Now
that we have been given a look into what occurred after John “baptized” Yahusha
and he fled into the desert in the last chapter, I want to explain more about
what Zachariah saw in his vision:
Zechariah 3 - Clean
Garments for the High Priest, Yahusha
1 Then he showed me Yahusha the
high priest standing before the angel of Yahuah, and Satan standing at his
right side to accuse him. 2 Yahuah said to Satan, “Yahuah rebuke
you, Satan! Yahuah, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a
burning stick snatched from the fire?” 3 Now Yahusha was dressed
in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to
those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then Yahuah
said to Yahusha, “See, I have taken away your sin,
and I will put fine garments on you.”
Yahuah
tells Yahusha that He has taken away Yahusha’s sin and then dresses Yahusha in
the garments of the High Priest. What is going on here? Didn’t Yahusha know
no sin? This is a direct reference to what had just
happened to Yahusha when he was Mikveh’d by John. The ritual of Mikveh is the
defined ritual in The Law of Yahuah where Yahuah cleanses a man of sin, and
consecrates him as High Priest! We don’t want to acknowledge this is referring
to Yahusha because we have been taught that he lived a sinless life and that he
was Yahuah in the flesh or a demi-god. However, Scripture records that Yahusha was not
born perfect but had to be perfected over his life through trials and
tribulations. Scripture tells us that Yahusha was not always perfectly obedient
but had to learn obedience through suffering. Yahusha didn’t receive his
promises based on his own merit but through inheritance and
obedience to The Law:
Hebrews 1:4 NKJV
4 having become so much better than
the angels, as he has by (human)
inheritance obtained (through bloodlines)
a more excellent name than they.
Hebrews 5:8-9 NKJV
8 though he was a son (not God), yet he learned obedience by the things
which he suffered (just like all men do). 9 And
having been perfected (not born perfect as a
god), he became the author of Eternal Salvation to all who obey
him
Hebrews 7:28 NKJV
28 For the Law appoints as High Priests men
who have weakness (Yahusha too was appointed High
Priest according to The Law from The House of Zadok), but (in addition to The Law) the Word of the Oath, which
came after the Law, appoints the son (to be the
Melchizedek or the Ruling Zadok) who has been perfected forever (as The Eternal High Priest).
When
the Apostle Sha’ul said Yahusha “knew no sin”, he was absolutely correct. In
context, Sha’ul is saying the same thing I am. Sha’ul was a Torah Master and LAWyer;
he knew exactly what happened when Yahusha was Mikveh’d and what it meant.
2 Corinthians 5:21
Yahuah made Yahusha who had no sin (in Yahuah’s eyes after his Mikveh into the office of High
Priest and until his execution) to be sin for us (a sin offering), so that in (covenant
with) Yahusha we might become the Righteousness of Yahuah (the blood of The Lamb covers our sin restoring us to
perfection in righteousness).
What
Sha’ul said above is simply explaining exactly what The Passover Lamb did for
Israel every year. Sha’ul knew nothing of Yahusha’s life prior to Mikveh (it is
not recorded anywhere), except that he was not born perfect and had to grow in Wisdom, grow in the Knowledge of Yahuah,
increase in favor with Yahuah, and learn obedience to Yahuah as Sha’ul clearly
stated.
If Yahusha had to become better than the
angels, learn obedience, come to know Yahuah, increase over time in Yahuah's
favor, and be perfected through suffering... that is another way of saying at
some point he was not better than the angels, not highly favored by
Yahuah, not perfect and not obedient. He was a man like everyone else and
had to develop into a “son” over the course of his life, which is the example
we are all to follow i.e. The Way:
●
we must repent of
our sin
●
we must have Faith in Yahuah to wipe our sin away
●
we must be
Mikveh'd
●
we must grow over
time in the Knowledge of
Yahuah
●
we have to learn
obedience to Yahuah
●
we are sanctified
over time and increase in the favor of Yahuah
This is what Yahusha was talking about when
he said he was The Truth and the Way
(his example is the true Way), and no one comes to Yahuah except through him (his
example). Our misguided belief that Yahusha was somehow
a man-god, requires him to be perfect… leading to false doctrine after false
doctrine. Each false doctrine designed to cover the obvious
"problems" with the previous one. Leading to a "web of
lies" called Christianity. He was, in fact, not a man-god, but “fully
human”.
Hebrews 2
17 For this reason Yahusha had to be made
like them (he was made human),
fully human in every way, in order that he might
become a merciful and faithful High Priest (who are
chosen from among men) in service to Yahuah
I’ll
get deeper into this in later chapters of this book.
With the proper understanding of Scripture (mainly the
Torah) we find there is no conflict with the vision Zechariah saw in Chapter 3, and
Yahusha’s requirement to live a “spotless” life for a year “yearling” prior to
his execution. From the point of Yahusha’s Mikveh, when Yahuah totally cleansed
his life of sin and took away the sins of the world (dirty rags),
Yahusha did just that which is what Sha’ul is teaching in his letters.
What Scripture does record, is that Yahusha fulfilled
the role of “Passover Lamb”, and those lambs were “spotless yearlings”.
