First, as is common in my discussions, I will use the actual true name of Messiah, Yeshua (Yay SHOO ah) when referring to the anointed One of God instead of the traditional and undeniably false name "jesus." I have material on my web site in which I prove that "jesus" is not, never has been, and never will be Messiah's name. Christian teachers who claim otherwise are either blatant liars or ignorant fools. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but the truth can sometimes be harsh to those entrenched in falsehood or in financial or prideful bondage to traditions.
Secondly, in this article I use the term "torah" and will therefore provide a brief definition.
"Torah" is the Hebrew word for "teaching" or "instruction." It is generally not used to refer to "law" and has been somewhat mistranslated as such at times. In this discussion I use the term to refer specifically to the first five books of Moses - Genesis through Deuteronomy.
However, in the New Testament, which comes to us from existing Greek manuscripts, the Greek term "nomos" is used and is not as clearly identifiable with the written torah. The term "law" is actually ambiguous as read in the New Testament. "Law," as seen in the New Testament could mean either:
In other words, when the term "law" is seen in the English translations of the New Testament is it incorrect to always assume that it refers to the "torah" or books of Moses. Failure to understand this results in faulty interpretations of New Testament passages.
A typical example is with regards to the writings of the apostle Paul. At times Paul may appear to voice negative opinions of "the law," and most Christians instantly interpret that as being a negative opinion of "torah." However, in truth Paul's negative opinion may instead be towards the oral torah or Pharisaic traditions, which is completely separate and distinct from the written torah found in the books of Moses. A typical knee-jerk reaction against the torah is common among Christians due to their failure to decipher to which "law" Paul is referring, and this incorrect understanding is due to a horribly biased mind set among those whom Christians sadly rely upon for knowledge of Scripture - namely, anti-torah leaders of Christianity.
In this discussion my use of the terms "torah" and "law" are interchangeable and should be understood as referring to the true torah - the first five books of Moses.
Now on to the discussion where we start with a dire prophetic warning from our Master Yeshua the Messiah.
Mt 7:21-23
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father
which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and
in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess
unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Parallel Luke 13:24-27
Luke 13:24-27 - 24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
Verse 21 in Matthew once again shows the distinction of the Father in heaven while Yeshua was speaking from earth. However, the primary point I wish to make regarding these verses is the strong pro-Torah message Yeshua is making.
Those that unintentionally promote the goals of evil with their promotion of the "once saved-always saved" deception of the serpent also have a problem with this verse because it very clearly implies the ones who cry, "Lord, Lord have we not..." considered themselves "saved". Verse 22 leaves little doubt of this:
Matthew 7:22 - 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
The "eternal security/OSAS" proponents attempt to extract themselves from the clear words of our lord by claiming that since he said, "I never knew you" they were never actually saved. However, they deceptively avoid the clear definitions in the New Testament of what it truly means to "know" Messiah and also (as usual) completely ignore the context. The definition of "knowing" Messiah is found in 1 John 2:3-5.
1 John 2:3-5 - 3 And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:
The New American Standard Bible, (La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation) 1977.
Clearly to "know" Messiah is to keep the commandments or teachings of Messiah (Torah!); therefore, those that rebelliously refuse to keep the Torah (Law or commandments) of Messiah do not "know" Him and will be told, "Depart from me, ye that work iniquity (lawless)!"
Further confirmation of this is found in the very term translated "iniquity" in the KJV. The New American Standard Version and others more appropriately translate the term "lawlessness". Since Torah is "law," the lawless are those who do not keep Torah. In fact from the following verse the point is further confirmed.
1 John 3:4 - 4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.
The New American Standard Bible, (La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation) 1977.
1 John 3:4 - 4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
The Greek word translated "lawlessness" in the NASB and "transgression of the law" in the KJV is one and the same word - anomia - and is shown from Strong's lexicon to be:
Likewise, Thayer's Greek lexicon defines anomia as:
I will point out one more important proof. In Matthew 13 Yeshua is describing the time when he will send forth angels to gather the wicked out of his Kingdom.
Matthew 13:39-43
39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 Therefore just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, (anomia) 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
The New American Standard Bible, (La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation) 1977.
Here we have another instance of the use of the Greek term anomia. The "lawless" (Torah violators) are among those who are gathered first and cast into the fires of eternal destruction! By the way, here and elsewhere Messiah makes it clear that the wicked are gathered before the righteous - a clear and irrefutable contradiction of the silly, outrageous, and dangerous "rapture" theory. Of course, those clinging to a belief in the rapture do so because they want to, and they probably do not care that the person they worship as "Christ" proves the rapture is a false doctrine.
A secondary, yet important teaching, relates to WHERE the Kingdom will be. Note that the wicked are gathered OUT OF the Kingdom, and the righteous, who were NOT gathered will THEN "shine forth as the sun IN the Kingdom." Obviously, since the wicked and the righteous are right here on planet earth where the angels are sent to gather, the Kingdom from which the Torah violators are gathered is an EARTHLY Kingdom in which the righteous will then shine forth. Matthew 13:49 further solidifies this truth as well as more proof against the "rapture."
Matthew 13:49
49 So it will be at the end of the age; the angels shall come forth, and TAKE OUT the wicked FROM AMONG the righteous,
The New American Standard Bible, (La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation) 1977.
So, we have extremely clear passages where Yeshua specifically describes how those that are "lawless" (violators of Torah) will be told to depart from his presence or gathered OUT OF his Kingdom because by their lawlessness (willful rejection of Torah) they prove to have never known YHVH! Yet, today in churches all across this land the Torah is openly preached as abolished! Thus, Christianity is largely promoting doctrine that will literally result in the Lord's stern and fatal rebuke! Christian pastors all over the world are teaching doctrine that will cause those that accept it to fail to know YHVH!
I will not dwell on it; however, the verses immediately following even further confirm this as Yeshua describes how the wise man is the one that hears and acts upon the commandments whereas the foolish man hears but does not act.
I am not alone in this interpretation. Frankly, it is an amazingly easy truth to see, and MANY are arriving at the realization that the traditional teachings of Christianity which declare the "Law" abolished threatens one's eternal destiny. It is yet one more bit of evidence that identifies the Beast that attempts to "change times and laws". Here is a link to an article on the EliYah web site that discusses precisely the same issue. He lists more passages which expand greatly upon Matt. 7:21-23. It is essential for your eternal destiny that you realize Yeshua VERY clearly and often emphasizes the need for keeping of the Torah (Law) and warned us to not practice lawlessness (anomia, violating Torah).