The Sabbath Day

In previous publications such as: "Saturday or Sunday - Does The Day of Worship Really Matter?", "Three Fundamental Beliefs of Christianity That Does Not Make Sense" and "Who Nailed The Law To The 'Cross'?"; the practice of Sunday-worship was exposed as an extra-biblical establishment, that is in no way pleasing to Yahweh. The very scripture speaks profoundly to such a practice in Mark 7:7-8, showing that man-made commandments are nothing but vain worship. Again in Deuteronomy 12:32 Yahweh Himself declared and commanded that His people ought to worship Him in the way that He prescribed, and in no other way. Having established that, Sunday-worship evidently has no part in the worshiping of the true and living Elohim (God); but does that make Saturday the right day of worship? Why do some people worship on a Saturday? Which day is the [true] Sabbath day?

The Creation and Sanctification of the Sabbath

The very popular Genesis 2:3 echoes the creation and sanctification of the Sabbath day. It is very important to note that what Yahweh did to the Sabbath, He did to no other day at creation. Unless Yahweh has suddenly gone into the business of doing things just for 'doing' sake, the fact that He separated the Sabbath day in this format shows that the Sabbath has to be of utmost importance. The Hebrew word for "bless" as seen in Genesis 2:3 is "Barak" (S#01288), and it paints the image of one kneeling in reverence, saluting in honor or giving praises. Yahweh "blessing" the Sabbath day therefore was not simply a pronunciation of blessing upon this day; but rather, it was a lauding of honor, holiness and superiority over any, and every other day. Yahweh has singled out the Sabbath day, sanctified it, and placed it above all other days. The approach Yahweh took towards the Sabbath can only be compared to the approach He takes towards His own children whom He singled out, sanctified and placed above all others (1 Peter 2:9). If the Sabbath was of such great significance to Yahweh from the very beginning, what possible reasons could there be for the Sabbath to become insignificant or obsolete now?

The Command of the Sabbath

The fact that the Sabbath was made from the beginning (along with food and other necessities), shows that the Sabbath was a gift from Yahweh to man. The Messiah alluded to the fact in Mark 2:27. After the fall of man, the Sabbath became a command (Ex.20:8). Man has now become disobedient and rebellious. Yahweh wanted man to continue in the Sabbath, hence it became a command. Otherwise man would have done what many are doing today - neglecting the Sabbath. The command of the Sabbath stands out above all the other commands in Exodus 20. Every other command was explained in one or two verses, but the command of the Sabbath was explained in four verses and in great details! (Ex.20:8-11) How much more emphasis could possibly be made on the Sabbath to show just how important this day is? The others began with the phrase "You shall..." or "You shall not...". The command for the Sabbath however, took on a whole new atmosphere in its structure: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy". Two words readily jump at you in this command; the words "remember" and "keep". The first word "remember", implies that the Sabbath day is NOT a new establishment, it is something that has already been established. And if it was something that has been previously established, then it cannot be limited to the current even, as it would have predated the event. The Hebrew word for "remember" as seen in Exodus 20:8 is "zakar" (S#02142), and it speaks to the action of bringing back to memory or keeping a memorial. Yahweh wanted His people to remember and meditate on what He did to the Sabbath in Genesis 2:3 and keep it that way! Note that the command was not to make the day holy, or to do "holy" things on that day. The command was to keep the day the way Yahweh has made it, which is holy, honorable and sanctified.

