This needlessly divisive subject is solved very simply by allowing the meta-narrative of Scripture to inform our understanding in the illumination of the Holy Spirit.

Many decontextualise and misuse the writings of Paul in order to subjugate women. Likewise many well-meaning, humble women practice self-deception regarding their roles and God given Biblically established gifts. Thus, they come under bondage to the doctrines of men rather than experience the freedom of Messiah.

What follows is a concise article that shares the view of Scripture in its entirety, as it pertains to women in leadership and teaching roles:

John, “the disciple Yeshua loved,” addresses his latter letters to the leaders of the respective communities he is writing to. John writes his second letter (2 John 1) to "the chosen lady", a female believer and clearly the leader of the community he is addressing his instruction to. If, as some foolishly teach through a lack of context regarding certain scriptures, that women should not lead, teach etc. why is John honouring the "Chosen lady" as a female leader, a "Pastor"?

In his writing to the community of Corinth, and in his instruction to Timothy concerning the orderly worship of his community in Ephesus, where cultural and religious context play a key role in understanding the text, Paul doesn't make a general rule banning women from such roles as teaching and speaking, but addresses wives who are demeaning their husbands in public worship and women who are compromising their gender roles according to practices gleaned from pagan worship.

Elsewhere in Paul's writing he is clarifying gender distinction rather than the subjugation of women. (1 Corinthians 11) The key to understanding Paul’s writing on this subject is to look at the wider context and consider that he is addressing disorder in the communities in question and not making general arbitrary rules for the subjugation of the female gender.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:1-11) which include teaching, prophecy etc. are given to each one as the Spirit chooses. The gifts are nowhere named as being gender specific. How then is it possible that a woman having been given the gift of teaching by the Holy Spirit could then be refused the opportunity to utilize that gift? Those who decontextualize these Scriptures in order to proliferate a misogynistic agenda are under Judgement.

I think it’s interesting that in all the arguments I've heard that claim women should not be in leadership, I have not once heard a Scripture from the TaNaKh (OT) employed in support of such views.

Here's why:

Miriam was a prophet and led the women of Israel in worship (Exodus 15:20).
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God chose Deborah to lead as a prophet, and judge. Additionally she led the men of Israel into battle (Judges 4-5).

Huldah the prophetess was sought by Josiah to inquire of the LORD. In this role under God's authority Huldah therefore, led Josiah the king of Israel (2 Chronicles 34:20-33)

Esther instructed Mordechai, who passed on her instruction to all the Jews of Persia, thus Esther led Israel under God's authority (Esther 4:14-17).

In 2 Samuel 20 the wise woman of Abel takes the role of leader and calls on Joab from atop the fortified city wall in order to strike a deal for the city’s safety. Joab promises to leave the city if Sheba, the man he is seeking, is handed over to him. The woman speaks to the people of the city, and they behead Sheba, throwing his head over the wall, thus, Joab departs. This unnamed woman therefore led the men of the city in this account.

The wife of Isaiah is called "the prophetess (Isaiah 8:3)

These are just a few of the many leadership and prophetic roles women had in the TaNaKh.

In the New Testament we read of Phoebe, Romans 16:1, a woman who taught in the Cenchreae faith community as a “diakonos.” Paul uses this term often to refer to a leader of a community and applies it elsewhere to Yeshua the Messiah, Tychicus, Epaphras, Timothy, and to himself.

Junia was considered outstanding by Paul and was among the circle of the apostles (Romans 16:7).

Chloe (1 Corinthians 1:11), Nympha (Colossians 4:15), and Apphia (Philemon 1:2) all led house churches.

Euodia & Syntyche (Philippians 4:2-3) were labours in the Gospel with Paul.

Priscilla was a church planter (Romans 16:5; Acts 18:26) and was highly regarded by Paul. She instructed Apollos in key doctrine. If women are not allowed to instruct men, why is she esteemed by Paul, who is speaking by the Holy Spirit?

Philip’s four daughters were all identified as prophets (Acts 21:8,9). Biblical prophecy is exercised by way of public proclamation.

All these women were influential leaders, teachers, prophets, judges as detailed in Scripture both explicitly and implicitly.

The two passages most often misused by misogynistic teachers to subjugate women are:

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 & 1 Timothy 2:11-15

Let’s take a concise look at these texts:

1 Corinthians 14:34-35

The chief deity in ancient Corinth was Aphrodite, the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. Thus, women held positions of power and held sway over their husbands in secular Corinthian society. Paul wasn’t just instructing women who were denigrating men to be silent; he was also calling for those who spoke in tongues and prophesied to do so in an orderly fashion. Paul was simply instructing orderly worship within the Corinthian body of believers.

Due to the secular societal norms in ancient Corinth it’s likely that certain wives/women were being disrespectful within the community of faith, rudely asking questions that disrupted the worship gatherings. The Greek word translated “speak” in these verses is used to address prophecies and tongues earlier in the chapter. In both cases, it specifically refers to more than one person speaking at a time. It is therefore consistent to understand that more than one woman was talking at a time and thus disrupting the meetings. It’s also possible that women were talking amongst themselves during sacred parts of the worship gatherings and thus desecrating the sanctity of the community by disrespecting teachers and distracting others.

Therefore, Paul is not making a general command about women speaking but rather about disrespectful conduct from women during corporate gatherings of the believing community.

As previously stated, based on multiple scriptural references, Paul was an advocate of women in their God appointed roles in the early body of faith. Paul had already clearly outlined ministry roles to both genders in 1 Corinthians 12 and 1 Corinthians 14:3-5. Additionally in 1 Corinthians 11:5 Paul alludes to women being participants in both prayer and prophesy in the corporate gatherings of believers.

See my article:
https://www.bethmelekh.com/yaakovs-commentary/bald-women-kippot-1-corinthians-112-16

1 Timothy 2:11-15

Elsewhere, as I’ve established, Paul affirmed women in ministry roles. Therefore, in the context of this passage He’s once again addressing the subject of order.

Paul is writing to his son in the faith Timothy, who is a young leader of a faith community in Ephesus. Like Corinth, female deity was at the forefront of the consciousness in Ephesus. A temple in honour of the goddess Diana stood in Ephesus. As a result of the influence of the pagan religious worship of Diana Ephesus had become a matriarchal society that stood in opposition to the traditional Biblical Hebraic family unit.

It’s known that the most prominent teachers of Greco-Roman spirituality in the city were women. Thus, women teaching satanic doctrines. One such doctrine taught contrary to Scripture that woman was created first. This is probably one of the reasons Paul addresses this subject in verses 13-14.

Consider the secular thinking some of the new women believers were unlearning as they attempted to interact with the Messianic faith community. It stands to reason that they may have needed clarity on what was and was not appropriate according to a Hebraic Messiah essential worldview.

The Greek word translated, “teach” is “didasko” and refers to the exercising of the office of a teacher. This is clearly a polemic against those pagan female teachers in Ephesus who were teaching a satanic agenda. In other words, “Don’t bring pagan practice into the community of faith!”

In conclusion, men and women clearly have God appointed Biblical roles, and Scripture assigns neither sex to the role of subjugation.

Copyright 2025 Yaakov Ben Yehoshua

​The phrase “Fear not” appears explicitly in Scripture 143 times. In the majority of those instances it’s accompanied by the words “For I am with you”.
 
Some weaponize the phrase “Fear not” citing decontextualised passages like 1 John 4:18 (where a specific form of fear, the fear of punishment is being spoken of). They condemn fellow believers who suffer from fear with the words “God says ‘Fear not’, therefore, if you’re fearful you’re sinning”.
 
God doesn’t say “Fear not” because fear in and of itself is sin, if that were true Yeshua’s fearful responses in Gethsemane would be sin (Matt. 26:36-39). God says “Fear not” because He knows that in a sin affected world all will face fear. He therefore pre-empts the fruit of fear by way of His very existence, and says “For I am with You”. This is said in the eternal present tense. It’s never the case that God is not with us. We may not feel His presence, but He is ever present.
 
God exists before fear, fear being a fruit of the fallen created order. Therefore, as is the case with the Lamb Who is slain before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8), God Himself is the solution that precedes the problem of fear.
 
Fear will not exist in the world to come, and in the present world the fear of God puts an end to fear. Not an end to our mental and physiological responses to fear, but an end to the decision of fear.
 
It's not sin to experience fear, but it is sin to trust in fear. Therefore when we’re afraid we chose to trust in God and the Spirit of Messiah in us strengthens us to “Fear not”.
 
I’m not speaking of mental and physiological fear responses ceasing, rather I’m speaking of trusting God even when the mental and physiological fear responses of our earthly bodies don’t align with our decision to trust. Faith is not an emotion, or a sensation, to the contrary, like love, trust and faith are a decision.
 
The Father says, “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will also help you, I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isa. 41:10)
 
Often when we’re fearful we ask, “What can I do to overcome my fear?” But Scripture doesn’t task us with working to overcome our fears, rather it teaches us that God will overcome fear in us through the King Messiah Yeshua.
 
He says, “I will strengthen you, I will also help you, I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Our freedom from fear is the receipt of God’s work through Messiah.
 
It’s Yeshua Who affords us the greatest example of obedience in the face of fear. Matthew 26:36-39 recounts His experience in Gethsemane.
 
(Matt. 26:36) Gethsemane, the Garden of Olive Pressing, is situated at the base of the Mount of Olives across the Kidron (Darkness/Mourning) valley, east of Jerusalem. The Gospels tell us that Yeshua went there regularly. The point being that He was not seeking to hide from what was to come. Courage is being afraid and acting in spite of fear.

Yeshua asked His disciples to stay close to Him, He was only going a stone’s throw away, He was unsettled and desired the companionship of His friends.
 
Those who pronounce Bible verses as if they’re magic incantations in order to ward off fear, depression and anxiety, have foolishly neglected to consider the very real struggle of Yeshua’s humanity as He pleaded with God the Father in the Garden of Olive Pressing. Matthew describes Yeshua experiencing a panic attack, born on a platform of deep mental distress and producing a physiological response.

The meaning of Gethsemane, Olive Press, has obvious connotations. Yeshua is crushed and poured out for us. So that we might partake of the oil of His Spirit, the courage of His testimony.

(Matt. 26:37) The text plainly states that Yeshua became “dejected and sorrowful”. Why then do so many criticize those who suffer from anxiety? Surely anxiety in and of itself cannot be sin, after all Messiah experienced the same anxious feelings and emotive responses and yet remained sinless (Heb. 4:14-16). He is, as the prophet says, “a man of sorrow, familiar with grief.” (Isa. 53:3).
 
Yeshua doesn’t accuse us in our weakness, that’s Satan's job, on the contrary, He suffers with us, having known even greater suffering than we could ever imagine—not just mental anguish and physical death but in addition and beyond all other suffering, He took upon Himself the sin of humanity, a darkness unparalleled.

(Matt. 26:38) In Gethsemane Yeshua has an overwhelming physiologically debilitating panic attack and is essentially saying:
 
“I’m overwhelmed with deep anxiety, I’m feeling like I’m slipping into a black abyss engulfed by darkness, the weight is almost too much to bear and I really need you to be here for me in case I lose it completely. I physically feel my body failing—sweaty, pallid, weak, nauseous, heart racing, blood pressure rising, on the verge of passing out—Please stay alert so I know I can call on you if it all becomes too much for me.” 
 
Don’t miss understand, though He’s fully human, His experience doesn’t diminish His deity.
 
The Psalmist prophecies this suffering of the Messiah: “My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.” (Psa. 55:4-5)

(Matt. 26:39) Luke adds: “And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony He prayed more earnestly; and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”(Luke 22:43-44)
 
Even after Yeshua is comforted and strengthened by the divine messenger He is still in agony and prays more earnestly. This is literary evidence of the anxiety Yeshua continued to experience. The decision of His will to trust the Father did not relieve His physiological symptoms of panic, and fear. Thus, He began to sweat so profusely that His sweat dropped to the ground as if from a gushing head wound. Anyone who has experienced a severe panic attack will tell you that this is one of the physiological symptoms.
 
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet is without sin.” (Heb. 4:15)
 
“Who in the days of His flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and having been heard for His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which He suffered; and having been made perfect, He became unto all them that obey Him the Author of eternal salvation.” (Heb. 5:7-9)

Our response when we see others suffering from fear should not be to condemn them for being fearful, or to leave them alone in their hour of need. Rather our response should be to watch with them through the dark night of the soul. Reminding them that Yeshua has experienced what they’re going through and suffers with them toward victory over fear.
 
Yeshua the victorious King is also the Suffering Messiah. We need not make a false choice between the two. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
 
“He comforts us in all our suffering so that we will be able to comfort those who suffer in many ways, with the comfort which we ourselves have received from God.” (2 Cor. 1:4)
 
Article and Artwork © 2024 Yaakov Ben Yehoshua Brown

Introduction:
 
At this time of year the inevitable Christmas objectors rear their ugly heads. Being a Jewish Messiah follower and spiritual leader, and given my clear teaching in refutation of the “Christmas is Pagan” lie, I usually receive a number of angry messages and or responses to posts on the subject. These messages are full of twentieth century revisionist evidence (not evidence at all), emotionalism and personal attacks. The majority of these reactionary messages are from pseudo learned so called “Messianic Gentiles”.
 
The Messianic movement has now been so heavily inundated with hyper-law keeping Gentiles for whom ישוע Yeshua is not enough, that it no longer truly represents the Jewish followers of Yeshua. Many Messiah following Jews have become appalled at the nonsense taught by certain Messianic Gentiles and some Messianic Jewish leaders, who fail to represent the true freedom we’ve found in Yeshua. Instead these carnal people teach as the laws of God, the doctrines of human beings, flesh born, of the yetzer hara (evil inclination), ungodly.
 
As a result of the demise of the genuinely Jewish Messianic movement, our international community now identify best with the title “Messiah following” rather than “Messianic”. This is a decision made to clearly distinguish ourselves from the foolish teaching of so many in the post Gentilized Messianic movement.
 
I’m somewhat bemused by the hypocrisy which has developed among hyper-law communities. I’ve heard them denounce the Talmud for being “myth, conjecture, uninspired, full of made up stories and flawed theology,” while they themselves teach as truth that which is provably untrue. Christians of course have their own form of Talmudic literature, full of rapture theory, love languages, self-help, and misinterpretation. So too do Hebrew roots groups, and Messianics, with their anti-birthday, anti-Christmas, “everyone must keep Sabbath”, and “we are the true called out Church” nonsense.
 
When Did The Modern Anti-Christmas Movement Begin?
 
How ironic that the Messianic anti-Christmas movement, which prides itself on living a faith that is connected to Hebrew roots and consistent with the Jewish Messiah Yeshua, has nonetheless taken its que for the denigration of Christmas from a gentile protestant.

The modern anti-Christmas movement essentially began in the eighteenth century C.E, approximately 1500 years after Christians began to celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December (180-200 C.E). The anti-Catholic German protestant Paul Ernst Jablonski (1693-1757) attempted, through pseudo scholarly works (1743), to prove that December 25 was somehow pagan and therefore Christmas was a pagan celebration and Catholicism is heretical.

His facts were false and his conclusions error but his work tickled the ears of protestants and puritans (a subgroup), the majority of whom hated the Catholic Church. Thus, out of hatred for Catholicism, and not out of genuine Messiah essential love of Scripture, the “modern” anti-Christmas movement was born. It’s ebbed and flowed through the last two centuries and has now found new proponents among the Messianic movement. Rather than actually looking to the Scripture, and the Jewish roots of our Jewish faith, we have taken the word of a man, a Gentile no less, without sound knowledge of our shared history, who based his theories on false facts, and have now erroneously concluded that it’s Jewish to be anti-Christmas. Actually, it couldn’t be more goyish (Gentile).
 
With so much foolish conjecture over the dating of Christmas (and by conjecture I mean that there is no irrefutable evidence to point to who first decided on the date of Christmas or who first celebrated Messiah’s birth on the 25th of December [25th Kislev]), we would be wise to examine the motivation for the argument against celebrating Christmas.
​
Many so called Messianic Gentiles (Judaizers: not Jews) are asking the question, “Should we celebrate Christmas?” and concluding, “Believers should not celebrate Christmas!” But their conclusion is based on foolish assumption and a revisionist interpretation of history that only leads to needless arguments and the condemnation of others.

“That you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the Torah, but they don’t know what they’re talking about or what they so confidently affirm.”
 
– 1 Timothy 1:3-7

If we’re asking the question, “Should we celebrate Christmas?” we’re already in error. The question itself comes from the yetzer ha-ra (the evil inclination). The motivation behind this question is illuminated when we expand the meaning of the composite title Christmas: Messiah is sent. What we’re actually asking is, “Should we celebrate the birth of the Messiah?” The motivation is clearly seen in the fruit of those who refuse the current date for celebration, many of whom cease to celebrate Messiah’s birth altogether.

The question, “Should we celebrate Christmas?” is at best foolishness and at worst Satanic.
 
First, it causes confusion and brings condemnation upon the unlearned, and is itself supported by pre-decided supposition rather than fact. It’s in fact a question asked by the pseudo learned or the unlearned, a prime example of the blind leading the blind.
 
Second, this question gives way to a greater tragedy, which is the deciding against celebrating Messiah’s birth entirely, regardless of when He was born. This in turn eventually breathes doubt into the historical legitimacy of His birth and when that doubt is watered by conspiracy it gives way to disbelief. For without the birth there is no Gospel.
 
Third, if Yeshua’s birth is not remembered and celebrated based on the fact that it’s not directly commanded by God in Scripture, there is then no remembrance platform for Messiah’s earthly life and ministry, making the celebration of His resurrection an equally unbiblical practice. After all, if Christmas is unbiblical because it’s not commanded in the Torah, then the remembering and celebration of Messiah’s, resurrection and ascension are also unbiblical.

As I’ve explained, the root of the problem is the motivation for the question. Contrary to popular belief, there are wrong questions, they’re those questions asked by the evil inclination, born of human folly, and fuelled by satanic delusion. Rather than give in to this darkness, we should allow the Holy Spirit to ignite the yetzer hatov (good inclination), and ask a right question.

In the present case the wrong question is, “Should we celebrate Christmas?” Whereas the right question is, “Why shouldn’t we celebrate the birth of the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus the Christ)?” The former begins with an argument over dates and ends by calling into doubt the legitimacy of the celebration of Messiah’s birth, whereas the latter results in the celebration of the greatest new arrival of all time.

In light of the abundant conjecture entered into by so many, may I offer what I believe to be a conjecture that is in the true spirit of the Gospel? We know that Chanukah begins on the 25th of Kislev. Isn’t it possible that early Jewish and Gentile followers of Yeshua saw a correlation between Messiah’s birth and dedication (Chanukah), the celebration of light Chag Urim (the festival of lights), and wanting to secure their belief in the historical fact of Messiah’s birth through a practice of remembrance, decided together, Jew and Gentile, to celebrate the human birth of the light of the world on the 25th of Kislev, which corresponds every few years with the 25th of December. And isn’t it further possible, that all this happened long before the second century C.E and the politicizing of Christianity, and that the date was maintained rather than usurped and syncretised with a pagan celebration. Sometimes I think the majority of protestant Christian historians are so enamoured with the word syncretisation that they’ve become unable to see beyond the walls of their own myopic thinking.

Regardless of dating and tradition I’m determined not to be swayed by those who argue over the keeping of days, and act in a contrary manner to the Gospel by condemning other believers:

“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Messiah.”
 
 –Colossians 2:16-17 Author’s Translation

Note that the reality of all these occasions is to be found in Messiah.
 
On the Whole, Jews Are Not Opposed To Others Celebrating Christmas
 
Many Christmas objectors use Jewish religious tradition as a platform for their conjecture. Ironically, for the most part Jews could care less about Christmas because approximately 14.7 million of the 15.7 million Jews in the world today (2024) believe Jesus to be a false demi-god of a Gentile religion that has nothing to do with our faith. Therefore, as a people and a religion Jews have little interest in being anti-Christmas.
 
But, for the Messiah following Jews of the first century the celebration of the birth of Yeshua had everything to do with being Jewish and with the redemption of Israel (celebrating the birth of Messiah is not remotely pagan, in fact, it’s the opposite).
 
This year (2024), one of the beautiful ironies at work to refute the now metastasised anti-Christmas sentiment, is that at least one of the most common objections to the celebration of Christmas (it shouldn’t be celebrated on a date when a pagan deity was worshipped), is made impotent by the date of the Jewish observance of Chanukah (Dedication) a.k.a Chag Urim (Festival of Lights), which begins on Christmas day, the 25th of December 2024. In 2024  the lunar Calendar of Israel coincides with the Gregorian calendar so that the 25th of Kislev and the 25th of December (a so called pagan date) become the same day. In fact this happened as recently as 7 years ago in 2017 and is a regular cyclical occurrence.
 
The primary reason that I continue to speak out against the demonizing of Christmas, is the demoralizing effect that anti-Christmas sentiment has had on the community of believers (Ecclesia). I come across this message of bondage far too frequently among the wandering masses of Christianity, who, disillusioned with the shallow nature of their own faith, seek depth at the feet of pseudo-learned lay people and worse, professed Messianic Jewish Rabbis, many of whom dine on a steady diet of conspiracy theory, YouTube Bible teaching and conjecture.
 
My hope is that what follows will equip you for the practise of freedom in Messiah. A key aspect of the faith that has been sadly neglected by the so called para-church swing back to bondage on the rebound from hyper-grace. It’s become abundantly clear that in recent times the gift of the Holy Spirit least practiced in the western Ecclesia (Church) is that of discerning between spirits.
 
Gentile Zealots Don’t Get To Tell Jewish Messiah Followers How To Be Jewish!

I’m consistently told by certain Messianic extremists that I should not celebrate Christmas, worship on Sundays, use the name “Jesus,” etc. Though it must be said they are entirely misinformed regarding Christmas and the use of the name Jesus and fail to understand that all days belong to God; the more poignant issue is this, that they are so busy telling others what they shouldn’t do, that they’re unable to articulate the freedom, wonders and depth of faith found in a Messiah essential Messianic Jewish Tradition. What’s more, the same celebrate extra Biblical festivals throughout the year and break numerous commands of Torah on a daily basis. They are therefore, the greatest of hypocrites.
 
A Jew Is Defined By God, Chosen, Ethnic, Religious
 
When we define ourselves by what we are not, we are repeating the error of our forebears both Jewish and Christian. Those we seek as converts to our way of thinking are instantly disillusioned, in our zeal we turn them away from the beauty and traditions we might otherwise have positively offered them. Often our fierce words of rebuke are based on poor historical knowledge, misinterpretation of Scripture, inaccuracies and myth; passed on by lazy teachers and blinded guides.
 
“Woe to you, teachers of the Torah and P’rushim, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you’ve succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of Gehenna as you are.” 
 
