No Part of This World

Jesus Christ instructed his followers to be “no part of the world.” Not to be “taken out of the world” but to be no part of it. Why were they no part of it ? Because Jesus “chose them out of the world” as his deciples and heirs of the kingdom. But how were they to be not part of it ? Was he ruling out all political, economic and social involvement in the present world ? No, he did not state this, but rather warned his followers of the coming persecution they would receive for putting faith in him and following his teachings of faith, mercy and love, including the moral code and preaching to others about the Christ. This is how Jesus followers would be “no part of the world.” (John 17:11, 14-19)

This moral decadence and selfishness of the world are precisely what the context of Apostle James words are about in chapter 4, stating that there are many “arguments and fights”, coming from the selfish desires of persons, while many “pray but do not receive” what they ask for because they are asking for only their own self pleasures, but as Christians we should be “loyal to God”, and pray according to his will, not being a “friend of the world”, in pursuit of our self pleasures over the welfare of others, that is hurting others, stepping on them or failing to show kindness to them in order to pursue our pleasures, which makes us “enemies of God”, but to imitate Christ, “considering others superior to us” and being humble, “faithful and discreet slaves”, “freely forgiving” “all persons, especially those in the faith.”

This is the context of James chapter 4 verses 1 to 10, that is, not to put selfish desires first in our lives above showing mercy and kindness to others, as the majority of the people in the world do. To apply verse 4, along with Jesus words of being “no part of the world”, as not celebrating various holidays, not saluting the flag and a blanket restriction against all political, economic and social involvement is to put a legalistic external meaning, taking these scriptures completely out of their context. (James 4:1-10; Matt 25:45-47; Phil 2:1-4; Col 3:13-15; Gal 6:10)

Apostle Paul tells us that we are not “not to use the world to the full” and Apostle John confirms, being “no part of the world” is not to love the “things in the world”, and the showy display of them ahead of helping others, wanting things to please our selfish and sinful desires of the flesh over empathy and consideration of others. This is how we are to be “no part of the world” in harmony with Jesus words, not as a blanket condemnation against all or any involvement in the world governments, which act as “God’s minister” to “bear the sword to those who do bad.” Certainly where governments do wrong, then we “obey God as a ruler, rather then men”, but on other issues and involvement there of, it is up to each individual Christian’s conscience, being “fully convinced in his own mind”, not the mind of a religious organization, slave class or governing body. (1 John 2:15-17; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Cor 7:31; Rom 14:5)

Parenting 2007

Parenting is Harder 70% of the public says it is more difficult to be a mother today than it was 20 or 30 years ago. 60% say the same about being a father. A Pew survey finds 56% of Americans say mothers are doing a worse job today than they did 20 or 30 years ago. 47% echo this about dads. According to parents and non-parents, the biggest challenge in raising children today is dealing with the outside influences of society. 38% of Americans list societal factors when asked to name the biggest parental challenge. The top concerns are drugs and alcohol, peer pressure, and the impact of TV and other media. Other challenges include teaching morals and values, maintaining discipline, handling the financial aspects of childrearing, and dealing with the educational system. Protestants are among the most critical of today’s mothers with 68% of white evangelicals saying moms are doing a worse job today. This compares with 54% of white non-evangelical Protestants, 50% of white Catholics and 47% of seculars.
Pew Research Center 5/2/07

Finding the strength to overcome anything

In life’s journey, one has to obtain the principles of “strength” and “resilience” in order to face various challenges and adversities. This strength is not physical, based on muscular power obtained from lifting weights and performing strenuous exercises, but is psychological and spiritual in nature. This strength can only be obtained from life experiences and one’s belief system.

Now Webster New World Dictionary defines strength as: “1 the state or quality of being strong; force; power; vigor; 2 the power to resist strain, stress, etc.; toughness; durability.” Here strength is defined as the: “power to resist stress; durability,” which means the ability to overcome adversity or bounce back from a crisis. Proverbs speaks of the relationship between adversity and strength. “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small (Pro. 24:10).” According to the scriptures, strength can only be determined when confronting adversity, just as courage cannot be determined unless one confronts a dangerous situation.

The word “resilience” is defined as: “the quality of being resilient; esp., a) the ability to bounce or spring back into shape, position, etc. b) the ability to recover strength, spirits, good humor, etc. quickly; buoyancy.” Now resilience is defined as the ability to bounce back and to recover strength from various adversities that seem to take our strength. Thus, psychological strength is the ability to cope with the psychological stresses and adversities of modern life.

What is the purpose of this article?

The purpose of this article is to show the psychological factors, that inner strength within humans, that aid one in overcoming adversities in life. They are faith in Elohim (God), belief in one’s self and one’s ability, courage to seek outside help, and wisdom to recognize one’s strengths and set goals. According to Psychology Today, researchers identified these factors during various psychological studies of humans reacting to some form of adversity. This article will show that these factors are universal and have been laid down in the Bible since its inception.

Now this article will also explore how one obtains these positive, psychological attributes and answer the question of whether these elements can be taught as one can learn to read. This article will show that neither education, race, or income has anything to do with an individual’s resiliency, as many have believed.

In short, the strength of the individual lies in the mindset (i.e. belief system). Basically, this was the message of the Master Yahshua the Messiah’s ministry. He said it was the Father within (Jn. 14:9-10) that did the work and one must have faith therein. Yahshua (Jesus) also pointed out to Israel the importance of faith when He said unto them: “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth (Mk. 9:23).”

What are modern psychological views on strength?

Psychologists have known for years that the environment shapes an individual’s personality. A toxic environment results in the individual being dysfunctional where the individual can not function within the rules of society, as the result of conditioning or trauma. For example there are soldiers, such as the Vietnam and WW II veterans, that can no longer function in society after combat experience.

Within the last 20 years psychology researchers have found that some people who have experienced bad situations, such as inner city violence, war, broken homes, physical and sexual abuses, etc., have discovered the strength and resiliency to overcome or rebound. For example, they found that one-third of all children in America who suffer from neglect, poverty, and abuse are capable of rebuilding their lives by the time they are teenagers, according to Psychology Today (6/98; p. 35). These new findings have altered the views of psychologists on survivors’ coping skills and the inner strength they possess.

Rather than emphasizing the power latent in humans to overcome adverse situations, psychologists, since WWII, have emphasized the psychological damage the individual suffered in this environment. This is called victimology, according to Martin Seligman, Ph.D., and President of the American Psychological Association. He also states in Psychology Today that there has been a “sea of change” in psychology away from this victimology of people to understand what makes them strong psychologically, which has occurred in the last 20 years.

Edith Grotberg Ph.D. from the University of Alabama states that everyone has the capacity for resilience. However, certain situations must be presented to a person before the individual can develop resilience. She goes on to say that there must be some support for the individual.

Does inner strength exist within the individual?

Even though the origin of ALL strength is Elohim (God), this potential has to be developed within each individual. Some may doubt that every person has this capacity. However, proof that the strength and resilience potential exist within man can be seen in the muscle and skeleton systems of the human body. Resiliency in the physical body is its ability to heal itself. (See “Spontaneous Healing,” begin with section on “How Does Physical Healing Work?” in the 1997 Vol. 6, No. 5, issue of the“PLIM REPORT.”) Bones that are broken, mend and muscles that are torn, repair themselves.

