1. BELIEF IN YAHWEH, HIS SON YAHSHUA AND THE HOLY SPIRIT: The doctrine of the Trinity is central to Christian and true Messianic faith. We believe in one God who manifests Himself in three Persons. These are identified as the Father (Yahweh Elohim), the Son (Yahshua, or Jesus), and the Ruach or Holy Spirit (or the Ruach Ha Kodesh) (See Matthew 3:16-17; 11:27; 28:19; John 1:32-34; 1 Peter 1:17-23). Though the word “trinity” does not appear in the Bible, the truth of the Triune Godhead is evident through study of Scripture. First of all, we can see that the Father and the Son are considered one in nature and purpose:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” -- John 1:1-3
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one.” -- John 10:27-30
Added to this Father-Son relationship is the revealed knowledge of God’s own Spirit, which acts as one with the Father and the Son. True faith is evidenced when one has a personal relationship with Yahweh God through His Son Yahshua, which is made possible by the spiritual baptism Yahshua offers us with His own Spirit (Romans 8:9; 1 Peter 1:10-11). This salvation is independent of any church creed or doctrine. Salvation is open to anyone who believes that Yahshua is the Son of God, and enters into a sacred Blood Covenant of trust and love with Him. This Covenant relationship is not restricted to those who belong to a specific church denomination, but is a free gift to anyone who accepts Yahshua as their Messiah, and is reborn by the Holy Spirit, or Ruach Ha Kodesh (Romans 8:10-11).
Though the Holy Spirit is a part of, and is fully one with the Father and the Son, and vise versa, the Spirit of God is also to be recognized as a Person (Psalm 139:7-10; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; 13:14). When we are born again, the Holy Spirit dwells within all believers, attesting to our status as adopted children of God and heirs of the promises made to Abraham (John 3:3-8; Romans 8:16; 1 Peter 1:22-23). The Holy Spirit also intercedes on our behalf before the Father, and the Son:
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. -- Romans 8:26-27
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2. HONORING “HA SHEM” or THE NAME: Ha Shem is the Hebrew term meaning “The Name.” It refers directly to what is known as the Tetragrammaton, or four Hebrew letters used in God’s Name. These correspond in English to the four letters “YHWH,” and are most correctly pronounced “Yahweh.” Those who are true believers should be unashamed to use the Biblically revealed Names of both God the Father and His Son. Using their correct Names are vitally important for us to receive the full blessing of Yahweh for our faith. The names Yah, Yahweh and Yahweh Elohim refer to the Creator God of the Old Testament. Unfortunately, our modern translations sadly mask the thousands of occurrences of the Name and title “Yahweh Elohim” that appear in the Old Testament. Instead, the generic term “LORD God” is substituted. However, the Name Yahweh is too important to forget or ignore since it represents all three Persons in the Triune Godhead. Even more specifically, it relates to the true Name of the Word of God: the pre-incarnate Yahshua. Great blessing accompanies those who use the Name of God correctly. Healing and blessing also accompany the use of HA SHEM YAHSHUA HA MASHIACH, or the Name of Yahshua the Anointed One.
Believers should always use these holy Names in prayer, worship, and praise to Yahweh Elohim, and His Son Yahshua. This is important because the Names of our God and His Son help identify them among the false gods that are worshipped in our world today. Using their Names is also a good way for believers to acknowledge the uniqueness and sovereignty of both Yahweh and Yahshua. By addressing them directly, and by their personal, unique names, believers indicate their close personal relationship with all three Persons of the Trinity. Believers can then experience joy in knowing Yahweh and Yahshua on a first name basis. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, they can also experience being closer to God than ever before. This connection to all three Persons of the Trinity is meant to help believers feel great intimacy with Yahweh. It is a wonderful gift we should not forsake for any reason. Yet, misplaced devotion to ancient traditions has caused many people who know this truth to abandon it in an effort to maintain unity in the church congregations they are affiliated with.
If they are ignorant of our Savior’s true name, a believer is still sanctified by faith despite their use of the incorrect name for our Savior, “Jesus.” I have seen this fact evident in my own life, as I was saved with, and have been healed by the Name “Jesus.” However, that does not lessen the fact that the name “Jesus” is based on a lie. The name given to Yahshua in Greek is “Iesous.” This same name “Iesous” is translated correctly into English as “Joshua” in Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8. When translated into English, therefore, “Iesous” should read “Joshua,” not “Jesus!” Spelled in Hebrew, Yahshua's name is identical to the name of Joshua, the Son of Nun. Joshua was the military leader and judge of Israel after Moses, and he led the Israelites to victory when they entered the Promised Land. Just as Joshua did for the people of Ancient Israel, Yahshua will lead God's people into a new Promised Land - over which Yahshua will rule as King of kings. Unlike the name “Joshua,” and many other Old Testament names used in the New Testament, the name “Jesus” is not Hebrew, and it is not even a poor transliteration of Hebrew. As a result, it does not mean “He will save" or “Yah Saves” as “Joshua,” the Anglicized version of “Yahshua” or “Yeshua” does.
