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. 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time and space, the temporal rest of the promised land which Joshua lead Israel into (Joshua 1:13) is preceded and superseded by the eternal rest of God through Yeshua.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 4 (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 If you keep the Shabbat out of obligation you have failed to keep the commandment. Obligation is hard work, there is no rest (Shabbat) in obligation. The Coptic New Testament begins with the book of Yochanan (John), and for good reason, both the first book of the Tanakh (OT) Genesis and the Gospel of John begin with the same words, “In the beginning”. Both the beginning of creation and the new beginning have their origin in God, Father, Son and Spirit.
בְּרֵאשִׁית הָיָה הַדָּבָר וְהַדָּבָר הָיָה אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים וְהוּא הַדָּבָר הָיָה אֱלֹהִים׃ 1:1 הבשורה על-פי יוחנן בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ 1:1 בראשית Within the Hebrew text of the first verse of both books appears the sign of the definite direct object “את” which is not translated in English versions but is a contracted form of the Hebrew word “אות” meaning “miraculous sign”. Yochanan (John) 1:1 explains not what but Who the sign “את” is. בְּרֵאשִׁית הָיָה הַדָּבָר וְהַדָּבָר הָיָה אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים וְהוּא הַדָּבָר הָיָה אֱלֹהִים׃ 1:1 הבשורה על-פי יוחנן בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ 1:1 בראשית At the goal (end) of the HaBrit HaChadashah (New Testament) we read the words of Yeshua: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” -Yeshua (Revelation 22:13) The Hebrew equivalent reads: ““I am the Aleph “א” and the Tav “ת”, the first and the last, the beginning and the goal.” -Yeshua (Revelation 22:13) Yeshua is the Aleph and the Tav, the Author and the Goal of the Torah. He is the Author of the beginning, the all-existing God, the Son (John 1:1), present as the creating Word, and the sign to all creation (Genesis 1:1). He is the Author and the Spirit of the Torah, the Word (Deuteronomy 30:14). He is also the Goal of the Torah: “For Messiah is the Goal of the Torah for righteousness to everyone who believes.” –Rav Shaul’s Letter to the Roman Believers 10:4 If we fail to understand that Yeshua is “את” the Author and Goal of Torah (Not just the books of Moses but all of the Instruction of God), then we will fail to properly interpret and understand the written word of God (Tanakh [OT] & HaBrit HaChadashah [NT]). We must accept that God does not change His mind (Num. 23:19), and that the King Messiah Yeshua has come not to remove or change the Torah but to fill it up, illuminate it (Matthew 5:17). God Does NOT Change His Mind: It is impossible for an omniscient (all-knowing) God to change His mind. In spite of mistranslations into English, the Scripture in its original language affirms God’s omniscience (All Knowing Nature) Exodus 32:14 “So the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people.” NLT “And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.” KJV What the Hebrew text actually says, a literal translation: “The YHVH sought to console concerning the evil He had declared to do to His people.” “God is not a man who lies, or a son of man who changes his mind! Does He speak and then not do it, or promise and not fulfil it?” -Bamidbar (Numbers) 23:19 TLV Yeshua Did NOT Remove or Change the Torah: “17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets! I did not come to abolish, but to fulfil. 18 Amen, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or serif shall ever pass away from the Torah until all things come to pass. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of *these commandments, and teaches others the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps and teaches them, this one shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven..” -Mattisiyahu (Matthew) 5:17-19 TLV *Note, that in the context of this passage all the commandments pretexted by the words “*these commandments” in the proceeding verses are moral commandments (incumbent on all human beings). Yeshua is NOT saying that commandments of distinction given specifically to Jews (ethnic, religious, chosen, set apart) are incumbent on Gentiles. This is a grave misunderstanding of the text and of first century Jewish theology. Understanding Torah: The Torah (Books of Moses) are divided into three distinct categories:
Historical Narrative: The story of creation, humanity, and the chosen people Israel. Moral law: Laws that expose the lawlessness of all human beings. Laws of Distinction: Laws commanded specifically to ethnic, religious, chosen, set apart Israel (the Jewish people), incumbent on Israel alone for the purpose of setting the Jewish people apart unto the goal of all things. Purpose of Torah Distinctions: Historical Narrative: Teaches all humanity that God is Creator and King of all things, and that He has chosen an ethnic people as His everlasting possession. Moral law: Exposes the lawlessness of all human beings. These laws are incumbent on all people. To those without Messiah these laws bring condemnation, and to those who receive Messiah these same laws are the loving instruction of the Father. Laws of Distinction: Laws commanded in order to set ethnic Israel apart as a people and possession belonging to God. These laws are NOT incumbent on people of other nations, Messiah followers or not. Some Examples of Moral Laws and Laws of Distinction: Moral Laws: • You shall have no other gods before Me! • You shall not make graven images… nor bow down to worship them • You shall not misuse the Lord’s Name (YHVH) • Honor your Father and Mother • You shall not Murder • You shall not commit adultery • You shall not steal etc. Laws of Distinction: • The children of Israel shall keep the Shabbat throughout their generations… • Kosher food (Lev.11) • Don’t cut the hair around the sides of your head… • Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together. • Tefillin (Ex. 13:9, 16) • Tzitzit (Numb. 15:38) Moral Law: From the earliest days our Rabbis understood that only the moral laws were applicable to non-Jews. The only exception was when non-Jews joined and lived within the ethnic Jewish community and eventually married into Israel’s bloodline (e.g. Exodus 20:8-10). Knowing this, and being guided by the Holy Spirit the early Jewish Fathers of the body of believers (Ecclesia) required nothing more of the Gentile believers other than adherence to four primary laws which summed up the Noachide (moral laws) of the Torah (Acts 15:1-35; 21:24-25). “Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke (laws of distinction) on the neck of the Gentile disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Yeshua, just as they will.” -K’fa (Peter) Acts 15:10-11 “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” -Rav Shaul (Paul) Galatians 3:10-11 Sadly, many Messianic Jews and Gentiles decontextualize and seek to reinterpret the following words, written by Jews, followers of the King Messiah Yeshua, the fathers of our faith communities. A Religious Community that Does Not Soberly Critique Itself is a Cult! Laws of Distinction Have Never Been Incumbent on Non-Jews: Among Messianic believers today, and in particular among so called Messianic Gentile believers (Christians who hate being called Christians), there is a growing number who seek to impose laws of distinction (intended specifically for Jews, and not for Gentiles) upon Gentile Christians. They use spiritual blackmail in conjunction with decontextualized Scriptures in order to guilt-trip others into focusing on law observance rather than on Yeshua our King Messiah. In doing so they commit the same error that early believers perpetuated until the refutation of their false practices by the Rav Shaul HaShaliach (Paul the Apostle) [Galatians 3:10-11]. One of the great and tragic ironies of the zealous law keepers in the Messianic and Hebrew roots movements today, is that by insisting Gentile Christians keep the laws of distinction (intended specifically for Jews, and not for Gentiles) they are quit literally practicing the “Replacement Theology (Continuationism, Successionism etc.)” that they themselves claim to detest. “For freedom, Messiah has set us free—so stand firm then, and do not become burdened again by the yoke of slavery.” -Rav Shaul HaShaliach Letter to the Galatian Believers 5:1 What did Peter the Apostle call a “yoke” that Jews have been unable to “bear”? The yoke of slavery Shaul refers to concerns the obligatory observance of the laws of distinction (commanded to Jews alone). This is the same yoke Peter refers to in Acts 15:10-11) Is the Shabbat Incumbent on Gentiles? Among the most prominent misteaching's of zealous law keepers in the Messianic and Hebrew roots movements is the insistence that Gentile Christians are obligated to keep the Sabbath and cease worshipping on Sunday (First Day of the week) [A day they claim to be a day attributed to Sun worship, as if days belong to anyone or anything other than God our Creator]. When these law keeping zealots say that Sunday worship is wrong/idolatry, they are in fact impugning the character of the disciples of Yeshua and both the Jewish and Gentile believers of the early Ecclesia (body of believers). In fact, the disciples of Messiah gathered together on a Sunday only days after Yeshua’s crucifixion and continued to gather regularly on the first day of the week (Sunday) [John 20]. “On the first day of the week (Sunday), when we were gathered together to break bread, Shaul (Paul) talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.” –Acts 20:7 Observe the Day or Not, Unto the Lord: “One person esteems one day over another while another judges every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes that day does so to the Lord. The one who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and the one who abstains, abstains to the Lord, and he gives thanks to God.” –Romans 14:5-6 TLV Rav Shaul wrote these words to a mixed congregation of Jews and Gentiles who were arguing over the keeping of days and over kosher eating among other things. The Sabbath was one of the days in question. Rav Shaul’s admonishment clearly understands Gentile believers as being free from the obligation to keep the Shabbat commandment. His emphasis is on doing all in and toward God and NOT on law keeping. We are fools to argue over the keeping of days while worshipping a God Who is beyond days! What does “Keep the Shabbat” Mean? The phrase “keep the Shabbat” (Ex. 31:13) in Hebrew does not mean what many think it does. The Hebrew root “שמר” shamar means to guard, to keep safe, to protect from defilement. In the Beit Midrash we’re taught that we are to Shomeir HaShabbat guard, protect the Shabbat. We will learn that the ethnic, religious children of Israel are given the Shabbat as a sign “אות” upon them alone, and that they are to “guard, protect, keep” it from defilement, desecration etc. throughout their generations (Exodus 31:16-17). The Command to Keep Ha-Shabbat (the Sabbath) is a Law of Distinction: The principle of regular rest is for the good of all humanity but the specific command to rest on the Shabbat is given to Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical, chosen) as a generational sign “אות” on the ethnic people of Israel, a sign between ethnic Israel (the Jewish people) and God (Exodus 31:16-17 ). The command to keep the Sabbath day is NOT incumbent on Gentile believers! Shabbat is a Sign “אות” Between God & the Jews (Israel) “So Bnei-Yisrael is to keep the Shabbat, to observe the Shabbat throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign “אות” between Me (YHVH) 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) *As observant Jews we pray this very Scripture as part of the “V’shamru” (And You Shall Guard) prayer every Shabbat. There are those who misuse the following passage to support general Gentile Christian observance of Shabbat: “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 (dispersion). *Attending a Messianic or Hebrew roots congregation does not constitute living in the Jewish community. The commandment to keep Shabbat is specifically a sign “אות” 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 (YHVH) 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 Shabbat is a sign between God and the ethnic, religious people of Israel (Jews). It is not a sign upon the nations. Therefore, those Gentiles who appropriate this sign under obligation are literally practicing Replacement Theology. Some seek to use Yeshua’s words from Mark’s Gospel to support the idea that Gentile Christians must keep the Shabbat. However, even if one ignores the context of Yeshua’s words the fact remains that He spoke of the purpose of rest and not of obligation to keep the Shabbat commandment given specifically to the Jewish people. “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 (OT) 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 are also impugning His character by suggesting that He contradicted the Torah (Exodus 31:16-17) of which He is the Author. 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) [Hebrews 4:9] and not to the literal 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). That is, not by obligation. 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 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. 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. “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,” –Hebrews 4:9 Some decontextualize and misuse this Scripture to promote obligatory Sabbath observance. They are in grave error. The context of Hebrews 3 and 4 concerns Israel’s escape from bondage in Egypt and her subsequent rest within the promised land (HaAretz), which is a figure for the Olam Haba (World to come). The Kohen (priest) who wrote Hebrews is making a drash using Israel’s rest from bondage and revealing the future rest for all believers in the Olam Haba (World to come), which he calls a “Sabbath rest”. Therefore, the Sabbath rest that remains for all the people of God is the Olam Haba (World to come), and not the temporary weekly Sabbath observed in the sin affected world. Misusing Scripture is wrong, but worse still is misusing Scripture in order to force obligation and bondage upon other believers. This is Abhorrent to God and contrary to the Gospel of our Messiah. Those who teach that Gentile Christians must keep the Shabbat are in fact teaching Gentile Christians to usurp and appropriate one of the signs that sets ethnic, religious, chosen, empirical Israel (the Jewish people) apart from the nations. Ironically, as I’ve said previously, in doing so, “Hebrew roots Christians” and so called “Messianic Gentiles” are literally practicing the “Replacement Theology” they claim to detest. I stand in opposition to those movements who seek to place Gentile Christians under bondage to commandments that were never incumbent upon them. The Shabbat, like the other commandments given to distinguish Israel (the Jewish people) as a unique people, is not a moral commandment and is therefore not incumbent on humanity as a whole. According to the Scripture it is a commandment, a sign, given to and upon the chosen ethnic, religious people of Israel. Any attempt to appropriate it is practiced in direct opposition to the Scripture, and therefore, in opposition to the Author of the Scripture. At Beit Melekh we are Jews and Gentiles who together are followers of Yeshua the King Messiah. He has set us free for freedom, that we might not return again to bondage(Galatians 5:1). This is not to say that Gentile Christians can’t choose to keep the 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. The principle of regular rest is for all human beings but the specific command to keep the weekly Shabbat is a sign upon the ethnic, religious, chosen, empirical people of Israel, the Jewish people, throughout their generations (Exodus 31:16-17 ). Those who keep the letter of the law at the expense of the Spirit of the Law will be judged according to the Law and found wanting. If you keep the Shabbat out of obligation you have failed to keep the commandment. Obligation is hard work, there is no rest (Shabbat) in obligation. We wish you a Messiah filled Shabbat of rest, peace and freedom. May you know the present peace of the King Messiah Yeshua and understand that He is enough. Yeshua is our message! It’s important to note that Yeshua utilized miraculous signs, He did not venerate them. Every miracle He performed was done to point people to salvation through Him. Any miracle that does not point people to Yeshua and reconciliation to God is not of God. Introduction:
This miracle (sign), found only in John’s gospel, is unique in many ways: the young man has been blind from birth, Yeshua uses inanimate matter (earth) in the healing process, and the healing generates a wide range of responses from observers and an argument over halakhah (application of Torah principles) that involves the parents of the recipient and the religious leaders--P’rushiym (Pharisees). John is concerned with revealing the Davar[H], logos[G] (Word, essence, substance) of Adonai made flesh, and also uses terms like light, dark, day and night, to show the stark contrast of the Messiah’s light against the dark night of this world (figurative of blindness and hidden deeds of evil). Thus, conveying the deeper meaning in the metaphor of light and its relationship to sight and revelation (lifting of a veil) throughout his gospel. John is clearly intending to make the Deity of Messiah plain for all to see. He wants us to understand what it truly means to behold Immanuel (God with us), literally “Imanu (He is with us) El (God)”. All this happens following Yeshua’s last words in John 8: “Before Avraham was born, I AM!” There are also aspects of this miraculous sign that affirm the cultural and spiritual miss beliefs of some of the first century Jewish people and their leaders. However, before we become too critical we should remind ourselves that we continue to hold many of the same miss beliefs in the modern Christian Ecclesia (Church) to this day. In our text the disciples suggest by inference that personal or parental sin is the cause of the young man’s blindness, some of the Pharisees again accuse Yeshua of working on the Sabbath (the added action of mud making helps to fuel their zeal), excommunication (possibly cherem, indefinite cutting off from the community) is threatened against the young man’s parents and so the list goes on. Yochanan (John, the writer of this gospel) tackles a wide range of issues in this concise but diverse account. If we are to understand it well, we will need to ask both the obvious questions regarding the healing itself and the deeper questions of religious culture and colloquial presumption. My hope is, that having studied this passage, we will be able to avoid the conclusion, “It’s clear as mud.” Though on second thought, perhaps in this case at least, the idiom denotes significant clarity. 1 As He (Yeshua) passed by, He saw (eido[G], va’yare[H]) a man blind, sightless (tuphlos[G], iveir[H]) from the day of (miyom[H]) his birth (genete[G], hivaldo[H]). 2 And His disciples (mathetes[G], talmidim[H]) asked Him, “Rabbi[H] (My Great One, Pastor, Teacher), who is the sinner (hamartano[G], ha’chote[H], missed the mark set by God), this man or his parents, in order (hina[G]) that he would be fathered (gennao[G]) blind, sightless (tuphlos[G], iveir[H])?” “He (Yeshua) saw…” Note that this account begins by stating that Yeshua “sees, perceives”. This in contrast to the one born blind, sightless. The figurative meaning is that Yeshua, Whose origin is from above, sees and imparts sight, whereas the man (human being) is born of the earth, into a sin affected creation and is therefore blind, sightless from birth (Psalm 51:5). The opening verse essentially conveys the core premise for the Gospel’s purpose, to give sight to the spiritually blind and set them free from bondage to the deeds of darkness. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Messiah Yeshua: 25 Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believe in Yeshua.” -Romans 3:23-26 “Blind from birth.” This statement is significant, as testified to by the healed man himself in verse 32 of this same chapter. This is intended to set up the many Messianic overtones of the healing. For years prior Israel had been awaiting a Messiah for Whom one of the significant signs of His validity would be the giving of sight to the blind (Yeshayahu/Isaiah 29:18, 35:5, 42:7). “On that day the deaf will hear d’variy My word, essence, substance, a sepher scroll, book, and out of their gloom and choshek darkness the eyes of the blind will see.” -Isaiah 29:18 (Author’s translation) “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.” -Isaiah 35:5 NASB Notice that Isaiah uses the Hebrew word “Davar”, the same word Yochanan uses to describe Yeshua (John 1). “To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.” -Isaiah 42:7 NASB “Who sinned?” This question is not without foundation. There are clear examples both in Scripture and in life, of personal sin that results in illness. In the case of humanity’s fall, sin entered the world and death with it, therefore sin can be linked to all sickness to some degree. However, this does not always mean that personal sin has caused illness. Therefore, the disciples’ question can be seen as presumptuous, given that not all cases of illness are the direct result of personal sin. There is substantial evidence indicating that the commonly held perception at that time, regarding illness, was that those who were severely ill had committed some great sin or had parents who had sinned and therefore were reaping the curse of the four generations as outlined in the Torah. To this the rabbis added arguments such as those regarding the ante-natal behaviour of Esau and Jacob (these rabbinical conversations are found in extra-Biblical texts which record the oral traditions and debates of the first century CE, e.g. Bereishit Rabbah 63:6 on Gen 25:22), some suggesting Esau’s sin in the womb as being the reason for his later loss of birth-rite. Needless to say, the question of the disciples was not unwarranted, given the social and religious connotations associated with severe sickness as understood by the Judaism of the first century CE. “…fathered (gennao[G]) blind” This phrase infers something different from simply having been born (genete[G]) blind. To be “fathered blind” denotes blindness passed on by the father. In short, the disciples were inferring that the father (parents) were responsible. Therefore, in this context “fathered blind” denotes that the “sins of the father” have been “visited on the son” (Exodus 20:4-6). The Torah text that explains this idea is associated to idolatry and therefore, infers that the one suffering under generational sin is reaping the fruit of an idolatrous forebear. However, the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 18), speaking the Word (Davar) of the Lord (YHVH) explains that each person is judged according to their own actions. This is consistent with the Torah because the Torah explains (Exodus 20:6) that the one who loves God and obeys His Instruction will see perpetual (everlasting) blessing (the number 1000 is a figurative Hebraism meaning “everlasting”). Therefore, at any point in the generations of the wicked a son might turn to God in repentance and reap blessing, thus cancelling out the curse of the four generations and redeeming the family line. Ezekiel’s words do not oppose the words of Exodus, rather they illuminate them. Yeshua has come to illuminate them further, and to add the need for discernment in all such situations so as to leave room for the redemptive works of God. 3 Yeshua[H] (YHVH Saves: Iesous[G], Joshua, Jesus) answered, “Neither this man sinned (hamartano[G], chata[H], missed the mark set by God), nor his parents; this has occurred (but) in order to manifest, display, make visible (phaneroo[G]) in him the business, occupation (ergon[G]) of the God (ho Theos[G], El[H]). 4 We must labour in (ergazomai[G]) the business, occupation (ergon[G]) of Him who sent Me (pempo[G]) as long as it is day (hemera[G], yom[H]); night (nux[G], halaylah[H]) is coming when no one can labour (ergazomai[G]). 5 While I am in the world (kosmos[G], ha-olam[H]), I am the uncreated Light (phos[G], Or[H]) of the world (kosmos[G], ha-olam[H]).” Yeshua illuminates the small view of His disciples and shows them the big picture, the meta-narrative of redemption. He is explaining that individual sin is a symptom of the sin affected creation, and that God has made a way for all, parents and children to be delivered from their inherent blindness. “The works of God” which Yeshua is displaying are intended to point all to the King Messiah and redemption through His vicarious sacrifice. Yeshua never performed a miracle (sign) simply for the sake of healing a person or as a display of His prowess. After all, what good is temporal healing if that same person fails to receive Yeshua and thus ends up in perpetual torment for all eternity? Yeshua is no magician, He’s not a doctor, nor any other kind of crass performer of temporal cures. He is God with us. He need not gain an audience. “Neither… but this happened so that the works/signs of God might be displayed in him.” Yeshua is not saying that it’s impossible for personal sin to result in severe sickness. He is simply saying that it’s not the only option, that there are times when people get sick for other reasons. In this case the reason is that the purpose of God be made manifest. That is, a sign, work, action, that reveals the true identity of the Messiah as one who causes the blind to see—in fulfilment of the afore mentioned Messianic passages of Isaiah. “As long as it is day…” It is here that John begins to juxtapose concepts of light and darkness, right action and sin, day and night. These themes become a metaphor for the stark contrast between blindness and sight. The conclusion will be that spiritual blindness is the greater danger. Only Messiah can act in this world to bring sight to that kind of blindness, and only those who are willing to accept that they are blind are able to receive sight. While Yeshua is with them, He is the Light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5). “The occupation of God..” mirrors the language in Yeshua’s accusation against the religious leaders regarding the fact that they claimed to be children of Avraham and yet did not walk in the occupation, business of Avraham (John 8:39). 6 When He (Yeshua) had said this, He spat on the ground (chamai[G], ha-aretz[H]), and made clay (pelos[G], tiyt[H]) of the spittle, and applied, spread (epichrio[G]) the clay on his eyes (ophthalmos[G]), 7 and said to him, “Go, wash, ritually purify yourself, bathe (nipto[G], ashiyg[A], ur’chatz[H]) in the pool of Shiloach[H] (Siloam[G])” [which is translated, Sent]. So he went away and washed (nipto[G], ashiyg[A]), and came back seeing. “He spit on the ground and made mud and put it on the blind man’s eyes.” If, as is clear from Scripture (Mark 10:51-52; Luke 18:41-43; John 4:50 etc), Messiah Yeshua did not need to use anything other than the word of His mouth or the intention of His will to heal, why did He make mud? Was He emulating an occult practice as some foolishly claim? Certainly not, He’s the Author of the Torah, which forbids such practice. Was He using a microbial herbal healing technique, perhaps knowing that the mud and saliva somehow combined to become a natural healing balm? Extremely unlikely. It is noteworthy that Yeshayahu/Isaiah—the prophet Yeshua quotes most—healed Hezekiah with a fig poultice, however there is no real correlation here, except to validate the authenticity of Yeshua as a prophet of God. Why then, did Yeshua act out this show of ritual in full view of those observing the miraculous sign? The most obvious answer is that it was intended as a living parable, like those performed by the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 4:9-12). So, what exactly is Yeshua saying through this action? Firstly, we should ask, “What is the gospel writer’s agenda in writing?” John is concerned essentially with the theme of God’s coming down and dwelling among us. John uses the terms, Word and Light to describe Immanuel (God with us), the King Messiah Yeshua. He begins his gospel with the words, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” He goes on to emphasise that, “The Word (God’s very essence/intention/breathe/saliva) became flesh (Adam) and dwelt among us.” Yeshua (God with us) is the person who embodies the very intention/essence/saliva of God, He is a physical symbol of the issued mouth essence of God (Ruach—breath), combining this essence with the soil (adamah—earth, ha’aretz—ground, land) is a recreation (a figure) reflecting the creation of the first Adam (human-being), and pointing to the last Adam (Yeshua). After sinning and allowing sin to enter into the world, the first Adam was unable to heal in this way but Yeshua is not the first Adam. We are told by Rabbi Shaul (Paul the Apostle) that Yeshua is the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45). This physical parable then is most likely meant as a sign/work of Divine creative power and a figure alluding to the Messiah, a representation of His physical being and His status as God with us. He is the Shiloach (Sent One) Who Yeshayahu/Isaiah prophesied would open the eyes of the blind. He has come down as the essence (Saliva) of God and has been joined to the adamah (earth/soil) and has become the last Adam (Fully God and fully man), God with us, Immanuel. Only He is capable of a miracle of such significance. “‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (Shiloach),’ (this word means “Sent”). So, the man went and washed, and came home seeing.” In order to fully understand this statement of Yeshua we must first gain an understanding of the Hebrew word Shiloach, which John chooses to transliterate into Greek as Siloam, explaining that it means sent. This is the same pool from which the water was drawn for the ritual libation offering of Sukkot (see my previous article on John 7:25-53). This pool gains its name from the Hebrew Shalach (go or send) and is closely related to the Hebrew Shiloh meaning sent one. Hebrew readers will recognize this word from the title to the Torah portion B’shalach (In going forth). We should begin with the term Shiloh because it was known in ancient Judaism to represent the Mashiyach (Messiah). We find the first reference to this term (which is a Proper Noun/name) in Bereishit/Genesis 49:10: “The sceptre shall not depart from Y’hudah, nor the rulers staff from between his feet (that is from his issue, children’s children) until Shiloh (the sent one) comes: and the people will be obedient to Him. (Shiloh)” Without knowledge of the proper noun/name Shiloh, this account (John 9) is difficult to understand. The meaning then is grounded in the fact that Shiloh, the One Genesis 49:10 speaks of is the Sent One, the Mashiyach/Messiah, Yeshua. Once we understand this we move to the next key text, this text mentions the derivative term shiloach (Siloam), Yeshayahu/Isaiah 8:9 “This people have refused the softly flowing waters of Shiloach (the sent one) and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son. (Meaning the false ruler and his false deities)” Israel are seen here as both presently and prophetically rejecting the cleansing (waters) of the Sent One (Shiloach) Who is the Messiah Yeshua (God with us). With this understanding as our foundation we now look at the present text and the rich meaning displayed in Yeshua’s command for the blind man to wash in the waters of Siloam (Shiloach). Yeshua is effectively saying: “Go, wash in the gently flowing waters of the Sent One.” Yeshua is Shiloh, He is Shiloach and He is sending the blind man to the waters of the Sent One so that he might gain his sight (A sure sign of the fact that Yeshua is the Messiah [see previous Isaiah passages]). Thus, the blind man, in obedience, does the opposite of the people of Yeshayahu/Isaiah 8:6 and so, he receives sight, both physical and, spiritual. The blind man himself is sent by the Sent One to be a tributary, a little sent one. Why? Because “while it is day we must do the works of Him who sent us. Night is coming when no one can work”, unless, the Light of the World lives in us, so that we might become light in the night. The once blind man now returns home as a sent one who will shine his light in the darkness. This is God’s desire for each of us, we have all been blind and need the Sent One (Yeshua) and His cleansing, so that we might receive true spiritual sight, thus avoiding the deeds of darkness and disbelief. Some see tevilah (baptism) or mikveh in the washing of the blind man, but it is more likely that he simply washed his eyes clean of the mud. Needless to say, rabbinical teaching would have seen the very act of washing as a defilement of the Sabbath (this of course is not a Torah understanding, it is simply a law of men). It’s important to note that Yeshua utilized miraculous signs, He did not venerate them. Every miracle He performed was done to point people to salvation through Him. Any miracle that does not point people to Yeshua and reconciliation to God is not of God. Many blind guides in the body of believers today place great emphasis on the miraculous. They decontextualize Scripture saying “We’re able to do greater things than Yeshua…” as a basis for their witchcraft, manipulations, invocations and celebrated manifestations. They lack the discernment required to distinguish between manifestation of the Spirit and the manifestation of the demonic and thus place the body of believers in grave danger. The Scripture they often refer to in defence of their idolatry (John 14:12), when read in context, teaches that by the Spirit of the Father and the Son (“because I am going to the Father”), those who believe in Yeshua will enact something greater than the miracles Yeshua performed during His earthly ministry, in that the greater purpose of those miracles was always to point people to salvation through Him. Therefore, our doing “greater than these” (What is greater than raising a person from the dead?) is us working to spread the gospel throughout the known world, something that Yeshua did not physically carry out during His earthly ministry because He had come “only for the lost sheep of Israel”(Matt. 10:6; 15:24). In conclusion, to pursue miracles is idolatry, whereas to focus on the Miracle Maker (Yeshua) is righteousness. Interestingly, the extra-Biblical teaching of the Mishnah (Oral Law) lists making mud or clay as one of the thirty nine kinds of work that is unlawful (according to the rabbis) on the Shabbat (Mishnah Shabbat 7:2;). 8 Consequently the neighbours (of the man born blind), and those who previously observed (theoreo[G]) him as a beggar, were saying, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?” 9 Others were saying, “This is he,” still others were saying, “No, but he is like him.” He (the once blind man) kept saying, “I am the one (who was born blind).” 10 So they were saying to him (who was born blind), “How then were your eyes opened?” In religious Jewish thought giving tzedakah “Charity” should produce and opportunity for self-worth. A sitting beggar of the first century would probably have been considered an unworthy recipient because of the appearance that he was not willing to further himself. In addition, if his blindness were considered the result of sin he would have earned very little from begging. This shows the depth of desperation of this man prior to his healing. When the blind man came home seeing, he was met with a divided response from those who knew him. Some were so confused by this miraculous event that they doubted he was the same man who had been born blind. Others were certain it was the ex-blind beggar they had known for so long. The man himself was adamant, “I am the man!” The people respond, “How were you healed then?” If this was that blind guy, something pretty amazing was happening and they genuinely wanted to know what that was. 11 He answered, “The man who is called Yeshua made clay (pelos[G], tiyt[H]), and applied, spread (epichrio[G]) it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Shiloach[H] (Siloam[G]: sent) and wash, ritually purify yourself, bathe (nipto[G], ashiyg[A], ur’chatz[H])’; so I went away and washed, ritually purified myself, bathed (nipto[G], ashiyg[A], ur’chatz[H]), and I looked up (anablepo[G]), received sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is He (Yeshua)?” He said, “I don’t know.” 13 They brought to the P’rushiym (Pharisees: chased ones) the man who was formerly blind. “The man they call Yeshua made some mud and put it on my eyes and sent me to wash in the pool of Shiloach, as soon as I had done this I could see.” This is the first in a progression of chronological statements that show the man’s journey to salvation (John, the writer of this gospel, is rightly called the Evangelist by early Church fathers). Here, the man has not yet seen Yeshua, he barely even knows Who He (Yeshua) is, so he says, “the man they call Yeshua.” This statement shows the relational distance between the man and Yeshua directly after his healing. He is referring to Yeshua, not as an acquaintance but rather as someone that others talk about. This is step one in the man’s journey to identifying and understanding who Yeshua is. “Where is this man?” The now seeing beggar responds, “I don’t know.” Yeshua has obviously left the location of the healing (the place where the clay was applied). The man upon receiving his sight, is so excited that he goes straight home to show everybody what a wonderful miracle has happened to him. He has not yet seen Yeshua. “They brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees.” There is no need to see this as an act of malice. The people were socially and religiously accustomed to seeking the advice and opinions of the P’rushiym (Pharisees), who were entrusted as leaders of their synagogues and as spiritual shepherds of Israel. 14 Now it was a Shabbat[H] (Sabbath) on the day when Yeshua made the clay (pelos[G], tiyt[H]) and opened his eyes. 15 Then the P’rushiym (Pharisees: chased ones) also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, “He applied clay (pelos[G], tiyt[H]) to my eyes, and I washed, ritually purified myself, bathed (nipto[G], ashiyg[A], ur’chatz[H]) and I see.” 16 Therefore some of the P’rushiym[H] (Pharisees: chased ones) were saying, “This man is not from God (Theos[G], Elohiym[H]), because He does not keep the Shabbat[H] (Sabbath).” But others were saying, “How can a man who is devoted to sin (hamartolos[G]) perform such signs (otot[H])?” And there was a rent, tear, division (schisma[G]) among them. “The day on which Yeshua made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath.” This Sabbath is either the eighth day celebration Shmini Atzeret which follows the Sukkot week, or it is the weekly Sabbath following Sukkot. This is obviously important to the discussion that follows. Throughout His ministry Yeshua is criticized by the Pharisees for His actions on the Sabbath (Yeshua keeps the Torah but He does not bow to the wider added traditions of the rabbis’ concerning the Sabbath). The making of the mud in addition to the actual healing was of particular concern to them in light of rabbinic oral tradition (Mishnah Shabbat 7:2). "it is forbidden to put fasting spittle even on the eyelid on a sabbath day.'' -T. Hieros. Sabbat, fol. 14. 