The Two Afflictions That Get God’s Attention

by | Apr 3, 2025 | Blog, Podcasts

by The Two Afflictions That Get God's Attention | The Messianic Torah Observer

Messianic Torah Observer Podcast Episode: The Two Afflictions That Get God’s Attention

Host: Rod Thomas

Date: April 3, 2025

Episode Summary: In this episode, Rod Thomas shares his thoughts ahead of the spring feast and discusses the significance of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Rod reflects on his experience delivering a teaching to orphaned students and Sabbath-keeping brethren in Kenya last year. Despite technical difficulties with the recording, he has optimized it to the best of his ability and hopes it will bless listeners as much as it blessed him in preparing and delivering it.

Key Points:

  • Introduction: Rod welcomes listeners and expresses his hope that this episode finds them well and blessed. He mentions the upcoming spring feast of YHVH and invites listeners to visit the Messianic Torah Observer website for more information on the dates of the spring feast.
  • Teaching on Yom Kippur: Rod explains the significance of Yom Kippur, one of the fall feasts of Yah, and shares his experience delivering a teaching on this topic in Kenya. He discusses the concept of afflicting the soul and the importance of fasting and self-denial to get God’s attention.
  • Biblical References: Rod references the story of Esther and Isaiah 58 to illustrate the true meaning of affliction and fasting. He emphasizes that God wants more from us than just not eating for a day; He wants us to stand against wickedness, seek deliverance from bondage, and care for the oppressed.
  • Dying to Self: Rod explains the concept of dying to self and the importance of denying oneself of things that do not please God. He encourages listeners to examine their hearts and seek to please God over their own desires.
  • Conclusion: Rod concludes the episode by reminding listeners that true affliction of the soul goes beyond discomfort and involves a deep commitment to God’s will. He encourages listeners to afflict their souls in a way that gets God’s attention in a good way and prepares them for the Kingdom of God.

Call to Action: Rod invites listeners to support the Kumran Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the needs of widows and orphans in Kenya. He encourages listeners to visit the foundation’s website and consider making a donation to help with ongoing projects, including building a school to teach widows basic job skills.

Closing Remarks: Rod thanks listeners for their time and fellowship and bids them a happy and blessed Rosh Hashanah and Month of Aviv. He looks forward to the next installment of the Messianic Torah Observer podcast.

Shabbat HaChodesh-the Sabbath Before Biblical Rosh HaShannah 2025

by | Mar 27, 2025 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

Greetings and Introductions

Greetings saints of the Most High. Welcome to another installment of the Messianic Torah Observer. Rod Thomas coming to you on a beautiful spring midweek day here in the DFW. I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to fellowship with me. And as always beloved, it is my hope, trust, and prayer that this installment of TMTO finds you, your families, and your fellowships well and blessed.

As I am publishing this discussion, it is the 26th day of the 12th month on Yah’s sacred calendar year, which translates to March 27, 2025. In terms of where we are in relation to Abba Yah’s reckoning of time, we are literally a day, maybe two, from Biblical Rosh HaShannah—the Messianic/Netsari/Nazarene New Year—Aviv 1. Which is a very important time on the Creator’s Calendar. For Biblical Rosh Hashanah, as most of you are aware, establishes and marks the dates for the mandated Feasts of Yah during this upcoming Biblical Calendar Year. If we get the date for Biblical Rosh HaShannah wrong, we will inevitably get the dates for Yah’s upcoming Feasts wrong, and that is not a thing we should want to happen.

Our Torah and Haftorah Reading in Light of Where we are on the Calendar

According to Jewish Tradition, this is a special Shabbat. It is special for two reasons. First, it’s special because of where it falls out on Yah’s sacred calendar. And second, it’s special because of what it represents and means to Yah’s chosen ones.

To our Rabbinic Jewish cousins, this Sabbath is referred to as Shabbat HaChodesh, or the Sabbath Before Aviv 1 or Before Biblical Rosh HaShannah. (Consequently, you’ll never hear our Jewish cousins refer to Aviv 1 as Rosh HaShannah because the Rabbis changed the head of the year to the first day of the 7th Month (aka Yom Teruah/Feast of Trumpets), which of course is contrary to the instructions given to us by Abba Yah).

So, calendar-wise, this is the Shabbat that immediately precedes or that occurs before Biblical Rosh HaShannah or Aviv 1. The so-called Jewish sages spotlighted this particular Sabbath in order to prepare the peoples’ hearts and minds to receive Nisan 1 (i.e. Aviv 1) and the upcoming Spring Feasts of Pesach/Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread. So, in order to accomplish this preparatory act, Exodus/Shemote 12:1-10 is added to the Shabbat Torah reading/parashah regimen for this particular Sabbath. Additionally, a Haftarah Reading of Ezekiel 45:16-46:18 is added to this Sabbath’s parashah regimen as well.

 

Although not a holy day apart from it being a weekly Sabbath day, it is a very important date on the Biblical Calendar, especially for those of us who keep Yah’s set-apart Moedim (aka the Feasts of the LORD). It is an important Sabbath because it alerts us as to the imminent arrival of the Biblical Rosh HaShannah (aka Aviv 1). As of this posting, qualified searchers in the Land of Yisra’el have identified sufficient Aviv barley that could have been used for our Wave Sheaf Offerings on Yom HaBikkurim (i.e. the Day of Firstfruits and Wave Sheaf Offering that occurs amid the Feast of Unleavened Bread) if we had an operating Tabernacle or Temple in Jerusalem). This being the case, all that remains to establish Biblical Rosh HaShannah or Aviv 1 is for our intrepid searchers to sight the renewed moon over the Land of Yisrael. Abba willing, this is expected to take place on Sunday, March 30, 2025. Assuming the searchers are successful in sighting the renewed moon that evening, our Yah’s Rosh HaShannah will begin at sundown on Sunday, March 30, 2025, and we will celebrate the day on Monday, March 31, 2025. If atmospheric conditions prevent our searchers from sighting the renewed moon on Sunday, March 30, 2025, then by default, Rosh HaShannah or Aviv 1 will begin at sundown on Monday, March 31, 2025, and we’ll celebrate the day on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.

Now, it should be known that neither Shabbat HaChodesh nor Aviv 1 or Biblical Rosh HaShannah are considered moedim of Yehovah. They are not set apart days (i.e. moedim or mandated Feast Days), so to speak. Shabbat HaChodesh, because it is a weekly Sabbath, is to be treated as any weekly Sabbath. It is a no workday of course and a day of rest. Biblical Rosh HaShannah is not a moedim or set apart day of Yehovah, although we are commanded by Yehovah to do:

16 Observe (i.e. “shamar”; to keep; to watch over; to guard) the month of Abib, and you shall keep the Passover to Yahweh your God, for in the month of Abib Yahweh your God brought you out from Egypt by night.[1]

Beloved, this is not a request, nor is it a suggestion. So passionate is Father that His people get His appointed times marked and firmly established for the coming year, He commanded us to “shamar” the month of the Aviv. Our English rendering of the Hebrew term “shamar” is misleading. It falsely conveys the sense that Yehovah simply wants His chosen ones to consider the month of the Aviv. But Yehovah requires His chosen ones to ensure that Rosh HaShannah is firmly established and that all the set apart days contained within the Month of the Aviv are properly established and kept by them. So, despite Biblical Rosh HaShannah or Aviv 1 not being a mandated Feast of Yehovah, it is a day of commanded observance; of guarding; of remembrance; of keeping. Like any Rosh Chodesh or Renewed Moon Day, it should be met:

  • With blasts from the Shofar or shouts of praise unto Yehovah if a shofar is not available.
  • With sincere reverence towards our Ahlohim, for He is good and merciful and we are undeserved.
  • With seeking of Yah’s will for our lives in the coming days and the coming new year.
  • With deep introspection—looking back over the year that is passing into memory and conduct an honest assessment of how we did in terms of doing what we’ve been assigned by our Master to do, considering the missed opportunities to serve, the times we rebelled against Yah’s will, the things we did we know we shouldn’t have, and seeking His forgiveness.
  • With a commitment to walking in our purpose better than last year.
  • And gaining an understanding of the sacred times of Yah that will come upon us in the coming days.

I’m led to not taking up too much of your time for this post. But I would like to read the assigned Torah reading for this Sabbath in honor of Shabbat HaChodesh and to briefly discuss what the Month of the Aviv 2025 looks like in terms of dates.

