Are we to celebrate Hanukkah?

At the time of the writing of this article, it is deep into the Hanukkah celebration. When I logged on to Facebook this morning, which I have not done for a long time, the most talked about topic was about Hanukkah. I mostly saw arguments from Messianics and "Believers" who mostly claimed that Hanukkah is not to be celebrated as it is not found in the Torah or anywhere in the rest of the Scriptures. They even go as far as to say that because it is called a festival of lights, that it is pagan and evil. But is this really the case? Let us have a look at Hanukkah a little through the eyes of a Jew who lives by the Torah and honors the Almighty, blessed be He.

Is Hanukkah not found in Torah?

Yes it is true; we cannot find the celebration of Hanukkah as a mo'ed (appointed time) anywhere in the Torah at all. Does that mean that we may not celebrate it at all? Well, the celebration of Hanukkah (dedication) wholly revolves around the re-capture of Yerushalayim by the Hasmonians (who were Levites and Kohanim (Priests)), from the Greeks, and the re-dedication of the Temple of HaShem, blessed be He. This event happened around 500BCE, which is LONG after Torah had been written and completed. So for this reason, there would be no way that Hanukkah would be found in the Torah. 

None of us as Jews observe Chanukah as if it is compulsory or as if it is a mo-ed declared by torah.
It is purely a cultural celebration, where we celebrate the many wonderful miracles that HaShem, blessed be He, did for the Jews during the re-dedication (Hanukkah) of the kadosh temple,including the events leading up to it.

But then, again, what we look for and how we look will determine either what we will find (or not find). If we really look carefully, then we will find Hanukkah in the Torah. When the Mishkan (Tabernacle) was erected for the first time, it had to be "Hanukkah" (dedicated) first before it came into service. We read about this event in Bamidbar (Numbers) chapter seven. Anything which was to be used for ‘sacred purpose’ had to be dedicated (Hanukkah).

Festival of lights
Yes, Hanukkah is called a festival of lights. Does this automatically mean that it is pagan in nature, just because there are other religions that have their own festivals with the same name? That idea is really an absurdity. If we had to use that same logic, then the term "El," which we use to refer to HaShem, blessed be He, is also pagan because that is also the name of the ancient Cananite deity. The Cananite 'el' was the "father of the gods." But in reality, the Hebrew word 'el' simply means, "mighty one." The Hebrew word 'el' was a fitting name for the deity that the Cananite people created for themselves and for whom they had to find a name. The fact is, that the word "El" long preceded the Ca'ananite deity. Also the term "ba'al" is not pagan at all, but rather the deity which was given that name by its creators is. The term ba'al simply means "master or husband." I am my wife's ba'al.

So just because Hanukkah is referred to as the festival of lights does by no means mean that it is in any way associated with any pagan practice at all or with any other religions festival of lights. Why then is Hanukkah called the festival of lights?

There is a commandment in the Torah that the kohen gadol (high priest) must daily clean and light the Menorah in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) or Beit Mikdash (Temple). See, even lighting candles and even incense, is found in the Torah and is not of pagan origin. Now during the time of the Maccabee's when the temple was abominated by the Greeks slaughtering pigs on the alter and many other abominations, the Hasmonians (Maccabee's) re-captured the city and the Temple too. They then did a full cleans of the temple and then re-dedicated (Hanukkah) it. But during this time, they needed pure oil for the lighting of the menorah. They needed enough oil for at least eight days, but could only find enough for one day. When they used that oil, a miracle happened and it lasted the full eight days long instead of only one day.

That is why we light candles for a period of eight days during Hanukkah in commemoration of the miracle of the oil lasting the full eight days needed during the re-dedication (Hanukkah) of the temple. That is also why we call it the festival of lights which is the celebration of the miracle of the menorah and NOT from pagan origins at all. A Jewish home can be identified during the time of Hanukkah by the sight of lights from the hanukkia (Hanukkah candles) radiating light in the window.

For those who do not wish to celebrate Hanukkah and all the miracles that HaShem, did for His people and His Temple, then don't. This is in any event a Jewish practice and not for people of other religions. For those who belong to the Hebrew faith, we celebrate such amazing miracles that HaShem, blessed be He, did for us as a nation. It is our culture and as a nation, we celebrate it all together, which brings unity among us. Such commemoration also brings hope and strength in times of trouble, hardship and persecution. Such traditions have brought joy in times when it seemed impossible and even gives a reason for living to many. It is safe to say that many Jewish traditions, such as Hanukkah, are the reason that many Jews lived when it was easier to just give up and die. Unity is of the utmost importance to the Hebrew nation, when one Jew hurts, then all Jews hurt together. As the saying, that comes from the movie "The Three Musketeers” says, "All for one and one for all." This is how the Jews have survived throughout history, and this is why we celebrate Hanukkah.

Every single Jew who awaits the coming of the Messiah, looks forward to the one who will bring peace to this world and rebuild the Beit Mikdash (Temple) and then Hanukkah (Dedicate) it. And yes, there will be a festival that day, and yes, there will be lights as there will also be a dedication (Hanukkah).

For those who live a life of Hanukkah, may you be filled with the light and joy of Hanukkah!!!!

The Holy Spirit

When it comes to your life and your salvation, I am sure that you will agree that knowing and following the truth instead of a lie is very important. Unfortunately, there are many lies and scams out there that have made it somewhat difficult to find the truth in its completeness without being mixed (perverted) with non-truths. Is it not then the responsibility of each one of us to make sure that what we follow is absolute truth. But how do we do this? Well... we have the written Word of the Almighty (the Hebrew Scriptures of course). The Scriptures are perfect and complete, which means that we do not need any supernatural revelations, especially when it is non-existent in the Scriptures, and especially when it is contradictory to the Scriptures.

But unfortunately this "supernatural revelation" happens all the time in churches and Messianic congregations, in the guise of the "Holy Spirit", to brainwash their followers into believing their own, made up, doctrines which is non-existent in the Scriptures, and make lots of money in the process. If it was written in the Scriptures, then such "Revelation" is certainly NOT necessary. Another thing to ask yourself is, how can it be tested, as the Bereans did with Sha'ul (Paul) (Acts 17:10-12) if it cannot be found in Scripture? If the Bereans could not find what Sha'ul said to them in the Scriptures, then they would not have believed a word he said. Just like the Bereans, we should not believe any "Supernatural revelation" if it cannot be confirmed by the Scriptures (Hebrew Tanakh).

It is a very common misconception that many Christians and Messianics have, that the "Holy Spirit" only came into existence after the Messiah ascended into the heavens. There are also many twisted beliefs and ideas that exist because of this misunderstanding. If we want to stick only to what the Scriptures teach, then we need to read the entire Scriptures and then analyze it as a whole.

One of the biggest problems that arises from this misconception is that religious leaders make big claims and create many doctrines that are non-existent in the Scriptures at all. They then claim it to be true because, "the 'Holy Spirit' revealed it to them." This creates a huge problem. People make up whatever doctrines they feel like and require their followers to accept these doctrines under the authority of them "being filled with the 'Holy Spirit". These doctrines are usually non-existent in the Scriptures.

There are just too many false doctrines going around to cover all of them. I am only going to write about two major topics concerning the "Holy Spirit." Let us get into the first topic.