Despite their ignorance of Yahshua's true Name, sincere believers in Yahshua are still being blessed in the Name of Jesus. However, this name for our Savior is incorrect, and there is much more power and blessing to be found in using Yahshua's correct Name. Also, since the signs that the Tribulation is fast approaching are becoming increasingly more evident, the use of the true and right Names of God will soon become essential. These powerful Names will help us to identify those who are true believers from those who are not. Why is this important? Because there may soon come a time (i.e. during the Great Tribulation) when Yahweh will not honor anyone who insists on calling on the name of Jesus after the truth of our Savior's true Name has been revealed to them. For it is by believing not only in the Person, but also in the Name, or character, of Yahshua that we are saved:
“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” -- John 1:10-13
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” -- Acts 4:12
Yahshua’s Name identifies His character. Yahshua’s Name therefore marks all those who call upon Him as Yahshua’s own blood kin - kin adopted as family through Communion, and into the New Blood Covenant. Since the Name of our Savior is a symbol of who He is, it is important to use the correct name for Him, and the Name of our Savior is not Jesus. Rather, it is Joshua, Yeshua, Yehushua, Yahushua, or Yahshua. Of these variants, “Yahshua” and “Yahushua” are the only names that reflect the full use of the short form of Yahweh’s Name: “Yah.” In using "Yah" in Yahshua's Name, I am acknowledging the fact that He is fully God - equal to the Father in deity, power and glory. We honor both God the Father and God the Son when we say HalleluYAH, which means “Praise YAH(weh)!” in Hebrew. So it is fitting that both the Father and the Son would have this short form of the Tetragrammaton forming their true Names.
Some may ask how we can know that the Name of our Savior is not Jesus, but is truly Joshua, or Yahshua. To see how, let's look at the Bible passage that names our Savior in the Gospel of Matthew:
“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus (Yahshua), for He will save His people from their sins.” -- Matthew 1:21
The Hebrew word that meant "He will save" was “Yahshua.” This is proven by looking in Strong's Concordance: "3442 meaning Yeshuwa` (yay-shoo'-ah); for 3091; he will save; Jeshua, the name of ten Israelites, also of a place in Palestine: KJV-- Jeshua."
Note the phonetic pronunciation provided by Strong in the above excerpt: “Yay-shoo-ah.” This pronunciation is close to the Name “Yahshua.” Since there were no vowel sounds written in ancient Hebrew, this pronunciation is a suggestion based on Modern Hebrew usage. Though languages tend to evolve and change over time, it is my presumption that Yahweh made sure that Modern Hebrew does not differ phonetically from Ancient Hebrew. We therefore know how to pronounce Yahshua’s name with a fair amount of certainty.
The Name “Yahshua” or “He Will Save” can also be translated to mean “Yahweh is our Salvation,” “Yahweh Saves,” or “Yah Saves.” This is because, in Hebrew, “He will” is the third person form of the expression “I am,” which is the Name God gave as His own personal Name when He spoke to Moses through the burning bush. In addition, Yahshua used the expression “I am” constantly during His earthly ministry to refer to Himself, thereby implying His deity and equality with the Father. We can therefore say our Savior’s Name with the “Yah” pronunciation for the first syllable with absolute confidence that this is the correct way to say Yahshua’s Name.
There were eleven men in the Bible who were named Yeshua, or Yehoshua before Christ. Two of them stand out as being reflections of Christ: Joshua (i.e. Yahushua), the son of Nun, who led the Israelites to victory in the Promised Land, and Jeshua (i.e. Yeshua), a leader of the Tribe of Levi who returned to Israel from Babylon with Zerubabbel to rebuild Jerusalem (Ezra 2:2, 3:2, 4:3). But the meaning of this name was not literally fulfilled until Yahshua died for our sins. Joshua is a mispronounced English transliteration of the name Yahshua, or Yahushua. In the case of Yahshua our Messiah, the meaning of this name is true in the most literal sense of the Name. Yahweh did unerringly save us by becoming the man called Yahshua. Through Yahshua, Yahweh Himself became the perfect sacrifice for the redemption of sin. We must therefore recognize that the true Name of Yahshua is vitally essential to our faith and Salvation. Believers should use our Savior’s true Name in faith and love or else they will be in danger of denying Him (Matthew 10:33: Luke 9:26). Furthermore, we cannot be saved from damnation without believing in Yahshua AND the sanctifying power of His wonderful NAME, as the following Scripture emphasizes:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed IN THE NAME of the only begotten Son of God” -- John 3:16-18
I've stressed a few words in the above Scripture to make the following point. In literal English, this oft-quoted Scriptural passage is telling us that we are condemned to eternal damnation unless we believe in the Name of Yahshua, since that Name alone identifies the perfect personality, fully divine nature, and ability to save us that is Yahshua! Scripture does not say we must believe in some ambiguous person whom we identify with the pat titles “Lord” and “Savior.” It says we must believe in Christ’s NAME! In truth, “Lord” is not an apt title for God. It is instead a title meaning the same thing as “Baal,” the title given to the Pagan Creator deity of the Phoenicians and Philistines. The Pagans therefore called their god “Lord” too, just as so many of us have been taught to do today. But the Pagans were condemned partly because they did not identify their Lord or Baal with the true Name or character of the one Creator God.
“Adonai,” the Hebrew term for “Lord” is different, however. Whenever it is used in the Old Testament, it refers to the preincarnate Christ. It is a descriptive, or qualifying title for the Son of God, and is an acceptable alternative to the generic term “Lord.” In fact, it is highly likely that the first followers of Christ called Yahshua “Adonai” since the first leaders in the early Church were Jews and spoke Aramaic and Hebrew. Therefore, in the New Testament, whenever it says “the Lord,” it might be a reference to God the Father’s Name and title “Yahweh Elohim” or to the Name and title for His Son, “Yahweh Adonai.” In the cases where Yahshua’s name is followed or preceded by the title “Lord,” it most likely refers to the divine title “Adonai” that applies to Him.
