2007

The Bible begins with the story of creation. The very last work of God in the creation story was the establishment of the garden of Eden and placing man in it. From there God formed the woman out of man to be his companion and helpmeet. The events in this garden with this man and woman set the present day context of definitions and problems for all of us. Why did God plant the garden? What does the garden represent? The garden definition is also the very point where a real solution must be found for mankind.

When Yeshua was first brought to Pilate, Pilate questioned His accusers as to the charges and evidence against Yeshua. His accusers charged Him with being a king, a king set up against Caesar. When Pilate asked for the evidence to support the charge, His accusers said that the sheer fact that they had brought Him was sufficient evidence. Of course it wasn’t and Pilate knew this. So, Pilate questioned Yeshua himself. All of the Gospel writers give a direct account of this discourse, but the Apostle John provides more of the conversation which opens the topic of this article.

In the fall of each year, generally the month of October, the annual teaching of the Torah concludes and begins again. For religious Jews, this cycle is a custom dating back to Biblical days. For Messianics in this generation it is still a bit of a novelty. The Apostle Paul instructed his disciple Timothy to give attention to the public readings of the Scripture. This is one of the few New Testament references to the systematic teachings of the Torah. Only in the Gospels do you find additional information about Yeshua the Messiah reading publicly from the Prophet Isaiah chapter 61, a portion near the completion of the annual cycle.

Blow a trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,

Joel 2:15

The sound of a trumpet herald is recognized by all as the sound of announcement or alarm. The trumpet is actually an instrument of war. From ancient times to the present day, armies have used a horn or trumpet to send messages above the sound of battle. The sounding of reveille or taps is the beginning and end of a day. Taps is also sounded to memorialize those who have fallen and passed away. The sound of a charge is a special fanfare as well as the sound of retreat. An air raid siren or a civil defense alarm is really the sound of a trumpet or horn. Trucks and cars use horns to warn or complain of the traffic. Ships use horns for warning and when sailing in the fog. Old trains used to whistle but now they only sound a horn at a crossing.

Most Christians do not think the Torah has anything to do with prophecy. Most often, the Torah is considered the law and therefore contains no specific or pertinent information about the study of last things (eschatology). In fact, one could argue that modern eschatology teachers flatly ignore the Torah concerning the Messiah and His second coming. Therefore, their theories and instruction are fundamentally flawed. They fail to see the Hebraic perspective, therefore they lack the primary information that New Testament prophecies are based upon. But even more so, the prophecies of the Torah speak volumes to the last generation and what they will experience just before the Messiah returns. This is the part most end-time prophecy teachers have no knowledge of.

I trust that the title of this article has caught your attention! Most Christians do not think the Torah has anything to do with prophecy. Most often the Torah is considered the law and therefore contains no specific or pertinent information about the study of last things (eschatology). In fact, one could argue that modern eschatology teachers flatly ignore the Torah concerning the Messiah and His second coming. Therefore, their theories and instruction are fundamentally flawed. They fail to see the Hebraic perspective; therefore they lack the primary information that New Testament prophecies are based upon. But even more so, the prophecies of the Torah speak volumes to the last generation and what they will experience just before the Messiah returns. This is the part most end-time prophecy teachers have no knowledge of.

Have you ever heard the voice of God before? I'm not referring to seeking God's will and sensing His direction, such as a call or an intuitive sense of direction. I am referring to His audible voice, out loud, to the extent that you were aware of a specific presence (direction of the voice) and tonal quality in His voice?

Dear Brethren,

We often receive notes and letters of thanks from many of you. Sometimes they include comments on past or recent articles in Yavoh. I always take note of those in particular. It is important to me how the feedback is going on our written material. It is easy to criticize but it takes real thought and energy to praise or say "thank you." The articles in this issue are reprinted (updated) from past issues. Each of them have received positive comments in the past. Because many of you have never seen them before, I decided to republish them since they are still timely.

What teaching from the scripture should be given first to a believer coming into the Messianic movement? The Bible uses parables, stories, word pictures, and metaphors to teach and explain spiritual things. Paul described it this way.

In September of 1862, United States President Abraham Lincoln declared the Emancipation Proclamation, effectively announcing the end of slavery in America. The law went into effect January 1, 1863. But on December 31, 1862, many African Americans held an all night vigil waiting for freedom. They called it a watchnight. To this day, some African Americans still observe it every New Year's Eve.

He was born in Bethlehem and worked out of Capernaum of Galilee. So why is He predominately called Yeshua of Nazareth or simply the "Nazarene?" Nazareth was His hometown. Why does that take precedence over the other locations? The answer is given by Matthew early in his Gospel account. According to Matthew, the Messiah is to be called a "Nazarene." However, most New Covenant believers cannot find the prophecy.

When John the Baptist was in the wilderness, there was great expectation for several prophecies to be fulfilled. First and foremost, the Messiah was expected to come and throw out the occupying Romans. There was great hope that the Messiah would rise up from among the poor, the countrymen of the land. The primary prophetic text for this expectation was from Deuteronomy.