Knowing our human limitations, Yahweh explained to us in great details exactly how to keep the day holy. We begin by sanctifying the day. This is done through the abstinence from secular work activities (Ex.20:10). By not working on this day, we distinguish this day from every other day of the week and we set it apart as a special day above any other day. This action replicates what Yahweh did in Genesis 2:3, hence making our action a memorial, as it was commanded to be. Secondly, it provides a peace of mind for those who observe the Sabbath. Because the cares of the world are put aside on this day, a clear access is provided to Yahweh, where one can commune with Him one on one in His presence. This feeling is comparable to none, hence fulfilling the  purpose of the Sabbath being a gift. Finally man was commanded to assemble together on the Sabbath day for worship (Lev.23:3). In a futile attempt to justify the non-observance of the Sabbath, many people claim that the "true" Sabbath day is unknown. The Scripture was very clear on which day is the Sabbath day. Genesis 2:3. Exodus 20:10 and Leviticus 23:3 all stated that the Sabbath day is the seventh day of the week. One could ask a six year old which day is the seventh day of the week, and he would have answered correctly by saying SATURDAY is the seventh day. If that is not clear enough, in virtually every known language on earth, the day "Saturday" is translated "Sabbath": In Dutch, the seventh day "Zaterdag" is translated "Sabbath", In Spanish, "Sabado" is also translated to "Sabbath". Even in earlier languages such as Greek "Savvato" is translated "Sabbath", and of course in Arabic and the authentic Hebrew "Shabbat", all point back to the holy day of rest - the Sabbath. Saturday therefore is in fact, and undoubtedly, the Sabbath!

Misconceptions of the Sabbath

The Sabbath has always been misunderstood and made out to be what it is not; firstly by the Jews and now even by the Gentiles. This is the reason many people are of the impression that Yahshua never kept the Sabbath. Indeed Yahshua kept the Sabbath. It was his custom (Luke 4:16). What he did not do, was to follow the misguided rules that the Rabbis attached to the Sabbath day. These rules changed the Sabbath from a peaceful gift of tranquility and holy communion with the Father, into a burden of rules and regulations. By this, Yahshua said they have made the law of no effect (Mark 7:13), as people are now turning away from the Sabbath, and the true meaning of the Sabbath is neglected. It is being said that the Sabbath prohibit: sex, driving, cooking, walking long distances, using a cellular phone among many other trivialities that are really not biblical. These so-called rules rob the Sabbath of its true meaning, and by extension, hinder the person from actually observing the Sabbath. If the true meaning and benefits of the Sabbath is not being received, then despite the many rules, the Sabbath is still NOT being kept!

The Sabbath is a day of freedom and liberty, not one of boundaries and rules. The Sabbath is a vacation, not an imprisonment. To be frank, there are really only two concrete laws for the Sabbath; to abstain from secular work and to assemble for worship (Lev.23:3). One person may choose to spend the Sabbath with his family, another may choose to spend his Sabbath in seclusion. One could choose to use his Sabbath as a time for meditation, whereas another could use his Sabbath for relaxation. As long as the rest is being obtained, and there is a fellowship, it does not matter how it is done. The Sabbath is for man, not man for the Sabbath.

Fulfillment of the Sabbath

The Apostle Paul in Colossians 2:16-17 established the fact that the Sabbath is a shadow of something greater to come. Of course many have twisted this passage of scripture to suit their own beliefs, but what Paul was doing here was simply giving a reassurance of faith to the Colossians, reminding them that their beliefs and practices are not mere beliefs and practices, but are representations of greater things to come. The Sabbath represents the final rest of man which Paul expounded on in Hebrews 4. It represents a time when man will no longer have to live under the curse that causes him to work for a living. It represents a time when man will no longer be bounded by the flesh and the realms of evil. It represents a time when man will be able to live freely without the hindrance of death, pain or even sorrow. It represents a time when man will ultimately rest from his sojourning, take off the baggage of mortality and finally become what he was created to be. The Sabbath represents the final destination of man, and as glorious as it will be in the spiritual realm when we arrive, so must it be today in the physical realm as we practice. In this we can now say one to the other ... "Have a Happy Shabbat"

The Voice of Yahweh has spoken ... He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches

"Old" Covenant to "New" Covenant - What Has Changed?

From the time of Abraham to the time of Moses ... From the time of Moses to the time of Yahshua ... From the time of Yahshua, even unto the present time; what we now call Christianity has undergone innumerable changes in virtually every facet of its establishment. This has given birth to a paradoxical keynote of Christianity in the minds of unbelievers, as these same Christians proclaim that "God" is the same yesterday, today and forevermore. How can the God of Christianity be a "never-changing God", yet Christianity itself has changed so much that it no longer has any of its original beliefs and practices? This is often polished away by the perception that Christians are now under a "New Covenant", hence the original beliefs and practices are now obsolete! Is this really a fact? Has Yahweh finally gone back on His words and changed what was written? From the Old Covenant to the New Covenant, what [really] has changed?