Few people realize that Yahusha’s ministry
was not 3.5 years, as we are taught (there is no Scriptural support for
that “tradition of men”), but rather 70 weeks or “around a year” as the Prophet
Daniel so foretold. This is admitted in the Jewish Encyclopedia as well. From
Yahusha’s Mikveh, when he was cleansed of sin and anointed The Messiah, he lived
in perfect obedience so when he died he truly was The Passover Lamb a “spotless
yearling”. Our “understanding” has been clouded by
Christianity who, having abolished The Law, knows literally nothing about what
“baptism” really is supposed to be, or what it meant in the life of The
Messiah. That is the purpose of this book, to define what happened to Yahusha
when John “baptized him”.
What
John the High Priest was doing "in the wilderness"; the Jordan River
actually, was performing the ritual of cleansing rites called Mikveh
in "living water", by Torah standards, and properly teaching the
Torah. He was teaching "Salvation and Repentance" like his father Zechariah had
prophesied concerning John. It was John that would mentor Yahusha, and this is
where Yahusha learned and grew in the Knowledge and Spirit of Yahuah. It is through Mikveh
that Yahuah takes our sin away, and we become white as snow in His eyes! That
is why Yahuah said to Yahusha “see I have taken away your sin” in the desert,
because he had just come from being Mikveh’d by the High Priest John 40 days
earlier!
As I explained earlier in this book, the
rightful anointed office of High Priest before Yahuah (not Herod) went from Yahusha
III to his first male heir, who was his grandson John the Baptist. Then to his
great grandson, and next male heir (John's 2nd cousin), Yahusha the Messiah.
John’s role as the “coming of Elijah” was to pave the way for The Messiah, and
properly teach Salvation
and Repentance.
The people of Israel knew John was the anointed High Priest, and they went to
him to be Mikveh’d (they did not go to the corrupted priests in The Temple).
Those who followed John the Baptist, were known as Notsri or “Nazarenes”.
John was actively preparing Israel for the
coming Messiah, which he knew was Yahusha his 2nd cousin. He also knew Yahusha
was the next heir to his office of High Priest, when he became of age (30 years
old, the traditional age a man was considered a Rabbi). The people knew Yahusha
well, because he too was a follower of John’s; but they did not yet know he was
The Messiah. Before we can come to understand what happened that day at the
Jordan River when John cried out “Behold! The Passover Lamb of God that takes
away the sin of the world” as Yahusha approached; we must know and
understand what Mikveh is, and what it means, before we will ever know the
real Messiah.
We also need to look closer at “baptism”, and
what we have been taught by the Christian Church. In an effort to distance
itself totally from all things Holy to Yahuah (His people, His Temple, His
Eternal City, His Laws, His Feasts, and His Sabbath), the Church of Rome (all
Christianity) turned its back on Mikveh, as well as the priesthood established
by Yahuah. The pagan Roman Church created a "new" human priesthood in
the form of Catholic priests, bishops, etc. and Christian pastors. They also
created a "new" baptism, replacing Yahuah’s ordained Mikveh or ritual
cleansing.
So, what is Mikveh and why was the High Priest
John the “Baptist” performing it in the desert instead of the Temple? Let us
first take a closer look at the Nazarenes to find insight.
In
the Dead Sea Scrolls there is a figure called “The Great Notsri
(Nazarene)” and “Teacher of Righteousness”. He was said to have
the proper understanding of the Torah, qualified in its accurate instruction,
and be the one through whom Yahuah would reveal to the community “the hidden
things in which Israel had gone astray”. He would rightfully be of the House of
Zadok (a true High Priest). This was Yahusha’s mentor and teacher, John the
Great Notsri, who was of The House of Zadok, and the “anointed High Priest” in
succession to Yahusha III.
This description of “The Great Notsri” is
found in the Damascus Document of the Dead Sea Scroll, which
carbon dating has placed about +/- 44 BC, that would be around
the time John was acting as High Priest in the wilderness. John was prophesied
to fulfill this very role by his father Zechariah:
Luke 1:76-80 - Zechariah’s
song
76 And you, my child, will be called a
prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before Yahuah to prepare the way
for him (Yahusha), 77
to give his people the Knowledge of Salvation through the forgiveness of
their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising
sun will come to us from heaven (reference to
fulfilling The Heavenly Scroll) 79 to shine on
those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into
the path of Peace (as a Zadok High Priest,
John too was mediator of the covenant of peace).”
80 And the child grew and became strong in Spirit; and he lived in the
wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel (as
High Priest).
The Great Notsri, founder of the Nazarenes, at that
time, was undoubtedly John the Baptist; who was the rightful High Priest from
the House of Zadok.
Although
there is a “debate” about who this Great Notsri was among current scholars,
there should be no doubt. Yahusha told us exactly who this great Teacher
of Righteousness among the Nazarenes and Essences was, it was his own
mentor!
Matthew 11:11
“I tell you the truth, among those born of
women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist.
If
there was no one greater than John (ever born of a woman, that includes all
men), then he is The Great Notsri. So much for that debate, Yahusha settled it.
So, we have John "the prophesied Great Notsri" and "Teacher of
Righteousness (Torah)" of the Nazarenes, mentioned in the Dead Sea
Scrolls, and identified by The Messiah; consecrating Yahusha the Nazarene
through Mikveh (defined in the Torah, whereby the Righteous requirements
of The Law are fulfilled in the one being immersed). This significance
cannot be overstated. This is “when and how” Yahusha “fulfilled The Law”! It
is also “when” he embodied the fullness of deity in human form!
Matthew 3
…14 But John tried to prevent him, saying, “I
need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 “Let it be so now, Yahusha
replied. “It is fitting for us (everyone) to
fulfill all Righteousness” in this way (we have our sin washed away and brought to perfect obedience).
