said and know it to be true, is that sin is contagious.

YAHWEH tells us in Exodus 13:7-9:

“Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; and WHATEVER IS LEAVENED IS NOT TO BE SEEN WITH YOU, AND LEAVEN IS NOT TO BE SEEN WITH YOU WITHIN ALL YOUR BORDER. On that day tell your son, ‘I do this because of what YAHWEH did for me when I came out of Egypt.” And it shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a reminder between your eyes, that the Torah of YAHWEH is to be in your mouth, for with a strong hand YAHWEH has brought you out of Egypt.”

Jubilees 1:26

“And you shall write down for yourself all these Words which I declare unto you on this mountain, the first and the last, which shall come to be in all the divisions of the days in the Law and in the Witness and in the Shabbats and the Jubilees FOREVER, UNTIL I DESCEND AND DWELL WITH THEM FOREVER.”

As always let us stand up and be obedient to our Father YAHWEH and His Son and our Messiah YESHUA in truth. May our Father YAHWEH bless you in YESHUA’s Name!

Passover Instructions 2022! Paul kept Passover!

Shalom,

Pesach (Passover) is on April 5th and the Feast of Unleavened Bread is April 6th using the Zadok Priestly calendar, so the days are going to be different than most of the standard calendars that you will see. Pesach is when the lamb was to be slaughtered so that the meat would be eaten with the bitter herbs and unleavened bread at sunset.

For anyone who is new to the website, I’ll discuss who Passover is for and why Christians should observe it and also prove that Paul observed Passover. Also we will discuss, instructions for Passover, such as how to do we observe Passover, should we eat lamb and was is forbidden by men? Along with more important Passover instructions that may have been overlooked or forgotten, and parallels with YESHUA and Passover. It will be a lengthy message due to the amount of important information to cover, but most of the questions that arise will be contained within this message and prayerfully be answered, I pray that you listen or read this entire message.

Passover and The Feast of Unleavened Bread are so closely tied in together that during YESHUA’s day they called the entire festival “The Feast of Unleavened Bread” even though they are separated by “twilight” or “in between the evenings”, so basically Passover is on the 14th Day of the 1st month at “twilight” or “in between the evenings” when the sun is going down but not completely dark and when the sunsets it’s the start of the 15th Day of the 1st month which is the Feast of Unleavened when the Passover meal is eaten. YAHWEH willing, I will cover the instructions to the Feast of Unleavened Bread next week so that no one is overwhelmed.

Choose Passover/Pesach (Pronounced PAY-SOCK)!

It is a time to proclaim the death of YESHUA Who was crucified on the 1st Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is tied in with Passover, which is why we begin to eat unleavened bread WITH the Passover meal which represents YESHUA’s sinless body that was broken for us. We do this in REMEMBRANCE of Him for what He did for us when He gave Himself for us all.

Mathew 26:2 says:

“As you know, the PASSOVER is two days away and the Son of Man (YESHUA) will be handed over to be crucified.”

John 6:55-58

“For My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. He who eats My Flesh and drinks My blood stays in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me shall live because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of the heavens, not as your fathers ate the manna and died. He who eats this bread shall live forever.”

So we know YESHUA is not talking about us becoming a cannibal and eating his literal flesh and drinking His blood which is forbidden in the Torah., the bread is the unleavened bread which represents His sinless body that was broken for us, and the blood is the wine or grape juice, and I will show later in this message that YESHUA ate the flesh of the lamb. Going back to the beginning of John 6 and go to verse 4, and it shows that YESHUA was referring to Passover which says, “And the Passover was near, the Festival of the Jews.”