-Mattitiyahu/Matthew 23:14-16
 
This is not who we Messiah following Jews are, rather it’s who we were before we met Messiah, but now, in Him, we are to be a light to the nations. It’s time to stem the flow of darkness that is issuing from our mouths. We Jews are, “A royal priesthood, a Holy nation, a people belonging to God. That we might declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light.” 1 Kefa/Peter 2:9 Author’s Translation
 
If we continually define ourselves by what we are not, we will inevitably forget who we are.
 
Anti-Christmas Sentiment is Anti-Christ
 
It’s interesting to note that the list of Christmas objectors includes the Mormons, Jehovah’s witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, Muslims, Conspiracy theorists, Hebrew roots groups, Messianic believers and atheists, among others.
 
“Those who celebrate Christmas do not honour God or Christ, but honour pagan celebrations and pagan gods.”
 
–The Watchtower Magazine (JW) Dec. 8 1988 (pg.19)
 
We must ask, why are cults and atheists some of the strongest opponents of Christmas? What is it that they share in common? There is one unifying answer, every pseudo Christian cult and atheist group agree on one thing, that Yeshua (Jesus) is not God with us (Imanu-El).
 
“Do not be deceived, evil communication (bad company) corrupts good character”
 
-1 Corinthians 15:33 (The Bible) Author’s Translation
 
The deity of Messiah is first revealed on earth in the Christmas (Messiah is sent) narrative (Historical record: Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-7). His divine conception and His lineage are illuminated in the Christmas accounts. To neglect the celebration and remembrance of the Christmas story is a means of cutting off the truth of Messiah’s divinity and His legitimate human lineage at its root, thus supporting the Satanic claims that Yeshua (Jesus) is just a man and at the same time does not qualify to be Israel’s Messiah. This is a direct attack on Messiah, the Christ, and is at its heart driven by a spirit of anti-Christ.
 
Refuting Common Objections to Christmas
 
First, let me repeat that generally speaking Jews do not object to Christians celebrating Christmas because for the most part Jews do not accept Jesus (Yeshua) as Messiah.
 
Therefore, from the majority Jewish perspective Christmas is simply a religious practice of the Gentile Western world.
 
So who are these people within the faith community who are objecting to the celebration of Christmas? They’re generally, disillusioned Christians, who, with great pride, claim to be Messianic. They’re not Jews but they are Judaizers and because of their devote observance of human rules, consider themselves more righteous than the so called, “Apostate Church” they claim to have separated themselves from. As a Jew I find this extremely offensive because they’re not only misrepresenting the message of the Messiah they are also pretending to observe Jewish practices and thus often appear to be representing the Jewish view. They’re in fact the worst kind of appropriators, the very manifestation of replacement theology. They don’t represent the Jewish view, nor do they represent the Messianic Jewish view. They simply represent themselves and their own confused attempts to earn God.
 
A Response to Some of the Most Common Objections to Christmas
 
Some popular false claims regarding supposed Christmas syncretism with false gods:

Even if it were true that false deities were worshipped in similar ways to Yeshua prior to His birth, this does not detract from Yeshua Who is all existing and therefore pre-existed all these false deities (John 1:1). Nor does performing miracles equate false gods and holy men to Yeshua. The Bible teaches that the Anti-Messiah will perform miracles in an attempt to fool the elect (2 Thessalonians 2:9).
 
The misuse of something does not define its intended purpose! A counterfeit does not delegitimize the real thing. In fact, the flaws in a counterfeit thing expose it as a lie and in doing so affirm the true thing.
 
Nor does it matter on which day Yeshua was born or if other deities were worshipped on that day. All days were created by God for His glory. Again, the misuse of a thing does not define its intended purpose!

Popular Objections to Christmas & Why They’re Nonsense

1. Christmas is Pagan.
 
This generalisation is lazy and intellectually dishonest as well as being an oxymoron (self-contradicting).
 
In fact Christmas is the name of a Judeo-Christian celebration of the birth of Christ (Messiah). The name Christmas is a contraction made up of two words: Christ and mas.
 
Christ comes from the Greek Χριστός Christos and means anointed one, it was intended by the Jewish New Testament writers to convey the Hebrew title משיח Mashiyach, which is often translated Messiah, both titles represent the anointed one of God, Who would be born into time and space to deliver His people Israel. So I guess you could say the first part of the name Christmas is pretty much Jewish.
 
The English suffix mas comes from the Anglo-Saxon word maesse, which came from the Latin missa, which is a form of the verb mittere, which means "to send." In Hebrew we would use the term נשלח n’shlach—is sent. Therefore the meaning of Christmas is, “Christ is sent,” or משיח נשלח Mashiyach n’shlach—Messiah is sent. In truth, the two concepts of anointing and sending are rooted deeply in Judaism and help make Christmas—in my opinion—as much a Jewish Holiday as Purim and Chanukah. So, is Christmas Pagan? Well, the name certainly isn’t.
 
Some say that the celebration of Christmas is part of a Satanic agenda. To the contrary, to be anti-Christmas (Christ being sent) is more Satanic than all the proposed so called pagan links to Christmas put together. If there is a Satanic (Pagan) agenda at work, it is the agenda that seeks to silence the celebrating of the birth of our Messiah: it’s literally an anti-Christ agenda.
 
Christ = Messiah & mas = Sent
Christmas = Messiah is Sent
 
2. The date of Christmas is a day on which pagan deities were worshipped. Therefore, Messianic/Christian believers shouldn’t celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December.
 
As clearly shown in my previous tables regarding the supposed correlation between false gods and Yeshua (Jesus), the majority of the proposed pagan deity connections to the 25th of December are false. In addition, we have the following:
 
The god Tammuz was celebrated in February, March, April, June and July. The “Wailing of Tammuz” was celebrated at the end of summer long before the winter solstice.
 
Saturnalia was celebrated from 17 – 23 December, not 25 December.
 
And then there’s the false claim that Christmas borrows from Natalis Sol Invictus (Birth of the Unconquerable Son) an addition to the Emperor cult syncretized from paganism.
 
Natalis Sol Invictus is celebrated on the 25th December (4th century), however…
 
While Aurelian made Sol Invictus an official religion in Rome in 274 CE, the December 25 connection to the religion is a later syncretism between Sol Invictus and Saturnalia that did not exist in the third century C.E. The earliest reference to this pagan celebration on the 25th December is written by Macrobius Theodosius in the 4th century CE [j].
 
The Christian author Hippolytus of Rome (170-235 CE) writing prior to 235 CE suggested that Yeshua (Jesus) was born on December 25. [k] Therefore, according to the known historical record, the first Christian reference to a December 25th date for Messiah’s birth predates the pagan Sol Invictus celebration by over a hundred years. The only conclusion is that the Emperor of Rome borrowed from the Christian practice in order to syncretize the pagan practice, and not the other way around.
 
Put simply. Christians used the 25th of December prior to the Natalis Sol Invictus cult. Pagans adopted our date.
 
The logic of the “pagan day” objection is that any day used to worship a false god should not be used to worship the one true God. Nonsense! Prior to the giving of the Torah and the moadim (festivals) of HaShem at Sinai, Israel was under bondage in a land where the Sun deity Ra-Atum was worshipped every morning at dawn and every evening at sundown (365 days a year). Using the foolish logic of those who claim pagan deities defile days, every one of HaShem’s moadim (festivals) should not be celebrated because they fall on days when the pagan deity Ra-Atum was worshipped. Who made the days? On which of the days should the God of Israel not be worshipped? We are fools to argue over the keeping of days while worshiping the One Who is beyond days. The One Who formed each day for His glory.
 
In the midst of all the rhetoric and conspiracy allegations aimed at the Gentile Church fathers of the 2nd Century regarding the so called pagan date of the 25th of December, few Christmas objectors have bothered to consider the fact that the authentic fathers of the Church were Jews who lived over 100 years before the first records indicating syncretism, and would have been eager to celebrate the birth of the Jewish Messiah on a regular basis in a Jewish way and for at least 100 years, free from political Gentile interference.
 
In fact the Jews have an intrinsic connection to the date of the 25th of December. As stated previously every seven years or so Chanukah coincides with the 25th of December, just as it does again this year. Those who claim that pagan connections to this date make the day unsuitable must either denounce Chanukah (A festival Yeshua venerated: John 10:22-39) or simply admit that they’re in grave error.
 
Given that we have no way of knowing when Messiah was born either from Biblical or Historical record, who’s to say that the 25th of December is the wrong date? We don’t know the date, therefore we contradict ourselves by saying that the 25th is the wrong date.

Consider this, the 25th of Kislev of the Biblical lunar calendar of Israel which begins Chanukah (A festival of light/dedication) coincides with the 25th of December  of the Gregorian Solar calendar on a regular cycle. Therefore, as stated previously, if we’re bound by conjecture, as so many anti-Christmas proponents are, we may as well conjecture that it’s equally likely that the date of Christmas was simply transitioned from one calendar to another and that early Messianic Jews celebrated the birth of Yeshua (The Light of the World Who rededicated Israel to God) during the festival of Chanukah a.k.a Chag Urim Festival of lights. Which, as we know, is in the winter months and regularly coincides with Christmas.
 
3. Yeshua (Jesus) said, "Remember my death until I come", therefore, we should not celebrate Christmas.
 
The logic here is, that anything not explicitly commanded in Scripture should not be observed. This flawed logic makes a negative commandment out of a positive commandment. It's a self-defeating premise because Messiah’s death cannot be remembered without His birth into time and space.
 
Yeshua Himself observed Chanukah (John 10:22-41), a festival that is not commanded in Scripture.
 
If we pursue the foolish logic of this objection, we must also cease to celebrate Purim, Chanukah, the Torah cycle,  the resurrection, and the miracles of the Messiah. Therefore, if we fail to acknowledge the Messiah’s literal birth into the world we make His life and ministry redundant.
 
An instruction to remember something does not negate the remembrance of other things.
 
4. Christians/Messianics shouldn’t celebrate Messiah’s birth because birthday celebration is pagan.
 
Ancient Pagans celebrated weddings too, should we no longer celebrate weddings? The false Canaanite deity Shalem is said to have been worshipped on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (Yebus) thousands of years before Solomon’s Temple was built there. [l] Does this mean the Temple Mount is Pagan? By applying the logic that we should do nothing that pagans do, we must also cease drinking water, procreating, even breathing.
 
Did Joseph and Mary not celebrate the birth of Yeshua? They did, are they pagan? Did the Jewish shepherds of the Migdal Eder (Tower of the [Temple] flock) not celebrate Yeshua’s birth? They did, are we to call them pagan? Were the gifts of the Magi not celebratory? If they were considered pagan, why did Joseph and Mary allow them to be presented to Yeshua?
 
Some go so far as to suggest that Jews don’t celebrate birthdays. What nonsense, they’ve obviously spent little time around Jews. Furthermore, Jews have honoured and celebrated birthdays from ancient times. Within the Tanakh (OT) there are numerous examples of the births of children being celebrated. One of the ways the birth of Jewish children is celebrated both in the Scripture and in modern Jewish life is with the naming ceremony, called a Brit Milah for Jewish boys (circumcision), and held eight days after the birth. The births of children are honoured throughout Scripture by placing a God given name on the child and/or choosing a name that expressed the character attributes exhibited by the child through the pregnancy and in the birthing process (Gen. 25:24-26; ). Hence, Yeshua (YHVH Saves)!
 
One of the most famous Messianic prophecies of Isaiah is in fact a birthday celebration song:
 
“For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given to us,
and the government will be upon His shoulder.
His Name will be called
    Wonderful Counsellor,
    Mighty God
    My Father of Eternity,
    Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government
    and shalom there will be no end--
on the throne of David and over His kingdom--
    to establish it and uphold it
    through justice and righteousness
    from now until forevermore.
The zeal of Adonai-Tzva’ot
    will accomplish this.”

-Isaiah 9:5-6

5. Yeshua (Jesus) wasn't born during the Christmas season, He was born during Sukkot (Festival of Booths).
 
No, there isn’t any conclusive way to determine the day or season of Messiah’s birth. We simply don’t have historical information that enables us to make an accurate assessment concerning the time of His birth. Those who presume to know are reliant on conjecture born from theological niceties and presumption. Am I saying Messiah was born on the 25th of December? Certainly not. Does it matter which day He was born? Given the lack of Biblical evidence citing exact dates and times for His birth I would hazard a guess that God doesn't want us to know the date or season of His Son’s birth. He probably has a very good reason for this. Learn to embrace the mystery of God, you don’t need to know everything, “knowledge puffs up, love builds up.”
 
With regard to the “Sukkot birth” claim, the census recorded in Luke 2:1-4 was the first of two, taken between 1 C.E. and 7 C.E. (It’s the latter of the two that is referred to in Acts 5:37). While Quirinius was not physically governing in Syria until 6 C.E, he was responsible for the oversight of its operations and defence under Varus, during Herod’s reign.

It’s important to remember that for the people of Israel, a census was considered an affront to God. The taking of a census denoted a lack of trust in God’s provision. This census therefore, was something they were forced to participate in under an oppressive Roman occupation. (See Exodus 30:12; 2 Samuel 24).
 
Beit-lechem (Bethlehem) is approximately 8 kilometres from Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) and approximately 136 kilometres from Natzeret (Nazareth) in the Galil (Galilee). Given that a majority of governors over the province of Philistia (Occupied Israel) were keen to avoid further uprisings and the causes for them, it is unlikely that a census would have been called during an Regalim (going up) festival of Israel (Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot). In addition, a Jew could not be both in his ancestral town and in Yerushalayim at the same time. While Beit-lechem was close to Yerushalayim, the majority of Israel’s outer communities were more than two days journey from Yerushalayim, where the Temple stood.  This is just one of many reasons why a Sukkot birth for Messiah is extremely unlikely. In fact all of the Aliyot (going up) festivals (Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot) fall into this category. Therefore, it is more likely that Yeshua was born in the winter months.
 
Some misuse the following verse, claiming it proves a Sukkot birth:
 
“Now in the sixth month the messenger Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth,”
 
–Luke 1:26
 
There has been much needless conjecture relating to this text. Many who are desperate to claim a Sukkot birth for Messiah need to perform linguistic, contextual, chronological and cultural gymnastics—to name a few—in order to manipulate this date to fit their argument, something every good Bible student knows, is usually an indication that we’re headed in the wrong direction. It’s most likely that this “sixth month” refers to the time as counted from the conception of Yochanan, the problem with confirming the date this way is that we don’t know which of the two times of year that Aviyah’s (Zechariah’s clan) division was serving, is intended by the narrative.
 
We’re not told at what point during the year that the 24 divisions began to serve but we can presume that they began in the seventh month, Tishrei, following the inauguration of Solomon’s temple. If this continued to be the practice and providing the beginning of their service was not initiated at the spiritual new year of Pesach or at the giving of the Torah during Shavuot (Which are also possibilities [even if this were the case the math still wouldn’t conclude a Sukkot birth]), then we would calculate that each of the 24 divisions would serve one week twice a year. If they performed their duties in order of selection, Aviyah’s (Zechariah’s clan) division would have performed its duties eighth, in the last week of Nisan and the last week of Cheshvan, with some anomalies caused by the lunar calendar this will have varied slightly. If we count from Nisan, the sixth month would be Tishrei. If this is the month of Messiah’s conception then He was born in the month of Sivan. If we count from Cheshvan we arrive at Iyar, which makes Messiah’s birth in the eleventh month of the Hebrew Calendar, Shevat. Neither date is even remotely close to Sukkot.

However, the sixth month could also refer to the sixth month of the Hebrew calendar Elul, which is the month prior to Tishrei, which again leaves us with Iyar as a possible birth date for Messiah.
 
Additionally because Luke is either a Greek proselyte or a Jew from the Greek Diaspora, he could also be referring to the sixth month of the Roman calendar. Regardless, any conclusion arrived at is pure conjecture. We have no definitive way of knowing when Yeshua was born.
 
Some say, “But He was born to dwell with us, and John 1:14 says that He became flesh and sukkot (dwelt) in our midst.”
 
But the text of John 1:14 does not say that Messiah סוכות Sukkot with us, but that He שכן Shakhan (from משכן Mishkan) came as flesh, as a Tabernacle in our midst. Meaning, He was a human being Who was like the Tent of meeting (Mishkan) which once dwelt in the midst of Israel. שכןShakhan is the Hebrew equivalent to the biblical Greek σκηνοω skaynoo. Both are verbs and not proper nouns.  סוכותSukkot is a proper noun that is unrelated to the Hebrew שכן Shakhan.
 
While it’s true that Messiah dwells with us, it’s not proof of the date or season of His birth. Messiah is also the Lamb of God, that doesn’t mean He was born at Passover Pesach. He is the atoning substitutionary sacrifice for our sin, that doesn’t mean He was born during the Day of Atonement Yom Kippur.
 
6. The feasts of the Torah were specifically commanded by God but Christmas wasn’t. Therefore Christians/Messianics shouldn’t celebrate Christmas.
 
It’s true, Christmas was not commanded by God: neither were Purim or Chanukah, and yet Yeshua venerated Chanukah and used it as a teaching platform—John 10:22-36. Therefore, based on the foolish logic of this objection, Yeshua sinned because He celebrated a festival that wasn’t specifically commanded by God. Utter nonsense!
 
Some claim that Yeshua’s veneration of Chanukah is an exception because He is God with us, but Yeshua is not the exception, He is the Rule! He is the first-born among many brothers (Rom. 8:29). We are called to be like Him.
 
David was not commanded by God to dance half naked before the Ark of the Covenant—which carried the tablets of stone upon which God had engraved His word—as he brought it into Jerusalem with music and rejoicing. His wife Michal criticized him for His shameless celebrating and as a result the Scripture says that she remained barren until her death. If David danced semi naked in celebration before the written word of God as it entered Jerusalem, how much more should we celebrate with great joy the entry into our world of the living Word Yeshua our Messiah, born of a virgin, born to save us from sin. Though we know not the day, we celebrate Him gladly, lest we become like those who begrudge others their joy and seek to imprison people in the bondage of the past! The warning is clear, we must not become like Michal: perhaps she was physiologically unable to conceive after this event? On the other hand perhaps her husband simply no longer approached her to be sexually intimate with her? Or worse still—and most likely—she may have continued to harden her heart until she no longer wanted to be around David. This is the dangerous road we walk when we neglect grace and follow rules born of the foolish arguments of human beings. When we harden our hearts through jealousy and false religion we become isolated and alone. Like Michal we might find our spiritual womb barren, not because we can’t conceive but rather because we have refused our Husband, whose name is Freedom and in turn have failed to be inseminated by His grace. Don’t let the misconceived theories of the pseudo-learned mislead you.
 
7. Shepherds in Israel don't tend their sheep in winter, therefore, the shepherds of the Christmas story can't have been tending their flocks in winter. Thus, a December date for Messiah's birth cannot be correct.
 
In fact, Israel’s sheep are shepherded throughout the year including the winter months. Even more importantly, the shepherds of the Christmas story (approx. 3 C.E.) were no ordinary shepherds. It’s an historical fact that there was a tower in close proximity to Beit-lechem, called Eder (flock), around which were pastured the flocks destined for the Temple sacrifices. The group of shepherds in charge of these flocks held a position of great esteem in Israel and were led by a Priest whose role was to ensure the production of unblemished animals that would be offered at the Temple in nearby Yerushalayim. These sheep were needed year round for the Temple sacrifices. Therefore, a winter date for Messiah’s birth is quite possible.
 
8. Christmas trees are pagan.
 
Are they? It’s true that pagan cultures have venerated trees and worshipped tree deities. However, these were living trees growing outside the home. Furthermore, those that did bring trees into the home or communal space, didn’t use them in the same way that Christmas trees are used today. For example, the yule tide log of the Norse culture was burned in the fire. These pagan examples do not equate to the cutting down of a tree for symbolic use during Christmas celebrations.
 
Some decontextualize and mis-quote the following scripture from Jeremiah 10:3-5:
 
How the Christmas tree objectors read it based on their presupposition:
 
“For the religion of these people is worthless. They cut down a tree in the forest, and a craftsman makes it into an idol with his tools. He decorates it with overlays of silver and gold. He uses hammer and nails to fasten it together so that it will not fall over. Such idols are  like scarecrows in a cucumber field. They cannot talk. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them because they cannot hurt you. And they do not have any power to help you.”
 
What the full text actually says:

“For the religion of these people is worthless. They cut down a tree in the forest, and a craftsman makes it into an idol with his tools. He decorates it with overlays of silver and gold. He uses hammer and nails to fasten it together so that it will not fall over. Such idols are  like scarecrows in a cucumber field. They cannot talk. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them because they cannot hurt you. And they do not have any power to help you.”
 
It's not speaking of anything remotely similar to Christmas trees. It is speaking of idols carved from trees and representing false gods. These Idols were coated with valuable overlays of silver and gold, in much the same way the Ark of the Covenant and the decorative Cherubim were. So not even remotely similar to the use of a Christmas tree (Christmas trees are symbolic decoration and not objects of worship).
 
But I ask, “Who came first? The tree or the pagan?” The tree of course. God commands us not to worship objects of creation, he doesn’t tell us not to use them as reminders of Him, in fact God Himself commands the manufacture of Cherubim for the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:18), and these were symbols of His protection, not to be worshipped but to give a visual understanding to His worshippers. Are trees good or evil? They are neither. Once again, if the use of a thing by pagans makes it sinful then we should also discontinue using oxygen. I repeat, the misuse of a thing does not define it!
 
Conclusion
 
So we see that for many and varied illegitimate reasons, a number of modern Christians (Hebrew Roots movement) and Messianics (a term that is now so loosely applied that it is unable to identify any one group), have decided not to celebrate Christ-mas (Messiah is sent).
 
This on its own would be of little consequence if they simply chose to celebrate His birth at another time, however in the aftermath of the establishment of this foolish pseudo-learned doctrinal decision, they have ceased celebrating the birth of our Messiah altogether. Like the Separatists of the late 18th &19th  centuries, they have become so convinced of their own separation from the Ecclesia [Community of faith] (Viewing themselves as the so called “called out” pure Church/Bride), that they have, in seeking purity through their own actions, become subject again to bondage; forgetting that in Messiah we are not keepers of the Torah but rather we are kept by the Torah of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yeshua, Ha-d’var Emet (The Word of Truth), Who, if not for His birth into time and space, could not have been crucified and resurrected, thus leaving us without hope. Therefore, let us celebrate His birth, which illuminates His purpose in being sent, that we might also hope in the future glory purchased for us through His death and resurrection.
 
This year our congregation will once again delight ourselves in remembering the birth of our Messiah Yeshua, each one practicing the Biblical remembrance of Christmas (Messiah is sent) utilizing the symbolism and positive traditions that affirm their own convictions regarding this celebration. We are reminded that every Shabbat we light the candles of Sh’mor (Observance) and Zakhor (Remembrance), therefore we observe the holy day, remembering that Yeshua was born for the purpose of our Salvation (Yeshua). We remember what God has done, what He is doing and what He has promised to do, in Messiah, The Hope of Glory.
 