Now the physical body is a reflection or shadow of the soul and spirit. Remember that man was made in the image of Elohim (Gn. 1:26) both physically and psychologically. The human is made-up three-fold: a physical body, a soul-inner body, and spirit. This means whatever is found within the physical body is just a reflection of what is within the soul. As the physical body has the principle of strength and resilience in the skeletal and muscular systems and the healing of the body, then the soul or mind must also have the strength and resilience principles within.

How does strength exist in the mind?

Now the soul or mind is composed of principles, such as intelligence, wisdom, knowledge, love, strength, etc.

These principles are potentials that must be developed through life itself (i.e. interaction with the world and other humans). Hence, the purpose of adversity is to develop these attributes in much the same fashion as stress aids in the development of the muscular and skeletal systems. What this means is that the soul has the innate ability to bounce back from adversity provided certain principles are embraced such as faith, hope, love, etc.

Yahshua the Messiah in His ministry repeatedly demonstrated that these principles work, by the many miracles He performed, which modern psychology is now confirming through various studies.

What were the results of the studies?

Modern psychology, through various human group studies, has identified some of the factors that help individuals bounce back and regain strength from various adversities. Now laboratories with sophisticated instruments are not needed to determine these factors. People’s testimonies are the source data.

Before looking at these factors, an examination of the findings of various psychological studies would be helpful. All of these studies were a part of an article entitled Finding Strength in Psychology Today (6/98).

Did children of depressed mothers recover?

Norman Garmenz, Ph.D. of the University of Minnesota studied children of depressed mothers. He found that about one-fourth of the children were healthy and normal. This was a shock to him because of his previous belief about victims of trauma being unable to recover without terrible mental scars. His initial response was that he had misdiagnosed the mother’s condition. Michael Rutter, Ph.D. later verified his findings in another study.

Dr. Michael Rutter, of the Institute of Psychiatry in London did a study of children of drug addicted mothers. His finding showed that approximately one-fourth of these children was normal and confident. Both of these studies serve as foundations for studying resiliency in humans.

Do children born into poverty ever succeed?

Emmy Werner, who is nicknamed “Mother of Resilience,” is credited with doing the initial groundwork in this field. She did a 30-year study of the inhabitants of the Kauai Island. There were 505 people in this study born in 1955. Half of the children of workers of the sugar plantation were born into poverty.

When the sugar industry fell upon hard times, it almost guaranteed that these children would remain in poverty. The conditions of these children’s environment included fear, abuse, and alcoholism.

Werner states that if one uses the victim-theory to predict what would happen to these children, one would say that by the time these children are in their twenties, they would be destined to live a life of crime, alcoholism, unemployment and life of despair.

Her findings showed that one-third of these children did not fall apart at all. In fact, they all did well in school and began promising careers. All of these survivors defined themselves as being competent adults. Werner published a book entitled Overcoming the Odds, which is considered the definitive work in the field of resilience in children.

Norman Garmenz said this study’s finding shows that one’s upbringing does not build a lifelong prison. Other studies throughout the world and throughout various cultures verify the finding that people do overcome various adversities.

Do abused children prosper?

Another study that John DeFrain, Ph.D., professor of family studies at the University of Nebraska, and his colleagues Nikki DeFrain, Linda Ernst, and Jean Jones, conducted was based on the abused childhood of forty adults. They wanted to know if these adults had any childhood scars. Every adult interviewed said they had childhood scars.

Now the study showed that 11% considered themselves bare survivors, but 83% said they had transcended their childhood experiences and were building a better life for themselves. Now 57% of the people in this study said they had no one to talk to, but God during this year. This isolation forced them to rely on themselves and God.

What principles can be seen in Israel’s migration?

Now the Children of Israel’s migration out of Egyptian bondage to the Promised Land is a metaphor to all these psychological studies. The problem here is that psychologists are not conscious of the fact that universal principles are in operation. Finding the strength to overcome adversity is simply a resurrection. The Messiah said: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (Jn 16:33).”

What are some factors in developing strength?

These psychological studies furnish the data necessary to determine what factors are responsible for people overcoming various adversities. These factors varied for each study. Now the factors are listed as follows.

	Faith is the most common principle found in all studies although it takes on many different manifestations. It is not always found in a religious sense-as faith in God. Some people had faith in the future that things would not always be as bad as they are. This allows them to “hang in there” in the face of the storm. Faith in God was found to serve as a tremendous confidence booster. This gave the person perseverance and hope to endure in what appears to be a hopeless situation. DeFrain stated that 56% of the people in his study said they had no one to talk to. They held unto “the idea of guardian angels and or a God who will always love and forgive them (Psychology Today 6/98, p. 67).
	Support systems are another factor that helps people overcome adversity. Having the courage to find strength from an outside agent is empowering in itself. From most of the above studies they show that very rarely were individual able to overcome adversity alone. No human is an island; they are social creatures. In short, the person must have some kind of support system: the family, a friend, or a teacher, who gives one encouragement. Now the Big Brother/Big Sister Program verifies this in a study done in a 1996 analysis. Violent behavior was down 33% among participating children from single parent homes with poverty and violence ridden neighborhoods. There was also 52% lower school absenteeism and 46% lower first time drug users. DeFrain’s study shows that where the person has no one to talk to as in the case of children in abusive situations, they talk to God or angels.
	Believe in Self is another trait that was common in most studies. One has to be able to visualize oneself overcoming an obstacle or adversity before it physically manifests. To pick oneself up from a bad situation is done in the mind first. In a depressing or challenging situation, one has to draw from within oneself and say: “I will not allow this situation to overcome me psychologically.” This is what belief in self will do.
	Coping skills are developed in severe trauma cases where the individual has been physically, sexually, and mentally abused over and over again. These individuals, usually children or abused women who have no one to talk to, learn coping skills to deal with the situation. For example, many use dissociation or detachment. The individual learns to let go of the situation. This means the individual may go numb or transport his mind to another place and time. While being abused, the child may imagine himself out of the body or in meadow somewhere far away. DeFrain said in his study that “if the a family situation is insane, most people will build, within, their own sanctuary and sanity (Psychology Today 6/98; p. 67).” This shows that the principle of peace exists within.

Can these principles be taught?

Spiritual principles, such as faith, self-confident, cannot be taught in the literal sense, as in the case of a parent teaching a child to ride the bike or read a book. This is because these principles are spiritual in nature. Basically, parents, teachers, or friends must give encouragement, which is how the principles are imparted. One can discuss these principles and show how they operate, as in the case of faith in the placebo effect, which shows forth the power of a belief in the mind.

But the principles of faith can only be exercised in face of some type of challenge, or adversity. Usually there are some traumatic situations that result in being overwhelmed by some emotions, such as fear, despair, doubt, grief, etc., that will not allow the person to exercise these positive principles of faith.

Conclusion

All of these principles are universal. Thousands of years before the birth of modern psychology, Yahweh-Elohim had revealed to mankind the spiritual principles that must be exercised in this life journey if one is to grow and develop. What these psychological studies prove is that these principles do exist and, if they are exercised, will help people overcome all types of adversities in life. This is even though most had no knowledge of the operation of these principles. Now this implies that if certain principles are exercised, the person can overcome trauma without many scars. Thus, it is the mindset of the individual that matters, which is what the Bible has emphasized. The scientific community is proving that these principles actually work and are not fanciful myths. Yet many have not come to understand the operation of these spiritual principles.