And the Shabbat HaChodesh Reading is: 

12 And Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt (i.e. we were in bitter bondage under our Egyptian taskmasters and the gods of Egypt), saying, 2 “This month will be the beginning of months; it will be for you the first of the months of the year (i.e. this will be our Rosh HaShannah; we are being given a new calendar where Yehovah determines the times and dates we are to meet with Him). 3 Speak to all the community of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month (i.e. Aviv 10), they will each take for themselves a lamb for the family, a lamb for the household. 4 And if the household is too small for a lamb, he and the neighbor nearest to his house will take one according to the number of persons; you will count out portions of the lamb according to how much each one can eat. 5 The lamb for you must be a male, without defect, in its first year; you will take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 “You will keep it until the fourteenth day of this month (i.e. until Pesach or Passover Day), and all the assembly of the community of Israel will slaughter it at twilight. 7 And they will take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel on the houses in which they eat it. 8 And they will eat the meat on this night; they will eat it fire-roasted and with unleavened bread on bitter herbs. 9 You must not eat any of it raw or boiled, boiled in the water, but rather roasted with fire, its head with its legs and with its inner parts. 10 And you must not leave any of it until morning; anything left from it until morning you must burn in the fire. [2]

We who are chosen of Mashiyach—chosen of Yeshua Messiah—recognize in this critical passage of Torah, the shadow picture that is contained therein. The whole month of the Aviv is a loving portrait of the earthly ministry of Yeshua Messiah. Our Jewish cousins are not privy to this wonderful understanding because, as the Apostle wrote,

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.[3]

And so, our Jewish cousins keep Passover—Yah bless them — out of a sense of religious duty, but they remain blind as to the real meaning behind and importance of Passover, not just to them, but to all humanity. And in this reality, the Apostle wrote:

7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.[4]

 

 And so, Shabbat HaChodesh reminds us we must guard—we must “shamar”—the Month of the Aviv, despite the many cares of this life that may hinder our doing so. We do so first and foremost by marking the day of Rosh HaShannah, which, depending on our searchers’ success in sighting the renewed moon over Yisra’el will begin at sundown on Sunday, March 30, 2025, with the day of course being Monday, March 31st.

Which brings us to two scenarios:

  1. Scenario one: If searchers sight the renewed moon on Sunday evening, March 30th, we will celebrate Biblical Rosh HaShannah as commanded by Torah, in Spirit and in Truth. We cannot reasonably take in a Pesach Lamb into our home in preparation of slaughtering it on Pesach because we do not have an operating Tabernacle or Temple. But again, we honor this period of selecting the Lamb of Yah on the 10th Day of the Month of Aviv, which will be Wednesday, April 9th, by remembering what Yeshua our Master has done for us and what He means to our covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe. Also, during this time, we begin removing the leaven from our homes in obedience to Torah, so that by the first Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, our dwellings are completely devoid of Unleavened Bread. Then on the evening of Sunday, April 13, we honor Pesach or Passover. (And I will not go into how we should keep Passover in this discussion since I’ve done several teachings on this subject throughout the years. I would invite you to read and listen to those teachings as you are so led.) And then at sundown on Sunday, April 13, we begin the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread, with the first day, Monday, April 14 and the last day, Sunday, April 20th, being set apart days where we are instructed by Yah to take part in holy convocations and not work. And remember that we find the timing of these days in Leviticus 23, our go-to-passage for all things having to do with the annual Feasts of Yehovah.
  2. For scenario two: If for whatever reason our searchers are unsuccessful in their efforts to sight the renewed moon on Sunday evening, March 30, then by default, Biblical Rosh HaShannah for us will begin for us at sundown on Monday, March 31st. From there, our scenario two Pesach or Passover will be on the evening of Monday, the 14th of April, with the first day of Unleavened beginning that same evening at sunset, and the seven-day Feast being from Tuesday, April 15, ending on Monday, April 21st.

 

Concluding Thoughts on Shabbat HaChodesh

It seems that each preceding Shabbat HaChodesh has held great significance considering the evil and pressing state of world affairs. This year, more than at any previous time, the world and its institutions and systems and people are being shaken at levels previously unimagined. It almost seems that the enemy and the kingdom of darkness have been loosed upon the world to do as much damage and harm as possible. And those who do not have a solid rock upon which to stand find themselves sinking in the muck, mire, and sand of this corrupt world.

We who are of Yeshua Messiah and who are in a covenant relationship with the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov, though we are forced to live in this world, are not required to be of this world. In fact, the Apostle instructed that we, Yah’s elect, not conform to these ways of this world, but rather, that we 2  be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. [5]

The sacred times of Yehovah provide us with the wherewithal and opportunity to effect that transformation of mind such that we come into sync with the Creator of the Universe while the rest of the world flounders about and plunge themselves into an abyss of condemnation. We have been called out from the billions of people in this world to live in Yehovah’s Reality; thereby offering a lifeline to those who seek redemption and salvation and restoration. And it seems good to me that there is no time better than now to lose ourselves in Yehovah’s Reality such that we fulfill the duty of man, which is to fear Yehovah and to keep His commandments (Ecc 12:13). Clearly, the world has nothing to offer us but a short-lived satisfying of this flesh in exchange for eternal separation from Yehovah.  

And so, as the Apostle admonished his Corinthian readers, may we 7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.[6]

Happy Shabbat HaChodesh and Happy Rosh HaShannah. Until next time, beloved, take care.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Dt 16.

[2] W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Ex 12:1–10.

[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Ro 11:25.

[4] The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), 1 Co 5:7–8.

[5] The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Ro 12:2.

[6] The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), 1 Co 5:7–8.

Unlocking the Keys to the Kingdom Part 2: Binding and Loosing on Earth and in Heaven

by | Mar 20, 2025 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

Greetings and Introductions

Greetings saints of the Most High. Welcome to another installment of the Messianic Torah Observer. Rod Thomas coming to you on a beautiful Spring midweek day here in the DFW. I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to fellowship with me. And as always beloved, it is my hope, trust, and prayer that this installment of TMTO finds you, your families, and your fellowships well and blessed.

As I am publishing this discussion, it is the 19th day of the 12th month on Yah’s sacred calendar year, which translates to March 20, 2025. All indications are that we are very likely going to be celebrating Biblical Rosh Hashanah, Aviv 1, on March 31, 2025, depending on the sighting of the renewed moon the evening before. Barley searchers in the Land have already identified Aviv barley throughout portions of Yisra’el, and other natural players of the observational calendar seem to be firmly in place for Aviv 1 in roughly 10-days’ time. As always, beloved, we will keep you apprised of the latest and greatest findings in the Land as they are made available to us. We post these updates on our website themessianictorahobserver.org.

 

This is “Unlocking the Keys to the Kingdom Part 2.” I have given this 2nd part of our discussion on the Keys of the Kingdom the subtitle of, “Binding and Loosing on Earth and in Heaven.“

 

If you have not read or listened to last week’s installment entitled “Unlocking the Keys to the Kingdom: Understanding Yeshua’s Teachings in Light of Torah,” I would humbly encourage you to do so, preferably before you read or listen to this installment. Last week’s installment, Part 1, sets the stage for this week’s teaching.

 

Our focus passage is Matthew 16:19, which reads:

 

“I (this is Yeshua speaking to His taught ones) will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven” (Legacy Standard Bible (Three Sixteen Publishing, 2022), Mt 16:19).

 

The apostles were given “wide berth” (i.e. great latitude) in terms of authority over the Way — the True Faith once delivered — by their Master, Yahoshua Messiah. It goes beyond the Master simply passing on to them the keys of the Kingdom of the Heavens as stated in the first portion of verse 19. Recall from our discussions in part 1 of this series that we came to an understanding that the keys of the Kingdom that Yahoshua was promising to give to His taught ones had to do with granting them the authority to teach, create or invoke, and expound upon halachah for His ekklesia/Kehila. And in case it’s not clear what is meant by the term “halachah,” particularly in this context, we’re talking about the course or pathway a disciple of Yeshua Messiah is required to walk in order to be deemed righteous; how the disciple is to conduct themselves in their day-to-day lives that puts them in sync with the will and purpose of Yehovah. It is this halachah that opens the Gates of the Kingdom of Heaven to Yah’s chosen ones. Those who choose to not walk out the halachah of the Apostles will find the Gates of the Kingdom of Heaven locked and inaccessible to them.

