After the Tribulation, Connecting the Testaments

In the Gospel of Matthew, the now famous chapter twenty-four, verses 29-31, Y'shua tells us:

“And immediately after the tribulation of those days, 

‘the sun will be darkened 

and the moon will not give its light, 

and the stars will fall from heaven, 

and the powers of heaven will be shaken.’

And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect together from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other end of it.


Was Yeshua (Jesus) making a new claim, or reinforcing an old Israelite hope?
What did the Rabbi Shaul (aka apostle Paul), teach?  

We see in a letter to the believers in Thessalonica:

"For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be snatched away at the same time together with them in the clouds for a meeting with the Lord in the air, and thus we will be together with the Lord always." 1 Thess. 4:16-17


Zechariah 8:2-8 ² "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.' ³ "Thus says the LORD, 'I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.' ⁴ "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of age. ⁵ 'And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.' ⁶ "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'If it is too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be too difficult in My sight?' declares the LORD of hosts. ⁷ "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; ⁸ and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.'


So we see, reading our Bibles contextually, that Y'shua did come to fulfill the Messianic hope.  He is both Messiah ben Josef, and Messiah ben David, still to come in glory and conquering power!  The Protestant and Catholic churches have been steeped in the tradition of men for so long that there is a difference, a separation between the first and the Renewed Covenant (Jer. 31:31-33), that for many, the Old Testament is not a serious object of inquiry (to their own destruction).


But in truth, the Bible contextually has one theme throughout, and Yeshua came to restore the lost ten tribes (Mat. 15:25, 10:6), to reunify the tribes of Israel (Ezekiel 36:22-28)) under Torah (Zech. 14:16: Is. 2:3; Mic. 4:2).


The Gentile Church is not a separate people from the Jews, nor should it be.  Any simple student of history can verify that Sunday observance by the Church shifted formally under the reign of Constantine.  The early church kept Sabbath, observed Yahweh's feasts (Lev. 23) and observed the teaching of the clean and the unclean.  Who the Gentiles are... is that they are now the prophetic fulfillment of Ephraim, who was prophesied by our father Jacob to be the "fullness of the Gentiles" (Gen. 48:19).  As the one who received the blessing of the firstborn (along with Judah), Ephraim was also known as the head of the ten northern tribes (the "lost tribes").


This is why, Jeremiah tells us, the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-33) is for the house of Israel and the house of Judah (no one else is named).  But the tribes were to be dispersed through all the world and mixed with all the peoples (Hos. 8:7) so that they could be brought back in to Covenant with Yhwh, and walk in His commandments (1 John 2:6).


Y'shua lived a sinless life, by walking according to the words of life, Torah (Deut. 30:15,16).  All who follow Him are commanded to walk as He walked (1 John 2:6).

The Goal (End) of the Faith - Part Two

In Part One, we looked at a letter from a Rabbi to his son in the Faith.  Rabbi Shaul, known to most as the Apsotle Paul.  In this excerpt of his letter to Timothy, I translated the term "law" which is being carried over from the Hebrew concept, as "Torah" or, "instruction." When hermeneutics are applied consistently, we can see more clearly.

In this first part, we see that Rabbi Shaul tells Timothy: "1 Timothy 1:5  the goal of our torah is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."  Some of you who read this may think we are heading in a direction of legalism, or something akin to that of the Judaizers.  On the contrary, the Rabbi precedes this verse in the letter to Timothy with the aspiration:

1 Timothy 1:4  4" nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith"  Note, the Apostle puts torah, and faith together in the same sentence, whereas modern churches teach they are opposite and antithetical!

But where does Rabbi Shaul get this expectation, or this doctrine, that this instruction (torah) has as its goal a "good (ie, clean/pure) conscience and a sincere faith?"  It is the teaching and testimony of the First Covenant, and Yhwh's redemptive promises to Israel, the sons of Jacob.

One place we see this clearly is by the prophet Zechariah.  Yeshua taught, "I did not come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets...."  In chapters 12-14, Zechariah prophesied on the coming battle of Armageddon, and the salvation of all (yes, twelve tribes) of Israel.  In chapter 14, we see Yeshua Messiah's victory:

Zechariah 14:9  9 And the LORD (Yahweh) will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD (Yahweh) will be the only one, and His name the only one.