Who is the "Holy Spirit" and when did he appear onto the scene?

As mentioned above, Many people believe that the "Holy Spirit" only appeared after the ascension of the Messiah. But is this true? If not, then when do we first read of him? We have to go to the very first place that he is mentioned and then study who he is from that point on to understand who/what he is.

We first see the Spirit of the Almighty in Genesis 1:2 which is in the very beginning of the Scriptures and before the creation started and everything was still formless and empty. We read of the Spirit of the Almighty throughout the Hebrew Scriptures (Tanakh) long before any "New Testament" ever existed.

We also find MANY places where people become filled with the Spirit in order to achieve certain tasks. But in EVERY instance, they are guided by the Spirit in the instruction of what is already written. There is nothing ever revealed to them through the Spirit that is not found in Scripture and certainly nothing that ever contradicts the written Word of the Almighty. This is because the Spirit of the Almighty can NEVER teach anything contrary to His written Word. In fact, the Spirit of the Almighty is mentioned many more times in the Tanakh (Known as the Old Testament by the Catholics) than in the B'rit Chadashah (known as the New Testament by the Catholics)

One thing that we always need to keep in mind is the fact that the Almighty is the same yesterday, today and forever. The Spirit is an 'extension' of the Almighty (but not part of any Trinity) and too is the same yesterday, today and forever. Neither the Almighty, His Word or His Spirit can ever change or contradict the other.

So if some Pastor or religious leader ever creates a doctrine of some sorts that is non-existent in the Scriptures and claims that the Spirit revealed it to them, then you can be sure that the Spirit that they are referring to is a demonic spirit and NOT the Spirit of the Almighty.

Let us now look at the title, "Holy Spirit"

The title, "Holy Spirit," is it really the correct translation from the original text? The Hebrew word from which it is translated is, "Ruach haKodesh" which is literally translated as, "the Set Apart Spirit/wind/breath"

The problem comes in with the translation of the Hebrew word, "Kodesh" which is usually translated as "holy" in the English bibles. This translation is absolutely incorrect and does not hold the same meaning at all. The word "holy" does not come from, or mean, "Kodesh" or "Set Apart" at all. The word holy comes from the Greek word, "helios" which means, "Sun's glow". Another word coming from the same source and which is related to the word, "holy" is "halo" which is a Sun disk around the head's of saints in the Catholic religion. The word "holy" is directly related to Sun-worship.

How can it ever be acceptable to use idolatrous terms and names to refer to the Almighty? Do you think that He approves of this idolatry, especially when referring to Him? I do not think so because of what He says about idolatry and how much He hates it and how He told us not to learn the ways of the other nations (religions) and use that to worship Him. He calls it an abomination.

So if you want to follow the truth and only the truth, then you will have to start learning Scriptural Hebrew and then test everything by what is written in the Hebrew Tanakh which is the Word of the Almighty. Anything that does not fall in line with what is written in the Hebrew Tanakh is simply falsehood and should be thrown out the window immediately.

May we all be filled with the Ruach haKodesh which guides us in the Words of the Torah.

Shalom Aleichem

Do we really live by the Scriptural culture?

Believing in and serving the Almighty is not an add-on to ones life. I have heard very many people say that one should put the Almighty first in ones life, then I reply, “WHAT… as if He could be second!!!” The fact is that The Almighty and His instructions for us have to guide us in every single aspect of our lives. It has to become our culture to live by every single Word that comes from the mouth of the Almighty.

The Scriptures have to become our way of life and way of thinking in everything that we do, it should become our culture. The majority of people in this world belong to some religious organization of some kind. The largest religion in the world today is undoubtedly Christianity by far. When I hear or read about this fact, the words of the Messiah that comes to mind is found in the book of Matthew, “Enter in through the narrow gate! Because the gate is wide – and the way is broad – that leads to destruction, and there are MANY WHO ENTER IN THROUGH IT. Because the gate is narrow and the way is hard pressed which leads to life, and THERE ARE FEW WHO FIND IT” (Mat 7:13-14)

With the words of the Messiah in our thoughts, would one want to be part of the majority (the many)? The Messiah made it very clear that this is a matter of life and death. Should we not pay more attention and study to test everything in order to prove it true so that we follow the truth that leads to life? If we do not do so, then we are simply putting our own lives and the lives of our families into the hands of other people.

Let me use a practical example quick. I have two uncles, the one is a middle class worker and the other is a rich financial expert who makes a lot of money from the stock market. One day my middle class uncle asked my rich uncle to invest some of his hard earned money on the stock market for him so that he too could have some extra cash. My rich uncle agreed to do so and took his money to invest.

Now my uncle, that gave his hard earned money, trusted my other rich uncle because he was his own brother and believed he had his best interests at heart. What happened is that because my rich uncle was not investing his own money, he was not too worried about it and sort of forgot to look after his brother’s investment. In the end, he made a loss with his brother’s money. Now it was not because he did not care about his brother, but simply because he was more interested in making more money for himself or simply because any loss of that investment would have no effect on him directly.

This example has exactly the same principle as mentioned above. Are you putting your life in the care of other people, who in the end are more worried about their own lives and “forget” to look after your “investment,” namely your life? That is why it is written that we are to test everything in order to prove that it is right. We are responsible for our own salvation and therefore need to study the Scriptures for ourselves in order to know what is righteous and what is not. We then have to change our lives to the extent that it is perfectly in line with the Word/Instruction of the Almighty. “It has been written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of יהוה (YHWH)” (Mat 4:4). He is the only one who knows what is best for us.

Now, whenever someone, who is walking in the ways of the Scriptures and teaching the ways of the Almighty, encounters a Christian, they are usually accused of the following, “you are trying to Judaise me and the other people.” But is this statement true? Absolutely not!!!

Judaising someone is teaching them to follow Jewish traditions and teachings. There is a difference between Judaising and Scripturalising the belief/faith. Although the Scriptural way of life very much resembles that of what the Jews do in many ways, it is not exactly the same in the sense that the Jews (at least the Rabbinics) have many extra laws and “interpretations” of certain passages. But does it make everything they (Orthodox Jews) do incorrect? Certainly NOT.

Let us look at a few things that are different between the Orthodox Jewish faith and the Scriptural faith. Then we will look at the Scriptural faith and compare it to the Christian faith to see if that meets the Scriptural requirements.

A few Jewish traditions that are not Scriptural:

1)   Men have to wear a “kippa” (yarmulke) on their heads.
2)   Not allowed to eat meat and dairy in the same meal.
3)   Not allowed to have a blue thread in the tzitzit (Scripture requires us to wear tzitzit with a cord of blue in it)
4)   Have a set worked out calendar instead of watching for new moon (but only differ by a day or so when there is a difference)

Now let us look at a few things that are required by Scripture, that the Christians do NOT observe:

1)   Wear tzitzit (tassels) on the four corners of our garments (Num 15:38-40, Deut 22:12, Mat 9:20, 14:35-36, Mark6:56, Luke 8:43-44)
2)   Keep the Sabbath (Christianity does not keep the Sabbath) (Hebrews 4:9, Mat 24:20, Ex 31: 13-16, Isa 56:1-2, 58:13-14, 66:22-24, Deut 5:12, Ex 20:8-11, Jer 17:22 etc)
3)   Circumcision, which is an eternal sign of the Covenant given to Avraham (Christianity does not believe in circumcision) (Eze 44:9, Jer 4:4, Gen 17:10-14, Ex 12:43-44, Luke 2:21)

4)   Observe the Mo’edim (appointed times and feasts) as written in Lev 23 (Christians keep pagan holidays instead.) See – Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, New Year, Valentines day etc.
5)   The Name of the Almighty is (יהוה) and is His Name forever (Ex 3:15). (Christianity substitutes it with the names of pagan idols) See – God, Lord.
6)   Eating kosher foods only. (Click here to learn more)

The Jews do all of the above as it is required by the Scriptures, but Christians do NOT.