 

Yeshua’s conferring of authority to His disciples by granting them the keys of the Kingdom would be carry little to no weight or significance if the apostles did not have the wherewithal to use or employ those keys. And so, Yeshua made His disciples’ authority iron-clad (i.e. such that their authority could not be disputed either on earth or in heaven) by declaring, “whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Their authority would extend from local assemblies/congregations, such as described in Matthew 18:18, to the entire Body of Messiah.

 

Now, we must face the question of whether leaders in the Messianic Faith today possess the authority to invoke or create halachah to the same extent that Yeshua’s chosen and anointed sent ones—Yeshua’s apostles — possessed? And the answer to this important question is: Not exactly, but sort of. Modern-day Messianic/Netsari leaders possess the authority to enact or implement and expound upon the halachah of the original Apostles over their assigned assemblies. For them to invoke or create halachah that is not found in the apostolic scriptures by modern day Messianic leaders would place them in the office of an Apostle, which I do not believe we have any members of the Body operating in today. Now, that’s just me saying this. This is my opinion. And I know that this statement will probably offend some out there who believe they possess the office of Apostle here in 2025. But from what we know about ecclesiastical history beloved, John (Yochanan) the Revelator was the last apostle to die. Biblically speaking, an apostle is defined as an individual who is sent on a mission by the Master Yeshua. They are emissaries of Yahoshua Messiah. And there were specific criteria or qualifiers for being an apostle to include being directly appointed to the office by Yeshua Himself; being an eyewitness of the Master’s resurrection; and being a witness to the Master’s earthly ministry (Act 1:21-26). Now, one could argue that Paul did not exactly possess these criteria, and I would agree with that argument to some extent. Scripture does not give us any indication that Paul was a witness to the Master’s earthly ministry or that he was an eyewitness to the Master’s resurrection. And this no doubt put him at variance with his apostolic colleagues throughout much of his career as the apostle to the Gentiles. But what we do know is that Paul was directly appointed to the office of an apostle by the Master (Act 9:10-22). There is no doubt about that. And if Yeshua certified Paul as His apostle, then he possessed the same authority the Master spoke of here in Matthew 16:19.

 

But I say no to there being any apostles beyond 90 AD.

 

Defining “Biding” and “Loosing”

 

The Greek term used for “binding” is “deo” and the Greek term used for “loosing” is “luo”.

 

The use of these terms “deo” and “luo” in a few other New Testament passages may help us better understand what Yeshua meant when He used them in verse 19 of Matthew chapter 16:

 

In Luke 13:10-17, we have the story of Yahoshua healing or freeing or exorcising a demon-possessed or demon-bound woman on the Shabbat. An offended synagogue ruler challenged Yeshua’s freeing of this bound woman, declaring to a listening crowd that there are six days in a week in which an individual may be healed, but not on the Sabbath. But the Master pushed back on the synagogue ruler’s misunderstanding of the freeing purpose of the Shabbat:

 

15 But the Lord answered and said to him, “Hypocrites! Does not each one of you untie his ox or his donkey from the feeding trough on the Sabbath and lead it away to water it? 16 And this woman, who is a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan bound (i.e. deo) ⌊eighteen⌋ long years—is it not necessary that she be released (i.e. luo) from this bond on the day of the Sabbath?” (W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Lk 13:15–16.)

 

We find in John 11:38-44 the story of Yahoshua’s resurrecting of his beloved friend Lazarus. The concept of loosing and binding is concentrated in Yeshua’s instructions to witnesses to the resurrection that they attend to the resurrected Lazarus, whose feet and hands were bound (i.e. deo) by strips of cloth, by releasing (i.e. luo) him from those cloths or bindings.

 

And last, in John 20:19-23, we find the story of Yeshua appearing to His taught ones within a short time after His resurrection. In his interaction with His disciples, Yeshua breathes upon each of them and imparts unto them the Holy Spirit. And then He grants them authority to forgive (like loosing) the sins of others as well as not forgive (like binding) the sins of others. Although the terms deo and luo were not used in the Greek manuscripts for this passage, we can recognize the concept of having loosing and binding authority.

 

It should be understood that the concepts of binding and loosing are not exclusive to Yeshua’s teachings and declarations. The binding and loosing concepts were part of Jewish or Rabbinic halachic literature.

 

We find in the Mishnah, tractate Peah, chapter 5, Mishnah 6 the following example:

 

“He who sells a field — the seller is permitted (i.e. “mutar,” or “loosed”) [to collect produce designated for the poor from that field, since he no longer owns the field] but the buyer is forbidden (i.e. “‘asur” or “bound”) [to collect this produce].“

 

The Hebrew terms “‘asur” and “mutar” (in the hifil) as recorded in Rabbinic literature denote the prohibition (i.e. the binding) and the permitting (i.e. the loosing) of a thing within the confines of the Jewish religion. Again, it’s all about the halachah.

 

When we factor these pieces into our attempt to gain the best understanding of what Master Yeshua was authorizing His taught ones to do in terms of His ekklesia/Kehila, we arrive at a few explanations:

 

  1. The taught ones would have authority over all demonic activity (e.g. Luk 10:17-19; 13:16). Thus, they would be authorized to perform exorcisms. This, of course, features prominently in the Catholic Church where the popes are descended from Peter are vicars of Christ. Thus, these possess the authority to exorcize demons in the world. To free those bound by demons.
  2. Peter determines who makes it into heaven and who doesn’t. Again, the ones who makes it into heaven are loosed or permitted, while those denied entry into heaven are bound. This is certainly a Roman Catholic Church concept of the authority of the so-called Vicar of Christ.
  3. Peter would be granted the authority to forgive (i.e. loose) or not forgive sins (i.e. bind). This also runs in sync with the Vicar of Christ heresy. The concept of an apostle forgiving sins or not runs contrary to the Judaistic understanding and acceptance that only Yehovah/God forgives sin (Mar 2:7; Luk 5.21). As we saw in John 20:23, Yeshua granted his apostles the authority to forgive sins or not, as He had been granted the same authority to forgive sins or not from His Father. Many will disagree with this, but the scriptures say what the scriptures say. And we know Yeshua declared the following:

“… Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Mt 19:28–Lk 22:30.)

But in terms of popes of the Catholic Church, or any denominationalist church leaders who claim apostolic authority, no others have been granted the authority to forgive or not forgive sins.

  1. Peter has the sole authority to interpret scripture. Yet another Roman Catholic concept focused on the authority the popes took onto themselves. Indeed, truly Spirit-filled Messianic or Netsari leaders have the authority to interpret scripture as the Spirit so provides them the means to do so.
  2. The Talmudim turned Schlichim (i.e. Apostles) would possess the authority to render halachah for the ekklesia/Kehila of Mashiyach. Matthew 18:11 and 28:18-20 serve as excellent support passages for this explanation. Thus, this appears to be the soundest, contextually based explanation of the Master’s declaration of “loosing” and “binding” authority for His taught ones. The focus is on establishing halachah for the Kehila/ekklesia that would open the Malchut haShamayim to Jew and Gentile alike. The other four are not contextually valid explanations for Yeshua’s use of the concept of “loosing” and “binding” in Matthew 16:19.

 

How Does the Apostle’s Loosing and Binding Authority Here on Earth Affect Heaven?

 

Yahoshua declared to His taught ones that whatever they bind on earth “shall have been bound in heaven and whatever they loosed on earth shall have been loosed in heaven” (Mat 16:19; NASB).

 

Notice we have a past-tense situation at work in this verse whereby a present action on earth by the apostles would have already had a positive, established impact in heaven. For us 21st century westerners, this makes no sense. How can some present action by an apostle here on earth already have a positive impact in heaven?

 

Of this past-tense situation, Ernest DeWitt Burton writes:

 

“If [the perfect tense] implies a past action and affirms an existing result” (Syntax of the Moods and Tenses in New Testament Greek (T&T Clark, 1898), p. 37).

 

In other words, “whatever you (My disciples soon to be Apostles) bind on earth will already have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will already have been loosed in heaven” (Hegg, T., Matthew Commentary, p. 676).

 

It’s still not making sense, right? How can the actions of mere mortals on this earthly plain impact events/situations in heaven? Ah! Here’s the sauce, beloved, that brings this delicious spiritual meal to its fullest potential:

 

In making this binding and loosing declaration to His taught ones in relation to them also receiving the keys of the Kingdom of the heavens, the Master publicly recognized that His taught ones would act in positions of authority under the expressed direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Yehovah’s Indwelling Presence.