And then a few verses down, we see the state of affairs in the Messianic kingdom, also know as the kingdom of God.

Zechariah 14:16  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 (Yahweh) of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths (Sukkot).

Most churches teach in their theology that Yeshua, or Jesus came to set us free from the Law.  Never mind that John tells us that "everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness.  Sin is law-lessness (1 Jn. 3:4)."  Protestant believers have been separated from the worldview of the Hebrew authors of the Bible, almost from the second century.

The fact is, the Bible clearly defines the righteousness of Yahweh with his commands (Ps. 119:150), His Torah (instruction - Ps. 119:142).  During His life Yeshua lived a life of perfect righteousness, keeping Yahweh's Torah perfectly.

Does it then make sense that once Yahweh delivers sinners from the punishment and verdict of their sin, that he will allow and encourage them to live in law-lessness (unrighteousness)?  Yet this is the approach that many who claim to follow Messiah take.  But scripture tells us that "he who claims to live in him (Messiah Yeshua) must walk as he walked" (1 Jn. 2:6).  The apostle Paul asks, " What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" (Rom. 6:1,2).

Clearly, we see that the Messiah Yeshua reigns from His temple in the Millenial Kingdom, over the restored Israel, and the surving remnant of mankind, who will then repopulate the earth during this 1,000 year period.  As Yahweh Elohim told us, "He is the same yesterday, today and forever."  His standard of righteousness never changed.  In fact His Son, Yeshua, His Word/Torah made flesh will reign over His people, till He hands over all things to Yahweh Abba, the Father.

Birthed By Truth. (Jas. 1:18)

By his* will he gave birth to us through the message of truth, so that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. (Ja s. 1:18)

The typical believer says amen!  But what exactly is the message of Truth?  Yeshua the Messiah tells us that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn. 14:6).  Okay, but is there more?  How is this understood from a biblical worldview?  A good hermeneutical principle is that. Scripture always interprets scripture.

In Ps. 119, the longest  chapter in the Bible, which is in praise of the Torah (law) of Elohim, we are told this:  "Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your law is truth" (142).  So here we are told Yhwh's Torah is truth.  This is perhaps one of the most neglected verses of scripture by the entire Christian Church, and it separates those who belong to Messiah, and those who have a spirit of religion.

Further down, in Ps. 119:151, we read: "You are near, O Yahweh, and all your commands are truth."  In fact, reading sections Tsade and Qoph, verses 137-152, you see the themes of 'righteousness,' 'the word,' 'belief,' and 'obedience' to Yhwh's righteous commands.

So for the Jews living during the days of Yeshua's first advent, they would have understood the term "word of Elohim" as the Tanak, or more specifically, the Torah, which we see throughout the Psalms, and the entirety of the Tanakh (Old Testament).  So when the apostle John writes "The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us" (Jn. 1:14), he was communicating that the Torah became flesh!"

We know Yeshua lived a sinless life by keeping God's Law (Torah) perfectly.  That is how He was able to fulfill Passover as the lamb of Elohim.  John further instructs believers in one of his lesser known books, that "anyone who claims to live in him must walk as that one walked" (1 Jn. 2:6).  That is to say, believers must walk in righteousness, that is, in Torah, not to be saved, but because they are saved, in obedient love.  Yeshua taught, "The one who loves me will keep my commands."  Amen!

Letter From A Rabbi:The Goal (End) of the Faith

"Applying a consistent hermeneutic, we see more clearly!"  -Chris Parker

In running a race, when do runners reach the goal?  At the end, finale, or completion of the course!  In a similar way, you might say, the goal of the Biblical faith is realized at the end.  Listen to what Rabbi Shaul said to his son in the faith:

“But the goal of our instruction (torah) is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a faith without hypocrisy, from which some have deviated, and have turned away into fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the torah, although they* do not understand either the things which they are saying or the things concerning which they are speaking confidently. 

But we know that the torah is good, if anyone makes use of it torah-fully, knowing this, that the torah is not given for a righteous person but for the torah-less and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and totally worldly, for the one who kills his father and the one who kills his mother, for murderers, sexually immoral people, homosexuals, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is opposed to sound teaching (ie, Torah),”

Did the Apostle set Gentiles free from Torah? The Truth about Acts 15!

