One Torah For All

One Torah shall be to him that is home-born, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
Exodus 12:49

Where Are We, and Where Are We Going?
A closer look at prophecy

Matithyah 16:2-3
2 But He answered and said to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather’ for the sky is red.
3 And in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today’ for the heaven is red and lowering. You know how to discern the face of the heaven; but you cannot discern the signs of the times.

I have always been asked where I thought we were in prophecy. But recently those questions have dramatically increased. I feel impressed by His Spirit to set down in writing where I feel we are presently, as well as where we are headed in the near future. Mostly this will be from a general understanding with a few specifics thrown in to help us in our understanding of where we are presently.

Please understand that what you are about to read is my present understanding. This is always subject to change as He continues to reveal more light to me personally. I have not arrived at this place in my understanding overnight, as I have been studying the return of Mashiach Yeshua for over forty years now. During that time my understanding has gone through a few major changes as well as many minor changes. But each and every change came about due to my being more and more submissive to Him and His will. As He increases in my life and I decrease, the clearer that I hear His Voice. The clearer that I hear His Voice, the clearer prophecy becomes.

Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) 1:9
That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun.

If we as the children of our Creator and heavenly Father want to know what He is doing and going to do in our world, then we need to understand that which He has already done, for He clearly states that there is nothing new under the sun, and that which is to come has already been done before now. So, if we can truly understand what YHWH has already done with Israel in the past, then we can use this as a solid foundation to build our understanding upon as to what YHWH is presently doing with Israel.

With that in mind let us begin where YHWH begins: the week of creation; and let’s build our understanding upon that same foundation.

B’reshit (Genesis) 1:5
And Elohim called the light “day”, and the darkness He called “night”. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

A Scriptural day has always been reckoned with the first part of the day being the evening and darkness, followed by the second part of the day as being the light. This is from sunset to sunset. Now as we are about to see this is a very important concept to grasp if one is going to properly understand prophecy and especially where we are presently in that prophetic scheme.

Kepha Bet (2nd Peter) 3:8
But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with YHWH as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Kepha is referencing Tehillim (Psalm) 90:4 here. There were seven days of creation and seven prophetic one thousand year periods allotted to man which correspond to each of those seven days. So, when we understand that each of those prophetic days is equal to one thousand years then we are on our way to a good start. However, we must also understand that those prophetic days follow the pattern of the physical day. That means that the beginning of the day is sunset.

A physical day begins at sunset. This means that when the sun is set it is still light outside; but that light is waning. And depending upon the season, the duration of that light can be from about 30 minutes to about 45 minutes. As the light wanes it grows darker and darker until finally it is completely dark. Such is the beginning of the day!

Likewise, a prophetic day begins in the same manner. The sun sets and then the light wanes until it is completely dark. Many see the growing spiritual darkness in our world but fail to see its prophetic significance in this manner. What this should reveal to us is that we are actually in the beginning of the seventh day. The sun has set and the light is waning in our world as it grows darker and darker spiritually speaking.

Two thousand years ago this same thing happened in our world. Yeshua was born into the world, but His people did not receive Him and so darkness settled upon the world.

Luka (Luke) 23:44-45
44 And it was now about the sixth hour, and a darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour,
45 the sun's light failing; and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

At the time of Yeshua’s death it became dark. This is a prophetically significant statement as this was about 30 years into the new millennium. The light had been waning up to this time and then the darkness was full. In that failing light just before complete darkness the veil of the temple was torn as Mashiach died.

Likewise, we are in the waning light of the seventh prophetic day. The sun has set and it grows spiritually darker with the passing of each year. If the pattern set forth in Scripture holds true and our understanding is correct, then sometime in the next 20 years the spiritual darkness that is settling upon this world at present will be complete. Up until that time we can rightfully expect to see some pretty hard times continually increasing. It will grow harder and harder as the light continues to wane.

When we rightly understand that a prophetic day is one thousand years then we can see that the last half of that day is full of light which would be approximately 500 years. The first half of the day is also 500 years, the majority of which is in darkness. Please now consider these words of Mashiach Yeshua.

Matithyah (Matthew) 25:6
“But at midnight there is a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come forth to meet him.’”

In Yeshua’s parable of the ten virgins He tells us exactly in what part of the day He will return. But I wonder if we are listening. I wonder if we are willing to accept His words as truth.

