Author Archives: YRM

Yahweh… It’s Just a Name?

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‘It’s Just a Name…’ Oh Really?

A common argument that any name is acceptable for calling on the Heavenly Father not only violates the sanctity of Yahweh’s revealed, personal Name, but is also an assault on His True Worship.
The ongoing push to unite all worship into a monolithic, worldwide religion accomplishes its goals by exploiting words that are key to true worship and redefining them for mass consumption and unholy ends.

They make grace the universal leveler that eliminates specific demands that set apart true worship. “We are all covered by grace regardless of beliefs,” they say. Yahweh answers, No, such thinking turns grace into lawlessness, Jude 1:4.

The old bromides like: “He has many names;” “What difference does His name make, He knows who I mean,” fit right into this universalist agenda. Generic attributes like lord and god create all-purpose mighty ones. The result is worship where one size fits all.

But this is not how our Heavenly Father Yahweh expects devotion. In the 44th chapter of Jeremiah we find Him completely disgusted with His people and ready to wash His hands of them. We see an exceedingly patient Father who has finally had enough of His rebellious children who insist on worshiping their own way.

After all the many prophets He had sent to warn them, after all the trials they had to overcome and the plagues and hardships they endured for their disobedience, nothing ever really changed. Not for long.

Judah Barred from Using the Name
Now the people say in defiance to the prophet, “As for the word that you have spoken unto us in the name of Yahweh, we will not hearken unto you. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goes forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil” (Jer. 44:16-17).

His people were as rebellious as bratty children who act up just as soon as the parent’s back is turned. These defiant ones are still wanting to worship the heathen gods. No matter what Yahweh says or does, they lust to follow the apostasy of the majority religions around them.

Yahweh decides it’s time for drastic measures. “Therefore hear the word of Yahweh, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, says Yahweh, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, Yahweh Elohim lives” (Jer. 44:26).

Yahweh tells them, okay, go ahead, follow your lust to worship in error like the heathens around you. But know this, you may no longer use my Name if you do.

This was punishment for their refusal to worship Him in truth. He does not want His Name tied to their sin of rebellion. So much for the argument, “It makes no difference what I call Him.”
For Judah to return to True Worship would mean that Judah would have to return to using His Name.

Name Identifies True Worship
The Name does more than identify. It also creates True Worship. You take on His Name you take on His worship; you take on His identity. When you take on His identity and don’t live up to His standard, you smear Him.

The lesson for us comes down to this: You cannot worship the Mighty One of the universe properly without using His revealed, personal Name. His Name defines Him as well as the only worship that is uniquely His. His name is not just an identifier, it is His very identity and all that He is and does for His people. The only True Worship in the Bible is carried out through His personal Name.

What does this mean for those who mix His Name with the heathen titles in their congregations and from the pulpit? The same goes for their literature, prayers, and songs? How can you mingle true worship with false and think He’ll find that acceptable. G-d and L-rd are generic titles that apply anywhere to any worship traditions. They fit anywhere.

We learn in Revelation 7:3, 14:1, and 22:1-4 that the 144,000 faithful who are sealed in the end days are sealed with His Name in their foreheads. There is solid proof that His Name separates True Worshipers from false and will give them literal protection from tribulation in the latter days.

Notice what James told the people gathered at Jerusalem: “Simon Peter has declared how Elohim at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name” (Acts 15:14).
The heathens had to come out of their false worship and observe the true Name. True Worship and His Name go together like hand in glove and cannot be separated. It’s a match, not a mix.
Those who know the true Name but insist on using replacement titles are still in spiritual Egypt, in essence still sacrificing to the Queen of Heaven because they have not come to know the true Father, which comes from loving and using His personal Name.

If there is one truth that is clearly shown throughout Scripture it is this: His Name and True Worship go hand in hand, they cannot be separated. He prohibits man from substituting His Name just as He will not allow any worship other than what He prescribes.

By showing us in Jeremiah 44 that apostate worship is not allowed to call on His Name, He is also showing us that only in His Name can one worship in truth.

The true Name is not just a matter of His “knowing who we mean” when we worship or call on Him. It is more than simple identity. His Name is the difference between being in the truth and being outside the truth. It’s the difference between worship that pleases Him and worship that provokes Him once we know better.

This truth is as difficult for some to accept as it is for them to accept the Sabbath over Sunday. It is nothing more than 2,000 years of boiler-plated tradition speaking. All they need to do is allow Yahweh to work with their hearts — show them the truth — and they will see the difference.

The prophet wrote: “O Yahweh, hear; O Yahweh, forgive; O Yahweh, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my Elohim: for your city and your people are called by your Name” (Dan. 9:19).

Names in our culture are mostly labels. Not so with Yahweh. His Name signifies the one and only true Heavenly Father as opposed to the false deities of apostate worship. His Name is a true means of identification, a link to the only true Creator.

The simple lesson for Israel and for us is this: Reject True Worship and you reject His Name. The reverse is also true: Reject His Name for a substitute, and you no longer have the authentic, True Worship of the Scriptures. The two are inseparable.

Danger in Name Apathy
Names and words are powerful in ways you may not have considered. Is there any danger to the notion that any name is acceptable in worship of our Heavenly Father?

Aside from keeping us from the truth, the typical nonchalance regarding the Heavenly Father’s Name and His uncommon worship is part of the general indifference that will open the door to the universal, false religion soon to take control. At the heart of this system will be a demon-backed religious leader who will demand worship on a worldwide scale, unlike anything in history.

A book called New Age Bible Versions details how the way is being paved for the great deception. It reveals that the newer translations of Scripture are taking important words and terms associated with pure worship and generalizing them to appeal to a broad spectrum of worshiper. The goal is to soften the edge and ultimately devalue obedience to Yahweh’s will. Highly publicized was the taking of male references to Yahweh in Bibles and religious song books and replacing them with such pronouns as “She” for “He” (reflective of the worship of the ancient, feminine goddess Sophia).

Ultimately, attempts will be made to include everyone of every faith under a single, global religion. To accomplish that, the wording in new Bibles will help to ease many into that false worship. As will pulpit messages that incessantly attack the law and obedience.

The move is insidious for now. Once churchianity is rendered even more pliable, however, the complete yielding to the demands of a one-world religion will come openly.

Paving the way for this universal religion is a reorienting of beliefs through the manipulation of words. Unaware of what is happening, the masses accept new terminology that moves them further and further from what truth they had. Altering wording changes conceptions.

Power in Names
Stop for a moment and consider names and their power, especially when revealed in the Scriptures.

Who was the first to call something or someone by name? Yahweh. Names were used not for the simple sake of identification, but for creation. Just as Yahweh can travel by thought, when it says that Elohim created, He didn’t work or fashion through physical labor and burning calories. He spoke it (actually, Yahshua as the Dabar or the Word spoke it). The term used for the object brought it into existence.

Things are what they are because of what they are named.

Names don’t just differentiate objects from one another, they create the object. Names are the parents of everything in the universe.
“Let there be light” (the Hebrew ore) and light came into being.

The Hebrew word for “name” is shem. The two letters shin and mem are at the core of neshamah, which is the Hebrew word for soul. The soul or essence of the human being is contained in his or her name.

In 1Samuel 25:25 we read, “As his name is, so is he.”

Titles That Thrill the Adversary
Turn to Luke 4:8. This is Yahshua’s response to Satan’s invitation to fall down and worship the Evil One:

“And Yahshua answered and said unto him, Get behind me, Satan: for it is written. You shall worship Yahweh your Elohim, and him only shall you serve” (Luke 4:8).