4. & Avoda Zara, fol. 40. 4. & T. Bab. Sabbat, fol 108. 2. & Maimon. Hilchot Sabbat, c. 21. sect. 25. The Pharisees asked how the man had been healed and upon finding out, they were divided in their opinions of Yeshua and the event itself. Some of them felt that He had broken the Sabbath laws (of course He had only broken their man-made laws), others were convinced that because Yeshua had worked such a great miracle that they should not be so hasty to condemn Him. Neither argument was valid, the Torah warns that false prophets may work great miracles, so the fact that this healing was miraculous was not proof of Yeshua’s standing as a prophet of God. The working of miraculous signs does not qualify a prophet of God. Rather, miraculous signs that point to salvation (the spiritually blind being given sight) are the fruit of a godly prophet. “21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 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?’ 23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’” -Mattitiyahu (Matthew) 7:21-23 TLV It’s worth noting that what follows is a spontaneous and unlawful trial, conducted against both the once blind man and Yeshua. Our rabbis explicitly forbid courts (trials) to be in session on the Sabbath (y. Sanh. 4:6). 17 So they said to the blind (tuphlos[G], iveir[H]) man again, “What is your opinion of Him (Yeshua), since He opened your eyes?” And he said, “He is a prophet (prophetes[G], navi[H]).” As is the proper thing to do they turn to the man who had been healed and ask him, “What do you have to say about Him?” To which the man replies, “He is a prophet.” This is the second stage in the development of the man’s relationship to Yeshua. Here he has progressed from speaking of Yeshua as one Whom others speak of, to naming him a prophet. The full impact of what has happened to him is beginning to sink in and he is starting to see glimpses of who Yeshua really is. 18 The religious leaders, Judeans (Ioudaios[G], Yehudiym) then did not believe, trust, were not persuaded (pisteuo[G]) of him, that he had been blind (tuphlos[G], iveir[H]) and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight, 19 and they questioned his parents, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was fathered (gennao[G]) blind (tuphlos[G], iveir[H])? Then how is it that he now sees?” 20 His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born, fathered (gennao[G]) blind (tuphlos[G], iveir[H]); 21 but how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not see, perceive (eido[G]). Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the religious leaders, Judeans (Ioudaio[G]s, Yehudiym[H]); for the religious leaders, Judeans (Ioudaios[G], Yehudiym[H]) had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be Messiah, he was to be cast (ekballo[G]) out of the synagogue (meeting place). 23 For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” Finding it too hard to accept that the man was ever blind, the Pharisees send for his parents to get confirmation. “Is this your son, who you say was fathered (gennao[G]) blind (tuphlos[G], iveir[H])? This is a tacit accusation inferring that the father of this man is an idolater. The parents acknowledge that their son has been blind from birth but they are as confused as everybody else as to how he can now see. They are not willing to enter the debate, sighting his being of age (that is older than thirteen and showing the signs of puberty [Maimon. Hilchot Eduth, c. 9. sect. 7.]) as reason for questioning him and allowing his testimony to stand for itself. His parents were scared of being kicked out of the synagogue. In the first century it was more common to refer to being cast out of the “Congregation of Israel” when referring to full excommunication from the people and religion of Judaism. The rabbinical equivalent exercised against the messianic Jewish community of the early body of believers was called “cherem” (lit. devote to destruction) The threat of the present text does not necessarily refer to cherem, a form of complete excommunication from the congregation of Israel, meaning they would shunned by the community but not refused entry to the Temple precinct (there was no Great Synagogue at the time because the Temple was the central place of Jewish Worship until 70 CE). However, regardless of the specific intent, it was a significant threat, given that the local synagogue acted as a type of community centre, as well as a subsidiary place of worship and Torah study, and that those who were “cherem” (if this was the implied threat) were only to enter through the mourners (and the excommunicated) gate of the Temple and move to the left contrary to the practice of others, proclaiming the state of their excommunication. "all that go into the temple, go in, in the right hand way, and go round, and come out in the left, except such an one to whom anything has befallen him, and he goes about to the left; (and when asked) why dost thou go to the left? (he answers) because I am a mourner; (to whom it is replied) he that dwells in this house comfort thee: (or) שאני מנודה, "because I am excommunicated"; (to whom they say) he that dwells in this house put it into thy heart (that thou mayest hearken to the words of thy friends, as it is afterwards explained) and they may receive thee.'' -Mishnah. Middot, c. 2. sect. 2. 24 So a second time they called the man who had been blind (tuphlos[G], iveir[H]), and said to him, “Give (didomi[G], tein[H]) glory, judgement (doxa[G], kavod[H]) to the God (ho Theos[G], leiElohiym[H]) ; we know that this man is devoted to sin (hamartolos[G], chotei[H], has missed the mark set by God) .” 25 He then answered, “Whether He is devoted to sin (hamartolos[G], chotei[H], has missed the mark set by God), I do not see, perceive (eido[G]); one thing I do see, perceive (eido[G]), that though I was blind (tuphlos[G], iveir[H]), now I see with my own eyes (blepo[G]).” 26 So they said to him, “What did He do to you? How did He open (anoigo[G]) your eyes (ophthalmos[G], eiyneycha[H])?” 27 He answered them, “I told you already and you didn’t listen, hear, recieve (sh’matem[H]); why do you want to hear (lishmoa[H]) again? You do not want to become His disciples (talmiydayv[H]) too, do you?” 28 They heaped abuse (loidoreo[G]) on him and said, “You are His disciple (mathetes[G], talmid[H]), but we are disciples (talmidiym[H]) of Moshe[H] (Moses: drawn out). “Give (didomi[G], tein[H]) glory, judgement (doxa[G], kavod[H]) to the God (ho Theos[G], leiElohiym[H]) ; we know that this man is devoted to sin…” There is an interesting juxtaposition here. The “cherem” excommunication possibly referred to in the previous verses literally means “devoted to destruction”. Here, the religious leaders accuse the improperly tried Yeshua of being “devoted to sin”. The Pharisees, beside themselves with frustration, send for the man a second time (at this point they were conducting what was effectively an illegal trial of both Yeshua and the healed man). The use of the idiom, “Give glory to HaShem!”—which means tell the truth or in modern terms “swear on the Bible”), literally translates as “Give a judgement of God”. Today we say something similar in Hebrew upon hearing of the death of a Jewish person, “Baruch dayan ha-emet” Blessed is the judge of the truth. It’s a reference to the fact that God is the ultimate judge. Some of the Pharisees are essentially saying, “Stop lying and admit you weren’t blind in the first place and that this Yeshua is a fraud,” or “Admit that this Yeshua is a false prophet!” They (that is the group among them that didn’t accept the miracle) had already decided that Yeshua was a Sabbath breaking sinner despite the lack of real evidence. It’s here that the once blind man begins to truly find his vision and shine the light he has been given by Yeshua, and not without a good dose of Jewish chutzpah to boot. “One thing I do know, I was blind and now I see.” In other words, “When you guys are able to exhibit the kind of power and authority that Yeshua does, I might pay more attention to you!” The Pharisees are looking for ammunition so (having just called him a liar to his face) they ask again how it all took place. The once blind man responds, “I told you already, weren’t you listening? Why do you want to know more? Do you want to become his Talmidiym (disciples)?” It’s safe to say that this enraged them. They react by saying, “You are this man’s disciple, we are Moses disciples.” I don’t think the man would have been at all offended by being called a disciple of Yeshua at this stage (though he was not, not quite). What is unusual is the claim by the Pharisees that they were Moses’ disciples. This designation was not common at the time and denotes a desperate scratching at straws on their part. It’s one of those, “No! you are!” type arguments usually used by people who have no idea what to say next. “Whether He is devoted to sin, I do not see, perceive; one thing I do see, perceive, that though I was blind, now I see with my own eyes.” The use of Greek here is important. Those English translations that translate “eido” as “know” do so without considering the writer’s obvious allusion to perception based on sight. In fact, the more accurate translation of “eido” is “see, perceive”. The context better supports my translation. “How did He open your eyes?” The Hebrew “Ayin” meaning “eye” is also used to refer to the opening in the earth where a spring of water comes forth. This is interesting given Yeshua’s offer of living water (during the water drawing ceremony of Sukkot) in chapter 7 and the use of water in the healing process of the once blind man. Siloam is feed by the Gihon (Great Bursting Forth) spring. 29 We see, perceive (eido[G]) that the God (ho Theos[G], Elohiym[H]) has spoken to Moses (Moshe[H]), but as for this man, we do not see, perceive (eido[G]) where He is from.” “We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where He comes from.” What they mean by this is that the Messiah is prophesied to come from Bethlehem and as far as they knew Yeshua was from Nazareth. Of course the truth is that they knew where He came from (the Galilee) they had very little respect for the am ha-aretz (common people of the land, that is, uneducated farmers and fishermen). As I’ve stated previously they probably considered Yeshua to be somewhat of a hillbilly. 30 The man answered and said to them, “Well, here is an amazing, wonderful, marvellous (thaumastos[G]) thing, that you do not see, perceive (eido[G]) where He is from, and yet He opened (anoigo[G]) my eyes (ophthalmos[G], eiynayi[H]). 31 We perceive (eido[G]) that the God (ho Theos[G], Elohiym[H]) does not hear those devoted to sin (hamartolos[G]); but if anyone is a worshipper (theosebes[G]) of God and does His will (thelema[G]), He hears him. 32 Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened (anoigo[G]) the eyes (ophthalmos[G], eiyneiy[H]) of a person fathered (gennao[G]) blind (tuphlos[G]) . 33 If this man were not from God (Theos[G], Elohiym[H]), He could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were fathered (gennao[G]) entirely in sins (hamartia[G]), and do you presume to teach us?” So they cast (ekballo[G]) him out. The sardonic rebuke of the man is a delight to read, perhaps being born blind and suffering all his life had birthed in him an immunity to the fears and obligations of Israel concerning her hypocritical religious leaders. On the other hand, maybe he was just a sarcastic guy? If so, he probably had some kiwi (New Zealand) blood in him from the diaspora. The healed man draws their attention to the catalyst for understanding the Messianic significance of this miracle, he says, “Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of one born blind. If this man were not from HaShem He could do nothing.” This is a pointed observation that reveals the sign of God regarding the opening of the eyes of the blind, something that would alert Israel to the Messiah’s presence (as prophesied by Yeshayahu/Isaiah: see verse 1 and note). This is also the third step in the man’s journey into relationship with Yeshua. Here, he says Yeshua is, “from God.” The disbelieving group among the Pharisees, who are not used to being disagreed with by commoners, are more than insulted by the man and resort to name calling, “You were born from sin and are soaked in it, how dare you lecture us!” Actually the man had been following proper halakhic protocol with his well-argued rebuttal, they were just sore because his argument was more convincing than theirs. Had this been recorded in the Talmud, the man’s argument would have been sighted by future rabbis as the dominant view. Seeing that they were not going to win this argument the Pharisees cast him out (probably out of the synagogue, the threat under which all religious Jews of the first century lived in order for the false shepherds to keep people in line). I’m not sure that this would have worried him too much, he had been spending a lot of time on the streets begging for food up till now and may not have found much solace in the synagogue at any rate. 35 Yeshua heard that they had cast (ekballo[G]) him (the once blind man) out, and finding him, He said, “Do you believe, trust, are you persuaded, confident (pisteuo[G], hata’amiyn[H]) in the Son of Man (B’ven-haAdam[H])?” 36 He answered, “Who is He, Adoniy[H] (Lord: kurios[G]), that I may believe, trust, be persuaded, confident (pisteuo[G], ve’a’amiyn[H]) in Him?” After hearing that the man had been thrown out Yeshua found him (this means Yeshua had sought him out, an intimate and thoughtful gesture). The man’s father and mother had forsaken him and he had been kicked out of the local synagogue, this is a pivotal occasion in his journey into God’s light. Yeshua asks, “Do you believe in the Son of Man (a Messianic title).” The man responds, “Who is he Lord, tell me so that I may believe in him.” This is the fourth stage in the journey of relationship, the man calls Yeshua (Whom he is seeing for the first time) Adoniy, My Lord, Master, a term of respect and ownership. The Greek Kyrios is used and can be translated lord or L-RD, there is no Greek equivalent for YHVH—L-RD, so the same Greek word is sometimes used to denote the Holy Name. Here however, “Adoniy, Lord, Master” is the correct translation, given the context. 37 Yeshua said to him, “You have both seen (horao[G]) Him with your own eyes, and He is the One Who is speaking with you.” 38 And he (the once blind man) said, “Adoniy[H] (Lord: kurios[G]), I believe, trust, am persuaded, confident (pisteuo[G], ma’amiyn[H]).” And he worshiped, prostrated himself before (proskuneo[G]) Him (Yeshua). “Yeshua said, ‘You have now seen Him, in fact, He is the one speaking with you.’ Then the man said, ‘L-RD I believe.’ And he worshipped Him.” Remember, the man is seeing Yeshua for the first time, both physically and spiritually. This is the final stage of the man’s journey into saving relationship. He has been blind, he has been washed in the life-giving water of the Sent One, he has known of Yeshua, he has identified Him as a prophet, he has realized that Yeshua was sent from God, he has respectfully called Him Lord and now he sees Him for who He really is, “L-RD”. The Greek word kyrios is used here by John (a Jew) to represent YHVH. We must not put more weight on the Greek language than we do upon the cultural religious psyche of the writers of the gospels. The fact that the Greek language is unable to convey the nuances of the Hebrew designations for God does not mean the deeper meaning was not intended by the writer (inspired by God). A beautiful picture of what has just occurred between Yeshua and the healed man appears in the words of the Psalmist: “Though my father and mother forsake me, the L-RD will receive me.” Tehillim/Psalm 28:10 39 And Yeshua said, “For a decree, judgment (krima[G]) I came into this world (kosmos[G], ha-olam[H]), so that those who do not see with their eyes (blepo[G]) may see with their eyes (blepo[G]), and that those who see with their eyes (blepo[G]) may become blind (tuphlos[H]).” Yeshua sums up this living parable of healing by clarifying for those present that He has come to fulfil the words of Yeshayahu/Isaiah (Isaiah 6:10, 42:19). This is an opportunity for those studied in the Tanakh (Old Testament) to recognize His claim to Messianic authority and repent, but He knows that they will remain blind, while those who realize their blindness will receive their sight through Messiah just as God had prophesied through the prophet. 40 Those of the P’rushiym (Pharisees: chased ones) who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind (tuphlos[H]) too, are we?” 41 Yeshua said to them, “If you were blind (tuphlos[H]), you would have no sin (hamartia[G]); but since you say, ‘We see with our eyes (blepo[G]),’ your sin (hamartia[G]) remains (meno[G]). It continues to be made clear by the gospel of John that some Pharisees were following Yeshua (not necessarily the same ones that interrogated the healed man). They realized He was warning them of spiritual blindness and in pride wanted to show themselves spiritually insightful, so they asked, “Are we blind to?” Yeshua’s response is a harsh rebuke, “If you were blind you would not be guilty of sin; but because you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” Yeshua is saying that only those who admit their blindness/sin can be freed from it and given spiritual sight. Those, who in pride, claim that they can see are in fact still blind and are unable to receive sight from Yeshua. Without humility no one can come to God. Conclusion: We live in a world that Messiah Himself has called night. While He was here physically He was the light, now He is here metaphysically by the power of Gods Holy Spirit, living in every believer. The Sent One has filled those of us who believe, in order that we might be sent ones who shine His light in this dark world. If we claim we have not been blind, then we, like the Pharisees are unable to see. However, when we admit our blindness the Sent One will restore our sight by coming to us and then sending us out to be the softly flowing waters of Shiloach to a parched and hopeless world. May He bare light in us, that we might be light to others, shining our light in order to reveal the path that leads to Him. Copyright 2020 Yaakov Brown In fact, theology in the traditional Christian Scholarship (Post the original Jewish Ecclesia: Messiah following Jews) sense, does not exist in the Messianic Hebrew faith, because to the Messianic Jew belief not acted on is unbelief. 1After (meta[G]) these (tauta[G]) words, essences, things (ha-devariym[H]) Yeshua[H, A] (Iesous[G], YHVH Saves, Jesus, Joshua) was walking (peripateo[G], halakh[H]) in the land (b’eretz[H]) of the Galilee (ha-Galiyl[H], a circuit), for He was unwilling to walk (halokh[H]) in Judea (Ioudaia[G], b’Yehudah[H]) because the Judeans, religious Jews (Ioudaios[G], Ha-Yehudiym[H]) were seeking to kill Him (Yeshua[H, A]).