Coming from the Southern Baptists, I know this is a commonly held view, that the Apostles named only four things which the Gentiles had to abide when becoming followers, and thus they declared the Gentiles free from having to keep the Law (Torah).

In this 35 min. video, Jim Staley of Passionfortruth.com, gives an excellent defense on why this is not all the Apostles were saying.  Staley leads us on a closer inspection of the Council's ruling in "The Truth About Acts 15".  This is an excellent teaching for all hungry for Truth!

Storing Up Wealth For the Last Days?

Ok, here it is.  Some of you were probably wondering if I were going to tackle this topic.  How should we store up wealth in the end-times?    Many bloggers and Christian shows have dealt with the topic, advising people to buy gold and silver to prepare for the coming economic collapse.  For most people, gold is out of teh question, as the economic price is just too high, even per ounce!  For us, even silver is quite high.  Just a little bit is all we could afford.

So, when you are part of that 98% of the world's population who makes less then the upper one percent, is that really a wise investment of your resources, to put it all into one little piece of metal?

The other day I was reading in James (or Jacob, really, in the Greek/Hebrew), the half-brother of Yeshua, and came to a section where he speaks about the topic, storing up wealth in the last days:

5 Come now, you rich people, weep and cry aloud over the miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your wealth has rotted, and your clothing has become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have become corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you, and it will consume your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages that were held back by you from the workers who reap your fields cry out, and the cries of the reapers have come to the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived self-indulgently on the eartha and have lived luxuriously. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous person; he does not resist you. 

(www.biblia.com)

James seems to think that those who store up wealth for the last day aren't going to receive a whole lot of good from it. In fact, he says it will be a witness AGAINST you and consume your flesh like fire! I thought that is what we were trying to avoid, being consumed by fire! In context, we see from verse four, that James is speaking to those who have people in their employment, who are withholding wages, and living luxuriously on earth, at the expense of those who do their labor.

Verse Six tells us, "You have condemned the righteous person, he does not resist you." Nowhere in holy scripture does it teach taking vengeance on one's enemies, contrary to the belief of Islam. In fact, Yeshua tells us to "love our enemies," and "pray for those who persecute us" (Mt. 5:43).

Now there may be some wisdom in securing your financial assets in precaution to a financial collapse, but I don't know that selling all to buy gold and silver is the answer. The believer's life is one that is marked by faith in Yeshua Messiah. All Yahweh's prophecies concerning the end have been being fulfilled for thousands of years. It's silly to think that they will stop now. We have the full assurance that we are able to walk in the faith and confidence in the YHWH's power, for He is a shield about us (Ps. 3:3), an ever present help in trouble (Ps. 46). YHWH is our Good Shepherd, even in the last days, when the adversaries forces are running about upon the earth, Yhwh still leads us to green pastures, to lie beside still waters, and to restore our soul. He is over all, and He can prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies (Ps. 23).

Hab. 2:4b "but the righteous shall live by his faith."

Hab. 3:

16 I hear and my stomach shakes;

my lips quiver at the sound;

infection enters my bones;

that which is beneath me trembles;

I wait quietly for the day of trouble

to come upon the people attacking us.

17 Though the fig tree does not blossom,

nor there be fruit on the vines;

the yield of the olive tree fails,

and the cultivated fields do not yield food;

the flock is cut off from the animal pen,

and there is no cattle in the stalls,

18 Yet I will rejoice in Yahweh;

I will exult in the God of my salvation.

19 Yahweh, my Lord, is my strength;

he makes my feet like the deer;

he causes me to walk on my high places.

To the choirmaster with stringed instruments.

Who is like Elohim?

I was reading this passage this morning... a beautiful reminder about who the true Yahweh is!

11 Who is like you among the gods, Yahweh?

Who is like you—glorious in holiness, awesome in praiseworthy actions, doing wonders?f

12 You stretched out your right hand;

the earth swallowed them.

13 In your loyal love you led the people whom you redeemed;

in your strength you guided them to the abode of your holiness.g

14 Peoples heard; they trembled;

anguish seized the inhabitants of Philistia.

