With Paul in
Beginning in 60 A.D., the first fissure of national rupture
between Judaism and Messianism began to occur on the surface of Palestinian
life. By 64 A.D. the initial fissure had erupted into a sizeable rift between
the two communities. By the time of open revolt against
Just prior to his execution in 62 A.D., James, the brother of King Jesus and Jesus’ regent in the terrestrial realm during His rule from His Celestial Davidic throne, writes his letter “to the twelve tribes in the realm of the interest of the dispersion” (James 1:1b my translation). James is here alluding to the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles and the promise of Yahweh to gather His people together to Himself from among the territories of the dispersion. Jeremiah had written:
Behold I am bringing them from the north country [the Southern
Ezekiel had confirmed the words of Jeremiah,
Thus says the Lord God [Yahweh Elohim], “Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.” (Ezekiel 37:19 NASB)
These dispersed and gathered tribes would be judged, ruled, according to Jesus, by His Twelve Apostles:
And you will be seated on thrones, judging the twelve
tribes of
“The twelve tribes of
James addresses this Israel of Yahweh as “the twelve tribes in the realm of the interest of the dispersion” which have been gathered to Yahweh during the eschatological years of the Mosaic Eon. Thus, the letter of James is written in the light of the nearness of the eschatological expectation of the Parousia of Messiah Jesus and the great affliction about to be entered into. As the Twelve Apostles had continued faithfully with Jesus in His trials (Lk. 22:28) and, thus, had been promised the judgeship over the twelve tribes of Israel, so also, James writes to the twelve tribes of Israel (the regathered dispersed peoples of the Southern Kingdom of Judah and the Northern Kingdom of Ephraim/Israel dispersed among the territories of the Roman Empire) who are to “Rejoice! . . . whenever you [my brethren, both Messianic Jews and Messianic Gentiles] should be falling into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith [faithfulness] is producing endurance” (James 1:2-3 CV).
The
Messianic Community in
James is well aware, even as Paul, that “the presence [Parousia] of the Lord [Messiah Jesus] is near” (James 5:8b CV). Consequently, he writes, “Happy [Blessed, Honored] is the man who is enduring trial, for, becoming qualified, he will be obtaining the wreath [crown] of life, which He [Messiah Jesus] promises to those loving Him” (James 1:12 CV). The gnomic future is here used by James to indicate that the crown of life (New Covenant life) is presently being worn by all those in Christ who continually endure the trial associated with the sufferings of Messiah Jesus, thus continuously meeting the necessary condition for reigning with Messiah Jesus. Such faithful endurance signifies one’s qualification as a courageous spiritual-warrior in Messiah Jesus’ Davidic royal-militia (see Rev. 2:10b). Those Messianics remaining qualified so as to honorably adorn the crown of New Covenant life through faithful endurance of eschatological trial are characterized as a firstfruit of Yahweh’s own new creations (James 1:18b). Each citizen-member of the New Born-From-Above Israel is a new-creation-member in Yahweh’s New Creation in Christ, the Ecclesia of Messiah Jesus (the called-out twelve tribes in the realm of the interest of the elect dispersion gathered together to Yahweh, thus ending the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles).
James,
aware of the increasing political and religious turmoil among the people of
Lawless rebellion is not the way of the Mosaic Law. Trust in Yahweh called for trust in His Anointed Son/King, Messiah Jesus. Such trust meant faithfulness to the letter and spirit of the law as properly appropriated by Messiah Jesus, the New Davidic Warrior-King and Righteous Judge of the Israel of Yahweh.
James
and the Messianic Community in
Yet let every man be swift to hear, tardy to speak, tardy to anger, for the anger of man is not working the righteousness of God [Yahweh]. Wherefore, putting off all filthiness and superabundance of evil [the works of the soulish/soilish old Adamic man], receive with meekness the implanted word [of the truth of the Gospel by appropriating the power of the counter-alterating spirit], which is able to save your souls [through the endurance of affliction on behalf of Messiah Jesus and the Gospel]. (James 1:19b-21 CV)
James exhorts the Messianic brethren to be doers of the word of Yahweh, not listeners only (James 1:23). Those in Christ are to practice the freedom of Messiah Jesus, the freedom of the new man counter-altered so as to be enabled to fulfill the letter and spirit of Yahweh’s Law as sons of Yahweh having His law written on the tablet of their hearts (James 1:25). The law of freedom is The Law of Christ, THE SON of Yahweh. James admonishes those in Christ who do not observe the righteousness of Yahweh’s Law. The lawful ones are presently the recipients of and participators in the allotment of the New Davidic Kingdom of Messiah Jesus promised to those loving Yahweh, those keeping Yahweh’s commandments in accord with the terms of the New Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant (James 2:5-7). The lawless ones forfeit this present allotment in Messiah’s Kingdom, having their crowns of life removed as a result of dishonorable service.
The Messianic brethren are to be “discharging the royal law [as royal-warriors of Jesus the Davidic Warrior-King], according to the scripture, ‘You shall be loving your associate [neighbor] as yourself’” (James 2:8 CV). The Mosaic Law is to be faithfully observed, not in accord with its Sinatic Covenant framework, but in accord with the new liberating framework of the Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant. Those loving Yahweh in Christ love the whole of Yahweh’s Law as competently understood and appropriated by Messiah Jesus in accord with the terms and conditions of the New Covenant, the truth of the Gospel.
One who seeks to exclude any requirement of Yahweh’s Law is a transgressor of the law, not loving Yahweh’s Law with the whole heart, mind, and soul. Such disciples walk in the flesh of the old Adamic man, “being exposed by the law as transgressors” (James 2:9b CV). These disciples are lawless because they do not seek to observe the whole law. But, seeking what is right in their own eyes, rather than what is right in the eyes of Yahweh, they discard and/or neglect those requirements of Yahweh's Law which they consider detrimental to their own selfish welfare.
James
exhorts all the Messianic brethren to be speaking and practicing the whole law
as those seeking what is right in the eyes of Yahweh, “as those about to be judged by a law of freedom” (James 2:12b CV).
This law of freedom is The Law of Christ (see
Gal. 5:1-6; 6:2). The consummation of Messiah Jesus’ Parousia would initiate
the judgment of Yahweh’s faithful servants before the Bema Seat of Messiah
Jesus (2 Cor.
Hence,
faith without works is dead (James
Faith
without works is a hypocritical masking of covenantal prostitution by which one
claims the counter-alteration but neglects to appropriate its power, resulting
in a walk in accord with the flesh of the soulish/soilish man. The Judge
standing before the doors will not be mocked. He will not be deceived. He knows
the hearts of those claiming to be the righteousness of Yahweh. He will
separate the goats from the sheep. Faith/faithfulness keeps the principles of the Emancipation Proclamation of Messiah
Jesus, the Prince and Judge of
James
argues that faith is manifested by works. Though some Messianic brethren may
claim that they have faith and their faith saves them, such faith apart from
faithful observance of Yahweh's Law is deceiving. Such faith is empty, is
hollow, having no substance, “Now are you
wanting to know, O empty man, that faith apart from works is dead?” (James
Abraham had been commanded by Yahweh to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Abraham’s faith, believing the word of Yahweh, became manifested, substantial, when he actually prepared to sacrifice Isaac. His work reflected his faith. If he would have neglected his work, his faith would have been proven insubstantial, hollow, dead, unworthy of being accounted for righteousness. Faith demands faith-obedience. Faith requires acting in accord with the object of faith.
Abraham’s
work in preparing to obey Yahweh’s command concerning the sacrifice of Isaac
the son of promise was an act of faith. He, as the writer of Hebrews explains,
believed that Yahweh was able to resurrect Isaac from the dead (Heb.
faith worked together with his works, and by works was this faith [of his] perfected. And fulfilled was the scripture which is saying, Now “Abraham believed Yahweh, and it was reckoned [accounted] to him for righteousness, . . .” (James 2:22b-23a CV)
Abraham’s faith-obedience in the offering-up of Isaac confirmed and fulfilled the legitimacy of his faith which Yahweh had accounted for righteousness. Thus, the accounting of Yahweh had also been vindicated. Yahweh is not mocked. He knows genuine faith from counterfeit, empty, hollow faith which has the audacity to attempt to deceive Yahweh.
Rahab’s
faith also had been perfected by her works. Believing in the righteous Elohim
of Israel, she demonstrated this faith by protecting the Israelite spies and
guiding them in their escape. If her faith had been hollow, empty, counterfeit,
insubstantial, dead, she would not have risked her own life in protecting the
alien spies from the authorities of her own people. Her faith had been
perfected by her works, her faith-obedience. Her faith operated through her
deeds. She had protected and guided the Israelite spies to safety. When the
army of
For even as the body apart from spirit is dead, thus also faith apart from works is dead. (James 2:26 CV)
In
this, James is in complete agreement with Paul. The Body of Christ is not
dysfunctional. By the power of the spirit it is harmoniously unified, all
members, through the operation of the spirit, working together for the welfare
and perfection of the Body. Those members becoming corrupt and contaminating
are expelled (1 Cor.
James
is concerned that the Messianic brethren oppose injustice and defend the poor. Aware
of the social disturbances and the religious and political pressures of current
events in
Now the wisdom from above [the wisdom from the metaphoric heavenly Born-From-Above Israel, the new heavenly Jerusalem metaphorically having descended from above] is first, indeed, pure, thereupon peaceable, lenient, compliant, bulging with mercy and good fruits, undiscriminating, unfeigned. Now the fruit of righteousness is being sown in peace for those making peace. (James 3:17-18 CV)
Jesus
had accused the Jewish power-elite of neglecting the weightier matters of the
law, meaning righteous judgment, mercy, and the faith accounted for
righteousness (Matt.
Nearing the Day of Yahweh, James is aware of the influx and threat of counterfeit messianics, false teachers corrupting the sheep by turning them back to the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant as contaminated by Judaism. He strongly admonishes,
Adulterers and adulteresses! Are you not aware that the friendship of this world is enmity with God [Yahweh]? Whosoever, then should intend to be a friend of the world is constituted an enemy of God [Yahweh]. (James 4:4 CV)
The world James refers to is the world-order of Judaism, the contaminated world-order of the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant. Salvation and life are not to be found in the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant, but in the New Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant of Messiah Jesus. Friendship with the old, decadent world-order amounted to covenantal mixture. The mixing of the old and new covenants results in covenantal adultery. The Law of Moses must be observed according to the terms and conditions of the New Covenant, not the old Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant.
Judaism had exalted herself, boasting in her presumptuous confidence in Yahweh, even while she arrogantly neglected the weightier matters of the law: mercy, justice, and the faith/faithfulness accounted for righteousness. The Judge is standing before the doors. The Day of Yahweh is at hand. The Parousia of Messiah Jesus is imminent. The season of salvation is nearing its end; the season of the vengeance of Yahweh is fast approaching. As the foreboding prophets of the past had declared,
So the common man will be humbled and the man of importance abased, The eyes of the proud also will be abased. But the Lord [Yahweh] of hosts will be exalted in judgment, And the holy God [Elohim] will show Himself holy in righteousness. (Isaiah 5:15-16 NASB)
Apostate
Friendship
with the presently proud apostate nation exalting herself in her malignant
Judaism amounts to enmity with Yahweh. Apostate
James warns the Messianic brethren that if anyone intends to be a friend to the present apostate world-order of Judaism, he is immediately constituted an enemy of Yahweh. Thus, these Messianic brethren are to cease their unbecoming fighting among one another due to fleshly pride. Such pride stems from their attempt to gratify the lusts of the flesh. Thus, they are to turn from their coveting and petty jealousies (James 4:1-3).
Such pseudo proud thinking and behavior are not the fruit of the counter-alterating spirit dwelling in them: “Is the spirit which dwells in us longing to envy?” (James 4:5b CV). Accounting themselves dead to the old Adamic man, they are to yield (Rom. 6:12-14) themselves to the counter-alterating spirit, allowing the dwelling spirit to indwell, to actively operate in the members of their bodies, vivifying their bodies to Yahweh’s service and renewing their minds in accord with the sound teaching of the faith. Being subject to Yahweh in the power of the indwelling spirit of Christ, they are to “withstand The Adversary” (James 4:7b CV) as Paul had written to the Ephesian Messianic brethren, “put on the armor of Yahweh, to empower you to stand up to the strategic schemes of The Adversary . . .” (Eph. 6:11b my translation). Such standing firm in the faith will result in triumph over the strategic schemes of The Adversary carried out by apostate Jews outside and by pseudo-messianics within the Messianic Community: “withstand The Adversary, and he will be fleeing from you” (James 4:7b CV modified).
James assures those in Christ that if they humbly and obediently draw near to Yahweh, He will draw near to them (James 4:8a). He exhorts those who have been led astray by infiltrating adversaries,
Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, double-souled! Be wretched and mourn and lament. Let your laughter be converted into mourning, and joy into dejection. Be humbled, then, in the Lord's sight, and He shall be exalting you. (James 4:8b-10 CV, see also Ezekiel, chapter 18)
These brethren who have missed the mark (sinned) of Yahweh’s Law as set forth in the New Covenant are to cleanse their hands of social and religious injustices and purify their hearts from contaminating thinking.
They
are characterized as double-souled,
unstable as a result of attempting to yield the soul (the five senses of the
body) to two world-orders simultaneously. Thus, they have sought double
allegiance. They thought they could befriend the world-order of Judaism with
its proud allegiance to the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant and simultaneously the world-order
of Messiah Jesus with its faith-obedient allegiance to the New
Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant. They had sought to mix, combine, the two covenants,
attempting to remain patriots of national Judaism. However, to befriend the
world-order of Judaism is to befriend The Adversary, thereby, constituting
oneself an enemy of Yahweh and Messiah Jesus. It is impossible to serve two
masters at the same time (Matt.
James calls these straying brethren to the repentance associated with the foreboding prophets. The Day of Yahweh being near, there is no time to waste. Genuine repentance requires of these straying brethren an attitude of perceiving oneself as wretched in the sight of Yahweh. Such genuine humiliation produces mourning and lamentation over one’s shameful thinking and behaving. Humility now, during the season of salvation, will result in present restoration.
Present restoration means a return to standing firm in the faith against the strategic schemes of Apostate Israel. Standing firm to the consummation of the Day of Yahweh, to the consummation of the Parousia of Messiah Jesus, having faithfully endured the persecution of the coming great affliction of the time of Jacob’s trouble (the Jewish madness of revolt against Rome in the cause of Judaism and against the cause of authentic Messianism), results in the future exaltation with Messiah Jesus into the Celestial Allotment belonging to the ones faithfully conquering together with the conquering Davidic Warrior-King.
Having
severely reprimanded the economically wealthy (especially in
Yahweh
will not be mocked. The coming judgment will not merely be political or
religious. The condemned nation will once again be scattered. The holy land, the
holy
The Messianic brethren are to patiently remain faithful knowing the coming of Messiah Jesus is near. They are to heed the example of the foreboding prophets who had endured evil at the hands of their own kinsmen even while proclaiming the word of Yahweh concerning the coming judgment of Yahweh and the need to repent. Those fellow-Israelites who heeded the warning of the prophets maintained their righteousness before Yahweh, becoming fellow-allottees with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob of the promise of the Celestial Allotment. When the foreboding judgment of the prophets came, Yahweh had preserved His holy ones, but had destroyed the wicked. James writes, “Lo! we [the faithful Messianics] are counting happy [honorable] the ones having endured evil together with the prophets” (James 5:11a my amplified translation).
He then directs his readers to the endurance of Job (James 5:11b). Job had endured the suffering of evil while being righteous. He had not suffered this evil due to unrighteous thinking and behavior. He had suffered this evil in the cause of Yahweh, even though unaware of that cause. Nevertheless, Job had remained faithful to Yahweh, enduring the evil while refusing to curse Yahweh. In the end, Yahweh had exalted Job as His elect, righteous servant. James concludes, “for very compassionate and pitiful is the Lord [Yahweh]” (James 5:11c CV). Yahweh is compassionate and pitiful to His faithful elect who righteously endure evil in the present covenantal cause of Yahweh.
In these last days leading into the coming judgment of Yahweh against His malignant nation, James exhorts the Messianic brethren to pray for one another’s spiritual needs in the course of enduring evil at the hands of their fellow-kinsmen. Such faithful endurance is on behalf of Messiah Jesus, His Kingdom, and His Gospel. He points to the example of Elijah who, in the midst of a similar crooked and perverse generation of Israelites, prayed, on behalf of the spiritual welfare of his kinsmen, that Yahweh would withhold the rain from falling on the land.
