|
|
Ministry ofElijah’s Message |
*The original sacred names of the Father and
of His Son have been restored.
Night 1, [Thursday sundown]:
Matthew 26:19-21
And the Disciples did as Yahushua had appointed them; and they made ready the Passover. Now when the even was come, He sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, He said, “Truly I say to you, that one of you shall betray Me.”
Passover is not a 24 hour period. It is a
celebration on a fixed day, being, “In the fourteenth day of the first month at
even is Yahweh's passover. And on the fifteenth
day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Yahweh: seven
days ye must eat unleavened bread.” Leviticus 23:5-6
That
year Passover came on Thursday, of the Gregorian calendar, lasting from sundown
Thursday night through sundown Friday night. Passover is not a Sabbath. The
first Sabbath, however, of the Feast of Unleavened Bread [the day following
Passover] started that year at sundown Friday and ended sundown Saturday, thus
because the feast day Sabbath was on a seventh-day Sabbath it was called a High
Sabbath.
Matthew 26:31
[After celebrating Passover] Then Yahushua said to them, “All of you shall be offended because of Me this night [still Thursday night] for it is written, ‘I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.’”
Matthew 26:36
Then came Yahushua
with them to a place called
Matthew 26:44-46
And He left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then He came to His disciples, and said to them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that does betray me.”
Matthew 26:47
And while He yet spoke [still Thursday night], lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.
Matthew 26:57
And they that had laid hold on Yahushua led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
Matthew 26:65
Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.
“Everything worn by the priest was to be whole and without blemish. By those beautiful official garments was represented the character of the great antitype, *Yahushua Messiah. Nothing but perfection, in dress and attitude, in word and spirit, could be acceptable to *Elohim. He is holy, and His glory and perfection must be represented by the earthly service. Nothing but perfection could properly represent the sacredness of the heavenly service. Finite man might rend his own heart by showing a contrite and humble spirit. This *Elohim would discern. But no rent must be made in the priestly robes, for this would mar the representation of heavenly things. The high priest who dared to appear in holy office, and engage in the service of the sanctuary, with a rent robe, was looked upon as having severed himself from *Elohim. By rending his garment he cut himself off from being a representative character. He was no longer accepted by *Elohim as an officiating priest. This course of action, as exhibited by Caiaphas, showed human passion, human imperfection.
By rending his garments, Caiaphas made of no effect the law of *Elohim, to follow the tradition of men. A man-made law provided that in case of blasphemy a priest might rend his garments in horror at the sin, and be guiltless. Thus the law of *Elohim was made void by the laws of men.
Each action of the high priest was watched with interest by the people; and Caiaphas thought for effect to display his piety. But in this act, designed as an accusation against *Messiah, he was reviling the One of whom *Elohim had said, "My name is in Him." Ex. 23:21. He himself was committing blasphemy. Standing under the condemnation of *Elohim, he pronounced sentence upon *Messiah as a blasphemer.
When Caiaphas
rent his garment, his act was significant of the place that the Jewish nation,
as a nation, would thereafter occupy toward *Elohim.
The once favored people of *Elohim were separating
themselves from Him, and were fast becoming a people disowned by *Yahweh. When
*Messiah upon the cross cried out, "It is finished" (John 19:30), and
the veil of the temple was rent in twain, the Holy Watcher declared that the
Jewish people had rejected Him who was the antitype of all their types, the
substance of all their shadows.
Matthew 27:1-2
When the morning [Friday, Day 1] came, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Yahushua to put Him to death: And when they had bound Him, they led Him away, and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
Matthew 27:21-25
The governor answered and said to them, Which of the two will you have me release to you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate said to them, What shall I do then with Yahushua which is called Messiah? They all say to him, “Let him be crucified.” And the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified.” When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just person: you see to it.” Then answered all the people, and said, “His blood be on us, and on our children.” (This is the prophetic or figurative “ heart of the earth” of which Yahushua spoke saying, “so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”)
HEART = kardia, Greek 2588, Strong’s
kardia, kar-dee'-ah; prolonged from a primary kar (Latin cor, “heart”); the heart, i.e. (figurative) the thoughts or feelings (mind); also (by analogy) the middle :- (+ broken-) heart (-ed).
EARTH = ge, Greek 1093, Strong’s
ge, ghay; contrete from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe (including the occupants in each application) :- country, earth (-ly), ground, land, world.
