Gates

                                                                         

“Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in” (Psalms 24:9).  Gates seem to be very important to YHVH, as He told Israel to write His commandments on the gates of their tents and houses: “Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, and thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates” (Deu. 11:8,20).  Every three years the Israelites were to bring in their tithes and place them in the gates (ref. Deut. 14:28).  The elders, judges and officers sat in the gates and conducted the affairs of the city.  Thus, whoever was in control of the gates commanded all that went on in the city or the country. These ‘gate sitters’ had dominion over all the affairs of the kingdom. Thus, in order to overcome a city, its gate had to be conquered first.

I have often wondered about the significance of the word that YHVH had spoken to Abraham after the latter returned with Isaac from Mount Moriah:  “That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies” (Gen. 22:17).  Before leaving her family to join Isaac, Rebekah’s relatives blessed her: “Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them” (Gen. 24:60). Isaac and his seed were given a double blessing; YHVH was giving them a prophetic mandate to possess, control or rule by force the gates of those who “hated them”.  

Hence, Isaac’s progeny was given a position of authority in the earth. Can this fact be detected in the words that YHVH used to describe the multitudes which would come from the forefathers: “stars” (designed to govern the night Gen.1:16), and “sand of the sea” (boundaries for the ‘waters of humanity’)? “When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel, for YHVH’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance” (Deut.32:8).

While YHVH speaks about His faithfulness to the covenant of multiplicity, He also points out that Isaac’s chosen seed (Jacob) would have a position of dominion and authority.  They were to be the head of nations, a boundary for the peoples and the spiritual gates that would either protect or allow the spiritual enemies of Elohim to enter and control the rest of humanity. YHVH had given them exclusive rights to His scepter when He called them after the order of Melchizedec; a nation of kings and priests.

When Israel relinquished the lordship of Elohim, and no longer regarded Him as their king, the prince of this world, Satan (the dragon), took over and entered in, giving his ruling power to the beast (the flesh of man): “And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority” (Rev. 13:2).  The worship of the beast (humanism) has become so prevalent that nothing may be compared to him: “who is like unto the beast?”  He has become so powerful that it is said of him: “who can make war with him?” (Rev. 13:3-4). Yet, right during this state of the beast’s dominion and control, a little stone appears strikes its clay feet and then grows into a huge mountain until it covers the whole earth (see Daniel 2:35).  We know that this little stone is YHVH’s ruling Son Yeshua, and that His coming and the giving up of His life released the power that overcomes the gates of hell, which therefore can prevail no longer. 

Gabriel, Elohim’s angel, said to Miriam when he appeared to her, that the one to be born of her would set up the kingdom of Elohim in the house of Jacob:  “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and YHVH shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end”(Luke 1:32-33).

Where the Messiah would set up his kingdom is very clear. Perhaps this is why the disciples of Yeshua, asked Him, just before he ascended to heaven to sit at His Father’s right hand, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6b).  

The word “restore” indicates that the kingdom must have been in Israel some time in the past. During the days of the prophet Samuel we hear the prophet complaining to YHVH that the people were not listening to him and that and they were seeking for a king to judge them, like the other nations

(1 Sam. 8:5).  YHVH’s answer was: “They have not rejected you, but they have rejected me as king over them” (1 Sam. 8:7; 1 Sam. 12:12).  Obviously the number one characteristic of a kingdom is that it is headed by a king. Thus, for YHVH’s kingdom to be restored to Israel, a king must be enthroned over the nation.  Gabriel’s message leaves no room for doubt as to whom that king is.    

Messiah responded to the disciples’ question by telling them that His intention was to make them witnesses to and of this kingdom. How? “When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you shall be my witness...” What is the kingdom of God? Paul tells us very clearly in his letter to the believers in Rome: “The kingdom of God is not meat or drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Spirit of Holiness” (Rom. 14:17).  In other words, the kingdom constitutes the nature of the Father in the life of the new-creation man.  The main reason for the power from on high to come into the life of the believer was in order to set up the dominion and lordship of the Messiah in and over the life of each redeemed person. But even more so, this lordship and dominion is to ultimately be seen in the corporate House of Jacob and in the twelve tribes of Israel. This is why the principalities and powers in heavenly places oppose so vehemently the restoration of all Israel as a single nation. These principalities have been controlling the gates (of the twelve tribes), but as the Holy One, through the power of the His Spirit, cleanses the gates and comes into them as the King of glory Satan’s rule on this earth will be cast down and the malenial reign of the Messiah will begin.  This is why Yeshua must restore those twelve gates. 