 

Let’s go back to John 20:

 

(21) Then said Yahoshua to them (His disciples) again, Shalom Aleichem. As My Abba has sent Me, even so I send you. (22) And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Ruach Kodesh. (23) If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you withhold forgiveness of a man’s sins, they are kept.” (RSTNE).

 

Now, stepping back and looking at this thing full-on, we find Yahoshua’s loosing and binding declaration on both earth and in heaven would be nothing short of Yehovah carrying out His will and purpose here on earth through Yeshua’s apostles. And because these taught ones belonged to Yahoshua, they were 100% approved by Yehovah. And this being the case, whatever they did on earth in the capacity of the authority granted unto them by Yeshua was equivalent to Yehovah already having established or approved of those things they did on earth, in heaven. What they would do as Yeshua’s apostles was already preordained and approved of in heaven because they were direct agents of Yehovah, operating exclusively by His Set Apart Spirit.

 

Binding and Loosing Enshrined in the Apostolic Writings

 

This binding and loosing authority and the keys of the Kingdom then are enshrined in the Apostolic writings (i.e. the New Testament or the Brit haDashah). The apostolic writings serve as the roadmap or layout for the Master’s Kehila/ekklesia.

 

The Apostle Shaul/Paul clearly understood the weight of this office in relation to the reality of the Master’s Kehila/ekklesia:

 

(19) Consequently; therefore, you (i.e. Ephesian Gentiles) are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God (i.e. the commonwealth of Yisra’el); (20) built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets; Yahoshua Messiah Himself being the cornerstone (21) in Whom the whole building, joined together, grows into a holy temple in Yehovah, (22) in Whom you also are built up together into a dwelling place of Ahlohim in the Spirit (Eph 2; LEB modified).

 

Now, this flies in opposition to most messianic thinking, especially as it relates to matters of authority in our own Faith community today. Many believe authority over the Messianic Community should rest on some form of Rabbinic leadership (i.e. Messianic Rabbis and such). But Yahoshua in no way placed authority of His Kehila/ekklesia into the hands of the Rabbis and Scribes. This being the case, according to Yeshua and to Paul, why are so many of us coming under the covering, so to speak, of Messianic Jewish Rabbis today? Why aren’t we all under the headship of Yeshua and His anointed, appointed Apostles and the Spirit-filled leaders of our local groups and assemblies?

 

Are There Apostles in the True Biblical Sense of the Title Apostle Today?

 

Are there then apostles in the true biblical sense of the title apostle alive and functioning today? I personally do not believe so. If what scripture says about the authority that Yeshua gave to His disciples turned apostles is to be believed (and I believe it absolutely is to be believed) and followed, then these would be apostles today would still be writing scripture, crafting halachah; and doing everything that the apostles of the first century did. That would mean that the Kehila/ekklesia would still be in the process of being built upon them even today. I believe, as I previously stated, that the last true apostle was Yochanan (John) the Revelator who died sometime around 90 CE.

 

Beyond the Yeshua-selected apostles of the first century, Yeshua gave His ekklesia/Kehila: (1) Prophets; (2) Evangelists; (3) Pastors; and (4) Teachers. Yahoshua gave these anointed offices of the Body of Mashiyach, none of which are Rabbis, mind you, as we have but One Rabbi (listen to my teaching on Call No One Rabbi). But the Master gave us these powerful offices for the equipping of the saints; for the work of the ministry; for the building up of the Body of Mashiyach until we all reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of Yehovah; to a mature man; to a measure of the maturity of the fullness of Mashiyach so that we may no longer be infants, tossed about by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, by trickery of people, by craftiness with reference to the scheming of deceit (Eph 4:11-14; LEB).

 

Some have referred to this as the 5-fold ministry of the Church. Okay. Whatever. But the keys of the Kingdom and the authority over the halachah of the Master’s Kehila/ekklesia rest exclusively with the Apostles. Thus, the way we are to walk out his Faith was specifically given over to the apostles — Yeshua’s sent ones — for dissemination, development, application, and so forth. This job would have gone to the Rabbis, but Yeshua took that opportunity away from them. Yeshua equipped His taught ones turned sent ones with the Holy Spirit — the Ruach haKodesh — that ordered and guarded their governing and building work.

 

Back to these Keys of the Kingdom of the Heavens: These were the authority to implement, properly interpret, and administer the Master’s teachings to all humanity. And this being the case, the gates of the Kingdom of Yehovah would be opened to all, including non-Jews which the Pharisees denied access, who would seek to come into a covenant relationship with the Ahloha/God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov, and receive and enter Yehovah’s glorious Kingdom. This would be the ultimate fulfillment of Yah’s covenant promise to Avraham:

 

“And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed…,” (Gen 22:18; 26:4; KJV).

 

And while they built the Body — the Kehila — in the first century, the apostles not only drafted/wrote out the framework for the ekklesia, they personally exercised or put into action the authority Master Yeshua gave them. Probably the greatest example of them exercising their given authority is seen in the account of the Jerusalem Council (Act 15). Another example of them exercising their authority involved the undeniably clear halachic instructions put forth from Paul/Shaul to the assemblies he oversaw, which are recorded in his dozen or so writings. And then there are the pastoral epistles that were designed to instill and maintain righteousness, peace, and love throughout the Body of Mashiyach. The apostles’ actions and teachings were expositions, expansions, explanations if you will, of the teachings and example of Yeshua Messiah, who Himself taught and modeled His Father’s Torah to His taught ones.

 

Tim Hegg sums this whole apostolic authority as follows:

“Ultimately, however, the authoritative voice of the Apostles was vouched safe in the inspired Scriptures, which when completed, formed the constitution (as it were) by which the ekklesia of Yeshua would be governed” (The Gospel of Matthew Commentary, Torah Resource, 1995; p. 677).

 

In Conclusion

 

So, let’s see if we can bring this whole question of what the Keys of the Kingdom of the Heavens are all about, and how they relate to Torah-Commandment-keeping.

 

The Keys of the Kingdom are the halachah of our Faith Community. These keys open the gates to the Kingdom of the Heavens for us because they reveal the ways we are supposed to conduct our lives as future Kingdom dwellers. Prior to Yeshua and the Apostles, the gates to the Kingdom were locked to all but a remnant of souls, because the Jewish religious leaders imposed their own manmade halachah, which Yeshua said nullifies Torah (Mat 15:6).

 

Yeshua took the keys to the Kingdom away from the Jewish religious leadership and gave it to His taught ones, soon to be sent ones or Apostles. Possession of the keys to the Kingdom meant they had the authority to exposit, formulate, explain, and apply halachah — the way Yeshua’s chosen ones are to conduct their lives — for Yeshua’s Kehila/ekklesia. The apostles were given a significant amount of latitude in their handling of these keys: What they permitted members of the Body to do, it would have already been established in heaven. And whatever they prohibited members of the Body of Mashiyach from doing would have already been established/approved in heaven. It would all have been recorded in the Court of Heaven.

 

The halachah that the Apostles provided to the ekklesia/Kehila would be entirely based upon the teachings and example of their Master Yahoshua Messiah. The teachings and example of Yeshua Messiah were the fullest potential of the Creator’s Torah possible. Yeshua Himself said that He did not come to eliminate His Father’s Torah, but rather, He came to take His Father’s Torah to its fullest and greatest potential that was to be walked out in the lives of His followers. The Apostles, having the Keys of the Kingdom, would take the Master’s teachings and His example, and with the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, create and explain and interpret and apply those things to the Kehila/ekklesia of Yeshua HaMashiyach.

 

The Two Afflictions That Get God’s Attention

by | Apr 3, 2025

Messianic Torah Observer Podcast Episode: The Two Afflictions That Get God's Attention Host: Rod Thomas Date: April 3, 2025 Episode Summary: In this episode, Rod Thomas shares his thoughts ahead of the spring feast and discusses the significance of Yom Kippur, the Day...

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Unlocking the Keys to the Kingdom: Understanding Yeshua’s Teachings in Light of Torah

by | Mar 14, 2025 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

Greetings and Introductions

Greetings saints of the Most High. Welcome to another installment of the Messianic Torah Observer. Rod Thomas coming to you on a beautiful Spring Preparation Day here in the DFW. I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to fellowship with me. And as always beloved, it is my hope, trust, and prayer that this installment of TMTO finds you, your families, and your fellowships well and blessed.

