The War Messiah
The Torah gives us a glimpse of King Messiah coming as a warrior-priest, wielding supernatural weapons, and fighting the wars of God.
Moses raised an army of twelve thousand Israelites and sent them to make war on the Midianites. He also sent Phinehas into battle along with several holy items.
Moses sent them, a thousand from each tribe, to the war, and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war with them. (Numbers 31:6)
Although Phinehas led the army into the battle, he was not the high priest. His father Eleazar had the office of the high priesthood, but the Talmud refers to Phinehas as one “Anointed for War (Meshuach Milchamah, משוח מלחמה).” We might also translate the term as “War Messiah.” The “Anointed for War” was a priest that marched out with the armies of Israel and served as their intercessor and representative of the Almighty on the battlefield.
Typically, the Anointed for War was not the high priest but a deputy of the high priest. As the army prepared for war, the priest designated as Anointed for War rallied the soldiers, encouraged them, emboldened them, prayed over them, and accompanied them to the battlefield (see Deuteronomy 20).
The “Anointed for War” alludes to King Messiah who will take the battlefield like David His father and fight the wars of the LORD. He fights with supernatural weapons: “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6). The Almighty anoints Him with the Spirit of power to overcome the enemies of Israel.
The Torah says that Phinehas brought “the holy vessels and the trumpets for the alarm” with him into battle. The supernatural weapons prevailed in the battle.
What are “the holy vessels”? Jewish tradition explains that Phinehas carried the high priest’s breastpiece with the Urim and the Thummim in them so that the army could consult with the Almighty on the field of battle. The Talmud explains that the “holy vessels” refers to “the ark with the tablets which were in it.” The ark represented the presence of God on the battlefield. When the ark would set out, Moses said, “Rise up, O LORD! And let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You” (Numbers 10:35).
Phinehas also carried the silver trumpets created for rallying the nation and sounding the battle cry. The trumpets invoke the coming of Messiah when “a great shofar will be blown” (Isaiah 27:13). Psalm 110 depicts the Messiah as both priest and warrior. He is the priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” but He also shatters kings and leaves foreign nations filled with corpses:
“You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at Your right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath. He will judge among the nations, He will fill them with corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country. He will drink from the brook by the wayside; therefore He will lift up His head. (Psalm 110:4-7)
Three Offices of Messiah
“God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name”
Almond branch with new buds and blossoms. (Image: Adobe Stock)
The rod that blossomed alludes to Yeshua, the Righteous Branch that came back to life and has been given the authority of the ineffable name: “God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9). He is the high priest in the heavenly Temple, the high priest of the order of Melchizedek, seated at the right hand of God.
The LORD commanded Moses to keep Aaron’s rod before the ark to be kept as a sign for future generations. The writer of the book of Hebrews points out that Moses kept three things inside the ark: “A golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant” (Hebrews 9:4). Each item alludes to one of the three offices of Messiah—prophet, priest, and king. In His first coming, Yeshua came primarily in the role of a prophet. After His resurrection and ascension, He entered His role as our heavenly high priest. When He comes again, He will reign in Zion as King.
The manna symbolizes His role as a prophet, as it says, “[He] fed you with manna … that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 8:3). Yeshua said, “I am the bread that came down out of heaven” (John 6:41). Aaron’s rod that budded symbolizes His resurrection and priestly ministry, seated at the right hand of the Father. The tables of the covenant symbolize His role as king and lawgiver. In the Messianic Era, all nations will be subject to the King Messiah, and the Torah will go forth from Zion.
Moses and the children of Israel kept Aaron’s staff in the ark as a testimony of God’s choice of the house of Aaron. According to Jewish legend, “The same staff was held in the hand of every king until the Temple was destroyed, and then it was hidden away. That same staff also is destined to be held in the hand of King Messiah” (Numbers Rabbah 18:23).