Now let us look at a few things that Christianity holds to as true doctrine, but is not at all Scriptural:

1)   The Trinity. (Click here to understand why this is not Scriptural.)
2)   The Law being done away with, lawless. (see – Mat 7:21-23, 24:12, 2 Cor 6:14, 1 John 3:4, 2 Thess 2:3 and 9, 2 Peter 3:17, Romans 2:12-13, 3:31, 7:12, John 14:21, Rev 12:17, 14:12, 22:14, 1 John 3:10, Mat 13:41-43, James 1:22)
3)   Faith without works, which is the keeping of the Torah (see – James 2:14-26, Romans 3:31)
4)   Only have to believe in “Jesus” to be saved. (Mat 10:22, 24:23, Mark 13:13, Click here too)
5)   The cross is a Christian symbol. (but is it Scriptural? Click here to learn more).

6)   Forgiveness of adultery… “he who is without sin, cast the first stone”

There are so many more that I could mention here, but I am sure that you get the point now.

The fact of the matter is that the Faith of the Scriptures is a Hebrew faith. The father of the eternal covenant is Avraham, to whom the Almighty made the covenant with. Christianity claims to be “sons of Abraham” and yet, they do not resemble Abraham in any way. Avraham was called an “Ivri” (Hebrew), where Christians follow a Roman religion.

Are we really trying to Judaise people? No… in fact, we are trying to Scripturalise people. The fact that someone who starts living according to the Scriptures might seem to look like a Jew or act like a Jew in many ways (in the eyes of the world), is because the lifestyle of the Jews are based mostly on the Scriptures. In fact, the Jewish nation is identified by the Torah, but most of them also follow extra laws that comes from the Talmud which was written by the Sages.

Christianity claims to be followers of the Messiah, but one thing that they simply cannot grasp is that the Messiah was and is a Jew (Y’hudi) and held to everything that is written in the Hebrew Tanakh. He lived according to the Scriptures and taught that we need to follow in His footsteps. I still remember a time when the church made arm bands that had the letters, “WWJD” written on them for the youth to wear. Those letters stood for, “What Would Jesus Do.” The wearer of the arm band would wear it as a reminder to do as “Jesus” would do in any situation. This was ironic as none of them ever did as the Messiah did or would do, for the simple fact because they had no idea what the Messiah would do in the situation because Christianity does not teach the true Messiah.

The fact of the matter is that Christianity has taken what is Scriptural and replaced it with other Westernized, Roman traditions of pagan cultures and religions.

Do you want to belong to the Hebrew faith of the Messiah and all His followers… or do you want to be a part of the Western Roman religion that has rejected the Scriptures in favor of their own personal teachings (doctrines) that are not at all Scriptural?

I am a Jew who follows a Jewish Rabbi who is my Messiah who teaches us to follow the Torah in every way.

In the beginning was the Word

Can it be that the Messiah is the Almighty Himself? This is what the churches teach us, that the Almighty came to earth and died for us, and they use the passage in John 1:1-3 to justify their teaching. But does John 1 really teach us that? Let us read the passage in the KJV Bible first (which is a translation) and then in a different translation that is more correct according to the original writings second. Then we can look at the wording and see if the statement can be true by comparing it to other passages in the Scriptures too.

”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:1-3 KJV)

Now let us look at a more correct translation.

”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim. He was in the beginning with Elohim. All came to be through Him, and without Him not even one came to be that came to be” (John 1:1-3 The Scriptures).

One should notice that the difference between the two is that the KJV Bible, and also most other English translations, uses the term “God” and the more correct translation uses the term “Elohim” which is the actual Hebrew word. For those who do not know what Elohim means, it is a Hebrew word which is the plural form of the root word “Eloah” meaning either “mighty ones” or Mighty One” and can be used to refer to other things too, as we will see below.

Now to really understand what the true meaning of the text found in John 1:1-3, we need to first do a more in-depth study on the Hebrew word “Elohim.”

We have seen above from where the word comes from, but for what exactly is it used for in the Hebrew Scriptures?

The Hebrew word Elohim appears 2605 times in the Hebrew Scriptures. The great majority of the time when this word appears, it is translated as “God” in the English translations, in fact, 2366 times out of the 2606 (the word ‘God’ is not a correct translation of the word “Elohim” and should never be used). But that is not the only English word that is used to translate the Hebrew word “Elohim.” Let us have a look at a few other uses, or meanings, of the word “Elohim.”

”then his master shall bring him before Elohim (Judges), and shall bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl. And he shall serve him forever” (Exodus 21:6). Here the word is used to speak of Judges, who bring the righteous judgments concerning any cases that are brought before them. They represent the judgments of the Almighty

“If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought before Elohim (Judges) to see whether he has put his hand into his neighbour’s goods” (Exodus 22:8). Here, once again, the word “Elohim” is used to speak of Judges.

“Yet You have made him a little less than Elohim (Messengers (Angels)), And have crowned him with esteem and splendour” (Psalm 8:5). Here the term Elohim is referring to Messengers of the Almighty.

”So יהוה (YHWH) said to Mosheh, ‘See, I have made you an elohim to Pharaoh, and Aharon your brother is your prophet’” (Exodus 7:1). Here Mosheh (Moses) is being referred to as an elohim to Pharaoh, which means that Mosheh is a mighty one to Pharaoh.

”And the sovereign said to her, “Do not be afraid. What did you see?” And the woman said to Sha’ul, “I saw a spirit (Elohim) coming up out of the earth.” (1 Sam 28:13). Here is where King Sha’ul went to a medium to call up the prophet Samuel. When the Medium saw the spirit of Samuel coming up from the grave, she referred to his spirit as Elohim.

So the Hebrew word Elohim can mean “Mighty One”, “mighty ones”, “judges”, “Messengers”, “spirit”, “great” and even called Mosheh, Elohim.

So now that we know that the Hebrew word “Elohim” does not always refer to the Almighty, we can start to understand what John 1:1-3 really means.

Let us then try and translate it correctly so that it stays perfectly in line with the rest of Scripture.

”In the beginning was the Word (Torah), and the Word (Torah) was with Elohim (the Almighty), and the Word (Torah) was Elohim (Mighty, Superior, Perfect). The Word (Torah) was in the beginning with Elohim (the Almighty). All came to be through the Word (Torah), and without the Word (Torah) not even one came to be that came to be” (John 1:1-3).

This Word that is being spoken of is the Word of the Almighty which is called the Torah. 4,000 years later, the Torah became flesh and walk upon this earth, and His name was Y’hoshua haMashiyach (The Messiah).