What is Passover? Passover is when YAHWEH brought the final plague upon the Egyptians because Pharaoh would not let His people go. YAHWEH commanded the Israelites to take a bunch of hyssop and dip in the basin with the perfect blood of lamb and strike the lentil and the two doorposts of the house so that YAHWEH would “Pass Over” and protect their homes and execute judgment on the Egyptians. This event was a foreshadowing of the true perfect sacrificial lamb in YESHUA, whose perfect blood was poured out for us. The same way the perfect blood of the lamb saved Yisra’el when YAHWEH PASSED OVER and protected them, is the same way when we have the perfect blood of YESHUA in our lives that sin and death PASS OVER us!

John 1:29

“On the next day John saw YESHUA coming toward him, and said, “See, the LAMB of YAHWEH who takes away the sin of the world!”

Exodus 12:5

“Let the LAMB be a perfect one, a year-old male.” Verse 12 “And I shall pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and shall smite the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And on all the mighty ones of Egypt I shall execute judgment. I am YAHWEH. And the BLOOD shall be a SIGN for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the BLOOD, I shall PASS OVER you, and let the plague not come on you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt.”

Hebrews 11:28

“By belief, they kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood that he who destroyed the first-born might not approach them.”

Revelation 12:11

“And they overcame him because of the Blood of the LAMB because of the Word of their witness, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

Revelation 13:8

“And all those dwelling on the earth, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the slain LAMB, from the foundation of the world shall worship Him.”

Revelation 22:1 “And he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of YAHWEH and of the LAMB.”

Does this apply to all believers? Yes!

Colossians 2:16-17 (Aramaic)

“Let no PAGAN therefore judge you in eating and or in drinking, or in respect of a Festival or a NEW MONTH OR SHABBAT-which are a shadow of what is to come...” 

In NO WAY is Paul saying to not observe the Shabbat or the Holy Feast Days, what he is saying is let no pagan (non-believer) judge you for knowing the truth of YAHWEH’s commands of scripture, and that YAHWEH expects us to observe these days because they are a prophetic shadow of FUTURE EVENTS. We are to be observing these days NOW because they are APPOINTMENTS and a rehearsal on earth for what will be done in the Kingdom when YESHUA returns; therefore, if you never observed any of His Holy Days, then how will you be ready to observe them in the kingdom to come? Therefore, don’t let anyone judge you for knowing the TRUTH! The prophecy in Zechariah 14 is a great example of this because during the 1,000 reign of YESHUA ALL nations must come to celebrate The Feast of Tabernacles one of the 7 Holy Days found in (Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16) or have no rain, even the Egyptian who is not a native-born Israelite has to celebrate the Feast. This is a perfect example to prove that the Holy Days are a SHADOW of what is to come, which means that same concept applies to Passover!

 Jeremiah 38:8 (Septuagint)

“See, I bring them from the north and will gather them from the end of the earth to the FEAST OF THE PASSOVER: and the people shall beget a great multitude and they shall return here.”

This is a prophecy of end times gathering and matches the words of YESHUA that He will observe Passover with us in the reign of ELOHIM in the future, so again, we are rehearsing for what is to come and need to observe Passover.

Mathew 26:29

“And while they were dining (Passover), YESHUA took bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it to His disciples and said, “take eat, this is My body. And He took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them and said, “Take drink from it all of you, this is My blood Of the Renewed Covenant, which for the sake of many is shed for the forgiveness of sins. And I say to you that I will not drink this fruit of the vine from now on until the day in which I drink it anew with you the in the Kingdom of My Father, of ELOHIM.” Matches what I just quoted from Jeremiah 38:8 perfectly.

Exodus 12:42-49

“It is a night to be observed unto YAHWEH for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This night is unto YAHWEH, to be observed by all the children of Yisra’el throughout their generations.” And YAHWEH said to Moses and Aaron, “This is a Law of the Passover: No son of a stranger is to eat of it, but any servant a man has brought for silver, when you have circumcised him, then let him eat of it. A sojourner and a hired servant does not eat of it. It is eaten in one house, you are not to take any of the flesh outside the house, nor are you to break any bone of it. All the congregation of Yisra’el are to perform it. And when a stranger sojourns with you (Ger) and shall perform the Pesach/Passover to YAHWEH, let all his males be circumcised, AND THEN let him come near and perform it, and he shall be as a NATIVE OF THE LAND. But let NO UNCIRCUMCISED eat of it.”