“After these things” Means after the making whole of the lame man on the Sabbath of Purim [John 5:5-16] (which will become poignant in verse 23), after the feeding of the 28,000 (5000 men) [John 6:1-15], after the sign of walking on water and calming the storm [John 6:16-21], after the profession of His identity as the true manna from the heavens [John 6:48-51] and the means of salvation for all who will believe… The Hebrew text of the Ha-Brit Ha-Chadashah (NT) says “Achar ha-devariym” After these words, essences, things… “Yeshua was walking” The Hebrew “halakh” means more than just “physical walking”, it means to walk with spiritual, religious, moral integrity according to the perfect practice of God’s word. In Judaism our “halakhah” the way we practically walk our faith is inseparable from our theology. In fact, theology in the traditional Christian Scholarship (Post the original Jewish Ecclesia: Messiah following Jews) sense, does not exist in the Messianic Hebrew faith, because to the Messianic Jew belief not acted on is unbelief (ref. the book of Yaakov [James]). Therefore, one could understand the text by way of remez (hint) drash (comparative teaching), to say “Yeshua’s halakhah was among the common Jewish people of the Galilee, for He was unwilling to practice the halakhah of religious hypocrites.” Regardless, the reason “Yeshua was not willing to walk in Judea” is clearly stated in the text, it was because the Judean religious leaders “wanted to kill Him”, and while it was His intention to go to the cross, He was determined that His death happen at the “opportune time.” We note that His life was not taken from Him by the authority of men but was given of Him by the authority of God (John 10:17-18). The sign/miracle that became the catalyst for the Religious leaders’ plan to kill Yeshua was the making whole of the man at Beit Chasda (House of kindness/practical love), because Yeshua had performed a miracle on the Sabbath (John 5:5-16). This is affirmed as we read on, in the discussion over Yeshua’s sanity and the hypocrisy of those who claim Moses as their guide and yet do not keep the Torah that Moses gave to them, albeit from God via Moses. How sadly ironic that the miracle which ignited such hatred toward Yeshua was performed in the House of Kindness by the Kindest man Who ever lived. “Because of this therefore the Judeans, religious Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Shabbat, but also was calling the God His own Father, making Himself equal with the God.” -John 5:18 Author’s translation “for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Judeans, religious Jews, were seeking to kill Him.” We see here one of the many examples showing why it is foolish to translate the Greek Ioudaios as “Jews” in general. The context of this passage shows clearly that Yeshua was walking among Jews in the Galilee but did not walk among the Jews of the region of Judea because a group of religious Jews from Judea were intent on killing Him. Therefore, in the context of this passage all are Jews, some are Galileans, some Judeans, some religious, some secular, some of one sect, some of another, all Ioudaios but not all Ioudaios from the region of Ioudaia, though most made regular aliyah (going up) to Jerusalem in Judea for the three Regaliym (Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot). It is the foolish general translational choice to equivocate all instances of Ioudaios, that has led to some of the most heinous anti-Semitic theology and action of the so called “Christian Church”. It shames the Name of Christ and has mislead countless people of genuine faith for millennia. 2 Now the feast (Chag[H]) of the Judeans, religious Jews (Ioudaios[G], Ha-Yehudiym[H]), the Feast (Chag[H]) of Sukkot[H] (Shelters), was near. “Now the feast of the Judeans, religious Jews” Because all observant Jews (from all over Israel and not just from Judea) went up to this feast, the “Feast of the Judeans” here refers to a feast all Jews participated in. Once again, context is key to translation, interpretation and understanding. “The feast of Sukkot was near” Much time has passed since the end of chapter 6. The events of chapter seven begin some months later. The feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) has been skipped by the author and we now find ourselves nearing the end of the year at the time of the later harvest heading toward fall and winter. The author of the Gospel of John does not intend his Gospel to relay a blow by blow historical and chronologically detailed account like that of Luke. The theme of this Gospel regards the present deity of the Messiah and His redemptive purpose as the Lamb of God come to give Himself as a vicarious sacrifice for all who would receive Him. Thus, the next point in the revelation of the theme begins prior to Sukkot, that festival which prophecies the future dwelling of God with His redeemed creation. A sound understanding of the festival of Sukkot (Lev. 23:33-43; Num. 29:12-39; Deut. 16:13-16) and its customs 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 (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: Apart from 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. 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, 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), and was poured along with wine upon the altar as a libation offering, which 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. 3 Therefore His brothers (achiym[H]) said to Him (Yeshua), “Leave here and go into the region of Judea (Ioudaia[G], b’Yehudah[H]), so that Your disciples (talmidim[H]) also may see Your works, deeds (ergon[G], ha-ma’asiym[H]) which You are doing, making (oseh[H]). It seems clear that Yeshua had many disciples outside His intimate retinue and that many of them were not always with Him but were Judean Jews who often spent time in Judea among the religious community there. The suggestion of Yeshua’s biological brothers is a practical one, and in and of itself is not wrong. 4 For no one does anything, word (davar[H]) in secret (kruptos[G], seiter[H]) when he himself seeks to be known (l’hivodeia[H]) publicly, become famous. If You’re going to do these things, show Yourself to the world (kosmos[G], ha-olam[H]).” “no one does anything in secret when, he himself seeks to be known publicly.” Initially the suggestion of Yeshua’s brothers may have been well meaning, a desire to see Yeshua succeed in His role as a great teacher of Israel. However, their disbelief alluded to in the following verse illuminates their true motivation. Like so many others of their generation and like so many human beings throughout the generations, the thought of failing to promote one’s gifts in order to form a mass following seemed ludicrous to them. We are guilty of the same idolatrous sin today: Mega Churches, Media promotion of certain faith leaders, buildings, empires, mass followings, and all contrary to the ministry of Messiah Yeshua. Our motivation has been self-promoting idolatry, whereas Yeshua’s motivation was to walk according to the redemptive purposes of God and in full obedience to the Father regardless of what that meant for His own reputation and well-being. “Secret, hidden” The use of the Greek kruptos, meaning “secret, hidden, concealed” is poignant, given that Yeshua had explained earlier (some months past, but directly precedent to this chapter) that He is the “true bread from the heavens”( John 6:48-51), the manna that had been hidden, kept secret, concealed from the eyes of the Jewish people up to this point in history. Yeshua is the hidden manna in that He can be seen only by those who receive Him. He has no need of popularity because His intent is not to please the public but to honour God His Father. Modern believers would do well to emulate Him. “The one who has an ear, let that one hear what the Spirit says to the body of believers. To that one who overcomes, to that person I will give some of the hidden, secret, concealed (krupto) manna (bread from the heavens), and I will give that person a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but the one who receives it.’” -Yeshua’s Revelation to Yochanan 2:17 5 For not even His brothers (achiym[H]) were believing in Him, thought Him true, were persuaded of Him, had faith in Him, trusted Him (pisteuo[G], he’emiynu[H]). Yeshua’s brothers are named in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark as: Yaakov, Yosef, Yehudah, and Shimon. These were sons of Miriyam (Mary) and Yosef (Joseph), Yeshua’s biological mother and earthly but not biological father (Matt.13:55-56; Mark. 6:3). “A stranger I have become to my brothers and a foreigner to the children of My mother…” -Tehilim (Psalms) 69:8 Author’s translation It’s important to note that the disbelief of Yeshua’s brothers did not persist after His death and resurrection. We know for certain that Yaakov became not only a believer in Yeshua but also a leader of the early Messianic Jewish sect (The Way) [Acts. 2:17, 15:13, 21:18, Galatians. 1:19, 2:9, 12]. He is also the most likely author of the book of Yaakov (James) included in the Ha-Brit Ha-Chadashah (NT). Another brother Yehudah is thought to be the author of the NT book of Yehudah (Jude). 6 So Yeshua[H] said to them, “The true measure, opportune time for Me (ho kairos[G]) is not yet here, but your true measure, opportune time (ho kairos[G]) is all the time, any time, always now (pantote[G]). In other words, pursuing popularity, self-promotion and idolatry are always the go to for those who are spiritually blind. In and of itself fame is not wrong, the Scriptures tell us that because HaShem was “with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land” (Joshua 6:27), but when the pursuit of fame seeks to promote self rather than the Gospel, or worse, in place of the Gospel, it becomes idolatry. 7 The world (kosmos[G], ha-olam[H]) can’t hate you, but it hates Me because I testify (meiiyd[H]) of it, that its deeds are perpetual, intense, multiples of evil (raiym[H]). The sin affected people of this world love those who tell them what they want to hear, but those who challenge sin and teach the need for sacrifice and repentance are hated by this world. Why? Because our evil actions are perpetual, so much so that evil has become the norm. Therefore, when our long held beliefs are challenged we do what all sin affected people do, we become defensive and attack the one who has exposed the lie of our existence. 8 Go up to the feast (Chag[H]) yourselves; I do not go up to this feast (Chag[H]) because the true measure, opportune time for Me (ho kairos[G]) has not yet (oupo[G]) fully come (pleroo[G]).” 9 Having said these things to them, He stayed in the Galilee (ba’Galiyl[H], b’Galeela[A]). Notice that Yeshua’s brothers were religiously observant Jews who had clearly planned to make aliyah (going up) for the Regaliym Festival of Sukkot (Shelters). Both the context and the grammar tell us that Yeshua was not saying that He wouldn’t go at all, rather He was saying that He would come at the appropriate time. The present tense of the Greek is better translated as “I’m not presently going up”. 10 But when His brothers (achiym[H]) had gone up to the festival (Chag[H]), then He Himself also made aliyah[H] (went up), not openly (b’gelya[A]), but in secret, hidden, concealed (kruptos[G]). 11 So the Judeans, religious Jews (Ioudaios[G], Ha-Yehudiym[H]) were seeking Him at the feast (Chag[H]) and were saying, “Where is He?” Yeshua had always intended to attend. It is likely that He followed soon after His brothers and arrived in time for the beginning of the feast so as to make His chagigah or sacrifice according to first century practice. The journey from the Galilee to Jerusalem was approximately 3 days by foot, with stops to rest each evening). However, the Mishnah allows for the sacrifice to be made at another point during the festival (Mishnah. Chagiga, c. 1. sect. 6. Maimon. Hilch. Chagiga, c. 2. sect. 4, 5, 6, 7). Therefore, regardless of when He went up, He non the less kept the Torah requirement, as was His custom. The anger of the Religious leaders was such that they were actively searching for Yeshua at the festival. However, we note that they at very least considered Yeshua an observant Jew, or else why were they looking for Him at the feast? 12 There was much murmuring, grumbling, secret displeasure (goggusmos[G]) among the crowds concerning Him (Yeshua[H]); some were saying, “He is a good man”; others were saying, “No, on the contrary, He causes people to go astray (planao[G]).” 13 Yet no one was speaking openly of Him for fear of the Judeans, religious Jews (Ioudaios[G], Ha-Yehudiym[H]). The people of Israel were undecided as to whether Yeshua was a good, even truly prophetic figure or a heretic. Some spoke quietly against Him, others spoke quietly in His favour, but such was the power of the religious leaders that none spoke publicly concerning Him for fear of religious persecution or being “Put out of the synagogue”. 14 But when it was now the middle (alt. chol ha-moediym[H] intermediary days) of the feast (Chag[H]) Yeshua[H] (Jesus) went up into the Temple (hieron[G], ha-Mikdash[H]), and began to teach. Some date this Sukkot festival to the year 29 CE, the definitive middle of the festival being at the convergence of yom shiyshiy and the beginning of the only weekly Shabbat of the festival. If this dating is correct the ministry years of Yeshua spanned 27-30 CE. “…into 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. 15 the Judeans, religious Jews (Ioudaios[G], Ha-Yehudiym[H]) marvelled, were astonished, admired His teaching (thaumazo[G]) saying, “How has this man become knowledgeable, learned in sacred things, having never been educated?” “How has this man become knowledgeable, learned in sacred things, having never been educated?” In other words, “How is this hick from the Kinneret (Galilee) able to clearly articulate Jewish halakhic teaching without ever having attended a yeshivah or studied under a famous rabbi or scholar?” Interestingly the Talmud acknowledges that Yeshua was taught by the great Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Peracyah, the chief teacher of his day (Sanhedrin 107b, Sotah 47a). However, that is utter nonsense, given that the rabbi in question lived a hundred years earlier. Still, the point is that Jewish tradition does not record Yeshua as being ignorant of religious training and knowledge. 16 So Yeshua[H] answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me (sholkhiy[H]). 17 If anyone is willing to do His will, that one will know of the teaching, whether it is of the God (ho Theos[G], Elohiym[H]) or whether I speak (adabeir[H]) from Myself. In reality Yeshua’s learning, knowledge, and application were in this world but not of it. His wisdom and practice are from above, the impartation of the Father God. His teaching, perpetual, sacred and transcendent. “…whether it is of the God or whether I speak from Myself.” The beautiful irony here is that in either case the teaching is of God. 18 He who speaks from himself seeks, craves, demands (zeteo[G]) his own judgement, opinion, view, glory (doxa[G], k’vod[H]); but He who is seeking the judgement, opinion, view, glory (doxa[G], k’vod[H]) of the One who sent Him, He is true, faithful, trustworthy (alethes[G], ne’eman[H]), and there is no injustice, unrighteousness (adikia[G]) in Him. Note the intrinsic connection between judgement (discernment, view) and glory (honour). This link between judgement and glory bears fruit in verse 24 where Yeshua challenges the false judgement/glory of His hearers. 19 “Didn’t Moshe[H] (drawn out) give (natan[H]) you the Instruction (Ha-Torah[H]), and yet none among you does, acts out (oseh[H]) the Instruction (Ha-Torah[H])? Why do you seek to kill Me?” In fact Moses gave Israel the Instruction of God, the author and goal of that Instruction being Yeshua Himself. The religious Jewish community of the first century were proud of their connection to the Torah and Moses, and yet they did not do what the Torah required. This is true of so many people of faith today. We are aware of what we should do but non the less act in a contrary fashion. Yeshua is not exposing their inaction but their hypocrisy. 20 The crowd answered, “You have an evil spirit, demon, divinity, god (daimonion[G], sheid[H])! Who seeks to kill You?” In modern terms, “You’re a demonized psycho, a sicko, crazy person…” 21 Yeshua[H] answered them, “I did (poieo[G]) one (echad[H]) deed, work (ergon[G]) and you all admire, marvel (thaumazo[G]). The work Yeshua speaks of is recorded in John 5:5-16, and concerns the making whole of the lame man at the pool of Beit Chasda on the Shabbat of Purim now some months prior. John 5:18 quite literally says that the religious Jewish leaders “sought to kill” Yeshua because of this miraculous sign performed on the Shabbat. Thus, what follows concerns actions that are permissible by first century Jewish halakhah on the Shabbat, even when they contradict the Shabbat commandment. 