That same staff also is destined to be held in the hand of King Messiah (may he come speedily in our days), as it says [in Psalm 110:2], “The LORD will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, ‘Rule in the midst of Your enemies.’” (Numbers Rabbah 18:23)
The Messiah Priest
In the name and authority of His Father, Yeshua acts as the high priest on our behalf, removing our iniquity from before God.
Aaron, the high priest, received a special anointing, as Torah says, “Then you shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him” (Exodus 29:7). The Torah refers to the high priest as haKohen haMashiach, (הכהן המשיח), that is, “the anointed priest,” or to put it a different way, “the messiah priest.” Messiah means “anointed one.”
The Bible makes reference to three offices that received a symbolic anointing with oil: the priests, the prophets, and the kings. Yeshua functions in all three. He is the prophet, the priest, and the king. In His first coming, He ministered as a prophet. After His resurrection, He ascended to His priesthood of the order of Melchizedek. When He returns, He will rule from Jerusalem as King.
A golden plate on the high priest’s turban said, “Holy to the LORD.” The high priest, therefore, carried the name of God and acted in the authority of that name. The words “Holy to the LORD” indicated God’s exclusive proprietorship over him. As the Messiah entered into His spiritual role of priesthood after His resurrection, He received the name above every name, as Scripture says, “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9).
The sins of the children of Israel ritually and spiritually defiled the Sanctuary and all its furnishings. The high priest ministered before God, in the name and authority of God, removing the iniquity of Israel from God’s presence within the Sanctuary. Aaron and the high priests after him accomplished this through means of the daily sacrificial service and the annual purification ceremonies of Yom Kippur.
In a similar manner, Yeshua ministers on our behalf. In the name and authority of His Father, He intercedes on our behalf, removing our iniquity from before God—not in the earthly Sanctuary but in the heavenly Sanctuary. This is the priesthood of Messiah:
Messiah Yeshua is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. (Romans 8:34)
Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)
Does this mean that Yeshua has replaced the Aaronic priesthood? Certainly not. As the writer of the book of Hebrews says, “Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Torah; who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:4-5). The Levitical ceremonies functioned as a “copy and shadow” of the service in the heavenly Temple.
Melchizedek's Banquet
"And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine"
As Abraham returned from war, a local chief came out to meet him. He offered Abraham and his men provisions, and he blessed Abraham. The chief is called Melchizedek, the king of Salem.
The Torah does not tell us much about Melchizedek. We know that Melchizedek ruled as a king; he ministered as a priest of God; he ruled a city called Salem; he worshipped God Most High; he blessed Abraham, and he received tribute from Abraham. The Torah does not provide any further information beyond those few, sparse details. Like Enoch’s character in Genesis 5, the mysterious Melchizedek invites embellishment, and both Jewish and Christian traditions have generously bestowed it.
Melchizedek was not a personal name. It seems to have functioned as an honorific, enthronement title, like the name Abimelech (Father of a King). We do not know the personal name of the Melchizedek who met Abraham in Genesis 14. Similarly, the word Messiah (i.e., Christ) functions as a title, not a personal name. The Bible refers to any king over Israel as “messiah” (anointed one). In the same way that we call Yeshua the Messiah, one might call Him the Melchizedek. He is the King of Righteousness.
The prophet Jeremiah spoke of the coming Messiah as the King who will accomplish righteousness:
Behold, the days are coming … when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. (Jeremiah 23:5)
The Torah tells us that Melchizedek is the King of Salem. The Bible identifies Salem as the ancient name for Jerusalem. Psalm 76:3(2) equates Salem with Zion (i.e., Jerusalem), saying, “His tabernacle is in Salem; His dwelling place also is in Zion.” The association with Jerusalem heightens the messianic imagery. The idea of a “king of righteousness” ruling over Jerusalem points toward the Messianic Era. When Messiah comes, Jerusalem will be the capital city of the kingdom of heaven on earth, and the Messiah will reign in righteousness. Furthermore, the writer of the book of Hebrews points out that the term “King of Salem” could be read as “King of Peace” (Hebrews 7:2). The prophets tell us that when Messiah does come to rule and reign out of Jerusalem He will usher in an era of peace on earth.