As we see the gentile once he was circumcised could eat Passover and He was considered a native-born Israelite, which shows that gentiles have been grafted in from the beginning.

Numbers 9:14 (Aramaic Peshitta)

“And when a proselyte (a gentile convert) sojourns among you, then he SHALL PERFOM the Pesach of YAHWEH. He shall do so according to the Law of the Pesach and according to its statues. You have ONE TORAH, both for the proselyte (gentile convert) and the native of the land.”

So, we see that YAHWEH says twice that the native-born and the gentile must perform Passover because it is one Torah Law between native-born and the gentile grafted in; and that is also a night to be observed forever!

Numbers 15:15-16

“One ordinance, shall be both for you and the proselyte (gentile convert) who sojourns with you, an ordinance forever throughout your generations; the proselyte shall be LIKE YOU (a native-born) before YAHWEH. One Torah/Law and one ordinance shall be for you (native-born) and the for the proselyte (gentile convert who becomes as native-born) who sojourns with you.”

One of Satan’s biggest deceptions is to trick believers of The ELOHIM of Yisra’el into observing pagan days that are not commanded in scripture. And Passover is a huge one as they are all, but Satan has attempted to take YESHUA’s victory over death and has the world worshipping and praising Easter/Ishtar a pagan deity with bunnies that have nothing to do with our Savior. By doing so he wants to give the honor and esteem to anything but YAHWEH and YESHUA and has found a way to connect it to hardcore paganism.

 Satan has deceived the world just as it states in Revelation 12:9 that he has led the whole world astray. Most of the world is celebrating his counterfeit holidays called sabbats which means (a pagan gathering of witches) that mock the true Holy Days/SHABBAT’S or Moedim (Appointed times) set by YAHWEH.

Jubilees 1:9-10

“For they shall forget all My Commands, even all that I command them, and they shall walk after the gentiles (Easter is an example of that), and after their uncleanness, and after their shame, and shall serve their mighty ones. And these shall come to be an offence to them and a tribulation and an affliction and a snare. And many shall perish and they shall be taken captive, and shall fall into the hands of the enemy, because they have forsaken My Laws and My Commands, and the Festivals of My Covenant (Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread etc.) and My Shabbats, and My Holy Place which I have sanctified for Myself in their midst….” Verse 14 “And they shall forget all My Torah and My Commands and all My Right-Rulings, and shall go astray as to NEW MONTHS, and SHABBATS, and FESTIVALS, and Jubilees, and Laws.”

2 Kings 22:13

“Go inquire of YAHWEH for me, for the people and for all of Judah, concerning the words of this Book that has been found. For great is the wrath of YAHWEH that is kindled against us, because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this Book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”

 YAHWEH says they forgot His New Months, Shabbats, and Festivals, just as most of the world has forsaken them today for pagan knockoff’s, which is why Paul says this:

Ephesians 4:4-6

“ONE BODY, and ONE RUACH (SPIRIT), as you also were called in ONE expectation of your calling; ONE (Master)YESHUA, ONE BELIEF/FAITH, ONE IMMERSION/BAPTISM, ONE ELOHIM AND FATHER OF ALL who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” There is only ONE WAY, so we all should be worshipping Him the same way as He tells us in scripture, and that is through YESHUA Who is the Living Torah and anything else is a thief and imposter.

1 Corinthians 5:7-8

“Therefore cleanse out the old leaven, so that you are a new lump, as you are unleavened. For also MESSIAH our PASSOVER was offered for US. So then LET US OBSERVE THE FESTIVAL (PASSOVER) not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Not only did Paul remember that YESHUA is our Passover Lamb, but also told the assembly of Corinth to Observe the Festival of Passover which means Paul observed it and told the non-native born Corinthians to do the same, showing that we ALL should doing as they did.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

“For I received from the Master that which I also delivered to you: that the Master YESHUA in the night in 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 REMEMBERANCE 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 REMEMBERANCE OF ME.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup (Passover), you PROCLAIM THE DEATH OF THE MASTER UNTIL HE COMES.”

