At The Time That God Told Moses

At the time that God told Moses to make the Mishkan (the Tabernacle)…

…he (Moses) came and told Bezalel, he (Bezalel) said, "What is the purpose of the Mishkan?" He (Moses) answered, "That God may allow His Presence to rest within it, and thereby teach Torah to Israel."

Bezalel said to him, "Where will the Torah be placed?" He answered, "After we build the Mishkan we will build the Aron (the ark of the covenant).” He said, "Moses, our master, this is not honor for the Torah, rather first we should make the Aron and then make the Mishkan. Therefore the Aron was called in his name." [Shmot Rabbah 50:2]

Above quote: On Bezalel - Aish.com

Yehoshua is that Torah. First he is “placed” in the “ark” which is made for him by his people, Israel, that is, the place of his tomb, the place of the transformation of this world into the eternal world, the “black hole” of the heavens and the earth, that is Beresheit, Source-of-Beginning.

Then the Tabernacle of Israel’s full embrace is built around his empty tomb, where the Presence of G-d dwells, even unto the ends of the earth and the heavens.

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Messianic Notes On Colossians One and Two

Colossians TNIV (adapted)

Chapter ONE

1. Paul, an apostle of Mashiach Yehoshua by the will of God and Timothy our brother...

apostle - The office of apostle is here distinguished.  It is the office of Paul but not of Timothy, although Timothy is united by Paul's own address to the Colossians in one authority with Paul.

6. (...true word of the gospel), which has come to you.  In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world — just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God's grace.

God's grace - What is Paul's unique apostolic testimony?  It is the testimony of the "veil removed".  This is the removal of the veil which will come to All-Israel through the working of God's grace, especially through the testimony of Paul among the goyim.  Know and understand that the apostolic testimony of the twelve disciples/apostles is the testimony of the portion referred to by the words, "as many (of his own) as received him", John 1:12.  But Paul's testimony is of the portion, "he came to his own and his own did not receive him".  But in the case of Paul first, this testimony is the testimony of this same portion who after they have not received him will receive him.  This unique apostolic testimony of Paul is the testimony of this portion of Israel who will be converted from enmity toward Yehoshua to Torah love for Yehoshua HaMashiach.

Thus, Paul's calling and ministry is to the goyim for this very reason, to further the conversion of his own "hard of hearing and seeing" portion of Israel, not to a different Faith, but to the blossoming of their own Faith according to the Scriptures.  But the calling and ministry of the twelve disciples/apostles is to the Jew who is called as one of the remnant of those who have or will receive Yehoshua from the very start.  And this includes, as will be shown in the day of Adonai, also any soul which is from the twelve tribes but now lost among the goyim, who receives Yehoshua from the start, from first hearing of him and being drawn to him.

For as to the gospel, the division in Israel is no longer between the one tribe of Judah, which was preserved for the sake of David and for the sake of Jerusalem and the promise made to David, on the one hand, and the eleven other tribes, on the other hand.  For in the worlds above, which rule over all worlds, there is now no separation between the tribes.  For all twelve tribes are one in the risen Mashiach, who sits at the right hand of God.  At this time, the division in Israel is the division of those in Israel who are immediately given to him as a remnant and those who at first do not receive him (like Paul) but who will later will receive him.  For All-Israel will be saved.

12. "...and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his people in the kingdom of light.

the inheritance of his people - While Paul's unique testimony is indivisible from that of the twelve, who are the apostles of the remnant of Israel, (who immediately received or receive Yehoshua), Paul's testimony is as of one born out of due time, (1 Cor. 15:8).  The time of the corporate conversion of that spiritual portion of Israel which did not and does not receive Yehoshua was to come only at the time of Yehoshua's open revelation to the world, (see Rev. 11:13-19).  But Sha'ul, who was spiritually apportioned to this same spiritual part of Israel, would be born from Above at a time much earlier.

