The Holiday All Christians Should Be Celebrating - Chanukah!

According to the Israeli New Moon Society Chanukah begins tonight at sundown.  Michael Rood, on his website, also indicates the start of Chanukah tonight.  Both of these sources do an excellent job following the requirements of biblical reckoning for dating Feast Days and holidays.

You may have heard elsewhere that Chanukah started with Thanksgiving but that actually references a Rabbinic calendar mathematically calculated for Jewish folk in the diaspora.

The argument over the biblical calendar is for a different time, however.  As is the correct spelling of Chanukah, or is it Hanukkah?  : )

Surprisingly, Chanukah is never mentioned in the Tanakh.  It is mentioned in 1 Maccabees Ch. 4 and in the B'rit Hadashah.  In the Apocryphal book of 1 Maccabees, Ch. 4:36-59, the story of Chanukah is told. To get a fuller picture and story you should read all of 1 Maccabees.  Yeshua (Jesus) celebrated this holiday - see John Ch. 10:22. During this season, Yeshua (Jesus) also gave sight to a man blind from birth - see John Ch. 9:1-41.  This is important because the Pharisees had a requirement that The Messiah would heal a man blind from birth! As Yeshua gave light to this man's sight, He is also the "Light of the World"!

The celebration lasts for 8 days.  This year, as it coincides near Thanksgiving it means I can eat and celebrate for 9 days straight!  : )

KJVA quoted:

1Ma 4:36 Then said Judas and his brethren, Behold, our enemies are discomfited: let us go up to cleanse and dedicate the sanctuary.
1Ma 4:37 Upon this all the host assembled themselves together, and went up into mount Sion.
1Ma 4:38 And when they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burned up, and shrubs growing in the courts as in a forest, or in one of the mountains, yea, and the priests' chambers pulled down;
1Ma 4:39 They rent their clothes, and made great lamentation, and cast ashes upon their heads,
1Ma 4:40 And fell down flat to the ground upon their faces, and blew an alarm with the trumpets, and cried toward heaven.
1Ma 4:41 Then Judas appointed certain men to fight against those that were in the fortress, until he had cleansed the sanctuary.
1Ma 4:42 So he chose priests of blameless conversation, such as had pleasure in the law:
1Ma 4:43 Who cleansed the sanctuary, and bare out the defiled stones into an unclean place.
1Ma 4:44 And when as they consulted what to do with the altar of burnt offerings, which was profaned;
1Ma 4:45 They thought it best to pull it down, lest it should be a reproach to them, because the heathen had defiled it: wherefore they pulled it down,
1Ma 4:46 And laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, until there should come a prophet to shew what should be done with them.
1Ma 4:47 Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former;
1Ma 4:48 And made up the sanctuary, and the things that were within the temple, and hallowed the courts.
1Ma 4:49 They made also new holy vessels, and into the temple they brought the candlestick, and the altar of burnt offerings, and of incense, and the table.
1Ma 4:50 And upon the altar they burned incense, and the lamps that were upon the candlestick they lighted, that they might give light in the temple.
1Ma 4:51 Furthermore they set the loaves upon the table, and spread out the veils, and finished all the works which they had begun to make.
1Ma 4:52 Now on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, which is called the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and eighth year, they rose up betimes in the morning,
1Ma 4:53 And offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of burnt offerings, which they had made.
1Ma 4:54 Look, at what time and what day the heathen had profaned it, even in that was it dedicated with songs, and citherns, and harps, and cymbals.
1Ma 4:55 Then all the people fell upon their faces, worshipping and praising the God of heaven, who had given them good success.
1Ma 4:56 And so they kept the dedication of the altar eight days and offered burnt offerings with gladness, and sacrificed the sacrifice of deliverance and praise.
1Ma 4:57 They decked also the forefront of the temple with crowns of gold, and with shields; and the gates and the chambers they renewed, and hanged doors upon them.
1Ma 4:58 Thus was there very great gladness among the people, for that the reproach of the heathen was put away.
1Ma 4:59 Moreover Judas and his brethren with the whole congregation of Israel ordained, that the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept in their season from year to year by the space of eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month Casleu, with mirth and gladness.
A tradition accompanies Chanukah in that it is said only enough oil was left to burn the Menorah for one day, but the flame lasted 8 days!  This cannot be shown in apocryphal or biblical text, so one must come to his own belief concerning this tradition.