“One person esteems one day over another while another judges every day to be alike. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes a specific day does so to Adonay. The one who eats, eats to Adonay, for he gives thanks to Elohim; and the one who abstains, abstains unto Adonay, and he gives thanks to Elohim.”

–Romans 14:5-6 Author’s Translation
 
As I’ve said before, we are fools to argue over the keeping of days while worshiping the One Who is beyond days. The One Who formed each day for His glory.
 
An Afterthought
 
All our Jewish celebrations and festivals fall into one of two categories. Either they celebrate God’s provision for us or they commemorate His delivering us from our enemies. Christmas is the celebration of God’s greatest provision and the commemoration of the beginning of our eternal deliverance. Thus it qualifies as one of the most important Jewish celebrations of all time.
 
If it were possible to be dull in the Olam Haba (World to come), I’m inclined to believe that those who argue against the celebration of Christmas will be wandering around the new Jerusalem debating whether we should celebrate Messiah’s return. After all, it’s not commanded in the Torah. Wake up sleeper!

In Messiah Yeshua we are called to a ministry of reconciliation, a ministry of redemption. We are called to redeem the days, not to pass judgement on their use. The days are subject to the Creator of days and regardless of how they have been misused by others they must now be used for the worship of God and His Messiah.

We were once imprisoned by the delusion that the Torah was a punitive law. We are now set free by the understanding that the Torah is a guide that points to Messiah Yeshua. It’s for freedom He has set us free, so we stand firm in that freedom, and refuse to return to bondage.

חג חנוכה שמח וחג המולד שמח בשם המשיח ישוע לכבוד ה"

Chag Chanukah sameach v’chag ha-molad sameach b’shem HaMashiyach Yeshua l’k’vod HaShem!

Have a Chanukah holy day of joy and a Messiah is sent holy day of joy in the name of the Messiah Yeshua, to the glory of God!
 
Sources:
 
[a.] Vermaseren, M. J. (1951). "The miraculous Birth of Mithras". In Gerevich, László (ed.). Studia Archaeologica. Brill. pp. 93–109. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
 
[b.] https://www.ancient.eu/Mithra/
 
[c.] Ulansey, David (1991). The origins of the Mithraic mysteries. p. 6. ISBN 9780195067880.
 
[d.]https://www.ancient.eu/Horus/#:~:text=The%20elder%20Horus%20is%20one,the%20creation%20of%20the%20world.&text=In%20another%20version%20of%20the,wife%2C%20and%20daughter%20of%20Horus.
New York Folklore Society (1973). "New York folklore quarterly". 29. Cornell University Press. p. 294.
 Ian Shaw (2003). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-815034-3.
Piotr O. Scholz (2001). Eunuchs and castrati: a cultural history. Markus Wiener Publishers. p. 32. ISBN 978-1-55876-201-5.
Roy G. Willis (1993). World Mythology. Macmillan. p. 43. ISBN 978-0-8050-2701-3.
 
[e.] https://www.ancient.eu/Horus/
 
[f.] https://strangenotions.com/horus-manure/
 
[g.]https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/gods/dionysus/#:~:text=The%20most%20common%20origin%20given,his%20true%20form%20to%20her.&text=A%20few%20months%20later%2C%20Dionysus%20was%20born%20from%20Zeus's%20thigh.
 
[h.] https://www.greekboston.com/culture/mythology/dionysus/
 
[i.] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dionysus
 
[j.] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ambrosius-Theodosius-Macrobius
 
[k.] https://www.circeinstitute.org/blog/december-25th-day-christ-was-born-8-arguments
 
[l.] https://www.biu.ac.il/JS/rennert/history_2.html
 
NB: In combination with this article, please also consider the articles I’ve written on Luke chapters 1 and 2, and the previous articles I’ve written regarding Christmas:
 
Christmas: An Open Letter to the Haters
http://www.bethmelekh.com/yaakovs-blog---14991514148914971493-15131500-1497150615111489/christmas-an-open-letter-to-the-haters
 
This Jew Boy will be Celebrating Christmas on the 25th of December
http://www.bethmelekh.com/yaakovs-blog---14991514148914971493-15131500-1497150615111489/this-jew-boy-will-be-celebrating-christmas-on-the-25th-of-december
 
Isaiah 9: For unto us a Child is Born
http://www.bethmelekh.com/yaakovs-blog---14991514148914971493-15131500-1497150615111489/isaiah-91-2-6-7-for-unto-us-a-boy-is-born
 
Luke 1:1-38: Choosing Between Disbelief and Wonder
http://bethmelekh.weebly.com/yaakovs-blog---14991514148914971493-15131500-1497150615111489/luke-11-38-choosing-between-disbelief-wonder
 
Luke 1:39-80: From Generation to Generation
http://bethmelekh.weebly.com/yaakovs-blog---14991514148914971493-15131500-1497150615111489/luke-139-80-ldor-vdor-from-generation-to-generation
 
Luke 2:1-24: G-d’s Plan is not World Peace, it is Peace for the World
http://bethmelekh.weebly.com/yaakovs-blog---14991514148914971493-15131500-1497150615111489/luke-21-24-g-ds-plan-is-not-world-peace-its-peace-for-the-world
 
Luke 2:25-52: Hearing About Grace and Favour
http://bethmelekh.weebly.com/yaakovs-blog---14991514148914971493-15131500-1497150615111489/luke-225-52-hearing-about-grace-favour
 
© Yaakov Brown 2024

When thinking of the ministry of Messiah Yeshua in the first century C.E. we often neglect to consider His religious practice and the probability that He, being the Author of all things, saw no problem in rightly applying the interpretive method of His rabbinical peers, utilizing it as a vehicle for conveying the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
 
Contrary to the esoteric claims of many modern Christian scholars Yeshua wasn’t born into time and space as a universal archetype of no specific ethnicity. He was born a Jew, of the tribe of Judah in the Roman occupied Judean town of Bethlehem. As He grew He learned to value the practice of first century Biblical Judaism as it pertained to His redemptive work. This is evident in the Gospel accounts where He's seen to pray ברכות brachot (Jewish religious blessings), attend synagogue on שבת Shabbat “as was His custom”, and according to the commandments of God to בני ישראל B’nai Yisrael (The Children of Israel) observe the רגעלים Regalim (עליות Aliyot, Going Up Festivals) of Israel.
 
Therefore, it would be foolish of us to presume that Yeshua didn’t utilize, at least on some occasions, the traditional rabbinical method of biblical interpretation.
 
Pardes פרדס (Garden) is first mentioned in a legend about four rabbis of the Mishnaic (1st century) period. While sources differ on the finer details of the legend the account in its simplest form reads as follows:
 
“Four entered the orchard (Pardes, Garden of esoteric Torah knowledge): Ben Azzay, Ben Zoma, Acher (Elisha Ben Avuyah), and Rav Akiva. One looked and died. One looked and was harmed. One looked and cut down the trees. And one went up in peace and went down in peace.”
 
-Talmud Bavliy, Tosefta Hagigah 2.2
 
This legend teaches that to look upon revealed Scripture and fail to recognise it as God’s inerrant Word leads to death. To look upon revealed Scripture with a view to critique or stand in judgement of it leads to misinterpretation and great spiritual harm. To look upon תורה Torah and cut down its pillars of morality is to leave one devoid of the clean air purchased by its directives. But, to enter the garden of interpretation with humility means coming and going in the peace of reconciliation to God. One could say that this legend teaches the truth of Rav Shaul’s (Paul the Apostle) letter to the Romans 10:4, “Messiah is the Goal of the Torah unto salvation for all who believe, trust, affirm, have faith.”
 
While extra-biblical evidence of PaRDeS post-dates the first century, there is evidence for its practice within Scripture.
 
Before examining the biblical support for PaRDeS, let’s take a look at its form and practical application:

Firstly, פרד"ס PaRDeS (Garden) is an acronym that describes the traditional rabbinical method of interpretation. פ P = פְּשָׁט P’shat (Surface: Plain meaning), ר R = רֶמֶז‎ Remez (Hint), ד D = דְּרַשׁ‎ D’rash (Inquire: Comparative), ס S = סוֹד Sod (Secret: Mystery). All subsequent interpretations are subject to the פְּשָׁט P’shat, plain meaning.

The word פרדס Pardes, as explained, means Orchard or Garden and is a metaphorical reference to גַן עֶדֶן Gan Eden (Paradise).

Secondly, there’s no explicit biblical instruction that gives a schematic for Bible interpretation. Those who claim therefore that Christianity’s Greco-Roman Schematic detailing exegesis, hermeneutics, and the flawed ideal of eisegesis etc. as the most reliable methodology but resist the rabbinical schematic PaRDeS, are being intellectually dishonest at best, and at worst foolish. It’s equally ignorant to claim that post-modern textual criticism is more trustworthy than the traditional rabbinical method. It’s the Torah that critiques us and not the other way around.

So, where do we find implicit support for PaRDeS within Scripture?

The פְּשָׁט P’shat or plain meaning is self-explanatory. There’s no need to explain to a reader that the book means what it says. Therefore, there’s no need to show evidence from the Bible that God intends for us to take it at face value relative to context, figurative, poetic and metaphorical language.

The first mention of the practice of examining the Scriptures in an exegetical way is in the book of Ezra the scribe.

"For Ezra had set his heart לִדְרוֹשׁ lid’rosh to inquire of the תּוֹרַת Torah of Adonay, to observe and to teach its statues and ordinances in Israel.”
 
–Ezra 7:10

Here the root “דרש darash (d’rash)” is used specifically in relation to the Torah and therefore describes a practice of interpretation and an intention to walk according to that interpretation and teach it to others. This is the perfect example of what it means to make a דְּרַשׁ d’rash, or comparative teaching.

In addition to examples from the TaNaKh (OT), as followers of Yeshua, we should look to Him and His disciples for evidence of the use of rabbinical interpretive method. If He doesn’t teach using the PaRDeS method, then why would we?

Let’s take a look at just a few of the many New Testament examples of פרד"ס PaRDeS found in the book of Matthew.
​
As stated earlier, every part of Scripture has a plain meaning, therefore פְּשָׁט P’shat is the basis for the subsequent methods of interpretation.

Examples of the use of PaRDeS in the הברית החדשה HaBrit HaChadashah (NT):

Remez (Hint): Matthew 2:15 "Out of Egypt I called my son." This is a quote from Hosea 11:1 and is being applied to Yeshua by Matthew. If we read it to refer to the פְּשָׁט p’shat (plain meaning) of Hosea 11:1, we must interpret it to refer to ancient Israel’s collective escape from Egypt. However, Matthew, the disciple of Yeshua, divinely inspired by God, interprets it as a רֶמֶז remez (hint) which is alluding to the Messianic King as God’s Son. This is just one of many examples of Matthew’s use of רֶמֶז remez.

D'rash (Inquire): Matthew 18:18 "... Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." This verse taken literally and out of context is often used by Christians to demand that spiritual powers submit to them. However, within the context of Matthew 18:14-18 the פְּשָׁט p’shat (plain meaning) refers to the practical application of principals concerning those who are sinning within the body of believers. Thus the plain meaning indicates a דְּרַשׁ d'rash (comparative teaching) concerning the binding and loosing of our actions according to הֲלָכָה Halakhah “the way we walk” (Yet another rabbinical principle that Yeshua and His disciples applied to daily life).

Sod (Mystery): Matthew 26:28 "Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them saying, ‘Drink from it all of you, This is My blood’..." If the figurative language here were taken literally it would not only violate the Torah commandment against consuming blood, but along with other verses concerning the eating of Yeshua's flesh (John 6:51-56), could be understood as teaching cannibalism. Yeshua explains to His disciples that it is the Spirit that produces the deeper understanding (John 6:63), and that His words are spirit and life. This is evidence of a סוֹד sod (mystery) that cannot be gleaned from the פְּשָׁט p’shat (plain meaning) of the text. A concept that is illuminated through spiritual revelation alone and by no other means. This particular סוֹד sod (Mystery) would be fully revealed following His death and resurrection.

So what can we conclude?
1. There’s no explicit schematic for Bible interpretation within Scripture.
2. PaRDeS is implicit in Scripture. Both Messiah and His disciples employ it.
3. It’s arrogant and even misleading to use Greco-Roman techniques and post enlightenment textual criticism as tools for Scriptural interpretation while excluding the rabbinical interpretive tradition based on the hypocritical assumption that it’s not divinely appointed.
 
Copyright 2024 Yaakov Ben Yehoshua

There isn’t any conclusive way to determine the day or season of Messiah’s birth. We simply don’t have access to Biblical, historical, or archaeological information that gives us an accurate date for the birth of Yeshua. Those who presume to know are reliant on conjecture born from theological niceties and presumption.
 
Am I saying Messiah was born on the 25th of December? Certainly not. Does it matter which day He was born? Given the lack of Biblical evidence citing exact dates and times for His birth I would hazard a guess that God doesn't want us to know the date or season of His Son’s birth. He probably has a very good reason for this.
 
With regard to the “Sukkot birth” claim, the census recorded in Luke 2:1-4 is thought to be the first of two, taken between 1 C.E. and 7 C.E. (It’s probably the latter of the two that’s referred to in Acts 5:37). However, it’s more likely that Luke is referring to an earlier census, the record of which has been lost to history. While Quirinius was not physically governing in Syria until 6 C.E. he was responsible for the oversight of its operations and defence under Varus, during Herod the Great’s reign (Herod the Great is thought to have died between 5 B.C.E and 1 C.E.) Some scholars say Luke’s report of a census is in error, however, they base this on the presumption that they have access to all information regarding the various censuses of the time, they do not, much has been lost to us in terms of historical record for this period. Regardless, with certainty, a census was taken at the time of Yeshua’s birth. Scripture is inerrant.

It’s important to remember that for the people of Israel, a census was considered an affront to God. The taking of a census denoted a lack of trust in God’s provision (See Exodus 30:12; 2 Samuel 24). Therefore, the census taken at the time of Yeshua’s birth was something Jews were forced to participate in under an oppressive Roman occupation.
 
Given that a majority of governors over the provinces of Judea and Samaria (Occupied Israel) were keen to avoid further uprisings and the causes for them, it’s unlikely that a census would have been called during an Aliyot (a.k.a Regalim, going up) festival of Israel (Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot). In addition, a Jew whose ancestors were from a town other than Jerusalem could not be both in his ancestral home town and in Jerusalem (A requirement of the Aliyot festivals) on festival Shabbat at the same time. Something the census in questioned required.
 
Bethlehem is approximately 8 kilometres from Jerusalem (7x further than the permitted Shabbat walking distance) and approximately 136 kilometres from Natzret (Nazareth) in the Galil (Galilee).
 
While Bethlehem was close to Jerusalem, the majority of Israel’s outer communities were more than two days journey from Jerusalem, where the Temple stood.  This is just one of many reasons why a Sukkot birth for Messiah is extremely unlikely. In fact all of the Regalim (Aliyot) festivals fall into this category. Therefore, it’s more likely that Yeshua was born in the winter months and not during a going up festival.
 
Some misuse the following verse, claiming it proves a Sukkot birth:
 
“Now in the sixth month the messenger Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth,” –Luke 1:26
 
There has been much needless conjecture relating to this text. Many who are desperate to claim a Sukkot birth for Messiah need to perform linguistic, contextual, chronological and cultural gymnastics—to name a few—in order to manipulate this date to fit their argument, something every good Bible student knows, is usually an indication that we’re headed in the wrong direction.
 
It’s most likely that this “sixth month” refers to the time as counted from the conception of John the Baptist (Yochanan) [ref. Luke 1:36]. The problem with confirming the date this way is that we don’t know which of the two times of year that Aviyah’s (Zechariah’s [John the Baptist’s father] clan) division was serving in the Temple, is intended by the narrative.
 
We’re not told at what point during the year that the 24 divisions began to serve but we can make an educated guess that they began in the seventh month, Tishrei, following the inauguration of Solomon’s temple. If this continued to be the practice and providing the beginning of their service was not initiated at the spiritual new year of Pesach or at the giving of the Torah during Shavuot (Which are also possibilities [even if this were the case the math still wouldn’t conclude a Sukkot birth]), then we would calculate that each of the 24 divisions would serve one week twice a year. If they performed their duties in order of selection, Aviyah’s (Zechariah’s clan) division would have performed its duties eighth in order of priestly clans, in the last week of Nisan and the last week of Cheshvan, with some anomalies caused by the lunar calendar meaning that this would have varied slightly. If we count from Nisan, the sixth month would be Tishrei. If this is the month of Messiah’s conception then He was born in the month of Sivan. If we count from Cheshvan we arrive at Iyar, which makes Messiah’s birth in the eleventh month of the Hebrew Calendar, Shevat. Neither date is even remotely close to Sukkot.

However, the sixth month could also refer to the sixth month of the Hebrew calendar, Elul, which is the month prior to Tishrei, once again this leaves us with Iyar as a possible birth date for Messiah (not Sukkot).
 
Additionally because Luke is either a Greek proselyte or a Jew from the Greek Diaspora, he could also be referring to the sixth month of the Roman calendar. Regardless, any conclusion arrived at is pure conjecture. We have no definitive way of knowing when Yeshua was born.
 
Some, by misusing Hebrew say, “But He was born to sukkah (dwell) with us”, and John 1:14 says that He “became flesh and sukkot (dwelt) in our midst.”
 
But the text of John 1:14 does not say that Messiah sukkot with us, but that He שכן shakan (from משכן Mishkan) with us. He came in the flesh, as a Tabernacle in our midst to שכן shakan (dwell). Meaning, He is a human being Who is like the Tent of meeting (משכן Mishkan) which once dwelt in the midst of Israel. Thus, עמנו Imanu With us אל El God (fully God and fully man).
 
We note that the children of Israel dwelt in סוכות sukkot (shelters) surrounding the משכן Mishkan (a single tent). שכן Shakan is the Hebrew equivalent to the Greek ἐσκήνωσεν (eskenosen), used in John 1:14. Both are verbs and NOT nouns. סוכות Sukkot is a plural noun that is unrelated to the Hebrew שכן shakan. So no, He was not born to sukkah with us, rather He was born into time and space to שכן shakan dwell among us, our סוכות sukkot surrounding Him just as the סוכות sukkot of Israel surrounded the משכן Mishkan (Tent of Meeting).
 
While it’s true that Messiah dwells with us, it’s not proof of the date or season of His birth. Messiah is also the Lamb of God, that doesn’t mean He was born at Pesach (Passover). He is the substitutionary sacrifice for our sin, that doesn’t mean He was born during Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).
 
Conjecture of the kind associated with the Sukkot birth claim is at best naive and at worst a doctrine of men (false). Those who fixate on conjecture at the cost of divisions and contentions within the body are not aligned with the mind of Messiah but are in fact pushing their own flesh born agendas in a prideful attempt to elevate themselves and place fellow believers under bondage.
 
Conjecture does not elevate our faith, to the contrary, it diminishes it. We are not called to be teachers of conjecture but teachers of the Truth in Messiah Yeshua. As a result of pseudo learned conjecture and ignorant militancy, many in the Hebrew roots and Messianic denominations owe a debt of repentance to the wider body of believers. Forgiveness is offered to all but only the repentant are able to receive it.
 
-Yaakov Ben Yehoshua
 
Sukkot 5785
 
Sukkot Readings:
 
Exodus 23:14-16, 34:22
Leviticus 23:34-43
Numbers 29:12-40
Deuteronomy 16:13-15
1 Kings 8:2, 65; 12:32
2 Chronicles 8:12-13
Ezra 3:4
Nehemiah 8:13-18
Zechariah 14:16
Matthew 17:1-8
Luke 9:28-36
John 7:2-3

There was once a well-meaning oblivious man who lived in a country which was on the brink of destruction. Being aware of the political turmoil that had manifest in recent days, he nonetheless chose to ignore the sense of approaching doom that sometimes wrestled with his spirit.
 
He lived out his days without fear, harvesting, eating, going for pleasant strolls in the cool evening air. On the occasion of one such stroll he came across his neighbour, who seemed to be in anguish, shaking and sweating profusely.
 
“What’s wrong” he asked, to which his neighbour replied;
 
“Haven’t you heard, our country is on the brink of destruction and I’ve been called to war to defend our people”
 
“Surely you’re mistaken, things aren’t that bad, the conflict is a long way off. It won’t affect us. Stop fretting, return home and take your rest?”
 
“I’m not mistaken” said the neighbour, “I got the call last night. I’m required to report tomorrow morning. I’m terrified because I’ve learned from a vision that I’ll perish in battle tomorrow while saving a friend.”
 
“Nonsense” said the well-meaning oblivious man, “You probably imagined the call. Don’t fret, your so called ‘vision’ was just a figment of your imagination. Fear not, all will be well.”
 
The neighbour returned to his fearful shaking, stammering in fervent prayer. The well-meaning oblivious man repeated, “Fear not, all will be well”, then turned away and continued his walk. Returning home he took a shower and climbed into his comfortable bed. That night while the invading armies made ground toward his home he slept like a baby.
 
The following day in battle the fearful neighbour fell while saving a friend. That friend escaped the battle and the doomed country and upon crossing the border into a nearby and secure land, he discovered the family of his valiant friend waiting to receive him into their new home, safe from the invading armies from which he had fled.
 
The battle had raged on behind him and the enemy had taken control of the land of his birth and had subjugated the people by killing all the prominent men, one of whom was the well-meaning oblivious man. It was later reported that the well-meaning oblivious man’s dying words were, “Why is this happening to me, why wasn’t I warned of the coming danger?”
 
Fear Not:
 
The phrase “Fear not” appears explicitly in Scripture 143 times, and in the majority of those instances it’s accompanied by the words “For I am with you”.
 
Some in the Body of believers misuse the phrase “Fear not” alongside decontextualised passages like 1 John 4:18 (where a specific form of fear, the fear of punishment is being spoken of). They condemn fellow believers who are suffering from fear with the words “God says ‘Fear not’, therefore, if you are fearful you are sinning”.
 
I give you fair warning, those who without discernment accuse the fearful of sin will themselves be made subject to a judgement of fear.
 
God does not say “Fear not” because fear in and of itself is sin, if that were true Yeshua’s fearful responses in Gethsemane would be sin. No, rather, God says “Fear not” because He knows that in a sin affected world all will face fear.
 
He therefore pre-empts the fruit of fear by way of His very existence, and says “For I am with You”. This is said in the eternal present tense. It’s never the case that God is not with us. We may not feel His presence, but He is ever present.
 
God exists before fear, fear being a fruit of the fallen created order. Therefore, as is the case with the Lamb Who was slain before the foundation of the world, God Himself is the solution that precedes the problem of fear.
 
Fear will not exist in the world to come, and in the present world the fear of God puts an end to fear. Not an end to the mental and physiological responses to fear, but an end to the decision of fear.
 
It's not sin to experience fear, but it is sin to trust in fear. Therefore when we’re afraid we chose to trust in God and the Spirit of Messiah in us strengthens us to “Fear not”.
 