The History and Establishment of the First Covenant

It is always comical to see Christians trying to "explain" the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant, using only the New Testament. It should not take a rocket scientist to highlight that a transition is a process that can only be accurately explained through a timeline. One must begin at the very beginning: starting with the Old Covenant, then describe the events and changes leading up to the New Covenant. This is the only way the transitional process can be clearly seen. The first thing we may want to do is to remove the man-made concept of an "Old and New Covenant", and refer to them as the Scripture portrays them: "First and Second Covenant" (Heb.8:7). The concept of an Old and New Covenant as seen in Hebrews 8:13, is an entirely different concept that does not even involve the Gentiles, but speaks specifically to the house of Judah (Heb.8:8).

This covenant relationship between man and Yahweh started some 4,000 years ago with a man name Abraham (Gen.17:1-2). Yahweh promised to bless this man and make him a great nation (Gen.12:2). This promise was extended to his descendants, who will inherit a piece of land (Gen.12:7). Believe it or not, this great promise that Abraham and Israel received was the promise to a piece of land! (Gen.13:15, Gen.15:18) This was the same promise spoken of in the New Testament (Acts 7:5, Heb.11:8), and it is the very same promise Christians are to receive through Yahshua - Land! (Gal.3:14,16) This may come as a surprise to many, as a piece of land seems all too simple; but this land will not just be any piece of land. On this land will be a kingdom (Daniel 7:27), and not just any Kingdom, but the Kingdom of the Messiah in which all those who are a part of the covenant will partake and be rulers (Rev.5:10). This is the real promised that Abraham received which was passed down to his descendants, then finally extended to the rest of the world through Yahshua the Messiah - the land, or rather, the earth! The benefit of the meek as seen in Matthew 5:5 is this same land!

A covenant is an agreement between two or more parties; hence if Yahweh has promised man land as a part of a covenant relationship, man must do something in return. Otherwise it would not be a covenant at all. Man (Israel) therefore, was required to obey Yahweh and keep His commandments (Exodus 19:5-6). Israel agreed and the deal was seal (Ex.19:8). Anyone who went contrary to the commandments of Yahweh was rejected and cut off from the covenant (Lev.18:29). This was the first covenant that was created; Israel would have been given a special land if they obey the commands of Yahweh.

The Establishment of the Second Covenant

The first covenant was later broken, and a second was created. Many people use Paul's words in Hebrews 8:7 to say that the law had a fault. This would have been a direct contradiction to Psalm 19:7 which establish the law as being perfect. It is impossible for perfect laws to have faults; hence the fault in the first covenant could have never been the law. That is contrary to the very nature of Yahweh! The fault in the first covenant was with the people! Israel did not fulfill their end of the bargain. Their duty was to obey the law of Yahweh, and they did not do it (Nehemiah 9:29). Since they did not obey the law, they breached the contract (covenant) and as such made it faulty. It would not make much sense to change the law if it was the people who were at fault. Yahweh, therefore, did not change the law as many professed. He changed the people (Isa.65:1)! Yahweh replaced the Israelites with the Gentiles in the covenant, hence making it a different covenant, since it does not deal with the same people. This, however, does not imply a change of agreement. Paul explained this process thoroughly in his epistle to the Romans. Using the analogy of an olive tree, Paul stated that branches were broken off so that wild olives can be grafted in (Rom.11:17). These original branches represented the Israelites, whereas the wild olives represented the Gentiles (Rom.11:25). Paul made it crystal clear that these wild branches are supported by the same root (Rom.11:19). This shows that whosoever conditions or agreement was there in the first covenant is the same that exist for the second. The root has not changed, only branches were broken off. In other words, the covenant has not changed; it only applies to a new set of people. Paul again cautioned the Gentiles in Romans 11:22 to continue in their kindness as Yahweh continues in His kindness. What "kindness" is this? -This 'kindness' is being true to one's word! Yahweh is true to His people that He will give them the land, so His people are to be true to Him that they will obey His commands. Paul reassured the Gentiles that Yahweh will not spare them as He did not spare the original people (Rom.11:21). If the Israelites were replaced because they did not keep the commands, the Gentiles too will be replaced if they follow suit. The commandments, therefore, are an integral part of the covenant.