These “twelve gates” are also described as Yeshua’s shields in the earth: “The princes of the people are gathered together, the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: He is greatly exalted” (Ps  47:9).

Having been taken out of the kingdom of darkness and having been transferred to the kingdom of YHVH’s beloved Son (see Col. 1:13) is not a future event, it happens to every believer who has received the “Holy Spirit”, the power from on high. Thus resident in the life of the believing nation, the redeemed twelve tribes, is the authority to rule the nations with a rod of iron, but not only to rule, also to sit and to judge the sons of men with equity and to be the eternal light to these nations.   

Our warfare is not with flesh and blood nations, but with the principalities and powers of this evil world.  As redeemed Israelite believers we must become mature in holiness, even as our Heavenly Father is holy.  If we do not defeat this power of sin in our personal lives, how are we going to do it when it comes to nations? May those gates now say:” But thou, O YHVH, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head” (Ps 3:3).

Ephraim   14/11/03

Sanctification

YHVH calls the prophet to prophesy against one of Lebanon’s major cities -  “Zidon”:  “Son of man, set thy face against Zidon, and prophesy against it, and say, ‘Thus saith YHVH: Behold, I am against thee, O Zidon; and I will be glorified in the midst of thee and they shall know that I am YHVH, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her’” (verses 21-22).  What did YHVH mean by “being sanctified in Zidon”?  How was He going to accomplish this?  “I will send into her pestilence, and blood into her streets; and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side; and they shall know that I am YHVH” (verses 21-22). What is most interesting is the effect that these judgments were to have on Zidon’s neighbor, the House of Israel: “And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them, that despised them; and they shall know that I am YHVH. Thus saith YHVH Elohim; ‘When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob’” (verses 24-25).

In the past few weeks I have been mentioning that Yeshua came to destroy the works of the Devil, and that we are the vessels through whom He chose to execute this work.  What I have been realizing is that while Yeshua is doing this, He is also sanctifying me at the same time.  Since He is my life (ref, Col. 3:4) I am every thing that He is, and anything that is present in me that is not of Him is also not of me, but is of my enemy, the power of sin (or the work of the Devil) (see Rom 7:17, 20).  As I believe His Word, which is Truth, I am made free by this Truth from the law of sin and death.  Therefore, Yeshua’s blood and word cleanse me and separate me from the enemy of my soul, as I cooperate with His Spirit and discern, or learn to exercise my senses to know good and evil (see Heb. 5:14), repenting for my participation and renouncing the demonic spirits that were influencing and tormenting me.  In other words, there are no more pricking brier, grieving thorn or tormenting spirits to harass me as a new creation-being in Messiah.  The mere fact that YHVH is executing judgments upon my enemies enables me to be sanctified wholly - spirit, soul and body (ref. 1 Thes. 5:23).  

I had never seen this truth before, but now it is a daily experience.  Our enemies surround us, just like they do the nation of Israel.  Once those surrounding enemies are dealt with, there is peace (just as Ezekiel points out in chapter 28).  We, who have been redeemed and were “born again”, have the Father’s life living in us (through Yeshua).  This is what faith tells us about ourselves: “I am who He is because I am born of Him”. “Whosoever is born of Elohim does not commit sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1 John 3:9).

Hence, when the enemy is removed I am able to express this new nature of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and humility, naturally.  It is not a work that I have to perform. We should not have to work at being what we already are by nature.  The work that we do is that which Yeshua came to do, that is to destroy everything that is not of His Father’s life and nature, by casting it down under His feet.  “For He must reign, till He has put all enemies under His feet.  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death; for He has put all things under His feet. But when He says all things are put under Him, it is manifest that He is excepted, which did put all things under Him” (1Cor. 15:25-27). “Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet. For in that He put all in subjection under Him, he left nothing that is not put under Him. But now we see not yet all things put under Him” (Heb. 2:8).

After YHVH delivered King David from his enemies, David said the following: “Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation: and Thy gentleness has made me great. Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.  I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them.  And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet” (2Sam 22:36-39).  We have the privilege of doing the very same thing, with the weapons that are mighty in the Holy One, to the pulling down of strongholds: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through Elohim to the pulling down of strong holds” (2Cor. 10:4).