Then John permitted him (to be Mikveh’d). 16
As soon as Yahusha was Mikveh’d, he went up out of the living water. Suddenly
the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of Yahuah descending like a dove
and resting in him (Yahusha was filled with the Ruach
and embodied the fullness of Deity Colossians 2:9).
Nazarenes
were a sect (among the Jews in Israel) who followed John the Baptist (at the
time Yahusha lived). Under John’s direction, the Nazarenes, knowing the
prophecies of Daniel concerning the timing of the Messiah’s coming, bathed in
the Mikveh daily in expectation of the Messiah’s arrival.
Yahusha and many of his disciples were first
followers of John the Baptist, and were all Nazarenes. When John
consecrated Yahusha as his successor, his followers then followed Yahusha “the
Nazarene”, and accepted him as The Messiah.
Nazarenes were spoken of as guardians of the
Torah, Prophets, and Messiah. It is a mistranslation in our Bibles where it
says “Jesus of Nazareth”. Not only is his name not Jesus, not only did the town
of Nazareth not exist then, but the terms "sect of the Nazarenes" and
"Yahusha of Nazareth" are the same. They both employ the adjective nasraya
(Notsri) meaning branch, which is referring to the prophecy in
Isaiah concerning The Branch, and the prophecy of Zechariah concerning The
Branch. The English word “Nazarene” (Greek “Nazaraios,” Aramaic “Natsraya,”
or Hebrew “Notsri”) comes from the Hebrew word netser (branch),
which itself is derived from the verb natsar which means “to
guard, watch, keep, or preserve”; in context speaking of the Torah.
Yahusha was indeed a Notsri and keeper of the Torah. That is why he was called
Yahusha the Notsri (mistranslated as Jesus of Nazareth), keeper and Guardian of the
Torah. He most certainly did not come to “do away with The Law” as the false
religion would have you believe.
The
Apostle Sha’ul, too, was a Nazarene or Notsri. After Sha’ul was arrested in
Jerusalem, he was escorted to Caesarea to appear before the governor Felix.
Under the authority of Ananias, the “unauthorized” high priest,
Tertullus brought the charges before Felix. Sha’ul gave his life for the cause
and beliefs of the Nazarenes. Notice his accusation:
Acts 24:5-6
“For we have found this man a pestilent
fellow [a plague], and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the
world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes: Who also hath gone about
to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our
law”.
John
the Baptist, Yahusha, Sha’ul, all of the disciples, and all of the apostles, (and
all of what we call the “early Church” for 300 years after the
Messiah’s death) were all Notsri or Nazarenes “keepers of the Torah”. We must now
look to the Torah to understand what John was doing “baptizing” Jews in the
Jordan River. He was not creating a “new” institution or ritual called
“baptism”, he was performing the Mikveh in living water as their High Priest
(anointed by Yahuah as a Zadok Priest… NOT Rome). Mikveh is the process of total immersion in
"living" (or flowing water not stagnant water) to ritually cleanse a
person for various reasons; such as sickness, sin, consecration of a priest,
anointing of a King etc. To understand the significance of John, the Nazarene
Zadok High Priest, Mikveh’ing the Nazarene Zadok High Priest Yahusha in the desert, we
must know the reason behind the Mikveh ritual as defined in the Torah not
the Christian Church! None of them were Christians, not one.
After Herod killed the High Priest Yahusha
III, and appointed another High Priest; John lived an excluded Essene lifestyle
in the wilderness (probably avoiding Herod), and had disavowed the corrupt
temple priestly system in Jerusalem. John was sent to be trained as a Zadok
High Priest by the Essenes who had a Temple “in the wilderness”. The same path
Yahusha would later take as a follower of John. The discovery of the Dead Sea
Scrolls indicates many of Yahusha's teachings were inspired by John, the "Essene
Teacher of Righteousness". No wonder Yahusha gave John such high accolades
as:
Matthew 11:11
I tell you the truth, among those born of
women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist.
In
the face of Yahuah’s chosen lineage of High Priests, Herod had “chosen” his
own, and those Temple Priests had stopped honoring the Torah requirements of
laying on of hands at Mikveh! This is just one of the things that
drove John into the wilderness to serve the people as High Priest.
Yahusha had to have all the Aaronic Priestly Authority transferred to him as
THE RIGHTEOUS HIGH PRIEST/KING (Melchizedek), by the process of Mikveh and
laying on of hands by Yahuah’s chosen High Priest. Yahusha had to be cleansed
of sin and consecrated, by Mikveh, to "fulfill all Righteousness".
Remember, Righteousness
is obedience to The Law. What Yahusha was saying to John was that he had to be
Mikveh'd to fulfill The Law and become high priest.
Matthew 3
13 Then Yahusha came from Galilee
to the Jordan to be Mikveh'd by John. 14 But John tried to deter
him, saying, “I need to be Mikveh'd by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Yahusha
replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do
this to fulfill all requirements in The Law.” Then John consented.
Yahusha
could not be Mikveh’d by just any other High Priest; it had to be John who was
prophesied to do just that:
Malachi 3:1
“I will send My Messenger, who will prepare
the way before Me. Then suddenly Yahuah (whom)
you are seeking will come to his (true) Temple
(the human body of His sons); the Messenger of
the Covenant (of Peace; the Messiah), whom you
desire, will come (and lay down his life as the Chief
Cornerstone of that Spiritual Temple),” says Yahuah Almighty.