Elijah’s
prayer was answered. Yahweh withheld the rain for a period of three-and-one-half
years. When Elijah prayed again on behalf of the spiritual welfare of his
kinsmen, Yahweh sent the much needed rain. The prayers of Yahweh’s faithful,
elect, covenantal people in the cause of Yahweh are effective (James 5:16b)
during the current evil suffered at the hands of the present crooked and
perverse generation of
The
covenantal history of
The
letter of James clearly confirms the imminent
expectation of the Parousia of Messiah Jesus. Faithful endurance of persecution
on behalf of the righteousness of the
The
first letter of Peter was written about 58 or 59 A.D., soon after the
imprisonment of Paul in
Peter
writes to the Messianic Gentiles representing the returnees to Yahweh from the
Assyrian exile of the Northern Kingdom of Ephraim/Israel dwelling in
Peter
writes to them soon after the Gentile Messianics had been officially offered up
to Yahweh by the priestly presentation of Paul in
Peter
writes to them from
Peter
writes of our Lord Jesus Messiah Who
has up-generated (anagennasas) us into the living hope of the resurrection of
This up-generation also refers to the counter-alteration of the teaching of Paul. The Messianic Gentiles are now joint-citizens together with the Messianic Jews in the New Born-From-Above Israel. As the Messianic Jews have been up-generated (covenantally roused and resurrected) as a result of the counter-alterating spirit of Yahweh and Messiah Jesus, so also the Messianic Gentiles have now been, likewise, counter-altered, up-generated.
Thus, Peter and Paul are in agreement. There is no rift, no contradiction, between the teachings of each of them. Each proclaims and teaches the Gospel of Messiah Jesus. Paul proclaims this Gospel in accord with the secret concerning the Gentile Messianics (the Gospel of the Uncircumcision). Peter proclaims this Gospel according to that which had not been concealed (the Gospel of the Circumcision).
Peter
acknowledges that this secret concerning the Gentile Messianics had been
according to “the foreknowledge” of
Yahweh (1 Pe. 1:2 CV). The enjoyment of the incorruptible, undefiled, and
unfading allotment now experienced by the Gentile Messianics has been “kept in the heavens for you [Messianic
Gentiles]” (1 Pe. 1:4b CV). This
allotment is the allotment promised to
Through faith, together, the Messianic Jews and Messianic Gentiles (as one new Nation, one new Kingdom, one new Ecclesia, one new spiritual Body) eagerly await the “salvation ready to be revealed in the last era [season]” (1 Pe. 1:5b CV). This salvation refers to the consummation of the present resurrection already in progress. This consummation will occur at the consummation of the Parousia of Messiah Jesus. The “last era” (or season) refers to the time of Jacob’s trouble, the time of Yahweh’s visitation, the time of the Jewish revolt against Rome, the season of Apostate Israel’s madness (see Deut. 28:28-29 CV).
Until
this salvation is consummated, Peter reminds these Gentile Messianics of the “various trials” (1 Pe. 1:6b CV) which
must presently be endured. These trials, in essence, the trials of Messiah
Jesus (Lk.
If anyone is wanting to come after Me [Jesus], let him renounce himself and pick up his cross and follow Me. For whosoever may be wanting to save his soul shall be destroying it. Yet whoever should be destroying his soul on My account shall be finding it. (Matthew 16:24b-25 CV)
Peter, then, elaborates on the salvation of the Messianic Gentiles, affirming the Gospel of the Uncircumcision committed to and proclaimed by Paul, who, in his letter to the Messianic brethren in Ephesus, addressing the Messianic Gentiles, declares, “In Whom you [Messianic Gentiles] also—on hearing the word of truth, the evangel of your salvation,” thus, confirming the legitimate, authorized divine distinction between the Gospel of the Circumcision and the Gospel of the Uncircumcision. Upon believing this Gospel, the Gentile Messianics were sealed with the holy spirit of promise, the promise made to Israel, which spirit is a pledge guaranteeing the imminent enjoyment of the Celestial Allotment about to come at the consummation of the present spiritual conflict (Eph. 1:13-14).
Peter writes that this salvation sent to the nations in order to call out from among the uncircumcised gentiles a people for Yahweh’s name (Acts 15:14) had been the subject of the diligent and careful inquiry of contemporary Messianic Jewish prophets, who, through the spirit of Christ within them, had prophesied concerning this grace of Yahweh to be sent to the Gentiles (1 Pe. 1:10). Paul had written that this salvation associated with the secret of the Gospel, the Gospel of the Uncircumcision, had been concealed from past generations but recently, since Messiah Jesus’ resurrection and exaltation, had been revealed to the sons of Israel, the Messianic Jews:
The secret of the Christ [Messiah], which, in other generations, is not made known to the sons of the men [Messianic Jews] as it was now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets: in spirit the nations [Messianic Gentiles] are to be joint enjoyers of an allotment, and a joint body, and joint partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus [Messiah Jesus], through the evangel of which I became the dispenser, . . . (Ephesians 3:4b-7a CV modified)
Before the calling and commissioning of Paul, the spirit had directed Messianic Jews to proclaim the Gospel of Messiah to Greeks in Antioch of Syria. Messianic Jewish prophets had prophesied concerning this gracious salvation of the Gentiles. But they had been perplexed by its occurrence. It had not occurred as had been expected.
|
v. 10 |
Concerning which salvation [the salvation of the soul of the Messianic Jew now shared by the Messianic Gentile] prophets [present Jewish Messianic prophets] sought out and enquired, those prophets having prophesied concerning the grace [that grace toward the gentiles revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures but nevertheless concealed in these scriptures concerning that grace’s actual, surprising, unexpected fulfillment in the present] which is for you [Messianic Gentiles], |
|
v. 11 |
inquiring [after the
revelation of the salvation of Cornelius and his household and the Greek
God-fearers in Antioch of Syria, see Acts 10:44-48 and Acts 11:19-21]
into what or what manner of season [era]
the spirit of Christ [Messiah Jesus]
in them was making evident when testifying beforehand concerning the
sufferings on behalf of Christ [of both
Messianic Jews and Messianic Gentiles] and the glories [to be shared by both Messianic Jews and
Gentiles remaining faithful to the end of the current eon] coming after
these sufferings. |
|
v. 12 |
To whom it was revealed that not to themselves [Messianic Jews], but to you [Messianic Gentiles] they were dispensing these things [the present salvation, sufferings, and coming glories], of which you [Messianic Gentiles] were now informed through those [Messianic Jews] who have proclaimed the Gospel to you in accord with the purpose of that holy spirit having been sent from heaven [beginning at the Festival of Pentecost of Acts, chapter 2], into which things [celestial] messengers are yearning to peer. (1 Pe. 1:10-12 my amplified translation) |
These
prophets, therefore, diligently and carefully inquired concerning this
salvation of gentiles. They searched the scriptures and sought in prayer an
answer to this perplexing situation. The answer came with the commissioning of
Paul and the revelation of the secret of Messiah Jesus given to Paul, who then
shared it with the Messianic Jewish Community (1 Pe.
Consequently,
it was revealed to these contemporary Jewish Messianic prophets that this
salvation revealed in the Gospel of the Uncircumcision was not sent (dispensed,
1 Pe. 1:12a) to them (Jews), but to the elect Gentiles. This salvation, however,
was in association with their own. This was the secret. The members of the
uncircumcised faithful seed of Abraham were to be joint-enjoyers of
This
salvation communicated in the Gospel of the Uncircumcision had, thus, been sent
to the Messianic Gentiles, informing them of the grace and mercy bestowed on
them by Yahweh and His Messiah, Jesus the man of
Peter
exhorts these Messianic Gentiles to strengthen their minds in the truth of the
Gospel, to stand firm in the faith, in the sure expectation soon to become
theirs at the imminent unveiling of
Jesus Messiah (1 Pe. 1:13). In agreement with Paul, Peter writes that these
Gentile Messianics are not to be “configuring
to the former desires [of the old Adamic soulish/soilish man]” (1 Pe.
These
Messianic Gentiles, during their present temporary sojourn on the way to the
Celestial Allotment, are to serve Yahweh and Messiah Jesus in the interest of
covenantal fear (see Phil. 2:12 NASB, “work
out your salvation with fear and trembling”). For to turn back to the
darkness and ignorance of the vain behavior handed down by the traditions of
the adulterous Northern Kingdom of Israel or that of the disqualified nations
is to count the precious blood of the New Covenant as contaminating (1 Pe.
1:17-19; Heb. 10:29). This precious blood is the blood of Christ, the flawless
and unspotted Lamb of Yahweh foreknown (predetermined within Yahweh’s designed
purpose) before the casting down, the establishment, of the Sinatic
world-order, yet manifested in these last times (of the Mosaic Eon) for the
sake of Yahweh’s purpose concerning the Gentile Messianics (1 Pe. 1:19-20). The
salvation of
Peter describes these Messianic Gentiles as “recently born babes” (1 Pe. 2:2 CV). By “recently,” he means in contrast with their long exile as Lo-Ammi, not My people, as representatives of the Northern Kingdom of Ephraim/Israel which had been absorbed among the nations, thereby becoming uncircumcised (see Zech. 10:6-10). Now, in the realm of the rule of Messiah Jesus, they are “living stones” being built up into a “spiritual house” (1 Pe. 2:5) united together with the spiritual house of Judah (the Jews), the two (the stick of Judah and the stick of Ephraim, Ezk. 37:16-19) becoming one spiritual House, One Temple made without hands, one united, holy Nation, one undivided Kingdom, the restored Davidic Kingdom of the Son of David, Jesus the Messiah:
and I will make them one nation . . . and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations, and . . . no longer be divided into two kingdoms. (Ezk. 37:22 NASB)
Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord [Yahweh]. Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne [the Davidic throne]. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices. (Zechariah 6:12-13 NASB)
Messiah Jesus, the Branch, the Son of David, is both King and Priest. He is the promised Davidic King and the promised priest after the order of Melchizedek (Ps. 110:4). His kingdom, therefore, is a kingdom of priests (Rev. 1:6; Ex. 19:6). Hence, Peter can describe the Messianic Gentiles as not only a spiritual house (the house of Ephraim/Israel), but also a “holy priesthood” (1 Pe. 2:5). These Messianic Gentiles, becoming joint-citizens of the Saints (the Messianic Jews, the New Born-From-Above Israel), also become priests after the order of Melchizedek.
Consequently, these Messianic Gentiles representing the Northern Kingdom of Ephraim/Israel and being joined to the New Born-From-Above Israel (the Southern Kingdom of Judah, the Messianic Jews, the New Messianic Nation/Kingdom) are also, according to 1 Pe. 2:9, a “chosen race” (elect sons of Abraham), a “royal priesthood” (after the order of Melchizedek), and a “holy nation” (the New Born-From-Above Israel), a “procured people” (a called-out people from among the nations for the name of Yahweh, Acts 15:14). These Messianic Gentiles have been called “out of darkness” (1 Pe. 2:9 CV), the darkness of their Lo-Ammi exile, into the marvelous light of Messiah Jesus, the marvelous light of the Gospel of Yahweh concerning His Only-Begotten Son/King. Peter confirms this by quoting from Hosea 1:9, 10, and 23, referring to these Messianic Gentiles as once “not a people,” but now a people of Yahweh, as in the past having “‘not enjoyed mercy,’ yet now ‘being shown mercy’” (1 Pe. 2:10 CV).
Then,
again, Peter refers to them as “sojourners
and expatriates” (1 Pe.
These
Messianic Gentiles representing the Northern Kingdom of Ephraim/Israel are to
follow in the footsteps of Jesus the Messiah (1 Pe.
The
Messianic Nation/Kingdom is in a holy war, a holy conflict. These Messianic
Gentile people of Yahweh must not seek their own vengeance. They are to
manifest the love of Yahweh and Messiah Jesus for the peoples graciously chosen
to hear the mercy and compassion, the salvation, extended to them in the
proclamation of the Gospel of Messiah Jesus. This is their faith-obedience
obligation as previously “straying sheep”
(of the Northern Lo-Ammi Kingdom of Ephraim/Israel) who, through Yahweh’s mercy
and compassion, have now “turned back to
the Shepherd and Supervisor of your souls” (1 Pe.
hallow the Lord Christ in your hearts, ever ready with a defense for everyone [Jew first and also Gentile] who is demanding from you an account concerning the expectation [the hope of Israel] in you, but with meekness and fear, having a good conscience, that, in what they [primarily Jews, but also gentiles] are speaking against you as of evildoers, they may be mortified [turning back to the truth of the Gospel], who traduce [vilify, defame] your good behavior in [the interest of the rule of] Christ. (1 Peter 3:15-16 CV)
Unlike some zealot Jews who had already begun to act insubordinately in relation to Roman authorities and Roman cultural norms, the Messianic Gentiles (following the example of the Messianic Jews) are to respect these authorities and cultural norms (see 1 Pe. 2:13-20), for the end of the Mosaic Eon is at hand. Suffering must be on behalf of the righteousness of the present Messianic Kingdom, not on behalf of political or social reform. Messianic suffering should imitate the suffering of Messiah Jesus. For the sake of the sins of the ungodly, including all Messianic Jews and Gentiles, Messiah Jesus had died. His purpose or goal was to be leading the elect Jews (us, 1 Pe. 3:18b) to Yahweh. Thus, His purpose was the salvation of Israel and through Israel the salvation of the nations, and this, in accord with the secret of the Gospel, the secret of Christ, the secret of Yahweh concealed in the Hebrew Scriptures concerning “the untraceable riches of Christ to the nations, . . . the administration of the secret, . . . concealed from the eons in the interest of Yahweh” (Eph. 3:8b-9a CV modified). Messiah Jesus had accomplished the fulfillment of the secret by
“being put to death, indeed, to the interest of the flesh
[under the reign of The Law of Sin and
Death],
yet vivified to the interest of the spirit
[the counter-alterating spirit],
in the interest of which
[the interest of the counter-alterating spirit]” (1 Pe. 3:18b-19a CV modified),
He [Messiah Jesus], also,
“having gone into heaven” (1 Pe. 3:22 CV)
“to the interest of the spirits
[of Adamic men and women]
in jail
[imprisoned under the reign of The Law of
Sin and Death indwelling the members of their physical bodies which are living
as a result of the spirit of Yahweh breathed into them, Gen. 2:7, making them
living souls],
proclaimed the Gospel, through His Apostles, to
[the present descendants of]
those once stubborn
[Adamic humanity] . . .
in the days of Noah.” (1 Pe. 3:19-20a my translation)
This proclamation is the Gospel of Jewish salvation by which those believing and remaining faithful to the consummation of His Parousia (return from the Celestial Realm) would be led to Yahweh into the Celestial Realm. The Messianic brethren, together with Messiah Jesus, are to be leading others to Yahweh by suffering on behalf of the righteousness of the Gospel which they are to be proclaiming in faith-obedience to their Lord and Savior, as His chosen race, royal priesthood, and holy nation.
In
the final two chapters of this letter, Peter writes of “the consummation of all things” (1 Pe. 4:7 my translation) written
in the Law and the Prophets and revealed in the secret of the Gospel. The
Messianic Gentiles are to have the same mind as Messiah Jesus, “arm yourselves with the same thought”
(1 Pe. 4:1 CV), echoing the exhortation of Paul written in Philippians 2:5-8.
Suffering through the senses of the flesh on behalf of the righteousness of
the New Davidic Kingdom/Nation signifies walking in newness of life, accounting
oneself dead to the The Law of Sin and Death (Rom.
for he who is suffering in flesh has ceased his sins, by no means still to spend the rest of his lifetime [up to the consummation of the Parousia] in [the interest of] the flesh [under the reign of The Law of Sin and Death] to the interest of human desires [seductively distorted by the operation of The Law of Sin and Death in the members of the body], but to the interest of Yahweh’s will. (1 Peter 4:1b-2 my amplified translation)
The Messianic Gentiles are not to live according to the customs of the nations corrupted over many generations by a disqualified mind (see Gen. 11:1-9). Their own fellow-kinsmen are “thinking it strange of you not to race together into the same puddle of profligacy, calumniating [blaspheming] you” (1 Pe. 4:4 CV). But the Messianic Gentiles can be sure that Messiah Jesus will soon be judging His servants: those living faithfully to the end and those covenantally dead as a result of unfaithful service. The dead ones are those not remaining faithful to the consummation. They turn back to the flesh and mind of the old Adamic man under the rule of The Law of Sin and Death. Fearing the suffering associated with Messiah Jesus, they run for the safety perceived to prevail in the company of those in the darkness of the then present world-order of the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant. The Gospel therefore, remains a warning to the covenantally dead, reminding them that men living according to the interest of the flesh under The Law of Sin and Death (thus, denying the operation of the counter-alterating spirit) may be condemned, forfeiting their citizenship in the New Davidic Nation/Kingdom. This testimony of the Gospel, therefore, should be leading them back to the life according to the interest of the counter-alterating spirit of Yahweh (1 Pe. 4:5‑6).
Now
that the consummation of all is near, the Messianic Gentiles, more than ever, are
to be thinking and acting sanely and soberly in accord with the
sound-mindedness of Messiah Jesus. They are to be exuberating “earnest love” among themselves (1 Pe. 4:7b-8
CV). They are not to consider strange their trials as a result of participating
in the sufferings of the Messiah. They should perceive these trials in light of
their imminent triumph associated
with “the unveiling of His [Messiah
Jesus’] glory” (1 Pe.
If
they are to suffer, let them suffer as faithful Messianics (1 Pe.