The KJV says “L-rd thy G-d.” The Aramaic or Hebrew, which Yahshua spoke, reads, “Yahweh your Elohim.” But even in the Greek, Yahweh’s Name would have remained unchanged.

If Yahshua had said “Lord thy God,” Satan would have been de-lighted. Why? Because this general term could refer to Satan himself. The Apostle Paul calls Satan the “god of this world” in 2Corinthians 4:4. In Matthew 12:24 Satan is called Beelzebub, which is another name for Lord of the fly or the manure god.

In effect our English translation says: it is written, you shall worship the lord god – which could just as well be Satan – and him only shall you serve. We can see how the Adversary de-lights when people are led to worship in these common titles today. Doing so removes them from the true Father and a false one is put in His place through a generic and incorrect identification.

Any time we are not worshiping Yahweh in His true Name, we are in danger of invoking false mighty ones manufactured by the Father of Lies himself— even if done in ignorance.

You change the name of the one you worship and you change WHO you worship and the WAY he is worshiped. By using generic terms you re-move yourself from the True Yahweh. It is not simply a matter of semantics; it is not simply a choice between two equivalent alternatives. It is a matter of true versus false identification – and proper worship versus erroneous worship!

That is why Yahweh characteristically introduces Himself by Name first, then specifies precisely what worship He expects:

“I am Yahweh: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to an-other, neither my praise to graven images” (Isa. 42:8). In Exodus 3, Yahweh tells Moses that His Name is Yahweh, then proceeds to explain how He will bring Israel out of the sin of Egypt. They would come to know True Worship, including the Holy Days, after they first learned His personal Name.

Power Through Words
We establish our beliefs through language. Language can inspire, convict, and challenge, as in the way Yahshua used it; or it can be used to manipulate and subjugate, as despots have done over the centuries through propaganda. Words can sway emotion and opinion, as in a good movie or a good book.

Even husbands, wives, and children know what the wrong word or the right word can mean in their relationships.

The use of general titles like god and lord promote universalism, which is exactly the opposite of the True faith. True Worship is narrow, specific, well defined, and includes the faithful identifying the True Father by name (Matt. 7:14).

The way of error leading to destruction is broad and many will be in it, Yahshua said (v. 13). One way this is accomplished is by the argument that it doesn’t matter what we call Him. Any name or title is acceptable.

As explained, titles like god and lord are general and apply to many different mighty ones, even to Satan him-self. Pagan idols as well are called by the same titles commonly used as names for the Heavenly Father.

Titles do not fix an identity. They are like the generic “human being.” To call on “G-d” is like calling your neighbor, “Hey you, human being…”

Today’s New Babel
Even the sacred Name of the Creator Himself can lose its significance when we allow others to manipulate with words and substitute names.

The human-centered, humanistic movement that began in the Renaissance is finally succeeding in eliminating the very language of sin, which de-rives from a higher power. We hardly ever hear in general society terms like “immorality,” “living in sin,” “fornication,” “virtuous,” and the like.

Today man has decided to set his own standards of what is right and wrong. Sin and any reference to it is out, because sin recognizes a Father above, and that runs head-long into the notion that man himself is all-knowing.

Our culture is building new Towers of Babel, where everyone speaks the same language of moral relativism. This movement is out to change the way people think by changing their language and how right and wrong are perceived.

Forces working behind the scenes have seized on the power of language to promote their own agendas.
Its all part of a revamping of Bible-based beliefs – to replace traditional and biblical morality with humanistic beliefs. This in turn will prepare the way for the universal Man of Sin.
Instead of biblical standards, we have today “political correctness.” As one author wrote, “Political correctness is an attempt to eliminate freedom of speech for those who hold traditional values and religious beliefs. It is overt social censorship designed to stifle the truth.”
But even greater implications are those that tamper with the very nature of Almighty Yahweh and His Word. Satan is out to obliterate Yahweh and the truth of Him in a final push to pre-pare for His own Antimessiah.

Not just everyday words but even the Word of Yahweh is being molested and modified for an unrighteous end. A recent report notes that a prominent publisher is packaging its Bibles for worldwide distribution with the insignia, “Good News for a New Age.”

Even more disturbing is how new versions are fiddling with the text itself.

Satan as G-d
Those who misunderstand the significance of words and names tell us that it doesn’t matter what you call the Heavenly Father. They say, “He knows who you mean” regardless. Oddly, however, those who tell us this exclusively employ the same “L-rd” and “G-d” titles, which by their universal use amount to false replacement names.

Having been removed from the Name Yahweh, which identifies the True Mighty One of this universe and the specific worship He demands, mod-ern worshipers have unwittingly ac-cepted a generic title that takes them away from the only True Worship connected with His Name as well.

Not surprisingly. Satan has usurped this title. New Age and satanic writings describe Satan in terms that sound biblical, calling Him the Divine God. saying Lucifer is God, the bringer of Light. the savior of the world.

This fact will help to fulfill the prophecy of Revelation 13:4:
“And they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshiped the beast, saying. Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?”
But how could it happen? Quite easily. The masses are already calling on their mighty one with the same terms and titles honored in both Christianity and Satanism.

Yahweh’s Unheeded Warning
A little more deception and they sim-ply transfer the titles from one being to another! By definition, titles can apply to any number of persons or beings.

Thus is the final fulfillment of Deuteronomy 32:17: “They sacrificed unto devils, not to Elohim; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.”

There are many new “gods” coming up in this age of the New Age. Our society is becoming increasingly taken over by pagan worship and its many false deities.

But the biggest is yet to show. The very worship of the Antimessiah all starts with violating the warning in Exodus 23:13, which is just as applicable for us today as for Israel 3,000 years ago:
“And in all [things] that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of your mouth.” (Ex. 23:13)

Yahweh knew clearly what He was doing by giving us this warning. He is Yahweh Almighty, the only True Father above. His Name identifies Him and defines Him, just as it does those He calls His People, by His Name.

 

Restoration Times – May – June 2022

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In this issue of the Restoration Times we discuss:

• The Spirit of Pentecost

• It’s Just a Name – Oh REALLY?

• Sabbaticals and Jubilees

• Q&A

• Letters

Read on Issuu    Download PDF    Read Past Issues Here>> Want a physical copy?

Why do you use the barley to determine the start of the year?

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Q  Why do you use the barley to determine the start of the year? To begin the month, do you use the crescent or full moon? Also, what about the lunar Sabbath belief?

 

A  Support for the barley can be found in the meaning of the word Abib, the name of the first biblical month, and in biblical scholarship.

A reference to the first biblical month is in Deuteronomy 16:1. “Observe the month of Abib….” The word “Abib” refers to young ears of grain: “…from an unused root (meaning to be tender); green, i.e. a young ear of grain; hence, the name of the month Abib or Nisan,” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.

“Month of ear-forming, of greening of crop, of growing green Abib, the month of the Exodus and the Passover (March or April),” Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon.

“…barley that is already ripe, but still soft, the grains of which are eaten either rubbed or roasted,” The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament.

“The name of the month, so called because corn [grain] was then forming in the ear, a few weeks before harvest; falling somewhere about March or April; afterwards called Nisan, the first month of the Hebrew year,” Wilson’s Old Testament Word Studies.

Strictly speaking, the first month, Abib, describes the stage of barley that is in the dough stage or later. The minimum allowance for Abib was a wave sheaf used in bundling or about two dry quarts. Also, since the Bible confirms that the barley precedes the new moon crescent (Exodus 9:31 and 12:2), you must have barley that meets the minimum stage of Abib by the time of the new moon crescent. We reject the idea of projecting the barley in anticipation of the wave sheaf offering.

Because Israel observed the barley from the Holy Land and there is a need for a unified year throughout the globe, we observe the barley in Israel.