This Word is NOT the Almighty, but rather the Word of the Almighty that comes out of His Mouth. The Church falsely teaches that there is a Trinity where the Messiah is the Almighty. But that doctrine does not meet the requirements of the rest of Scripture. In fact, in order to teach this false doctrine, they need to falsely translate the Scriptures to say things that it does not really say. The Church has even added entire verses that never existed in the original writings to push the false Trinity doctrine.

John 1:1-3 makes it very clear that the Messiah is the Torah in the flesh and that He is NOT the Almighty, but rather the Son of the Almighty who is a being on His own.

Now, with this understanding of the word Elohim, we can understand Matthew 1:23

“See, a maiden shall conceive, and she shall give birth to a Son, and they shall call His Name Immanu’ĕl,” which translated, means, “Ěl with us” (Mat 1:23). This verse is also use a lot to try and justify the false Trinity doctrine. In the KJV Bible and the great majority of the other English translations of the Bible, it is translated as “God with us.”

We can now know that it is not a correct translation at all. If one wanted to translate it correctly, then it should either say, “Elohim with us” or “a Mighty One with us”

In order to really understand the Scriptures, you have to go back to the Hebrew text and read it with a Hebrew mindset as it was written in Hebrew by Hebrew’s. As soon as we “Westernize” the Scriptures, it looses most of its true meaning and actually changes the meaning of what should be taught.

If we truly want to know the truth of the Scriptures, then we really do need to start learning Hebrew. The English can NEVER convey what is written in the Hebrew text.

Every Word from the Mouth of YHWH

“But He answering, said, “It has been written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of יהוה (YHWH)” (Mat 4:4)

Now this is a very encouraging and explanatory statement that the Messiah made when He was faced with temptation. He stared temptation in the face and gave us all the solution to all temptation that we might ever face in our entire lives. But I must say, it is only encouraging for those who do all that is written in the Scriptures. Let us have a closer look at the statement that Y’hoshua made.

Firstly, the Messiah Y’hoshua said, “It is written.” Here the Messiah is out rightly stating that there is a written instruction book by which He and the rest of mankind has to adhere to. Y’hoshua goes on to quote this instruction manual, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of יהוה (YHWH)” Here the Messiah clearly states that all of mankind must live by every single word that comes from the mouth of YHWH, the Almighty. Can it be that those who do not abide by every Word that comes from the mouth of YHWH, will not inherit life? This life is not of this world, but rather eternal life, the life in the ‘after life’.

Another thing that you might come to realize, is the fact that Y’hoshua was quoting a verse from the instruction manual, which was spoken from the mouth of the Almighty. Let us read it together, “And He humbled you, and let you suffer hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, to make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from the mouth of יהוה (YHWH)” (Deut 8:3).

Now is it true that what the Messiah said here is no more in effect today? Is His word not eternal? Do we not have to live by every Word that comes from the mouth of YHWH, the Almighty? If not, what do we live by? If we live by anything else other than every Word out of the mouth of YHWH, then we are living by the words of men (worldly instruction).

“Do not love the world nor that which is in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). This verse makes two very clear statements. The first statement here is that if you live according to the standards of the world (the instruction of man), then you do not have the love of the Almighty in you.

The second statement is that the Words of the Almighty are still just as much in effect today as it was in the time of Mosheh. We can know this for sure as it is also written that the Messiah Y’hoshua, who is the living Word who was there since the beginning of time, is the same yesterday, today and forever, “יהושע (Y’hoshua) Messiah is the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Heb 13:8).

So those who do not live by every Word from the mouth of YHWH are friends of the world and in effect, enemies of the Almighty. ”Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with Elohim? Whoever therefore intends to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of Elohim” (James 4:4).

Now let us take a look at where the Words of the Almighty are written. If you do a search in the Scriptures, you will quickly find a phrase that says, “And יהוה (YHWH) spoke to Mosheh, saying,” This phrase is found many many times in the Torah, which are the first five books of the Scriptures. The word Torah means “Instruction” and is what was given to us by the mouth of the Almighty.

In the Prophets, we find a statement that says, “And the word of יהוה came to (the Prophets name), saying,” Once again we see that all prophecy is also from the mouth of YHWH the Almighty.

Even Sha’ul (Paul) makes the statement that the Torah and the Prophets are Scripture and are spoken by the mouth of YHWH. He goes on to say that it is still to be used for teaching, reproof, setting straight and for instruction in righteousness. “and that from a babe you have known the Set-apart Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for deliverance through belief in Messiah יהושע (Y’hoshua). All Scripture is breathed by Elohim and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for setting straight, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of Elohim might be fitted, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:15)

Something to keep in mind here is that Sha’ul was NOT speaking of the “B’rit Chadashah” (Renewed Covenant, or which the Catholic Church calls the New Testament) here. In fact, the B’rit Chadashah never existed at the time when Sha’ul wrote his letters and was never considered Scripture.

So when Sha’ul (Paul) said that all Scripture is to be followed, he was definitely speaking of the Hebrew Tanakh (Old Testament, as the Catholic Church calls it).

Sha’ul confirms this statement he made when he wrote the same thing in different letter to a different group of people, “For whatever was written before was written for our instruction, that through endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures we might have the expectation” (Romans 15:4).

What was written before that Sha’ul is speaking of is the Hebrew Tanakh. It cannot be anything else and every Scriptural scholar will agree on this point.

The Messiah later goes on to say, “For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done” (Mat 5:18). Now if every single letter in the Torah is so important, why then is it rejected by the Christian faith? Why has the Church perverted it during translations by adding to it and taking away from it? “Do not add to the Word which I command you, and do not take away from it, so as to guard the commands of יהוה (YHWH) your Elohim which I am commanding you” (Deut 4:2).

Why is every single letter so important to keep? It is because all life on this planet and all matter in the universe rely on them. If you remove even one letter from the Torah of YHWH, it stops being His Word but rather becomes the word of man, all life then ceases to exist.

Through the Torah of the Almighty, the existence of the world came to be. All life was spoken and is sustained by His Torah. All the laws of nature are governed by His Torah. Even love is determined by His Torah.

Why then does the Christian faith reject His Torah? This is because the Christian faith is not about serving the Almighty, but rather it is a feel good religion that is based upon how man can feel better about their sinful lives, without having to stop sinning. It is an anti-Torah religion (which they openly admit, and actually brag about).

Let us skip ahead to the very end where it speaks of the end days. ”And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to fight with the remnant of her seed, those guarding the commands of Elohim and possessing the witness of יהושע (Y’hoshua) Messiah” (Rev 12:17). It is very clear that the remnant, the ones who are righteous, are those who do all the Commands of the Almighty AND have the witness of the Messiah. It is confirmed again in another verse, “Here is the endurance of the set-apart ones, here are those guarding the commands of Elohim and the belief of יהושע (Y’hoshua)” (Rev 14:12).

Let us have a look at who will be given access to the Tree of Life and have access into the city of the Almighty, “Blessed are those doing His commands, so that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city” (Rev 22:14). Only those who keep the Torah of the Almighty will be given access to the Tree of Life.

Let me leave you with a statement that the Messiah Himself said about the end times, “Many shall say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name? And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work lawlessness (Torahlessness)! ” (Mat 7:22-23).