Yahusha
said Malachi and Isaiah were speaking of John:
Matthew 17:11-13
"Yahusha replied, ‘To be sure, Elijah
comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and
they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the
same way the son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples
understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist"
Everything mentioned in the vision of Zechariah 3, concerning The
High Priest Yahusha, has come to pass in the life of The Messiah. The doctrine
of Yahusha's Mikveh by John is so paramount; it is THE ELEMENTARY teaching,
without which, you cannot progress in Knowledge of the Messiah.
Below
is what Sha’ul wrote concerning the elementary teaching about Yahusha's Mikveh:
Hebrews 6
1 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about The Messiah and be
taken forward to maturity, not laying again (now
Sha’ul lists the fundamental teaching about Yahusha) the foundation
of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of Faith in Yahuah, 2
instruction (Torah requirements) about
cleansing rites (Mikveh) and (instruction or Torah requirements concerning) washing
of hands, (and Torah requirements concerning)
the laying on of hands (to transfer the sins onto The
Passover Lamb), the resurrection of the dead, and Eternal Judgment. 3
And Yahuah permitting (us to mature), we
will do so (but only if we understand Yahusha's
Mikveh).
So,
let me make what Sha’ul is saying crystal clear. In vs. 1 he states these are
teachings "about Yahusha", then lists each critical teaching about
Yahusha. In vs. 2 he mentions "instructions" which in Hebrew is the
word "Torah" concerning "cleansing rites" which is Mikveh.
Allow
me restate ‘more clearly’ below how Hebrews 6 should read Remember Sha’ul was a
Nazarene, keeper of the Torah:
Hebrews 6
1 Therefore let us move forward
and mature in our understanding about the things concerning Yahusha, not laying
again (having to relearn over and over) the
basic teaching about Yahusha (everything mentioned
below is talking “about Yahusha”):
- About Yahusha's foundation of repentance
from acts that lead to death (referring to Yahusha’s
Mikveh for repentance by John)
- and of Yahusha's Faith in Yahuah (to wipe away his sin through Mikveh)
- 2 "instructions" about
"cleansing rites" (i.e. we must know Torah
requirements concerning Mikveh to know the significance of what was happening
to Yahusha)
- and (Torah
requirements) of washing and the laying on of hands (at Yahusha's Mikveh, the ritual to transfer priestly
authority and pass the sins of the world on to Yahusha as The Passover Lamb)
- How Yahusha was resurrected from the dead
by Yahuah who heard his cries because of his piety in life (Hebrews 5:7)
- and how Yahusha now reigns as Eternal Judge
over the House of Yahuah (Zechariah 3:7)
3 And Yahuah will only permit us
to move on to maturity (concerning Yahusha)
once we lay this foundation firmly.
The
Apostle Sha’ul is teaching us the importance of Yahusha’s Mikveh. Yahuah will
not permit us to move on and mature in Spiritual Knowledge, until we understand what
happened when John cried out “Behold! The Passover Lamb of God” and then
Mikveh’d Yahusha. We will remain "children" in Yahuah and never
progress to full maturity, until we understand the concept I am explaining in
this book about Yahusha. Sha’ul stressed this very well and after trying to
explain everything I am in this book about Yahusha as Melchizedek he finally
"seemingly" through his arms up in frustration and said:
Hebrews 5
11 We have much to say about this
(in context he was talking about Yahusha as the Ruling
Zadok), but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try
to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be
teachers (of the Torah, there was no NT for another
300 years), you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of
Yahuah’s Word (the Torah) all over again. You
need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still
an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about Righteousness (again the Torah). 14 But solid food is for
the mature, who by constant use (obedience to the
Torah) have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil (which is what The Law was given for).
That
concept summarized so eloquently in Hebrews 6:1 by the Apostle Sha’ul, was
exactly what Zechariah
saw in a vision from Yahuah in Zechariah Chapter 3. Sha’ul understood everything I am
explaining here. He listed baptism or ritual cleansing (Mikveh) and the laying
on of hands in context of Yahusha, as so fundamental
to our growth in Yahuah, that if we do not understand these doctrines... Yahuah
will stunt our growth in Him. Yahusha's Mikveh is THE starting point
(and pivotal moment) when Yahusha became The Messiah, The Eternal High Priest
Melchizedek, and Passover Lamb of God all given Yahusha through inheritance
(bloodlines).
Let
me summarize Hebrews 6:1 again so we are clear. Sha’ul says these are "elementary
teachings about Yahusha". Yes, everything Sha’ul listed
in Hebrews 6:1 were concerning Yahusha and referring to his Mikveh:
●
Repentance
from acts that lead to death
- Yahusha repented of any acts that lead to death by going to John to be
Mikveh'd. We don't know "what", because his life prior to that point
was not documented for a reason (it doesn’t matter to Yahuah), they were not
just "missing". They no longer "counted" in the eyes of
Yahuah, because Yahusha had repented and been Mikveh'd. This is probably why
his documented life begins with his Mikveh; his previous life simply had no
relevance to Yahusha's state of perfection from then on.
●
Laying
on of Hands - It was
at Yahusha’s Mikveh that John laid hands on Yahusha, he was ritually
cleansed through Mikveh, and the sins of the world were transferred onto Yahusha's shoulder
as The Passover Lamb. That is the role of The High Priest each year to lay
hands on the lamb and transfer the sins of Israel.
●
Instructions
about cleansing rites
- Torah is Hebrew for "instructions" and cleansing rites is Mikveh.