Scholarship also supports the use of barley to commence the first biblical month: “…Abib is not properly a name of a month, but part of a descriptive phrase, ‘the month of young ears of grain.’ This may indicate the Israelitish way of determining the new year (Ex 12:2), the year beginning with the new moon nearest or next preceding this stage of the growth of the barley,” International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia. See also New Unger’s Bible Dictionary.

Scripture and scholarship confirm the new moon for the start of the month. The word month, as seen in Exodus 12:2 and Deuteronomy 16:1, comes from the Hebrew chodesh and is defined as “…from OT:2318; the new moon; by implication, a month: -month (-ly), new moon.” OT:2318, chadash, is “a primitive root; to be new; causatively, to rebuild.” Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary used in both definitions.

“The Hebrew or Jewish calendar had three stages of development: the preexilic, or Biblical; the postexilic, or Talmudic; and the post-Talmudic. The first rested solely on observation, the second on observation coupled with calculation, and the third on calculation only. In the first period the priests determined the beginning of each month by the appearance of the new moon,” International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia.

“Originally, the New Moon was not fixed by astronomical calculation, but was solemnly proclaimed after witnesses had testified to the reappearance of the crescent of the moon… By the middle of the fourth century, the sages had established a permanent calendar and the public proclamation of the New Moon was discontinued,” Encyclopaedia Judaica, Vol. 12, p. 1039.

Reckoning the start of the week and Sabbath by the moon is nowhere in the Bible, The week was already in its fourth day of creation before the moon was established to divide day and night, Genesis 1:14-18. Starting a week by the moon results in a partial week at the end of the month. Lunar Sabbaths don’t work in counting out the Feast days. For additional information see our booklet: The Lunar Sabbath Illusion. We show that this belief is nowhere found in the Word and is totally untenable.

Feast Of Tabernacles 2022

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Yahweh’s Restoration Ministry invites you to the 2022 Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) celebration in Holts Summit, Missouri, from the evening of October 11th – 18th. This Feast offers incredible insight into our Father’s plan of salvation for mankind. It represents not only Israel’s 40 years in the wilderness, but prophetically points to the coming Kingdom, when Yahshua the Messiah will govern this earth with His saints, Revelation 20:6.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN

Worship and Activities

Above all, the Feast is a time to worship Almighty Yahweh (Lev. 23:1). There is no greater purpose! To follow this command, we will have daily worship services along with several Bible studies throughout the Feast. We will also have a baptismal service for those seeking immersion into Yahshua’s Name. We will have our traditional Night of Special Music and all are invited to participate. To honor our Father in heaven, we ask that all Feastgoers make an effort to attend each day as this is a commanded, eight-day observance. In addition to the inspiring and informative messages and Bible workshops, we have several activities planned, including field trips, campfires and much more! SEE SCHEDULE HERE>>

Lodging (Prices are for the ENTIRE FEAST)

YRM dorm room $150. (YRM does not reserve specific rooms; they will be assigned as we try to fit as many people in the dorms as possible.)

YRM RV sites with full hookups $125 .

YRM tenting spots on the grounds many of which have access to electric  for a donation of $50 for the entire Feast.

Since there is a limited number of dorm rooms and RV spaces, they are only available to those who stay for the entire eight days of the Feast. Whether you stay on or off YRM facilities, we also ask for a minimum donation of $50 per registration, in addition to the above lodging fees. This donation will be used for food and supplies throughout the Feast. Registrations are final only after receiving both the registration form and lodging/registration donations.

(Please note that smoking is not permitted on assembly grounds, including the campground. If you smoke on YRM’s property, you may be asked to leave)

If you are wanting to visit for the Feast but there are no vacancies, one of these options might suit you well! There are several hotels and parks nearby. Below are a few options with the distance to YRM and associated website attached.

Hotels Near YRM:

Capitol Plaza Hotel – 8.8 Miles Website

Courtyard By Marriott – 9.4 Miles Website

Double Tree By Hilton – 9.9 Miles Website

 

RV Camping Spots Near YRM:

Binder City Campground – 15.5 Miles Website

Osage Campground Retreat – 20.4 Miles Website

Mari Osa Delta Campground – 22.1 Miles Website

Meals

While some meals will be provided by YRM, most meals will be the responsibility of individual feast goers. There are two kitchens available, one in YRM’s main building and a second in the gymnasium. Both kitchens contain several stoves with limited refrigerator and freezer space. Those who use YRM’s kitchens must clean up after themselves, including any pots and pans used to prepare their meals and any messes they create in the fellowship (dining) hall. If they do not, they may forfeit their rights to kitchens. There are also several BBQ grills throughout the camp.

Airport and Bus Connections

Due to the distance from the assembly, visitors flying into Kansas City and St. Louis airports will need to provide their own transportation or schedule a pickup and drop-off by Mo-X shuttle service from the Kansas City and St. Louis airports to the pickup location in Kingdom City. You can reserve a ride online at moexpress.com or by calling (877) 669-4826. If advance notice is given to YRM, the Ministry will provide a shuttle from Kingdom City to Holts Summit. For those taking Greyhound or Amtrak, the closest depot/station is in Jefferson City, MO.

Background Checks

For the safety of the assembly, especially our children, the Ministry will be conducting background checks from SMART for all those 18 years and older. The Ministry reserves the right to request official identification upon arrival.

Dress Code

To ensure proper respect during worship times, and modesty throughout the Feast, we request that the following guidelines be honored: during worship times, men and boys should wear dress shirts and pants. Women and young ladies should wear dresses, skirts that cover the knee or dress pants. If you do not have adequate attire for worship, please come in your best, as we are coming before the King of the Universe. At all times, please avoid immodest shorts, sleeveless, tight or low-cut clothing. Also, women and young ladies should cover their heads during worship and men are to leave their heads uncovered (1Cor. 11:6-7).

Ministry Guidelines

Yahweh’s Restoration Ministry asks all who attend to respect our doctrines, not purposely spread discord, and to follow our Code of Conduct. Our teachings and worship are in the Names Yahweh and Yahshua only. The Feast is a time to worship and to enjoy the company of like-minded believers, not to engage in doctrinal disputes. If you have a different belief from our Statement of Beliefs, we ask that you discuss it with only YRM’s ministers.

We pray that you will make plans NOW to join us for these special times. The time of reflection and spiritual growth during the Feast of Tabernacles will be a blessing for all in attendance! May Yahweh bless you in your desire to serve Him! To make your reservation, please complete and submit a reservation form with your donation.

We will be broadcasting all services during the Feast of Tabernacles. 

Where Have all the Fathers Gone?

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In a time when many men shun the responsibilities of fatherhood, the question is, how necessary is the father in today’s family? One researcher was very surprised to find out. Fathers, front and center!

A university professor set out to write a book showing that single-parent families, meaning those headed

by the mother only, do just as well as two- parent families in rearing children.

She was surprised to find that girls living without fathers at home were twice as likely to drop out of school, were doubly prone to emotional problems, and twice as likely to become pregnant as those families with fathers in the home.

Boys with absentee fathers had a two times greater chance of getting into trouble, especially with the law. In fact, statistics reveal that seven out of ten men in prison today grew up without the regular guidance of their fathers.

 

‘Father Forgive Them’

Beginning in the 1970s when the feminist movement gained popularity, the male in the family and society was increasingly attacked, belittled, and deprecated. Situation comedies would portray the typical father as

a passive, dimwitted dolt who was always being manipulated and outsmarted by his far more clever wife and children. And if he showed some assertiveness, he came across as Archie Bunker-like in his bias and bigotry.