Are you living by every Word that comes from the mouth of YHWH?

Genesis 1:1

The very first verse in the Bible is one of the most quoted verses of all. To many it is a very simple concept that does not need much thought in order to understand it. But the fact of the matter is that it is so simple because it has lost so much meaning and value when it was translated from Hebrew into the other languages. The result of this is that in every English Bible, this verse is not correctly translated.

The Hebrew language is filled with such a large amount of knowledge and wisdom that cannot be translated into any other language. Every single Hebrew word has a much deeper meaning than anyone could imagine.

In order to really understand the Word of the Almighty, one needs to examine each and every word in detail first. Once you can do this, then you can start seeing the true value of the Word of the Almighty and His true will. You will also start seeing many things that are simply just not in any English Bible at all. This is because it is impossible to translate.

Let us try and examine the very first verse of the entire Scriptures, but in the Hebrew, and let us see how much more we can learn, even from one small verse, by examining it in detail. You might even see truths that you have never seen before in your life. You must also keep in mind that in order to really understand the Hebrew, then you have to read it with a Hebrew mindset and with a Hebrew cultural understanding and not from a westernized mindset. This is because it was written in Hebrew and for the Hebrew people.

Let us first read Genesis1:1 together in the English King James Version Bible, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1 KJV). The idea that almost everyone gets from this verse  is that there was a single beginning of all time and that “God” (who is the only supreme being) created the universe from scratch in this time. Is there anything else that we can understand from this verse, even if we look at it in more detail? Well, I certainly cannot.

Now let us look at this exact same verse in the Hebrew text:

בראשׁית ברא אלהים את השׁמים ואת הארץ׃

 (B’reishit 1:1)

(b’reishit bara Elohim et hashamayim v’et ha’aretz)

Now we are going to analyze every single word and see what the meaning is of every word, and then put it all together again and then see what it really means.

The very first word (בראשׁית) b’reishit

“b’reishit” is a very interesting word, but has simply been translated as “In the beginning,” the word “b’reishit,” however, does not really mean “In the beginning.” Let me explain.

Firstly, we need to break up the word and find its root. Every single Hebrew word has a root word which gives it its particular meaning. The root word of “b’reishit” is the Hebrew word “reishit.” Now if you go throughout the Scriptures, you will notice that the word “reishit” is almost always translated as “first fruit.” This is because this is the meaning of this word and all other uses of this word comes from the concept of “first fruits”

The “beit” or “b’….” in front of the word “b’reishit” is a prefix which means “in” or “in a.” So far we can see that it means “in a first fruit.” Suddenly we can see a whole new concept from the very first word already. Let me explain what I mean.

What is needed for a first fruit? Does it just appear? Or does one need to work the ground, plant the seed, give the plant food and water, prune the plant and protect it from the elements, birds and insects? Only after all the effort of planting and looking after the plant so that it can grow into a tree, then only can it produce a first fruit.

Now there is also the Hebrew word “rosh” found in the word “reishit.” In fact, the word “rosh” is the root word of the word “reishit.” The meaning of “rosh” is head which can also be used for the concept of “top”, “beginning”, “start”, “summit” or even “chief”

So the proper meaning of the first word “b’reishit” is “in the head (start) of a first fruit”

Now the question is, what preparations needed to be going on before Genesis 1:1 in order that it speaks of “a first fruit” instead of “the beginning”? Was the earth created out of nothing? Well, let us carry on reading to answer these questions.

The second word (ברא) bara

The Hebrew word “bara” is usually translated as “create” in the English translations. According to most theologians, the word “create” is understood to mean “to make something out of nothing.” This definition is an abstract concept with no concrete foundation and is therefore not a Hebrew concept.

In Genesis 2:7 it states that the Almighty “formed” man. The Hebrew word translated as “formed” is the verb rxy “yatsar” and is best understood as the process of pressing clay together to form an object such as a figurine. We can plainly see from this verse that man was made from something; however, in Genesis 1:27 we read, according to most translators, “God created man.” As we have discovered, man is made from something, therefore the word “create” in Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:27 cannot mean to make something out of nothing.

If the word “bara” does not mean “create” then what does it mean? By examining other passages where this word appears, we can begin to uncover its true meaning.

“‘Why do you kick at My slaughtering and My offering which I have commanded in My Dwelling Place, and esteem your sons above Me, to make yourselves fat (bara) with the best of all the offerings of Yisra’ĕl My people?” (1 Sam 2:29).

Believe it or not, the word “bara” is translated as “fat” in the verse above and is the original concrete meaning of this word. What does it mean in Genesis 1:1 when it literally says, “Elohim fattened the heavens and the earth”? When an animal is chosen for the slaughter, it is placed in a pen and fed grain so that it can be fattened, or “filled up.” This idea of “filling up” is now more relevant to the next verse.

“And the earth became formless and empty (unfilled)…” (Genesis 1:2)

With a better understanding of the word bara we can now also see the meaning of Genesis 1:27. “And Elohiym filled (bara) the man with his image, with his image he filled (bara) him, male and female he filled (bara) them”

The Hebrew word translated as “image” above is “tselem” meaning an outline of a shadow, a representation or image of the original. Once Elohim “formed” the man, he filled him up with a representation of Himself.

So the Hebrew word “bara” is more accurately translated as “fattened” or in this instance “filled”

The third word (אלהים) Elohim

This is a noun referring to the Almighty. This noun denotes the Almighty in His attribute of Justice, as Ruler, Lawgiver and Judge of this world. By using this Name exclusively in the narrative of “Creation”, the Torah indicates that Justice is the ideal state of this world, meaning that man should be treated exactly as he deserves, according to his deeds. However, because man is not virtuous enough to survive such harsh scrutiny, the Almighty added His attribute of Mercy to the story of “Creation” (Genesis 2:4), so that judgment would be tempered with mercy.

The root word for the noun “Elohim” is hla (Eloah) meaning "power." This word is used for anyone or anything which, has "power" and is often translated as "God" in the English Bibles. The suffix ~My at the end of the noun Myhla (Elohim) is a suffix which denotes a plural for masculine nouns. While English plurals convey quantity (more than one), Hebrew plurals convey quantity or quality (very large or great). The word Myhla can be translated as "mighty ones" (quantity) or "a great mighty one" (quality). The idea of "a great mighty one" is generally written in the English Bibles as "God" which is a perverse translation as the word “God” originates from pagan idolatry.

So the word “Elohim” refers to the Might and Power and Ruler attributes of the Almighty.

The fourth word (את) et

This word ta is used over 11,000 times (and never translated into English as there is no equivalent) to point to the direct object of the verb. It is a sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative. Basically it means that the word after this one is the subject of the sentence.

Many people falsely claim that because the Messiah said that he is the alef and the tav, the first and the last (Rev 22:13) that he created the heavens and the earth. They make these claims because of this very little word (et) found in this verse. It is spelled, "alef tav" and is the first and the last letter of the Hebrew language. It does not, in any way, mean that the Messiah created the heavens and the earth, which is not in line with the rest of the Scriptures

What we can say is that the heavens and the earth were created through the Words of the Almighty. It is even an indication of how we know that the original language of the world, and the language of the Almighty, is that of Hebrew. 