Legal Institution vs. Methodology

Ever so often the institution of the law if confused with the method of which it is carried out. The institution of the law contains the purpose and what is to be taught. The method is just the way it is done. Whilst the method may change, the institution or the law itself remains. A perfect example of this is the law of circumcision. Many will say that law of circumcision was abolished, but the truth of the matter is that it was not! No law was ever abolished. What happened was simply a change in methodology. Instead of a physical circumcision where the foreskin is removed (Gen.17:11), there is now a spiritual circumcision where the carnal 'flesh' is removed (Rom.2:29). The law still remains; one must be circumcised to be a part of the covenant.

A clear analogy of this would be a house being built. It is not yet finished, but someone has to live in it while work is being done. There are no windows, doors or roof. The structure of the house is temporarily covered by plastic which is functioning as the roof. The places where the windows and doors are to be, are held by pieces of boards. Until the roof comes, the plastic will have to suffice. When the roof is finally available, it replaces the plastic, but the function is the same as it provides shelter. Notice that the installation of the roof does not affect the boards in place, as those pieces of boards will have to remain until the actual windows and doors are installed.

So it is with the change from the first to the second covenant. Scripture shows that the promise was always meant to be fulfilled through Yahshua (Gal.3:16), but until he came things had to be put into place. Yahshua was always meant to be our sacrifice, but until he came, blood had to be spilled for sins to be forgiven (Heb.9:22). This was the reasons lambs were sacrificed in the past. In fact, Yahweh did not even delight in animal sacrifices (Isa.1:11). It pleasured him when Yahshua finally came and fulfilled that purpose (Isa.53:10). Many will say that the priesthood and temple worship has been abolished, but that is not so either. Why would Yahweh make a bunch of laws then turn around and destroy them? Is He not all-knowing? Is His mind so shallow that His establishments were only for a period? Think about it! We still have a High Priest, so the priesthood still exists (Heb.4:14). This High Priest still stands as a mediator between us and Yahweh (Rom.8:34). We still have a temple (1Cor.6:19), and we still offer sacrifices (Heb.13:15). The institution of the law therefore remains in place, it is only that there has been a change in methodology. A classic example would be Capital Punishment (for countries with this practice). In the past Capital Punishment was done by hanging, but now it is done by lethal injection. The method has changed, but the law remains the same.

As seen in the analogy with the house being built, the instillation of the roof did not affect the pieces of boards  which were substituting for the windows and doors. In like manner, the first appearance of Yahshua did not affect every single law in place, but some were left unaltered until his second advent. Paul alluded to such practices in Colossians 2:16-17 stating that they are a shadow to things TO come. One such practice is "The Sabbath Day" ... coming up next in this series

The Voice of Yahweh has spoken ... He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches

Who Nailed The Law To The "Cross"? (Part 2)

In the previous publication (Who Nailed The Law To The "Cross"? (Part 1)) it was clearly established that neither Yahweh, Yahshua, nor even the apostles had any part to play in the abolition of the law. Nevertheless, the law is seemingly abolished today. This ought to be an area of great concern as the apostle Paul warned in Galatians 1:8 that no other gospel other than what they have taught ought to be accepted. Despite this warning, Christians today readily accept the erroneous doctrine of law abolition, though it was never taught by any of the apostles. Is this not a direct violation of even the very New Testament that Christians hold so dearly today? To uncover the mystery behind the abolition of the law, one would have to go beyond the Scriptures -this is, in fact, and extra-biblical matter. The abolition of the law cannot be found in Scriptures, simply because the law was not abolished in the Scriptures.

The Untold Truth

Through the writings of the apostles, it was clearly seen that the early church consisted of Jews and Gentiles (Acts 13:42 KJV). In fact, Paul in Galatians 3:28 made it known that there is no difference between a Jew or a Gentile in the body of Messiah. He further alluded to the fact in Romans 2:28-29, that being a Jew was not a matter of racial background, but rather, of spiritual belief and a desire to please Yahweh. Having established these facts, it is now quite obvious; anyone who believes in Yahweh and obeys His commands is a Jew!

