This topic is quite decisive and is often met with extreme resistance, much like Biblical cosmology. For many Christians, myself included, we are taught by the church that the Torah or law is done away with. They say, “Christ fulfilled the law, so we wouldn’t have to.” Or, “The law was nailed to the cross with Jesus.” I never questioned this growing up but after waking up to Biblical Cosmology I knew I had to test everything I was told and taught. It wasn’t till a few months ago that the Torah was brought to my attention, it started with the following scriptures.
“For the secret of lawlessness is already at work – only until he who now restrains comes out of the midst. And then the lawless one shall be revealed, whom the Master shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth and bring to naught with the manifestation of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power and signs and wonders of falsehood, and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth, in order for them to be saved.” (2 Thessalonians 2:7-10)
What is Lawlessness/Sin?
The antichrist is also known as the lawless one, this raised an important question, what does the Bible mean by lawless? I knew the antichrist would be loved by the world, so it didn’t make sense if he was lawless according to man's law. Could the Bible be talking about the Torah? As always, I let the Bible define itself and this is what I found out concerning what it means to be lawless.
“Everyone doing sin also does lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4)
“Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4) NIV
So, if lawlessness means to transgress the Torah, then are not most Christians by that definition lawless just as the antichrist? Coming to this conclusion made my heart quicken in pace, for I was faced with the possibility of being lawless.
Yeshua did not Destroy the Torah
Still, I could hear former preachers telling me the law was done away with. I dismissed those voices and dove into the Bible to uncover the truth. A particular passage of scripture came to mind just then,
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete. For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one yod or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done. “Whoever, then, breaks one of the least of these commands, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the reign of the heavens; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens.” (Matthew 5:17-19)
I had read these verses time and time again and never fully grasped what I was reading. Only when I eagerly sought after the Father’s Will were the scales removed from my eyes. Now many will say Yeshua accomplished everything when he died on the cross, this is false, Yeshua still has prophecy to fulfill. Not only that but he said till heaven and earth disappear and well, heaven and earth are still here! Then notice towards the end of the passage, Yeshua says whoever sets aside the least of the commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of YHWH. But whoever follows and teaches the commands will be called great in the kingdom of YHWH. I don’t know about you but being called great in the enteral kingdom sounds pretty awesome to me.
I know some may claim he’s only talking about the two he mentions here,
“And one of them, one learned in the Torah, did question, trying Him, and saying, Teacher, which is the great command in the Torah? And יהושע said to him, " ‘You shall love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your mind.’ “This is the first and great command. And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ On these two commands hang all the Torah and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:35-40)
Again, Yeshua said he did not come to abolish the Torah, so he didn’t delete it and replace it with two, he simply summarized the Torah with two. If you love YHWH you will honor the sabbath, you will have no other gods, you will not take his name in vain. And if you love your neighbor as yourself you will honor your father and mother, you won’t commit adultery, you won’t steal, you won't put a stumbling block in front of the blind or cruse the deaf, I think you get the idea.
Yeshua Said to Guard the Commands
This next portion of scripture I found fascinating,
“And see, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good shall I do to have everlasting life?” And He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One – Elohim. But if you wish to enter into life, guard the commands.” (Matthew 19:16-18)
Interesting response by Yeshua, he told him if you want to enter life keep the Torah, he said it not me. There is more mentioned on the Law in Matthew, but I will save that for next week's post on the parable of the ten virgins. In the gospel of John Yeshua had this to say,
“If you love Me, you shall guard My commands.” (John 14:15)
Love is a verb brothers and sisters, if you love your Messiah, your King, you will follow his Torah. It is not burdensome, it is liberating, the world wants you to think it’s a ball and chain, but the world is the real prison.
“For this is the love for Elohim, that we guard His commands, and His commands are not heavy,” (1 John 5:3)
Are we Truly Following Yeshua?
This next one is what we call a gut check,
“And by this we know that we know Him, if we guard His commands. The one who says, “I know Him,” and does not guard His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever guards His Word, truly the love of Elohim has been perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. The one who says he stays in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked.” (1 John 2:3-6)
“Become imitators of me, as I also am of Messiah.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)
Are you following his Torah? If not, the Bible is calling you a liar and the truth is not in you. I was devastated when I came across this, for so long I claimed to be a follower of the one true king Yeshua, but I was not following his Torah. Since then I have changed and now follow the Torah and imitate Yeshua as best I can because of the love I have for him.