Paul's calling would be to the goyim as goyim and not specifically to lost Israelite souls, (or Jewish souls), among the goyim.  For his calling would be to bring the hidden blessing of the atonement made by Mashiach for Israel upon the nations, in order that a called out portion of the nations might be a prophetic evidence to Israel of the truth of Yehoshua.  Out of all the apostles, therefore, Paul's calling is and remains (alone) to the goyim as goyim, to testify that the corporate atonement for Israel is accomplished.  It is this calling of Sha'ul as Paul which is now allowing for the qualification of the nations, that due to the blessing of Abraham the atonement made for Israel should result in the nations being included "in the inheritance of his people," the kingdom of light — "the kingdom of the Son he loves."

15. The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

The Son - Paul speaks here of Yehoshua in accordance with the Torah and prophetic Writings as the King of his Kingdom, extolling and describing him as who he is, as the one able to extend the inheritance of Israel as the kingdom realized in him and through him over all the earth — over every nation and, indeed, over all worlds, (see verse 20).

23. ...If you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.  This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

The Gospel - Paul speaks in the prophetic absolute sense: the Good News of Israel and Her Messiah was being , is being and will be preached to every creature under heaven.  That this should be so is itself the power of the Kingdom!

25.  I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness —
26. — the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to Adonai's people.

it's servant - In serving the gospel, Paul serves God by serving the Great Assembly, Knesset Israel — all things created in Mashiach gathered into one in Israel redeemed in heavenly places, (see Eph. 1:10).  And this gathering all things together in one is by Mashiach's blood shed for Israel, in fulfillment of the commandment spoken to Adam, first fulfilled by Mashiach in the aspect of the corporate sentence of death, the penalty of the commandment carried and decreed upon Adam, should it be transgressed.  For by the obedience of this sacrifice the righteousness of the commandment given to Adam was fulfilled, and its sentence was mitigated for corporate Israel by the prayer of the Righteous One for Israel.  Paul desired it to be known that he served no other word and no other gospel than this.

27.  To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Mashiach in you, the hope of glory.

this mystery - and this is the mystery of all ages which is made known by Mashiach being made known to due time to Israel, through the living Mashiach being revealed to them.  For when they shall see Mashiach living in the midst of the nations then they shall know that their salvation has been accomplished by him!

28.  We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Mashiach.

fully mature - And so shall it be that these things are made fully known when all those having received the testimony of Paul in truth are presented in spiritual maturity to the saints in Jerusalem, to be set under their authority for the witness of the Good News of Yehoshua HaMashiach!


Chapter TWO

2.  My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Mashiach.

Mashiach is the mystery of God.  That he should be called, Christos, Christ, is indicative of the mystery.  For like Joseph in Egypt he is first hidden from his people amongst the goyim before he is revealed to his people amongst the goyim.  Mashiach is the mystery of God, "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge".

In 2nd Corinthians 5:21 we read that Mashiach was made sin for us.  That is, he was made to be accursed for Israel.  Seeing him in that position Israel rejects him as possibly being the one to bring the rule of the Torah to the whole world and salvation to Israel.  Rambam says of him, "May his bones be ground to dust".  But Yehoshua responds: "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing".

Indeed, in bringing Israel down into the dust of death in Egypt and the nations he has no sin.  For it is he who brings the Shekinah there with them, that the very shards of the shattered Creation, which was unable to withstand the judgment of God based on His strict justice, might be raised up with Israel in the mercy of God's Torah.

All Creation shall stand up and rejoice with Israel, all things shall rise up out of corruptibility with Israel and shall sing with Israel a new song unto the God of Israel!  For all eternity the whole Creation shall see itself standing with Israel at Mount Sinai receiving the Gift of God!  Therefore, let those now already reborn in the Mashiach of Israel rise up and walk in him!

He Came To His Own

This is the Good News about Israel and Yehoshua, who is called Jesus, her Messiah. 

He came to his own and his own did not receive him but he prayed for his own and died for his own, praying for his own, and was raised again from the dead for his own, and his own began to believe in him he gave his own the right and the power to call themselves the offspring of God. Believe this Good News about Israel and her Messiah and you will attach your soul to the soul of Israel and you will be counted among Yehoshua's own. 

Yehoshua's Conversation With The Samaritan Woman

The following is from Yochanan/John chapter 4:

Then he (Yehoshua/Jesus) came to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Yaakov/Jacob gave to his son Yoseph/Joseph. Now Yaakov’s/Jacob's well was there. Yehoshua/Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat at the well. It was about the sixth hour.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water  Yehoshua/Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink".  (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to get supplies.)  Then the woman of Samaria responded to him, "How is it that you, being a Jew, are asking me for a drink when I am a woman of Samaria?

COMMENT:  It is and always has been common for people everywhere, especially in non-urban areas, to recognize people from surrounding areas by their dress.  Here the Samaritan woman expresses no doubt in identifying Yehoshua/Jesus as a Jew, most likely due to the tsitsit he is wearing.

Yehoshua/Jesus answered and said unto her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, Give me a drink; you would have asked to receive from him, and he would have given you living water.

The woman answered him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from where then would you get that living water?  Are you greater than our father Yaakov/Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, together with his children, and his cattle?"

Yehoshua/Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water shall thirst again. Whoever drinks of the water that I give them shall never thirst.  The water that I give them shall be in them a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

The woman said to him, "Sir, give this water to me, that I never thirst, neither have to come here again to draw.

Yehoshua/Jesus replied to her, "Go, call your husband, and then return here."

The woman answered and said, "I have no husband.”

Yehoshua/Jesus said to her, "You have answered well, saying, 'I have no husband'.  For you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband.  You have spoken honestly.

The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and you say that Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”

COMMENT:  The author of the book, Yochanan/John, does not claim to have heard this conversation.  He states for the record that none of the disciples of Yehoshua/Jesus were present.  In this way he indicates quite clearly that Yehoshua/Jesus himself repeated this conversation to him and, no doubt, the other disciples.  In other words, the author of the book is indicating that this is the way that Yehoshua/Jesus, and not a later source, wanted this dialogue to be recorded.

Every teaching that purports to be based in the Torah of the G-d of Israel, (that purports to be Biblical), is read either with the mindset of an outsider or of an insider.  The commentators through the ages on this conversation between Yehoshua/Jesus and the Samaritan woman have read it almost always with the mindset of outsiders listening in, outsiders from a greater or lesser distance.  As such, they have heard it as being a conversation primarily about Yehoshua/Jesus and who he might be.  While not dismissing this audience, it is also possible to read the conversation in a way to understand it as an insider, ( like the Jews and Samaritans involved in the story), might have understood it. Insomuch that one may have the very same Biblical awareness and concerns as those Jews and Samaritans represented here, it is even possible to listen to the dialogue as being oneself an insider.

Listening as an insider, we can understand that the person relating the conversation, and it is indicated here that this person is Yehoshua/Jesus himself, wants it to be understood that the central subject of the conversation is the relationship of Jews and Samaritans.  And what is said about that subject is not immediately expressed in the question of how it is that a Jewish man might be talking to a Samaritan woman, but is brought out in its most immediate and pronounced form in the question that is evoked in the Samaritan woman’s mind, which goes back to the division of the twelve tribes in relation to the house of David, and which she articulates:  "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and you say that Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”

Yehoshua/Jesus answers her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming, when you shall neither (be able to) worship in this mountain, nor worship the Father at Jerusalem."

COMMENT:  Yehoshua/Jesus begins teaching her, as he promised he would if she were to ask him, speaking of the coming great galut/exile.

 "You worship you know not what.  We know who we worship.  For salvation is of the Jews."

COMMENT:   This statement is a definitive statement of Yehoshua's/Jesus' faith. We find it recorded in a conversation he had with a Samaritan.  We are pressed by this to give attention to the question of why the record of Yehoshua's life provided by his talmudim/disciples, and then subsequent history, shows so much association between the Jew, Yehoshua/Jesus, and the nations.  In response to that pressure we can look at the conclusion of the dialogue between Yehoshua/Jesus and the Samaritan woman and see how it might inform us about this. Speaking to the Samaritan woman, Yehoshua/Jesus continues:

“The hour is coming, and has already begun, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

COMMENT:  Yehoshua/Jesus continues to inform her that there will be a way in the coming galut/exile that it will still be possible to worship the Father, even though it will not be possible during that time to do so in complete fulfillment of the commandments to go up to Jerusalem.  He does not correct her in saying that as a Jew he holds to the commandments and that G-d will ultimately be worshiped in Jerusalem.  Rather, he indicates to her that there is a rectification of the human heart that needs to occur and that in the great galut/exile there will be a redemptive effect upon the heart to purify the worship of G-d.

 The woman then said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will reveal all things to us.”

Yehoshua/Jesus said to her, "I who am speaking with you am he.”

COMMENT:  Yehoshua/Jesus does not say this to make himself the subject of the communication.  He does so in order to respond to her implied doubt concerning the teaching he has offered her.  Indeed, we have here the question before us of why he would say directly to a Samaritan woman that he is the Messiah that she has been taught to expect but to his own people, the Jews, whether Judean’s or Galileans, he refuses always to state this.  

I believe that the reason for this is be found in the spirit of G-d’s answer to Samuel concerning Israel’s desire to have a king like unto the rulers of the nations.  It is, as I understand it, as though G-d said to Samuel, “It is alright.  I will deal with it. It is not you they have rejected. It is me.  It is to be expected. I have already said through Moshe that this would happen, but also that I will be hidden from them just enough for them to know what they have lost and ultimately turn to me in pure, whole-hearted faith.”  For me, this is the messianic message of Yehoshua, that Israel, like Adam broke the special, sanctified relationship that G-d chose to have with her, but he, in turn, will never break it with her, but instead will turn her very wanderings into her salvation.  And for this very reason Yehoshua expressed his message throughout the Galilee region, then culminated it in Judea and Jerusalem, sending it out then to Samaria and to all the ends of the earth, wherever the tribes of Israel wandered.  

Read more notes and commentary on the Book of Yochanan/John here.

The Baptism To Come

Rashi:

And there shall be a highway: in the midst of the water for the remnant of His people

Read more

Concealment and Revelation of Mashiach

See:

The Concealment and Revelation of Mashiach and The Good News

After that Yehoshua made atonement for his own people Israel who did not receive him, he was taken up into heaven and concealed there from the world.  This concealment is the aspect of grace which is created in his offering for Israel and continues on.  Read more...

Thoughts On Monotheism and Conversion

A person can conclude that there must be a God

and yet not know God.

Unless a person walks with God like Adam did at first in the garden, or talks person to person with God like Moses, unless a person trusts God personally like Jesus did when he went up to Jerusalem to become the object of the hatred of his brothers and sisters, or like Joseph did when he went out to his brothers to be hated and afflicted by them, like Abraham did when he obeyed God and offered up Isaac, who was his only hope, a person's possible belief can be a belief in monotheism without being a saving belief in God.

A person can believe that there is a God while at the same time not believing God.

A person can believe that there is a God and also believe God but yet only believe God very imperfectly.

When a person believes that there is a God on their own there is a self-referential aspect to their belief.  That is, the authority for their belief that there is a God is the process of their own thinking.

Only when a person walks with God like Adam did at first in the garden, or talks person to person with God like Moses did, only when a person trusts God personally like Jesus did when he went up to Jerusalem to become the object of the hatred of his brothers and sisters, or like Joseph did when he went out to his brothers to be hated and afflicted by them, and like Abraham did when he obeyed God and offered up Isaac, who was his only hope, does the authority of their belief become God and not the process of their own thinking.

We know that a person can obey the commandment of God what seems to be exactly, and yet it is in form only, without the obedience being in the heart.  If a person does not even believe that there is a God and yet performs the commandments in perfect form it cannot be said that there is any obedience at all.  If a person believes that there is a God and the only authority for their belief is the process of their own thinking, so that it is their opinion that God exists, they might obey the commandments out of fear, but how will they obey them out of love of God?

If it is a person's opinion that monotheism is true and that God exists and furthermore they reason that if God exists he has a will to be obeyed, then if they hear from someone that God's will is expressed in this commandment or that commandment, and they trust the person who tells them this, they may convince themselves logically that the only possibly right way to live is to obey such commandments.  However, if they do not hear God himself saying to them, "This is the way of Truth walk in it and live!" how will they be saved?

Isaiah 30
[New Living Translation]
Judah’s Worthless Treaty with Egypt

1“What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,”
says the LORD.
“You make plans that are contrary to mine.
You make alliances not directed by my Spirit,
thus piling up your sins.
2For without consulting me,
you have gone down to Egypt for help.
You have put your trust in Pharaoh’s protection.
You have tried to hide in his shade.
3But by trusting Pharaoh, you will be humiliated,
and by depending on him, you will be disgraced.
4For though his power extends to Zoan
and his officials have arrived in Hanes,
5all who trust in him will be ashamed.
He will not help you.
Instead, he will disgrace you.”
6This message came to me concerning the animals in the Negev:
The caravan moves slowly
across the terrible desert to Egypt—
donkeys weighed down with riches
and camels loaded with treasure—
all to pay for Egypt’s protection.
They travel through the wilderness,
a place of lionesses and lions,
a place where vipers and poisonous snakes live.
All this, and Egypt will give you nothing in return.
7Egypt’s promises are worthless!
Therefore, I call her Rahab—
the Harmless Dragon.a
A Warning for Rebellious Judah
8Now go and write down these words.
Write them in a book.
They will stand until the end of time
as a witness
9that these people are stubborn rebels
who refuse to pay attention to the LORD’s instructions.
10They tell the seers,
“Stop seeing visions!”
They tell the prophets,
“Don’t tell us what is right.
Tell us nice things.
Tell us lies.
11Forget all this gloom.
Get off your narrow path.
Stop telling us about your
‘Holy One of Israel.’”
12This is the reply of the Holy One of Israel:
“Because you despise what I tell you
and trust instead in oppression and lies,
13calamity will come upon you suddenly—
like a bulging wall that bursts and falls.
In an instant it will collapse
and come crashing down.
14You will be smashed like a piece of pottery—
shattered so completely that
there won’t be a piece big enough
to carry coals from a fireplace
or a little water from the well.”
15This is what the Sovereign LORD,
the Holy One of Israel, says:
“Only in returning to me
and resting in me will you be saved.
In quietness and confidence is your strength.
But you would have none of it.
16You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt.
They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.’
But the only swiftness you are going to see
is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!
17One of them will chase a thousand of you.
Five of them will make all of you flee.
You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill
or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.”
Blessings for the LORD’s People
18So the LORD must wait for you to come to him
so he can show you his love and compassion.
For the LORD is a faithful God.
Blessed are those who wait for his help.
19O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,
you will weep no more.
He will be gracious if you ask for help.
He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.
20Though the Lord gave you adversity for food
and suffering for drink,
he will still be with you to teach you.
You will see your teacher with your own eyes.
21Your own ears will hear him.
Right behind you a voice will say,
“This is the way you should go,”
whether to the right or to the left.
22Then you will destroy all your silver idols
and your precious gold images.
You will throw them out like filthy rags,
saying to them, “Good riddance!”
23Then the LORD will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock. 24The oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat good grain, its chaff blown away by the wind. 25In that day, when your enemies are slaughtered and the towers fall, there will be streams of water flowing down every mountain and hill. 26The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days in one! So it will be when the LORD begins to heal his people and cure the wounds he gave them.
27Look! The LORD is coming from far away,
burning with anger,
surrounded by thick, rising smoke.
His lips are filled with fury;
his words consume like fire.
28His hot breath pours out like a flood
up to the neck of his enemies.
He will sift out the proud nations for destruction.
He will bridle them and lead them away to ruin.
29But the people of God will sing a song of joy,
like the songs at the holy festivals.
You will be filled with joy,
as when a flutist leads a group of pilgrims
to Jerusalem, the mountain of the LORD—
to the Rock of Israel.
30And the LORD will make his majestic voice heard.
He will display the strength of his mighty arm.
It will descend with devouring flames,
with cloudbursts, thunderstorms, and huge hailstones.
31At the LORD’s command, the Assyrians will be shattered.
He will strike them down with his royal scepter.
32And as the LORD strikes them with his rod of punishment,
his people will celebrate with tambourines and harps.
Lifting his mighty arm, he will fight the Assyrians.
33Topheth—the place of burning—
has long been ready for the Assyrian king;
the pyre is piled high with wood.
The breath of the LORD, like fire from a volcano,
will set it ablaze.

Footnotes:
a 30:7 Hebrew Rahab who sits still. Rahab is the name of a mythical sea monster that represents chaos in ancient literature. The name is used here as a poetic name for Egypt.