In our last installment, we learned that modern day Judaism stems from the Pharisees of old. Two of the works which are held in high esteem by modern day Judaism are the Talmud and the Cabala (also spelled variously as kaballah, kabalah, qaballah, etc.). While the Talmud is supposed to be a rational work, the Cabala is a work of mysticism and occultism. We found that all principle religions of the world receive their teachings and traditions from the Cabala. As a matter of fact, we found that Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the three major religions of the descendants of Abraham, are united in one in the hidden, occultic world.

The Pharisees, from whence modern day Judaism has descended, were accused by YAHshua as being robbers or pirates (Mt. 21:10-13). Jeremiah was inspired to call the Jewish leaders of his day "robbers" (from the Heb. word "periytes" from whence we get our word "pirates") [Jer. 7:11]. Daniel was also warned that the "robbers" of his people would seek to establish the vision (the vision of the kingdom of heaven), but they shall fail (11:14).

We have come down to the last days when the proponents of Judaism, Zionism, Freemasonry and Christianity have determined to re-establish the nation of Israel in Jerusalem in order to "establish the vision."

These Christian, Islamic, Judaistic leaders in the world today, who are seeking to establish the temple in Jerusalem are, for the most part, Masons (periytes, pirates, robbers).

While Scripture declares that Judah and Jerusalem was to suffer double destruction for her sins, there is another Scripture which declares that she will be destroyed yet a third time, "And the word of YAHWEH came unto me, saying, ‘Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel, And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith YAHWEH; ‘Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth My sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked. Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north: That all flesh may know that I YAHWEH have drawn forth My sword out of his sheath: it shall not return any more. Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes. And it shall be, when they say unto thee, ‘Wherefore sighest thou?’ that thou shalt answer, ‘For the tidings; because it cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Sovereign YAHWEH’.’ Again the word of YAHWEH came unto me, saying, ‘Son of man, prophesy, and say, ‘Thus saith YAHWEH; ‘Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished: It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter: should we then make mirth? it contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree. And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.’ Cry and howl, son of man: for it shall be upon My people, it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon My people: smite therefore upon thy thigh. Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? It shall be no more, saith the Sovereign YAHWEH. Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thine hands together, and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great men that are slain, which entereth into their privy chambers. I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint, and their ruins be multiplied: ah! It is made bright, it is wrapped up for the slaughter. Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set. I will also smite mine hands together, and I will cause My fury to rest: I YAHWEH have said it," Ez. 21:1-17.

Jerusalem is to have the sword of destruction brought upon her for a third time! When would this sword come upon Jerusalem, Judah and Israel? Ezekiel also imparts this knowledge, "Moreover the word of YAHWEH came unto me, saying, ‘Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it, and say unto it, ‘Thus saith the Sovereign YAHWEH; ‘Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out Mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate. I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am YAHWEH. Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end," Ez. 35:1-5.

Scripture reveals that the latter days of man’s rule on the earth are going to be a time of calamity or tribulation. The first to suffer from the calamity or tribulation will be Judah, then Israel, then the non Hebrew peoples or Gentiles, "Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile…," Ro. 1:9.

Jeremiah prophesies, "And these are the words that YAHWEH spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. For thus saith YAHWEH; ‘We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? Wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it," Jer. 30:4-7.

Again, Ezekiel prophecies, "Moreover the word of YAHWEH came unto me, saying, ‘Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Sovereign YAHWEH unto the land of Israel; ‘An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land. Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations. And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am YAHWEH.’ Thus saith the Sovereign YAHWEH; ‘An evil, an only evil, behold, is come. An end is come, the end is come: it watcheth for thee; behold, it is come. The morning is come unto thee, O thou that dwellest in the land: the time is come, the day of trouble is near, and not the sounding again of the mountains. Now will I shortly pour out my fury upon thee, and accomplish mine anger upon thee: and I will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense thee for all thine abominations. And mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: I will recompense thee according to thy ways and thine abominations that are in the midst of thee; and ye shall know that I am YAHWEH that smiteth. Behold the day, behold, it is come: the morning is gone forth; the rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded. Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness: none of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of theirs: neither shall there be wailing for them. The time is come, the day draweth near: let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn: for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof. For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, although they were yet alive: for the vision is touching the whole multitude thereof, which shall not return; neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life. They have blown the trumpet, even to make all ready; but none goeth to the battle: for my wrath is upon all the multitude thereof. The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him. But they that escape of them shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, every one for his iniquity. All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water. They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads. They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of YAHWEH: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity. As for the beauty of His ornament, He set it in majesty: but they made the images of their abominations and of their detestable things therein: therefore have I set it far from them. And I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil; and they shall pollute it. My face will I turn also from them, and they shall pollute My secret place: for the robbers shall enter into it, and defile it. Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence. Wherefore I will bring the worst of the heathen, and they shall possess their houses: I will also make the pomp of the strong to cease; and their holy places shall be defiled. Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none. Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients. The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled: I will do unto them after their way, and according to their deserts will I judge them; and they shall know that I am YAHWEH," Ez. 7:1-27.