Traditionally the father has been the one to bear the burden of providing stability and corrective training to his children. Yet in recent years fatherhood has been undermined, along with other institutions that for centuries have given moral steadiness to our culture.

In the last 50 years certain forces have tried every conceivable way to dispense with principled and ethical guidelines and Bible-based absolutes. The rallying cry of the 1960s was, “question authority.”

Today we are reaping the results of this relentless attack on traditional beliefs, and particularly on fatherhood as the primary authority in the family.

Increasing numbers of citizens carry weapons for protection because they fear being assaulted by young males who grew up without responsible fathers. We can’t build prisons fast or large enough. Child crime is a growing problem for law enforcement today, along with illegal drugs.

Life is becoming less valued today, and the natural fear of taking another life is waning. How much worse can it get

when seven-year-olds are murdering their playmates? Yahshua prophesied in Matthew 24:12 that because iniquity (sin) would abound the love of many would grow cold.

 

Roots of the Problem

We human beings cannot exist without firm standards of righteousness to guide us. Absolutes are critical, as given by Yahweh in His laws. That in a nutshell is the antidote to the sins and ills of society.

Back at creation in Genesis 2:16-17, Yahweh gave to Adam mankind’s first moral instructions. “And Yahweh Elohim commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden you may freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.”

In a subsequent conversation with Eve, notice how the Adversary responded: “And the serpent said unto the woman, You shall not surely die: For Elohim knows that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as mighty ones, knowing good and evil.” In other words Eve, you must question His authority! Who is He to tell you about right and wrong? It’s a ploy to keep you from becoming wise and powerful like Himself.

The Evil One knew the principle clearly:

take away authority and respect for it and you initiate the destruction of the human race. Yahweh knew it too, and had to deal with their sin quickly and forcefully by shutting them out of the garden and rendering swift punishment.

A deliberate defying of Yahweh and His established limits of behavior was what caused the first man and woman such misery. And it’s the same curse that is destroying us today. Biblical law is ignored by the masses. Morality has suffered as the milk of human kindness has been spoiled. The destructive results are all around us.

As the Bible and laws of morality lose their impact on a culture, the evils and the tribulations of mankind increase proportionately. It is a truth demonstrated repeatedly in declining civilizations throughout history.

But the greater problems of our society are just an extension of serious distresses that have developed in deteriorating families. After all, nations are but a collection of individual families. As families go, so goes the country.

 

Seat of Authority

From the time of Eve’s sin, Yahweh spelled out how headship would function in the family relationship. Notice:

“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in sorrow you shall bring forth children; and your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you,” Genesis 3:16.

Paul confirmed this sacred order in his first letter to the Corinthians:

“But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Messiah; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Messiah is Elohim,” 1Corinthians 11:3.

The significance of the father in the family reaches beyond the fleshly into the spiritual realm. Before the advent of the Levitical priesthood, the father represented the family in worship. He acted as its priest (see Gen. 12:8 and Job 1:5).

Being head of the household, the father had full control over his unmarried children. His word was law. He was the judge. He arranged for their marriages. He could even sell his daughters into slavery if he was in dire financial straits.

Yahweh intended that the last word in the family rests with the husband and father.

 

Makings of a Good Dad

For whatever the reason, many children today are struggling without fathers and the guidance that a righteous father brings to a family. Good fathers are instrumental in instilling in their children clear limits, discipline, and respect for authority in their lives. These are basic to a successful life. Paul writes, “And, you fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of Yahweh,” Ephesians 6:4.

A lack of a moral foundation typically leads a youth into run-ins with the law and other serious behavior problems such as are plaguing us today.

From the beginning of their lives, children need to know their boundaries – and they will constantly test a parent to see just where those limits are.

Parenting is not a part-time job. With only one parent active in the family, the task is doubly difficult.

It is crucial for parents to be well-versed in biblical principles and to practice the principles themselves. In so doing they will not only train their children for success in this world, but more importantly will also prepare them to be worthy of the coming Kingdom.

Children learn best by observing. The hand is a much more effective teacher than the mouth. How often have you heard a misbehaving youngster justify himself with, “But my dad does it!” Never mind that dad has TOLD him differently.

A principle every father and mother must grasp, therefore, is that to teach a child properly they must first set a good example in their own lives. Parents can give their children the best lectures in the world but without practicing what they preach, they are

just working against the teaching. A child may know what is right, but he’ll likely DO just what he sees his parents do. As one saying goes, “The believer must teach the scriptures every day, and sometimes even use words.”

 

Good, Constant Rapport

The evils of this world present some of the most difficult challenges ever faced in the successful upbringing of young people. With the entertainment industry obsessed with glorifying all the sinful and vile sides of life, it’s no wonder that society suffers so many evils.

The internet is today’s teacher and the secular world is the classroom where wayward youths learn to lie, steal, cheat, and solve their problems by pulling a trigger.

For True Believers, the knee-jerk reaction is to remove ourselves from the sources of corruption. But that is only a stop-gap solution. The only way to be totally free of permanent, harmful influences is to live on another planet. Barring that, what can a father do to help ensure that his children mature in the ways and love of Yahweh?

 

The Biblical Solution

Yahweh gave Israel the formula for successful child-rearing:

“And these words [His laws], which I command you this day, shall be in your heart: And you shall teach them diligently unto your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up” (Deut. 6:6-7).

The most effective approach to neutralizing the harmful influences of society on a son or daughter is to be proactive. Anticipate what reactions might be. Counter damaging behavior before it can take hold. Explain good and bad, right and wrong before, not after the deed is done. This is accomplished best in Bible studies and discussions.

As Yahweh directs, a father must take a personal, loving interest in what is happening in the lives of his children. Be genuine. Children can readily sense the difference between sincerity and phoniness.

Talk with your children constantly. Learn what their issues are and give proper solutions. Especially at the dinner table. Explain why certain behavior is wrong.

Rearing a child is a day-in, day-out effort.

It takes unrelenting work and sacrifice. It is not a job for the weak, or the teenage mother who hasn’t grown up herself. Neither is it a once-in-a-while stint whenever the mood hits or a few moments allow. Sacrifice some of your own wants for the sake of your children. Look how Yahshua sacrificed for us.

Absentee parenting will never do the job.

 

Be Positive and Nurturing

Many fathers think discipline entails just a lot of don’ts. Don’t do this. Don’t say that. Don’t go there. Stop that. Don’t give me that attitude.

Positive training, however, provides the opportunity for real spiritual growth. Paul wrote in 1Thessalonians 2:11, “As you know how we exhorted and comforted and a husband and wife, the wife scripturally will defer to her husband.

Our Father in Heaven

Many children for various reasons are being raised in mother-only families. In the absence of a father, the Bible serves well. A loving and morally authoritative Father in heaven can be an effective substitute for an absentee father. In fact, nothing is better than to look to Yahweh as the Heavenly Father over all humanity, and who guides our lives each day as we walk with Him.

Mothers and fathers who use the Bible as the instruction book for life will find that their prospects for successful child rearing will be greatly enhanced. Furthermore, they have the unique opportunity to implant a love of Yahweh that won’t be forgotten. They can give no greater gift.

Consider. We have our children for only about 18 years and then they are gone. That gives us a relatively short time to inspire in them a love for Yahweh. Once past, that opportunity may never come again. How many parents in the faith have wished that they had instilled a love for Yahweh in their children before it became too late! Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

A father and mother with a love for Yahweh will do everything possible to pass on their faith to their offspring. The sooner they get started, the more effective and long-lasting will be the results.

conjunction vs crescent moon

No Moon vs. New Moon – the Conjunction vs. the Visible Crescent

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No Moon vs. New Moon – the Conjunction vs. the Visible Crescent

Does Yahweh set His months and Feasts by the total blackness of the moon? Is that what “lights in the heavens” means?