People may ask, "Why should Christians celebrate this?"  Firstly, Jesus celebrated this!  Instead of asking, "What Would Jesus Do?", we need to start discovering "What Did Jesus Do!"  Secondly, it is a biblical holiday.  "Holiday" literally means "Holy Day"!  Thirdly, the entire story surrounds the historical fact that Antiochus Epiphanies profaned the altar by entering the Holy place and by sacrificing a pig on it.  This started the rebellion.  If it sounds familiar to the End Times antichrist to you then what we have here is a shadow-picture of what's to come!   It behooves us to pay attention!

So, I beseech you, celebrate the good and proper days and ignore the pagan days, like Christmas.

Happy Chanukah!

 

The Observer

 

 

... I've added a couple of videos appropriate for this occasion!

 



A Story of Heartfelt Thanks!

Holocaust survivor reunites with man whose family provided shelter

... from FOXNEWS.COM

A New York psychologist shared an emotional reunion Wednesday with the man whose family hid him for more than two years in a cramped attic in Nazi-occupied Poland.

Leon Gersten, 79, met with Czeslaw Polziec, a retired Polish factory worker, for the first time in nearly 70 years at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the New York Post reported.

Gersten, then 8, hid with his mother and three relatives in the southeastern Poland home of Polziec's Catholic family and remained there for the duration of the war, relying on food delivered by a 10-year-old Czeslaw.

"The last time I saw him was when I was around 10 ½," Gersten told the New York Post before the reunion. “After all these years, it’s wonderful to be able to re-establish a personal touch, and to see someone who went through a lot of these experiences together."

Gersten said Polziec and his family showed incredible resolve in keeping their presence a secret. The family even built an underground bunker that they could cover with a grain storage bin in the event of a Nazi raid, according to the report.

“They kept it a secret. Just a mention that there were Jews hiding in their house would have been catastrophic,” Gersten told the Post. “Even though they were kids, they certainly were part of it in terms of protecting us and keeping out survival a secret."

In a close call, Nazi collaborators raided the farm and beat Polziec's father after suspecting the family of hiding Jews. Still, the family did not give up Gersten and his relatives.

"They were told nobody was to say anything to anyone," Polziec told Newsday through a translator. "We knew what we had to do. There was no discussion."

Polziec and Gersten said they look forward to celebrating Thanksgiving together and lighting the menorah on the first night of Hanukkah during the week-long reunion sponsored by the New York City-based Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, Newsday reported.

Gersten's grandson Mark Gersten told the newspaper that the reunion, which coincided with the Thanksgiving holiday and start of Hanukkah, could not have been timed better. Several members of Gersten's family attended Wednesday's event.

"We are giving thanks for being able to be here and being able to practice our own religion and be safe," he said. "For us, our way to give thanks is to show how many people there are and what we are doing with our lives."

Click here for more from the New York Post.

Click here for more from Newsday.

The Observer

 

 ... folks, can it be that some people still think the holocaust never happened?  Evil is simply evil, folks.  Have a Blessed Thanksgiving from Tiger and Family!

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus

A former Muslim explains Christianity at Georgia Tech and does an amazing job! Well worth your time! Thanks goes to The Tigress for this one!

The Observer

What Is the Proper Church/Messianic Synagogue Organization?

Have you ever asked questions in a church or synagogue and all you hear are crickets chirping? Have you ever had a Pastor or Rabbi look at you with disdain and embarrassment as you openly asked for clarification on a biblical question? It's been my way of life, I admit, and it's what drove me to ignore man and read my Bible!

So, in this light, what is a proper church/synagogue setting? Who, exactly, is supposed to be available to answer your questions and discuss the Bible with you? What is supposed to be the role, biblically, of your "Pastor", "Priest", or "Rabbi"?

The fellows at 119 Ministries have done a great job with these questions. The first vid is the teaching, the second is a response to questions. Both vids are wonderful! Study and enjoy, and as 119 likes to say, "Test Everything!"

[Note: video embedment not allowed for these two vids - follow link to watch]

VID 1 : The Church: His Model by 119 Ministries

VID 2 : The Church His Model FAQ  

The Observer

It's All About Y'Shua !

The Observer

Is "Evolution" Science or a Belief System?

Ray Comfort asks students and professors about it!

The Observer

What Hebraic Roots Is And Is Not

There is much confusion over what most people call, Hebrew, or Hebraic Roots. Some ministers are even condemning the movement as the work of Satan and anti-Christian. I think it's time to state some ground rules.

It must be said firstly that we believers owe a great debt of gratitude to our Hebrew brothers and sisters. After all, where do we get the Scriptures and the belief in the One True God? The last time I noticed there are no Scriptures written by Gentiles! By giving way to prejudice, concerning our Jewish friends, we are breaking Yeshua's commandments. We are not honoring our parents.