What is bringing this judgment upon Judah, Israel and all of the earth? Of course, it has to do with the disobedience and wickedness of the Israelites and all peoples, but there is a specific reason which Ezekiel reveals, "The word of YAHWEH came unto me again, saying, ‘Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come: both twain shall come forth out of one land: and choose thou a place, choose it at the head of the way to the city. Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced. For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver. At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to build a fort. And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.’ Therefore thus saith the Sovereign YAHWEH; ‘Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand. And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end,’ thus saith the Sovereign YAHWEH; ‘Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him," Ez. 21:18-27.

The word "profane" in the above verse can also be translated as "pierced through!" Who is this "profane (pierced through) wicked prince of Israel?

Zechariah proclaims, "And YAHWEH said unto me, ‘Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! The sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened’," Zech. 11:15-17.

YAHWEH proclaimed that He would raise up a "foolish shepherd," an "idol shepherd" over His people. Why? Because of Israel’s infidelities to Him and His covenant! Ezekiel calls this one a "profane (pierced through) and wicked prince!"

Who was "pierced through?" Wasn’t it the Messiah, the prince (Dan. 9:25)? What has happened in the course of time down through the ages? The kings and princes of this world have entered into the churches or assemblies, taken over and introduced their own version of the Messiah! Paul writes that these men, these princes did not know the true Messiah, "Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Sovereign of glory," 1 Cor. 2:8.

I am presently a member of a forum on the Internet named "truth speaks." The monitor of this forum declares that he is a descendant of the nobles and royalties of Europe. He has revealed that the Merovingian kings hold to the belief and teaching that they are descended from the Savior YAHshua (Jesus or Hesus to them). They believe that YAHshua did not die on the tree, but that Simon of Cyrene was the one who was slain while YAHshua looked on in amusement. YAHshua and Mary Magdalene later married and the Merovingian kings and nobles of Europe were their descendants.

It is admitted in the book "A History of Heresy" by David Christie-Murray that a disciple of Simon Magus, Menander by name, taught "...that there were 365 heavens, each corresponding to an angelic order, and that Jesus was not crucified but that Simon of Cyrene, who was compelled to carry the cross, was transfigured into the likeness of Christ and was crucified instead. Jesus was given the appearance of Simon and, standing by, laughed at the mistaken Romans and Jews." (p. 25).

The fact is that this is heresy didn’t matter to the Merovingian nobles of Europe who taught that they were descendants of the Savior and that they were the nobility and rulers of the world by divine right! The Habsburgs of Austria and Juan Carlos, king of Spain, hold to this doctrine and idea to this day, believing that they are the descendants of the Merovingian kings and will have their kingdom and rulership restored to them in the near future!

It is further admitted, "When the later Roman emperors adopted Christianity, they did so partly because they believed that it would be a unifying force in an empire under pressure. They were concerned that believers were united in the same doctrine and the Church undisrupted by warring factions holding different beliefs. Later still, the association of pope and emperor, within that Holy Roman Empire which formed the main territory of Christendom, imposed a unity of doctrine greater than that in most other world religions. As a result of this unity heretics could be singled out the more easily. So, from the first official recognition of Christianity by the Emperor Constantine in AD 313, politics and religious orthodoxy went hand in hand, and Christians had to compromise their faith because of the demands made on them by secular culture." (The Doctrine of Heresy, pp 1-2).

Thus, what has been forced upon the peoples of the Christian faith is a false messiah, an idol shepherd who is Greek in name (Jesus—English, from Yesus—Latin, from Iesous—Greek) and title (Christ—English, from Christos—Greek). The truth of the matter is that the Savior was Hebrew and the name of the Savior was Hebrew. The corresponding English pronunciation would be Joshua or YAHshua and His title would be Messiah. Paul reveals that we are to be grafted into the Hebrew or Israelite olive tree, "I say then, Hath YAHWEH cast away His People? YAHWEH forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. YAHWEH hath not cast away His People which He foreknew….Now if the fall of them (Israel) be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if YAHWEH spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of YAHWEH: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for YAHWEH is able to graff them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?," Ro. 11:1-2, 12-27.

The prophet Zechariah was shown an important prophetic view that we must come to understand! He writes, "And he shewed me YAHshua the high priest standing before the angel of YAHWEH, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him," Zech. 3:1.

YAHshua the high priest is symbolic of the heavenly High Priest YAHshua the Messiah for it is stated, "Hear now, O YAHshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth My Servant the Branch," v. 8. "Men wondered at," can and should have been translated as "men of symbol."

When we go back to verse one and look at the Hebrew rendering we find something very interesting. The words "to resist him" are translated from the Hebrew word Anj.fil.. The letter "l" means "to" and the letter "A" means "him." The rest of the word "nj.fi" is translated as "resist." Now let’s look at the word Satan in the Hebrew. It is "!j'F'". A quick look at Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance reveals that the word "Satan" is #7854 in the Hebrew Lexicon and is defined thusly; from 7853; an opponent; espec. (with the art. pref.) Satan, the arch-enemy of good.