22 For this reason Moshe[H] (drawn out) has given (natan[H]) you circumcision (ha-miylah[H]) [not because it’s from Moses, but from the fathers (ha-Avot[H], Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov)], and on the Sabbath (Ha-Shabbat[H]) you circumcise (tamulu[H]) a man. “Moses has given you circumcision” Leviticus 12:3 “…not because it’s from Moses, but from the fathers” God originally gave the commandment of circumcision to Avraham in Genesis 17:1-27, which he carried out on Yitzchak in Genesis 21:4, and it was perpetuated by Yitzchak and Yaakov respectively. This occurred centuries prior to the command given through Moses, which was a reiteration of the original command. "we do not circumcise because Abraham our father, on whom be peace, circumcised himself and his household, but because the holy blessed God commanded us by Moses, that we should be circumcised, as Abraham our father was circumcised.'' -Maimon. in Mishnah. Cholin, c. 7. sect. 6. 23 If a male receives circumcision (timol[H]) on the Sabbath (Ha-Shabbat[H]) so that the Instruction (Torah[H]) of Moshe[H] will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire human being (anthropos[G]) sound, whole, fully restored (hugies[G]) on the Sabbath (Ha-Shabbat[H])? The Torah commands that a Jewish male be circumcised on the eight day (Gen. 17:12; Lev. 12:3), however, it also prohibits work on the Shabbat (Exodus 20:9-10, 23:12, 31:14-15, 34:21; Lev. 23:3; Deut. 5:12-14 etc.) Therefore, if the eighth day of a new born male’s life falls on a Shabbat there is a practical conflict. It is clear from the text that the halakhah of the first century Judean Jews under these circumstances was to practice circumcision on the Shabbat. The Talmud tractate Shabbat 128b-137b records this halakhic practice for posterity. Therefore, that which Yeshua referred to was a well-known and accepted halakhic practice. Yeshua was not denying its validity, rather He was using it as an example so as to expose the hypocrisy of His accusers. Yeshua is using a form of reasoning which in Judaism is called kal ve’chomer or a light and heavy argument. He is essentially saying, “You permit the breaking of the Shabbat in order to circumcise, how much more important is it to make a person whole on the Shabbat?” Jewish tradition agrees with Yeshua’s reasoning. The Talmud Bavliy sites the principle that saving a life suspends the Shabbat: “Rabbi El’azar answered, ‘If circumcision. Which involves only one of the 248 human body parts, suspends Shabbat, how much more must [healing] the whole body suspend Shabbat.” -Talmud Bavliy Yoma 85b "…the preservation of the soul life, suspends the Shabbat…” -Talmud. Bavliy. Shabbat, fol. 132. 1. Put simply, a suffering person cannot rest, therefore, in order for the suffering person to keep the Shabbat that person must first be made whole. After all, Shabbat means “Seventh, blessing, stop, rest, pause, completion, wholeness, sound construction and transcendent peace.” 24 Do not separate, select, prefer, determine, judge (krino[G], tish’petu[H]) according to sight, seeing, appearance (opsis[G], lemareih[H]), but, instead by righteous, innocent, faultless observation (dikaios[G], tzedek[H]) separate, distinguish, make just, right judgment, alt. conclude justly (krisis[G], mishpat[H]).” This verse challenges the false sight of the religious Jewish leaders and those among the crowd who oppose Yeshua’s teaching. He brings to summation the idea seeded in verse 18 concerning the intrinsic connection between judgement and glory, as a means of challenging His hearers to choose a different way of looking at, perceiving, judging, accessing things. If they were to follow His advice they would receive Him and His teaching and find redemption. Every modern believer is promptly challenged to do away with the foolish, decontextualized popular pseudo Christian phrase, “Don’t judge”. While it is true that Scripture indicates elsewhere that we are not in any position to condemn others or pass judgement on them, it is certainly not true that we should not judge. A lack of judgement results in sin. Rather, we are instructed to judge well, truly, rightly, based on Godly sight born of the righteousness purchased for us in Messiah. Therefore, “Stop judging by mere appearances and make a truly just judgement.” Copyright 2020 Yaakov Brown With regard to a Hebrew (religious, cultural) interpretation of the Scriptures, those things that appear contradictory are in fact unbound eternal concepts being understood within the boundaries of time and space. Introduction:
It’s important to remember that the following verses are pursuant to the beginning of Yeshua’s conversation with the Judean religious Jews of Jerusalem following the physical healing and spiritual wholeness of that certain man at the pool of Beit Chasda (House of practical love). Therefore, it’s foolish to apply these words generally without first having understood that Yeshua is speaking them to those religious Jews from Jerusalem who were opposing Him based on their understanding of the Torah and extra Biblical religious law. Many of those opposing Him here later became His followers (John 11:45; 12:41; Acts 2). Once again, the anti-Semitic Sunday school refrain “I don’t wanna be a Pharisee…” comes under scrutiny when faced with the reality that Yeshua’s theology was most like that of the Pharisees and that He had come to save the lost sheep of the House of Israel (including the Pharisees). His love for His enemies, especially those among His own people is one of the character attributes that distinguishes Him as God with us. 25 “Amen[H] [G]Amen[H] [G] (B’emet[H], B’emet[H]), In truth, In truth, It’s certain, it’s certain, I say (Aniy omeir[H]) to you all (lachem[H] PL), an hour, a season, a particular time (hora[G], sha’ah[H]) is coming and now (nun[G], veatah hiy[H]) is, when the dead (nekros[G], ha-meitiym[H]) will hear, comprehend, receive, understand (akouo[G], yishmeu[H]) the voice, sound (ho-phone[G], et-kol[H]) of the Son of God (ho huios ho Theos[G], Ben Ha-Elohiym[H]), and those who hear, comprehend, receive, understand (akouo[G], ha-shomeiym[H]) they will live (zao[G], chayh yichyu[H]). 26 For just as the Father (ho Pater[G], la-Av[H]) has life, living (yesh chayiym[H], chaye[A]) in His substance (baqnumeh[A]), even so He gave (didomi[G], natan[H]) to the Son (ho huios[G], la-Ben[H]) also to have life, living (zoe[G], chayiym[H]) in His substance (baqnumeh[A]); “Amen, Amen, I say to you all, an hour, a season, a particular time is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear they will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in His substance, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in His substance; Put concisely the theme of these verses is that of “realized eschatology”, the idea that God’s goals have already been accomplished in Yeshua outside of the limitations of time and space. However, this is an over simplification that needs to be examined more thoroughly. Suffice to say the conditions of the last days are already being realized at the time of Yeshua’s earthly ministry (first century CE). “a particular time is coming and now is” Just as it was true in the moment Yeshua spoke it, so it remains true today. The coming of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God is now and yet to come. Where the Spirit of the Father and the Son (Ruach Ha-Kodesh) has filled the believer and is at work in the life of that person, the Gospel and the Kingdom are manifest and present, having been seeded into time and space. The Gospel and the Kingdom therefore are a present deposit of eternity found within temporal creation, that await the bursting forth and renewal of creation when time is brought to a new beginning. Like a needle injecting the air outside a bubble into the bubble until the bubble explodes and the air inside becomes one with the air outside. Yeshua is saying something like, “Even as you hear Me speaking the coming redemption you have hoped for is standing before you”. “when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God” The time when the “dead” will hear the voice of the Son is said to be both “coming” and “now”. Therefore, Yeshua is speaking of the present spiritually dead, and all those spiritually dead prior to His death and resurrection (who will hear the redemptive plan of God from the transcendent resurrected Messiah), and those who will be spiritually dead within time and space following His ascension to the Father after His resurrection. This cannot refer to those dead and departed in sheol at the time of Yeshua’s earthly ministry because they will rise either to life or to judgement at the final resurrection, depending on their acceptance or refusal of the Messiah (v.28).[The temporal resurrection which occurred at the time of Yeshua’s death and resurrection is an exception which acts as a sign of God pointing to the yet future and final resurrection and judgement (Matt. 27:51-53)]. We note that those who hear the Son’s voice in this verse will “live”. This is a reference to eternal life. This defines what hearing means, it is the Hebrew concept of “shema” hear, receive, and understand continually. The previous verses (23-24) explain what is required in order to “hear” the voice/word/sound of the Son of God. Put simply, the “dead” being referred to in this verse are those who are spiritually dead, including His hearers the religious Judean Jews of Jerusalem. Yeshua further adds to this an allusion to the coming and final resurrection of the physically dead (v.28). Thus He makes a clear distinction between the two. For just as the Father has life in His substance, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in His substance; This is a statement of divinity. Yeshua has been given the life of the Father and the power to create life according to the Father. Thus, the Son’s Word transforms the sin affected creation into a new and renewed creation through the eternal blood of God shed on the cross as a vicarious sacrifice. The Godhead is not divided or separate as the sadly lacking theological term “trinity” infers, but is echad (a complex unity), the persons of the Godhead being distinct and One. Eternal life is given of God to and through the Son. Therefore, our Salvation is manifest in the fullness of the Godhead. “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” -1 John 5:11 (ESV) 27 and He gave Him (The Son) authority (exousia[H]) to make, enact (poieo[H], ) judgment, sentencing (krisis[H]), because He is Son of Man (huios Anthropos[H], Ben Adam). and He gave Him (The Son) authority to make, enact judgment, sentencing, because He is Son of Man. As stated in my commentary on John 5:1-24: With regard to judgement God is no hypocrite, the Father Who is outside all things and in Whom all things exist does not pretend to be a human being or to have the frailty of a human being. However, the Son, the King Messiah (Dan. 7:13: Zohar in Gen. fol. 85. 4. Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 13. fol. 209. 4. Jarchi & Saadiah Gaon in Dan. vii. 13. & R. Jeshuah in Aben Ezra in ib.), God with us, experiences all things as we have and is therefore fully qualified in His own frailty to judge humanity (Phil. 2:5-7; Heb.4:15). Not that God the Father is unqualified, but that He perfects His qualification in the Son Who was crucified before the creation of the world in anticipation of humanity’s decision to sin. Therefore, God remains Judge in the sense that He gives judgement over to the Son in order that the Father might outwork His perfect justice. “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” -Hebrews 4:15 (NASB) 28 Do not marvel, wonder, be amazed (thaumazo[G], titmehu[H]) at this; for behold, pay attention, beware (kiy hineih[H]), an hour, a season, a particular time (hora[G], sha’ah[H]), is coming in which all who are in the tombs, graves (mnemeion[G], kever[H]) will hear, comprehend, receive, understand (akouo[G], yishmeu[H]) His voice, sound (phone[G], kolu[H]), 29 and will depart from (the tombs), come forth, burst, flow out, be spread abroad, rise (ekporeuomai[G]); those the good (ho agathos[G], ha-tov[H]) having done, made, constructed (poieo[G], oseiy[H]) to resurrection, standing upright, rising (anastasis[G], lakum[H]) of life, living (zoe[G], lachayiym[H]), those the evil (ho phaulos[G], ha-ra[H]) having performed, accomplished, exacted, required (prasso[G]) to resurrection, standing upright, rising (anastasis[G], lakum[H]) of judgment, sentencing, condemnation (krisis[G], ladiyn[H]). Do not marvel, wonder, be amazed at this; for behold, pay attention, beware, an hour, a season, a particular time, is coming in which all who are in the tombs, graves will hear His voice, sound, 29 and will depart from, come forth, burst, flow out, be spread abroad, rise; those, the good, having done, made, constructed to resurrection, standing upright, rising of life, those the evil having performed, accomplished, exacted, required to resurrection, standing upright, rising of judgment, sentencing, condemnation. Notice that all rise together, the “Good” to a reward of life and the “Evil” to a judgement of condemnation. One resurrection, and one judgement distinguished by two outcomes over a period of time (season, hour) called “Ha Din” (The Judgement). The dead in Messiah will rise first in the order of resurrection (1 Thess. 4:16) but this does not negate the continuation of that singular resurrection event over a period of time. Like so many Hebraic Biblical concepts, the resurrection and judgement are seen here in a future prophetic view that employs a yet to be present continuous tense. This is consistent with the Revelation, which teaches a single multifaceted judgement (Rev. 20:4-6; 11-15). We note that based on the Greek protos the “First resurrection” of the book of Revelation is first in order (rank) and that the Hebrew concept of the number 1000 is figurative, referring to perpetuity and is both a literal term and an everlasting beginning. The text of Revelation 20:5 should be read as “But the remaining dead did not live again until the thousand years were filled up. This is the first in order of resurrection”. “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” -Daniel 12:2 (ESV) With regard to a Hebrew (religious, cultural) interpretation of the Scriptures, those things that appear contradictory are in fact unbound eternal concepts being understood within the boundaries of time and space. “those, the good, having done, made, constructed to resurrection, standing upright, rising of life, those the evil having performed, accomplished, exacted, required to resurrection, standing upright, rising of judgment, sentencing, condemnation.” Note carefully that the Greek text does not place emphasis on the deeds of the person but on the nature that produces the person’s actions. The nature of those who rise is called “ho agathos” (those the good Heb. Ha-tov) and “ho phaulos” (those the evil Heb. Ha-ra): in both cases the nature of the person precedes their deeds. In other words, it is the person’s relationship status with God that determines their deeds and not the other way around. Many mistake this verse to infer that it is the actions of a person that determine their eternal fate, this is not the case. In the Greek the meaning is clear, it is the nature of the person (be it redeemed or unredeemed) that determines their eternal destiny and the actions that are born of the person’s nature testify to it (the nature), be it redeemed in Messiah or unredeemed through a refusal of Messiah. The idea of a voice that raises the dead is common to the Zohar but is misunderstood to be the voice of the forerunner rather than the Messiah: "there are three things which do not come into the world but "by voices"; there is the voice of a living creature, as it is written, (Gen 3:16), "in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children", and as it is written, (Gen 30:22), "and God hearkened to her"; and there is the voice of rains, as it is written, (1Kings 18:41), "for there is a voice of abundance of rain", and it is written, (Psalm 29:3), "the voice of the Lord is upon the waters"; and קול תהיית המתים, "there is the voice of the resurrection of the dead", as it is written, (Isaiah 40:3), "the voice of him that cries in the wilderness";'' - Zohar in Gen. fol. 70. 4. 30 “I can do, make, construct (poieo[G], la’asot[H]) nothing of Myself (emautou[G]) [Heb. Alt. lo uchal la’asot davar minafshiy], word, essence do I construct, make from My soul alone]. As I hear, understand, receive (akouo[G], shema[H]), I judge, decide, distinguish (krino[G], umishpatiy[H]); and My judgment, decision, sentence (krisis[G) is just, righteous (dikaios[G]], tzedek[H]), because I do not seek My own will (retzoniy[H]), but the will of the Father (ha-Av[H]) who sent (pempo[G], shelachaniy[H]) Me. “I can do, make, construct nothing of Myself, word, essence do I construct, make from My soul alone. As I hear, understand, receive, I judge, decide, distinguish; and My judgment, decision, sentence is just, righteous, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of the Father who sent Me. Although the Father has given authority for judgement to the Son, the Son cannot judge except by the will of the Father. Therefore, the Father and the Son are echad (a complex unity), unique and inseparable. This answers the question, “Why does the Tanakh (OT) say that God judges but the Brit HaChadashah (NT) says that all authority to judge is given to Yeshua?” "there were three courts of judicature; one that sat at the gate of the mountain of the house; and one that sat at the gate of the court; and another that sat in the paved chamber: they go (first) to that which is at the gate of the mountain of the house, and say, so have I expounded, and so have the companions expounded; so have I taught, and so have the companions (or colleagues) taught: אם שמעו, ‘if they hear’” - Mishna. Sanhedrin, c. 10. sect. 2. Maimonides explains it, “if they know the law, and hear, or understand the sense of the law; in such a case they declare what they know; if not, they go to them that are at the gate of the court, and say (as before).