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Sermons Series 3:67, 2 December 2006
The Fire of Yahweh
Part 3: Thrones, Kingdoms and Mountain Ascent
Main Themes:
Minor Themes:
Click here for Part 2
"If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames" (1 Cor.3:12-15, NIV).
Shabbat Shalom and welcome back to our continuing series on the fire of Yahweh. We have spent the last two weeks looking at time and especially as it relates to hell. We have also learned that the fire of Yahweh is purifying, not punitive, and that His punishments and blessings are not 'eternal' but 'age-long'. In fact, we are discovering that not only is Yahweh mercify and full of grace, but also perfectly just. We have seen that time is created and that that time was purposefully divided by Him into ages, dispensations or time-spans. We saw, for instance, that after His death, Yah'shua went into the spiritual dimension to preach specifically to those who had died before and during the Great Flood. He did not make His announcement to those who came after it. He spoke only to those who had lived during one time period. Thus both blessings and punishments are administered one period of time at a time. Similarly, as we have learned, there are annual judgments each Yom Kippur in the autumn (fall) and also weekly judgments each sixth day - the day of the Ruach haSheshi - namely, Thursday evening to Friday evening, in which Yahweh administers a mini-judgment or Yom Kippur for the week, which is followed by a mini-celebration each Sabbath Day which becomes for us a weekly Sukkot. As we move in the flow of Yahweh's time cycle and come to underatand what He is doing for us, so we are more readily able to enter into His reality - the reality of the le-olam-va-ed - the reality of eternity.
In today's passage, which has been cited a number of times over the last few months, I want to draw your attention not so much to the fire of purification and how it has, as its purpose, the burning up of all believers' dead works, but to the basis for determining the kinds of reward we receive after this burning. Remember also that this passage, whilst primarily looking at the end of mortality and to the final judgment, should be understood to be a weekly and annual rehearsal too. We are rewarded weekly, annually and dispensationally for what we do. And wonderful though this may sound (to those who are being faithful and obedient), we do need to understand concretely what we are being rewarded for.
Take your average week. Here we are, on the Sabbath. Yesterday was Yom haSheshi - the sixth day of the week corresponding to Yom Kippur. What happened to you yesterday? Everyone this week has been busy with many different things, and many have been working through spiritual issues. There has been a struggling and a desire to overcome. Some of you, praise Yahweh, resolved issues, and are enjoying the fruits of that struggle. What do you feel - what was your experience of the 'rewards' that you are enjoying this Sabbath?
Of course, one week was not a very long time-span. As we remember the last Yom Kippur we recall the incredible things that happened as a result of it, leading to one of the most fantastic Sukkot's that we have ever experienced. The cultimation of a year's work is much indeed - it's easier to look back at the changes and contrasts over one year than one week. One thing that struck me - an observation that is part of what I want to discuss with you today - is that it's not the amount of work that has been done which is being judged by Yahweh at each of the three 'Yom Kippur's' but the sort of work that we have done that has been, and is being, judged. Our rewards or losses are not based on the quantity of work done - Yahweh isn't counting how many contacts we have made or souls we have converted to Yah'shua, nor the number of hours teaching we have done, how many meals we have made, or the amount of tithing that has been paid. Neither are Yahweh's rewards based on the type of work done because menial labour is no less eligible for heavenly rewards than, for example, the ministry of the Gospel. So what, then, is the criterion for judgment?
The criterion for Yahweh's judgment of our works on a weekly, annual, and lifespan basis is the motivation for the work, the sincerity with which we have done it, and the dedication we have given it. Yahweh isn't interested in the nature of the work or its size. He gives everyone work - a calling, a stewardship. So some it is to preach or teach the Gospel. To others it is to raise money for the Kingdom. For others it is to raise children, and yet others to set an example in government, when that is possible. There are thousands of 'sorts' of job that He gives people. So when we come towards the end of the week, to Thursday evening, or to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the question we all need to be asking ourselves is: what sort of work did I do this week or year? What was its quality like? What was our motivation, were we sincere, and were we dedicated to it? Those are the three questions we need to be asking ourselves because more than anything else they reveal the state of our hearts.
Someone preaching the Gospel because he doesn't want to is someone not motivated correctly. There have been times - and thankfully it has not been often - I have not wanted to preach, teach or write. And when I have sat down to prepare a sermon in that frame of mind, what I have produced has been dry and uninspiring. I have a folder of dozens of partly completed sermons which are not inspired because the Ruach wasn't in them. So I have abandoned them and gone away until my heart was right. There is no credit to be gained in serving Yahweh or other people with a wrong heart (even though we should not stop serving them just because our heart is our of order - we still need the habit or discipline of service). You see, Yah'shua knows that "whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much" (Luke 16:10, NIV) and "I will give to everyone according to what he has done" (Rev.22:12. NIV). So at the end of the age, when He returns, Yah'shua won't be counting how many congregations you have established, how many souls you have won, how many dishes you have washed up, how many nappies/diapers you have changed, how many dollars you have put into the Kingdom work, or anything like that - He will be looking into your heart to see what your motivation was, whether you were sincere, and the nature of your dedication.
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Master, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Master as a reward. It is the Master Yah'shua you are serving" (Col 3:23-24, NIV).
The question, then, is: What drives your heart? Is it selfless dedication without thought of self-interest? Or is religion a means to a selfish end? A lot of people enter ministries in churches for recognition, power, fame, money, a desire to make an impact, to get a high-quality spouse, security, and a whole host of other reaons.