The birth of the Master in you (Gal. 4:19) demonstrates the power of these spiritual principles, such as faith, by showing Israel this is the power that brings about miracles. A blind man begs the Master Yahshua to heal him and the Master replied: “…Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee (Lk. 18:42).” The Apostle John said “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world (1 Jn 4:4).”

Finally, 80% of the people interviewed in DeFrain’s study said they hated their childhood, but they all said that they had become stronger, kinder, and quicker to care for and help someone because of their experience. In another study people said the following about their adversity. “I have been tested and have prevailed and I’m better for it.” Testimonies from these studies pointed out an important point about the purpose of adversity, which is laid down in the scriptures. The apostle Paul under the New Covenant said: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with Elohim through our Lord Yahshua The Messiah:… And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of Elohim is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us (Rom. 5:1-5).” Clearly, we can see that Elohim allows tribulations as the only way one can be strengthened and develop resiliency.

 

 

Were the Messiahs followers called Christians after his Death?

What were the disciples and followers of the Messiah called after His death, burial and resurrection? Were they called Christians, as the Bible translators state in Acts 11:26 “And when he (Barnabas) had found him (the Apostle Paul), he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” Other logical questions to ask are: Was the organization of the disciples called Christianity? Did the Messiah call himself Christ (a Greek name, meaning the Lord’s anointed)?

Was The Messiah Hebrew or Greek?

The Messiah, His disciples, and followers were Jews or Israelites. The Jews are descendants of the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to whom Yahweh made the promise. Jacob was the father of twelve Hebrew sons. His name was changed to Israel after he wrestled an angel in a vision until he blessed him (Gen. 32:24-28). The name Israel, that is Hebrew, not Greek, means “Having power with Elohim (God).” Israel called his twelve sons or tribes Israelites, a Hebrew name within which is the Messiah’s divine title, Elohim. The law and prophets (Old Testament) prophesied that the Messiah would be born of a virgin and be called Immanuel that means El with us. (Isa. 7:14). Immanuel’s name is Yahshua, as Gabriel told Joseph in a dream. ” … Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Yahshua (Jesus): for he shall save his people from their sins. (Matt. 1:20-21; see also 22nd - 23rd verse).”

Now the Messiah was of the Hebrew lineage (Matt. 2:1; Heb. 7:14; Rev. 5:5), so it follows that He must have a Hebrew name and title, as prophesied by the law and prophets. Generally the name of a baby born to a certain race and culture reflects the father’s name in that culture. For example, a Chinese baby born of Chinese parents would be given the father’s Chinese name; a Russian baby born of Russian parents would be given the father’s Russian name; and so forth. The intelligent question to ask is, how could the Messiah, born a Hebrew, have the Greek name and title of Jesus Christ? The Messiah spoke of this in John 5:43. “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.”

Can Followers of a Hebrew Come in a Greek Name?

And since the twelve Apostles and followers of the Messiah were Hebrew, wouldn’t they come in His name, Yahshua, and not the Greek title Christ? The Messiah told them at His ascension to preach in His name in Matt. 28:19 -20: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father (Yahweh), and of the Son (Elohim), and of the Holy Ghost (Yahshua - Jn. 14:26): Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

Now historical documents show and prove that the followers of the Messiah didn’t call themselves Christians. The Greek word Christian appears in the so-called New Testament three times Acts 11:26, 26:28; and 1 Pet. 4:16. Christian is a title and not a proper name. Originally Romans or Gentiles gave the followers of the Messiah the name Christians and Mystery Babylon accepted it as the title the followers of the Messiah used for themselves.

Did Followers of the Messiah Call Themselves Christians?

Now the Dictionary of the Bible by James Hastings (1963 Charles Scribners’s Sons), pg. 138, states under the caption, “3. The Spread of the Name. - Since ‘Christian’ was not originally a self-designation of the followers of Jesus, it is not surprising that it is rarely found in the New Testament.” Hastings Dictionary of the Bible further states that Roman authorities gave the Messiah’s followers the name ‘Christians’ but the word itself to the pagans is associated with heinous crimes and vices. In this section “4. The Meaning of the Name.- The Roman authorities, who first designated the disciples of Jesus as Christians, attempted thereby to characterize them as a political group or party, held together by their loyalty to the party head, Christos. While originally the title was given for juridical convenience without implying a derogatory sense, the pagan mob must at a very early time have associated it with heinous crimes and vices … Not too much emphasis should be placed, therefore upon the etymology of christos. Though literally meaning the ‘Anointed One,” i.e. the Messiah, the title soon lost its original denotation and became a personal name in the Greek-speaking church.”

The New Encyclopedia Britannica, Volume 4, (copyright 1982), pg. 460 states under the caption Christianity: “The concept of “Christianity” (Christianismos), which denotes what is “essence,” does not appear in the New Testament writings. Not until the time of the Apostolic Fathers (i.e., The Christian thinkers of the late 1st and early 2nd centuries) was it used as a Christian parallel to the concept “Judaism” (Ioudaismos), which the Apostle Paul had used in his letter to the Galitians, chapter 1, verse 13 to characterize the Jewish way of faith and Life. The term Christianianity was first used in such a manner by Ignatius the Bishop of Antioch (died c. AD 110), in his Letter to the Magnesians.”

Does ‘Christian’ Come from ‘Christos’ Which Means Anointed?

It must be understood by students of the scriptures that the Greek word Christian is derived from the Greek word Christos, which means anointed. The word ‘Christos ‘was in existence long before the birth of the Messiah. It is important to understand the context in which this word was used in everyday life prior to it being associated with the Messiah.

The Roman Catholic book The Names and Titles of Jesus, by Leopold Sabourin, S.J.; Imprimatur, by Terence J. Cooke, D.D., V.G., (copyright 1967, by The Macmillian Co.), pg. 5; states: “Strictly speaking, the term Messiah is equivalent to “Christ” because the Hebrew word Mashiah or “Anointed [of the Lord}" is translated by the Greek Khristos."

The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology (H.W. Wilson) under Christ, pg. 169 states: " ... borrowed from Latin Christus, from Greek Christos, noun use of christos anointed, from chriein anoint ... The Greek is a translation of the Hebrew Mashiah anointed (of the Lord), MESSIAH ... "

Does 'Christos' Mean 'Messiah'?

''Both of the preceding quotes said that the Greek word 'Christos' is equivalent to the Greek word Messiah, that is a translation of the Hebrew word Mashiah. This is not true. 'Mashiah' is a Hebrew word that means the "Anointed of Yah" and not the "Anointed of the Lord." In Hebrew the iah in the word Messiah is Yah, the short form of Yahweh. Most biblical scholars make a great mistake and error in equating the Greek word 'Christos' with the Hebrew word Messiah. The Greeks have no word or equivalent to mean Yah or Yahweh which means: "He who brings into existence whatever exists." For example in English there is no equivalent word for Bethlehem, the Hebrew word which means 'house of bread.' So, the word has to be translated and pronounced as it is in the original tongue or language. As most translators know all proper nouns of cities, places, and names are pronounced and transliterated as they are in their own language when translated to another language.

