Studies

Deu. 32:43 (DSS/LXX) 

Let all the elohim/angels worship Him…For He will avenge the blood of His sons,
and render vengeance on His enemies… 

The book of Hebrews quotes this verse in Heb. 1:6. The Individual whom the angels/elohim bow down before is Yeshua.  

He is also the One who YHWH has given the authority to execute judgment, according to Yeshua, Enoch, and John of Patmos: 

Joh. 5:26-27 

The Father…has also given Him authority to execute judgment because He is the Son of Man. 

Eno. 69:27 

And He sat on the throne of his glory, and the sum of judgment was given unto the Son of Man. 

Rev. 19:15 

Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword. And with it, He should strike the nations.

And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of the Almighty. 

Eno. 62:2 

Open your eyes and lift your horns if you can recognize the Chosen One. And YHWH seated Him on the throne of His glory [cf. Eno. 69:27; Mat. 19:28].

And the word of His mouth slays all the sinners,
And all the unrighteous are destroyed from before His face.  

This means that Yeshua is the One whom YHWH uses to take vengeance on those who oppose Him. See also Rom. 14:10; 2 Co. 5:10; 2 Ti. 4:1; 2 Th. 1:7-8; Act. 10:42; 17:31; Mat. 16:27; 25:31-46; Joh. 5:22. 

Because vengeance is His (Rom. 12:19 cf. Deu. 32:35; Psa. 94:1; Nah. 1:2), we should not try to take justice into our own hands. Rather, we should repay evil with good. Rom. 12:20-21. See also Lev. 19:18a; Pro. 20:22; 25:21; Mat. 5:39-41, 44; Luk. 6:27-29; 1 Pe. 3:9; & Rom. 12:17. 

Deu. 31:3 

YHWH your Mighty One,
He is crossing ahead of you…” 

Yeshua,
He is crossing ahead of you...”

In the first instance in Scripture where Yeshua’s name is mentioned, it is mentioned in place of YHWH’s name: “YHWH-He is crossing ahead of you” and “Yeshua-He is crossing ahead of you”.

Who is crossing ahead of them: Joshua (Heb. Yehoshua/Yeshua), or YHWH?  

The second is in Judges 2:4-5: 

So it was, when the Angel of YHWH spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted their voices and wept…  

And when Yeshua had dismissed the people… 

In this second instance, Yeshua, the son of Nun was already deceased (Jdg. 1:1, 27-35 cf. Jdg. 2:2).  

In this instance, Yeshua is therefore the name of the “Angel of YHWH” who told the Israelites to “make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land” but to instead “tear down their altars” (Jdg. 2:2 cf. Exo. 34:12-13). In this cross-reference, this “Angel of YHWH” is called both YHWH (Exo. 34:5-6) and Moses’ Master (Exo. 34:9). 

This “Angel” (lit. messenger or representative of the King) is the same Individual who is spoken of  in Exodus 23:20-21: 

Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and bring you into the place I have prepared. Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him.”

He is also the same Individual spoken of by Jacob in Genesis 48:16: 

The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads”

Who is the Messenger who redeemed Jacob from all evil? Who is the Representative of YHWH who is given the authority to pardon transgressions and sin? 

Hos. 14:1-3 

          O Israel, return to YHWH your Mighty One. For you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take words with you and return to YHWH. Say to Him: 

                ‘Take away all iniquity. Receive what is good, for we will offer the bulls of our lips. Assyria will not save us. We will not ride on horses.
Nor will we say any more to the works of our hands: you are our gods. For in You the fatherless finds mercy.’ 

The prophet likens the confession of our sin to offering bulls. In the days of Moses, offering bulls to YHWH was prescribed when unintentional sin was committed.  

Lev. 4:1 

        If a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of YHWH…let him offer to YHWH for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as
a sin offering. 

Num. 15:24-25 

        …then it will be, if it is unintentionally committed, without the knowledge of the congregation, that the whole congregation shall offer one young bull…  

         So, the priest shall make atonement for the whole congregation of the children of Israel, and it will be forgiven them, for it was unintentional… 

Lev. 16:3/Heb. 9:7 

        Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with the blood of a young bull… 

        But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins of ignorance. 

So long as our sin is not defiant –that is, it is not done because we despise YHWH [Num. 15:30-31/Heb. 10:26-29]–our “words” –that is, the confession of our mouths [Hos. 14:2-3; 1 Jo. 1:9]– is all that He requires of us. Hos. 14:2. See also Psa. 51:16; 40:6; Jer. 7:22-23; Isa. 1:11; 66:1-3; Amo. 5:22; Hos. 6:6. 