15 Then the chiefs of Edom were horrified; great distress seized the leaders of Moab;

all of the inhabitants of Canaan melted away.

16 Terror and dread fell on them;

at the greatness of your arm they became silent like the stone,

until your people passed by, Yahweh,

until the people whom you bought passed by.

17 You brought them and planted them on the mountain of your inheritance,

a place you made for yourself to inhabit, Yahweh,

a sanctuary, Lord, that your hands established.

18 Yahweh will reign as king forever and ever.”

(http://biblia.com/books/leb/Ex15.11)  

An argument for why living the Torah; Climax of the Protestant Reformation?

Hearing many of the false prophets out there, as they declare the "Reformation is over," and then lead the church to return to its pagan roots and ways which Scripture declares wickedness(!) really irks me.  They seek to realign us with the Vatican, and the Pope, against whom the Protest-ants initially cried out, and seperated from, to follow thte Scriptures by faith.  One young priest, who said the Vatican believes "we are saved by grace, just as we do!" was totally deceptive.  Yes, they believe a person is saved by grace, after keeping all the sacraments of the RC church.  Mormons believe you are saved by grace, "after you have done all you can do" 2 Nephi 25:23.

It appears to me, that the Reformation, is indeed not over, but at it's most critical time!  And indeed, the time has come for believers to be willing to stand up to the point of laying down their lives for the gospel, as did the original Reformers, not because through that we earn salvation (as Islam teaches), but because Truth is worth laying your life down for, and Yeshua, the Messiah, who is Truth, laid His life down, in order that all who believe in Him by faith might be saved.

But the initial Reformers spiritually were not in the place to Reform as far as they needed to go.  Today, in the last hours, Yhwh is beginning to open Revelations and spiritual eyes to see and understand.  In a letter to an older, more accomplished minister, I write in response to a conversation we had had concerning the diaspora of the Northern Tribes of Israelites, of which he politely but sternly brushed off without giving consideration to.  And many will do this.  They want to tow the Denominational line, and won't give heed to the massive evidence of scriptures.

****

I know as a minister, when you speak God's word, you speak and teach it as truth.  Yesterday, when I shared the scriptures with you, I was not trying to be argumentative, but I shared them with you as truth.  I think the Church at large, even many Messianics, fail to distinguish between the different houses of Israel in the Tanakh, and therefore mis-interpret much of Yhwh's intended meaning in the scriptures.  And I think in partiality, this is due to a spiritual blindness on the people, but God speaks of truths being unveiled in the last times, and I believe more and more people are waking up to these things.

4 But you, Daniel, keep the words secret and seal the scrollj until the time of the end; many will run back and forth and knowledge will increase.”

When Yeshua said "I will build my Church," he was speaking to a Jewish audience (no Ephraimites or Gentiles present), and for the first 10 years or so, there were no Gentiles within "the Church" that Messiah was building.  They made little differentiation to the form of worship as they continued to attend Synagogue on Shabbat, and preach scriptures and share on Shabbat in the Synagogue.  It was this way for the first 325 years of the Church, till things began to be altered at the Council of Nicea in 325 etc.  Sure, some tensions were in place between Jew and Gentile I think leading up to that point, but the greatest reason for the changes we have was political expediency of an unbaptized, wicked pagan ruler, a worshiper of the sun-god (Nimrod, a type, and maybe fulfillment of the antichrist)!

The Apostle/Rav Paul tells us that we were grafted into the tree of Israel, that we are Jews by faith.  We were grated into a "cultivated" olive tree, being a wild branch.  By faith, believers are considered descendants of Abraham, for circumcision is of the heart (Rom. 4:16).  It seems to me, that the Pre-Tribulational view of the rapture is not a Semitic-friendly view, but rather Anti-Semitic.  Now I don't intend to make you mad.  Please hear me out.  Why would Yhwh rip out a branch (i.e. catch away) He has so graciously and carefully grafted into a cultivated olive tree (Rom. 11:24), then suddenly rip it out, and leave the cultivated tree to endure the worst storm in history?

It seems better, if, the branches realized that they were now part of the tree, and worked collectively for the betterment of the tree, that they were there to stay, as indeed Elohim grafted them in!  It seems that the pre-trib rapture view is at its basis, anti-semitic, viewing still, that the Church has replaced Israel in God's plans (and heart), and God has more care/concern for the Church than he does His people Israel!