So, we see the importance of the blood of YESHUA saving us from sin and death and the bread representing His body that was broken for us and blood of the Renewed Covenant! Then Paul adds that we are proclaiming the death of YESHUA until He returns! So, if you are doing this in REMEMBERANCE of YESHUA then He will be looking from heaven to see if you are REMEMBERING TO KEEP PASSOVER! I know Christianity has their own “tradition of men” called communion to remember what YESHUA did, but we have to understand that YAHWEH commands us to do it on a certain day once a year. Which is why He gave us Holy Days in Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16 and called “Appointed Times” and “Shabbats”. They are Appointments that YAHWEH and YESHUA want to meet with Their people.

Think of it this way: If a holistic natural medicine doctor says “come back and see me in two weeks and make the appointment with the receptionist” that means you have an appointment to meet him on a certain day. If you decide to show up a month later, then that means you have missed the appointment and cannot receive treatment. The same thing applies in the spiritual realm and the Covenant we are supposed to be walking in with ELOHIM to receive spiritual blessings!

When is Passover this year?

Passover this year is on April 5th when the sun is about to completely go down (twilight/between the evenings), but before it completely sets, but the meal is not eaten until the sun completely sets. This is why YAHWEH said slaughter the lamb “in between the evenings” which is still technically the 14th day of 1st month, so when the sun sets it is the start of the 15th. The meal is eaten at night in haste because the Israelites fled Egypt in haste. So, while the sun is setting you can begin to read and to remember what happened with the Exodus out of Egypt. A good way to do this is by using a ‘Avodah’ meaning service in Hebrew, which is an interactive reading of the Exodus where the entire family can get involved as reader #1, reader #2 etc., just make sure that is scripturally based and not the seder of Judaism. Or you can read the scriptures and take turns reading it together.

Exodus 12:8

“And they shall eat the flesh on that NIGHT, roasted in fire-WITH unleavened bread and with bitter herbs and they shall eat it.”

Jubilees 49:1

“Remember the command which YAHWEH commanded you concerning Passover, that you should celebrate it at its appointed time, on the fourteenth day of the first month; that you should slaughter it BEFORE it is evening (in between the evenings/twilight), so that they may EAT IT BY NIGHT ON THE EVENING OF THE FIFTEENTH from the time of the SETTING OF THE SUN.”

Deuteronomy 16:6

“There you slaughter the Pesach in the evening, at the going down of the sun (twilight.in between the evenings), at the Appointed Time you came out of Egypt.”

Should we eat lamb?

This is the part of the year where a lot of disagreements arise about whether we should eat the lamb or not, so I want to take the time to express my current view and what I have been led to do, and that is to eat the lamb, if you do not agree, I ask that you please take it into prayer.

The biggest evidence that jumped out to me from research, is that it appears the custom to not eat lamb was forbidden by men! According to Jewish Law which sounds like more Judaism rules to me:

The eating of a whole roasted lamb on Passover is forbidden by the code of Jewish law Or Jewish legal code called the Shulchan Aruch, which was first printed in Venice in 1565, which is well after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. This information can be found by a basic search going to chicagojewishnews.com or templedehirschsinai.org and states this:

“With our Passover narrative so focused on the sacrifice of a lamb, it seems strange that the only kosher meat we are forbidden to eat on Passover is… lamb! The Shulchan Aruch, a Jewish legal code dating to the 1500s, FORBIDS the consumption of lamb on Passover. As a more popular Jewish resource, the New York Times, reported in 1988: “The ancient custom of sacrificing lambs on the eve of Passover and eating the meat to begin the festival ended with the destruction of the Second Temple in A.D. 70. As a mark of respect for the memory of the temple sacrifices, the eating of a whole roasted lamb on Passover is forbidden by the code of Jewish law called Shulchan Aruch.”

