We celebrate what most know as Pentecost on the 15th day of the 3rd month in YAH’s calendar. It’s called Shavuot in Hebrew, which is the plural for the word ‘week’. Interestingly, its root is “Shaba”, which means to swear, to take an oath, to adjure.
How appropriate, since on that day is when the people of Israel came to Mt Sinai (Exodus 19) and entered into covenant with Elohim. They swore to obey His voice and in return, He would make them His priesthood and Kingdom.
This is echoed in the words of Peter:
1 Peter 2:9
[9] But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
Pentecost/Shavuot is a confirmation / renewal of our covenant before Yah, to be His people and priests, showing forth His praises.
Did you know that Exodus 19 wasn’t even the first Shavuot? Indeed, it wasn’t the first time Yah gave His covenant to people. He cut His covenant with the patriarchs before but at Sinai, He cut it with an entire nation.
Jubilees 6:16-22
[16] He set His bow in the cloud for a sign of the eternal covenant that there should not again be a flood on the earth to destroy it all the days of the earth.
[17] For this reason it is ordained and written on the heavenly tablets, that they should celebrate the feast of weeks in this month once a year, to renew the covenant every year.
[18] And this whole festival was celebrated in heaven from the day of creation till the days of Noah -twenty-six jubilees and five weeks of years [1309-1659 A.M.]: and Noah and his sons observed it for seven jubilees and one week of years, till the day of Noah’s death, and from the day of Noah’s death his sons did away with (it) until the days of Abraham, and they eat blood.
[19] But Abraham observed it, and Isaac and Jacob and his children observed it up to thy days, and in thy days the children of Israel forgot it until ye celebrated it anew on this mountain.
[20] And do thou command the children of Israel to observe this festival in all their generations for a commandment unto them: one day in the year in this month they shall celebrate the festival.
[21] For it is the feast of weeks and the feast of first fruits: this feast is twofold and of a double nature: according to what is written and engraved concerning it, celebrate it.
[22]For I have written in the book of the first law, in that which I have written for thee, that thou should celebrate it in its season, one day in the year, and I explained to thee its sacrifices that the children of Israel should remember and should celebrate it throughout their generations in this month, one day in every year.
The Feast of Tabernacles will celebrate the marriage feast every year. Even the pots of Jerusalem will be called “holy” – set-apart, undefiled! So much of the Word tells us the esteem and honor /glories of His Kingdom. (Isaiah 2:2-5; Isaiah 35 for examples)
“His wife has made herself ready.” He gathers His Bride, who is alive and waiting for Him on the earth. Then after His glorious entrance into Jerusalem, the Bride and Groom proceed to the wedding—to the taking of their wedding vows. All the guests get to watch the wedding. The attendants, attend to the guests, but two, Elijah and Moses, attend to the Groom and Bride. Then the couple proceeds to the chupah, where for 7 days they are alone together. During this time, the servants of Yahushua prepare the wedding feast. He comes to them, from taking His nuptials, from the seven days in the chupah, to see if the Feast is ready. He gathers the guests.
Luke 12:31-48: Instructions to wise servants/guests! He and His Bride proceed to the wedding feast.
Look at the parable of the wise and foolish virgins: Matthew 25:1-12. The wise are gathered with other guests and attendants to go into the wedding feast, the foolish are shut out. He says to the foolish: “Truly I say to you: `I do not know you’.” These ten “virgins” are born again people. But, only half are ready for the return of Messiah–these are welcomed guests. Half are shut out because they let the light of the Spirit go out in their lives – they walked in darkness. They did not the timing of His coming. They woke up too late to do anything about preparing.
After the 1,000-year reign of Messiah, Father comes and brings His city down (Revelation 20-22), the Bride is found still with her Husband (Revelation 22:3-5).