Peter
then exhorts the Messianic Jewish elders among the Messianic Gentiles to
shepherd the flocklet (the Messianic Gentiles) of Yahweh according to the
standard of the Chief Shepherd, Messiah Jesus. When the Chief Shepherd is
manifested (and that will be soon), these faithful shepherds “shall be requited with an unfading wreath [crown]
of glory” (1 Pe. 5:4 CV). Peter
himself testifies that he, also, is “a
fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ [Messiah], and a [present] participant [in the House of Yahweh] of the glory about to be revealed” (1 Pe. 5:1 CV). This is the same
glory referred to by Paul, “For I am
reckoning that the sufferings of the current era do not deserve the glory about
to be revealed for us” (Rom.
Peter’s
final exhortation to the Messianic Gentiles is to “Be sober! Watch!” (1 Pe. 5:8a CV). The consummation is near. Paul
has been bound in chains for the truth of the secret of the Gospel. The rift
between the Messianic Community and the larger Jewish Community of Judaism has
begun to become faintly visible. The plaintiff bringing accusations against the
Messianic Gentiles before the Jewish Supreme Court (the Sanhedrin and the
synagogues of Judaism), The Adversary, “is
walking about as a roaring lion, seeking someone to swallow up; whom withstand,
solid in the faith, having perceived the same sufferings being completed in
your brotherhood [their brotherhood with the Messianic Jews] in the [present] world [Sinatic/Mosaic world-order]” (1 Pe. 5:8b-9 CV). Paul, writing of this same Adversary in his
letter to the Messianic brethren in
Sometime between the years 62 and 64 A.D., Peter writes a second letter to the elect expatriates of the dispersion (those Messianic Gentiles representing the Northern Lo-Ammi Kingdom of Ephraim/Israel). His main purpose is to prepare these Messianic Gentiles for the false teachers who will soon be manifesting themselves in the midst of their communities. In this letter, Peter addresses these Gentile brethren as “those who are chancing upon an equally precious faith with us [Messianic Jews], in the interest of the righteousness of our [Messianic Jews] God [Yahweh our Elohim], and the Saviour, Jesus Christ [Jesus Messiah]” (2 Pe. 1:1b CV).
Previous
to the proclamation of the Gospel of the Uncircumcision, these Gentiles had not
been pursuing the righteousness of Yahweh given to
Apostate
All
the blessed promises provided by Yahweh’s divine power and pertaining to
covenantal life and devoutness had now been presented to Messianic Israel
through her acknowledgment of Messiah Jesus, the One having called Israel to
participate in His own glory and virtue associated with His sufferings, death,
resurrection, and exaltation. It is through this glory and virtue that those “precious and greatest promises” (2 Pe.
1:4 CV) have been presented to Messianic Israel. As a result of Yahweh’s New
Covenant blessing of
Receiving Messiah Jesus by faith signifies one’s fleeing from the corruption which is the character of the Sinatic/Mosaic world-order. In this world-order, both the nations and Apostate Israel have been corrupted in the interest of the lust of the old Adamic man seductively deceived (by the indwelling operation of The Law of Sin and Death) into distorting the natural (or soulish) desires of the five senses of the body. Hence, the nations and the apostate elect nation have collectively become disqualified, doing what is right in their own eyes, rather than what is right in the eyes of the One, True, Living Elohim of Israel.
Thus,
Peter exhorts the Messianic Gentiles to conform themselves to the new
world-order of the New Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant. Following the example of the
Messianic Jews among whom they fellowship as the presently chosen Israel of
Yahweh, they are to “endeavor through
ideal acts [works] to confirm your
calling and choice [election]” (2
Pe.
If
one continues walking in the newness of life of the divine nature, the counter-alteration
of the spirit leading one in the way of the sufferings of Messiah Jesus, the
way of resurrection-identification, the way of sharing in the sufferings and
the resurrection of Messiah Jesus, one will be richly supplied with the spiritual
armor necessary to withstand the schematic schemes of The Adversary and his
apostate Jewish servants, the rich supply which is at the disposal of all
those spiritual-warriors having entered “into the eonian kingdom of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ (2 Pe.
Peter
acknowledges that these Messianic Gentiles, having been instructed in the
teachings of Paul the Apostle to the nations (2 Pe.
But guard yourself and keep your soul especially vigilant, lest you should forget the things which your eyes have seen and lest they should withdraw from your heart, all the days of your lives. (Deuteronomy 4:9a CV)
False
teachers were soon to unmask themselves among them, teaching the man-devised
myths of the Jewish apocryphal writings (2 Pe.
These Jewish myths and superstitions distort the Hebrew Scriptures, mislead the Jewish people into corrupting error, and dishonor the Glory of Yahweh. Jesus Himself, by implication corrected the mythological error that angels can have sexual relations with human women in His reply to the Sadducees’ hypocritical question concerning the place of marriage in the resurrection,
You are deceived, not being acquainted with the scriptures, nor yet with the power of God [Yahweh]. For in the resurrection neither are they marrying nor taking in marriage, but are as messengers [celestial beings] of God in heaven. (Matthew 22:29-30 CV)
The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. They had sought to trap Jesus with their loaded question, believing He would have to deny the resurrection of the dead. Jesus swiftly and deftly disarmed them, proving from scripture the resurrection of the dead, and, in the process, indirectly correcting the eisegetic error of Jewish myth and superstition concerning angelic beings.
The apocryphal writings of the Jewish exilic period consisted of a mixture of scriptural truth with mythological eisegesis, resulting in misleading and corrupting human superstitions contaminating the scriptural understanding of Apostate Israel. Such false teaching would soon be applied to the present truth of the Gospel. Counterfeit Messianic Jews, cleverly misappropriating and misinterpreting the present truth of the secret of Messiah Jesus, would introduce among the Messianic communities the seductive deception of The Adversary’s (Apostate Israel’s) strategic schemes, designed to turn the Messianic Jews and Gentiles back to the distorted understanding of the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant, making them patriots of the coming cause of Judaism against Roman rule.
Paul had warned of these coming false teachers,
For the era will be when they [many Messianic brethren] will not tolerate sound teaching, . . . turning their hearing away from the truth . . . to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4 CV)
These unfaithful Messianic brethren, turning from the truth of the Gospel to the deceptively seductive signs and false miracles of these false teachers, counterfeit messianics, empowered by The Adversary, would be given over to the operation of Satan authorized by Yahweh:
Yahweh will be sending them an operation of deception, for them to believe this lie, in order that they should be judged [together with Apostate Israel], the ones not remaining faithful to the truth [of the Gospel], but [turning from the truth] are delighting in the interest, the cause, of the injustice [the unrighteousness of the malignant patriotic revolt of Judaism against Rome and Yahweh]. (2 Thessalonians 2:11b-12 my amplified translation)
These
unfaithful messianic brethren would be deceived by the lie of the Jewish
apostates, the counterfeit messianic false teachers, the sown weeds of The
Adversary, because “they do not receive
the love of the truth” (2 Thess. 2:10b CV). Those who love the truth remain
faithful to the consummation. Those who hold the truth in unrighteousness will
come under the imminent indignation
of Yahweh against Apostate Israel (see Rom.
These false teachers, testifies Peter, will exploit the Messianic Gentiles with “suave words” (2 Pe. 2:3 CV). Motivated by old covenant covetousness, these Jewish false teachers will blaspheme the way of the truth (the secret of the Gospel associated with the New Covenant of Messiah Jesus). They will refute the sound teaching of the Messianic Jews, turning some members of the sect of the Nazarenes from sound teachings to unsound heresies (2 Pe. 2:1-2). They mix the teachings of the old covenant and the New Covenant, adding to this mix Jewish apocryphal myths, thereby leading astray unstable, double-soul Messianic Jews and Gentiles into their licentious, covenantal Jewish patriotism committed to the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant as represented by Judaistic Israel.
The judgment of these false teachers is in accord with the judgment of other similar false teachers revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures (2 Pe. 2:3b). Although they reject the teaching of the Messianic Apostles and prophets concerning the imminent judgment of Israel, Jerusalem, and the Temple, choosing to believe in the imminent deliverance of Israel from Roman bondage, the judgment of Yahweh upon them “is not idling,” is not ineffective, is not standing still, and Yahweh’s destruction of them and their malignant arrogance “is not nodding,” is not sleeping (2 Pe. 2:3b). Yahweh’s right hand signifying judgment is not at rest. Yahweh’s right arm executing destruction is not asleep. His right hand has already signaled their judgment. His strong right arm is already in the process of coming down upon their malignantly proud heads.
As Yahweh had not spared the sinning messengers (2 Pe. 2:4 CV) of Korah (Dathan, Abiram, and those who joined them in their attempt to usurp the Aaronic Priesthood, Numbers, chapter 16), but had the earth open its mouth and swallow them alive into sheol (Num. 16:32-33), so Yahweh would soon destroy these present false teachers attempting to usurp the priestly authority of Yahweh’s kingdom of priests in the name of Apostate Israel tenaciously lifting up the banner of the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant while blaspheming and attacking the banner of the New Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant. Peter, emphasizing the error of these false teachers, uses their own description of the judgment of Yahweh recorded in Genesis 6:1-4. This judgment of Yahweh had been mistakenly attributed by these false teachers to fallen angelic beings who had been mistakenly described so cleverly as being cast into “the gloomy caverns of Tartarus,” a description found in the apocryphal Jewish writings, but originating in Greek mythology which used this description to refer to the lowest parts of the underworld. Scripturally, these false teachers would be destroyed by divine intervention, even as Korah and his messengers had been destroyed. Apocryphally, by using the very erroneous language of these false teachers, Peter was conveying the fact that they themselves were being judged by their very own crafted myth. As they had mistakenly read into Genesis 6:1-4 rebellious fallen angels, so they themselves had become these very fallen angels, messengers of The Adversary fallen from the lofty heights of their own covenantal hubris (see Rev. 12:1b, 4a, 12 stars, one third cast down to earth).
Peter next refers to Yahweh’s destruction of the ancient world-order (antediluvian world-order) of the royal lineage of Adam (2 Pe. 2:5). Genesis 6:1-4 concerns the royal line of the sons of Adam. Adam had been the royal Elohim (subjector, ruler) of Adamic mankind. These royal sons of the Elohim (ruler, king) Adam, in order to secure law and order, married the royal daughters born to Adam and Eve, first generation daughters. However, after the death of Adam and his first generation royal sons, the deposed line of Cain began to corrupt the hearts of men, in the end, turning antediluvian men and women away from the truth of Yahweh, the oral word of Yahweh. As a result, antediluvian men and women began doing what was right in their own eyes, rather than doing what is right in the eyes of Yahweh. The judgment of the flood followed. Fallen angels had nothing to do with this judgment. Scripture records nothing concerning such fallen angels. Only the post-exilic apocryphal writings contain the mythological interpretations of the Hebrew Scriptures which amounted to eisegesis rather than exegesis.
Sparing
not the antediluvian world-order, Yahweh, nevertheless, secured the safety of
Noah and his family, delivering them through the deluge of water. Thus, the
Adamic royal line had survived this judgment. The ungodly had been destroyed,
while Noah the official proclaimer of righteousness had been delivered. In the
case of the ungodly people of
While Yahweh rescues the godly out of trial (2 Pe. 2:9a), He sets aside the devoted ones who have contaminated themselves by coming unlawfully into contact with the holy ones through unholy opposition to Yahweh and His holy ones (see Josh. 6:16-18). The devoted thing or person was accursed. Apostate Israel and all the apostate Jews, especially the power-elite and the false teachers soon to unveil themselves in obedience to Yahweh’s predesignated purpose, are set aside as Yahweh’s devoted ones, doomed to be accursed (2 Pe. 2:9b) in the coming “day of judgment [the day of Yahweh’s fiery judgment on Jerusalem, the Temple, and Apostate Israel], and especially those who indulge the flesh [in accord with The Law of Sin and Death, the Adamic alteration] in its corrupt desires” (2 Pe. 2:9b-10a NASB).
These
indulging-the-flesh false teachers, like Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, despise the
commissioned authorities of Yahweh, such as Moses, Aaron, and Messiah Jesus’
Apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers. Audacious and given to
self-gratification, they do not fear and tremble when they arrogantly blaspheme
Yahweh’s glorious commissioned authorities (2 Pe. 2:10b). They audaciously
perceive themselves as having Yahweh’s authority. They accuse the holy,
commissioned messenger authorities of Yahweh as misleading pretenders seeking
their own selfish welfare. They will accuse Yahweh’s Messianic authorities in
His new spiritual House as
unpatriotic traitors of national
Even celestial messengers, such as Satan, Yahweh’s appointed Adversary, do not audaciously blaspheme Yahweh’s illustrious commissioned authorities, such as Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and David, without just cause and without the appropriate respect due Yahweh’s appointed servants. But the soon-to-come false teachers disregard both just cause and appropriate respect. Acting and speaking as irrational creatures (2 Pe. 2:12a), lawlessly perceiving themselves as authorized by Yahweh in the ignorance of their corrupt, disqualified minds, they themselves shall be treated as corrupt by the imminent just judgment of Yahweh Who shall soon requite them “with the wages of injustice” (2 Pe. 2:13a CV; see also 2 Pe. 2:10b‑14).
Having acknowledged Messiah Jesus and then having returned to the defilements of the disqualified Sinatic/Mosaic world-order, “it were better for them not to have recognized the way of righteousness, than, recognizing it, to go back to what was behind [the old Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant, see Phil. 3:13-14], from the holy precept [of the New Covenant] given over to them” (2 Pe. 2:21 CV).
Peter concludes his condemnation of these soon-to-come false teachers with two fitting proverbs. He describes them as “A cur [dog] turning to its own vomit, . . . A bathed sow [pig] to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Pe. 2:22b CV). Those who turn back with these false teachers will also become accursed.
Peter
now writes that in the coming last days of the Mosaic Eon, the last days soon to
come in their own lifetime, scoffers will be coming (2 Pe. 3:1-3). They will
claim that nothing has changed since the fathers (Moses, Joshua, David, and the
exile fathers) had fallen asleep. From the creation of the nation at Sinai, the
promised hope of
These scoffers choose, as a result of their lack of faith, to deliberately ignore the testimony of scripture (Genesis, chapter 1). In the beginning, Yahweh created the heavens and the earth by first purifying the dark, dense water surrounding the planet, thereby allowing the light of the sun to penetrate its denseness. Thereupon, He separated the water, creating an atmosphere which He called heavens. Out of the water below the atmosphere, He created the dry land which He called earth. He accomplished this by the speaking of His word.
That world-order of Adamic man dwelling beneath the heavens and upon the earth then perished as a result of Yahweh’s judgment. All living souls, except for Noah, his family, and the animal species Noah had been commanded to take into his constructed ark, perished in the great deluge of water which Yahweh brought upon the world-order of Adamic mankind. The present heavens and earth of Adamic mankind, represented by the Sinatic/Mosaic world-order (of Adamic man) created at Sinai, is set aside by Yahweh for “the day of the judging and destruction of irreverent [ungodly] men [under the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant, Apostate Israel]” (2 Pe. 3:7b CV) soon to come upon Apostate Israel, thereby causing to perish the Sinatic/Mosaic world-order which had made a distinction between Jew and gentile, Israel (the heavens) and the nations (the earth). This present world-order of the metaphorical heavens and earth is set aside by Yahweh for destruction by fire (2 Pe. 3:7). Peter understands that this destruction by fire is not going to destroy the physical planet. For Yahweh, after the judgment of the flood, promised never to destroy the world-order of mankind as He had done with the antediluvian world-order (Gen. 8:21). The present world-order of mankind had now come under the authority of Messiah Jesus. It had been redeemed by Yahweh's obedient Anointed Son. Thus, the imagination of man’s heart would never again become evil from his youth as had occurred to antediluvian man. Yahweh had destroyed the antediluvian world-order of Adamic man for that very reason. Under the headship of Messiah Jesus, the imagination of man’s heart would never again fall prey to this evil. Yahweh, knowing this, had promised,
Neither again will I smite further all living flesh, as I have done. In the future, all the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and warmth, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. (Genesis 8:21b-22 CV)
Consequently, the fiery judgment of 2 Peter 3:7 cannot mean the destruction of all living flesh and the physical destruction of the heavens and earth by fire, which would necessitate the cessation of seedtime and harvest, cold and warmth, summer and winter, day and night. In addition, in the destruction by water, the world-order of men and animals perished, but not the literal heavens and earth, not the literal days and nights, not the literal seedtime and harvest, not the literal summer and winter. It was only the world-order of human and animal society that had perished.
Peter, thus, compares the perishing, the destruction, of the antediluvian world-order of Adamic man with the imminent perishing, destruction, of the Sinatic/Mosaic world-order of Adamic man at the coming judgment of the Day of Yahweh against Apostate Israel. The Messianic brethren are not to deliberately ignore, as will the coming scoffers,
that one day is with the Lord [Yahweh] as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not tardy as to the promise [of the Parousia of Messiah Jesus], as some are deeming tardiness, but is patient because of you [Gentile Messianics, and also Jewish Messianics, since the complement of the nations will usher in the salvation of all Israel, all Jewish Messianics, Rom. 11:25-27], not intending any [Gentile or Jewish elect Messianics] to perish [only the ungodly apostate Jews will perish], but all [the faithful elect children of Abraham, both circumcised and uncircumcised] to be provided room [opportunity] for repentance. (2 Peter 3:8b-9 CV modified)
The
Parousia of Messiah Jesus and the Day of
Yahweh will come precisely as Yahweh has promised. They will come in their
lifetime, and they are now not far off. They will come when the Gospel has
successfully brought to repentance all the faithful children of Abraham to whom
the Gospel has been sent. Yahweh’s promises are always fulfilled, whether they
be for the distant future, “Yet . . . stop
up [seal] the vision, for it is for
many days” (Dan.
Peter
now describes the coming judgment of the
Day of Yahweh. He writes as a Messianic prophet. For in his description, he
prophesies the destruction of
The
coming final covenantal destruction of
the heavens shall be passing by with a booming noise, yet the elements shall be dissolved by combustion, and the earth and the works in it shall be found [out, disclosed]. (2 Peter 3:10b CV)
In
this metaphorical description of Yahweh’s judgment against Apostate Israel,
Jerusalem, and the Temple, Peter refers to the devoted-for-destruction unholy
nation of Apostate Israel as “the
heavens,” since in the world-order of the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant, Israel
had been placed in the heavens over the nations humbled at her feet upon the
earth. Thus, “the heavens” symbolically
refers to
In
the literal fiery destruction of the elements (fire, air, earth, water) of the
Temple and Jerusalem is to be perceived the fiery destruction of the elements
of Judaistic cultic worship (fire sacrifices ascending through the air to
Yahweh, water washings of cultic cleansing, stone and metal altars. In the eyes
of Yahweh, the fiery conflagration of the sacred cultic center (the
A
new eon and a new world-order would supersede it. The
The
earth (the nations) under the Sinatic/Mosaic world-order would be found out,
disclosed as corrupt, and would perish in the eyes of Yahweh. In the New heavens and new earth which would
follow (see 2 Pe.
In
this new world-order (the new heavens and new earth), the justification of life, which is the new verdict of Yahweh in relation to Adamic man who now becomes
Jesuic man (Rom.
Yet we [Messianic Jews, and thus also the Messianic Gentiles], according to His promises, are hoping [expecting] for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness [justification of life, Rom. 5:18] is dwelling. (2 Peter 3:13 CV)
The New Davidic Kingdom of Messiah Jesus had established a new heaven (singular) and new earth which would be a foretaste of the still-to-come new heavens (plural) and new earth at the consummation of the Parousia of Messiah Jesus. The New Born-From-Above Israel, the Jerusalem above, the Jerusalem descending out of the heaven (singular, Rev. 21:2), had been placed covenantally/metaphorically in the heaven (on the basis of the New Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant), superseding Apostate Israel. Through the ministry of this New Nation/Kingdom, both the Jews and gentiles had been blessed. Thus, the Messianic Jews and Messianic Gentiles, being faithful to the consummation, looked forward to the coming new heavens and new earth during which, having entered into their Celestial Allotment, they would reign with Christ over the nations which had been delivered from the Sinatic world-order into the new world-order (the new eon) of the resurrected and exalted only legitimate son of Adam, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world-order of Adamic humanity.
With
the inauguration of the
Peter,
having made the Messianic Gentiles aware of the soon-to-come Day of Yahweh (the destruction of the
awaiting
and hurrying the Parousia of God’s [Yahweh’s]
Day, because of which [it is necessary
that] the heavens [the
The
arrival of “God’s Day” is characterized
by the arrival of the “new heavens and
a new earth.” This arrival refers to the coming
Paul
had also written to these Messianic Gentiles concerning the New Davidic Kingdom
of Messiah Jesus, the soon-to-come Day of Yahweh and Parousia of Messiah Jesus,
and the sure expectation of the Celestial Allotment. Peter writes that Paul
also had encouraged them “to be found
by Him in peace, unspotted and flawless. . . . deeming the patience of our Lord salvation” (2 Pe. 3:14b-15a CV).
Some things in the wisdom given to Paul by Messiah Jesus are “hard to apprehend” (2 Pe.
The Messianic Gentiles are to tenaciously hold on to the wisdom given to Paul. They are to continue pursuing the proper understanding of this wisdom consisting of the following: the secret of the Gospel, the administration of this secret, the counter-alteration, The Law of Sin and Death and the Law of the Spirit of Life; entombment together with Messiah Jesus through baptism into His death and resurrection; crucifixion with Messiah Jesus, Justification of Life for all Adamic men, the Bema Seat of Messiah Jesus, the New Creation, the New Man, Messiah Jesus as both eschatos man and Deuteros Man; soulish man and Celestial Man. Though these truths may be hard to understand, they can be and should be understood by those in Christ possessing the sound mind of the counter-alterating spirit. Certainly, Peter, the other Apostles, James, the elders of the Messianic Jews, and the divinely commissioned evangelists and teachers of the Messianic Jewish Community had comprehended and had been instructing the flock in these divinely revealed truths given to Paul as the commissioned Jewish Apostle to the nations.
Peter’s final words to these Messianic brethren are a serious warning concerning the possibility of forfeiting one’s salvation. He, like Moses had continually done, exhorts them to be on guard. The apostate Jews, the roaring lions, are seeking to devour those belonging to Jesus Messiah, therefore,
be on your guard lest, being led away with the deception of the dissolute, you should be falling from your own steadfastness. (2 Peter 3:17b CV)
Jude, writing in about the year 66 A.D. (four years after Peter had written his second letter warning the brethren of the coming of false teachers), is concerned with the threat to the Messianic Jewish “common salvation and life” (Jude v. 3 CV) posed by the infiltration of false messianic Jewish teachers. These apostate messianic Jews are characterized as ungodly, licentious pseudo-shepherds “perverting the grace of our Elohim into licentiousness, and disowning our only Master [owner] and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude v. 4 my translation). Because of this threat, previously prophesied by Peter, it has become necessary for Jude to write this letter exposing the true identity of these false teachers who claim to be Yahweh’s authorized teachers, thus challenging the authority of Messiah Jesus’ own Apostles. In challenging the apostolic authorities and insisting on the necessity of licentious behavior in the cause of Sinatic/Mosaic Judaism’s holy war to restore its ancient covenantal glory, these counterfeit Jewish messianics disown the only rightful Master of all Messianic Jews, Jesus the Messiah of Yahweh.
The
Messianic Jews of Judah,
These Cainite bullies, like their father, declare war in their hearts against Yahweh, boasting, Am I my brother’s keeper? They perceive themselves as their brother’s master. Jude, alluding to Deuteronomy 27:15-26 (Jude v. 4a), assigns these apostates to the judgment of accursed ones, those devoted-to-destruction as accursed of Yahweh, “Cursed be the one who is not performing all the words of this law to do them” (Deut. 27:26 CV).
Jude
reminds the Messianic Jews (and the Messianic Gentiles in their care) that
Yahweh had destroyed all the unfaithful children of
Jude,
then, alludes to the rebellion recorded in Numbers, chapter 16. As the first
generation of Israelites coming out of
Led
by Korah, a Levite, the contentious leaders appoint for the people what they
perceive in their own eyes to be a more appropriate system of cultic
organization. Seeking the Aaronic Priesthood, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram,
appointed messengers (see Num. 26:9) of the contentious “two hundred fifty princes of the congregation” (Num. 16:2b CV),
set up an opposing tabernacle under
the priestly authority of Korah (Num.
Repudiating the authority of Moses and Aaron, they have also repudiated the central Tabernacle set up by Moses and attended in accord with the Yahweh-appointed authority of Aaron and his sons. Thus, keeping not their own Yahweh-authorized sovereignty (rule, office, service) and leaving their own Yahweh-authorized habitation (the Tabernacle set up by Moses), they had become accursed-ones:
Then
Moses said to Korah: Hear, I pray, son of Levi! Is it too little a thing for
you that the Elohim of Israel has separated you from the congregation of
Moses warns those deceived into following Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, “Withdraw . . . from the tents of these wicked men! Do not touch anything which belongs to them lest you be swept up in all their sins” (Num. 16:26b CV).
These wicked men had set up their own opposing tabernacle and had moved their own private tents from their assigned tribal camps to an area just behind the accursed opposing tabernacle. Those who had been deceived into following these wicked men “moved away from the tabernacle (singular) of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, away from around them [their private tents]” (Num. 16:27a CV). These messengers of malignant lawlessness were not to die “the common death of all humanity” (Num. 16:29a CV). Yahweh would destroy them as accursed devoted-ones. They had contaminated themselves by unlawfully coming up against Yahweh’s holy Tabernacle and holy priesthood.
On the appointed day, Korah and his whole congregation appear before Yahweh, including the 250 princes who had been commanded to present themselves with their firepans of incense for a face-off with Aaron. Moses then speaks to the people,
should Yahweh create an unprecedented creation so that the ground opens with its mouth, swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they descend alive to the unseen [sheol], then you will know that these mortals [men of renown] have spurned Yahweh. (Numbers 16:30 CV)
Immediately, the ground rumbled and began to part,
and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households and all the humans who were with Korah and all the goods. So they descended, they and all who belonged to them, alive to the unseen [sheol]; and the earth covered over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. (Numbers 16:32‑33 CV)
As
for the 250 princes offering their firepans of incense, they were devoured by
fire descending from above (Num.
When Jude writes that these malignant messengers proclaiming an alien, pseudo-gospel had been “kept in imperceptible bonds under gloom for the judging of the great day [which was imminent for his addressees]” (Jude v. 6b CV), he is referring to Yahweh’s “unprecedented creation” whereby the accursed ones had been swallowed up alive by the ground, descending alive into sheol. Peter, in his second letter, had referred to these same accursed, sinning messengers, declaring that Yahweh had thrust “them into the gloomy caverns of Tartarus [sheol], . . . kept for chastening judging” (2 Pe. 2:4 CV).
Jude,
then, immediately refers to the destruction of
The present false teachers are described as “dreamers,” having conjured up visions of grandeur (Jude v. 8 CV) out of their arrogant, disqualified minds. Repudiating Yahweh’s authoritative offices (apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers) and blaspheming His glorious messengers (those sharing the glory of Messiah Jesus, Rev. 3:5, 21; 1 Cor. 2:7; Col. 3:4; 2 Cor. 3:18, among whom were those holding Yahweh’s authorized offices), like Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and their alien tabernacle, they oppose Yahweh, His Messiah Son, His Born-From-Above people, His Gospel, and His New Covenant, deceiving many Messianic brethren into the roaring, open, devouring mouth of the accursed Judaistic lion. Their dreams are the medium of prophetic revelation inspired by Satan The Adversary as authorized by Yahweh (2 Thess. 2:11b CV modified, “Yahweh will be sending them an operation of deception”; 2 Thess. 2:9b‑10a CV, “the operation of Satan, with all power and signs and false miracles and with every seduction of injustice among those who are perishing, . . .”).
Alluding
to Deuteronomy 34:5-6 concerning the death of Moses and entombment of his body,
Jude (vs. 8-10), making literary use of an apocryphal commentary on this
passage, adapts it to his scriptural argument (Jude v. 9). Being revelationally
inspired by the spirit of Messiah Jesus, he corrects the erroneous assumption
of the apocryphal writer that the legal dispute between Michael (the
arch-messenger and appointed patron of
Yahweh had commissioned Michael to requisition the entombed body of Moses. The Adversary, Satan, before the resurrection and exaltation of Messiah Jesus, had had the keys of death and the grave (hades, sheol, see Rev. 1:18), since, being commissioned Accuser of Adamic men who had been condemned to die the death common to all men, he had been the executor of this legal verdict of Yahweh. Michael’s requisition required resurrection. When Michael made his request, The Adversary, Satan, disputed the request on the legal ground of Yahweh’s verdict. Resurrecting the body of Moses was illegal and unjustified according to Yahweh’s own legal verdict, “dying you shall die” (Gen. 2:17, my translation), “to soil are you returning” (Gen. 3:19b CV).
Michael, unlike Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and the present false teachers, respecting the executive office and authority of The Adversary given him by Yahweh, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against The Adversary, thus honoring the Yahweh-authorized sovereignty of The Adversary. In accord with the superseding command given him by Yahweh, Michael rebuked, dismissed, overruled the legal argument of The Adversary by citing Yahweh’s superseding judgment overruling, in the case of Moses, Yahweh’s standing legal verdict. Implied in Jude’s argument is the submission of The Adversary. The Adversary, himself, understands, acknowledges, respects, and subordinates himself to Yahweh’s sovereignty and to Yahweh’s ordained authoritative offices (administrative offices) and officers (administrating executors).
The false teachers, however, do not hesitate to slanderously accuse Yahweh’s New Covenant authorities. These sons of Cain arrogantly slander those teachings, those authorities, and those people of which and of whom they have no acquaintance, either in their evil hearts or their disqualified minds (Jude v. 10). They are, in the eyes of Yahweh, irrational, absurd, insane beings, enslaved to corrupt behavior (licentiousness) and distorted perception and conception (irrationality, see Rom. 1:21; 2 Pe. 2:12).
These
false teachers are those committed to the madness of apostate Judaism. As
patriots of national Judaism, they seek to restore the honor and glory of the
Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant over the nations of the
These apostate messianics, these antichrists, have chosen the “the way of Cain” (Jude v. 11a CV), turning back from Messiah Jesus and the New Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant to a prostituted Moses and Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant. Like Balaam (Jude v. 11b), they seek the destruction of the New Born-From-Above Israel of Yahweh. And, like Balaam, they are refrained from cursing the new nation under the Davidic rule of Messiah Jesus. Hence, they covertly attempt to achieve their purpose through the seductive deception of false teaching. Like Balaam, they destroy through contaminating mixture (mixing the new covenant with the old covenant), through the corruption of prostitution (justification of lascivious libertinism).
Like
Korah, these apostate messianics attempt to usurp the authority and influence
of Yahweh’s legitimate authorities, believing that they themselves are the
legitimate authorities of Yahweh (Jude v. 11c). Setting up their own alien
tabernacle, these apostate messianics create for themselves an opposing
priesthood mixing together the annulled Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant which Judaism
had distorted and their own prostituted New Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant which
they misappropriate through their misinterpretation of the freedom found in
Messiah Jesus. Consequently, they serve as pseudo-priests leading astray those
pseudo-messianics who, having received not the love of the truth (2 Thess.
Turning away from Messiah Jesus, these apostate messianics worship and serve The Adversary, confidently convinced that they worship and serve the One, True, Living Elohim of Israel. Arrogantly following the dictates of their intoxicated hearts and their poisoned minds, they race down the broad way of Cain, only to pass through the broad gate of destruction, waving the banner of a misappropriated Moses as they lead their stampeding, mad flock of stiff-necked goats into the incinerating fires of Gehenna (Matt. 5:22, 29-30 CV, Greek texts; Matt. 7:13). Jude considers these false teachers following “in the contradiction [verbal rebellion] of Korah” (Jude v. 11c CV) already perished. They have destroyed themselves by their unholy accusations against Messiah Jesus’ appointed authorities.
Jude describes these sons of Cain imitating the sins of Balaam and Korah against Yahweh’s holy nation as dangerous reefs causing shipwrecks in the love feasts (fellowship meals) of the Messianic Jews, carousing fearlessly among the faithful ones. Boasting in their authority as shepherds, they are hireling shepherds “shepherding themselves” (Jude v. 12a CV; see Ezk. 34:2, 8), easily identifiable by their teaching, their scandalous behavior, and their blatant irreverence toward the truth of the Gospel and the teaching of the Apostles concerning devout obedience to The Law of Messiah Jesus. Their interpretive exaltation of freedom in Christ as license to gratify the flesh is exemplified in their treatment of the fellowship feasts as occasions for gratifying their soulish/soilish appetites.
As teachers and shepherds, these Korahites and Balaamites are depicted as “waterless clouds carried aside by winds” (Jude v. 12b CV). Promising life-giving teaching, they fail to deliver such life-providing teaching, being blown off course by the winds of Jewish myths, fables, and superstitions. In actuality, these pseudo-teachers are incapable of pouring out spiritual blessings because they are devoid of sound teaching. They are unfruitful trees, “twice dying, uprooted” (Jude v. 12c CV). They had once been dead in their sins, but had been delivered from that death through faith in Messiah Jesus’ salvation. Turning back to the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant for covenantal life, they are already uprooted from the ground of salvation, dried up and dead, ready to be cast into the divine eschatological fires of Gehenna, figuratively representing the fiery destruction of the Temple, Jerusalem, and the apostate nation, the present “unprecedented creation” (Num. 16:30 CV) of Yahweh about to be experienced by the contemporary Korahites.
Jude further describes these false teachers as “straying stars, for whom the [ancient] gloom of [the present] darkness [of the coming unprecedented divine judgment] has been kept for an eon [the end of the present Mosaic Eon]” (Jude v. 13b CV modified). Like Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, these false teachers have strayed from their Yahweh-appointed places. In the name of Yahweh, they claim places of authority in the cause of the holy war which has broken out in the holy land. This holy war was justifying harsh and cruel behavior.