One of my Danish students once told me that he was considering being a Lutheran priest. Curious, since he had never shown any spiritual inclinations in all the years I had known him, I asked him the reason why. His reply was that, whilst not offering a high income, it was at least a secure job. He wanted to enter the ministry for economic security. I think he abandoned the idea after a while, doubtless because there were other fleshy ambitions he had too which could not be fulfilled in such a career.
People come to Yah'shua for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes it's because it's the 'done thing' and to get anywhere you have to be accepted by those who have influence. One woman I knew many years ago, who I was dating, was interested in me and only wanted to 'convert' because I was the target, not Yah'shua. She dropped the Gospel like a hot potato when she realised that I was no longer interested in her. Her motive was all wrong. For many people, religion is just a tool to further carnal ambition. And that is spiritual harlotry.
Some people become religious to save their necks (think of all those threatened with death or enslavement if they don't convert to Islam in Sudan and elsewhere), others to further their careers, others to keep peace in the family, others because of tradition - it's what their family have always done and they can't be bothered to look any further to see if the belief system is valid or not: I even knew one man in London who became a Jehovah's Witness so that he could trade on Sunday! Some people just don't want to rock any boats and accept the religion they were born into fatalistically.
So, then, we have to get to the foundational reasons why we do things, and the foundation is always the heart. The foundation of our being is where we metaphorically 'sit' - where we feel at rest, where we're comfortable, where we feel we 'belong'. Our foundation is where we belong.
Many who are 'Christians', when confronted with the truth about their foundations, can often surprise themselves (and others) and find they're atheists! And some who call themselves 'atheists' can actually find they're closet Christians! The reality of who or where you are is the foundation of your heart. And when adversity or challenges come, and they find themselves in a situation where they cannot pretend or act any longer, then they become who they actually want to be. It may well be that they are sharing their heart with demons, in which case who they are is defined by the lies they have believed which have admitted those demons in the first place. And whilst it may not be their 'real self', they will often believe it is, because they can't discern the demonic presence.
Ground level - our spiritual foundation - is then revelead to be one of three things:
- 3. It's a divided self with one part 'married' to Yahweh and one part to Satan.
And the most common situation that people find themselves in is #3 - most people have divided souls, though some may incline more to Satan and others more to Yahweh, even if they don't know 'who' or 'what' they incline towards. One thing we are never is just 'ourselves' at ground level because that is impossible, even if we may live in denial about that. Every soul has an Elohim-shaped vacuum and in life we can choose to either fill it with Elohim or with Satan. One thing we can't do is fill it with more of our 'self'.
As we come to ground level - which was what the purpose of the Third Wave is, and what every Yom Kippur is about to one degree or another - so we grapple with reality, the pleasant and the unpleasant. And once we see what's 'there' we are forced to make a choice - to go the way of our Heavenly Father or that of the Rebel Angel.
We've seen people make choices this year - some terrible choices in which they have virtually abandoned their faith altogether, choosing to yield to the carnal and devilish side, and devoting themselves to the work of their master, which is the work of destruction. One of our people saw a vision of such a man some weeks ago. In the vision he was throwing pebbles at this ministry, and each time he threw a pebble it bounced off and went to a position above his head. The more he threw, the more the pebbles gathered together until they formed a huge rock above his head, which at length fell from the air and crushed him. Indeed, it is amazing that all the prophecies that Yahweh has made about these people who chose darkness instead of light is being fulfilled, the very prophecies they claimed were false.
Then there have been those who chose the light - to trust and obey Yahweh, and to wrestle like true overcomers. They have taken a lot of flak but they are growing from strength to strength. They are trusting in Yahweh their Elohim no matter what the Adversary has been throwing at them. They are the true men and women of Yahweh who know in whom they are trusting, whose faith is being vindicated, whose true hearts are being rewarded. And Yahweh will reward them. Will it be because of the quantity of their works, or even the type of their works? No, they are rewarded because of their true motivation, their sincerity, and their dedication. They have dedicated - set-apart - themselves as true New Covenant Nazirites. To these, many of whom are currently seeing no light at the end of the tunnel, Yahweh says:
"Who is this who comes from Edom [a type of the world (system)], from the city of Bozrah [a type of Babylon], with His magnificent harments in crimson? Who is this in kingly robes, marching in the greatness of His strength? 'It is I, Yahweh, announcing your salvation; I, Yahweh, the One who is mighty to save' 'Why are your clothes so red, as from treading out the grapes?' 'I have trodden the winepress alone. No one was there to help Me. In My wrath I have trodden My enemies like grapes. In My fury I trampled My foes. For the time has come to avenge My people, to redeem them from the hands of their oppressors. I looked but no one came to help them; I was amazed and appalled. So I [Yahweh] executed vengeance alone; unaided, I meted out judgment. I crushed the heathen nations in My anger and made them stagger and fall to the ground'" (Is.63:1-6, Living Bible).
We ourselves have seen Yahweh do this so many times and I can prophesy it will happen again and again so long as we trust Him. Then we will proclaim:
"I will tell of the loving-kindness of Elohim. I will praise Him for all He has done; I will rejoice in His great goodness to Israel, which He has granted un accordance with His mercy and love" (Ibid., v.7)
If you are a covenanted, dedicated member of Messianic Israel, which is the Kingdom of Yahweh - if you are trusting Yahweh with your whole being, if your motives are pure and honest, and if you are totally sincere, then I promise you that - if you hold out - you will be vindicated and you will rejoice! And all of this because of the Throne of Yahweh, which I talked to you a little bit about recently, and which I want to talk to you in more detail today.