The distinction between Judaism and the apparent "Christianity" did not come about until the third century, during the rise of the Roman Empire, when St. Constantine The Great decided to make his own religion. He wrote this legislation in the Theodosian Code on February 28, 380 AD

IT IS Our will that all the peoples who are ruled by the administration of Our Clemency shall practice that religion which the divine Peter the Apostle transmitted to the Romans, as the religion which he introduced makes clear even unto this day. It is evident that this is the religion that is followed by the Pontiff Damasus and by Peter, Bishop of Alexandria, a man of apostolic sanctity; that is, according to the apostolic discipline and the evangelic doctrine, we shall believe in the single Deity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, under the concept of equal majesty and of the Holy Trinity.We command that those persons who follow this rule shall embrace the name of Catholic Christians. The rest, however, whom We adjudge demented and insane, shall sustain the infamy of heretical dogmas, their meeting places shall not receive the name of churches, and they shall be smitten first by divine vengeance and secondly by the retribution of Our own initiative, which We shall assume in accordance with the divine judgment "

Let us examine this legislation for a moment. First of all this declaration was made from their will. Not even the Messiah exercised such authority, but acted in the will of Yahweh (Luke 22:42). It seems as though the Roman Empire had more authority than the Messiah himself! They even declared Peter as being divine. The Messiah Yahshua, being as sinless as he was, would not even accept the title of "good" (Mark 10:18), yet the sinful Peter was lauded as being divine! If all that was not disturbing enough, they went on to changing the most fundamental law ever! (Mark 12:29). Yahweh who has always been ONE, became THREE on this day. The most fundamental law for any Jew is the Shema. This is a daily prayer commencing with Deuteronomy 6:4 declaring that Yahweh is ONE! Yahweh Himself testified that there is no other beside Him (Isa.45:6), but St. Constantine The Great declared that there are two others beside Him who share "equal majesty". As erroneous as this was at the time, many were forced to succumb to this dogma. Any other belief was deemed as a criminal activity, and was punishable by death! Many stood for what was right, but one by one they were martyred and used as public examples. The remnant of those who worshiped Yahweh according to His law fled for their lives and worshiped in secret. This made St. Constantine's religion the standing and dominant religion, hence giving birth to what we now call Christianity.

As hard as this may be to accept, the honest truth is that Yahshua did not come to establish a religion, he came to create a pathway so that the Gentiles can partake in Israel's promise. Paul puts it beautifully when he said we were grafted in (Rom.11:17). In other words, Yahshua the Messiah did NOT establish a religion separately from the Jews, but rather, he made it possible for we (the Gentiles) to worship LIKE UNTO and ALONG WITH the Jews. It was St. Constantine The Great who made the distinction. In fact, it was St. Constantine The Great who made Christianity! The book of Revelation shows that there will be twelve gates to the Holy City, on these gates are written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel (Rev.21:12). Where is the gate for Christians? If Yahshua really brought a new religion, then it is only fair for him to have made provisions for these people. Did he not say he has gone to prepare a place? (John 14:2) Where then is this place? The Scripture reveals no provision for Christians, and this is because Christianity is an anti-biblical religion. The Messiah himself declared that salvation is from the Jews in John 4:22.

The scripture openly reveals sin as lawlessness (1 John 3:4). It therefore becomes very distasteful, and frankly contradicting, to see Christians striving to live lawlessly and proclaiming righteousness. The apostle Paul, in Romans 6:16 tells us plainly that we are slaves to whomever we obey. Yahweh commanded us to keep the Sabbath in Exodus 20:8, but St. Constantine The Great said this in 321 AD:

"On the venerable Day of the sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country, however, persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits: because it often happens that another Day is not so suitable for grain sowing or for vine planting: lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost"