Using the Names “Yahweh” or “Yahshua” are ways for us to establish a deeply personal and intimate relationship with our loving and perfect Father and His Son. Our faith therefore allows us much more depth and intimacy with God than what was given to the Pagan worshippers of the Lords or Baals in the ancient world. Instead of worshipping God in any way we think is right like the Pagans did (and still do), we can find out personally what God wants from, and for us. This is done through Yah's Holy Spirit, which gives Yahweh the ability to heal and transform us from within when we believe in His Name, and we desire to be like Yahshua in character. The preceding Scripture (John 3:16-18) must therefore be taken to conclusively mean exactly what it states. In plain, literal English, it tells us that we must believe in the Name (i.e. character or personality) of Yahshua, and desire to share His unique and perfect personality (or Name) to be saved.
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3. HONORING THE NEW BLOOD COVENANT: Honoring the New Covenant sealed with Yahshua’s own blood and sanctified by His holy Name is essential for anyone who wishes to fully embrace and understand faith in Christ (Hebrews 8:6; 9:15-20). This Covenant in blood involves swearing an oath of allegiance that binds two parties in a pact of fealty and friendship that cannot be broken unless either party involved betrays their oath. The two parties united through the Covenant ritual are considered “one flesh.” This Covenant is a bond that not even death can sever. It is passed down to all future generations as an everlasting bond between the two parties. Believers enter The New Covenant in Yahshua’s blood by partaking in the act of Communion, which commemorates Yahshua’s death on the Cross:
“Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven-- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” -- John 6:53-58
Yahshua here was speaking ahead to the events of the Last Supper, which was an evening Passover meal. Through the memorial act of drinking wine and eating unleavened bread at Passover, believers are promising to symbolically fulfill the requirements of the Blood Covenant ritual as laid out in the Old Testament (See Genesis, Chapters 15, 17, 21:27-33; 31:44-55; and 1 Samuel 18:3-5. See also my article “A Christian View of Passover” available in the “Free Articles and Downloads” section of the http://pillar-of-enoch.com web site to find out how to incorporate elements of a Passover Haggadah into Christian Easter celebrations). Seven ritual acts were associated with sealing ancient blood covenants. These seven ritual acts were:
1a. MAKE A BLOOD SACRIFICE: To make a blood covenant, the first step was to make a blood sacrifice to serve as symbolic seal of the oath given between the two covenant parties. Yahweh made a blood covenant with Abram that promised him descendants as numerous as the stars in exchange for his spiritual faith (Genesis 15:1-21). To seal the covenant, Abram sacrificed several animals and cut them in half, laying the pieces opposite each other on the ground, and leaving a bloody path between them wide enough for a man to walk through. Though Abram did not do so, two people entering a covenant together would seal their covenant agreement with God by walking through the blood soaked earth between the pieces. By doing so, both covenant parties would indicate that Yah should similarly spill their blood, and that of all their relations if any of them should break this sacred covenant with Yahweh. But in Abram’s case, Yahweh alone passed over this bloody path by appearing as a “smoking oven and burning torch” that moved between the halved sacrifices (Genesis 15:17). In this way, God alone swore to keep this covenant of blessing regardless of Abraham’s, or his descendant’s behavior!
Later, however, after Yahweh deepened His covenant promises to Abraham, Yahweh asked Abraham, and all his male descendents to mark their new covenant through the sacrificed flesh and blood of the circumcision (Genesis 17:10-11). This shows that there can be no covenant without the shedding of blood, just as there is no forgiveness of sin without it (Leviticus 17:11; Matthew 26:28). This is why the term “cut a covenant” was used to describe this ritual. The hidden partner in each covenant was Yahweh God Himself. Though Yah did not shed any blood at the time the covenant was cut with Abraham, the animals sacrificed at the covenant ceremony represented the promise that He would. Yahweh Himself would one day shed His own precious and holy blood to seal the covenant with Abraham and his descendents for all time.
Yahweh shed His own blood through the person of Yahshua the Messiah. Yahweh’s One and Only Begotten Son served as the promised sacrificial Lamb of Redemption (John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:18,19; Revelation 5:12). In the New Covenant, the blood marking this solemn ritual was shed by Yahshua to pay for our blood debt owed to God (Hebrews 9:11,12; 10:18-20). This blood debt is owed by each of us for our transgressions against the Covenant Laws of God. In Temple times, this atonement blood came from an animal sacrificed on the altar. The sacrificed animal’s blood was then sprinkled onto the people as they gathered in repentance on the Day of Atonement. Today, however, there is no more need for the Day of Atonement, for Yahshua Himself paid our debt to God once and for all time.
2a. EXCHANGE NAMES: Sometimes the parties entering into a covenant changed their name to reflect the other person’s name. This was done to indicate to others that they were now regarded as one family or one flesh under the covenant (just as people still often do when they get married, since the act of marriage is another type of covenant ritual). This is why Yahweh changed Abram’s name to Abr-AH-am (Genesis 17:5). Though the Hebrew letter “yod” or “y” in “YAH” does not appear in Abraham’s name as recorded in the original Hebrew, it is implied. This shows this blood covenant principle at work. This is also why Abram’s wife Sarai’s name was changed to imply the name Sar-AH, though only the “hey” or “h” sound of Yah’s Name found its way into the name of Sarah (See Genesis 17:15). Yahweh also changed His own name to reflect His covenant with Abraham. Henceforward, Yahweh Elohim was known as Yahweh, the Elohim of Abraham (Genesis 28:13; 31:42).