If you have been through these things, then the Throne of Yahweh is in the core of our heart, and He is there reigning in your being. And so long as He is there, you are an impregnable fortress, because He is an impregnable fortress (Ps.59:9). You may be wounded by the arrows of the enemy, but you will not perish. Instead, you will rise up and see your enemies trodden down and vanquished after they have been given their period of time for repentance and have ripened in their inquity. Therefore we must suffer a little while, just as our Master did, until the Day of Vindication comes and we are fully justified. And believe me, only those whose hearts are right are willing to suffer. Those whose hearts are darkened lack the strength and courage to pursue the battle to the end, for they are cowards. Their fate, as we have seen, is the lake of fire, where they will be reformed and purified through suffering until they come to their senses:
"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Rev.21:8, NKJV).
For the remainder of my address to you today I want to look at this marvelous Throne of Yahweh which as you will remember symbolises His authority. It is the authority that every true believer has because he trusts and obeys his Master. I think, by the time we have finished today, that you will be pleasantly surprised what this throne or kesay (as it is called in Hebrew) really is and how it is we can approach it and stand before the Most High without being burned up. For one thing, the Hebrew kesay comes from the root kásâ which means 'to cover'. You see, the Throne is also our covering because anciently thrones had a canopy or roof (Ex.11:5; Ezek.26:16).
From this covered throne, Yahweh rules and has authority, and gives authority to those in whose hearts He reigns. The throne is also associated with the dignity of kingship (Gen.41:40; 2 Sam.3:10) which may also extend beyond the immediate occupant (2 Sam.7:13-16) to include the whole room. Yahweh's throne is located in the Holy of Holies and extends to include the whole room, which as you know was a perfect cube and had no natural light, for Yahweh-Elohim was, and is, its Light. That throne, in the Shavu'ot and Sukkot dispesnations or ages is, as you know, occupied by Yah'shua, who is King of kings and Master of masters, until He hands back the Kingdom and the Throne to Yahweh at the end of the Millennium, as we discussed last week. As Yahweh has conferred authority to Yah'shua who lived a sinless life, so Yah'shua confers similar authority to the sons of the first resurrection who dedicate or consecrate themselves wholly to Him and allow Him to rule on the throne of their hearts. Therefore Yahweh appoints kings, making of them judges or elohim in Israel, who with all the past, present and future judges or elohim constitute the 'Council Yah's elohim', otherwise known as the Assembly of the Firstborn, or Chavurat bekorot. Thus we find in Old Covenant Israel that the king is Yahweh's representative, and his earthly throne becomes "the throne of the Kingdom of Yahweh over Israel" (1 Chr.28:5), and typified Yahweh's throne in the heavens, possessing the same authority provided the king is fully submitted to Yahweh and His Torah. That means the earthly king is bound to execute righteousness and justice (Prov.16:12; 20:28; cp. Is.7:2; 2 Sam.14:9), and if he does not then, like Saul, he is removed and destroyed. And many there are who are pretenders to this throne, who claim authority they do not have, and who are burned up by the wrath of Yahweh when they try to cling to it in a spirit of rebellion, because such always leads to the spirit of muder.
I have never forgotten the day in Oxford when I was a young man in my 20's and new in my spiritual journey hearing a Pentecostal preacher boldly proclaim that he was in the 'throne room of God'. I was incredulous and today I still do not believe him, for no lawless man can approach the throne even though Yah'shua's death removed the veil that once only allowed the Cohen Gadol or High Priest once a year to enter it at Yom Kippur. Yes, all may approach but not all may enter until their hearts are right. And as we shall see in a moment no man or woman may approach until he or she has first been anointed with the Ruach haRevee and has been called up. Thus Paul wrote:
"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Yah'shua the Son of Elohim, let us hold firmly to the [Messianic, Torah-obedient] faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Heb.4:14-16, NIV).
We must have the right faith to approach - any old faith will not do. We must have faith in our High Priest, Yah'shua, and we must be of the covenant of Messianic Israel, properly dedicated and consecrated, properly sumissive to the commandments. We may journey there - indeed, we are commanded to journey there - but we cannot be presumptuous. Even Moses the great Prophet did not climb Mt. Sinai until he was called.
Now it is perfectly true that Yahweh's kesay or Throne is transcendent, meaning it is outside the created world (Is.66:1; cp. Mt.5:34). And whilst it is transcendent, Yahweh nevertheless graciously condescends to sit enthroned on the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies with the cherubim on either side (e.g. 1 Sam.4:4). But Yahweh's Throne is much bigger than the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies in the Temple - in the Sukkot age "Jerusalem shall be called the Throne of Elohim" (Jer.3:7; cp. Ezek.43:7). This will be the 'New Jerusalem' coming down from above (Rev.3:12; 21:2) - it will be a set-apart or holy city, 100% consecrated to Yahweh as a Holy of Holies! That means that no-one who is not fully purified will be allowed into that city. In short, it is the abode of the 144,000 - the children of the first resurrection. And just as the original Gosepl went out of Jerusalem after Yah'shua's resurrection and ascension, so also shall judgment when Yah'shua returns, for He is the Judge or judges, and Jerusalem shall be His Throne. This is the usual sense of 'throne' in the New Testament which is spoken of in Daniel:
"As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days [Yahweh] took His seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened" (Dan.7:9-10, NIV).
