A Question of Kingdom Preparedness

This was a teaching I delivered to a Sabbath-keeping group online this past Sukkot. I’ve entitled it “The Call to True Biblical Repentance is to Teshuva.”  This teaching is actually the firstfruits, if you will, of an overall project I’m working on related to Kingdom Preparedness.

The truth of the matter is this: There is NO open, smooth highway to the Kingdom. In fact, our Master described the journey one must take to reach His glorious Kingdom as consisting of a narrow gate and an arduous pathway that only just a few will ever find (Mat. 7:13-14).

 Only a Few Will Be Prepared to Receive the Kingdom

The realities of Kingdom Preparedness that trouble me the most is that little addendum to Yahoshua’s description here that stipulates only a few will ever find the path and gateway to the Kingdom. Master said few ever find the path and gateway to life-to the Kingdom. So, what exactly does that mean? Is the path and gateway to the Kingdom consistent with the path and gateway we have either been led to believe exists, or we have deluded ourselves into believing exists?

The Example of Caleb and Joshua and the 120 Disciples of Yeshua Messiah

As it relates to this thinking—this understanding—that only a few will enter the Kingdom of Yehovah, we have the sobering example of Caleb and Joshua. If we liken the Promise Land—Canaan—Yisra’el–to the coming Kingdom of Yehovah, Scripture tells us that of the vast mixed multitude of adults that left Egypt under Moses’ leadership—some estimate that number to be 2 million or more—only Caleb and Joshua made it into the Promised Land (Num. 14:30). Just 2 people made it in. Not even Moses made it in.

And then we have the case of Yeshua. Scripture tells us that of the scores—the throngs—the multitudes that followed Yeshua during His 70-day ministry, only 120 disciples remained after His ascension.

Only a Remnant will Enter the Kingdom of Yehovah

And so Yah’s true set-apart people who will be Kingdom Ready will be few in number—a remnant actually. So few in number is this remnant that even Yeshua questioned: “when the Son of Man comes will He find faith on the earth” (Luk. 18:8). This remnant , and we’re seeing this happening already today throughout the world, will be deemed enemies of this world system. And it is this precious remnant that our Master is coming back for when He returns to establish His Kingdom. Master is not returning for an organization or an entity, but a people who are prepared to receive Him and His Kingdom; a people who the Apostle Paul described as being without spot or wrinkle; that is holy and without blemish (Eph. 5:27). And it is this remnant that will be prepared to receive Yehovah’s Kingdom when it comes.

 Only by Being Kingdom Prepared Will One Enter Yehovah’s Kingdom

How will these handful of holy ones get to a place in their walk where they will be without spot and blemish—essentially Kingdom Ready; where they, like the 5 wise virgins of our Master’s parable, will be prepared to receive the bridegroom in the middle of the night, having their lamps properly trimmed and filled with oil (Mat. 25:1-13). How will these reach the level of Kingdom Readiness that Yehovah requires of those who will inherit the Kingdom?

The actions of both the fundamental and Hebrew Roots/Messianic churches, in preparing their adherents to receive the Kingdom of Yah, is not consistent with stark reality of the Gospel record.

As it relates to those whom He will admit into His Kingdom, Master stated:

“By their fruits you will know them. (21) Not every one that says to Me, ‘Lord!’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but He that does the WILL of the Father in heaven; (don’t lose sight of the WILL of the Father, for it may not entirely be as we perceive it to be, or at the very least, not as the Churches would lead us to perceive it to be); (22) Many will say to Me in the day of judgment, ‘Lord! Lord! Have we not prophesied in your Name, and in your Name have cast out demons, and in your Name done many wonderful works? (23) Then I will pronounce the verdict, ‘I never knew (yada in the Hebrew denotes that of a close, intimate relationship with someone)! Depart from Me, you violator of the Torah—you worker of iniquity” (Mat. 7:20-23; Rood).

Indeed, those that find themselves denied entry into the Kingdom by the righteous judge, Yeshua, will not have been in a proper state of Kingdom Preparedness. Why would people who have committed themselves to the work of the Kingdom be denied entry into the Kingdom? In Yeshua’s statement to those whom He denies entry into the Kingdom, we surprisingly find that He does not call these individuals liars, does He? No. He in fact concedes that these will have done significant work for the Kingdom of Yehovah. But the problem—the reason for not allowing these to enter the Kingdom is that these failed to do the WILL OF THE FATHER. And because these failed to do the WILL OF THE FATHER, Master declares to them that He never knew them—He never had a true and substantive relationship—He never “yada’d” them—He never had an intimate relationship with them, nor they Him. The Master labels these individuals as workers of iniquity.