There are many examples in Scripture of the three divisions of 1) guests 2) attendants 3) Bride remnant: There were three parts to the Tabernacle of Moses, and the Temple of Solomon. The outer court was for the worshippers to gather. It was the place of the sacrifice of animals, where people’s sins were forgiven. It was the place where the priests washed their hands in the laver, to purify themselves before going into the Set-Apart Place. In the Set-Apart Place, the priests ministered to Yahuwah. In this place was the Table of Showbread – representing the Word of Yahuwah, Yahushua, and the twelve tribes of Ya’cob. There was the Menorah, representing the light of the world – Yahushua. There was the Altar of Incense, representing the prayers of the set-apart ones ascending to Yahuwah.
Then there is the example of the 30, 60, 100-fold fruit of those believers who have gone on to obey the Master. (Mark 4:1-9) The 30-fold represent the guests, the 60-fold the attendants, the 100-fold the Bride. There is the example of the twelve disciples, then the three, who at times got to see what the others didn’t. Then there was Yochanan, who was take into His heart, and told things no one else on earth heard from Him. He wrote the Revelation!
THE MEANING OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
THE TERMS OF THE WEDDING CONTRACT
Let us look at the “Betrothal Contract” – the terms of the marriage covenant. In reference to Yahushua, as the Bridegroom, He gives his promises to His Bride, but He also wrote out on the tablets of stone, He expects of his wife. The Torah (the first five books of the Scriptures), which means “Instructions, Teachings”–the covenant rules for those who want to live in His house in good standing in His Kingdom–is the foundation for all belief and action as good citizens in the Kingdom of Yahuwah/Yahushua.
One day in teaching the Commandments to young teenagers, He spoke through my spirit. I began teaching them what it means to guard the Commandments, using modern terminology. On Sinai, He wrote the terms of the marriage covenant in stone, by the “finger
of Elohim” — the finger of Yahuwah. (Exodus 31:18; Deuteronomy 9:10; Luke 11:20)
He wants to write them on the tablets of your heart. Will you let Him?
Exodus 20:1-17:
The Ten Commandments for us today:
He wants no other lovers in the life of His Wife/Bride. He wants no distractions from her pure love of Him. He wants no other “gods”, other people or other things, selfish ambitions, or personal desires, to get in the way of his Bride’s pure, undivided, total devotion to Him alone. He wants her to have emurah/believe only in Him, dependency only in Him, and love and obedience only to Him and His Word, and a relationship with Him that is exclusive and unbreakable. He doesn’t want her dividing her love with anyone or anything else.
He wants no pictures in her wallet of past boyfriends, or other loves. He wants no symbols on her body, or in her possession, that would remind her of other loves. He wants no figurines, no statues, no carved images, no jewelry, no clothing, no celebrations of holidays–no reminders of any kind of her past life with idols, loves, and fleshly addictions.
He doesn’t want her using the names of pagan gods, defiling His Name, using His name commonly, or cheaply, or using His Father’s name in a common and cheap manner. He wants His Name, Yahushua, and His Father’s Name, Yahuwah, honored and revered. When we love someone, we call them by their real name. We treasure and love it. Yahuwah means: I AM the Eternal, ever-existing One who breathes.
Yahushua means: Yahuwah is Salvation. Don’t shorten His Name or cheapen it! Don’t use titles that are the names of pagan gods, which are commonly used by both Christians, Messianic,
and Jewish people.
[Refer to: “The Hebrew Names and Titles of the Creator of the universe”/January 2005]
He does not want His Bride to take their special set-apart day together in a light manner. He has a set-apart day that He tells His Bride to guard and protect, as their day together. It is their special “date day.” It pictures His ruling and reigning over the earth for 1,000 years in the 7,000th year from creation. It is the 7th day, or Shabbat (Hebrew) or Sabbath in English. He wants her to guard that 24 hours (from sunrise to sundown on Saturday) as precious and undefiled by the
world. He doesn’t want her distracted with doing other things, when it is His time with her in a very special way. He tells her that He doesn’t want her working, doing housework, or watching TV, or spending time in idle chatter on the telephone, or visiting friends, or going shopping, or buying anything or selling anything. It is His time to speak to her more than on any other day. He sometimes gets her up early, just to have a head-start in talking to her. He uses this day to especially give her revelation of Himself and His Word. He wants her to take all week, and Friday especially, before sundown, preparing herself for their day together. There are
hundreds of Scriptures about this special day, and it is “forever”—an “everlasting covenant” with His set-apart Bride.
