The Will of God
In Revelation 12:17; 14:12 reveals the Will of God, which says, His people are those who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony [the faith] of Yeshua the Messiah.
1.0 Commandments of God
The Torah, also known as the Five Books of Moses, contains 613 Commandments, of which are 248 positive commands and 365 restrictions. Do we have to obey all of them i.e. 613 commandments? If we obey all of them, then we will not be the new covenant people, but remain the old covenant people of God. And if we don’t obey any of those, then we are not God’s people.
This depicts that some of those laws are still to be obeyed and followed by the new covenant people of God. Then, how to know which of those 613 laws are still binding on the new covenant people? The rule is simple, we don’t pick and choose what we like and leave what we don’t like.
We listen to what Yeshua the Messiah and first century’s apostles taught through their words and actions in the New Testament about these various laws. If it is attested in the New Testament, then new covenant people have to follow it. And if it is clearly told that a particular law is fulfilled and no longer binding on us, then we don’t need to follow it.
These 613 commandments can be further categorized into 8 categories, viz. (i) The Law of Love, (ii) The 10 Commandments Law, (iii) The Dietary Laws, (iv) The Tithing Laws, (v) The Laws of Sacrifices and Offerings, (vi) The Law of Circumcision, (vii) The Civil Laws and (viii) The Laws of Ritual Purity and Uncleanliness.
1.1 The Law of Love
Law and love may mean different things to different people. In fact, some people see law and love as opposed to each other. But they’re not opposing ideas in the Bible. Yeshua and the apostles Paul and John, all say that love fulfils The Law of God. Love for God and loving our neighbour as we love ourselves is what obeying God’s law is all about.
1.2 The 10 Commandments Law
The Ten Commandments of God that was given to the children of Israel by speaking to them from mount Sinai, and through Moses that was written in two tables with the finger of God. These commandments were existed from the creation itself, but for the first time it was given to children of Israel in the written form at mount Sinai.
Some believers say that 9 of the 10 commandments are binding upon us, but the 4th Commandment [i.e. Sabbath Commandment] is not clearly mentioned in the New Testament. In fact, more than the other 9, the Sabbath is mentioned the most number of times in the New Testament.
In more than 50 places in the New Testament the Sabbath is mentioned and not even once Yeshua or the apostles ever said that it will be changed or that it will end.
We have a very direct and positive command to keep the 10 commandments even in the New Testament. So, it is clear all the 10 commandments are still binding upon us as well.
1.3 The Dietary Laws
In the biblical account of the two trees (Genesis 2:8–9; 3:1–7), we saw that God did not force Adam and Eve to accept His divinely revealed instructions. They chose to use human reasoning, separate from God’s directions.
To win the age-old battle against disease, each of us must make our own choices today. Will we obey God, or do we think we have a better way (Deuteronomy 30:15 20; Matthew 7:14)? It is very clear that the dietary laws of the Old Testimony continue in the New Testament.
1.4 The Tithing Laws
God says He will bless you if you begin tithing as He commands through faith in Him and in His word. Literally hundreds of case histories may be cited to show that God certainly does bless the tither in many ways.
He may not always do so immediately you may have to obey Him and exercise faith for a while. But as you serve Him, obey Him, and trust Him, God will keep His part of the bargain.
Tithing is a perfect system of God, even to be carried out in the New Testament Church.
1.5 The Laws of Sacrifices and Offerings
The order in which the core sacrificial prescriptions appear in Leviticus 1–16 is logical and begins with previously known categories of sacrifices that individual Israelites could voluntarily offer.
Leviticus 4–5 introduce two new kinds of mandatory expiatory sacrifices that were instituted with the establishment of the sanctuary: sin offering and trespass offering. It makes sense in terms of didactic effectiveness that Leviticus 1–5 introduce the five basic categories of sacrifices – burnt offering, grain offering, peace offering, sin offering and trespass offering – one at a time, before supplementary instructions in Leviticus 6–7 that are primarily for the priests.
As believers in Yeshua the Messiah, we have the assurance of pardon, and that our names are inscribed in the Book of Life not by our works but through our faith. And we do not need to ask to be inscribed every year, as Messiah’s work was and is final.
The sacrifices in the Old Testament pointed forward to the perfect and final sacrifice of Messiah. As with the rest of the Law, the sacrifices were “a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Messiah” (Colossians 2:17).
Believers today recognize Messiah’s atoning death on the cross as the only needed sacrifice for sin, offered once for all (Hebrews 10:1–10). His death opened the “holy place” for us (Hebrews 10:19–22) so that we can freely enter God’s presence and offer our “sacrifice of praise” (Hebrews 13:15; cf. 9:11–28; 4:14—5:10).
The Apostle Paul assures us that God, rich in mercy, loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, making us alive together with Messiah. (Ephesians 2:4-6).
Further he says, Yeshua’s sacrifice is in vain if we I depended for my salvation in old sacrifices and offerings. It can be referred in Galatian 2:20-21, 1 Corinthians 15:14, 17, 54-55, 58; 2 Corinthians 5:21-; 6:1-13….] In Hebrews 10 also we read that these offerings and sacrifices were the shadow of Yeshua the Messiah.
1.6 The Law of Circumcision
The Council of Jerusalem or Apostolic Council is a council described in chapter 15 of the Acts of the Apostles, allegedly held in Jerusalem around c. 48–50 AD. The Jerusalem consultation, recounted in Acts 15:1-31, describes a significant practical issue regarding the integration of Gentile believers into what had been a primarily Jewish body of believers. The council did not desire to burden Gentile converts to believers with the Jewish yoke (Acts 15:10, 20).
This depicts that the physical descendants of Abraham and those inhabit in the physical promised land where government and civil laws are governed as per the commandments of God, have the obligation to be circumcised both, physically (outward) and spiritually (inward).
1.7 The Civil Laws
It is not up to believers in Messiah today to enforce these and other civil penalties; rather, the execution of these sentences is now in the hands of civil authorities.
Clearly, God has given worldly rulers the right to enforce civil law now. In that regard, they are His ministers, responsible for maintaining the civil rules formerly carried out by the government of God’s nation of Israel.
1.8 The Laws of Ritual Purity and Uncleanliness
Some Jews believe that the ceremonial law is not fixed. They hold that, as societies evolve, so do God’s expectations of how His followers should relate to Him. This view is not indicated in the Bible. The believers out of the nation Israel are not bound by ceremonial law. Galatians 3:23-25 explains that since Yeshua the Messiah has come, believers are not required to sacrifice or circumcise. The Ceremonial Law helped the Israelites was introduced to be more disciplined than the surrounding nations.
However, until and unless you are born again, keeping these Commandments and Laws of God will be of burdensome. But after born again, people of God will love to keep them.
2.0 The testimony [the faith] of Yeshua the Messiah
John 1:1 and John 1:14 reveals the Messiah. It says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [John 1:1] “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth”. [John 1:14]
Further in John 3:16 we read that “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”.
The Old Testament, which even the most ardent critic acknowledges was in existence centuries before Messiah, predicted the where(Micah 5:2), the when (Daniel 9:26), and the how (Isaiah 7:14) of Messiah’s entry into the world. He would be born of a woman (Genesis 3:15) from the line of Adam’s son Seth (Genesis 4:26), through Noah’s son Shem (Genesis 9:26–27), and Abraham (Genesis 12:3; 15:5). He would come through the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10) and would be the son of David (2 Samuel 7:12f). The Old Testament predicted that Messiah would die for our sins (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53; Daniel 9:26; Zechariah 12:10), body will be kept secure and no decay (Psalm 16:8-11), would rise from the dead (Psalms 2:7; 16:10; 118:17-18; Hosea 6:2) and ascend to heaven (Psalm 68:18), will be seated at the right hand of the Father (Psalm 110:1), will pour out His Spirit (Isaiah 44:3), will come and establish his throne to rule the world and judge the peoples with equity (Psalm 9:7-8) and His kingdom will be eternal (Isaiah 9:7).
All of these supernatural prophecies were uniquely fulfilled in Yeshua the Messiah. Yeshua lived a miracle-filled and supernaturally empowered existence from his conception to his ascension. Centuries before his birth he was foretold by supernatural prophecy.
2.1 Unique in Conception
Messiah was not only supernaturally anticipated; he was also miraculously conceived. While announcing his virgin conception, Matthew (1:22–23) points to the prophecy of Isaiah (7:14). Luke records this miraculous inception of human life (Luke 1:26f); Paul alludes to it in Galatians 4:4. Of all human conceptions, Yeshua’s stands as unique and miraculous.
2.2 Unique in Life
From his very first miracle in Cana of Galilee (John 2:11), Yeshua’s ministry was marked by its miracles (John 3:2; Acts 2:22). These were not healings of delusional illnesses, nor were they explainable on natural grounds. They were unique in that they were immediate, always successful, had no known re lapses, and healed illnesses that were incurable by medicine, such as persons born blind (John 9). Yeshua even raised several people from the dead, including Lazarus whose body was already to the point of rotting (John 11:39).
2.3 Unique in Death
Events surrounding Messiah’s death were miraculous. This included the darkness from noon to 3 p.m. (Mark 15:33) and the earthquake that opened the tombs and rent the temple veil (Matthew 27:51-54). The manner in which he suffered the excruciating torture of crucifixion. The attitude he maintained toward his mockers and executioners was miraculous, saying, ‘Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing’ (Luke 23:34). The way in which he actually died. As Yeshua said, ‘I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord’ (John 10:18). At the very moment of his departure, he was not overcome by death. Rather, he voluntarily dismissed his spirit. ‘Yeshua said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit’ (John 19:30).
2.4 Unique in the Resurrection
The crowning miracle of Yeshua’s earthly mission was the resurrection. It was not only predicted in the Old Testament (Psalms 2, 16), but Yeshua himself predicted it from the very beginning of his ministry: He said, ‘ ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’ … But the temple he had spoken of was his body‘ (John 2:19, 21; Matthew 12:40–42; 17:9). Yeshua demonstrated the reality of his resurrection in twelve appearances over forty days to more than 500 people.
2.5 Unique in the Ascension
Just like his entrance into this world, Yeshua’s departure was also miraculous. After commissioning his disciples, ‘he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them’ (Acts 1:10). Contrary to the view of some, this was not a ‘parable’ but a literal bodily ascension into heaven from which he will return in the same literal body to reign in this world (Acts 1:11; Revelation 1:7, 19–20). The great Christian creeds clearly emphasize the miraculous bodily ascension of Messiah.
2.6 Unique in Sinlessness
Some of Yeshua’s enemies brought false accusations against him, but the verdict of Pilate at his trial has been the verdict of history: ‘I find no basis for a charge against this man’ (Luke 23:4). A soldier at the cross agreed saying, ‘Surely this was a righteous man’ (Luke 23:47), and the thief on the cross next to Yeshua said, ‘This man has done nothing wrong’ (Luke 23:41). For a description of what those closest to Yeshua thought of his character, Hebrews says that he was tempted as a man ‘yet without sinning’ (Hebrews 4:15). Yeshua himself once challenged his accusers, ‘Which of you convicts me of sin?’ (John 8:46), but no one was able to find him guilty of anything. This being the case, the impeccable character of Messiah gives a double testimony to the truth of his claim. Yeshua’s sinlessness was unique.
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