Paul Kept the Torah
I know many will run to the writings of Paul and say he taught that the law was done away with, but this is a false teaching.
“And when we had arrived in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), the brothers received us gladly. And on the following day Sha’ul (Paul) went in with us to Ya‛aqoḇ (James), and all the elders came. And having greeted them, he was relating one by one what Elohim had done among the nations through his service. And when they heard it, they praised the Master. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Yehuḏim (Jews) there are who have believed, and all are ardent for the Torah, “But they have been informed about you that you teach all the Yehuḏim (Jews) who are among the nations to forsake Mosheh (Moses), saying not to circumcise the children nor to walk according to the practices. “What then is it? They shall certainly hear that you have come. “So do this, what we say to you: We have four men who have taken a vow. Take them and be cleansed with them, and pay their expenses so that they shave their heads. And all shall know that what they have been informed about you is not so, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Torah. “But concerning the nations who believe, we have written and decided that they should keep themselves from what is offered to idols, and blood, and what is strangled, and whoring.” Then Sha’ul (Paul) took the men on the next day, and having been cleansed with them, went into the Set-apart Place to announce the completion of the days of separation – until the offering should be presented for each one of them.” (Acts 21:17-26)
If Paul believed the Torah was done away with he wouldn’t have followed through with the purification. He did it however to prove he was living in accordance with the Torah. And the four commands James mentions to new believers, I cover here. To add to it in Romans, Paul himself says,
“Do we then nullify the Torah through the belief? Let it not be! On the contrary, we establish the Torah.” (Romans 3:31)
Belief Without Works is Dead
James elaborates on Romans 3:31 with the following paragraph.
“My brothers, what use is it for anyone to say he has belief but does not have works? This belief is unable to save him. And if a brother or sister is naked and in need of daily food, but one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” but you do not give them the bodily needs, what use is it? So also belief, if it does not have works, is in itself dead. But someone might say, “You have belief, and I have works.” Show me your belief without your works, and I shall show you my belief by my works. You believe that Elohim is one. You do well. The demons also believe – and shudder! But do you wish to know, O foolish man, that the belief without the works is dead? Was not Abraham our father declared right by works when he offered Yitsḥaq (Isaac) his son on the slaughter-place? Do you see that the belief was working with his works, and by the works the belief was perfected? And the Scripture was filled which says, “Abraham believed Elohim, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness.” And He called him, “he who loves Elohim.” You see, then, that a man is declared right by works, and not by belief alone. In the same way, was not Rahab the whore also declared right by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also the belief is dead without the works.” (James 2:14-26)
Peter’s Warning
Peter knew people would twist the writings of Paul and gave us this warning,
“So then, beloved ones, looking forward to this, do your utmost to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and reckon the patience of our Master as deliverance, as also our beloved brother Sha’ul (Paul) wrote to you, according to the wisdom given to him, as also in all his letters, speaking in them concerning these matters, in which some are hard to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the other Scriptures. You, then, beloved ones, being forewarned, watch, lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the delusion of the lawless, but grow in the favor and knowledge of our Master and Savior יהושע Messiah. To Him be the esteem both now and to a day that abides. Amĕn. ” (2 Peter 3:14-18)
Again, lawlessness is the transgression of the Torah and Peter warns us not to be led astray by lawless people. I hope by now you are starting to see that the Torah is still to be followed and the church has been leading many into error with their teachings.
The Dragon and the Tree of Life
The dragon in Revelations goes after a specific group of people and it’s not mainstream Christianity, he goes after those who keep the Torah and believe in Yeshua.
“And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to fight with the remnant of her seed, those guarding the commands of Elohim and possessing the witness of יהושע Messiah. ” (Revelation 12:17)
If you want access to the tree of life and the city you need to be following the Torah.
“Blessed are those doing His commands, so that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city.”(Revelation 22:14)
The Church or Messiah?
I know this is a hard pill to swallow but the Bible clearly wants us to followers of Yeshua and keepers of the Torah. He is my king and I will walk as he did. I believe there is a terrible disservice taking place within the churches, they teach the Torah is finished and is not to be followed. Well, my Bible tells me the exact opposite of that and I’ll follow its teachings over the words of men any day.
“…But let Elohim be true, and every man a liar…” (Romans 3:4)
As always don’t believe a word I say and research it for yourselves, I want you to pick up your Bible and read it without preconceived notions. Let the scales fall from your eyes and witness the truth that has been kept hidden in plain sight. With much love do I pray for the Ruach Hakodesh to lead you into all truth.
P.S.
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