Please note that there was not one Throne but "thrones" that made up this Court. And how many were attending Him? "Ten times ten thousand" which is 100,000. Who are these? They are the judges who occupy the thrones, namely, the 144,000. They are the authorities established by Yahweh to judge in His place. This is the 'Council of Yah's elohim'. They will judge at the end of the current age, at the end of the Millennium, and they are judging even now each week and each year, because they walk in the perfect will of Yahweh. Twelve of those thrones are occupied by the original twelve apostles (minus Judas and plus Matthias), each throne being appointed over one of the 12 Tribes of Israel:
"Yah'shua said to them, 'I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matt.19:28-29, NIV).
This, of course, is what we should expect, because we are told in the Book of Revelation that the 144,000 are divided up into 12 lots of 12,000. Each tribal authority has 12,000 thrones, and they will sit in rulership as kings over, and judgment of, the children of the second resurrection - the rebellious and disobedient believers, and (I suppose) the unbelievers too.
The validity of these thrones - both the heavenly ones as well as the early ones established in Israel - is shown clearly by the fact that Yah'shua received, in the lawful way, "the throne of His father David" (Lk.1:32; cp. Ac.2:30; Heb.1:5-9, all of which allude to 2 Sam.7:12-16; cp. Also Heb.8:1; 12:2). Yah'shua possessed both outer, legal authority as King of Israel as well as the spiritual authority which was evidenced by, amongst other things, authoritative teaching and the casting out of demons (see sermon #62 in this series, Authority and the Council of Yah's Elohim, 28 October 2006). As the Son of Man, He will judge from His legitimate throne (Mt.l25:31ff) and in the world to come - the Sukkot Age - the disciples will have thrones and assist Him (Mt.19:28; cp. Lk.22:30). Not only that, but the children of the firstborn are promised a seat on Yah'shua's own throne:
"To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Rev.3:21, NIV).
How do several people sit on one throne? No doubt some of you have been trying to visualise lots of people all squeezing onto one small seat. It's an understandable response. However, the primary meaning here is, of course, symbolic of authority. Authority to do what? To judge, as we read in the Book of Revelation:
"I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge" (Rev.20:4, NIV).
When that judgment has been given and executed, then, as Daniel states,
"... the Ancient of Days [Yahweh] came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints (set-apart ones) of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom" (Dan.7:22, NIV).
Who are the 'saints' or 'set-apart ones'? The 144,000 firstborn sons of the first resurrection, the children of the Sukkot age. But in the post-Millennial judgment, when, as you remember, all authority returns to Yahweh alone, so that he might be "all in all" (1 Cor.15:28), there is only the Great White Throne (Rev.20:11). Until then, though, the 144,000 shall reign with Yah'shua on their thrones of authority as elohim or judges of the Most High (Rev.22:5).
None of this can happen until every demonic throne is unseated of its demonic principality and power (Eph.6:12) and then destroyed. Until believers are divested of their demons, they remain as inheritors only of the second heaven, as children of the second resurrection. Those who are truly firstborn kings and queens will therefore be diligent overcomers and will not rest until every last particle of darkness has been cleaned from their being through exposing all lies and having all enemy principalities and powers cleansed by the blood of the Lamb.
It is assumed, quite wrongly, by nearly all evangelicals, that all you have to do is believe, and that will bring you into the Throne Room and entitle you to be a part of the First Resurrection. Most Messianics aren't much better. They think all they have to do is accept Yah'shua and obey Torah. But as we have seen now, there is a process, and approaching the Throne of Yah cannot take place until stage #4 of our spiritual exodus from darkness. We, like the children of Israel, must come to the foot of Mount Sinai and await until we are called up, because the top of the mountain was Yahweh's Throne! And who was permitted up to it? The whole of the congregation of Israel? By no means! You will recall that after hearing the blaring shofar and Yahweh's voice thundering out the Ten Commandments or 'Words' that they refused to approach the Throne! They said: 'Let Moses do that for us as our intermediary!' They refused to enter the Holy of Holies - they chose instead to metaphorically remain in the 'Holy Place'. And that choice was a disaster, because the Holy of Holies is the only place where there is no natural light, where only Yahweh's Light shines! And that is what the children of the second resurrecion choose too. Yes, they want spiritual light - the light coming from the Menorah - but they also want the light of the world too. They choose Yah'shua but not Yahweh! They want the intermediary but not the direct source. Hence a lot of Christians talk about Yah'shua but almost never of the Father.
Now don't get me wrong. I am not for one second suggesting that the 144,000 have no need of Yah'shua. Yah'shua is Yahweh's representative. No man comes to the Father except through the Son (Jn.14:6). Here, on planet earth, we live in the first heaven to which Yah'shua came down on behalf of His Father. He descended from the third or highest heaven (where Yahweh lives - 2 Cor.12:2) to the second and first and conquered them for those who will believe.
At the beginning of the Sukkot age the demonic is expelled and imprisoned and Yahweh assumes full control of everything (1 Cor.15:24-28). This Millennial Age becomes a type of what the children of the second resurrection will inherit after the Millennium - by refusing the Holy of Holies they are choosing the lesser Holy Place, which will be the world they will live on after the Millennium. It will, as we have seen, only have the glory of reflected light, like that of the moon (1 Cor.15:41). When you refuse to be purified through overcoming you are choosing the second resurrection (Rev.21:7). You are choosing second best, as the Israelites did when they settled for a prophetic intermediary (Dt.5:23-27).
As a result, nearly the whole congregation of Israel remained in the valley while a select handful were summonsed by Yahweh to the top of the mount. Any human or animal which attempted to cross the boundary demarcating the bottom of the mountain with the rest of the valley was executed because one who is unsanctified cannot enter into the presence of Yahweh:
"Yahweh descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up and Yahweh said to him, 'Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see Yahweh and many of them perish" (Ex.19:20-21, NIV).