So this literally says "know the Torah concerning Mikveh"! On the day
of his Mikveh, Yahusha was forgiven by Yahuah, cleansed, and consecrated a High
Priest per Torah requirements (exactly as portrayed in Zechariah's vision).
●
Exercising
faith toward Yahuah –
Yahusha exercised his faith at his Mikveh, that Yahuah would “wipe away his
sin” as He promised in the Torah (instructions about cleansing rites), and
confirmed in the desert (Zachariah 3).
●
Resurrected
from the dead - The
Word says Yahuah "heard Yahusha's cry to deliver him from death" BECAUSE
of Yahusha's piety Hebrews 5:7. Just like Zechariah's vision shows.
●
Eternal
Judgment - As Yahuah
promised The High Priest Yahusha in Zechariah's vision, IF Yahusha would obey His Commandments and demonstrate his piety
toward Yahuah (Hebrews 5:7), THEN Yahusha would
"govern" the House of Yahuah, and be in charge of His "Courts". Yahuah would also forgive
the sins of the world in one day (the Passover execution of Yahusha). Yahusha
was given a name above every name and seated at Yahuah’s right hand. Just like Zechariah's vision showed us, Yahusha was made
King and he “governs the House
of Yahuah”, and Eternal Judge taking over Yahuah's Courts. This too was prophesied in
Isaiah 9:6 "and the GOVERNMENT shall be on his shoulders". Yahusha
now reigns as the Eternal
King/Judge/High Priest.
What
else did Sha’ul know (besides the truth of Yahusha’s Mikveh), being a Pharisee,
master in the Torah, Nazarene and teacher of The Law and Prophets? He
knew the Plan
of Yahuah was to send a Zadok High Priest to offer the final Sacrifice of the
Passover Lamb, and to govern as the “Eternal Ruling Zadok”! Sha’ul understood
what happened when John laid hands on Yahusha, and Mikveh'd him, consecrating
Yahusha as High Priest; transferring all authority to him, and also
transferring all sins of the world onto The Passover Lamb. Sha’ul also
understood the Blood
of the Passover Lamb would cover the DECREES against us (found in the Law),
leading to Grace thereby making “whole the Law”. The Law was made weak by
sinful flesh, and made whole by putting to death sin in the flesh. See my book
The Yahushaic Covenant Volume 1 – The Mediator for a detailed
discussion on how The Law was made complete through Grace. Available on Amazon
Books, or www.sabbathcovenatn.com
Buy Now!
Sha’ul’s teachings have been grossly mistranslated,
then mis-taught by the pagan Roman religion we call Christianity. Having
abolished the Law, Christianity has no understanding of what Sha’ul is talking
about in his letters.
Now,
let us explore Sha’ul's writings, and confirm that Sha’ul knew exactly what had
transpired when John Mikveh'd Yahusha.
Sha’ul
knew that Yahusha was the chosen Ruling Zadok. Sha’ul knew Yahusha was
perfected in obedience by Yahuah (through suffering discipline for
disobedience), forgiven by Yahuah, and consecrated as High Priest through
Mikveh. Sha’ul knew Yahusha was heard by Yahuah because of his piety
not because Yahusha was a demi-god. It is for that reason (his piety), that
Yahusha became the source (Passover Lamb) of Salvation (for shouldering the sins of
the world.) Sha’ul also, as do I, found this hard to explain, because everyone
has become dull of hearing having come to believe “tradition” and Babylonian
legend that Yahusha was “Yahuah in the flesh”. Below we see Sha’ul teaching
this very truth clearly:
Hebrews 5 - The
Perfected High Priest
1 For every High Priest taken from among
men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to Yahuah, in order
to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; 2 he can deal gently with the
ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; 3 and
because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so
also for himself. 4 And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives
it when he is called by Yahuah, even as Aaron was. 5 So also Yahusha did
not Glorify himself so as to become a High Priest, but (it was) Yahuah who (in
addition to being High Priest) said to Yahusha
"YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY (the day of his resurrection) I HAVE BEGOTTEN
YOU";
6 just as Yahuah says also in another
passage (choosing Yahusha among men as High Priest from
the House of Zadok), "YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE
ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK."
7 In the days of Yahusha’s flesh (when he was human), Yahusha offered up both prayers
and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One (Yahuah) able to save Yahusha from death, and
Yahusha was heard (by Yahuah) because of his
piety (NOT because he was a god). 8
Although Yahusha was a son, Yahusha had to learn obedience (to Yahuah) from the things (discipline) which Yahusha suffered (for disobedience). 9 And having been perfected
(Yahusha was not born perfect being simply a man,
but had to be perfected), Yahusha became (he
was not always, he BECAME after his Mikveh and submission and death on Passover)
to all those who obey him the source (example or The
Way) of Eternal Salvation (the sin offering),
10 being designated by Yahuah as a High Priest (chosen
from among men verse 1) according to the order of Melchizedek (he was by inheritance or lineage a King of the House of
David and High Priest of the House of Zadok i.e. Ruling Zadok). 11
Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have
become dull of hearing.
We
see below, Sha’ul understood exactly what happened when John Mikveh'd Yahusha.
Sha’ul tells us clearly that the priestly office was transferred to
Melchizedek. Sha’ul also explains that The Law was transferred over to serve
the new Eternal High Priest. The Law was transposed to Spirit (written on our
hearts) as Yahuah declared it would be. “The New Covenant” is defined by The
Law being elevated not abolished.