There is a belief that the biblical month should be set by what is called the conjunction rather than by observation of the lunar crescent. The conjunction is a term that describes the exact alignment of the sun, the moon, and the earth. This alignment creates complete darkness before the moon starts to be visible or waxing. It is called Syzygy in astronomy, from the ancient Greek meaning “yoked together.”

In modern astronomy the term “new moon” entered popular usage to describe this time of total darkness, but this term was never associated with darkness in history. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the new moon as “the first visible crescent of the Moon, after conjunction with the sun.”

This conjunction or darkness is not synonymous with or related in any way to the new moon in Scripture. In fact, how can it even designate a new “moon” if the moon is completely hidden by darkness? To be accurate you would call it a “no moon.” In the Hebrew this darkness (void of any celestial light) is called: chashak חָשַׁךְ and means darkness or obscurity in relation to celestial lights. Notice how Ecclesiastes 12:2 uses it: “…before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark [chashak], and the clouds return after the rain.”

In stark contrast the Torah confirms the exact opposite of darkness as it relates to setting Yahweh’s Holy Days, which is expected, being that “Elohim is light and in Him there is no darkness,” 1John 1:5.

 

Lights in the Sky

Genesis 1:14 uses “lights” to set the appointed times of Yahweh. “And Elohim said, ‘Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred days and years.” Some translations, like the KJV, use the word “seasons.” This is imprecise according to the Hebrew. The Hebrew word here is moed מוֹעֵד and means an appointed time, place or meeting. This means Yahweh’s Sabbath and yearly festivals. The light here in Genesis 1 is maor מָאוֹר and Brown Driver Briggs defines it as: “light, light-bearer, luminary, lamp, of sun and moon.”

Genesis 1:14 provides the purpose of these lights:

1) to separate the day from the night

2) to set the appointed times

3) to set the year

Continuing “…and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth. And it was so. Elohim made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day [sun] and the lesser light to govern the night [moon].”

The year is set at the new moon of the Aviv harvest. Notice: “Observe the month [chodesh חֹדֶשׁ new moon] of Aviv and celebrate the Passover of Yahweh your Elohim, because in the month of Aviv he brought you out of Egypt by night,” Deuteronomy 16:1. As Genesis 1:14 clearly says this maor מָאוֹר “light” sets the year.

Exodus 12:1 asserts the Aviv new moon is the first of the year, shanah: “Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, ‘This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.’ So if we must use light to set Yahweh’s Festivals and years, how then can the darkness of the conjunction work in any way in Yahweh’s calendar?

In fact, this time of dark conjunction can last up to 3.5 days depending on its ecliptic latitude. Modern science calls this an astronomical dark moon. To calculate this “middle darkness” in relation to your position on planet earth without the aid of a telescope would take the mathematic genius of Albert Einstein. To compute this “dark moon” you would need to know the pole orientation in relation to the moon and earth’s orbit based on your geographical location. This is called in astronomy “The apparent place” or the position in space as seen by an observer. Because of physical and geometrical complexities it may differ from the “true” or “geometric” position. This would present an insurmountable technical challenge for the ancient Israelite like David out herding his sheep.

 

Not Rocket Science

So ask yourself, is this how Yahweh would establish his months? Does it need to be so hard that only the U.S. Naval Observatory can figure it out? Ezekiel 46:6 instructs: “On the day of the new moon he is to offer a young bull, six lambs and a ram, all without defect.” Which day would you choose for the new moon if depending on your geographic location you had a choice of up to three and a half nights of darkness to select from?

Yahweh is an Elohim of light not darkness. Unbelievers, wickedness, and darkness are synonymous. “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” 2Corinthians 6:14.

The Apostle Paul journeyed as far as Macedonia for over two years. How would he have calculated this dark moon for the Festival of Yom Teruah or Trumpets? Yahweh makes it easy when all Paul needed to do was witness the first thin crescent of the new moon.

Notice what Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present a food offering to Yahweh.’” Leviticus 23:24. The moon sets the month and on this Feast day we are commanded to keep it on the first day of the seventh month.

 

Simply See It or Not See It

Did Yahweh intend for us to be astronomers using complex mathematic formulas to be able to know when this exact middle-darkness occurs in relation to our geographical location? Of course not. This is a man-made idea that complicates, perverts and adds to the Word. Yahweh’s visible crescent is beautiful in its simplicity requiring uncomplicated sight confirmation.

The new moon is to be “observed” every month. Deuteronomy 16:1: “Observe the month (new moon) of Aviv and celebrate the Passover of Yahweh your Elohim, because in the month of Aviv he brought you out of Egypt by night.” The Hebrew word for observe is shamar שָׁמַר a verb which denotes an action and has the synonymous meaning of keeping, watching and preserving.

This word is a proper noun for “watchmen,” according to Brown Driver Briggs Gesenius. The Holladay Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon defines shamar as “watching in the sense of looking.” Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words includes the definitions “mark, watchman, wait, watch, look narrowly.” The command is to look for, wait for, watch and mark the new moon. It could be translated, “Look carefully for the new moon of Aviv and perform the Pesach in this month…”

Those who hold to dark moon idea try to remove any semblance of “watching,” which is one of the fundamental meanings of this Hebrew word shamar. If we are commanded to “watch for” rather than calculate, then this doctrine falls apart at the seams. Watching for something that isn’t there is senseless.

The argument is that this Hebrew word simply has the meaning of “do.” If this is the case then why is the Hebrew word asah עָשָׂה (do), which is also translated as observe in scripture, not used here in Deuteronomy16?

Shamar has a much more encompassing meaning of observation along with keeping and doing. Exodus 31:16 shows both these words in context in relation to the Sabbath “Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep (shamar) the sabbath, to observe (asah, do) the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.” The Sabbath is kept by watching and observing the sunset and sunrise (the greater light, Genesis 1:14). The true faith is an active faith based on observation on the lights Yahweh made for us. 

 

Ancient Jewish Philosopher Philo Attests to Crescent After Conjunction 

philo philosopher Many historic sources back up how ancient Israel observed the new moon. A Jewish philosopher named Philo of Alexandria (20BCE-50CE) lived during the time of the Messiah. He was Greek-speaking and documented this interesting observation of how the festivals were kept. Amazingly, he even makes a distinction between the conjunction (dark moon) and the new moon!

(The Special Laws) XI. (41)  “The first matter to be considered is that of the Festivals. Now there are ten festivals in number, as the law sets them down. The first is that which any one will perhaps be astonished to hear called a festival. This festival is every day. The second festival is the seventh day, which the Hebrews in their native language call the sabbath. The third is that which comes after the conjunction, which happens on the day of the new moon in each month. The fourth is that of the passover which is called the passover.

“The fifth is the first fruits of the corn—the sacred sheaf. The sixth is the feast of unleavened bread, after which that festival is celebrated, which is really the seventh day of seventh days. The eighth is the festival of the sacred moon, or the feast of trumpets. The ninth is the fast.

“The tenth is the feast of tabernacles, which is the last of all the annual festivals, ending so as to make the perfect number of ten…..XXVI. (140)  Following the order which we have adopted, we proceed to speak of the third festival, that of the new moon. First of all, because it is the beginning of the month, and the beginning, whether of number or of time, is honourable. Secondly, because at this time there is nothing in the whole of heaven destitute of light. Thirdly, because at that period the more powerful and important body gives a portion of necessary assistance to the less important and weaker body; for, at the time of the new moon, the sun begins to illuminate the moon with a light which is visible to the outward senses, and then she displays her own beauty to the beholders. And this is, as it seems, an evident lesson of kindness and humanity to men, to teach them that they should never grudge to impart their own good things to others, but, imitating the heavenly bodies, should drive envy away and banish it from the Soul.”