The fifth word (השׁמים) hashamayim

This is a very interesting word that is typically translated as “the heavens” which is not really wrong at all. Even though it is correctly translated as ‘heavens’ it has a much more descriptive meaning that explains what and where the heavens are.

The first letter “hey” is the prefix which means “the.” The next two letters (shin and mem) make up the root word “sham” which means “there” referring to the sky. The last two letters (yud and mem) “…iym” is the suffix which makes the word plural.

Now the interesting part of this word is that the Hebrew word “mayim,” which means “water” also appears in this word, which gives the meaning of “between the waters.”

Now this gives us a very different understanding of Revelation 22:1 which says, “And he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of Elohim and of the Lamb”

So the Hebrew word “shamayim” gives a meaning of “there between the waters” but is translated as “heavens” which is not incorrect. The Hebrew word just gives a better understanding of where the heavens are.

The sixth word (ואת) v’et

This word is the exact same word as the fourth word mentioned above. The only difference is that it has the prefix (extra letter in the beginning) “vav.” Now when the “vav” is added to a word as a prefix, it then mean “and.” Therefore, the word “v’et” is translated as “and” because of the “vav” in the beginning of the word.

The seventh word (Xrah) ha’aretz

The last word in this verse is the word “eretz” which means, land, ground, earth, world, country, field or nation. It always depends on the context of the sentence to which one it means at that time. In this verse it means Earth. The word eretz has the prefix “ha” in front of it which means “the” so the word “ha’aretz” means “the Earth.”

Conclusion

So the literal translation on Gen 1:1 is the following, “In the start of a first fruit the Mighty One filled the heavens and the earth”

Does this not give us a very different story to the mainstream translations out there? For us to really understand the Word of the Almighty, we need to learn His language as it has a far deeper meanings of words than our other languages.

Just to leave you with a question that you can search for… what first fruit is being spoken of in Genesis 1:1?

Is The KJV Bible the Word of the Almighty?

 When it comes to a belief system that is based on the writings of a Higher Power, the Almighty Himself, we desire to follow His writings alone. But are the writings of the Almighty still His writings when it has been edited and changed by men? Certainly not, in fact, it then becomes the writings of man instead and cannot be trusted as the writings or Word of the Almighty at all any more.

Many Churches and Christians all claim that the King James Bible is the authoritative Scriptures and the Word of the Almighty. They claim that it is by far the best and most accurate English translation of the original Scriptures and that it can be trusted and used as a reference for sound Scriptural doctrine. But is this true? Is the KJV an accurate account or translation of the original Scriptures?

The only way to answer these questions is to actually compare it to the original, or oldest manuscripts in existence today. For the “Old Testament” this is quite easy as the Hebrew text has been preserved from generation to generation and is 100% perfect (this is discussed below). Anyone who can read Hebrew, can therefore, easily compare the KJV or any other translation to the Hebrew text.

The “New Testament” is however a little harder, as the original Scriptures were destroyed or are being kept hidden. The Church claims that the “New Testament” was originally written in Greek, whereas all the facts and evidence point to a Hebrew original (but denied by the Church). This is however a topic on its own which I have covered in a previous post. There are however, ways to identify errors in translation. We do have the very early Greek manuscripts, the Aramaic text and we can compare the teachings to the Hebrew Tanakh (Old Testament) and we know that the Creator is not a liar that He should give instructions to last for 4,000 years and then change His mind.

Let us start with comparing the KJV with the Hebrew Tanakh (Old Testament)

The “Old Testament” of the KJV Bible is admittedly more accurate than the “New Testament” of the KJV Bible. This is because the “Old Testament” is somewhat based on the Hebrew Tanakh, where the “New Testament” is based on the Greek manuscripts which are not very reliable at all (I will explain this in more detail below). There are however still major errors in the KJV’s “Old Testament.”

Firstly, the term “Old Testament” is an incorrect term and is NOT at all Scriptural. Marcion, who is one of the early church fathers, coined the terms Old and New Testament. BUT: It is written that YHWH would bring a Renewed Covenant to His people and therefore the duty was on His people to extend the invitation of the Kingdom of Elohim to the rest of the world. By replacing the word “Covenant” with “Testament” Marcion and other pagan theologians wrestled Jeremiah 31:31-34 away from the foundational teachings of Y’hoshua and the Schlichim (taught ones). Most Christians had no access to the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures) and would not have know that Brit Chadashah means “RENEWED Covenant” and that Mashiyach would come to write Torah (Law) upon the hearts of his followers. By replacing the word “covenant” with “testament” and the word “renewed” with the word “new”, Marcion theologically divided the Messiah and his followers away from YHWH the Father and turned him into a self sustained deity that opposed the “Old Testament.” Everyone whoever used the terms “Old and New Testament” can thank Marcion the heretic for implanting such contrary values against the Unified and Eternal Word of the Living Almighty.

Polycarp, referred to Marcion as “the firstborn of the devil.” But, Marcion’s “judenrein” (Jew-free, also a well known phrase of Hitler) all-Gentile churches became very popular among early Gentile Christians, and one of the largest Christian denominations on Earth. Marcion was the inventor and/or the major contributor to dispensationalism, supercessionism, and replacement theology – all of which are altogether unscriptural and extremely popular among the vast majority of Christians today, preached in nearly every church.

The Name of the Almighty

The entire Scripture is full of how important and Set-Apart the Name of the Almighty is. It even goes as far as to say that there is no other name by which we can be saved. The Hebrew Tanakh has the Name of the Almighty written more than 6,000 times.

Now if the King James Translation, or any other translation, is truthful and correct, then it too must have the Name, or at least a transliteration (you can never translate a name) of the Name of the Almighty in the same places as those of the original Hebrew Tanakh. If it does not, then it is not the Word of the Almighty any more but rather the word of evil and corrupt men. The Word of the Almighty says that we are not allowed to add to or remove from what is originally written (Deut 4:2). It is also one of the Ten Commandments that we are not to bring His Name to naught.

Now if you have a look at the Hebrew Tanakh, you will not have to look very far to find the Name of the Almighty. The Name of the Almighty looks like this, “יהוה“, but the first thing you notice when you see His Name, is that it is not an English Name, but rather a Hebrew Name.

Now when you do a comparison between the Hebrew Scriptures and the KJV translation, you will see that almost every place that the Name of the Almighty is written, the KJV translation uses the word “LORD.” Now is the Name of the Almighty in English, “LORD”? Is the word “LORD” even a name at all? A little research will tell you that it is not a name at all, but a title that is also given to many men too and has a very dodgy pagan origin, where it actually originates from the name of a pagan deity.

So we can already see that the KJV translation has taken the most important Name in the existence of the Universe, the only Name by which we can be saved, out of its translation and replaced it with something that is hated by the Almighty. Is this not taking away from the Word which is forbidden by the Almighty Himself?

God

And what about the name “God”? Once again, the word “God” was not a name at all, but is rather a term used by other pagan beliefs to refer to their own deity. It later on became a name given to a specific pagan deity. Now ask yourself the following question, “can the Almighty be referred to by the same title that originated from the title for pagan deities?”

The Hebrew Scriptures have the word “Elohim” (Mighty One) in the places where the KJV translation has the word “God.” Once again, the KJV is not a correct translation here, where the translators placed their own words that do not mean the same.

