Introduction:
 
Yeshua was introduced as Kohen HaGadol at 2:17 and the writer of Hebrews has explained Yeshua’s role in likeness to that of Melkiy Tzedek the ancient priest of Salem in a drash (comparative teaching) begun in chapter 4 and expanded in chapter 5. In preparation for further explanation regarding the priesthood of Messiah as it relates to the priesthood of Melkiy Tzedek, the writer now continues this exposition of Psalms 110:4 (Heb. 4:14-7:28) in chapter 6, first with a warning against experiential faith and then explaining God’s immutably reliable promise and oath to Abraham as an example of His trustworthiness in relationship to salvation through Yeshua the Great High Priest of an everlasting atonement.
 
It’s important to understand that what is taught in this chapter regarding those who have experienced the gifts of God’s redemptive purpose and even partnered with the Holy Spirit, but have nonetheless failed to enter regenerative faith (are not true disciples) in Yeshua, is taught as a warning and not as a foregone conclusion.
 
As is the case with all Scripture (scrolls of the original texts), there are no chapter breaks or verse markers (or punctuation for that matter) in the scroll of the Book to the Hebrews. It’s important to see the text of this chapter as a continuation of the previous chapter, the last verses of chapter 5 being:
 
13 For everyone individually and collectively who partakes of milk is unskilful, inexperienced, ignorant, has no knowledge in the word, essence of righteousness, for that one is an infant. [cf. Isa. 7:15; re. Messiah to the contrary: His spiritual maturity exceeded His physical growth] 14 But strong food, oiled bread [fat bread] is for the mature, who by reason have their senses, perception vigorously trained, exercised, their hearts, core being, inner person, examined to distinguish, discern between good and evil.
 
BOOK TO THE HEBREWS Chapter 6 (Author’s translation)
 
1Therefore, upon what’s been said, leaving, turning from the beginning, cornerstones, foundation stones of the word, essences, instructions of the Messiah, let us bring, go up to maturity, not laying, returning again (to) a foundation of repentance, turning around, change of mind, from dead corpse-like works and of faith, belief, assurance, trust toward, on God, 
2 of instructions, doctrines, taught things about immersions, washings, baptisms and laying on of hands, and about the resurrection of the dead and judgment, damnation, condemnation everlasting, in perpetual world. 
3 And this we will do, if God allows, permits, gives licence.
4 For it is impotent, weak in the case of those who have once been enlightened, illuminated, seen the light [alt. have already lifted up their eyes to the light: alt. #2 have descended to immersion[A]], and have tasted, eaten of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers, partners of the Holy Spirit, 
5 and have tasted, eaten the good breathed word of God and the powers, miracles of the world to come,
6 If they also then fall away, to renew them again to repentance, returning, because they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to public shame. 
7 For the land that drinks the rain which often falls on it, and produces herbs/vegetation of good seed useful to those who farm it, receives a spoken blessing from God;
8 but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is castaway, worthless, rejected and very close to being cursed, and its end is in being burned.
9 But now, dear ones/beloved, we are persuaded, convinced, trusting of better things regarding you, and things possessed in salvation, even though we must speak in this way.
10 For God is not unjust, unrighteous so as to forget your work and labour of charitable holistic love which you have shown toward His Name, in that you have served, ministered to the holy [set apart] ones and continue to serve today. 
11 And we desire that every one of you show the same diligence, forwardness, urgency so as to realize the full confidence of faith, trust, hope until the goal,
12 so that you will not be dull, stupid, sluggish, lazy but followers, imitators, walking in the way of those who through faith, belief, assurance, fidelity, trust and patience, endurance, perseverance, in their spirit inherit the promises.
13 For when God made a promise to Avraham, since He could swear an oath by no one greater, He swore by Himself, on His own soul,
14 saying, “indeed, for blessing I will bless you and multiplying I will multiply you [your seed/progeny].” [ Gen. 22:17] 
15 And so, having patiently waited in his spirit, he obtained the promise. 
16 For indeed people swear an oath by one greater, and taking an oath serves as confirmation to them, an end of all strife, dispute, contradiction between them.
17 In the same way God, desiring more abundantly to demonstrate to the heirs of the promise the fact that His purpose is immutable, unchangeable, confirmed it with an oath, 
18 so that by two immutable, unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong comfort who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us.
19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both certain, loyal and forceful, reliable and one which enters into the house the parochet inner veil [the veil hung before the holy of holies], 
20 where Yeshua has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the word, order, type, style, arrangement of Melkiy Tzedek.
 
HEBREWS 6 (line upon line)
 
1Therefore, upon what’s been said (al kein[H]) leaving, turning from (aphiēmi[G], mei’avneiy pinah[H]) the beginning, cornerstones, foundation stones (arche[G]) of the word, essences, instructions (logos[G], davar[H], alt. betorat[H]) of the Messiah (Christos[G], ha-Mashiyach[H]), let us bring, go up (pherō̄[G], vena’aleh[H]) to maturity (teleiotēs[G], ad-tachliyta[H]), not (velo[H]) laying, returning (kataballō[G], nashuv[H]) again (to) a foundation (themelios[G], et-hatsod[H]) of repentance, turning around, change of mind (metanoia[G], liteshuvah[H]), from dead corpse-like (nekros[G]) works (ergon[G], min-ma’asiym asher mavet[H]) and of faith, belief, assurance, trust (pistis[G], emunat[H]) toward, on (epi[G]) God (Theos[G], Elohiym[H]), 2 of instructions, doctrines, taught things (didachē[G], diyn[H]) about immersions, washings, baptisms (baptismos[G], hateviylot[H]) and laying on (epithesis[G], smiychat[H]) of hands (cheir[G], yadayim[H]), and about the resurrection (anastasis[G], utekumat[H]) of the dead (nekros[G], hameitiym[H]) and judgment, damnation, condemnation (krima[G], umishpat[H]) everlasting, in perpetual world (aiōnios[G], olam[H]). 3 And this we will do, if God allows, permits, gives, licences (Theos epitrepō[G], birtzot haEl[H]).
 
Within the first two verses of this chapter, six foundational doctrines are alluded to:
 
1.Repentance – turning away from sin and toward God
2.Faith in God – the receipt of God and His sacrificial love in Yeshua by grace
3.Immersions – full immersion in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the consecration of the body of believers, individually and corporately as priests under the Great High Priest Yeshua
4.Laying on of hands – the conferring and imparting of authority in Messiah, of God
5.Resurrection of the dead – the resurrection of all who have passed at the end of the present sin affected world/age
6.Eternal Judgement/Punishment – the destiny of all who refuse God’s offer of redemptive, vicarious, sacrificial love
 
The foundational doctrines of our faith community, which are for both Jewish believers and are given via Jewish believers to Gentiles (so that all believers have access to them), are established not in the writings of so called Gentile “Church Fathers”, but in the writings of the true fathers of the body of believers (Jews), appointed by God and inspired by the Holy Spirit.
 
We do not base our core beliefs and doctrines on the Nicene creeds of Christendom but on the Scriptures (Genesis to Revelation).
 
As I have stated many times, prior to the Hellenization of the known world (323-33 B.C.E) there was no word in the Hebrew language for “theology”. In short, Biblical Judaism teaches faith in action, it is not creedal but functional (to our shame as Jews, post temple Rabbinical Judaism eventually developed into a creedal religion in a polemic attempt to stem the influence of Christianity).
 
1Therefore, upon what’s been said, leaving, turning from the beginning, cornerstones, foundation stones of the word, essences, instructions of the Messiah, let us bring, go up to maturity, not laying, returning again (to) a foundation of repentance, turning around, change of mind, from dead corpse-like works and of faith, belief, assurance, trust toward, on God,
 
This verse sets up the context for the subsequent verses of admonishment regarding experiential faith (v.4 – 8). The writer is essentially saying that there is no need for someone who has genuinely received Yeshua and is living according to repentance to return to a fundamental understanding of salvation because that person already has the understanding required to form a foundation for maturity.
 
“Therefore” Because the ability to distinguish between good and evil requires a believer to walk in the discipline of maturity (5:13-14).
 
“leaving foundational instruction of the Messiah” Moving forward, not leaving behind. Note that it is, teaching concerning the Messiah that is at the heart of maturity. Therefore, the milk is important, and a beginning, but must be added to with strong food unto maturity.
 
“let us go up” Is from the Hebrew translation and denotes making Aliyah, going up to Jerusalem for one of the regaliym (three aliyot, or going up moediym appointed times/festivals: Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot)[The three “P”s: Passover, Pentecost and Pup-tents]. In short, rather than returning to a base understanding of what it means to be part of the believing community, let’s instead celebrate the festivals of the mature, delighting in the learning gleaned from a rhythm of righteous action set out and fuelled by God for our good.
 
“not laying again a foundation of repentance” If we have truly repented and are walking in repentance, what need do we have of repenting? Except if we are not truly saved. Therefore, the writer is speaking a warning to those among the believing Jewish community who walk in pretentious experiential faith (some being self-deluded and in need of a wakeup call, others wilfully rebellious and in need of the life changing regeneration of Yeshua’s saving work).
 
“and of faith on God” Faith is a living and ongoing relational journey and not a time trapped decision or benign act of mental assent.
 
2 of instructions, doctrines, taught things about immersions, washings, baptisms and laying on of hands, and about the resurrection of the dead and judgment, damnation, condemnation everlasting, in perpetual world.
 
“Immersions, washings” This refers to the ritual washing of tevilah ba’mikveh (immersion in the ritual washing pool or other living water source), the washing of priests through ritual consecration in preparation for offerings made before the face of God, the immersion of Yochanan the Immerser (John the Baptist), the immersion of Yeshua’s disciples, the immersion of the Holy Spirit, which began at Shavuot[H] (Pentecost[G]), and the trifold immersion commanded by Yeshua, which unites all immersions from the mikveh (gathering of waters) at creation, to the mikveh of Noah (saved through the flood waters), to the mikveh of the Red Sea (Israel’s immersion unto freedom), to the mikveh of the Jordan (Israel’s immersion unto the promised land: a shadow of the eternal land), to all the aforementioned mikvot and unto the fullness of their prophetic goal in Messiah’s life, death and resurrection.
 
The fullness of Yeshua’s mikvot (immersions, washings) are understood as foundational to true faith. Therefore, the mikveh (immersion) of Yeshua incorporates all immersions and consecrates the believer as a priest under Yeshua immersed in the Godhead (1 Peter 2:9 [note that in the context of 1 Peter 2:9 Peter is speaking to Jewish believers, just as the writer of the book to the Hebrews is here]).
 
“Laying on of hands” is a Hebraic (Jewish) idiom that denotes the appointing or passing on of authority. It is seen in action in relation to immersion and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:16-17; 19:5-6), where the laying of hands is symbolic, while the Spirit is given of God. It is important to note that the one who lays hands is not giving the gift of the Holy Spirit (a blasphemous notion) but that the laying of hands is a symbol of the conferring of authority. Thus, a child of God is given the Holy Spirit as a sign of authority in Messiah unto God.
 
Laying on of hands is seen in the commissioning and ordaining of kingdom workers (Acts 6:6; 13:3; 1 Tim. 4:14; 5:22; 2 Tim. 1:6), in the healing of the sick (Mk. 6:5; 16:18; Lk. 4:40; Acts 28:8), and in the imparting of blessing (Matt. 19:13-15). On all of these occasions the conferring or imparting of authority is the primary meaning, which is then outworked by the power of God in the life of the believer.
 
“resurrection of the dead” Yeshua, the Perushiym (Pharisees) [Mishnah Sot. 9:15; Mishnah San. 10:1], and the first century Messianic Jews all accepted the resurrection of the dead at the end of the age unto judgement, as foundational doctrine. There is no need to relearn immutable things. They are firmly established.
 
“judgement/punishment everlasting” Eternal punishment is not to be questioned. Those who question its reality prove themselves unbelievers and apostate. This is a harsh indictment on the first century Jewish believing community but it is an even harsher indictment on the modern western church, which has become saturated in the false doctrines of “Temporal punishment”, “salvation after death”, “annihilationism” and numerous other satanic lies.
 
Eternal judgement (meaning that the consequences of Gods final judgement are eternal both with regard to life and to death) was a commonly accepted doctrine of Biblical and first century Judaism, and remains so in the true remnant among Messianic Jews (Isa. 66:22-24; Ezek. 34:17-22; Dan. 7:26; 12:1-2; Ezra. 7:33-44; Matt. 218:6-9; 5:31-46; Mark. 9:42-48; Rom. 2:7; 2 Thess. 1:5-10; Jude 7; 13; Rev. 14:9-11; 20:10, 14-15).
 
Eternal punishment is not the same as the temporal punishment of Gehenna (Mishnah Qidd. 14:4; Mishnah Ed. 2:10; Mishnah Avot 1:5; 5:19-20). Gehenna is that part of sheol (holding place of the departed) where the wicked await the final resurrection and judgement, after which they are thrown into the lake of perpetual fire prepared for the Devil and his angels (Rev. 20:10, 14-15). The confusion many have with regard to eternal punishment is based on a misunderstanding between temporal punishment (Gehenna) and eternal punishment (lake of fire), both of which are taught in Scripture, the latter being the ultimate destination of the unsaved.
 
3 And this we will do, if God allows, permits, gives licence.
 
Our maturity is entirely reliant on God. We receive it and in His strength walk in it. Immaturity is the product of both the misbelief that we can earn God’s favour, and its counterpart, the misbelief that we have no need of God’s favour. Both are idolatry.
 
What Verses 4 to 6 Teach:
 
Verses 4 to 6 are often used in support of the false idea that one can lose salvation. That is not the case. If it were, salvation, reliant on Yeshua, would be unreliable, thus impugning God’s character. In fact, what verses 4 to 6 teach, is that experiential faith is not true faith. That those who may have appeared to have been true disciples can at times be proven to be pretenders (knowingly or unknowingly [self-deluded]). The warning of these verses is subsequent to and based on the warning connected to the disbelieving generation of Israelites alluded to in Hebrews 3:7- 4:13. It is a warning to those who profess faith but whose apostacy proves they have no such faith (cf. 1 John 2:19).
 
If one has turned against the light he has supposedly received he has convinced himself that the light was false. Anyone, who having met Yeshua the Light of the world can at a later date say that Yeshua is not God with us, has by the evidence of his admission, not received Yeshua, and therefore, has never been a true disciple. In other words, the Light they claim to have received they have never known.
 
Allowing one’s self to be temporarily influenced by faith in Yeshua is not the same as entering an eternal faith relationship in Yeshua. The former attaches faith to a fallen human lifestyle, like a fashion accessory that is purchased to match a certain outfit, and is subsequently tossed away when the outfit is no longer fashionable. The latter submits the human soul to God in Yeshua, recognising His rule over every part of existence.
 
What is clear is that these verses warn any among the body of first century Jewish believers who are not genuine disciples, of the danger facing them if they do not repent and walk in true faith. The cutting off of such apostates reflects the ancient Jewish “karet” (cut off) punishment where certain violations of Torah such as idolatry, incest etc. result in exclusion from the community (Ex. 12:15, 19; Lev. 18:29; 20:3; 23:29).
 
There is a similar halakhah taught by Rav Shaul and based on the Torah is conveyed to all believers, with regard to the incestuous sexually immoral brother:
 
“Cut off the evil person from among yourselves!” -1 Corinthians 5:13 (Deut. 13:5; 17:7; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21,24; 24:7)
 
Rav Shaul speaks in a similar way in his first letter to Timothy:
 
“19 holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. 20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.” -1 Timothy 1:19-20
 
In the case of the Messianic community “karet” is intended to produce suffering unto repentance. “The Lord disciplines the ones He loves” (Psa. 94:12, 118:18; Prov. 3:12; Jer. 30:11, 46:28; Heb. 12:6).
 
4 For it is impotent, weak (adunatos[G]) in the case of those who have once been enlightened, illuminated, seen the light [alt. have already lifted up their eyes to the light: alt. #2 have descended to immersion[A]] (phōtizō[G], oru eiyneiyhem[H]), and have tasted, eaten (geuomai[G]) of the heavenly (ho epouranios[G], shamayim[H]) gift (dōrea[G], matan[H]) and have been made (ginomai[G]) partakers, partners (metochos[G]) of the Holy (hagios[G]) Spirit (pneuma[G], Ruach HaKodesh[H]), 5 and have tasted, eaten (geuomai[G]) the good (kalos[G], hatov[H]) breathed word (rhema[G], et devar[H]) of God (Theos[G], Elohiym[H]) and the powers, miracles (dunamis[G], nifleot[H]) of the world to come (aiōn mellō[G], haolam heatiyd[H]),
 
4 For it is impotent, weak in the case of those who have once been enlightened, illuminated, seen the light [alt. have already lifted up their eyes to the light: alt. #2 have descended to immersion[A]], and have tasted, eaten of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers, partners of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted, eaten the good breathed word of God and the powers, miracles of the world to come,
 
“Impossible” (NASB) is a poor, even misleading translation of the Greek adunatos. In the context of Hebrews 4 through 5, weak, infantile faith is being challenged. Therefore, “weak, impotent” both valid translations, better convey the contextual meaning of adunatos.
 
Notice that those being spoken of have “seen the light, tasted, eaten, partaken, partnered” but have not continued. Nowhere here is it said that these ones have become disciples or appliers of the faith. Nor have their experiences of God caused them to practice faith. In reality this denotes a person who, like those alluded to in the mashal (parable) of the sower, has failed to grow, mature, fruit, and produce progeny (Matthew 13:1–23, Mark 4:1–20, Luke 8:4–15).
 
Hearing, knowing (in an intellectual sense), tasting, consuming, even temporarily partnering with the Holy Spirit, are all experiential things. Even in the case of the Holy Spirit, one can experience His presence and manifest power and still decide not to continue to partner with Him. Feeling the Holy Spirit is not the same as the Holy Spirit indwelling a person. The Tanakh speaks of the Holy Spirit coming upon even faithless people like king Saul.
 
Experiential or emotional faith is of no value in times of trouble, nor does it manifest lasting change. Essentially, the writer of the Book to the Hebrews, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is teaching that experiential faith (as it is manifest in the temporal sin affected world) is not true faith.
 
Any modern believer who has experienced goosebumps at a corporate worship music event and on a separate occasion during a secular rock concert, has the common sense to realise that goosebumps are no more evidence of the Holy Spirit than a man’s physiological response to a woman’s body is evidence of love. Experience may be a part of faith but it is not synonymous with true faith.
 
6 If they also (kai[G]) then fall away (parapiptō[G]), to renew (anakainizō[G]) them again (palin[G]) to repentance, returning (metanoia[G], velashuv[H]), because (kiy[H]) they again crucify (anastauroō[G], hitzliyvu[H]) to themselves the Son of God (uihos Theos[G], Ben Elohiym[H]) and put Him to public shame (paradeigmatizō[G]). 7 For the land (gē[G], ha’aretz[H]) that drinks (pinō[G], hashotah[H]) the rain (huetos[G], et hageshem[H]) which often falls on it, and produces herbs/vegetation (botanē[G]) of good seed (zera tov[H]) useful to those who farm it (geōrgeō[G]), receives (metalambanō[G]) a spoken blessing (eulogia[G], verachah[H]) from God (Theos[G], Elohiym[H]);
 
6 If they also then fall away, to renew them again to repentance, returning, because they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to public shame.
 
It would be wrong to understand the present text as teaching loss of salvation. Note the qualifying phrase “If they also then fall away”, which is a warning and not a forgone conclusion. In reality it is teaching that those who have not repented genuinely in the first place, cannot return to repentance because they have entirely misunderstood what repentance is. By definition, if one needs to return to repentance he has clearly not repented (because true repentance is to turn and continue in the right direction) but considers he has (is self-deluded), how then can he repent (return)?
 
“Because they again crucify to themselves the Son of God” This shows that they did not understand the work of Messiah’s crucifixion in the first place. The crucifixion of Messiah meant Him becoming a sin sacrifice on our behalf, having taken on Himself the sin (past, present and future) of the repentant. To fall away is to prove that our faith was based on nothing more than a shallow understanding, seeded in soil devoid of depth.
 
7 For the land that drinks the rain which often falls on it, and produces herbs/vegetation of good seed useful to those who farm it, receives a spoken blessing from God;
 
Good seed produces good fruit. The rain represents the Word Yeshua, the Gospel, the Holy Spirit. The land represents the hearts of human beings (in the present context specifically Jews). The good seed here is not the Gospel as it is in Yeshua’s parable, rather it represents the truly regenerated Messiah follower.
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8 but if it bears thorns (akantha[G]) and thistles (tribolos[G]), it is castaway, worthless, rejected (adokimos[G]) and very close (eggus[G]) to being cursed (katara[G]), and its end (telos[G]) is in being burned (kausis[G], l’vaeir[H]). 9 But now (de[G]), dear ones/beloved (agapētos[G], yediydiym[H]), we are persuaded, convinced, trusting (peithō[G]) of better things (kreittōn[G], devariym toviym[H]) regarding (peri[G]) you, and things possessed (echō[G]) in salvation (sōtēria[G], yeshuah[H]), even though we must speak (laleō[G]) in this way (houtō[G]).

8 but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is castaway, worthless, rejected and very close to being cursed, and its end is in being burned.
 
Note that thorns and thistles are of different seed. The point here is that anyone who produces thorns and thistles is proven by their fruit to have never received the seed of faith in Yeshua in the first place. This therefore, does not teach loss of salvation but is proof of a lack of genuine salvation, which is received and walked in rather than agreed to and disregarded.
 
The teaching of these verses identifies those who have had every opportunity to receive salvation through genuine faith but have instead merely pretended (sometimes even deluding themselves) to have entered into true faith. Thus, the seed of the sinful nature has not been replaced by the seed of faith in Messiah.
 
These verses convey the teaching of Messiah:
 
“If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is  thrown away and dries up; such branches are picked up and thrown into the fire and burned.” -Yochanan (John) 15:6
 
Notice the qualifying phrase “If anyone does not remain in Me”, which correlates to “if they also then fall away”.
 
9 But now, dear ones/beloved, we are persuaded, convinced, trusting of better things regarding you, and things possessed in salvation, even though we must speak in this way.
 
These words affirm that the writer and those who lead the wider Jewish believing community with him, are aware that the majority among them are faithful disciples and that the warning is needed only for the few who have yet to show true repentance and the fruit of ongoing faith.
 
10 For God (Theos[G], Ha-Elohiym[H]) is not unjust, unrighteous (adikos[G]) so as to forget (epilanthanomai[G], yishkach[H]) your work (ergon[G]) and labour (kopos[G], amal[H]) of charitable holistic love (agapē[G], ahavatchem[H]) which you have shown toward His Name (onoma[G], lishmo[H]), in that you have served, ministered (diakoneō[G]) to the holy [set apart] ones (hagios[G], likdoshayv[H]) and continue to serve today (diakoneō[G], gam hayom[H]). 11 And we desire (epithumeō[G]) that every one of you (hekastos[G], iysh iysh[H]) show (endeiknumi[G]) the same diligence, forwardness, urgency (spoudē[G]) so as to realize the full confidence (plērophoria[G], ne’emanah[H]) of faith, trust, hope (elpis[G], tikvato[H]) until the goal (telos[G], ad haeitz[H]),
 
10 For God is not unjust, unrighteous so as to forget your work and labour of charitable holistic love which you have shown toward His Name, in that you have served, ministered to the holy [set apart] ones and continue to serve today. 
 
God’s nature is described as the foundation of the security of those who in true faith continue to minister in Yeshua. These ones are not those who are rebuked for experiential faith but are those who are true disciples.
 
Notice the meaning of the now entirely misunderstood English word “saints”. Where many modern denominations venerate only certain individuals as “saints” (the greatest offenders being the Roman Catholic Church), Biblical Judaism understands “saints” as kedoshiym (holy, set apart ones). Throughout the Tanakh (OT) the phrase “My holy ones” has always referred to the righteous remnant of Israel (the ethnic descendants of Jacob).
 
11 And we desire that every one of you show the same diligence, forwardness, urgency so as to realize the full confidence of faith, trust, hope until the goal,
 
“we desire” Reaffirms that the writer of the Book to the Hebrews is one of a group of Messianic Jewish leaders who are in agreement over the teaching of this work, and its application to the wider body of Jewish Messiah followers of the first century C.E.
 
We note that the faithful are admonished to show diligent forward momentum in acting out their faith because that same living faith assures them of the certain hope they have in Messiah unto the goal of eternal life made manifest in the full revelation of the world to come (Olam haba). True faith could be likened to a hybrid vehicle, following the ignition of the fuel by the battery the motion of the vehicle recharges the battery and produces additional power in order to sustain travel to the destination.
 
12 so that you will not be dull, stupid, sluggish, lazy (nōthros[G]) but followers, imitators, walking in the way (mimētēs[G], im teilchun[H]) of those who through faith, belief, assurance, fidelity, trust (pistis[G], be’emunatam[H]) and patience, endurance, perseverance (makrothumia[G], veorekh[H]) in their spirit (rucham[H]) inherit (klēronomeō[G]) the promises (epaggelia[G], et hahavtachot[H]).13 For when God (Theos[G], Elohiym[H]) made a promise (epaggellō[G], hivtiyach[H]) to Avraham[H] (Father of many peoples), since He could swear (omnuō[G], lehishavah[H]) an oath by no one greater (meizōn[G], eiyn gadol[H]), He swore (omnuō[G]) by Himself, on His own soul (heautou[G], nishba benafsho[H]),
 
12 so that you will not be dull, stupid, sluggish, lazy but followers, imitators, walking in the way of those who through faith, belief, assurance, fidelity, trust and patience, endurance, perseverance, in their spirit inherit the promises.
 
Chapter 11 lists numerous examples of those who have lived lives of faith that reflect the faith being alluded to by the writer of the Book to the Hebrews.
 
In the context of the Book to the Hebrews, the promises (plural) are those made to the Jewish people in and through Abraham, reaffirmed and conferred onto Isaac and Jacob. These promises include progeny, the land of Israel and eternal covenant (unto life everlasting) [Gen. 12:2-3; 15:5; 17:5].
 
The promises of God in Yeshua, like those made to the faithful ones of the past, are established for those who maintain faith in His strength.
 
We note that affirmation of the promises (plural) precede the singling out of the promise of progeny used as an example in the next verse.
 
13 For when God made a promise to Avraham, since He could swear an oath by no one greater, He swore by Himself, on His own soul,
 
As Creator of all, nothing and no one is superior to God. Thus, with regard to the human practice of swearing to one greater, God must be described as having sworn by Himself, because there is none greater.
 
14 saying (legō[G], vayomeir[H]), “indeed, for (e men[G], kiy[H]) blessing (eulogeō[G], bareikh[H]) I will bless (eulogeō[G], avarechecha[H]) you and multiplying (plēthunō[G], veharbah[H]) I will multiply (plēthunō[G], harbeh[H]) you [your seed/progeny].” [ Gen. 22:17] 15 And so, having patiently waited in his spirit (makrothumeō[G], rucho[H]), he obtained (epitugchanō[G]) the promise (epaggelia[G], et hahavtachah[H]). 16 For indeed (men[G], kiy amnam[H]) people (anthrōpos[G], anashiym[H]) swear (omnuō[G], hashvua[H]) an oath by one greater (meizōn[G], begadol[H]), and taking an oath serves as confirmation (bebaiōsis[G]) to them, an end (peras[G], yaviy keitz[H]) of all (pas[G], lekhol[H]) strife, dispute, contradiction (antilogia[G], riyv[H]) between them (beiyneiyhem[H]).
 
14 saying, “indeed, for blessing I will bless you and multiplying I will multiply you [your seed/progeny].” [ Gen. 22:17] 15 And so, having patiently waited in his spirit, he obtained the promise. 16 For indeed people swear an oath by one greater, and taking an oath serves as confirmation to them, an end of all strife, dispute, contradiction between them.
 
“Indeed blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand, which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate [place of governance] of their enemies.” -Bereishit (Genesis) 22:17 (Author’s translation from Hebrew text)
 
This blessing spoken over Abraham is a beginning of blessings (plural) and must not be understood to be a reference to the limited blessing of progeny alone.
 
15 And so, having patiently waited in his spirit, he obtained the promise. 
 
With regard to the specific blessing of progeny Abraham waited 25 years to receive the promise (Gen. 12:3-4; 17:2; 18:10; 21:5). Thus, he “obtained” the promise of progeny through Isaac, whom Messiah redeemed, as prefigured in the Ram (Gen. 22). Thus, Jacob is redeemed by Messiah (the Ram of God) in the loins of Isaac.
 
And with regard to the eternal covenant and the world to come Abraham died still holding on in faith to the yet to be seen reality of “a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:10). Abraham exemplifies faithful trust in God, even faith unto death, a faith that prefigures that of Messiah chronologically speaking, and is established in Messiah before the foundation of the world, outside of time and space.
 
17 In the same way God (Theos[G], ha-Elohiym[H]), desiring (boulomai[G]) more abundantly (perissoteron[G]) to demonstrate (epideiknumi[G]) to the heirs (klēronomos[G], et yoresheiy[H]) of the promise (epaggelia[G], hahavtachah[H]) the fact that His purpose is immutable, unchangeable (ametathetos[G]), confirmed (mesiteuō[G]) it with an oath (horkos[G], bishvuato[H]), 18 so that by two immutable, unchangeable (ametathetos[G]) things in which it is impossible (adunatos[G]) for God (Theos[G], Ha-Elohiym[H]) to lie (pseudomai[G], lechazeiv[H]), we might have strong (ischuros[G], lehachaziyk[H]) comfort (paraklēsis[G]) who have fled for refuge (katapheugō[G]) to take hold (krateō[G]) of the hope (elpis[G], batikvah[H]) set before us (prokeimai[G]).
 
17 In the same way God, desiring more abundantly to demonstrate to the heirs of the promise the fact that His purpose is immutable, unchangeable, confirmed it with an oath,
 
It’s important to note that the first century Jewish audience understands the heirs of the promise made to Abraham as being the Israelites, given that the promises made to Abraham were ratified through Isaac and Jacob and are seen to have been passed on to Jacob’s descendants in perpetuity. This does not mean that Gentiles have no access, but that Gentiles have access through Yeshua the Jew, just as Jews receive the fullness of the promises through Yeshua.
 
18 so that by two immutable, unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong comfort who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us.
 
Based on His nature God cannot lie. Therefore, the two things concerning Abraham a. the promise b. the oath, are immutable, unchangeable. These afford the faithful Jewish believers comfort, knowing that having fled the sinful ways of humanity, and the hypocrisy of vain religion, they have taken hold of a hope as certain as that of Abraham.
 
19 This hope we have as an anchor (agkura[G]) of the soul (psuchē[G], lenefesh[H]), a hope both certain, loyal (asphalēs[G], ne’eman[H]) and forceful, reliable (bebaios[G], vechazak[H]) and one which enters (eiserchomai[G]) into (eis[G]) the house (el mibeiyt[H]) the inner (esōteros[G]) veil [the veil hung before the holy of holies] (katapetasma[G], laparochet[H]), 20 where Yeshua[H] (Iēsous[G], Joshua, YHVH saves) has entered (eiserchomai[G]) as a forerunner (prodromos[G]) for us, having become a high priest (archiereus[G], lekohen gadol[H]) forever (eis aiōn[G], leolam[H]) according to the word, order, type, style, arrangement (taxis[G], al divratiy[H]) of Melkiy Tzedek[H] (My king of righteousness).
 
19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both certain, loyal and forceful, reliable and one which enters into the house the inner veil parochet[H] [the veil hung before the holy of holies], 20 where Yeshua has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the word, order, type, style, arrangement of Melkiy Tzedek.
 
The hope that the believer has in Messiah Yeshua is like a strong anchor that holds a boat sure and secure in the midst of a storm. However, while a ship’s anchor is anchored in the rock of the sea floor, which will one day pass away, the anchor of our hope in Messiah finds purchase in the heavens upon the mercy seat of God (Who is the Rock of Israel) Who is immutable, unchanging. It is a certain hope that enters the Temple (house) and in Yeshua the Great High Priest (Lev. 16:2; Heb. 9:3) has access to the holy of holies beyond the parochet (curtain)[Ex. 26:31-35; Mk 15:38], because through His death and resurrection He has sprinkled His eternal blood upon the mercy seat of the heavenly ark and as God with us His Priesthood has made eternal atonement for those who have received Him. This being prefigured in the type of priesthood practiced by the ancient priest of Salem Melkiy Tzedek.
 
“And Yeshua cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the parochet (curtain) of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom…” -Matthew 27:50-51
 
Note that Yeshua’s Priesthood is likened in type to that of Melkiy Tzedek, but His practice is prefigured in the practice of the high priests of the Aaronic (Levitical) priesthood. Melkiy Tzedek the priest of Salem had no such temple or parochet (curtain). The temple, the curtain, and the holy of holies, are given to Israel as a shadow of the heavenly things. While it is clearly of great importance to understand Yeshua’s Priesthood as being over all people of faith regardless of ethnicity, it is nonetheless equally important to understand that the shadows pointing to His redemptive work are given to the chosen, ethnic, religious people of Israel the descendants of Jacob.
 
I’m told, with some derision, that I am a zealot. Sobeit, I am zealous for HaShem in Yeshua, for His Scriptures, for my people Israel, and for the Gospel of freedom. It’s better to have angered the unteachable than to have said nothing and in so doing, stolen from the teachable.
 
NB: For an explanation of the order of Melkiy Tzedek’s priesthood and why Melkiy Tzedek is not Yeshua, please read my commentary on Hebrews 5.
 
Copyright 2021 Yaakov Brown

​Introduction:
 
Yeshua was introduced as Kohen HaGadol at 2:17. The writer now continues an exposition of Psalms 110:4 (Heb. 4:14-7:28), focusing on the role of Messiah Yeshua as Kohen HaGadol of a transcendent priesthood that is superior to that of both Aaron & Melkiy Tzedek (whose priesthood is a type ordered by Yeshua as a prophetic marker pointing to Yeshua’s Priesthood. Being that Yeshua’s Priesthood existed before creation and makes atonement possible for all who believe [1 Peter 1:19-20; Rev. 13:8]).
 
As is the case with all Scripture (scrolls of the original texts), there are no chapter breaks or verse markers (or punctuation for that matter) in the scroll of the Book to the Hebrews. It’s important to see the text of this chapter as a continuation of the previous chapter, the last verses of chapter 4 being:
 
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest Who has passed through the heavens, Yeshua the Son of the God, let’s hold fast to our profession. 15 For we do not have a high priest Who is unable to sympathize, have compassion with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted, tried, examined, proved in all things just as we are, yet without sin [missing the mark set by God’s holiness]. 16 Therefore let us come freely with boldness, confidently to the throne of grace, unmerited favour, practical love, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.
 