Jeremiah 31:31-35
31 “The days are coming,” declares Yahuah,
“when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people
of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when
I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt (written
in stone), because they broke My Covenant, though I was a husband to
them,” declares Yahuah. 33 “This is the Covenant I will make with the people
of Israel (yes the people of Israel… the House of
Israel and The House of Judah not the pagan Romans) after that time,”
declares Yahuah. “I will put My Law in their minds and write it on their
hearts”
Knowing
the Law was not abolished, but “transposed” to Spiritual intent of the heart, Sha’ul
says:
Hebrews 7:12
"for when there is a transfer of the
priestly office (to the Eternal Melchi Tsedek),
out of necessity there is ALSO A TRANSFER OF THE LAW of the priesthood (by which the Priesthood has authority)"
If
the Law was abolished, Yahusha would have no authority to serve as High Priest
or make Atonement.
Below
is just a very cursory introduction to my book The Kingdom of Yahuah.
Buy Now!
The
Kingdom of Yahuah was revealed to mankind through transposition
(transfer of position); from oral to written to Spiritual. This truth was not lost on the
Apostle Sha’ul.
Being
a Torah expert, Sha’ul knew The Law contained 3 elements communicated from Adam
through Moses verbally. The Law was then written down at the time
of Moses “in stone”. We see below, that Sha’ul was well aware that The Law (in
all aspects) was not just given to Moses, but also Abraham and Jacob verbally.
The Law was a vital part of every covenant Yahuah made with mankind (Edenic,
Adamic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and Yahushaic):
Deuteronomy 5
30 "Go, tell them to return to their
tents. 31 But you stay here with Me so that I may give you all the Commands,
Decrees and Laws you are to teach them to follow in the land I am giving them
to possess."
Genesis 26:5 - KJV
5 Because that Abraham obeyed My Voice, and
kept My Charge, My Commandments, My Statutes, and My Laws.
Psalms 147:19-148:1 - KJV
19 He sheweth His Word unto Jacob, His
Statutes (Commands and Laws) and His Judgments
(Decrees) unto Israel. 20 He hath not dealt so
with any nation: and as for His Judgments, they have not known them. Praise
Yahuah.
Sha’ul
was well aware of the following 3 elements that together are called The
Law:
●
His Commandments (10 Commandments)
●
His Laws (Dietary, Priestly, Sacrificial, Ritual
Purity, Judicial, Moral, Agricultural, Business, Sabbatical, Community,
Prohibition, Tithes/Offerings, etc.)
●
His Decrees (Judicial Judgments amounting to a Certificate
of Debt against us for our disobedience to His Commandments and His Laws)
Now
that we understand that the "decrees" are only a part of The
Law. The part where judgment is pronounced by Yahuah for our disobedience to
His Commandments and Laws, it becomes obvious what Sha’ul said was nailed to
the stake... THE DECREES AGAINST US:
Colossians 2:14-16
"Having canceled out the Certificate of
Debt (levied against humanity) consisting of
Decrees (penalties for transgressing His Commands and
His Laws) against us and which (these Decrees
which amounted to a Certificate of Debt) was hostile to us (because we did not keep His Commandments); and Yahuah
has taken it (the Certificate of Debt which are the
Decrees only not The Law) out of the way (sacrificing
His Passover Lamb to cover us), having nailed it (the “Certificate of Debt” which are the Decrees only
not the entire Law) to the stake.
So
Sha’ul clearly said only the Decrees levied against us (that are hostile to us) are
what Yahuah has taken out of the way, nailing them to the stake with Yahusha.
Yahusha's blood covered the Decrees pronounced against us for our sin against Yahuah
and our disobedience to the Torah. In this way, the sin of the world died with
Yahusha the Passover Lamb. Sha’ul calls this covering of the Decrees in The Law
"grace".
Again, I cover this topic in much greater
detail in my book “The Yahushaic Covenant Volume 1 – The Mediator”,
as Yahusha did not come to abolish The Law, but bring it to perfection covering
the Decrees
against us. Sha’ul is clearly defining the difference between The Law of
Sin and Death and The Law of Spirit of Life … that
difference is the Decrees in The Law are covered by the Blood of the lamb.
What the Apostle Sha’ul was explaining is that the “Decrees”
found within The Law are covered by the Blood of The Passover Lamb making
whole The Law. So what we have is:
The Law of Sin and Death
This is The Law which is “weakened by our flesh”.
Our flesh is hostile to The Law making active the “Decree”
against us for transgressing it. So, The Law of Sin and Death
(sin and you die by decree) is The Law with active decrees prior to Yahusha’s
blood covering them. We were being held captive to sin and death by the
decrees.
The Law of the Spirit of Life
This is The Law with the Decrees
covered by the Blood of the Lamb making The Law whole again not
abolished in any way. The weakness in The Law (our flesh) has
been accounted for and we through the Blood of the lamb are restored to
perfect obedience to The Law. We, therefore, are heir to the
promises of The Law for perfect obedience… that promise is
Eternal Life. So The Law of the Spirit which leads to Life is The
Law with the Decrees “nailed to the stake”.