In fact, there is a mention of “God” or “Gawd” in the Hebrew Scriptures, “But you are those who forsake יהוה (YHWH), who forget My set-apart mountain, who prepare a table for Gad (Gawd, God), and who fill a drink offering for Meni” (Isaiah 65:11).

Wow, the Scriptures actually say that those who follow after “God” (who is the pagan deity of good fortune) are those who forsake the Almighty. This is not just a translation error, but rather a direct contradiction of the Word of the Almighty. It is also written, “And in all that I have said to you take heed. And make no mention of the name of other mighty ones, let it not be heard from your mouth” (Exodus 23:13).

Let us look at some more errors

There are some more errors in the KJV’s “Old Testament” but none that are as critical as the errors spoken of above but, they are however still errors and are not Scriptural and changes the meaning of the Almighty's Word.

Eze 20:25 (KJV) Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;”

Eze 20:25 (Original) “And I also gave them up to laws that were not good, and right-rulings by which they would not live”

Here the KJV suggests that the Almighty gave the evil statutes to the people, where the original text says that He gave them up to the laws that the people turned to on there own.

There are many more differences between the KJV and the Hebrew text, but I am not going to post every single one of them here as we get the idea and it would be a lot of reading.

Now what about the Brit Chadashah (Renewed Covenant) (New Testament)

Every single scholar of the “KJV New Testament” agrees that it is based on the Greek manuscripts which they ignorantly believe to be the original manuscripts.

The KJV “New Testament” translation has MANY more differences and errors in it compared to its “Old Testament” translation. This is because its “Old Testament” is based, somewhat, on the original Hebrew, where the “New Testament” is based on many many Greek manuscripts (about 13,000) that all differ from one another. The problem with this is that the Greek is not the original as the Renewed Covenant was not originally written in Greek, but rather in Hebrew.

Let us have a closer look at these Greek manuscripts:

Both the Hebrew Torah and the “New Testament” contain approximately the same number of words. Which would you expect to be more successful in preserving the accuracy of a text?... The Christian New Testament, for several reasons of course.

Firstly, the Christian “New Testament” is about 1700 (or even more) years younger than the Torah. Secondly, the Christians haven’t gone through nearly as much exile and dislocation as the Jews. Thirdly, Christianity has always had a central authority (the Vatican) to ensure the "accuracy" of their text.

What are the results? The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, a book written to prove the validity of the New Testament, says: “A study of 150 Greek [manuscripts] of the Gospel of Luke has revealed more than 30 000 different readings… It is safe to say that there is not one sentence in the New Testament in which the [manuscript] is wholly uniform.”

Other scholars report there are some 200 000 variants in the existing manuscripts of the New Testament, representing about 400 variant readings, which cause doubt about textual meaning; 50 of these are of great significance which have contradictory meanings to one another.

So how can we know which one, if any, is the correct one? Which one, if any, can we rely on to be the truth?

The Renewed Covenant is where the testimony and fulfillment of the prophecy of the Messiah is recorded. Let us have a look at the verse which speaks of the giving of the Name of the Messiah when He was born, “And she shall give birth to a Son, and you shall call His Name יהושע (Y’hoshua) for He shall save His people from their sins” (Mat 1:21). Now the KJV has the same statement but has the name “Jesus” as the name of the Messiah.

The question we need to ask ourselves, if we want to be honest, is if the KJV and all the other English Bibles that have the name of the Messiah as “Jesus” is correct. If so, then the name “Jesus” has to mean something like “for He shall save His people from their sins” as the verse implies.

In order to determine the meaning of the name “Jesus”, we need to go to its origin and find its meaning. Every single scholar admits the fact that the name “Jesus” comes from the Greek “Iesous” which once again originates from paganism, and NOT from the Hebrew Y’hoshua. I have covered this topic in much more detail in a previous post.

The Name Y’hoshua means “YHWH is our salvation” which fits one hundred percent with what is written in Matthew 1:21.

This difference is a major error that is absolutely the opposite of the Will and the Word of the Almighty. 

What about the name “Christ”?

Here is another example of a word being substituted by another that has the total opposite meaning as to what it should be. The Greek text has the word “Messias” for the word “anointed one” in John 1:41 and John 4:25. Why then does the KJV and other English translations have the Greek word “Christos” all the other times where the word “anointed one” appears?

Why does the KJV Bible use the Greek word “Messias” which is a valid Greek word that means “anointed one” in only a very few places, and the Greek word “Christos”, which does not have the exact same meaning, in the rest of the places? One must once again look for the origin of the word “Christos” from which the title “Christian originates from. If you start investigating the origin of the word “Christos” you will quickly find that it comes from “Chrestos” (the Sun-deity Osiris). Read here to learn more on this topic.

Other Errors

There are many other major errors and additions into the Christian Bible that do not even exist in the oldest Greek manuscripts, never mind the original writings. Some of these are, for example, John 7: 53 – 8:11 where it speaks of a woman caught in adultery that was brought to the Messiah. This event never happened and does not appear in the Aramaic text which is much, much older than the Greek, it is not even found in the earliest Greek manuscripts either. This portion was inserted many years later after the original writing of John. And yet, a large portion of the Christian faith is based on this small piece of writing.

How many times have you heard or even yourself quoted the phrase, “He who is without sin, cast the first stone”? This section is NOT Scriptural at all and cannot be found anywhere else in Scripture. Why was it added? In order to justify that adultery is okay and easily forgivable… do yourself a favor and go see what the Almighty thinks of adultery, and then see if the Messiah agrees with His Father on this point in this section.

Another major error in the KJV Bible that is not found in any other English Bible, even though they are also based on the Greek manuscripts, is found in Acts 12:4.

KJV Bible: "And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people"

Better Translation: "And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Passover to bring him forth to the people"

Here is a major error that does not even match any of the Greek manuscripts at all. The Greek word used for “Passover” is “pascha”. Every other English translation of the Bible has the word “Passover” here. It is only the KJV that has perverted it and used the word “Easter” instead of “Passover”. Now why did the translators do that? And is it correct? If not, then it is not an accurate translation and NOT the Word of the Almighty, but rather the word of men instead.

Easter is the Saxon's fertility deity called “Eostre”. Now the Passover is a testimony of the Messiah Himself. It is by His blood that we are passed over by the Messenger of death. To substitute this wonderful testimony of our Beloved Messiah, with the celebrations of an evil pagan deity that the Almighty hates, is pure evil. I would have no problem with burning a book that does such a thing.

If you would like to know more about Easter… then click here

Another major addition is that of Mark 16:9-20. If you compare it with that of the oldest Greek manuscripts, you will notice that it does not exist until the more modern Greek manuscripts.

Here is another example of a translation error proving that the translator did not have any knowledge of the Scriptures at all.

Hebrews 4:8-9

KJV Bible: "For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God"

Better Translation: "For if Joshua (or rather Y’hoshua) had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a keeping of a Sabbath to the people of Elohim"

But even the Greek word for this "rest" is "sabbatismos", which means "Sabbath keeping".