As I am publishing this teaching, it is Preparation Day, the 13th day of the 12th month on Yah’s sacred calendar year, which translates to Friday, March 14, 2025. Which means that we are inching ever so closely to biblical Rosh HaShannah, presuming all of the observational elements of Yah’s calendar fall into their proper order. And so, as we near the end of this month, we’ll keep you apprised of the outcome of the barley crop and new moon searches in the Land of Yisra’el and make the appropriate announcements.

 

And for those of you who have or who will celebrate Purim, I pray it was or will be a meaningful time of reflection and family and fellowship time together.

 

Well, as you may be able to tell, I’m a bit under the weather this week. My voice is just about gone. I seem to have all the typical symptoms of a springtime flu. So, forgive me if my voice and lack of energy are distractions to you. Nevertheless, I didn’t want to leave you without a little something for your Sabbath this week. So, I decided to share with you my response to a beloved brother’s question to me this past week that I think may be of benefit for all of us. His question was:

 

What are the Keys to the Kingdom and what role does Commandment-Torah-Mitzvot-keeping play in these keys?

The phrase “keys to the Kingdom” is found amid Yeshua’s response to Peter’s confession and profession of Who his Master Yeshua is:

13 Now when* Jesus came to the region of Caesarea ⌊Philippi⌋, he began asking* his disciples, saying, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, ⌊Some⌋ say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 And Simon Peter answered and* said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” 17 And Jesus answered and* said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this* to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it! 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven.” 20 Then, he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was the Christ. (W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Mt 16:13–20.)

 

Before delving into just what these illusive, mysterious keys to the Kingdom Yeshua speaks of, we must first frame all of this in proper biblical context. In verse 13, we read that Yeshua and His taught ones had arrived in the region of Caesarea, aka Philippi. Seems the group had actually stopped at the base of Mount Hermon. And Mount Hermon, as you may or may not know, was a location of extensive idol and pagan worship (i.e. the worship of Pan comes readily to mind). And if one were to think about our focus passage of Matthew 16:13-20 with the backdrop of Mount Hermon in mind, you would come to the same conclusion as I have that the Master could not have picked a better place for the declarations and pronouncements that were to be made about Him and about His ministry to all creation to include not just all of humanity, but also the spirit world.

 

So, the Master asks His taught ones who people thought He was. His sent ones responded with a number of named individuals that were attributed to Him. And then the Master drills down even further and asks His sent ones who they think He is. Peter (his name being Shimon bar Yonah) pipes up with the profound response: “You are the Mashiyach, the Son of the Living Ahloha Who has come into the olam hazeh (i.e. come into the world)” (16.16; RSTNE). The Master affirms Shimon’s declaration by calling Him blessed (16.18). He declares Shimon blessed because Shimon’s declaration came by way of the revelation of the Holy Spirit (16.17). And from this point in this historic interaction between Yeshua and His sent ones, things start to get a little murky. Murky in that millions of people have been misled by their religious leaders over millennia because their religious leaders have intentionally, and to some degree, unintentionally misinterpreted the following two verses.

 

We read in verse 18 that because of Shimon’s Holy Spirit-induced pronouncement of the Master’s true identity, Yahoshua gives Shimon the moniker or nickname “Kefa,” meaning stone or rock. Yeshua’s application of the title or name “Kefa” to Shimon was the launch word upon which to describe the rest of His earthly ministry and the ministry that His taught ones would soon enter.

 

The Master tells not only Shimon Kefa but the rest of His taught ones that upon that Rock, He would build or establish His “Kehila” (aka ekklesia as opposed to church) that the gates of Gei-Hinnom (aka Hades or hell) would be incapable of resisting or overcoming (16:18). And then the Master tells His taught ones He would give them the keys to the Malchut ha Shamayim (aka the Kingdom of the Heavens) (16:19).

 

The age-old point of contention here is, did Yeshua build His Kehila/ekklesia upon the person of Shimon Kefa and did Shimon Kefa alone receive the keys to the Kingdom from Yeshua HaMashiyach?

 

Clearly, Yeshua’s declaration that “upon this rock He would build His ekklesia/Kehila” had absolutely nothing to do with the person and future ministry of Shimon Kefa. A careful contextual read of the text will reveal that the Master declared that upon the bedrock of Truth that came out of Shimon Kefa’s mouth — that being that Yeshua was Mashiyach/Messiah, the Son of the living Ahloha Who has come into the olam hazeh/the world. This declaration, unfortunately, has been twisted and misinterpreted by various religious leaders who asserted throughout millennia that the Master was building His Church upon the person and ministry of Simon Peter, which is patently false.

 

The next travesty is the misapplication of the Master’s promise that He would give to an individual or individuals the keys to the Malchut ha Shamayim/the Kingdom of the Heavens. Again, millions have been misled into believing that the Master was handing the keys of the Kingdom specifically to Simon/Shimon Kefa.

 

Some English translators have inserted the term “and” at the very start of verse 19 so that it reads: “And I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of the Heavens.” This insertion naturally leads most readers to link the Master’s response to Simon Kefa’s Holy Spirit induced declaration that He, Yahoshua, was indeed the Mashiyach; the Son of the Living Ahloha to Peter, exclusively receiving the keys to the Kingdom/the Malchut. This simple connector “and” added to verse 19, and the misinterpreted Peter being the rock upon which Yeshua would build His ekklesia/Kehila, placed a tremendous amount of authority and precedence upon the person of Shimon Kefa/Simon Peter. And this forced, error-ridden interpretation of these two verses formed the felonious doctrine of Peter alone possessing the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and that he was the person upon whom the Church — the ekklesia/the Kehila — would be built. This doctrine and understanding are patently false. It forms the basis of the Catholic Church’s false teaching and doctrine that Peter was the first pope — the so-called Vicar of Christ — and that all succeeding men who have laid claim to that demonically inspired office and title are spiritual descendants of Peter. That they are the Vicar of Christ.

 

So, just to be clear, Yeshua’s words were meant for all His disciples — His taught ones. Not just for Shimon/Simon Kefa.

 

Now, getting to the main question of this post: What did Yeshua mean by giving His disciples/taught ones the keys of the Kingdom of the heavens?

 

It’s no secret that keys are instruments used to lock and unlock doors, gates, and other secure barriers and instruments. And this concept is no different from the concept of keys in Yeshua’s day. Yeshua’s use of the term “keys of the Kingdom of Heaven” implies that the Kingdom of Heaven was not open or accessible to everyone. There is a direct link to the Master’s statement to His taught ones that “the gates of Hades/Geh-Hinnim would not withstand ” His Kehila/His ekklesia!

You see, the holder or keeper of keys, let’s say keys to a gate like the gates of Geh-Hinnim, had tremendous power. This individual had the power and authority to deny entry into their city or region or keep, or to allow entry into their city, region, or keep. The holder of the keys to a place or thing, then served as a protector of that locked or secured thing or place. This individual had the responsibility of keeping unauthorized individuals out of the city, region, or keep. Remember, Adam possessed the keys to the Garden/Gan Eden. He was tasked with keeping entities out who didn’t belong there in the Garden, as well as permitting those who had valid business entry into the Garden (Gen 2:15—And YHVH Ahlohim took the man and put him into Gan Eden to work it and to guard — shomrah — it). But Adam failed in his gatekeeping role by allowing the nachash/the serpent into the Garden. And we all know how that story ended up.

 

Conversely, the holder of the keys of a city or gate or keep also possesses the wherewithal — the authority — to permit authorized individuals the freedom of coming and going; of having access to the secure place.

 

So then, what do “keys” have to do with the Kingdom of the Heavens/Malchut haShamayim? The Kingdom or Malchut haShamayim exists in the here and now (i.e. the Kingdom that is already but not yet; it is the kingdom that resides within every true disciple of Yahoshua Messiah — Mat 12:28), as well as it is the coming reality of Yah’s Kingdom in the World Tomorrow. Quite simply, beloved, the Biblical concept and reality of the Malchut Ahlohim/the Kingdom of Yah is the uncompromising rule of Yehovah over His chosen ones. It’s Yah’s rule over every aspect of our lives each and every day we breathe in this life, as well as it is Yah’s rule, through the Person of Yeshua Messiah, over the nation peoples of this world in the Millennium-Kingdom Age (Dan 2:44).