Melchizedek hosted Abraham and his men at a great banquet: "And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine" (Genesis 14:18). Jewish eschatology teaches that in the Messianic Era, the Messiah will host a great banquet in Jerusalem. The resurrected righteous will sit at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is the meaning of the passage that says, “[Abraham] was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10). Abraham sought the eternal city that was to come. He sought the Jerusalem of Messiah. In Genesis 14, he received a foretaste of that great Jerusalem banquet as the king of righteousness came out from Jerusalem and set a table of “bread and wine” before Abraham and his men.
Melchizedek's bread and wine allude to the Last Seder at which the Master broke the unleavened bread and shared the cup, declaring a remembrance of Himself. At that meal, the Master promised His disciples that He would take the Passover meal and the cup again with them at the banquet in the kingdom of God. We look forward with ever-increasing anticipation to the day when the eternal Melchizedek will again serve bread and wine to Abraham and his followers—those who are of the faith of Abraham. Next year in Jerusalem!
Foundational Teachings of Messiah - Part 1
Series:
Being a disciple of Yeshua, one of our primary responsibilities is in regard to memorization. We are to memorize, properly interpret and transmit his teachings. However, in order to properly interpret his teachings, we must have the proper filter and foundation with which to interpret his instructions. There are some basic assumptions Yeshua and his apostles make when they give instructions. They assume we have a fundamental understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures, along with a sense of cohesion as to how these relate to our life in Messiah. Some of the very basics of these assumptions are found in the book of Hebrews.
In the sixth chapter of the book of Hebrews we have listed for us six foundational principles with which every disciple of Yeshua should be well familiar. As a matter of fact, the author of Hebrews mentions these at a point of frustration, referring to them as “milk” and not “solid food.” But I’m afraid that the bulk of Believers today are still choking on the milk due to our lack of understanding of these, what the author of Hebrews calls the most “elemental” of all the doctrines of Messiah. So let us take time to understand these six things which comprise the “elementary doctrine of Christ” as found in the book of Hebrews in order begin rebuilding a proper and firm foundation upon which we can build without the risk of our theological house collapsing.
The passage under examination is as follows:
Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. (Hebrews 6:1-2)
Needless to say, as we read through the end of chapter five and the beginning of chapter six of the book of Hebrews, we find the author is a little put out by his audience. He tells his readers that although at this time (the time of his writing) they should be teaching others, they, themselves, needed to be taught the very “basic principles of the oracles of God.” They were not ready for solid food (spiritually speaking) and in a sense he felt that he was wasting his breath (and ink) on these who were “dull of hearing.” In this passage he is urging his readership to move beyond these “elementary” doctrines, and press on to deeper spiritual truths.
Up to this point, the author of the epistle to the Hebrews has been explaining to his readers the superiority of Yeshua above Abraham and Moses, and even above the angels. He has been leading his readers logically through an argument which will eventually lead to a full explanation of his subject, introduced in the previous verses:
And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:9-10)
His intention is to show how Yeshua functions in this heavenly realm as both the high priest and as the eternal sacrificial offering. He desires to delve deep into some difficult subject matter regarding the priesthood of Yeshua; how that he is an eternal (and spiritual) priest not after the order of Aaron, but after the order of Melchizedek and how his atonement is far superior than that offered by the blood of bulls and goats. However, he knows that much of his argument will be wasted on their lack of understanding, so he takes an aside to express his frustrations with the community to which he is writing. He says that they are “dull of hearing” and that by the time of his writing they should be teaching, rather than learning foundational elements of faith. He says that he doesn’t want to have to go back and explain these very fundamental teachings, but that hopefully his readers should at least have a grasp on these basic principles. He then goes on to list six things which he feels encapsulate the “elementary doctrine of Christ,” with the assumption his readership at least understands these most basic teachings.
