Vast areas of the earth are both inaccessible and uninhabitable. Mountain ranges, deserts, glaciers, swamplands and thick impenetrable jungles are all pictures of the sinfulness of mankind. It is hard for us to imagine such landscapes suddenly being transformed in the twinking of an eye but that is exactly what Yahweh promises those who repent and come to His Son Yah'shua - sudden and incredible spiritual transformation:

"I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood...Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place" (Rev.6:12,14, NKJV)

Notice the word "every" in this description in this picture of Yahweh's judgment. Those who try to isolate themselves from Yahweh's wrath like "islands" and those who exalt themselves in their arrogance as "mountains" must face judgment that will strike them like a "great earthquake". And if you've ever been in a powerful earthquake, there's really nowhere you can hide. However, this is only a primer - a warning, if you will, for Yahweh goes on to say:

"And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found" (Rev.16:18,20, NKJV).

Are you curious to know what the 25 sins carry the death penalty in Torah are? Maybe it's time to find out:

• 1. Sacrificing to gods other than Yahweh (Ex.22:20; Lev.27:29);
  
• 2. Child sacrifice to Molech - including abortion (Lev.20:1-5);
• 3. Worshipping Baal Peor (Chemosh) - licentiousness (Num.25:1-9);
• 4. False prophecy in Yahweh's Name (Dt.13:1-10; 17:2-7; 18:20-22);
• 5. Necromancy - conjuring up the dead for information (Lev.20:27);
• 6. Practicing witchcraft (Ex.22:17-18);
• 7. Blasphemy (Lev.24:10-16);
• 8. Sabbath-breaking (Ex.31:14; 35:2; Num.15:32-36);
• 9. Countryside rape of a betrothed woman by a man (Dt.22:25-27);
• 10. Urban consentual sex with a betrothed woman removing her virginity (Dt.23:23-24);
• 11. Loss of virginity by a woman prior to marriage to someone other than her husband (Dt.22:13-21);
• 12. Adultery (by a single or married man) with a married woman (Lev.20:10);
• 13. Marrying your wife's mother (Lev.20:14);
• 14. Incest, and specifically with your father's plural wife or daughter-in-law (Lev.20:11-12);
• 15. Prostitution by the daughter of a priest (Lev.21:9);
• 16. Homosexual activity between men (Lev.20:13; 18:22);
• 17. Bestiality - sex with animals (Ex.22:19; Lev.20:15-16);
• 18. Murder (Gen.9:6; Ex.21:12-14; Lev.24:17-23; Num.35:9-34);
• 19. Striking a parent (Ex.21:15);
• 20. Cursing a parent (Ex.21:17; Lev.20:9);
• 21. Persistent stubbornness and rebellion by a son (Dt.21:18-21);
• 22. Kidnapping (Ex.21:16; Dt.24:7);
• 23. Negligent homicide (Ex.21:28-32);
• 24. Contempt of an authorised court of Yahweh (Dt.17:8-13);
• 25. False witness to a capital crime (Dt.19:15-21).

Perhaps now we can understand why "the great city was divided into three parts". What does that mean? It means that there are three levels of judgment and therefore three categories of people, as I have preached many times:

• 1. The children of the First Resurrection (the 144,000 - those trusted Yah'shua and obeyed the commandments);
• 2. The children of the Second Resurrection (the rest of the saved - the "great multitude" - those who believed in Yah'shua but willfully disobeyed the commandments); and
• 3. The unsaved/damned (those who refused to be saved and disobeyed the commandments).

Recall also that whilst these Old Testament passages refer to concrete action in the physical, under the New Covenant they also extend to the heart:

"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a [married] woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matt.5:27-28, NKJV).

Comments from Readers

It is good to see the commandments of YHWH concerning that which will cause death. And if we are breaking those commandments how could we serve Him or be set-apart for Him? Of course we know. Then we discern who is a pretender or as one who would trample underfoot the Living Torah who is that voice of the word we hear where it becomes Life.

If a law breaker, as we all have been, comes to know what is sin by the definition of YHWH and that sin is not in any way shown by man's interpretations or man's added or taken away things, it is the sword of the Holy Spirit that cuts us within to know we need to go to our High Priest and confess our sin. And seeing Him as He is who could deny Him. He has paid such a price to give us Life. Then we fight the good fight even striving against sin and determine we do not desire to break our Father's Heart who Loves us so dear.

If we say an Unconditional Yes Always as in a Heart setting, to the High Priest and also understand that He is the Eternal Living Shabbat of the Heart where that confession and action of repentance will give us rest for our soul and cleansing Love and Mercy of that river flowing we live in remission of sin of our salvation.