 

This being said, beloved, someone has to have the keys to these forms of the Kingdom, right? Someone has to possess the authority to keep out those who don’t belong or who don’t qualify to be in the Kingdom, as well as to grant access to those who Yah has chosen to enter His glorious Kingdom. And this is the point of Yeshua’s words to His taught ones, whereby He promised to give them the keys of the Malchut haShamayim.

 

Indeed, Yeshua was promising to grant His taught and sent ones the authority to permit and deny entry into the Kingdom of Yah. Consider the following:

 

(27) Then answered Kefa and said to Him (i.e. Yeshua), “See, we (i.e. Kefa and the rest of the disciples) have forsaken all and followed You. What shall we have, therefore?” (In other words, what is the plan for us given that we’ve given up everything in our lives to follow you, Yeshua?) (28) And Yahoshua said to them, “Truly I say to you, those of you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Ben Ahdahm (aka the Son of Man) shall sit on the kesay (i.e. the seat of authority as we discussed in a previous installment of TMTO) of His esteem, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, administering mishpat (i.e. judgment) over the twelve tribes of Yasharal/Yisra’el.” (Mat 19; RSTNE)

 

When we speak about the Keys of the Malchut/the Kingdom of Yah, we’re clearly talking about the authority that will be granted to certain individuals in terms of accessing and being denied access to the Kingdom of Yah. And it’s difficult to come to a complete understanding of what that authority looks like without a study of the remainder of the passage where the Master declares that whatever they bind or loose on earth will be established in heaven. But I want to keep this discussion as simple and brief as possible. Abba willing, we’ll get into the details of what that binding and loosing looks like in a future installment of TMTO.

 

But let’s try to bring this home a little bit. What Yeshua was declaring and informing His disciples/His sent ones was that they would receive authority that would establish the criteria necessary to make it into the Kingdom of Ahlohim. The Hebrew understanding of keys to the kingdom is one where the Jewish religious leaders — the Scribes and Pharisees — who possessed the knowledge and understanding of what it took to be a member of the Kingdom of Yehovah. True Yisrael. However, their self-indulgence and hypocrisy, according to Yeshua, shut folks out of the Malchut Ahlohim. (23:13). We’re talking about privileged knowledge that was entrusted to the most disciplined and zealous of the religious leaders.

 

And because the Jewish religious leaders abused the authority and trust Yehovah instilled in them, Yahoshua informed them that the keys to the Kingdom — that authority they once held — would be given to another people:

 

“Therefore, I say to you (i.e. the Jewish religious leaders), the Malchut of Yehovah shall be taken from you and given to a people bringing forth the fruits of it” (Mat 21:43; RSTNE). Those “people” would of course be Yahoshua’s taught and sent ones — His Talmidim. And by extension, the keys of the Kingdom/Malchut and the authority therein would be given to all who are of the True Faith once delivered by these the Talmidim. And because Yeshua was stripping the keys of the Kingdom of Yehovah away from the Jewish religious leaders of His day and passing them on to His taught and sent ones, the forgotten ones of Jewish society would have the privilege of receiving and entering the Kingdom/the Malchut:

 

(31)… Truly I say to you (the Jewish religious leaders), that the tax collectors and the harlots go into the Malchut of Yehovah before you. (32) For Yochanan (the Immerser) came to you in the Way of tzedakah” (i.e. righteousness) and you believed him not. But the tax collectors and the harlots believed him. And you, when you had seen it, made no teshuvah (i.e. no repentance) afterwards, that you might believe him. (Mat 21; RSTNE)

 

The gates to the Kingdom had been closed to all but a remnant of Hebrews up to Yeshua’s day:

 

“But woe to you, Sophim (i.e. Scribes) and Prushim (i.e. Pharisees). Hypocrites! For you shut up the Malchut ha shamayim (i.e. the Kingdom of the Heavens) from men. For you neither go in yourselves, neither do you allow them that are entering to go in” (Mat 23:13; RSTNE).

 

But now, Yeshua’s taught ones, soon to be sent ones, would open up the gates to the glorious Kingdom of Yah to those willing to receive and accept Yah’s invitation to receive and be under the rule of Yehovah.

 

The keys or access to the Malchut Ahlohim that Yeshua is referencing here to His taught ones is privileged halachic (the Ways of Yah) knowledge (13:16-17). That knowledge is the fullness of the Gospel of the Kingdom. Yeshua’s taught ones were being given the spiritual tools to properly interpret and teach Torah and make decisions on behalf of Yah’s chosen ones. These would have been the keys held by the Scribes and Pharisees in relation to their teaching and example function over Yisra’el. These teachers of Torah served, in a sense, as the gatekeepers for humanity. However, these religious leaders squandered the authority and privilege given to them by Yehovah. But Yeshua’s taught ones would receive the full understanding of Yah’s Plan of Salvation, Restoration, and Redemption and given the keys of the Malchut Ahlohim or the Kingdom of the Heavens.

 

Thus, Yeshua’s Talmidim would take that which they’d received from their Master and establish Yeshua’s Kehila, which would be founded upon the Rock, which is Yahoshua, the Son of the Living Ahloha. The Talmidim dispensed to all who would be called of Yehovah the halachah that would take the true believer and member of the true Faith once delivered from Pesach to Sukkot. Their testimony and their teachings firmly established the halachah that was passed down to them by Master Yeshua. And the halachah of the Talmidim, being the same halachah of Yeshua Messiah (Mat 11:29 — Yeshua said to His disciples, “Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me… ), is none other than Torah: Yah’s loving instructions in righteousness.

 

But many will question the reality of this: That Yeshua came to teach Torah. But the reality, beloved, is that everything Yeshua modeled and taught His Talmidim — His disciples — and by extension us today — was Torah. Yeshua declared to His taught ones:

 

(17) think not that I Am come to weaken, or destroy the Torah, or the neviim (i.e. the prophets). I have not come to weaken or destroy, but to completely reveal it in is intended fulness and to confirm it. (18) For truly I say to you, until the current shamayim/heavens and earth pass away, not one Word, shall by any means, pass away from the Torah, until all be fulfilled. (19) Whoever therefore shall break or weaken one of the least Torah mitzvoth and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Malchut ha shamayim/the kingdom of the heavens. But whoever shall do and teach the commands, the same shall be called great in the Malchut ha shamayim. (20) For I say to you, except your tzedakah (i.e. your righteousness) shall exceed the tzedakah/righteousness of the Sophrim (i.e. the Scribes) and Prushim (i.e. the Pharisees), you shall in no case enter into the Malchut ha shamayim/the Kingdom of the Heavens. (Mat 5; RSTNE)

 

You see, Yeshua is the walking-talking Torah. His example and teachings constitute the ground or house rules for the Kingdom. Remember, everywhere Yeshua taught, He taught about the Kingdom being like… Yeshua taught the rules of the Kingdom to all who had a heart to receive His truths. And it fell to his disciples to take those principles and teach others what it takes to receive and enter the Kingdom. They held the keys to the Kingdom. And all who are called into leadership in the Body of Mashiyach today have been given those same keys to the Kingdom.

 

I believe that the greatest insight into Yeshua’s keys to the Kingdom are in the “Beatitudes” and the “Kingdom Principles” outlined by our Master in Matthew 5-7.

 

2 And opening his mouth he began to teach them, saying, 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are the ones who mourn, because they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, because they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are the ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be satisfied. 7 Blessed are the merciful, because they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you, lying on account of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets before you. (W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Mt 5:1–12.)

 

And the following 2-1/2 chapters expound upon these essential keys as well as they teach us how Yeshua understood Torah and how His taught ones would be expected to keep them and teach their followers.

 

Unless we adopt these “attitudes” we will in no wise receive the Kingdom (Luk 18:17). For within these 3 chapters of Matthew, we find the foundation or the Master’s Keys to His taught and sent ones receiving and entering the Kingdom. He emphasized:

 

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Mt 6:32–33). Yeshua was emphasizing that under His “yoke” His disciples seek after the things of Yah’s Kingdom by applying the principles of the previously mentioned beatitudes. His disciples seek Yah’s righteousness by keeping and walking out Yah’s instructions in righteousness. His Torah.

 

So how do we connect the Keys of the Malchut ha Shamayim/the Kingdom of the Heavens to the Mitzvot or the Torah?

 

The Beatitudes are Yah’s mitzvah, broken down into spiritual applications. Yeshua modeled these mitzvot principles for us. We are to imitate them. Keeping Yah’s mitzvot without Yeshua’s example guiding and leading us accomplishes nothing. Amid these Beatitudes, Yeshua declared He did not come to destroy Yah’s Torah but “to completely reveal it in its intended fulness and to confirm it (Mat 5:17).

 

Jewish tradition claims that there are 613 mitzvot, or commandments. Many people within and without our faith debate the validity of that number. Nevertheless, some will inevitably conclude that Yeshua mentioned only a few commandments in His teachings, which are true. But the point as it relates to the keys to the Kingdom is how do we walk out those mitzvot or commandments? How do we walk out those Kingdom rules? What attitude, heart, and mind do we keep those mitzvot in? Yeshua wanted His taught ones to recognize that it’s one thing to go through the motions of keeping each Torah commandment, but it’s how to walk out those commandments in accordance to Yeshua’s standards.

 

Yeshua gave a very tall order to His disciples. In giving them the keys of the Kingdom, He was authorizing them to establish the proper halachah that would take members of the True Faith once delivered (Jude 3) from Pesach to Sukkot (i.e. from the member receiving and believing on the Person and Ministry of Yeshua to growing in grace through the sanctification process fueled by the Holy Spirit, to receiving and entering the Malchut Ahlohim). Yeshua’s apostles were given the authority to interpret Yeshua’s teachings of the Gospel of the Kingdom and to teach members of the true Faith what was needed for them to receive and enter the Kingdom.

 

It’s easy to get completely focused on keeping the commandments. But Yeshua came to show us that there is much more to commandment keeping than simply doing them:

 

23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. (The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Mt 23:23.)

 

Yeshua didn’t need to teach His disciples rote Torah-Keeping. Remember that His taught ones were orthodox Jews. They had been taught Torah since they were children. So, the task before Yeshua was not to simply teach Torah, but to model and teach us how to properly walk out Torah such that our righteousness would exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees.

 

If we don’t look to Yeshua in our keeping of Yah’s instructions in righteousness, we will inevitably fail in our proper keeping of those instructions.

 

Conclusion

 

So, in summary, the keys of the Kingdom that Yeshua declared He would give to His taught and sent ones was the authority to establish the halachah (i.e. the Ways of the Faith) and the doctrines of the True Faith once delivered (Jude 3). Those halachic principles and doctrines are the beatitude-level walking out of Yehovah’s Torah, based upon the teachings and example of Yahoshua Messiah to His taught and sent ones. Our present day Messianic/Netsarim/Nazarene leaders are supposed to have received those same keys. They have been granted the authority to distill down to us those Kingdom principles and doctrines. And in order for us to enter the Kingdom of Yehovah, we must meet those qualifying standards taught by Yeshua and His Apostles. That’s why it’s so important to not only study Torah daily but also study the Apostolic writings. The Apostolic writings contain the essential Keys to the Kingdom that each of us needs to make it into the Kingdom.

 

The Two Afflictions That Get God’s Attention

by | Apr 3, 2025

Messianic Torah Observer Podcast Episode: The Two Afflictions That Get God's Attention Host: Rod Thomas Date: April 3, 2025 Episode Summary: In this episode, Rod Thomas shares his thoughts ahead of the spring feast and discusses the significance of Yom Kippur, the Day...

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Shabbat Zachor – Blotting out the Spirit of Esau in the Lives of God’s People

by | Mar 7, 2025 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

Greetings and Introductions

As I am publishing this discussion, it is the 6th day of the 12th month on Yah’s sacred calendar year, which translates to March 7, 2025. And we are potentially less than a month away from biblical Rosh HaShannah. As we near the end of this month, we’ll keep you apprised of the outcome of the barley crop and new moon searches in the Land of Yisra’el.

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As for today, we’re going to take a break from our Melchizedek series, at least for this Shabbat. Instead, I want to give some attention and honor to the Jewish observance known as Shabbat Zachor.

Our Torah and Haftorah Reading in Light of Where we are on the Calendar

This is a special Shabbat. It is special for two reasons. First, because of where it falls out on Yah’s sacred calendar. And second, because of what it represents and honors.

This special Sabbath is known to our Jewish cousins as Shabbat Zachor, or the Sabbath of Remembrance.

Calendar-wise, this is the Shabbat that precedes or that is before the Jewish holiday of Purim. If you are not familiar with Purim, it is the Jewish holiday that commemorates Queen Esther’s (aka Hadassah’s) intervention that saved her people from genocide during the time of the Babylonian Captivity. The entire story, including how the holiday of Purim came about, is recorded in the Book of Esther.

Most of our Jewish cousins who keep the Hillel calendar will celebrate Purim on Friday, March 14, 2025, while those of us who follow the observational calendar, Purim will occur next Sabbath, March 15, 2025.

Now, as it relates to Purim, there are a few things that we need to bear in mind. One, it is a Jewish holiday. It is not one of the seven-mandated Feasts or moedim of Yehovah. So, we are not compelled by the Almighty to keep or celebrate it if we are not led to. Second, Purim always occurs on the 14th day of the 12th month. Our Jewish cousins refer to this 12th month of Yah’s calendar year as Adar. If you’re not aware, for those of us who keep the observational calendar, the 12th month fell on this past Sunday, March 2nd. Third. We always reckon Jewish holidays and the Feasts or moedim of Yah starting at sundown the evening before the special day, and it ends at sundown on the special day.

I only brought up Purim for orienting us in relation to when Shabbat Zachor, or the Sabbath of Remembrance, occurs each calendar year. And like Purim, it is a Jewish tradition. It is not a holy convocation day. “Zachor” is a Hebrew term that means to remember or recall. Remember what? Recall what? Well, we’ll soon find out as we get further into today’s discussion.

Now, tradition holds that on this particular Sabbath each year, Deuteronomy/Devarim 25:17-19 is read besides the scheduled weekly Torah Reading. Furthermore, 1 Samuel 15:2-34 is read as an additional Haftorah Reading.

The Commandment to Remember the Evil of Amalek

In honor of Shabbat Zachor or the Sabbath of Remembrance, let’s read Deuteronomy/Devarim 25:17-19:

(17) “Remember what Amalěq did to you on the way as you were coming out of Mitsrayim, (18) how he met you on the way and attacked your back, all the feeble ones in your rear, when you were tired and weary. And he did not fear Elohim. (19) Therefore, it shall be, when יהוה your Elohim has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you blot out the remembrance of Amalěq from under the heavens. Do not forget!” (The Scriptures, 3rd edition (Northriding: ISR, 2009), Dt 25:17–19)

So, we find recorded here in this passage mention of the unprovoked and vicious attack on the weakest members of our ranks by the Amalekites as we journeyed out of Egypt, on our way to Mount Sinai. That incident is recorded in Exodus/Shemot 17: 8-16.

Yah, in mentioning this brutal, unprovoked attack by the Amalekites, commands us to remember what the Amalekites did to us on that terrible day. And in Moshe’s instruction to us to remember the evil of Amalek, we were further instructed to “blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens” (verse 19).

The Lesson of King Saul and Samuel

We find recorded in 1 Samuel 15:2-34 the story of our first king, Saul/Shaul, whom Yehovah commanded through the Prophet/Judge Samuel to go to battle against the Amalekites. In that commandment to war against the Amalekites, Saul was supposed to annihilate every living soul and destroy all their possessions with extreme prejudice. Saul complied with Abba’s command and took his warriors to battle against the Amalekites. Although Saul was successful in his campaign against Amalek, he captured the Amalekite king Agag alive, took possession of some of their choicest livestock, which he later claimed he intended to use for sacrifices unto Yehovah. Furthermore, Saul allowed his men to lay hold of some of the Amalekite’s valuable possessions.

This blatant disregard by Saul to carry out Yehovah’s instructions to the letter infuriated Yehovah. Thus, Yah dispatched the Prophet/Judge Samuel to confront Saul and make him answer for his transgression.

In responding to Samuel’s allegations that he failed to follow Yehovah’s commandments to destroy every Amalekite living soul and possession, Saul admitted to giving in to the desires of his warriors and his own heart and reasoning on the matter. But the king justified his failure to obey Yehovah by stating his intention to sacrifice the livestock unto Yehovah.

But Samuel cut Saul’s lame excuses off by putting the concept of unwavering obedience to the instructions of Yehovah into proper perspective for him:

“Does Yehovah take pleasure in whole-burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in hearing the words of Yehovah? Behold, obedience is better than a good sacrifice, and hearkening than the fat of rams” (1 Sam 15:22; LXX).