BOOK TO THE HEBREWS Chapter 5 (Author’s translation)
 
1For every [individually and collectively] high priest taken from among men [in the children of man] receives by appointment on behalf of people the things brought before the face of God [Ex. 28:1], so that he might offer both gifts, and sacrifices upon sins [missing the mark set by God’s holiness]; 2 So he is able to have compassion on those who lack knowledge and are misguided, deceived, gone astray, seduced, since he in his soul also is clothed from head to foot in weakness; 
3 also because of this he is bound, obligated to offer sacrifices for sins [missing the mark set by God’s holiness] for his soul [Lev. 9:7; 16:6], as well as for the people. 4 also no one takes, receives the honour, price, upon his soul, but receives it when he is called by the God, just as Aharon[H] also was [Num. 16:40; 18:7; 2 Chr. 26:18].
5 So too Messiah did not glorify His soul in becoming a high priest, but the One Who glorified Him was He who said to Him, “You are My Son, Today I have fathered [begotten] You” [Ps. 2:7; cf. Phil. 2:3-11]; 6 just as He also says in another place, “You are a priest forever According to the order, arrangement, fashion, style of Melkiy-tzedek[H].” [Ps. 110:4 (109:4 LXX)]
7 Who in the days of His flesh, offered up both prayers and supplications/an olive branch with powerful outcry and tears before the face of He Who was able to save Him out of death, and He was heard because He feared, held God in awe. 8 Although He was a Son, He learned, understood obedience by the things which He suffered.
9 Also having been perfected, consecrated, fulfilled He became the Author, cause, source of eternal [worlds of] salvation for all those who obey Him, 10 being called among, under, by the God as High Priest according to, upon the words of the order, arrangement, fashion, style of Melkiy-tzedek[H]. [Ps. 110:4 (109:4 LXX)]11 Concerning Him [Yeshua] we have much to say, and  difficult, heavy to explain, since you have become dull, lazy, slow, poor listeners, deaf eared.
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, have a master’s degree, possess a doctorate, you nonetheless need to again have someone teach you to return to the first, beginning, elementary, primary principles, rudiments, elements, cornerstones of the oracles, utterances, words, essences, instructions of the God, and you have come to need milk, baby food and not strong food, oiled bread [fat bread].
13 For everyone individually and collectively who partakes of milk is unskilful, inexperienced, ignorant, has no knowledge in the word, essence of righteousness, for that one is an infant. [cf. Isa. 7:15; re. Messiah to the contrary: His spiritual maturity exceeded His physical growth] 14 But strong food, oiled bread [fat bread] is for the mature, who by reason have their senses, perception vigorously trained, exercised, their hearts, core being, inner person, examined to distinguish, discern between good and evil.
 
HEBREWS 5 (line upon line)
 
1For every [individually and collectively] (pas[G], kol[H]) high priest (archiereus[G], kohen gadol[H]) taken from among men [in the children of man] (anthropos [G], mibeneiy adam [H]) receives (lambanō [G]) by appointment (kathistēmi [G]) on behalf (huper [G]) of people (anthropos [G], beneiy adam[H]) the things brought before the face of (pros[G], lifneiy[H]) God (Theos[G], Elohiym[H]) [Ex. 28:1], so that he might offer (prospherō [G]) both gifts (dōron [G]), and sacrifices (thusia [G]) upon (al[H]) sins [missing the mark set by God’s holiness] (hamartia[G], chatotam[H]); 2 So he is able (dunamai [G]) to have compassion on (metriopatheō [G]) those who lack knowledge (agnoeō [G]) and are misguided, deceived, gone astray, seduced (planaō [G]) since he in his soul (nafsho[H]) also is clothed (perikeimai [G]) from head to foot (mikaf-regel v’ad rosh [H]) in weakness (astheneia [G]); 
 
1For every [individually and collectively] high priest taken from among men [in the children of man] receives by appointment on behalf of people the things brought before the face of God [Ex. 28:1], so that he might offer both gifts, and sacrifices upon sins [missing the mark set by God’s holiness];
 
“For every [individually and collectively] high priest taken from among men” The first century Jewish audience understood this to refer to the Levitical priesthood alone. The qualification “among men” is understood as “human being”, however, in particular, from the Jewish perspective the only human beings qualified to be high priest (being of the Levitical priesthood) were Levites of the line of Aaron via Zadok, appointed by God to intercede on behalf of all Israel. The later allusion to Melkiy Tzedek is used as a type explaining the order or blueprint for the priesthood of the King Messiah, which both precedes and proceeds the temporal priesthoods, Levitical and pre-Levitical (Melkiy Tzedek).
 
“receives by appointment on behalf of people the things brought before the face of God [Ex. 28:1]” God alone appointed the true Levitical high priests of Israel. Their role appointed by God and received in humility. The high priest was tasked with bringing the offerings and sacrifices of the people before the face of God with consecrated ritual, fear and trembling. He was responsible for the blood of the goat sacrificed (Messiah) to allow the escaping goat (Israel) to go free. This blood was brought into the holy of holies, once a year at Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement, purging, covering).
 
“so that he might offer both gifts, and sacrifices upon sins [missing the mark set by God’s holiness];” The high priest was tasked with carrying both the freewill gifts (love offerings) and the sacrifices upon sin (symbols of the need for blood atonement) before the face of God, His manifest Divine presence.
 
From the earliest days of Biblical Judaism it was understood that sin separates humanity from right relationship in God and must be atoned for through the shedding of blood. The Hebrew word mizbeach (altar) is from the root zabach (kill, slaughter, sacrifice). In fact it is a contracted form of the words mi (from) and zabach (slaughter). Therefore, everywhere in Scripture, from the earliest occurrence (Cain and Abel [inferred] Gen. 4; Noah Gen 8:20) to the last mention (Rev. 16:1), the word altar means “from slaughter/blood”. Only when it is otherwise qualified e.g. “incense altar”, does it refer to a non-slaughter altar, and even then the cost of sacrifice is connected to the application of the incense upon that specific altar.
 
2 So he is able to have compassion on those who lack knowledge and are misguided, deceived, gone astray, seduced, since he in his soul also is clothed from head to foot in weakness; 
 
The high priest in question is the sin affected human Levitical high priest (descended from Aaron). A priest who must first offer sacrifices for his own sin and that of his family before offering them on behalf of others (Lev. 6:9-13; 16:5-22). Therefore, being a sin affected human being he can relate to other sin affected human beings and is profoundly aware of his own need for atonement by blood. The Hebrew translation of the present text is beautiful, as it identifies the first (head) and final (foot) parts of the priest’s body which were consecrated by blood to symbolize the need for atonement over every part of the human soul (Ex. 29:20; Lev. 8:23-24; 14:14-28). Blood on the right ear symbolizing the need for atonement over the faculty of hearing and perception. Blood on the right thumb denoting atonement over the strength and actions. Blood on the big toe of the right foot to represent atonement over the path and direction of the soul person.
 
“those who lack knowledge and are misguided, deceived, astray, seduced” This does not refer to the wilfully unrepentant for whom there is no atonement. Forgiveness is offered to all but received only by the repentant through blood. This distinction is made clear by the Scriptures, which regard unintentional sin (Lev. 4; Num. 15:27-29; Isa. 53:6) as being different to defiant rebellion against God (Num. 15:30-31; cf. Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26-31).
 
“clothed from head to foot in weakness;” This is an allusion to the human condition. We are weak/vulnerable to sin because we live in a sin affected world, and are prone to act on the yetzer hara (evil inclination).
 
With regard to “weakness” the Mishnah Yoma 1.4, 7 recommends actions that should be practiced by the high priest in order to avoid falling asleep before the offering of the sacrifice at Yom Kippur. Weakness in and of itself is not the problem, rather giving in to temptation and using weakness as an excuse is.
 
Zechariah 3:3 describes the then (6th Century B.C.E.) high priest Yehoshua (Joshua, Yeshua) as being clothed in filthy rags (sin soiled weakness). This Joshua (Zech. 3:3), like the first Adam, was sin affected and needed to offer the temporary symbolic atonement made through animal blood in order to minister before the LORD. The Joshua (Yeshua the Messiah) Who existed before that Joshua (Zech. 3:3) and comes after him, is also clothed from head to foot in humanity, but His garments are not filthy due to sin because He remained sinless. To fit the type, Yeshua wore the unsoiled rags of humanity, whereas Joshua the high priest (Zech. 3:3) wore the soiled rags of humanity. The rags of the redeemed are of greater value than the soiled garments of kings. Joshua the high priest was of the line of Aaron, whereas Yeshua is begotten of God and born of the tribe of Judah in the line of David (king). Alternatively, Joshua the high priest dressed in filthy rags can symbolize the fact that Yeshua the Great High Priest has taken upon Himself the just punishment due for the sins of humanity.
 
Like the Levitical high priests Yeshua shared in the frailty of humanity, but unlike them He remained sinless, He did not give in to the temptation of sin (Heb. 4:15). Because sin entered the world and death with it, death comes to all who sin. A person dead in sin cannot therefore offer himself on behalf of another because a living sacrifice is required (the life is in the pumping blood). This is why it was absolutely necessary for Yeshua to remain “Living” (devoid of sin and death). So that He could offer Himself for us as a Living Sacrifice Holy and Pleasing to God. Without sacrifice Love cannot exist because in order for love to be possible the One Who offers it must risk the possibility of it being unreciprocated.
 
3 also (kai[G]) because of this (zot[H]) he is bound, obligated (opheilō[G]) to offer (prospherō[G]) sacrifices for sins [missing the mark set by God’s holiness] (hamartia[G], chatat[H]) for his soul (heautou[G], nafsho[H]) [Lev. 9:7; 16:6], as well as for the people (laos[G], ha’am[H]). 4 also (kai[G]) no one (iysh[H]) takes, receives (lambanō[G], yikach[H]) the honour, price (timē[G], et-hakavod[H]), upon his soul (heautou[G], lenafsho[H]), but receives it when he is called (kaleō[G]) by the God (ho Theos[G], Elohiym[H]), just as Aharon[H] (le’aharon[H]: Mountain, Light Bringer) also was [Num. 16:40; 18:7; 2 Chr. 26:18].
 
3 also because of this he is bound, obligated to offer sacrifices for sins [missing the mark set by God’s holiness] for his soul [Lev. 9:7; 16:6], as well as for the people.
 
The Levitical high priest must offer sacrifices for his own sin and that of his family in order to be ritually consecrated to offer sacrifices on behalf of the community (Lev. 6:9-13; 16:5-22).
 
In short, the Levitical high priesthood is revealed to be imperfect in application because of the imperfect human beings responsible for filling the role.
 
4 also no one takes, receives the honour, price, upon his soul, but receives it when he is called by the God, just as Aharon[H] also was [Num. 16:40; 18:7; 2 Chr. 26:18].
 
Aaron is mentioned because he was the first Levitical high priest appointed by God. The rosh (head, first, beginning) of the earthly Levitical priests (Ex. 28:1; Lev. 8:1-2; Num. 17:5; 18:1; Psalms 105:26). The Aaronic lineage carried on through the descendants of Zadok (2 Sam. 8:17; 1 Kings 2:27, 35) during the time of the kings. Zadok was a descendant of Phineas, son of Eleazer the son of Aaron (Ezra7:1-5).
 
During the monarchy the high priest’s role was secondary to that of the king. At that time the high priest’s authority was limited to the religious sphere. However, during the Persian period and into the Hellenistic period the high priest’s authority extended to the political realm. Thus, the Maccabees [Hasmoneans] (2nd Century B.C.E) did not receive their authority from God through genealogy (they were “bnai Hashmonay” [sons of Hashmonay], not sons of Aaron, Eleazer, Phineas, Ezra etc.) but by political self-appointment. This established precedent for the subsequent appointment of high priests. Herod the Great (72 B.C.E – 4 C.E) appointed six high priests during his reign over Judea. Therefore, like the kingship of the northern tribes (Israel/Ephraim), the apostate priesthood would come to an end.
 
We should note therefore, that the priesthood of the first century was apostate, as were its high priests. The Levitical lineage had been compromised and those acting as high priests were religious-political appointments and not God appointed.
 
As a result Jewish sects such as the Essenes, based on what they saw as an apostate (non-Scriptural) priesthood, developed their own eschatological theology regarding the kingship and priesthood of Israel. Some of the Qumran texts speak of two Messiahs, one kingly and one priestly (1QS 9:11 “the anointed one of Aaron”). Therefore, the idea of Messiah uniting the kingship and priesthood of Israel was already circulating during the first century among certain Jewish sects prior to Yeshua being revealed as King and High Priest.
 
The position of high priest was respected by Messiah Yeshua during His earthly ministry but He did not accept the first century priesthood as legitimate. In fact, the legitimate Levitical priestly line is most likely to have been that of Zechariah and Elisheva the father and mother  of Yochanan the Immerser (John the Baptist)[Luke 1:5-13; 3:2].
 
John the Immerser as a God Appointed High Priest in the Line of Aaron:
 
“5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Aviyah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisheva.” -Luke 1:5
 
Herod the Great reigned from 37 to 4 B.C.E. Long before that, during the time of King David, the priests of Israel had been arranged into 24 divisions; Aviyah (My father is YHVH) the forefather of Zechariah (John’s father) was a family head of the eighth division and a descendant of Aaron. (Nehemiah 12:12, 17; 1 Chronicles 24:1-19).
 
The meaning of Zechariah’s name (YHVH remembers) reveals that HaShem remembered His promise to bring about a new covenant, a new creation, One Who will say, “Avi-Yah,” my father is YHVH. This One (Son of God) will be heralded by the son born to Elisheva (by the oath of God), that is Yochanan (one who is favoured by God) the Immerser, who in turn will symbolically confer the priesthood of Aaron upon Messiah in submission to the High priesthood of Messiah, which is manifest in time and space in the order of Melkiy Tzedek (my king of righteousness).
 
It’s important to note that both Zechariah (1 Chronicles 24:1-19) and Elisheva (Luke 1:5) were of the line of Aaron the Kohen Gadol (The great High Priest) of Israel. Through the symbolic immersion that Yeshua received from Yochanan (John) we are able to see that Messiah unifies both the Priesthood and Kingship of Israel. The Priesthood of Aaron is symbolically submitted to the order of Melkiy Tzedek (My King of Righteousness), which is a type for the High Priesthood of Yeshua, and the position of King over Israel and the nations is something Yeshua is born to through His mother’s lineage (and symbolically through His earthly father’s lineage). Of course, ultimately Yeshua is appointed in and by God the Father.
 
All this is important because Messiah is come to reveal a greater priesthood, an eternal priesthood that has existed in Him before the foundation of the world (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 7:17). This greater priesthood must transition within time and space from the Aaronic priesthood of Israel as it submits to Melkiy Tzedek through Abraham (Heb. 7:1-10), not so as to make the Levitical priesthood redundant but so as to cause the Levitical priesthood to fully fill its purpose and reveal the Kohen HaGadol (High Priest) Messiah Yeshua as the ultimate intermediary. 
 
Yochanan the Immerser (John the Baptist) the Son of Zechariah was a true Levite and a legitimate priest, unlike the illegitimate (political puppet) priests Annas and Caiaphas.
 
For all intents and purposes Yochanan the Immerser (John the Baptist) was a rightful heir to the priesthood of Israel. Therefore, Yochanan the Immerser was given authority by God to transfer the priesthood of Aaron onto the King Messiah. Only in this way could the roles of King of Judah (in the line of David) and High Priest be combined in One Man. The act of conferring was symbolically performed by Yochanan the Immerser at the tevilah (immersion/baptism) of Yeshua.
 
All High Priests of Israel throughout the generations must prepare themselves by washing in order to approach the Lord God to make atonement for the sins of Israel. Yeshua Who is sinless need not be immersed (baptised) for repentance, washing clean, or for any other sin related reason, thus when Yeshua said of His immersion (baptism) “Let it happen now, for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.” (Matt 3:15), what He meant by “All righteousness” was for Yochanan the heir to the Aaronic High Priesthood to ritually wash Yeshua as Priest of priests, the heavenly Kohen HaGadol and make way for His sacrificial death and life giving resurrection and the means by which all who receive Him can be made righteous through His blood. This symbolic act of washing (baptism) revealed Yeshua as rightful and eternal Kohen HaGadol (High Priest) and Melekh HaY’hudiym (King of the Jews), Melekh Hamelekhiym (King of kings). Thus, Yeshua united the priesthood and kingship of Israel and showed Himself to be the King Messiah.
 
Therefore, the writer of the Book to the Hebrews is making a point of alluding to the God appointed high priest Aaron and his descendants, who received the honour of being appointed from God unlike the apostate high priests of the first century Annas and Caiaphas, who were proxies for religious political forces both Greco-Roman (Hellenistic) and Jewish.
 
5 So too Messiah did not glorify His soul (nafsho[H]) in becoming a high priest (archiereus[G], kohen gadol[H]), but He who said to Him, “You are My Son (su ei mou uhios[G]), Today (sēmeron[G]) I have fathered/begotten (gennaō[G]) You” [Ps. 2:7]; 6 just as He also says (lego[G]) in another place, “You are a priest (hiereus[G], Kohen[H])  forever (eis aion [G], leolam[H]) According (kata[G]) to the order, arrangement, fashion, style (taxis[G]) of Melkiy-tzedek[H] (My king of righteousness).” [Ps. 110:4 (109:4 LXX)]
 
5 So too Messiah did not glorify His soul in becoming a high priest, but the One Who glorified Him was He who said to Him, “You are My Son, Today I have fathered [begotten] You” [Ps. 2:7];
 
Yeshua did not name or appoint Himself High Priest (like those of the apostate priesthood of the first century C.E.), but was, like Aaron, appointed by God. However, unlike Aaron, Yeshua qualified as the transcendent High Priest (not Levitical) due to His being fathered directly by God. In short, Yeshua’s Deity as progeny of the Father and His being born as a human being within time and space mean He is able to make intercession for all humanity and to provide the eternal blood of God as atonement for sin in place of the temporary symbolic blood of animals, which could never effectively atone for sin.
 
6 just as He also says in another place, “You are a priest forever According to the order, arrangement, fashion, style of Melkiy-tzedek[H].” [Ps. 110:4 (109:4 LXX)]
 
The Priesthood of Yeshua precedes and proceeds the priesthoods of Levi and Melkiy Tzedek. Yeshua’s Priesthood is symbolised in the type of priesthood held by Melkiy Tzedek (a Gentile), meaning that Yeshua’s Priesthood is over all peoples: first, because Yeshua is God with us, and in Him all things exist and have their being, second, because He is a Jew and High Priest over the descendants of Jacob (Jews) and finally, because His priesthood is like that of Melkiy Tzedek, He is qualified to be High Priest over all other peoples (ethnicities).
 
NB: Some Jewish commentators agree with the writer of the Book to the Hebrews and interpret Psalms 110:4 as alluding to the King Messiah (Moses Hadarsan apud Galatin. l. 10. c. 6. Abot R. Nathan, c. 34.)
 
We note that Melkiy Tzedek the historical figure, is a type, a temporal pattern, a shadow for the Messiah, but is not the Messiah.
 
The Scripture states:

"And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God." -Genesis 14:18

"The LORD has sworn, and will not turn, You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." -Psalm 110:4
 
“where Yeshua has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” -Hebrews 6:20
 
“This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the interpretation of the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” 3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest continually.” -Hebrew 7:1-3

First, Melkiy Tzedek is an historical human king of Salem (the then capital of Jebus [a pagan name for Jerusalem associated to a false deity]). While we are not told his lineage we do know he was not a descended of Abram (Abraham). At that time in history numerous false deities were worshipped on the mount in Jerusalem (Jebus), none of whom were YHVH. Therefore, the Hebrew text specifies that Melkiy Tzedek did not know the God of Israel as YHVH, but by a generic title El Elyon (God most high, or the God above all gods). Has there ever been a point at which Yeshua has not known God as YHVH? The answer is absolutely not. Thus, Melkiy Tzedek the historical figure is not Yeshua.

Second, both the psalmist and the kohen (priest) who authored the Book to the Hebrews state clearly that Yeshua the King Messiah is a priest after THE ORDER of (Like) Melkiy Tzedek (the historical human priest who ministered to Abram), and not literally Melkiy Tzedek. If the Holy Spirit had intended us to understand Yeshua to literally be Melkiy Tzedek He would have authored the words "priest, who is the same as Melkiy Tzedek" or “Yeshua is Melkiy Tzedek…” or something likewise definitive. He did not.

Third, the kohen (priest) that authored the book to the Hebrews makes it clear that he is using the historical human king Melkiy Tzedek to teach a drash (comparative teaching), a figurative comparison. He writes “the interpretation of the name Melkiy Tzedek”, using the meaning of the name as a spiritual mystery expounding the character of the King Messiah, Who is “My King of Righteousness” by nature, but is not the literal historical person Melkiy Tzedek the king of Salem in Jebus. As an example, “the interpretation of” my daughter AzarYah’s name is “My Helper is YHVH” this points to YHVH as our Helper (the Holy Spirit), but it does not make my daughter the Holy Spirit.
 
Fourth, Messiah is never "pre incarnate" in the Hebrew Scriptures. He appears resurrected, transcendent and unbound by time and space as "the Angel of the presence" (to Abram, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Manoah etc.) but is never represented as a specific historical personage (this excludes Melkiy Tzedek the historical figure from being a transcendent incarnation of Yeshua).

Fifth, the historical figure Melkiy Tzedek was not a Jew. The King Messiah Who reigns as High Priest over all peoples must first be a Jew (of Judah, as the writer of Hebrews specifies [Heb. Chpts 6 & 7]) or He is no High Priest at all. This fact alone makes it impossible for Melkiy Tzedek the historical king of Salem (a non-Jew) to be the Messiah Yeshua “pre incarnate” or otherwise. The priesthood of Yeshua unifies the kingship and priesthood of Israel, subjecting the priesthood of Israel to the priesthood after the order of Melkiy Tzedek. An order established before Melkiy Tzedek was born by Yeshua in YHVH.
 
Sixth, when the text of the Book to the Hebrews says “Without father or mother, without genealogy” it does not mean that Melkiy Tzedek the historical person was literally without these things but that the Torah does not record his genealogy because he is not part of the genealogical record that points to the historical/religious progression of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Jewish people (Israel).
 
The wider context of Scripture, the context of the text of the Book to the Hebrews and the poetic language of the Psalmist, all explain clearly that Yeshua the King Messiah will be “like” but not the same person as Melkiy Tzedek the historical figure (Genesis 14).

The Scripture does not teach that Yeshua is Melkiy Tzedek, but that His priesthood is after the order of  Melkiy Tzedek because Yeshua's priesthood which is like that of Melkiy Tzedek is a priesthood over all ethnicities and like the priesthood of Melkiy Tzedek, which appears to continue perpetually, Yeshua’s priesthood is everlasting.

As I have stated previously, to say that the historical figure Melkiy Tzedek of the Tanakh (OT) and Yeshua the King Messiah are one in the same is blasphemous (idolatry) and those that teach it do so at their peril.
 
7 Who in the days (hēmera[G], biymeiy[H]) of His flesh (sarx[G], bivsaro[H]), offered up (prospherō[G]) both prayers (deēsis[G], tefilot[H]) and supplications/an olive branch (hiketēria[G]) with powerful (ischuros[G]) outcry (kraugē[G]) and tears (dakru[G]) before the face of (lifneiy[H]) He Who is able (dunamai[G]) to save (sōzō[G]) Him (autos[G]) out of (ex[G]) death (thanatos[G], mavet[H]), and He was heard (eisakouō[G]) because (apo[G]) He feared, held God in awe (eulabeia[G]). 8 Although (kaiper[G]) He was a Son (uihos[G], vein[H]), He learned, understood (manthanō[G], lumad[H]) obedience (hupakoē[G]) by the things which He suffered (paschō[G]).
 
7 Who in the days of His flesh, offered up both prayers and supplications/an olive branch with powerful outcry and tears before the face of He Who is able to save Him out of death, and He was heard because He feared, held God in awe.
 
Yeshua is the nearest subject as High Priest “after the order of” Melkiy Tzedek.
 
Yeshua during the days of His fragile flesh, living in a sin affected creation, prayed and pleaded with God through tears for the redemption of human beings, knowing that God was able to deliver Him from death and make salvation available to all who would believe (Luke 22:39-44).
 
The Greek hiketēria refers to the use of a wool covered olive branch as a symbol of suing for peace. Yeshua sues for peace on our behalf.
 
8 Although He was a Son, He learned, understood obedience by the things which He suffered.
 
Although Yeshua, being the Son of God and the manifest person of God with us, could have invoked His right as Son in order to avoid suffering, He nonetheless humbled Himself in living as a frail human being and ultimately unto death on a Roman cross. He willingly learned obedience to the Father through His earthly ministry (Philippians 2:3-11). Therefore, He became an example to all who would receive Him and be reconciled to God through Him, that we might live as He does.
 
9 Also having been perfected, consecrated, fulfilled (teleioō[G], shalem[H]) He became the Author, cause, source (aitios[G]) of eternal [worlds of] (aiōnios[G], olamiym[H]) salvation (sōtēria[G], teshuat[H]) for all those who obey (hupakouō[G]) Him, 10 being called (prosagoreuō[G]) among, under, by (hupo[G]) the God (ho Theos[G], Elohiym[H]) as High Priest (archiereus[G], kohen gadol[H]) according to, upon the words of (al-divratiy[H]) the order, arrangement, fashion, style (taxis[G]) of Melkiy-tzedek[H] (My king of righteousness). [Ps. 110:4 (109:4 LXX)]11 Concerning Him [Yeshua] we have (yesh lanu[H]) much to say (ladabeir[H]), and  difficult, heavy (dusermēneutos[G], kaveid[H]) to explain (lego[G]), since you have become dull, lazy, slow, poor listeners, deaf eared (akoē[G], arley-ozen[H]).
 
9 Also having been perfected, consecrated, fulfilled He became the Author, cause, source of eternal [worlds of] salvation for all those who obey Him,
 
Eternal salvation is unique to Yeshua’s work. Temporal salvation may be seen in the outworking of the Levitical priesthood, but eternal salvation can only be purchased by God Himself in His Son Yeshua the King Messiah. Through His obedience Yeshua fully realised His position as Author [source] of salvation for all who would receive Him in obedience. In short, His obedience to God brings salvation to those who will be obedient to Him. Only in humbling Himself as a human being could Yeshua fully fill this role.
 
10 being called among, under, by the God as High Priest according to, upon the words of the order, arrangement, fashion, style of Melkiy-tzedek[H]. [Ps. 110:4 (109:4 LXX)]
 
Notice that Yeshua is called from within, among, under God. He is Imanu (with us) El (God). Once again, He is called according to the type, order of Melkiy Tzedek. His priesthood, like that of the earth born priest Melkiy Tzedek, is to all who share in the faith of Abraham, for the Jew perpetually first and also for the nations.
 
11 Concerning Him [Yeshua] we have much to say, and  difficult, heavy to explain, since you have become dull, lazy, slow, poor listeners, deaf eared.
 
Yeshua is the nearest subject. Melkiy Tzedek is the qualifying type for Yeshua, not the subject, Who is Yeshua Himself. Therefore, the first century Jewish audience is not being challenged concerning its knowledge of Melkiy Tzedek (an individual they already had extensive knowledge of), but concerning their laziness regarding their understanding of Yeshua’s role and identity.
 
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, have  a master’s degree, possess a doctorate (didaskalos[G], moriym[H]), you nonetheless need to again have someone to teach (didaskō[G]) you to return to (lashuv[H])the first, beginning, elementary, primary (archē[G]) principles, rudiments, elements, cornerstones (stoicheion[G], avneiy pinah[H]) of the oracles, utterances, words, essences, instructions (logion[G], betorat[H]) of the God (ho Theos[G], Elohiym[H]), and you have come to need milk, baby food (gala[G], lechalav[H]) and not strong food, oiled bread [fat bread] (stereos trophe[G], lelechem shamein[H]).
 
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, have a master’s degree, possess a doctorate, you nonetheless need to again have someone teach you to return to the first, beginning, elementary, primary principles, rudiments, elements, cornerstones of the oracles, utterances, words, essences, instructions of the God, and you have come to need milk, baby food and not strong food, oiled bread [fat bread].
 
The writer’s incredulity is palpable. He is rebuking the first century Jewish believers for their lack of maturity regarding their faith in God through Yeshua. Given generations of Torah observance and participation in the Temple cult which was passed on to them, and having now been believers in Yeshua the promised King Messiah for many years (this was written approx. 30 years after Yeshua’s ascension, about 60-65 C.E.), they are still only able to understand the basic concepts of faith through Yeshua, and this because they have been slow to hear, deaf, dull etc.
 
The Hebrew translation reads “nonetheless (you) need to again have someone teach you to return to the first, beginning, elementary cornerstones betorat in the instructions (plural of Torah)  of the God, and you have come to need milk, baby food and not lelechem shamein oiled bread/fat bread.”
 
We note that the teachings of Yeshua and His talmidiym (disciples) are likened to Torah in that they are birthed in the fundamental torat (instructions) of God. The Hebrew lelechem shamein denotes bread of the fatness of the land, full of health, prosperity, and strength. This is the bread they are missing out on because they have not conditioned their spiritual appetite to feed on anything more than the milk of a nursing child. The writer likens them to preteens who still suck at their mother’s breast. Milk does not sustain a harvester for the day’s work, the strength needed for the harvest is found in the complex carbohydrates of oiled bread/fat bread. The Jewish believers of the first century have need of solid spiritual bread in order to work in the harvest of God’s Kingdom.
 
13 For everyone individually and collectively (pas[G]) who partakes (metechō[G]) of milk (chalav[H]) is unskilful, inexperienced, ignorant, has no knowledge (apeiros[G], eiyn lo deiah[H]) in the word, essence (logos[G], bedivreiy[H]) of righteousness (dikaiosunē[G], tzedek[H]), for that one is an infant (nēpios[G]). [cf. Isa. 7:15; re. Messiah to the contrary: His spiritual maturity exceeded His physical growth] 14 But strong food, oiled bread [fat bread] (stereos trophe[G], lelechem shamein[H]) is for the mature, who by reason (dia[G]) of practice (hexis[G]) have their senses, perception (aisthētērion[G]) vigorously trained, exercised (gumnazō[G]), their hearts, core being, inner person examined (biv’chiynat lebotam[H]) to distinguish, discern (diakrisis[G], lehavdiyl[H]) between good (kalos[G], tov[H]) and evil (kakos[G], ra[H]).
 
13 For everyone individually and collectively who partakes of milk is unskilful, inexperienced, ignorant, has no knowledge in the word, essence of righteousness, for that one is an infant. [cf. Isa. 7:15; re. Messiah to the contrary: His spiritual maturity exceeded His physical growth] 
 
Nursing infants are described in Scripture by an idiom referring to their inability to distinguish between right and wrong (Jonah 4:11). Note that being able to distinguish between right and wrong is not the same as being aware of right and wrong. Right and wrong are always present in the sin affected world. Distinguishing between them is a mark of maturity.
 
Faith in Yeshua and the outworking of it goes beyond the acceptance of Him and His atoning sacrifice. Dwelling on the basic concept of salvation through blood atonement without listening to the teaching that leads to maturity, leaves a believer without knowledge of the greater implications of the outworking of righteousness.
 
14 But strong food, oiled bread [fat bread] is for the mature, who by reason have their senses, perception vigorously trained, exercised, their hearts, core being, inner person, examined to distinguish, discern between good and evil.
 
The strengthening bread of the mature is eaten by those who actively listen to and implement the Word of God through Yeshua. This involves vigorous training, gymnao[G] lit. “naked exercise”, the exercising of right action, opening the inner person to the transforming work of God’s Spirit, so that, by the work of Yeshua in us we might discern between good and evil. We are naked before God in Yeshua, devoid of so called “secret sin” because nothing is hidden from Him. All human beings have the knowledge of good and evil based on the sin of Adam and eve, and our personal individual and corporate decision to perpetuate that sin. However, only the intentional disciple of Yeshua has, by the righteousness of Yeshua within him, the true ability to discern between good and evil.
 
The danger to the believer who continues on milk alone, is that he may fail to distinguish between good and evil due to his lack of maturity and may therefore, turn aside to ungodly practice which leads to death.
 
An infant is born for the purpose of maturing. Those who grow in size but not in maturity will find themselves swayed by every ill wind in the adult world. A mother will not put up with the foolishness of an adult child who continues to demand milk from her breasts. This image goes beyond childishness to express the perversion of infantile faith.
 
Copyright 2021 Yaakov Brown

​Introduction:
 
Chapter 4 continues the exposition of Psalm 95:7-11, and makes a drash (comparative teaching) using the term “rest” as a simile for “Shabbat”, with the purpose of revealing the present, ongoing, and coming eternal rest (Shabbat) of God, which has been established from the beginning of creation. That rest being present in the Kingdom of God manifest within time and space unto the goal and the convergence of the Olam Haba [world to come] (what many Christians often refer to as Heaven: a misnomer given Rev. 21:1-3).
 
The Shabbat in question is that Shabbat which is both established in the seventh day of the creation week and proceeds the cosmic week that follows the week of creation. The weekly Shabbat observed by the people of Israel (descendants of Jacob) is a shadow of the eternal Shabbat, in the same way that the earthly Temple is a shadow of heavenly things (Heb. 8:4-5).
 
Shabbat, from the Hebrew root sheva (7, blessing, rest, sit), and related to the Hebrew word shevet (sit, dwell, settle) reflects the fullness of the attributes of God’s nature, His rest and blessing (Isaiah 6:1-5). Therefore, In God through Messiah the eternal Shabbat (rest) has existed from the foundation of the world and thus, from our view within time and space, the temporal rest of the promised land which Joshua lead Israel into (Joshua 1:13) is preceded and superseded by the eternal rest of God through Yeshua. This is consistent with the theme of Messiah’s superiority, His all-existing nature. Yeshua is Lord of the Shabbat (not just the temporal weekly Shabbat but also of the transcendent Shabbat reflected in it.
 
This teaching does not do away with the observance of the weekly Shabbat by the Jewish believer (ethnic descendant of Jacob), rather it illuminates the weekly Shabbat as a reminder of the rest experienced by creation in the beginning, and acts as a foretaste of the eternal Shabbat which already exists and will swallow up the present sin affected creation with fire (judgement) and renewal (2 Peter 3:10).
 
It’s important at this point to remind the reader that the audience of this work are late first century Jewish followers of Yeshua the King Messiah, and that their understanding sees all that is being taught in relationship to God’s continued redemptive purposes and His immutable promises to Israel, the blood descendants of Jacob. They are faced with properly understanding the nature of the passing earthly shadows of the heavens (the role of Torah, priesthood, sacrificial system, priestly practice, and Shabbat). Note that the earthly shadows are passing, neither obligatory nor permanent.
 
As is the case with all Scripture (scrolls of the original texts), there are no chapter breaks or verse markers (or punctuation for that matter) in the scroll of the Book to the Hebrews. It’s important to see the text of this chapter as a continuation of the previous chapter, the last verses of chapter 3 being:
 
18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient, apathetic? 19 And we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.
 
Which rest did the disobedient among the generation leaving Egypt not enter?
 
““Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land.’” -Joshua 1:13 NIV
 
The rest being used as an example is the rest obtained by God’s gift of the promised land Eretz Yisrael.
 
If we fail to keep this in mind we will fail to understand the remainder of the teaching.
 
BOOK TO THE HEBREWS Chapter 4 (Author’s translation)
 
1 Fear therefore, lest while a promise remains [is to come] of entering into His rest, any one of you [souls] may seem [be thought to have] come short, fallen behind. 
2 For, indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also did; but the word, essence they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united, mixed, tempered together with those who in faith  heard, listened, received, understood.
3 For we who have believed, trusted, committed, enter His rest, just as He has said, “As I swore in My anger, flaring nostril, ‘They certainly shall not enter My rest.’” [Psalm 95:10-11 LXX] although His works were finished from the foundation of the world, earth and heavens. 
4 For He has said somewhere about the seventh day: “And God rested, sat down on the seventh day from all His works” [Gen. 2:2]; 
5 and again in this place, “‘They certainly shall not enter My rest.’” [Psalms 95:11] 
6 Because therefore, it remains for some to enter it, and those who before had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, apathy,
7 He again determined a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.” [Psalms 95:7-8]
8 For if Yehoshua (son of Nun) had given them rest, he would not have spoken of another day after that.
9 Consequently, there remains a Shabbat (rest, sitting, blessing) for the people of God. 
10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested, restrained from his works, as the God did from His. 
11 Therefore let’s be diligently labouring to enter that rest, so that no one will fall according to the same example, pattern of disobedience, apathy.
12 For living and effective, is the word, essence of God and sharper above any two-edged short sword, even piercing so as to divide soul life and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart (inner being, core).
13 Neither is there any creature, building, ordinance, hidden from His sight, presence, face, but all things individually and collectively are naked and opened before the eyes of Him to Whom we must give an account.
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest Who has passed through the heavens, Yeshua the Son of the God, let’s hold fast to our profession. 
15 For we do not have a high priest Who is unable to sympathize, have compassion with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted, tried, examined, proved in all things just as we are, yet without sin [missing the mark set by God’s holiness]. 
16 Therefore let us come freely with boldness, confidently to the throne of grace, unmerited favour, practical love, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.
 