Notice that Satan comes from #7853. #7853 is the very word from whence the word "resist—nj.fi" is derived! #7853 is defined as: a prim. root; to attack, (fig.) accuse, and is variously translated as (be an) adversary, resist.

Satan not only resists YAHshua, but he attacks Him. He is an adversary to Him. Satan’s tools are falsehood, deceit, lies, idolatry, etc.! Thus, Satan, through the power of the princes of this world, has resisted the truth about YAHshua. He has utilized them to attack the truth and to literally satanize YAHshua the Messiah, hanging upon Him all forms of falsehood and idolatry.

Zechariah continues, "And YAHWEH said unto Satan, ‘YAHWEH rebuke thee, O Satan; even YAHWEH that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?’ Now YAHshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, ‘Take away the filthy garments from him.’ And unto him he said, ‘Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment’," vv. 2-4.

The Hebrew word for "filthy" is "~yaiAc" and is defined by Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance as: from an unused root mean. to issue; soiled (as if excrementitious). Notice that! Soiled as if excrementitious! Excrement is dung. Idolatry was similar to dung in YAHWEH’S eyes!

Thus, Satan has inspired the peoples of the world to clothe YAHshua in Idolatry! How has this been accomplished? YAHWEH declares to YAHshua, "I will clothe Thee with change of raiment." The Interlinear Bible renders this verse as, "I will clothe Thee with FESTAL GARMENTS!" What are festal garments? They are garments of the feasts of YAHWEH as enumerated in Lev. 23!

The first feast of YAHWEH was the seventh day Sabbath. Then came the annual feast of Passover, Days of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, Trumpets, Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day.

Today, Satan has moved the world to serve the Messiah through Sunday, the first day of the week, Easter, Whit Sunday and Dec. 25th. These are all feasts of idolatry! They clothe the Savior in the filthy garments of idolatry, the garments of dung!

It is presently up to the individual believe, when he is given a mind to see these things, to repent and change from these false idolatrous practices and to embrace the true days commanded by YAHWEH. But there is more!

Zechariah continues, "And I said, ‘Let them set a fair mitre upon his head.’ So they set a fair mitre upon his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of YAHWEH stood by," v. 5.

Josephus reveals that the mitre of the high priest had a blue ribbon around it and it had embossed golden letters in Hebrew which read "Qodesh la YHWH" or "Holy to YAHWEH!" (Wars of the Jews, book v, chapter v, p. 556).

Why would YAHshua the high priest need a fair mitre? It was the headdress or mitre which had the true name of Elohim thereon! Just as much has been done to paganize or turn the faith of the Savior into idolatry, so have the names of the Father and Son been converted to pagan, idolatrous names. The Savior was never called Jesus during His whole lifetime. His Hebrew name was YAHshua which means "the salvation or YAHWEH" or even "YAHWEH the Savior."

The name of the Heavenly Father is not "the Lord" nor is it "God." His name is YAHWEH!

YAHshua proclaimed, "I am come in My Father’s name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. While there are those who only believe that YAHshua came in the Father’s authority, but not His name, the truth of the matter is that the Name is the authority. Thus, YAHshua had the Name YAHWEH as His possession. What belongs to the Father belongs to the Son which includes the Name.

But the name has been perverted and even denied by this world. The name of the Father was changed to God or the Lord, while the name of the Son has been changed to Jesus. These are the names that the modern day descendants of Israel and most of the world know the Father and the Son by. They are the names of paganism and idolatry. The true believer must incorporate more than a change from the observance of the pagan festivals to the observance of the commanded feast days as enumerated in Lev. 23. Once the knowledge of the true names comes, it is incumbent upon the believer to prove and turn to that which is true.

However, the simple fact of the matter is that neither Israel nor Judah clung to YAHWEH their Elohim with all their hearts. Early on in their trek in the wilderness, they had exhibited tendency after tendency to return to Egypt. The same situation occurred during the period of the Judges and also the Kings. We have come to the latter days, the time of the end. YAHWEH speaks of the time when the sins of Israel will come to an end. Calamity is going to once again strike the children of Judah and Israel.

YAHshua the Messiah has been made to appear as a son of rebellion, supposedly doing away with His Father’s law rather than fulfilling and upholding it. Satan has done his job well.

Scripture reveals that the calamity at the end of the age will begin at Jerusalem and will then expand throughout the earth. In these last days, we have seen a return of a contingency of Jewish people back to the land of Canaan. Jerusalem is now a city of contention for Judaism, Islam and Christianity. All lay claim to Jerusalem as their possession.

YAHWEH said that He would make Jerusalem a cup of trembling (intoxication) in His hand. Such has been the case in these last days.

In the next issue, we will explore the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the tribulation that is coming upon the earth.

Installment # IV