I’m not speaking of mental and physiological fear responses ceasing, rather I’m speaking of trusting God even when the mental and physiological fear responses of our earthly bodies don’t align with our decision to trust. Faith is not an emotion, or a sensation, to the contrary, like love, trust and faith are a decision.
 
The Father says:
 
“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will also help you, I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
 
-Yishayahu/Isaiah 41:10
 
Often when we’re fearful we ask, “What can I do to overcome my fear?” But Scripture does not task us with working to overcome our fears, rather it tells us that God will overcome fear in us through the King Messiah Yeshua.
 
He says, “I will strengthen you, I will also help you, I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
 
Our freedom from fear is the receipt of God’s work through Messiah.
 
Let’s take a contextual look at Matthew 26:36-56
 
Matthew 26:36-56 Author’s translation

26:36 Then Yeshua came with them to a place called Gan (Garden) Gat-shemeniym (Olive Press), a.ka. Gethsemane: and He said to his Talmidiym (disciples), “Sit here, while I go and pray—a stone’s throw away—over there.” 37 And He took Kefa (Peter), Yaakov and Yochanan (James and John) the two sons of Zavday (Zebedee)—and began to be dejected and weighted down with sorrow. 38 And He said to them: “There is excessive anguish in my soul, I feel like I’m dying. Wait for Me here; and be alert, keep watch with Me.” 39 Moving away a short distance, He fell on His face, and prayed, and said: “My Father, if it can be so, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I choose, but as You choose.” 40 And He came to His Talmidiym, and found them asleep: and He said to Kefa: “So! Couldn’t you watch with Me one hour? 41 Wake up, and pray, lest you succumb to trial. The spirit is prepared, but the flesh is infirm.” 42 Again He went away the second time, and prayed, and said: “My Father, if it cannot be that this cup pass, except I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 And He came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 And He left them, and went again and prayed the third time, and used the same language (said something similar or the same). 45 Then He came to His Talmidiym, and said to them: “You've slept enough now, taking your rest. Behold, now, pay attention, the hour is come: and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” 46 “Arise, let us go. Behold, now, pay attention, he that betrays me has come.” 47 And while He was still speaking, Yehudah (Judas) the betrayer, one of the twelve, arrived; and a great multitude with him, with swords and clubs, having come from the presence of the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 And Yehudah the betrayer had given them a sign, saying: “the one I kiss is the man: seize Him.” 49 And forthwith he approached Yeshua, and said: “Shalom, Rabbi;” and kissed him. 50 And Yeshua said to him: “Chaver sheliy (My friend), is it for this you have come?” Then they came up, and laid their hands on Yeshua, and took Him. 51 And one of them (Kefa) who was with Yeshua stretched out his hand, and drew a sword, and struck a servant of the Cohen ha-gadol (high priest), and cut off his ear. 52 Then Yeshua said to him: “Return the sword to its place; for all they that live by swords, shall die by swords.” 53 “Do you suppose that I cannot ask of my Father, and He would now assign me more than sixty thousand messengers?” 54 “But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that say it must be this way?” 55 At that time Yeshua said to the multitude: “Have you come out, as if against a cut-throat, with swords and clubs, to take me? I daily sat with you, and taught in the temple, and you did not apprehend me.” 56 And this occurred, that the writings of the prophets might be fully filled. Then the Talmidiym (disciples) all forsook Him and fled.

Line Upon Line:
 
26:36 Then Yeshua came with them to a place called Gan (Garden) Gat-shemeniym (Olive Press), a.ka. Gethsemane: and He said to his Talmidiym (disciples), “Sit here, while I go and pray—a stone’s throw away—over there.”

Gan Gat-shemeniym, the Garden of Olive Pressing, is at the base of the Mount of Olives across the Kidron valley, or Valley of Darkness/Mourning.
 
The other Gospels tell us that Yeshua went there regularly—probably with His Talmidiym. The point being that He was not seeking to hide from what was to come, in fact He was making it easy for Yehudah—Judah—and the religious leaders’ and their Temple guard to find Him.

Yeshua asked His disciples to stay close to Him, He was only going a stone’s throw away, He was unsettled and knew He would need comfort. Those who pronounce Bible verses as if they were magic incantations in order to ward of fear, depression and anxiety, have foolishly neglected the very real struggle of Yeshua’s humanity as He pleaded with God the Father in the Garden of Olive Pressing: what we read next is like a blow by blow of the build-up to what is now known as an anxiety or panic attack, born on a platform of deep mental and  physiological fear, and depression, and for good reason.

The meaning of Gat-shemeniym, Olive Press, has obvious connotations regarding the ministry of Yeshua. He will soon rise from the dead, having been pressed in the greatest sense, and will promise the Ruach ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit) to His followers. Oil being a symbol for the Holy Spirit throughout Scripture. The Spirit could only be imparted after His death, resurrection and ascension because the Spirit is the Spirit of the Father and the Son. Shema Yisrael, Adonay Eloheiynu Adonay Echad. God is One.
 
Yeshua of course, is crushed and poured out for us. So that we might partake of the oil of His Spirit.

37 And He took Kefa (Peter, Rock), Yaakov (Follower) and Yochanan (YHVH is A Gracious Giver) (James and John) the two sons of Zavday (My inherited gift/endowment) (Zebedee)—and began to be dejected and weighted down with sorrow.

Kefa, Yaakov and Yochanan were with Yeshua on several pivotal occasions during His ministry (Luke 8:51, Matthew 17:1-9): there’s clearly a unique and important close nit relationship at play here. There’s a beautiful allegorical meaning in the names alone: Kefa—the rock, Yaakov, who would be Israel—he who overcomes in God, and Yochanan—the LORD is gracious. Therefore, God our Rock and Salvation makes a way for us to overcome through Yeshua and in so doing reveal’s His graciousness to humanity. 
 
The text says plainly that Yeshua began to become “dejected and sorrowful”—a description of depression. Why then do so many criticize those who suffer from mental illness, depression, anxiety and so on? Surely these experiences in and of themselves cannot be sin, after all Messiah experienced many of these same feelings and emotive responses and yet remained sinless (Heb. 4:14-16). He is, as the prophet says, “a man of sorrow, familiar with grief.” (Isa. 53:3) He does not accuse us in our weakness (that’s ha-shatan’s (Satan's) job), on the contrary, He suffers with us, having known even greater suffering than we could ever imagine—not just mental anguish and physical death but in addition and beyond all other suffering, He took upon Himself the sin of humanity, a darkness unparalleled.

38 And He said to them: “There is excessive anguish in my soul, I feel like I’m dying. Wait for Me here; and be alert, keep watch with Me.”

I know these lines, I've used them myself, He’s having an overwhelming physiologically debilitating panic attack and is essentially saying:
 
“I am overwhelmed with deep anxiety, I’m feeling like I’m slipping into a black abyss engulfed by darkness, the weight is almost too much to bear and I really need you to be there for me in case I lose it completely. I physically feel my body failing—sweaty, pallid, weak, nauseous, heart racing, blood pressure rising, on the verge of passing out—Please stay alert so I know I can call on you if it all becomes too much for me.” 
 
Don’t miss understand, He is fully human, this does not make Him any less God, in fact it affirms His qualification as the King Messiah.
 
The Psalmist prophecies this suffering of the Messiah:

“My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.”
Tehiliym (Psalm) 55:4-5

39 Moving away a short distance, He fell on His face, and prayed, and said: “My Father, if it can be so, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I choose, but as You choose.”

Luke adds the following at this point in his account:
 
“43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
 
-Luke 22:43-44
 
We should note that even after Yeshua is comforted and strengthened by the divine messenger He is still in agony and prayed more earnestly. This is irrefutable evidence of the anxiety and pressure Yeshua was under. The decision of His will to trust the Father did not relieve His physiological symptoms of panic, anxiety, fear, terror. Thus, He began to sweat so profusely that His sweat dropped heavily to the ground as if from a gushing head wound. Anyone who has experienced a severe panic attack will tell you that this is one of the physiological responses of the body.
 
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
 
-Hebrews 4:15
 
Yeshua’s prostrate position is one of utter humility and submission, many prophets of Israel had fallen face down in grief and supplication as forerunners of Messiah. Yeshua is here proving the truth of the writer of the Book to The Hebrews:

“Who in the days of His flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and having been heard for His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which He suffered; and having been made perfect, He became unto all them that obey Him the Author of eternal salvation.”

-Hebrews 5:7-9

Yeshua is speaking of the third cup of the Pesach (Passover) Seder (order) that He has only recently presented to His Talmidiym (v.27) in its fullest sense, this is the cup of redemption related to the death of the firstborn at the time of Israel’s exodus. This cup is a metaphor for Messiah’s death and the shedding of His blood as an atoning covering for the sins of humanity: sin being our captivity and Messiah, our Redeemer and the One Who leads us into true and everlasting freedom.

40 And He came to His Talmidiym, and found them asleep: and He said to Kefa: “So! Couldn’t you watch with Me one hour?

Yeshua’s Talmidiym had just eaten a large Passover meal with a number of glasses of wine, they were under a great deal of stress due to the violent opposition of some of the religious leaders and it was now late in the evening, sleep is the natural next step? 
 
Why does Yeshua single out Kefa? Perhaps it’s because Yeshua knows what the future holds for Kefa, after all, he’s going to be a leader of the early Church, one who will first deny Yeshua three times and then repent three times with the words I love you. This, the man who had vowed he would die for Yeshua’s sake, Kefa, who was chief among the three specially selected Talmidiym who Yeshua had taken with Him in to the deeper part of the garden. “Kefa, you’re one of my closest friends and a leader of the Talmidiym, couldn't you at least have kept awake and watched with me in my grief?”

41 Wake up, and pray, lest you succumb to trial. The spirit is prepared, but the flesh is infirm.”

It seems likely that these words are said specifically to Kefa, although it’s also possible that the other Talmidiym awoke with the conversation and heard these words. Yeshua is clearly describing the struggle between the spiritual will and human weakness, but even more deeply than this He is perhaps referring to the Spirit of G-d at work in humanity verses the fallen nature—flesh or yetzer hara (evil inclination).

42 Again He went away the second time, and prayed, and said: “My Father, if it cannot be that this cup pass, except I drink it, Your will be done.”

Again, the ultimate act of submission and humility. Yeshua, knowing that His relenting to His Father’s will is about to bring the greatest suffering of all time upon Him, none the less chooses God’s will over His own good. How could we refuse such a Messiah, how could we ever doubt His love for us?

43 And He came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 And He left them, and went again and prayed the third time, and used the same language (said something similar or the same).

This time, Yeshua leaves the Talmidiym sleeping, an act of loving care, even amidst great suffering Yeshua shows His deep love for others. He then prays similar words to His former prayer. This is the third time He has prayed, three being a Hebrew numeral symbolic of God having firmly established a thing.
 
Notice that Yeshua is wrestling greatly with His calling, this shows His genuine humanity and the truly great sacrifice He is being asked to make. This doesn’t come easily, it’s purchased—like the blessing of Yaakov as he wrestled the Angel of the LORD—with great struggle and anguish of soul and in the end it is the Angel Himself who will die in order to pass on the blessing that both Yaakov (Israel) and the nations are crying for.

45 Then He came to His Talmidiym, and said to them: “You've slept enough now, taking your rest. Behold, the hour is come: and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” 46 “Arise, let us go. Behold, he that betrays me has come.”

I see this simply as a statement of fact, “You’re rested now, let’s go, I have an enemy I must face.” Notice that throughout this passage Yeshua has refused to hide Himself from those who sought Him. Firstly He went to a garden that He frequented, a garden used by many a Jewish pilgrim during Pesach (Passover) as a camping ground: secondly He goes out to meet His accusers, not waiting for them to find Him. He chooses to lay down His life, it will not be taken from Him.

47 And while He was still speaking, Yehudah (Judas) the betrayer, one of the twelve, arrived; and a great multitude with him, with swords and clubs, from the presence of the chief priests and elders of the people.

While they were still speaking infers that they had not yet left the garden. Those who came to arrest Yeshua were not Romans, they were religious leaders accompanied by the Temple guard, sent by the Sanhedrin with Yehudah as their guide, in order to arrest Yeshua.

48 And Yehudah the betrayer had given them a sign, saying: “the one I kiss is the man: seize Him.”

Notice the term sign, Yeshua had given many signs of God’s genuine love for Israel and all humanity throughout His ministry. Here He’s betrayed by a sign that is a fictitious show of love, a public forgery. There is a precedent for betrayal by kiss in the books of the prophets:

“And Joab said to Amasa, ‘Is it well with thee, my brother?’ And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him there with the sword in the belly, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died.”

-2 Sh’muel (Samuel) 20:9-10

Amasa (burden), an innocent general of David’s armies is betrayed by the kiss of Joab—whose character proves to be corrupt many times over as the narrative proceeds. There are many correlations here: David is a type for Messiah, Amasa is also an innocent Messianic type and of course Joab (YHVH is Father) is a type for Yehudah—Judas (Praise), both perform unjust and unconscionable acts of betrayal. Both have beautiful names which they wilfully chose to desecrate.

49 And forthwith he approached Yeshua, and said: “Shalom, Rabbi;” and kissed him. 50 And Yeshua said to him: “Chaver sheliy (My friend), is it for this you have come?” Then they came up, and laid their hands on Yeshua, and took Him.

In Yochanan’s account Yeshua’s deity is reflected here with the words, “I AM He,” but Mattitiyahu decides to focus on this intimate betrayal. The Scripture is the best commentary here:

“Yes, my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.”


-Tehilim (Psalm) 41:9

51 And one of them (Kefa) with Yeshua stretched out his hand, and drew a sword, and struck a servant of the Cohen ha-gadol (high priest), and cut off his ear.

We know from Yochanan’s gospel that the offender was Peter and the servant in question was named Malchut (royalty or Kingly from the Hebrew root Melekh). This is both ironic and poignant, he is a servant—in fact the Scripture later identifies him as a brother in law of the High Priest—of the present religious leaders, and yet his name reflects royalty, his ear is cut off and then restored: Yeshua is now present as a humble servant (the ultimate High Priest) being lead to His death (cut off—but  He will raise from the dead) restored—and return as King over all creation, thus restoring creation to its original glory in God. Kefa is the hero we would all be cheering for if this were a movie, I for one would have been screaming for him to cut the other ear off and then attack Yehudah, but Yeshua sees beyond the short plot of this life and ahead into the meta narrative of eternity. By healing the wound to the High Priests servant Yeshua shows Kefa that His work on the cross will establish an atonement that will free Kefa from just punishment. How? Kefa had harmed an innocent man who was present at the arrest of Yeshua only due to the command of the apostate priesthood of the first century C.E. Yeshua healed that innocent man, covering over the sin of Kefa and leaving Kefa unindictable by law. There was no longer evidence of a crime.
 
As Rav Shaul HaShaliach (Paul the Apostle) says:
 
“For the Torah of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yeshua has set you free from the Torah of sin and of death.”
 
-Romans 8:2
 
In Messiah we are no longer under the indictment of the Torah of Moses.

52 Then Yeshua said to him: “Return the sword to its place; for all they that live by swords, shall die by swords.”

Some quote this verse as a foundation for pacifism, this is not Yeshua’s intention: there is a difference between living an intentional life of violence and the act of defending ones country or loved ones. Yeshua allows for self-defense and just warfare in His response to the Talmidiym in Luke 22:36. Add to this the fact that He is God with us and that God has not changed and we see in the Tanakh, great precedent for just violence and killing verses unjust violence and murder.

53 “Do you suppose that I cannot ask of my Father, and He would now assign me more than sixty thousand messengers?”

Yeshua emphasis the fact that He is in complete control of the situation. This is a wilful act of love on His part. His Talmidiym will eventually understand this but at the moment in question they are afraid and want nothing more than to see their Messiah and Rabbi delivered from His enemies.

54 “But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that say it must be this way?”

This does not mean that there are specific Scriptures describing every detail of these events—although the kiss of Yehudah’s betrayal is clearly prophesied in Psalm 41:9. It simply means that in order for the prophecies of Yeshua’s unjust trial, death and resurrection to be fulfilled, the current events must take place, Yeshua must be betrayed and sentenced to death in order for Him to be able to raise from the dead and redeem humanity.

55 At that time Yeshua said to the multitude: “Have you come out, as if against a cut-throat, with swords and clubs, to take me? I daily sat with you, and taught in the temple, and you did not apprehend me.” 56 And this occurred, that the writings of the prophets might be fully filled. Then the disciples all forsook Him and fled.

This section of Scripture transitions with the fears of isolation Yeshua had felt in the garden now coming to fruition. His closest friends forsake Him, running from danger in order to save themselves, all their protests of loyalty and death-defying devotion swept away in the dust of Israel’s ravines. Yeshua is left alone with His captors, an innocent lamb brought to slaughter. His words ringing in the ears of His fleeing Talmidiym, “Couldn't you watch with me one hour?”
 
We note that the slumber (not rest, but post meal, complacent slumber) of the Talmidiym leaves them unprepared for the arrest of Yeshua. They had been warned that this day was coming but had convinced themselves that the King Messiah must be speaking in metaphor and was in actuality going to rise up, physically redeem Israel and in the strength of His Davidic kingship, reign over the nations.
 
We’re in no position today as believers to pass judgement on these sleepy disciples. Yes, they slept and were wilfully oblivious to what was about to happen, unprepared for coming of their enemies and the Messiah’s death.
 
We too are slumbering, wilfully oblivious to what is about to happen, unprepared for coming of the Warrior King Messiah. Ironically, we are slumbering for the opposite reason to that of the disciples. Where the disciples believed that Yeshua would rise up and physically conquer the enemies of Israel, Yeshua instead died physically and made way for the metaphysical deliverance of Israel and those among the nations who would receive Him.
 
On the other hand, we look for the return of some pseudo pacifist King and Peace Maker (A false Messiah). Bible illiterate as we are, we are blissfully unaware that the Scripture teaches that Messiah will return in war, to decimate the enemies of God and of Israel, the Jewish people.
 
We love to quote Yeshua, saying “Love your enemies”, but, in the West at least, we seem unable to discern that we have enemies. Very few of us can point to specific people in our secular western society who we consider enemies. We’ve fallen for the benign Christian truism, “Oh, I love everyone”. Unbeknownst to us due to our wilful delusion, there are many enemies among us, wolves that we have willingly invited in to the sheep pen.
 
Reality check, we cannot “love our enemies” as Messiah requires if we don’t believe we have enemies.
 
When Yeshua was asked for signs as to when the end would come, He ultimately responded in this way, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” That is, will He find Christians slumbering? Deluded? Unaware of the Warrior King and His purposes? Christians who will awake to turmoil, just as the disciples did, unprepared and terrified. Or will He find us awake, keeping watch, trusting in Him even in the midst of anxiety and fear?
 
Here's the thing, it was the panicked, anxious, fearful, and alert Messiah, Who in trusting God was ready to receive those who had come to arrest and murder Him, while it was the slumbering peaceful, somewhat disassociated disciples who were left unprepared.
 
Messiah is our example.
 
Our response when we see others suffering from fear should not be to condemn them for being fearful, or to leave them alone in their hour of need. Rather our response should be to watch with them through the dark night of the soul. Reminding them that Yeshua has experienced what they’re going through and suffers with them toward victory over fear.
 
Yeshua the victorious King is also the Suffering Messiah. We need not make a false choice between the two. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
 
“He comforts us in all our suffering so that we will be able to comfort those who suffer in many ways, with the comfort with which we ourselves have received from God.”
 
-2 Corinthians 1:4
 
© 2024 Yaakov Ben Yehoshua Brown

Matthew 25:31-46
 
Introduction
 
Matthew chapters 24 and 25 record a series of warnings from Yeshua regarding the last days. What begins as a literal warning of events and the coming of, “The Son of Man,” continues in chapter 25 as a series of משלות  mashlot/parables that reinforce the weightiness of this teaching.
 
For those who are misled into predictive eschatology (theology of the end times), it’s important to note that all of these parables are premised on the fact that, “The day and the hour are unknown” [Deut. 29:29].
 
Yeshua is quoted at the end of chapter 24 as saying:

“Therefore, be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”
 
–Mattitiyahu/Matthew 24:42

And at the beginning of chapter 25 says:

“Keep watch therefore, for you do not know the day or the hour of My return.”
​
 –Mattitiyahu/Matthew 25:13 

“6 Then they gathered around Yeshua (Him) and asked Him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ 7 He said to them: ‘It’s not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority.’”
 
–Acts 1:6-7

The משלות  mashlot/parables of chapter 25 are all warnings, beginning with the parable of the ten virgins and continuing with the parable of entrusted wealth, Yeshua intends to emphasize the fact that one who genuinely follows his Lord, acts righteously according to the nature of Messiah in him.
 
The counterpoint to this is the wicked servant or servants, who are preoccupied with selfish inaction.
 
Yeshua is not changing the rules of salvation here. These parables do not teach that righteous acts bring about salvation, to the contrary, they show that righteous acts are the natural outworking of a transformed person in the process of sanctification.
 
The Mashal (Parable) Of the Sheep And The Goats Matthew 25:31-46
 
31 “And when the Son of Man comes in His Kavod (glory), and all the malakhim (angelic messengers) with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 All the nations goyimH /ethnicities ethnosG will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them one from another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 The King will answer and say to them, ‘Amen, it’s established, I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers and sisters of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ 41 Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44 Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, ‘Amen, it’s established, I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
 
-Matthew 25:31-46
 
The Mashal (Parable) Of The Sheep And The Goats begins by picturing the judgement. Specifically, the judgement of all the nations other than Israel. Who are to be judged separately by the disciples under Yeshua’s authority.
 
This fact has already been established in Matthew 19:28 where Yeshua says to His Talmidim (disciples):
 
“Amen, it is established I tell you, that at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
 
Thus the parable of The Sheep And The Goats begins:
 
31 “And when the Son of Man comes in His Kavod (glory), and all the malakhim (angelic messengers) with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
 
-Matthew 25:31
 
Who is this mysterious “Son of Man”?
 
13 “I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. 14 “And to Him was given dominion, glory and sovereignty, over all the peoples/tribes (ethnicities), nations (national collective) and human beings (humanity) of every language, that they might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.

–Daniel 7:13-14

Many have attempted to explain away the title Son of Man as nothing more than a generic term referring to human beings, saying that Yeshua simply uses it as an example of what we can become.
 
While this may be true in some cases, it’s not true in the context of this passage. In fact, the rabbis’ have understood this term to be Messianic for thousands of years. One rabbi in particular, Rabbi Nachman of the Talmud Bavliy, when commenting on Amos 9:11, calls the Messiah, “Bar Nafle—Son of the fallen (house of David).” In other words, “The one who will restore the fallen house of David,” that is, the Messiah. The Hebrew, Bar Nafle is generally assumed to represent the Greek equivalent phrase, meaning, “Son of the clouds,” which refers to the Messiah coming in the clouds as alluded to in Daniel 7:13-14.
 