Commandments 5-10:
He doesn’t want a Wife/Bride who disrespects her parents, is lazy, rude, thoughtless, and rebellious. He wants a woman who honors her parents, and thus honors all authority that He honors.
He doesn’t want a Wife/Bride who kills people (other than in self defense), slanders, gossips, backbites, tells tales on others, or in any way intentionally harms anyone.
He doesn’t want a woman who would commit adultery.
He doesn’t want a woman who steals what belongs to others.
He doesn’t want a woman who lies and cheats, deceives and twists things to her own advantage for her own gain. He doesn’t want a woman who covets and longs for what is not hers.
He wants a pure, set-apart, devoted, obedient, loving, content, joyful, peaceful, submissive and yielded woman that He can lavish His love on forever and ever. He wants a woman who will be His Queen, reigning at His side. She is obedient to the Torah of His Kingdom. She is not rebellious or lawless. She upholds Her husband’s wishes and commands at all times.
THE GREATEST OF ALL LOVE STORIES – Why Yahushua Came
Matthew 15:24: “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.” Matthew 10:5-6: “And Yahushua sent the twelve out, commanding them saying: `Do not go the way of the gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans, but rather go to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.”
After the death of Solomon, the tribes split into two separate kingdoms, governed by their own kings. The southern kingdom was Judah, comprised of the tribes of Judah (the scepter-holder of all the tribes), Levi (the priest-tribe), and Benjamin. The northern tribes, known as Israel/Ephraim/Joseph, were: Ephraim (the birthright holder of all the tribes), son of Joseph, Manasseh, son of Joseph, Reuben, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, Asher, Dan, Nephtali, and Gad.
Their kings often declared war against each other. Judah continued on to guard the Torah, though they also worshipped pagan gods and did human sacrifice, like the northern tribes did. But, Judah never rejected the Torah. The northern tribes did. From the days of Solomon, the northern tribes had gone around the world with the Phoenicians to do trade, and gather things for the Temple. Many had settled into other countries. But, finally, because of the extreme sin they were led into by their kings, Elohim allowed the Assyrians to come and take them all away – scattering them into all countries around the world. Thus by 722 BCE, all of the northern tribes were scattered out of the land – the worst punishment they could have been given. The punishment was for 2, 730 years. It was over September 12, 2007 CE.
Because of their terrible sin, Yahushua Yahuwah had to write a “bill of divorcement” – to cut them out of the Covenant. (Jeremiah 3:8) Remember, that at the engagement, the woman is called “wife.” The engagement, as well as marriage, is a covenant relationship.
What could Elohim do? He had to pronounce this judgment on them. But, there were only three tribes left. According to Deuteronomy 24:1-4, if a man marries a woman and she becomes a harlot, and he divorces her, he cannot remarry her! Adultery is the only Scripturally valid reason for divorce! According to His own Word, He could not restore the ten tribes, for they were all doing spiritual whoredom against Him, worshipping other gods.
But, He knew this would happen before the foundation of the world.
So, in order to redeem the ten tribes back to His Covenant, and gather them, with Judah and Levi and Benjamin, back under His love, He had to die! He had to die to break the engagement, so that He could rise again to marry her. TALK ABOUT LOVE! The Christian and Messianic world, for the most part, has no idea why He came! He came to restore the Covenant that He made at Sinai. (Jeremiah 31:31-34) The word is “renewed” – as a moon is renewed each month. He never came to start anything new, but to restore. When He lifted the cup, Matthew 26:28, He said: “This is My blood, that of the renewed covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sin”. The word sin means “transgression of the Torah”. The word “renew” is in Hebrew and Greek.
[For more information, refer to two articles/studies: “Who Are the Ten?”/2005 and “Are You a Gentile?”/re-edit edition 2007]
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ARE NOT JUST FOR THE BRIDAL REMNANT.