Think about it for a moment, who are Christians really worshiping when they neglect the divine law of Yahweh for these miserable man-made laws? Yahshua in Mark 7:7 said it boldly that they are worshiping in vain! St. Constantine The Great, being a "Converted Sun Worshiper", past the decree that Sunday ought to be observed as the day of worship instead of Saturday. Not only does this blatantly contradict the law to reverence the Sabbath (Ex.20:8), but it is also a violation for any man to change what Yahweh has written (Deut.12:32), or worship Yahweh in the way they worship other gods (Deut.12:30). If all that still was not disturbing enough, this was later declared in 364 AD:

 "Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday (Sabbath), but shall work on that Day: but the Lord’s Day, they shall especially honour; and as being Christians, shall, if possible, do no work on that day. If however, they are found Judaizing, they shall be shut out from Christ"

These people did not only invent a new religion, they utterly destroyed (or tried to) what the Messiah had done! From this establishment I can factually state that St. Constantine The Great was an "Anti-Christ" (and I use this term loosely). This would therefore make his religion (Christianity) an "Anti-Messianic Practice"! One needs no further evidence or conviction to know who nailed the law to the "cross". It is now evident! St. Constantine The Great, and the Roman Empire, are found guilty for nailing the law to the "cross". Yahshua came and taught us how to live according to the law, but these people thought the law was too "Jewish", hence they invented a new religion that was anti-lawful, professing that the laws were nailed to some "cross"!

With the captivating words of Joshua I now say: CHOOSE THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE! .... as for me and my household, we will serve Yahweh.

The Voice of Yahweh has spoken .... He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches

References:

The Theodosian Code (Book XVI)

James Everett Seaver, The Persecution of Jews in the Roman Empire (300-428)

Chambers Encyclopedia Volume 11 (1982)

Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church Volume 3

Next in the series: "Old Covenant to New Covenant - What Has Changed?" ... coming soon

Who Nailed The Law To The "Cross"? (Part 1)

"... For we are no more under law, but under grace"; this scriptural extract is the epitome of Christian liberty today. Christians all over the world echo this joyful freedom from the law. Finally, they no longer have to listen to Yahweh, or obey His [inconvenient] commandments (oh that wretched law). Christians are at liberty to do whatsoever they feel, without having to worry about violating or transgressing Yahweh's commands. The messiah came and allegedly nailed the law to the cross, hence they are now free! This is such a beautiful teaching, but let us examine its validity for a moment: If Yahweh had to send His son to free us from His own law, would that not make Yahweh the one who enslaved us in the first place? Think about it: is it really logical to say we were rescued from Yahweh's law and are now in Yahweh's freedom? Would that not make Yahweh both our slave master AND divine redeemer? What did Yahshua the Messiah really free us from? Who Nailed The Law To The "Cross"?

It is widely believed that the final words of the Messiah "it is finished" echoed the finality of the law. Christians accept that when the messiah died on that stake, the laws died along with him, hence the law is obsolete today. A very important question would be; "why would Yahweh destroy His law?". What is gained through the destruction or abolition of the law? Even more importantly, what purpose does the law serve? The longest chapter of the longest book in the Bible is Psalm 119. It is no coincidence that this is the passage of scripture that exalts the law. David, in this psalm, stated that one who walks in the way of the law is BLAMELESS and BLESSED (Ps.119:1). In awe of the law, David vowed never to part from it (Ps.119:44). David testified that through his obedience to the law he was wiser than his enemies (Ps.119:98), his wisdom surpassed that of his teachers (Ps.119:99), not even the experiences of his the elders where anywhere comparable to the wisdom David gained through meditating on the law (Ps.119:100). David had an intimate relationship with the law, (Ps.119:47) and as a result Yahweh called David a man after His (Yahweh) own heart (Acts 13:22). What a title to have! If the law therefore: (1) Teaches righteousness, (2) Grant happiness, (3) Teaches wisdom, and (4) Draw us closer to Yahweh, what possible reason could there be to destroy the law? Evidently this does not add up. Something in this doctrine does not quite make sense. Is it that Yahweh does not want us to be happy, righteous, wise or close to Him? May it never be! In fact, nothing could make Yahweh happier than a set of people who obeys His commands! (1Sam.15:22). Here are the FACTS:

The Law Is Perpetual

The hard truth is that the doctrine of law abolishment is an insult to Yahweh. It is simply saying that Yahweh created these laws, enforced them, then somewhere along the line He realized it was not working out so He destroyed them. Such a belief goes against the very nature of Yahweh and the Scripture speaks against it in Numbers 23:19. Should Yahweh abolish His own laws, He would have blatantly contradicted Himself! Yahweh has made it abundantly clear that His laws are forever: Exodus 12:24, Exodus 31:16, Deuteronomy 11:1, among many others. In fact, Yahweh stated in Deuteronomy 4:30-31 that He will be with us if we obey his commandments in the latter days of tribulation. The apostle Paul alluded a time such as this in 2 Timothy 3:1. This shows that not only was the law necessary in the past, but it will also be necessary in the future! If we needed the law back then, and we will need the law in time to come, what possible reason is there not to need the law now? What do we have now that we will not have in the future? Will we not have grace or Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit)? Of course we will! Many claim that the law is no longer necessary as we now have Ruach HaKodesh and grace. This scripture shows that neither Ruach HaKodesh nor grace replaces the law, as we will still need the law in time to come.

The Messiah himself alluded to the perpetuality of the law in Matthew 5:18. He stated that Heaven and earth will pass away before one yod (in Hebrew) be removed from the law. Ironically, Christians are saying the law is abolished, yet Heaven and earth are still here. Is it that the Messiah lied, or are Christians simply preaching a different message today? -You decide! Many go to the extent of saying it was the Messiah who nailed the law to this "cross" when he said "it is finished". The Messiah publicly denied ever coming to do such a thing in Matthew 5:17. It is unthinkable that anyone seeing this verse could still hold to the belief that the Messiah abolished the law. In fact, the Messiah spoke against teaching the abolition of the law in Matthew 5:19. Think about it for a moment, if by breaking the least of the commands, and/or teaching others to do so, one will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven; what will happen to those who teach the abolition of the entire law?

The Law Is Necessary

In Luke 18:18 Yahshua was asked the question "what must I do to inherit eternal life?". The Messiah, without hesitation, answered emphatically "Keep The Commandments!" (Luke 18:20). If Yahshua had any intentions of abolishing the law, he would have deceived this man in his response. In fact, Yahshua would have deceived everyone around him, as he was always in keeping with the law. The fact that Yahshua responded to this man with the law, shows undoubtably that the law is necessary for salvation! This fact is reiterated in Revelation 22:14 KJV where it shows that obedience to the commandments is necessary to enter into the holy city. The apostle Paul, in his letter to Timothy, urged the believers to keep the commandments until Yahshua returns (1Tim.6:14). How could it be possible for Paul to be urging the believers to keep the commandments if they were nailed to this "cross"? Note that this was written decades AFTER the Messiah had died, and the law was still in full effect in the churches. Evidently therefore Yahshua did not nail anything to this "cross"! The apostle John made a very profound statement in 1 John 2:4. This speaks volume to the mass of Christendom who do not keep the law, but profess that they are nailed to some "cross". The apostle said it is impossible to know Yahweh and not keep the commandments. Yahshua himself testified that love towards him (and His Father) is demonstrated through obedience to the law (John 14:15). How then will we express our love to him if he nailed the law to this "cross"? How will we know Yahweh if the law is nailed to a "cross"? How will we inherit eternal life if the law is nailed to this "cross"? None of these things can be done without the law, hence we NEED the law! If the law is this critical to our faith, rest assure that Yahshua did NOT nail them to any "cross". He made that perfectly clear in Matthew 5:17. Since Yahshua did not nail the law to any "cross" therefore, we are expected to do as Paul instructed in 1 Timothy 6:14 and keep them until Yahshua returns!

It was never Yahweh's intention to abolish His laws. He made them for a purpose. His son and our Master, Yahshua Messiah, acting in the will of his Father, did NOT abolish these laws either. In fact he taught us how to keep them, hence he fulfilled the law! The apostles who reflected the Messiah did not oppose these laws either, but somehow the laws are abolished today. Who [really] Nailed The Law To The "Cross"? ... Find out in Part Two: Who Nailed The Law To The "Cross"? (Part 2)

The Voice of Yahweh has spoken ... He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches