The Apostle Paul (רבי פאולוס השליח) taught that we are not to be “conformed” (συσχηματίζω) to the pattern of this fallen world but rather be “transformed” (μεταμορφόω) by renewing our minds, so that by testing we may discern what is the will of God (Rom. 12:2). Note that the word translated “conformed” in this verse means to accept the world’s scheme (σχῆμα) of understanding things, that is, to passively go along with the world’s matrix of lies, wishful thinking, propaganda, etc. The word translated as “transformed,” on the other hand, means to be metamorphosed or radically changed into a different kind of nature with a different source of being itself. Such transformation comes from having our minds “renewed” — the word used in this verse (i.e., ἀνακαινόω) means being “made new on the inside,” and therefore renewal is the gift of teshuvah (turning to God). Understand, then, that the foundation of all transformation of inner character and outward conduct comes from the miracle of having a renewed mind. I use the word “miracle” quite intentionally, since by itself “right thinking” is powerless to help the sinner truly change his ways, and therefore something more – new life and healing power from heaven, is needed.

Hebrew Lesson:

Instead of soberly acknowledging that our days are numbered in this world, many people deny the reality of death, steadfastly ignoring any idea of judgment to come. Yeshua warned us, however, that “nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light” (Mark 4:22). We should tremble before such words. Each of us will give account for what we have done with the time given us (Heb. 9:27; 2 Cor. 5:10; Matt. 12:36). Moses therefore prayed to God: “teach us to number our days,” that is, help us understand how to make our days count for eternity, to have a “weight of glory” (βάρος δόξης) that will shine in the world to come…

“As for man, his days are as grass. . . the wind passes over him and he is gone” (Psalm 103:15-16). Life goes by so quickly, and we never know when our personal “Rosh Hashanah” will come. “No one knows the day or hour…” That’s why it is so vital to be healed and to turn to God while there is still time. So turn to him today and bacharta ba’chayim (בָּחַרְתָּ בַּחַיִּים) – “choose life!” “For this commandment (of turning to God) is not hidden from you, and it is not far away. It is not in heaven… nor across the sea…. Rather, the matter is very near you – in your mouth and your heart – to do it” (Deut. 30:11-14; Rom. 10:8-13).

Think of today, this immediate hour… Now is the time we have to turn to God for life. Do not delay until the next day; do not say, “Tomorrow I will turn…” We only have this day, this hour to make our stand: tomorrow is a different world. As it is said, “For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand, today — if we hear his voice and do not harden our hearts” (Psalm 95:7-9). We are warned not to “harden our hearts,” that is, not to lose sight of real hope by refusing to trust in the promises of God’s love.

Read more “Our Sacred Brevities…”

There are some who believe that the holiday of Shavuot is linked (eschatologically) with the “rapture” of the church, that is, the doctrine that the followers of Yeshua the Messiah will be “caught up” (ἁρπάζω, harpazo) and suddenly taken away before the time of the Great Tribulation and the Great Day of the LORD (1 Thess. 4:17; John 14:3; 1 Cor. 15:51-52). They reason that since Shavuot marked the day of great and dramatic revelation, with signs of fire and the sounds of a heavenly shofar blast, an appointed time when Moses first ascended to receive revelation from Sinai and later the Holy Spirit descended upon the followers of Messiah from Zion. Shavuot therefore marks the fulfillment of Passover that culminates in the rapturous goal of our redemption… Both Jew and Gentile are “waved” together before the LORD (as symbolized by shtei ha-lechem, the two loaves), representing the “one new man” of kallat Mashiach, the “bride of Messiah,” or the assembly of those called out from every tribe and tongue to be a part of God’s heavenly kingdom.

Though of course no one knows the day or hour of the return of Yeshua our Messiah (see Matt. 24:36; Acts 1:7), there are various clues given in Scripture about the conditions of the world before His return, and Yeshua himself gave us parables warning us to be looking for Him (Matt. 24:2-14; 25:1-13). Moreover just as Yeshua faulted the scribes and the Pharisees of his day for failing to discern “the signs of the times” (Matt. 16:3) and for missing the “time of their visitation” (Luke 19:44), so he warned his followers to keep watch for his coming (Matt. 24:42-44). The Apostle Paul likewise said that the Lord would come secretly, “as a thief in the night”– not in great power and glory at the end of the age — though his followers would be awake for the hour to come (see 1 Thess. 5:2-6). Moreover, Paul forewarned of the rise of worldwide godlessness (2 Tim. 3:1-7) and even of the worldwide apostasy of the “institutionalized” church we see today (1 Tim. 4:1-3). Other Scriptures foretell of the coming One World Government, the rise of the Messiah of evil (Antichrist), the persecution of the national Israel (a nation miraculously restored to the promised land), the rebuilding of the Temple, the coming Great Tribulation, and so on. “When these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28).

