[Contributor “RS” continues his post, please refer to Christian Discovers YHWH, Shares “Evidence”]ShalowmHere is part 2 of the document regardingthe core issue of life:Who is the God we should worship …
The attached explores what the New Testamentteaches about Jesus. Incidentally, Christ is nothis surname … it is a title …
Once again I ask that you look at the evidencefirst then make your conclusion (INDUCTIVE)rather than have your conclusion even beforestudying the evidence laid out for you …
May God open your eyes to the truth thatit may set you free …
The first word (commandment) of YHWH,isExodus 20:1-3 NKJV
1 And God spoke all these words, saying:
2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought
you out of the land of Egypt, out of the
house of bondage.
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.YHWH wants to set us free from the bondageof the evil one and the world which has givenus so many lies and untruth that we have beenin bondage to for many years …
Let’s enjoy our freedom and forgiveness …—
May Yahweh (YHWH, Hebrew name of God)
creator of heaven and earth,
bless you and your family abundantly!“RS”
24-year Life Coach
Servant of YHWH 0999-881-9345 email – help.others.ras@gmail.com———————————————–
Is Yeshua (Jesus) God that we should worship him? An Inquiry from New Testament
(All verses taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise stated. Readings in other translations are essentially the same. Words attributed to Jesus are in red to make for easy reading.)
The Apostle Paul identifies the key issues of life:
1. Men suppress the truth and this brings the wrath of God.
2. Since the creation of the world, man can clearly see the INVISIBLE ATTRIBUTES of God through the things that are created, so no man has any excuse.
3. Men exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped the CREATURE rather than the CREATOR!
Romans 1:18-25 NKJV
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man–and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
The real issue of life is “WHO IS THE GOD WE SHOULD WORSHIP?”
There are various groups who have created a doctrine that there are three persons in ONE God — and that Jesus Christ is God, the 2nd person of this “trinity”. They therefore worship and praise Jesus Christ. Let us check what the New Testament has to say.
There is nowhere in the New Testament where the concept of three persons in one God is taught Or where Yeshua ever explicitly claimed that he was/is God.
In the New Testament writings which were “canonized” by the Roman Catholic Church in 365 AD (300 + years after Yeshua had died and resurrected) Jesus is quoted by the “gospel writers” as DENYING that he is God:
Matthew 19:16-19
16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
18 He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “ ‘YOU SHALL NOT MURDER,’ ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,’ ‘YOU SHALL NOT STEAL,’ ‘YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS,’
19 ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER,’ and, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ “
Mark 10:17-19
17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 You know the commandments: ‘DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,’ ‘DO NOT MURDER,’ ‘DO NOT STEAL,’ ‘DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER.'”
Luke 18:18-20
18 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 20 You know the commandments: ‘DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,’ ‘DO NOT MURDER,’ ‘DO NOT STEAL,’ ‘DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS,’ ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER.’ “
Observations from these 3 passages:
Yeshua was clearly recognized as a “teacher”.
In his answer, Yeshua says that there is only one God and denies that he is that One God. “Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.”
According to these passages, the means to eternal life is by KEEPING the commandments which existed long before Yeshua came into the world. These were the “commandments of God” as recorded in the Torah (first 5 books of the Hebrew Scriptures) by Moses. It is clear that eternal life is “inherited” not “merited”. From Genesis, it has always been by grace of YHWH. If one is really “saved” then a life of obedience (from one’s heart) follows.
What Yeshua taught in the gospels is a very different “salvation” formula from the modern day doctrine of the “evangelical” churches which teaches that in order to have eternal life:
“One has to say the sinner’s prayer and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior” (some churches even add that you have to be baptized in water in order to be saved.
The formula for eternal life as taught by Yeshua is repeated in many other verses such as:
Matthew 7:20-23
Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice
lawlessness!’ (in Greek lawlessness is “anomos” i.e. without the law or the Torah)
John 14:15
“If you love Me, keep My commandments. (All the commandments given by Yeshua are from his Father YHWH)
John 14:21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
John 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
1John 2:3-6
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
1John 3:22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
Rev 22:14 Blessed are those who do His commandments that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
Rev 22:15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
Did you notice the emphasis on DOING rather than KNOWING or saying a prayer? Did you notice that we are required by God to keep His commandments? Why would God give it if He did not mean for us to obey it?
The Apostle Paul echoed what Yeshua taught according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John:
1Co 7:19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.
When Yeshua was asked what is the great commandment in the Torah, he answered:
Matthew 22:35-40
35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying,
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD [YHWH] YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR
HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’
38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mar 12:28-30
28 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”
29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL, THE LORD [YHWH] OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE.
30 AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD [YHWH] YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’
This is the first commandment.
Luke 10:25-28
25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
27 So he answered and said, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD [YHWH] YOUR GOD WITH
ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH
ALL YOUR MIND,’ and ‘YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'”
28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
Yeshua (Jesus) never pointed to himself but always pointed to YHWH. Yeshua’s direct teaching on who to worship:
Matthew 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND HIM ONLY YOU SHALL SERVE.’ “
Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND HIM ONLY YOU SHALL SERVE.’ “
Yeshua took this quote from Deuteronomy. Yeshua had a very high view of the Torah and its power to overcome the devil:
Deut 6:13 You shall fear the LORD [YHWH] your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name.
14 You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you
Deut 10:20 You shall fear the LORD [YHWH] your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name.
Did you notice that in all of the passages above, where Yeshua speaks, he quotes from the TaNaK (Jewish Bible that is now labeled Old Testament). The words “the LORD your God” in Hebrew is YHWH Elohim. Yeshua could have easily said that we should no longer bother with the Torah or TaNaK but we should wait for the “New Testament”. But Jesus did not do that. He affirmed the Torah is to be obeyed!
Matthew 5:17-19 NKJV
17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
When Yeshua, as all the New Testament writers, had a very high view of the Scriptures. What a contrast to today where we label it “OLD TESTAMENT”. How do you think God or Yeshua would feel when what they hold in high esteem, we call “old”. I think insulted would be putting it mildly.
When Yeshua was talking to the Samaritan woman he again repeats his teaching on who we should worship —
John 4:21-24 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
[Comment on the above passage: Yeshua clearly teaches that God the Father is spirit. God is obviously Holy. So if we separate the Holy Spirit as a 3rd person of the Trinity, what is the Father?]
Prayer is an obvious part of worship. Who did Yeshua teach us to PRAY TO? We all know the prayer that Yeshua taught:
Matthew 6:6-10 NKJV
6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.(Comment – In other words COUNTING the number of times is irrelevant)
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
Notice that the entire focus of Yeshua is on his Father … not only his but “Our” … Also notice whose NAME WE SHOULD HALLOW … the Father’s … do you know His name? Whose kingdom is it? Whose will should be done on earth …
Amazing that we do not even hear the Father’s name lifted up in our “worship service” …
Who did the Apostle Paul worship? Who did Paul Bow his knees to?
Acts 24:14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.
Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Prayer is part of worship. Who did Jesus pray to? Yes he prayed to his Father in Heaven.
John 17:1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,
John 17:3 And this is eternal life that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
This teaching on who we are to worship is CONSISTENT with the teaching of the TaNaK. We are to worship YHWH, creator, and Father.
Singing is part of worship. King David of Israel who wrote most of the Psalms (these are Songs)
have these focussed on the Father, YHWH …
1 Chronicles 29:10-13 NKJV
10 Therefore David blessed the LORD [YHWH] before all the assembly; and David said: “Blessed are You, LORD [YHWH] God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
11 Yours, O LORD [YHWH], is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD [YHWH], And You are exalted as head over all.
12 Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all.
13 “Now therefore, our God, We thank You And praise Your glorious name.
SO if we took the teachings of Yeshua on who we should worship, there is no conflict with the TaNaK teaching.
The angels know there is only One who is holy: YHWH!
The book of Revelation ends on who should we worship:
Revelation 22:8-9
8 Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.
9 Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
Here are some quotations from Yeshua himself about his relationship with YHWH, his Father:
John 4:34 NKJV 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
John 5:19 NKJV 19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
John 5:24 NKJV 24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
John 5:30 NKJV 30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
John 6:38 NKJV 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
John 7:16-18 NKJV 16 Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.
17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.
18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.
John 7:28-29 NKJV
28 Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.
29 But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.“
John 8:25-26 NKJV
25 Then they said to Him, “Who are You?” And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.
26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.”
John 8:28 NKJV
28 Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.
John 12:44 NKJV
44 Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.
John 12:49-50 NKJV
49 For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.
50 And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”
John 13:16 NKJV
16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.
John 14:28 NKJV
28 You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.
Mark 13:32 NKJV
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
John 20:17 NKJV
Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ “
So if Jesus never claimed divinity, then what was he precisely? He answered that question himself:
Matthew 13:57 NKJV
So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.”
Mark 6:4 NKJV
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”
Luke 13:33-35 NKJV
33 Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.
34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!
35 See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’ “
John 8:25-26 NKJV
25 Then they said to Him, “Who are You?” And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.
26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.”
A prophet is one who speaks what YHWH says!
Those who knew him acknowledged that Yeshua was a prophet sent by YHWH:
Matthew 14:5 NKJV
5 And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
Matthew 21:9-11 NKJV
9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!”
10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”
11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Matthew 21:46 NKJV
46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.
Luke 7:16 NKJV
16 Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.”
The disciples on the road to Emmaus, after Jesus resurrected, recognized Jesus as:
Luke 24:19 NKJV
19 And He said to them, “What things?” So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, The Samaritan woman at the well whom Jesus spoke with, stated Jesus was a prophet and Jesus agreed with her:
John 4:19 NKJV
The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.
John 4:25-26
25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”
26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
John 4:28-29 28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men,
29 “Come; see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”
The conclusion of his own disciples after he performed the miracle of multiplying bread:
John 6:13-14 NKJV
13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.
14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
Jesus said that Moses wrote about him:
John 5:46-47 NKJV
46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.
47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
John 1:45 NKJV
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote–Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
What did Moses say about Jesus who would come many years after him:
Deuteronomy 18:15-22 NKJV
“The LORD [YHWH] your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear,
16 according to all you desired of the LORD[YHWH] your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD[YHWH] my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’
17 “And the LORD[YHWH] said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good.
18 I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.
19 And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.
20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’
21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’–
22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD[YHWH], if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD[YHWH] has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
How do we be sure that Moses referred to Jesus? We can’t.
But the New Testament writer (Luke) claimed that the Apostle Peter referred to this passage in his preaching about Jesus:
Acts 3:22 NKJV
For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘THE LORD [YHWH] YOUR GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN. HIM YOU SHALL HEAR IN ALL THINGS, WHATEVER HE SAYS TO YOU.
Luke also writes that Stephen, a disciple of Jesus, before he was stoned to death, cites this:
Acts 7:35-37 NKJV
35 “This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND A JUDGE?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush.
36 He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.
37 “This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘THE LORD [YHWH] YOUR GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN. HIM YOU SHALL HEAR.’
According to the gospel of Matthew, when Jesus was “transfigured” on the mountain, there were two other people who were “seen” with him. Who are these?
Moses and Elijah! – What are Moses and Elijah? – Prophets of YHWH! Again another piece of evidence that strongly suggests that Jesus was a prophet:
Matthew 17:1-6
1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves;
2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.
Note that in all of these New Testament, verses it is clear that Jesus was the prophet that Moses spoke would come – to whom? – to the nation of Israel! It is Israel that Jesus came to give his message to! It is not directed to other nations!
Yes the “New Covenant” was for the Jews!
Hebrews 8:8-13 NKJV
8 Because finding fault with them, He says: “BEHOLD, THE DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL MAKE A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH–
9 NOT ACCORDING TO THE COVENANT THAT I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS IN THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; BECAUSE THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DISREGARDED THEM, SAYS THE LORD.
10 FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS IN THEIR MIND AND WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
11 NONE OF THEM SHALL TEACH HIS NEIGHBOR, AND NONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, ‘KNOW THE LORD,’ FOR ALL SHALL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST OF THEM TO THE GREATEST OF THEM.
12 FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.”
13 In that He says, “A NEW COVENANT,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
(RAS COMMENT: The unknown author of Hebrews makes his conclusion in verse 13 which is not in line with YHWH’s words / values / logic. YHWH said His covenants are forever! The covenant has not changed — “I will be their God and they will be My people”. What changed is WHERE YHWH will place His Laws – in their hearts not on stone tablets!)
Psalms 105:5-10
5 Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
6 O seed of Abraham His servant, You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
7 He is the LORD [YHWH] our God; His judgments are in all the earth.
8 He remembers His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand
generations,
9 The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac,
10 And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant,
Hebrews 10:16-17 NKJV
16 “THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR HEARTS, AND IN THEIR MINDS I WILL WRITE THEM,” 17 then He adds, “THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.”
This NEW COVENANT was prophesied by the Prophet Jeremiah long before Yeshua came:
Jeremiah 31:31-36 NKJV
31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah–
32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD[YHWH].
33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD[YHWH]: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD[YHWH],’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD[YHWH]. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
35 Thus says the LORD[YHWH], Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (The LORD[YHWH] of hosts is His name):
36 “If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the LORD[YHWH], Then the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever.”
Jesus Christ, a mere man? Could it be?
Yeshua himself says: “But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. (John 8:40)
The Apostle Peter confirms this in Acts 2:22 “Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know.”
