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Part 3- The Vision of the Glorious Man
Slide 1
Introduction: In our former teachings we have had the joy of seeing how the desire of YAHWEH was that his name would fill the Earth and we have discovered some amazing truths regarding this Mission.
We saw how Yisrael had not properly fulfilled this mission but we also saw how YAHWEH was bringing people from the Nations to Yisrael firstly through Naaman the Syrian and then through Cornelius in the book of Acts through which a revelation reached the Shilichiym (Apostles) of the call to the Nations. We even discovered that the place called Tarshish which Yonah (Jonah) booked passage to was in all likelihood in Britain being an Israelite settlement dating from the days of the Assyrian invasion of the Northern Kingdom of Yisrael.
We understood that the call of YHWH for the faithful was and still is1st to sift out of the Goyim (Gentile) Nations the lost Sheep of the House of Yisrael but in that process YAHWEH was reaching the Goyim (the Gentiles) because his original promise to Abram was that “in him all the families of the Earth would be blessed.”
We also saw how the Mission to the Lost Sheep of Yisrael was taken up by the Shilichiym (Apostles) & to Shaul (Paul) was given the message of Salvation in Yahshua unto the Goyim (Gentiles) as well.
Slide 2
We also discovered some amazing historical facts that were hidden for many years but that reappeared through the discovery of a Document called “the Soninni Manuscript” often referred to as the lost Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles as well as reflected in “the Scottish Declaration of Independence” . From this we discovered some absolutely inspiring historical knowledge that showed us how Shaul (Paul) in all probability was indeed able to fulfil his Mission to go to Spain & Britain so that he could finally say before his death in:
Slide 3
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the Good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
What was even more inspiring was that we discovered through extra Biblical sources that he was even able to reach the highest ranks of Roman society as noted by the individuals he ministered to. One that was even the adopted daughter of Emperor Claudius formerly known as Gladys the daughter of the King of a province in Britain, as well as other highly influential people giving us a window to the mighty workings of YHWH working through his RUACH in the life of Shaul who indeed was a passionate emissary of the Good News.
As exciting as all this is there is also another side to all this in which YHWH is also working though sometimes not so clearly defined and so that is what we will look at today. Though YHWH is not always seen we need by faith to believe he is definitely at work for his purpose to be achieved that will eventually become evident.
YHWH at work in difficult times:
One thing we need to remember is that all these wonderful characters like Shaul and most of the disciples plus a myriad of faithful believers that we encountered in the last teaching inevitably ended up on the Chopping block for their faith but through their lives the Besorah (the Good News) was reaching to all the corners of the Great Empire. We have seen the working of YHWH but we also need to see how the counter Kingdom the kingdom of Ha Satan was working as well, through external forces such as persecution resulting from the Emperors desiring to be worshipped as Elohim (God) but also how the enemy works internally to obstruct the truth from being fully revealed.
If we look at the many stories in the Tanak (The Old Testament) we initially see the hand of Ha Satan dealing heavily with the chosen people. We could look to Yoseph (Joseph) and see how he was unjustly sold into slavery by his own brothers but through that Act we discover that YHWH worked out a plan of his design to rescue his people who were in the process of assimilating with the Canaanites but through their move to Mitsrayim (Egypt) YHWH was making them a unique people and preserving them to fulfil his purpose. This is why Yoseph (Joseph) was finally able to say to his brothers the following:
Slide 4
Bereshith (Genesis) 50:19-20 Yoseph (Joseph) said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of Elohim (God)? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but YHWH Elohim (God) meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
Since we just celebrated Purim the same can be said of the tale of Esther. This story deals with a fowl plot by Haman the Amalekite to eliminate the Yahudim (the Jews) dwelling in the whole Babylonian Kingdom comprising of 127 provinces from India to Kush which is just south of Ancient Mitsrayim (Egypt) but though YHWH is nowhere in sight we know he is working through the lives of Mordechai and especially Queen Esther as seen by the words of Mordechai:
Slide 5
Esther 4:14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Yahudim (the Jews) from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Mordechai is revealing his faith that Esther has been given her position by Elohim for such a time as this to rescue her people but as we observed the hand of Elohim is everywhere yet concealed.
Difficulties in the Early Nazarene Assemblies:
Slide 6
We know that after the death and resurrection of Yahshua the call to the Disciples to bring the message throughout the World was given and they were empowered for that call by the Ruach Ha Qodesh (The Holy Spirit) and though the Talmidim (Disciples) delayed their call the word went before them by believers dispersing who were inspired and unafraid to speak out even though persecution was raging from which Shaul (Paul) was chosen as an emissary.
As time passed the early Netzarim (Nazarene) Assemblies began to flourish even amidst the times of persecution but by the 2nd half of the 1st Century internal troubles had begun. If trouble only took that long it is understandable that today after almost 2,000 years of traditions and doctrinal controversies that problems would arise too:
We see the disciples not only dealing with external pressure through persecution but with the influx of Goyim (Gentiles) beliefs arose that were divisive. This brought about Heretical teaching which we will briefly look at noting that most of the Epistles or letters were addressing these problems including the Epistles of Kepha (Peter), Yahudah (Jude) & 1,2 &3 Yahuchanan (John) :
Slide 7
2 Yochanan (John) 7-8 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Yahshua Ha Machiach (the Messiah) as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an Anti-Messiah. 8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.
By this statement we see there was a group infiltrating the Netzarim Assemblies who followed Docetism being a belief that Yahshua’s body was an illusion and that he was a pure Spirit and only appeared in the flesh and died.
Slide 8
2 Kepha (Peter) 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
Another divisive group that was harassing the Assemblies was the Gnostics considered heretics by the Talmidim (Disciples) that had infiltrated the Assemblies and to highlight some of their doctrines might be prudent though it might raise some interesting considerations:
Slide 9
- They taught that Salvation is by grace alone & works or obedience to YHWH’s commands play no part. We might now understand why Ya’acov (James wrote this rebuff:
Ya’acov (James) 2:14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
- They taught that the flesh was totally depraved so the son could not have been flesh.
- They taught the Creator was different than the Father of Yahshua.
- That we cannot lose our Salvation once we have it.
- That since the flesh was inherently evil the son could not have become a man but only appeared that way.
- That people are predestined to be saved or dammed which was later used by Luther and Calvin in their doctrinal statements and called Predestination.
- That they had secret knowledge giving rise to the name Gnostics.
According to the early Congregations these teachings were all Heretical though some versions of their teachings still remain until today which is reason for thought.
With all this upheaval among the Assemblies it should remind us of the Words of the Prophet YeshiYAHU (Isaiah) quoted in:
Slide 10
Romans 9:27 Isaiah also cries out concerning Yisrael: “Though the number of the children of Yisrael be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved. (Isaiah 10:22)
We discover from this verse that no matter how great is the multitude of those brought near through the blood of Yahshua only a remnant with be the true Yisrael.
Slide 11
In EliYAH’s (Elijah’s) day he too thought he was the only faithful Yisraelite but YHWH says this:
Melekim Aleph (1 Kings) 19:18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Yisrael, all whose knees have not bowed to Ba’al, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
Though we see great upheaval happening in the congregations even Yochanan (John) must have wondered about the purpose of Elohim in his time but what we see as we see today is that YHWH is patiently at work calling to his people and patiently refining them because he was and still is in total control so his purpose & plan will come to completion.
The Revelation of Yochanan (John)
Like many today towards the end of the 1st Century the Assemblies (Qehilim) were struggling. Their faith was greatly tested & each Assembly (Qahal) responded to the trials they faced in different ways. These Assemblies are also symbolic of the ways that believers respond to their trials today so I want to take us back to the 1st Century at the time just before the book of Revelation was penned by Yochanan(John).
Yochanan (John) lived at a difficult time since he knew that he was the last surviving Shilichiym (Apostle) knowing that Shaul & Kepha (Paul & Peter) had been martyred in Rome by Nero about AD64- AD68 & persecution saw all the other disciples lose their life along with many believers including those in the high positions that we met when we discussed Shaul (Paul) in our last teaching. Compounded with this was the fact that Yochanan (John) was arrested leaving the Assemblies to fend for themselves.
During this time there is even a tradition of Yochanan (John) being boiled in oil but through divine intervention he is protected.
Slide 12
We find John (YAHUchanan) now exiled on the prisonIsle of Patmos an island in the Aegean sea off the coast of Asia minor (Modern day Turkey) being a barren rocky island about 10 miles long. YAHUchanan (John) is deprived of all his freedom feeling alone because all his fellow disciples had been killed for the faith and the Emperor Domitian had begun a great persecution against the Assemblies of the Way as they were also called. YAHUchanan (John) by this time knew his days were numbered & may have wondered if the Assembly of the living Elohim could survive in those dark days. The called ones (Qahal) in those days & in our days knew Yahshua as the great High Priest (Cohen ha Gadol) of their confession who had died for the sins of the World as we read in:
Hebrews 9:11-12 But Machiach (Messiah) came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Qadosh (Holy) Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
Though this principle is the root of our faith even John (Yochanan) that great Shilichiym (Apostle) found himself in need of a new revelation to see the Machiach (Messiah) as more than the High Priest of our confession. Today it is no different for many believers because Yahshua did not die and rise again for us to live in struggle just to endure life & hope to hold on to our faith, because he promised never to leave us nor forsake us. The Good News to many is a promise of a future hope in the presence of the Master but today we need to see the Master as more than that because he is the ever present hope in times of need.