According
to these pseudo-teachers, Judaistic revolutionaries, the traditional moral code
is superseded by a new, practical moral code reflecting the religious strength
through which Yahweh would destroy the Roman uncircumcised dog. The laws of the
Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant have been irrationally interpreted so as to permit the
conduct necessary to wage a holy war against
In
their eyes, the last days of the exilic sojourn of
The intoxicating wine of The Adversary had made drunk with insane religious madness the mind of Apostate Israel. This irrational religious fervor for holy war had already spread throughout the Jewish synagogues in the holy land and in the diaspora. The rift between Judaistic Israel and Messianic Israel had now become an immense, significant chasm, clearly identifying the two distinct nations, kingdoms, peoples.
The madness of Judaistic patriotism contrasted with the now revealed glory of Messianic Israel had now begun to open the blind eyes and melt the hardened hearts of those circumcised-in-heart Jews, who, like Saul of Tarsus, had been deceived, opposing Messiah Jesus in blindness and ignorance. The two camps were now clearly identifiable. The truth of the Gospel had now begun its penetration into the hearts of those Jews who, through deception, had resisted commitment to Messiah Jesus. The salvation of all the faithful seed of Abraham (all the Israel of Yahweh) was now in the process of being completed.
The Day of Yahweh had begun. The approach aspect of the Parousia had already been initiated. The great affliction of the time of Jacob’s trouble had now been entered. The final remnant of Abraham’s faithful circumcised seed was entering into the New Davidic Kingdom of Messiah Jesus, into the New Born-From-Above Israel, joining their spiritual kinsmen in the final sufferings of Messiah Jesus on behalf of the righteousness of Yahweh their Elohim (see Matt. 20:1-16, the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard).
Jude, again adapting a passage from an apocryphal writing, writes of the prophecy of Enoch, the seventh from Adam. Enoch had walked with Elohim and had been translated into the celestial realm (Gen. 5:24). An apocryphal writer had written of Enoch, recording a significant prophecy which Jude applies to the present false teachers:
Lo! the Lord [Yahweh] came among ten thousand of His saints, to do judging against all, and to expose all the irreverent [ungodly] concerning all their irreverent acts [deeds] in which they are irreverent, and concerning all the hard words which irreverent sinners speak against Him. (Jude vs. 14b-15 CV)
As
Enoch had prophesied of a coming judgment of Yahweh against the antediluvian
world-order of malignantly ungodly men and women (which was fulfilled by the
Noahic flood), so Messiah Jesus had prophesied a coming judgment against
Apostate Israel and the Sinatic/Mosaic world-order. Jude, adapting this
apocryphal prophecy of Enoch, applies it to the present false teachers and his
own crooked and perverse Jewish generation (see Phil.
The
prophecy of Enoch, therefore, could be applied to the present false teachers
and the present crooked and perverse Jewish generation characterized by Jude as
ungodly. The Day of Yahweh had
already begun to expose the present ungodly false teachers and Judaistic
nation/kingdom committed to holy war in the name of Yahweh Elohim, Whose voice
they have refused to hear and Whose messengers they have resisted and
persecuted. The approach of Messiah Jesus’ Parousia had already begun to reveal
His glory in His people (see Rom.
The current successes of the revolting Jews in the holy land are merely the deceptive operation of The Adversary carrying out the orders of Yahweh Who has given them up to their disqualified, rebellious minds (see 2 Thess. 2:9-12). Since they love the lie rather than the truth, He sends them the seductive, deceptive operation of the lie. Consequently, their drunken condition and irrational, mad minds are deceptively led to believe that their holy cause is triumphantly supported by Yahweh. Confident that they cannot be defeated, since their Elohim fights on their behalf, they commit themselves to more excessive madness, dooming themselves to profoundly unanticipated destruction.
These false teachers, like their Judaistic comrades, are
murmurers, complainers, going according to their desires [rather than the desires of Yahweh], and their mouth is speaking pompous things [declarations of astounding, miraculous victory and forthcoming glory and power], marveling at the aspect of things [the religious, political, social, and economic glorious near future], on behalf of benefit [on behalf of their own welfare and the welfare of those who join their holy cause]. (Jude v. 16 CV)
These rebels, these “straying stars” (Jude v. 13 CV), these “waterless clouds” (Jude v. 12 CV), these messengers unsatisfied with their legitimate New Covenant authority, leaving their own proper habitation (Jude v. 6 CV) within the Temple not made with hands, like Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, murmur against the Messianic Apostles and spirit-chosen authorities. They complain against the strategy of the truth of the Gospel, seeking, according to their own desires, a terrestrial restoration of the Davidic/Solomonic Kingdom, rather than the Celestial Allotment promised to Abraham and his faithful seed.
Rejecting
the sufferings associated with the cross of Messiah Jesus and ridiculing the
ineffective, impractical, and idealistic spiritual warrior-militia of their own
misinterpreted Messiah Jesus, they pompously advocate an open military revolt
against
These
usurpers of authority propose pompous declarations of astounding and miraculous
divine victories in holy battle. They conjure up visions of near future
religious, political, social, and economic glories greater than those under the
reign of Solomon. This they enthusiastically predict, seeking to gain, from the
rich and influential among the Messianic communities, patriotic and monetary
support for the cause of holy war on behalf of the glory of
Jude, in conclusion, exhorts the Messianic Jews (and those Messianic Gentiles under their shepherding care) to remember the words of the Apostles of Jesus Messiah. These apostolic teachers of truth had warned in advance concerning the coming false teachers. They had taught, and continue to teach, that in “the last time” (Jude v. 18 CV), the last days of the Mosaic Eon, the Day of Yahweh, the initial approach of the Messiah’s Parousia, the time of Jacob’s trouble, there would come “scoffers, going according to their own irreverent [ungodly] desires” (Jude v. 18 CV).
These Korahite scoffers murmuring and complaining against Yahweh’s New Covenant authorities and Yahweh’s truth revealed in the Gospel (together with the Balaamite false prophets who betray the Messianic Nation/Kingdom for personal gain) isolate themselves as a result of their attempt to usurp the legitimate authority of the Apostles and to install their own contaminated-through-mixture system of worship and service, replacing the pure, undefiled New Davidic/Abrahamic covenantal system of worship and service. This very isolation (Jude v. 19a) is an intentional act officially announcing their challenging accusation against Apostolic teaching and authority.
Knowing the judgment of Yahweh against those apostates (an unprecedented divine curse exemplified by the type of destruction experienced by Korah, Dathan and Abiram) and recognizing (as a result of the pure, undefiled sound teaching of the Apostles of Messiah Jesus) the erroneous, irrational (from the perspective of what is right in the eyes of Yahweh) corrupt teaching of the false teachers, those in Messiah Jesus, beloved of Yahweh, are to build themselves up (Jude v. 20a) by conforming themselves to the faithful teaching of the Apostles. Praying in the interest of the counter-alterating holy spirit (Jude v. 20b), they are to keep themselves in the interest of the love of Yahweh “anticipating the [present continuation of] the mercy [available to all those remaining faithful to the truth of the Gospel] of our Lord Jesus Christ for life eonian [the present newness of life generated by the counter-alterating spirit]” (Jude v. 21b CV).
The false teachers, having returned to the life of the soulish/soilish man of the flesh, no longer have access to the counter-alterated life of the spirit (Jude v. 19b). They are already doomed under the curse of the devoted ones. Toward those brethren wavering, the strong must administer the mercy of Messiah Jesus (Jude v. 22b), thereby comforting and strengthening them in the faith. Those in the process of straying, having been drawn aside by the false teachers, the strong must attempt to save, “snatching them out of the fire” (Jude v. 23a CV) of condemnation through harsh corrective chastisement and sound teaching. To those who have already defiled themselves as a result of the licentious behavior permitted and recommended by the mind of the flesh committed to the unsound, corrupt teaching of the false teachers, the faithful brethren are to extend mercy, but in spiritual fear avoid contaminating contact with corrupt teaching, “be merciful with fear, hating even the tunic spotted by the flesh” (Jude v. 23b CV).
The time of Jacob’s trouble has already begun. The Ecclesia of Messiah Jesus has entered into the great affliction of the final years of the Mosaic Eon. The approach aspect of the Parousia of Messiah Jesus has already been initiated. The consummation of the resurrection is at hand. The Messianic brethren must stand firm in the faith to the end. Jude concludes his emergency letter with a final word of encouragement,
Now to Him Who is able to guard you from tripping, and to stand you flawless in sight of His glory, in exultation, to the only God [Elohim], our Saviour, through Jesus Christ [Jesus Messiah] our Lord, be glory, majesty, might and authority before the entire eon, now [during the day of His visitation of righteous vengeance against Apostate Israel], as well as for all the eons. Amen! (Jude vs. 24-25 CV)
The
letter to the Hebrews was written sometime during the years 67-68 A.D., the
height of the chaotic madness of the Jewish revolt against
Messianic Jews, having been expelled from the synagogues as
Judaistic heretics and renegade Jews, had become targets of ridicule and
hatred. The prophetic words of Jesus had now become a significant reality, “Blessed are you whenever the men of
Apostate Israel should be hating you, and whenever they should be ostracizing
you and reproaching you and casting out your name [Nazarenes, Messianics,
those of The Way] as wicked, on account
of the Son of Man” (Lk. 6:22 my translation). Great pressure was being
placed upon all Jews to rally to the cause of Jewish national independence and
hopeful restoration of
Though it is still uncertain as to who wrote the letter, if
the reading of the Greek texts of Hebrews 10:34 containing the word mou (meaning my) in relation to the Greek word for prisoners is accepted, “my prisoners” could only refer to Paul,
when as Saul of Tarsus he had persecuted and imprisoned those of the sect of
the Nazarenes (Messianic Jews) throughout the land of Palestine (see Acts
26:9-12). The text of Hebrews 10:34 would then read, “For you [the Messianic Jews of
In the past eons, Yahweh had spoken to the fathers in the
sphere of the interest of the lives and words of the prophets. The writer of
Hebrews now declares that “in the last of
these days” (Heb. 1:2 CV) Yahweh spoke to us (the Messianic Jews) “in a Son.” The “last of these days” refers to the last days of the Mosaic Eon. As
Yahweh had spoken to
This
Son, Jesus, has been appointed by Yahweh as the enjoyer, the heir, the
allottee, of the allotment of all things written in the Law and the Prophets. It
is with this Son in mind that Yahweh made (designed the progression of) the
eons (Heb. 1:2b). He is the radiant glory and essential emblem of Yahweh’s
substantial sustaining of all His promises and purposes revealed to Adamic man
as represented by His holy, elect, nation,
Consequently,
in redeeming
Having been exalted to the right hand of Yahweh, The Son took
His appointed place alongside Yahweh over all celestial and terrestrial
authorities. In accord with the chronological purpose of Yahweh, He ascended
the throne of His human father David. This throne is described as “for the eon [His Davidic rule and
Melchizedekian Priesthood] of the eon [the
Mosaic Eon]” (Heb. 1:8a CV, see also
5:6 CV, “Thou art a priest for the eon
according to the order of Melchizedek”). Hence, the faithful seed of
Abraham (circumcised
If the children of Israel, hearing and disobeying the word of the Sinatic Covenant spoken to Moses through celestial messengers, had been severely condemned, how much greater will be the judgment against those not heeding the word of Yahweh spoken in the life, death, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation of His Son?! The Messianic Jews, having been chosen by Yahweh to hear and receive the word of salvation spoken in the Son, are to guard themselves against apostasy, “Therefore we [Messianic Jews] must more exceedingly be heeding what is being heard, lest at some time we may be drifting by [drifting away from the truth of the Son]” (Heb. 2:1 CV). The sins committed under the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant had been severely recompensed, how then “shall we be escaping when neglecting a salvation of such proportions . . . ?” (Heb. 2:3a CV).
There were Messianic Jews in the holy land who were on the verge of neglecting the salvation of the Son by contemplating a return to Judaism and the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant, not considering the destructive consequence: participation in the Second Death, and, thus, forfeiture of the Celestial Allotment. The writer reminds these wavering Messianic Jews of the word of this salvation which had begun with the ministry of Jesus, had been confirmed by the Apostles who had personally heard His teaching, and was still being corroborated by signs, miracles, and powerful deeds produced by the holy spirit (Heb. 2:3c-4).
This
was not the time to turn from the Son. The present suffering and affliction
were signs of His already initiated Parousia/Approach. His Parousia/Arrival
was already at hand. The time for enduring persecution and affliction on behalf
of the righteousness of the
Since
Jesus the Son is now superior to the celestial messengers, Yahweh has subjected
to Him the “impending” (Heb. 2:5)
inhabited household of
Jesus,
as son of the man Adam, had been inferior in rank and body to celestial
messengers, but only for a short time (Heb. 2:7a). As a result of His
obedience, He had been exalted and crowned with glory and honor, having been
placed over the covenantal works of the hands of Yahweh. Under His feet, Yahweh
had subjected the Sinatic/Mosaic world-order of
As
Davidic King, Messiah Jesus was in the process of “leading many sons into glory” (Heb.
Thus,
the salvation provided by the Son referred to in this letter is the salvation
of
For assuredly it [the
salvation provided by the Son] is not taking hold of messengers [celestial beings], but it is taking
hold of the seed of Abraham. . . . that He [Messiah
Jesus, The Son] may be becoming a merciful and faithful Chief Priest in
that [the New Covenant] which is
toward God [Yahweh], to make a
propitiatory shelter for the sins of the people [
Being partners together with Messiah Jesus in such a grand,
elect salvation, these Messianic Jews wavering in their faith-obedience to
Messiah Jesus should “consider the
Apostle and Chief Priest [according to the order of Melchizedek, not Aaron]
of our avowal [advocation]” (Heb. 3:1 CV). As Moses had been
appointed head over Yahweh’s whole house (the house of
And Moses, indeed, was faithful in His [Yahweh’s] whole house as an attendant,
for a testimony of those things which shall be spoken [those things which had yet to be spoken to
Those believing into Jesus as the promised Messiah of the Law and the Prophets are the New Spiritual House of Yahweh constructed by Messiah Jesus out of the energizing, counter-alterating spirit initially poured out at Pentecost and continuing to be poured out until the consummation of His Parousia. They are “holy brethren, partners of a celestial calling” (Heb. 3:1 CV), expectantly awaiting entrance into the promised Celestial Allotment. However, in order to maintain one’s place in the New Spiritual House of Yahweh not made with hands, one had to be remaining faithful to the truth of the Gospel, to the terms of the New Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant, until the consummation of the then present spiritual conflict. Turning away from Jesus and the New Covenant back to Moses and the old covenant removed one from the New Spiritual House of Yahweh having the expectation of the Resurrection, the completion of the present salvation of the Son and returned one to the old, decrepit house of Yahweh doomed to the destruction of the Second Death.
Those returning to Moses and the old covenant are likened to the evil generation coming out of Egypt which had disgusted Yahweh and which Yahweh had destroyed in the wilderness, denying its members entrance into the Land of Promise (Heb. 3:7-11). The writer of Hebrews again warns the wavering Messianic Jews,
Beware, brethren, lest at some time there shall be in any one of you a wicked heart of unbelief, in withdrawing from the living God. . . . For we have become partners of Christ [the Messiah], that is, if we should be retaining the beginning of the assumption [the convicting faith, the initial confidence in Jesus as Messiah] confirmed unto the consummation, . . . (Hebrews 3:12-14 CV)
Salvation depends upon faithfulness to the end. Those branches in the cultivated olive tree of Jesus the Son of Yahweh, if becoming unfaithful at the end, will be chopped out of the New Covenant tree of covenantal life. Those national Jewish branches having been chopped off because of unbelief, if becoming faithful before the end of the present spiritual conflict, will be grafted back into the cultivated olive tree of Jesus the Son of Yahweh (see Ezekiel, chapter 18; Rom. 11:16-24).
Turning away from Messiah Jesus is equivalent to the stubbornness and unfaithfulness of the members of the evil generation doomed to wander in the wilderness for 40 years until their deaths. As that generation of disobedient Israelites had been denied entrance into the promised terrestrial allotment, so also, the present generation of disobedient Messianic Jews would be denied entrance into the promised Celestial Allotment, suffering the doom of covenantal death, the fiery destruction of Gehenna, the Second Death terminating the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant and the apostate nation of unbelieving Jews who were presently being strewn out in the present spiritual wilderness of covenantal death and desolation (Heb. 3:16-19).
Entering
into the coming Celestial Allotment amounted to entering the ultimate sabbath
rest for the faithful people of Yahweh. Joshua had led
Jesus, as the Savior of His people
Consequently, the Messianic Jews, following Messiah Jesus into spiritual warfare against the enemy, as ancient Israel had followed Joshua into battle, should “be holding to the avowal” (Heb. 4:14b CV). Advocating their commitment to Jesus as Commander-In-Chief, they need to courageously endure the hardships of the present spiritual conflict, sharing in the conquering sufferings of Messiah Jesus. For this Jesus, the Son of Yahweh, is not only the savior (a new Joshua) leading as Commander-In-Chief, He is also “a great Chief Priest” (Heb. 4:14a CV).