In a similar way, believers in Yahshua become an adopted part of God’s family and share in the power and promise of Yahweh’s and Yahshua’s holy Names (See Genesis 17:5). They are God’s consecrated children who live under HA SHEM YAHSHUA HA MASHIACH, the Name of Yahshua the Anointed One (Romans 8:16-17). They are consecrated to heal, prophesy and perform other signs and wonders by their open use of Yahshua’s holy Name in prayer and in worship (Mark 16:17; John 14:12-14). Through the blood covenant relationship and the sanctification we are given through sharing the blessing of the Name of Yahshua, believers obtain the right to be adopted members of Yahweh God’s family (Romans 8:15,23).
In honoring Yahweh by using His true Names, we make it known to the entire world that we are members of His Covenant family and therefore are under His divine protection. Belief in Yahshua’s Name also gives us the right to obtain the gift of the Holy Spirit. By being baptized with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, believers inherit the promise of the Resurrection into everlasting life. We need this deposit of God’s own Spirit within us in order to be truly saved and consecrated as disciples for God’s use.
3a. EXCHANGE ROBES: In certain covenant rituals, the two people involved would exchange robes to show that they had symbolically become the other person. David and Jonathan, Saul’s son did this when they made a covenant together (1 Samuel 18:4). Yahshua did this covenant ritual act symbolically on the Cross. He took on our heavy mantle of sinfulness and lost fellowship with God just before He died (Matthew 27:31, 46). In so doing, Yahshua became our Passover Lamb so that we could enter through the Door of His Cross into everlasting life (Revelation 7:9,10). We exchange robes with Yahshua by giving our filthy rags of sin to Him. In return, Yahshua covers us with His pure and holy white robe of righteousness (Luke 15:21-22; Revelation 6:11, 19:13).
4a. EXCHANGE STAFFS: In some instances, people entering a covenant would exchange their staffs. The prophet Zechariah mentions the breaking of a staff in connection with the severing of a covenant (Zechariah 11:10). These Shepherds' crooks or simple walking staffs symbolically signified a person’s actions and deeds. We exchange staffs with Yahshua when we give Him our selfish works and choose instead to do selfless acts through the promptings of the Holy Spirit within us. We thereby give the emptiness of our dead spirits to Yahshua in exchange for the fullness of His Holy Spirit, or Ruach Ha Kodesh.
5a. MINGLE BLOOD: In all primitive blood covenant rituals, the blood of the covenant had to be poured out and a small portion of it somehow mingled between the parties. This was done in several ways, one of which was to mix a little of the blood that was taken from a cut in the arm or hand of both parties into a cup of wine. Then the covenant makers would both drink from the same cup. Occasionally, blood from the animal sacrificed to provide meat for the covenant meal was used instead of the blood of the people involved. The prohibition against eating blood levied by Yahweh after the Great Flood did not seem to have affected the blood covenant ceremony (Genesis 9:4-6; Deuteronomy 12:22-27). This is because the blood covenant was considered a most holy and sacred event that had much symbolic significance and only a tiny amount of blood was consumed.
Furthermore, it was performed only once between the parties involved and was binding for all time. Another way that the mingling of blood could be done was by piercing or cutting the palm of both parties. Then the two people would clasp their hands tightly together. Sometimes they were tied together for a time to make sure that their blood mingled. In this way they became related “by blood.” This act was likely the origin of the “Blood Brother” ritual seen among primitive people as well as the handshake that we use today as a sign of friendship.
This mingling of blood is now accomplished through the bread and wine of the New Covenant meal that Yahshua instituted on the Passover before He died (Matthew 26:26-28). The bread and wine represent Yahshua's body and blood as well as the body and blood of each person entering the Covenant relationship since we are symbolically crucified with Christ when we become believers (See Romans 6:8-11; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Galatians 2:19-21; Colossians 2:11-13). The bread and blood therefore also symbolize that believers have become as one flesh under the Covenant (Ephesians 5:25-32). This alludes to the future of the True Church as the New Jerusalem and the promised Bride of Christ (Revelation 21:2,9; 22:17).
6a. SHARE THE COVENANT RITUAL MEAL: In most cases, the people entering into a covenant shared a ritual meal or held a great feast to mark the occasion (Genesis 26:28-30; 31:54; Exodus 18:12). This meal included the meat of the animals sacrificed to mark the covenant, bread, and wine that was sometimes mixed with a little blood. The few drops of blood added to the wine came either from the ritual covenant sacrifice or from out of the people entering the covenant together.
Believers enter into a perpetual Blood Covenant with Yahshua by symbolically partaking of His body and blood. We do this by sharing a ritual meal of sanctified bread and wine just as ancient people did in their covenant rituals. By doing so, we are promising to keep the requirements of the New Blood Covenant. We do this by loving and honoring Yahweh and His Son and all that live under the same Covenant. Those who partake of this Covenant do not have to belong to any church or honor any law other than those laid out by Yahshua and His apostles. By partaking in the ritual covenant meal, believers are promising to share all things together and to protect and uphold each other at any cost. In ancient times, this meal consisted of sharing bread and wine mixed with blood from the sacrificed animal (or animals: See Genesis 15:8-17). In the case of believers, we symbolically eat the meat and drink the symbolic blood of Yahshua during Communion:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”-- John 6:47-51
7a. MAKE A MEMORIAL STONE HEAP OR PLANT A SACRED TREE: Jacob and his relations made a stone heap to memorialize their blood covenant relationship with Jacob’s father-in-law, Laban (Genesis 31:45-46). Likewise, Joshua heaped up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan River where the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant miraculously crossed into the Holy Land (Joshua 4:9). They entered on a riverbed gone dry just as the Red Sea had parted for God's people forty years prior. We symbolically make a stone heap symbolizing our Covenant with Yahshua by becoming the stones forming each wall in the Temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:17). We become the stones that form the Temple by allowing the Ruach Ha Kodesh or Holy Spirit to live and dwell within us (1 Corinthians 6:19).