[Note: We have to keep in mind that various languages have phonemes (i.e. the smallest unit of sound in a language) which have the same spelling, but a different pronunciation in that language. See e-mail below. For example in Arabic, there is no "p" sound and Arabs cannot pronounce "Peter." In German, "Warren" is pronounced with a "V." The principle here is that although the pronunciation or spelling may change, the word will retain the same contextual meaning. Bethlehem is a Hebrew word and may be pronounced and spelled differently in German or France, but the contextual meaning "House of Bread" remains the same in all languages.]

[The following explanation is a result of an e-mail we received from Robert Craig Harman En France, appelez 01 34 80 04 83 pour BYU Chemical Engineering recevoir un Livre de Mormon gratuit...Master's Candidate LDS France Paris Mission http://www.et.byu.edu/~harmanc/paris/

(1) Neither toponyms (the etymological study of place names for regions or languages) nor personal names necessarily retain their form when translated from one language to another, e.g.:

London (English) --> Londres (French)

Dover (English) --> Douvres (French)

Braunschweig (German) --> Brunswick (English)

Koeln (German) --> Cologne (English)

Muenchen (German) --> Munich (English) --> Monaco (Italian)

Marseille (French) --> Marseilles (English)

Lyon (French) --> Lyons (English)

Reims (French) --> Rheims (English)

Moskva (Russian) --> Moscow (English)

Plzen (Czech) --> Pilsen (German)

Praha (Czech) --> Prag (German) --> Prague (English)

Den Haag (Dutch) --> The Hague (English)

And the list goes on and on....

(2) Paris (English) is not pronounced at all the same as Paris (French).

The French "P" has no aspiration. The French "a" is between the sounds of the "a" in the English "cat" and the "a" in "father". The French "r" is made by friction on the uvula in the back of the mouth -- the English "r" is in the middle of the mouth. The English "i" is short; the French "i" is halfway between an English short "i" and long "e". The French "s" is silent.]

We will show documented proof that Biblical scholars know that the disciples and followers of the Messiah didn’t call themselves by the Greek title “Christian.”

Now the Gentile translators aren’t responsible for this error of substituting titles for Yahweh or Yah. The Jewish scholars, scribes were responsible for substituting Adonia that means My Lord. We will deal with this in our next issue of the “PLIM REPORT.”

Did Non-Followers of the Messiah Call His Apostles Christians?

Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary states: “The designation of the early followers of Christ as Christians was initiated by the non-Christian population of Antioch. Originally it may have been a term of derision. Eventually, however, Christians used it of themselves as a name of honor, not of shame. Prior to their adoption of the name, the Christians called themselves believers <Acts 5:14>, brothers <Acts 6:3>, or saints <Acts 9:13>, names which also continued to be used … (From Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary) (Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers).”

The Cambridge Bible Commentary on New English Bible, by J. W. Packer, Cambridge University Press, pg. 92 states: “Christians: probably a name given by the people of Antioch to distinguish them from the Jews, through there is no indication that the name was given at this time…” This is also confirmed in “Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles”, by R. C. Lenkski, Ausburg Publishing House, pg. 457 “… This is an interesting fact. It is at once evident that the disciples did not invent this name for themselves. Since the name was derived from “Christ” the Greek word for “Messiah,” it is certain that the disciples got this name in Antioch and not from the Jews who would never have connected the Messiah with the disciples either in a derogatory or in any other way. The Greeks invented this name … In the days of the Roman persecutions the very name was certainly enough to condemn a man. The question is debated as to whether already in Antioch “Christians” or “Chrestians” was intended as a vicious title or was used only to distinguish the disciples of Christ from the Jews.”

The New Testament Commentaries; by I. Howard Marshall; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., pg. 203 states: “… in all probability that “Christian” was a nickname given by the populace of Antioch, and thus ‘Christ’ could well have been understood as a proper name by them, even if at this stage the Christians themselves still used it as a title; …”

Finally Ellcott’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 1; Zondervan Publishing House (copyright 1971), states the following about the word Christians: “In its Latin form the name was essentially Latin. It would seem to have grown out of the contact of the new society with the Romans stationed at Antioch, who, learning that its members acknowledged the Christos as their head, gave them the name Christiani. As used in the New Testament, we note: (1) That the disciples never use it of themselves. …(2) That the hostile Jews use the more scornful term of “Nazerenes.” (3) That the term Christianus is used as a neutral and sufficiently respectful word by Agrippa (26:28), …”

Most Bible commentaries confirm that the name Christian was not invented by the disciples or followers of the Messiah. I hope this sheds some light on the word Christian and its historical development.

How did the name Jesus originate?

The intent of this article is to investigate the origin of the Greek name Jesus and its erroneous transliteration of the Hebrew name of our Savior Yahshua.  Our Saviour’s Name in Hebrew is    (read from right to left). The English name “Jesus,” which later employed the letter “J,” is a derivation from Greek “Iesous” and the Latin “Iesus” version.

This name “Jesus” commonly used in Christianity today did not exist and would not be spelled with the letter “J” until about 500 years ago. This article will also discuss the grammatical errors involved in the transliteration of Yahshua into Greek and Latin, which radically changed the form of Yahshua’s name.

 

Another error that will be discussed in this article is that  “Yahshua’s name was not known to most translators at the time. Jewish Masoretic priests, around the 6th century A.D., created the name Jesus by changing the vowel point from the letter “a” to “e” in the Tetragrammaton YHWH. This resulted in changing the pronunciation from Yah to Yeh.

The priests continued the tradition, which was in effect at the time of the Messiah, of teaching the people that the name “Yahweh” was too sacred to pronounce, and to speak this name was blasphemy and punishable by death.  Most people and lower level priests were initially taught to say “Adonai” when they saw the name “Yahweh” or the tetragrammaton written.

PLIM recommends a number of excellent websites that provide extensive research on the name. (Note: This is not an endorsement of their dogma.) The Assembly of Yahweh has an excellent article that deals with the letter J called “THE MISSING J” http://www.yaim.org/missingJ.htm. There is also another website with an article entitled “Our Saviour’s Name” http://www.iahushua.com/ST-RP/name.htm and see http://www.yahweh.org.

 Does the Letter “J” exist in Hebrew, Latin or Greek?

The answer to this question is no. In fact, there was no letter ‘J’ in  any language prior to the 14th century in England. The letter did not become widely used until the 17th century.

The Encyclopedia Americana contains the following quote on the J: “The form of ‘J’ was unknown in any alphabet until the 14th century. Either symbol (J,I) used initially generally had the consonantal sound of Y as in year. Gradually, the two symbols (J,l) were differentiated, the J usually acquiring consonantal force and thus becoming regarded as a consonant, and the I becoming a vowel.

It was not until 1630 that the differentiation became general in England.” Note in the original 1611 version of the King James Version of the Bible there was no “J” letter in this Bible for because it did not exist. James was spelled Iames. Jesus was spelled Iesous.

In the Hebrew alphabet there is no J letter or sound and it is shown follow: Read form right to left.”

The Greek alphabet shows that there is no letter J or sound.