—And, "if they hear", they tell them; but if not, they go to the great sanhedrim in the paved chamber, from whence goes forth the law to all Israel.'' - Maimon. in ib. The point being that Yeshua is challenging Israel’s judges at the place of highest authority and is identifying Himself fully submitted to God’s will, as Israel’s Judge. 31 “If I testify, give evidence, bear witness (martureo[G], mei’iyd[H]) about Myself, My testimony (marturia[G]) is not true, unconcealed, admissible, faithful, trustworthy (alethes[G], ne’emanah[H])32 There is another who testifies, bears witness, gives evidence (martureo[G]) of Me, and I know (eido[G], yadatiy[H]) that the testimony (marturia[G]), eiduto[H]) which He gives about Me is true, unconcealed, admissible (alethes[G]). “If I testify, give evidence, bear witness about Myself, My testimony is not true, unconcealed, admissible, faithful, trustworthy 32 There is another who testifies, bears witness, gives evidence of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true unconcealed, admissible, faithful, trustworthy. “If I give evidence, My testimony is not admissible” “My testimony is not true” This does not mean “untrue” as being contrary to the “truth” nor in relationship to secular legal proceedings but rather “true” in this case being synonymous with “admissible” in respect to Torah law. If Yeshua were to give testimony of Himself it would be quite literally true. Therefore, the meaning here denotes eligibility according to Torah law (of which He is the Author). The same Law that Yeshua’s audience demanded adherence to (albeit amended by the so called “Oral Law” and the commentary of their scribes and teachers etc.). "for no man may give witness of himself" - Maimon. Issure Bia, c. 18. sect. 19. “but no man is to be believed for himself: says R. Zechariah ben Hakatzah, by this habitation (swearing by the temple) her hand was not removed from my hand, from the time the Gentiles entered Jerusalem, till they went out: they replied to him, ‘no man bears witness of himself’.” - Misn. Cetubot, c. 2. sect. 9. T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 27. 2. Juchasin, fol. 56. 1. Yeshua has just finished explaining that the Father has given Him authority to judge and that in fulfilling this role He will present the case for His Messiahship according to the Torah requirements. In instances of judicial Torah law any capital case (which might result in the death of the accused), must be tried in the presence, or upon the testimony of two or three witnesses (Deut. 17:6; 19:15). Yeshua is being accused of a capital crime by these particular Judean religious Jews of Jerusalem. Therefore, sufficient witnesses are called upon. Yeshua goes on to produce 5 witnesses that testify of His good character, identity and innocence:
“There is another Who gives evidence of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is admissible, faithful, trustworthy.” This “other” who testifies is not a reference to John the Immerser (Baptist), who is mentioned in the following verse because although John the Immerser has testified to the truth of Who Yeshua is, the testimony that Yeshua is speaking of as being valid and admissible is “not from man” (v.34). Therefore, the “other” (v.32) Who testifies of Yeshua is in fact God the Father. 33 You have sent (apostello[G], shelachtem[H]) to Yochanan[H] (YHVH is gracious, John the Baptist), and he has testified (martureo[G], hei’iyd[H]) to the truth (alethes[G], emet[H]). 34 But the testimony (marturia[G], eidot[H]) which I receive is not from man, human beings (mei’adam[H]), but I say these things so that you may be saved, preserved, rescued (sozo[G]). You have sent to Yochanan and he has testified to the truth 34 But the testimony which I receive is not from human beings, but I say these things so that you may be saved. It is important to remember that Yeshua is still speaking to the Judean religious Jews of Jerusalem and any other bystanders. He is saying these things that they (Judean religious Jews) “may be saved”. That is, He is pointing to the testimony of John the Immerser (Baptist) for their sake because they cannot comprehend the testimony of the Father at this point in time. This may infer that those listening were among the Perushiym (Pharisees) who had gone out to hear John the Immerser speak (John 1:19). 35 He was the lamp, light, flame (luchnos[G], ha-nir[H]) that was burning, igniting, consuming (kaio[G]) and was shining, shedding light (phaino[G]) and you were willing to rejoice (agalliao[G]) for a while, time, season (hora[G]) in his light (phos[G], leoro[H]). He was the lamp that was igniting and was shedding light and you were willing to rejoice for a time in his light. We note that this is an acknowledgement of the fact that some of the Judean religious Jews of Jerusalem had indeed rejoiced in the light of John the Immerser’s teaching, at least for a time. To call a Jewish religious leader, sage, rabbi a “Light” or “Lamp” is familiar to the Jewish student of rabbinic and esoteric Jewish literature. On a number of occasions the book of Zohar calls Rabbi. Simeon ben Yochai, בוצינא קדישא, "the holy light": "R. Simeon, כבוצינא דשרגא דאדליק, is as "the lamp of light which burns above", and "burns" below; and by the light which burns below all the children of the world are enlightened: woe to the world, when the light below ascends to the light above.''- Zohar in Exod. fol. 79. 1. Rabbi Abhu is called בוצינא דנהורא, "the lamp of light" - T. Bavli. Cetubot, fol. 17. 1. Of Shuah, Judah's father-in-law, that he was בוצינא דאתרא, "the light of the place" - Bereshit Rabba, sect. 85. fol. 74. 4. & Mattanot Cehunah in ib. 36 But the testimony (marturia[G], eidot[H]) which I have is greater (megas[G], gedolah[H]) than Yochanan[H] (YHVH is gracious, John the Baptist); for the works, actions, tasks (ergon[G], ha-ma’asiym[H]) which the Father (ho-Pater[G], ha-Av[H]) has given Me (natan liy[H]) to accomplish—the very works that I do, enact (poieo[G], oseh[H])—testify, bear witness, give evidence (martureo[G], meiydiym[H]) about Me, that the Father (ho-Pater[G], ha-Av[H]) has sent (apostello[G], shelachaniy[H]) Me. But the testimony which I have is greater than Yochanan; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—give evidence about Me, that the Father has sent Me. This profession is similar in theme to that concerning Abraham (John 8:48-58) and the Queen of the South (Luke 11:31; Matt. 12:42) The works of the Father manifest in the Son are greater than all the testimony and works of fallen human beings. The works of God are both transcendent and physically present simultaneously. They are signs for the redemption of the people and at the same time evidence of the legitimacy of the Messiah. Proof that He is sent of the Father. 37 And the Father (Pater[G], ha-Av[H]) Who sent Me (shelachaniy[H]), He has testified (martureo[G], meiydiym[H]) of Me. You all have neither heard (akouo[G], shema’tem[H]) His voice, sound (phone[G], kolu[H]) at any time, ever (popote[G]) nor seen, looked upon, experienced, perceived, discerned, of (horao[G], reiytem[H]) His form, shape, appearance (eidos[G]). 38 You do not have His word, essence (logos[G], devaru[H], miltha[A]) abiding, remaining, staying in you (meno[G]), for you do not believe, have faith in, trust in (pisteuo[G], ma’amiyniym[H]) Him Whom He sent (apostello[G], lishlucho[H]). And the Father Who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You all have neither heard His voice, sound at any time, ever nor have you seen, looked upon, experienced, perceived, discerned, of His form, shape, appearance 38 You do not have His word, essence abiding, remaining, staying in you, for you do not believe, have faith in, trust in Him Whom He sent. The testimony of God the Father concerning the Son spans the entirety of the Tanakh (OT) from Genesis 3:15 through to Malachi 3:1. “Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O [j]judges of the earth. 11 [k]Worship the Lord with [l]reverence And rejoice with trembling. 12 [m]Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may [n]soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” -Psalm 2:10-12 (NASB) “I will declare the decree of Adonai. He said to me: “You are My Son-- today I have become Your Father.” -Psalm 2:7 (TLV) “and behold, a bat kol voice from the heavens said, “This is my beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased.” -Matthew 3:17 “He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” -Matthew 17:5 (ESV) “We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.” -1 John 5:9 (NIV) “nor have you seen, looked upon, experienced, perceived, discerned, of His form, shape, appearance” While it is true that Moses and Jacob among others saw manifestations of God and lived, none the less, no one has ever seen God in all the fullness of His glory except the Son. “No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.” -John 3:13 (NASB) “You do not have His word, essence abiding, remaining, staying in you, for you do not believe, have faith in, trust in Him Whom He sent.” In one sense Yeshua is referring specifically to Himself as the “Davar (logos)” Word essence of God. His hearers do not yet have the Word of God living in them because they have not acknowledged the Word Himself, that is Yeshua, Who stands before them. This is pretext for what follows regarding the written word (Tanakh). The Judean religious Jews have the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings and yet do not recognize the Author (Yeshua, the Word essence of God). “Him Whom He sent” is Yeshua. 39 You diligently search (ereunao[G], direshu[H]) the Scriptures, Writings (graphe[G], vaketaviym[H]) because you think (dokeo[G]) that in them you have life (zoe[G, chayeiy[H]) everlasting (aionios[G], olam[H]); it is these (ekeinos[G]) that testify bear witness, give evidence (martureo[G], hameiydiym[H]) about Me; You diligently search the Scriptures, Writings because you think that in them you have life everlasting; it is these that testify bear witness, give evidence about Me; “Scripture” (graphe[G], ketuviym[H]) refers to the Tanakh (OT) as a whole rather than the Ketuviym (poetry books) only. Therefore, the wealth of canonical Jewish literature of the first century CE is meant. Yeshua does not deny that the Tanakh points to eternal life, rather He accuses His hearers of failing to listen to the Tanakh and instead making the text itself an object of worship. The text points to Yeshua as the Goal and Mediator through Whom God brings eternal life to human beings (Romans 10:4). To this day many of our people misappropriate the Torah, continuing to misread and misuse it. The Zohar calls the Torah itself “eternal life” (Zohar in Gen. fol. 100. 3.). However, the commentator Maimonides is correct in saying: “he that begins to read in the book of the law is obliged to bless after this manner: blessed be he that has chosen us above all nations, and hath given us his law.--And he that finishes blesses after him in this manner: blessed is he who hath given us his law, the law of truth, and has planted "eternal life" in the midst of us.'' - Maimonides. in Misn. Megilla, c. 4. sect. 1. After all, the seed of the Messiah is planted securely in the text of the Torah and is therefore awaiting the revelation of the Spirit of God at the appointed time when the fullness of the nations have come in (Romans 10:4; 11:23-27). 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life, living (zoe[G], chayiym[H]). 41 I do not receive glory, renown, honour (doxa[G], kavod[H]) from men (anthropos[G], adam[H]); and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory, renown, honour from men; The specific Judean religious Jews in question were unwilling at that time to come to Yeshua in order to receive life. Yeshua assured them that He did not require their approval or the approval of any human being in order to fulfil His purpose and carry out the works of God’s Kingdom. He need not receive glory from men because He knew that He shared in the glory of the Father before the creation of the world. “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world came to be.” -John 17:5 (TLV) 42 but I know (ginosko[G], yada’tiy[H]) you, that you do not have the benevolent love (agape[G], ahavat[H]) of the God (ho-Theos[G], Elohiym[H]) in yourselves. 43 I Behold, now, take note, beware (Hineih[H]) have come in the name (en ho onoma[G], be’sheim[H]) of My Father (Pater[G], Aviy[H]), and you do not receive (lambano[G], kibaltem[H]) Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive (lambano[G], tekabeilu[H]) him. but I know you, that you do not have the benevolent love of the God in yourselves. 43 I Behold, now, take note, beware have come in the name of My Father, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. Yeshua knows the hearts of His accusers. He knows that they prefer to put their trust in men of their own sect and have deluded themselves through the pursuit of the theological ideas and rules of their priests, scholars, teachers, and rabbis. In this respect many in the believing community (Church) today are equally guilty. Knowing the text but misinterpreting it through a lack of knowledge of the Author. Yeshua exposes the hypocrisy of His accusers by pointing out that they would rather follow a man who glorifies himself than a man who points others to the Father as He does. 44 How can you believe (pisteuo[G], leha’amiyn[H]), when you receive glory, honour, renown (doxa[G], kavod[H]) from one another and you do not seek the glory (doxa[G], ha-kavod[H]) that is from the One (monos[G], hayachiyd[H]) (Theos[G], ha-Elohiym[H]) God? How can you believe, when you receive glory, honour, renown from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one God? Because his hearers were seeking honour and prestige among their fellow religious Jews in Jerusalem, they were unable to see what was right in front of them. It is common to human beings to be distracted by beautiful lies and self-deification, a form of gazing that it is extremely difficult to be loosed from. 45 Do not think (dokeo[G]) that I will accuse (kategoreo[G], eton[H]) you before the Father (ho-Pater[G], ha-Av[H]); the one who accuses (kategoreo[G], ha-toein[H]) you is Moshe[H] (drawn out, Moses), in whom you have set your hope (elpizo[G]). Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moshe, in whom you have set your hope. The ultimate irony in this situation is that the “hero” of these specific Judean’s and indeed of many Jews of Yeshua’s time, is Moses, the human recorder of the Words of Hashem (Yeshua). Moses who himself points to Yeshua as the “prophet like me” (Deut. 18:15). Therefore, it is Moses who is best qualified to accuse those Jews who deny Yeshua. (Keeping in mind that many Jews believed Yeshua, and that many of us are today returning to HaShem through our King Messiah Yeshua). Our rabbis agree that the Messiah, when He comes, will rebuke the students of Israel’s sages: "R. Zeira says, that R. Jeremiah bar Aba said, that in the generation in which the son of David shall come, there will be קטוגוריא בתלמידי חכמים, "accusations against the disciples of the wise men".'' - Talmud Bavli. Cetubot, fol. 112. 2. 46 For if you believed, trusted in, had faith in (pisteuo[G], ta’amiynu[H]) Moshe[H] (drawn out, Moses), you would believe, trust in, have faith in (pisteuo[G], ta’amiynu[H]) Me, for he wrote (grapho[G], katav[H]) about Me. 47 But if you do not believe, trust in, have faith in (pisteuo[G], ma’amiyniym[H]) his written words (gramma[G], lichtavayv[H]), how will you believe My spoken words (rhema[G], lidvaray[H])?” For if you believed Moshe, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his written words, how will you believe My spoken words?” The writings of Moses are widely believed to be prophetic of the Messiah by the vast majority of our rabbis and sages. We need only take God at His Word (Davar, Logos). “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, [a]Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” -Genesis 49:10 (NASB) “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the [a]forehead of Moab, And [b]tear down all the sons of [c]Sheth.” -Numbers 24:17 (NASB) “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your [a]countrymen, you shall listen to him. 16 This is according to all that you asked of the Lord your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.’ 17 The Lord said to me, ‘They have [b]spoken well. 18 I will raise up a prophet from among their [c]countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.” - Deuteronomy 18:15-18 (NASB) Copyright 2020 Yaakov Brown Belief, faith, trust, is a journey begun that does not end. If your faith ends it proves itself to be counterfeit. I’m not speaking of doubt, doubt does not negate faith, to the contrary it qualifies faith. 1After these things, words, events (ha-devariym[H]) there was a recurring festival (heorte[G], chag[H]) of the (ho[G], ha[H]) Judeans, religious Jews (Ioudaios[G], Ha-Yehudiym[H]), and Yeshua[H] [A] (Iesous[G] YHVH Saves) went up to Jerusalem (Yerushalayim[H], Flood/Downpour of Peace, wholeness, wellbeing).