For
three days and three nights Messiah would allow Himself to be given up to the
authority and power of men (heart; i.e. minds) in the middle of the earth,
(i.e.,
Then the soldiers of the governor took Yahushua into the common hall, and gathered unto Him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped Him, and put on Him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed in His right hand: and they bowed the knee before Him, and mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon Him, and took the reed, and smote Him on the head. And after they had mocked Him, they took the robe off from Him, and put His own raiment on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.
Matthew 27:45-49
Now from the sixth hour [on Friday afternoon] there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Yahushua cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”, that is to say, My Eloi, My Eloi, why hast Thou forsaken Me?
Yahushua, when He
had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up His Spirit. [Yahushua
died about 3 P.M., See Mk 15:34-37] And, behold, the veil of the temple was
torn in two from the top to the bottom [the curtain that separated the Holy
from the Most Holy Place. Access to the
Matthew 27:57-60
When the [Friday] even came, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Yahushua's disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Yahushua. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
John 19:42
There laid they Yahushua therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for
the sepulchre was close by.
Night 2
[Friday Sundown]
Luke 23:56-24:3
And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day [Day 2] according to the commandment.
Matthew 27:62-64
Now the next day [Sabbath], that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together to Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while He was yet alive, “After three days I will rise again.” Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night, and steal Him away, and say to the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.”
Matthew 27:65-28:6
Pilate said to them, “You have a watch: go your way, make it as secure as you can.” So they went, and made the sepulchre secure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
Night 3
[Saturday sundown]
Matthew 28:1-6
“In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week [Sunday morning, Day 3], came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of Yahweh descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said to the women, “Fear not: for I know that you seek Yahushau, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Master laid.”
“Early in His ministry Christ had said,
"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." In the
figurative language of prophecy, He had thus foretold His own death and
resurrection. "He spake of the
temple of His body." John 2:19, 21. These words the Jews had
understood in a literal sense, as referring to the temple at
“"And He sighed
deeply in His spirit, and saith, Why
doth this generation seek after a sign?" "There shall no sign be
given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas." As Jonah was three days
and three nights in the belly of the whale, Christ was to be the same time
"in the heart of the earth." And as the preaching of Jonah was a sign
to the Ninevites, so Christ's preaching was a sign to
His generation. But what a contrast in the reception of the word! The people of
the great heathen city trembled as they heard the warning from God. Kings and
nobles humbled themselves; the high and the lowly together cried to the God of
heaven, and His mercy was granted unto them. "The men of
Every miracle that Christ performed was a sign of His divinity. He was doing the very work that had been foretold of the Messiah; but to the Pharisees these works of mercy were a positive offense. The Jewish leaders looked with heartless indifference on human suffering. In many cases their selfishness and oppression had caused the affliction that Christ relieved. Thus His miracles were to them a reproach.
That which led the Jews to reject the Saviour's work was the highest evidence of His divine character. The greatest significance of His miracles is seen in the fact that they were for the blessing of humanity. The highest evidence that He came from God is that His life revealed the character of God. He did the works and spoke the words of God. Such a life is the greatest of all miracles.” {DA 406}
“Then He goes on to illustrate
the manner of their unbelief, and the consequences that would come upon them.
He said: "The men of
“The people were comparatively innocent. They were impressed by the divine authority of *Yahushua; but with them the influence of the priests and rulers was paramount. They regarded Christ's mission as an innovation, and questioned His right to interfere with what was permitted by the authorities of the temple. They were offended because the traffic had been interrupted, and they stifled the convictions of the Holy Spirit.
Above all others the priests and rulers should have seen in *Yahushua the anointed of *Yahweh; for in their hands were the sacred scrolls that described His mission, and they knew that the cleansing of the temple was a manifestation of more than human power. Much as they hated *Yahushua, they could not free themselves from the thought that He might be a prophet sent by God to restore the sanctity of the temple. With a deference born of this fear, they went to Him with the inquiry, "What sign showest Thou unto us, seeing that Thou doest these things?"
*Yahushua had shown them a sign. In flashing light into their hearts, and in doing before them the works which the Messiah was to do, He had given convincing evidence of His character. Now when they asked for a sign, He answered them by a parable, showing that He read their malice, and saw to what lengths it would lead them. "Destroy this temple," He said, "and in three days I will raise it up."