HEBREWS 3 (line upon line)
 
1 Fear (phobeō[G]) therefore (oun[G]), lest while a promise (epaggelia[G], ha’havtacha[H]) remains [is to come] (lavo[H]) of entering (eiserchomai[G]) into (eis[G]) His (autos[G]) rest (katapausis[G], menuchato[H]), any one of you [souls](lenafsheinu[H]) may seem [be thought] (dokeō[G]) to have come short, fallen behind (hustereō[G]). 2 For (kai[G]), indeed (gar[G]) we have had good news preached (euaggelizō[G], vesra tovah[H]) to us, just as they also did; but the word, essence (logos[G], hadavar[H]) they heard (sham’u hem[H]) did not benefit (ōpheleō[G]) them, because they were not united, mixed, tempered together (sugkerannumi[G]) with those who in faith (pistis[G], be’emunat[H]) heard, listened, received, understood (akouō[G]). 
 
1 Fear therefore, lest while a promise remains [is to come] of entering into His rest, any one of you [souls] may seem [be thought to] have come short, fallen behind. 
 
“Fear therefore” The Jewish believers of the first century are admonished to have holy fear of God because the generation of their ancestors who disobeyed God in the desert “were not able to enter because of unbelief.” In short, “fear God and avoid unbelief”.
 
“lest while a promise remains of entering into His rest, any one of you [souls] may seem to have come short, fallen behind.” While the promise of entering His (God’s) rest remains, continues to be accessible to the Jewish believers (meaning unto the goal of time and space), we must be careful not to fall short of it through unbelief.
 
While the original temporal rest of the promised land offered by God through Joshua (Joshua 1:13) had been entered into by some (Joshua, Caleb and their families along with the subsequent generation born of the disobedient), even some of those who received this Book to the Hebrews (Jewish believers still living in the land of Israel prior to 70 C.E), it was nonetheless always to be a temporal shadow of the eternal land promised to Israel (part of the world to come), entry to which continues to be offered to the descendants of Jacob through the final Joshua, Yeshua the King Messiah.
 
The writer of the Book to the Hebrews, understanding that in the context of Psalms 95, the rest being entered into was the promised land (eretz Yisrael) [ref. Joshua 1:13], now makes a comparative drash alluding to the eternal rest of God as having been established from the beginning of creation (Gen.2:2). He makes clear that the eternal rest of God was always offered to Israel through Yeshua the King Messiah, and that the temporal rest offered in the land has always been a shadow of the eternal rest that exists outside of time and space. Not that Israel will fail to possess the land promised to her by God as an everlasting possession (Gen. 15), but that she will possess that land renewed, recreated, everlasting, in the Olam Haba (world to come).
 
“Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land.’” -Joshua 1:13 NIV
 
Therefore, the temporary, earthly rest gained under the leadership of Joshua at God’s instruction was pointing to the transcendent and eternal, metaphysical, spiritual, rest of God established in creation and fully filled in the renewed creation.
 
2 For, indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also did; but the word, essence they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united, mixed, tempered together with those who in faith  heard, listened, received, understood.
 
“For, indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also did;” The good news/Gospel (euaggelizō[G], vesra tovah[H]) the generation escaping Egypt had received was in historical context, the news of the promised rest of God in the promised land of Israel (Joshua 1:13). However, it was also the transcendent good news of Messiah, Who, resurrected and unbound by time and space has made salvation available to all, regardless of their position within the limitations of chronology. That Good News made evident in the delivering of the snake bitten through gazing upon the defeated snake held up on a bronse stake by Moses the drawn out one (Num. 21).
 
Therefore, “we have had good news preached to us, just as they also did;” makes the Good News/Gospel of Yeshua the King Messiah available to every generation. Anything else denies God’s justice and impugns His character, for in a certain place Messiah has said “No one comes to the Father (God) except through Me” (John 14:6). From the first man Adam until the last human to be born prior to the goal (end) of the present created order, all are offered an opportunity of redemption and eternal life by the just God of creation through the Last Adam (Yeshua) [1 Cor. 15:45].
 
“The word they heard did not benefit them because they were not united, together with those who in faith heard, listened” Not because they were entirely devoid of faith of any kind, but because they were not united in faith with those who truly listened to the voice of God (specifically Joshua & Caleb: Num. 13:30-14:10). In short, faith alone is not enough, faith grows in relationship and is proved in action (Yaakov [James] 2:14-25). The emphasis is on the need for each believer to be strengthened by the community of faith. This is pretext to the explicit allusion to the same idea recorded later in the Book to the Hebrews.
 
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” -Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV
 
3 For we who have believed, trusted, committed (pisteuō[G], hama’amiyniym[H]) enter (eiserchomai[G]) His rest (katapausis[G], menuchato[H]), just as He has said, “As I swore (omnuō[G], nishbatiy[H]) in My anger, flaring nostril (orgē[G], veafiy[H]), ‘They certainly shall not enter (eiserchomai[G], im-yevoun[H]) My rest (katapausis ego[G], el-menuchatiy[H]).’” [Psalm 95:10-11 LXX] although His works (ergon[G]) were finished from the foundation (katabolē[G], behivaseid[H]) of the world, earth and heavens (kosmos[G], eretz veshamayim[H]). 4 For He has said (ereō[G]) somewhere about (peri[G]) the seventh day (hebdomos[G], al yom hashviyiy[H]): “And God (Theos[G], Elohiym[H]) rested, sat down (katapauō[G], vayishbot[H]) on the seventh day (bayom hashviyiy[H]) from all (mekol[H]) His works (ergon[G], melachto[H])” [Gen. 2:2]; 
 
3 For we who have believed, trusted, committed, enter His rest, just as He has said, “As I swore in My anger, flaring nostril, ‘They certainly shall not enter My rest.’” [Psalm 95:10-11 LXX] although His works were finished from the foundation of the world, earth and heavens. 
 
Psalms 95, requoted here, was sung during the weekly Shabbat services in the Temple and remains part of the weekly Shabbat liturgy in the synagogue to this day. The writer’s Jewish audience understand the intrinsic connection between this Psalm and the weekly Shabbat.
 
In the same way that entering into the physical rest of the land of Canaan demanded faith in God’s promise, so too entry into the eternal rest through salvation in Messiah demands faith as an ongoing commitment to walking with Yeshua in God.
 
“we who have believed, trusted, committed, enter His rest…” Those of us who believe and are committed to Yeshua in God have begun and are continuing to “enter His rest”. The text is in the present continuous sense, meaning that it is an ongoing process.
 
It’s important to remember that belief (faith, trust) births action and action is the reciprocating child of belief. One who believes that action is incumbent upon him is in bondage to himself, but the one whose actions are born of his belief is free. Nothing free ever comes from obligation.
 
“His works were finished from the foundation of the world, earth and heavens.” The eternal Shabbat established in God has been present and offered to humanity from the foundation of creation. His rest is already a reality for those willing to receive it. “His rest” means that the rest in question belongs to and is in God. It is made available to humanity (always first for the Jew and also always for the Gentile ref. Rom. 1:16) through Yeshua the King Messiah. The rest God calls us to is not “our rest” but “His rest”.
 
The rest in question is present in the receipt of salvation, discipleship, future Messianic age and the Olam Haba (world to come) as a complex unity. It is all these and no single separated part of the sum.
 
Rav Kattina teaches that the six millennia of world history will be followed by a millennium of Shabbat, the Messianic age (Sanhedrin 97a). In Biblical Hebrew thought 1000 is symbolic of eternity or perpetuity. Therefore, Jewish tradition affirms the eternal nature of the Shabbat rest of the Olam Haba (world to come).
 
4 For He has said somewhere about the seventh day: “And God rested, sat down on the seventh day from all His works” [Gen. 2:2]; 
 
Once again the writer does not quote chapter and verse. Rather he alludes to a text that is well known and presumes the audience will be familiar with it. The Hebrew text of Genesis 2:2 literally says that God “sat down on the seventh day”. In very simple and profound terms, to receive the good news of Yeshua is to sit in immutable rest and security with God (the YHVH Merciful Elohiym Judge).
 
5 and again in this place (uvamakom hazeh[H]), “‘They certainly shall not enter (eiserchomai[G], im-yevoun[H]) My rest (katapausis ego[G], el-menuchatiy[H]).’” [Psalms 95:11] 6 Because (epei[G]) therefore (oun[G]), it remains (apoleipō[G]) for some to enter (eiserchomai[G]) it, and those who before (proteron[G]) had good news preached (euaggelizō[G], vesra tovah[H]) to them failed to enter (eiserchomai[G]) because of disobedience, apathy, (apeitheia[G]) 
 
5 and again in this place, “‘They certainly shall not enter My rest.’” [Psalms 95:11] 6 Because therefore, it remains for some to enter it, and those who before had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, apathy,
 
“Those who before” Are those of the generation that came out of Egypt. Therefore, the generation that escaped Egypt also were given the euaggelizo Good News (as previously explained) but with the exception of Joshua and Caleb and their families, that generation rejected the Good News through disobedience and apathy. The generation escaping Egypt was given the Torah at Sinai and with it the weekly Shabbat sign of distinction commanded to ethnic Israelites (Exodus 31:16-17). Following this, while numerous acts of disobedience contributed, nonetheless one single act of disobedience prevented the disbelieving of that generation from entering the rest of the promised land (Joshua 1:13). It was their refusal of the euaggelizo Good News/Gospel spoken by Joshua (& Caleb) concerning the promised land. Joshua being a type in both name and action for the future King Messiah Who would lead Israel into the eternal promised land (Olam Haba). Note that the disobedient who failed to enter the rest were weekly Shabbat keepers.
 
Once again, the writer of the Book to the Hebrews, understanding that in the context of Psalms 95, the rest being entered into was the promised land (Eretz Yisrael), now makes a comparative drash alluding to the eternal rest of God as having been established from the beginning of creation (Gen.2:2). He makes clear that the eternal rest of God was always offered to Israel through Yeshua the King Messiah, and that the rest offered in the land has always been a shadow of the eternal rest that exists outside of time and space, albeit in the eternal land (Israel [chosen, ethnic] will have the promised land Ertez Yisrael in the world to come, but it will be renewed/recreated undefiled).
 
“Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land.’” -Joshua 1:13 NIV
 
Therefore, the temporary, earthly rest gained under the leadership of Joshua son of Nun, at God’s instruction, was pointing to the transcendent and eternal, metaphysical, spiritual rest of God established in creation. This is evidenced by the continuing invitation of Psalms 95:7-8.
 
7 He again (palin[G]) determined (horizo[G]) a certain (tis[G]) day (hemera[G]), “Today,” (sēmeron[G], hayom[H]) saying (lego[G]) through David[H] (Beloved) after (meta[G]) so long (tosoutos[G]) a time (chronos[G]) just as has been said before, “Today (sēmeron[G], hayom[H]) if (ean[G], im[H]) you hear (akouō[G], tishmau[H]) His voice (phone[G], bekolo[H]), Do not (me[G]) harden (sklērunō[G]) your hearts.” [Psalms 95:7-8] 8 For if Yeshua/Yehoshua[H] (Iesous[G] Joshua: YHVH Saves) had given them rest (katapauō[G]), he would not have spoken of another (allos[G]) day (hemera[G]) after that. 
 
7 He again determined a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.” [Psalms 95:7-8]
 
“Today” Meaning both David’s time and the time of the writing of the Book to the Hebrews.
 
King David lived centuries after Joshua. Therefore, the settlement of Canaan by Joshua, Caleb and the generation following those who were disobedient, did not fully fill the promise of rest. That promise being one of eternal rest in the recreated promised land within the Olam Haba (world to come).
 
The everlasting nature of the Shabbat rest of God is further illuminated by Yeshua the King Messiah:
 
“And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” -Matthew 22:31-32 ESV
 
“if you hear His voice” Does not mean “if the message is spoken to you” but “if, once the message has been spoken to you, you choose to hear, listen, receive, understand…”
 
“Do not harden your hearts” These words are spoken to soft hearts as a warning against hardening.
 
“Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi went to the Messiah. He said to the Messiah: Greetings to you, my rabbi and my teacher. The Messiah said to him: Greetings to you, bar Leva’i. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said to him: When will the Master come? The Messiah said to him: Today. Sometime later, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi came to Elijah. Elijah said to him: What did the Messiah say to you? He said to Elijah that the Messiah said: Greetings [shalom] to you, bar Leva’i. Elijah said to him: He thereby guaranteed that you and your father will enter the World-to-Come, as he greeted you with shalom. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said to Elijah: The Messiah lied to me, as he said to me: I am coming today, and he did not come. Elijah said to him that this is what he said to you: He said that he will come “today, if you will listen to his voice” (Psalms 95:7).” -Talmud Bavliy Sanhedrin 98a 17
 
8 For if Yehoshua (son of Nun) had given them rest, he would not have spoken of another day after that. 
 
The Greek Iesous meaning Yeshua is used here to refer to Joshua son of Nun and not to Yeshua the Messiah. Yehoshua or its shortened form Yeshua was a common name among Jews of every period, being that Joshua is a hero of Biblical Jewish faith whose name means YHVH is salvation. Because the writer of Hebrews was writing to first century Jewish believers he need not clarify which Yeshua he is speaking of. Those who received this work understood the context of the Scripture which the writer was expounding. Where the King Messiah is meant a qualifying title or description is included, as is the case later in this chapter, where He is called Yeshua the Son of God (v.14).
 
If those of the generation of Joshua had entered the rest being spoken of, David would not have had to speak of another day called “today”.
 
9 Consequently, there remains (apoleipō[G]) a Shabbat[H] [rest, sitting, blessing] (sabbatismos[G]) for the people (laos[G], le’am[H]) of God (Theos[G], Elohiym[H]). 10 For the one who has entered (eiserchomai[G]) His rest (katapausis[G], menuchato[H]) has himself also rested, restrained (katapauō[G]) from his own (autos[G]) works (ergon[G]), as the God (ho Theos[G], Elohiym[H]) did from His. 11 Therefore let’s be diligently labouring (spoudazō[G]) to enter (eiserchomai[G]) that rest (katapausis[G]), so that no one will fall (piptō[G]) according to the same example, pattern (hupodeigma[G]) of disobedience, apathy, (apeitheia[G]). 
 
9 Consequently, there remains a Shabbat (rest, sitting, blessing) for the people of God.
 
“there remains a Shabbat” First, this verse speaks of “a Shabbat” and not “the Shabbat (weekly)”. Shabbat can refer to the weekly Shabbat, or to any of the high days of the Biblical festivals. Thus, Israel has many Shabbatot (sabbaths). What’s more, Shabbat literally means “rest” (those foolish Messianics who claim the word “rest” is not present in the text of Heb. 4:9, clearly don’t understand the Hebrew language, Biblical or otherwise).
 
Had the writer intended to convey the weekly Shabbat as being the Shabbat that remains he would have used the definite article and called it “the Shabbat”. The Shabbat that remains cannot be the weekly Shabbat observed in the sin affected creation. That weekly Shabbat will not remain, because eternity is a perpetual Shabbat and not a temporary break in the sin affected weekly rhythm of the present order. Further still, the disobedient generation who did not enter the rest that remains, were weekly Shabbat keepers (as per Sinai and the giving of Torah). Therefore, to claim that the Shabbat being spoken of here is the weekly Shabbat is to diminish the promise and make it worthless.
 
The idea that the Shabbat rest of God that remains is everlasting is consistent with ancient Jewish writings. Qumran’s 4QShirShabba describes the heavenly host celebrating the transcendent heavenly Shabbat. Likewise Mishnah Tamid 7:4 describes the Messianic age as an eternal Shabbat. Neither of which are the weekly Shabbat, which is not more than a shadow of the heavenly Shabbat. Weekly Shabbat keeping is of benefit only if it is observed in freedom out of love and acknowledged as a “sign” between God and the ethnic descendants of Jacob.
 
If you keep the Shabbat out of obligation you have failed to obey the commandment. Obligation is hard work, there is no rest in obligation (Shemot [Exodus] 31:16-17, Galatians 5:1).
 
“for the people of God” In the context of the Book to the Hebrews “the people of God” are the Jewish people, in particular the Messiah following Jews of the first century C.E. (the recipients of this work). The Hebrew descriptor “People of God” alludes to the ethnic descendants of Jacob (Judges 40:2; 2 Samuel 14:13). The Greek “laos” used here in the Book to the Hebrews is used throughout the Septuagint LXX to refer to ethnic Israel, the descendants of Jacob (Exodus 33:13, 16; Deut. 7:6; Hosea 4:6, 8, 12). The most common Biblical application of the phrase “People of God” is to ethnic Israel, the descendants of Jacob.
 
While it’s true that elsewhere in the Brit Chadashah (NT) Gentile followers of Yeshua are grafted into the wider meaning of the descriptor “People of God” (Acts 15:14; 18:10; Romans 9:25; 11; 1 Peter 2:10), it is nonetheless not the case in the present passage.
 
This does not negate an application by extension to all Messiah followers, but it does establish context so as to avoid the zealous overreach of the law keeping rhetoric of certain Messianic Jews and far too many Messianic Gentiles (so called). Those who insist that these verses support the idea that all followers of God must keep the weekly Shabbat, have not read them in context, nor have they properly considered the wider Scriptural imperative regarding the weekly Shabbat.
 
Additionally, being grafted into the Commonwealth of Israel (Rom. 11; Eph. 2) does not make a Gentile person ethnically or spiritually Jewish any more than being a part of the Commonwealth of Great Britain makes an indigenous Cree person (Canadian native) a Briton (tribal, ethnic, of Britain). Those grafted into the Commonwealth of Israel feed from the faith root of the natural olive tree (ethnic Jews/Israelites) but do not fruit the same variety of fruit as the natural tree.
 
As a manager of a garden centre for a number of years (prior to becoming a Spiritual Leader) I noted that the multi-graft olive trees we sold fruited the fruit of their original (wild) plants where they had been grafted to the natural (base stock) plant. In short, a burgundy-brown coloured (Kalamata) olive from a wild tree grafted to the green olive (Castelvetrano) of the natural tree, nonetheless fruited burgundy-brown year after year, likewise a black olive (Bella di Cerignola) from another wild tree, and so on (we sold trees of up to four grafts of wild olives attached to the root stock of the base plant). After all, what is the point of a multi-graft olive tree that bears only the fruit of the natural tree?
 
With regard to the teaching of Romans 11/Ephesians 2, spiritually and ethnically speaking, being grafted in by faith through Yeshua the King Messiah to the root source (that which feeds the tree) does not mean a loss of ethnicity (culture, uniqueness, identity, flavour, colour), nor does it mean appropriation of the mother tree’s ethnicity (culture, uniqueness, identity, flavour, colour).
 
Learn this lesson well Gentile brothers and sisters: God did not make a mistake when He made you of a different ethnicity to that of Israel (Jewish people). Nor does He require you to become Jews. Freedom is in Messiah alone, all else is idolatrous nonsense. Be the Messiah essential you, expressing all that is godly within your own ethnic cultural identity in Yeshua.
 
The Shabbat in question (Heb. 4:9) has clearly not been entered into by the ancient generation of disobedient Israelites (escaping Egypt) who nonetheless had kept the weekly Shabbat since receiving the command at Sinai, and died subsequently after complaining against God. Therefore, the weekly Shabbat cannot possibly be the Shabbat being spoken of here.
 
We are again reminded that added to this is the fact that the audience of the Book to the Hebrews are first century Jewish believers who are already keeping the weekly Shabbat, but are nonetheless being admonished to work to enter Shabbat (v.10-11), why? If they’re already keeping the weekly Shabbat, why would they need to work at entering, unless the Shabbat being spoken of is not the weekly Shabbat. The weekly Shabbat (which the believing Jews were already keeping) is instead used as an example of the transcendent Shabbat of God accessed by those who receive His Son Yeshua in faith and action.
 
10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested, restrained from his own works, as the God did from His. 
 
“the one who has entered His rest” Means that the believing Jew who has already entered God’s rest and will continue to. “The one who has entered” is the believing Jew. The rest being spoken of, called “His rest”, is the transcendent Shabbat of God (the nearest subject) established before the foundation of the world. Therefore, the one who has entered the transcendent Shabbat rest of God in Yeshua may well understand that rest, based on the observance of the weekly Shabbat, however, the weekly Shabbat is not the focus of this passage, rather the eternal Shabbat is.
 
We note that the one who has entered God’s rest has also, that is already through faith, chosen to “rest from his own works” as God rested from His work. In the case of God, His work was “very good” but in the case of the human being his work is sin affected and motivated by the evil inclination (Gen. 6:5). Therefore, the Jew who has entered the eternal Shabbat rest of God through Yeshua has learned to rest from the vanity of his own works. In short, there is no such thing as works based salvation (rest). Salvation unto rest is through Messiah in God alone and not by works, lest anyone should boast (commit idolatry)[Ephesians 2:8-9].
 
“For by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any human should boast.” - Ephesians 2:8-9
 
It is to the great shame of many in the Messianic movement and those numerous Gentile Messianic zealots and pseudo Christian cults who do the same, that we have often taught law keeping lies based on the decontextualised teaching of Scripture portions like Hebrews 4:9-10.
 
These verses are not teaching that all believers must keep the weekly Shabbat, but that Jewish believers who keep the weekly Shabbat possess it as a reminder of their position within the eternal Shabbat rest of God. Meaning that the weekly Shabbat commanded to “the children of Israel”[Exodus 31:16-17] (not to all believers but to the ethnic descendants of Jacob) is a shadow cast by the heavenly Shabbat. This is consistent with the wider teaching of the Book to the Hebrews (Heb. 8:4-5).
 
The writer could not be more clear in pointing out that weekly Shabbat observance does not give the observer access to the eternal Shabbat of God. If it did, all those Shabbat keeping Israelites of the disobedient generation (who received and practiced the commandment for some time prior to refusing the message of God sent via Moses and through Joshua and Caleb) would have entered. What’s more, as the Scripture teaches, the weekly Shabbat is first and foremost a “sign” (ot, miraculous banner) between God and the descendants of Jacob alone (Exodus 31:16-17). An ethno-religious, very specific sign pointing to the eternal Shabbat purchased by the ethno-religious Jewish Messiah Yeshua. It is not a sign on the Gentiles (believers or not), nor is it incumbent upon them.
 
The Scriptures refute the false teaching that says the weekly Shabbat is incumbent on Gentile Christians. Rabbinical Judaism agrees and requires that Gentile God fearers need only keep the moral Law of Torah, sometimes referred to as the Noachide laws. Those moral laws predating the giving of the Torah and the ethno-religious sign of Shabbat. In fact, many of the moral laws which predate Torah are evidenced in other ancient moral codes such as the Hammurabi Codex 1755 B.C.E (which predates the Torah 1312 B.C.E by some 400 years) The early Jewish Church fathers also agree, and by the direction of the Holy Spirit gave the Gentile believers a concise form of the Noachide laws to guide them (Acts 15:1-35), laws which excluded the weekly Shabbat commandment.
 
Further still, in response to those who reject Scripture and claim the entire Torah to be incumbent on Gentiles, we ask “Where is it recorded that Adam, Noah, Abraham or even Jacob and his sons observed the weekly Shabbat?”
 
For further clarification please read the following exert from my previous article on the subject:
 
The Weekly Shabbat is Not Incumbent on Gentile Christians
 
“Remember Yom Shabbat, to keep it holy. You are to work six days, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Shabbat to ADONAI your God. In it you shall not do any work—not you, nor your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, your cattle, nor the outsider that is within your gates.” Exodus 20:8-10 (TLV)
 
Note that this commandment, given specifically to Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical) is to be observed by all Jews but only by foreigners (Gentiles) who live within the Jewish community: specifically among the people of Israel on their way to and within the land of Israel. This does not apply to today’s Christians who worship the God of Israel but live outside of Israel and further still, outside of the Jewish communities within the diaspora. The commandment to keep the weekly Shabbat is specifically a sign on the ethnic, religious chosen people of Israel (Jews):
 
“So Bnei-Yisrael is to keep the Shabbat, to observe the Shabbat throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and Bnei-Yisrael forever, for in six days ADONAI made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He ceased from work and rested.’” -Exodus 31:16-17 (TLV)
 
We note that the weekly Shabbat is a sign between God and the ethnic, religious people of Israel (Jews). It is not a sign upon the nations.
 
When Yeshua said:
 
“the Shabbat was made for man and not man for the Shabbat” (Mark 2:23-28)
 
The only “men” present were Jews. Further, He used an example from the Tanakh in which only Jews participated. If we interpret His words to apply to all human beings, we are ignoring the historical and Scriptural context of what He said and impugning His character by suggesting that He contradicted the Torah (Exodus 31:16-17).
 
To the contrary, He is making a drash (comparative teaching) on a commandment given specifically to Israel (ethnic, religious , empirical) and not to the nations. Thus, when He says “man” He means “man” within the context of Israel (Jews) and not humanity in general.
 
If we go further and interpret His words figuratively to apply the Shabbat to all nations, we must by reason of logical progression be speaking of the eternal Shabbat at the end of the age, that is the Olam Haba (world to come) and not to the temporal weekly Shabbat commanded specifically to the Jews. All figurative interpretation must submit to the plain meaning of the text.
 
In the context of Yeshua’s words the command to keep Shabbat is not made incumbent on Gentile Christians, (who did not yet exist at the time Yeshua spoke), rather He was explaining to the Pharisees that the sign of the Shabbat upon Israel’s “men” was one of rest and restoration through the work of God and was not a form of rest purchased by either the restraint or the actions of Jewish “men” (and women).
 
All this is done to keep the Shabbat as a sign on the ethnic, religious Jewish people until the end of the age, when:
 
“‘it will come to pass,
that from one New Moon to another,
and from one Shabbat to another,
all flesh will come to bow down before Me,’
says ADONAI.” -Isaiah 66:23 (TLV)
 
The prophet Isaiah is clearly prophesying a time yet future (it will come), and is not, as some suggest, inferring that all nations should keep the weekly Shabbat in the present age.
 
This is also seen in Zechariah 14:16 where, at the end of the age (not now), the survivors of the defeated nations will repent and go up to Jerusalem to join with ethnic, religious Israel in celebration of the festival (signs) placed on the Jews. Neither passage denotes a requirement for weekly Shabbat observance by Gentile Christians in the present.
 
When Yeshua says “The Son of Man is Lord of the Shabbat” He is alluding to the Messianic title given to the Messiah in the prophecy of Daniel (Dan. 7:13-14) in order that He might be recognised as the Messiah by His disciples and any among the Pharisees who might understand and repent. While it is true that He is the Messiah over all men, we do not glean this understanding from the context of Mark 2:23-28.
 
I remind the reader that the weekly Shabbat is a sign between God and the ethnic, religious people of Israel (Jews). It is not a sign upon the nations.
 
“So Bnei-Yisrael is to keep the Shabbat, to observe the Shabbat throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and Bnei-Yisrael forever, for in six days ADONAI made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He ceased from work and rested.’” -Exodus 31:16-17 (TLV)
 
Those who teach that Gentile Christians must keep the weekly Shabbat are in fact teaching Gentile Christians to usurp one of the signs that sets ethnic, religious Israel apart from the nations. Ironically, in doing so, these “Seventh Day Adventists”, “Hebrew roots Christians”, so called “Messianic Gentiles” and sadly far too many Messianic Jews, are literally teaching the practice of “Replacement Theology” (Successionism, Supersessionism, Continuationism etc.), which many of them claim to detest. Thus, they have become the worst kind of hypocrites.
 
I stand in opposition to those movements who seek to place Gentile Christians under bondage to commandments that were never incumbent upon them.
 
This is not to say that Gentile Christians can’t choose to keep the weekly Shabbat as free members of the body of Messiah Yeshua, rather it is to say that the weekly Shabbat is not incumbent upon Gentile Christians.
 
As a Jew and a follower of Yeshua set free for freedom, I don’t keep the weekly Shabbat out of a sense of obligation, but because I have come to understand that in Yeshua every day is Shabbat.
 
11 Therefore let’s be diligently labouring to enter that rest, so that no one will fall according to the same example, pattern of disobedience, apathy.
 
Once again those Jews who receive Yeshua are admonished to walk diligently in Him. Within time and space we are entering His rest so as not to remain in apathetic disobedience.
 
As explained by the text itself and its context, “that rest” is the eternal Shabbat of God established in creation and not the weekly Shabbat.
 
The Shabbat rest spoken of is God’s, as is the labour of entering. So what is the “work/labour of God”?
 
“Yeshua answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe, trust, be committed in the One He has sent.” - John 6:29
 
We recall that the writer of the Book to the Hebrews has called Yeshua Ha Shaliach (The Sent One) the Apostle (Heb. 3:1).
 
Discipleship begins and continues in Yeshua. It is true that in Yeshua we have been saved. It is further important to realise that we are being saved. A date on a calendar is not proof of redemption, but the fruit of righteousness is evidence of it.
 
“For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” -Hebrews 10:14 NIV
 
12 For living (zaō[G], chay[H]) and effective (energēs[G]), is the word, essence (ho logos[G], ha’davar[H]) of God (Theos[G], Elohiym[H]) and sharper (tomōteros[G]) above (huper[G]) any two-edged (distomos[G]) short sword (machaira[G]), even piercing (diikneomai[G]) so as to divide (merismos[G]) soul life (psuchē[G], nefesh[H])) and spirit (pneuma[G], ruach[H]), of both joints (harmos[G]) and marrow (muelos[G]), and able to discern (kritikos[G]) the thoughts (enthumēsis[G]) and intentions (ennoia[G]) of the heart [inner being, core] (kardia[G], leiv[H]). 
 
12 For living and effective, is the word, essence of God and sharper above any two-edged short sword, even piercing so as to divide soul life and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart (inner being, core). 
 
“living and effective, is the word, essence of God and sharper above any two-edged short sword, even piercing so as to divide soul life and spirit, of both joints and marrow,” The couplets of Jewish poetry are present here in order to firmly establish the action of God’s living word essence in the person of Messiah. Soul to joint, spirit to marrow, seemingly indiscernible elements that show God’s intimate work through His living word (davar[H]).
 
The Greek “logos” equivalent to the Hebrew “davar” conveys more than written word (ketvi[H]). The Word (John 1) is present and active participating in the redemption of creation, dividing soul and spirit, joint and marrow, getting to the heart (inner being, core) of the human condition and bringing salvation and rest.
 
“The heart (inner being, core) is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” -Jeremiah 17:9
 
“short sword” The Greek macharia describes an extremely sharp short sword or long dagger (Heb. 11:34, 37) often used by ancient Greeks and Romans as a stabbing weapon in close combat. An intimate weapon used up close. The same word is used to describe the “sword of the Spirit” as the word of God (Eph. 6:17). A surgical precision is inferred.
 
“able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” A non-Jewish writer, in keeping with the Greco-Roman worldview, might have written “discern the thoughts of the mind and intentions of the heart”. But the Jewish writer shows that he understands the heart in terms of Jewish consciousness, as the convergent centre of being (core). He does not convey God as dividing heart and mind but as the One Who discerns the thoughts and intentions of the inner person (heart, core).
 
13 Neither is there any creature, building, ordinance (ktisis[G]), hidden (aphanēs[G]) from His sight, presence, face (enōpion[G]), but all things (hakol[H]) individually and collectively (pas[G]) are naked (gumnos[G]) and opened (trachēlizō[G]) before the eyes of Him to Whom we must give an account (hemin logos[G]) [alt. diyn lepeneyv[H] to be judged before His face]. 14 Therefore, since we have a great (megas[G]) high priest (archiereus[G], kohen gadol[H]) Who has passed (dierchomai[G]) through the heavens (Ouranos[G], hashamayim[H]), Yeshua[H] (Iesous[G]) the Son (ho uihos[G], ha ben[H]) of the God (ho Theos[G], ha Elohiym[H]), let’s hold fast (krateō[G]) to our profession (homologia[G]). 
 
13 Neither is there any creature, building, ordinance, hidden from His sight, presence, face, but all things individually and collectively are naked and opened before the eyes of Him to Whom we must give an account.
 
Nothing and no one is hidden from The Word of God (Yeshua), Who is the subject of the previous verse. God has committed all judgment to Yeshua (John 5:22; Acts 17:31; Romans 2:16). No one can Hide from God (Psalms 139:7-12).
 
The early Jewish believers are reminded of Yeshua’s intimate presence and their right standing before Hashem in the Messiah. The believer stands as though naked before God in Messiah, thus, we must constantly seek to be aware of Him and the right use of our parts (every element of our soul existence) in Him.
 
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Messiah, so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad.” - 2 Corinthians 5:10
 
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest Who has passed through the heavens, Yeshua the Son of the God, let’s hold fast to our profession. 
 
Yeshua was introduced as Kohen HaGadol at 2:17. The writer now begins an exposition of Psalms 110:4 (Heb. 4:14-7:28), focusing on the role of Messiah Yeshua as Kohen HaGadol of a transcendent priesthood that is superior to that of Aaron. Being that it existed before creation and makes atonement possible for all who believe (1 Peter 1:19-20; Rev. 13:8).
 
Having reminded the Jewish believers of the reality of the present and coming Judgement of God. The writer of Hebrews now reminds them of the present and continued mediation provided by Messiah Yeshua the Son of God and Kohen Gadol “Great High Priest”.
 
Yeshua will one day be our Judge, and is now and unto that day our intercessor and advocate (Heb. 7:25; 1 John 2:1). What’s more, our names are written in His book of life (Rev. 21:27).
 
“Who has passed through” Means that through His death and resurrection, being without sin, Yeshua passed through all realms and offered atonement in the heavenly holy of holies, and is therefore subject to none, but God has made all subject to Him.
 
Because Yeshua has passed through the heavens to atone for us just as the Levitical high priest of Israel made atonement in the holy place (Lev. 16:15, 17) [a shadow of the heavenly things ref. Heb. 8:5; 10:1], we must hold fast together to the profession, testimony, witness of our faith. Not simply a confession, which is an admission of belief, but a profession, and active proclamation of that belief.
 
15 For we do not have a high priest (archiereus[G], kohen gadol[H]) Who is unable to sympathize, have compassion (sumpatheō[G]) with our weaknesses (astheneia[G]), but One who has been tempted, tried, examined, proved (peirazō[G]) in all things just as we are, yet without (chōris[G]) sin [missing the mark set by God’s holiness] (hamartia[G]). 16 Therefore let us come freely (meta[G]) with boldness, confidence (parrhēsia[G]) to the throne (thronos[G]) of grace, unmerited favour, practical love (charis[G], harachamiym[H]), so that we may receive (lambanō[G]) mercy (eleos[G], chaniynah[H]) and find (heuriskō[G]) grace (charis[G], chesed[H]) for help (boētheia[G], la’azar[H]) at the time of our need (eukairos[G]).
 
15 For we do not have a high priest Who is unable to sympathize, have compassion with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted, tried, examined, proved in all things just as we are, yet without sin [missing the mark set by God’s holiness].
 
Hebrews 2:5-18 explains that Yeshua had a human nature like ours but remained sinless. Therefore, He is able to sympathize with us rather than empathize, because being tempted and tried in every way that it is possible for a human being to be challenged, He nonetheless remained sinless. He understands the pressures of the sin affected world (sympathy) but has not acted on them, or experienced sin (empathy).
 