We should consider these six “doctrines” the bedrock on which we can build a firm foundation in regard to discipleship. Once we have a good grasp on these principles, we will have a better frame of reference by which we can understand the context of our Master’s life, his mission and his teachings. For if we do not understand these “elementary doctrines,” it will be said of us the same as for the audience to whom the book of Hebrews was written:
… you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:11-14)
Repentance from Dead Works
Traditionally, the church teaches that “repentance from dead works” means that Jewish followers of Yeshua must no longer follow the Torah (the Law). To actually do what God had previously told the nation of Israel to do is now unacceptable and “dead works,” a legalism that is equivalent to forsaking Messiah. According to the traditional interpretation of Hebrews 6:1-2, keeping the Law of God is expressly forbidden. It is reasoned that since Yeshua fulfilled the Law he thereby annulled it, making it not only unnecessary in the life of a Believer. Therefore, theologians teach that the author of Hebrews is communicating the need for Jewish Believers to forsake the Torah in light of the revelation of Christ, warning them that their return to these “dead works” is not only unprofitable, but spiritually dangerous.
But let’s examine this carefully to see if this is what the author is trying to convey. In order to understand this first “Elementary Doctrine” we must first understand the proper, biblical definition of repentance. It is important that we do so, because over the last century or so this term has lost its biblical anchoring and has been redefined in various, subjective ways. But as followers of Yeshua it is critical that we properly understand this “element” of the first of the six Elementary Doctrines of Messiah. If we are to truly understand the author’s use of “repentance from dead works,” then we must first understand repentance and how this term is used by the Scriptures.
Repentance
At the beginning of Yeshua’s ministry we find him picking up the same message that John the Immerser carried — a call to repentance. As a matter of fact, it was his Gospel Message, his Good News of the Kingdom which he proclaimed continually throughout his earthly ministry. Matthew records for us that Yeshua came out of the wilderness temptation experience preaching this message of repentance.
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)
But what did he mean when he was calling people to repentance? Was he merely calling people to believe in himself? Was he calling people to confess their sin nature? Or was he calling his listeners to some kind of action? In order to understand Yeshua’s primary message we must first properly understand repentance.
First, we need to understand that repentance is not merely a mental shift as the Greek implies. It is a change of behavior resulting in a changed life. The job of each of the prophets after Moses was to turn the children of Israel back to the covenant, back to the Torah. Not back to a mere legal code, but back to their covenantal obligations towards loving both God and man through their actions which are defined within the parameters the LORD established at Sinai when He took them to be His “am segulah,” His “treasured people.”
The Torah itself warns the Israelites against straying from the commandments and that they have been given these commandments for their benefit, contrary to what many theologians teach.
And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good? Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. (Deuteronomy 10:12-15)
Hundreds of years later, the LORD speaks through the prophet Ezekiel to remind them of the goodness of His commandments and how they bring life to the one who adheres to them.
So I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live. Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned. (Ezekiel 20:10-13)
But unfortunately, as a nation Israel walked away from God’s instructions and paid the penalty through exile. To clarify my point - sin, as defined in biblical terms, is the transgression of God’s commandments — whether intentional or unintentional. Torah is the standard of righteousness which defines sin and the parameters of right and wrong, because if there is no standard against which sin can be measured, there can be no repentance. If this is the case then, what is involved in actual repentance? Is it merely a mental acknowledgment or a verbal confession of wrongdoing?
Ezekiel chapter eighteen is a perfect example of what God expects us to understand in regard to repentance.
But if a wicked person turns away (ישוב - yashuv) from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?
Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent (שובו - shuvu) and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live. (Ezekiel 18:21-23, 30-32)
In Hebrew the word for repentance is תשובה (teshuva). It comes from the root, שוב (shuv) — to turn — and means to turn around and return to a particular thing. In the Hebrew Scriptures we hear the prophets continually beckoning the children of Israel to return to the Torah, the Law of God, the terms of the covenant made with them at Sinai. Ezekiel says that repentance is to turn away from sin as defined by the Torah. Based on this passage and others, the sages taught that repentance (in the sense of confession alone) was incomplete and insincere if not accompanied by action.