David describes YHVH as having “darkness under His feet” (Ps. 18:9; 2 Sam 22:10). Could this be why we are exhorted to subject and cast down every thing that exalts itself above the knowledge of Elohim?  It is an unequivocal “yes”. We are to bring these principalities and powers of darkness down, in His name and through the power of the Holy One, and put them under our feet.  His feet are our feet, as we are His body on earth.  And when these demonic powers are no longer in the high places of our spirit and mind, we will be sanctified wholly - spirit, soul and body.  “And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that YHVH may be all in all” (1Cor. 15:28).  Halleluya!!!

Ephraim

Yeshua's works

   (Yeshua’s works)                                                                

Matthew 25:31 states that when the Son of Man returns in His glory and with His angels, He will sit on His throne and judge the nations whom He will divide up like a shepherd does his flocks. That is, He will distinguish between the sheep and goats.  He will tell the sheep - those who were faithful and wise (ref. Mat. 25:1) - to come and inherit the Kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the “cosmos” (which is His fixed order of government).  On the other hand, the goats, that is, those who were foolish and unfaithful (ref. Mat. 25:14), He will cast out to be with the Devil and his angels.

What is the standard that Yeshua judges by?  From the description given in this example we learn that both the sheep and the goats are judged by the same criteria: “That which you have done to the least of these my brethren you have done to me” (Matt. 25:40, 45).   In both cases Yeshua is asked: “Lord when did we see you a stranger, naked, sick, or in prison?” (vs. 37-38, 44).  Since the outpouring of the Spirit at Shavu’ot (Pentecost) and until His return, Yeshua has been making His abode in a people who live for His namesake.  As we recall, Paul asked the believers to examine themselves and to see if they were in the faith, concluding that the essence of that faith was the knowledge that Yeshua was present within them (ref. 2^nd  Cor. 13:5).  If that is indeed the case, as the scriptures indicate, then it follows that whatever is happening to us is shared also by Yeshua. 

However, there are many believers, who in spite of Yeshua’s life in them, also house spirits of the enemy and are sick because of the sin of unbelief, or because of some other spiritually rooted disease (sin). Some have become estranged from Yeshua (that is, from His life in them), from themselves (as new creation beings) and from others in the body of Messiah because of spirits of rejection and alienation.  Others are in spiritual prison houses of fear, anxiety, bitterness and unforgiveness.   These conditions are caused by the work of the Devil. “He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same,[and still does in us] that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15).

     

How does the Son of God destroy these works of the devil?  “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:10).  Since this is our assignment, how does Yeshua enable and expects us to carry it out? “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through Elohim to the pulling down of strongholds); Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Elohim, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Messiah; and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled” (2 Cor 10:3-6).  Above we saw that Yeshua came to destroy the works of the Devil. During His life on earth the works that He did were to heal the sick, lame, blind, to bind up their wounds, to grant deliverance from demons and to raise the dead.  But that task was only just beginning, because Yeshua commissioned or anointed us to do the same thing, on an even greater scale.  How are we to go about doing this? He says “believe on me” [the living Word] (John 14:10), “and you shall receive power from on high” [the Holy Spirit] (Acts 1:8).  After this happens, we are able to do what the above scriptures require, that is to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Messiah, and then to revenge all disobedience by being obedient. 

Yeshua stipulated that before all this could take place He had to go to His Father (ref. John 16:7).  Why did He have to do that?  Because these “greater works” could only take place after His death, burial and resurrection: “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it [in the cross]” (Col. 2:15); and then the Father “raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come” (Eph 1:20-21).  From this position, Yeshua was and is able to send into the called-out ones the same Spirit with the same Kingdom-power that worked in Him while He was on earth, thus giving access to the believers to His life and authority.  But we, who have this Kingdom and power within us, must understand that it is not of us.  Yeshua told His disciples when He gave seventy of them a test-run of what was yet to come, not to rejoice that the demons were subject to them, but to rejoice that their names were written in heaven (ref. Luke 10:20).  

As Yeshua’s servants we have been given these precious talents, gifts and the power of the age to come, with the assignment being the same as His: “The Spirit of YHVH Elohim is upon me, because YHVH has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;  to proclaim the acceptable year of YHVH, and the day of vengeance of our Elohim; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of YHVH, that He may be glorified."  Then  “they [we] shall rebuild the old ruins, they [we] shall raise up the former desolations, and they [we] shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations… and instead of confusion you shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in your land you shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be yours” (Is. 61:1-4, 7).