The Apostle Paul clearly says that God is the Savior, that there is only One God, and Yeshua is a man …
1 Timothy 2:3-5 NKJV
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,
Acts 17:29-31 NKJV
29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.
30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,
31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
Clearly, if Jesus is the Messiah, the Mediator, then he must be a man and NOT GOD. This is because God cannot die. God cannot resurrect.
Jesus was tempted. Therefore, he cannot be God as James writes in his epistle:
James 1:13 NKJV
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
Even the Quran of the Muslims says Jesus is a servant of Allah —
“He [Jesus] said: ‘I am indeed a servant of Allah: He has given me Revelation and made me a prophet’” (Quran 19:30)
So was Jesus a “servant of Allah (i.e., servant of God)?” According to the New Testament, yes. Or, at least, that is what we understand from
Matthew 12:18: “Behold! My servant whom I have chosen ...”
Furthermore, Acts of the Apostles traces the growth of the early church for the first thirty years following Jesus’ ministry, but nowhere in Acts did Jesus’ disciples ever call Jesus “God.” Rather, they referred to Jesus as a man and God’s servant.
Acts 4:27 NKJV
“For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESURRECTION?
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE END?
Here is what the Apostle Paul writes:
1 Corinthians 15:20-28 NKJV
20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
23 But each one in his own order: Christ(Messiah) the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.
24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.
25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.
26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
27 For “HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted.
28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
The quote in verse 27 comes from Psalm 8. If we are to believe the Apostle Paul, he says that this psalm refers to Jesus. Let’s read it in context to see that meaning:
Psalms 8:3-9 (Psalm of King David)
3 When I (David) consider Your (YHWH) heavens, the work of Your (YHWH) fingers, The moon and the stars, which You (YHWH) have ordained,
4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?
5 For You (YHWH) have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You (YHWH) have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen— Even the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas. 9 O LORD(YHWH), our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
If this is Jesus and YHWH “put all things under his feet”, then the preceding verse clearly says that this Jesus is MADE (by YHWH) a little lower than the angels. Actually the Hebrew word used for angels here is elohim – therefore – a little lower than “god”.
King David ends the Psalm properly by exalting the name of YHWH in all the earth!
One more point: GOD DOES NOT CHANGE … HE IS THE SAME YESTERDAY TODAY AND TOMORROW …
Malachi 3:6
6 “For I am the LORD [YHWH], I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
James 1:16-17
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
What the New Testament teaches about Jesus is that HE CHANGED … from the Word, he became flesh!
CONCLUSIONS: As a very conservative man, I put all these verses together and come to these conclusions:
1] The Torah / TaNaK – the Hebrew Scriptures – were viewed highly by the New Testament writers, by Jesus, and by his apostles and disciples because they all believed that it was coming from the “mouth of YHWH”.
They frequently quoted from the Torah / TaNaK.
They used data from the Torah / TaNaK to trace that Jesus is a descendant of Abraham
and King David. This means they believed the data was PRECISE.
They believed that the Torah / TaNaK contained COMMANDMENTS FROM GOD.
THEREFORE, what the New Testament writers are saying is that we should also believe that the Scriptures are the word of YHWH. This is great confirmation from an external source!
2] Assuming the New Testament writers are correct and Jesus is the Messiah whom Moses talked about, then the conclusion should be the same as that of King David – Praise YHWH who sent Jesus!
The conclusion should not be that Jesus came to create a new religion called Christianity. The conclusion should not be that we should now WORSHIP the Messiah instead of YHWH.
The conclusion should not be that YHWH’s chosen people, the Israelites, have been abandoned by God and replaced by Gentiles!
The conclusion should not be that the center of worship has moved from Jerusalem to Rome (or the USA)!
The conclusion should not be that the covenants with Abraham, Moses and David have become obsolete and replaced by the New Covenant.
Rather that the New Covenant shall surely come true! That one day YHWH will write His Torah in the hearts of ALL the house of Israel and Judah. One day, there will no longer be pain or death!
3] If Jesus is the Messiah, then I should FOLLOW HIS PATTERN:
It is prayer that those who read this will be like Jesus and follow his pattern.
- My Master: YHWH
- My Motto: “Not my will but YHWH’s will be done”. Obedience is better than sacrifice.
- My Mission: To choose and train a group of 12 men who will follow in his footsteps and introduce YHWH to the world!
- My Message: “YHWH is the only true God. Love YHWH with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- My Method: Do and Teach the Torah in love.
- My Meditation: YHWH’s Torah, day and night, every day especially on Sabbath.
“RS” 0999-881-9345 help.others.ras@gmail.com