This verse above actually proves two very important points. Firstly, the translator was not very well versed in the Scriptures at all. He did not know of the second point which is that “Joshua’s”  name in the Hebrew Tanakh is actually spelled as “יהושע” which is the exact same spelling and pronunciation of the Name as that of the Messiah, which is pronounced as Y’hoshua. The above verse is speaking of Y’hoshua son of Nun, where the translator ignorantly put in what he believed to be “Jesus”.

There are so many other errors in the KJV “New Testament” that it would take a very long time to record them here.

There are also many words that have been changed that originate from paganism rather than from the original writings, some of these words and names are, “Christ, holy, grace, glory, church and even the cross” which are all an abomination to the Almighty.

How many errors can be found in the Hebrew Torah?

 

Now for interest sake, we had a look at how many Greek variations existed in the “New Testament” above. Now if we are to compare the Greek “New Testament” with that of the Hebrew Torah, we can start to see which one is the most accurate of the two. Keeping in mind that the Greek “New Testament” contains over 200 000 different variations.

The Hebrew Torah contains approximately the same number of words as the “New Testament.” How many letters are there in the Hebrew Torah? There are 304 805 letters (or approximately 79 000 words).

If you were to guess, how many letters of these 304 805 do you think are in question (or questionable)? (most people guess anywhere from 25 to 1 000 letters.)

Maintaining the accuracy of any document as ancient and as large as the Torah is very challenging even under the best of circumstances.

But, consider that throughout history, Jewish communities were subject to widespread persecutions and exile. Over the last 2000 years, Jews have been spread to the four corners of the world, from Yemen to Poland, from Australia to Alaska.

Other historical factors make the accurate transmission of the Torah all the more difficult. For example, the destruction of the Temple 1900 years ago saw the dissolution of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish central authority which traditionally would unify the Jewish people in the case of any disagreements.

Let’s investigate the facts as we have them today. If we collect the oldest Torah scrolls and compare them, we can see if any garbling exist, and if so, how much.

The fact is, that after all the trials and tribulations, communal dislocations and persecutions, only the Yemenite Torah scrolls contain any difference from the rest of world Jewry. For hundreds of years, the Yemenite community was not part of the global checking system, and a total of nine letter-differences are found in their scrolls.

These are all spelling differences. In no case do they change the meaning of the word. For example, how would you spell the word “colour”? in America, it’s spelled C-O-L-O-R. But in England (and South Africa), it’s spelled with a “u”, C-O-L-O-U-R.

Such is the nature of the few spelling differences between Torah scrolls today. The results over thousands of years are remarkable. And these differences are only found in the Yemenite Torah Scrolls.

The Torah has nine spelling variants – with absolutely no effect on the meaning of the words. The Christian Bible has over 200 000 variants and in 400 instances the variants change the meaning of the TEXT.

These letters of the Hebrew Torah were employed by the Almighty in creating the world, and it is through them that He sustains it. The deletion of even one letter of this sustaining force therefore threatens the existence of the world.

Carefully guarding the words of the Torah has been a Jewish priority throughout the centuries.

Writing a Torah Scroll

To eliminate any chance of human error, the Talmud enumerates more than 20 factors mandatory for a Torah scroll to be considered “kosher”. This is the Torah’s built-in security system. Should any one of these factors be lacking, it does not possess the sanctity of a Torah scroll, and is not to be used for a public Torah reading.

The meticulous process of hand-copying a scroll takes about 2000 hours (a full-time job for one year). Throughout the centuries, Jewish scribes have adhered to the following guidelines:

• A Torah Scroll is disqualified if even a single letter is added.
• A Torah Scroll is disqualified if even a single letter is deleted.
• The scribe must be a learned, pious Jew, who has undergone special training and certification.
• All materials (parchment, ink, quill) must conform to strict specifications, and be prepared specifically for the purpose of writing a Torah scroll.
• The scribe may not write even one letter into a Torah scroll by heart. Rather, he must have a second, kosher scroll opened before him at all times.
• The scribe must pronounce every word out loud before copying it from the correct text.
• Every letter must have sufficient white space surrounding it. If one letter touched another in any spot, it invalidates the entire scroll.
• If a single letter was so marred that it cannot be read at all, or resembles another letter (whether the defect is in the writing, or is due to a hole, tear or smudge), this invalidates the entire scroll. Each letter must be sufficiently legible so that even an ordinary schoolchild could distinguish it from other, similar letters.
• The scribe must put precise spaces between words, so that one word will not look like two words, or two words look like one word.
• The scribe must not alter the design of the sections, and must conform to particular line-lengths and paragraph configurations.

A Torah scroll in which any mistake has been found, cannot be used, and must be fixed within 30 days, or buried.

Which one can then be considered the Word of the Almighty?

Now the Christian church is based mostly on the supposed teachings of “Paul”. The Church claims that Paul taught that the “Gentile Believers” do not have to keep the Torah of the Almighty anymore. They claim that the Torah of the Almighty was nailed to the “cross” which is a gross perversion and is proof that they are totally ignorant of the Scriptures and the writings of Paul.

So let us see what “Paul” considers to be Scripture and what he teaches about it, “and that from a babe you have known the Set-apart Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for deliverance through belief in Messiah יהושע (Y’hoshua). All Scripture is breathed by Elohim and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for setting straight, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of Elohim might be fitted, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:15-17)

Now what are these Set-apart Scriptures that he is speaking of in this verse? Did the “New Testament” exist when he wrote this letter? Is it even possible that he could be referring to the “New Testament” or even any of his own letters, which make up the majority of the “New Testament” as Scripture? Absolutely not!

Paul stated above to the people that from when they were very young, they have known the Set-apart Scriptures. He is referring to the Hebrew Tanakh which is the only book that can ever be considered as the Word of the Almighty. Let us have a look at another letter that Paul wrote, “For whatever was written before was written for our instruction, that through endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures we might have the expectation” (Rom 15:4).

Paul is once again making it very clear that the Hebrew Tanakh are the Scriptures and is there for our instruction. The fact of the matter is that the Scriptures (Hebrew Tanakh) teaches us how to love the Almighty, it also teaches us how to love one another. The Hebrew Tanakh teaches us who the Messiah is and also what His role and duty is, “יהושע (Y’hoshua) said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner-stone. This was from יהוה (YHWH), and it is marvellous in our eyes?” (Mat 21:42). It teaches us everything we need to know in regards to Salvation and the forgiveness of sins.

Notice above how the Messiah Himself refers to the Hebrew Tanakh as “the Scriptures” and how it refers to Him. Here is another verse that shows the Messiah referring to the Hebrew Tanakh as the Scriptures, “And יהושע (Y’hoshua) answering, said to them, “You go astray, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of Elohim”” (Mat 22:29).

I could go on and quote all the places in the “New Testament” and all the people therein who testify that the Hebrew Tanakh is the Scriptures, but that would take too much time and space here.

The fact of the matter is that the “New Testament” is not considered to be Scripture at all, but is rather just a testimony of the fulfillment of prophecy and letters of encouragement to fellow believers, who have been scattered, for them to stay in the study of the Scriptures.

Therefore, the Word of the Almighty is the Hebrew Tanakh and the Hebrew Tanakh alone. Anyone who speaks otherwise is speaking evil and denying the Word of the Almighty.

And anyone who does not subject themselves to the Instruction of the Hebrew Tanakh does not love the Almighty and there is no truth in them.