And it is at this point in the confrontation between Samuel and Saul that the prophet delivered unto Saul the harsh blow that because of his blatant disregard for Yehovah’s explicit commands, He was going to strip Saul of his throne (15: 23, 26, 28):

(23) “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of יהוה, He also does reject you as sovereign. (24) And Sha’ul said to Shemu’ěl, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the mouth of יהוה and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice. (25) And now, please pardon my sin, and return with me, and let me bow myself to יהוה.

(26) But Shemu’ěl said to Sha’ul, “I do not return with you, for you have rejected the word of יהוה, and יהוה does reject you from being sovereign over Yisra’ěl.” (27) And as Shemu’ěl turned around to go away, Sha’ul took hold of the edge of his robe, and it tore. (28) And Shemu’ěl said to him, “יהוה has torn the reign of Yisra’ěl from you today, and has given it to a neighbour of yours, better than you. (The Scriptures, 3rd edition (Northriding: ISR, 2009), 1 Sa 15:23–28)

Pretty powerful words and principles, wouldn’t you say?

The Amalekites Possessed no Fear of God

Circling back to our Reading of Deuteronomy/Devarim 25:17-19, Moshe reminds his listeners, who were preparing to seize the Land of Promise, of the Amalekite incident. Moshe stresses to this righteous generation that they must remember — they must “Zachor” — what Amalek did to their parents during our exodus out of Egypt. And he adds depth to the Amalek story by reminding his listeners that Amalek was a merciless adversary who took advantage of the members who were bringing up our rear. He described those members who were bringing up our rear as being tired and hungry. Yet Amalek attacked them because “he did not fear Elohim” (25:18).

How could the Amalekites be devoid of any fear of Yehovah? They’d no doubt heard stories of what Yehovah did to our former Egyptian taskmasters and the unfathomable wonders and exploits Yah wrought on our behalf. Yet the Amalekites showed no respect — no fear of Elohim. And thus, Amalek’s attack was much more of an attack against Yehovah than it was against us, Yah’s covenant people.

And so, Moshe declared to us that after we peacefully settle in the Land of Promise, we were to “blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven” (25:19), which the Haftorah Reading of 1 Samuel 15:2-34 is about.

Why the Command to Zachor/Remember the Evil of Amalek?

So, why is it important to remember the Amalek incident, and why are these readings tied to this Sabbath?

The Amalekites were descendants of Esau. Scripture assigns another name to Esau: that of Edom. So, the Amalekites were Edomites.

Recall that Esau was Ya’achov’s or Jacob’s older brother. And despite Esau being the older of the two, Yehovah chose Ya’achov/Jacob to perpetuate the covenant He’d established with their father Yitschaq/Isaac. And thus, the covenant birthright was passed on to Ya’achov/Jacob.

Thus began the age-old feud between Jacob/Ya’achov and Esau. And although the Amalekites were simply biological descendants of Esau or Edom, they embodied — they were possessed by the spirit of Esau. The spirit of Esau/Edom is one that seeks to destroy Ya’achov/Jacob (aka Yisra’el) and her purpose. Even worse, the spirit of Esau/Edom is one that endeavors, tirelessly so, to undermine and stymie Yah’s holy and righteous will and purpose. And this is why Yah commanded us to remember what they did and what they’re about, and to ensure that they were entirely whipped out.

The essence and spirit of Esau or the Amalekites, in one form or another, has and continues to attack us generation after generation. Each one of our generations faces a corresponding generation of Amalekites whose expressed purpose is to destroy us as Yehovah’s set-apart people and to undermine Yah’s will and purpose on this earth.

As we previously mentioned, next weekend, many of us will, in some form or another, celebrate or observe Purim. The arch-protagonist of Purim is Haman, whom the author of the Book of Esther identifies as the son of Hammedatha. Haman was a high-level Persian official of Ahasuerus’ Empire. Through political manipulation, he finagled a royal edict from the Persian King to have every Jew in the Persian Empire exterminated. Esther, a Jewess turned queen, interceded on behalf of her people, and the kill order was mitigated.

Jewish tradition has it that Haman was of Edomite or Amalekite heritage (Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews, 11.6.5). This belief that Haman was of Edomite/Amalekite lineage is often used to explain why he sought the destruction of the Jewish nation. But many bible scholars poo-poo the accuracy of the tradition that Haman was of Edomite/Amalekite heritage. Nevertheless, even if Haman was not an Edomite, he and his cohort possessed the spirit of Esau or Edom. He was just another Luciferian proxy charged by the enemy to exterminate Yah’s covenant people. And so, like the Greeks and the Romans that would later emerge on the world’s scene, he was a willing proxy and emissary of the Kingdom of Darkness who’s stated and avowed goal is to destroy Yehovah’s set-apart people. But each time the enemy sends forth another Amalek to exterminate us, Yehovah raises those He equips to withstand them, such as He did with Mordecai and Queen Esther.

Nothing has changed, however, throughout the centuries. The generational Amalekites are always concocting ploys to defy Yehovah and harm His people. And this is why Yehovah commanded us in our reading today to remember — “Zachor” — Amalek and His evil deeds. Zachor then means to place that key historical event of Amalek preying upon the members of our nation who were bringing up our rear as we journeyed to Sinai as a memorial. Yah commands us not only to zachor that event, but to teach and discuss the merits of that event (Jeff Benner’s Ancient Hebrew Lexicon; page 324).

Indeed, the latest iteration of Amalek and the perpetuation of the spirit of Esau is seen in the people of Gaza who go by the faux moniker of Palestinians and their Hamas henchmen. These tried their best to annihilate our Jewish cousins on October 7, 2023. And because of their hastan infused hatred for Yehovah and his people, many hundreds of Israeli citizens and soldiers and countless thousands of their own people have lost their lives. Even amid ceasefire and peace talks, these Amalekites continue to spew and perpetuate their ultimate intent to, one way or another, destroy Yah’s covenant people. And if that weren’t enough, their evil spirit of Esau/Edom has perpetuated and propagated itself throughout the world: on the streets of U.S. and European nations, as well as on countless college and university campuses. I can’t help but wonder, if the hearts of these misguided and evil souls were softened, and they had at least a modicum of fear for Yehovah, would they repent from their evil ways?

This is why it is so important to pray daily for the peace of Yerushalayim (Psa 122:6).

Regardless, beloved, it’s going to take Yeshua returning to this world, eliminating the Kingdom of Darkness and its minions, and establishing His eternal and righteous throne in the Kingdom of Yah, in order for the spirit of Esau/Edom to be vanquished from this earth.

The Takeaway of Shabbat Zachor

For we who are the redeemed of Yehovah today, it behooves us to hold in remembrance (i.e. zachor) the reality of Amalek throughout our history and his persistent efforts to stymie Yehovah’s will and purpose, and to destroy Yehovah’s set apart people. We remember or zachor these things by rehearsing the story in our hearts, minds, and among members in our assemblies. Recognize, understand, and watch for the modern-day Amaleks that are lurking about in the world. These seek to robe us of our opportunities to walk in Torah and worship the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov; and to advance and promote the coming Malchut Elohim/the Kingdom of Yah. To image Yehovah in all the world.

Shammai Engelmayer, in his article entitled “Why we must Remember Amalek,” goes even further by suggesting that the most formidable Amalek that any of us will have to face throughout our walk with Mashiyach/Messiah is the Amalek from within.

We all possess Amaleks within us. For whenever we resist obeying Yehovah’s instructions in righteousness; whenever we quench Abba’s set-apart Spirit operating in our lives; whenever we give in to our base nature and turn our backs on holiness and righteousness; whenever we neglect or refuse to teshuvah after transgressing Yah’s Torah or offending him by our actions, evil thoughts, and ungodly words; whenever we fail to study and embrace Yah’s Words of Life because our flesh is too weak to fend off the slings and arrows of the enemy, we entertain and permit the spirit of Esau-Amalek-Edom to reign over our lives. We must annihilate — blot out — that inner Amalek with extreme prejudice and wipe it from all remembrance. All of which is to say, beloved: Let us examine ourselves daily and flesh out the Amalek and the spirit of Esau/Edom that may take up residence within us. Let us seek Yehovah’s help in ridding ourselves of it.

Thus, let us take Shabbat Zachor to heart in 2025, for it is through this critical annual rehearsal- this remembrance that we become better prepared to deal with the Amalekites that encroach upon our lives and that hinder our walk in Messiah.

Have a meaningful and blessed Shabbat Zachor beloved.