On Yom Kippur, the day of the year dedicated to confession and fasting [Lev. 16:21; Lev. 23:27; Isa. 58:1,4d,6a], we remember Yeshua, who like the scapegoat of the ceremony, took upon Himself all our iniquities. Isa. 53:6c; Lev 16:22.  

Deu. 30:15-16 

See, I have set before you today life and good, and death and evil, in that I command you today to love YHWH your Mighty One, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes, and His judgments; that you will live…”

Deu. 30:19 

 …that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse, 

Therefore, choose life, that you may live, and you and your children; by loving YHWH your Mighty One, and by holding fast to Him, for that is your life…”

What is being taught here? 

In both instances, a choice is presented. In both cases, choosing life involves loving YHWH. In the former passage, life is coupled with good, while death is married with evil. Choosing what is good is akin to choosing life while choosing what is evil is akin to choosing death. We must choose what pleases our Master and reject what does not please Him. We must follow His Ways and not own. 

In the former passage, loving YHWH is paired with obeying Him. This hand-in-hand relationship is also expressed in Exo 20:6; Deu. 5:10; 7:9; 11:1, 22; 19:9; Jos. 22:5; Neh. 1:5; Dan 9:4; Joh. 14:15, 21, 23; 15:10; 1 Jo. 5:3; & 2 Jo. 1:6. 

In the latter passage, life is equated with the blessing, and death is equated with the curse. The choice between life and death is the choice between the blessing and the curse. As expressed in Deu. 11:26-28, 27:1-2,15, and Lev 26:3-12,14-43, the blessing results from listening to YHWH, and the curse is the consequence of refusing to listen.

And as Daniel confessed in Dan. 9:11, when we are unfaithful to YHWH, we are under the curse. With this understanding in mind, whoever is “of works of the law” (Gal. 3:10) does not listen to YHWH. This “law” (Gal. 3:10) that is not of faith (Gal. 3:12) is not YHWH’s Law that teaches that righteousness is by faith (Rom. 10:6-8 cf. Deu. 30:11-14). Instead, it is trying to be justified by our actions. It is trying to keep the Torah without relying on YHWH and loving Him with all our hearts and beings.  

Faithfulness to YHWH (choosing to love and obey Him) is the Way that leads to life. 

Not relying on Him (choosing to disobey Him) is the path that leads to death. 

Lev. 23:37 

These are the appointed times of YHWH which you shall proclaim to be set apart gatherings, to bring an offering made with fire to YHWH; the burnt offerings and grain offerings, slaughtering and drink offerings; each on their day. 

In addition to the Sabbath offering, the ordinary daily offerings, the individual gifts, vows, and voluntary offerings, there were offerings specific to each annual Moed.  

• For seven days in the first month of the year, beginning on the fifteenth day, our ancestors were taught to bring an offering made with fire to YHWH. Lev. 23:8 
• Following this time of unleavened bread (23:14), on the first day of the week, the priest was to wave the sheaf offering. On this same day, the people were to offer a lamb as a burnt offering, a drink offering, and a grain offering as an offering made with fire. Lev. 23:10-13 
• Exactly fifty days after this (23:16), they were to offer two baked loaves of bread as a wave offering, seven lambs, one young bull, and two rams as a burnt offering, a drink offering, and a meal offering made with fire. Lev. 23:17-18 
• On the first day of the seventh month of the year, they were to set the day apart for resting, congregating, and making a great noise for remembrance. On this day, they were also told to bring an offering made with fire. Lev. 23:24-25 
• On the tenth day of this same month, the Israelites were commanded to fast, gather, and observe a complete Sabbath, beginning in the preceding evening. They were also instructed to bring an offering made with fire. Lev. 27:32 
• For seven days of this seventh month, beginning on the fifteenth day, our ancestors were taught to bring an offering made with fire to YHWH. Lev. 23:34-36 
• Finally, on the following day, they were again commanded to bring an offering made with fire. Lev. 23:36 

As can be observed from the bullet points above, there are seven times in Leviticus 23 when we are instructed to bring an offering made with fire to YHWH. On two of these occasions (in the first and seventh months), we are told to do this for seven days. [It can also be noted that instead of Passover being listed as one of the seven annual appointed times, the day of the Omer (sheaf offering) is instead listed.] 

Without Cohanim (priests, or sons of Aaron) and the Altar, we cannot bring any of these offerings, much less the ones intended to be made with fire. We can, however, observe the Moedim in other ways. 

Every seventh day of the week, for example, we can participate in YHWH’s Sabbath blessing by resting, praising Him, praying, and congregating. 

We can also refrain from leavening for one week out of the year, rest and congregate seven days of the year (in addition to the weekly Sabbaths), and fast one day of the year. We can even decorate and/or camp for a week on an annual basis.  

More importantly, we can remember why YHWH set these days apart in the first place and look forward to all prophecies being fulfilled.