In Abraham’s covenant with Abimelech, King of Gerar, a tree was planted as a sacred part of a Covenant ritual. During this covenant ritual, Abraham planted a Tamarisk tree (Genesis 21:33). Abraham likely also entered a similar covenant arrangement with the three Amorite chiefs who gave Abraham and his descendants the cave at Mamre as a burial place. Terebinth trees are often associated with Mamre and Hebron, the place where Abraham dwelled in Canaan (Genesis 13:18; 14:13; 18:1). By accepting Yahshua as the righteous Branch and the ultimate Tree of Life in our lives, we symbolically plant a sacred covenant tree in our hearts. We are also symbolically nailed to the tree that served as a death stake for Yahshua and we are crucified with Him, sharing in His death on the cross (Galatians 2:20; 5:24; 6:14). In this way, we die to our old selves so that we can be spiritually reborn in Yahshua’s perfect image as we await our resurrection to everlasting life (Romans 6:4-11; Colossians 2:11-14).
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4. SPIRITUAL REBIRTH THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT:
All who receive water baptism into the Name of Yahshua by immersion and believe that Yahshua is the Messiah are promised the Holy Spirit, or Ruach Ha Kodesh (Matthew 3:11; John 1:33,34; 14:15-17; Acts 2:38). Water baptism is simply an outward sign that true repentance has occurred in the individual. This outward sign announces to God and the world that a person is repentant of their sins, accepts Yahshua’s sacrifice for their sins, and wants to be forever forgiven for their sins. Of course, it also implies that they want to die to their sinful nature and be made alive through Christ, in order to live more righteously. We are incapable of living righteously, however, without the baptism and guidance of the Holy Spirit. So, though believers do not have to be baptized with literal water to be saved, they must repent and believe in Christ to receive the spiritual baptism of the Holy Spirit! Without Christ’s Spirit living inside them, a person is not saved, and cannot be considered a true believer. (John 3:3-8; 1 Corinthians 2:11-16).
“Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” -- John 3:5
The water mentioned in the above Scripture refers to the Baptism of Repentance that John the Baptist offered his disciples. It was a baptism by water that did not save anyone from sin, but served as a sign that they repented of their sins, and were hoping for a Savior to forever save them from their sinfulness. When a believer gets baptized with water, it is also a sign of their repentance from sin and desire to change. Before believers can honestly confess that Yahshua is their Savior, they must repent of their sins and want Yahshua to save them from their sinfulness! After this, truly repentant individuals who love Yahshua fully will receive the Holy Spirit, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit in their lives should show the truth of their faith. Believers are called to sin less and become more like Yahshua gradually (Romans 8:28-29; 1 Corinthians 15:49-50). Those who say they believe in Yahshua, but do not avoid sin or show some change for the better, are LIARS (Romans 6:1-23)!
Scripture teaches that, once we say that we believe that Yahshua is our Savior, the Holy Spirit is the deposit that guarantees our Salvation (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14). There should therefore be some tangible evidence that the Holy Spirit is within us. The fruit of the Holy Spirit should gradually and increasingly become obvious in a believer’s free choice of lifestyle and behavior (Romans 6:3-18). Evidence of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life includes, but is not limited to:
• Seeking quiet time alone to dwell in God’s presence, and to worship and speak to Him in prayer daily.
• A real hunger to study, understand, and memorize God’s Word as found in the Bible, as well as a desire to share its beauty with others.
• A manifestation of the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit in ever-increasing amounts: Spiritual FRUITS like joy, peace, kindness, goodness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22,23; Ephesians 5:9). Spiritual GIFTS such as speaking in tongues, healing others, preaching, ministering, and sharing visions, dreams and other prophetic gifts (Romans 12:4-9; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11).
• A growing desire to make amends to people one has wronged and to forgive those for whom one harbors bitterness.
• A withdrawal from activities and occupations that promote or encourage sin. These include abstaining from excessive drinking, gambling, sexual immorality and gluttony (1 Peter 4:1-4).
• Positive changes in personal grooming and social behavior.
If a person says they believe in Yahshua as their Messiah but is not displaying the above traits, then it is possible that he or she does not have the Holy Spirit yet. They therefore need to ASK YAHSHUA for this spiritual baptism to occur in prayer. Even after this spiritual baptism is given by God's own hand, we need to ask Yahshua for all the gifts of the Holy Spirit in prayer often. This is because we need to keep our relationship with God alive through prayer. When we ask for things in prayer, we are re-affirming our belief and commitment to Yah. In return for our faith and desire to draw near to Him, Yahshua gives us His own Spirit when we ask. In a world increasingly more hostile to Yahshua and His exclusive message of salvation, this is vital, for the Spirit of Yahshua gives us the courage and confidence to act as Yahshua's representatives.
Another gift of the Holy Spirit is that it frees us from distinctions of class and gender. This means that, whether one is rich or poor, man or woman, all are to be considered equal in the sight of Yahweh:
“But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus (The Anointed One Yahshua). For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus (The Anointed One Yahshua). And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” -- Galatians 3:23-29
This Scripture teaches that born-again believers are to be viewed as equals in all respects. This implies that all believers should be given an equal opportunity to serve the Church, provided that they show a real aptitude to do the task they are asking to fulfill. Regardless of the task, they must set good examples with their exemplary conduct and devotion to God. They must also show a consistent ability to act with love, compassion, self-control, and forgiveness (1 Corinthians 12:4-13; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 2:1-13). Regardless of sex, nationality, or class, all can serve in ministry as helpers and teachers, and all are called to perform good acts of service for the body of believers that they are connected to:
“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…” -- Ephesians 4:11-12
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5. SALVATION BY GRACE:
Believers who have entered the Blood Covenant with Yahshua are not bound to keep any Old Testament Law. Though they should manifest a desire and active ability to follow the Ten Commandments and the requirements of the New Blood Covenant, believers are under Grace, not under Law (Romans 3:21-28; 2 Corinthians 3:3-9). Salvation by Grace is a free gift and cannot be earned by doing good works but is only given freely through true faith in Yahshua the Messiah (Ephesians 2:8,9). This faith gives believers Yahshua’s promised baptism of the Holy Spirit. A person should honor their Blood Covenant with Yahshua, which calls for them to live righteously, but they cannot earn their salvation by attempting to keep the righteous requirements of the Law on their own. This is because they are bound to fail since no one could ever satisfy the requirements of the Law except Yahshua Himself!
We need Christ’s own Spirit dwelling in us, and actively guiding our actions, before we will be even partly capable of fulfilling the Law like Christ did. Even after we are saved, however, we are incapable of fulfilling the Law until we are truly born-again, at the moment of our resurrection from the dead. We therefore cannot earn our salvation by doing good works, because our best efforts are still imperfect, and thereby insufficient. Nonetheless, when the Holy Spirit dwells within us, we are seen as fully righteous like Christ, and are automatically adopted into Yahweh God’s family:
“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” -- Romans 8:15-17
When this baptism with God’s Spirit occurs within us, we gradually change in character, becoming more like Christ by degrees. As we progress spiritually through our willingness to listen to the Spirit, we begin doing the Will of Yahweh God by choice and free will rather than by enslavement to the Law. This is explained in the following Scripture:
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” -- Galatians 5:1-6
The yoke of slavery that Paul spoke about is the pressure placed upon us to conform to the legalistic doctrines or requirements within various Church communities. Like the Jews who were enslaved by their failure and inability to fulfill the Old Testament Law without the Spirit of Christ to aid them, legalistic churches burden their members with strict rules for living and worship that may not be God’s Will for them. Furthermore, our ability to keep the good and righteous Laws of God are completely dependent on how much we are reliant on Christ and His Spirit to perform faithfully. As the preceding Scripture makes clear, we eagerly await our transformation by God’s Spirit within us and, in faith, we never stop striving to obtain our goal, which is to be perfect like Christ. To achieve this perfection, however, we must strive to listen to Christ’s Spirit within us. When we do anything in the Spirit of Yahshua, we are acting in His Name, or character and within His perfect Will. This ability to act in the character and through the Name of Yahshua marks us worthy to become His Bride.
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6. BECOMING THE BRIDE OF CHRIST: Those who are true believers of Yahshua symbolically become one body that represents the True Church. This worldwide body of believers (which is separate from any denomination, and consists of members from all the churches) will become the Bride of Christ, during the Wedding Supper of the Lamb of God, at the End of the Age:
“Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These are the true words of God.” -- Revelation 19:9
Following is an excerpt from Book Two “The Language of God in Humanity.” I’ve chosen to share it here because it clearly explains what it means to be the Bride of Christ that attends the Wedding Supper of the Lamb of God:
“How awesome and magnificent these revealed aspects of our relationship to Yahshua are, giving us such a keen knowledge of how wonderfully and deeply we are loved! We were betrothed to Yahshua before the Fall (Ephesians 1:4-5,11) - before the sins of pride and disobedience made us all His enemies. Through the Blood Covenant Christ made with us, however, we will rise to become His most cherished possession (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25). We are allegorically sprinkled with His redeeming blood, and we symbolically drink it in Holy Communion. Partaking in the bread and wine of the New Covenant covers our sins, and gives us the right to call Yahshua our “Blood Brother” as well as our Beloved Groom. The cup of wine also signifies our entrance into an everlasting Marriage Covenant relationship with Christ.
Like the Jewish bride and bridegroom who dress in white on their wedding day, we will be clothed in the brilliant white garments of Christ’s righteousness. Like them, we will have sealed our love under the enveloping canopy or Tabernacle of His grace and mercy shown to us in the act of the Rapture. Like the Jewish bride and groom who drink from the same cup of wine, we have symbolically tasted the blood of the Covenant in Communion. The drinking of the wine in Communion symbolizes our love of Christ as well as Yahshua’s love for us. Therefore only those of us who drink the blood of the Covenant and keep the Covenant through the power of the Holy Spirit will be found pleasing to Yahweh God. Drinking deeply from that cup of everlasting unity, we shall share a perfect place of peace with Yahshua forever. Instead of a deed to property or a diamond ring, Yahshua has given us something of everlasting value - our salvation from sin and death and a permanent home in the New Jerusalem. Saint Paul alludes to our future marriage to Christ in the following passage:
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” -- Ephesians 5:25-27.