See reference

 

Ancient New Moon Validations

GamalielThe Mishnah is a collection of Jewish oral traditions written between 20 BCE and 220 CE. It details how the new moon was judged by eye witness observation and how their testimony was scrutinized by the Beth Din בית דין or “house of judgment.” Gamaliel, who was the Apostle Paul’s mentor, and mentioned in scripture notice “But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while” Acts 5:34.  The Mishnah gives this detailed explanation regarding Gamaliel:

“There was a large court in Jerusalem called Beth Ya’azeq, where all the witnesses met, and where they were examined by the Beth Din. Great feasts were made there for (the witnesses) in order to induce them to come frequently. At first they did not stir from there all day (on the Sabbath), 1 till R. Gamaliel, the elder, ordained that they might go two thousand ells on every side; and not only these (witnesses) but also a midwife, going to perform her professional duties, and those who go to assist others in case of conflagration, or against an attack of robbers, or in case of flood, or (of rescuing people) from the ruins (of a fallen building) are considered (for the time being) as inhabitants of that place, and may go (thence on the Sabbath) two thousand ells on every side. How were the witnesses examined? The first pair were examined first. The elder was introduced first, and they said to him: Tell us in what form thou sawest the moon; was it before or behind the sun? Was it to the north or the south (of the sun)? What was its elevation on the horizon? Towards which side was its inclination? What was the width of its disk? If he answered before the sun, his evidence was worthless. After this they introduced the younger (witness) and he was examined; if their testimony was found to agree, it was accepted as valid; the remaining pairs (of witnesses) were asked leading questions, not because their testimony was necessary, but only to prevent them departing, disappointed, and to induce them to come again often,”

In the Talmud, the Gemara (350-400CE) then references this part of the Mishnah:

Gemara: “Do not the questions (asked by the Mishna), ‘was it before or behind the sun?’ and ‘was it to the north or to the south?’ mean the same thing? Answered Abayi: (the Mishna asks) whether the concave of the crescent was before or behind the sun, and if (the witness said) it was before the sun, his evidence was worthless, for R. Johanan says: What is the meaning of the passage [Job, xxv. 2]: ‘Dominion and fear are with him; he maketh peace in his high places?’ It means that the sun never faces the concave of the crescent or the concave of a rainbow.

“What was its elevation on the horizon? Towards which side was its inclination?  In one Boraitha we have learned: If (the witness) said ‘towards the north,’ his evidence was valid, but if he said, ‘towards the south,’ it was worthless; in another Boraitha we have learned the reverse. It presents no difficulty; in the latter case it speaks of the summer, while in the former it refers to the winter.

“The rabbis taught: If one (witness) said its elevation appeared about as high as two ox-goads and another said about as high as three, their testimony was invalid, but either might be taken in conjunction with a subsequent witness (who offered similar testimony). The rabbis taught (If the witnesses say): ‘We have seen the reflection (of the moon) in the water, or through a metal mirror, or in the clouds,’ their testimony is not to be accepted; or (if they say we have seen) ‘half of it in the water, and half of it in the heavens, or half of it in the clouds,’ their evidence carries no weight. Must they then see the new moon again (before their testimony can be accepted)? Said Abayi: ‘By this is meant that if the witnesses testify that they saw the moon accidentally, and they then returned purposely and looked for it, but they saw it not, their evidence is worthless.’ Why so? Because one might say they saw a patch of white clouds (and they thought it was the moon).”

See reference

 

Gamaliel’s Moon Chart

Even Gamaliel had a chart on his wall showing the various moon stages used in questioning would be new moon observers:

Mishna: “R. Gamaliel had on a tablet, and on a wall of his upper room, illustrations of the various phases of the moon, which he used to show to the common people, saying: ‘Did you see the moon like this figure or like this?’” See https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/tractate-rosh-hashana-chapter-2

From the Midrash we read, “On the first of Nissan, the moon begins to illuminate. As the days continue, her luminosity increases, until the 15th day, when her disk is full… Likewise is Israel. Fifteen generations from Abraham until Solomon; Abraham began illuminating… with Solomon, the moon’s disk was filled.”

See reference

 

The Jewish Encyclopedia explains how the Samaritans tried to confuse the Jews by lighting false signal fires during the sighting and consecration of the new moon.

“Under the patriarchate of Rabbi Judah I., surnamed ‘the Holy’ (163-193), the Samaritans, in order to confuse the Jews, set up fire-signals at improper times, and thus caused the Jews to fall into error with regard to the day of the new moon. Rabbi Judah accordingly abolished the fire-signals and employed messengers. The inhabitants of countries who could not be reached by messengers before the feast were accordingly in doubt, and used to celebrate two days of the holidays. By this time the fixing of the new moon according to the testimony of witnesses seems to have lost its importance, and astronomical calculations were in the main relied upon.”

 

Calculated to Break with Judaism

One of the important figures in the history of the calendar was Samuel (born about 165, died about 250), surnamed “Yarḥinai” because of his familiarity with the moon. He was an astronomer, and it was said that he knew the courses of the heavens as well as the streets of his city (Ber. 58b). He was director of a school in Nehardea (Babylonia), and while there arranged a calendar of the feasts in order that his fellow-countrymen might be independent of Judea. He also calculated the calendar for sixty years. His calculations greatly influenced the subsequent calendar of Hillel. According to Bartolocci his tables are preserved in the Vatican. A contemporary of his, R. Adda (born 183), also left a work on the calendar.”

By 300 CE the original spotting of the new moon by the Sanhedrin was replaced by calculation.

“Under the patriarchate of Rabbi Judah III. (300-330) the testimony of the witnesses with regard to the appearance of the new moon was received as a mere formality, the settlement of the day depending entirely on calculation. This innovation seems to have been viewed with disfavor by some members of the Sanhedrin, particularly Rabbi Jose, who wrote to both the Babylonian and the Alexandrian communities, advising them to follow the customs of their fathers and continue to celebrate two days, an advice which was followed, and is still followed, by the majority of Jews living outside of Palestine.

See reference

 

It is evident that during the time of the second Temple period and before, visual observation of the new moon was taken very seriously. Man’s adding to the Word and using calculations for the calendar starting with the dark moon came into vogue later with Hillel II, 300 years after the death of the Messiah.

If you desire to return to the scriptural paths of True Worship (Jer. 6:16), then join us every month as we commemorate the new moon crescent. yrm.org/new-moon-network

 

Should I take the COVID-19 (mRNA/RNA) Vaccine?

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Q     My employer is asking myself and my co-workers to get the COVID vaccine. I might lose my job if I don’t get it. What does the Bible say about vaccines?

A     The Bible does not actually mention “Vaccines” per se, as they did not exist at the time. However, the bible does give us instructions on how we are to treat our body. For example:

1 Corinthians 3:17: If anyone destroys Elohim’s temple, Elohim will destroy that person; for Elohim’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

This is reiterated again…

1 Corinthians 6:19-20:Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from Elohim, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify Elohim in your body and in your spirit, which are Elohim’s.

If our body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit, how was the temple treated when it stood?

Haggai 2:9: ‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says Yahweh of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares Yahweh of hosts.

Our bodies, ie. The Temple of the Holy Spirit is of even greater value to the Father than the physical temple that was adorned in all it’s glory.

1 Kings 6:7: The house, while it was being built, was built of stone prepared at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built.

