Some make the curious argument that the difficulty of offering any rational reason or explanation for the minute details of an analyzed text “proves” that the text must be a metaphor about something else and thus requires a metaphorical explanation. This kind of logic is somewhat akin to how some scholars “study” the Scripture. They say that since the literal reading is unsatisfying, another level of interpretation is required. And they while...
Read More »The scriptures speak of “first resurrection” and “second death”, but not of “first death” and “second resurrection”. While the first death is most naturally understood to be the death in this world, yet the scriptures also speak of two resurrections separated by a thousand years. What exactly are the second death and the second resurrection? We will try to show that this question is far from ordinary and hope to provide more...
Read More »It may come as a surprise to many that the Torah recognizes the possibility of a situation in which the Rabbis can err and thus lead many to sin. We will address this question in the following vein and leave the conclusion to the reader’s consideration. Did the Rabbis err in the trial of Yeshua? Torah never recognizes any appeal to a higher court by the different parties to a lawsuit, that if the matter should be too difficult for the local judge to decide, they...
Read More »We will explore in the following vein the story of Orpah and Ruth, the daughters-in-law of Naomi, a story that poses a challenge for the careful reader. The matter will become clear once we understand why Orpah is included in the story in which Ruth is the main character. This will give us a better understanding of the Book of Ruth, the stories of two gentiles: Orpah and Ruth. This work has also a second object, which we will leave for the reader’s consideration at the end...
Read More »Bil’am the diviner is considered the prophet of the nations and the celebrated soothsayer of Mesopotamia. He had the reputation of being able both to bless and curse with great success for his employers and for his personal gain. Some have regarded Bil’am as a diviner, who was compelled by Elohim against his will to give utterance of blessings upon Israel instead of curses. Others have supposed him to be a true prophet, on account of the blessing he bestowed...
Read More »The term “hireling”, as used by the Good Shepherd in the Gospel of John, suggests “one who speaks the Word of Elohim for pay”, or the so-called “professional priesthood” of today, as they call themselves. These hirelings (bishops, pastors, reverends, and TV evangelists) teach that they are entitled to receive the money of the laymen, but are they? The apostles taught and practiced exactly what the Good Shepherd, Yeshua the Messiah, had...
Read More »Mosheh the greatest statesman Israel ever had was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. The reason was that Mosheh did not speak to the rock, as YHVH told him, but he struck it with his rod. Why was that a sin to Mosheh that it merited such a punishment? Let us suspend this question for a moment and raise another challenge: we find two quite different stories concerning the attempt of Israel to enter the Land of Promise: one in Numbers and another one in Deuteronomy. They...
Read More »The prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel saw someone seated on a heavenly throne in their visions. While Isaiah gives no description of the Eternal, and Ezekiel and Daniel describe Him having corporeal features, it is Daniel who identifies Him by calling Him the Ancient of Days. And it is Daniel who was given to see another one in a vision whom he called the Son of Man. Whom or what did the prophets see? In the following we will learn to distinguish between YHVH’s...
Read More »There was a time in the first century Judea, when the Pharisees usurped upon the domain of the Levites and the judges, and a new term was largely used to denote the authority the Pharisees usurped: “the Seat of Mosheh”, as it appears in the opening of Chapter 23 of Matthew. But what does “the Seat of Mosheh” mean because the text goes on to include even the command to do whatever the Pharisees say? One cannot argue that if the Messiah has told us to...
Read More »In a non-Hebraic culture, the word “trust” often has an abstract idea which not always reflects its true Hebraic meaning. Once this meaning is understood in its proper context, it opens the eyes to see its true meanings from Hebraic perspectives. The Suffering Messiah Psalm 22 reads, For You are the One who took me out of the belly. You made me trust* on my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from the womb. From my mother’s belly You have been my El[ohim]. Do not be far...
Read More »Traditional commentators offer various interpretations of the cryptic reckoning of the 1335 days in the Book of Daniel. In this second work on the subject of the reckoning of time, we will offer a different view on the 1335 days in Daniel, as we will explain in this work. It is therefore the object of this work to seek the answers to the questions we set in the preceding article, The Abomination of Desolation as Reckoned in Daniel. This work has also a second object to find...
Read More »Civil order in a society rests upon a righteous judicial system of judges established by a constitution, and an impartial administration of justice established by competent police that ensures respect to the laws. The political system with elections and rule by majority, as we call it today “democracy”, was unknown to the Torah. Even the first king of Israel, Shaul, was not elected by the people but chosen by YHVH Elohim. But today there is...
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