By using the title Son of Man, Yeshua knew that His Jewish listeners would identify it as a reference to the coming Messiah. It’s important to note that Yeshua’s candid admission to the High priest in Mark 14:62 is immediately followed by His being condemned by the High priest:
 
“62 I AM,” answered Yeshua. “Moreover, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of HaG’vurah (The mighty/powerful One) and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 63 At this, the high priest (Kohen hagadol) tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? 64 You heard him blaspheme! What is your decision?” And they all declared him guilty and subject to the death penalty.

–Mark 14:62-64
 
From this we glean two things. First, the High Priest knows Yeshua is quoting the prophet Daniel and second, he considers the Son of Man to be a manifestation of the Person of God. Or else why does he accuse Yeshua of blasphemy?
 
Yeshua uses the title Son of Man to describe Himself a number of times in the New Testament and is clearly referencing His second coming (Mark 8:31; Mark 14:62; 2 Th. 1:7; Rev19:11-16).
 
As a contextual concern relating to our present mashal/parable, we must consider the preceding chapter of Matthew and in particular the quoted words of Yeshua in Matthew 24:30-31:

“And, then the banner (nisi) of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the land (eretz: land of Israel) will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. (Daniel 7:13) 31 And He will send forth His angelic messengers with A GREAT SHOFAR SOUNDING and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect (Israel, empirical, ethnic—not the Church) from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

- Matthew 24:30-31 
 
Yeshua is quoting two key passages from the TaNakh (OT) here.
 
First, He quotes Zechariah 12:10-14, which refers to the day when the people of Israel (empirical, ethnic) will mourn over God Whom they’ve pierced as they would mourn over a firstborn son (John 19:37).
 
Second, He quotes the Daniel 7:13 passage, thus affirming His status as the Son of Man and the One Who will gather Israel (chosen, empirical, ethnic, religious), the elect from the four corners of the earth. This event happens prior to the separating of the nations (goyim/ethnos) as described in the mashal/parable of the Sheep and the Goats.
 
Understanding this chronology is essential in order to properly understand the mashal/parable.
 
The calling and ingathering of Israel, the elect (empirical, ethnic, not the Church), happens prior to the gathering together of the nations. Why is this? It’s because Judgement comes first to the Jews and also to the goyim/ethnos (nations) [Romans 2:9].
 
The Parable of the Sheep & the Goats continues:
 
32 All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them one from another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;

-Matthew 25:32
 
Although Israel is technically a goy (nation), she is not included here. As we have seen from the context of this portion of Matthew’s gospel, the elect people of Israel have already been gathered prior to this scene in the parable of the sheep and goats. Yeshua indicates in verse 40, that the righteous acts of the sheep have been done to His brothers and sisters, fellow Jews. Therefore Israel (empirical, ethnic), is not part of the gathering of nations in this mashal/parable.
 
The writer of this gospel, Mattisiyahu (Matthew), A.K.A Levi the disciple and an eyewitness to Yeshua’s telling of the parable, uses the Greek ethnos to describe the nations specifically because he knows this will establish an ethnic distinction in the minds of all who read it, both Jews and Greeks.
 
The Strong’s Greek lexicon describes ethnos this way:
 
“In the OT (LXX), foreign nations not worshipping the true God, pagans, Gentiles.”
 
It goes on to say, “Paul uses the term for Gentile Christians” and defines the term as a “Neuter Noun, a race, that is a tribe; specifically a foreign (non-Jewish) one (usually by implication pagan):- Gentile, heathen, nation, people.”
 
-Strong’s definition G1484
 
In fact, throughout the Bible whenever God speaks to chosen, ethnic Israel through His prophets concerning the nations, He is making a distinction between the nations and Israel, the Jewish people. Thus, in this parable Yeshua’s Jewish listeners understand that He is not including them in the gathering of the goyim/ethnos (nations), whom they understand to be everyone other than Israel, the Jewish people.
 
Why does Yeshua use sheep and goats to represent the righteous and the unrighteous? Are sheep more righteous than goats? Of course not. Though many have sought to give more complex meaning to this symbolism, the truth is that it’s an example much like that of the agricultural example of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24-30). Anyone who has seen a picture of wheat and tares growing together will agree that it’s very difficult to determine one from the other. The same is true of the varieties of sheep and goats herded in the land of Israel and throughout the Middle East. The point is that it’s the farmer or in this case the shepherd who is best equipped to identify one from the other.
 
33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
 
-Matthew 25:33
 
The symbolism here is simple, the right hand is the hand of strength, progeny, righteousness and power; whereas the left hand is a symbol of weakness, subjugation, immorality, loss and condemnation.
 
34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
 
-Matthew 25:34
 
Who are these sheep? They are blessed of the Father and have been chosen to be His children from before the creation of the world. They will inherit the kingdom, Olam haba, and everlasting life.
 
We know that no one can come to the Father except through the Son (Yeshua) [John 14:6]. We also know that followers of Yeshua (Jesus) are chosen from the foundation of the world [Eph. 1:4]. In addition, we know that those who have accepted Messiah have been promised eternal life [John 3, 4].
 
Therefore, the sheep are Gentile disciples of Yeshua, the Gentile component of the Ecclesia, Body of believers (Church), put simply, the sheep of this parable are Gentile Christians. Specifically, Messiah Essential Gentile Christians.
 
35 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
 
-Matthew 25:35-39
 
Notice that the sheep are unaware of their many acts of righteousness. Why is this? It’s because as believers in Yeshua we act according to His nature, from His life in us, rather than from our fallen nature. We don’t act righteously in order to win His approval, to the contrary, we act righteously because we have His approval. All that we do for Him is sin because it’s initiated from our desire to save ourselves through our own actions, however, all that we do in and from Him is righteousness, that is, Messiah in us works in unity with us as submitted sons and daughters of God .
 
Thus, we act in Him and with Him as lovers of His ethnic brothers and sisters the Jewish people. Notice that this requires action. When the Jewish people are attacked and Christians fail to act to protect them, or side with the enemies of Israel, or remain neutral, they prove themselves either to be grieving the Holy Spirit and in danger of discipline, or devoid of the Spirit of God’s Son. This will require repentance or the result, according to this parable, will be everlasting torment for those who act this way.
 
In a quote that collects two of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s sayings from separate literary works we read:
 
“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
 
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer
 
We should take great comfort in the fact that this parable doesn’t threaten our eternal security, rather it shows us that we need not keep an account of righteous deeds or manufacture deeds of our own, rather, we should simply live according to the Spirit of Messiah in us and in doing so we will act righteously in and of Him rather than of our sin nature.
 
40 The King will answer and say to them, ‘Amen, it’s established, I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers and sisters of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’
 
-Matthew 25:40
 
It’s true that we should act in righteousness toward all human beings, however this mashal/parable doesn’t teach this as a general principle, rather it’s addressing the specific acts of righteousness that believers who live among the nations perform toward the Jewish people (Israel, ethnic, empirical).
 
Some will say, “The brethren Jesus (Yeshua) refers to here are all believers, because He says elsewhere, ‘Those who do the will of my Father in heaven are my mother and brothers’” (Matthew 12:46-50). However, here Yeshua makes a clear distinction between those that act righteously (the sheep) and those who have been the recipients of that action (His brothers and sisters), therefore the sheep are the believers that act righteously toward the “brothers and sisters” of Yeshua. The brothers and sisters therefore, are chosen, empirical, ethnic, Israel, Yeshua’s brothers and sisters by blood, the ethnic progeny of Jacob the Patriarch and not Yeshua’s brothers and sisters according to the spiritual application of the term, as recorded in Matthew 12:46-50. .
 
41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44 Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, ‘Amen, it’s established, I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these My brothers and sisters, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
 
-Matthew 25:41-46
 
This is just one of many times that eternal punishment is spoken of in the Bible. The Greek word used (aionios ahee-o’-nee-os) literally, figuratively, metaphorically and allegorically means: forever, perpetual, eternal and everlasting. This punishment is not hades or hell but the eternal fire that comes after the final judgement [Rev. 20:14-15].
 
Some have said this parable is simply an allegory and really refers to something temporal or something that isn’t quite as bad as it sounds.
 
If as some say, it’s simply an allegory then one must accept that it’s an allegory for something that is spiritually and metaphysically eternal and torturous (Rev 20:14-15). An allegory cannot contradict itself in conveying its message.
 
The same Greek word used here, (aionios ahee-o’-nee-os [translated eternal]) is used to describe eternal life (John 3:16; 4:14; Acts 13:46; Romans 6:22 to name just a few locations). Is our hope in eternal life really just a hope in temporary life? Seriously, what would be the point? A curse on that idea!
 
Again, the same Greek word, (aionios ahee-o’-nee-os [translated eternal]) is used to describe God Himself (Romans 16:26). Is God not eternal? What utter nonsense it is to suggest that there is no eternal punishment simply because we don’t like the idea of it. What are we being saved from if not the rightful punishment for our sin? What hope do we have if neither God nor His promise of life are eternal?
 
Thank God, we do have an eternal hope in Him through His Son our Messiah Yeshua.
 
We note that the unrighteous (goats) are as surprised as their counterparts. They call Yeshua
Kurios, LORD”, and are therefore either calling Him LORD because “Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Yeshua the Messiah is YHVH,” or they are Gentile people who believe they are Christians, but are not.
 
How might Yeshua answer the modern so called “Christian” who asks, “LORD, when did we not help You?”
 
If I may, let me attempt to give a contextual contemporary response:
 
“When I was held hostage in Gaza, and you feed My enemies while leaving Me to be abused, sexual violated and murdered. When you didn’t stand up for Me, while the nations verbally abused Me, and the majority media sided against Me. When you rallied against Me in the streets and supported social justice NGO’s that opposed My safety and My right to self-defence. When you hid beneath the guise of open-minded liberalism while I was bombed, stabbed and attacked from every side. When you posted your support of the genocidal cry of the Palestinian majority, who chant for My annihilation saying, “From the River to the Sea Palestine will be free (of Jews)”, echoing the Nazi final solution. When you remained neutral, falsely claiming moral equity between Me and My enemies. Enemies who rape Jewish women, lynch and murder Jewish civilians, cut of the heads of Jewish infants. When you denied My legitimate God established right to live un-harassed in the ancestral homeland of My tribe. That’s when you failed to help Me. These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
 
© 2024 Yaakov Ben Yehoshua (Brown)

Yaakov 5:1-20 (Author’s convergent translation from Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew)
 
1 Lead, go to, now, you wealthy people, weep and wail, lament over the wretchedness, miseries of yourselves which are coming. 2 Your riches are corrupted, decaying and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver is corroded, and their poison will follow as a testimony, witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in these last days! 4 Behold, now, pay attention the wages of the workers who harvested your lands, which you have defrauded those who, cry out; and the outcry of those who reaped has entered into the ears of the LORD Who goes warring. 5 You have lived in luxury on the earth and for pleasure; you have feed your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous one; he offered you no resistance. 7 Be patient, therefore Jewish brothers and sisters, until the coming of the LORD. The vinedresser waits expectantly for the precious fruit of the land, with longsuffering patience, until he receives the early and latter rains. 8 You also be patient, longsuffering; strengthen, establish your hearts, core being, for the coming of the LORD is near, close at hand. 9 Don’t hold grudges against one another Jewish brothers and sisters, lest you face condemnation; behold, now, pay attention the Judge is standing before, in the door/opening. 10 Receive, my Jewish brothers and sisters, the prophets who have spoken in the name of the LORD as an example of affliction, distress, trouble, and of patient longsuffering. 11 behold, now, pay attention we count those blessed, happy who endure, are patient, abiding. You have heard of the patient endurance of Iyov[H] (Job) and have seen the goal of the LORD, that the LORD is full of compassion, extremely kind and mercifully tender. 12 Now before, at the head of all things, essences, substances, individual and collective, my Jewish brothers and sisters, do not swear, not by the heavens or by earth or with any other oath; now your yes is yes, and your no, no, so that you do not fall into hypocrisy. 13 Is anyone among you afflicted, suffering, troubled? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you weak, sick, diseased, impotent? He should call for the elders of the gathered believers and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the LORD; 15 and the prayer, vow of the faith, trust, belief will save, make whole, heal the one who is sick, weary, faint and the LORD will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, missing the mark set by God’s holiness they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sin offences to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed, made whole. Much can be accomplished in the prayer request of a righteous person, when it is made of effect, strengthened. 17 Eliyahu[H] (Elijah) was a man subject to passions just as we are, and he prayed praying that it might not rain, and it didn’t rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain and the land produced its fruit. 19 My Jewish brothers and sisters, if anyone among you is deceived, wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, 20 let him know, perceive, understand that the one who turns a sinner from the delusion, error of his way, that same one saves his soul, life, breath from death and covers a multitude of sins.
 
Yaakov 5:1-20 (Line upon line)
 
1 Lead, go to, (age[G]) now (nun[G]), you wealthy people (plousios[G]), weep (klaiō[G]) and wail, lament (ololuzō[G], za’aku heiy liylo[H]) over (epi[G]) the wretchedness, miseries (ho talaipōria[G], latzarot[H]) of yourselves which are coming (ho eperchomai[G], etchem[H]). 2 Your riches (ploutos[G], ashrechem[H]) are corrupted, decaying (sēpō[G]) and your garments (himation[G], yochal[H]) have become moth-eaten (sētobrōtos[G]). 
 
1 Lead, go to, now, you wealthy people, weep and wail, lament over the wretchedness, miseries of yourselves which are coming. 2 Your riches are corrupted, decaying and your garments have become moth-eaten.

Again, the temptation to relegate this part of Yaakov’s teaching to outsiders rather than Jewish believers is unfounded. There are always rich among us, there will always be poor believers. Although the language is harsh it is also familiar. Yaakov knows he is speaking to Jews who are immersed in Torah, the prophets and writings of HaShem. The Tanakh uses similar terminology in Psalm 73 and Isaiah 5:8-9. These words are an admonition with the intent to encourage repentance, a tishuvah (turning back) to right action in Messiah.
 
“Woe to you who add house to house
    and join field to field
till no space is left
    and you live alone in the land.
9 The Lord Almighty has declared in my hearing:
“Surely the great houses will become desolate,
    the fine mansions left without occupants.”
Isaiah 5:8-9 NIV
 
Yaakov speaks not to all rich people but specifically those who become rich through corrupt practices, and those who trust in their riches rather than in God through Messiah. This is made clear by the context of the latter part of the previous chapter and is emphasised by the present phrasing “Your riches are corrupted” which describes the fruit of wicked intentions. Further, verse 4 describes the withholding of the wages of employees. Additionally Yaakov is speaking specifically to those corrupted rich people within the Messianic Jewish communities of the early body of believers. Meaning that in some cases they are withholding the wages of fellow believers and in those cases where they are withholding the wages of employees from outside the community they are bearing false witness of Messiah.
 
This is a warning given to believers with the intention of preventing their being led astray by the love of worldly wealth.
 
3 Your gold (chrusos[G], hazahav[H]) and your silver (arguros[G], hakesef[H]) is corroded (katioō[G]), and their poison (ios[G]) will follow (esomai[G]) as a testimony, witness (marturion[G], le’eid[H]) against you and will consume (phagō[G]) your flesh (sarx[G], besarchem[H]) like fire (pur[G], kaeiysh[H]). You have stored up treasure (thēsaurizō[G]) in these last days (eschatos hēmera[G], acharit-hayamim[H])! 
 
3 Your gold and your silver is corroded, and their poison will follow as a testimony, witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in these last days! 
 
“Last days,” This is an allusion to the imminent judgement of God and a testimony against the ludicrous behaviour of hording wealth only to see it destroyed. The treasure that the corrupted rich are storing is temporary, unsatisfying. Yaakov will soon call for patient trust in Messiah, a position that will bear fruitful and eternal treasure. Those being rebuked here could be likened to a drug addict storing up drugs prior to an overdose.
 
4 Behold, now, pay attention (idou[G], Hinei[H]) the wages (ho misthos[G], sechar[H]) of the workers (ergatēs[G], hapoaliym[H]) who harvested (amaō[G]) your lands (chōra[G]), which you have defrauded (apostereō[G]) those who, cry out (krazō[G]); and the outcry (boē[G]) of those who reaped (theridō[G], hakotzriym[H]) has entered into (eiserchomai[G]) the ears (ho ous[G], veazneiy[H]) of the LORD Who goes warring (kurios sabaōth[G], YHVH Tzevaot[H]). 
 
4 Behold, now, pay attention the wages of the workers who harvested your lands, which you have defrauded those who cry out; and the outcry of those who reaped has entered into the ears of the LORD Who goes warring.
 
This is straight out of the Torah, its Biblical Judaism 101:

“The wages of a hired man shall not stay with you until morning.” – Leviticus 19:13

See also: Deuteronomy 24:14-15 and Malachi 3:5
 
5 You have lived in luxury (truphaō[G]) on the earth (ho gē[G], ba’aretz[H]) and for pleasure (spatalaō[G]); you have feed (trephō[G]) your hearts (kardia[G], lib’chem[H]) in a day (hēmera[G], leyom[H]) of slaughter (sphagē[G], tivchah[H]). 6 You have condemned (katadikazō[G], hirsha’tem[H]) and murdered (phoneuō[G], hamiytem[H]) the righteous one (dikaios[G], et hatzadiyk[H]); he offered you no resistance (antitassomai[G], lo amad bifneiychem[H]).
 
5 You have lived in luxury on the earth and for pleasure; you have feed your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous one; he offered you no resistance.
 
We note that those being reprimanded are those who have lived “for pleasure”. This of course is the definition of Hedonism, a form of Idolatry.
 
“you have feed your hearts in a day of slaughter.” This can be understood to mean that those being accused have continued to fatten themselves while others are slaughtered, or that they are storing up earthly goods for themselves thinking they have a long future before them, not knowing that like the rich hoarder of Yeshua’s mashal, parable (Luke 12:13-21) they would soon lose their lives and be unable to enjoy their temporal riches.
 
It’s important to remember that this is not an inevitable outcome but a warning intended to produce repentance.
 
HaShem hears the cry of the spilled blood of a righteous one and the agony of the oppressed. This too is a familiar refrain from the Tanakh; Genesis 4:10, Exodus 3:7

The text is not accusing the corrupt wealthy of the synagogue of murdering people, rather, as is taught elsewhere in the New Testament, Yaakov is conveying the idea that when a believer mistreats the oppressed and poor it is as if he is crucifying Messiah again. This is why the text reads “You have condemned and murdered the righteous one; he offered you no resistance.”
 
7 Be patient (makrothumeō[G]), therefore (oun[G]) Jewish brothers and sisters (adelphos[G], achay[H]), until the coming (ho Parousia[G], ad bo[H]) of the LORD (ho kurios[G], HaAdon[H]). The vinedresser (geōrgos[G], haikar[H]) waits expectantly (ekdechomai[G], yechakeh[H]) for the precious (ho timios[G], hatovah[H]) fruit (karpos[G], litvuat[H]) of the land (ho gē[G], ha’adamah[H]), with longsuffering patience (makrothumeō[G]), until he receives (lambanō[G]) the early, autumn (prōimos[G]) and latter, spring (opsimos[G]) rains (huetos[G]). 8 You also (kai[G]) be patient, longsuffering (makrothumeō[G]); strengthen, establish (stērizō[G], amtzu[H]) your hearts, core being (kardia[G], lib’chem[H]), for the coming (ho Parousia[G]) of the face LORD (ho kurios[G], peneiy HaAdon[H]) is near, close at hand (eggizō[G], hineih baiym[H]). 
 
7 Be patient, therefore Jewish brothers and sisters, until the coming of the LORD. The vinedresser waits expectantly for the precious fruit of the land, with longsuffering patience, until he receives the early autumn and latter spring rains. 8 You also be patient, longsuffering; strengthen, establish your hearts, core being, for the coming of the LORD is near, close at hand.
 
Those who work the land and do business are to do so with patient expectation of the coming return of the King Messiah Yeshua. Not seeking the wealth of this temporary world but rather practicing longsuffering in waiting for the eternal wealth of the Olam Haba (world to come).
 
We note that the establishing of the heart, core being, is the result of patiently trusting in Messiah and His promised return. His return is nearer each moment, now and yet fully manifest.
 
Patience, not boasting, is the path of the believer. It’s not patience in and off itself, rather it’s patience born of hope, that hope is in the Messiah’s return.

“Fruit of the land” is a quotation from the brachah (blessing) for eating berries and vegetables. A vinedresser or farmer’s patience is rewarded by the harvest.
 
The autumn rains are mentioned first, this was contrary to the rhythm of the Greek world which measures it’s year using different spiritual markers. This is counterintuitive to the Gentile mind which understands early in relationship to spring and late in relationship to fall. However, the Biblical Hebrew calendar understands the first rains at Sukkot (fall) as early, and the rains following Pesach (spring) as late.
 
The Greek terms used refer to the autumn or fall rains as “early” and the spring rains as “latter”. This is because Yaakov is using Greek terms to convey a Hebraic idea. This is consistent with the rainfall in the land of Israel.  For the most part it rains significantly no more than twice a year in Israel; the early, or former rain, comes shortly after Sukkot (the festival of shelters) in the month Chesvan, (approx. October). The latter rain is in Nisan, (approx. March) prior to the first harvest (barley).
 
The Jewish High Holy days (along with the early rains) occur at the end of the year approaching fall and winter, this is a metaphor for judgment. The spring rains coincide with Yom ha-bikkurim—day of first fruit, this is a metaphor for new life, resurrection. Again Yaakov is reminding Jewish believers in the diaspora that their roots are of the land and are intrinsically linked to the spiritual year as laid out in the Torah. Death, judgment and new life continue to be part of their journey. In the end it is the hope of new life, eternal life, which they must focus on.
 
“for the coming of the Lord is near, close at hand.” Perhaps not near in terms of earth history, but in terms of eternal consciousness, very near. Therefore His return is now nearer still.
 
9 Don’t hold grudges (stenazō[G]), against one another Jewish brothers and sisters (adelphos[G], achay[H]), lest you face condemnation (katakrinō[G], pen-tishafeitu[H]); behold, now, pay attention (idou[G], hineih[H]) the Judge (ho kritēs[G], hadayan[H]) is standing before (pro[G]), in the door/opening (bapatach[H]). 10 Receive (lambanō[G]), my Jewish brothers and sisters (mou adelphos[G], achay[H]), the prophets (ho prophētēs[G], hanevi’iym[H]) who have spoken in the name (ho onoma[G], beshem[H]) of the LORD (ho Kurios[G], YHVH[H]) as an example (hupodeigma[G]) of affliction, distress, trouble (kakopatheia[G]),  and of patient longsuffering (makrothumia[G]).
 
9 Don’t hold grudges, against one another Jewish brothers and sisters, lest you face condemnation; behold, now, pay attention the Judge is standing before, in the door/opening. 10 Receive, my Jewish brothers and sisters, the prophets who have spoken in the name of the LORD as an example of affliction, distress, trouble, and of patient longsuffering.
 
The phrase “lest you be condemned” is specifically referring to one judged, found wanting and sentenced, and not simply to the act of judgement.
 
“The Judge is standing at the door,” In God Yeshua is Head and Judge of the body of believers. A similar warning is given to the body of believers of Laodicea:

“14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the [k]Origin of the creation of God, says this: 15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything,” and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to apply to your eyes so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 The one who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne. 22 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” -Revelation 3:14-22 NASB
 
11 behold, now, pay attention (idou[G], hineih[H]) we count those blessed, happy (makarizō[G]) who endure, are patient, abiding (hupomenō[G]). You have heard of the patient endurance (hupomonē[G], savlanut[H]) of Iyov[H] (Job: persecuted, treated as an enemy) and have seen (eidō[G]) the goal (telos[G]) of the LORD (ho Kurios[G], YHVH[H]), that the LORD (ho Kurios[G], YHVH[H]) is full of compassion, extremely kind (polusplagchnos[G]) and mercifully tender (oiktirmōn[G]).
 
11 behold, now, pay attention we count those blessed, happy who endure, are patient, abiding. You have heard of the patient endurance of Iyov[H] (Job: persecuted, treated as an enemy) and have seen the goal of the LORD, that the LORD is full of compassion, extremely kind and mercifully tender.
 
It's interesting to note that Seder Olam Rabbah (c. 3. p. 9.) one of the traditional commentaries of the rabbis says that Job suffered for 12 months. This is based on the Hebrew text of Job 7:3.
 
Here perseverance is the key. One might become impatient, but like Job we must overcome impatience with perseverance, trusting, like Job, in the compassionate mercy of God, the ultimate positive outcome, Messiah’s return and an eternity of prosperity in God.
 
“I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;” -Job 19:25-26 NIV
 
12 Now before, at the head (pro[G], verosh[H]) of all things, essences, substances, individual and collective (pas[G], davar[H]), my Jewish brothers and sisters (mou adelphos[G], achay[H]), do not swear (omnuō[G]), not by the heavens (ouranos[G], vashamayim[H]) or by earth (gē[G], va’aretz[H]) or with any other oath (horkos[G]); now (de[G]) your yes (nai[G], hein[H]) is yes, and your no (ou[G], lo[H]), no, so that you do not fall into hypocrisy (hupokrisis[G]).
 
12 Now before, at the head of all things, essences, substances, individual and collective, my Jewish brothers and sisters, do not swear, not by the heavens or by earth or with any other oath; now your yes is yes, and your no, no, so that you do not fall into hypocrisy.
 
“Now before” Before you address all that is in error among you, and keeping the righteous patience of the prophets, turn away from vain oaths and deception and firmly establish a practice of keeping your word without even a hint of hypocrisy.
 
This is similar to Yeshua’s teaching in Matthew 5:33-37 and links to the frivolous boasting of the traders in 4:13-17. Simply put, oath taking was a big part of Jewish culture at the time and had become a means for justifying daily deception as a lesser form of communication. In short, Yaakov is saying “Speak the truth and don’t make promises you have no intention of keeping.”

13 Is anyone among you afflicted, suffering, troubled (kakopatheō[G])? He should pray (proseuchomai[G], yitfaleil[H]). Is anyone cheerful (euthumeō[G])? He should sing psalms (psallō[G], yezameir[H]). 14 Is anyone among you weak, sick, diseased, impotent (astheneō[G])? He should call (proskaleomai[G], yikra[H]) for the elders (presbuteros[G], zikneiy[H]) of the gathered believers (ekklēsia[G], hakehilah[H]) and they are to pray (proseuchomai[G], veyitplalu[H]) over him, anointing (aleiphō[G], viysuchuhu[H]) him with oil (elaion[G], shemen[H]) in the name (ho onoma[G], beshem[H]) of the Lord (ho Kurios[G], YHVH[H]); 
 
13 Is anyone among you afflicted, suffering, troubled? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you weak, sick, diseased, impotent? He should call for the elders of the gathered believers and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the LORD;
 
Both prayer and singing are forms of conversation with God. It seems that Yaakov’s best advice is this, “Be in relationship with the Creator.” As opposed to doing in relationship with the world.
 
Both the weary and the ill are offered anointing here. Oil has been used by Israel’s priests to anoint her Kings for centuries. It is a symbol of the Ruach ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit) and the rich blessing and healing of God.
 
"whoever has a sick person in his house, let him go to a wise man, and he will seek mercy for him.'' -R. Phinehas ben Chama (Talmud Bavliy Bava Bathra, fol. 116. 1.)
 
15 and the prayer, vow (euchē[G], utefilat[H]) of the faith, trust, belief (pistis[G], haemunah[H]) will save, make whole, heal (sōzō[G], toshiya[H]) the one who is sick, weary, faint (kamnō[G]) and the Lord (ho Kurios[G], YHVH[H]) will raise him up (egeirō[G], yekiymenu[H]), and if he has committed sins, missing the mark set by God’s holiness (hamartia[G], chata[H]) they will be forgiven (aphiēmi[G], yisalach[H]) him. 
 
15 and the prayer, vow of the faith, trust, belief will save, make whole, heal the one who is sick, weary, faint and the LORD will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, missing the mark set by God’s holiness they will be forgiven him.
 
The faith spoken of here is not faith in healing, rather it is faith in the Healer, Messiah Yeshua/God the Father. This prayer will be the vehicle for revelation to the needy one. He will be delivered from needless toil and lifted up or awakened from his disappear or illness, made whole—not necessarily physically well but whole/complete, spiritually speaking. As a result of this prayer of faith in Messiah, sin will be covered and forgiven losing its temporal authority.
 
16 Therefore, confess (exomologeō[G]) your sin offences (hamartia paraptōma
[G]) to one another, and pray (euchomai[G], vehitpalalu[H]) for one another so that you may be healed, made whole (iaomai[G], teirafeiu[H]). Much (polus[G], gadol[H]) can be accomplished in the prayer request (deēsis[G], tefilat[H]) of a righteous (dikaios[G], hatzadiyk[H]) person, when it is made of effect, strengthened (energeō[G], bechazkah[H]).
 
16 Therefore, confess your sin offences to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed, made whole. Much can be accomplished in the prayer request of a righteous person, when it is made of effect, strengthened.
 
“Therefore” Because the prayer of faith in Messiah brings healing, wholeness and the forgiveness of God.
 
Openly vocalizing our sin as confession to one another can be a very powerful source of release from the burden of it. This is something the Catholic Church does well. It is true to say to a brother or sister, “Go in peace, your sins are forgiven.” We are not saying that we have forgiven their sins, we are simply acknowledging that through the blood covering of Messiah’s sacrifice, their sin is forgiven.

The purpose of this open confession is not to publicly humiliate or give opportunity for gossip. It should be undertaken only with trusted believers and then only by the leading of the Ruach ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit).
 
In petitioning God on behalf of one another we are to be motivated by mercy because “mercy triumphs over judgment.” Therefore we see the work of God here, denouncing false judgment and vindictiveness and announcing mercy and freedom. The result? Wholeness.
 
Rav Eliezar of the Talmud also teaches that the prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective (Talmud Bavliy Succah, fol. 14. 1. & Yebamot, fol. 64. 1.).
 
17 Eliyahu[H] (My God He is YHVH) was a man (anthrōpos[G], enosh anush[H]) subject to passions (homoiopathēs[G]) just as we are, and he prayed (proseuchomai[G], vehitpaleil[H]) praying (proseuchē[G], tefilah[H]) that it might not rain (brechō[G], matar[H]), and it didn’t rain (brechō[G], matar[H]) on the land (ho ge[G], ba’aretz[H]) for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed (proseuchomai[G], vayitpaleil[H]) again, and the heavens (ouranos[G], vehashamayim[H]) gave (didōmi[G], nat’nu[H]) rain (huetos[G], matar[H]) and the land (ho ge[G], ha’aretz[H]) produced its fruit (karpos[G], et-piryah[H]).
 
17 Eliyahu[H] was a man subject to passions just as we are, and he prayed praying that it might not rain, and it didn’t rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain and the land produced its fruit.
 
It’s important to note here that the type of prayer being spoken of is a form of fervent listening. After all, the narrative concerning Eliyahu’s (Elijah’s) life tells us only that he heard from God that the heavens would be shut up, following which he heard from God again some years later that the heavens would release rain upon the land. The pattern goes like this: Listen… No rain. Listen… rain. Listen… drought and death born of idolatry. Listen… Life giving waters welling up from Messiah in you. It is the Patient, or rather, persevering Eliyahu (like the farmer of verse 7), who received the later rain.
 
It is interesting to note that in the account of Elijah’s prophetic word to Ahab regarding God sending rain there is no explicit mention of prayer (1 Kings 18:42). In the account Elijah goes up to the top of Mt Carmel, throws himself to the ground, puts his face between his knees. Each of these actions are considered kinetic prayer.
 
Our sages say “Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, to pray, and he cast himself down upon the earth, to pray for rain; and he put his face between his knees and prayed, and said to his servant, go up now, look toward the sea; and this he said while he was in his prayers" - Yarchi, Kimchi, Ralbag, & Laniado in loc.
 
In each action we are praying. This is why the text of Yaakov 5:17 reads “he prayed praying”. This is a Hebrew idiom employed to denote passionate and committed prayer (Zohar in Gen. fol. 31. 1. & Imre Binah in ib). Elijah’s entire life, motivation, thought, action, was a living conversation with God. Yaakov encourages us with the words “Eliyahu[H] was a man subject to passions just as we are…”
 
Yaakov uses the example of praying for rain because it is such a significant part of Biblical Jewish practice and of the subsequent generations of Israel in the land. Many of our rabbis are recorded as having sought God for the provision of rain. Jewish tradition is filled with these accounts (Talmud Bavliy Moed Katon, fol. 28. 1. & Taanit, fol. 19. 1. 23. 1. 24. 2. 25. 2. & Yoma, fol. 53. 2.)
 
“The heavens gave rain” is an allusion first and foremost to the fact that God, Who is the Creator of the heavens, gave rain. Not just the physical rain that ended the drought in the land of Israel but also the cleansing rain of His Spirit bringing repentance and spiritual revival to the people of the land of Israel.
 
19 My Jewish brothers and sisters (mou adelphos[G], achay[H]), if anyone among you is deceived, wanders (planaō[G], yiteh[H]) from the truth (ho alētheia[G], min haemet[H]) and someone turns (epistrephō[G], yeshiyvenu[H]) him back, 20 let him know, perceive, understand (ginōskō[G], yeida-na[H]) that the one who turns (epistrephō[G], hameishiyv[H]) a sinner (hamartōlos[G], et hachotei[H]) from the delusion, error (planē[G]) of his way (hodos[G], darko[H]) that same one (autos[G]) saves (sōzō[G], yoshiya[H]) his soul, life, breath (psuchē[G], et-nafsho[H]) from death (Thanatos[G], mimavet[H]) and covers (kaluptō[G], veychaseh[H]) a multitude (plēthos[G]) of sins (hamartia[G], al-hamon peshaiym[H]).
 
19 My Jewish brothers and sisters, if anyone among you is deceived, wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, 20 let him know, perceive, understand that the one who turns a sinner from the delusion, error of his way that same one saves his soul, life, breath from death and covers a multitude of sins.

Finally, and with concise literary beauty, Yaakov reminds us that in Messiah we live and breathe to see others reconciled to God.
 
We note that if choosing to do the hard thing of rebuking a brother or sister’s repeated sin behaviour means saving his or her soul, then the opposite is also true. Failing to rebuke a brother or sister’s repeated sin behaviour means giving them over to the possibility of death. Offering confession and forgiveness at times means challenging others. This is why Yaakov has said previously “the one who knows to do the good and does not, he does sin”. This requires wisdom and care. Love acts to guide others away from the self-harm of sin. With our rebuke comes the good news that Mercy YHVH Himself triumphs over condemnation.

Copyright 2022 Yaakov Brown

Introduction:
 
After posting our intention to teach the Book of Yaakov at Beiyt Melekh I received comments like “sounds interesting”, “Is this an apocryphal book?”, and “I don’t see this book in my Bible, why are you teaching this extra-Biblical book?” etc.
 
One of the tragedies of English translational tradition is that many modern English readers of the HaBrit HaChadashah (New Testament) are unable to see in the name of the Book of James (Yaakov) a connection to this very Hebrew, even ethnically and religiously specific book. This is of course allayed by the opening verses, however, even the opening address has proven incomprehensible to some scholars and church fathers who try to explain away the ethnic, religious specificity of the opening phrasing, and instead apply it to the Gentile Church.
 
James is the Anglicized form of Iakobos, which is a transliteration into Greek of the Hebrew Yaakov, the English equivalent being Jacob. It’s likely that as is the case with other New Testament names shared in common with TaNaKh (OT) characters, the English translators were attempting to prevent confusion between historical figures separated by time but equally important in the meta-narrative of Scripture. Put simply, they wanted to avoid confusion between the Jacob of the Old Testament and Jacob the brother of Yeshua (Jesus). However, the confusion and disconnect that has resulted through the modification of names far out ways any perceived benefit in the attempt to mitigate mistaken identities between the covenants (Old and New). The line of a country song by Lyle Lovett comes to mind, “She wasn’t good, she just had good intentions…”
 
I ask the reader (listener) to take a moment to consider how from the inception of the English translation of the Bible, the correct English equivalent naming of this New Testament book might have prevented a number of the misunderstandings the modern reader indulges based on the Anglicized title. This is also true of name modifications in other New Testament books. For example, using Jesus in place of Joshua, Jude in place of Judah and so on.
 
Simple and intrinsic common ground is found instantaneously when we read the title of the present book of study as “Jacob”. We think straight away of the patriarch Jacob who became Israel and of his 12 sons who became the collective people of Israel, and of their descendants who remain to this day. We think of Jacob the brother of our King Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) and of his role in leading the early body of believers. And if we think these things our spirit is stirred to behold the continuity of the redemptive meta-narrative of Scripture and of the fact that God has never forsaken His covenant agreement to redeem the Jewish people in the King Messiah Yeshua. Nor has He abandoned us to an un-discipled future. We are therefore blessed by the correct naming of the book because even before we read it, we are afforded insight into its greater meaning.
 
On the other hand, if we read the title of this book as “James”, we have already failed to understand one of the key themes of the writing contained within it. We may well glean basic spiritual principles but we glean them devoid of the foundation upon which they are articulated. Thank God that by His Spirit in Messiah He is come to purify the bride of Messiah in our days and to reconcile us in righteousness, both Jew and non-Jew. It’s in the small changes, the tiniest acts of tishuvah (returning, repenting) that the wider body is ignited unto righteousness in Messiah.
 
The Human Writer:
 
It seems clear, beyond reasonable doubt that the human writer or dictator of the book of Yaakov was Yaakov (James) the brother of Yeshua (Jesus) [Matt. 13:55; John 7:2-5; 1 Co. 15:7; Gal. 1:19, 2:9; Acts 12:17, 15:13, 21:18; Jude 1:1]. Yaakov either wrote the text himself or in the tradition of ancient Scripture, dictated it to a scribe (this latter option puts death any issues over the high form of Greek used).
 
The text is dated approximately 48 to 60 CE. Yaakov would have written it before his death in 62 CE (Ant. 20.9.1; Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. 2:23).
 
Those who claim that Yaakov could not have written this work because of its high Greek expression, and his lowly Galilean upbringing, are unable to overcome the following obstacles: Four men in the New Testament have the name Yaakov (James). The author of this letter couldn’t have been the apostle Yaakov, who died too early to be its author in 44 CE. Nor could the remaining two men have authored the work due to their stature and unnamed influence in the early body of believers, given the author confidently names himself presuming that he is known by believers throughout the known world of the time.
 
In defense of Yaakov’s Galilean upbringing, it is ludicrous to presume that he was uneducated simply because he was from a rural area. Those scholars who make this claim are committing the same sin of hubris attributed to certain members of the first century religious leaders of Jerusalem. They neglect to consider that by making this assertion concerning Yaakov, they are by inference also making the same assertion in regard to Yaakov’s brother Yeshua.
 
Yaakov was one of several brothers of Yeshua and likely the eldest of Yeshua’s younger brothers (Matt. 13:55). Initially Yaakov did not place his belief in Yeshua and even challenged Him, misunderstanding Yeshua’s person and mission (John 7:2-5). However, Yaakov later became an important leader of the early body of Messianic Jews:
 

1. He was one of a select group to whom Yeshua appeared following His resurrection (1 Co. 15:7)
2. He was called a “Pillar” of the believing community by Rav Shaul (Paul) HaShaliach (the Apostle) [Gal. 2:9]
3. On his first visit to Jerusalem following his conversion, Shaul/Paul meet with Yaakov (Gal. 1:19)
4. Likewise on his last return visit to Jerusalem Shaul/Paul meet with Yaakov (Acts 21:18)
5. When Kefa/Peter was freed from prison he told his companions to tell Yaakov (Acts 12:17)
6. Yaakov was a member of the council of leaders of the early ecclesia in Jerusalem (Acts 15:13)
7. Judah (Jude), by way of establishing his influence, simply called himself the “brother of Yaakov” (Jude 1:1)

 
Recipients:
 
It’s not just wrong to conclude that this work was initially written to Gentile Christians, it’s antisemitism. The writer makes clear that the work is written to “The twelve tribes of Israel dispersed abroad” (Yaakov 1:1). Furthermore, the Hebraisms employed by the writer firmly establish its intended recipients as a believing Jewish audience. The Greek equivalent Hebrew title for God “Kyrios Sabaoth”, meaning “YHVH Almighty” is used, as are numerous Hebraic idioms, mashaliym (parables), and rabbinical teaching techniques such as derashot (comparative teachings) etc.
 
While it’s true that the spiritual principles of the work can be applied by all believers, it’s nonetheless clear that believing Jews were the intended first recipients. We add to this the understanding that not only was this letter written to believing Jews throughout the known world, but more specifically therefore, to believing Jews throughout the various localized bodies of believers within the Ecclesia who were at that time spread throughout the known world. In other words, when the work was distributed, it was given to various believing communities of Jews and Gentiles but was addressed specifically to the Jewish believers among them. In the modern “Church” this would be considered “non-inclusive, not nice, divisive”, and yet here we have a work inspired by the Holy Spirit that had a very specific purpose in strengthening the early Jewish believers within the wider body, which by that time was becoming predominantly Gentile.
 
It's interesting to note that the early fathers of the faith chose to place the two books specifically written to Hebrew believers one after the other in the New Testament Canon (Hebrews and Yaakov).
 
Themes:
 

1. Trial and Temptation (1:2-18)
2. Hearing and Acting (1:19-27)
3. Forbidding Favoritism (2:1-13)
4. Faith, Trust, Belief and Action (2:14-26)
5. Keeping the Tongue in Check (3:1-12)
6. Two Kinds of Wisdom (3:13-18)
7. Warning Against Being Influenced by This World (4)
8. Warning Against Oppression of the Poor (5:1-6)
9. Patience in Suffering (5:7-11)
10. Oaths (5:12)
11. Faithful Prayer (5:13-18)
12. A Directive for Those Who Wander (5:19-20)

 
Translation:
 
My translation is a convergent one which uses the three primary languages of the New Testament: Greek (oldest manuscripts), Aramaic (next oldest manuscripts), and Hebrew (a relatively modern translation made from the Greek text). All three primary languages are intended to be understood from a Jewish religious-cultural perspective given that the human writers of the New Testament, including Luke, are clearly Jewish, just as the human writers of the TaNaKh (OT) in its entirety, are Jewish.
 
God chose to reveal His Word through the people of Israel, ethnic, religious, empirical. This requires humility, both for Israel and for those Gentiles who have received God’s gift of salvation and discipleship in the King Messiah Yeshua (Jesus), Redeemer of Israel and Savior to the nations.
 
In presenting the combined meaning of these three languages my goal is to show that our trust is in the inerrant Creator and His Spirit, Who inspires the text, and not in language or human writers. To make the claim that language (any language, including Hebrew) is authoritative or superior in and of itself is to practice idolatry. Scripture is inerrant because God is inerrant. Even the perceived scribal errors so often pointed out by scholars, are subject to God’s order and are therefore inspired. There is no scribal error in the original texts that does not affirm and or illuminate the plain meaning. Therefore, we trust YHVH and acknowledge that all things are subject to Him.
 
Key:
 
[G] = Greek
[A] = Aramaic (added when it differs from or illuminates the Greek and Hebrew texts)
[H] = Hebrew
 
Yaakov 1:1-15 (Author’s convergent translation from Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew)
 
1 Yaakov, a bond servant of God and of the Lord Yeshua Messiah, to the twelve tribes which are dispersed abroad among the peoples, rejoice in peace. 2 Count it all, individually and collectively, transcendent joy, brothers and sisters of mine whenever trials continue to fall on you in a variety of ways, derivations, uncertainties, 3 knowing absolutely that the proving of you all in the faith, belief, trust, assurance, is being performed, fully worked out, producing cheerful, continuing patience, endurance. 4 And let the cheerful endurance, patience work to perfect, complete, construct well, have result, echo in you in order that you may be brought to the perpetual goal, perfection, completion, being well-constructed, and made whole, innocent, lacking in nothing, [Hebrew alt. not lacking in all word, essence, substance]. 5 But if certain ones of you leave behind wisdom, let him ask being near in proximity from God, the giver to all individually and collectively abundantly, liberally, generously and without reproach, defamation, chiding, bearing His teeth, deceit; and words, things, essences, substances will be given to that person. 6 Also he must ask earnestly in faith, trust, having been persuaded, without even one doubt, differing, contention, for the doubting, differing, contending one is like the surging wave of the sea, agitated and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person should not expect that he will receive anything, word, essence, substance from the Lord, 8 Such a person is two-spirited [double minded], unstable, inconstant, restless in all, [individual and collective] his ways, roads, paths. 9 Now the brother or sister who is low, depressed, humble, cast down is to rejoice, praise in his elevated position; 10 and the wealthy person in his lowly, humble, depressed, cast down position because like a flowering garden he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its burning heat and dries up the garden and its flowers drop off and the beauty [grace] of its face perishes; in this way also the wealthy person, in the midst of his pursuits, will be extinguished. 12 Blessed, happy is a person who patiently endures under proofing, trial; for once he has been accepted, he will receive the crown, moulded wreath of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him entirely. 13 No one is to say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, that which is worthless, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is under his own lustful desires being dragged away and entrapped. 15 Then when the lusting has conceived, it gives birth to sin, missing the mark set by God’s holiness; and sin, when it reaches its goal, brings forth the specific death. 
 