The original Temple was built without man made tools, our bodies being the temple now, are to be maintained in much the same way.  Obviously there are certain “Ox in the ditch” situations” where medical intervention is required to save ones life. But in the case of vaccines like the mRNA Covid vaccine, the survival rate of a healthy person who is taking proper care of his or her temple is over 99%. Not exactly an “Ox in the ditch situation”.

Besides that, the long term ramifications are completely unknown for the Covid “Vaccine”.

On Oct 27th 2021 in a 17-0 vote the FDA approved Covid vaccines for children ages 5-11. What did they say about the safety of these vaccines on children? (Children have been practically UNAFFECTED by the Covid virus since it’s onset in early 2020).

“We’re never gonna learn about how safe the vaccine is until we start giving it. That’s just the way it goes. This is how we found out about rare complications of other vaccines.”

Far too many in the medical establishment have no idea how this will affect children. They are gambling with the lives of our most precious gift. Our children.

If our temples were bought with a price, and our children are a gift from the Father Yahweh (Psalm 127:3) then we have no business giving an untested, experimental drug to our children.

We have a duty to protect out children, we have a duty to protect our temple.

On top of the listed concerns there is the elephant in the room, “What if the Vaccine is the mark of the beast?”  This question being asked with increased frequency, why? Well, it continues to check the required boxes for what the mark would be. Also, we see a growing animosity towards those who choose NOT to get vaccinated. Calls for exile, removal from commerce, even death of those who refuse to get the vaccine.

While we cannot say 100% that this vaccine is indeed the mark, it certainly is not a slouch in trying to be.

One of the largest concerns is the long term effects of this injection. The average vaccine typically contains a small amount of the dead virus you are trying to build immunity against. These vaccines are different, these mRNA vaccines have never been used before. Those who do get it are not only still susceptible to the virus, but can also spread it even more potently. These mRNA vaccines are also known to alter the DNA that is in our bodies.

We look at the DNA in our bodies as the building blocks for our temple. We are all  made in the image of Yahweh, so we have a major concern if there is a vaccine that alters the very building blocks of our temple.

Biblical reasons aside, legally, your employer does NOT have the legal right to demand you get vaccinated, no matter what they claim.

The law states that a person’s activities – what activities they participate in, and what activities they refrain from, are a part of one’s religious expression.
“Religious creed,” “religion,” “religious observance,” “religious belief,” and “creed” include all aspects of religious belief, observance, and practice that are part of an individual observing a religious creed.

Taking a Covid test or a vaccine, or wearing any sort of face covering or shield is an affront to a believer’s sincerely held religious beliefs.
It doesn’t matter whether or not the vaccines are under an emergency use authorization or gain complete FDA approval.

Title VII defines “religion” to include “all aspects of religious observance and practice as well as belief,” not just practices that are mandated or prohibited by a tenet of the individual’s faith. Religion includes not only traditional, organized religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism, but also religious beliefs that are new, uncommon, not part of a formal church or sect, only subscribed to by a small number of people, or that seem illogical or unreasonable to others. Further, a person’s religious beliefs “need not be confined in either source or content to traditional or parochial concepts of religion.” A belief is “religious” for Title VII purposes if it is “religious” in the person’s “own scheme of things,” i.e., it is a “sincere and meaningful” belief that “occupies a place in the life of its possessor parallel to that filled by . . . Elohim.” The Supreme Court has made it clear that it is not a court’s role to determine the reasonableness of an individual’s religious beliefs, and that “religious beliefs need not be acceptable, logical, consistent, or comprehensible to others in order to merit First Amendment protection.” An employee’s belief, observance, or practice can be “religious” under Title VII even if the employee is affiliated with a religious group that does not espouse or recognize that individual’s belief, observance, or practice, or if few – or no – other people adhere to it.

Some people may not have been aware that many of these vaccines have been cultured in aborted fetal tissue and carry the DNA of a male aborted baby. This is appalling to any believer.

The idea that a believer must partake of this vaccines has major implications not only biblically but legally as well. We each have a responsibility to our temple and to our Father in heaven to fight these things will all our strength.

 

Restoration Times March – April 2022

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In this issue of the Restoration Times we discuss:

• Passover – the Memorial for Salvation

• How Passover Became Passed Over

• You Say Yahweh’s Name in Every Breath

• Is the ‘Immortal Soul’ Biblical?

• Q&A

• Letters

Read on Issuu    Download PDF    Read Past Issues Here>> Want a physical copy?

Breathing the Name Yahweh

Breathing the Name Yahweh

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Is it possible that with every breath you take you are breathing the name Yahweh? It has been said the Jewish sages associated the name with breath. The uniqueness of this two syllable form YaH-WeH can indeed be breathed, try it. Inhale “Yah” and exhale “weh,” or you can exhale Yah and inhale weh. The yod, heh, and waw (which make up the Tetragrammaton) are semivowel letters in Hebrew, commonly called matres lectionis, from the Latin “mothers of reading” and are consonants that are used as vowels. In Biblical Hebrew they are used for the unchangeable vowel combinations in Masoretic vowel pointing.

Ancient Jewish historian Flavius Josephus backs this up in his description of the inscription on the miter of the high priest: “A mitre also of fine linen encompassed his head, which was tied by a blue ribbon, about which there was another golden crown, in which was engraven the sacred name: it consists of four vowels,” The Wars of the Jews, 5.235. Could Josephus be indicating the name is an onomatopoeia (formation of a word from the sound associated with it)? I’m pretty convinced he is. I am also convinced they considered yod, heh, and waw as matres lectionis and I believe the Hebrew tells the story.

Vowels are spoken with the open mouth and to inhale and exhale air you must open your mouth. It is no accident that the Tetragrammaton is made up of semi-vowel letters.

Yahweh told Moses in response to his question, what shall I call You, in Exodus 3:14 said: “I Am that I Am.” I Am is from the verb of existence HaYah in Hebrew, which means to become, come to pass, as well as sustain. His name is attributed to life. Our very sustenance is the air we breathe. Maybe this is why David wrote: “I will bless Yahweh at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalms 34:1. To breathe is the very essence of life. Yahweh’s Holy Spirit is called the Ruach HaKodesh in Hebrew. Ruach literally means breath, wind or spirit.

Yahweh’s very breath filled life into the lungs of man, Genesis 2:7; 7:22.

In Psalm 150:6 Scripture says: “Let every thing that hath breath praise Yah. HalleluYah.” Psalm 150:6 retains the short form Yah in the Masoretic text. It is vowel pointed to “Yah” (yod, qamets, heh) twice in the text. The final heh in Yah contains a mappiq dot indicating the heh is to be pronounced as a full aspirated consonant “YaH,” rather than just the qamets vowel “Ya,” adding the breathy “h” sound to Yahh.

Many rabbis know the importance of the Tetragrammaton YHWH in relation to breath. The Jewish prayer book, the Siddur, teaches, “Nishmat kol chai tivarekh et-shimcha, YHWH elohenu” — “The breathing of all life, praises your Name, YHWH our Elohim.”

This is yet another proof of why the simplicity of the two-syllable name Yah-weh is authentic and why so many of the complex three-syllable variations cannot be breathed. In Genesis 2:7 Yahweh breathed into Adam the breath of life and made him live. “Nishmat khayyim (breath of life).” Khayyim is represented in the popular Chai symbol of the two Hebrew letters Het-yod, popular among Jews in the land of Israel and worn as necklaces symbolizing life.

Recall the phrase in the movie Fiddler on the Roof: “to life to life l’chaim.” In Jeremiah 23:36 we see the Hebrew phrase “Elohim khayyim Yahweh sebaowth Elohenu” or “Elohim of the living, Yahweh of Hosts our Elohim.”