This is huge in my opinion because we are steering away from the traditions of men not towards it. During the Exodus out of Egypt, the Passover lamb was slaughtered by each household and being that they were leaving Egypt there was no Temple as it is written in Exodus 12:21-24.

Joshua ate the Passover before the Temple was built just after they crossed the Jordan river.

Joshua 5:10-11

“And the children of Yisra’el camped in Gilgal, and performed the Pesach/Passover on the 14th day of the month at evening on the desert plains of Jericho. And they ate the stored grain of the land on the morrow after the Pesach/Passover, unleavened bread and roasted grain on this same day.”

So, the biggest argument is that there is no Temple; however:

1 Corinthians 3:16

“Do you not know that YOU are the TEMPLE OF ELOHIM and that the Spirit of ELOHIM dwells in you?”

This is powerful because we are the temple of YAHWEH and the RUACH HA’KODESH dwells within us and leading us, plus YESHUA is the High Priest, so with all this evidence including the banning of lamb made by men, I don’t see why we cannot.

Secondly, I want to point out is that YESHUA ate the lamb Himself according to the command found in Exodus 12:8-11 and that YESHUA would not break the Torah as He is the written Word that became Living Flesh (Mathew 5:17-19). So, the Lamb of YAHWEH Who took away the sins of the world ate the lamb, and He is our example to follow (1 John 2:6).  Anyone, who has read this blog long enough knows that I believe and trust in the blood of YESHUA’s atonement as I have done many messages about this, so eating lamb doesn’t nullify YESHUA being the Lamb of YAHWEH.

Mark 14:12 (Aramaic)

“And in the first day of the unleavened bread in which the Jews SLAY THE PASSOVER (Lamb), His disciples were saying to Him, “Where do you desire us to go for you to prepare the Passover TO EAT?”

Luke 22:7-8 (Aramaic)

“And the day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread arrived during which there was the custom that the PASSOVER BE SLAUGHTERED. And YESHUA sent Peter and John and said to them, “Go, prepare the Passover for US THAT WE MAY EAT.”

I know there are many doctrines out there that say that YESHUA was a vegan, and we can see that is clearly false as He ate the lamb for Passover. Plus, He ate fish to further prove He was not a vegan.

Luke 24:41-43

“And even then they were not believing for their joy and they were astonished. He said to them, “Do you have something here to eat? And they gave Him a portion of FISH that was broiled and of a honeycomb and He took it and HE ATE IT before their eyes.”

Also, The Samaritans who are from the Northern Kingdom of Yisra’el whose ancestry is that of Manasseh and Ephraim, still eat lamb for Passover without a Temple. The Samaritans follow a version of the Torah called the Pentateuch which is said to be the original true version of the Torah. The Samaritans split with the Jews during the Second Temple period because they said the Jews in the Temple were corrupt.

Their interpretation of the Torah is not like that of the Judaism interpretations, for example, in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, where YAHWEH says “bind them for a sign upon your hand and let them be frontlets between your eyes” most Jews in Judaism take tefillin which are black boxes and put inside of the box a portion of the Torah and literally bind them on their hands and foreheads. The Samaritans view it as I do where its symbolic of your thoughts which is the Otiot “Resh” the picture of a man’s head meaning your thoughts on serving YAHWEH and staying in His word. The Samaritans render this passage as “Let them be as a MEMORY between your eyes”, and for bind them for a sign upon on your hands is “yad” the arm and the hand in the Otiot meaning your actions to serve YAHWEH.. Plus, the Samaritans still observe Pesach on the 14th in between the evenings coinciding with Feast of Unleavened Bread when the sunsets on the 15th just as written in scripture.