Many Christians have this naïve and foolish idea that so long as you 'believe' Yah'shua you can force your way into Yahweh's Throne Room. You can't. You have to be purified. That is why the children of Israel were told to purify themselves. And to begin with only Moses was allowed up:
"When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of Yahweh settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day Yahweh called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of Yahweh looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights" (Ex.24:15-18, NIV).
What do you suppose happened to Moses while he was up on that mounatin for 40 days? He was dwelling in Yahweh's own fire! When he came down his face was shining so brightly that the people couldn't look at him, so he had to cover it (Ex.34:29-30). That fire purified him! It cleansed him! He alone went before Yahweh's face but he took up others with him as we read:
"Then [Yahweh] said to Moses, 'Come up to Yahweh, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, but Moses alone is to approach Yahweh; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him'" (Ex.24:1-2, NIV).
Continuing:
"Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the Elohim of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. But Elohim did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw Elohim, and they ate and drank. Yahweh said to Moses, 'Come up to Me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commands I have written for their instruction.' Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of Elohim" (Ex.24:9-13, NIV).
Here you have the divine pattern of the few - about 75 men of the hundreds of thousands of Israelites left behind in the valley - who were summonsed to the top of the mountain - to Yahweh's Throne Room or Holy of Holies - and only Moses being allowed to actually approach the throne. Moreover, to get to that place where Yahweh sat on His Throne required a physical journey which typifies a spiritual journey. And if any of you have climbed mountains, particularly like the ones in the Sinai Peninsular (or Saudi Arabia if you believe, as some do, that Mount Sinai was there), they were tough to climb. You don't wave a magic want and 'poof' suddenly arrive in the Throne Room of Elohim like that Pentecostal imagined, and as so many other evangelicals imagine today. It's a struggle to get there, requiring determination and guts.
Now having said all of this I don't want any of you to go away thinking that you are not capable of such a journey. Every human being has the ability to do it. Everyone has the capacity to overcome and all that is required is active trusting and obedience. But to climb that mountain you have to leave the world behind because Yahweh's Throne Room is envelloped in a cloud that conceals and isolates it from the world. If you want to steer by the world, and by natural sight, you'll never manage. The instruments of worldly navigation have to go. The wisdom of the world is quite useless in such an ascent.
I also want to stress here that the ascent or climb I am talking about is not some esoteric or mystical 'ascent' such as kabbalists and other occultists speak of. This is not some meditation exercise. All it is is complete and total surrender. To ascend this Mount means to leave worldly baggage behind because you can't climb this mountain with a load of sin on your back. You can only approach Yahweh's kesay or Throne by repenting of all sin, clinging to all truth, and consecreating your all to Him. It means forfaking all worldly lusts, dealing with all demonic problems, giving all spiritual issues and not quitting until you have overcome.
We all know that after this meeting on the Mount trouble followed. Those who chose second-best soon fell into gross iniquity. It isn't safe to compromise - ever. Yahweh did not create or will two 'classes' of believer into existence, man chose them himself. He chose a 'law road', a supposedly easier route, thinking he could languish in sin a bit longer and 'enjoy', as he supposed, the ways of the world until 'forced' to change. He wanted to postpone his repentance and correspondingly lower his trust quotient. I have to say to you now that such is an illusion - its is a choice for death.
This ministry does not exist to cater for those who want to choose the low road and linger in the valley of unbelief. And those who want to try to force they way across the boundary Yahweh has set up at the foot of the mountain, without repenting and consecrating themselves 100%, would be advised to turn back. This ministry is not for you. There are many other Messianic Groups who are able to cater for you. Our calling is very specific.
Finally, a few words about the mountain ascent for families and for congregations. The 'Moses' of every family is the husband-father, and the 'Moses' of every congregation is the Pastor. Both have enormous responsibilities because they can't lead the families or congregations untess they have climbed, or are climbing, that mountain. At first Moses was alone for many years just as husband-fathers and pastors must be alone while they raise up and train helpers as Moses raised up and trained Joshua, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and the 70 elders. Each father should be training up a 'Joshua' to replace him, a firstborn son, and other elders or sons to be good examples. Remember also that of those 73 souls who went up with Moses and Joshua that only one, Caleb, was counted worthy to enter the Promised Land. The casualty list is long in the first generation of any new work of Yahweh, as we are already seeing. There are plenty of misguided and unrepentant souls willing to foment rebellion, but they should remember the lessons of the many rebellions of the Exodus wandering. And remember also that it isn't sufficient to 'see' or witness miracles - that first generation of Israelies saw some of the most incredible and dramatic miracles of all time, but it did not sustain their faith so long as their hearts were wrong.
The challenge to you today, then, is to first of all make a committment and to not waiver. You can do it if you want to. But if you let the demonic steer you, it will not go well for you. Those who do turn away either disappear into obscuritt or, if they are really foolish, raise up rebellion like Korah and get swallowed into the ground for their trouble. And woe unto those who lead Yahweh's children to destruction for, as Yah'shua said, it would have been better of they had never been born (Mk.14:21).
For those who wish to commit, we welcome you. Join with us as together we ascend the Mountain of Yahweh to worship Him who is our All in All. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah:
"Many people shall come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, To the house of the Elohim of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.'" (Isa 2:3, NKJV).
Amen.