Now the Oxford English Dictionary shows the derivation of the name “Jesus” as follow: “In ancient Latin Jesus is spelled Iesus, in ancient Greek (I-ee-sous), ad. late Heb. or Aramaic yeshua, Jeshua, for the earlier y’hoshua, Jehoshua or Joshua (explained as ‘Jah (or Jahveh) is salvation’: cf. y’shuah ‘salvation, deliverance’, and Matt. 1.21”

Here we see that in the ancient Latin and Greek languages “Jesus” was spelled with the letter “I” for there was no “J” in either of these languages. In Hebrew we know there is no J letter. So Jesus was originally spelled Yeshua, and y’hoshua. Note: Here the Messiah’s name was spelled in Hebrew two different ways due to the tradition of the Masoretic priests. They did not want to pronounce the sacred part of Yahweh’s name, so they changed the ‘Yah, to ‘Yeh, which will be discussed later in this article.

Webster’s New World Dictionary confirms the Oxford World Dictionary, but it shows the derivation of “Jesus” correctly transliterated in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew using the letters “I” and “Y,” showing that there was no J used in these original languages when the scriptures were translated into them.

“In Late Latin Jesus was original spelled Iesus; In Greek it was spelled Ièsous; and in ancient Hebrew spelled  “yÈshÙa,” which is a contraction of yehÖshÙa (Joshua), help of Jehovah < yÀh, Jehovah + hÖshïa, to help.”

Did the angels speak in Hebrew?

In the so-called New Testament of the Bible there were two instances where an angel and the spirit form of the Messiah appeared to humans and spoke to them in Hebrew. First, Gabriel spoke to Mary regarding her unborn son. Since Mary was Hebrew of the tribe of Judah (Lk. 1:27), Gabriel had to communicate to her in the Hebrew tongue, her native language, not Chinese or Greek, for she would not have been able to understand him. “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with Elohim (God). And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS (Luke 1:30-31).” As shown in the Hebrew alphabet, there is no J in Hebrew (see alphabet on p. 8). So the question is what did the angel Gabriel say that the baby would be named?  It was impossible for him to say Jesus because Jesus is Greek for Yahshua.

In another instance, the Messiah appeared in spirit form and in a vision, to the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-7) and spoke in Hebrew.  Paul described what happened. “And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (Acts 26:14).”

Paul asked this spirit, “Who art thou, Lord (Acts 26:15)?” The Messiah replied, “I am Jesus [in the King James Bible and most English Bibles] whom thou persecutest.”

One thing is clear. The Messiah knows His name and as was stated and repeated throughout this article it is impossible for him to have said Jesus as it is translated since Yahshua spoke to Paul in the Hebrew tongue.

Pontius Pilate wrote the name of the Messiah in Greek, Hebrew and Latin above His head on the cross when the Messiah was crucified.  Luke wrote the following:  “… an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS (Lk 23:38-39).”

Traditionally,  most crucifixes (especially Roman Catholic)  have the Latin initials of the Messiah as follows “INRI,” which means “Iesus Nazarenus, Rex, Iudaeorum”. [Note: there is no letter J (for it did not exist at this time.)   This is translated into English and means “Jesus of  Nazareth, King of the Jews.”]

The French philosopher, historian, and religious scholar Ernest Renan stated in his book, The Life of Jesus, that the Savior was never called Jesus in His lifetime. Renan based his conclusion on his archaeological trips to the Holy Land in searching for inspiration and materials on the Savior.

  What is the derivation of the name “Jesus”?

Any good dictionary will show the derivation or the history of the translation of Jesus through the various languages. All agree that the word “Jesus is a transcription or a copy of the Greek name … which is a derivation of the Hebrew Ieshoua, a common Jewish name” according to the book The Names and Titles of Jesus by Leopold Sabourin, S.J.

 Is there an explanation of the error Yeh from Yah?

Now that it is clear that the Messiah’s name was not spelled with the letter J, there is another error that must be addressed.  Many misspell the Messiah as “yÈshÙa,” (which is a contraction for “yehÖshÙa.”).  The error is that it does not have the “Yah” part of the Father’s name in the translation.

In the King James Version of the Bible,  Psalm 68:4 clearly reveals  that the shortened  form of the Father’s name is “Jah.”  King David writes: “Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Extol Him who rides on the clouds, By His name JAH…” Since there is no j in Hebrew then “Jah” should be spelled Yah or Iah. So yehÖshÙa should be spelled yahÖshÙa.

The error of changing Yah to Yeh is due to the manmade tradition of the Jewish priests. Their reverence for the holy name caused them to believe that it was too sacred to pronounce.  So they changed the vowel points from a to e in the Tetragrammaton YHWH. This changes the pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton. The letter “a” was the correct vowel to be inserted between the YH obtaining YaH. This is short form of the sacred Name is in Yahshua.

To prevent this pronunciation, the priests changed the vowel points from an “a” to the “e” obtaining YeH.  This is how the letter “e” came to be in the Savior’s name “Jesus,” resulting today in the Jews spelling his name YEHshua.

Now the same error is explained in the Biblesoft’s Strongs New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary.  It spelled Yahshua’s name with the letter e Yehowshuwa‘ (yeh-ho-shoo’-ah); or Yehowshu‘ a (yeh-ho-shoo’-ah); from OT:3068 and OT:3467 OT:3091; Jehovah-saved; Jehoshua (i.e. Joshua), the Jewish leader: -Jehoshua, Jehoshuah, Joshua. Now the ancient Greek use their alphabet to write and pronounce the “IE” as the shortened form of Yahweh’s name “Yah.”

 What is the Importance of “ous” or “us” in Jesus’ name?

Now the “ua” ending in Yahshua’s name in Hebrew when transliterated into Greek is feminine singular, which presents a problem.  Thus, it necessitates a change when transliterate into Greek (so the reader in Greek could determine the gender of this name).

What most people do not understand is the ending “us” of Jesus name was setup to denote this in the transliteration into Greek and Latin. The “ous” and the “us” ending in the Greek name “Iesous” and the Latin name “Iesus,” respectively, denote the masculine singular gender in Greek and Latin respectively.

In most languages there are endings that denote gender as well as endings that denote singular or plural. (For example, in English we just add the letter ‘s’ to make a noun plural as in boys or girls. In Spanish gender is denoted by the last vowel of the word, such as chico-boy and chica-girl.)

Only the letters “Jes” in “Jesus’ name has any relationship to the Hebrew name Yahshua for the letters “us” denote gender.

This transliteration that observes Greek and Latin grammer further adds confusion to other errors in the transliteration of the name Yahshua.  Latin and English had  already seen  the results of the Jewish Masoretic priests changing the vowel points.

Finally, it also should be noted that Greek has no “sh” sound as in Yahshua Hebrew name.  To denote this “sh” Hebrew sound in the Greek, the letter “s” is used.

Thus, this article has examined all five of the letters in “Jesus” name and showed their derivation from Hebrew, Greek Latin and English.

 

Does Tithing cause Blessings?

BY DR. LEE E. WARREN, B.A., D.D.(c) PLIM REPORT 1993

 

Have you ever been badgered, or felt condemned for not tithing? Have religious leaders told you that God won’t physically bless you or give you financial freedom if you are not a liberal and cheerful giver or if you do not tithe regularly at church? Do you naturally think of your own money as amounting to 90% of your net income? Do you automatically set aside a tenth for God?

The answer to the question “Does tithing cause Blessings?” Is emphatically NO. However, in this present age of Grace under the New Covenant, Christendom teaches that one must physically tithe to receive physical blessings from our Heavenly Father. Christendom makes tithing a work of salvation under the New Covenant, not realizing it is an ordinance of the Law of Moses under the Old Covenant. This is a grave dispensational error. Ephesians 2:8-9 says: “For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of Yahweh, not of works lest any man should boast.”