One who has sinned and confesses his sin but does not repent may be compared to a man holding a dead reptile in his hand, for although he may immerse himself in all the waters of the world his immersion is of no avail unto him; but if he throws it away from his hand then as soon as he immerses himself in forty se’ahs of water,immediately his immersion becomes effective, as it is said, But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy. [Proverbs 28:13] (b.Ta’anit 16a)
In other words, confession of sins does not bring forgiveness. Forgiveness only comes through true repentance. Both John and Yeshua, however, already understood this connection, and had called the people to repentance. They each spent the bulk of their time proclaiming, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” In other words, “Turn back to God and to His Torah, because the King has arrived and his reign has begun!” And since the Torah is the embodiment of the commandments, repentance means to stop sinning and to turn back to Torah in obedience to God’s commandments. This was the message of the prophets. This was the message of John the Immerser. And this is the Message Yeshua picks up when he begins his ministry. This is the message of repentance. This is the message of the King and His Kingdom.
Dead Works
Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works … (Hebrews 6:1-2)
Now that we’ve established a qualifying definition of repentance, we need to understand what it means to repent from “dead works.” After all, one cannot repent from something of which we do not know. The only way we are able to ensure that we have repented from “dead works” is to properly define what they are. Fortunately, the author give us a clue.
Just a few chapters further in chapter nine, the author of Hebrews uses this phrase “dead works” again — the only other time in all of Scripture — but this time in a manner that should bring clarity to his meaning. He says,
For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:13-14)
In both passages the phrase “dead works” in the Greek can literally be translated as “works of death” or “works which result in death.” Unfortunately, Christian interpretation has turned these verses on their head and turned them away from their plain and simple meaning in order to force an unnatural meaning onto them which is in contradiction to the rest of Scripture. The simple meaning of the phrase “dead works” is “sin.” Dead works are what Paul, in his epistle to the Galatians, also calls the “works of the flesh.” He gives us a short list, including: “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these” (Galatians 5:19-21). He warns us saying, “those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (verse 21).
The Didache —one of the earliest Christian documents which purports to contain the teachings of the Apostles to Gentile believers — says there are Two Ways, two paths a person can take. A path that leads to life and a path that leads to death.
There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and the difference between the two ways is great. (Didache 1:1)
Paul says these “two ways” are the Life through the Spirit and the Death through the Flesh. In his letter to the Romans, he spends two and a half chapters discoursing on the struggle between the flesh and the spirit and the desires of each of these. In Romans 6 he begins his argument by asking if Believers should continue in a life of sin after having come to faith in Yeshua. He asks, “How can we who died to sin still live in it?” He then declares that we are no longer slaves of sin, because the “one who has died has been set free from sin” according to verse seven. And in verse eleven he admonishes us by saying, “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” He continues his argument by saying,
Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. (Romans 6:16-19)
His point is that we can only serve one master. Either we can serve sin or we can serve God. Serving sin is lawlessness. Serving God is righteousness which leads to sanctification. He concludes his argument in chapter six by saying, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” In the next chapter Paul attempts to explain the relationship of the Law of God to both the regenerated and the un-regenerated. He admits that his flesh was in contempt of God’s Law and he struggled to obey it before coming to Yeshua. In chapter eight, however, he tells how the Spirit of God working within him allows him to submit to the righteousness. His argument is as follows:
For God has done what the Law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's Law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:3-13)
If we pay close attention to Paul’s argument we see a few things. First, we see that the flesh and the Spirit are in opposition to one another. One brings life, the other death. Romans 8:4 says that Yeshua condemned sin so “that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” There are two ways we can understand how the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us. But outside of a rabbinic method of argumentation over proper interpretation, we only have one option — that is “to perform” or “to obey.” For example, Pirkei Avot uses this phrase almost identically.
He who fulfills the Torah in poverty shall in the end fulfill it in wealth. He who disregards the Torah in wealth shall in the end disregard it in poverty.