There are many whom the enemy has taken in his snare and there is a very high price in repentance of having to change the walking to become set-apart for Messiah and we know those and see them everywhere we live. Even of experience in our own life. But, we see those who come to Messiah for salvation as we, and from that power do overcome of Heart first and then work to change their walking to match that life. And for some it may be an instant change or others the Messiah leads in change bit by bit, but we all are still being changed in this life in that same way having overcome many things but may not be shown yet the whole path we are walking on but just where the light is shining in front of our feet. Growing from birth to maturity to then experience the time we enter into our reward, LIfe to Life.

So if we have that authority of the Living Shabbat dwelling within that was made for us we mature in Him and know what was spoken by Paul that some esteem all days alike and some one above another. But in all things esteeming Highly the one High Priest who has become the Living Covenant of Life Eternal witnessed of in dead written word. But He is showing where that written word is matching His Heart and is the Life of it and is giving us His Life Eternally. In this, there is no division nor dispute over one 'jot' or 'tittle' of the Messiah's Heart.

That we redeemed are set within the Heart to please our Father and to obey His Word that speaks and talks to our Heart within as we meditate on written word or as we are reminded or shown meanings of Heart of the Living Word by the Holy Spirit our Father within even that of His Being where we are made whole and must fight against the carnal mind which is emnity against YHWH until it returns to the Dust. But we have a renewed mind of the new man given of our Messiah and of that spoken of we do delight in the Torah of the inward man, who is our Yahushua being all that YHWH spoke and had His servants write down for us to seek Him by. To then seek for His thought on what He spoke and to put underfoot that presumptious carnal part of our old man that is bound to destruction and would interpret in that way.

We cannot walk in Spirit and Truth and be breaking a commandment of the new man, of the Heart where that Living Word resides, and is Yahushua who must be reigning over our life to put underfoot the carnal man or old man we live with until we get to be as our Messiah is when we are face to face looking Him in the eye.

He may rub our nose in some things until we understand what He has done for us and for all. And we can see He will teach us even by example of how vile our flesh is to Him but we overcome by that Life He has given. And as I've come to desire always, that I would rather willingly move to where YHWH wants me to be in walking than have Him move me there by His chastisement. If we are truly redeemed He will do what is necessary to get our attention and cause us to desire repentance.

But, we do live in this day where sin is not discerned as the law of YHWH has been esteemed lowly of the written word where few have sought His Heart on what He has spoken. Much less esteemed is the Living Son of YHWH of whose Heart is that Word. Thus, in that low esteem, not even beginning to let our Messiah determine His Heart where He is that Aleph-Taw of it all and is Being perfectly every thing even to the least 'jot' and 'tittle'. What joy to find that burning fire of love and cleansing to have fellowship with Him in humility and of contrite heart. That expanded understanding He gives is that heaven and earth are being held together perfectly by His Being and if He changed in the least the very physical universe would dissolve and become undone. Then as we do understand that YHWH Yahushua is the Righteous Branch and is the Rock Solid Truth that will never change.

So we see that the law of YHWH is good and even better to eat that unleavened Bread of the Living Word of our Messiah's Heart bringing us Life in that place He comes in to dwell within the inward man and we do delight in Him.

A tragedy in our day that so many may have come to salvation but are taught 'once saved always saved' doctrine where walking is not important. And that may be true in part, 'once saved always saved', but when Messiah brings many to examine their talents in His judgment, who will remain and who will be cast out? And we understand this spoken of by Daniel in ch. 12.

Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

May we have talents to show! but is found in that Unconditional Yes Always to Master's Voice where we are residing in the vine!

And we listening to our Messiah's voice, as He reveals the Sabbath or anything of His Heart shows us what we must do to please Him in our growing, and we say Yes Yahushua I will. And in my life concerning Shabbat to never replace Messiah as the Highly Esteemed Living Shabbat with my own Shabbat keeping but rather to keep Messiah the Shabbat first, and then to rest on the day that as best as we can determine is the day to rest, but in whatever He allows of His voice. And we do eat good food and do His work even on Our Day He Is Made Into Being For Us All. But that rest is not from doing nothing outwardly first but by first having the eternal rest and then the outward rest is so good. And nothing outwardly can change those who are keeping the Torah of the Inward Man by that Faith that comes from Hearing His Voice of Life!

For those not doing something like I do, I am not given the commandment to judge but to keep from putting a stumbling block in their way that may cause them to give up the true Shabbat of Heart. Though we build each other up still no matter the situation that they too may come to one day Hear that same Messiah we know telling them to learn more about Him by resting on His day. And maybe He wouldn't tell some as they may be influenced by man, since many are not doing everything as a witness of Messiah to learn of Him.

But we know the scriptures tell us that those keeping the Living Shabbat no matter their condition, even those not knowing of their sin as Messiah has not spoken to their heart yet, will all be together, the redeemed in His kingdom and will be taught the true doctrine straight from Messiah's Heart and awesomely Face to Face! (RDR, USA, 4 January 2010)