Yaakov 1:1-15 (Line upon line)
 
1 Yaakov[H] (follower), a bond servant (doulos[G], eved[H]) of God (Theos[G], Elohiym[H]) and of the Lord (kurios[G], Adoneiynu[H]) Yeshua[H] (YHVH is Salvation, Jesus) Mashiyach[H] (Christos[G], Messiah, anointed one), to the twelve off shoots, tribes (phule[G], hashevatiym[H]) which are dispersed abroad among the peoples (diaspora[G], b’am’me[A], shebagolah[H]), rejoice in peace (chairo[G], s’lam[A], lish'lom[H]).
 
1 Yaakov, a bond servant of God and of the Lord Yeshua Messiah, to the twelve tribes which are dispersed abroad among the peoples, rejoice in peace.
 
The writer names himself confidently, aware that he is known to the wider body of believers as both a leader of the Jerusalem council and the brother of Yeshua. Yaakov humbles himself as a “Servant who has bound himself willingly” to God and to “the LORD Yeshua the Messiah”.
 
For Yaakov the brother of Yeshua this is a confession based on repentance , he has turned from his disbelief in Yeshua and has decided to submit to his older brother Yeshua’s person as both man and God with us, the promised King Messiah of Israel. Not only had Yaakov overcome familial pride of place as the next brother in line to the rule of his earthly family, he had also come to acknowledge that Yeshua is the manifest Word Essence and Substance (ha Davar emet) of God.
 
Yaakov writes to his Jewish brothers and sisters dispersed throughout the known world and among the various bodies of believers in numerous cities and towns.
 
We note that the great Rabbi Gamaliel, teacher of Rav Shaul (Paul the Apostle) [Acts 22:3] opens his epistle, which is recorded in the Talmud Bavliy in a similar way, writing:
 
“To our brothers, inhabitants of the dispersion… great be your peace always.” -Rav Gamaliel, Talmud Bavliy, Sanhedrin 11.b
 
Yaakov’s letter is specifically written to the “twelve tribes of Jacob (Israel) dispersed abroad among the Gentiles”. To say as some do, that the “twelve tribes of Israel” referred to by Yaakov are a reference to the Church, is to perpetuate the antisemitic and satanic lie of Successionist (Replacement) Theology. To you who say this, I say “Repent before it’s too late!”
 
The conclusion to Yaakov’s greeting in Greek is not “greetings” as many mistranslate, but “rejoice!” The conclusion in both Aramaic and Hebrew is S’lam & Shalom, “peace, wholeness, wellbeing!” Working together the inspired languages remind the early Jewish believers to “rejoice in the peace, wholeness and well-being of the Prince of peace, wholeness and well-being.” Later in the text (v.4) the “well-constructed” nature of God’s peace is again alluded to.
 
2 Count (hēgeomai[G]) it all, individually and collectively (pas[G]), transcendent joy (chara[G], lesimchah[H]), brothers and sisters (adelphos[G], echay[H]) of mine (mou[G]), whenever (hotan[G]) trials (peirasmos[G]) continue to fall on you (peripiptō[G]) in a variety of ways, derivations, uncertainties (poikilos[G]), 3 knowing absolutely (ginōskō[G], sheyod’iym[H]) that the proving (dokimion[G]) of you all (humōn[G]) in the faith, belief, trust, assurance (ho pistis[G], emunat’chem[H]), is being performed, fully worked out, producing (katergazomai[G], liydeiy[H]) cheerful, continuing patience, endurance (hupomonē[G], savlanut[H]).
 
2 Count it all, individually and collectively, transcendent joy, brothers and sisters of mine whenever trials continue to fall on you in a variety of ways, derivations, uncertainties,
3 knowing absolutely that the proving of you all in the faith, belief, trust, assurance, is being performed, fully worked out, producing cheerful, continuing patience, endurance.
 
Yaakov tasks his fellow Jewish believers with numbering all their individual and collective experiences as transcendent joy in Messiah. Even their experiences of trial, in the many forms that trials come. These opening verses (v.2-3) address the trials of life in general as well as those trials faced by Jewish Messiah followers in particular. Whereas the latter verses which use the same Greek root refer to moral trials, specifically temptation to sin (v.13-15).
 
In the counting of, paying close attention to, numbering, contemplating how God is outworking His perfect purposes in trials, the Jewish believers both individually and collectively are affirmed in “Knowing absolutely”. That is, having accepted the King Messiah, they have dispensed with the doubt of disbelief and view their trials as evidence of God’s redemptive purposes at work in their lives. This knowledge, which transcends mental prowess and is centred in the lev (core being), produces enduring patience because the Spirit of Messiah in them bears the fruit of limitless patience (1 Tim. 1:16).
 
We note that there is an order to the maturing of the believer. Focusing on the person of Messiah in God precedes all else. Once focused we are able to see Messiah at work in all things and in all circumstances the evidence of God’s purposes becomes clear both within and beyond this fallen world. The unity of trust in Messiah and evidence in circumstances produces the fruit of cheerful and patient endurance.
 
4 And let the cheerful endurance, patience (ho de hupomonē[G], vehasavlanut[H]) work (ergon[G]) to perfect, complete, construct well, have result, echo in you (teleios, echo[G], sheleimah[H]) in order that (hina[G]) you may be (es[G]) brought to the perpetual goal, perfection, completion, being well-constructed, (teleios[G], sheleimiym[H]) and made whole, innocent (holoklēros[G], utemiymiym[H]), lacking in nothing, [Hebrew alt. not lacking in all word, essence, substance] (en mēdeis leipō[G], kol-davar[H]).
 
4 And let the cheerful endurance, patience work to perfect, complete, construct well, have result, echo in you in order that you may be brought to the perpetual goal, perfection, completion, being well-constructed, and made whole, innocent, lacking in nothing, [Hebrew alt. not lacking in all word, essence, substance].
 
The perfecting or completing of the patient endurance of the believer is said to be a perpetual action within time and space that echoes so as to be heard, witnessed, received by others and results in a rhythm of wholeness within the believer.
 
The work of the Holy Spirit in us causes us to become well-constructed where we were in disarray and falling apart. He repairs and makes whole that which was damaged in us and returns us to innocence. We enter into a lifestyle that transcends this world while walking in it. We find that when others see us as lacking a great deal, we are in fact lacking nothing.
 
Those who have Messiah Yeshua and are reconciled to God through His blood have received their role as sons and daughters of the King of the universe and are therefore heirs to all things in God. If then we have access to everything in God, we lack nothing.
 
We note that the ancient Aramaic affirms what the Hebrew says “not lacking in all word, essence, substance (kol-davar)”. The Hebrew text is saying that having been redeemed by God through Yeshua we do not lack Yeshua, Who is the Davar, Word, Essence, Substance by which all creation is held together, in Whom all things exist and have their being (John 1; Col. 1:16-17). Therefore, it’s because we do not lack Yeshua that we are able to patiently endure in innocence.
 
5 But if certain ones (tis[G], veiysh[H]) of you leave behind (leipō[G]) wisdom (sophia[G], chochmah[H]), let him ask (aiteō[G]) being near in proximity (para[G]) from God (Theos[G], meiElohiym[H]), the giver (ho didōmi[G], ha-notein[H]) to all individually and collectively (pas[G], lakol[H]) abundantly, liberally, generously (haplōs[G], bin’diyvah[H]) and without reproach, defamation, chiding, bearing His teeth, deceit (oneidezō[G], hona’at[H]); and words, things, essences, substances (devariym[H]) will be given (didōmi[G], vetinatein[H]) to that person (autos[G], lo[H]). 
 
5 But if certain ones of you leave behind wisdom, let him ask being near in proximity from God, the giver to all individually and collectively abundantly, liberally, generously and without reproach, defamation, chiding, bearing His teeth, deceit; and words, things, essences, substances will be given to that person.
 
We note that godly wisdom is essential. Not the wisdom of intellectual learning or that gleaned from life experiences, but the wisdom that emanates from God’s Spirit at work in us.
 
This verse is directed at certain ones among the Jewish believers who lack such wisdom. The advice given is that in faith they should request the divine gift of wisdom from God, Who is eager to give such wisdom to His beloved children. They need not be afraid that God their Father will bear His teeth at them for asking or deceive them, because it is not in His character to do so. Thus, they can ask with confidence in Messiah for the wisdom present at the creation of the world in the mouth of the Word Essence Yeshua (Prov. 8:1-4, 22-31).
 
We note that it is the words, essences, substances (devariym, pl. of davar [logos]) that God gives to the one who asks. Simply put, God will give the one who asks the manifest words of Yeshua, from Whom wisdom comes.
​
“15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another [a]Helper, so that He may be with you forever; 17 the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you.” -John 14:15-17 NASB

6 Also (de[G]) he must ask earnestly (aiteō[G]) in faith, trust, having been persuaded (pistis[G], be’emunah[H]), without even one (mēdeis[G]) doubt, differing, contention (diakrinō[G], safeik[H]), for the doubting, differing, contending one (diakrinō[G], safeik[H]) is like (eikō[G]) the surging wave (kludōn[G]) of the sea (Thalassa[G], hayam[H]), agitated (anemizō[G]) and tossed (rhipizō[G]) by the wind (baruach[H]).
 
6 Also he must ask earnestly in faith, trust, having been persuaded, without even one doubt, differing, contention, for the doubting one is like the surging wave of the sea, agitated and tossed by the wind.
 
The doubt being spoken of hear is not the doubt that is the counterpoint to faith, after all, within the fallen world faith cannot exist without doubt, rather it is the doubt that is defined as being in direct opposition to the will of God as heard in response to asking of God. The Greek “diakrino” translated as “doubt” means “to differ, contend”. Put as a simple question and answer conversation between the believer and God we could understand its use as follows:
 
“God, we need provision of food for our community,”
‘I will give you food tomorrow in the form of quail and bread from heaven’,
“No you won’t!”
 
The doubter in this context is like a student who asks his trusted teacher for an answer to a difficult question, and upon receiving the answer, doesn’t like what he hears and responds, “No, that’s not right!” Furthermore, the student continues to oppose his teachers instruction.
 
Therefore, we could read “For the disagreeable one who contends with God after receiving an answer to his request…should not expect that he will receive anything…”
 
We note that Rav Shaul (Paul) uses similar imagery in his letter to the Ephesians:
 
“14 [a]As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by craftiness [b]in deceitful scheming;” -Ephesians 4:14 NASB
 
Likewise John’s gospel informs us that if we have had an opportunity to receive the Messiah but have chosen to refuse Him, we stand condemned already.
 
“16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. 18 The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” -John 3:16-18
 
Yaakov challenges the believer to cry out for wisdom and when it’s given, to receive it without objection.
 
“For if you cry out for insight,
And [a]raise your voice for understanding;
4 If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And discover the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” -Proverbs 2:3-6 NASB
 
7 For that person (vehaiysh[H]) should not expect (oiomai[G]) that he will receive (lambanō[G]) anything, word, essence, substance (tis[G], davar[H]) from the Lord (ho Kurios[G], mei’eit YHVH[H]), 8 Such a person is (anēr[G], iysh[H]) two-spirited [double minded] (dipsuchos[G]), unstable, inconstant, restless (akatastatos[G]) in all, [individual and collective] (pas[G], bekhol[H]) his (autos[G]) ways, roads, paths (ho hodos[G], derakhayv[H]).
 
7 For that person should not expect that he will receive anything, word, essence, substance from the Lord, 8 Such a person is two-spirited [double minded], unstable, inconstant, restless in all, [individual and collective] his ways, roads, paths.
 
The person who wants to argue with God’s answer to their request has proven their lack of true faith and should not expect to receive what they have asked for. Why? Because they have refused to receive it. Their doubt is not uncertainty, rather, as I have explained, their doubt is defined as rejection of God’s answer.
 
The person in question is sitting on the fence. An Agnostic, neither believing or disbelieving. By inference Yaakov calls this person a disbeliever. The person in question is undecided in all areas of their life, in every path they take, in every decision they make, not listening to and walking in the direction of God but refusing His directives and doubting Him at every turn.
 
The Midrash on Psalm 119:46 describes the double minded who are tossed around as being like those “who grasp the rope at both ends”, who choose both God (YHVH) and Ba’al (Chief Canaanite deity) [1 Kings 18:21], and therefore fail to obtain salvation.
 
9 Now the brother or sister (ho adelphos[G], ha-ach[H]) who is low, depressed, humble, cast down (tapeinos[G], hashapeil[H]) is to rejoice, praise (kauchaomai[G], yithaleil[H]) in his elevated position (hupsos[G], beromamuto[H]); 10 and the wealthy (plousios[G]) person in his lowly, humble, depressed, cast down position (tapeinōsis[G]) because like a flowering (anthos[G]) garden (chortos[G]) he will pass away (parerchomai[G]). 
 
9 Now the brother or sister who is low, depressed, humble, cast down is to rejoice, praise in his elevated position; 10 and the wealthy person in his lowly, humble, depressed, cast down position because like a flowering garden he will pass away.
 
Yaakov now turns to a distinct but related matter. There is a connection between the double minded person blown about by the wind and the person who takes pride in their high position and worldly wealth.
 
It’s the humble, even depressed and down trodden believer who should rejoice because God lifts up the humble (Psa. 147:6; Yaakov. 4:10). However, the one who is in a high position, being self-reliant and self-assured should consider himself lowly, humbled, depressed, because the temporal things he has placed his trust in will fade away like a seasonal garden, along with his very life.
 
11 For the sun (hēlios[G], hashemesh[H]) rises with its burning heat (kausōn[G]) and dries up (xērainō[G]) the garden (chortos[G]); and its flowers (anthos[G]) drop off (ekpiptō[G]) and the beauty [grace] (euprepeia[G]) of its face (prosōpon[G]) perishes (apollumi[G]); in this way (houtō[G]) also the wealthy person (plousios[G]), in the midst of his pursuits (poreia[G]), will be extinguished (marainō[G]).
 
11 For the sun rises with its burning heat and dries up the garden and its flowers drop off and the beauty [grace] of its face perishes; in this way also the wealthy person, in the midst of his pursuits, will be extinguished.
 
The Sun in this mashal (parable) or drash (comparative teaching), is the greater power, a metaphor for God, and the garden along with its flowering plants are a metaphor for humanity.
 
We note that it’s not wealth that is the problem but the pursuit of it. The pursuit of wealth is the love of mammon[G] (worldly things), and is therefore idolatry (1 Tim. 6:10).
 
12 Blessed, happy (makarios[G], ashreiy[H]) is a person (anēr[G], ha iysh[H]) who patiently endures (hupomenō[G]) under proofing, trial (peirasmos[G]); for once he has been accepted (dokimos[G]), he will receive the crown, moulded wreath (stephanos[G], ateret[H]) of life (zōē[G], hachayiym[H]) which the Lord (ho Kurios[G], YHVH[H]) has promised (epaggellō[G]) to those who love Him entirely (agapaō autos[G], leohavayv[H]).
 
12 Blessed, happy is a person who patiently endures under proofing, trial; for once he has been accepted, he will receive the crown, moulded wreath of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him entirely.
 
For the follower of Yeshua blessing and happiness are measured in a transcendent way that is counter intuitive in this fallen world. In the believer patient endurance under trial produces blessing and happiness that go beyond circumstances. The one who endures by trusting in God is accepted and given a wreath (a Greco-Roman laurel given to a victorious athlete or military leader) of victory pertaining to life everlasting. This is promised to those who love God entirely. What does it mean to love God entirely? It means simply to listen to and do what He has commanded (John 14:15-31). When we place our belief in the Son we are accepted by the Father.
 
The Hebrew text rightly understands the Greek Ho Kurios to refer to YHVH.
 
13 No one is to say when he is tempted (peirazō[G], ha-menuseh[H]), “I am being tempted (peirazō[G], menuseh[H]) by God (Theos[G], HaElohiym[H])”; for God (Theos[G], HaElohiym[H]) cannot be tempted (apeirastos[G], menuseh[H]) by evil, that which is worthless (kakos[G], bara[H]), and He Himself does not tempt (peirazō[G], yenaseh[H]) anyone. 
 
13 No one is to say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, that which is worthless, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.
 
In this verse the Greek verb translated “tempted” refers specifically to temptations that test a person’s moral strength.
 
God defines good, He cannot sin, lie, tempt etc. Therefore, while He allows human beings to choose whether they will give in to their fallen nature or resist it in Messiah, He Himself does not tempt, nor can He be tempted by evil.
 
Additionally, it’s impossible to tempt the Creator of the universe in Whom all things exist. What could He be tempted with? Power? Wealth? Dominion?
 
Those who claim that God is tempting them are impugning God’s character. It’s an act of blasphemy. In claiming that God is tempting them they are looking for an excuse for their wilful sin response to trial and or temptation.
 
After committing sin I have often caught myself thinking, “What’s wrong with me?” This is an attempt to excuse myself. I am essentially saying, “I couldn’t help it, it’s in my nature.” This is a lie. We can help it, despite the fact that we have an evil inclination as human beings as followers of Yeshua, Messiah in us gives us the strength to resist evil by His Spirit.
 
The question is not “What’s wrong with me?” I know what’s wrong with me. The question I should ask is “Why did I sin?” For the Messiah follower the answer is “Because in that moment you forgot who you are in Messiah. Repent, refocus, be the Messiah essential you.
 
As Messiah followers, when we sin, we are deceiving ourselves into becoming that which we are not. In Messiah we have already passed from death into life everlasting (John 5:24).
 
Put simply, when a Messiah follower sins he is acting against his nature (Messiah in him), whereas when a disbeliever sins he is acting according to his nature (yetzer ha-ra, evil inclination).
 
14 But each one is tempted (peirazō[G], yenuseh[H]) when he is under (hupo[G]) his own (idios[G]) lustful desires (epithumia[G], bata’avat[H]) being dragged away (exelkō[G]) and entrapped (deleazō[G]). 15 Then when the lusting (ho epithumia[G]) has conceived (sullambanō[G]), it gives birth (tiktō[G]) to sin, missing the mark set by God’s holiness (hamartia[G], cheit[H]); and sin (hamartia[G], ve’hacheit[H]), when it reaches its goal (apoteleō[G]), brings forth (apokueō[G]) the specific death (Thanatos[G], et ha-mavet[H]). 
 
14 But each one is tempted when he is under his own lustful desires being dragged away and entrapped. 15 Then when the lusting has conceived, it gives birth to sin, missing the mark set by God’s holiness; and sin, when it reaches its goal, brings forth the specific death. 
 
When we give in to temptation we have no one to blame but ourselves. Note that not only does Yaakov say that we should not blame God for our tempting, He also by inference says that we cannot blame Satan either.
 
We give into sin when we wilfully choose to entertain temptation. For example, when a man looks at a woman and finds her figure attractive, he is not sinning, but if he is them tempted to think of having sexual relations with her he has a choice to make. If he chooses to turn away and seek the mind of Messiah he will avoid sin, however, if he chooses to dwell on thoughts of defiling that woman he sins. In this scenario it is the man who is responsible for his response to temptation. Likewise, when a woman hears a rumour from a friend, she is tempted to remember the details and pass it on to another friend, at this point she has a choice to make. If she decides to keep the rumour to herself and determines not to pass it on she has resisted temptation, however, if she gives in to the desire to gossip and passes on that information to others she sins. She is responsible for her decision in the face of temptation.
 
God will hold each of us to account for our decisions regarding temptation. At the judgement we will not be able to say “The Devil made me do it”, or “It’s because I have a fallen nature” etc.
 
The three stages in the progression of sin alluded to here: desire, sin, and death (v.15), reflect the temptations of both Eve (Gen. 3:6-22) and king David (2 Samuel 11:2-17).
 
When temptation is entertained it becomes sin, a missing of the mark set by God’s holiness. When sin is manifest it produces death. When we practice a lifestyle of entertaining temptation and choosing to sin, numbing ourselves and choosing to be wilfully unrepentant, we will inevitably suffer the ultimate end of perpetual sin, that is the second death. This is why the Greek text very specifically says “and sin, when it reaches its goal, brings forth the specific death.” The writer is speaking of the second death, eternal torment (Matt. 10:28; Luke 12:5; Rev. 2:11, 20:6, 14, 21:8). 
 
The Good News is that in Messiah Yeshua we have been redeemed and are being sanctified so that overcoming in Him we need not fear the second death (Heb. 10:14). Sin gives birth to death, but “In outworking His will God the Father gave birth to us by Yeshua the word (Davar/Logos) of truth, so that we would be made into a certain type of first fruits among His creatures.” (v.18)
 
“the person who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” -Revelation 2:11
 
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. 18 The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” -John 3:16-18 NASB
 
Copyright 2022 Yaakov Brown

Yaakov 4:1-17 (Author’s convergent translation from Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew)
 
1 From what source do the quarrels, fighting and the conflicts, striving, controversies come among you? Is the source not your lusts for pleasure that wage war in your body’s members? 2 You lust and do not obtain, so you murder. And you covet, envy, desire to have and cannot get, so you fight and make war. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with evil intentions, from yetzer hara[H], the evil inclination, so that you may consume, spend, waste what you ask for, on your lusts, sinful desires. 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know, understand, comprehend that the friendship/love with this world is enmity, extreme hatred toward the God? Therefore whoever determines to be a friend/lover of this world makes himself an enemy of the God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture, says in vain, that the spirit that dwells in us lusts toward envy? 6 But He gives a greater grace, favour. Therefore it says, “The God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the lowly, humble, afflicted.” [Prov. 3:34 LXX] Heb. Text of Prov. 3:34 reads “He derides, scorns the proud boaster and to the afflicted, humble, poor He gives grace, favour, acceptance, elegance.” 7 Therefore, submit, be obedient to God. And now stand against, resist the Devil, Slanderer, Accuser and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to the God and He will draw near to you, cleansing your hands, you sinful; and purify your hearts, you double-minded/double spirited/divided in heart. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into sorrow, and your joy into heaviness/grief. 10 Humble yourselves before the sight/face of the Lord YHVH, and He will lift you up. 11 Do not speak evil of one another, Jewish brothers and sisters. The one who speaks evil of a Jewish brother or sister, or passes judgement on his Jewish brother or sister, speaks against the Torah and passes judgement on the Torah; but if you pass judgement on the Torah, you are not a doer of the Torah but a judge over it. 12 There is One Who is the Lawgiver and Judge, the One Who is able to save completely and to destroy fully; but who are you, to put judgment on trial concerning your neighbour? 13 Lead, go to, now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we’ll go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and buy and sell and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For your life is a vapor, a mist, smoke that appears, is seen for a short time, gone in a moment, and then is corrupted, disfigured, vanishes, perishes, [Heb. then its canopy will depart]. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord YHVH wills, we will live and also do this or that.” 16 But as it is, you rejoice, glory, boast, praise in your pride, arrogance; all such boasting, praising is evil, wicked. 17 Therefore, the one who sees, perceives, knows to do the good and does not, he does sin, evil, misses the mark set by God’s holiness.
 