Does The Bible Support Tithing in This Present Kingdom Age of Grace?

In short, the Holy Scriptures do not support this long held Christian tradition and custom some two thousand years after the death, burial, resurrection of the Messiah, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles in the upper room June 6, 33 AD, Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-3). So anyone tithing or teaching such a doctrine has absolutely no understanding of the mission of the Messiah and the establishment of the New Covenant.

Instead of benefiting the giver, tithing was and is the main source of funds for building religious empires, increasing salaries, erecting churches, advancing evangelical missions, etc. One should also note that the so-called Science of the Mind or new psychology religions teach that tithing must be performed to receive physical blessings from our Heavenly Father. The Apostle John in Revelations (a panoramic vision and revelation given to him in 96 A.D., on the Isle of Patmos) prophesied of this great abomination by modern day religions. In the 18th chapter he says that Mystery Babylon the Great, Mother of Harlots, the Abominations of the Earth, would make merchandise of men’s souls (Rev. 18:9-13). Former television evangelists Jimmy and Tammy Baker with their “Praise the Lord” (PTL) show, and others, are excellent examples of this Harlot’s religious frauds perpetrated on the masses.

Does Tithing Differ from Donating?

The reader should understand the difference between tithing and donating. Under the Law of Moses tithing was mandatory. Churches use the Law of Moses to justify their request for tithes. On the other hand, a donation is a free will gift. An individual feels no condemnation in donating whatever he wants to give from his heart. It must be understood by the readers and truth seekers that soul salvation is not predicated on giving one dime to anybody.

Tithing is mandatory in most churches of Christendom and taught in a way that causes condemnation if the parishioner doesn’t or cannot give. In fact, for members of the so-called church to be in good standing, they must tithe or be removed from the church rolls. Ministers play various members against each other by boasting on those that are able to give large tithes. The ministers and the congregation look upon these members in high esteem for their tithe. Those unable to give large donations may be shunned by the pastor and other good standing members. Religious leaders use this form of mind control, psychology, and peer pressure on church-goers to manipulate both the giver and the size of the tithe. The manipulation that religious leaders use to get large tithes places an extra dose of condemnation on the congregation.

Can Tithing Save Your Soul?

It is also implied by many ministers that tithing will save one’s soul. However the Apostle Peter states something quite contrary in I Peter 1:18-19: “For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of the Messiah (Christ), as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: “ Peter knew the blood of the Messiah was the only acceptable price for sin. But since congregation members are totally ignorant of what the scriptures state on the matter, religious leaders convince them that the reason they aren’t receiving blessings from Elohim (God) is because they haven’t been tithing.

Now this is part of the circus atmosphere of Christendom to get people to give tithes and deceive men’s souls of their eternal inheritance. Thus we see that Christendom is causing the people to sin against Our Heavenly Father and His Son by tithing which is a violation of the New Covenant and denies that the Messiah fulfilled the Old Covenant of Moses. The Apostle John warned all to come out of Mystery Babylon and not partake of her SINS for he said:

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and Elohim hath remembered her iniquities (Rev. 18:4-5).”

Did The Messiah Come To Fulfill the Law (Tithing)?

To eradicate this ignorance and erroneous doctrine, one must go to the law and prophets or Old Testament (Isa. 8:20). This will enable all that have eyes to see, to understand how, where, and when tithing was instituted under the law of Moses and the mission of the Messiah. Now the Messiah came to fulfill the Old Covenant and institute or establish the New Covenant by his death, burial, and resurrection (Mt. 5:17-18, Lk. 24:37, 44-46).

Do True Worshippers Worship Yahweh in Spirit and Truth?

The Messiah said to a Gentile woman at Jacob’s water well that the time would come when true worshippers would not worship the Father in the temple or at mount Moriah (Jn. 4:20-23). He said: “Elohim (God) is Spirit; and they that worship Him, must worship him in Spirit and Truth” (Jn. 4:24). One worships Elohim (God) in Spirit by a knowledge and understanding of the scriptures. This will establish our faith in the Messiah in us (Eph. 2:8-9; Col. 1:26-27) through grace, and not by performing some traditional rituals or ceremonies of the church or works of the old Law of Moses such as tithing.

How is ‘Fulfill’ Defined in the Bible and the Dictionary?

The Messiah said that he had come to fulfill the Law and Prophets in the so-called New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, etc.). We will show later in this article what the New Testament is according to the scriptures. He stated in Matthew 5:17-18 the following; “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (See also Matt. 3:13-15; Lk. 24: 27, 44- 45). He did not say He came to institute as Christendom erroneously teaches.

Now Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines the word fulfill as follows: “2 a: to put into effect; b: to bring to an end; c: to measure up: satisfy; 3 a: to convert into reality; b: to develop the full potentialities”. The word institute means “a: to originate and get established: organize; b: to set going: inaugurate.” One can clearly see that the definitions of the words fulfill and institute are directly opposite each other, and the Messiah could not be doing both simultaneously. Thus the Messiah brought the Old Covenant to an end or translated it into the spiritual reality including tithes.

When Was the Law Instituted?

Yahweh instituted the law (Ex. 19th and 20th chaps.; 24:3-8; Heb. 9:19-22) at Mt. Sinai after the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt 1490 years before the birth of the Messiah. It was Moses that went up into Mt. Sinai and brought down the tables of stone upon which Elohim wrote the Law with His finger (Ex. 32:15-16). The reader and student of the scriptures must know and understand that the Old Covenant or Law of Moses was given to Jews only and not any Gentiles (Rom. 3:1-2; 19). Also that the Messiah was born of a woman (Gal. 4:4), lived, and died under this Old Covenant.

Is The Law Symbolical and Allegorical?

The Messiah told the religious teachers of Israel that they did not understand the law. In John 5:39 He said to them: “Ye search the scriptures (i.e., Law and Prophets or Old Testament): for in them ye think ye have eternal life (by performing the works of the Law of Moses); and they are they that testify of me.” Now the Messiah was telling them that everything in the Law and Prophets (Old Testament) was pointing to or was a reflection of Him and His purpose and that He was Eternal Life.

The Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees who took the scriptures literally did not perceive the symbolism and allegory in the law. For example, the temple and tabernacle under the law typified the Messiah’s body (Jn. 2:18-21). The Passover lamb slain and eaten pointed to the Messiah, the true Passover lamb (John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7-9) and the real spiritual meal (John 6:53-56, Job 34:3). In fact all sacrifices testified of Him (Heb. 10:1-18). The mandatory tithe from Israel to the Levite Priest was a reflect of a soul giving the Holy Spirit his total attention, worship, and faith, as the disciples forsook all and followed the Messiah (Matt. 19:27-30).

In short, the Old Testament was the Messiah’s autobiography or life story, which the prophets wrote before He was born (1 Pet. 1:10-12). He appeared to them in visions and revelations and told them what to write before coming through the loins of the virgin Mary. Thus the ultimate purpose of the Old Testament, according to Yahweh, was the prophecy of the coming of his Son Yahshua. It was not a code of conduct or ethics by which to live. To the Israelites, the Apostle Paul said the Law was a schoolmaster to bring them to the Messiah, so that they could be justified by faith (Gal. 3:24-25). Now that we understand both the mission of the Messiah and the purpose of the holy scriptures or the Law and the Prophets (Old Testament), we can begin our investigation of tithing and see if it is valid under the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 8th - 10th chaps.)