The three primary forms of human sin are reflected in 1 John 2:15-17:
 
“15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” -1 John 2:15-17 KJV
 
1. Lust of the flesh
2. Lust of the eyes
3. Pride of life
 
It was to these three that Adam and Eve succumbed in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:1-6).
 
Yeshua on the other hand resisted all three (Matt. 4:1-11).
 
“For God has done what the Torah, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,” -Romans 8:3
 
That is not to say that the Torah is weak but that our weak flesh is unable to meet the standard it sets. Thus, Yeshua came in the weakness of our flesh in order to overcome that weakness and offer us freedom from it.
 
16 Therefore, let us come freely with boldness, confidence to the throne of grace, unmerited favour, practical love, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.
 
We can come freely and with confidence before the throne of God’s grace in Messiah because Messiah approaches with us and in us. He is both Judge and Mediator of the faithful.
 
“Throne of grace” is an unusual title, the more common designation being “throne of glory” (Jer. 14:21; Matt. 19:28). Because the context denotes Yeshua’s judgement seat, it seems likely that the “Throne of grace” refers to Yeshua’s throne. However, this does not negate the unity of God’s throne with Yeshua’s throne. As we have read previously, Yeshua is seated in the right hand of God. Locational earthly distinctions become redundant when seeking to understand the metaphysical realities of the Godhead. The Throne of God is described in 1 Kings 22:19; Isaiah 6:1; Ezekiel 1:26; Daniel 7:9.
 
Jewish tradition identifies multiple thrones, including a throne of God’s judgement and a throne of God’s mercy/grace (Targum in Psalms 29. 10. Talmud Bavliy Avoda Zara, fol. 3. 2. Zohar in Genesis fol. 38. 3. & in Numbers fol. 91. 2. & 93. 2. Megillat Esther, fol. 95. 1. Raziel, fol. 32. 1.)
 
"let my prayer come before Your throne of glory, and let my cry come before Your throne of thy mercy". -Raziel fol. 3. 1.
 
This is consistent with the present text.
 
By the grace of God Yeshua the King Messiah comes to set us free from our human propensity for sin and to walk with us in and toward the eternal Shabbat rest of God, so that we are holding His hand as we approach the throne of judgement and grace. Therefore we walk in terrified security, love engulfed fear, blissful trembling, toward Yeshua the Judge, being in Yeshua the High Priest, knowing that our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Why then would we ever be less than confident, or more than humble, except by allowing ourselves to be deluded through turning our gaze away from the King Messiah and toward the apathy of unbelief.
 
In our time of greatest need we have need of none other than the King Messiah.
 
Copyright 2021 Yaakov Brown

​Introduction:
 
Chapter 3 is essentially an exposition of Numbers 12:7 & Psalm 95:7-11. This section of the Book to the Hebrews adds to Messiah’s superiority over angelic beings, His superiority over Moses the Law giver and great intermediary between God and Israel. Moses the drawn out (resurrected) one is seen as being part of the house of Israel, built by God, and Yeshua the Son Who has dominion over that same house is called the Builder of Moses. The receipt of this revelation is compared to the receipt of the Torah and the promise of the land (Ha’aretz Yisrael) to the Israelites who escaped Egypt by God’s outstretched arm. While, at the same time the text makes clear that Yeshua is superior to Torah, being the Author and goal of it. The writer of Hebrews warns the early Jewish followers of Yeshua of the great danger to them if they choose to turn away from Yeshua, Who, is intrinsically linked to the Creator (Builder) of the house of Israel, that is, God Himself.
 
As is the case with all Scripture (scrolls of the original texts), there are no chapter breaks or verse markers (or punctuation for that matter) in the scroll of the Book to the Hebrews. It’s important to see the text of this chapter as a continuation of the previous chapter, the last verses of chapter 2 being:
 
17 Therefore, in all things individually and collectively He had to be made like His brothers so that He might become a merciful and faithful, true high priest in things pertaining, before the face of God, to make atoning reconciliation upon the sins [missing the mark set by God’s holiness] of the people. 18 Now since He Himself suffered temptation, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
 
BOOK TO THE HEBREWS Chapter 3 (Author’s translation)
 
1 Therefore, holy (set apart) brothers and sisters, partners, friends, companions of a heavenly vocation (a practiced calling), behold, consider, perceive the face of the sent One, Apostle, Messenger and High Priest of our profession, the sworn statement of our tongue: Yeshua (YHVH Saves); 2 He was faithful to Him Who appointed Him, just as Moshe (drawn out, resurrected) also was, in all His house (household).[Num.12:6-9]. 3 For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moshe, in the same way that the builder of the house has more honour than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. 5 Now Moshe was faithful in all His house [Num.12:6-9] as a servant, for a witness of those things which were to be spoken; 6 but the Messiah now, as a Son over His house—whose house we belong to, provided we hold firmly, cling to our confidence, strength and the rejoicing of our hope to the goal. 7 Therefore, according to what the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts, core being, inner person as when they provoked Me, As on the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 Where your fathers put Me to the test, And saw My works for forty years. [Psalm 95:7-10 LXX] 10 Therefore I was angry with, grieved by this generation, And said, ‘They always go astray, are deceived in their heart, core being, inner person, And they did not know, come to understand, learn My ways’; 11 As I swore in My anger, flaring nostril, ‘They certainly shall not enter My rest.’” [Psalm 95:10-11 LXX] 12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that there will not be any among you who have an evil, wicked, unbelieving heart that departs from the living God. 13 Moreover encourage, comfort, prove one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin [missing the mark set by God’s holiness]. 14 For we have become partners, friends of Messiah if we keep the beginning of our commitment firm until the goal, 15 while it is said, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.” 16 For who of them provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, yet not all those who came out of Egypt (double distress) through, in the hand Moshe (drawn out, resurrected)? 17 And whom was He grieved by for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient, apathetic? 19 And we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.
 
HEBREWS 3 (line upon line)
 
1 Therefore (hothen[G], al-ken[H]), holy (set apart) brothers and sisters (adelphos hagios[G], achay anosheiy kodesh[H]), partners, friends, companions (metochos[G], chaveriym[H]) of a heavenly vocation [a practiced calling] (klēsis epouranios[G]), behold, consider, perceive (katanoeō[G]) the face of the sent One, Apostle, Messenger (Apostolos[G], peneiy malakho[H] alt. Shaliach[H]) and High Priest (archiereus[G], Kohen HaGadol[H], kumrea[A]) of our profession, the sworn statement of our tongue (homologia[G], tishava leshoneinu[H]): Yeshua[H] (Iesuos[G], Joshua, Jesus, YHVH Saves); 
 
1 Therefore, holy (set apart) brothers and sisters, partners, friends, companions of a heavenly vocation (a practiced calling), behold, consider, perceive the face of the sent One, Apostle, Messenger and High Priest of our profession, the sworn statement of our tongue: Yeshua (YHVH Saves);
 
“Holy brothers and sisters” The writer of Hebrews is speaking to fellow Jews who are also fellow partners in the heavenly calling of Yeshua.
 
“Heavenly vocation” Is the practiced outworking of the Gospel message of Yeshua. The recipients of the Book to the Hebrews are “set apart” as fellow workers in the Kingdom of God. Partners who are admonished to “behold, consider, perceive the face of the sent One”.
 
Intimacy with Yeshua is encouraged because only through intimate relationship with God in Yeshua can believers continue to participate in the practiced calling of God’s redemptive work. Right doing is the fruit of right being.
 
Yeshua is referred to here as the Shaliach (Apostle: sent One). This is the only place in the Brit HaChadashah (NT) where the Greek Apostolos is used to describe Yeshua, and denotes that He is the Apostle over all other apostles (those who share in His ministry). This in correlation to Moses, the one sent by God in the Word (Yeshua) to carry the Torah to Israel. In short, the Author of the Torah (Yeshua in God) Who had sent Moses, now has come. YHVH sent Himself manifest as Yeshua, God with us (Imanu-El). The early Jewish believers are being admonished to work out their vocation (practiced heavenly calling) with fear and trembling, remembering that they are now partners (brothers and sisters [2:11-12]) with The Sent One Yeshua. During His earthly ministry Yeshua spoke often about His being sent of the Father God (Matt. 10:40; 15:24; Mark 9:37; Luke 9:48; John 4:34; 5:24, 30, 36-38; 6:38).
 
It’s important to note that the use of the Greek word apostolos (apostle: the equivalent of shaliach or malakh in Hebrew) here in reference to Yeshua infers that those who partner with Him in His vocation (practiced calling) are also apostles (sent ones). This is consistent with the teaching that all who receive Yeshua are priests under Him Who is Kohen HaGadol the High Priest over all creation (1 Peter 2:9). It is foolish then, for modern leaders of the faith community to adorn themselves with the title “Apostle” as a means of distinguishing themselves above fellow believers, given that we are all apostles, we are all priests, and we serve One Apostle, One High Priest.
 
The writer doesn’t only call Yeshua “Apostle” (Shaliach), he also calls Him “Kohen HaGadol” the High Priest. Thus, he unifies the roles of Prophet/Law giver (Moses) and Mediator (Aaron) in Yeshua. The High Priest was of central importance to the Temple cult and the practice of mediation and sacrificial reconciliation. The Jewish audience of the Book to the Hebrews, (the Levites in particular) would have placed great importance upon the role of the High Priest and the necessity of blood atonement for the remission of sin. Therefore, the writer, inspired by the Holy Spirit, makes clear that Yeshua is the all existing High Priest, able to atone eternally through the eternal blood of God, as Son over all creation.
 
It is of great significance that Jewish tradition says of the High Priest on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) that he is called “Shaliach” (sent One):
 
"Lord high priest, we are the messengers of the Sanhedrim, and thou art Sh’lucheiynu (our apostle, messenger), and the messenger of the Sanhedrim.'' - Mishnah Yoma, c. 1. sect. 5.
 
“High Priest of our profession, the sworn statement of our tongue: Yeshua…” Yeshua Himself has imparted His testimony upon our tongues. Profession is practiced, it does not stay dormant or remain unspoken. The recipients of the Book to the Hebrews are being reminded of the inseparable elements of faith, belief in action, relationship reciprocated and shared with others. Those who claim that we need only live well in order to pass on the Gospel message are in grave error. We should live well, we should also speak well. Failure to do either is failure to walk in obedience to Scripture.
 
2 He was faithful (pistos[G], ne’eman[H]) to Him Who appointed Him, just as Moses (Moshe[H]) also was in all His house, household (holos oikos[G], bekol-beiyto[H])[Num.12:6-9].
 
2 He was faithful to Him Who appointed Him, just as Moshe also was in all His house, (household).
 
Yeshua has submitted Himself to God Who appointed Him as Prophet and Redeemer of Israel, just as Moses was faithful to God, Who appointed him to be mediator of the Torah. Yeshua’s faithfulness includes His willingness to be made for a little while, lower than the angelic beings whom He created in God (2:7).
 
The Hebrew word ne’eman used here to translate the Greek pistos, is used in Mishnaic Hebrew to mean “trusted” (Mishnah Sanhedrin, c. 3. sect. 2.). Moses had been trusted to lead Israel out of bondage through slavery under Pharaoh in Egypt, and Yeshua has been trusted to lead Israel out of the bondage of slavery to sin resulting in death, under the Devil (2:14-15), and into both the present and future Kingdom of God. Yeshua offers the Shabbat rest of present salvation in convergence with the Shabbat rest of the Olam Haba (world to come) [4:3, 9], to all those who receive Him, continually firstly to the Jews and also continually to the nations (Romans 1:16).
 
The writer of Hebrews quotes Numbers 12:7 in order to draw attention to the weight of the calling brought by Yeshua the King Messiah. He has already warned the early Jewish believers against “drifting away” (2:1) and forsaking “so great a salvation”(2:3). Now he emphasises the sacred obligation of serving with Yeshua and affirms that this privilege comes with the opportunity to speak with God face to face just as Moses did.
“6 he said, “Listen to my words:
“When there is a prophet among you,
    I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions,
    I speak to them in dreams.
7 But this is not true of my servant Moses;
    he is faithful in all my house.
8 With him I speak face to face,
    clearly and not in riddles;
    he sees the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid
    to speak against my servant Moses?”
9 The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them.” -Numbers 12:6-9 NIV
“just as Moshe also was in all His house, household.” Means that Yeshua, like Moses, has been faithful in all Israel, in His tribe (Judah), among the tribes (all Israel), in the land of Israel, in the present world, and in all creation.
 
3 For He has been counted worthy (axioō[G]) of more (pleiōn[G]) glory (doxa[G], kevod[H]) than Moses (Moshe[H]), in the same way that the builder (kataskeuazō[G], boneih[H]) of the house has more honour (timē[G], rav kevodo[H]) than the house (oikos[G], beiyt[H]). 4 For every house (oikos[G], kol-bayit[H]) is built by someone (banuy biydeiy voneh[H]), but the builder of all things (kataskeuazō[G], uvoneh-khol[H]) is God (Theos[G], Elohiym[H]).
 
3 For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moshe, in the same way that the builder of the house has more honour than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.
 
The analogy makes Yeshua the Builder of Moshe, and in the proceeding clause implicitly calls Yeshua the Creator of all things. Yeshua is the One Whom Moshe prophesied would come (Deut.18:14-21). Given that God is Creator of all things, and thus the Creator of Moshe, Yeshua is God with us (Heb. 1:6; Col. 2:9 etc.)
 
The use of the noun “house” denotes a family, a people, a nation. Moshe represents the house of Israel under Torah (moral Law). Therefore, Yeshua is also worthy of greater honour than the Torah of Moses and all the righteous ones of Israel’s history because Yeshua is builder and goal of the “house” (Israel under the leadership of Moses).
 
The idea that the Messiah participates in creation and that He is greater than Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our Rabbi), is present in Jewish tradition:
 
" 'And the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.' This phrase from Bereishit (Gen.) 1:2 alludes to the spirit of the Messiah, because Yishayahu (Isaiah) 11:2 says, 'And the spirit of Adonai will rest upon him' [that is, upon the 'shoot of Jesse', which is a name for the Messiah]. Also we learn from the same text in Bereishit (Gen.) 1:2 that this spirit of the Messiah comes through the merit of repentance; for in Kiynot (Lamentations) 2:19 repentance is likened to water: 'Pour out your heart like water.' " (Genesis Rabbah 2:4)
 
"At the beginning of the creation of the world king Messiah had already come into being, because he existed in God's mind even before the world was created." (Pesikta Rabbati 33:6)
 
Compare John 1:1-18; 8:58-59; Colossians 1:15-17.
 
5 Now Moses (Moshe[H]) was faithful (pistos[G], ne’eman[H]) in all (holos[G], vekol[H]) His house (ho oikos autos[G], beiyto[H]) [Num.12:6-9] as a servant (therapōn[G], ke’eved[H]), for a witness (marturion[G], le’eidot[H]) of those things which were to be spoken (laleō[G]); 6 but the Messiah (Christos[G , Christ, HaMashiyach[H]) now (de[G]) as a Son (uihos[G]) over His house (oikos autos[G], ubeiyto[H])—whose house (oikos[G], beiyt[H]) we belong to, provided we hold firmly, cling (bebaios[G], nocheiz[H]) to our confidence, strength (katechō[G], bemivtacheinu veoz[H]) and the rejoicing (kauchēma[G]) of our hope (elpis[G], tikvato[H]) to the goal (ad-hakeitz[H]).
 
5 Now Moshe was faithful in all His house [Num.12:6-9] as a servant, for a witness of those things which were to be spoken; 6 but the Messiah now as a Son over His house—whose house we belong to, provided we hold firmly, cling to our confidence, strength and the rejoicing of our hope to the goal.
 
Moses was faithful in all his house (Israel) and prophesied the One to come, the Greatest Prophet of God Yeshua (Deut.18:14-21) Who is over His house (Israel). The early Jewish believers are admonished to stay firm and confident in their hope in Messiah Yeshua so that they don’t perish in the same way that those who rejected the leadership of Moses (appointed by God) did on the way to the promised land (Shabbat rest [4:9]).
 
“as a servant, for a witness of those things which were to be spoken” Moses is seen as a witness testifying to the coming of the greatest Prophet Yeshua (Deut.18:14-21), and the things that were to be said in Yeshua.
 
“the Messiah now as a Son over His house” Moses was a servant in a house affected by sin but Yeshua is the Son over that house come to redeem it from slavery to sin. All Israel, Moses included, were slaves to sin, Yeshua, Who was never a slave to sin, has come as the Son to bring many sons to glory (Heb. 2:10; John 8:34-36; 15:15; Galatians 4:1-7).
 
“whose house we belong to” This describes the Jewish writer and his Jewish recipients. They belong to the house of Yeshua both ethnically and through faith in Him. While it is true that all believers regardless of ethnicity belong to the house of Yeshua, that is not what the writer of Hebrews is saying here. He is specifically speaking of Yeshua’s house as it applies to His ethno-religious Jewish brothers and sisters, the “Israel of God” are ethno-religious Jews who have received Yeshua. We know this because both the term Jew and Israel are ethnic (tribal) nouns describing blood descendants of Yaakov (Jacob). A Jew who is a Jew inwardly must by definition (Jew being an ethnic term) be an ethnic Jew [Romans 2:29; 9; 11]. A Gentile Christian who claims to be a “Spiritual Jew” is no different from a Scotsman who claims to be a “Spiritual Navajo”, it is a logical fallacy, a spiritual heresy.
 
“provided we cling to our confidence and the rejoicing of our hope to the goal.” Belonging to the house of Messiah is established in the action of faith. Faith not acted on is faithless. The early Jewish believers are encouraged to see no separation between trust and action. This is consistent with pre-Hellenistic Jewish language, which had no word for theology. Ultimately, the “end” or “goal” is the Olam Haba (world to come), the eternal Shabbat rest offered to all who are faithful in belief and action (4:9-10). The warning to remain firm is pretext to the following exposition of Psalms 95:7-11 LXX.
 
7 Therefore (dio[G]), according to what (kathōs[G]) the Holy (hagios[G], HaKodesh[H]) Spirit (pneuma[G], Ruach[H]) says, “Today (sēmeron[G], hayom[H]) if (ean[G], im[H]) you hear (akouō[G], tishmau[H]) His voice (phone[G], bekolo[H]), 8 Do not (me[G]) harden (sklērunō[G]) your hearts, core being, inner person (kardia[G], levavchem[H]) as when they provoked (parapikrasmos[G]) Me, As on the day (hēmera[G], keyom[H]) of trial (peirasmos[G]) in the wilderness (erēmos[G], bamidbar[H]), 9 Where your fathers (patēr[G], avoteiychem[H]) put Me to the test (peirazō[G]), And saw (rau[H]) My works (ergon[G], pa’alay[H]) for forty years (arbaiym shanah[H]).
 
7 Therefore, according to what the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts, core being, inner person as when they provoked Me, As on the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 Where your fathers put Me to the test, And saw My works for forty years. [Psalm 95:7-10]
 
“Therefore” Means, based on the supremacy of Yeshua as Son over the house of Israel, and by extension over all nations, and that Yeshua is appointed by God the Father as the Sent One over all sent ones, and considering that those who accept Yeshua are partners with Him, and that Moses our (the Jewish people) Law giver is subject to Him.
 
This begins a quote from Psalm 95:7-11 (attributed to David Heb. 4:7). The writer presumes that his readers have full knowledge of the Psalm and the prerequisite phrase:
 
“for He is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the flock under his care.” Psalms 95:7 NIV
 
The writer continues to emphasise Yeshua’s role as the “Prophet” like Moses (Deut.18:14-21), the One Who is Greater than Moses. Believing Israel, chosen, ethnic, religious is being reminded of the challenge of God issued to her ancestors and now reiterated at the revelation of God’s Kingdom come and the inception of her pre-entry into the Olam Haba (Promised Land/World to come).
 
By quoting this Psalm, the writer, inspired by the Holy Spirit, addresses three specific generations of Israelites:
 
1.Those who rebelled in the wilderness (Exodus 17:1-7, approx. 1446 B.C.E)
2.Those who lived at the time the Psalm was written by David Hamelekh the King (Approx. 1015 B.C.E)
3.The Jews of the first century C.E. (Approx. 60 C.E.)
 
The Hebrew text of the Psalm:
 
7“For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture,
the flock of His hand.
Today, if you hear His voice:
8 “Do not harden your heart as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the wilderness,
9 when your fathers tested Me,
they challenged Me, even though they had seen My work.
10 For forty years I loathed that generation.
So I said: ‘It is a people whose heart goes astray,
who do not know My ways.’” -Tehilim (Psalms) 95:7-10 TLV
 
“Today if you hear His voice,” Refers to the time of David’s first offering the Psalm to public reading, and to the time when the Jewish believers of the first century C.E. first received the words of the Book to the Hebrews. In fact, it means “now”, for as long as God allows the fallen world to continue. “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor. 6:2 [Isaiah 49:8])
 
A well-known midrash teaches that Messiah is come in every moment when “Today” we “hear” (receive) His “voice” (spoken word):
 
"Rabbi Joshua ben-L'vi met Elijah and asked him, 'When will the Messiah come?' 'Go and ask him!' 'Where is he?' 'At the entrance [to Rome], sitting among the lepers.' So he went, greeted him, and asked, 'Master, when will you come?' 'Today,' he answered. Upon returning to Elijah, Rabbi Joshua said, 'He lied to me. He told me he would come today, but he has not come.' Elijah replied, 'What he said to you was: "Today, if you will hear his voice." ' " (Condensed from Sanhedrin 98a) From Sterns Complete Jewish New Testament Commentary
 
Elsewhere in traditional Jewish commentary the same phrase is applied to Messiah where it is said that providing the Jewish people repent as a nation, even for one day, or keep the Shabbat even for one day, the Greater Son of David, the King Messiah, would come; because it’s said, "today if you will hear His voice" (Talmud Bavliy Sanhedrin, fol. 98. 1. Shemot Rabbah, sect. 25. fol. 109. 3. & Shirhashirim Rabbah, fol. 19. 3.)
 
This is consistent with the redemption of the entire remnant of chosen, ethnic, religious, empirical Israel at the end of the age (Zechariah 12:20; John 19:37; Romans 11:25-26; ).
 
“8 Do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me, As on the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 Where your fathers put Me to the test, And saw My works for forty years.” The hardening of the inner being is a wilful choice to deny God’s sovereignty. The provocation, (Heb. merivah) was the general “quarrelling” the people had levelled at Moses as God’s appointed leader when they rebelled in the wilderness, and the “testing” ( Heb. masah) refers specifically to the demand for water (Exodus 17:1-7). The Septuigant text doesn’t specify “Merivah” and “Masah” but translates the locations as modes of disobedience.

10 Therefore (dio[G]) I was angry with, grieved by (prosochthizō̄[G], akut[H]) this generation (genea[G], bador[H]), And said, ‘They always go astray, are deceived (planaō[G]) in their heart, core being, inner person (kardia[G], leivav[H]), And they did not know, come to understand, learn (ginōskō[G], yadu[H]) My ways (hodos egō[G], derachay[H])’; 11 As I swore (omnuō[G], nishbatiy[H]) in My anger, flaring nostril (orgē[G], veafiy[H]), ‘They certainly shall not enter (eiserchomai[G], im-yevoun[H]) My rest (katapausis ego[G], el-menuchatiy[H]).’” [Psalm 95:10-11 LXX]
 
10 Therefore I was angry with, grieved by this generation, And said, ‘They always go astray, are deceived in their heart, core being, inner person, And they did not know, come to understand, learn My ways’; 11 As I swore in My anger, flaring nostril, ‘They certainly shall not enter My rest.’”
 
The additional phrasing of the Psalm is quoted according to the LXX (Septuagint). The Hebrew text reads more concisely as:
 
10 For forty years I loathed that generation.
So I said: ‘It is a people whose heart goes astray,
who do not know My ways.’
11 Therefore I swore in My anger,
    ‘They shall never enter into My rest.’” -Tehilim (Psalms) 95:10-11 TLV
 
The Greek text was widely accepted by Jews of the post Hellenistic period and used prolifically in the first century C.E. Greek was one of two languages accepted by the ancient rabbis as being kosher for use in the transmission of Scripture.
 
“And they did not know, come to understand, learn My ways’” Reinforces the admonishment of the writer of the Book to the Hebrews (3:6).
 
‘They certainly shall not enter My rest.’” In the context of the Psalm as it pertains to the disobedient among Israel during the period of the exodus, the “rest” spoken of is “the promised land” of Israel. By extension, it is now applied to the eternal Shabbat “rest” which awaits the faithful followers of Yeshua, both Jew and Gentile, but in the case of the present book, specifically to Jewish believers. Therefore, it is those who refuse Yeshua who will fail to enter the present and future Kingdom of God and the eternal rest of the Olam Haba (everlasting Shabbat).
 
One Jewish commentator writes:
 
“"the generation of the wilderness have no part in the world to come:'' -Tzeror Hammor, fol. 118. 1.
 
12 See to it (blepō[G]), brothers and sisters (adelphos[G], achay[H]), that there will not be any among you who have an evil, wicked (ponēros[G], ra[H]), unbelieving heart (kardia apistia[G], leiv[H]) that departs (aphistēmi[G]) from the living God (Theos zao[G], Elohiym chayiym[H]). 13 Moreover (alla[G]) encourage, comfort, prove (parakaleō[G], hochiyhu[H]) one another every day (hekastos hēmera[G], yom beyom[H]), as long as (kol-od[H]) it is called “today,” (sēmeron[G], yikarei hayom[H]) so that none of you will be hardened (sklērunō[G]) by the deceitfulness (apatē[G]) of sin [missing the mark set by God’s holiness] (hamartia[G], chatato[H]).
 
12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that there will not be any among you who have an evil, wicked, unbelieving heart that departs from the living God.
 
Those Jews who have believed are reminded that salvation is worked out in fear and trembling. They must be intentional in remaining faithful in Yeshua so as not to be lead astray by those fellow Jews who like the disbelieving Israelites of the wilderness, fail to enter the “rest” of God.
 
Rav Shaul (Paul) speaks in similar terms to the predominantly Gentile community of the Philippians:
 
“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,” -Philippians 2:12 NIV
 
“that departs from the Living God” The Greek aphistēmi, translated “departs” comes from the root apistia meaning “unfaithful” and is the etymological root for the word “Apostate”. Therefore, in counter distinction to Moses and Yeshua, both of whom are called “faithful” by the writer, those who are unbelieving will by nature depart, being unfaithful in God’s house.
 
To despise those who have confident faith is to prove oneself faithless. There is great arrogance in doubt. Therefore, we are admonished to remain faithful. As Yeshua has said, “When the Son of Man comes will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).
 
13 Moreover encourage, comfort, prove one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin [missing the mark set by God’s holiness].
 
The early Jewish believers are also tasked with encouraging and comforting the faith of their fellow Messiah followers. Intentional personal faith must by its very nature outwork itself as intentional communal faith. No believer stands alone, the salvation of the nation is dependent on the willingness of the people to share their faith collectively. This must be done for as long as there is a “today”, now is the time. This is not something we think of doing tomorrow, for in this context tomorrow is the judgement and the next day, the world to come (cf. 1 Thess. 5:11).
 
“Today” is not, as some foolishly say “a reference to the Gospel dispensation”. How can it be? This word “Today” is quoting the Psalm of David (Psalms 95:7) written over a thousand years prior to the writing of the Book to the Hebrews. The Gospel of redemption is offered from before creation toward the goal of eternity and is therefore without dispensation. Since the first humans sinned and until HaShem calls time, “Today” is now! And those who receive Yeshua now have already passed from death (although for a time still living in the present sin affected world) into life (the world to come).
 
"Rabbi 'Eli'ezer said, 'Repent one day before you die.' His talmidim objected, 'Does one know in advance the day of one's death?' He replied, 'All the more reason to repent today, lest you die tomorrow! In this way, your entire life will be one of repentance.'" (Shabbat 153a)
 
14 For we have become partners, friends (metochos[G], chaveiriym[H]) of Messiah (Christos[G], Christ, HaMashiyach[H]) if we keep the beginning (archē[G]) of our commitment (bebaios[G]) firm (katechō[G]) until the goal (telos[G]), 15 while it is said, “Today (sēmeron[G], hayom[H])  if you hear (akouō[G], tishmau[H]) His voice (phōnē[G], bekolo[H]), Do not harden (sklērunō[G]) your hearts (kardia[G], levavchem[H]), as when they provoked (parapikrasmos[G]) Me.”
 
14 For we have become partners, friends of Messiah if we keep the beginning of our commitment firm until the goal, 15 while it is said, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.”
 
We are become friends, co-workers with Messiah, if we keep the beginning of our faith unto the goal of our faith. Yeshua is the Author and goal of our faith, the Sustainer of our integrity, our righteousness and our hope. We should not fear our ability to keep our first love in Him, because He has partnered with us (Rev. 2:1-7). Therefore, we do not keep our beginning commitment alone but we are kept by Him, and in us He keeps us unto Himself. All this happens “Today”, in what the believer understands to be the eternal present.
 
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” -Hebrews 11:1 KJV
 
16 For who of them provoked (parapikrainō[G]) Him when they had heard (akouō[G], hashomiym[H])? Indeed, yet (alla[G]) not (ou[G]) all (pas[G]) those who came out of Egypt (Aiguptos[G], Mitzrayim[H] double distress) through, in the hand of (dia[G], beyad[H]) Moses (Moshe[H] drawn out, resurrected)? 17 And whom was He grieved by (prosochthizō̄[G]) for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned (hamartanō[G], vachataiym[H]), whose dead bodies (kōlon[G]) fell (piptō [G]) in the wilderness (erēmos[G], bamidbar[H])?
 
16 For who of them provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, yet not all those who came out of Egypt (double distress) through, in the hand of Moshe (drawn out, resurrected)? 17 And whom was He grieved by for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness?
 
The meaning is plain. It is the wilfully disobedient who fail to enter God’s rest. We are all wandering in the desert of the sin affected world, some in humility through submission to God are wandering toward the rest (promised land of the world to come) and some in wilful rejection of God’s offer of redemptive love, wander aimlessly toward the abyss of everlasting fire (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:15; 21:7-8).
 
Of that wilderness generation only Yehoshua (YHVH is salvation) and Calev (contempt, fierce, dog) entered the promised land. Now, in this generation, we must cling to Joshua (Yeshua) and have contempt for sin. Thus, through belief in Him we enter the now and yet to come Kingdom of God.
 
18 And to whom did He swear (omnuō[G], nishba[H]) that they would not enter (eiserchomai[G]) His rest (katapausis[G], menuchato[H]), but to those who were disobedient, apathetic (apeitheō[G])? 19 And we see (blepō[G], roiym[H]) that they were not able to enter (eiserchomai[G]) because of unbelief (apistia[G], choser emunatam[H]).
 
18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient, apathetic? 19 And we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.
 
The Greek word apeitheō translated “disobedient” gives the reader great insight into what it means to be disobedient. Wilful disobedience bears the fruit of apathy and likewise the soil of apathy produces wilful disobedience. Complacency and indifference give birth to apathy, and the sum of the three is rebellion.
 
Rebellion is not some great act of strength and purpose, to the contrary, it is the progeny of apathy. It is the lazy and disillusioned who rebel. The obedient son puts his hand to the plow and does not look back (Luke 9:62).
 
“And we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.” Those first century Jewish recipients of this Book to the Hebrews “saw” in respect to understanding the past disobedience of our people, that those who through unbelief rebel against God’s love do not enter the promised rest (neither the physical land of Israel nor the present & future Kingdom, Olam Haba). Therefore, they like us are challenged in the present (Today) to believe, act, trust in the faithful King Messiah Yeshua and enter, enter now and continue to enter until He returns to fully reveal to us the eternal present of God’s Kingdom come.
 
Copyright 2021 Yaakov Brown

Introduction:
 
The sum of this passage is almost too simple to accept. That, for a little while (a short time) Yeshua became lower (not less than God, but God with us [Immanuel] that is, God within Himself) than the messengers: both the prophets of old [as stipulated in Hebrews 1:1], and the Malakhim (messengers, angels, aggelos[G], elohim[H]) who had participated as mediators of the Torah (Instruction) of God prior to Yeshua’s having been born into time.
 
Yeshua, Who is ha-Davar (the living Word, Essence, Substance) is the sole mediator between God and man, in that His sacrificial suffering unto death, His resurrection and ascension bring those who believe, face to face with God. In short, if we want to hear from God, we must accept His gracious offer and speak directly with Him. If we are in Messiah, we now have no need of chasing angels and prophets to mediate on your behalf. God wants to engage with us intimately and personally through His Son Yeshua. Our modern propensity for seeking to hear from God through human and angelic mediators is anti-Messiah. Yeshua the Messiah has come to speak to us directly, God loves us that much. He doesn’t want to be fobbed off to some prophetic intermediary. We spit in His face when we seek out mediocre substitutes.
 
The death from which Messiah resurrected, cancels out the power of death (previously held by Satan), and gives hope to those who live with the physical reality of death on a daily basis). The conclusion being, that because He has suffered, we can be free from the fear of death (the power of death) because the power of death is not death itself but rather fear of the second death. In Messiah we need not fear what comes next because what comes next is, as the text states, the Olam Haba (world to come) which is, through Messiah Yeshua, subject once more under His reign, to humanity, just as the earth once was, before we (humanity) invited death into the world through sin via its agent, Satan.
 
In Messiah we are assured of life everlasting, not because we won’t die but because having died, we will live in Him (John 11:25). Therefore (which is how this chapter begins) we need no longer surrender to the power of death because the power of death is the fear of the unknown but the promise of God is that we are known in Him and that through His Son we will exist in right relationship with Him for all eternity. In addition to all this future hope, we have the assurance that He has suffered in every way as a human being and has endured. Why is this reassuring? Because we know that He identifies with us and is suffering in us when we suffer and like Him, we are being brought to eternal completion, made perfect in what we suffer, just as He was. We now know His Glory, though our eyes fail us, our hearts (the convergence of our entire being) see beyond the power of death to the Olam Haba (world to come). This is love, this is what remains. For while we live in this fallen world we have faith, hope and love but in the world to come we have need of love alone (1 Cor. 13:13). Thus, faith is belief against doubt, in the Olam Haba there will be no doubt. Hope is the assurance of things unseen, in the Olam Haba all will be revealed. But love, love is eternal. God is love.
 
As is the case with all Scripture (scrolls of the original texts), there are no chapter breaks or verse markers (or punctuation for that matter) in the scroll of the Book to the Hebrews. It’s important to see the text of this chapter as a continuation of the previous chapter, the last verses of chapter 1 being:
 
‘13 Moreover, to which of the angels has He ever said, “Sit at My right hand, Until I set Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet”? [Psalm 110:1] 14 Are they not all ministering, serving spirits, sent out appointed to help those who will receive salvation?’
 
Therefore, we carry the theme of Messiah’s supremacy and the role of His angelic servants with us as we read on…
 
BOOK TO THE HEBREWS Chapter 2 (Author’s translation)
 
1 For this reason, upon this precept we must continually pay more heed to that which we have heard, received, understood in spoken words, essences, substances so that we don’t carelessly drift away. 2 For if the word, essence, substance spoken through angels/messengers was made unalterable, and every violation, individual, and collective an act of disobedience which receives a just punishment, by the rod of judgement 3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? If we hate the things which are our life? After it was in the beginning received, spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by various and numerous powerful miracles and by gifts of His Holy Spirit according to His own will. 5 For He did not make subject to angels the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6 But someone has testified in a certain place, saying, “What is man, that You are mindful of him? Or a son of man, that You have visited him? 7 You have made him for a little while lower than angels; You have crowned him with glory and honour; 8 You have put everything, individually and collectively in subjection under his feet.”[ Psalm 8:4-6] For in subjecting all things, individually and collectively to Him, He left nothing that is not subject to Him. But now we do not yet see all things individually and collectively subjected to Him. 9 But now we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels /messengers, Yeshua, through His suffering death crowned with glory and honour, splendour, so that by the grace, unmerited favour, practical love of God He might eat death for everyone, individually and collectively. 10 For it was fitting for Him, for Whom are all things individually and collectively and through Whom are all things individually and collectively, in bringing many sons into glory, splendour, genius, the Author, Originator, Prince of their salvation through sufferings, to perfect, consecrate, fulfil, complete. 11 For both He who sanctifies, consecrates, atones and those who are sanctified, consecrated, atoned for, are all from one Father; for this reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12 saying, “I will proclaim, show, tell Your name to My brothers, In the midst of the assembly I will sing Your praise.” [Psalm 22:22] 13 And again, “I will put My trust, hope, confidence, belief in Him.” And again, “Behold, pay attention, now I and the young children whom My God has given Me.” [Isaiah 8:17-18] 14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself similarly also became a partaker of the same, so that through death He might do away with, abolish, cause to cease the one who had the dominion of death, that is, the devil, 15 and free, deliver those who through fear of death were all the days of their lives guilty, subject to bondage. 16 For doubtless He does not take hold of angels, messengers, but He takes hold of the seed, issue of Abraham. [re. Isaiah 41:8-9] 17 Therefore, in all things individually and collectively He had to be made like His brothers so that He might become a merciful and faithful, true high priest in things pertaining, before the face of God, to make atoning reconciliation upon the sins [missing the mark set by God’s holiness] of the people. 18 Now since He Himself suffered temptation, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
 
HEBREWS 2 (line by line)
 
1 For (dia[G]) this reason (alt. Upon this mitzvah[H]) we must (dei[G]) pay more (perissos[G]) heed (prosechō[G]) (ad-meod[H] perpetually more) to that which we have heard, received, understood (akouō[G]) [alt. Badevariym asher shamanu[H] in the spoken words, essences, substances] so that we don’t (mēpote[G]) carelessly drift away (pararrhueō[G]).2 For if the word, essence, substance (logos[G], ha davar[H]) spoken through angels/messengers (aggelos[G]) (alt. al-piy malakhiym[H] upon the face of angels) was made (ginomai[G]) unalterable (bebaios[G]), and every violation, individual, collective (pas[G]) an act of disobedience (parakoē[G]) which receives a just (endikos[G]) punishment, (misthapodosia[G]), (alt. besheivet mishpat[H] with the rod of judgement)
 
1 For this reason, upon this precept we must continually pay more heed to that which we have heard, received, understood in spoken words, essences, substances so that we don’t carelessly drift away.
 
This is the first of five warnings placed throughout the book, exhorting these early Jewish believers not to “drift away”.
 
1.Having received Yeshua as superior to all powers and His Gospel as superior to the Torah, and having understood that the angelic beings are His servants sent to help you, be intentional in paying heed to the Gospel message so that you don’t drift away.
 
“For this reason, upon this precept…” For what reason? For the reason that Yeshua is not merely another angel but is the Son of God and the promised King Messiah, and for the reason that God has defeated all enemies of Messiah and the people over whom He reigns and has made the ultimate enemy His footstool, and for the reason that Yeshua the King Messiah is superior to all mediators of God’s redemptive purposes being the Author and Goal of the Torah (given upon the face of angels), and finally, for the reason that the angelic forces are present to serve God under the reign of Messiah by helping those who are receiving Yeshua’s saving work and have become His “brothers” and sisters (v.12).
 
“we must continually pay more heed to that which we have heard, so that we don’t carelessly drift away.” This admonishment expresses to the early believing Jewish community the need to be intentional in perpetuating the message given to them by those who received that message directly from Yeshua. That message being that Yeshua God’s Son as both Author and Goal of the Torah is superior to the Torah.
 
Throughout this chapter the writer of Hebrews uses the familiar historical circumstances of the giving of the Torah, and the traditions of angelic facilitation, both Biblical and extra-Biblical, to make a correlation with the importance of the revelation of the Gospel of the King Messiah Yeshua, which is superior by nature of its ability to free its recipients from the just punishment for sin, required by the Torah indictment against sin.
 
The need to “pay more heed” means that they were not paying enough attention to the Gospel of Yeshua, and the purpose of “paying more heed” was to prevent “carelessly drifting away” from the Gospel of Yeshua, and the greater illumination of God’s redemptive purposes in Him.
 
2 For if the word, essence, substance spoken through angels
/messengers was made unalterable, and every violation, individual, and collective an act of disobedience which receives a just punishment, by the rod of judgement
 
“For if the Word (Yeshua) spoken through angels/messengers was made unalterable” The Word (Yeshua) ministered His essence through His servants both angelic and human, and in particular at Sinai in the giving of the Torah, and that word (the moral laws of written Torah Instruction) was made “unalterable” (something that proponents of rejecting Torah entirely fail to comprehend). The moral law of Torah is said to be “unalterable”. Therefore, Yeshua has not come to remove Torah but to bring resolution to the problem of sin which the Torah exposes.
 
The angelic forces are subject to Messiah and ultimately those same forces will be subject to redeemed humanity (1:14). However, as servants of God they were present in the giving of the Torah at Sinai and are acknowledged by the rabbis as having an important role to play in God’s work. The fact that this was general knowledge among observant Jews of the first century is evident elsewhere in the Brit HaChadashah (NT) [Acts 7:53].
 
“The Lord came from Sinai,
And dawned on them from Seir;
He shone from Mount Paran,
And He came from the midst of myriads of holy ones;
At His right hand there was flashing lightning for them.” -Deuteronomy 33:2 NASB
 
“The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands;
The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness.” -Psalms 68:17 (18) NASB
 
“This is the one who was in the [y]assembly in the wilderness together with the angel who spoke to him at length on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to you…
 
"you who received the Law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”
-Acts 7:38, 53 NASB
 
“Why the Law then? It was added on account of the violations, having been ordered through angels at the hand of a mediator, until the Seed would come to whom the promise had been made.” -Galatians 3:19 NASB
 
“and every violation, individual, and collective an act of disobedience which receives a just punishment, by the rod of judgement” This is in the present continuous sense and therefore continues to be applicable to those who act in disobedience to the Word (written Torah).
 
The Torah continues to be the measure by which right and wrong actions are accessed (Exodus 20:22-23:33). The superiority of Yeshua over Torah does not negate the moral imperatives set by Torah, which, as the text says, have been “made unalterable”. In fact, they are unalterable because Yeshua is superior, His Word being the very essence of Torah.
 
Ultimately every violation of Torah demands just punishment which can be mitigated only by the atoning blood of the King Messiah Yeshua in Whose book the righteous are written (Rev. 20:11-15).
 
3 how (eiykh[H]) will we escape (ekpheugō[G]) if we neglect (ameleo[G]) so great (tēlikoutos[G], rav[H]) a salvation (sōtēria[G], l’yesha[H]) [alt. “if we hate the things which are our life”[A] re. Deut. 32:45-47]? After it was in the beginning (archē[G], meirosh[H]) received (lambanō[G]), spoken (laleō[G]) through the Lord (kurios[G], ha-Adon[H]), it was confirmed (bebaioō[G], vayeiamein[H]) to us by those who heard (akouō[G]), 4 God (Theos[G], Elohiym[H]) also bearing witness (sunepimartureō[G]) with them, both by signs (sēmeion[G], beotot[H]) and wonders (teras[G], uvmopetiym[H]), and by various and numerous (poikilos[G]) powerful miracles (dunamis[G], veniflaot[H]) and by gifts (merismos[G]) of His Holy Spirit (pneuma hagios[G], Ruach kadsho[H]) according to His own will (thelēsis[G]).
 
3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? If we hate the things which are our life? [Deut. 32:45-47] After it was in the beginning received, spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by various and numerous powerful miracles and by gifts of His Holy Spirit according to His own will.
 
“how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” This question regards a correlation between the revelation of Torah at Sinai and the superior revelation of Yeshua. If those who witnessed the giving of the Torah at Sinai are accountable for how they responded to the Instruction God had given, how much more so those who have received the salvation from the just punishment of the Torah through Yeshua the King Messiah.
 
“So great a salvation” refers to both Yeshua and the salvation He has purchased in His blood. In short, the Torah (in particular the moral law of Torah applicable to all humanity) makes the indictment against sin clear and Yeshua is the One Who has purchased our freedom from the just result of that indictment, therefore, “How will we escape if we neglect Yeshua?” Given that He is the only means of our being set free from the consequences of our sin (missing the mark set by God’s holiness). This is spoken to Jewish believers as a reminder so that they do not turn back from faith in Yeshua due to the false teaching concerning Him which was being proliferated by fellow Jews of the developing rabbinical order. This same warning is spoken to Messiah following Jews today, “Do not return to the bondage of Law keeping, but stand firm in Messiah Yeshua, in Whose blood we have received freedom and by whose Torah (written on our core being) we are kept.”
 
“10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Yeshua ha-Mashiach ha-Natzrati—whom you had crucified, whom God raised from the dead—this one stands before you whole. 11 This Yeshua is ‘the stone—rejected by you, the builders—that has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved!” -Acts 4:10-12 TLV
 
“If we hate the things which are our life?” This translation of the Aramaic text is helpful because it clarifies the connection to Torah. It is a quotation of the Torah:
 
“45 When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, 46 he said to them, “Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you will command your sons to follow carefully, all the words of this Law. 47 For it is not a trivial matter for you; indeed it is your life. And by this word you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.” -Deuteronomy 32:45-47 NASB
 
“After it was in the beginning received, spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,” This makes a further correlation between the Gospel of Yeshua and the Torah. Like the Torah the Gospel was given by God, only the message of the Gospel is brought directly by Yeshua Who is God with us, and speaks directly to first century (C.E) Israel. Having heard Yeshua speak the Gospel in person the disciples had passed on what they had heard directly from God and not by the facilitation of angelic beings as was the case with the Torah.
 
“God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by various and numerous powerful miracles and by gifts of His Holy Spirit according to His own will.” Just as God had affirmed the Instruction given at Sinai in signs, wonders, and miracles (Exodus. 7:3; Deut. 4:34; 6:22), so too He had come by His Spirit to affirm the superior Word of Yeshua to those who received Him. God Himself bearing witness to the authority given to Yeshua and the superiority of His Gospel of sacrificial, atoning, substitutionary reconciliation (Acts 2:4-12, 43; 3:7-9, 11-12; 15:12; 1 Cor. 12:4-11; Rom. 12:6-8; Eph. 4:11).
 
5 For He did not make subject to angels (aggelos[G], ha-malakhiym[H]) the world to come (oikoumenē mellō[G], et-haolam heatiyr lavo[H]), about which we are speaking. 6 But someone has testified (diamarturomai[G]) in a certain place, saying (legō[G], haomeir[H]), “What is man (anthrōpos[G], mah-anosh[H]), that You are mindful of him (mimnēskō[G])? Or a son (uihos[G], ben[H]) of man (anthrōpos[G], adam[H]), that You have visited (episkeptomai[G]) him?
 
5 For He did not make subject to angels the world to come, about which we are speaking.
 
The “world to come” is used here to describe not only the Olam Haba but also the inception of the Messianic age as it pertains to Yeshua’s first coming. Therefore, there is a progression of manifestation of the Messianic Kingdom. The Gospel of Yeshua is in no way mitigated by or subject to angelic beings as the Torah was, rather both the Gospel and its manifestation upon the earth brings a sacrificial, atoning reconciliation to the sin affected earth (creation) that will return dominion to humanity through the Greater Son of David, the promised King Messiah Yeshua, Who, being the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45), will return to rule (Psalms 110:1) and give the role of caretakers of creation back to humanity in her redeemed state (Gen. 1:28).
 
“So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” -1 Corinthians 15:45 TLV
 
6 But someone has testified in a certain place, saying, “What is man, that You are mindful of him? Or a son of man, that You have visited him?
 
This begins the writer’s exposition of Psalms 8:4-6 which continues to follow the theme of Yeshua’s supremacy over all creation.
 
The writer is quoting a Psalm known to all observant Jews of the day and as was the custom of Yeshua, he need only reference it as being Scripture in order to denote its authority. Where Yeshua said “It is written”, the writer of the Book to the Hebrews says “It is testified to in a certain place” (cf. Heb. 7:17). Which is in keeping with rabbinic Jewish tradition (Talmud Bavliy Sanhedrin, fol. 37. 1. Maimon. Hilchot Yesode Hattorsh, 3. 7. sect. 6. & Melachim, c. 11. sect. 1. Vid. Iben Ezra in Lev. xvi. 8.) The “someone” who “has testified” is king David the writer of the Psalm in question.
 
This Psalm speaks of the King Messiah as the son of mankind (Adam) in Whom God visits humanity.

7 You have made him for a little (brachus[G]) while lower (elattoō[G]) than angels (aggelos[G], malakhiym[H]); You have crowned him with glory (doxa[G], vekhavod[H]) and honour (time[G], hadar[H]); 8 You have put everything, individually and collectively (pas[G], kol[H]) in subjection (hupotassō[G]) under his feet (ragelayv[H]).”[ Psalm 8:4-6] For in subjecting (hupotassō[G]) all things, individually and collectively (pas[G]) to Him, He left nothing that is not subject to Him. But now we do not yet see (horaō[G]) all things individually and collectively (pas[G]) subjected (hupotassō[G]) to Him.
 
7 You have made him for a little while lower than angels; You have crowned him with glory and honour;
 
The Hebrew text reads “elohim” rather than “malakhim”, however, elohim in this context refers to angels and not gods, as testified to by numerous ancient Jewish commentators (the Targum Yonatan, Yarchi, Iben Ezra, Kimkhi, and Ben Melekh)
 
This speaks of Yeshua entering time and space born to Miriyam by the seed of the Holy Spirit. His earthly ministry of sacrificial reconciliation and His resurrection and ascension returning Him to His rightful place as Heir to all things. His earthly ministry being a “little while” in respect to eternity. He allows Himself to be made temporarily lower than the angelic beings with regard to being confined to time and space. Now, He has been crowned with glory and honour by God the Father.
 
8 You have put everything, individually and collectively in subjection under his feet.”[ Psalm 8:4-6]
 
The nearest subject is Messiah. David by the Holy Spirit had prophesied the humanity and deity of the promised Messiah, His defeat of the sin affected order and the death that resulted and the subjecting of all creation to Him (1 Peter 3:22).
 
For in subjecting all things, individually and collectively to Him, He left nothing that is not subject to Him. But now we do not yet see all things individually and collectively subjected to him.
 
In short, the redemptive work of Yeshua has been completed in His death, resurrection and ascension and the future perfected outside time and space from an act of sacrificial love made within time and space. However, from within time and space, and post resurrection, the Kingdom of God is being made holy in preparation for the return of Messiah and the judgement, after which the manifest transcendent recreation will become eternal reality for all who receive the Messiah.
 
This concept is very similar, in fact, intertwined with the present nature of the outworking of the faith of Messiah followers.
 
“For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” -Hebrews 10:14 NIV
 
“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,” - Philippians 2:12 NIV
 
9 But now (de[G], aval[H]) we do see (blepō[G], roeym[H]) Him Who was made (elattoō[G]) for a little while lower (brachus[G]) than the angels/messengers (aggelos[G], malakhiym[H]), Yeshua[H] (Iesous[G], Jesus, YHVH is salvation), through (dia[G]) His suffering (pathēma[G]) death (thanatos[G]) crowned (stephanoō[G]) with glory (doxa[G], khavod[H]) and honour, splendour (time[G], hadar[H]), so that by the grace, unmerited favour, practical love (charis[G], chesed[H]) of God (Theos[G], meiElohiym[H]) He might eat (geuomai[G], ta’am ta’am[H]) death (thanatos[G], hamavet[H]) for everyone, individually and collectively (pas[G], kulam[H]).
 
9 But now we do see Him Who was made for a little while lower than the angels /messengers, Yeshua, through His suffering death crowned with glory and honour, splendour, so that by the grace, unmerited favour, practical love of God He might eat death for everyone, individually and collectively.
 
The writer explains the purpose of Yeshua being made lower than the angelic beings for a “little while”.
 
“But now we do see Him” Means, if we see Him now, we see all things made subject to Him forever, even though we live in a world that is yet to be fully subjected to Him.
 
He had come in the unmerited favour of God to suffer death, to consume death on behalf of all who deserve death but will be delivered from death in Yeshua. This is something a created angelic being could not do. Yeshua is the all existing God born into creation, whereas the angelic beings are created beings who serve God as helpers to creation.
 
Through Messiah’s substitutionary death, Death, the by-product of sin itself becomes a by-word.
 
“And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” – Philipians 2:8 KJV
 
“12 So then, just as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, in the same way death spread to all men because all sinned. 13 For up until the Torah, sin was in the world; but sin does not count as sin when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in a manner similar to the violation of Adam, who is a pattern of the One to come. 15 But the gracious gift is not like the transgression. For if many died because of the transgression of one man, how much more did the grace of God overflow to many through the gift of one Man—Yeshua the Messiah. 16 Moreover, the gift is not like what happened through the one who sinned. For on the one hand, the judgment from one violation resulted in condemnation; but on the other hand, the gracious gift following many transgressions resulted in justification. [a] 17 For if by the one man’s transgression, death reigned through the one,[b] how much more shall those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Messiah Yeshua. 18 So then, through the transgression of one, condemnation came to all men; likewise, through the righteousness of one came righteousness of life to all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one man, many will be set right forever.[c] 20 Now the Torah came in so that transgression might increase. But where sin increased, grace overflowed even more— 21 so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness, to eternal life through Messiah Yeshua our Lord.” -Romans 5:12-21 TLV
 
10 For it was fitting (prepo[G]) for Him, for Whom are all things individually and collectively (pas[G], hakol[H]) and through Whom are all things individually and collectively (pas[G], hakol[H]) in bringing many (rabiym[H]) sons (uihos[G], baniym[H]) into (eis[G]) glory, splendour, genius (doxa[G], ligeon[H]), the Author, Originator, Prince (archēgos[G], sar[H]) of their salvation (sōtēria[G], yeshuatam[H]) through sufferings (pathēma[G]) to perfect, consecrate, fulfil, complete (teleioō[G]). 11 For both He who sanctifies, consecrates, atones (hagiazō[G], chafeir[H]) and those who are sanctified, consecrated, atoned for (hagiazō[G], yechafeir[H]) are all from one Father (heis[G], meiAv echad[H]); for this reason He is not ashamed (ou epaischunomai[G]) to call (kaleo[G]) them brothers and sisters (adelphos[G], achiym[H]),
 
10 For it was fitting for Him, for Whom are all things individually and collectively and through Whom are all things individually and collectively, in bringing many sons into glory, splendour, genius, the Author, Originator, Prince of their salvation through sufferings to perfect, consecrate, fulfil, complete.
 
The justice of God demanded that God Himself must enter creation in order to live as man, identifying fully with all the sufferings and temptations of humanity but remaining sinless and thus, able to sacrifice Himself in order to satisfy His justice and provide the means for humanity to be reconciled to Him.
 
“Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” -Isaiah 59:1-2 KJV
 
Yeshua has bridged the gap of separation between sinful humanity and God and through His suffering has become the Author and perfector of our faith.
 
“looking only at Yeshua, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” -Hebrews 12:2
 
“12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God.” -John 1:12-13 NASB
 
11 For both He who sanctifies, consecrates, atones and those who are sanctified, consecrated, atoned are all from one Father; for this reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,
 
“And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” -John 17:19 KJV
 
We note that “both He who sanctifies, and those who are sanctified, are all from one Father”, meaning that only those who receive Yeshua’s sanctifying work are of One Father. The text is not make a connection between all human beings and Yeshua, rather it is speaking of the adoption of those who receive Yeshua’s atoning work.
 
Those who receive Messiah’s atoning work show themselves to belong to the One Father of Creation, not only as children of creation but also as children of God redeemed by the blood of the Son of God, begotten of God, all existing, not created. Yeshua is not ashamed to call the repentant “brothers and sisters” because in Him they reflect the relationship between the Redeemer and the redeemed.
 
“when the King Messiah shall be revealed to the congregation of Israel, the children of Israel shall say unto him, Come, be thou with us, be thou our brother".” -Targum on Song of Songs 8:1
 
12 saying, “I will proclaim, show, tell (apaggellō[G]) Your name (onoma[G], shimeicha[H]) to My brothers (adelphos[G], le’echay[H]), In the midst of the assembly (ekklēsia[G]) I will sing Your praise (humneō[G]).” [Psalm 22:22] 13 And again, “I will put My trust, hope, confidence, belief (peithō[G], vekireiytiy[H]) in Him.” And again, “Behold, pay attention, now (hineih[G]) I and the young children (paidion[G], yiladiym[H]) whom My God (ho Theos[G], YHVH[H]) has given Me (didōmi[G], natan-liy[H]).” [Isaiah 8:17-18]
 
12 saying, “I will proclaim, show, tell Your name to My brothers, In the midst of the assembly I will sing Your praise.” [Psalm 22:22]
 
The writer quotes Psalms 22:22. This Psalm is one concerning the triumphant King Messiah, sometimes referred to as the Mashiach Ben David. The “brothers” of the Messiah are fellow Jews to whom He proclaims the Name of YHVH (Mercy). “The assembly” is the community of faithful Jews, in relation to whom Yeshua is both brother and King.
 
In Jewish tradition an assembly, congregation, minyan, must be made up of no less than 10 men of age (Mishnah Sanhedrin, c. 1. sect. 6.)

NB: The 10 man minyan is based on the scripture concerning the 12 spies sent to survey the land of Israel by Moses. 10 returned with a bad report, HaShem says "listen to this community of wicked men" (Numbers 14:27). Thus, 10 men are a community for prayer etc. However, it was the 2 righteous men Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 14:38; 32:12; ) who God honoured along with Moses. Thus Joshua and Caleb were the only ones of their generation who entered the promised land. This is why Yeshua (contradicting the teaching of the rabbis concerning the minyan) says, "Wherever two (Joshua & Caleb) or three (Joshua, Caleb & Moses) are gathered in My Name (that is, gathered in Salvation), there I am in the midst of you" (Matthew 18:20).
 
13 And again, “I will put My trust, hope, confidence, belief in Him.” And again, “Behold, pay attention, now I and the young children whom My God has given Me.” [Isaiah 8:17-18]
 
The writer of Hebrews connects Yeshua with the prophet Isaiah and explains that like Isaiah, Yeshua trusts in YHVH and that like Isaiah, Yeshua’s spiritual progeny are a testimony to humanity of the love of God.
 
The text and context of Isaiah 8:17-18
 
Isa 8:17 And I will wait for HaShem (YHVH: Mercy), Who hides His face from the house of Yaakov (Jacob: Judah & Ephraim-Israel), and I will look for Him.
 
Isaiah waits upon the Lord. The true prophet understands that the future redemption he sees in the spiritual may not be made manifest in his lifetime. Thus, he ultimately places trust in Hashem rather than in what he can see with his physical sight. The true prophet accepts that the promises of Hashem are eternal and that the prophet will yet rise at the last day to behold what he has faithfully prophesied within time and space.
 
The phrase, “Hides His face from” means that HaShem has intentionally withheld His manifest countenance from wrestling Jacob (Israel united: prior to his redemption). However, although Hashem’s face is hidden from the one who denies Him, the prophet will seek Him out.
 
Isa 8:18 Hinei, Now, Behold, I and the children whom HaShem (YHVH: Mercy) has given me are for le’otot signs and for ul’mofetiym wonders in Yisrael from HaShem (YHVH: Mercy) Tzevaot (Of heaven’s armies, going to war), Who dwells in mount Tziyon (Parched land).
 
Isaiah proclaims his family’s identity as living representations of God’s Word to His people. Yeshua proclaims the same concerning those who have become His followers and therefore Sons of the Living God. We are to be living examples of God’s Word to the world we live in.
 
14 Therefore, since the children (paidion[G], yiladiym[H]) share (koinōneō[G) in flesh (sarx[G], basar[H]) and blood (aima[G], dam[H]), He Himself similarly (paraplēsiōs[G]) also became a partaker (metechō[G]) of the same, so that through (dia[G]) death (thanatos[G], bemoto[H]) He might do away with, abolish, cause to cease (katargeō[G]) the one who had (echō[G]) the dominion (kratos[G]) of death (thanatos[G], hamavet[H]), that is, the devil (ho diabolos[G], haSatan[H]),
 
14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself similarly also became a partaker of the same, so that through death He might do away with, abolish, cause to cease the one who had the dominion of death, that is, the devil,
 
God the Son chose to enter time and space to share in the flesh of humanity so that in overcoming in life, death and resurrection He might afford human beings the opportunity to overcome in Him.
 
In Jewish tradition Samael also named Satan, is sometimes referred to as malakh hamavet (Angel of the death) [Targum Jon. in Gen. iii. 6. & in Hab. iii. 5; Talmud Bavliy Sukkah, fol. 53. 1. & Avoda Zara, fol. 5. 1. & 20. 2; Zohar in Gen. fol. 27. 1, 2. Tzeror Hammor, fol. 6. 2. & 22. 4. Caphtor, fol 26. 2. & alibi.]
 
One particular tradition says that Satan will cease in the Olam Haba (world to come), the days of the Messiah, Who, having come will destroy the power of Satan. (Baal Hatturim in Numb. iv. 19.)
 
15 and free, deliver (apallassō[G], veshilach lachafshiy[H]) those who through fear (phobos[G], mei’eiymat[H]) of death (thanatos[G], mavet[H]) were all the days (kol yemeiy[H]) of their lives (zaō[G], chayeiyhem[H]) guilty, subject (enochos[G]) to bondage (douleia[G]). 16 For doubtless (dēpou[G]) He does not take hold of (epilambanomai ou[G]) angels, messengers (aggelos[G], malakhiym[H]), but He takes hold of (epilambanomai[G]) the seed, issue (sperma[G], lezerah[H]) of Abraham (Avraham[H] father of a great number of people). [re. Isaiah 41:8-9]
 
15 and free, deliver those who through fear of death were all the days of their lives guilty, subject to bondage.
 
Messiah has come to free all who will accept Him from the just punishment for their sin.
 
While those who deny any culpability with regard to their immoral lifestyles may have deluded themselves that they do not fear death, the truth is that in the end death holds all unrepentant human beings in bondage. We note that the text says “guilty”, thus, the guilt of sin exposes the reality of the fruit of sin, death.
 
In one sense the fear of death is a healthy acknowledgement of the need for deliverance from it. Those religions that, devoid of Messiah, nonetheless claim death as a simple transition of matter and spirit, are in greater danger than those who live in the fear of death.
 
In Messiah we need not fear death, not the temporal death of the present world, nor the eternal death (perpetual fire) assigned to the wicked, because He has purchased our freedom in His blood.
 
16 For doubtless He does not take hold of angels, messengers, but He takes hold of the seed, issue of Abraham. [re. Isaiah 41:8-9]
 
This means that Yeshua has come not to take hold of and redeem angelic beings but to take hold of and redeem the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob:
 
“But you, Israel, My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
Descendant of Abraham My friend,
You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth
And called from its remotest parts,
And said to you, ‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not rejected you.” -Isaiah 41:8-9 NASB
 
Alternatively this refers to Messiah Yeshua, Who has not become convergent with angelic beings but has taken hold of humanity being born of God into humanity through Miriyam. And then, not into just any ethnicity but into the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, being both Jewish by bloodline and Abrahamic in faith.
 
“15 Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, 16 and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand, which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” -Genesis 22:15-18 NASB
 
17 Therefore (hothen[G]), in all things individually and collectively (pas[G], bakol[H]) He had to be made like (homoioō[G]) His brothers (adelphos[G], le’ehayv[H]) so that He might become a merciful (eleēmōn[G], berachamayv[H]) and faithful, true (pistos[G], uve’emunatiy[H]) high priest (archiereus[G], kohen gadol[H], rav kumrea[A]) in things pertaining, before the face of (lifneiy[H]) God (Theos[G], Elohiym[H]), to make atoning reconciliation (hilaskomai[G], lechafeir[H]) upon the sins (hamartia[G], al-chatot[H]) [missing the mark set by God’s holiness] of the people (laos[G], ha’am[H]).
 
17 Therefore, in all things individually and collectively He had to be made like His brothers so that He might become a merciful and faithful, true high priest in things pertaining, before the face of God, to make atoning reconciliation upon the sins [missing the mark set by God’s holiness] of the people.
 
Yeshua has been made like His fellow Jewish brothers in respect to humanity, ethnicity, religion, culture, and according to the requirements of the Torah given to His brothers He has walked in sinless perfection. Thus, He is best qualified to show mercy as the faithful Kohen Gadol High Priest appearing on behalf of sinful people before the face of the Holy God of Israel, able to do so because of the shedding of His blood as the atonement over the sins of His people.
 
“make atoning reconciliation upon the sins of the people.” This correlates to the Yom Kippur sacrifice of two goats the one (for the people: Azazel, the escaping goat) being delivered by the other (the goat for YHVH).
 
Ref. Yom Kippur, Messiah and the Escaping Goat
https://www.bethmelekh.com/yaakovs-commentary---15081497151214931513-1497150615111489/yom-kippur-the-escaping-goat
 
18 Now (gar[G]) since He Himself suffered (paschō[G]) temptation (peirazō[G]), He is able (dunamai[G]) to come to the aid (boētheō[G]) of those who are tempted (peirazō[G]).
 
18 Now since He Himself suffered temptation, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
 
“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.” -Hebrews 4:15
 
“Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” -Isaiah 53:12 KJV
 
“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them.” -Hebrews 7:25
 
Copyright 2021 Yaakov Brown

Introduction:
 
The first half of this chapter concerned the clear redemptive messianic mandate of Yeshua and His unwillingness to abide the plans of fallen human beings. It continued with His faithful observance of the instruction to go up for the festival of Sukkot, and alludes to His public teaching in the Temple proper (an area Gentiles were excluded from) among His fellow Jews in the middle of the festival.
 
As I previously stated, a sound understanding of the festival of Sukkot (Lev. 23:33-43; Num. 29:12-39; Deut. 16:13-16) and its first century customs (some of which are described in the Mishnah and Talmud) is key to a correct interpretation of John 7:37-39 and 8:12. The festival of Sukkot is the backdrop for John chapters 7 and 8.
 
Sukkot begins 5 days after Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) on the 15th of Tishri (the Shabbat or seventh month of the Biblical lunar calendar). It is highly likely given Yeshua’s strict observance of the Torah, that He had gone up to Jerusalem for Yom Kippur and had returned to the Galilee for the 5 day interim period between Yom Kippur and Sukkot. He had every intention of going up for Sukkot, in His own timing (according to God’s timing).
 
Sukkot is the festival of the later harvest and is full of completions: seven days, seventy sacrificial bulls etc. It has a long standing connection to the nations, from the time of the giving of the Torah in the presence of seventy elders, to the time of the prophet Zechariyah, and in the Talmud of rabbinical Judaism, and beyond.
 
“16 Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.17 And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the 
 
Concerning the seventy bulls required by Numbers 29:12-34, which were to be sacrificed over the seven days of the festival of Sukkot, the Talmud Bavliy says:
 
“Rabbi El’azar said, ‘To what do these seventy bulls correspond? To the seventy nations…” (Sukkah 55b)
 
Based on the many correlations between the number seventy and the nations in the Torah, rabbinic tradition teaches that seventy is a number for the nations and that the seventy bulls sacrificed during Sukkot are meant as an atonement for the nations.
 
Jewish Tradition and Practice During First Century CE Sukkot Celebrations at the Temple in Jerusalem:
 
In addition to the continued Torah instructed practice of dwelling, sleeping, eating and drinking, in temporary shelters, first century Jews practiced various other rites during Sukkot in Jerusalem each year.
 
The waving of the four species or Lulav (still practiced today) made up of branches of palm tree, myrtle, and willow, bound up together in a bundle (Lev.23:40). These were carried in the right hand, with an etrog (citron native to Israel) in the left. The lulav is waved three times first toward the east, then south, east, north, toward the heavens and then toward the lower regions and brought back to rest over the heart of the worshipper. This signifies that God is Creator and sustains of all things.
 
In the first century the priests walked around the altar once for each of the first six days of Sukkot, with the lulav in their hands, saying the words "Hoshana Save now, I plead to You, O Lord, O Lord I plead to You, send now prosperity" (Psalm 118:25): and on the seventh day, they went around the altar seven times (Mishnah. ib. c. 4. sect. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Maimon. Hilch. Lulab, c. 7. sect. 5, 6, 9, 23).
 
There were great Menorah-like four branched candles stands in the Temple precinct. At sundown on the first day of the feast, they went down to the court of the women where golden candlesticks had been erected, and at the head of them four golden basins, and four ladders to every candlestick, and four young priests had four pitchers of oil, that held a hundred and twenty logs (an ancient measure of oil), which they put into each basin. Wicks were made from the old breeches and girdles of the priests, and it was these oil soaked wicks that the priests would light. There was not a court in Jerusalem which was not lit up with that light, and religious men, and men of good works, danced before them, with lighted torches in their hands, singing songs and hymns of praise, which continued for the following six nights (Mishnah. Succah, c. 5. sect 2, 3, 4; Maimon. ib. c. 8. sect. 12.).
 
On every day of the festival water was drawn from the pool of Siloach (sent) [Situated approximately 2km south of the Temple Mount], and was poured along with wine at the base of the altar as a libation offering. This was celebrated with great rejoicing (simchateinu). During the illumination in the court of the women, many instruments were employed such as harps, psalteries, cymbals, and two priests with trumpets, who sounded them when they were given the signal, and on every day, as they brought water from the pool of Siloach to the altar, they sounded with trumpets, and shouted; the great "Hallel" (Psalms 136), was sung all the eight days (Mishnah. ib. c. 4. sect. 8, 9. & c. 5. 1, 4, 5. & Eracin, c. 2. sect. 3). The whole festival was one of great rejoicing, according to Leviticus 23:40. 
 
With all this and more in mind, and ultimately, guided by the Ruach Ha-Kodesh Who imparts the teaching of Yeshua to all believers, we attempt to humbly, and contextually understand the text that follows.
 
25 So some of the people of Yerushalayim[H] (Jerusalem: Downpour of Peace) were saying, “Is this not the one whom they’re seeking to kill?
 
“Is this not the one whom they’re seeking to kill?” This is a reference to those religious leaders among the Judean sect that were moved to hatred by Yeshua’s making whole of the man at Beit Chasda (House of Kindness and practical love). As mentioned previously, John 5:18 says “they sought to kill Him…”
 
The fact that “some of the people of Jerusalem” (Jews who had made aliyah for the festival of Sukkot) use the determiner “they” to refer to the small group of leaders who wanted to kill Yeshua, shows a social distancing between the speakers and the group who hated Yeshua. To say “they” is to exclude self and or, the collective “we”.
 
26 See, behold, pay attention (eido[G], Hinei[H]), He is speaking unreservedly, frankly, without ambiguity (parrhesia[G], doveir[H]), publicly, among the masses (barabiym[H]), and they’re not saying anything to Him. 
 
The same “they” of the previous verse have been witnessed by the crowd watching Yeshua and listening to His teaching without making a move to prevent Him or interrupt Him, even though He is doing all this publicly and with dynamic, articulate, awe inspiring success.
 
The rulers, leaders, magistrates, heads (archon[G], rasheiynu[H]) haven’t truly concluded, come to the knowledge, come to have faith, trust (ginosko[G], um’nam[H]), because (kiy[H]) in truth (be’emet[H]) this one (zeh[H]) He (Hu[H]) is the Messiah (ho Christos[G], ha-Mashiyach[H]), have they?
 
“The rulers, leaders, magistrates, heads” Refers to the Spiritual leaders, certain adjudicators of Torah and early rabbinic Halakhah, and possibly to some of the leaders of various smaller synagogues from throughout the region who practiced a pharisaic form of Judean Jewish faith. It does not refer to the Pharisees or Priests who are named separately in verse 32.
 
“haven’t truly concluded, come to the knowledge, come to have faith, trust… have they?” This statement reads as either incredulity or sarcasm, possibly even as a rhetorical question. It is certainly not a genuine attempt to discern the thinking or faith of the religious Jewish leaders.
 
The Greek “ginosko”[G] which alludes to mental assent or knowledge gleaned from persuasion, is equivalent but not the same as the more holistic Hebrew concept of emunah[H], faith, trust, knowledge of the inner being. The Greek concept of consciousness requires the seat of consciousness to reside in the brain/mind, the Hebrew idea of consciousness does not, rather, for the Hebrew the seat of consciousness is at the centre of being where the mind, emotion, soul, spirit, intellect, action etc. converge. Thus the Hebrew concept of consciousness allows for a continued conscious state following the physical death of the brain, and finds a greater continuity with the meta-narrative of Scripture.
 
In the next verse the Greek “ginosko”[G] is juxtaposed against the idea of belief based on various forms of sight “eido”[G]. This is yet further evidence of the Hebraic thought of the author, who appropriates Greek language as a vehicle for relaying a more holistic Hebrew understanding of the redemptive work of God.
 
27 In addition (alla[G]), we see, perceive (eido[G]) this man’s place of origin (pothen[G]); but whenever the Messiah (Christos[G], ha-Mashiyach) comes, no one (oudeis[G]) knows (ginosko[G], yeida[H]) His place of origin (pothen[G]).”
 
“we see, perceive this man’s place of origin” This tells us that by far the majority of those who were listening to Yeshua were aware that He had been residing in K’far Nachum (Capernaum) in the Galilee and as testified to in John 6:42, others were aware of His parents Yosef and Miriyam and His connection to Nazareth. However, based on what follows it seems clear that few if any (other than His immediate family and close retinue) were aware that He had been born in Beit Lechem (Bethlehem, the house of bread), the town of King David.
 
Note the Greek “eido” does not mean “to know”, as is translated in so many English versions. In fact the text makes a clear distinction between perception based on knowledge “ginosko” and perception based on the various forms of sight “eido”. Yeshua’s listeners claim to be speaking of “knowing” where Messiah will come from, but Yeshua rebukes them by saying (to paraphrase), “You see Me and see where I have come from, I haven’t separated Myself from God Who is Truth and sent Me, Him you don’t see or perceive of, in spite of the fact that you can most certainly see Me!”
 
“…but whenever the Messiah comes, no one knows His place of origin;” Among the many strands of thought regarding Jewish messianic expectation in the first century CE, was the tradition of the “Hidden Messiah”, which some associate with the apocryphal (Not Inspired) book of Chanoch (1 Enoch 46:1-3).
 
“Then I inquired of one of the angels, who went with me, and who showed me every secret thing, concerning this Son of man; who he was; whence he was; and why he accompanied the Ancient of days.” -1 Enoch 46:1b
 
The point is that contrary to Scripture (Micah 5:1[2]), the “Hidden Messiah” tradition of the first century CE was prevalent among observant Jews.
 
The reality is that Scripture makes clear that the King Messiah will be born in Beit Lechem (Bethlehem):
 
“But as for you, Beit Lechem (Bethlehem, house of bread) Efratah (Ephrathah, fruitful place). Insignificant among the clans of Y’hudah (Judah, Praise), from you One will go forth for Me to be Ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago,
from the days of eternity.” -Micah 5:1 [2] Author’s translation
 
Note that our rabbis rightly conclude that this refers to the King Messiah the Greater Son of David, due to the fact that according to this text the individual being referred to is both of the lineage of Judah and of eternity past.
 
One might conclude that this belief in the “Hidden Messiah” tradition was one held by Am Ha-aretz (Commoners) unlearned in the Torah, Prophets and Writings. If this is the case the latter reference to these unlearned commoners and their ignorance by the religious rulers (v.49), denotes that the religious leaders, being aware of the prophet Micah and knowing the birthplace of the Messiah, were all the more accountable and therefore in a much worse position than that of the ignorant masses, whom were supposedly under God’s curse. This brings to mind the writing of Yeshua’s brother Yaakov (James):
 
“Not many of you should aspire to become teachers, my Jewish brothers and sisters, knowing that as such we teachers will incur a stricter judgment.” -Yaakov (James) 3:1 Author’s translation
 
28 Then Yeshua (YHVH Saves, Jesus) cried out like a raven, like a prayer for vengeance (krazo[G], kara[H]) in the Temple (hieron[G], ha-Mikdash[H]), teaching (didasko[G], vay’lameid[H]) and saying (lego[G], vayomer[H]), “You both see, perceive (eido[G]) Me and see, perceive (eido[G]) My place of origin (pothen[G]); and of separation (apo[G]) I have not come, but He Who is true, faithful, trustworthy (ne’eman[H]) did the sending, sent Me (ho pempo me[G], she’lachaniy[H]), Whom all of you don’t see, perceive (eido[G]).
 
The Greek “krazo” denotes a cry like that of a raven or a man screaming a prayer of vengeance. Such was the power of His voice, that the sound of it carried over the heads and into the ears of the thousands of worshippers gathered in the Temple complex.
 
As stated in my previous article “…in the Mikdash (Temple)” means inside the Temple area itself, and does not refer to the outer court of the Gentiles which is not considered part of the Temple proper. In other words, at the time of these events Yeshua’s teaching was made available only to Jews.
 
“You both see, perceive Me and see, perceive My place of origin;” Yeshua acknowledges that with their physical sight and human intellect they have observed and heard of His then current physical place of origin. However, what follows is a rebuke regarding their inability to see His ultimate origin in God the Father and His manifest identity as the visible substance of the invisible God. We should be slow to judge these first century Jewish worshippers, after all, we who have seen Yeshua spiritually are prone to the same lack of discernment but are, unlike them, without an excuse.
 
“and of separation I have not come,” Yeshua’s physical and spiritual being are inseparable. Likewise He and the Father are inseparable. He has not come from just one physical location, nor has He ever been separate from His origin in the Father, rather, He has come in unity with the Father and the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) and in unity with the Father’s will.
 
Therefore, Yeshua’s identity can only be fully understood in the unity of the Godhead and the Person of Yeshua as Imanu El “With us God”. Ironically, to see Him in any other way is to practice the compartmentalization of the Greco-Roman world, and yet, Yeshua’s listeners were doing that very thing. Sadly, many believers also misperceive Yeshua in the same way today.
 
“…but He Who is true, faithful, trustworthy did the sending, sent Me, Whom all of you don’t see, perceive.” Simply put, you don’t perceive of the true nature of God, Who sent me.
 
29 I (Aniy[H]) see, perceive (eido[G]) Him, because from Him likewise existing, present (eimi[G]), I am sent (apostello[G], she’lachaniy[H]).”
 
Yeshua is essential saying, “I am God with You, In Him and of Him, Sent from Him to dwell within Him in the created order…”
 
30 As a result they were seeking (zeteo[G]) to lay hold of (piazo[G]) Him; and no one could lay a hand (epiballo[G]) on Him, because the certain, definite, time, hour (hora[G]) for Him had not yet come (lo bai to[H]).
 
“As a result they were seeking to lay hold of Him” In almost every instance when the religious authorities sought to lay hold of, stone, throw of a cliff or kill Yeshua, it was because He was either directly or indirectly claiming to be Imanu El God with us. Not “A son of God” but “The Son of God”.
 
“…and no one could lay a hand on Him, because the certain, definite, time, hour for Him had not yet come…” Notice the repetition of this phrase which is used to illuminate the reason that Yeshua would not acquiesce to His brothers’ suggestion earlier in this chapter. It is Yeshua, within God’s will, Who both knows and decides when He will give up His life as a vicarious sacrifice for all who will believe.
 
“The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” -John 10:17-19 (NASB)
 
31 From the crowd many (polus[G], rabiym[H]) believed, trusted, had faith, were persuaded, placed their confidence (pisteuo[G], he’emiynu[H]) in Him; and they were saying, “When the Messiah (Christos[G], ha-Mashiyach[H]) comes, He will not perform more, superior or greater (pleion[G], har’beih[H]) signs, marks, wonders (semeion[G], otot[H]) than those which this man has, will He?”
 
Notice that “many” of the Jewish worshippers who heard Yeshua were “persuaded” (pisteuo[G]) and “trusted, chose faith in Him” (he’emiynu[H]). This is not, as some suggest, a limited or superficial faith. To the contrary, like the disciples of Yeshua’s inner circle many thousands of Jews of the first century began to have faith in Yeshua during His ministry and found a greater fullness in the progression of that same faith following His death and resurrection.
 
Long before the body of believers became predominantly Gentile, it was wholly Jewish. In fact, at the convergence of the Jewish and Gentile progression of faith in Yeshua, the body of believers (Ecclesia[G]) was called Ha-Derech (The Way), a “Jewish Sect”. Interestingly, today in modern rabbinical Judaism we have a prayer dedicated to God’s protection and blessing as we journey, called Tefiylat HaDerech, Prayer of the way.
 
32 Some of the P’rushiym[H] (Separate, distinct, chased ones, Pharisees) heard the crowd murmuring these things about Him (Yeshua), and the chief priests (archiereus[G], ha-kohaniym[H]) and some of the P’rushiym[H] (Pharisees) sent servants (huperetes[G]) to apprehend (piazo[G]) Him.
 
I have added the words “some of” for clarification because it is clear from Scripture that Nakdiymon (Nicodemus) and other Pharisees like Him, along with many of Yeshua’s own disciples, who were clearly of the Pharisaic sect, were not among the Pharisees who were seeking to seize Yeshua. For all intents and purposes Yeshua Himself was a Pharisee.
 
It is worth noting the P’rush means “Separate, distinct, set apart”. Therefore, the P’rushiym (ancient forerunners to rabbinical Judaism) were “Distinct, set apart ones”. In respect to God’s call on His people this is a wonderful name to carry, however, God’s Son our King Messiah comes to remind us that we are to be set apart unto God and not separated from Him by our fallen sense of self-righteousness.
 
At this juncture we need to be reminded once again that for all intents and purposes and with regard to theology and faith Yeshua was a Pharisee. Likewise Nakdiymon, Rav Shaul (Paul the sent one) and many others who chose faith in Yeshua. The Chief Priests and Pharisees mentioned here are a subgroup among those groups and do not represent the whole.
 
It’s important to clarify the distinction between the Pharisees and the Chief Priest, the majority of whom were Sadducees (forerunners of the modern Karaite Jews). Unlike the Pharisees, the Sadducees accepted the Torah alone as authoritive Scripture and would therefore have rejected Yeshua’s claims to Messiahship, a majority of which were based on the writings of the prophets, which the Sadducees considered uninspired. In addition, the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection (imagine their chagrin concerning the resurrection of Lazarus), angels, demons, miraculous healing (Oiy Vey) and so on. The Sadduciym were essentially moralists, making ethics out of sacred writings and seeing death as the absolute end of life. Not unlike numerous ethics lecturers in our modern western universities.
 
Therefore, the fact that Sadducees and Pharisees could have united in their dislike of Yeshua means that at least part of the reason was political rather than spiritual. Roman occupation hung on their minds and the repercussions they foresaw regarding a messianic uprising terrified them.
 
Pilate, the Roman Governor of the time is recorded in extra Biblical history as an insidious man who used provocations and tyranny to incite and murder Jews in Roman occupied Israel. Thus, the Pharisees and Sadducees had good reason to be fearful of what might result if Yeshua was allowed to be hailed as the King Messiah of Israel, a land known in the first century by the Roman names of occupation, Roman province of Judea, Roman province of Samaria, Roman province of Idumea. Later following the Bar Kokhba revolt in 132 CE Emperor Hadrian changed the name of the land to Syria Palaestina, thus the present day illegitimate name of occupation “Palestine” used by Israel’s oppressors and those who would take God’s Name “El” out of the land of Yisra-El. To hear the name “Palestine” on the tongue of one who claims to be a follower of Yeshua (Jesus) is an appalling oxymoronic disgrace!
 
 33 Therefore the Yeshua said, “Yet for a short time I am with you, then I withdraw Myself (hupago[G]) to Him Who sent (pempo[G], she’lachaniy[H]) Me. 34 Seeking (zeteo[G],) Me, you will not come upon (heurisko[G]) Me; and where I am, exist (eimi[G], aniy sham[H]) you’re not able, nor do you have the power (dunamai[G]) to come.”
 
“the Yeshua” The Greek says “ho Iesous”. Not just any Joshua of the time but “the Joshua”. Remembering that Joshua was a very common name in the Jewish community of the first century CE and indeed continues to be popular today among Jewish families both in Israel and in the Diaspora.
 
In hindsight it is easy to see that Yeshua was referring to His death and resurrection and possibly to His subsequent ascension. However, given the theological dialogue and the first century worship environment, along with the messianic expectation and the physical need for deliverance from the Roman occupation: it seems reasonable that His hearers might conclude a literal interpretation of His words rather than a euphemistic one.
 
“…and where I am, exist you’re not able, nor do you have the power to come.” The use and tense of the language is illuminating. In one sense Yeshua is saying He is already where He is going to be (slain before the creation of the world [Rev.13:8]). Furthermore, He explains that where He is going (Gan Eden, the Bosom of Abraham, Paradise), they are presently unable to enter because they do not (in their present state of disbelief) qualify among the righteous of Israel’s departed. Nor have they yet received Yeshua and the means of redemption by which they might follow Him to Gan Eden, as the thief on the cross did (Luke 23:39-43). Therefore, even if they wanted to locate Yeshua, following this dialogue, they could not. Not yet. Keep in mind that it is highly likely that many of His opponents were among those who would soon come to faith at Shavuot (Pentecost) [Acts 2] following His resurrection.
 
35 Some of the the Judeans, religious Jews (Ioudaios[G], Ha-Yehudiym[H]) then said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find Him? He is not intending to travel to the Diaspora (Jewish dispersion throughout the Greco-Roman world) among the Greeks (Hellen[G]), and teach (didasko[G]) the Greeks (Hellen[G]), is He? 36 What is this word, speech (logos[G]) that He said, ‘Seeking (zeteo[G],) Me, you will not come upon (heurisko[G]) Me; and where I am, exist (eimi[G], aniy sham[H]) you’re not able, nor do you have the power (dunamai[G]) to come’?”
 
They ask if Yeshua will go into the Diaspora or where Jews are dispersed throughout the Greco-Roman world. While the text says specifically will He “teach the Greeks”, it may denote Jews living in the diaspora, who were looked down upon by the Jews of the land, in much the same way as Jews living outside of Israel today are looked down upon by some ultra-observant religious Jews in the land of Israel. It is worth noting that by far the majority of secular and less observant Israeli Jews are extremely friendly toward Jews from outside of the land and are welcoming and supportive of all new comers to Israel.
 
37 Now on the last day, Hoshanah Rabah[H] (the Great Save Now) the great day of the festival of Sukkot[H] (hagadol chag[H]), Yeshua stood and cried out like a raven, like a prayer for vengeance (krazo[G]), saying (lego[G]), “If anyone is suffering thirst (dipsao[G]) let that one come (erchomai[G]) to Me and drink (pino[G]). 38 He who believes, has faith, trusts, is persuaded (pisteuo[G]) in Me, according to the speech of the Writing (ho graphe[G], hakatuv[H]), ‘A river (potamos[G]) coming out of the entire cavity of his inner being (koilia autos[G], leiv[H]) will flow (rheo[G]) with waters that are living (mayim chayiym[H]).’”
 
The last or seventh day of Sukkot is known as Hoshanah Rabah, which literally translates as “the save now that is great”. It is the climax of the seven-day festival during which the water libation offering of the first century period was conducted.
 
For seven days the people had watched the Cohen Hagadol (High Priest) pour out water at the base of the altar inside the Temple grounds. This water was collected from the pool of shiloach (Siloam, meaning “sent”), situated approximately 2km south of the Temple Mount not far from the place where the Hinnom and Kidron valleys converge. A specially selected priest collected the water each day and brought it up the hill and through the water gate into the Temple with singing, a variety of instruments and great rejoicing (the festival of Sukkot is closely associated to the word simchateinu “Our great rejoicing”). This was a kinetic form of ritual prayer petitioning God for rain. It also figuratively represents the out pouring of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) on the people of Israel. Our rabbis make the connection between this first century practice and Isaiah 12:3:
 
“Collectively you will draw water in joy you will draw water
    from the springs of the salvation” -Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 12:3 Authors Translation
 
Therefore, the Jewish worshippers of the first century have prayed for rain and that God would send the promised King Messiah to deliver them from Roman oppression. And now, on the final day of the feast called Hoshanah Rabbah (The Great Save Now), the water is carried to the Temple accompanied by Cohaniym (priests) blowing gold trumpets and L’vi’iym (Levites) singing songs of praise and worship, surrounded by common Israelis waving lulaviym of the four species prescribed by Scripture (Lev.23:40), including the palm branch, and chanting the Hallel (Psalms 113-118), which include in their final verses:
 
“I plead with You HaShem, Hoshana, save us!
I plead with You HaShem, send prosperity, I plead!
Barukh Haba b’sheim Adonai, Blessing is He who comes in the Name of HaShem!
We have blessed from the House of Hashem!
God HaShem and uncreated light to us!
Bind a festival sacrifice with cords against the horns of the altar.
My God, You I throw praise to You My God, exalting You!
Give thanks to HaShem for Good, forever, for His kindness, faithfulness, practical and transcendent love!” -Psalm 118:25-29 Author’s translation
 
This prayer is employed as a heralding of the Messiah during Yeshua’s later entry into Jerusalem (Matt.21:9; Mk.11:9-10). It was also a petition for salvation from sin.
 
The Encyclopedia Judaica notes:
 
“A connection between the possession of the Ruach Ha-Kodesh and ecstasy, or religious joy, is found in the ceremony of water drawing, Simchat Beit-HaSho’evah [“feast of water drawing”], on the festival of Sukkot. The Mishnah said that he who had never seen this ceremony, which was accompanied by dancing, singing and music (Sukkot 5:4), had never seen true joy (Sukkot 5:1). Yet this was also considered a ceremony in which the participants, as it were, drew inspiration from the Holy Spirit itself, which can only be possessed by those whose hearts are full of religious joy (Jerusalem Talmud, Sukkot 5:1, 55a).” - Encyclopedia Judaica 14:365
 
Given the historical context of these events and Yeshua’s participation in and veneration of the practices associated with the festival, and the fact that these rites are extrabiblical, being recorded in the Mishnah and Talmud; we can determine that Yeshua and His disciples observed, at least in part, significant portions of the Oral Torah, which was later codified as the Mishnah (2nd Century CE). Therefore, it is foolish to discount the Mishnah in its entirety as “the traditions of men” (Mark 7:5-13), in light of the fact that Yeshua considered its traditions to be valid expressions of Jewish worship and further still, used these practices as a platform for revealing His identity and purpose.
 
Now, in the midst of the cacophony of rejoicing and spiritual ecstasy the Cohen Hagadol (High priest) pours the water out at the base of the altar for the final time and the energy of the crowd builds to a crescendo; a young rabbi from the Kinneret (Galilee) shouts out above the crowd who have gathered in great anticipation, and says:
 
“If anyone is suffering thirst let that one come to Me and drink, He who believes, has faith in Me, according to the speech of the Holy Writings, ‘A river coming out of the entire cavity of his inner being, will flow with waters that are living.’”
 
Yeshua was unifying the message of several passages from the prophet Yeshayahu (Isaiah):
 
“‘For I will pour out water on him who is thirsty
And streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring
And My blessing on your descendants;” – Isaiah 44:3 (NASB)
 
“Ho, take notice, be awe struck! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;
And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without cost.” -Isaiah 55:1 Author’s translation
 
“And the Lord will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.” -Isaiah 58:11 (NASB)
 
“The words of the mouth are deep waters,
    but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.” -Proverbs 18:4 (NASB)
 
Of course, the ultimate and everlasting fulfilment of these kinetic prayers is recorded in Yeshua’s Revelation to Yochanan:
 
“The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.” -Revelation 22:17 (NASB)
 
39 But this He (Yeshua) spoke of the Spirit (Pneuma[G], Ha Ruach[H]), Whom those who believed (ha-ma’amiyniym[H]) in Him were to receive; for the Spirit (Pneuma[G], Ha Ruach[H]) was not yet given (nitan[H]), because Yeshua was not yet glorified.
 
“But this He spoke of the Spirit, Whom those who believed in Him were to receive;” Yeshua speaks of the outpouring of water as a metaphor for the outpouring of the Ruach HaKodesh. This was something that all Israel was anticipating in association with the festival of Sukkot and its many spiritual implications. However, the author of John’s Gospel explains that the Ruach HaKodesh will be given in full measure at a later date and only to those who believe.
 
“…for the Spirit was not yet given, because Yeshua was not yet glorified.” Yeshua did breathe the Holy Spirit upon His disciples prior to His ascension (John 20:22), however, the Spirit was not given in full measure, that is, did not indwell the disciples and others who believed until the Shavuot (Pentecost) that occurred 50 days after His resurrection (Acts 2).
 
“Yeshua was not yet glorified” This refers to His resurrected glory. The Holy Spirit, Who is the Spirit of the Father and of the Son (Rom.8:9; Heb.9:14; Phil.1:19; 2 Pet.1:20-21; Gal.4:6), could not be poured out into the hearts of human beings until the death and resurrection of Yeshua had made possible the perpetual atonement that brings salvation and right standing before God. Therefore, it was after Yeshua’s ascension and from His position seated in and with the Father, that the Father and the Son began to pour out their unified Spirit into the hearts, the inner being, of every believer.
 
40 Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, “This certainly is the Prophet (zeh hu ha-naviy[H]).”
 
“This is the prophet” God spoke to Moses of, “I will raise up a prophet like you…” (Deut.18:15-18; Acts 7:37).
 
41 Others were saying, “This is the Messiah (Christos[G], ha-Mashiyach[H]).” Still others were saying, “Surely the Messiah (Christos[G], ha-Mashiyach[H]) is not going to come from the Galilee (ha-galiyl[H]), is He? 42 Has not the Writing (ho graphe[G], hakatuv[H]) said that the Messiah (Christos[G], ha-Mashiyach[H]) comes from the descendants of David (Beloved), and from Beit Lechem[H] (House of Bread) Bethlehem, the village David came from?”
 
“Others were saying, ‘This is the Messiah’” As attested to in verse 31, many already believed Yeshua was the promised King Messiah.
 
“Surely the Messiah is not going to come from the Galilee, is He? 42 Has not the Writing said that comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village David came from?” Sadly human beings are prone to both proposing and making false choices. The Scriptures show that Messiah is from both Bethlehem and the Galilee. In fact, He is from Bethlehem, Egypt, Nazareth and the Galilee.
 
Ref. Matt. 2; 2 Sam. 7:12-13; Jer. 23:5-6; Micah 5:1 [2]; Psalm. 89:36-38 [35-37]; 132:11; 1 Chron. 7:11, 14).
 
The people were right to say that the Messiah was to come from Bethlehem. Those who were in confusion and disbelief were clearly not aware that Yeshua had been born in Bethlehem. If they had been, many more may well have believed, but, this would not have allowed for the purposes of God to come about because they would have made of Yeshua a temporal King, and devoid of the sacrificial means of eternal redemption, would have died in their sin without the eternal Kingdom promised by God.
 
43 As a result a division, split, gap (schisma[G]) occurred in the crowd because of Him (Yeshua[H]).
 
There have and until His return will always be only two responses to the work of Yeshua: acceptance and life, rejection and death.
 
“For we are a fragrance of Messiah to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;to the one an aroma from death leading to death, to the other an aroma from life leading to life. And who is adequate for these things?” -2 Corinthians 2:15-16 Author’s translation
 
44 Some of them intended to apprehend (piazo[G]) Him, but no one laid hands on Him. 45 The servants (huperetes[G]) then came to the chief priests (archiereus[G], ha-kohaniym[H])  and some of the P’rushiym[H] (Separate, distinct, chased ones, Pharisees), and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?”
 
“No one laid hands on Him” because His time had not yet come.
 
46 The servants (huperetes[G]) answered, “Never has a human being (anthropos[G]) spoken in the manner this man speaks.”
 
In saying this the servants insulted the P’rushiym, who considered themselves well versed and well spoken in the Torah, Prophets, and Writings. The servants were testifying to witnessing the reality of Yeshua’s own words: “My teaching is not Mine but His Who sent Me!” (v.16).
 
47 The P’rushiym[H] then answered them, “You haven’t also been led astray, have you?
 
The hubris of this small group of P’rushiym is palpable. They conclude that no one could speak in a manner that is superior their own ability, therefore, those who witnessed it must be deluded, lead astray.
 
 48 No one among the leaders, magistrates, rulers, princes (archon[G], ha-sariym[H]) or P’rushiym[H] have believed, trusted, been persuaded (pisteuo[G]) in Him, have they?
 
In fact Nakdiymon is likely to have already become a disciple of Yeshua, and his subsequent rebuttal of the religious party’s unlawful judgement is further evidence of this (v.50-52). In addition to Nakdiymon, many others among the P’rushiym who had been among the crowd had also become followers of Yeshua (v.31).
 
 49 But this crowd which does not know (yod’iym[H]) the Torah[H] (Instruction, ho nomos[G]) is under God’s curse (epikataratos[G]).” 
 
Once again the pride of the learned religious leaders raises its ugly head. They’re essentially saying that all the common Israelis who have come up to attend the festival of Sukkot in obedience to the Torah, are ignorant of the Torah. Worse still, because many in the crowd have concluded that Yeshua speaks the truth, the religious leaders consider them under God’s curse. What a sad and ironic situation the religious leaders find themselves in, for, as the Scripture says “an undeserved curse cannot land”, in fact, it returns to rest upon the one who uttered it.
 
50 Nakdiymon[H] (Nikodemos[G], nikos: vanquish, victory; demos: the people, assembled mass of people)  [the one who had come to Yeshua before, being one of the P’rushiym[H]) said to them, 51 “Our Torah[H] (Instruction, ho nomos[G]) does not separate, judge, access (krino[G]) a man unless it first hears (akouo[G]) from him and knows (ginosko[G]) what he is doing (poieo[G]), does it?”
 
Many among them knew and were thinking this but it was Nakdiymon alone who had the courage to speak up. A courage born of the Spirit of God. He is correct in his assertion. Deuteronomy 19:15-21 demands that a lawful gathering be held in order to hear from all parties involved in a matter of Torah law.
 
52 They answered him (Nakdiymon), “You’re not also from the Galilee (ha-galiyl[H]), are you? Search, and see that prophets aren’t raised out of the Galilee (ha-galiyl[H]).” 53 Each man journeyed to his house.
 
“You’re not also from the Galilee, are you?” Personal attacks are often the domain of those who have lost an argument or are found wanting in their ability to refute the truth. Therefore, knowing they’re in the wrong the religious leaders cover up their inadequacy with bigotry. They were essentially saying, “You’re not also one of those ignorant hicks from the Galilee are you?” This they said to a man honoured by the Talmud as a tzadik (righteous saint), well learned in the Torah and well-practiced in Halakhah, righteous living (see my article on John 3).
 
“Search, and see that prophets aren’t raised out of the Galilee” Usually, when one relies on emotion to further a point of disagreement, the result is untenable. Not only was Nakdiymon right concerning the Torah, he was also vindicated by the response of the religious leaders which proved them to be guilty of the ignorance they had presumed upon others. One need not look far to find that the prophet Yonah came from Gat-Hefer in the Galilee. What’s more, our own rabbis, men who are the progeny of Pharisaic Judaism, testify against the false information of the religious leaders:
 
“Rabbi Eli’ezer… said… ‘There was not a tribe in Israel which did not produce prophets…” (Sukkah 27b).
 
However, because the tense of the Greek text allows for the meaning “no future prophet comes from the Galilee”, we must give the religious leaders the benefit of the doubt on this matter.
 
“Each man journeyed to his house.” This does not mean that the people returned from the festival to their home villages but that those involved with the private meeting of the religious leaders and their servants returned to their homes in the city of Jerusalem. We know this because the eighth day Sh’mini Atzeret of Sukkot was yet to occur and the seventh day would not conclude until the following sundown according to the Biblical lunar calendar. Therefore, thousands remained in Jerusalem for the conclusion of the festival.
 
Copyright 2020 Yaakov Brown

Introduction:
 
Regardless of when this psalm was penned in its final form, it is attributed to King David. Psalm 133 is one of the fifteen Songs of Ascents (Shir Ha-ma'alot), and one of the three Songs of Ascents consisting of only three verses (131; 134). It’s not known when David wrote this psalm, however, some suggest it was written on the occasion of his anointing as king in celebration of the people’s unification under his reign (2 Sam. 5:1), while others suggest it was written following the quelling of Absalom’s rebellion, when the tribes of Israel jostled for the honor of bringing David back to his rightful place in Jerusalem (2 Sam. 19:9). Still others make a more general and much more likely suggestion that he wrote it while observing Israel gathered together for one of the Regaliym/Aliyot (Pesach, Yom Kippur, Sukkot) festivals. In addition to these suppositions some scholars suggest that this psalm was added to the collection of psalms nearing the end of David’s life in approximately 1015 BCE.
 
The Jewish commentators Kimchi and Ben Melekh see this psalm as being prophetic of the times of the Messiah (yet future), and take it to be a prediction of the peace that will exist between the King Messiah and the High Priest of Israel. This is in keeping with the figurative typing of Joshua (Zechariah 6:11-13). In fact, Yeshua united the Kingship and Priesthood of Israel through His immersion (baptism), His death and resurrection, and sanctified these roles with the pre-existing priesthood likened to the order of Malkiy-Tzedek (My King of Righteousness): a perfect priesthood (Hebrews 7) that functions to reconcile all who believe to the Father, causing both Jew and Gentile to truly abide together in a union that is everlasting, purchased through the blood of the Messiah’s perfect substitutionary sacrifice.
 
The two figures of the oil running down Aaron’s beard and the dew upon Mt Hermon convey a sense of extravagant blessing and the empowering of God’s chosen people Israel (ethnic, religious). These Hebraic poetic couplets denote a firmly established future for the Jewish people, in fact, in the context of this psalm they reveal and established eternity. The imagery is more than simile, it is “ki” because of these similitudes that brothers and sisters dwell together in union.
 
There are many side rooms in this psalm that lead us to greater depths of understanding: each symbol and figure brings to life the intricate workings of God as He weaves together a picture of unity that surpasses even our greatest attempts at manufacturing oneness. The Hebrew poetic couplets further enforce the strength and certainty of these richly prophetic words, and remind us again of the everlasting value of the promises seeded into time and space by God through the mouth of His servant David, king of Israel, beloved of God.
 
Like so many of the psalms, the weighty distant steps of the coming Messiah can be heard ringing through the hallways of history, approaching with glory, and “commanding the blessing!”
 
133:1 Shir A Song ha-ma’alot of that which goes up, that which comes to mind, degrees, stairs, ascents; le’David attributed to David (Beloved of God). Hineih Behold, now, pay attention, mah how (what) tov good umah-nayim and how (what) delightful, pleasant(ness), lovely(ness) it is, shevet sitting, dwelling, remaining, abiding achiym brothers and sisters gam-yachad again, also, united, in union, alike, as one!
 
Another way to read this would be:
 
A song of the ascending of David: Look, now, what is this good, and what is this loveliness; it is brothers and sisters sitting together also in union.
 
Notice that the brothers and sisters are not merely sitting in close proximity but are sitting and are in union.
 
The Jewish sage Iben Ezra interprets “achiym” to refer specifically to priests (which is similar to the teaching of 1 Peter 2:9); the Jewish commentator Kimchi interprets “achiym” as the King Messiah and the priest together (which is similar to the teaching of Hebrews 7); and the Jewish commentator Yarchi, interprets “achiym” of the Israelites (which is consistent with the remainder of the psalm).
 
The 2nd century Aramaic Targum reads:
 
“1. A song that was uttered on the ascents of the abyss. Behold, how good and how pleasant is the dwelling of Zion and Jerusalem, together indeed like two brothers.”
 
The Targum understands well the locational aspect of this psalm by merging the latter similes of the Hebrew text with the opening clause. Where others have focused only on the unity aspect, and have thus, misunderstood the whole. The idea of ascending from the abyss is one of transcendent quality that alludes to the redemptive priestly work required in order for Godly union to be made manifest.
 
“Shir A Song ha-ma’alot of that which goes up, that which comes to mind, degrees, stairs, ascents; le’David attributed to David.” (133:1a.)
 
The opening clause can be understood in multiple ways, both spiritual (esoteric) and literal:
 

1. A song concerning the thoughts (e.g. thinking “upward” toward the things of God) of David.
2. A song sung by those ascending (in a redemptive or transcendent sense), penned by David.
3. A song “spoken” (borrowed from the Aramaic Targum) as one (a priest) literally walked up the steps toward the Temple in Jerusalem, written and appointed for that occasion by king David.

 
One may also paraphrase the opening clause as a spiritual drash for all who believe:
 
“We each have a song that we offer up to the Father, a song that comes to mind as we ascend through the redemptive work of the King Messiah, a song that testifies of His love, sung by the beloved of God.”
 
However, the p’shat (plain meaning) of the text is locational, situational, and refers specifically to the ascent of the Temple mount in Jerusalem, in the land of Israel and as it relates to the Jewish (ethnic, religious, empirical) people, the elect (chosen) of God, through the priesthood and the redemptive, substitutionary sacrificial system. These words being, “of king David”, one of the most influential and prophetic kings of Israel’s history, and the one from whom the Messiah would come forth (with regard to His humanity).
 
“Hineih Behold, now, pay attention, mah how (what) tov good umah-nayim and how (what) delightful, pleasant(ness), lovely(ness) it is, shevet sitting, dwelling, remaining, abiding achiym brothers and sisters gam-yachad again, also - united, in union, alike, as one!” (133:1b.)
 
While the majority of English translations render “mah” as “how”, it seems equally likely and more colloquially intuitive to translate “mah” with regard to its common use as “what”.
 
Therefore, I prefer to read:
 
“Wow, look, pay attention, what goodness and what delight is this? Sitting, dwelling, even remaining, brothers and sisters, also, in union (or: also as one).”
 
In other words, “What is this incredibly beautiful and truly impossible thing I’m seeing? True Godly union between brothers and sisters.”
 
Notice that the text does not say simply that brothers and sisters dwelling is good and pleasant, rather it says that both dwelling and also union (oneness), is good and pleasant. Nor does the entirety of this psalm promote unity alone. Rather, it shows Godly unity to be the fruit of a priestly order via a sacrificial system of atoning substitution. Empowered by the Spirit (oil), which produces the fruit of unity.
 
Unity is not the goal. Messiah is the goal and unity is the fruit of Messiah at work in us through the anointing and empowering of the Holy Spirit. This spiritual principal which can be applied to all believers, is none the less first and foremost (in its plainest sense) specifically prophetic of Israel’s (ethnic, religious) future. As we will see from the latter verses, the blessing that results is locational, yet future, and for a specific people (Jews) in a specific land (Israel).
 
Good and Pleasant:
 
“Tov”, is good in the purest sense. Yeshua, revealing His own deity, said, “Why do you call me good, only God is good” (Mark 10:18). For something to be good in all its fullness is for it to be “On earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).
 
“Nayim”, is pleasant to the olfactory sense (sense of smell). In other words, this will be pleasing not only based on sight but also on smell. This is why the psalmist goes on to use the fragrant anointing oil as a simile.
 