Sha’ul explains this further in the Book of Romans:
Romans 8:1-8 Life through the
Spirit
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation (no active Decrees in The Law) for those who are in (Covenant with) Yahusha the Messiah, 2 because through
Yahusha the Law of the Spirit who gives Life (The Law
with the Decrees nailed to the stake) has set you free from the Law of
sin and death (The Law of Sin and you Die by Divine
Decree). 3 For what theLaw was powerless to do (give
life for obedience) because it was weakened by the flesh (which is against The Law of Yahuah and we transgress it),
Yahuah did by sending His own son in the likeness of sinful flesh (as a human) to be a sin offering (the scapegoat / Passover Lamb). And so he condemned
sin in the flesh (by dying without sin through Mikveh),
4 in order that the Righteous requirement of the Law (it
has not been abolished, Righteousness is still obedience to The Law)
might be fully met in us (we would be restored to
perfection through Mikveh), who do not live according to the flesh (which is hostile to The Law) but according to the
Spirit (whose mind is set on The Law as we obey it in
love not obligation the INTENT of The Law).
5 Those who live
according to the flesh (transgress The Law) have their minds set on what the flesh desires (weakening the power of The Law to grant Eternal Life); but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have
their minds (Law is written on our minds and
heart) set on what the Spirit desires (defined in The Law where Eternal Life is promised for
perfect obedience). 6 The mind governed by the
flesh is death (the penalty levied by the
Decrees in The Law for transgressing it), but
the mind governed by the Spirit (of loving
obedience Ezekiel 36) is Life and Peace (the promise in The Law for obedience). 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to Yahuah; (because) it does not
submit to Yahuah’s Law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the
flesh cannot please Yahuah (because pleasing
Yahuah is defined as obedience to His Law Hebrews 2:13 i.e. Righteousness or
right standing or pleasing Yahuah is keeping The Law)
What
Sha’ul is describing is what he called a “two-edged sword” in
Hebrews 4
12 For the Word of Yahuah (the Torah, there was no NT until 300 years later) is
alive and active (in no way abolished). Sharper
than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul (what you want to believe) and Spirit (of Truth).
The
two edges of this “sword” are:
1. You transgress His Law and you die
2. You Faithfully (in covenant with Yahusha) obey it and you
live.
One
side is The Law with active decrees “Law of Sin and Death”. The
other side is The Law with the Decrees nailed to the stake “Law of
Spirit of Life”
Mikveh
is the process whereby we fulfill the Righteous requirements of The Law. This is why
Yahusha demanded John go forward with the Mikveh, even though John recognized
Yahusha's authority over him as the Ruling Zadok. Yahusha being Melchizedek,
there simply was no human above him qualified to Mikveh Yahusha except
John. It was John who Yahuah prophesied and gave the authority to do so
as “Elijah”, the anointed High Priest and mentor of Yahusha.
Mikveh was established by Yahuah in The Law
for many reasons, but the one important to this chapter is the Consecration of Priests, for more
info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikveh
Yahusha's ministry as High Priest (who would
later offer the final Passover Sacrifice), began with his Consecration (Mikveh)
by the ordained High Priest John (who preceded him in the House of Zadok). John
laid hands on Yahusha's head, transferred all authority of the Priesthood to
the Zadok High Priest Yahusha, then immersed him in living water, making him
ritually clean of all sin before Yahuah. Just as we see in the vision of Zechariah 3 “see High Priest
Yahusha, I have forgiven your sin” says Yahuah! Now, Yahusha was ready to begin
his ministry as The Messiah, and was prepped as The Passover Lamb having the
sins of the world transferred on his shoulders by the High Priest John, making
Yahusha the “scapegoat” or “sin offering”.
We see in The Jewish Encyclopedia that an
Aaronic High Priest was required to lay hands on the "scapegoat",
thereby transferring the sins of the people onto the spotless lamb on Passover
and the goat on the Day of Atonement.
"When
the offering, if a quadruped, had been brought witprecincts of the sanctuary,
and after examination had been found qualified, the offerer laid one hand upon
the victim's head (Lev. i. 4; iii. 2, 8, 13; iv. 5, 15). On the scape-goat, the
High
Priest
laid both of his hands (ib. xvi. 21). This "laying on of hands"
("semikah") might not be performed by a substitute. Read more: http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=35&letter=S#ixzz1alhnHOY8
No wonder Yahusha "ran off into the
desert" just like the scapegoats did! What would you do if the sins of the
entire world were just placed on YOUR shoulders and you were made the
“scapegoat/sin offering” for the entire human race? I know I would do the same
thing, and seek the face of Yahuah in the process just like Yahusha did. I
would not come out of that desert until I was reassured by Yahuah that I was in
fact The Messiah! That is exactly what Yahusha did, and it took 40 days/nights
to get that assurance (I would probably only last about 24 hours). We see what
happened in that desert in Zechariah Chapter 3 in detail. Yahuah dressed Yahusha
as High Priest, and brought forth out of that desert The Branch or “Notsri”…
Yahusha the Nazarene, now leaving that desert as the reigning High Priest and
King of Israel by blood through inheritance with the full assurance from Yahuah
Himself that he was The Prophesied Branch!
We must understand, that it is recorded in
the days of Malachi that the High Priests in the Temple had stopped the process
of laying on of hands. To restore this Righteous process, the High Priest John (the
“Baptist”) had to withdraw into the desert to the Jordan River, to sanctify
himself from the general population and properly serve as a High Priest. This
was necessary to restore the role of the High Priest by Torah Standards.
Yahusha could not go to the Temple for Consecration or preparation as the Passover
Lamb, because that system had been corrupted. Yahusha went to John, who was
ordained by Yahuah, to Consecrate
and prepare him as High Priest and Passover Lamb. John knew that was his job as
well as it had been prophesied by his father Zechariah, and as soon as he saw
Yahusha, he just couldn't contain himself any longer and belted out to all the
Nazarenes following him:
"Behold! The Lamb who will take away the sin of
the world!"