Ephraim 

Yeshua's Sonship

Letter 200 (Yeshua’s Sonship)  17/10/03

 “For it is impossible, those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame”  (Heb. 6:4-6).

This is one of the most solemn scriptures in the entire bible.  It was written specifically to a New Covenant, born again, Spirit filled believer in Yeshua as the only begotten Son of our Heavenly Father.  In another scripture we read that in the latter days many will fall from “the faith” (ref. 2 Thes 2:3; 1 Tim 4:1).  What is the “faith” referred to here?

In his 2^nd letter to the Corinthians, Paul asks the believers to examine themselves to see if they are in “the faith”:  “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Yeshua the Messiah is in you? -- Unless indeed you are disqualified”  (2Cor. 13:5).  Paul is very specific in what he is asking the New Covenant Israelite believer to do.

In the last few years and even in recent months, we have been hearing of a growing number of believers who are deserting the faith in the “sonship” of Messiah Yeshua and are relegating Him to an anointed (‘christed’) man, who through this special anointing carried out ‘a’ plan of God.  They are openly denying His conception by the Spirit of Elohim in the womb of an unmarried maiden and virgin.  If what they are saying is true, Yeshua would have been conceived out of wedlock and Joseph, being a righteous man, should have put Miriam away and had her stoned in accordance with Torah. Based on the above, Yeshua would and should have been labeled a “bastard” and his mother a “whore” (ref. Deut. 23:2; Deut. 22:20-21).

If Yeshua were born of the seed of man, He would have been a created being just like Adam.  He therefore would have had the defiled nature/life of Adam, which naturally would have disqualified him from being the required unblemished Passover lamb for the remission of sin. His blood, or I should I say the Adamic life that was in the blood, would have never been accepted by a holy God as the required payment for the redemption of man’s soul. He himself would have a need of a sacrifice to atone for His own sin nature. 

“None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him --for the redemption of their souls is costly, and it shall cease forever --

that he should continue to live eternally, and not see the pit” (Ps. 49:7-9).

In the book written to the Hebrews (as they understood blood sacrifices, priesthood and temple worship), the writer speaks about a High Priest (Yeshua) who qualified to be the very sacrifice that He Himself would carry once and for all into the Holy of Holies (ref. Hebrews chapters 3-10).  Why was this sacrifice necessary?  Because, “You, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, [there is nothing holy and blameless about the Adamic life] and above reproach in His sight if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard…”  (Col 1:21-23).

Peter also exhorts the believers when he writes: “You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness [in the faith], being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Yeshua HaMashiach; to Him be the glory both now and forever” (2 Pet 3:17-18).

When we are born again we receive the life of the Son of God and we become a new creation-being in Spirit (ref. 2Cor. 5:17). This Spirit life is not our life, as our spirit is now hidden in this new life, which is the life of Yeshua and the Father’s. We thus become one with them in the Spirit of Holiness.  “For you died, and your life is hidden with Messiah in God.  When Messiah who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory”  (Col. 3:3-4).  “I have been crucified with Messiah; it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20-21).

What is so tragic about denying Yeshua as the Son of Elohim and demoting Him to mere manhood?  The dreadful conclusion is that under such a state there cannot be a “body of Messiah”. In other words, no one can have His life and nature, nor can He be present in any one.   Yeshua as a mere man could not and cannot be omnipresent.  As a new creation being we live through faith in His Sonship.  But when we deny this truth, we actually crucify again not only His life - but ours as well.  Thus our inheritance is taken away from us just as it was taken from Esau, who despised his birthright, “who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears” (Heb. 12:16-17). 

Why is it impossible to be brought back to repentance once a believer has denied Yeshua as the Son of Elohim, and his own ‘new creation’ life?  Within the heart of unredeemed man there is still a spark of spirit life that has not yet been snuffed out.  This spark contains the faith that is necessary for believing the gospel, and as long as one remains steadfast in this faith (once embracing it), the Spirit of Holiness will continue to draw him into further revelation.  But if, after having been born anew, one crucifies to himself the Son of God all over again, with it goes the ability or enablement called “faith”, leaving the unbeliever without any means to return or repent.

“Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed…” (Rom. 4:16).

“Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Heb. 10:28-29).

“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today’, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin [unbelief].   For we have become partakers of Messiah if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end” (Heb 3:12-14)

“Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.  For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise” (Heb. 10:35-36).

Ephraim