The point I’m making is that we have descendants from the 12 Tribes who follow Torah as they claim the original Torah, they separated themselves from JUDAISM and say they are following the truth, they reject the Oral Torah which is correct and they reject the Talmud which is correct, their focus is on the written Torah alone, and they still eat lamb today without a Temple, as I’m led to do. I’m definitely not saying I agree with all their beliefs; however, their interpretation of Torah is from what I have gathered so far and is closer than that of Judaism.

 I believe that when the Temple is standing, we would not be able to eat the Passover anywhere and that we would have eat it in Jerusalem, but without a Temple, we eat it in our homes just as they did in Exodus leaving Egypt, just as I believe we are in a foreign land awaiting the 2nd Exodus.

The Samaritans reject any and everything that is based on Judaism and their laws which we will see in this article.

Samaritan article:

If you are interested, you can email me and I will send you the article with the pictures included.

BYKRISTIN ROMEY

PUBLISHED APRIL 19, 2019

• 5 MIN READ

Samaritans are one of the world’s smallest religious groups, claiming descent from the of the 12 tribes of ancient Israel. They consider themselves the true observants of Israelite religion, and view Judaism as a religious practice corrupted during the Babylonian exile. This separation is clearly delineated in the geography of the Holy Land: While Mount Moriah in Jerusalem is where the Jewish Temple was decreed by God, the Samaritans followed the command of that same God and built their temple on the peak of Mount Gerizim, some 30 miles to the north.

Today, Mount Gerizim, at an elevation of almost 3,000 feet, is one of the highest points in the Palestinian territories, and commands a sweeping view of the bustling city of Nablus and the West Bank villages that surround it. On its ridge is the village of Kiryat Luza, where, on the eve of each Passover, the roughly 800 members of the Samaritan community gather to pray and observe their liberation from slavery in Egypt.

In remembrance of that event, the Samaritans follow the Torah mandate that a sheep or lamb be sacrificed on Passover eve and consumed before dawn of the next day. In Kiryat Luza, this is a communal event, in which prayers are recited and dozens of animals are dispatched simultaneously by men dressed in all white and then roasted in enormous earthen pits. In the hours after midnight, the meat is heaped on trays alongside bundles of bitter herbs and dished out in a celebratory community gathering under the stars.

Seven days later, the Samaritan community marks the end of Passover with a more solemn event. Once again under the stars just a few hours before dawn, the white-robed men of the community gather in front of their small synagogue, young sons beside them, rubbing the sleep from their eyes.

© NGP, Content may not reflect National Geographic's current map policy.

Led by their head priest cradling a silver Torah case, the men ascend Mount Gerizim in the darkness, climbing stone steps past the remains of their temple, destroyed by the Hasmoneans in the early second century B.C., and the rubble of a church built on their sacred peak by the Byzantine emperor Zeno some 600 years later. At points along the ascent, they stop to pray and then continue on as the dawn sky turns periwinkle and the paper-thin blossoms of scarlet poppies begin to unfurl.

The procession ends near a stone slab believed by Samaritans to be the site where Abraham intended to sacrifice his son Isaac. The sun breaks above the horizon and the high priest raises the shining Torah case above his head as he concludes the group prayer. It’s a spring day on Mount Gerizim, and once again this tiny community has gathered together to fulfill its sacred duties before ELOHIM.

How should we eat the lamb? And what do we eat with it?

Exodus 12:8-11

“And they shall eat the flesh (Lamb) on that night, ROASTED IN FIRE-with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.” Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but ROASTED IN FIRE, its legs and its inward parts. And do not leave of it until morning you are to burn with fire. And this is how you eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Pesach (Passover) of YAHWEH.

Exodus 34:25

“Do not offer the blood of My slaughtering with leaven, and do not let the slaughtering of the Festival of Pesach/Passover remain until morning.”

YAHWEH tell us to eat lamb roasted in fire (like a grill with actual charcoal and flames) unleavened bread (bread with no yeast, no baking soda or sourdough bread) and bitter herbs which are herbs such as mustard greens, dandelion greens, horseradish, or chicory.