In these words His meaning
was twofold. He referred not only to the destruction of the Jewish temple and
worship, but to His own death,--the destruction of the temple of His body. This
the Jews were already plotting. As the priests and rulers returned to the
temple, they had proposed to kill *Yahushua, and thus
rid themselves of the troubler. Yet when He set
before them their purpose, they did not understand Him. They took His words as
applying only to the temple at
Christ did not design that
His words should be understood by the unbelieving Jews, nor
even by His disciples at this time. He knew that they would be misconstrued by
His enemies, and would be turned against Him. At His trial they would be
brought as an accusation, and on
upon them sorrow which as yet they were not able to bear. And an explanation would prematurely disclose to the Jews the result of their prejudice and unbelief. Already they had entered upon a path which they would steadily pursue until He should be led as a lamb to the slaughter.
It was for the sake of those who should believe on Him that these words of Christ were spoken. He knew that they would be repeated. Being spoken at the Passover, they would come to the ears of thousands, and be carried to all parts of the world. After He had risen from the dead, their meaning would be made plain. To many they would be conclusive evidence of His divinity.
Because of their spiritual darkness, even the disciples of *Yahushua often failed of comprehending His lessons. But many of these lessons were made plain to them by subsequent events. When He walked no more with them, His words were a stay to their hearts.
As referring to the temple
at
Since the whole ritual economy was symbolical of Christ, it had no value apart from Him. When the Jews sealed their rejection of Christ by delivering Him to death, they rejected all that gave significance to the temple and its services. Its sacredness had departed. It was doomed to destruction. From that day sacrificial offerings and the service connected with them were meaningless. Like the offering of Cain, they did not express faith in the Saviour. In putting Christ to death, the Jews virtually destroyed their temple. When Christ was crucified, the inner veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom, signifying that the great final sacrifice had been made, and that the system of sacrificial offerings was forever at an end.
"In three days I will raise it up." In the Saviour's death the powers of darkness seemed to prevail, and they exulted in their victory. But from the rent sepulcher of Joseph, *Yahushua came forth a conqueror. "Having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them." Col. 2:15. By virtue of His death and resurrection He became the minister of the "true tabernacle, which *Yahweh pitched, and not man." Heb. 8:2. Men reared the Jewish tabernacle; men builded the Jewish temple; but the sanctuary above, of which the earthly was a type, was built by no human architect. "Behold the Man whose name is The Branch; . . . He shall build the temple of *Yahweh; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne." Zech. 6:12, 13.
The sacrificial service that had pointed to Christ passed away; but the eyes of men were turned to the true sacrifice for the sins of the world. The earthly priesthood ceased; but we look to *Yahushua, the minister of the new covenant, and "to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." "The way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: . . . but Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, . . . by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." Heb. 12:24; 9:8-12.
"Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." Heb. 7:25. Though the ministration was to be removed from the earthly to the heavenly temple; though the sanctuary and our great high priest would be invisible to human sight, yet the disciples were to suffer no loss thereby. They would realize no break in their communion, and no diminution of power because of the Saviour's absence. While *Yahushua ministers in the sanctuary above, He is still by His Spirit the minister of the church on earth. He is withdrawn from the eye of sense, but His parting promise is fulfilled, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Matt. 28:20. While He delegates His power to inferior ministers, His energizing presence is still with His church.
"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, . . . *Yahushua, the Son of *Elohim, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Heb 4:14-16.”
“Everyone who is transgressing and is not staying in the teaching of Messiah does not possess Elohim. The one who stays in the teaching of Messiah possesses both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house nor greet him, for he who greets him shares in his wicked work.”
As we see the Lamb of Yah
has made the final Great Sacrifice and is now ministering for us, as our High
Priest in the
“All are to be judged according to the things written in the books, and to be rewarded as their works have been. This judgment does not take place at death.
In the typical service the
high priest, having made the atonement for
A few, yes, only a few, of the vast number who people the earth will be saved unto life eternal, while the masses who have not perfected their souls in obeying the truth will be appointed to the second death.
While the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among *Elohim's people upon earth.” {FLB 213}
For what purpose, then,
would it serve to reinstate animal sacrifices in an earthly temple made by
inferior man?
Home Next: The Rebuilding of the Temple and the Levitical Priesthood.