 The Will of the Father

So, getting back to the billion-dollar question here in this critical passage of the Gospel record: What then is the will of Yehovah? And so our Master provides the answer to this question in Matthew 18:11-14:

“(11) The Son of Man has come to save that which was lost…(14) Even so, it is not the WILL OF YOUR FATHER in heaven that one of these little ones should perish” (Rood).

So the will of the Father is that every soul be saved. However, for one to be saved, that soul must do as Y’shua commands. Yeshua was sent to save that which was lost. This being the case, He has provided specific instructions to facilitate that salvation—that entry into the Kingdom of Yehovah.

 The Will of the Creator is for Humanity to Repent and Believe the Gospel

So, what then was Y’shua’s commandments or instructions to us for salvation and entry into the Kingdom? It was for us to repent and believe the gospel.

The various organizational churches of this world view and understand the English term “repent” as used here by our Master, pretty much along the lines of the English dictionary definition:

“To feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin.” The term carries with it feelings of remorse; regret; of being sorry for something one has done; wishing that one hadn’t done a certain thing.

So, I ask you: Is this definition of repentance consistent with the instructions that Yeshua gave to those of us who would endeavor to receive salvation and enter the Kingdom of Yehovah? And the answer to that question is not entirely; or our English definition of repent only partly sums up what our Master expects from us.

 What is the Repentance Yeshua Called us To?

The fullness of what Yeshua meant by repent or repentance is best understood, not by its ancient Greek expression that was translated into Elizabethan English over 400-years ago, but by its Hebrew rendering. (And this is why it is so important that we stop pooh poohing the use of Hebrew terminology, names and Torah commandments in the churches of God, because we all too often short-change ourselves in understanding just what the Eternal expects from us by relying only on the English wording of our bibles, which is all too often missing something in its translation.)

Turns out that what John and Yeshua were actually calling the people to do out there in the Judean wilderness, was to Teshuva.

 Defining Teshuva

The Hebrew understanding of repentance is “Teshuva.” And teshuva derives its meaning from its root word “Shuv (Gen. 3:19).” “Shuv” denotes a turning back.” Now, classical Christian understanding of repentance is that a would-be believer turns away from their sins and turns to Jesus.

But the Hebrew understanding of repentance is that of a “return back” to the way of existence that our Creator Yehovah always intended for His human creation; a return to humanity’s original, undefiled state, which He declared at the time of creation to be “me’od tov”—very good, for Adam was made in Yehovah’s likeness, possessing Yah’s attributes. And because Yehovah declared His human creation “me’od tov,” very good, Adam would be the prototype by which all Adam’s descendants would exist, imaging in all their ways, Yehovah in all the earth.

We know, of course, that Adam transgressed Yehovah’s commandment in the Garden of Eden. And thus, humanity became subject to the effects and penalty of sin, which is death. Humankind no longer imaged Yehovah in the earth, but instead, imaged hasatan. But Father, willing that no soul perish, sent His beloved Son, whom the Apostle Paul referred to as the “last Adam” to permanently deal with humanity’s sin issue. And in so doing, providing humanity a pathway “back” to where Yehovah always intended His human creation to exist: In His perfect, righteous and holy image—Be Ye Holy as I Am Holy (Lev. 20:7; 1 Pet. 1:15-16).

Teshuvah Transcends the Guilt-Ridden Mind

But teshuva transcends one’s guilt-ridden state of mind to that of a “personal decision.” It is a decision on the would be elect’s part to turn from the path they were presently on (which Hilary dubs as turning away from one’s personal gospel), and turning back toward Yehovah’s ways—turning back to the state in which we fulfilled our purpose as imagers of Yehovah in the earth (which is Yah’s gospel).

Teshuva must consist of a change in how we think. As imagers of Yehovah, we are to think/we are perceive the things of this world as Yehovah thinks and perceives them. We are to feel and act as Yehovah feels and acts.