Author: Lev-Tsiyon
Glossary of MLT Hebraic, Greek and English Terms For other terms and full details please see the Micropedia
A
Adon(ai) = Master, a pagan fertility god, Adonis; used by many Messianics but not MLT
(a)eon(ian) = 7 dispensation- or age-long time periods, not forever (see le-olam-va-ed)
Alef-Tav = Alpha-Omega, A-Z, first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet = Yah'shua
Amen = truly, let it be so, written Amein by some Messianics
Apocrypha = Hebraic Scriptures not a part of the Protestant canon (e.g. Baruch)
Anti-Messiah = Hebraic term for the end-time Antichrist or anyone opposed to the Messiah
antinomian = lawless Christian who disregards all or part of Torah/commandments
Ashkenazi Jew = East European Jew descended from the Turkic-Japhethite Khazars
Assembly = church, congregation, ekklesia, community, fellowship, koinonia, gathering
Azazel = the Yom Kippur scapegoat
B
Baal, Ba'al = any other master than Yahweh, usually demonic in MLT terminology
Bachor(im) = firstborn son(s)
Bar/Bat Mitzvah = Son/Daughter of Commandment, covenant to obey Torah at age 12
being = soul, the whole person (spirit and body), e.g. "my whole being"
Beit, bet, beth = house, e.g. Beit Yisrael (House of Israel), Beth Lechem (House of Bread)
Beit haMikdash = Yahweh's Temple in Yerushalayim
B'rit Chadashah = the New Covenant; B'rit Chadashah Scriptures = New Testament
B'rit Milah = circumcision - abolished in the B'rit Chadashah, replaced by Mikvah
C
canon = authoritative Scripture (Heb. qaneh, Gk. kanôn = measuring instrument)
Catechumen = a serious, covenanted investigator seeking Mikvah or Baptism in MLT
Chag haMatzah = Feast of Unleavened Bread, second of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Chavurat Bekorot = MLT's Priesthood Order, Holy Order and Assembly of the Firstborn
Cohen = priest; Cohen Gadol = High Priest (also spelled Kohen)
Council of Yah's elohim = the heavenly Assembly of the Firstborn or Chavurat Bekorot
D
demon = fallen malek or angel in rebellion against Yahweh (Heb. shad; see Êl-Shaddai)
derech = the Way, Path or Road - Yah'shua and the Gospel are the Way
Drash = moral or homiletic interpretation of Scripture - see PaRDeS
E
Echad = One, Union of two or more in one (as opposed to Yachid) - see Elohim
Echad Godhead Doctrine = Father Yahweh, Son Yah'shua and Sevenfold Ruach (Mother)
Êl, Eloah, Elah = God the Father, Yahweh
Êl-Elyon = Most High God, Yahweh
Êl-Shaddai = Master/Lord over all shads or demons
Elohim = God, the Godhead (Father, Son & Holy Spirit), lit. 'Mighty One(s)', 'Ruler(s)'
elohim = Israelite judges, rulers, angels or gods (false deities, idols, demons)
emunah = faith, actively trusting, clinging or adhering to (especially Yahweh or Yah'shua)
emet = truth, Yah'shua is the Emet
Ephraimite = descendant of the patriarch Ephraim and head of Messsianic Israel
F
Feasts of Yahweh = the 7 annual Moedim (Pesach, Chag haMatzah, Yom haBikkurim, Shavu'ot, Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot)
G
Gan-Eden = Garden of Eden, Paradise and state of the purified heart in Messiah
goy(im) = nation(s), Israelites or gentiles not born in or converted to the Covenant
H
hallelu-Yah = praise Yah(weh)!
Heylel = proper name of Satan or haSatan = the Adversary, the devil
Sabbath = Yom Shabbat (Friday to Saturday sunset, add 1 day in IDL Zone)
Hochmah = Wisdom, title of the 7-fold Ruach haQodesh
I
IDL = International Date Line, false man-made time division in Pacific Ocean
IDL Zone = Area between the true Divine Date Line (Lake Van/Eden) and the false one
Israeli = citizen of the modern Edomite-Khazar Republic of Israel (not Biblical Israel)
Israelite = citizen of biblical state of Israel or a modern follower of the Messiah
J
Jew = post-biblical term describing descendants of Edomite and Khazar converts to Judaism
Johannine = pertaining to the Apostle Yochanan (e.g. Gospel of John)
Josephite = descendant of the patriarch Joseph, the head of Messianic Israel
Judahite = a person in direct descent from the patriarch Judah, forefather of the Messiah
Judaism = a Talmudic-based religion rejecting Yah'shua the Messiah
Judean = a citizen of the Kingdom or Province of Judah until the 2nd Century diaspora
K
Kadosh la Yahweh = set-apart or dedicated to Yahweh, 'Holiness to the Lord', MLT motto
Karaites = Jews (from 700 AD) who reject the Talmud and accept only the Tanakh
kashrut = keeping kosher, food laws of Yahweh and correspinding lifestyle
Ketuvim = Writings or Hagiographa of the Tanakh
Khazar = a Turkic convert to Judaism ~700 AD forming the Ashkenazi Jewish community
kosher = clean foods authorised by Yahweh for human consumption
L
Lashon Hara = evil-speaking, gossip or slander
legalism = false route to salvation through works (self-salvation)
le-olam-va-ed = dispensation- or age-long, aeonian, not eternal, forever or for eternity
Lev = heart, as in Lev-Tsiyon = heart of Zion
Lev-Tsiyon = Heart of the Fortress [of Yahweh], Hebrew name of MLT's founder
M
Master = Lord, Sir, Adon(ai) - (one in authority, a ruler - a king, husband, prophet, judge)
Malak(im) = Angel(s), heavenly supernatural messenger(s)
manna = wafers of honey, bread from heaven (lit. 'what is this?')