THEY ARE FOR ALL MANKIND, TO LIVE ON EARTH IN HIS SHALOM,
AND IN HIS KINGDOM FOREVER:
Ecclesiastes 12:13: “Let us hear the conclusion of the entire matter: Fear Elohim and guard His commandments – for THIS APPLIES TO ALL MANKIND.” Yahuwah is the Creator. All mankind is His Creation. These rules apply to the conduct of ALL HIS CREATION!
Exodus 31:12-18 tells that the Ten Commandments were written by the “finger of Elohim” – the finger of Yahuwah. (Luke 11:20) The Ten Commandments were spoken by the Bridegroom–the eternal “Word of Elohim.” (John 1:1, 14)
The Ten Commandments, as well as the whole Torah, were given as
an outline of human history, and includes the total plan of salvation in the celebrations of the Festivals. It was given to set-aside His Bride unto purity. The Torah gives the guidelines of separation between the clean and the unclean, the set-apart and the common. It lets the Bride know what is expected of her. He also doesn’t want a woman who eats filthy, defiled garbage collectors, and therefore defiles her whole body. (Leviticus 11 is part of His covenant with His Bride.) His Torah is for our health, happiness, right living, peace and freedom.
The Scriptures in total are the love story of an Elohim searching for a Bride that He can lavish His love and goodness on. He doesn’t want a Bride who thinks that reading, or studying His eternal Word is boring, that talking to Him is boring, that setting aside His special day of Shabbat is boring, or fellowshipping with others about Him is boring.
He doesn’t want a Bride who is stained with sin. He doesn’t want a Bride who is so busy that she can’t sit down with Him and relax. He doesn’t want a Bride who is so wrapped up in her own self-righteousness, her own selfish ambitions, selfish agendas, self-centered love, that she rejects Him for her own plans and desires. He wants a Bride who longs to be with Him, as much as He longs to be with her.
His Seven Festivals, outlined in Leviticus 23, spread throughout the year, are so wonderful, fun, pure, and family-oriented. Each one teaches one portion of His plan of salvation. The first is Passover, Pesach, which teaches about His death. The second Unleavened Bread, which teaches about His burial, and defeating sin. The third is First Fruits, which teaches us about His resurrection. The Fourth is Sha’vu’ot (Pentecost), the coming of Yahuwah’s Spirit into those who are ready to receive Him. The Fifth is the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Teruah, which pictures the return of Messiah to the earth. The Sixth is Yom Teruah (The Day of Atonement), which pictures His death for the nation of Israel (the twelve tribes of Ya’cob). The Seventh is Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles), which pictures the 1,000-year reign of Messiah in this 7th millennium from Creation, and also Yahuwah’s dwelling with us forever on this earth.
In celebrating them, we enter into His salvation and His understanding of what Messiah did for us. [Refer to: “Yahuwah’s Seven Appointments With Man”/April 2005]
For understanding each Feast/Festival, go to comeenterthemikvah.com and read articles under “The Mikvah of the Covenant.”
These are eternal celebrations. In His Kingdom, Torah will be His Law. It is His Word, His Truth, and His good Instructions for our happiness.
InIsaiah 66:22-23, we read about the time when Yahuwah comes with His City – the New Jerusalem – that will hover over the area of Israel.
Revelation 21-22: “`For as the new shamayims and the new earth that I make stand before Me’ declares Yahuwah, `so your seed and your name shall stand. And it shall be from new moon to new moon (which determines the months of the festivals), and from Shabbat to Shabbat, all flesh will come and worship before Me’, declares Yahuwah.”
I John 5:2-3: “By this we know that we love the children of Elohim, when we love Elohim and guard His commandments. For this is the love of Elohim, that we guard His commands and His commands are not grievous.”
Finally, from the earliest manuscripts in the 2nd century comes the wording ofRevelation 22:14:“Baruch are those doing His commandments, so that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city.”
Shalom to you as He teaches you and gives you clear understanding of these things!
With shalom and love,
Yedidah
May 13, 2004 (Today I have been born again 53 years)
Re-edited and expanded for clarification, May 1, 2013