Yaakov 4:1-17 (Line upon line)
 
1 From what (pothen[G]) source do the quarrels, fighting (polemos[G], hamilchamot[H]) and the conflicts, striving, controversies (mache[G], vehamdaniym[H]) come among you? Is the source not your lusts for pleasure (hēdonē[G], mitoch hata’avot hamiteigarot[H]) that wage war (strateuomai[G]) in your body’s members (melos[G], be’eivareiychem[H])?
2 You lust (epithumeō[G], mitaviym[H]) and do not obtain, so you murder (phoneuō[G], tiratz’chu[H]). And you covet, envy, desire to have (zēloō[G]) and cannot get (epitugchanō[G]), so you fight (machomai[G], utekan’u[H]) and make war (polemeō[G], vetilachamu[H]). You do not have (ve’eiyn lachem[H]) because you do not ask (aiteō[G], mip’neiy shela-she’eletem[H]). 
 
1From what source do the quarrels, fighting and the conflicts, striving, controversies come among you? Is the source not your lusts for pleasure that wage war in your body’s members? 2 You lust and do not obtain, so you murder. And you covet, envy, desire to have and cannot get, so you fight and make war. You do not have because you do not ask.
 
Yaakov began this letter with an admonition against giving in to the yetzer ha-ra (evil inclination/fallen nature). As his teaching draws to a close he reminds his readers of the root of conflict and sin by challenging wrong action born of human wilfulness and rebellion against God.
 
The desires or lusts at war within, are parts of the evil inclination, this is not (as some mistakenly interpret) an allusion to the conflict between the yetzer ha-tov (good inclination) and the yetzer ha-ra (evil inclination). Rather, this is a description of evil divided against itself, a fallen kingdom within.   

In the throes of lust we are disappointed, failing to obtain the object of our lust (when we lust after another person we make that person an object, they are no longer a person to us, at the point of lusting we have chosen to devalue the person by objectifying them). This ironic dissatisfaction is the very nature of lust, like the Adversary (ha-Satan) lust promises fulfilment but doesn’t deliver, we are left empty, unsatisfied.
 
It’s unlikely that the use of the term “murder” here is referring to physical murder, the whole synagogue is being rebuked regarding the core motives of human sin. We see a similar reprimand in 1 Yochanan (John) 3:15, “Whoever hates another person is a murderer.” It is perhaps true to say that ungodly hatred births jealousy, leading to murder, which in turn is evidence of idolatry (born of the constant desire of the Adversary to usurp God’s throne). Scripture affirms the fact that even Satan is subject to lust, and has himself become a slave to his own degradation.   

A similar concept regarding internal motivation is found in the Mishnah: “Whoever thinks, ‘Yours is mine’ is a Sodomite (citizen of S’dom).” - Mishnah Avot 5:3  
 
The Greek hedone translated “lust, desires, pleasure” is the root of the English word Hedonism, the selfish pursuit of pleasure above all else. A popular western form of idolatry born of the ancient Greco-Roman worldview.
 
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with evil intentions, from yetzer hara[H], the evil inclination (kakōs[G]), so that you may consume, spend, waste (dapanaō[G]) what you ask for, on your lusts, sinful desires (hēdonē[G], beta’avoteiychem[H]).4 You adulterers
(moichos[G], hanoafiym[H]) and adulteresses (moichalis[G], hanoafot[H]), do you not know,
understand, comprehend (yeda’tem[H]) that the friendship/love (ho philia[G], ahavat[H]) with this world (ho kosmos[G], haolam[H]) is enmity, extreme hatred (echthra[G]) toward the God (ho Theos[G], Elohiym[H])? Therefore whoever determines (boulomai[G]) to be a friend/lover (philia[G], oheiv[H]) of this world (ho kosmos[G], haolam[H]) makes (kathistēmi[G]) himself an enemy (echthros[G]) of the God (ho Theos[G], l'Eilohiym[H]). 
 
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with evil intentions, from yetzer hara[H], the evil inclination, so that you may consume, spend, waste what you ask for, on your lusts, sinful desires. 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know, understand, comprehend that the friendship/love with this world is enmity, extreme hatred toward the God? Therefore whoever determines to be a friend/lover of this world makes himself an enemy of the God. 
 
Firstly, if we choose not to converse with God we should not expect to receive anything from Him. Yeshua says, “Ask and it will be given to you.” Secondly, simply speaking at God is not sufficient.
 
Asking God to do what is evil is redundant, He cannot sin. When we ask God to provide us with the fruit of our fallen nature we are speaking in vain. A loving father doesn't respond to a teenage son’s request for a porn-site subscription by giving him his credit card. 

The statement, “adulterers and adulteresses” (unfaithful wives, unfaithful husbands) deserves our careful attention. For an observant Jew of the first century C.E. this is a familiar metaphor for spiritual unfaithfulness, found numerous times in the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures, OT). It is important to understand that Israel herself is seen as a wife to HaShem (God). God is Israel’s Ba’al (Lord, Husband, Master) [Ezekiel 23, Hosea 1-2, 9:1 & Exodus 34:15]. 
 
Yeshua infers a similar meaning when He calls his generation “wicked and adulterous.” (Matthew 12:39, 16:4)

Regarding love for this world as hatred of God:

“Don’t love completely (agapeo: committed devotional love) this world (kosmos: not just the earth but all the sin affected creation) or anything in this world. If anyone loves this world, there is no love for the Father in them. For everything in this world (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life) comes not from the Father but from this world. This world and its lusts pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

1 Yochanan (John) 2:15-17 (Author’s translation)
 
Love for this world is love for the wealth of the sin affected creation. This is Idolatry, the root of all sin (1 Timothy 6:10).
 
5 Or do you think that the Scripture, TaNaKh [OT] the Hebrew Bible (ho graphe[G], hakatuv[H]) says in vain (kenōs[G]), that the spirit (ho pneuma[G], ha ruach[H]) that dwells (katoikeō[G]) in us lusts (epipotheō[G]) toward (pros[G]) envy (phthonos[G])? 6 But He gives a greater (meizōn[G]) grace, favour (charis[G], chen[H]). Therefore it says, “THE God (Ho Theos[G]) opposes (antitassomai[G]) the proud (huperēphanos[G]), but gives grace (charis[G]) to the lowly, humble, afflicted (tapeinos[G]).” [Prov. 3:34 LXX] Heb. Text of Prov. 3:34 reads “He derides, scorns (laleitziym[H]) the proud boaster (yalitz[H]) and to the afflicted, humble, poor (vela’anaviym[H]) He gives (yiten[H]) grace, favour, acceptance, elegance (chen[H]).”
 
5 Or do you think that the Scripture, says in vain, that the spirit that dwells in us lusts toward envy? 6 But He gives a greater grace, favour. Therefore it says, “THE God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the lowly, humble, afflicted.” [Prov. 3:34 LXX] Heb. Text of Prov. 3:34 reads “He derides, scorns the proud boaster and to the afflicted, humble, poor He gives grace, favour, acceptance, elegance.”
 
Verse 5 baffles theologians. There is no agreement on whether the “spirit” being referred to is that of God or of human beings or otherwise. The most likely explanation is that due to the context and Hebraic teaching style of the human writer (Yaakov), the two references to the teaching of the TaNaKh (OT) are intended to be a juxtaposition similar to the kal v’chomer (light and heavy: fortiori [Latin]) argument of Rabbinical scholars. If this is the correct understanding the first allusion is not to a specific Scripture but to the widely attested idea in Scripture that says the inclination of man’s spirit is always toward evil. Following this the direct quote from Scripture (Prov. 3:34) is a warning that those who are fuelled by pride and thus lust toward envy, will be scorned by God, Who will favour, show grace to those who humbly recognise their fallen state and are repentant.
 
I note that my understanding is similar to, or is at least further illuminated by the commentary of Rav Yechiel Tzvi Lichtenstein.
 
In reference to this widely misunderstood passage, Rav Yechiel Tzvi Lichtenstein—as quoted by David Stern in his Jewish New Testament Commentary—writes:

“The commentators have had great difficulty with this reference to the Tanakh. What verse is it? What does it mean? Who is the subject of it? Some say it speaks about God. Others say it speaks about the Holy Spirit. But according to all commentators, it is not found in the Scripture. In my opinion, the spirit it refers to is not God’s but Satan’s, as in Ep 6:12. The evil spirit is the evil impulse (yetzer ha-ra) in us. Yaakov refers to it in v. 7: ‘Take a stand against the Adversary and he will flee from you.’ Jews today still call Satan der ruach [Yiddish for “the spirit”; Lichtenstein was writing around 1900]. I believe Yaakov is referring to Genesis 4:7, where God says to Cain, ‘Sin lies at the door, and his desire shall be toward you, but you are to rule over him.’ This is understood by all to be speaking about Satan, who is the evil impulse in man; for example, in the Talmud (Bava batra 16a), ‘He is Satan the evil impulse.’ The evil impulse is used by satanic angels to cause man to sin.” (Commentary to the New Testament, ad loc.)

7 Therefore, submit, be obedient to (hupotassō[G]) God (ho Theos[G], Elohiym[H]). And now (de[G]) stand against, resist (anthistēmi[G]) the Devil, Slanderer, Accuser (ho diabolos[G], Ha Satan[H]) and he will flee (pheugō[G]) from you. 8 Draw near (eggizō[G]) to the God (ho Theos[G], Elohiym[H]) and He will draw near (eggizō[G]) to you cleansing (katharizō[G]) your hands (cheir[G], yedeiychem[H]), you sinful (hamartōlos[G]); and purifying (hagnizō[G]) your hearts (kardia[G], levavechem[H]), you double-minded/double spirited/divided in heart (dipsuchos[G], chalukeiy haleivav[H]). 
 
7 Therefore, submit, be obedient to God. And now stand against, resist the Devil, Slanderer, Accuser and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to the God and He will draw near to you, cleansing your hands, you sinful; and purifying your hearts, you double-minded/double spirited/divided in heart.
 
Because “God opposes the arrogant/proud and gives grace—that is greater—to the humble,” we should submit to Him. If a child is certain of his father’s love for him, he will readily submit to his father’s will, knowing that his father has his best interests in mind. Submission is an act of humility, resisting ha-Satan is an act of humility. Therefore, resisting this world is loving God.

Whether Satan is synonymous with the yetzer ha-ra (evil inclination) as some ancient Jewish commentators claim or simply the motivator of it, the response is the same, it is an act of the will to resist him/it. This act can only be practiced as the fruit of the Ruach Ha-Kodesh, the Spirit of Mashiyach (Messiah) and of the Father God who lives in us, that’s why v. 6 says, “But the grace He gives is greater.” Don’t be fooled, this is not a fair conflict, Satan is the dust beneath a gnat’s foot floating in the infinite ocean of God’s creation. There is no balance here between good and evil, the scales are immeasurably weightier in favour of good, and God alone is good (Mk. 10:18; Lk. 18:19). God’s character is never described as fair, rather He is just. The battle we wage against the evil inclination is won only in Him. We take hold of the sword (word) which He authored, and it is His arm that strengthens the blow.

Picture yourself standing chest high in a great fresh water lake during a warm summer rain, draw the water to you lips, this is what it means to draw near to God. It is the realization that He is closer to you than breathing. That through Messiah you are in Him and sustained by Him.

We participate in relationship with Him. As I have said elsewhere, a husband cannot say “I will” on his wife’s behalf. The Scripture teaches God as the Originator of relationship and we as the participants in that relationship. All creation exists in relationship to God but only those who receive Him will continue to exist in right relationship in God.

“Turn us to You AdoShem, and we will return.” – Lamentations 5:21
 
Note the order that leads to resistance. First submit yourself to God and second, resist the Devil and he will flee from you. When plagued by repeated sin we should first ask ourselves, “Am I fully submitted to God in this area of my life?” Freedom from a certain repeated sin behaviour may be as simple as bringing that practice before the face of God.
 
We note that verse 8 is not saying “you cleanse your hands you sinful”, which would infer that the sinful one cleanses his own hands. Rather, the Greek text, devoid of any punctuation reads “He will draw near to you, cleansing your hands, you sinful; and purifying your hearts…” Notice that the nearest subject is God Who draws near, “He will draw near to you”. Thus the cleansing work is done by God when we receive His offer of right relationship. We note once again that submission to God gives us access to the strength needed to resist Satan (v.7). Devoid of the strength of God’s Spirit no one can resist Satan.
 
When we have humbly received God’s gift of salvation we participate with Him in the sanctification of our being.
 
We see that in the final clause the Hebrew text speaks of a “divided heart” being in need of God’s cleansing, purification etc. Yeshua reminds us that a kingdom divided cannot stand (Matt. 12:25). When in humility and submission to God we receive Messiah’s saving work and the gift of the Holy Spirit, God unifies our divided heart transforming our nature. “The old has gone, the new is come” (2 Cor. 5:17).
 
9 Be afflicted (talaipōresate[G], hitanu[H]), and mourn (pentheō[G], vehitab’lu[H]), and weep (klaiō[G], uvchu[H]); let your laughter be turned (metastrephō[G]) into sorrow (penthos[G], li’eivel[H]), and your joy (chara[G], vesimchatechem[H]) into heaviness/grief (katēpheia[G], leyagon[H]). 10 Humble yourselves (tapeinoō[G], hishaflu[H]) before the sight/face (enōpion[G], lifneiy[H]) of the Lord YHVH[H] (ho kurios[G]), and He will lift you up (hupsoō[G], yariym etchem[H]).
 
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into sorrow, and your joy into heaviness/grief. 10 Humble yourselves before the sight/face of the Lord YHVH, and He will lift you up.
 
The KJV notwithstanding, many English translations miss the importance of rendering the Greek talaiporesate “afflicted”. To opt for “be miserable” in place of “be afflicted” clouds the meaning, given that from a Biblical Jewish perspective “affliction” is synonymous with fasting (Lev. 23:26-27). Likewise, throughout Hebrew Scripture “mourning” is a euphemism for repentance. The Jewish believer reading or hearing this letter from Yaakov understands the euphemism immediately. He reads “Fast and mourn, and weep”. The Jewish believer understands this as a weighty admonishment that reflects the words of the Torah, the prophets and the writings (OT) and alludes in particular to Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), the day on which Israel, individually and collectively seeks God’s mercy, humbling ourselves in fasting (affliction) and repentant (mourning) petitioning.
 
When we have humbled ourselves to receive God’s gift of salvation we act in accordance with humility and participate with God in the sanctification of our being.
 
“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the acts of the yetzer ha-ra from before my eyes; cease to do evil and learn to do good; seek justice, relieve the oppressed, give favour to the fatherless, plead for the widow.” – Yeshayahu/Isaiah 1:16

“Who shall ascend into the mountain of AdoShem? Who shall stand in His Holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart.” Tehillim/Psalm 24:4(3)

Realizing the reality of God, by the Ruach Ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit), we must make the choice of humility. He will lift us up, out of confusion and double mindedness and turn our mourning into dancing.

11 Do not speak evil (katalaleite[G], berei’eihu[H]) of one another (allēlōn[G]), Jewish brothers and sisters (adelphos[G], achay[H]). The one who speaks evil (katalaleite[G], et-rei’eihu[H]) of a Jewish brother or sister (adelphos[G], achay[H]), or passes judgement on (krinō[G], vedan[H]) his Jewish brother or sister, speaks against the Torah (ho nomos[G], ha Torah[H]) and passes judgement on (krinō[G], dan[H]) the Torah (ho nomos[G], ha Torah[H]); but if you pass judgement on (krinō[G], dan[H]) the Torah (ho nomos[G], ha Torah[H]), you are not a doer of the Torah (ho nomos[G], ha Torah[H]) but a judge over it (kritēs[G], danah[H]). 
 
11 Do not speak evil of one another, Jewish brothers and sisters. The one who speaks evil of a Jewish brother or sister, or passes judgement on his Jewish brother or sister, speaks against the Torah and passes judgement on the Torah; but if you pass judgement on the Torah, you are not a doer of the Torah but a judge over it. 
 
The English translation “Do not speak against one another” is an unfortunate mis-rendering of the Greek text and both contradicts the fulness of Scripture and misleads the English reader. The Greek katalaleite is used by the writer to convey “evil speech” and not simply “speech against”. This is consistent with the ancient Jewish understanding of lashon hara (evil speech). Slander for example is consider lashon hara, as is failing to rebuke evil, but rebuking the evil action of another is considered lashon hatov (good speech).
 
We must carefully define what “speaking evil against one another” means. Many misuse this passage to decry those who speak publicly against heretical leaders within the body of believers. This is not what the text is referring to, if it were what Yaakov intended he would be in direct opposition to the God inspired words of rebuke proclaimed publicly by the prophets and the public refutation of the Apostle Peter by Paul the Apostle (Gal. 2:11-14), among other examples in Scripture. Yaakov is not saying we should not challenge the sin of other believers, privately or publicly. After all, the progression of Yeshua’s teaching on how to approach sin and apostasy in a fellow believer is their public admonishment before the body of believers (Matt. 18:15-17). We add to this the numerous teachings of the Scriptures that call us to discerning between and the need for the correction of fellow believers who are walking in sin (Lev. 19:17; Prov. 10:17; Luke 17:3-4; Gal. 6:1; 1 Cor. 5:1-13; Titus 3:10-11; 1 Tim. 5:20; 2 Tim. 4:2; 2 Thess. 3:15; Rom. 16:17).
 
Therefore, “Do not speak evil of one another” is the correct translation. Meaning, don’t falsely accuse one another, don’t bear false witness against one another, don’t slander one another etc.
 
With regard to “judging” a brother and sister the meaning is similarly miscommunicated by some. Scripture clearly teaches that it is right to judge, access, discern the actions of others. Once again, were it not so the prophets of God, the Apostles and Yeshua Himself could be seen to have sinned by doing that very thing. It is not judgement that is being spoken against but false judgement and sitting in the seat of ultimate judgement (dan[H]) over a brother or sister. We are not God and therefore should not presume to be the ultimate judge of any one, however, we are consistently admonished by Scripture and the King Messiah to make right judgements.
 
When we make it our goal to pass judgement on other believers we sin. On the other hand, making a right judgment of the spiritual battle surrounding wrong action affords us the opportunity to come alongside and redirect a brother or sister, Yaakov addresses this at the end of his letter.
 
Where there is no other qualifying language or comparative usage, and when the definite article is used, the Greek “nomos”, specifically “ho nomos” refers to the Torah of Moses. That is the case in verse 11.

The judgment spoken of here is a judgment of punitive motivation, a judgment that seeks to see others ridiculed and made slaves once more. When we pass judgement on others based on the very Torah we ourselves break we come under judgment, rather than living within the Judge. How often we sit in judgment of the Torah itself, critiquing it and tearing it apart. Ironically, it critiques us and finds us wanting.
 
12 There is One (heis[G], echad[H]) Who is the Lawgiver (ho nomothetēs[G], ham’chokeik[H]) and Judge (kritēs[G],vehashofeit[H]), the One Who is able to save completely (sōzō[G], yachol lehoshiya[H]) and to destroy fully (apollumi[G], ul’abeid[H]); but who are you, to put judgment on trial (krinon krineis[G], tadiyn[H]) concerning your neighbour (plēsion[G])?
 
12 There is One Who is the Lawgiver and Judge, the One Who is able to save completely and to destroy fully; but who are you, to put judgment on trial concerning your neighbour?
 
We note that neither the Greek or Hebrew texts understand “Lawgiver” as referring to the act of giving Torah alone but to the giving of all just law. If the Torah alone were being referred to the Jewish recipients might rightly misinterpret this to be a reference to Moses, it is most certainly not. It is of course a reference to YHVH, the Lawgiver.
 
“For the YHVH is our judge (shofteinu[H]), the YHVH is our lawgiver (m’chokekeinu[H]), the YHVH is our king (Malkeinu[H]); He will save us.” -Yishayahu (Isaiah)
 
The translation “who are you to judge your neighbour” hides the emphasis of the Greek text which reads “krinon krineis”, essentially meaning “hold a trial for judgement” or “put judgement on trial”. In short, “devoid of humility, who are you to presume what God’s judgement of a matter is?”
 
13 Lead, go to, (age[G]) now (nun[G]), you who say, “Today or tomorrow (hayom umachar[H]) we’ll go (poreuomai[G]) to such and such a city (polis[G]), and spend (poieō[G]) a year (eniautos[G]) there and buy and sell (emporeuomai[G], vena’aseh-sham shanah achat[H]) and make a profit (kerdainō[G]).” 14 Yet you do not know (epistamai[G], teid’u[H]) what will happen tomorrow (aurion[G], yom machar[H]). For your life (zōē[G], chayeiychem[H]) is a vapor, a mist, smoke (atmis[G], ashan[H]) that appears, is seen (phainō[G]) for a short time, gone in a moment (oligos[G], kim’at-rega[H]), and then is corrupted, disfigured, vanishes, perishes, Heb. then its canopy will depart (aphanizō[G], kalah vayilach[H]). 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord YHVH[H] (ho Kurios[G]) wills (thelō[G]), we will live (zaō[G]) and also do (na’aseh[H]) this or that.”
 
13 Lead, go to, now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we’ll go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and buy and sell and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For your life is a vapor, a mist, smoke that appears, is seen for a short time, gone in a moment, and then is corrupted, disfigured, vanishes, perishes, Heb. then its canopy will depart. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord YHVH wills, we will live and also do this or that.”
 
Some see a big jump in the subject matter here, suggesting that perhaps Yaakov has changed his audience and is speaking to traveling traders outside the synagogue. However the subject here is no different from the previous paragraphs. Yaakov continues to juxtapose humility
and pride, the prideful merchant boasts and is motivated by financial gain, the humble
merchant trusts HaShem and is motivated by godly vocation. 
 
“Don’t boast about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring forth.” -Proverbs 27:1
 
The ancient Jewish writer Ben Syra had a saying:
 
“let a man never say he will do anything, before he first says, ‘if HaShem (YHVH) wills’” -Ben Syra Sentent. 11.
 
16 But as it is, you rejoice, glory, boast, praise (kauchaomai[G], tithalalu[H]) in your pride, arrogance (alazoneia[G]); all such boasting, praising (kauchēsis[G], vechol-tehilah[H]) is evil, wicked (ponēros[G]). 17 Therefore (oun[G]), the one who sees, perceives, knows (eidō[G], hayodeia[H]) to do (poieō[G], la’asot[H])  the good (kalos[G], hatov[H]) and does not, he does sin, evil, misses the mark set by God’s holiness (hamartia[G], ya’asenu cheit[H]).
 
16 But as it is, you rejoice, glory, boast, praise in your pride, arrogance; all such boasting, praising is evil, wicked. 17 Therefore, the one who sees, perceives, knows to do the good and does not, he does sin, evil, misses the mark set by God’s holiness.
 
Essentially what’s being said is that certain ones among Yaakov’s fellow Jewish believers in the Diaspora were syncretising the worship of God with the worship of business acumen and material success. The success of this world had become an idol that had taken their focus off YHVH. Yaakov rebukes them and says “Instead of making your material success the goal, subjugate your plans to God and place the honour for all that you have and are at the feet of the Creator in Messiah.

© 2022 Yaakov Brown