Paul confirms his meaning in verse seven by saying the flesh “does not submit to God’s Law; indeed it cannot.” However, in two verses later he says, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.” The logic is as follows: If one is of the flesh, one cannot submit one's entire will to God’s Law and it only acts as means of condemnation. But if one has come under the influence of the Spirit of God, then the righteous requirement of God’s Law will be met through obedience to His standard of righteousness.
In a nutshell, “dead works” is simply the works of the flesh, namely sin. “Repentance from dead works” is to turn away from sin and walking in the righteous standard of the Torah. What that looks like for a Jew verses a Gentile may vary. But we need to know at the very least that one cannot repent from following God’s Laws any more than we can repent from following Yeshua. Let us therefore repent from “dead works” — the works of sin which seek to rule over our mortal bodies — through submitting to the Spirit of the Living God in obedience to His written instructions. If we take this to mean repentance from keeping God's Law, as the church has traditionally understood it to mean, then we are distorting not only the Scriptures, but the very definition of repentance itself. Therefore, let us "repent from dead works" and move on to more spiritual things that impart his Kingdom into the lives of men and women.
If you enjoyed this teaching, we are in the process of creating a six-part audio series expounding on these “elementary principles.” Part one is currently available by request.
Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei (Exodus 35:1 - 40:38)
An Eternal Priesthood
What comes to mind when you hear someone speak of an “eternal priesthood”? If you are a disciple of Yeshua, then Yeshua’s ministry automatically comes to mind. As the book of Hebrews says, he is a high priest forever, continually ministering before his Heavenly Father on our behalf:
We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:19–20)
When most people read the book of Hebrews they see the everlasting priesthood of Yeshua replacing a temporary priesthood given for a season to the sons of Aaron. However, this is not the case. Yeshua’s priesthood is only one of the two eternal priesthoods that God established. One may be surprised to learn that the first eternal priesthood that we learn about in Scripture is the one belonging to Aaron and his sons, as we read in this week’s Torah portion:
Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest. You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them, and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations. (Exodus 40:12–15)
If this passage isn’t clear enough, in Exodus 29:9 we read, “And the priesthood shall be theirs by a statute forever.” Not only does Exodus spell it out, but the prophet Jeremiah also attests to the Aaronic priesthood’s enduring position even more clearly:
Thus says the LORD: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers. (Jeremiah 33:20–21)
According to this, as long as there is day and night, Aarons descendants are appointed as ministers before the LORD. Knowing that the priesthood of Aaron is eternal may be a little uncomfortable to some people. What’s going on? How can there be two eternal priesthoods and why don’t we see the sons of Aaron ministering in an earthly Tabernacle or Temple today? Let’s take just a moment to clarify how these two priesthoods operate.
First, we need to understand the location for each of these priesthoods. Where does the Aaronic priesthood function? On earth. Where does Yeshua’s priesthood function? In heaven. They are parallel systems that run concurrent to one another. The author of Hebrews attests to this when he says:
They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” (Hebrews 8:5, quoting Exodus 25:40)
We learn from this passage that the Tabernacle and the priestly functions tied to it were reflections of something that was already going on in the heavenly realm. In fact Yeshua’s heavenly ministry did not begin after his resurrection, but it actually began before the foundations of the world. It is the heavenly ministry that Moses saw when he ascended Mount Sinai and the one that the ministry of the earthly Tabernacle was patterned after. It is a ministry “after the order of Melchizedek,” who, according to the author of Hebrews had “neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever” (Hebrews 7:3). Therefore, Yeshua’s priesthood did not come after the Aaronic priesthood, but it was established long before it.
The reason the sons of Aaron do not minister before the LORD in an earthly Tabernacle or Temple today is simply because of the absence of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The ministry of the Holy Temple did not shut down immediately after Yeshua’s resurrection, but continued on for an entire generation, during which time the Apostles routinely participated in its rituals (see Acts 2:46; 3:1; 21:17–26, etc.). They saw within its rituals a picture of their Messiah, which made its services even more meaningful to them.