Of course, we are in diaspora right now, scattered to the four corners of the earth because of our ancestor’s disobedience. Meaning we aren’t in Jerusalem and there is no Temple; however, we can do ALL that we can to follow the commandments and requirements to the best of your ability. If you can get a staff to eat with the meal, then why not? If you can get a whole lamb, then that’s great! If, not get a rack of lamb ribs or lamb chops, just make sure you are eating lamb roasted in fire as required. But remember that NONE of the meat can be kept and must be burned with fire by the morning as we read in Exodus 12:10 and Exodus 34:25, so make sure not to get more than you can eat.

Many ask the question; doesn’t the lamb have to be a perfect one?  We can only do the best that we can to comply with the commandment and many of us are not farmers and don’t have livestock, so we can only do the best we can while in diaspora. The place where I order my lamb is KOL foods and their meat is “Glatt kosher” meaning they check the lungs of the animals to make sure they do not have any imperfections/adhesions, the blood is drained out, grass-fed/grass-finished with no hormones or antibiotics. This statement is listed on their website: Kosher for Pesach/Passover All KOL Foods meat cuts (beef, lamb and poultry) and ground beef and lamb are Kosher for Passover year-round under the Star K and do not require special Pesach certification.

Leave none of it until morning

Exodus 12:4

“And if the household is too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; every man according to the portion of his eating shall make your count for the lamb.” Verse 10 “And you shall leave none of it remaining until morning; and that which remains of it until the morning you shall burn with fire.”

Jubilees 49:10

“Let the children of Yisra’el come and observe the Passover on the day of its appointed time on the fourteenth day of the first month, between the evenings, from the THIRD PART of the day to the THIRD PART OF THE NIGHT, for two portions of the day are given to the light, and a third part to the evening. This is that which YAHWEH commanded you that you should observe it between the evenings. And it is not permissible to slay it during any period of the light, but during the period BORDERING THE EVENING, and let them eat it at the time of the evening UNTIL THE THIRD PART OF THE NIGHT, and whatever is left over of all its flesh from the THIRD PART OF THE NIGHT ONWARDS, let them burn it with fire.”

We need 12 hours of both day and night to constitute a 24-hour period. 12 hours in a day divided by three parts equals 4 hours. Spoken of in Jubilees 49 for Passover:

Night:

Part 1 of night is: 6pm-10pm

Part 2 of night is: 10pm-2am (Eat of Passover from evening up to 2 am, then whatever is left is burned with fire. Because whatever is left from the third part of night onwards is to be burned.)

Part 3 of night is: 2am-6am

Day:

Part 1 of day is: 6 am-10am

Part 2 of day is 10am-2pm

Part 3 of day is 2pm-6pm and the cycle repeats

 Do not leave the house

Exodus 12:22

“And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin, and you, NONE OF YOU SHALL GO OUT OF THE DOOR OF HIS HOUSE UNTIL MORNING.”

As I always say we should follow the Scriptures as closely as we can, so if you are at home stay in the house and don’t go out until morning and likewise if you are staying with family or friends stay in the house until morning to comply with the command.

Keep watch

Mathew 26:38-41

“And He (YESHUA) said to them, “There is sadness to my soul to the point of death. Remain here and WATCH WITH ME.” And He went a little further and fell upon His face and was praying and said, “My Father if it is possible, let this cup PASS OVER Me. Nevertheless, not as I will but as You will.” And He came to His disciples and found them while they were sleeping and said to Peter, “So you are not able to WATCH WITH ME one hour!” Take heed and pray or else you enter into temptation, the spirit is ready but the body is weak.”

We know that YESHUA spoke no idle words and quoted from the Torah, prophets, and the psalms because He is the written Word that became Living Flesh. So, there is only one place in scripture that ties into Passover about keeping WATCH and I believe this is what YESHUA is referring to. He is telling us to remember what our ancient ancestors did and that is to be alert and watch with our Father YAHWEH, and we can also pray so that we do not fall into temptation.