Pronounce the tetragrammaton the way it is written: YHWH. Notice you can actually pronounce the name with just the four letters. It really is quite amazing! You really don’t even need the vowels to say the name. This is the beauty of these aspirate consonants that make up the name and how fascinating Yahweh’s name really is. From the first man Adam till now, no matter your religion, if you believe in the Bible, or an Atheist, the name of Yahweh will be on every ones lips until your last breath.

Does Gav Prove the Vav?

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Nehemiah Gordon claims that the Hebrew word “gav” holds the key that unlocks the true pronunciation of the sixth letter waw, which almost all Hebrew linguists (including those at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem) believe anciently had a “w” sound. If he can prove that the sixth letter, also known as the vav was pronounced anciently as a “v,” then his claim that Yehovah, (Jehovah) holds more weight over the traditional scholarly consensus of the pronunciation Yahweh. His claim is that these two Hebrew words, one spelled with the soft bet “gav,” and the other spelled with waw “gaw,” clearly prove that this sixth letter had the original sound of “v.” He believes these two words are interchangeable, so according to him this is a major discovery that should rock the scholarly word to its core. Gordon has a history of speaking in hyperbole but in this case does he have validity?

According to Gordon: “The word for back in Hebrew is gav and gav can be written with a soft bet or with a vav, and the only way that can happen is if the soft bet and the vav have the same pronunciation.” So Gordon believes that this is proof of two variant spellings of the same word, back, and not two variant spellings of two different words.

The word Gav גַּב 1354  spelled with the soft bet (without the dagesh) occurs 13 times in the Hebrew Bible and only translates to mean “back” one time, in Ezekiel 10:12.  The 12 other various translations of gav are mound, rim of a wheel, embossed shield, arch of eye, dome roof, and various meanings of something “rounded.” It would make sense that this word could be used used for back as well, since the human back can curve and be round.

The other Hebrew word Gaw גַּו 1458 spelled with the “waw” or commonly called “vav” in modern Hebrew, occurs three times, 1 Kings 14:9, Nehemiah 9:26, and Ezekiel 23:35. In every occurrence of this word it means just “back.” It seems pretty clear from the translations and the word root that gav and gaw are two distinct words with two distinct meanings.

We reached out to the Hebrew University language department regarding Gordon’s claims regarding the Gav-Gaw connection since he claims this is such an amazing and earth shaking discovery. Professor Adina Moshavi commented:

“I completely agree that the גב/גו alternation is not an adequate proof to the contrary. I have not looked into this issue, but I see that the lexicons derive the two words from different roots, implying that the phonetic identity of the two words in Tiberian Hebrew is not significant,” Adina Moshavi, PhD, Hebrew Language Department, Hebrew University, Jerusalem. More about Professor Moshavi

We also reached out to Steven Fassberg, PhD, professor at the Hebrew University and one of the world’s foremost experts in the Hebrew language and the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls in Israel. Regarding the gav-gaw question he replied: “gb (gav) is from the root gbb and gw (gaw) is from the root gww. Both are well attested roots in Semitic.” He continues…“There is no doubt whatsoever that vav was pronounced w in the Hebrew of the First Temple period and in Semitic languages.”

We also asked Professor Elitzur Bar-Asher Siegal of the Hebrew University the same question and here was his response:

“Thank you for your question. There is no doubt that the original pronunciation was w There is some evidence that in some early Hebrew dialects there was a sound shift of w>v. There are two different prepositions go – inside and gab > on top.” Elitzur Bar-Asher Siegal, PhD, Department of Hebrew Language, Hebrew University, Jerusalem

So if both of these words are from different roots according to the lexicon and to some of the best Hebrew experts in the world, then how can Gordon claim that they are a variation of the same word? Is Gordon ignorant of these Hebrew word roots? Is he willingly misleading people? To make these outlandish claims one can only assume one or the other.

We could also use such flawed reasoning, let me give you an example. Lets look at the Hebrew words שָׂחַק sachaq “to laugh” 7832 and צְחַק 6711 tzchaq “to Laugh.” Both have different roots but similar sounds. So with the same logic used by Gordon, does this mean that the letters Sin (s) and the Tzade (ts) have the same pronunciation just because the sounds of these letters are similar? Is this some cutting-edge find that should implode Biblical Hebrew as we know it? Of course not, that would be ridiculous.

Gordon had made a challenge to prove the waw sound has a “w” sound. He said: “Can you please show me your manuscripts with the “w” pronunciation?” This is not hard to do. If you understand how the language works and how contractions work, we can easily prove the waw sound as a “w” literally hundreds of times in the Hebrew Bible through contraction. When a word contracts, as happens with many words, it gets easier to say as fewer letters and sounds are typically used.

Let’s look at the Hebrew word, Avihu אָבִ֖יהוּ which means “his father” in Judges 14:10. It contracts to Aviw אָבִ֣יו “his father,” as found in in Judges 14:3. Notice in the contracted form the heh (h sound) has been dropped and the Shureq vowel letter וּ (which has the sound of “u” as in ruler) contracts to a consonantal waw ו and loses the niqqud dot. Now pronounce Avihu in it’s contracted form without the “h” Aviu. The softer sound of w is now vocalized. You could phonetically spell it Aviw with the double u. This occurs 220 times from Genesis to Chronicles and clearly proves the sound of the “waw” anciently is tied to the “w” or “double u” sound of the וּ Shureq. The use of the letter waw in connection with the “o” vowel sound as in Shalom שָׁלוֹם is no accident. When pronounced fast you can hear that “w” sound in the word—try it, say Shalom several times rapidly (shalom, shalom, shalom, shalom)…hear that “w” sound? The lips are in the same position when making an “O” (וֹ‎)   “U” (וּ)‎  or “W” (ו‎) sound but not with the “v” fricative sound which needs the upper teeth and lower lip engaged. The v in Hebrew is not tied to the waw letter ו‎ at all in biblical Hebrew but to the letter bet in Hebrew. The Bet has the sound of B with the dagesh dot בּ and V sound ב without the dagesh. The sounds B and V are very similar.

We can also see this with the word for brother, Akihu אָחִ֖יהוּ found in Jeremiah 34:9, contracted down to Akhiyw אָחִ֨יו where the heh is removed contracting the “hu” sound to the simple double U “w” sound in Jeremiah 34:14. This contraction also is seen hundreds of times in the Masoretic text. Now try saying Akihu several times really fast and you will hear the W sound in Akhiyw.

In our correspondence Professor Moshavi goes into greater detail regarding the connection to the “U” sound and why the waw could only be a semivowel, not a consonant like the v. She says: “I believe there are many ways to demonstrate that the waw was not originally pronounced as a bilabial ‘v’ as it is in Tiberian Hebrew. The fact that the waw is frequently used as a mater lectionis for a long u sound would be impossible to explain if it was pronounced v, like the bet rafeh, rather as the semivowel w. Furthermore, there are many Hebrew words where a historical dipthong aw, as evidenced from Semitic cognates, has been reduced to a long vowel, e.g., in hiphil perfect of w-initial verbs hawrid > horid ‘he brought down,’ or in the word yawm > yom ‘day.’ and alternations between a dipthong and a long vowel, e.g.,absolute , awwet vs. construct mot ‘death.’  Such correspondences are only understandable if the phonetic value of the waw was a semivowel,” Adina Moshavi, PhD.

With so much evidence at our fingertips it is hard to comprehend how so many can believe Gordon’s false claims regarding the Waw vs. Vav debate. The information discussed is just another proof that the name Yahweh is not just ancient, but it also fits the rules of Hebrew grammar and cutting-edge linguistics.