1After these things, words, events, there was a recurring festival of the Judeans, religious Jews, and Yeshua went up to Jerusalem. We note that these events follow the healing of the child of the officer of the king in Cana, Capernaum, and the Galilee region, 151 km, approximately 32 hours walk from Jerusalem. Both the Hebrew and Greek texts refer to a singular festival, “a festival of the religious Jews/Judeans”. While some suggest that this festival is one of the Regaliym (Aliyot or pilgrimage festivals), this is untenable given the chronology of John’s Gospel. Based on Yeshua’s reference to the approaching harvest in the previous chapter and the fact that it has almost been a year since His ascent to Jerusalem for the Passover (Pesach) the festival in the present verse is most likely the post-Torah festival of Purim which celebrates the deliverance of Israel from the evil Haman during the Persian exile (recorded in the Scroll of Esther). In fact this is the only option given that the Passover is just over a month away at this point in the chronology. Nor can the present festival be Passover because John’s Gospel uses the definite article “The” when referring to Passover, whereas the festival in question is simply called “Festival”. The fact that Yeshua venerated this festival (Purim) shows that He was not opposed to honouring God’s continued work in Israel’s history and the spiritual history of humanity. An educated estimate of this festival’s occurrence in the first century CE places this particular Purim celebration on March 17th 29 CE, a weekly Shabbat day. As I have stated, it’s the only remaining festival that occurs prior to Pesach (6:4), and is therefore the only plausible choice here with regard to the chronology of the book of John. Yeshua also venerated the extra-Biblical festival of Chanukah (Dedication) [John 10:22-23] which celebrates the deliverance of Israel from Greek (Syro-Phoenician) oppression, and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem on December (Kislev) 25, 165 BCE (1 Maccabees 4:36-40). The fact that Yeshua made Aliyah (going up) to go and celebrate an extra Biblical festival (something the Torah does not require of Jewish males) shows His veneration of those things which continued to memorialize the ongoing delivering work of God. Those foolish Messianic Gentiles who now rebuke Christians for celebrating Christmas (another extra Biblical festival) because it occurs on a pagan date, should take careful note of the date of the rededication of the Temple by the Maccabees. Unlike many modern Messianic believers, Yeshua did not miss an opportunity to reveal God’s redemptive work to humanity. Thus, in our present text it is during Purim that He shows a suffering man the path, not only to healing, but to wholeness and a life lived free from condemnation. “Went up” is a topographical phrase. Yeshua travelled south to Jerusalem going up to Mt Moriah (Temple Mount). 2 Now there is in (Yerushalayim[H], Flood/Downpour of Peace, wholeness, wellbeing) by the sheep gate (probatikos[G], sha’ar-hatzon[H]) a pool, which is called in Ivriyt[H] (Hebraisti[G], Hebrew) Beit chasda[H, A] (House of Kindness/Practical love, from the Hebrew root chesed), having five (chamishah[H]) porticoes, covered walkways lined with columns (stoa[G], ulamiym[H]). 2 Now there is in by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Beit chasda, having five covered walkways lined with columns. The Greek text simply says “probatikos” sheep, and not “Sheep Gate”. However, historical context, archaeological evidence and common scholarship all point toward this being a reference to the north-eastern gate of the wall surrounding 1st century Jerusalem. Notice, “Now there is in Jerusalem”. This means that contrary to popular Christian scholarly myth, the writer of John’s Gospel could not have written His original manuscript after 70 CE (the year of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans). The evidence continues to mount in support of the likelihood that the writer of John’s Gospel initially wrote his Gospel for a first century Jewish, Samaritan, Israeli audience, and only secondarily intended it to be distributed to the wider body of Jewish and Gentile believers throughout the known world. The Gate “the sheep gate (sha’ar-hatzon[H])” This gate was probably named in connection to the main animal market where sacrificial sheep were bought and sold (some scholars dispute the existance of such a market in the 1st century), which was located directly outside this gate in the Second Temple era, and probably owed its location to the gate of Nehemiah’s time. “Then Eliashib the high priest arose with his brothers the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They consecrated the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel.” -Nehemiah 3:1 (NASB) Scholars suggest that the Mishnah reference to “Sha’ar Tadiy” (Tadi Gate) [Mishnah. Middot 1:3] is a mis-spelling given that there is no known translation for the Mishnaic Hebrew word “Tadiy”. Therefore, they suggest that this gate is in fact “Sha’ar Taliy”, Gate of a Lamb, or, the Lamb’s Gate. Some suggest that this is the original Hebrew name for the gate mentioned in John 5:2. Very near the site of the ancient Sheep’s Gate is the modern city gate dating to the 16th century. This modern gate is known as the “Lions’ Gate.” (ref. Rev.5:5-6; Isaiah 11:6) The Lions’ gate is situated in the northeast corner of the Old City of Jerusalem, and provides access to the Temple Mount from the Kidron Valley. During the Byzantine period (6th Century CE) this gate was referred to as the “St Stephen’s Gate”, because it was believed that it was outside this gate Stephen, the first Messianic Jewish martyr was murdered (Acts 7:58). Over the centuries, those who built up Jerusalem have had to reuse the ancient location of the gate due to the fact that Jerusalem gives way to the Kidron Valley on its north eastern side, thus it has always been the site of the north-eastern gate, which has been renamed multiple times over the centuries. The Pool “Beit chasda[H, A] (House of Kindness/Practical love, from the Hebrew root chesed)” This pool is probably named for the healing and mercy shown by God to those who sought Him there. The pool was excavated in the 19th century, and is located directly north of the Temple Mount. It is possible that prior to the second Temple era this pool was used to wash the sacrificial sheep before bringing them into the Temple. Though this seems unlikely given that no such requirement is commanded in the Torah. It is also highly unlikely, even tenuous, to suggest as some do, that this pool was being used by the Greco-Roman cult of Asclepius at the time of Yeshua (1st century CE). According to archaeological record the use of this pool for Roman rites dates back only as far as the second century CE (Encyclopaedia of Judaica 9: 1539), when it was used as a healing sanctuary of sorts, possibly related to neo pagan syncritism. Given the volatile Religious-Political climate of the first century CE, the use of this pool by the Asclepius Cult seems implausible at best. Further still we see that the movement of the pool’s waters is attributed to an Angel of God, and not to a foreign deity (v.4). Those who claim that verse 4 is unreliable because it appears in fewer ancient manuscripts are, like so many revisionist scholars of our time, convinced that they have greater integrity than that of the scribes of Messianic (Greek) Scripture. Suffice to say, this is the height of hubris and a sad reflection on our post enlightenment propensity for self-delusion. It is thought by some that this pool may be synonymous with the “Upper pool” mentioned in 2 Kings 18:17 and Isaiah 7:13, and by others that it is the pool known as “The Great Pool”. "between Hebron and Jerusalem, is the fountain Etham, from whence the waters come by way of pipes, unto the great pool, which is in Jerusalem.'' - Cippi Hebraici, p. 10. Therefore, the pool of Beit Chasda has a connection to the sacrificial Lamb of God Yeshua and the gate close by connects us figuratively to the attributes of His Messiahship, being both the humble self-sacrificing Lamb of God and the mighty returning Lion of Judah, King of the Jews and Ruler of the nations. 3 In these (the porticoes) lay a multitude (plethos[G]) of the sick, feeble, weak (astheneo[G]), blind (tuphlos[G]), lame, limping (cholos[G]), dry, withered, paralysed (xeros[G]) waiting for the moving (kinesis[G]) of the waters (hudor[G]); 4 for an angel, messenger (angelos[G], malakh[H]) of the Lord (YHVH[H]) went down during a certain season, on a certain occasion (Kairos[G]) into the pool and stirred up, agitated, disturbed (tarasso[G]) the water (hudor[G]); whoever then entered first into the water, after the stirring up was made sound, healthy, pure, whole (hugies[G]) from whatever at the time (depote[G]) was the disease, trouble, sickness (nosema[G]) which had tight hold of, arrested, possessed, restrained, held back, detained (katecho[G]) him, or held him down. 3 In these porticoes lay a multitude of the sick, feeble, weak, blind, lame, limping, dry, withered, and paralysed, waiting for the moving of the waters; 4 for an angel, messenger of the Lord went down during a certain season, on a certain occasion into the pool and stirred up, agitated, disturbed the water; whoever then entered first into the water, after the stirring up was made sound, healthy, pure, whole from whatever at the time was the disease, trouble, sickness which had tight hold of, arrested, possessed, restrained, held back, detained him, or held him down. Based on archaeological excavation (beginning early 19th Century), it is thought that the water of the pool became agitated when the pipes to the upper pool were opened and the flow of water into the lower pool caused a small whirlpool-like effect. This practical solution does not negate angelic intervention, nor does it suggest that healings associated with this pool were psychosomatic. Yeshua did not discount the paralysed man’s testimony regarding the potential healing he might have received in the pool, rather, Yeshua showed that He needed no mechanism in order to heal, and that He was offering not just physical healing but everlasting wholeness. While modern scholars claim that the manuscripts containing verse 4 are “inferior”. It is none the less a valid explanation of the miraculous healings that were clearly taking place at the pool, and one, that unlike the pagan rite theory, is far more plausible. If the paralysed man had been seeking healing from a Greco-Roman deity Yeshua would have rebuked him specifically for it. Therefore, as I have previously mentioned I see no reason to discount verse 4 or to accept the theory of pagan influence regarding the use of the pool of Beit Chasda in the first century CE. 5 And a certain (tis[G]) man (anthropos[G], iysh[H]) was there who had been infirm, ill, weak, suffering (astheneia[G]) for thirty-eight years. 6 Yeshua[H] [A] (Iesous[G] YHVH Saves) having seen (vayare[H]) him lying there, and having known (ginosko[G], vayeida[H]) that he had already been there a long time (chronos[G]), He *said to him, “Do you wish, desire, are you willing, do you intend (thelo[G]) to become, be born (ginomai[G]) sound, healthy, pure, whole (hugies[G])?” 5 And a certain man was there who had been infirm, ill, weak, suffering for thirty-eight years. 6 Yeshua having seen him lying there, and having known that he had already been there a long time, He *said to him, “Do you wish, desire, are you willing, do you intend to become, be born sound, healthy, pure, whole?” Note the past tense “having seen” and “having known”. Yeshua had foreknowledge of this man’s condition and the length of time that the man had suffered. “Are you willing to be born whole?” This is an interesting question that denotes something more than what is seen on the surface. Of course the man is willing to be physically cured but Yeshua is not only asking him if he is willing to be cured. Yeshua does not work miraculous signs except for the purpose of directing a person or persons to salvation in Himself through the redemptive work of God. Therefore, Yeshua is asking the man if he is willing to repent of his sinful condition and be born into everlasting wholeness, purity, health. This is affirmed by the latter verse and its warning against a worse fate (5:14). 7 The sick, weak (astheneo[G]) man answered Him, “Adoniy[H] (Lord, Sir, kurios[G]), I have no one to put, carry, gently throw (ballo[G]) me into the pool when the water (ha-mayim[H]) has been stirred (tarasso[G]) up, and while I am coming, another steps down before me.” 8 Yeshua[H] [A] (Iesous[G] YHVH Saves) *said to him, “Get up, arise, awaken (egeiro[G], kum[H]), take up (airo[G]) your mat, bedding (krabattos[G]) and walk, conduct your life, live (peripateo[G], vehit’hleikh[H]).” 7 The sick, weak man answered Him, “Adoniy I have no one to put, carry, gently throw me into the pool when the water has been stirred up, and while I am coming, another steps down before me.” 8 Yeshua said to him, “Get up, arise, awaken, take up your mat, bedding and walk, conduct your life, live.” Both the Greek peripateo and the Hebrew h’leikh (from halakhah “The way of walking”) infer walking in moral uprightness. In other words, “Awaken (from your sinful state), take up the bedding (that supported your complacent slumber), and walk rightly (before God and man)”. Therefore, the physical healing was a figure that was to point the man toward salvation (Himself) and not an end in and of itself. 9 And Immediately (eutheos[G]) the man became, was born (ginomai[G]) sound, healthy, pure, whole (hugies[G]), and picked up his mat, bedding (krabattos[G]) and began to walk, conduct his life, live (peripateo[G], vehit’hleikh[H]). Now it was a Shabbat[H] (sabbath, sabbaton[G]) on that day. 10 So the (ho[G], ha[H]) Judeans, religious Jews (Ioudaios[G], Ha-Yehudiym[H]) were saying to the man who was cared for, healed (therapeuo[G]), “It is the Shabbat[H] (sabbath, sabbaton[G]) and it is not permissible for you to carry your mat, bedding (krabattos[G]).” 9 And Immediately the man became, was born sound, healthy, pure, whole, and picked up his mat, bedding and began to walk, conduct his life, live. Now it was a Shabbat on that day. 10 So the Judeans, religious Jews were saying to the man who was cared for, healed, “It is the Shabbat and it is not permissible for you to carry your mat, bedding.” After thirty eight years of suffering this man took Yeshua at His word and acted on his belief in Yeshua by beginning to stand. In doing so the man entered the convergent power of God and was immediately and fully healed. This was a life transforming moment that meant all other considerations were put aside. In picking up his mat the man disregarded the extra-Biblical pre-rabbinic law of the first century CE. It is clear from the man’s response to Yeshua and the miraculous experience of his healing, that he saw Yeshua as a man of God and His word as a binding halakhic practise. Though he had not yet had a chance to properly acquaint himself with Yeshua because Yeshua had quickly slipped away in the crowd (v.13). The objection made by the Religious Jewish residents of Judea and Jerusalem was one that misinterpreted Jeremiah 17:21-22 to refer to all burdens rather than to those burdens pertaining to work resulting in profit. It is clear from the writing of the prophet Nehemiah 13:19 that the prohibition against carrying a burden on Shabbat was specifically regarding trade and did not apply to bedding or any other aid to rest, which was the very reason Shabbat was instituted in the first place. The Talmud affirms the right understanding: "he that rolls up a bed of the brasiers or tinkers (i.e. on the sabbath day) is bound to a sin offering.'' -Talmud. Bavel. Shabbat, fol. 47. 1. & 138. 1. The Mishna (oral law) prohibits carrying a burden in a public area on Shabbat (Mishna. Sabbat, c. 10. sect. 3). But in a walled city like Jerusalem an “eruv” (Jewish religious law injunction) allows for carrying a burden on Shabbat. According to late rabbinic law healing of a life threatening illness was permitted on Shabbat but healing a chronic illness was not (Babylonian Talmud. Yoma 84b). Regardless, neither the Mishna nor the writings of our rabbis are binding. The body of extra-Biblical tradition that forms rabbinic halakhah (practise) does not meet the standard of inspired Scripture and is therefore inadequate in its assessment of this healed man’s actions. More importantly, those complaining about the carrying of a mat on the Shabbat had entirely missed the sign that was standing before them, a man miraculously healed by God, a miracle that was intended to point them (religious Judeans) to the Messiah and redemption. It is important to note that Yeshua did not break a single command of the Torah during His lifetime. All instances where He is accused of violating Torah are in fact lawful exceptions and or valid applications of Torah Law. After all, He is the Davar (Word, Essence) of God, the Author and Goal of the Torah (Rom.10:4). In order to be the perfect, sinless sacrifice for the redemption of humanity, Yeshua was required to live a sinless life in a frail human body. If He had broken Torah Law as some falsely claim, He would not have been qualified to be the spotless sacrificial Lamb of God. We note that this particular Sabbath was both the weekly Sabbath and the Sabbath of the first day of Purim (14 Adar). In addition to the weekly Sabbath Jewish festival days are also referred to as Sabbaths and in the year 29 CE Purim fell on a weekly Sabbath. However, Purim is also celebrated on the 15th of Adar (Shushan Purim) in walled cities like Jerusalem. Therefore, this man was probably physically healed on the weekly Sabbath of Purim 14 Adar 29 CE during the two days of Purim celebrated in Jerusalem. The Greek therapeuo means to be “treated, cared for, attended to” by a physician, and only means healing by inference. We note that it is not the same as the word Yeshua used, which is hugies, and means to be made “sound, healthy, pure, whole”. Therefore, the Religious Jews of Jerusalem perceived of a physical healing but did not see the wholeness and spiritual healing that Yeshua was offering to this man. 11 But he answered them, “He Who made (poieo[G]) me sound, healthy, pure, whole (hugies[G]) was the one Who said to me, ‘take up (airo[G]) your mat, bedding (krabattos[G]) and walk, conduct your life, live (peripateo[G], vehit’hleikh[H])’” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man Who said to you, ‘take up (airo[G]) and walk, conduct your life, live (peripateo[G], vehit’hleikh[H])?” But he answered them, “He Who made me sound, healthy, pure, whole was the one Who said to me, ‘take up your mat, bedding and walk, conduct your life, live’” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man Who said to you, ‘take up and walk, conduct your life, live?” Notice that the man uses the Greek word hugies, meaning “sound, healthy, pure, whole”. Perhaps he has begun to understand the greater significance of Yeshua’s ministry to him. He had taken up his mat at the instruction of Yeshua and was innocent of any wrong doing relating to the Shabbat. In fact, his obedience proved him more righteous than his accusers. It seems that the religious Jews of Jerusalem in question were eager to find the one they perceived to be a false teacher and have him answer before a religious court for teaching actions that they believed were contrary to Jewish religious law. 13 But the man who was healed (iaomai[G]) did not properly behold, consider (eido[G]) Who it was, for Yeshua[H] [A] (Iesous[G] YHVH Saves) had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place. But the man who was healed did not properly behold, consider Who it was, for Yeshua had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place. It seems that Yeshua had not remained to receive any credit for the miracle and that the pool of Beit Chasda had been crowded with people, so that the healed man had not had time to properly identify his healer. 14 After these things Yeshua[H] [A] (Iesous[G] YHVH Saves) found (heurisko[G]) him in the temple (beveiyt-haMikdash[H], ho-hieron[G]) and said to him, “Behold, pay attention, now (hineih[H], horao[G]), you have become, been born (ginomai[G]) sound, healthy, pure, whole (hugies[G]); do not sin, miss the mark of God’s holiness (hamartane[G]) anymore, so that nothing worse, more severe (cheiron[G]) happens to you.” After these things Yeshua found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, pay attention, now, you have become, been born sound, healthy, pure, whole; do not sin, miss the mark of God’s holiness anymore, so that nothing worse, more severe happens to you.” “Yeshua found him in the temple” We note that the man was in the Temple and was very likely there to give thanks to God for his physical healing. Iaomai is now the third Greek word used to describe the man’s healing. Iaomai is most often used to describe physical healing. Thus, the author makes it clear that the man has been physically healed, while leaving room for the spiritual lesson afforded by the earlier uses of the Greek hugies, meaning “sound, healthy, pure, whole”, and applicable figuratively, spiritually etc. “do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” While it is true that certain sin leads to physical illness (ref. Ex. 4:11; Lev. 26:16; Num. 12:9-10; Deut. 32:39; 2 Chr. 7:13; 21:14-15), Yeshua is not threatening a worse physical illness, rather He is completing the remez (hint), the sod (mystery) of the teaching He began when he asked the man “Are you willing to become pure?” In other words, “If I work a miraculous physical healing in you, are you willing to repent and receive the everlasting spiritual wholeness that I am offering you?” Therefore, “something worse” refers to eternal torment (the lake of fire [Rev. 19:20; 20:10, 14, 15]). “beveiyt-haMikdash[H], ho-hieron[G]” 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 from a Jewish perspective. 