matzah = unleavened bread, see Chag haMatzah
Menorah = 7-armed candlearbra = the 7 annual Moedim and 7-fold Ruach haQodesh
Messiah = Christ; Anti-Messiah = Antichrist
Messianic Community = Body of Christ, sum total of all true believers; all true fellowships
Messianic Israel = all who worship Yahweh, trust in Yah'shua, obey Torah and overcome
Messianic Jew = Messianic convert from Judaism still clinging to Talmudic traditions
Midrash = aggadic interpretation of scripture viâ Drash, a scriptural discussion
Mikvah = baptism by immersion of convert into Yah'shua or of wife into husband
Mishpachah = family: nuclear, congregational, tribal or the whole of Messianic Israel
MLT = Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon = family of the heart of the fortress [of Yahweh]
Mishpat = right-ruling or judgement
mitzvah/mitzvot = commandment(s)
moed(im) = appointment(s) of Yahweh, 7 Annual Feasts, Sabbath and Rosh Chodesh
N
Nefilim, Nephilim = giant offspring of materialised demons and human women
Nevi'im = prophetic writings of the Old Testament or Tanakh
New Birth = spiritual conversion in the Ruach haRishon, being 'born again' with new heart
Nidah = a woman's menstruation period during which no intercourse is permitted
O
Olive Branch = collection of revelations, prophecies and visions published by MLT
P
Paraclete = Comforter, Advocate (NEB), Counsellor, Ruach haQodesh (Gk. paraklêtos)
PaRDeS = method of textual interpretation (homiletics) - see P'shat, Remez, Drash, Sod
Patriarch = a father who is head of his family, clan or tribe (lit. 'father-ruler')
Pentateuch = first five books of the Tanakh (Genesis-Deuteronomy), also called Torah
peribolaion = headcovering worn by daughters/wives in submission to fathers/husbands
Pesach = Passover, first of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Peshitta = an Aramaic version of the Bible
Prototrinitarianism = early, simplified MLT formulation of the Echad Godhead Doctrine
Prush(im) = Pharisee(s)
Pseudepigrapha = Non-canonical Hebrew writings additional to the Apocrypha
P'shat = literal, contextual, philological, exoteric, outer meaning of Scripture - see PaRDeS
Q
Qadosh Qadoshim = Holy of Holies, most sacred set-apart room of the Beit haMikdash
Qodesh, Kodesh = set-apart, holy (see Ruach haQodesh)
R
Rabbi = Teacher, term used by Messianic Jews and some Messianic Israelites = Pastor
Refuge, the 12 Cities of = divinely protected MLT fortresses during the 7-year Tribulation
Remez = hint or allegorical level of Hebraic understanding of Scripture - see PaRDeS
Rosh Chodesh = monthly New Moon appointment of Yahweh
ruach = spirit of a person (lit.'breath')
Ruach Elohim = Spirit of God (the Spirit of the collective Godhead or Elohim)
Ruach haChamashee = 5th Ruach presides over Yom Teruah and Yom Chamashee
Ruach haQodesh = the Sevenfold Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost (lit. 'Set-Apart Breath')
Ruach haRevee = 4th Ruach presides over Shavu'ot, Yom Revee and Bar Mitzvah
Ruach haRishon = 1st Ruach presides over Pesach, Yom Rishon and the New Birth
Ruach haShanee = 2nd Ruach presides over Chag haMatzah and Yom Shanee
Ruach haSheshi = 6th Ruach presides over Yom Kippur and Yom Sheshi
Ruach haShleshi = 3rd Ruach presides over Yom haBikkurim, Yom Shleshi and Mikvah
S
Sabbath = Yom Shabbat (Friday to Saturday sunset, add 1 day in IDL Zone)
Satan = rebel archangel Heylel, father of lies, devil, chief demon (lit.'Adversary')
Sephardic Jew = West European Jew of mixed blood containing many Judahites
Septuagint = Greek translation of the Tanakh, LXX
Shegal haShabbat = 7th Ruach (Sabbath Queen) presides over Sukkot and Yom Shabbat
Shekinah = Divine Presence and Glory of Yahweh-Elohim
Set-apart = holy, sanctified, consecrated, dedicated, separated (to and by Yahweh)
Shabbat-Shabbaton = High Sabbath (e.g. Yom Kippur)
Shalom = heavenly peace, standard Hebraic greeting invoking Yahweh's peace
Shamash(im) = servant(s), deacon(s), attendant(s)
Shavu'ot = Pentecost or Weeks, fourth of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Sheol = grave or pit, euphamism for Hades or hell - also see Tartarus
shofar = ram's horn, blown during Yahweh's Moedim
simcha = joy, keynote of Sukkot
Sod = mystical, anagogic, inner or esoteric understanding of Scripture - see PaRDeS
Sukkot = Tabernacles or Booths, seventh of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Synagogue = Greek word used by Jews and Messianics (but not MLT) for a meeting house
T
talmid(a) = male/female disciple or student
Talmud = scriptures, teachings and commentaries belonging to non-Messianic Judaism
Tanakh = acronym for Old Testament Scriptures - Torah, Nevi'im & Ketuvim
Tartarus = place of imprisonment under the earth for rebellious angels and Nephilim
teshuvah = repentance, remorse and contrition leading back to Torah obedience
Torah = Yahweh's teachings or Law; New Covenant Torah includes Yah'shua's teachings
Tribulation, the Great = the final 7 years of the present aeon when Anti-Messiah rules
Trinity = Catholic Godhead formula - see Echad Godhead Doctrine and Prototrinitarianism