We note that the observing of this form of unity brings a sense of “tov” goodness, wellness, pleasure, and of “nayim” pleasing experience, delight etc. The unity described is in fact not truly achievable in a perpetual sense within a sin affected world, not even by the community of believers. Therefore, the unity described is intentionally and specifically prophetic. It is a unity that will be experienced at the coming of the King Messiah at the end of the age, and will be evidenced in the redeemed ethnic religious nation of Israel (and subsequently in all of redeemed humanity).
 
Unity:
 
“Yachad” means union, unitedness, unity (noun masculine), together, all together, alike (adverb). It occurs 147 times in the Tanakh (OT) and is most often (124 times) used to denote togetherness, that is, individual persons, entities, or objects, together in close proximity. It is related to the Hebrew word “echad” meaning “one” which is used to describe the intimate union of man and wife “the two shall become one flesh” (Gen 2:24). However, “yachad” specifically refers to separate entities in proximity rather than denoting an intimate conjoined union. Thus, when a husband and wife are walking together they are yachad, but when they are joined in the sex act they are echad.
 
When we consider the weighty emotion brought to this psalm by David, who had many wives, concubines, sons and daughters, we must grapple with the turmoil he must have felt as he considered the disarray and division caused by his sin choices and looked forward in hope to a time when, through the Messiah, all of his family would live as one (unified) in the presence of God in the New Jerusalem, in the land of Israel.
 
This union that is being spoken of is not possibly except through the Messiah.
 
“Everyone who believes that Yeshua is the Messiah is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves the one born of Him. 2 We know that we love God’s children by this—when we love God and obey His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God—that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone born of God overcomes the world. And the victory that has overcome the world is this—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world, if not the one who believes that Yeshua is Ben-Elohim?” -1 John 5:1-5 (TLV)
 
133:2 Ka-shemen Because, like, as oil (fatness) ha-tov the good, the best, al ha-rosh on the head, yareid running down, sinking down, marching down, descending al ha-zakan on the beard, zekan-Aharon beard of Aaron (Bright, Many Mountains, Light bearer, Ark bearer, latter days), shereid running down, sinking down, marching down, descending al piy on the collar, outer edges (mouth) midotayv of his robes, stature, measure, extent!
 
David now proceeds to explain not only what the union of brothers and sisters who dwell together is like, but also the mechanism and process required in order for the fruit of unity to be seen in Israel.
 
The Hebrew “Ka-shemen” is most often translated “Like oil”, however, the Hebrew “kiy” which begins the composite “Ka-shemen”, can be understood to mean, “because, as, like etc.” Therefore, we may read:
 
“Because the precious oil upon the head of Aaron runs down the beard, Aarons beard…”
 
In other words, the imagery is associated to the mechanism which perpetuates the peaceful dwelling together of brothers and sisters in unity. The images of oil on Aaron’s beard and dew on Mt Hermon are more than simile, they are the outworking of the blessing that brings about the unity observed by David in the first verse of this psalm, and in turn becomes witness to the locational blessing commanded by God in the last verse.
 
The poetic imagery used here is of great importance. The oil is not just oil but “The good oil” or “The precious oil”, and refers specifically to the mixture of oil assigned by God for use in anointing the Cohen Ha-gadol (The High Priest) and sprinkling on the priests. It was not to be used for any common purpose or by any common Israelite (Exodus 30:22-23).
 
The oil was to be poured upon the head of Aaron subsequent to the donning of the priestly garments, including the head covering (Lev. 21:10) and was to overflow to the very ends of the garments. It is interesting to note that Aaron was never to uncover his head or rend his garments (Lev. 21:10).  
 
The specific event described here occurred only once. That is, it is specifically Aaron’s anointing that is described and likened to a time when brothers and sisters will dwell together in union. Aaron was the first Levitical High Priest and father of Israel’s subsequent Levitical priesthood. Therefore, this figure is not intended as a general image to be likened to every act of anointing ever performed, rather it specifically alludes to the anointing of Israel’s first Levitical High Priest Aaron, and to the mixture of oil used to anoint him. Therefore, failing to understand the context means misinterpreting the text and misunderstanding its application and future fulfilment.
 
Ka-shemen Because, like, as oil ha-tov the good, the best, al ha-rosh on the head, yareid running down, sinking down, marching down, descending al ha-zakan on the beard, zekan-Aharon beard of Aaron (Bright, Many Mountains, Light bearer, Ark bearer, latter days)… (133:2a.)
 
“shemen ha-tov”, the precious oil, is described as follows:
 
“23.“Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, 250, and 250 of aromatic cane, 24.and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. 25.And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. 26.With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, 27.and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, 28.and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils and the basin and its stand. 29.You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy. 30.You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 31.And you shall say to the people of Israel, ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. 32.It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33.Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’” -Shemot (Exodus) 30:23-33 (ESV)
 
The fine fresh olive oil smelled strongly of cinnamon (cassia being of the same family, a bark), myrrh, and an uncertain sweet aromatic cane, possibly from Sheba or some part of Arabia. It is perhaps for our own protection that the exact blend is impossible to fabricate today.
 
The perfumed anointing oil (being a symbol of the Holy Spirit), offers an opportunity for us to experience at very least in part the fragrant nature of the experience of Aaron. The Ruach (Spirit) of God is illuminated in the components of the perfumed oil. He is the fragrance of sweet salvation to those who are being redeemed.
 
We note that the oil of anointing was not poured over Aaron’s sons, though it was sprinkled on them. Thus, Aaron is “Ha-Cohein Ha-Mashiyah” (The Priest The Anointed), whereas subsequent priests experience “Meshuchiym” (Anointings) [Numbers 3:3]. Additionally, it was never to be used on the common Israelite. Therefore, the anointing in question is for priests alone, and more importantly, the fullness of that anointing is upon the head of the High Priest.
 
Therefore, in keeping with this imagery we are able to properly interpret the life of Messiah Yeshua, His unification of the Kingship and High Priesthood of Israel and His perfect Priesthood in the order of Melki-Tzedek. Ultimately, it is from the anointing of Messiah and through Him that all who believe become participants in the priesthood (1 Peter 2:9) that is offered to all according to the type or order of Melki-Tzedek (My King of Righteousness) [Hebrews 7]. This is not to say that anointing others with oil is in and of itself inappropriate, but simply that the anointing in question is intentionally specific and refers to a prefigure that illuminates the Messiah.
 
The text of Exodus details the dressing of Aaron in his High Priestly garments prior to his anointing. Further still, contrary to the depictions of this event in popular Christian art, we are not told that Aaron’s head dress was removed prior to anointing. Therefore, he must have been wearing the head covering (which symbolised the need for blood atonement) and the gold plate engraved with the words “Kadosh le’YHVH” Holy Unto The Lord.
 
The anointing oil runs down Aaron’s beard and over his shoulders, down his breast and to the very edges of his priestly garments:
 
“shereid running down, sinking down, marching down, descending al piy on the collar, outer edges (mouth) midotayv of his robes, stature, measure, extent!” (133:2b)
 
In order for the oil to reach the outer edges of Aaron’s robes, it must have been poured in copious quantity, and would have flowed over the stones on his shoulders engraved with the names of the tribes of Israel, over the breastplate and each of the precious stones engraved with the names of the tribes of Israel, down behind the breast plate over the uriym (lights) and tumiym (completions) which were tucked into a pocket behind the breastplate, over the blue outer garment, over the pure white linen garment, soaking through to his skin and symbolically covering every aspect of his priesthood and headship as the spiritual shepherd of Israel (Exodus 28). The obvious correlation to the ministry of the Messiah is to say the least, mind-blowing.
 
We must not cheapen our understanding of this imagery by seeing only a few drops of oil being applied to the head of a petitioner. The text denotes a flood of specifically composed fragrant anointing oil.
 
The oil is poured forth from a horn (Ram’s horn), thus signifying the One through Whom all believers would one day receive the promised Ruach Ha-Kodesh Holy Spirit (Yeshua being the substitutionary Ram of God and the horn being a symbol of His strength in redeeming Israel [Isaac]). The oil is poured over the head in order to convey the spiritual headship of the High Priest, and is therefore a prefigure of the Perfect Great High Priest Yeshua, the King Priest of the Perfect Priesthood (Hebrews 7).
 
What is more, all of this is preceded by Aaron and his sons participating in the offering of substitutionary sacrifice for the atonement of sin and a meal of matzot (unleavened bread) [Exodus 29]. Therefore, the anointing with the precious oil was not performed until right relationship with God had been established (at least symbolically). This of course is a prefigure of the body of Messiah broken for us (matzot) and the blood atonement purchased for us through Messiah’s blood poured out on the cross (rams).
 
The Holy Spirit (oil) was not poured out on the believing Jewish community until after Messiah’s return to the Father following His death and resurrection (Acts 2), nor is the Holy Spirit given to anyone who has not understood and received the saving work and Person of Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).
 
In one sense the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the first century Jewish believers in Messiah Yeshua (Acts 2), is a foretaste of the ultimate manifestation of the unity of Israel (ethnic, religious) at the return of the Messiah. Both events are the literal outworking of the similes in the present psalm.
 
It’s important to note that while David alludes to the imagery of Aaron’s anointing, which occurred outside of the land of Israel following Israel’s escape from Egypt, he is none the less writing this psalm from his purview within the land of Israel and is therefore uniting the imagery of Aaron’s anointing with the anointing of the land from Hermon (in the north) to the mountains of Zion in the centre. David writes this psalm as a psalm of ascent (Aliyah: going up [to Zion, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem]), not just localised ascent to the Temple mount but also as an Aliyah psalm for all those who ascend three times a year to observe the Regaliym/Aliyot (Pesach, Yom Kippur, Sukkot) festivals. Thus, the fragrances of the festival foods and the offerings, both sacrificial and celebratory (freewill) is presupposed by the union of the two similes of the anointed High Priest and the anointed mountains of the land of Israel. The former having occurred immediately post bondage (in Egypt) and the latter being the hope of Israel’s future redemption through Messiah.
 
Aside from the depth of symbolism in the process of anointing Aaron, there is also the simple grandeur of the oil flowing over his head, stinging his eyes and soaking into his skin, beard, and garments.
 
In order to better understand the kinetic reality of the anointing of Aaron, I had myself anointed in a similar way and was stunned by the stinging sensation in my eyes as the oil made its way down my face. The pain was great, “What’s going on” I thought, “Shouldn’t this be an enjoyable pain free experience. Isn’t this supposed to represent the Holy Spirit being poured out on me? It’s killing my eyes, I can’t see… Wait a minute… I can’t see…”
 
It occurred to me that the Holy Spirit does not always make me feel comfortable, in fact, He often makes me feel uncomfortable. God is present in my discomfort, just as He is in my comfort. The eyes I use for seeing this world are stung by the presence of the Holy Spirit, but when I become accustomed to the oil I am able to see things that are not of this world, pure, eternal, unseen things.
 
There are those who claim that the manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are evidence of His abiding with a believer, however, Yeshua reminds us that “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, and drive out demons in Your name, and perform many miracles in Your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’” (Matt. 7:22-23 TLV)
 
 I think (or should I say “Scripture teaches”), that the Holy Spirit is more often evidenced in the way we respond to suffering than He is in the ecstatic gifts that are often counterfeited by so many. In one sense, God is saying to Aaron the High Priest and to we who follow the High Priest Yeshua (The Suffering Messiah), “If you want to be a priest, you best get used to both the healing balm and the stinging pain of the present, overflowing Spirit of God.”
 
133:3 Ketal Because, like, as the dew, night mist of Chermon (Hermon, Sanctuary, devoted, dedicated for destruction) shereid running down, sinking down, marching down, descending al-Har-reiy on the mountains of Tziyon (Zion, Parched land)! Keey Because sham there tzivah commands, orders, charges, HaShem (YHVH, Mercy, The LORD) et (the) certain ha-berachah the blessing, prosperity, gift, treaty of peaceful Chayyim living, perpetual life, ad ha-olam going round, perpetually, as far as forever in the world (to come).
 
The Mt Hermon/mountains of Zion simile (literal and figurative mechanism) works perfectly alongside the imagery of the anointing oil running from Aaron’s head to the edges of his garments. In like fashion the dew of Hermon runs from the top of Israel’s northern border and down to the place where Israel collectively goes up to worship God during the Regaliym/Aliyot festivals. Thus, all Israel (the people) and all of her land, is covered by the dew of Hermon both literally and figuratively.
 
“There” is a locational term indicating the mountains of Zion, where the brothers and sisters of Israel (ethnic, religious) dwell together in unity.
 
“HaShem commands the blessing”. The blessing is commanded upon the mountains of Zion when Jews dwell there together as one (yachad). This is a prophetic statement. God is speaking into time and space an observation of the future redemption of the entire remnant of Israel (ethnic, religious), when, following the fullness of the nations, all of Israel (ethnic, religious) will be saved (Romans 11).
 
We note that the Hebrew text does not say, “There the Lord commands a blessing” but rather, “There the Lord commands the blessing.” The “berachah”, blessing, prosperity, gift, treaty of peace, is one that brings “chayim”, not life but living (plural, perpetual). Living that will be “ad ha-olam” going round in the world perpetually forever. The world being the Olam Haba (World to come).
 
Therefore, the text is not saying that wherever believers in general dwell together in unity that God will command a blessing, rather, it is saying that when Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical) dwell together through redemption and the anointing supplied by the King Priest Messiah, in the land (literal) of Israel (at the return of the Messiah), then and only then, there and only there, will God command and establish the blessing of everlasting life on the New Earth.
 
Mt Hermon:
 
“Chermon” (Hermon), from charam, to dedicate someone or something to the afterlife or to death.
 
The Law of charam is expounded in Leviticus 27:28-29, and states that whatever is labelled as charam cannot be redeemed (bought back or ransomed out). In the Tanakh (OT) there are no instances of human beings designated as charam who aren't subsequently executed, however, there are a number of people who have names that are derived from this verb. Which may indicate that the verb once denoted salvation.
 
Not everything designated charam was automatically destroyed. In Numbers 18:14 HaShem declares “Every devoted thing (charam) in Israel is yours (Aaron and his sons) [see also Lev. 27:21 and Eze. 44:29]. When Joshua sacked Jericho, the whole city and all it contained (apart from Rahab and her house) was designated charam, yet the gold, silver, bronze and iron objects went into the tabernacle's treasury (Joshua 6:19).
 
Mt Hermon therefore, carries the symbolic meaning of being charam dedicated to the Lord unto the afterlife and is equally representative of salvation.
 
“Hareiy Tziyon”, the mountains of Zion (the parched land), also have significant figurative value and show Israel’s need for the mayim waters of chayim living. Waters that she receives through the dew that results from the charam (dedication) of her Messiah, and the salvation that results from His substitutionary sacrificial death and resurrection.
In addition to the profound poetic value of this simile there is the practical reality of the geography and climate of Israel:

Van de Velde writes in regard to his Travels (Bd. i. S. 97):
 
 “What we read in the 133rd Psalm of the dew of Hermon descending upon the mountains of Zion, is now become quite clear to me. Here, as I sat at the foot of Hermon, I understood how the water-drops which rose from its forest-mantled heights, and out of the highest ravines, which are filled the whole year round with snow, after the sun's rays have attenuated them and moistened the atmosphere with them, descend at evening-time as a heavy dew upon the lower mountains which lie round about as its spurs. One ought to have seen Hermon with its white-golden crown glistening aloft in the blue sky, in order to be able rightly to understand the figure. Nowhere in the whole country is so heavy a dew perceptible as in the districts near to Hermon.”
 
Therefore, the simile is both powerfully figurative and practically literal.

In Conclusion:
 
Psalm 133, has been misused to claim an illegitimate unity over certain groups within the body of Messiah, devoid of respect for the plain meaning of the text as it applies to the brothers and sisters of Israel (ethnic, religious) and the contextual and locational elements in the text. In addition, and with great fervour it has been misused as an excuse for believers in general to demand a blessing from God based on their dwelling together, despite the fact that the blessing is for a specific people (The Jews), time, and in a specific location (The mountains of Zion in the land of Israel).
 
While it’s true that in some sense there is a principal here regarding unity and blessing for all believers, it is only the case in a secondary sense and must be made subject to the plain meaning of the text.
 
This psalm observes the ultimate union of the brothers and sisters of Israel (ethnic, religious) in the land of Israel, through an anointing that flows from the head of her priesthood (both literal and transcendent), and shows through the use of simile, those things that must take place in order for this union to be fully filled at the end of the age.
 
Therefore, David, by the Holy Spirit, employs the poetic imagery and occasion of the anointing of Aaron the High Priest alongside the majestic beauty and natural precipitation of Mt Hermon, in order to show both literally and figuratively, where and when God (YHVH: Mercy, the God of Israel [ethnic, religious]) will command the blessing of life everlasting upon the union made possible by His Son and empowered by His Holy Spirit poured out on Israel (and the nations).
 
Let us therefore, show due respect for the plain contextual meaning of this psalm by appropriately applying the principal of unity and ceasing to demand a temporal blessing where a locational (place, time, space) blessing upon a specific people (Jews) with an eternal purpose, is intended.
 
For Reference:
 
133:1 A Song of that which goes up, that which comes to mind, degrees, stairs, ascents; attributed to David, (the beloved of God).  Behold, now, pay attention, how good and how delightful, pleasant, lovely it is, sitting, dwelling, remaining, abiding brothers and sisters again, also, united, in union, alike, as one! 133:2 Like oil the good, the best, on the head, running down, sinking down, marching down, descending on the beard, beard of Aaron (the bright one, of many mountains, a light bearer, an ark bearer, in the latter days), running down, sinking down, marching down, descending on the collar (mouth) of his robes, stature, measure, extent! 133:3 It is like the dew, night mist of Hermon, (a sanctuary, devoted, dedicated for destruction) running down, sinking down, marching down, descending on the mountains of Zion (Parched land)! Because there (the mountains of Zion) commands, orders, charges, HaShem (YHVH, Mercy, The LORD) (the) certain blessing, prosperity, gift, treaty of peaceful living, perpetual life, going round, perpetually, as far as forever in the world (to come).
 
2nd Century CE Aramaic Targum of Psalm 133:
 
“1. A song that was uttered on the ascents of the abyss. Behold, how good and how pleasant is the dwelling of Zion and Jerusalem, together indeed like two brothers. 2.Like the fine oil that is poured on the head, coming down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, that comes down to the hem of his garments. 3.Like the dew of Hermon that comes down on the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”
 
Copyright Yaakov Brown 2019

Introduction:

Many within the community of faith see the giving of a tenth of their income as an obligation. Or worse, are encouraged to give money they don’t have to fund building projects that have little eternal value. This is an unfortunate consequence of a theological view point that seeks to utilize the financial elements of Israel’s priesthood to generate income for extra-biblical projects, while ignoring the far greater obligations of Israel’s commonwealth and her Temple centric worship system. It seems ludicrous that a community which so fervently professes the faith of Avraham through Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) [that is the Church, Ecclesia of Messiah], should completely neglect the actions of Avraham in the matter of tithing/giving.

The first person to present a tenth to HaShem is Avram that is Avraham before he became Avraham. This tenth is of great figurative significance to us as Jews. It is not merely an obligation, it is a symbol of all that is complete in us. To separate our financial wealth from our spirituality is as alien a concept to the observant Jew as the idea of separating soul and spirit. We cannot separate the inseparable. We are not spirits in a material world, we are souls (Nefesh), physical, mental, spiritual, emotional: we are complex and unified beings. We are Souls living in God. It is Hashem in Whom we dwell, He Who has made us echad (one).

Therefore, if we are obligated to give a tenth we are also obligated to practise all of the instructions of the priesthood. However, if we are free to give, we have a High Priest Yeshua, Who, devoid of sin, is able to complete and perfect in us the fullness of all that His priesthood requires. Even ten by ten by ten l’olam va’ed (for worlds eternal).
​
Gen 14:18 And Melchi-tzedek (My King of righteousness) king of Shalem (Peace, wholeness) brought forth bread (Lechem) and wine (Yayin); and he is priest of El-Elyon (God the most high). Gen 14:19 And He blessed him (Avram), and said: “Blessed be Avram (Father of a people) of El-Elyon (God the most high), Maker of heaven and earth; Gen 14:20 and blessed be El-Elyon (God the most high), Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he (Avram) gave him (Melchi-tzedek) a tenth of all (Hebrews 7:4). –Genesis 14:18-20
 
The King of righteousness, Who is also the King of peace and the Great High Priest on behalf of all peoples brought bread and wine to the father of trust, which is faith. As High Priest of the Highest God, He spoke the blessing of God over the father of trust saying, “All blessing has come to you from God father of a nation: the God above all gods has delivered your enemies and their wealth into your hands.” After the King had spoken these words the father of a nation responded to the King of righteousness, the King of Peace and Wholeness, the Great High Priest, by giving to him a tenth of all that he possessed, both that which had always been his and that which he had plundered from the nations. This tenth symbolized everything that the father of a nation was, and everything that belonged to him. Ten is a symbol of wholeness and completion, of a promise fulfilled and sustained.
 
Therefore, Avraham (Then Avram) offered a symbol of all that he was and was to become, all that he possessed and was to possess. He offered this from the riches of his own household and from the households of the nations he had plundered. Therefore, it is a practice that can be entered into by both Israel and the nations. He offered the tenth freely to a Priest Who held position before the priesthood of Aaron, and Who was a type for the Messiah, Who is the Cohen Ha-gadol raba (Great High Priest). Therefore, this free-will tithe holds authority over the obligatory tithe of the temple service and the priesthood of Aaron.
 
Heb 7:1  For this Melchizedek was king of Salem, kohen of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, Heb 7:2  and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth of everything. First, by the translation of his name, he is “King of Righteousness”; and then also King of Salem, which is “King of Shalom.” Heb 7:3  Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life but made like Ben-Elohim, he remains a kohen for all time. Heb 7:4  Now see how great this man is! Even Abraham the patriarch gave him a tenth out of the plunder. Heb 7:5  Indeed, those sons of Levi who receive the priesthood have, according to Torah, a command to collect a tithe from the people—that is, from their kin, although they have come out of the loins of Abraham. Heb 7:6  But this one—who did not have their genealogy—has collected tithes from Abraham and has blessed him, the one holding the promises. Heb 7:7  Now it is beyond dispute that the lesser is blessed by the greater. Heb 7:8  In one case, dying men receive tithes; but in the other, one about whom it is testified that he lives on. Heb 7:9  Through Abraham even Levi, the one receiving tithes, has paid the tithe, so to speak— Heb 7:10  for he was still in his father’s loins when Melchizedek met him. Heb 7:11  Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for based on it the people had been given the Torah), what further need was there for a different kohen to arise—designated according to the order of Melchizedek, not according to the order of Aaron? Heb 7:12  For whenever the priesthood is altered, out of necessity an alteration of law also takes place. Heb 7:13  For the one about whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. Heb 7:14  For it is clear that our Lord has sprung forth from Judah—concerning this tribe, Moses said nothing about kohanim. Heb 7:15  And it is even more evident, if another kohen arises like Melchizedek— Heb 7:16  one made not by virtue of a Torah requirement of physical descent, but by virtue of the power of an indestructible life. Heb 7:17  For it is testified, “You are a kohen forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” Heb 7:18  For on the one hand, a former requirement is set aside because of its weakness and ineffectiveness— Heb 7:19  for Torah made nothing perfect. But on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. Heb 7:20  Moreover, it was not without a sworn oath. (Others indeed have become kohanim without a sworn oath, Heb 7:21  but He with an oath—sworn by the One who said to Him, “Adonai has sworn and will not change His mind, ‘You are a kohen forever.’”) Heb 7:22  How much more then has Yeshua become the guarantee of a better covenant. Heb 7:23  Now on the one hand, many have become kohanim, who through death are prevented from continuing in office. Heb 7:24  But on the other hand, the One who does remain forever has a permanent priesthood. Heb 7:25  Therefore He is also able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, always living to make intercession for them. Heb 7:26  For such a Kohen Gadol was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. Heb 7:27  He has no need to offer up sacrifices day by day like those other kohanim g’dolim—first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people. For when He offered up Himself, He did this once for all. Heb 7:28  For the Torah appoints as kohanim g’dolim men who have weakness; but the word of the oath, which came after the Torah, appoints a Son—made perfect forever.  –Hebrews 7 TLV
 
All the tithes and offerings of Israel are presented to God through the mediation of the priesthood of Aaron. Thus the Cohen Ha-gadol (High Priest) becomes the symbolic head of that priesthood. These tithes and offerings are intended to feed and clothe the priests of god and provide for the service of worship which is to be perpetuated generationally. Messiah did not cancel out the less effective priesthood of Aaron, rather He perfected it because He was before it. The Great High Priest Yeshua is now the mediator of the tithes and offerings of HaShem, only rather than making them an obligation He has turned them into an opportunity to respond to the freedom He has purchased on our behalf. This is why Melki-tzedek brings bread and wine to Avram. They’re symbols of both provision and redemption. Redemption through the sacrificial blood of Messiah’s death and provision through the life giving blood of His resurrection. Therefore, our tithing and giving are to be offered as a response to this freedom, in the same way that Avram offered his tenth in order to acknowledge the freedom and provision of God. The giving of our tenth, like Avram’s tenth, is a symbolic gesture which acknowledges that everything we are and all that we have belongs to God through Messiah Yeshua.
 
Mar 12:41 He (Yeshua) sat down opposite the treasury and began watching how the people were putting money into the offering box. Many rich people were putting in a lot. Mar 12:42 Then a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, worth less than a penny. Mar 12:43 Calling His disciples over, He said to them, “Amen, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those contributing to the box! Mar 12:44  For they all put in from their surplus; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything she had, her whole living.” –Mark 12:41-44 TLV
 
In this historical account, Yeshua observes a poor widow and illuminates her actions as being the actions of someone who has decided to offer all to God in the practice of worshipping Him.
 
Avram’s tenth was also a foreshadowing of the widow’s offering. He did not give it to cover a debt or as an obligatory tithe but as a symbolic gesture which said, “All that I have and am belong to you HaShem”.
 
This teaches us that the value of that which we give is measured by the intention of the heart of the giver. A believer may never tithe to an organized community of faith, instead, he may open his home to strangers, spending more than a tenth on providing for them and caring for their wellbeing. He may be in the practice of giving to fellow believers when they’re in need or lending his possessions to be used by others in the community. By doing this he shows that all that he has belongs to HaShem. Thus he gives to God in all circumstances, surpassing the requirement of the Torah.
 
The number ten is a symbol of all that we are and all that we have.
 
2Co 9:6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully.
 
When we look at tithing and giving as loosing, or sacrificing something we are missing the point. A wise farmer keeps aside a portion of the grain in order to seed the soil for the next season’s crop. He doesn’t consider this to be a loss or a sacrifice, rather he considers it a necessary part of the process of sowing and reaping. If he fails to plant enough seed he will also fail to reap a good crop. However, when he practices effective sowing he also reaps the benefit. The giving Rav Shaul is describing in 2 Corinthians is one or reciprocity. God owns all, therefore, He supplies us with all things and allows us to manage that supply. Additionally, rather than keeping the harvest for Himself and hoarding its benefits like a human land owner would do, God gives the fruit of the harvest back to the grower and leaves the grower to decide what he will offer as a token of his gratefulness to God.
 
Today, there are those who misuse the principal of sowing and reaping to illicit funds from people who have nothing more to give. They encourage believers to mortgage houses and take out loans in order to, “reap” a greater reward. In doing so they bring poverty to the community of believers while they build worthless icons in memory of their so called ministries. This is a grievous sin against the body of Messiah that should not be tolerated. God does not ask us to give from what we don’t have but from what we have.
 
The Scripture says, “My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches and glory” not, “I shall supply God’s needs according to my loans and lack of finances.” Those wolves among us, who steal from the poor in order to prosper themselves, may well have turned to the widow whom Yeshua spoke of and said, “If you’ve got a house you should mortgage it, two little coins will not reap the harvest God desires for your life, if you keep sowing so sparingly you’ll become even more accursed by God.” These liars, despicable leeches, false teachers, are condemned men.
 
2Co 9:7 Let each one give as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion—for God loves a cheerful giver. 2Co 9:8 And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that by always having enough of everything, you may overflow in every good work. 2Co 9:9  As it is written, “He scattered widely, He gave to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” 2Co 9:10  Now the One who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
 
Rav Shaul (Paul) explains that it is the heart (Lev) intention (the intention of the core being, not the intention of the emotion) that determines the value of the gift. Remember, it already belongs to God. He is a debtor to no one. If we give grudgingly it is as if we hadn’t given at all. Of course, due to the nature of sowing and reaping, we will also fail to benefit from an abundant crop. This is not a punitive action on God’s part, rather it is the natural result of our own actions.
 
2Co 9:11  You will be enriched in everything for all generosity, which through us brings about thanksgiving to God. 2Co 9:12  For this service of giving is not only supplying the needs of the kedoshim, but is also overflowing with many thanksgivings to God. 
 
When we give from an understanding of God’s goodness toward us we see God’s provision in all things and are grateful. This in turn inspires us to give to others from the overflow of our own spiritual and physical wealth. Rav Shaul calls this act a “service”, meaning an act of temple worship, a service of the priesthood of all believers. Thus in Messiah, the Great High Priest, we act as priests under His authority. The result is not only blessing and thanks giving among the holy ones (believers), but also an overflow to those around us. This overflow draws people to Messiah, Who reconciles them to God. Thus giving is one of the ways that the Gospel is perpetuated.
 
2Co 9:13  Because of the evidence of this service, they praise God for the obedience of your affirmation of the Good News of Messiah and for the generosity of your contribution to them and to everyone. 
 
As a result of our giving other believers praise God and give Him the glory due His Name. Our giving affirms our certain hope in the Gospel of the Messiah.
 
2Co 9:14  And in their prayer for you, they long for you because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 2Co 9:15  Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! -2 Corinthians 9:6-15 TLV
 
Our giving is the fruit of the surpassing chesed (grace, mercy) of God which is upon us. It is an act of worship that gives voice to the eternal truth that God’s greatest gift, the gift of His Son, has produced a great harvest of souls. Thus, we praise Him and give thanks to Him.
 
Conclusion:
 

• The number ten (Tithe) reminds us that all that we are and all that we have, belong to God in Messiah Yeshua.

 

• The free-will tithe of Avram holds authority over the obligatory tithe of the temple service and the priesthood of Aaron.

 

• God asks us to give of what we have, not from what we don’t have. Anyone who suggests that the widow in the story of the widow’s offering should mortgage her home because she didn’t give enough in order to reap abundantly, is misunderstanding the principal of sowing and reaping and worse, is committing a grievous sin against the body of Yeshua.

 

• We are not obligated to give, nor are we free not to give. Like trust and action (faith and works) freedom and giving go hand in hand, they are intrinsically linked, a complex unity.

 

• The purpose of our giving is to facilitate the perpetuation of the worship of God in our generation and to seed the Gospel work of God's people, so that others will be redeemed into His kingdom and enjoy the prosperity of God, which is both within and beyond the material world.

 

• Godly giving turns the seed of temporary wealth into the fruit of eternal peace.

 
© Yaakov Brown 2016

An examination of Revelation 15.

Introduction:

This chapter is the preface to the pouring out of the seven final plagues (Rev. 16).

15:1 Then I saw another miracle, sign, wonder (Mophet) in the heavens, great and marvellous, seven messengers (Malakhim) who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of G-d is accomplished.

The words, “Then I saw” indicate a new vision in the chronology of Yochanan’s metanarrative. This sign is great and marvellous, inspiring awe.

The Greek, “semeion” meaning sign, is best represented by the Hebrew word, “Mophet” meaning, miracle, sign, wonder, token etc. The word, “Mophet” is used throughout the Tanakh (OT) to describe signs and wonders intended to bring a sense of awe to the people of Israel. Ezekiel the prophet is himself described as a, “Mophet”. Deuteronomy 13:2 explains that the proof of a prophet’s authenticity is the coming to pass of the, “Mophet” he performs (Ezekiel 12:6, 11, 24, 27).

The fact that at this juncture the wrath of G-d is called accomplished reminds us that Yochanan is seeing these things as they happen outside of his own time in history. G-d sees completed what we are unable to see within time and space.

2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing beside the sea of glass, holding harps of G-d. 3 And they sing the song of Moses, the bond-servant of G-d, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

If there was ever any doubt that Yochanan is, at the instruction of Yeshua, uniting the ancient Israelite Exodus to the present Unveiling of the last days, it is utterly silenced here. G-d is saying, for the last time, “Let My People Go!”

Verse 2 begins with a description of those who have been victorious over the beast, standing beside the sea of glass just as ethnic Israel stood beside the Red sea (Exodus 15:1-18). Following this wonderful sign of redemption the elders of Israel, along with Moses and Aaron, ascended Mt Sinai and meet with the L-rd, where they saw Him standing on, “a pavement of sapphire”.

“Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the G-d of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.  Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw G-d, and they ate and drank.” –Shemot/Exodus 24:9-11 (Ezekiel 1:22, 26)

The phrase, “mixed with fire” indicates judgement (Matthew 18:8; Luke 9:54; 2 Thessalonians 1:7):

“From on high he sent fire,
    sent it down into my bones.
He spread a net for my feet
    and turned me back.
He made me desolate,
    faint all the day long.” –Lamentations 1:13

The Song of Moses regarding Israel’s deliverance is joined to the song of the Prophet (The Lamb: Yeshua) Whom Moses spoke of so long ago (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).

The fact that the song of Moses is joined to the song of the Lamb shows that those who are true followers of the Messiah Yeshua will fully identify with the Jewish people. This is a wonderful picture of the unity of the Ecclesia (community of believers).

The Song of Moses:

It’s important to note that this is the song, “of” Moses and not a song, “about” Moses. In fact the song is about the delivering power of HaShem and His plan of redemption for ethnic Israel. It is a song that details a present redemption while prophesying a future redemption.

“Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to HaShem, and said,

“I will sing to HaShem, for He is highly exalted;
The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea.
2 “HaShem is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation (Yeshua);
This is my G-d (Elohim), and I will praise Him;
My father’s G-d, and I will extol Him.
3 “HaShem is a warrior;
HaShem (Merciful) is His name.
4 “Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea;
And the choicest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea.
5 “The depths cover them;
They went down into the depths like a stone.
6 “Your right hand, O HaShem, is majestic in power,
Your right hand, O HaShem, shatters the enemy.
7 “And in the greatness of Your excellence You overthrow those who rise up against You;
You send forth Your burning anger, and it consumes them as chaff.
8 “At the blast of Your nostrils the waters were piled up,
The flowing waters stood up like a heap;
The depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 “The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil;
My desire shall be gratified against them;
I will draw out my sword, my hand will destroy them.’
10 “You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them;
They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
11 “Who is like You among the gods, O HaShem? (Mikhael)
Who is like You, majestic in holiness,
Awesome in praises, working wonders?
12 “You stretched out Your right hand,
The earth swallowed them.
13 “In Your lovingkindness You have led the people whom You have redeemed;
In Your strength You have guided them to Your holy habitation.
14 “The peoples have heard, they tremble;
Anguish has gripped the inhabitants of Philistia (Palestinian).
15 “Then the chiefs of Edom (Red: sins like scarlet)  were dismayed;
The leaders of Moab (Who’s your father: son of incest), trembling grips them;
All the inhabitants of Canaan (subjugated) have melted away.
16 “Terror and dread fall upon them;
By the greatness of Your arm they are motionless as stone;
Until Your people pass over, O HaShem,
Until the people whom You have purchased pass over.
17 “You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance (Zion: where the Lamb stands in Revelation 14),
The place, O HaShem, which You have made for Your dwelling,
The sanctuary, O HaShem, which Your hands have established.
18 “HaShem shall reign forever and ever.” –Shemot/Exodus 15:1-18

The Song of the Lamb:

It’s important to note that this song is, “of” the Lamb, not, “for” Him. Therefore the following portion of Revelation 5 does not qualify as being the song of the Lamb because it is not of Him but about Him.

“And they sing a new song, saying,

‘Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for G-d with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our G-d; and they will reign upon the earth.

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing. To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honour and glory and dominion forever and ever.’” –Revelation 5:9, 10, 12, 13

This new song (Revelation 5:9-13) is not, “The Song of The Lamb”, however it is the one song recorded in Revelation regarding the Lamb of G-d, His redeeming sacrifice, the resulting nation of priests purchased from every nation and His glory before the Father. It also mirrors aspects of the song of Moses, in particular the covering of blood (slain), which correlates to the Red sea and the passing over (Passover: Last Supper) and purchasing of a people (Exodus 15:16).

Like the song of Moses, the song of the Lamb (Which is at least partially recorded in the following lyrics) is a song of praise to HaShem, exalting Him in the deliverance of His people Israel (ethnic) and the people who belong to Him from among the nations. Notice that the following words (verses 3-4) give glory to the Father: Yeshua brings glory to the Father just as the Ruach Ha-Kodesh brings glory to the Father through the Son.

In the same way that the song of Moses is a song that Moses sang and taught Israel to sing, the song of the Lamb is a song that Yeshua sings and teaches His servants to sing in an act of exaltation toward the Father.

“Great and marvellous are Your works, (Psalm 111:2)
O HaShem (Merciful) Elohim (Judge), the Shaddai (Almighty);
Righteous and true are Your ways, (Psalm 145:17)
King of the blameless ones! (The Greek, “hagios” refers to saints, righteous ones, not nations)
4 “Who will not fear (be in awe), O Hashem, and glorify Your name? (Jeremiah 10:7; Psalm 86:9)
For You alone are holy;
For all the nations will come and worship before You, (Isaiah 66:23)
For Your judgements have been revealed.” (Zechariah 14:9-16)

This is the ultimate song of both physical and spiritual redemption. The people who Yeshua has made blameless by His blood are in awe of Hashem and their deliverance from both physical and spiritual darkness is being completed through the catalyst of G-d’s final judgements against the evil One and those who have chosen evil.

We’re not rejoicing in the loss of life that the Egyptians (worshippers of the Beast) suffered but in our deliverance from the oppression they brought upon us. Pharaoh’s stubbornness is the perfect human example of the unrelenting rebellion of Satan and his minions. Just as Pharaoh (a first born son) was consumed by the waters of Sheol and thereafter confined to Gehenah, so too Satan will be assigned to the Lake of Fire and eternal torment along with his armies and those whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 20:10, 14).

The concluding phrase of the song, “For all the nations will come and worship before You, For Your judgements have been revealed.” Is a reference to Zechariah 14:9-16, where G-d is seen as King over all the earth. This same passage also speaks of the time when G-d will dwell with Israel, camping (Mishkan – Tent of meeting) with her and with all who have believed on His Son.

5 After these things I looked, and the Sanctuary of the Mishkan (Tent of Meeting) of testimony in heaven was opened, 

Verse (5) the Greek, “skene” meaning tent is used, making the reference very specific. It is therefore the Tent of Meeting (Mishkan: Numbers 9:15) that is intended rather than the Temple. Why? Because G-d has just affirmed His promise to dwell with redeemed ethnic Israel and righteous humanity. Hence, tent (Camping with Dad) rather than Temple. This is a clear reference to Sukkot, the feast of booths, where Israel remembers camping in temporary dwellings around the Mishkan, known as The Tabernacle.

The Sanctuary of the Mishkan (Tent) then, is the Holy of Holies of the heavens, and the testimony is the heavenly representation of the ark of the testimony of G-d’s Torah (Hebrews 9:4). The fact that it is opened signifies the completion of its judgements upon the earth.

6 and the seven messengers who had the seven plagues came out of the Sanctuary, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes. 

In both Exodus and Ezekiel G-d’s glory inhabited the Sanctuary (Holy of Holies). This means that the plagues of G-d’s wrath are born of G-d’s immutable holiness. These messengers come forth from the manifest presence of G-d.

The white, bright linen clothing of the messengers along with their golden sashes are reminiscent of priestly garments (Leviticus 16:4). The fact that a single High priest was tasked with entering the Sanctuary infers that these seven messengers are sevenfold, a unity, perhaps a representation of G-d Himself as seen in the sevenfold Menorah and the sevenfold Spirit of G-d.

7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven messengers (Malakhim) seven golden bowls full of the wrath of G-d, who lives forever and ever. 

“One of the four living creatures,” that is, one of the four Cherubim (Angelic beings that act as guardians over the Ark in the Holy of Holies) gives the seven messengers the seven golden bowls of the plagues of G-d’s wrath. This is a type of flashback detail. It is intended to remind us of the similar imagery that we find reflected in the earthly Mishkan/Temple structure and practise.

8 And the Sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of G-d and from His power;

The glory of Hashem is described in the same way in the book of the prophet Isaiah:

“I saw Hashem, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of His robe filled the temple with glory. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is HaShem Shaddai;
    the whole earth is full of his glory.”

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.” –Yeshaiyahu/Isaiah 6:1-4

Yeshua Himself is likened to the K’vod (glory) of G-d:

“This Son is the radiance of the K’vodo (glory), the very expression of G-d’s essence, upholding all that exists by His powerful word; and after he had, through Himself, made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of HaG’dulah BaM’romim—The Majesty on High (Psalm 110:1).” –Hebrews 1:3

The glory of G-d manifest is often associated with smoke, thunder, the sounding of shofrot and fire from heaven (Exodus 40:34; 1 Kings 8:10-11; Ezekiel 44:4).

And no one was able to enter the Sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven messengers were finished.

This is a familiar picture from the Tanakh. Whenever G-d manifests His glory upon the Mishkan (Tent of Meeting), no one, not even Moses His servant, was able to enter.

“Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of HaShem filled the Mishkan (Tent of Meeting). 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of Hashem filled the Mishkan (Tent of Meeting).” –Shemot/Exodus 40:34-35

Why was no one able to enter the Sanctuary until all the plagues were finished? Firstly, the immense power and wrath of G-d outworked in the plagues made it impossible for anyone to enter. Secondly, the Holy of Holies is the future place of intimate relationship, a place that must release G-d’s wrath against evil and purge creation so that it can become a place of intimacy for the bride and groom.

We’re unable to approach G-d on our own merits. Nothing makes this clearer than the Holiness and wrath of G-d against evil, however, when the smoke of the judgement of G-d has settled, the Holy place is revealed to the set apart ones through Yeshua our High Priest.

Not only are we unable to approach the smoke filled Tent of G-d’s wrath and Holiness, we don’t want to. We prefer His mercy and the reconciliation born of His love.

When I was young I remember one evening when a local gang leader called my mother on the phone. My mother was known in the area where we lived as a righteous woman who stood for justice and righteousness. The gang leader threatened to come to our home and kill my mother and her husband and children (I found out the details of the conversation later in life). I won’t forget the measured and fierce response of my mother, “This home and my family belong to Yeshua the Messiah, if you come you had better be ready to face Him!” My mother never heard from that gang leader again.

I was frightened by the tone and ferocity of my mother’s voice that evening, I didn’t want to go near Her while she was speaking to the enemy of our family that way. However, when she had put down the phone she was as gentle with us as she had ever been. In hindsight I had nothing to fear from her fury, she was not angry with me but with those who would seek to harm me.

It’s the same with the plagues of G-d’s wrath. They are intended for the evil one and those that worship the beast. His fury may frighten us but it’s not directed toward us but toward our enemies.

Shalom aleichim, Peace Himself is with you.

© Alastair Brown 2015

An examination of Revelation 7

Revelation seven returns us to the sub plot regarding the reconciliation of Israel (ethnic), drawing it’s theme from the repentance of Israel (ethnic) which has already begun in Revelation 1:7 where, “All the tribes (Jews) of the land (Israel) will mourn on account of Him”. The ultimate conclusion to this plot line is the reconciliation of ethnic Israel to G-d.

Following this, a new part of the vision is revealed but not fully resolved. When the multitude is presented, they’re pictured well into the future, at the very end of days, after the final judgement. Yochanan records what he’s seen like a skilful screen writer, setting up a plot thread and then putting it aside to build his characters before bringing all the threads together in a satisfying conclusion. Revelation seven therefore, is a literary break from the chronology of the opening of the seven seals. It’s meant to reveal additional elements regarding the main characters of the vision, but is out of chronological order with the main narrative. The text returns to the opening of the final seal (seventh seal) at the beginning of Revelation 8, after a brief intermission (Revelation 7).

Yochanan’s eschatology revolves around the reconciliation of the tribes of Israel (ethnic) in a very similar way to the visions of Ezekiel the prophet. By failing to observe this obvious fact and or by making the mistake of allegorizing it, many foolish Christian scholars over the centuries have dug deeply into the soil of error and have lead the wider Church with them into the pit of heresy, the blind leading the blind. The theology that teaches that the Church is Israel and Israel is the Church is nothing more than a satanic lie. In all its forms: Replacement theology, Supersessionism etc. It is a teaching that places a blindfold over the eyes of Gentile believers and a noose around the necks of Jews. The day is coming when those who teach it will come under harsh judgement from G-d, Who is fierce on behalf of His people, ethnic Israel.

7:1 After this I saw four messengers standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 

The phrase, “After this” reminds us that we have just heard Yochanan describe the latter days when the enemies of G-d from throughout the earth, ranging from kings and rulers to the common and poor, will “hide themselves in the caves nd among the rocks of the mountains; saying to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand? Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’”

These four messengers, like the horsemen of Zechariah’s vision (Zech. 6:5), are the riders of the four horses of Revelation 6.

“I asked the messenger speaking with me, ‘What are these, my master?” 5 The messenger answered me, ‘These are the four winds of the sky that go out, after presenting themselves before the master of all the land.” –Zechariah 6:5

The four corners of the earth reflect the points of the compass and symbolize the entry points of the coming events which will consume the entire globe. The naming of the land, sea and vegetation is simply a reference to the key elements of the earth, meaning that the destruction brought by the winds (the four horsemen) will be withheld from the earth temporarily.

The prophet Daniel calls the four winds, “The four winds of heaven” (Dan. 8:8). The prophet Isaiah calls them, “The four winds of the earth” (Isaiah 11:12). Jeremiah 49:46 combines these two elements, showing that the four winds of heaven act as the four winds of the earth.

Jewish tradition teaches that messengers/angels stand at the gates of the four winds, “with the keys of the winds in their hands.” (Raziel, fol. 36. 1. 2.), and call these messengers, “Angels of the winds” (Targum in 1 Reg. xix. 11.) In addition, Jewish tradition conveys the understanding that there are angelic beings who have authority over the elements. This is affirmed by Revelation 14:18, “the angel of the fire” and Revelation 16:5, “the angel of the waters”.

The withholding of the winds of judgement, conveys a season of reprieve, a length of time between the commandment to go out into all the earth and the enacting of that command by the horsemen.

Apocryphal Jewish literature supports the concept of angelic beings holding back the elements. In the book of Enoch the angels of the waters are commanded by G-d to hold back the waters until Noah has completed the Ark (Enoch 66:1-2). 2 Baruch tells of angels with burning torches who are commanded to hold back their fire until the sacred vessels of the Temple could be hidden away (2 Baruch 6:4).

It’s important to remember that in Biblical Jewish thought secondary scientific causes aren’t explained. This is not to say that science has no place in our spirituality, rather it is a reminder that all things are subject to the direction of G-d.

2 Then I saw another messenger coming up from the east, having the seal of the living G-d. 

The Messenger from the East:

Symbolically speaking the East is a source of blessing, the place where light originates. Eden was located in the East (Gen. 2:8), and the Shekinah (manifest feminine glory of G-d) came to the Temple from the East (Ezekiel 43:2). In addition the Magi who visited Yeshua after His birth said, “We have seen His star in the East” (Matthew 2:2). It’s impossible to determine who the angel/messenger from the East is. It seems most likely that given His responsibility in carrying the seal/mark of the Living G-d, that he is one of the arch angels, in particular Michael, who is the angel that stands in time of conflict, acting in favour of the Jewish people.

“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.” –Daniel 12:1

The Zohar (eleventh century Kabbalistic text written in Aramaic) speaks of an angel/messenger named “Gazardiel (Possibly means: Circumcised or divided by G-d),” that presides at the eastern part of the heavens, who is also one of the angels who are in charge of making sure that the sun rises and sets on time and receive the prayers of the Israelites. This same angel is said to offer up the prayers of the saints (Rev. 8:3).

"(Gazardiel)… kisses the prayers of the faithful and conveys them to the supernal firmament." –Zohar in Exod. fol. 79. 2.

The Seal:

The Hebrew equivalent to the Greek, “sphragis” meaning to permanently seal is, “Tav” which is also the name of the last character of the Hebrew Alphabet. This is symbolic of the fact that the Jews who are about to be sealed are a catalyst for the final judgement and the resurrection of the dead as alluded to by Rav Shaul/Paul in Romans 11:15:

“For if their (Ethnic Israel) rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their (Ethnic Israel) acceptance be but life from the dead?” –Romans 11:15

The Hebrew, “Tav” means to, “mark, scratch, imprint, engrave, desire”. This is not a seal in the sense of a seal used to secure a document, although those receiving it are certainly made secure in Messiah, rather it’s a seal/mark like the one received by the righteous Jews of Jerusalem prior to the smiting of the wicked (Ezekiel 9:4-6). It is like the holy engraving of the golden plate that was made a seal on the High priests forehead () and a mark of belonging, a seal of approval and of G-d’s desire for His people, ethnic Israel.

The seal brought forth by the angle from the East is most likely a priestly seal, like the gold plate placed on the forehead of the High Priest, engraved with the words, “Kadosh le’HaShem” Holy unto YHVH (Exodus 28:36).

“You shall also make a plate of pure gold and shall engrave on it, like the engravings of a seal, ‘Holy to YHVH (the L-rd).’” –Exodus 28:36

This is confirmed in the text of Revelation 14:1, which tells us that it is the Father’s Name (YHVH) that is written on the foreheads of the 144,000.

This is a fulfilment of the calling of ethnic Israel as a nation of priests:

“ For you are a chosen people, (Isaiah 43:20; Deuteronomy 7:6; 10:15) the King’s cohanim (priests), (Exodus 19:6; Isaiah 61:6) a holy nation, (Exodus 19:6) a people belonging to (sealed for) G-d! (Isaiah 43:21; Exodus 19:5) That you might declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are G-d’s people (Hosea 2:23); before, you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” –1 Peter 2:9-10

These verses from 1 Peter 2 can also be applied as a midrash to all believers, both Jew and Gentile, however, in the context of Revelation 7, via the seal, the application is unto ethnic Israel alone.

The seal marked on the forehead of each of the 144,000 Jews is a symbol of authority. The head (Rosh) is the beginning and the guide of the body, symbolically speaking. Thus the Head over all things (Yeshua), sends forth His mark to be placed on the heads of His elect.

While the seal/mark is clearly a spiritual mark, engraved upon the minds of the Jewish faithful, it is also represented in the prayer practice of donning Tefillin (Prayer boxes), which are warn by devote Jewish men in prayer (Deut. 6:8), and, are a sign of the priesthood of every Jew (Exodus 19:5).

It is noteworthy that these boxes contain the written Word (ketvi) of G-d and therefore symbolize Messiah Himself (Ketvi, D’var, Memra etc.): they are warn on the left arm next to the heart and on the forehead over the mind, they are wound around the arm three times to represent the unity of G-d and the character Shin, which is the first character of the Hebrew words Shaddai (Mighty G-d) and Shalom (Prince of Peace). They are then wound seven more times around the arm to symbolize action (halakhah) and perfection, and finally they’re wrapped around the centre finger of the left hand which is said to mark the point of the most direct blood flow from the heart and is significant because it is known as the finger of betrothal. While the finger is wrapped three times the final blessing of donning Tefillin is prayed, it’s a direct quote from Hosea 2:19-20:

“I will betroth you to me forever;
    I will betroth you in righteousness (tsaddikim) and justice (mishpat),
    in loving kindness (chesed) and compassion (racham).
I will betroth you in faithfulness (emunah),
    and you shall know (yada) HaShem.” –Hosea2:19-20

This entire practice finds its sum in the Shema (Central prayer of Judaism) which says:

“Hear, listen, receive and understand O Israel (Who overcomes in G-d), The L-RD YHVH (Father, Merciful) your G-D Elohim (Son, Judge), The L-RD YHVH (Ruach—Holy Spirit, Comforter) is echad (complex unity). You shall love The L-RD YHVH your G-D Elohim with all your heart, mind and strength/action. ” –Deuteronomy 6:4

Therefore, seal/mark on the foreheads of the 144,000 Jews, symbolizes G-d’s desire for His people ethnic Israel, His having sealed them with the mark of His Son Yeshua (The Word), The head (Rosh) over creation, and the great High Priest (le’kadosh Adonai); Who has betrothed them to Himself in love and has redeemed them and is sanctifying their hearts (core being), minds (Thoughts and motivations) and actions (Mitzvot, good works).

The seal, like the blood on the doors of Israel’s homes in Egypt, will act as a sign of protection when the avenging angels of HaShem come to bring judgement against the pagan peoples of the earth. (Exodus 12:23)

The Seals of Jewish Tradition:

The Zohar speaks of the east gate of one of the heavenly  palaces, which is said to be shut for the six days of the work week, and on the Sabbath day is opened, and the ruler of the palace has two subordinate messengers/ministers/angelic beings, one on his right hand, and one on his left, and they each have a seals in their hands: these are, "the seal of life", and the “seal of death”, and all the books of the world are before them. Some of those who are recorded in the books are sealed to life, and some to death (Zohar in Exod. fol. 100. 1.)

Of course the seal/mark (seal of life) brought by the angel of the East, finds its dark counterpoint in the mark of the beast (Seal of death) of Revelation 13:16. This mark also represents belonging, unfortunately it is the seal received by those who belong to eternal punishment.

The Living G-d:

The title, “Elohim Chayim (Living G-d)” is used throughout Scripture. It is a title that sets HaShem apart from the dead deities of Israel’s enemies. Isaiah 44:9-17 describes the futility of the worship of idols and contrasts the dead pagan gods with the “Living G-d” of Israel. Joshua reminds Israel that “The Living G-d” is with them to defeat their enemies (Joshua 3:10). Hosea reminds Israel that once they were not a people but through G-d’s mercy they have become children of the “Living G-d” (Hosea 1:10).

“My soul thirsts for G-d, for the living G-d.
    When can I go and meet with G-d?” –Tehilim/Psalm 44:2

The seal of the, “Living G-d” is a mark/seal of Chayim (life), secured in His mercy through the blood of His Son, the sacrificial Lamb Yeshua (Jesus).

Notice that the life that is secure in G-d through Yeshua is Chayim (plural form: which denotes intensity and longevity), it’s full, intense and eternal.

He called out in a loud voice to the four messengers (Horsemen) who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our G-d.” 

The loud voice of the angel from the East is an indication of the fact that his voice reaches to the four corners of the earth where the four Horsemen are situated.

It is the four riders of Revelation 6 who have been given power to bring the various judgements of G-d and the Lamb which have been firmly decided upon.

The command not to harm the earth (Land, sea and trees), affirms G-d’s decision to hold back judgement until He has marked those who belong to Him.

As we will see from the following verses, the servants spoken of here are those who have been set apart among the tribes of ethnic Israel. While it’s true that G-d has sealed all who belong to Him both Jew and Gentile, that is not the intended meaning here. The language of the text is very specific.

4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. 5 From the tribe of Judah (Praise) 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben (Behold a son) 12,000, from the tribe of Gad (a troop is coming) 12,000, 6 from the tribe of Asher (Happy am I) 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali (wrestling) 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh (Causing to forget) 12,000, 7 from the tribe of Simeon (Hearing) 12,000, from the tribe of Levi (Joined to) 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar (there is reward) 12,000, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun (Exalted) 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph (YHVH has added) 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin (Son of my right hand) 12,000.

The text doesn’t tell us from whom Yochanan heard the number of those being sealed. It may have
been spoken by the angel from the East who brought the seal, however it’s also possible that this
number was spoken to Yochanan’s spirit for the purpose of qualifying what he was witnessing.

What is clear beyond any doubt or misinterpretation, is that the 144,000 are ethnic Jews “from all
the tribes of Israel.” The fact that this is the p’shat (Plain meaning) of the text is irrefutable. Those
who see the Gentile Church represented here are looking through an anti-Semitic and Satanic lens:
some because they’re unaware, others out of pride, pursue this view intentionally. Ignorance is not
the absence of knowledge, it is refusing to know.

Some have suggested that based on Revelation 14:1-5 we are able to determine that these 144,000
Jews are male infants. As proof they site the fact that the 144,000 are “virgins” (Rev 14:4), who
“have never spoken a lie” (Rev 14:5). However a closer look at the text of Revelation 14 proves these
assertions to be untenable.

“These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among humanity, being the firstfruits unto G-d and to the Lamb. And in their mouths was found no guile (dolos: trickery, deceit, guile, subtlety): for they are blameless before the throne of God.” –Revelation 14:4-5

We can agree that these 144,000 are virgins. However this isn’t evidence of infancy. My wife and I
were virgins when we married at 21 and 22 years of age respectively. Furthermore, Jewish tradition
required virginity prior to marriage and no ancient Jewish marriage took place prior to Bar Mitzvah
age (12 years). Therefore the fact that they are virgins is not valid proof.

The second proof offered, that of there having been, “No lie found in their mouths” is simply a
mistranslation and a misunderstanding of what being blameless before G-d actually means in
Biblical terms. The Greek word, “dolos” which is often translated as, “lie” has a wealth of greater
meaning that is better suited to the context. It can mean, “Trickery, deceit, guile, subtlety”. The
better translation follows the same usage as John 1:47 and should read:

“And in their mouths was found no guile (dolos) for they are blameless before the throne of God.”

Neither being devoid of guile nor being blameless are proof of infancy. Nathaniel was without guile
and yet an adult (John 1:47) and both Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, the parents of Yochanan the
Immerser, are called blameless (Luke 1:6). This is clearly not intended to infer that they’re sinless, for
we are vulnerable to sin from our conception, which is the point at which conscious life begins for
every human being (Psalm 51:6; Isaiah 49:1; Hosea 12:3; Luke 1:41-44).

“For all (not some) have sinned and fallen short of the glory of G-d.” –Romans 3:23

Notice also that these 144,000 blameless Jewish males are later pictured, “before the throne of
G-d (Rev 7:9)”, along with the righteous of the nations, meaning that they are blameless because
they have been washed in the blood of Yeshua, redeemed and resurrected and singing before G-d’s
throne having been, “redeemed from the earth”, that is, they were redeemed on the earth and are
now redeemed from the earth. The context denotes that this is taking place in the heavens at a later point in time.

Therefore there is no reason to believe that these 144,000 Jewish males are infants.

The number 144,000 is perfectly rounded and like many other numbers in the Tanakh (OT) it has a
symbolic rather than literal meaning. There are 12 tribes and 10 Instructions (commandments) upon
which Judaism finds it’s ethnic and spiritual foundation in G-d. In addition the 12 tribes are
represented in the 12 talmidim (disciples) of Yeshua. 12 squared equals 144 and 10 cubed (unity of
G-d 3 as echad/one) equals 1000: therefore the fulfilled nation of Israel multiplied by the fulfilled
Instruction of G-d equals the redemption of ethnic Israel and the resurrection of all humanity unto
judgement. 144 x 1000 = 144,000. The number of Jews sealed therefore, is a symbolic way of saying
what Rav Shaul/Paul the apostle says in Romans 11:25-27.

“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brother, so that you may not be conceited: ethnic Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all of ethnic Israel will be saved. As it is written:

“The deliverer will come from Zion (That is out of the East);
    he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
And this is my covenant with them
    when I take away their sins.” –Romans 11:25-27 (Isaiah 59:20, 21; 27:9; Jer. 31:33,34)

Rav Yechiel Lichtenstein explains that:

“Israel numbered 7,200,000 at the time of the destruction of the second Temple. The t’rumah [the offering to cohanim from the firstfruits] is usually one fiftieth (Mishna, T’rumot 4:3), which here comes to be 144,000. At Romans 11:16 Paul remarked that ‘if the challah offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole loaf.’ Thus the meaning is that if the firstfruits of Israel, the 144,000 Messianic Jews who put their trust in Yeshua, is holy, then the whole loaf, all of Israel, is holy. Therefore Paul continues, ‘In this way all Israel will be saved. As the Tanakh says, “Out of Zion will come the redeemer; He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob” (Romans 11:26).’ This is in accordance with my comment on Revelation 1:7, which says that when the sign of the Son of man is seen in heaven, the children of Israel will repent, recognize Messiah, and mourn because they pierced Him unjustly. That is when all Israel will be saved.” (Commentary to the New Testament, on Rev 7:9)

The conclusion we reach is that all of the remnant of ethnic Israel who remain at the time of these
events will be saved prior to the four judgements meted out by the four horsemen and before the
final judgement of all humanity.

The order of the tribal listing is significant for a number of reasons. Judah comes first because it is
from Judah that the Branch (Messiah) comes forth. Levi is mentioned, which is unusual because a
number of Tanakh listings of the tribes exclude Levi due to the fact that the priestly tribe has no
separate allotment of land. Levi is mentioned here to affirm the fact that ethnic Israel is finally
becoming a true nation of priests through Yeshua the Great High Priest.

Some commentators site Dan’s idolatrous behaviour as the reason he’s not mentioned, however this
is unnecessary. All the tribes of Israel have black marks against them for some reason or another and
yet they are listed here. We should note that the writer considers, “all the tribes” of ethnic Israel to
be represented here. Therefore the unmentioned tribes of Ephraim and Dan are represented by the
fact that they’re part of the nation of Israel. Ephraim finds validation under Joseph as the second of
the two sons of promise (Ephraim and Manasseh), and Dan, whose name means Judge, is
represented in the judgements that are about to take place.

We further note that one might interpret the listing of the tribes in this way: Jacob blesses the 12 tribes in Genesis 49 according to their position as his sons and heirs. He does not list Ephraim and Manasseh among the blessed in Genesis 49. This of course is outworked in the fact that Ephraim and Manasseh are half tribes under Joseph. They are listed elsewhere in the Tanakh (OT) and Levi (The Priestly tribe) is not, because the priestly tribe receives its inheritance from HaShem. In the context of Genesis 49, the tribes or sons of Jacob are subject to the judgement of Joseph, who is a figure for the King Messiah, one rejected by the tribes but latter received. Joseph as judge over the tribes (sons) of Jacob (Israel) is a prefigure of the Messiah our King and Judge at the end of the age. Therefore, in the context of Revelation 7, it makes sense that Manasseh (Cause to forget) is mentioned in place of Dan (Judgement) because it is Joseph (the judge of his brothers) who is needed (in his role as prefigure of the Judge Messiah) in order that the judgement of men (Dan) be superseded by the judgement of God (Yeshua) Who will forgive Israel's sin and cause it to be forgotten (Manasseh). Therefore, the two unlisted tribes Ephraim and Dan find their home in Joseph who (in the tribal listing of Revelation 7) represents Judge (Dan) and Double Fruitfulness (Ephraim) unto everlasting life.

Rav Yechiel Lichtenstein says of these verses:

“Some say Dan is excluded because he sinned by worshipping idols (Judges 18:30; 2 Kings 10:29); as
proof they quote 1 Chronicles 2-7, where the tribe of Dan is not mentioned. But this is not a valid
proof , because Z’vulun is not mentioned there either; and the reason in both cases is that the
author, Ezra, wrote in his book only what he found in the scrolls available to him. This is why the
subjects there often follow one another without logical connection—there are missing links…
Concerning Dan, Ya’akov, when blessing his sons, said, ‘Dan will judge his people as one of the
tribes of Israel’ (Genesis 49:16). Moreover, Ezekiel 48:32 attributes one gate to Dan, one to Yosef,
since Joseph includes Efrayim and Ma’nasheh in respect to the heritage, and one to L’vi.”
–Rav Yechiel Lichtenstein (Commentary to the New Testament)

Perhaps there is also a remez (hint) in the meanings of the tribal names and the order in which they
follow one another? A sod (mystery) that might read like this:

I give Praise (Judah) because I have seen a son (Reuben) and He is coming with heavens armies
(Gad).  I am Happy (Asher), though I once wrestled with G-d (Naphtali), He has caused me to forget
my sin (Manasseh). Having heard (Simeon) His Gospel I am joined to (Levi) Him in love. His reward
(Issachar) is with Him and His name is exalted (Zebulun) I have been added in YHVH (Joseph) to the
book of life, by the Son of G-d’s right hand (Benjamin).

9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from
every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.

The phrase, “After this” is an indication to the reader that the emphasis has shifted and a new part
of the vision is being presented. Meaning that what we are now about to read takes place after the
events of Revelation 7:1-8 at some undetermined point in the future.

The description of the multitude is different from that of the sealed 144,000. This is
because it’s a description of the Church (Ecclesia) as a whole, “from every nation, tribe (Israel),
people and language,” People who belong to G-d through Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah.

This multitude is seen at a future time after the great tribulation. This means that the multitude is
the unity of both Jewish and Gentile believers pictured before the throne at a later date. This
multitude is not the 144,000.

They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 

The white robes, as before, represent the righteous actions of the set apart ones and the purity
Purchased for them by the blood of the Lamb of G-d who takes away the sin of the world.

The palm branches are waved before the L-rd on the first day of Sukkot along with leafy trees, citrus
and willows. This is known as a lulav (Date tree frond: Lev. 23:40) and symbolizes thankfulness to
G-d for His abundant provision. This practice also anticipates the coming of HaShem’s Shekinah glory
and the dwelling of His presence within the Sukkot (booths) of Israel, along with the Ushpizin
(Angelic guests).
 
The palm is also a sign of triumph and coronation for the Kings of the East. It was used to welcome
victorious kings and their armies into the capital cities of their kingdoms. Yochanan’s Gospel records
a similar practice being applied to Yeshua’s entry into Jerusalem.

“They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hoshanah (Save us now)! Blessed is he who comes in the name of HaShem! Blessed is the king of Israel (ethnic)!’” –John 12:13

The righteous themselves are said to be like palm trees:

“The righteous one will flourish like the palm tree,
He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” –Tehilim/Psalm 92:12

The multitude is celebrating Yeshua’s victory over sin and death and waving the offering of the
abundant overflow of their faith in Him.

10 And they cried out in a loud voice:

Their praise is heard throughout heaven and earth.

“Salvation (Yeshua) belongs to our G-d,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”

This should be understood in a similar way to the text of Psalm 98:2:

“His right hand and His mighty arm have brought forth for Him salvation/victory (Yeshua)”

Salvation has been purchased by HaShem through His own blood, which is G-d with us as the Lamb Yeshua. Therefore praise is due to The Father and The Son.

11 All the messengers (angelic beings) were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped G-d,

This is a description of all the heavenly host, every order of angelic being from greatest to least and the heavenly priesthood who serve before the throne, bowing down to G-d’s absolute sovereignty over all things. They worship in complete humility.

12 saying:
“Amen!

The first thing these mighty ones say is, “We agree (Amen) with all that the multitude of believers have said.”

Praise (1) and glory (2) (k’vod)
and wisdom (3) and thanks (4) and honour (5)
and power (6) and strength (7)
be to our G-d for ever and ever.
Amen!”

These are seven words of praise to reflect the attributes of G-d and His eternal nature, followed by a rhetorical “Amen?” spoken to the multitude, seeking their affirmation.

13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”

It seems that even in visions of the heavenly court there is good old fashioned Hebrew debate. This delightful rhetoric between the elder and Yochanan is akin to listening to a Rabbi and his student.

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

This, “Great Affliction” is not an allusion to the persecution of believers throughout the centuries, rather it is a specific great trial that is to come upon the world in the future (that is Yochanan’s future).

We can take comfort however in the words of the Scriptures as they apply to all who follow Messiah unto the glory of G-d:

“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.” –Daniel 12:1

“For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equalled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” –Matthew 24:21-22

They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

The multitude have endured persecution, however, there robes are not made white by their deeds, to the contrary, they are made white by being washed in the blood of the lamb. Right action is born of Messiah’s work.

It is important however, to note that they (the multitude) washed their robes, meaning that Messiah offered His cleansing blood but every believer must receive and appropriate the salvation of G-d. We are not saved by inaction. Messiah offers us the gift of His saving sacrifice but we must unwrap it.

“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
    says HaShem.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.” –Yishaiyahu/Isaiah 1:18

15 Therefore,

Because those in the multitude have, “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

“They are before the throne of G-d
    and serve Him day and night in His temple (Mishkan/Tabernacle);
and He who sits on the throne
    will dwell among them (Mishkan) with his Shekinah presence.
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
    never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’
    nor any scorching heat. Isaiah 49:10


This will take place after the resurrection when the Heavenly Temple and the New Jerusalem come down from the heavens and G-d dwells (tabernacles) with His people (Jew and Gentile). This is a depiction of a type of eternal Sukkot (Feast of Booths). There are two clues in the text that indicate the future chronology intended. First, the multitude are those who have survived the great tribulation, some of whom have passed away. While in Sheol in Abraham’s bosom those who have passed away in Messiah are within time and are not above in the heavens (Specifically the third heaven), therefore they are not yet located in the heavenly Temple. Second, The Scripture speaks of a time when G-d will dwell (Tabernacle/Mishkan) among them with His Shekinah (feminine light presence). This will not happen until the very end of days following the final judgement. This is affirmed in Revelation 21:

 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! G-d’s dwelling (Tabernacle/Mishkan) place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and G-d himself will be with them and be their G-d. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” –Revelation 21:3-4

Therefore the present passage must be understood as corresponding chronologically to the text of Revelation 21. This is further reinforced by the fact that Revelation 7 is a type of intermission between the opening of the sixth seal at the end of Revelation 6 and the opening of the seventh seal in the beginning of Revelation 8. This is a literary tool that builds almost to completion and then is left open to await its conclusion in the latter chapters.

7 For the Lamb at the centre of the throne
    will be their shepherd;
‘He will lead them to springs of living water.’ Isaiah 49:10; Jeremiah 2:13; Ezekiel 34:23
    ‘And G-d will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’” Isaiah 25:8 (Rev. 21:3-4)

“He (G-d) will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign HaShem will wipe away the tears
    from all faces;
He will remove His people’s (ethnic Israel’s) disgrace
    from all the earth.
HaShem has spoken.” –Yishaiyahu/Isaiah 25:8

“And the ransomed of HaShem will return
And come with singing unto Zion,
With everlasting joy upon their heads.
They will find gladness and joy,
And sorrow and sighing will flee away.” Yishaiyahu/Isaiah 35:10

The Lamb is seated at the centre of the throne because He is echad, G-d is One. Yeshua is G-d with us.

From ancient times G-d has called Himself the shepherd of ethnic Israel. This vision testifies to a future day when the ultimate fulfilment of G-ds role as shepherd over all His people (Jew and Gentile) will be seen.

“HaShem is my shepherd, I shall want for nothing.
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside still waters,
3     He refreshes my entire being.
He guides me along the right paths
    for His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
    through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil,
    for You are with me;
Your rod (discipline/protection)and your staff (guidance),
    they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil (Holy Spirit);
    my cup overflows (Kiddush cup).
6 Surely your goodness and merciful love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell (tabernacle/live in a sukkah) in the house (New Jerusalem) of HaShem
    forever.” –Tehilim/Psalm 23

© Alastair Brown 2015