So, if the first part of the prophetic day which is darkness is 500 years and the midst of that part of the day would be about halfway through, this would make it 250 years from the beginning of that day.

We see this pattern set forth by YHWH in the first Pesach (Passover).

Shemot (Exodus) 11:4
And Moshe said, “Thus says YHWH, ‘about midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:’”

And thus He did just as He said He would do!

Shemot (Exodus) 12:29
And it came to pass at midnight, that YHWH smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne to the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the first-born of cattle.

Now Mashiach Yeshua began this process of Pesach nearly two thousand years ago with His death. We are now in the process of His people applying His Blood to the doorposts and lintels of their own hearts. When this process is over and each and every one of His people have His Blood applied to their hearts, then He will pass over the earth to smite all those who do not have His Blood applied to their hearts and lives. We find this future fulfillment or completion of Pesach in the book of Revelation. Please remember that this was begun by Mashiach Yeshua’s first coming and it will be completed by His second coming.

Gilyana (Revelation) 14:14-20
14 And I saw, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud I saw one sitting like unto a Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.
15 And another angel came out from the temple, crying with a great voice to Him that sat on the cloud, “Send forth Your sickle, and reap; for the hour to reap is come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.”
16 And He that sat on the cloud cast his sickle upon the earth; and the earth was reaped.
17 Another angel came out from the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel came out from the altar, he that has power over fire; and he called with a great voice to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, “Send forth your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.”
19 And the angel cast his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth, and cast it into the winepress, the great winepress, of the wrath of Elohim.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and there came out blood from the winepress, even to the bridles of the horses, as far as two hundred miles.

This event takes place in the early years of the seventh prophetic day, when it is spiritually dark upon the earth.

Please understand that the concept of “midnight” is not an exact reckoning of time, but rather an approximation. In the broadest sense of this concept it can mean “in the midst of darkness,” which is anytime during the dark of the night. When considering this, let us also consider what Mashiach Yeshua also taught us in this matter.

Matithyah (Matthew) 24:22
“And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved; but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.”

While we understand from a mathematical perspective that midnight would technically be 250 years into the 1000 year prophetic day, this does not mean that this is an absolute reckoning of when we should expect to see the return of Mashiach Yeshua. For He Himself has told us that those days of darkness shall be shortened for our sakes. For that we praise Him! Now we confess that we do not know how much those days shall be shortened for He does not tell us this. However, we are told something that does pertain to this shortening.

Kepha Bet (2nd Peter) 3:8-12
8 But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with YHWH as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 YHWH is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of YHWH will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy living and godliness,
12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of YHWH, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

These few verses give us a lot of pertinent information about His return. But at the same time this passage of Scripture also illustrates why there is so much confusion about the subject of our Master Yeshua’s return.

This passage tells us that with His return the earth will be burned up. But this poses a very difficult problem for us, namely: how can Mashiach Yeshua rule the earth for 1000 years if it is burned up? Now that just doesn’t make any sense at all. So, how do we rectify this seeming incongruity?

The solution is found in the phrase “the day of YHWH.” Please note that this day, even according to this passage, is one thousand years long. The day of YHWH is a prophetic day, not a literal day. So, while Mashiach Yeshua could come at about midnight just like He said He would, and then He could burn up the earth at the end of the 1000 years of the seventh day in preparation for the new heavens and the new earth, it would still be on the same prophetic day!

Please notice verse 12 in which we are told that it is possible to hasten the day of His return. In short this means that we as His people can shorten the amount of time that this world will spend in the spiritual darkness which is descending upon it. As we consider this wonderful truth let us begin by keeping in mind the following passage.

Yeshayah (Isaiah) 55:8-9
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” says YHWH.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

If one is actually going to work at hastening the day of His return, then he is going to have to do it according to His ways, for man’s ways will not hasten that day, but may in fact prolong it or put it off. With this in mind let us prayerfully consider these words of Mashiach Yeshua.

Matithyah (Matthew) 22:21
They said to Him, “Caesar's.” Then says He to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to Elohim the things that are Elohim's.”

Those things which belong to Caesar are not of YHWH our heavenly Father. Yeshua commanded us to give that which belongs to Caesar back to him. We are also to give to YHWH that which belongs to Him back to Him. So, the ultimate question in this regard is: who do you belong to? This question can be answered by a simple observation of: who do you devote your time and energy to, and who do you give your time in devotion to?

Matithyah (Matthew) 6:33
“But seek first His kingdom, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.”

If a person truly desires salvation and His righteousness then one must seek His kingdom above all else. Seeking after anything else will not produce the desired result of eternal life. Part of seeking His kingdom is to stop seeking after the kingdom of this world (Caesar’s kingdom) called Babylon.

Gilyana (Revelation) 18:4
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come forth, my people, out of her, that you have no fellowship with her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues.”

Salvation will not and cannot be found in Babylon or its systems. Yet so many people work so hard at fixing Babylon. They devote so much time and energy in attempting to bring righteousness into a system which is not righteous. In fact, according to Scripture it will never be righteous; which is the very reason why Scripture teaches us that YHWH has slated it for destruction. We are commanded to come out of this unrighteous system. We are not commanded to attempt to fix it, since it cannot be fixed anyway. The answer is not found in electing the right politician to office! The answer is found in getting out of that system and in stopping our participation in a system which is impossible to fix!

So, one of the ways in which we can hasten the day of His return is to come out of Babylon and to seek His kingdom. In doing this it will allow Babylon to fill up its own sin so that judgment from YHWH can fall upon it. The sin and iniquity of Babylon needs to be filled up before His judgment is able to fall upon it.

Daniel 9:24
“Seventy weeks are decreed upon your people and upon your holy city, to finish transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.”

Please note that YHWH is patient in waiting to bring judgment upon a people until that sin and iniquity is complete and full. We find an example of this in the Amorite people.

B’reshit (Genesis) 15:16
“And in the fourth generation they shall come here again; for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.”

When one works to stop this iniquity from reaching its fullness, then it delays judgment. We are taught not to do this, but rather we are taught to come out of Babylon and allow Babylon to do whatever Babylon will do, for we cannot change it anyway! Otherwise, since this has been prophesied from old, will one find himself actually in opposition to YHWH who gave this word through His prophets? As Scripture teaches us we are to pull others out of this system as one pulls a brand out of the fire! But in order to do this, one has to be out of the fire himself first!

We must act with the greatest of wisdom in this manner and walk only in His Spirit!

Matithyah (Matthew) 24:7-8
7 “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8 But all these things are the beginning of travail.”

Have you ever asked yourself the question: If this is travail, then what is being birthed?

While the answer to that question may surprise you, it is easily found within Scripture.

Yirmeyah (Jeremiah) 9:16
“I will scatter them also among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them.”

Because of Israel’s sin and iniquity YHWH would remove them out of His land and scatter them in all the nations of the world. That scattering would be as a man scatters or sows seed into a field.

Hoshea 2:23
“And I will sow her to Me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them that were not My people, ‘You are My people’; and they shall say, ‘You are My Elohim.’”

YHWH took the 10-Tribe kingdom of Israel and broke her apart and scattered (sowed) her as seed in all the nations of the world. Over time these people lost their identity and became as the rest of the gentiles. However, YHWH kept track of them and He knows who His people are even today. At the end of the ages it will be time for that seed to give forth its fruit.

This is as a husband and wife who come together, have relations, and produce a child, for the husband has placed his seed into her womb. When the fullness of time is upon that woman she will have labor pains and go into travail at which time a child will be born.

Likewise, the earth was sown with the seed of Israel by YHWH and the earth is going into labor pains and soon a son will be born. The name of that son is Ephrayim, the firstborn of YHWH. All of the earthquakes, tsunamis, natural disasters of all sorts, and wars and tribulations in the world which are increasing, will result in the birth of a nation, the nation of 10-Tribe Israel. This is what we are presently witnessing in our world today, these birth pangs.

We cannot say how close this birth is, but if the intensity, severity, and frequencies of earthquakes are an accurate indication (which it seems that they are from verses in Scripture), then this birth is soon to take place. But before it does, it will get very difficult for those who hold to the testimony of Mashiach and the commandments of Moshe.

Please note this next passage in which YHWH reveals to us a truth concerning the two houses of Israel.

Romans 2:10-11
10 but glory and honor and peace to every man that works good, to the Yehudi first, and also to the Aramean;
11 for there is no respect of persons with Elohim.

In many English translations of Scripture “Greek” is used instead of “Aramean” which we have taken from the Peshitta. This seems to us a direct reference to the two houses of Israel. What this verse is actually teaching us is that the way that YHWH treats one house is how He will treat the other house. He does not show favoritism to one house over the other house.

It is important to understand this in a prophetic sense so that we can see that how YHWH went about restoring the southern house of Yehudah as a nation will be very similar to how He goes about restoring the 10-Tribe house of Israel or Ephrayim as a nation in the land.

A basic outline of how YHWH restored Yehudah as a nation goes something like this.

Of course one could fill in many other details in this outline, but all we are interested in at this point is getting a good overview of what the restoration of the 10-Tribe Kingdom of Israel is going to look like.

We quoted the following verse above, but it is worth quoting again here!

Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) 1:9
That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun.

Soon there may be a door opening in Israel by which some of Ephrayim will be able to return back to the land. For this to be a legitimate open door, those who choose to do this at that time cannot have their walk with Mashiach Yeshua threatened in any way, and is it not likely to be done under the supervision of Yehudah. Why? Please consider this prophetic verse.

Yechezqel (Ezekiel) 37:19
“Say to them, ‘Thus says Adonai YHWH; “Behold, I will take the stick of Yoseph, which is in the hand of Ephrayim, and the tribes of Israel his companions; and I will put with them, the stick of Yehudah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in My hand.”’”

Notice that the wording of this passage indicates to us that when the two sticks are joined together it will be Yehudah which is being joined to Ephrayim. It will not be Ephrayim being joined to Yehudah. It is sad that many Ephramites are turning away from Mashiach Yeshua and joining Yehudah because they do not see this one simple truth. It would be our understanding that YHWH will do it in this way because Ephrayim is His firstborn. This means that he was first to accept Yeshua as Mashiach.

There is one prophecy that we cannot ignore concerning the return of Mashiach Yeshua.

Matithyah (Matthew) 23:39
“For I say to you, you shall not see Me again, till you shall say, ‘Blessed is He that comes in the name of YHWH.’”

This is one of the keys to understanding when Mashiach Yeshua will return. He will not return until the southern house of Yehudah as a nation recognizes Yeshua as Mashiach. When they do that, then His return is imminent. But it is not imminent until this happens.

The southern house of Yehudah cannot and will not say this as a nation until several things happen. One of the most important things is that Ephrayim must make them jealous enough to want this and to recognize that Yeshua is the Mashiach who was prophesied in the Torah and the nevi’im (prophets). But how can Ephrayim make Yehudah jealous when so many are forsaking Mashiach Yeshua and joining their ranks? He cannot. So, how does Ephrayim do this?

Romans 10:19
But I say, Did Israel not know? First Moshe says,
“I will provoke you to jealousy with that which is no nation,
With a nation void of understanding will I anger you.”

Who is this people who are not a nation?

Romans 11:11
I say then, Did they stumble that they might fall? Elohim forbid; but by their fall salvation is come to the Arameans, to provoke them to jealousy.

Did not Hoshea, the prophet to the 10-Tribe Kingdom of Israel, prophesy of this coming event? To be sure! YHWH through Hoshea prophesied that the 10-Tribe kingdom would be scattered throughout the nations of this world and lose their identity. But then He would call them back. It is this return back to the land that will make Yehudah jealous. Why? It will make Yehudah jealous because they will look and see that we are keeping Torah in the freedom of Mashiach Yeshua. In fact, what they will see is that Ephrayim is actually keeping Torah better than they are keeping it, because we are doing so without all the added manmade traditions! This is so because Ephrayim is filled with His Spirit and walking in His Spirit.

It is this that will make Yehudah jealous enough to recognize that Yeshua is Mashiach. Nothing else that Ephrayim does will accomplish this. So, while we should take every opportunity to tell others, including Yehudah, about Mashiach Yeshua, what our primary focus should be at this time should be the restoration of Ephrayim as a nation.

When will that happen? It seems reasonable that it most likely will happen before the darkness which is coming upon the land is complete. Why do we say this? Please prayerfully consider this passage, the words of Mashiach Yeshua.

Yochanan (John) 9:4
“We must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day; the night comes, when no man can work.”

That darkness is quickly approaching. It would seem reasonable then that before that night is fully upon us we would see Ephrayim restored as a nation back in the land. I pray and hope that this is true!

ABBA YHWH, we ask that You would reveal to each one of us what it is that You would have us to do to accomplish Your will in this world now; in the name of Yeshua our Mashiach. Amein.

Shabbat Shalom
Zerubbabel ben Emunah
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