The future wedding of the True Church with Yahshua will be such a glorious time! Referring to that time of joy, the traditional length of Jewish weddings and wedding banquets gives an indication of what our heavenly wedding will be like, as well as when it will take place. Let’s examine why:
Whenever possible, Jewish wedding banquets were ideally held for seven days - from Sabbath to Sabbath. As the guests were making their way to the location of the banquet, the bridegroom would come to the bride’s home. Then he would escort her to his parent’s home for the wedding ceremony, and the subsequent seven-day wedding banquet for immediate family, and close friends. At its end, the bride and groom would depart for their new home. Then there would be a marriage supper attended by family, beloved servants, and unrelated neighbors in the couple’s new community. All of these events have prophetic parallels…
-- The above excerpt was taken from “The Language of God in Humanity,” Chapter Five, “Yah Revealed in the Ritual of Marriage” To learn more about “The Language of God” book series, go to http://pillar-of-enoch.com/language_series/.
Right now, all those who have had Communion, have accepted Yahshua as their Savior, and have been baptized into His Name by the power of the Holy Spirit have been symbolically betrothed to Yahshua. The Holy Spirit is needed within us to transform us so that we can righteously act as Yahshua’s beloved Bride. As mentioned before, when we do anything in the Spirit of Yahshua, we are acting in His Name, or character, and within His perfect Will. As Yahshua’s Bride-to-be, we should reflect His Spirit in our dealings with ourselves, our friends and families, and others. However, our ability to be a perfect Bride for and reflection of Christ will only increase with time spent reading the Bible, in deep spiritual reflection, and in heartfelt prayer as we draw near to, worship, and thank God and ask for His help.
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7. KEEPING THE SABBATH IN SPIRIT:
Since we are not under the Old Testament Law, we do not have to keep the literal seventh day Sabbath, or regard any day as more holy than another. However, we are encouraged to keep the Jewish High Sabbaths such as Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Tabernacles (Romans 14:4-6). This is because it is impossible to understand Yahweh’s plans for the future of His Church fully without knowing the prophetic applications of these feast days. In fact, understanding and applying the symbolic teaching and prophecy that is found in each Jewish High Sabbath is an important key in understanding our faith!
Each one of these God-ordained festival days has an implicit Messianic and prophetic meaning. Their fulfillment has been or will be in the Person and ministry of Yahshua (Hebrews 8:1-7; 9:6-15; 10:1-20; Colossians 2:17)! These festivals therefore stand as perpetual reminders of the powerful work that was or will be accomplished by our wonderful Messiah during His First and Second Coming. For instance, the Feast of Passover is full of powerful symbolism heralding the Messiah in His First Advent role as a suffering servant. Sukkot, or the joyous Feast of Tabernacles, on the other hand, represents Yahshua’s coming Millennial reign on earth. That is why the prophet Zechariah indicates that we will be keeping this ancient weeklong feast throughout the Millennium (Zechariah 14:16-19).
The Judeo-Christian Holy Days called Passover, Firstfruits, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot should be remembered by believers because of their ability to teach and instruct those new to the faith. They do not, however, need to be kept in the same ritual manner as Jews keep them today. In fact, true believers are not required to remember the significance of any special holy days outside of the New Covenant ritual enacted during Passover that most believers call Communion. Keeping the other biblically ordained holy days is a matter of choice and conviction by the Holy Spirit, not a law or obligation (Colossians 2:14-17).
Instead of keeping the letter of the Law, believers are admonished to keep it in Spirit by abstaining from sin, praying continually, and by praising and worshipping Yahweh Elohim with joy and thankfulness (Luke 21:36; Romans 6:12-18; 12:10-21; 1 Thessalonians 5:15-22; Hebrews 13:15). Believers live within the Sabbath rest of Yahweh by doing these things, as well as by sharing His blessing and goodness with others, and seeking His holy presence everyday, whether at work or play. Instead of making one day holy, we are asked to make all of them holy unto the Lord. In keeping with the Sabbath requirement, we should always strive to devote one seventh of our waking hours to doing things that edify Yahweh and that further His Will in our lives.
If any church or group of believers tries to enforce Sabbath worship by implying that not coming to church on Saturday or Sunday is a sin, they are sadly mistaken. Neither day is a mandatory day of worship and fellowship. What is mandatory is that we spend part of every day in Yahweh God’s glorious presence and seek to do His Will as we pray and study Scripture. It is also essential for believers to seek out other believers to fellowship with. Though it is nice if this happens to be during a church service, it can be at any time and place. In fact, many believers are now seeking and finding fellowship through social media online or through Bible studies conducted in their homes rather than in brick and mortar church buildings. Due to my beliefs, this is also where I find my fellowship.