Exactly John... Exactly how I feel. Behold... my
King, my Passover Lamb, my Yom Kippur, my High Priest, my brother... Yahusha
who is my Messiah! HalleluYahuah! Yahuah’s prophetic "word/debar" or
Predestined Plan written in the stars (The Heavenly Scroll) had become
"flesh"... Yahuah had fulfilled His promise in Yahusha to send us a
human Messiah to take away our sin, and fulfill the metaphor of Abraham
sacrificing Isaac; Isaac being spared by a substitute lamb. Yahusha as The Eternal
High Priest from the House of Zadok would sacrifice himself, the first born son
of Yahuah, to put an end to the yearly substitute of a lamb on Passover. That
is why his sacrifice was once for all time. We no longer need a yearly
substitute. The life of the first born has satisfied the penalty of sin… DEATH
on Mt. Mariah!
Death cannot hold an “innocent man”, so it
could not hold Yahusha. I am in Covenant with Yahuah through the Blood of Yahusha; and
through his sacrifice death will not hold me either, I will defeat death by
following The Way of Mikveh, Circumcision, and Offering. I am restored to
perfect obedience through Mikveh and found innocent as well. The Divine Decrees
within The Law that would have condemned me, have been satisfied by Yahusha’s
death, and I will inherit the promises found in The Law for obedience… all of
them. For more information, see my book The Narrow Gate.
Buy Now!
Yahusha
is the chief architect and corner stone of the Temple. In that role, he must be
Mikveh'd to be ritually clean. Yahuah made the High Priest Yahusha III the High
Priest (who watched over the construction of the Second Temple) a foreshadowing
of Yahusha the Messiah - It would be his great grandson, Yahusha the Messiah,
who would be the Chief Architect and cornerstone of the 3rd and final Temple of
Yahuah.
Just like Yahusha son of Nun was chosen by
Yahuah to take over for Moses and lead the children of Israel into the Promised
Land, the entire nation of Israel had to be Mikveh'd in the Red Sea crossing.
And the Earth had to be Mikveh’d in a great flood to cleanse it from sin. All
these are types and shadows of the coming Messiah and purpose of Mikveh.
Yahusha
spoke some very specific words on the last day during the Feast of Succoth that
sent shockwaves thru the Temple courts. The verse John 7:37 reads: “In the last
day, that great day of the feast (of Succoth),
Yahusha stood and cried out in a loud voice, saying, “If
any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” Can you imagine a man
standing up in the midst of the Temple on Succoth and yelling THAT,
just as the High Priest was drawing water from a well? Yahusha knew he was the
anointed High Priest and rightful heir of Yahusha III, not those “appointed by
Herod”, who were imposters in the office of High Priest. There was a water
ceremony done on the Altar that day Yahusha spoke these words. Do you know the
significance of this ceremony? Do you know from which well in Jerusalem they
would get the water from? Did you know that the waters of the well had a name?
Which Psalms were sung during this Temple service Ritual? Did you know, the
Water Ceremony on The Temple was a moedim celebrating the Kingdom on Earth
which begins at the transition from this age (Pisces) to the Age of Aquarius…
THE WATER BEARER WHO POURS LIVING WATER OVER THE EARTH TO MIKVEH IT BEFORE THE
KINGDOM IS ESTABLISHED? Probably not. Please read my book Creation Cries Out!
Buy Now!
In
the Christian Church, the entire concept was taken from pagan rituals. There is
but a small mention of the Mikveh, and not one word of the reasoning behind
Yahusha's Mikveh when you research “baptism”. It is taught as a "new
rite" establishes by "John/Jesus" and they call it a
"sacrament" or "religious rite of Jesus Christ". The false
church, with its false messiah, has literally hijacked every critical component
of Yahuah’s Plan
of Salvation, and replaced it with pagan rites. No, Yahusha did not institute a "new
rite". This could not be further from the truth, and Yahusha admitted it
when he said he had to do it to fulfill all Righteousness which is the
Torah. It was not “new”, and Yahusha did not establish anything that
was not already defined in the Torah by Yahuah. From Christian Baptism candidates being
tapped 3 times (to represent their God, the pagan Trinity) on the forehead with
water… to infants being "sprinkled" and given a name... it is all
taken from paganism. True to Christian form, as with all their doctrines, the
doctrine of baptism is a constant source of confusion and bickering between
denominations. Remember, who is the author of "confusion"? Exactly.
There is NO confusion unless you "abolish The Law of Yahuah".
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptism you see one small
confusing paragraph about the "Jewish Ritual" of Mikveh lost in a sea
of human tradition. Mikveh isn’t even a "Jewish Ritual" at
all. They say that because Christianity has done all it can do to convince us
not to be “Judaised”, but it is actually a Hebrew Ritual of Yahuah given to
Moses who was not even a Jew! In fact, Mikveh goes all the way back to Noah when
the Earth was Mikveh'd. It is a promise found in The Heavenly Scroll (AQUARIUS)
dating back to creation!
Now
that we have established what really happened when John performed the Mikveh
consecrating Yahusha as High Priest in succession to him and transferred the
sin of the world onto Yahusha making him the Passover Lamb. Let us now look
closer at The Passover Lamb and the Daily Sacrifices that are required of The
High Priest Yahusha.