Exodus 12:40-42 (Complete Jewish Bible)

“The time the people of Yisra’el lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of 430 years to the day, all the divisions of YAHWEH left land of Egypt. This was a night when YAHWEH KEPT VIGIL to bring them out of the land of Egypt, and this same night CONTINUES TO BE A NIGHT WHEN YAHWEH KEEPS VIGIL (WATCH) for all the people of Yisra’el through all their generations.”

So, was YESHUA saying to keep watch with Him, just as our Father YAHWEH continues to watch during this night throughout all our generations? The same way the children of Yisra’el watched with anticipation for the salvation of YAHWEH from the deliverance from Egypt is the same way we are watching with anticipation our deliverance from modern day Egypt. Sounds like a strong possibility. It’s interesting because a vigil is a watch at night when sleep usually occurs, so this definitely applies to us. The word vigil in Hebrew is “simmurin” which means to watch or observe, although we know that YAHWEH does not sleep, and we are to stay alert and watch with Him.

Psalms 121:4

“Behold, He who keeps Yisra’el will neither slumber nor sleep.”

Parallels with YESHUA and Passover

Exodus 12:3-6

“Speak to all the congregation of Yisra’el, saying, on the tenth day of this month they shall take to themselves every man a lamb for his own household, and a lamb for his dad’s household.” Verse 6 “And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Yisra’el shall kill it at sunset.”

So, the lamb was selected on a Friday the 10th day of the 1st month and was to be kept on the 14th day of the 1st month, which is a Tuesday when they would slaughter the lamb in the late afternoon “in between the evenings” before sunset. Remember, Erev means late afternoon or sunset, it has a dual meaning. They would have the lamb in their house for 4 days before slaughtering it, so the lamb becomes like a pet to them, and they become attached to the lamb. In the same way, YESHUA walked with the disciples and then was crucified, and even though we didn’t physically walk with YESHUA on the earth, we walk with Him now and still have that attachment to the Him the Lamb.

Mathew 17:22-23

“And while they were traveling in Galilee, YESHUA said to them, “The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of the sons of men. And they will kill Him, and on the third day He will rise.” And they were very saddened.”

Exodus 12:46

“It is eaten in one house, you are not to take any of the flesh (lamb) outside the house, NOR are you to BREAK ANY BONE OF IT.”

John 19:31

“The Jews asked Pilate to have THEIR LEGS BROKEN, and to be taken away. Therefore the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who was impaled with Him, but when they came to YESHUA and saw that He was already dead, they DID NOT BREAK HIS LEGS.”  But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and instantly BLOOD and WATER came out. And he was has seen has witnessed, and his witness is true. And he knows that he is speaking the truth, in order that you might believe. For this took place in order for the Scripture to be filled: “NOT ONE OF HIS BONES SHALL BE BROKEN.” See the connection and how it fulfills what YAHWEH spoke In Exodus 12:46 and Psalms 22?

Also, in John 19:34 when YESHUA was pierced blood and water came out of Him. This reminds me of:

1 John 5:5-6

“Who is the one who overcomes the world but he who believes that YESHUA is the Son of YAHWEH? This is the One that came by WATER AND BLOOD: YESHUA HA’MASHIACH, not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Ruach (Spirit) who bears witness, because the Ruach is the Truth.” (The immersion/baptism and atonement on the stake.)

Conclusion:

1 Corinthians 11:27-29

“So that whoever should eat this bread or drink this cup of the Master unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Master. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For the one who is eating and drinking unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Master.”

Let us examine ourselves and make sure that we are ready to partake in this Appointed Time of remembering the Exodus out of Egypt and YESHUA shedding His blood for us and delivering us from sin and death. As always may our Father YAHWEH bless you in YESHUA’s Name!