If we look at Scripture as simply the "Old" and "New" and if we have a tendency to discard the Old, then we make a grave error.

Blessed are the Israelites and the Jewish people! They were the people chosen to bring the light and truth to our world!  Nothing can ever change that!  As Gentile believers grafted into the Olive Tree, Israel, we also have that calling. We are not the natural branches so we must not be proud.

Amazingly, there are churches that actively speak out against Israel, the modern nation and spiritual Israel. IMO, these churches are Antichrist - assemblies of Ha Satan!

So, what follows are some basic tenants I've observed while studying Hebrew Roots. To even make a list like this is contrary to the movement. "Statements of Faith", ET AL, are for those Nicolaitan organizations that wish to entrap people. Hebraic Roots is here to set people free from all that.

But I'm doing this because of requests from sincere, beloved people who are seriously considering leaving their church or synagogue. People are beginning to realize their churches and synagogues are not speaking truthfully and they're looking for answers!

1. There is no denomination, or even a name for what is referred to as Hebrew Roots. A movement in the spirit has to be referred to as something so most people say Hebraic (Hebrew) Roots.  I have heard it said that Hebrew Roots is the closest thing we have to First Century Apostolic worship.

2. "HR", Hebrew Roots, is not Messianic Judaism. My wife and I attended a Messianic Jewish Synagogue for about a year and a half. Messianic Judaism is an attempt to introduce traditional Jewish folks, raised in Judaism, to Christ (Yeshua Ha Mashiach), by establishing a traditional, cultural synagogue setting for them to feel comfortable in. One problem we have in churches is that Jewish folks tend to lose their cultural identity. Messianic Judaism tries very hard to keep that identity. "MJ" synagogues may be run with or without "Rabbinical authority". You have to decide if you like MJ or not. We decided not. However, these folks are very sincere and truly believe in Yeshua. But, they are not HR. I would argue they are more like - Judaism light. BTW, I was raised Pentecostal and my wife was raised Catholic. (what a combo, hey? - we've been happily married 33 years)   : )

3. While on that point, HR is not Rabbinical. Hebrew Roots folks do not follow a Rabbi, or Rabbinical teaching. HR folks are well aware of the Takanot and Ma'asim of the Pharisees. (look at my last two blog entries - you'll understand what these two man-made traditions represent)

4. HR folks do follow Torah! Wait a minute! You just said HR is not Rabbinical so why follow Torah? The answer is because Torah is not Rabbinical! Torah is the set of instructions provided to Moshe (Moses) by Yehovah (YHVH). Over time, the religious leaders amongst the Israelites have added to and subtracted from Torah - just like our Pastors and Priests in the church have added tradition to alter true worship. The good book explicitly says DON'T DO THIS! The Talmud, Mishnah, and Oral Law are not Torah. They are "traditions of men", exactly what Jesus warned us about!

5. So, does this mean HRs don't eat pork and shellfish? Yes, it means that we try to follow the dietary instructions of Torah. Does the N.T. allow for eating unclean foods? No it doesn't! HR folks are well aware of the translation errors in our various N.T. translations and try very hard to "iron them out". So, this means HR folks celebrate Shabbat (the Sabbath) and celebrate the 7 Feasts of the LORD (plus Chanukah). We do not celebrate Christmas, Easter, Sunrise Services, or Halloween. All these holidays are pagan!

6. By "ironing out" translation problems doesn't it mean you're trying to massage them to your liking? No, HR folks try to find the root meaning behind every bit of Scripture. All Scripture is present for a reason. The Scripture is directly related to the culture, history, and time of the statement in addition to it's spiritual meaning. This is why the Septuagint and Kararite Jews are important.  The Septuagint is a well honored translation of the Hebrew Tanahk into Greek.  This makes translation of the N.T. better and more easily understood.  Using this, along with a solid review of the known manuscripts make for a better understanding of the text.  Don't I trust the translations we have already?  No, it's a shame to say, but most of our translations are full of anti-Semitic prejudicial error and biased editing.  This doesn't mean that our translations don't contain spiritual truth!  I believe in the inerrant Word of God!  I just don't believe in errant man!  Kararite Judaism is a form of Judaism that does not follow Rabbis, but instead has historically followed the Torah only.  They are a good reference when studying things related to Torah.  Nehemiah Gordon, a very respected, famous, Kararite scholar and linguist, has said that, "even though he doesn't believe Yeshua is the Mashiach, what's clear (from the B'rit Hadashah) is that he (Jesus) kept Torah perfectly".  That quote is from my memory folks, remembered from a talk he gave.

Here's one small example of Scripture that the church sometimes gets wrong.  The church told me this was an example of Christ's humanity, His "moment of doubt", on the Cross:

Mat 27:46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"

(shown also in Mark 15:34)

Actually, Jesus was quoting Psalm 22. Or, at least trying to, midst the pain and suffering. Psalm 22 is that majestic, tearful, passage in the Tanahk which describes Yeshua's horrible crucifixion, long before it actually happened. Jesus was trying to tell people - I AM THE ONE DESCRIBED IN PSALM 22! Your Mashiach! Strange isn't it, that most Preachers do not know about this, or perhaps, don't wish to speak of it?  Did you know that approximately 80% of the N.T. is actually a quote from the O.T.?

7. So, how is Hebrew Roots different from Judaism? Judaism is a man-made construct created and "managed" by men - Rabbis. You are under a Rabbi in Judaism. He has become your "cover". It has it's various sects just like Christianity. Whereas Christianity and all of it's denominations get it's marching orders from Rome and the "Church Fathers" starting with Eusebius (arguably) and continuing forward in history, Judaism gets it's marching orders from Rabbis and the writings in the Talmud, Mishnah, and Oral Law. And, of course, the Torah and Tanahk, as well. HR gets it marching orders from Yeshua (who is YHVH) and the Tanahk (Torah and Prophets) and the B'rit Hadashah (N.T.). In HR no man is your head or cover! Jesus is a man's cover! Any church or synagogue that claims to be HR and belongs to a hierarchical, Nicolaitan organization is fooling people. It's not HR!

8. Wait a minute! Haven't there been changes, updates in the Torah since the N.T. times? Yes! However, in Matt. 5:18 Yeshua states that not one "jot" or "tiddle" has been done away with in the Torah. If you can't understand that you will not understand anything as it relates to your Sanctification through the Holy Spirit and Torah. You see, the good book also states that Torah is in the process of being fulfilled, that is, filled to it's complete and most extensive fruition. Do we still have animal sacrifice? No, because that system of the Aaronic Priesthood died long ago through misuse and ruination by the traditions of men and has been destroyed. Was the biblical Aaronic Priesthood active during Yeshua's time? No, it wasn't (Zechariah being an exception). It had already been replaced by Hellenistic and Roman authority. Will a third Temple be built and animal sacrifice once again take place? Perhaps, but it won't be for the forgiveness of sins, but to fulfill Scripture. Yeshua re-introduced the always existing Malki-Tzedek line of royal Priesthood, which had been instituted from Genesis - Adam being the first.  Yeshua came to repair the misuse of Torah and to present a New Covenant based directly on the "Spirit and Truth" of Torah. Do we still practice circumcision? I don't know about you, but my son is circumcised and so am I! In fact, it has been medically proven to be a healthy practice and is especially good to be done on the 8th day, as Torah states, when the baby is loaded with natural antibodies. Is circumcision necessary for Salvation? Of course not, and never was!
Gal 2:15 "We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles;
Gal 2:16   nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.
You see, no man is justified by the Law (Torah).  Even Jews know that!  HR folks do not see the Torah as a means for Salvation!  It is a means of Sanctification!  If you really love Jesus, if you really desire to get close to Him, you will follow His commandments by practicing Torah!

A Christian friend said to me, "I have Torah written on my heart, therefore I don't need to follow Torah."  I answered, "Great!  I'm so happy for you!  But please tell me, why do you still watch dirty movies, go to church on Sunday, drink 'til drunkenness, and celebrate Christmas and Easter?"  He didn't know what to say!  Why?  Because he DOES NOT have Torah written on his heart!  My "friend" does not live by the spirit of the law.  Here's an example:

Mat 5:27 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY';

(the LETTER OF THE LAW)

Mat 5:28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

(the SPIRIT OF THE LAW) Jesus' definition of "the Law" is actually more strict than Torah!  One last thing.
Mat 7:22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'
Mat 7:23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' That word "LAWLESSNESS" is stated as "Iniquity" in the KJV.  Do you know what the Greek word is?  It is "anomia".

"a" = WITHOUT
"Nomia" = TORAH!

If you want more, here are 281 Bible verses admonishing us to follow Torah.

Do you still want to dismiss Torah?  Do you still want to dismiss the Hebrew Roots movement?

The Observer

Hebraic Roots - How To Properly Study Your Bible

If you are still a pew-warming bench-sitter in church on Sunday, you may wish to read and understand this. It shows the way to read your Bible from a Hebraic Roots perspective.  That is, it looks at the Bible from the viewpoint of the people it was actually written to - Torah observant Jews, and Gentiles who were learning Torah. I'm using Mark, Chapter 7 as an illustration. My comments are in green. (NASB used)

 

Hebraic Roots Commentary - Mark Chapter 7

Mar 7:1 The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem,

Who - Pharisees and some of the scribes, followers of Rabbinic authority and Torah, but not really following Torah, but instead believing that Rabbinic authority supercedes Torah.
What - gathered around Him, wanting to test Yeshua concerning Rabbinic law, as we shall see.
When - when they had come from Jerusalem (sent from the Sanhedrin maybe?)

Mar 7:2 and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed.
Mar 7:3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders;
Mar 7:4 and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.)

What - this is not referring to hygiene. This is referring to a ritualistic washing of hands and saying the proper prayer while doing it. Conservative “Jews” and Rabbinic Synagogues still practice this before Oneg (a communal snack and/or meal). This “ritual washing of hands” before eating and at other times is a requirement of the Rabbis, not of Torah! If you do this ritualistic washing you are observing the traditions of the elders. Yeshua always defied the traditions because Torah says not to add or subtract from Torah. (Deut. 4:2) Jesus is the living, breathing, walking Torah. Some Messianic Jewish Synagogues practice ritual hand-washing. It is tradition, not Torah!  Concerning these modern times, you DO NOT want to leap out of the frying pan of "churchianity" only to end up in the fire of Rabbinic Judaism! Yeshua was bringing His children out of Rabbinic Babylon, NOT out of Torah! We must stay true to Yeshua-Yehovah, not Papal Rome, Protestant Pabulum, OR Rabbinical Authority. Contrary to what some people think, Hebraic Roots is NOT Rabbinic and it is NOT Judaism!

Mar 7:5 The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?"

…  ritualistically “impure hands”

What - these man-made rules have a name. They are called Takanot (pronounced: tah-ka-note) They are man-made rules that add to or take away from Torah - a DIRECT violation of Torah. Another term that you will see is Ma’a’sim, or Ma‘asim. Ma’a’sim (pronounced: ma-ah-seem) are actions (behaviors) of the Rabbis that become tradition, such as wearing extra long tzitzit, extra long prayer shawls, enlarged phylacteries (tefillin), having special seats in the Synagogue, etc … Jesus taught against all of this!

A word must be said here concerning my own tradition. The Christian Church is just as guilty as the Rabbis - if not more so! The church has it’s Takanot and Ma’asim as well. The church is in worst shape, I would argue, because they outright deny Torah and mistakenly call it “Law”. The ministers, priests, and pastors gave us Christmas, Easter, sunrise services, Sunday worship, eating unclean foods, doctrinal madness, anti-Semitism, and more! These sins must be acknowledged and we must get on our knees and ask forgiveness and sin no more! A day of reckoning is coming and the Church, like Rabbinic Judaism, is still within Babylon! Come out of her!

continuing ...

Mar 7:6 And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.

This references Isaiah Ch. 29. The people during Isaiah's time had stopped celebrating YHVH's Feasts and had instituted their own. They were NOT FOLLOWING TORAH! These contemporaries of Jesus were also following traditions, not Torah.

Mar 7:7 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'
Mar 7:8 "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men."
Mar 7:9 He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.

... Sound familiar? This is Jesus saying, YOU ARE TEACHING YOUR MAN-MADE PRECEPTS AS DOCTRINE, WHILE NEGLECTING TORAH, which is instruction from God, AND YOU ARE EXPERTS AT SETTING ASIDE TORAH!

Folks, do you begin to get the picture? Yeshua is ALL FOR FOLLOWING TORAH! The church has made the same mistake the Rabbis made!

Mar 7:10 "For Moses said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER'; and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH';
Mar 7:11 but you say, 'If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),'
Mar 7:12 you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother;
Mar 7:13 thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that."

"Corban" was a man-made practice of setting aside wealth (funds) to eventually use for the LORD. This man-made tradition had people ignoring their old parents needs because they could use the excuse that their extra money was "set aside" already and could not be used to care for their aged parents. This is in DIRECT OPPOSITION TO TORAH, especially the Big 10!

... this next section of Mark always puts everyone in a tizzy because people say it promotes the eating of unclean foods ...  it does not!  : )

Mar 7:14 After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:
Mar 7:15 there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.
Mar 7:16 ["If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."]
Mar 7:17 When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable.
Mar 7:18 And He *said to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him,
Mar 7:19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.)
Mar 7:20 And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man.
Mar 7:21 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,
Mar 7:22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.
Mar 7:23 "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."

Who - Jesus is talking to Pharisees here, ardent practitioners of eating clean foods only as Torah instructs - just like Jesus.
Why - Yeshua has just finished blasting them for not following Torah! Jesus Himself also ate clean foods only and followed Torah perfectly! Would Jesus say it's now OK to eat unclean foods?

I argue the answer is No! Is this a translation problem here? Have words been added to corrupt the meaning? More on this later. Our New Testament has many translation problems, btw.

Why do I say this cannot be permission to eat unclean foods? Because of other passages. Look at this :

1Pe 1:14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,
1Pe 1:15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
1Pe 1:16 because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

... which references, in the same way, where IT IS WRITTEN in Leviticus;

Lev 11:44 'For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth.

In fact, you should read all of Ch. 44 of Leviticus. It's the one that tells us what to eat and what not to eat! We should eat clean foods not only for health reasons, but to be "Holy", that is, "set apart"!

Please understand something here! The issue of clean/unclean foods is an issue of SANCTIFICATION, not of SALVATION. I was raised in a Pentecostal household and my mother used to say; "you must be saved, sanctified, and filled with the holy ghost!", because this is what her tradition told her. The problem with this is the order! One obtains SALVATION first, by grace, as a free gift from Yeshua (as long as you accept it). Then comes SANCTIFICATION which is the process of drawing closer to Yeshua-Yehovah through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. You are not "saved" until your body is changed, "in the twink of an eye, when the mortal puts on immortality". So, if one does not have the inclination to clean their temple (body), I would suggest they are simply at a different place on their SANCTIFICATION journey. The problem, as I see it, is that most Christians don't seem to care about sanctification!

Aside from the overwhelming evidence that Scripture never invalidates Torah (remember, at the time Mark was written believers followed Torah and the Tanahk), it appears that many people just don't want the sanctification bit. As I've heard someone say, let's let the Jews interpret all the Scripture they have written and we'll let the Gentiles interpret all the Scripture they have written! Oh wait! No Gentile has ever written Scripture! There is also a very big problem with saying Yeshua claims eating unclean foods is OK, folks!

It would mean that Jesus IS NOT THE MESSIAH!

Deu 13:1 "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, Deu 13:2 and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,'
Deu 13:3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deu 13:4 "You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.

Also, the parenthetical entry in the translation, " (Thus He declared all foods clean.) " is a modern practice in our translations!

This fellow, Robert Roy, does an excellent job describing the proper translation.

In simple language, what Yeshua is telling the Pharisees' in this Mark 7 portion is that their Takanot is not even worthy of comment and whatever dirt was on His follower's "unclean" hands would be processed by the stomach and expunged through elimination. And beware! Because the truly unclean things issue out of the heart of man!

Folks, I'll leave you with a thought. Having talked with many "Jews", including Hassidic Jews, they all say one thing when I ask them about Yeshua. They say that Jesus cannot be the Messiah because of the way Christians teach He denies Torah! Wow! Folks, Jesus does not deny Torah!

 

The Observer

Why Do Some Folks Try to Use the New Testament to Deny Torah and Sabbath Rest? Here is why they're wrong!

Many of my church brothers have said that Romans, Chapter 4 specifically defines why we are not required to follow Torah, Sabbath, or other "laws", and in fact, should have no desire to do so. I am about to lovingly prove them wrong! Reading into biblical text without clarity tints it's meaning with the shade of desire we humans want, not the truth we need.

So, here I repeat my words to them. "The proper way to interpret Scripture is to let Scripture interpret itself!" One CANNOT and should not read a verse, chapter, or book without trying his or her best to comprehend all related references to a given subject. We owe this effort to God Almighty as well as to each other. An honest evaluation of Scripture must be the rule. A teaching or doctrine has to be cohesively sensible with all related Scripture or it makes a liar out of YHVH, Yeshua and us! In other words, we must have a confluence of Scripture. In this blog entry I'll use the books of Peter and Paul, along with other biblical authors to show that the LORD changes not! (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8) I will show that Torah is forever until it is completely fulfilled and the Sabbath Rest and the Feasts are all still to be celebrated! No, not all of the related text will be shown here because of the sheer volume of material. Have you ever wondered why there are so many different Christian denominations? It's because men have latched on to and attached themselves to sound bites of Scripture without attempting to form a comprehensive knowledge of what all Scripture says! Obviously, no human can "connect all the dots" present in Scripture, but we can try! We will be connecting those dots until Yeshua returns, around Yom Teruah and the blowing of the 7th Trumpet.

(pre-Trib Rapture folks will disagree here and that's fine! Another blog?  : ) )

All quoted biblical verses in this entry are from the NASB. The Apostle Peter (Kefa) stated that Sha'ul (Paul) was hard to understand, so we must be careful (2 Peter 3).

2 Peter 3:16   ... as also in all his letters [who's letters? - Paul's!], speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

[Rhetorical Thoughts:  Why did Peter give us warning about Paul's writings? He did so because some of the followers of Yeshua, being Hellenistic Jews mingled with Greeks/Romans, we're already beginning to blend pagan Greek philosophy into "The Way" and Peter wanted to make sure they knew that this was error. Paul was an expert in Hebraic and Greek argument and it shows in his letters! Rhetorical Question: Did Christ, Peter, Paul, and the rest of the disciples follow Torah? What Scripture was available to the Followers of the Way at this point in history?]

Romans Ch. 4

Rom 4:1   What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?
Rom 4:2   For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
Rom 4:3   For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."
Rom 4:4   Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.
Rom 4:5   But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,
Rom 4:6   just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
Rom 4:7   "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.
Rom 4:8   "BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT."
Rom 4:9   Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, "FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."
Rom 4:10   How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;
Rom 4:11   and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,
Rom 4:12   and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.
Rom 4:13   For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.
Rom 4:14   For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified;
Rom 4:15   for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.
Rom 4:16   For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
Rom 4:17   (as it is written, "A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU") in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.
Rom 4:18   In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, "SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE."
Rom 4:19   Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb;
Rom 4:20   yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,
Rom 4:21   and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.
Rom 4:22   Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Rom 4:23   Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him,
Rom 4:24   but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
Rom 4:25   He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

[Note: Romans 4 references Gen. 15, 17,and 26; also, Psalm 32:1-2; This teaching is part of Torah and the Prophets! "LAWLESS" means "without Torah"]

Romans 4 is the classic definition of the word SALVATION.  Salvation is defined as:

1. the act of saving or protecting from harm, risk, loss, destruction, etc.

2. the state of being saved or protected from harm, risk, etc.

3. a source, cause, or means of being saved or protected from harm, risk, etc.

4. Theology . deliverance from the power and penalty of sin; redemption.

 

Abraham has salvation and is considered righteous because of FAITH.  Faith is defined as:

 

1. confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability. 

2. belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact. 

3. belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.

4. belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.: to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty. 
5. a system of religious belief: the Christian faith; the Jewish faith.

A terrific and accurate synonym for faith is TRUST. This basic tenant of Christianity is accepted by ALL Christians, especially Hebraic Roots Christians.  We ALL believe in the following from Ephesians:

Eph 2:4   But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

Eph 2:5   even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Eph 2:6   and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Eph 2:7   so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Eph 2:8   For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

Eph 2:9   not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

[Notes and Thoughts: those "transgressions" in verse 5 are sins against Torah, btw; Sin is defined as transgression against Torah! (1 John 3); Question: Is Grace a New Covenant concept? No! Grace is present throughout the Tanahk!]

Now, look again at Romans 4 again. Verse 6 has King David stating, with my paraphrasing; "Blessed is the man who was without Torah (lawless) but was considered forgiven". So, ALL of us are on the same page, so far! Our Salvation is through the free gift of grace from Yeshua without any recognition of our works!

Yet, here is where the average Christian stops.  He says, OK!  I'm "saved" - everything's good!  However, the good book doesn't stop here. We still have a race to run. (1 Cor. 9) For Christ Himself states: "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments". (John 14) The word "keep" is a technical, legal term meaning you are actually doing them! 

[Rhetorical Thoughts: Which commandments? Why, all of those encompassed in the two greatest commandments as indicated in Matt. 22:37-40. These two commandments are also in Torah; Deut. 6, Lev. 19:18]

Now, having started out together on the same page of "justified by faith", what does the good book say we do now? Do we continue in sin (the breaking of Torah), or do we do our best to go and sin no more? Let's look at the book of James.

For faith without works is dead:

Jas 2:12   So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.
Jas 2:13   For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
Jas 2:14   What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
Jas 2:15   If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
Jas 2:16   and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?
Jas 2:17   Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
Jas 2:18   But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
Jas 2:19   You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
Jas 2:20   But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
Jas 2:21   Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
Jas 2:22   You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
Jas 2:23   and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.
Jas 2:24   You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
Jas 2:25   In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
Jas 2:26   For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

What is this law of liberty in verse 12? It's called Torah! YIKES! Wait a minute! You mean just having faith is not enough?!?  Even demons have belief (faith) in God! What?!? We are JUDGED by our deeds (works)?!?

You see folks, we are indeed justified by our faith as Romans 4 states, but we can then lose that justification, that salvation, if we continue to sin and not ask for forgiveness. Even demons have faith in Yeshua-Yehovah, yet they continue to sin and are lost! Do you begin to see why we must understand and comprehend all Scripture? Do you see why a doctrine that says, "once saved, always saved" is so demonic, so pernicious? It distorts Scripture and is not truthful. Does the example of King Solomon ring a bell? He started out "saved" and then turned against Yehovah in his old age. Am I judging Solomon? No! Yeshua will judge him - and all of us!

Oh! And, btw, I hope all of us know that their was never an Apostle named James. His name was Jacob, or, in Hebrew, Ya'akov.  He was the head of the "church" in Jerusalem until he was killed. Also, Paul (Sha'ul) was the Apostle to the Gentiles - not Peter! Peter was the Apostle to the Jews. So much for the false, "churchy" "first pope" lie! And also, the Bible did not originally have chapter and verse. The book of Romans is one single written statement. This leads us to the introductory thesis statement or preface to Romans Ch. 4. It's at the end of what we now call Ch. 3. It is the transition text ending what Sha'ul just said and what he will say next. It is a qualifier concerning what is being written. It is saying; "whatever you do - DON"T FORGET THIS!" It will surprise most of you:

Rom 3:28   For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. (Tiger's Note: "like Abraham")
Rom 3:29   Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
Rom 3:30   since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.
Rom 3:31   Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

WE ESTABLISH TORAH! WHAT!?! Understand something here, folks! The good book never invalidates or denies Torah! Only when man adds his own tincture and "colors" on it can we began arguing that Torah (the Law) is dead or fulfilled. Torah will not be fulfilled until the end of the millennial reign!

Yeshua returns to earth, after the wedding feast, and reigns for a 1,000 years and rules with a "rod of iron". (Rev. Ch. 2) Those nations who do not pay homage will receive no rain (which is a death sentence). Why does Jesus reign with an iron rod? We will be living under Torah, celebrating the Feasts of YHVH! Each year, at the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) we (or our representative?) must travel to Jerusalem and pay homage to the King of Kings, LORD of Hosts. (Zech. 14) During this time we are being trained and ingrained with Torah and it's Truth! You see! Torah will not be completely fulfilled until the New Heaven and New Earth! (Rev. Ch. 21)

So, did Yeshua and His followers follow Torah? Yes, if fact they did!  And we will still be doing this in the millennium. So, what excuse will you give Yeshua at judgement time? I don't say this with pride, but with fear of our LORD!

[Next Rhetorical Thought Question:  Did Christ, Peter, Paul, and the rest of the disciples follow Sabbath rest - a requirement of Torah?]

Heb 4:1   Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.
Heb 4:2   For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.
Heb 4:3   For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, "AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST," although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Heb 4:4   For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: "AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS";
Heb 4:5   and again in this passage, "THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST."
Heb 4:6   Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience,
Heb 4:7   He again fixes 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."
 Heb 4:8   For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.
Heb 4:9   So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
Heb 4:10   For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.
Heb 4:11   Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.
Heb 4:12   For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Heb 4:13   And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
Heb 4:14   Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
Heb 4:15   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.
Heb 4:16   Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

My goodness folks! Now, look at Hebrews 4 without coloring it. What does it say?

- let us fear
- a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it
- because it was not united by faith
- For we who have believed enter that rest
- Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience
- So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God
- Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall
- through disobedience
- the word of God is living and active
- For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses

In my paraphrase, "fear, and have faith, because we believers have a promise of Sabbath rest, do not be disobedient in this, there does remain a Sabbath rest, enter that rest or you will fall because of disobedience, the Word is still alive and true, our High Priest knows of our weaknesses."

Jesus has a sign, a symbol, a seal of authority on His people. Satan has a sign and seal on his people. Jesus established this seal long ago:

Gen 2:1   Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.
Gen 2:2   By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
Gen 2:3   Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
Gen 2:4   This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven.

Exo 31:16   'So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.'
Exo 31:17   "It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed."

Are you part of Israel? Or, do you lay claim to a man-made religion that worships "another Jesus"? (2 Cor. 11) Satan's seal, btw, is disobedience and it will come to a head with the Mark of that Beast.

My church friends need to awaken. They need to realize we are in the midst of prophetic fulfillment right now!

Jer 16:19   O LORD, my strength and my stronghold, And my refuge in the day of distress, To You the nations will come From the ends of the earth and say, "Our fathers have inherited nothing but falsehood, Futility and things of no profit."

Come out of Babylon! It exists right there in your pews! Can't you see it?

Hat Tip: The Tigress

The Observer