In order to stand firm on this issue of whether or not to keep the Sabbath, we need to examine what Yahshua said about it:
“And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” -- Mark 2:27-28
In saying this, Yahshua was admonishing people to view the Sabbath not as a mandatory obligation that we are enslaved to, but as a blessing that was meant to restore and rejuvenate us. The seventh day Sabbath is therefore a reminder to us to take time to rest and to relax and enjoy life in Yahweh God’s presence in order to find restoration and healing. We can only do this fully, however, when we take on what I call the yoke of freedom. This is a yoke in direct opposition to the yoke of slavery that is the curse of the Old Testament Law as mentioned by Saint Paul (Galatians 5:1). We are given this gentle yoke of freedom through belief in Yahshua and His glorious Name and by the baptism of the Holy Spirit:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." -- Matthew 11:28-30
As Spiritual Israel, we have to keep the only two commandants Yahshua gave us, the two commandments that encompassed the Ten Commandments and the whole Old Testament Law:
“Jesus said to him," 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” -- Matthew 22:37-40 (NKJ)
The first of these two New Covenant commandments encompassed the first four of the Ten Commandments, and the second commandment of Yahshua encompassed the last five of the Ten Commandments. The fifth Commandment, the one that tells us to “Honor your father and mother,” is applicable both to loving Yahweh fully and to loving others fully. As Yahshua Himself taught, these two New Covenant Laws also encompass the whole Old Testament Law in general! This does not mean, however, that we must keep all 613 Old Testament Laws as Hassidic Jews still endeavor to do. Instead, it means that we must allow the Holy Spirit given to us by Yahshua to show us the proper way to love Yahweh and ourselves.
The Holy Spirit has shown me how Yahshua’s two Laws should be kept. We keep the first of these two Laws of Yahshua through loving Yahweh God and His Son Yahshua and by honoring Their true Names. The churches and believers who do this will be honoring the exchange of Names ritual that is part of our New Blood Covenant with Yahweh. We also keep the first Commandment of Yahshua by keeping the Sabbath in spirit and by remembering, applying and commemorating the truths shown to us through keeping the High Sabbaths of the Jewish people in an atmosphere of Christian freedom. In this way, we spiritual Israelites keep ourselves separate and free from falling into the legalistic yoke of oppression that the Pharisees and Sadducees of Yahshua’s day were so guilty of.
We keep the second of these two commandments by learning to love and view ourselves with Yahweh’s eyes so that we can truly love others as He does. We can only do this with the power of the Holy Spirit filling us and guiding us each step of the way. Only then can we truly keep the last five of the Ten Commandments: “You shall not murder,” “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not lie,” and “You shall not covet.”
Yahshua Himself instituted the New Blood Covenant while partaking in a Passover meal on the night before He died (Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). It was sealed the next day in Yahshua’s precious blood on Golgotha, where He died on the Cross for our sins, and then rose from the dead in an immortal body three days later. Those ministers and churches that follow and teach doctrines contrary to this New Blood Covenant - which hinges on the shedding of Christ’s blood for the remission of all sin, and His resurrection into a perfect, immortal body of flesh and bone - are false followers, or antichrists, and they and those who follow them are NOT worthy to be numbered as the Bride of Christ or one of the Five Wise Virgins that accompany her to the Wedding of the Lamb in Heaven at the time of the Rapture. Furthermore, they will be held accountable before the Judgment throne of Yahweh for teaching lies. For their sins, they will perish for all eternity in the Lake of Fire on the Last Day - unless they repent beforehand.
Those who follow Yahshua, however, will one day become the residents of the New Jerusalem that comes out of Heaven as a bride adorned for her husband (Revelation 21:2). The bridegroom is Yahshua Himself, and we - the body of all believers who have earned the right to dwell in the heavenly Jerusalem - will be spiritually married to Him for all eternity. The Wedding Supper of the Lamb will occur in Heaven while the Great Tribulation is occurring on Earth. In this way, all true believers will become members of Yahshua’s family, and will dwell in His presence forever.
This is how I judge a church. If they do not follow or teach most of the above principles, they might not possess the full light and love of Yahweh and the true spiritual gifts of His Son Yahshua’s Spirit. Those churches that ignore or refuse to accept many of the above signs of genuine faith in Yahshua may be false churches. Faith in the Trinity, in Yahshua’s Blood Covenant of Salvation sealed by His death and resurrection, in Baptism by the Holy Spirit, and in our right to live under a Yoke of Freedom are non-negotiable indicators that we are saved, justified and sanctified in Yahshua.
Anyone who does not believe in these essential doctrines of faith in Yahshua are in danger of not receiving the full blessing of Yahweh. But most seriously, if they deny that Yahshua died and rose again, and say that He is not God’s Son who sealed the New Covenant in His own blood, they are not saved - and are in danger of eternal damnation. However, people who are truly saved (Spirit-filled), and doing their best to live by the seven principles listed above (insofar as they have knowledge of the truth) will inherit everlasting life. The Way of Salvation in Yahshua is very narrow, and few churches today seem to understand or preach about the teachings that will keep their congregants on that narrow path:
It is a terrible tragedy (but also a predicted End Time sign) that so many modern churches are on the wide road that leads to destruction (2 Timothy 3:1-5; 2 Peter 3:3-13; Revelation 2:5,9-10,20-23; Revelation 3:1-3,9,15-19). Sadly, people who follow the teachings of all false churches are in danger of perishing unless they learn to stop taking their Salvation lightly. They need to search the Scriptures on their own, and prayerfully ask for Yahweh’s guidance (through His Holy Spirit) to help them discern the truth for themselves. With the Spirit of God as a guide, they will not be led astray unless they fail to heed the Spirit’s quiet voice teaching them the truth in their hearts and minds. Those who are fortunate and do find the narrow gate will become part of the small End Time church called Philadelphia:
The Greek word Philadelphia means “brotherly love.” Note how this church of brotherly love is marked by their ability to keep Yahweh God’s Word as well as to honor His Holy Name. Only people baptized by the Holy Spirit can enter through the narrow gate and the open door to Salvation found in the Person and the Name of the Word of God: Yahshua the Anointed One. I hope and pray that all people will discover this truth before it is too late.