Is Tithing Mentioned in the Bible BEFORE Israel Received the Law?

Tithing is a Hebrew word that means “tenth.” The first mention in the scriptures of tithing is after Abraham returned from slaughtering five kings that had kidnapped Lot and his household. He paid homage and tithes to Melchizedek, King and High Priest of Jerusalem (Gen. 14:18-20; Heb. 7:1-9), who blessed Abraham. This has a very deep spiritual significance. Abraham gave his tithe to Melchizedek from his heart. He wasn’t following any custom, tradition, percentages, or law.

In another instance, Jacob vowed to give Elohim (God) tithes after seeing Him in a Vision (Gen. 28: 20-22). Elohim (God) told him that his seed would be blessed and multiply as the dust of the earth. Out of reverence and awe, Jacob voluntarily gave a tenth of this blessing to Yahweh (the Lord). Tithing was not required until the giving of the law of Moses to the Children of Israel at Mt. Sinai, 1490 years before the birth of the Messiah.

Was Tithing to the Levites Instituted under the Law?

The children of Israel gave tithes to the priests, as Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek, King and High Priest of Jerusalem. The priesthood consisted of the high priest and two low priests who were the sons of Aaron. They were the only ones allowed to officiate and offer sacrifices in the tabernacle for Israel’s sins. Now the other Levite priests aided in the assembling and disassembling of the tabernacle and carried the vessels, curtains, etc. (other parts of the tabernacle). Moses in Numbers 18:1-5 wrote as follows:

“And Yahweh (the LORD) said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. 2 And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, … but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. 3 And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die…and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you. 5 And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath anymore upon the children of Israel. 6 And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for Yahweh (the LORD), to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.”

Was The Priest’s Only Job To Officiate in the Tabernacle for Israel?

Under the law of Moses tithing was mandatory. There were two reasons Aaron, his sons, and the Levites priests received tithes from the children of Israel: (1) They had no land allotted as an inheritance for Yahweh was their inheritance; (2) They had no time to work the land or perfect any other occupation for gainful employment. Their job was to offer up sacrifices and officiate in the tabernacle for the whole body of Israel continually. Yahweh said the following in Num. 18:20-22: “And Yahweh (the LORD) spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. 21 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service that they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. 22 Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.”

Did Yahweh Demand Tithes of the Priests?

Under the law of Moses the priests collected tithes from Israel. However, they were also required to offer up a tenth of the tithes they collected to Yahweh (the Lord, Num. 18:26, 31):

“Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for Yahweh (the LORD), even a tenth part of the tithe … And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your house-holds: for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation.”

Did the Priests Store Tithes For The Poor?

When the Israelites got into Canaan Land, the priests stored the tithes at Jerusalem in the temple’s storehouses (1 Chr. 27:25; 2 Chr. 32:28), the place that Yahweh (the Lord) designated for Israel to eat the tithes (Deut. 12:5-7). It must be understood that tithes were holy to Yahweh (the Lord); whether they were the seeds or fruits (animals and plants) of the land. If the tithe could not be carried to Jerusalem (Deut. 14:22-24), the giver had to sell it for money which would be taken to Jerusalem where it was used to purchase whatsoever the giver desired (Deut. 14:25-27). Every three years the priests brought forth the stored tithes that were left over after distri-buting them to the priests and gave them to the Levite, fatherless, widows, and strangers with-in the gate, that they should eat until they were satisfied (Deut. 14:27- 29; 26:11-13). Do you remember the last time your priest, reverend or rabbi opened the church treasury, allowed the needy to enter, and let them eat until they were full?

Is The Messiah the True Storehouse?

Yahweh (the Lord) spoke through Malachi and said: “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith Yahweh (the Lord) of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Mal. 3:10).

The reader must know and realize the true spiritual temple and storehouse (I Cor. 3:16; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:20-22; 1 Pet. 2:5) under the New Covenant is Yahshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) revealed within us. Yahshua (Jesus) has the power to open our hearts and minds, that is remove the scales or veil (our carnal opinions and theories about Elohim, God) from the mind’s eye (2 Cor. 3: 13-16). The removal of this veil from our mind’s eye is the window of heaven opening in us, whereby the Messiah’s words that are Spirit and Life are received and understood within us (Jn. 6:63; 3:13). The blessing he is bestowing on us is Eternal Life (Jn 17:1-3; 1 Jn. 5:20).

Did the Prophets Warn Corrupt Priests?

In time the priests began to corrupt themselves by not giving Yahweh a tenth of what they received from Israel. Under the Law the prophet Malachi wrote to the priests, not the congregation of Israel, the following in Mal. 2:1-4:

“And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. 2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. 3 Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it. 4 And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith Yahweh (the LORD) of hosts.”

In Malachi 3:8, Yahweh (the Lord) continued speaking to the priests. “Will a man rob God (Elohim)? …” Now religious ministers use this scripture to deceive and condemn the people into giving tithes, but in reality this scripture was written to the priests. The reader should re-read the first three chapters of Malachi to see whom the prophet is addressing: the people of Israel or the priests? Remember that Malachi is being shown a vision by Yahweh (Note to the reader: Compare Mal. 1:1 and 2:1 and follow the continuity of thought). Yahweh also appeared to Isaiah in a vision and said the following about the priests of Israel being the watchman: “His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter (Isa. 56:10-11).”

Did The Messiah Expose the Priest’s Hypocrisy?

In the fulfillment or the so-called New Testament the Messiah told the Scribes and Pharisees that they paid tithes, but they did not live by the spiritual principles of mercy, judgment and faith as he stated in Matthew 23:23: “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.”

Did Sacrifices Under The Law Point to the Messiah, the True Sacrifice?

We must realize the law of Moses is a type and shadow (Heb. 10:1-5) of a spiritual principle pointing to the Messiah. The sacrifices offered up under the law pointed to the Messiah being the only true sacrifice that the Father Yahweh (the Lord) accepted for the sins of man. It was the Messiah’s death that brought an END to the Law of Moses or Old Covenant. The Apostle Paul wrote: “For the Messiah (Christ) is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth (Rom. 10:4)”. Now the Apostle Paul further states the Law of Moses is a dead work, and the Messiah is the mediator of the New Testament. In his letter to the Hebrews he says: “How much more shall the blood of the Messiah (Christ), who through the eternal Spirit offer himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works (of the law) to serve the living Elohim (God)? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they that are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance (Heb. 9:14-15).” The Apostle Paul correlates the Messiah’s blood or death as the cause of the New Covenant with the blood of sacrifices that established the Old Covenant. “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, Saying, This is the blood of the testament which Elohim (God) hath enjoined unto you. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (Heb. 9:16-22)”

Did The Messiah Bring Sacrifices To An End?

Now it is obvious, from the above scriptural quotes, with no interpretation on anyone’s part, that since the Messiah (Christ) removed the sacrifices offered under the law and established a New Covenant, this would necessitate a change in the Levitical Priesthood. The Apostle Paul states in Hebrews 7:11-12, 17- 28: “If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law … For he testifieth, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec … For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest … Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec: (By so much was Yahshua (Jesus) made a surety of a better testament. And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto Elohim (God) by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, … Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.”