Rom. 11:18 do not boast against the branches. But if you boast against them, you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off in order that I could be grafted in.” 20 Well said! They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand firm because of faith. Do not think arrogant thoughts, but be afraid.

But that is not the picture God's word gives of His people, Ephraim:

 8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim?

How can I hand you over, O Israel?

How can I make you like Admah?

How can I treat you like Zeboiim?

My heart is disturbedl within me;

⌊all⌋m my compassions are aroused.

9 ⌊I will not execute⌋n ⌊my fierce anger⌋,o

I will not again destroy Ephraim;

because I am God

and not a mortal,p

the Holy One in your midst;

and I will not come in wrath.

I have researched numerous eschatological positions rather thoroughly, in my search for understanding, and have held all viewpoints at various times, but Yhwh has been drawing me through all this.  According to scriptures' commands: "What then, do we nullify the Torah by faith?  May it never be!  On the contrary, we establish the Torah!" (Rom. 3:31) and, "Therefore, he nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but He who keeps them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Mt. 5:19).

Islam Endorses Murder and Hate, But Claims Abraham!

As we all know, and can clealy see, Islam and the Muslims "extremists" (thought in Muslim eyes, the faithful), the Quran teaches hatred of the Jews, and the end goal of Islam is annihilation of the Jewish people, to bring about global Sharia law on every person.  Not only does it endorse the teaching of hatred, instead of love, which Ye'shua taught, and is taught in the Torah, but Islam endorses violence, murder and death, so much so, that the only guarantee of entering eternal life in heaven, is by dying in battle with the infidels (unbelievers of Islam).

But in the Gospels, Ye'shua has a different message.  He spoke to murderers who claimed to have Abraham as their father, as do Muslims.  But he told them who their father really is.  We read in John (Injil) 8:

39 They answered and said to him, “Abraham is our father!” Jesus said to them, “If you are children of Abraham, do the deeds of Abraham! 40 But now you are seeking to kill me, a man who spoke to you the truth which I heard from God. This Abraham did not do. 41 You are doing the deeds of your father!”

They saidq to him, “We were not born from sexual immorality! We have one father, God!” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, for I have come forth from God and have come. For I have not come from myself, but that one sent me. 43 ⌊Why⌋r do you not understand my way of speaking? Because you are not able to listen to my message. 44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father! That one was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand firm in the truth, because truth is not in him. Whenever he speaks the lie, he speaks from his own nature,* because he is a liar and the father ⌊of lies⌋.s 45 But because I am telling the truth, you do not believe me. (biblia.com)

Having Your Blessed Life Now!

Much controversy has sprung from Joel Osteen's book, "How to Have Your Best Life Now!"  But believe it or not, the Bible actually does tell you how to have your blessed life now!  Right here, in the last times, with the coming of the pseudo-Christ and the worst period of deceit and persecution in human history, that we are warned about in the pages of the most Holy Book, the Bible.

The Bible is full of pages of scriptures where the Hebrew Prophets, Psalmists and Apostles tell us that we can have our blessed life now!  Now, note, I didn't say "best life," but rather "blessed life," and I think that your blessed life is quite possibly the best life you can have.

One example that I want to use from the pages of scripture is from the very first chapter of the Psalms.  The Psalmist tells us:

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked;

nor does he stand in the way of sinners;

nor does he sit in the assembly of mockers.

2 Instead, in the law of Yahweh is his delight,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

Here you have it. It really doesn't get any simpler than this. How can you have your blessed life in a world that is filled with persecution, anti-Semitism, trans-humanism, invasion of demons who were let loose after being bound for 70 generations? How can you have your blessed life living among nations where there is a growing consensus against Judeo-Christian values, where the Church looks and sounds like the world, the number of demon-possession cases is on the rise?


The Psalmist tells us that the have to have your blessed life now, is "to come out from them and be separate!" Not to walk in the advice of the wicked, or to stand in the way of sinners, or even sit in the assembly of mockers, but to DELIGHT yourself in the TORAH of YHWH, to meditate on it day and night! 