Tsiyon = Zion, a fortress, a name of Jerusalem and a prominent hill
Tzitzit/Tizitziyot = tassel(s) worn by men in remembrance of Torah
U
Universalism = salvation of all at the cosmic Yovel, with different rewards and punishments
Y
Yachid = one, single person or item, as opposed to Echad (many in one, unity)
Yah'shua the Messiah = Jesus Christ (the Son)
Yahudah = Judah - see Judahite
Yahweh, Yah, YHWH = the true Name of our Heavenly Father, also carried by Yah'shua
Yahweh-Elohim = LORD God (the Father, Yahweh as Head of the Godhead or Elohim)
Yahweh haQatan = the sent Yahweh = Yah(weh)'shua, Malak of Yahweh's Presence
Yam Suf = Sea of Reeds, the true Israelite Exodus water crossing, not the Red Sea
Yarden = Jordan River (lit. 'meanderer')
Yerushalayim = Jerusalem
Yisrael = Israel (lit. 'ruling with Êl') = true believers under the New Covenant
Yom Chamashee = 5th day of the week (Thursday, Friday in IDL Zone)
Yom Din, Yom haDin = (the) Day of Judgement
Yom haBikkurim = Feast of Firstfruits, third of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Yom Revee = 4th day of the week (Wednesday, Thursday in IDL Zone)
Yom Rishon = 1st day of the week (Sunday, Monday in IDL Zone)
Yom Kippur = Day of Atonement, sixth of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Yom Shabbat = 7th day of the week and Sabbath Rest (Saturday, Sunday in IDL Zone)
Yom Shanee = 2nd day of the week (Monday, Tuesday in IDL Zone)
Yom Sheshi = 6th day of the week (Friday, Saturday in IDL Zone)
Yom Shleshi = 3rd day of the week (Tuesday, Wednesday in IDL Zone)
Yom Teruah = Day of Trumpets, fifth of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Yosef = Joseph - see Josephite
Yovel = Jubilee or Year of Jubilee
Z
Zaqen(im) = elder(s) of an assembly or congregation, or senior members of a community
Zoë Life = Greek term for spiritual life in the Messiah
Commonly Used MLT Abbreviations
For additional abbreviations and explanations, please see the Micropedia
A
Amp.V(er). = Amplified Version of the Bible
Aram. = Aramaic
AV = Authorised Version of the Bible - see KJV
B
BCAY = B'rit Chadashah Assembly of Yahweh - see NCCG
BoA = Books of Abraham (e.g. 1Abr., 2Abr., etc.)
C
cp, cf = compare with
CB(Q) = Chavurat Bekorot
CEV = Contemporary English Version of the Bible
ch. = chapter
CJB = Complete Jewish Bible
CLNT = Concordant Literal New Testament
CYe = Council of Yah's elohim
E
Eng. = English
F
ff. = and onwards/forwards
fn = footnote
G
Gk. = Greek
GNB = Good News Bible - see TEV
H
Heb. = Hebrew, Hebraic
HEM = Holy Echad Marriage, eternal marriage
HO = Holy Order - see Chavurat Bekorot
HOC = Holy Order Collection of revelations - see OB
HRV = Hebraic-Roots Version of the Bible
I
ibid. = ibidem (lit. 'in the same place'), referring to a book previously cited
ICJC = Independent Church of Jesus Christ, earlier name of NCCF
ISRV = Institute for Scripture Research Version of the Bible
J
JB = Jerusalem Bible
JBP/Phillips = J.B.Phillips translation of the New Testament
JNT = Jewish New Testament
K
KJV = King James Version of the Bible - see AV
L
LB = Living Bible
lit. = literally or literature
LXX = Septuagint, Greek translation of the OT
M
MLT = Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon
Moff. = Moffatt translation of the Bible
MRC = Messianic Renewed Covenant Version of the NT
MS(S) = Manuscript(s)
N
NASB, NASV = New American Standard Bible/Version
NC&C = New Covenants & Commandments - see OB
NCCF = New Covenant Christian Fellowship, earlier name of NCCG
NCCG = New Covenant Church of God, earlier name of MLT - see BCAY
NCP = New Covenant Press, publishing arm of MLT
NCW = New Covenant Witness, MLT magazine
NEB = New English Bible
NIV = New International Version of the Bible
NKJV = New King James Version of the Bible
Nor. = Norwegian
NT = New Testament, B'rit Chadashah
NWT = New World Translation of the Bible, unreliable Jehovah's Witness version
O
OB = Olive Branch - see NC&C
op.cit. = opere citato (lit. in the work cited)
OT = Old Testament, Tanakh
P
p(p). = page(s)
pl. = plural - see s.
PWNC = Prophetic Words of the New Covenant, revelation cataloging system - see OB
Q
QED = quod erat demonstrandum (lit. which was shown to be proved)
R
RCF = Restoration Christian Fellowship, earlier name of ICJC
RhQ = Ruach haQodesh, Holy Spirit
RSTNE = Restoration Scriptures True Name Edition of the Bible
RSV = Revised Standard Version of the Bible
RV = Revised Version of the Bible
S
s. = singular - see pl.
S&G = Smith & Goodspeed Version of the Bible
T
TEV = Today's English Version of the Bible - see GNB
V
Vulg. = Biblia Vulgata, Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible
W
WEB = World English Bible
Glossary Copyright ©2007 Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon (MLT) - All Rights Reserved
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This page was first created on 19 March 2007
Last updated on 19 March 2007
Copyright ©2006 Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon (MLT) - All Rights Reserved
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