Passing
through the literal heavens, He has also passed through the metaphorical
heavens, becoming for His people
This
priesthood of Messiah Jesus is not according to the Aaronic Priesthood
associated with the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant and the terrestrial system of
worship and service according to the elements of that world-order. His priesthood
is according to the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 5:6). It is associated with the
New Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant and the Celestial system of worship and service
apart from the elements of the world-order of
The chief priests of the Aaronic system offer up sacrifices for the sins of the people as well as their own sins. They do this often. As Yahweh had appointed Aaron the glory and honor of the Chief Priesthood associated with the Levitical system, so also Yahweh had appointed Jesus a Chief Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Unlike the Levitical Priesthood, the priesthood of Messiah Jesus necessitated only one sacrifice for the cleansing from sin. He, Himself, did not need such a cleansing.
Being perfectly righteous, His petitions and supplication on behalf of His being delivered out of death were hearkened to by Yahweh His Father. Learning obedience through the things He had to suffer in accord with the will of His Father, His sacrificial death had been acceptable to Yahweh. His shed blood had been the consecrating blood establishing the creation of the New Covenant by which Messiah Jesus achieved the promised “eonian salvation” (Heb. 5:9 CV) of the New Born-From-Above Israel.
This
priesthood of Jesus would be effective only for the duration of the eon of His
Davidic Kingship. For only during this transformation period from the
soulish/spiritual man to the perfected Celestial Man would cleansing from sin
be necessary. The Chief Priesthood of Messiah Jesus was necessary for
In the meantime, the priesthood of Messiah Jesus is on behalf of these Messianic Jews. Whereas the Levitical sacrifices for sins provided a covering for sins, thus, necessitating continual sacrifices, the blood of Messiah Jesus provides a cleansing from sins, purifying the conscience before Yahweh, negating the need for continual sacrifices. This accomplishment enables the spiritual-warriors of Messiah Jesus to worship and serve Yahweh without the elemental burden of constantly having recourse to multiple sacrifices and washings. This is part of the freedom in Christ. The Levitical sacrifices and washings were not only time-consuming, but inefficient. They had to be continually repeated. Now, in Christ, these sacrifices and washings had been nullified, being superseded once and for all by the sacrifice of Jesus and the cleansing power of His blood to produce a continually pure conscience in the covenantal presence of Yahweh merely by confession of one’s sin (see 1 Jn. 1:9).
In spite of these advantages in Christ, these Messianic Jews addressed by the writer of Hebrews have remained immature. Whereas they should be teachers based upon their early reception of the Gospel proclaimed by those faithful Saints scattered throughout the holy land after the assassination of Stephen and the ensuing persecution carried out by Saul of Tarsus, they “have need again of one to teach you . . . the rudimentary elements of the oracles of God [Yahweh]” (Heb. 5:12b CV). They have, after all this time, not been weaned from the milk of the Gospel. They are yet incapable of eating and digesting solid spiritual nourishment.
This,
of course, is rhetorical irony calculated to shame these Messianic Jews into a
return to their past boldness of conviction. They had been taught and had
digested the foundational elements of the faith. They were not ignorant of the
truth of the Gospel. The present turmoil and persecution, the present patriotic
fervor throughout the land, the present state of danger threatening the
survival of national
Regressing to the fearful behavior of infancy, they were in the process of shirking their Messianic responsibilities to Yahweh, Messiah Jesus, their Messianic kinsmen, and their alien neighbors. The present persecution, affliction, and contempt heaped upon them by the larger Jewish Community which had expelled and renounced them, combined with the chaotic conditions surrounding them, caused doubt and confusion among them. They, as a result of fleshly fear, were on the verge of turning back to the more comforting identity with national Judaism. Ostracism had taken its social and religious toll.
The writer of Hebrews reminds these Messianic brethren of the terrible consequences of such a return to Judaism. Having been enlightened by the reception of the truth of the Gospel and having become partakers of the counter-alterating spirit, tasting the life-giving message of Yahweh and experiencing the powerful deeds of the impending eon produced by the guiding spirit of Yahweh, and then turning away from Messiah Jesus and the New Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant back to Moses and the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant, it is impossible to be renewed again to repentance (Heb. 6:4-6a).
This may seem harsh. But the eschatological situation was extraordinary. These were the last days. To turn from the sufferings of Messiah Jesus at the most crucial point in the warfare is to become a traitor having no time to repent. The conflict was nearly over. The war was about to be won. The enemy had now become ripe for destruction. Turning back to the enemy at this point in the conflict meant doom and destruction.
Turning
away from Messiah Jesus at this crucial, eschatological season amounted to “crucifying for themselves the Son of God [Yahweh]
again and holding Him up to infamy” (Heb.
6:6b CV). Anyone repudiating Moses’ Law was put to death without pity, warns
the writer of Hebrews (Heb.
However, the writer of Hebrews is “persuaded of better things concerning you, beloved, even those things which have to do with salvation” (Heb. 6:9a CV modified). Though he has written harshly, it is because of his love for his beloved brethren. He wholeheartedly is convinced that they are genuine children of Abraham. He is convinced that they are circumcised in heart. Therefore, he lovingly chastens them, disciplining them in the Lord for their own correction.
They had been fighting the good fight. They have temporarily become fearful under the terrible pressure of persecution and affliction. Their hearts are in the right place. He, as Messiah Jesus’ appointed shepherd, has the responsibility of encouraging their hearts by reminding them of the truths they have held, and continue to hold, as precious and worthy of their continued commitment. Yahweh has not forgotten their previous “work and the love which you displayed for His name when having served the saints, and as you still are [presently] serving” (Heb. 6:10b CV modified).
Knowing this, he exhorts these beloved brethren “to be displaying the same diligence toward the assurance of the expectation [of the imminent Parousia, the Celestial Allotment, and the prize of the High Calling] until the consummation [of the present spiritual conflict]” (Heb. 6:11b CV), as they had earlier displayed in the boldness of their conviction. In the present crisis, they are to discard their sluggish behavior, being strengthened, in the power of the counter-alterating spirit, to resume fighting the good fight of the faith until the soon-to-come consummation.
The
fact that Abraham tithed Melchizedek, according to the writer of Hebrews,
establishes the superiority of the Melchizedekian Priesthood over the Levitical
Priesthood. He concludes that “the
inferior [Abraham] is blessed by the
better [Melchizedek]” (Heb. 7:7
CV). Since Levi “was still in the loins
of his father [Abraham]” (Heb.
Consequently,
the necessity of the Melchizedekian Priesthood proves that the Levitical Priesthood
could not bring to perfection the purpose of Yahweh concerning
Hence,
the inferior priesthood as a type is fulfilled by the superior Melchizedekian
Priesthood of Messiah Jesus. If Yahweh has transferred the authority of the
Levitical Priesthood and the order of Aaron to the authority of the priesthood
of Messiah Jesus according to the order of Melchizedek, then it follows that
there must also be a transference of the authority of the Sinatic/Mosaic
Covenant to the authority of the New Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant (Heb. 7:11-16).
Indeed, this is the case, since Yahweh had declared, “Thou art a priest for the eon according to the order of Melchizedek”
(Ps. 110:4 KJV modified). The promised Messiah was not to be a Levitical priest
of the order of Aaron, but a superior priest according to the order of
Melchizedek. The Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant and the Levitical Priesthood had now
been repudiated, annulled, because this system, this world-order, was “weak and without benefit; for the law [the
Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant of law] perfects
nothing” (Heb. 7:18b CV). The Sinatic/Mosaic system of law was designed to
lead
The very insufficiency of the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant and its Levitical system of worship and service pointed to “a better expectation [hope]” (Heb. 7:19 CV), a better covenant and priesthood. Messiah Jesus has established this better covenant and priesthood. What the inferior covenant and priesthood could not accomplish, the superior covenant and priesthood has achieved.
The many priests of the Levitical Priesthood have their priesthoods imperfectly terminated because of their deaths. But the One unique priesthood of the One Superior Priest, Messiah Jesus, because His priesthood is for the duration of the eon, is inviolate (aparabaton, inviolate, it cannot be hindered from reaching its intended perfection). Since He cannot die, His priesthood cannot be violated. His priesthood will be implemented until He has achieved Yahweh's intended perfection, at which time it will be consummated, since it will have achieved its purpose. Hence, the writer of Hebrews explains the meaning of the inviolate priesthood of Messiah Jesus,
He is able to save to the uttermost those coming to God
[Yahweh] through Him, always being
alive [in the celestial presence of
Yahweh during the present spiritual conflict through which the
Having such a superior Chief Priest, the Messianic Jews are exhorted to remain faithful to the terms of the New Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant, which, unlike the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant, will achieve perfection. For the priests appointed by the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant have infirmities, and their service is therefore imperfect. Numerous priests must be continually implementing the cultic laws which can never reach perfection. But the oath concerning the priesthood of Messiah Jesus sworn by Yahweh after the coming of the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant has appointed Him a priest perfected for the eon, “yet the word sworn in the oath which is after the law, appoints the Son, perfected, for the eon” (Heb. 7:28b CV).
Messiah Jesus, as Chief Priest, is seated on His Davidic throne alongside the majesty of Yahweh. This throne is metaphorically set up “in the heavens” (Heb. 8:1 CV). Therefore, not only is He Davidic Warrior-King, but He is also the Chief Priestly Minister of the spiritual holy places residing in the true tabernacle (the New House of Israel, His Ecclesia) which He, Himself, has pitched in the sphere of the interest of the metaphorical heavens of the New Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant. As Chief Priest in the holy places of this Tabernacle not made or pitched with hands, He has offered Himself up to Yahweh as a sacrifice on behalf of His people (the Born-From-Above Israel, the Messianic Jews and Gentiles). He is both the sacrifice and the Chief Priest offering the sacrifice (Heb. 8:2-4).
This priestly service of His would not be possible according to the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant and the tabernacle and priesthood associated with it. For that tabernacle and priesthood had been an example and shadow of the divine service of the celestial ones associated with the Tabernacle not made with hands and pitched by Messiah Jesus, that new spiritual Tabernacle associated with the New Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant (Heb. 8:4-5). These celestial ones (epouranion, Heb. 8:5) are the priests (Messianic Jews and Gentiles, the kingdom of priests, Rev. 1:6) serving, according to the order of Melchizedek, in the new, spiritual, heavenly Tabernacle associated with the New Covenant of Messiah Jesus. As a kingdom of priests, they serve under the Chief Priesthood of Messiah Jesus. The Sinatic Tabernacle and Levitical Priesthood of the order of Aaron had been modeled on the more substantial, perfect, future Davidic Tabernacle and Messianic Priesthood of the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 8:5).
The priesthood of Messiah Jesus, thus, is a more excellent ministry” (Heb. 8:6a CV); “He is the Mediator, also, of a better covenant” (Heb. 8:6b CV) associated with “better promises” (Heb. 8:6c CV). This better covenant and better priesthood and these better promises had been necessary because the first covenant, priesthood, and promises were flawed. They were imperfect. They were designed to be imperfect. They were shadows of the perfect covenant, priesthood, and promises to be associated with the coming, promised Davidic Messiah and to be implemented by this same Messiah. This new, perfect covenant (the better covenant) had been prophesied by Jeremiah (chapter 31:31-34).
This
better, new covenant prophesied by
Jeremiah was to be made, contracted,
“with the house of
This
new covenant of Jeremiah’s prophecy was not to be made with the nations or
Adamic humanity. It would fulfill all that which had been written in the Law
and the Prophets. Having done so, it would be consummated. It was an eonian
covenant associated with the promises made to
This new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah implied the Melchizedekian Chief Priesthood of the coming Messiah. Jeremiah had written, “For I [Yahweh] shall be propitious to their injustices, And of their sins and their lawlessnesses should I under no circumstances still be reminded” (Heb. 8:12 CV, quoting Jer. 31:34). This necessitated the Chief Priestly sacrifice and advocacy of Messiah Jesus. As long as sin continued to be produced by the Messianic brethren, the priests according to the order of Melchizedek, Messiah Jesus would function as Melchizedekian Chief Priest. That state, or condition (soulish/spiritual), would be terminated at the consummation of the national and personal Resurrection of the New Born-From-Above Israel of Yahweh, the completion of the Messianic Community’s metamorphosis from soulish/spiritual man to Celestial Man.
The
writer of Hebrews, commenting on Jeremiah’s prophecy, concludes, “In saying ‘new,’ He [Yahweh] has made the former [the Sinatic
Covenant] old” (Heb. 8:13a CV). The
Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant at the time of the writing of this letter was still in
operation. It had not yet been completely terminated. The transference of
authority had taken place, but had not yet been completed. This is why the
Messianic Jews had continued to worship in the
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The True Tabernacle which has been pitched by Messiah Jesus as the Chief Priest according to the order of Melchizedek is not of the former Sinatic creation. In Hebrews 9:11 the term creation is not referring to the creation of Genesis, chapter 1. The “this creation” of verse 11 is made with hands. It is associated with “the blood of he-goats and calves” (Heb. 9:12a CV). Therefore, it refers to the Levitical Priesthood and cultic worship and service in contrast with the Melchizedekian Priesthood of Messiah Jesus associated with His blood and His heavenly Tabernacle, the New Spiritual House of Israel, the Temple not made with hands (1 Cor. 3:16-17). This heavenly Tabernacle is not a literal place in the heavens but a literal spiritual people, a New Creation (Eph. 2:13-22; 2 Cor. 5:17), a living Spiritual House constructed with living stones (1 Pe. 2:5), metaphorically/covenantally perceived by Yahweh as in the heavens over the nations metaphorically perceived by Yahweh as being upon the earth.
The
imagery used is metaphoric. The altar upon which Messiah Jesus had offered
Himself as a propitiatory sacrifice for sins had been the cross of
The
efficacy of this “greater and more
perfect tabernacle not made by hands” (Heb.
For if the blood of he-goats and of bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the contaminated [ones], is hallowing to the cleanness of the flesh [according to the terms of the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant], how much rather shall the blood of Christ, Who, through [Yahweh’s] eonian spirit offered Himself flawless to Yahweh, be cleansing your conscience from dead works [the works of the law] to be offering divine service to the living and true God [Elohim]? (Hebrews 9:13-14 CV modified)
The salvation provided by the Son of Yahweh as Chief Priest and flawless sacrifice perfects the beneficiary of this salvation. Christ’s sacrifice purifies the conscience by cleansing away sin, providing legal justification in relation to sin (charging sin to the old man, thereby legally justifying the new man, see Romans, chapter 6), not merely covering it or cleansing it ritually.
The “dead works” referred to are those actual works of the law required for ritually cleansing and covering sin. These works are dead in contrast with the sacrifice and work of Messiah Jesus as Chief Priest, which sacrifice and work actually cleansed, purified, one from sin, thereby purifying the conscience in a way not possible by the rituals of the old Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant performed according to the requirements of the Levitical cultic system for appropriate worship and service to Yahweh, Israel’s covenantal Elohim (see Acts 13:39).
Consequently,
all those in Christ, all those Messianic Jews and Gentiles who are members of
His spiritual priesthood are authorized to offer divine service in the interest
of His New Spiritual Tabernacle which is His Ecclesia, His Spiritual Body, His
New Spiritual House of Israel (Heb. 3:4-6), His New Spiritual Temple. These members,
being built, constructed, created together, make up this Spiritual House, this
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Those
Melchizedekian priests serving together with Messiah Jesus as Chief Priest in
the sphere of the interest of the heavens (the New Spiritual Tabernacle
ministering on behalf of the needs of old Israel and the nations both metaphorically
on the earth, Heb. 9:23) are not cleansed by the rituals of the Levitical Priesthood.
These “celestial ones” (Heb. 9:23, epourania, neuter gender), celestial
priests according to the order of Melchizedek, are cleansed to the interest of “better sacrifices” than the sacrifices
offered by the Levitical priests. The “better
sacrifices” (Heb.
This
purified, divine service is the result of Messiah Jesus’ Chief Priestly
mediation. For Messiah Jesus entered into the metaphoric/covenantal heaven
where He pitched His New, Spiritual Tabernacle not made with hands (Heb.
This Chief Priestly entrance into the heavenly Tabernacle not made with hands is depicted as the more perfect Chief Priest on the more perfect Day of Atonement. The Levitical Chief Priest entered the holy of holies within the earthly tabernacle once every year with the blood of an animal sacrifice in order to ritually cover the sins of the nation committed during the previous year. This had to be carried out year after year.
Messiah
Jesus, however, as Chief Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, entered
only once into the holy of holies in the heavenly Tabernacle with His own blood
for the sins of Israel committed at Sinai, the worship and service of the
Golden Calf which resulted in Yahweh’s verdict of national covenantal death
(the Second Death). His priestly service annulled Yahweh’s verdict of national
covenantal death resulting from
Therefore, the people eagerly and anxiously awaited his emergence from the Tabernacle. For those eagerly and confidently awaiting the Parousia of Messiah Jesus (His emergence from the heavenly Holy of Holies in the sight of the celestial ones, the celestial priests, the faithful-to-the-consummation Messianic brethren), His Parousia (emergence) would complete their salvation,
thus Christ [Messiah] also, being offered once for the bearing of the sins of many [the Messianic brethren forming the New Born-From-Above Israel of Yahweh], will be seen [literally] a second time, by those [His faithful brethren, Messianic Jews and Gentiles] awaiting Him [see 2 Tim. 4:8], apart from sin [His sacrifice for sin having been well-pleasing to Yahweh], for salvation, through faith [faith/faithfulness, that of Jesus, as well as His Messianic brethren]. (Hebrews 9:28 CV)
Those, however, who had not identified themselves with His Chief Priesthood (Apostate Israel) and, therefore, were not awaiting His Parousia, His Parousia, not being seen (perceived by faith), would complete their destruction by His execution of the verdict of Yahweh against Apostate Israel: the Second Death, the covenantal death of national Apostate Israel.
The
writer of Hebrews also alludes, in this passage (
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Because the Levitical sacrifices are “never able to perfect to a finality those approaching” (Heb. 10:1b CV), a more perfect sacrifice was always necessary. As long as the Levitical sacrifices remained authorized, sins would continue to be accounted. As long as sacrifices continued to be offered, “there is a recollection of sins year by year; for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and of he-goats to be eliminating sins” (Heb. 10:3b-4 CV). This Levitical reality necessitated the coming of Messiah Jesus.
When the writer of Hebrews refers to Jesus’ “entering into the world” (Heb. 10:5a CV), he is not referring to Jesus’ birth. He is referring to the inauguration of Jesus’ terrestrial ministry. It is this coming of Messiah Jesus which is vital to the Levitical situation. The Hebrew Scriptures had prophesied of this essential and necessary coming of Messiah Jesus. The purpose of Messiah Jesus’ terrestrial ministry is to dispatch the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant with its Levitical sacrifices and to establish a second covenant with its single more perfect sacrifice able to perfect to a finality those approaching (see the contrast of Heb. 10:1b CV). Therefore, the writer of Hebrews quotes the psalmist,
Sacrifice and approach present Thou dost not will. Yet a body dost Thou prepare to the interest of My coming . . . Then I said, “Lo! I am arriving, in a summary heading of a scroll it is written concerning Me [the Messiah], To do Thy will, O Yahweh.” (Hebrews 10:5b-7 my translation)
Messiah
Jesus, commissioned by Yahweh His Father, arrived in the public sight of
Unlike the Levitical chief priests, Messiah Jesus, after offering His one sacrifice for sins, “is seated to a finality in the interest of Yahweh’s right hand” (Heb. 10:12b my translation). The Levitical chief priests continue to stand. Messiah Jesus as Chief Priest sits, because His priestly task concerning sins is completed, no longer needing to be repeated. As Chief Priest, He sits in the interest of the authority of Yahweh’s right hand, which authority has annulled the authorization of the Levitical/Aaronic order, superseding it with the new authorization of the more perfect, completed, well-pleasing Melchizedekian/Messianic order of worship and service.
As
Chief Priest, Messiah Jesus sits waiting for His enemies (the Levitical
priests) to be “placed as a footstool for
His feet” (Heb. 10:13b CV), their divine service being completely
abolished, terminated, no longer in operation. This became a reality in 70 A.D.
with the destruction of the
As Chief Priest, Messiah Jesus has provided access into the presence of Yahweh. The Holy of Holies is no longer veiled; it is no longer barring entrance into the presence of Yahweh. The priests serving together with Messiah Jesus as Chief Priest are serving in the sphere of the interest of the spiritual Holy of Holies, the New Spiritual Tabernacle/Temple, the New Spiritual House of Israel, the New Born-From-Above Israel of Yahweh’s intimate presence. Hence, the writer of Hebrews exhorts the Messianic Jews,
Having then, brethren, boldness for the entrance of the holy places [the spiritual presence of Yahweh] in the interest of the efficacy of the blood of Jesus, to the interest of a recently slain and living way which He [Jesus] dedicated for us, through the curtain, that is, His flesh [His body, 10:10], and a great Priest over the house of God [Yahweh], we should be approaching with a true heart, in the assurance of faith, with hearts sprinkled from a malignant conscience [the now decrepit, decayed, conscience of the Levitical system], and the Body [Christ’s Ecclesia, His Spiritual Complement] bathed to the interest of cleansing water [the cleansing water of the word of the Gospel, the word of the present salvation provided by Yahweh’s more perfect Chief Priest]. (Hebrews 10:19-22 CV modified)
These Messianic Jews are encouraged to perform faithfully their duties (their divine service as living sacrifices) as Messiah Jesus’ fellow-priests of the New Melchizedekian/Messianic order associated with the New Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant. Overcoming their present fears and spiritual infirmities as a result of the advantages of the Chief Priesthood of Messiah Jesus, Who shortly will be emerging from the heavenly Tabernacle bringing to perfection their present salvation, they are to be “retaining the avowal [advocacy] of the expectation [the Parousia and Celestial Allotment] without wavering” (Heb. 10:23a CV); they are to be inciting one another to manifest love and to perform the ideal priestly acts “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves [because of great persecution and affliction], according as the custom of some is, but entreating, and so much rather as you are observing the day [of the consummation of Messiah Jesus’ Parousia] drawing near” (Heb. 10:25 CV). Turning back to the Levitical Priesthood and the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant with such a short time left before the triumphant victory of Messiah Jesus and entrance into the Celestial Allotment would be shamefully foolish.
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Knowing
the Parousia is drawing near and having acknowledged the truth of the Gospel,
including the priesthood of Messiah Jesus, voluntarily choosing sin by turning
back to the Levitical system associated with the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant in
order to obtain purification from sins and a clean conscience leaves one
without a sacrifice for sin. The Levitical sacrifices no longer are
well-pleasing to Yahweh. They no longer have the authority to be dealing with
covenantal sins. There is only one authorized covenant (the Davidic/Abrahamic
Covenant) and one authorized Chief Priest (Messiah Jesus) and one authorized sacrifice
for sins (the fleshly body of Messiah Jesus). Turn away from Messiah Jesus and
you turn away from covenantal life and the hope of
Such
voluntary sin results in a “certain
fearful waiting for judging and fiery jealousy, about to be eating the hostile”
(Heb.
According
to the Law of Moses, those Jews invalidating the Law of Moses by repudiating
its authority, being condemned by the testimony of two or three witnesses, were
put to death mercilessly (Heb.
The
writer of Hebrews (Paul, if reading those texts containing the pronoun my, my prisoners, Heb.
Continuing the assumption of Pauline authorship, Paul, remembering his own former persecution of these Saints, admirably declares,
For you sympathized with my prisoners also, and anticipated [accepted] the pillage of your possessions [at my hands] with joy, knowing you yourselves have better and permanent property [possession] in the sphere of the interest of the heavens [the sphere or realm of the Celestial Allotment]. (Hebrews 10:34 CV modified)
Hence,
as they had formerly participated boldly in the sufferings on behalf of Messiah
Jesus, so now at the near return of their Lord, they “should not, then, be casting away . . . boldness, . . . having a
great reward” (Heb.
Messiah
Jesus is not delaying His Parousia (Heb.
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The Messianic brethren, not being of those who are shrinking back to destruction, by implication are those pressing on to the perfection of faithfulness. The writer of Hebrews defines faith as “the substance [assurance] of things hoped for [expected], the evidence [conviction] of things not seen [observed]” (Heb. 11:1 KJV). These Messianic brethren are those presently losing their souls for the sake of Messiah Jesus and the righteousness of His kingdom. Thus, they are losing in their present life that which can be seen, touched, tasted, smelled, heard (the soulish), while trusting, putting their confidence in the promise of “the better and permanent” possession of the Celestial Allotment (Heb. 10:34) which presently cannot be seen, touched, tasted, smelled, or heard.
What
the soulish senses cannot grasp, faith counts as evident, as real, as
substantial. That which the soulish senses register as substantial and real
must be denied by faith, by the sound mind and circumcised heart. Though losing
their terrestrial possessions and enduring soulish hardship through persecution
and affliction on behalf of the righteousness of Yahweh, the faithful ones,
through the eyes of faith, behold the more substantial celestial possessions
promised to those who endure faithfully to the end of the then present
eschatological conflict. Only through losing their souls on behalf of Messiah
Jesus can they gain their souls (Matt.
By
such faith the Messianic brethren apprehend that the eons (ages) have been
prepared, designed, ordered, characterized by Yahweh to contribute to the
advancement of Yahweh's predesignated purpose, so that those things being
registered through the soulish senses can only be properly understood by a
sound mind apprehending the character and purpose of the eons as designed by
Yahweh (Heb. 11:3). This understanding necessitates revelation from Yahweh
requiring faith/faithfulness. The Messianic brethren of Messiah Jesus have been
instructed that their generation has attained to “the consummation of the eons” (1 Cor.
The writer of Hebrews, then, provides a catalogue of those who have accurately seen events through the eyes of faith, faithfully enduring the injustices of events. All of these faithful ones, “In faith died . . . not being requited with the promises” (Heb. 11:13a CV). Although not being requited with the promises during their lives, nevertheless, these faithful ones had perceived through the eyes of faith the promises in the distance of time. Accounting them as precious, they had considered themselves strangers and expatriates during their lives on this earth (Heb. 11:13b).
Turning
their eyes away from the terrestrial realm, they focused them on the Celestial
Realm. Strangers and expatriates (exiles) on the earth, they had sought the
better country promised to them by Yahweh (Heb. 11:14b). They could have turned
back to the terrestrial as those unfaithful Israelites in the wilderness had
turned back to
Honoring
them, “He makes ready for them a city”
(Heb. 11:16c CV). This city is the same city looked for by Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, who also had not been promised a terrestrial country, a terrestrial
hope. All three patriarchs had sojourned as aliens in the land promised to
their future seed. As joint-enjoyers of the future Celestial Allotment (the
better, Celestial country), they “waited
for the city having the [better, Celestial] foundations, whose Artificer and Architect is God [Yahweh Elohim]” (Heb.
This
city is the same city which is the sure hope of the then present Messianic
brethren. The present Jerusalem Above (the heavenly [ouranios] Jerusalem descending out of the visional-metaphorical
heaven of Revelation 21:2, the New
Born-From-Above Israel of Yahweh), when completely perfected at the
consummation of the Parousia of Messiah Jesus, would become the Celestial (epouranios) Jerusalem, looked for by
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the faithful ones beginning with Abel: “But you [Messianic Jews] have come to mount Zion, and the city of the
living God [Elohim], celestial [epouranio]
Jerusalem . . .” (Heb. 12:22a CV). All the faithful
ones described in this catalogue of valiant warriors of the promise had not yet
been “requited with the promise of God [Yahweh]
concerning us [the Messianic
priest-warriors of Messiah Jesus the Chief Priest according to the order of
Melchizedek] (the looking forward is to
something better), that, apart from us, they may not be perfected” (Heb.
11:39b-40 CV). The perfection to be reached at the consummation of the Parousia
of Messiah Jesus would include all the faithful ones of the past eons. The
Celestial Jerusalem is not to be a thing, a place, but a people, a New
Creation, a living
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Being encouraged by “so vast a cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12:1a CV), the Messianic Jews are exhorted to discard every impediment hindering their faithfulness to the end of the present conflict. They are to avoid “the popular sin” (Heb. 12:1b CV) easily succumbed to under great persecution and affliction: turning back to the terrestrial, abandoning the celestial hope. The writer of Hebrews exhorts these Messianic Jews to be “racing with endurance the contest lying before us, looking off to the Inaugurator and Perfecter of the faith [of the Gospel], Jesus” (Heb. 12:1b-2a CV) Who endured the suffering of a cross, in spite of His despising the shame associated with it. Having faithfully conquered through obedient endurance, He is now seated with glory and power in the sphere of the interest of the right hand authority of Yahweh’s throne (Heb. 12:2b). They, also, having conquered, will be seated together with Him in the realm of the Celestial Allotment.
Therefore,
keeping these examples in mind, they are not to be offended by the writer’s
harsh words of discipline. Yahweh disciplines, chastises only His sons in order
to prevent them from harming themselves. Unlike Messiah Jesus their Lord, and
unlike some of their contemporary brethren, they have not as yet shed their
blood resisting the sin of lawless rebellion, the sin of those sinning Jews
who, like their father Cain, arrogantly defy the word of Yahweh. Accepting
thankfully the corrective discipline of Yahweh, the Messianic brethren are to
be subjected to the will of the Father, thereby living in the interest of the
counter-alterating spirit. They are to be offering divine service to Yahweh as
living sacrifices (Heb. 12:3-9, see also Rom. 12:1-2). In this way, they will
faithfully endure the present great affliction on behalf of their Davidic
Warrior-King, avoiding “the popular sin”
of “faltering, fainting in your souls”
(Heb. 12:3b CV). In this way, they will avoid perdition, while attaining to the
perfection of the soon-to-come
completion of their salvation, the completion of the Resurrection Hope of
Unlike
Esau, they are not to profane their firstborn-allotment by despising its value
for the sake of temporary escape from persecution and affliction and the
pseudo-comfort of the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant and the Levitical Priesthood in
which the larger Jewish Community of National Apostate Israel trusted. For
Esau, when he had realized his mistake and had sought to recover his
birthright, discovered it was too late for repentance, even though he had
sought it with sincere tears of sorrow. Hence, to turn away from sharing in
Christ as the firstborn-allottee by turning back to the inferior covenant and
priesthood would result in the impossibility of repentance (Heb. 6:6).
Discovering the season of salvation had passed, it would be too late for
repentance, even though it might be sought with genuinely sorrowful tears of
disappointment (Heb.
Unlike
Moses and Israel at the foot of Mount Sinai, the Messianic Jews, citizens of
the New Born-From-Above Israel of Yahweh,
had not come to the presence of Yahweh manifested in blazing fire, murkiness of
thick cloud, gloom of foreboding darkness, blare of thundering trumpets, and
the voice speaking the Ten Words of the covenant. So frightening had been this
manifestation of Yahweh’s presence that the people requested that no further
word be spoken to them. This terrifying atmosphere at Mount Sinai associated
with the inferior Sinatic Covenant is contrasted with the joyful atmosphere at
The
presence of Yahweh associated with the old covenant is unapproachable, but the
presence of Yahweh associated with the New Covenant is approachable. Access to
Yahweh’s presence under the Levitical Priesthood is terrifying and limited to
one man (the Chief Priest) on one day (the Day
of Atonement) during the entire year, and requiring blood. Access to
Yahweh’s presence under the Melchizedekian Priesthood of Messiah Jesus is
joyful and unlimited as a result of the more perfect mediation of Messiah Jesus
as Chief Priest. His blood, shed only once, opened the way to the presence of
Yahweh for those soulish/spiritual Messianic brethren who though redeemed from
sin and death still needed the spiritual cleansing of the blood of Christ for
the sins they continued to produce until attaining to the complete perfection
of their salvation, the completed metamorphosis from the soulish/spiritual man
to the Celestial
The
Messianic brethren had come, not to Mount Sinai, but to
This
city is the city of the Living Elohim of Israel. This is the city whose
foundations are laid by Yahweh as Artificer and Architect (Heb.
The
celestial host, the perfected Ecclesia, the perfected ancient faithful ones
(the spirits of the just ones perfected, Heb. 12:23b CV), and Jesus the
Mediator of the fresh covenant will be gathered together in festive joy in the
presence of the Judge Who is the Elohim of all those gathered in convocation.
This holy convocation is made possible by the blood of Messiah Jesus, which,
declaring justification of life for all Adamic men and women, speaks a better
message than the blood of Abel which had cried out for vengeance. The blood of
Messiah Jesus also avenged the shed blood of Abel and his just spiritual
children by conquering Cain and his serpentine children. Messiah Jesus
conquered Cain and his serpentine seed together with His priestly-warriors who,
being cleansed by His blood, conquered the Cainites in His name and with His
power (see Heb.
This description of the Celestial Jerusalem, though referring to a real convocation unifying, reconciling, the celestial-created beings of Yahweh with His terrestrial Adamic-created beings, is yet metaphoric. This city is an organic city. It figuratively depicts the New Creation people of Messiah Jesus joining their celestial-created brethren who are no longer superior to mankind now transformed by Messiah Jesus as Son of Yahweh, Son of Adam, Son of David, and Chief Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Thus, the writer is not referring to a literal mount, a literal city. These are metaphoric images referring to a higher spiritual reality:
But you [Messianic Jews, and as a result, Messianic Gentiles] have come to mount Zion [the present heavenly city, people, of the Greater Davidic Son, Messiah Jesus], and the city of the living Elohim [now presently in the midst of His people, Rev. 21:3], celestial Jerusalem [when perfected at the consummation of the Parousia of Messiah Jesus], and to ten thousand messengers [celestial ones of the previously higher order of beings], to a universal convocation [of celestial ones and transformed terrestrial ones gathered together to jubilantly worship and serve the One Righteous Judge Who is the Elohim of all these gathered ones], and to the ecclesia of the firstborn ones [the present Ecclesia of Messiah Jesus, the Born-From-Above Israel], registered [as citizens] in the heavens [in the realm of the rule of the heavens associated with the New Covenant and the New Davidic Kingdom of priestly-warriors], and to the Judge [Who is the One, True, Living] Elohim of all [those gathered for holy convocation, jubilant worship and service of Yahweh Elohim], and to the spirits of the just [ones] perfected [those ancient faithful ones referred to in Hebrews, chapter 11], and to Jesus, the Mediator of a fresh [invigorated, youthful, energized] covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling which is speaking better [a better and just message of salvation and just vengeance] than Abel [whose blood cried out only for vengeance]. (Hebrews 12:22-24 CV modified)
If the Israelites at Sinai, having entered into a covenantal relationship with Yahweh, had been judged harshly by the Just Judge for turning away from the terms of His covenant, how much more harshly will be the judgment against those who, having entered into a superior covenant with Yahweh and His Anointed Son, turn away from this superior covenant and superior Chief Priest?! If those turning away from the One speaking upon the earth (Mount Sinai) had not escaped severe judgment (death in the wilderness), how shall those turning away from the One speaking from the superior metaphorical heavens of the New Covenant (Mount Zion) escape the more severe judgment of the soon-to-come indignation of Yahweh (Heb. 12:25)?!
In
this warning is heard, once again, the urgent concern of the writer. The
present danger is real. It is possible to turn away from Messiah Jesus as
Savior and Chief Priest. It is possible to repeat the sin of Esau, forfeiting
the opportunity for repentance. Those turning back to
As
Yahweh's voice had shaken the earth at Mount Sinai, He was about to be shaking,
not only the earth (Apostate Israel and the nations), but the heaven (the New Born-From-Above
The Day of Yahweh had already begun. It
would soon complete its judgmental task against Apostate Israel. The
Parousia/Approach had already proceeded. It also would soon be consummated (at
the Parousia/Arrival), bringing to perfection the Born-From-Above Israel of Yahweh. The time was short, the period of
trial almost over. The writer urges his addressees to stand firm in these last
remaining days of the Mosaic Eon. They did not have much longer to await their
hope, their glorious expectation. The sufferings of the current season were not
only almost over, but insignificant compared to the imminent perfected glory (see Rom.
Consequently, the Messianic Jews should be joyfully and confidently separating themselves from Apostate Israel, the larger national Jewish Community tenaciously clinging to the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant and the Levitical priestly worship and service of Yahweh, the ones indulging in varied and strange teachings (Heb. 13:9a, alluding to the apocryphal literature of the Jews). The Messianic Jews are to boldly go “outside the camp” (Heb. 13:13b CV) bearing the reproach of Messiah Jesus at the hands of these same apostate Jews. For the spiritual altar of the Messianic Jews is a far superior altar than the altar of the Levitical Priesthood. The Jews partaking of the Levitical sacrifices are contaminating themselves and preparing themselves as devoted ones for the coming curse of Yahweh.
These apostate Jews have no right to be spiritually eating from the more perfect altar of Messiah Jesus as Chief Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. They do not have a right to the access of Yahweh now open to those identified with the Chief Priesthood of Messiah Jesus (Heb. 13:10). For the animals whose blood was annually carried into the holy of holies of the terrestrial, Levitical tabernacle by the Chief Priest for the sins of the nation had been burned outside the camp (Heb. 13:11). Since Messiah Jesus had suffered outside the camp of Apostate Israel, shedding His own blood for the sin of the nation, thereby sanctifying the nation identified with His blood and His Chief Priesthood, the writer of Hebrews courageously and confidently advocates,
Now
then, we should be going out to Him outside the camp [of the larger, apostate, Jewish nation], carrying His reproach. For
here [in the terrestrial holy land,
terrestrial tabernacle (the present
Since Yahweh will never be forsaking His people (Heb. 13:5), the writer exhorts his addressees, currently enduring great affliction on behalf of Yahweh’s righteousness revealed in Messiah Jesus, to follow his courageous example. For Yahweh is shortly to deliver their souls from such unjust abuse and perfect their salvation:
The Lord [Messiah Jesus as Yahweh’s Anointed Regent] is my Helper, and I shall not be afraid of what man [Adamic unregenerated men, those men not counter-altered] shall be doing to me! (Hebrews 13:6 CV)
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Peter
had prophesied of the coming false teachers (2 Pe. 2:1). Jude had written in
opposition to these false teachers who had, by then (66 A.D.), come (Jude v.
4). Peter had written of the scoffers coming “in the last days” (2 Pe. 3:3). Jude had written that the scoffers
who the Apostles had declared would come “in
the last time” (Jude v. 18) had come. When John writes his first letter to
the Messianic Jews in Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, he testifies that “it is the last hour” (1 Jn. 2:18 CV).
Thus, this letter must have been written about 68 A.D. The Messianic Jews in
By
68 A.D. the Roman forces had once again regained control over Judea,
The
threat to John’s addressees came from “those
who are deceiving you” (1 Jn. 2:26 CV) and the “many antichrists [antimessianics]” (1 Jn. 2:18 CV). These antimessianics, though coming “out of us” (1 Jn. 2:19a CV), “were not of us” (1 Jn. 2:19b CV). These
deceivers were the infiltrating seed of The Adversary (Matt.
The authentic Messianic Jews were acquainted with the truth. They were not ignorant. However, they needed to be warned of these antimessianic seducers. Being sons of Cain, a liar from the beginning (“Am I my brother’s keeper?” Gen. 4:9), these seducers also are liars, “disowning the Father and the Son” (1 Jn. 2:22b CV). They deny now what they had previously confessed to be true, declaring that Jesus is not the Messiah.
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As
Cain had slain his just brother, Abel, so also these Jewish Cainites seek to slay
their just Messianic brothers (1 Jn. 2:10-11). These antimessianic sons of Cain
love the Sinatic/Mosaic world-order rather than the New Davidic/Abrahamic
world-order. These false teachers, trampling on the Son of Yahweh by accounting
His blood as contaminating (Heb.
Be
not loving the world [the Sinatic/Mosaic
world-order], neither that which is in the world [that which is in the interest of this distorted and misappropriated
Jewish world-order, Judaism]. If ever anyone [of you Messianic Jews] is loving the world [the old covenant, the old priesthood], the love of the Father [Yahweh] is not in him, for everything
that is in the world [in the interest of
apostate Judaism inappropriately trusting in the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant and
Levitical sacrifices], the desire of the flesh [boast, confidence, trust in ritual circumcision of the flesh], and
the desire of the eyes [the walk by the
sight of those things which can be seen: Jerusalem, the Temple, the Levitical Priesthood],
and the ostentation of living [the
pretentious parade of apostate Judaism], is not of the Father, but is of
the world [the contaminated world-order
of Judaism, Apostate Israel]. And the world [the Sinatic/Mosaic world-order and eon] is passing by, and its
desire [the disposition of the flesh for
the terrestrial promises of the old, inferior, nullified covenant, see
The
apostate Messianic Jews among the faithful Messianic Jews are presently seeking
to turn the Messianic brethren back to the Sinatic/Mosaic world-order of
Judaism. Denying that Jesus is the Messiah, they deny the efficacy of His shed
blood, thereby treating it as a contaminator of true Jews whose sins are
cleansed by the blood of the Levitical sacrifices. These antimessianics, sons
of Cain, apostate, uncircumcised-in-heart Jews, deceiving seducers serving The
Adversary, turning back in their hearts to the patriotic cause of Apostate
national
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Those in Christ are children of Yahweh. The children of Yahweh are not recognized, known, acknowledged by the Sinatic/Mosaic world-order (1 Jn. 3:1). As this world-order had not recognized, known, acknowledged Jesus as Messiah (and continues as such), so it does not recognize, know, acknowledge His Messianic brethren. The Messianic brethren, like their Lord, are in the Sinatic/Mosaic world-order, but are not out of this world-order. Hence, this world-order hates them, even as it hates Messiah Jesus:
I [Jesus] have given them Thy [Yahweh’s] word. And the world [Sinatic/Mosaic world-order of Apostate Judaism] hates them, for they are not of [characterized by] the world-order, according as I am not of [characterized by] this world-order. I am not asking that Thou shouldst be taking them away out of this world-order, but [while yet in this world-order on My behalf] that Thou shouldst be keeping them from the wicked one [Cain as the seed of the Serpent represented by his apostate Jewish sons under the authority of The Adversary]. Of [characterized by] the world-order [of the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant with its Levitical Priesthood according to the order of Aaron] they are not, according as I am not of [characterized by] the world-order [of the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant with its Levitical Priesthood according to the order of Aaron]. (John 17:14-16 CV modified)
The
Messianic brethren, having received the counter-alterating spirit, are new
creations in Christ (2 Cor.
Beloved, now we are Yahweh’s children, and not yet has it been manifested [disclosed] what we shall become. We are aware that when He appears [His Parousia/Arrival], we shall be like Him [our resurrection-metamorphosis having been completed], for we shall fix our awestruck gaze upon Him on behalf of our own spiritual transformation in accord with the manifestation of His own Celestial Image and Likeness. (1 John 3:2 my translation)
This
is the hope of
Such
purification means walking in the newness of resurrection life according to the
creative power of the counter-alterating spirit of Messiah Jesus. The
maintenance of this purity is crucial, since the Ecclesia of Messiah Jesus, the
Born-From-Above Israel, is in the last hour of the Mosaic Eon, the
last hour before the actual Parousia/Arrival of Messiah Jesus. The hope of
Messiah
Jesus and His priestly-warriors are in the process of “annulling the acts [deeds, works] of the Adversary [Cain]”
(1 Jn. 3:8 CV). This is the purpose of Messiah Jesus’ manifestation to
This
meant Messiah Jesus was about to avenge the blood of righteous Abel and the
righteous servants of Yahweh whose righteous blood had also been shed by the
unrighteous sons of Cain. This avenging would be carried out against Apostate
Israel and
on
you [
With
the destruction of
Consequently, the Messianic brethren, the children of Yahweh, are not to be surprised that this Judaistic world-order is hating them. For they have proceeded out of the death of the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant into the life of the New Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant mediated by Messiah Jesus. Those participating in this New Covenant and Life are distinguished by the fact that they are loving their brethren, both Messianic Jews and Gentiles, as well as apostate Jews (1 Jn. 3:13-14a).
Those not manifesting this love, though professing Jesus as Messiah, are still remaining in the death of the Sinatic/Mosaic world-order, walking according to the flesh, rather than according to the spirit; submitting to the Adamic alteration of The Law of Sin and Death, rather than submitting to the Messianic counter-alteration of The Law of the Spirit of Life (1 Jn. 3:14b). Every Jew hating his brother is a child of Cain, a child of the distorted and misappropriated Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant of Apostate Israel. Such a Jew, like his father Cain, is a man-killer, seeking the death of those Jews faithfully obeying the voice of Yahweh heard in the Gospel of Messiah Jesus. No man-killer, no Jew hating his brother in his heart, has eonian life (the counter-alterating life of the spirit) remaining in him (1 Jn. 3:15).
Having
such life and turning back to the death of the Adamic alteration and
Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant are signs of antichrist, signs of apostasy, “A cur [wild dog] turning to its own vomit, . . .
A bathed sow to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Pe.
Acknowledging
the love of Yahweh expressed in Messiah Jesus, the Messianic members of the
holy family of Yahweh associated with the terms and life of the New Covenant
are to be laying down their souls for the sake of their beloved brethren, even
as Messiah Jesus had laid down His soul for the sake of His people
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Many
false prophets have defected back to the old Sinatic/Mosaic world-order of
Their
spiritually inspired message is the lie of Judaism which clings to Moses and
the Levitical rituals for covenantal life and the promises. This message is a
lie because the old, inferior Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant has reached its goal in
Messiah Jesus. The Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant pointed
The false prophets deny the Coming One of Yahweh. They are antimessianics denying that Messiah Jesus is Lord and that He has established a new covenant. They proclaim the efficacy of Moses to those patriotic Jews trusting in the terrestrial message of the restoration of the terrestrial kingdom of David. Clinging to that which is dying, they choose death over life. They choose the deceptive lie of the voice of The Adversary, rather than the invigorating truth of the voice of Yahweh.
Those loving the lie of Judaism give heed to the message of these false prophets (1 Jn. 4:5b). These are those Jews having uncircumcised hearts. Those Jews, however, who possess circumcised hearts hear the truth of the Gospel:
We are of God [out of Yahweh]. He [the Jew circumcised in heart] who knows God [Yahweh] is hearing us. He [the Jew uncircumcised in heart] who is not of God [out of Yahweh] is not hearing us. By this we know the spirit of truth [the message inspired by the one spirit of Yahweh and Messiah Jesus] and the spirit of deception [the message inspired by the spirit, energy, operation of The Adversary]. (1 John 4:6 CV)
This deception had been prophesied by Paul in his second letter to the Thessalonian Messianic brethren. In this letter, he had written of those “not receiving the love of the truth” (2 Thess. 2:10b my translation). Yahweh would send them “an operation of deception” (2 Thess. 2:11b CV). This deception would come from “the operation of Satan with all power and signs and false miracles” (2 Thess. 2:9b CV). That which Paul had prophesied had now arrived.
The
antimessianic message of the false prophets inspired by the operational spirit
of Satan, The Adversary, had now come into the Sinatic/Mosaic world-order of
desperate Judaism (1 Jn. 4:3). This spirit of deception vigorously is denying
that Messiah Jesus is the Savior of the Sinatic/Mosaic world-order of
The
promised covenant would merely be a readjusting, a perfecting, of the old
terrestrial covenant. The Messiah, when he would come, would perfect the world
which Moses had initiated. Jesus the Nazarene crucified by the Romans could not
be the Messiah promised by Moses and the prophets. Accordingly, Judaism,
Apostate Israel, when trapped in
Judaistic,
Apostate Israel had no longer worshiped such idols, learning the lesson of the
Babylonian exile. But this corrupt nation had made an idol of her
Sinatic/Mosaic covenantal relationship with Yahweh, arrogantly glorying in her
holy election, holy scriptures, holy priesthood, and holy destiny over the
nations. Failing to hear the voice of Yahweh in the Law and the Prophets, in
His Messiah Son, Jesus of Nazareth, and in the Gospel sent to her, Apostate Israel
had committed herself to a greater idolatry than that of the uncircumcised
Roman Empire or that of ancient
Judaistic Israel would not have boldness in the day of her judging as Messianic Israel would have boldness in the day of her judging (1 Jn. 4:17; at the Bema Seat of Messiah Jesus, see 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Cor. 3:10-17). Yahweh’s testimony is clear. He gives the eonian life of the New Covenant only to those identified in the sphere of the interest of His Son’s death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation. He who is so identified with His Son has this counter-alterating life. He who is not so identified with His Son has not this counter-alterating life of the spirit of truth, but rather is enslaved to the Adamic alteration of the spirit of deception (1 Jn. 5:11-12).
Those
in Yahweh’s Son during the eschatological last hour of the Mosaic Eon have
boldness of prayer. This holy, eschatological period of the consummations of
the eons (1 Cor.
If you [Jesus’ disciples] should have faith as a kernel of mustard, you shall be declaring to this mountain [this eschatological obstacle], “Proceed hence—there!” and it will be proceeding. And nothing will be impossible for you [who are requesting according to Yahweh’s present eschatological will]. (CV)
Prayers
should and could be made on behalf of those Messianic brethren and non-messianic
Jews who have sinned “not to death” (1
Jn. 5:16a CV). These sins are those committed out of a circumcised heart.
Requested opportunity for repentance would be granted by Yahweh. However, there
is “a sin to death” (1 Jn. 5:16b CV).
This sin is committed out of an uncircumcised heart. It is the sin against the
testimony of the spirit (see Matt.
John
concludes that the entire Judaistic, Sinatic/Mosaic world-order (Apostate
Israel, consisting of the nation and kingdom) has been given over to The
Adversary by Yahweh because of her disqualified, idolatrous, unsound mind.
Thus, Apostate Israel is presently wallowing in the deceptive mire of the interest
of the wicked one (1 Jn. 5:19, Cain as the
seed of the Serpent represented by his apostate Jewish sons under the
authority of Satan, The Adversary). Consequently, the Messianic brethren are to
guard themselves from the idols (1 Jn. 5:21) which Judaistic Israel had made
for herself out of the holy elements of the Sinatic/Mosaic Covenant graciously
granted her by Yahweh. Cainite
As Moses had to continually warn his people to “guard yourself and keep your soul especially vigilant, lest you should forget the things which your eyes have seen [in Egypt and at Mount Sinai], and lest they [these things] should withdraw from your heart all the days of your lives” (Deut. 4:9a CV), so also the Apostles of Messiah Jesus had to continually warn the Messianic brethren to remain vigilant, alert, awake, lest they forget that which the eyes of their faith have seen at Golgotha and Mount Zion and lest, due to an uncircumcised heart, they withdraw from Messiah Jesus and the faith associated with the New Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant, Melchizedekian Priesthood, and counter-alterating spirit. Moses and Aaron, as idols conjured up out of the disqualified imaginations of Judaistic Jewry, remain a threat, even in the last hour of the Mosaic Eon, the last hour of the Sinatic/Mosaic world-order. The consummation of the Parousia could almost be touched with the hand.
The faithful ones were not disappointed. By