The Aaronic priesthood was never a system to be in competition with the ministry of Yeshua, but it was to be a reflection on earth of Yeshua’s heavenly priesthood in heaven. It was a tangible and constant reminder of what was happening in the heavenly Tabernacle. Therefore, whenever we study the Aaronic priesthood and how they ministered in the earthly Tabernacle, we are getting a glimpse into the heavenly ministry of Yeshua. So, as we study this and the many upcoming Torah portions that revolve around the Tabernacle, let us learn with diligence how the priesthood of Aaron works so that we can better understand how the priesthood of Yeshua works on our behalf.
An Eternal Priesthood
Parashat Pekudei (Exodus 35:1 - 40:38)
What comes to mind when you hear someone speak of an “eternal priesthood”? If you are a disciple of Yeshua, then Yeshua’s ministry automatically comes to mind. As the book of Hebrews says, he is a high priest forever, continually ministering before his Heavenly Father on our behalf:
We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:19–20)
When most people read the book of Hebrews, they see the everlasting priesthood of Yeshua replacing a temporary priesthood given for a season to the sons of Aaron. However, this is not the case. Yeshua’s priesthood is only one of the two eternal priesthoods that God established. One may be surprised to learn that the first eternal priesthood that we learn about in Scripture is the one belonging to Aaron and his sons, as we read in this week’s Torah portion:
Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest. You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them, and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations. (Exodus 40:12–15)
If this passage isn’t clear enough, in Exodus 29:9 we read, “And the priesthood shall be theirs by a statute forever.” Not only does Exodus spell it out, but the prophet Jeremiah also attests to the Aaronic priesthood’s enduring position even more clearly:
Thus says the LORD: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers. (Jeremiah 33:20–21)
According to this, as long as day and night exist, Aaron's descendants are appointed as ministers before the LORD. Knowing that the priesthood of Aaron is eternal may be a little uncomfortable to some people. What’s going on? How can there be two eternal priesthoods, and why don’t we see the sons of Aaron ministering in an earthly Tabernacle or Temple today? Let’s take just a moment to clarify how these two priesthoods operate.
First, we need to understand the location for each of these priesthoods. Where does the Aaronic priesthood function? On earth. Where does Yeshua’s priesthood function? In heaven. They are parallel systems that run concurrent to one another. The author of Hebrews attests to this when he says:
They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” (Hebrews 8:5, quoting Exodus 25:40)
We learn from this passage that the Tabernacle and the priestly functions tied to it were reflections of something that was already going on in the heavenly realm. In fact, Yeshua’s heavenly ministry did not begin after his resurrection but actually before the foundations of the world. It is the heavenly ministry that Moses saw when he ascended Mount Sinai and the one that the ministry of the earthly Tabernacle was patterned after. It is a ministry “after the order of Melchizedek,” who, according to the author of Hebrews, had “neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever” (Hebrews 7:3). Therefore, Yeshua’s priesthood did not come after the Aaronic priesthood but was established long before it.
The sons of Aaron do not minister before the LORD in an earthly Tabernacle or Temple today simply because of the absence of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The ministry of the Holy Temple did not shut down immediately after Yeshua’s resurrection but continued on for an entire generation, during which time the Apostles routinely participated in its rituals (see Acts 2:46; 3:1; 21:17–26, etc.). They saw a picture of their Messiah in its rituals, which made its services even more meaningful to them.
The Aaronic priesthood was never a system to be in competition with the ministry of Yeshua, but it was to be a reflection on earth of Yeshua’s heavenly priesthood in heaven. It was a tangible and constant reminder of what was happening in the heavenly Tabernacle. Therefore, whenever we study the Aaronic priesthood and how they ministered in the earthly Tabernacle, we are getting a glimpse into the heavenly ministry of Yeshua. So, as we study this and the many upcoming Torah portions that revolve around the Tabernacle, let us learn with diligence how the priesthood of Aaron works so that we can better understand how the priesthood of Yeshua works on our behalf.
Chazak! Chazak! V’nitchazeik! Be strong! Be strong! And may we be strengthened!
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