 Teshuva is a Transformative Action on our Part

Teshuva is a transformative act. It’s a move towards existing/towards being the way Yehovah originally intended his human creation to be: pure; innocent; righteous—mo’ed tov—fulfilling our original purpose. (Remember Y’shua stated, if we do not become as little children, we will not inherit or enter the Kingdom of Heaven.) So teshuva demands that we turn back and walk out our original purpose, in a state of holiness, righteousness; in purity of heart; glorifying our Father in heaven in the process.

The highlight for the set-apart soul that teshuva’s is that they enter and maintain an obedient covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe.

What is Yah Requiring of Those Who Would Be His Elect?

Beloved, what is Yehovah requiring of us so that we may receive His Kingdom? Is it feast-keeping; sabbath-keeping; eating clean? Or is it something more?

Yeshua touched upon this in His famous Sermon on the Mount:

“(23) Woe to you, sages and Prushim (Pharisees), you hypocrites! You pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, but you have omitted the weightier matters of the law: Judgment, mercy, and faith. These tithes you ought to have done, but you should not have left the other undone. (24) You blind chairs! You strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. (25) You [have a hundred regulations on how to clean the surface of a cup and platter], but just under the surface you yourselves are full of extortion and excess. (26) You blind Prushim (pharisee), cleanse first the inside of the cup and platter, that the outside may also be clean” (Mat. 23:23-26; Rood).

And then in the next verse (verse 27), Yahoshua likened these Jewish religious leaders as “white-washed sepulchers” that appear beautiful on the outside, but inside they are full of bones of the dead and uncleanness.

This is a perfect example of the inward cleaning that true teshuva requires of any who would seek to inherit the Kingdom of Yehovah. At its very core, teshuva is about the heart; it’s about operating in Kingdom with a pure, just, righteous and circumcised heart. The prophet Jeremiah described the uncircumcised heart as “deceitful and desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9). But Yeshua informed us that only the pure of heart will see Yehovah” (Mat. 5:8). So, unless one’s teshuva includes having his/her heart circumcised, he/she will not inherit the Kingdom.

 Teshuva is not About Joining a Church

Teshuvah is not so much about joining the Church-attending the feast-eating clean-not working on Shabbat-getting dunked in a baptismal pool once in our lifetime. The Teshuvah our Father is calling us to through His Son Y’shua, is a return to the ancient path:

Jeremiah 6:16- ¹⁶ Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. (Jer 6:16 KJV)

 Teshuva is Personal and it Hits Each Person Where they Live

Yochanan’s and Y’shua’s teshuvah hit the people right where they were: If you were rich, you were encouraged to sell your riches and follow Yeshua. If you were a publican, you were instructed not to cheat the people. If you were a soldier, you were instructed not to mistreat people and be content with your wages. To stop sinning. To let the dead bury the dead and follow Yeshua.

Never once did Yeshua and John call the lost sheep to keep the weekly Sabbaths; the feast of Tabernacles; to eat clean. Why didn’t Yeshua and John specifically call the people to do these things? Because the people were already doing these things. Yeshua’s and John’s audience were generally Torah-practicing Jews. So, the two were not calling the Lost Sheep to do the very things they were already doing. The Teshuvah these were requiring of the people was an individualistic/personal teshuvah. It was a call to die to self; to put off the old man/old woman and walk in the newness of life. It was a call that focused on eliminating the worldly, spiritual baggage that every individual carried around with them. And thus, every person who John and Yeshua called to Teshuva were hit right where they lived, targeting those things in their lives that would prevent them from entering the Kingdom of Yehovah.

 Teshuva is Also About Heart

The Teshuvah Yochanan and Master required of the people focused on the state of the peoples’ hearts. Both realized that in general, people will honor Yehovah with their lips and appear to draw close to Him through rote commandment keeping. But the problem remained: Their hearts of the Lost Sheep were far from Him (Mat. 15:8; Isa. 29:13).

Beloved, I will submit to you today, that we cannot have a true Sukkot-a true Feast of Tabernacles without true biblical teshuva. To keep the Feast of Tabernacles absent a true and sincere teshuva on our part, results in our wasting 8-days of our life performing rote commandment-keeping. Yes, Abba desires to convocated with us during His set-apart days. But more than anything else, He desires to tabernacle with us in Spirit and in Truth. The Apostle wrote that we were purchased with a price and that our bodies were in fact supposed to be temples of Elohim-of Yehovah. But we know that Yehovah will not take up residence along with filth, sin and iniquity. He instead requires a pure—an undefiled dwelling place which teshuva is in great part, intended to provide. Halleluyah.

Faithfully

Rod