15 The man went away, and told the Judeans, religious Jews (Ioudaios[G], Ha-Yehudiym[H]) that it was Yeshua[H] [A] (Iesous[G] YHVH Saves) Who had made him sound, healthy, pure, whole (hugies[G]). The man went away, and told the Judeans, religious Jews that it was Yeshua Who had made him sound, healthy, pure, whole. There’s no reason to presume that the man was a tell-tale who was trying to get Yeshua into trouble. To the contrary, given his healing and obvious faith in Yeshua He was more likely hoping that the Judean religious Jews would see that Yeshua was a tzaddik (righteous one), and would become His followers. 16 For this reason the Judeans, religious Jews (Ioudaios[G], Ha-Yehudiym[H]) were persecuting Yeshua[H] [A] (Iesous[G] YHVH Saves), because He was doing these things on the Shabbat[H] (Sabbaton[G], Sabbath). For this reason the Judeans, religious Jews were persecuting Yeshua, because He was doing these things on the Shabbat. The religious Jews of Jerusalem were clearly intent on tearing Yeshua down. This based on what they saw as a violation of the Shabbat. It is also possible that these same Judeans were present when Yeshua had performed miraculous signs during the Passover and were jealous and suspicious concerning Yeshua’s rise to fame among the Am Ha-aretz (common people, lit. people of the land). 17 But Yeshua[H] [A] (Iesous[G] YHVH Saves) answered them, “My Father (Pater[G], Aviy[H]) is working, labouring (ergazomai[G], poeil[H]) until now, at this moment (arti[G], ad-atah[H]), and I Myself am working, labouring (ergazomai[G], poeil[H]).” But Yeshua answered them, “My Father is working, labouring until now, at this moment, and I Myself am working, labouring.” In order to understand what Yeshua is saying we must have an understanding of the Shabbat within the meta-narrative of Scripture. The Father created all things in six days and took pause on the seventh, the Shabbat. This day is commanded to Israel as a constant reminder of the creation, God’s choosing of Israel as His people, and an opportunity to rest and refuel for the work ahead. This rhythm of rest and symbol of Jewish identity remains extremely important. However, The last we hear of God “resting” in Scripture is at the beginning of Genesis. Based on this the Talmud recognizes a dividing of history into six one thousand year days, making up a kind of historical week that will end with the seventh and eternal Shabbat day, the Messianic Millennium (Talmud Bavli Sanhedrin 97b). This is consistent with the teaching of Brit Ha-Chadashah (NT) [Hebrews 4:9-11], which explains the Olam Haba (World to come) as an everlasting Shabbat. Therefore, when Yeshua says “My Father is working, labouring until now, at this moment, and I Myself am working, labouring.” He is testifying to the fact that God has been actively participating in creation from the Shabbat of the beginning until the present time, and Yeshua has been and continues to participate with the Father in His redemptive work, even on the weekly Shabbat which remains in time and space until the end of all things when the everlasting Shabbat is made manifest to the renewed and restored creation. Yeshua, Who was establishing a superior priesthood (Hebrews 4), was more than justified in His actions on the Shabbat. “Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple [a]break the Sabbath and are innocent?” -Matthew 12:5 (NASB) “7 You shall put pure frankincense on each row that it may be a memorial portion for the bread, even an offering by fire to the Lord. 8 Every sabbath day he shall set it in order before the Lord continually; it is an everlasting covenant [a]for the sons of Israel. 9 It shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the Lord’s offerings by fire, his portion forever.” ” -Leviticus 24:7-9 (NASB) 18 Because of this therefore the Judeans, religious Jews (Ioudaios[G], Ha-Yehudiym[H]) were seeking all the more to kill (apokteino[G]) Him, because He not only was breaking the Shabbat[H] (Sabbaton[G], Sabbath), but also was calling the God (ho-Theos [G], ha-Elohim[H]) His own (idios[G]) Father (Pater[G]), making Himself equal (isos[G]) with the God (ho-Theos [G], lei-Elohim[H]). Because of this therefore the Judeans, religious Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Shabbat, but also was calling the God His own Father, making Himself equal with the God. It is clear from the text that Yeshua’s first century Judean audience understood that Yeshua was making Himself equal with God and that what He had said was blasphemy. By claiming to have an intrinsic filial relationship with God Yeshua was revealing the fact that He is the promised Servant King Messiah, Imanu-El (God with us). This revelation is consistent with the meta-narrative and theme of John’s Gospel, which from the beginning makes the deity of the Messiah an unavoidable issue (John 1). The fact that the Judeans were seeking to kill Yeshua is further evidence that they believed He was claiming to be one with God and was therefore guilty of the greatest of blasphemies in their eyes. If Yeshua had broken the Shabbat and if He was not God with us as He claimed, then the Judean religious Jews had every right to stone Him to death according to the Torah (Ex. 31:14; Lev. 24:16). However, Yeshua is God with us and He has never broken the Shabbat. After all, He is the Lord of the Shabbat (Matt. 12:8). 19 Therefore Yeshua[H] [A] (Iesous[G] YHVH Saves) answered and was saying to them, “Amen[H] [G]Amen[H] [G] (B’emet[H], B’emet[H]), In truth, In truth, It’s certain, it’s certain, I (Aniy[H]) say to you, the Son (ho-huios[G], ha-ben[H]) can do (poieo[G], la’asot[H]) nothing (oudeis[G]), lo-yuchal[H]) of Himself, unless it is something, a word (davar[H]) from His soul (minafsho[H]) He sees, discerns, perceives (blepo[G], yireh[H]) the Father (ho-Pater[G], et-Aviyv[H]) doing; for whatever the Father (He) does (oseh[H]), these things (houtos[G]) the Son (ho-huios[G], ha-ben[H]) also (gam[H]) does, has done (poieo[G], ya’aseh[H]) likewise (homoios[G], kamohu[H]). Therefore Yeshua answered and was saying to them, “Amen, Amen, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something, a word from His soul He sees, discerns, perceives the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does, has done likewise. Yeshua the Son can do nothing separately from God the Father because God is echad (a complex unity). The Father and Son are One, of one mind. Yeshua is God with us, He has submitted Himself to the Father because by entering time and space and taking on the frailty of human existence He is subject to the freewill of man and must therefore submit His will to that of the Father. This does not make Him less or unequal but shows the depth of love of God, Who, manifest in the Son, has entered His creation in order to personally redeem it. Were Yeshua to do that which is not God’s will He would be inferior to God, but to submit Himself completely to do God’s will in the Ruach Ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit) is to show that He is one with God, not inferior but demonstrating the very nature of God manifest in human form. This is consistent with the appearances of the Malakh HaShem (Angel/Messenger of YHVH) of the Tanakh, Who in a number of places is clearly the resurrected and transcendent Messiah. Authority does not negate equality. Authority denotes position whereas equality expresses nature. The value of like things does not change based on the roles they have. 20 For the Father (Pater[G], ha-Av[H]) loves, cherishes, has an intimate friendship with (phileo[G], oheiv[H]) the Son (ho-huios[G], ha-ben[H]), and shows, points out, teaches, demonstrates, makes known to (deiknumi[G], umoreh[H]) Him all things (pas[G], kol[H]) that He (The Father) Himself is (has been) doing, making, constructing (poieo[G], ya’aseh[H]); and will show Him (Yeshua) greater (megas[G], gedoliym[H]) works, deeds, actions (ergon[G], ma’asiym[H]) than these, so that you will marvel, wonder, admire, be amazed (thaumazo[G], titamahu[H]). For the Father loves, cherishes, has an intimate friendship with the Son, and shows, points out, teaches, demonstrates, makes known to Him all things that He (The Father) Himself is (has been) doing, making, constructing; and will show Him (Yeshua) greater works, deeds, actions than these, so that you will marvel, wonder, admire, be amazed. The “greater works” are about to be made manifest in the life of Yeshua unto the salvation of all who will believe. Up to this point in time Israel has witnessed the miraculous works of God and is privileged to carry His written word: now, the Living Word is manifest in her presence to fill the redemptive purposes of God in her midst and cause her to marvel at the goodness born of God’s Holiness through the vicarious work of Yeshua. The purpose of the works that the Father manifests through the Son is to cause the Judean religious Jews to marvel and admire the Son and the Father. Of course this will be extended to include all Jews and later Gentiles also. However, Yeshua is speaking these words directly to His opponents the Judean religious Jews. God’s plan for them is their salvation through Yeshua, Whom the presently despise but will later admire and believe in (John 11:45; 12:41; Acts 2). 21 For just as the Father (ho-Pater[G], ha-Av[H]) raises, wakens, arouses (egeiro[G], yaiyr[H]) the dead (ho-nekros[G], et-ha’meitiym[H]) and gives (has given) them life, quickens living (zoopoieo[G], veychayeh[H]), even so the Son (ho-huios[G], ha-ben[H]) also gives life, quickens living (zoopoieo[G], yechayeh[H]) to whomever He wills, intends, designs (thelo[G], yechpatz[H]). For just as the Father raises, wakens, arouses the dead and gives them life, quickens living, even so the Son also gives life, quickens living to whomever He wills, intends, designs. Ezekiel 37:5 attributes the act of resurrection to God Himself. Once again, this statement denotes the unity of God the Father and God the Son. Only God gives life, therefore, if the Son also gives life He is God with us. “18 No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” -John 10:18 (NASB) 22 For not even the Father (ho-Pater[G], ha-Av[H]) judges (krino[G], yadiyn[H]) anyone, men, human beings (iysh[H]), but all, every kind of (pas[G], kulo[H]) judgment, sentence, decision (krisis[G], ha-mishpat[H]) has been given (didomi[G], natan[H]) into the hand (beyad[H]) of the Son (ho-huios[G], ha-ben[H]), For not even the Father judges anyone, men, human beings, but all, every kind of judgment, sentence, decision has been given into the hand of the Son, With regard to judgement God is no hypocrite, the Father Who is outside all things and in Whom all things exist does not pretend to be a human being or to have the frailty of a human being. However, the Son, God with us, experiences all things as we have and is therefore fully qualified in His own frailty to judge humanity (Phil. 2:5-7; Heb.4:15). Not that God the Father is unqualified, but that He perfects His qualification in the Son Who was crucified before the creation of the world in anticipation of humanity’s decision to sin. Therefore, God remains Judge in the sense that He gives judgement over to the Son in order that the Father might outwork His perfect justice. “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” -Hebrews 4:15 (NASB) 23 so that all (pas[G], chulam[H]) will honour, pay homage to (timao[G], yechabdu[H]) the Son (ho-huios[G], ha-ben[H]) even as they honour, pay homage to (timao[G], yechabdu[H]) the Father (ho-Pater[G], ha-Av[H]). He who does not honour, pay homage to (timao[G], lo-yechabeid[H]) the Son (ho-huios[G], ha-ben[H]) also does not honour, pay homage to (timao[G], mechaveid[H]) the Father (ho-Pater[G], ha-Av[H]) who sent Him (pempo[G], shelachu[H]). so that all will honour, pay homage to the Son even as they honour, pay homage to the Father. He who does not honour, pay homage to the Son also does not honour, pay homage to the Father who sent Him. Yeshua is describing His role as King over Israel in the line of David. He is the King Messiah and has therefore been given authority by God and has submitted Himself back to God. To deny that a son is born of a father is to call the father impotent. Therefore, to deny Yeshua’s Sonship is to deny God’s potency and is an act of dishonour toward God. These words are a warning to the Judeans. They will be afforded the opportunity to honour Yeshua in the future, however, if they choose to dishonour Him they will prove that they have not known nor truly ever honoured the Father, El Elhohay Yisrael. It is interesting to note that the Judeans had an officer of the Sanhedrin named “Av Beit Din”. Father of the House of Judgement, responsible for trying cases of religious law. "and the father of the house of judgment", who judges thy judgments, or determines thy causes, is mighty over thy people, &c.'' -Targum on Song of Songs 7:4 Within early Jewish post Biblical literature a clearer figurative example of the role of the King Messiah in judging Israel would be hard to find. 24 “Amen[H] [G]Amen[H] [G] (B’emet[H], B’emet[H]), In truth, In truth, It’s certain, it’s certain, I say to you, he who hears, listens to, comprehends (akouo[G], ha’shomeia[H]) My word (logos[G], davariy[H]), and continues to believe, trust in, have faith in (pisteuo[G], uma’amiyn[H]) Him who sent (pempo[G], le’sholchiy[H]) Me, has (echo[G]) everlasting life, perpetual living, a living world (zoe-aionios[G], chay-olam[H]), and does not come (ve’lo yavo[H]) into judgment, sentencing (krisis[G], ba’mishpat[H]), but has passed (metabaino[G]) out of (ek[G]) the death [both physical and spiritual] (ho-thanatos[G], mimavet[H]) into life, living (zoe[G], la’chayiym[H]). “Amen, Amen, I say to you, he who hears, listens to, comprehends My word, and continues to believe, trust in, have faith in Him who sent Me, has everlasting life, perpetual living, a living world, and does not come into judgment, sentencing, but has passed out of the death [both physical and spiritual] into life, living.” “Shomeia” from “Shema” is the call of God to Israel from the very beginning (Deut. 6:4). “continues to believe” The Greek is a present and continuous tense. Belief, faith, trust, is a journey begun that does not end. If your faith ends it proves itself to be counterfeit. I’m not speaking of doubt, doubt does not negate faith, to the contrary it qualifies faith. “has everlasting life” Not will have, but already has, in Messiah Yeshua by trusting the Father we have already begun to live eternally. “And does not come into sentencing” Although all will be judged at the end of the age (2 Cor. 5:10), we who believe have nothing to fear regarding the Judgement because Yeshua’s sacrifice has afforded us freedom from sentencing and condemnation. Yeshua promises us that we will not come into sentencing because by His work we have already “passed out of death (the second death) into life”. In other words the just judgement that was upon us because of our sin has been mediated by Yeshua, He has taken our rightful punishment and has therefore removed all possibility of us suffering the second death. Thus, “has passed out of the death [both physical and spiritual] into life, living.” “14 Therefore, since the children share in [a]flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.” -Hebrews 2:14-25 (NASB) “18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear [a]involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” -1 John 4:18 (NASB) Copyright 2020 Yaakov Brown “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 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 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 rabbinical 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 literal 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 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. 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. Those who teach that Gentile Christians must keep the 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” and so called “Messianic Gentiles” are literally practicing the “Replacement Theology” they claim to detest. I stand in opposition to those movements who seek to place Gentile Christians under bondage to commandments that were never incumbent upon them. I am a Jew and a follower of Yeshua the King Messiah, Who has set us free for freedom, that we might not return again to bondage. This is not to say that Gentile Christians can’t choose to keep the 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. -YAAKOV BEN YEHOSHUA Spiritual Leader Beth Melekh Messiah following Jewish community 17 Iyar 5779 (22 May 2019) © 2019 Yaakov Brown The Sabbath is not incumbent upon the other nations, nor is it an obligation for the Christian Church (Acts 15:23-29). However, as a principle that teaches the need for humanity to rest in God, it should be applied to the lives of all believers (Mark 2:27). The Shabbat:
A sign between God and the people of Israel that teaches a principle of rest for all humanity. The instruction for ethnic Israel to keep the Shabbat, or Sabbath, is found in Exodus 31:12-16
Traditional Jewish observances begin with the lighting of two candles:
A woman (usually the Matriarch of the household or a young woman of bat mitzvah age [12]) lights the candles. This is because it was through a woman that sin [darkness] entered the world and it is through a woman that redemption [light] has entered the world.
The light of the candles symbolizes the light of God. For Messianic Jews this light reminds us of the fact that Yeshua [Jesus] is the light of the world (John 8:12). The candle lighter draws the light toward herself three times and then covers her eyes. The rabbis of Jewish tradition have many explanations for this. As Messianic Jews we see the unity of God represented in this practice as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We understand that God is one (echad: a complex unity), and that He reveals Himself in many ways. We are inviting the light of Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) and at the same time we cover our eyes to acknowledge the Holiness of God. We welcome the Shabbat rest of God with traditional songs and prayers called Kabbalat Shabbat prayers. Kabbalah means to receive, we are receiving the rest of God, His rest is not something we can earn or achieve. In order to receive God’s rest we must acknowledge our inability to rest without Him. One of the most common songs sung is Lecha Dodi, which means, “Come beloved”. As Messianic Jews we see the unity of God’s rest and His Son our Prince of Peace in the invitation offered by the words of Lecha Dodi. Therefore we are inviting the Messiah Yeshua to bring us rest in God. Kiddush is the celebration of God’s provision for us. Kiddush means to sanctify, to set apart. Wine is used to represent the sanctifying life of God. Wine represents the life blood, during Passover the wine represents the life blood poured out as a sacrifice but during the Shabbat ceremony the wine represents the life blood as the means of our existence and vitality. Kiddush is lengthened by a recitation of the instruction to keep Shabbat. This reminds us of the Shabbat’s connection to God and His creation and causes us to look forward to the Olam Habah (World to come) and the eternal Shabbat rest of the New Jerusalem. Two Challot: The traditional bread used for the Shabbat is called Challah. The two loaves represent the double portion of manna given to Israel on the eve of the Shabbat when we wondered in the desert. For Messianic Jews these loaves also represent the Jew and the Gentile. When the Challah cover is lifted from the bread the light of the candles illuminates both loaves, making them echad (a complex unity). In this we see the light of Messiah’s redemption making the Jew and the Gentile echad (one) in Messiah. The Challah does not represent the body of Messiah. This is because the challah has yeast in it. In Biblical Judaism yeast is always seen as a symbol for sin. The body of Messiah is represented in the unleavened bread of the Passover meal which is celebrated once a year at approximately the same time as Easter. The Challah, like the Kiddush cup, is blessed and shared among those present. It is dipped in salt to remind us of the tears of Israel and the destruction of the temples. It is a reminder to Messianic Jews that the temple sacrificial system ended when the Romans destroyed the second temple in 70 AD. This seems appropriate to us given that the one sacrifice to cover all sin was made by Yeshua, the Lamb of G-d, once for all (Approx. 30AD). There is therefore no longer a need for the covering sacrifices of the temple sacrificial system. Blessing the Matriarch, the children and the community is an essential part of the Shabbat.
© 2016 Yaakov Brown |
Yaakov BrownFounder of the Beth Melekh International Messiah Following Jewish Community, Archives
February 2024
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