The Vision of John (Yahuchanan):
The vision of YAHUchanan in Revelation is more important than we realize because many believers need this revelation too. We have often forgotten what Yahshua said before he was taken up into heaven:
MatithYAHU (Matthew) 28:18 And Yahshua came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
It was in this authority that Yahshua commissioned his disciples and us & no word of the enemy can take the authority from us unless we fail to walk in that authority. John (YAHUchanan) needed a new vision as we all need today:
Slide 13
Revelation 1:10-11 I was in the Spirit on the day of YHWH, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Aleph (Alpha) and the Tav (Omega), the First and the Last,”
Though many translations have this reading as “the Lord’s Day” as referring to the 1st day of the week I would suggest a better reading as above:
Many therefore have believed that what is actually said is that YAHUchanan (John) found himself thrust forward in time not on a particular day of the week but found himself on the day of YHWH (the Lord) which I will show is ever so different. When we speak of the “Day of the Lord” we are referring to the day of Machiach’s return when he comes to judge the Nations as we will see:
Slide 14, 15, 16
YeshiYAHU (Isaiah) 2:12 For the day of YHWH the Lord of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty,
Upon everything lifted up—
And it shall be brought low—
YeshiYAHU (Isaiah) 13:6-7 Wail, for the day of YHWH is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. 7 Therefore all hands will be limp; every man’s heart will melt.
Malachi 4:1 For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says YHWH the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch.
Considering what this day means we can better understand the following:
Slide 17
Revelation 1:12- 18 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden Menorahs (lampstands), 13 and in the midst of the seven Menorahs (lampstands) One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amein. And I have the keys of Sheol (the Grave) and of Death.
What YAHUchanan (John) saw was not the humble lamb of Elohim that would take away the sins of the World but the Lion of Yahudah (Judah), the greatly esteemed Lord of Lords, King of Kings the Judge of the whole Earth and it caused him to fall down as though dead. Rather than seeing a Priestly image he saw the image of a Glorious man and the golden band around his Chest symbolized a King who comes to Judge. Daniel also had a similar experience in the following:
Slide 18
Daniel 10: 5-9 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in colour, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.
7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigour was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. 9 Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.
What these two great servants of YHWH experienced we too need to see. The Lord comes to YAHUchanan (John) to reveal he is awesome in power and that he is judge and no power in heaven or Earth can stand before the fury of his justice towards evil but his love for his people is as great as his fury. His desire is that we see him, how he is today in all his authority. YAHUchanon (John) needed to see that and History tells us that shortly after the writing of Revelation the Emperor Domitian was assassinated & replaced by the new Emperor Nerva who released YAHUchanan (John) and all Yahudim & Netzarim (Nazarenes) as the early believers were called and then he could continue to carry out the work of Elohim until his death in Ephesus at a good old age.
In Conclusion:
The results of the Revelation that came to Yahuchanan (John) was that he experienced the power of the Master that enabled him to be able for many more years to encourage the Assembles to stand strong and upon his departure to bring the message of salvation through Yahshua to the next generation and beyond. What however makes the Book of Revelation so important is that it brought a new dimension to the message.
Revelation begins with this promise:
Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and guard what is written in it, for the time is near.
The significance of this book should not be lost as it clearly details things that will happen and was and is a great encouragement to all who read it or will, since it details the final victory over evil that YHWH has promised.
History has proven how, though things so often went off track YHWH was always there to bring things back to the path. Throughout what is called “Church” history there were always a people who desired truth above all else and would not just submit.
Slide 20
The Book “Foxes Book of Martyrs” is a grand History of the work of YHWH in the lives of many people of the past in whom YHWH was clearly at work revealed by the result of their sacrifice which has seen the truth of the scriptures reach the four corners of the Earth. Surely this was the hand of YHWH always at work with the result that after 2000 years of Church history we still have the Word of YHWH intact and more readily available than it ever was & its power is revealed with the result that we are here today. YHWH did in fact use Christianity as a vehicle but through his Word & power by the hand of his spirit we have been able to discover a deeper truth and all this reveals that he is and has always been at work to see his purposes fulfilled.
In Summary:
Slide 21
-Through this series we have seen that the purpose of YHWH has always been that knowledge of his name and his salvation fill the Earth.
-Also that He has always had a special people that he has treasured and has never ceased to call them even though they at times have forgotten their purpose.
-Their rejection and dispersion to the four corners of the Earth however has been a great blessing to the World because YHWH has never forgotten his promise and through those that faithfully serve him he has brought his message to the end of the Earth.
-From various examples we discovered that all things work together for his purpose which will bring the final redemption of the Earth.
-We who are faithful to him know that we are called to sift the lost sheep of the House of Yisrael and in so doing we fulfil his purpose which will see his purpose complete with the return of the Machiach.
-I hope that if we can see Yahshua as Yochanan (John) saw him we will be better equipped to defeat our own weaknesses to rise up with renewed faith to see his purposes fulfilled in us but just as Mordechai said to Esther that if she did not do her part that Salvation would still come from another place since YHWH knows how to achieve his purposes for they stand firm. Amein.