And so here you have it!  It's really a quite simple concept.  But it's something that Christians have been taught (at least the last century) that "We are free from the Torah!", and thus doing away with the foundation and support for the B'rit Chadasha (aka New Testament).

And if we DO do this, we meditate (think about or on) the Torah (first five books of the Bible), the Psalmist goes on to tell us what our life is going to look like.

3 And so, he is like a tree planted by streams of water

that gives its fruit in its season;

its leaf also does not wither.

Therefore all that he does prospers.

And this is how you can have your Blessed life Now!



The Apostasy - Millenia old?

 2 Thess. 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. [from www.biblegateway.com]

The great apostasy, which Rabbi Paul told us would happen before the coming of the Torah-less one! You say, "Chris, you are being so extreme calling the Antichrist the Torah-less one!"  Am I?  In English Bibles, the word translated to denote God's revelation of His ways and His character to man was translated as Law in the English language, to convey the depth and overarching supremacy of Yhwh's commands and their reach within and throughout creation.

But today that meaning has been lost.  In our lands of laws and rights, or lack thereof, we have come to see the Biblical word Law in a negative light, and so much so that a key Christians motto is "Christ has set me free from the Law!"  Let me suggest that the reason this is so is because Christians were separated from the Jews and therefore no longer understand the context of the Biblical authors in which they wrote.  The Biblical authors, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote out of a Hebraic theological context.

So many of us, who discuss the importance of interpreting scripture "in context" and "knowing the context" are missing the very deepest, and first and foremost context of all, the Hebraic worldview of the children of Abraham!  

 This issue is of first relevance when we come to the description of the arch-rebel against Yhwh, who has been working throughout all of human history to create an army of rebels, and destroy the Elohim's creation, and steal his praise (Is. 14:13-14).  Rabbi Paul describes him as the (as conveyed in the English text) the "lawless one."  I already dealt with this in a previous post.  To the mind of a Jewish rabbi (a "Hebrew of Hebrews" Phil. 3:5), certainly this meant "Torah-less one"  that is, one without and opposed to the revealed will of Yhwh Elohim.  

Now today the church says, "I am not under the Torah!  I have been set free from the Torah!"  Is this not the spirit of the Antichrist already, the son of perdition?  So we see that the spirit of the Antichrist is already in the Church, and most of "the Church" is ready for , and indeed, already under, the great deception!

So this brings us to the title of our post.  The apostasy, the great falling away... did it recently begin historically, as America banned bibles from school in the 60s, and the country saw a massive increase in sexual immorality and crime?  Or did it begin with the advent of human science ('knowledge'), discovering all it could learn about reality apart from the revealed will of the Creator?  Or did it begin, and this is what I think, when Christians were separated from their Jewish brethren in Messiah, and from the tribes and customs of the teachings of the Torah?

For what is the greata falling away supposed to mean?  Falling away from the ways of Yahweh, and from sound doctrine?  In the minds of the Hebrew authors of scripture, what denotes sound doctrine (2 Tim. 4:3)?  The Tanakh, the Torah.  

2 Tim. 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, (emphasis mine)

This is the Bible Adonai Yeshua used.  And again, He affirms it in John 17:17 when He says, "Yhwh, sanctify them by Your truth, Your Word is Truth."  

As Christians, followers of Messiah, we find ourselves in a bind.  We claim to follow the Truth, the person of Messiah Yeshua, who claims to be the Word in the flesh (Jn. 1:14), but yet we also claim to be free of the "Law," the Torah, found in the Tanakh, which Yeshua believed to be the Truth!  And what part of scripture is most often contested and rejected or so poorly taught in Christian churches today?  It's what Christians know as the Old Testament, which is really the Former Testament, or Covenant (that's still very much in force and validity, except where Messiah satisfied its requirements for our justification (Rom. 3:23-25).

So I propose, the great falling away did not begin only recently historically, but began ages ago... as the apostle John said: 1 John 2:18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 

Go back, and read your Bibles anew with this new understanding, that Yeshua came to reveal to us the Tanakh, and the Torah (the instruction)!  We were not set free from Elohim's instruction (His Torah), but only from the curse of the Torah (for disobedience, the torah of sin and death).  Apply this understanding to your Bible study, and you will find a whole NEW BIBLE, one you have most likely never seen before!!!