Read more “Eschatology and Shavuot…”

In Israel, “Jerusalem Day” (i.e., Yom Yerushalayim: יום ירושלים) commemorates the re-unification of old city of Jerusalem on June 7th, 1967 during the Six Day War. In 1968 the Chief Rabbinate of Israel declared Iyyar 28 to be a minor holiday to thank God for answering the 2,000-year-old prayer of “Next Year in Jerusalem.” On March 23, 1998, the Knesset passed the Jerusalem Day Law, making it an annual national holiday.

Jerusalem is central to the Jewish heart. The Hebrew word “Zion” (ציון) is mentioned over 160 times in the Scriptures. That’s more than the words faith, hope, love, and countless other key words… And since Zion is a poetic form of the word Jerusalem (ירושלים), the number of occurrences swells to nearly 1,000! Since it’s the most frequently occurring place name in all the Scriptures, it’s no overstatement to say that God Himself is a Zionist…. “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth” (Psalm 50:2). “The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are said of you, O City of God” (Psalm 87:2-3). Indeed, Yeshua our Savior called Jerusalem the “City of the great King” (Psalm 48:2; Matt 5:35): It is the place (המקום) where He was crucified, buried, resurrected, and ascended to heaven; and is it furthermore the place where He will return to earth (Zech. 14:1-9).

Read more “Remembering Jerusalem…”

The holidays of Torah find their origin in the events of the Exodus, which were later commemorated as rituals at the Tabernacle. On the first of Nisan, two weeks before the Exodus, the LORD showed Moses the new moon and commenced the divine lunar calendar. This is called Rosh Chodashim. Two weeks later, God was ready to deliver the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt. Earlier that evening the Israelites kept the Passover Seder and sprinkled the blood of the lamb on their doorposts. At the stroke of midnight of Nisan 15 the LORD sent the last of the ten plagues on the Egyptians, killing all their firstborn. On the 6th of Sivan, exactly seven weeks after the Exodus (49 days), Moses first ascended Sinai to receive the Torah (Shavuot). Just forty days later, on the 17th of Tammuz, the tablets were broken. Moses then interceded for Israel for another forty days until he was called back up to Sinai on Elul 1 and received the revelation of Name YHVH (Exod. 34:4-8). After this, he was given the Second Tablets and returned to the camp on Tishri 10, which later was called Yom Kippur. Moses’ face was shining with radiance in wonder of the coming New Covenant which was prefigured in the rituals of the Day of Atonement (Exod. 34:10).

Read more “Yom Kippur: Climax of the Torah”

Tonight at sundown marks Yom HaShoah, or “Holocaust Remembrance Day,” which again provides us with an opportunity to ask some difficult questions about the nature of evil, and in particular, the nature of political evil, and how it is possible that such evil is at first tolerated by society and then justified to establish and sustain a culture of fear and oppression that leads eventually to the madness of genocide…

A typical refrain heard at this time is Le’olam lo od – “Never again! Le’olam lo od – “Never again!” and yet it needs to be emphasized that not only could the madness of Nazi socialist fascism happen again, it is indeed already here, since the same dialectical mechanisms of social fascism are clearly at work in the world today – though in today’s techno-fascist world the propaganda is global in scope, the scripted disinformation and cognitive dissonance are broadcast across cultures as a call for “unity,” and the lockdown mindset is now ubiquitous… People have become self-censoring and the “cancel culture” suppresses freedom of thought and speech. “Groupthink” and sound bites have supplanted clear thinking and logical reasoning. You are now tagged as an enemy of the state if you dare question the official narrative or raise honest questions regarding the “science” that is used to justify the extreme measures of social control we are seeing today… The Vaccine Passport is the “Yellow Star” of today; those who do not “show their papers” will be either sent to “reeducation camps” or so ostracized that they will be unable to buy or sell in the globalist dystopian economy to come…

Read more “The Evils of Social Fascism…”