If Sacrifices are Not Valid, What Need is There for the Levitical Priesthood?

All Christendom would concur that the priest’s sole purpose was to offer up sacrifices for the sins of Israel. And since under the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 10:1-22) Israel is spiritual (Rom. 2:28-29) and the offering of physical sacrifices has been abolished, what need, then, is there for the Levitical Priesthood? It must also be abolished. It follows that since the priesthood has ended, tithing to them likewise has ended. Because both the Levitical priests and sacrifices have been abolished, to whom should physical tithes be given under the New Covenant? Anyone collecting tithes under grace is a fraud and a robber; receiving money for services not rendered.

Are There Examples of Types in the Law that Point to Spiritual Principles?

It must be remembered that all things written in the Law and Prophets, including tithing, were types and shadows of spiritual principles. The high priest under the law was a type and shadow of the Messiah who is the true high priest after his death, burial, and resurrection. Abraham’s deliverance of Lot, his household, and all his goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, from the five wicked kings (Gen. 14:9) typifies or reflects the Messiah delivering the dead souls of men from the satanic spirits’ lying doctrines by his death, burial, and resurrection (Matt 27:51-53; Heb. 2:14-15). Abraham returning to Jerusalem, the city of Peace and Righteousness, with Lot and his substances typifies the Messiah returning the souls of men to a resurrected or spiritual state of mind in which Yahweh (the Lord) created Adam prior to the transgression. It is absolutely necessary for the reader to realize that the city of Jerusalem typifies the spiritual minded state of a soul in peace, joy, and righteousness - the kingdom of Yahweh (the Lord). The Apostle Paul said that the: “… Kingdom of Yahweh is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Rom. 14:17; see also Gal. 4: 26). The Messiah told the Pharisees that the Kingdom of Yahweh comes not by observation for it is within a man (Lk.17:20).

How Do You Tithe Under the New Covenant?

One may ask “How does one tithe under the New Covenant or how did the Messiah translate physical tithing into its spiritual reality?” First of all one must realize that tithing will not purchase eternal life. To repeat the Apostle Peter, he stated: “For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: … (1 Pet. 1: 18-19).” The Apostle Paul further stated that tithing or offerings: “was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; … (Heb. 9:9).” Thus we see that tithing has nothing to do with soul salvation.

Can We Review Tithing under the Law?

To understand how to tithe under the New Covenant, one must review how it was done under the law. Remember Israel gave tithes to the Levitical priests as the law stated. The priests, especially the high Priest, was the mediator or intercessor between Yahweh and the people. Now there is but one mediator under the New Covenant between the people and Yahweh; that is Yahshua the Messiah, the true high priest after the order of Melchizedek (1 Tim. 2:5). The Messiah is not in a physical body but is a quickening or life giving spirit. So, it is impossible to give physical tithes to the true and only high priest.

What Sacrifices are Offered Under the New Covenant?

In addition, the Apostle Paul told the Hebrew assembly that sacrifices offered up under the New Covenant were not physical goats, bullocks, lambs, etc. However, spiritual sacrifices are from the fruits of our lips. Paul stated the following concerning spiritual sacrifices: “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to Elohim (God) continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices Elohim (God) is well pleased (Heb. 13 :15-16).” If sacrifices are not physical, then tithing cannot be physical either.

The tithes or the fruits came from the land under the law. Man’s physical body which came from the dust of the earth (Gen. 2:7) correlates with the land. Spiritually, the tithes from the fruits of the land or from these clay houses (i.e., physical body-the temple) are the fruits of the spirit, which are faith, love, peace, meekness, etc. (Gal. 5:22). The Apostle Paul stated that a man believes with his heart or mind and confesses what is in his mind or heart with his mouth (Rom. 10:9-10). Thus it is the fruits of our lips that are offered to the true high priest Yahshua the Messiah in our temple. The Messiah told His disciples that they couldn’t bear forth any fruit except they abide in Him (Jn. 15:1-5) Now the Apostles Paul and Peter said in their epistles that we must offer spiritual sacrifices in our temple, as the children of Israel did under the law in types and shadows. The Apostle Paul quotes: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of Elohim (God), that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto Elohim (God), which is your reasonable service. And 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 Elohim (God, Rom. 12:1-2).” In addition Peter said: “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by (Yahshua the Messiah) Jesus Christ (1 Pet 2:5 ).” Thus we see according to the scriptures and the writings of the apostles that tithing or any other dead works of the law of Moses is not valid in this age of Grace.

Is There a Penalty for Continuing to Tithe Under Grace?

Now if the world dogmatically believes and continues to perform the works of the law of Moses, as taught by Mystery Babylon, they will suffer the wrath of Yahweh. There are no grounds to support this belief in the Bible. In fact, the last meet-ing of all the apostles in Jerusalem, in A.D. 52, was concerning whether the Gentiles should keep the law of Moses as some of the Pharisees taught (Acts 15:1-9). They stated that: “For as much as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment. (Acts 15: 24).” What they agreed on in this meeting is as follows: “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well (Acts 15:28-29).” We see that tithing was not mentioned by the apostles and elders as an act of worship for the Gentiles to perform. Do you think they made a mistake?

Don’t Tithers Believe the Messiah Ended the Law?

In short anyone that is tithing from a physical standpoint is denying the Messiah had the power to fulfill and remove the old covenant. This means you are calling the Messiah a liar and you are still dead in your sins. Anyone performing any ritual or work of the Law of Moses hasn’t accepted the blood of the Lamb.

In concluding this article, there are no better words of admonishment to those that disannul the New Covenant than the Apostle Paul: “He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of Yahweh (God), and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord (Yahweh). And again, The Lord shall judge his people (Heb. 10:28-30).” So, we see the breaking of the New Covenant, by performing works under the Old Covenant, is not going to be taken lightly by the Messiah.

Now the apostles did take donations, not tithes, from the people as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Luke wrote in the books of Acts: “And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart (Acts 2:44-46).”

What Did Ananias and Sapphira Do Wrong?

It must be emphasized that these were donations and people gave according to their hearts. Now Ananias and Sapphira his wife sold some land and lied to Peter about how much they sold it for. This resulted in them dropping dead. Peter told them the following: “…, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto Elohim (God) … Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of Yahweh (the Lord)? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband (Acts 5:3-4, 9-10).”

It is clear from these scriptures that the error Ananias and Sapphira made was they lied about the price. And most importantly they could have done with their land as they saw fit. They weren’t obliged to give anything to the assembly.

Do Today’s Religious Leaders Perform Any Work that Deserve a Tithe?

The Apostle Paul said if a man doesn’t work, he doesn’t eat. (Acts 17:18) Paul worked for all his necessities (Acts 17: 33-35) for he was tentmaker by trade.

Are today’s ministers and priests greater than Paul?

Ministers of Mystery Babylon have their congregation mortgaging their homes to build churches. Those that perpetrate such deception will receive the wrath of Yahweh for violating the New Covenant. Paul said let a man examine himself and see whether he is in the faith (1 Cor. 11:28; 2 Cor. 13:5). Prove all things and hold fast to those that are true (I Thess. 5:21).

Think Deeply Before Concluding a Matter

In closing, the following quote from Dr. Kinley stresses the importance of thinking on a matter before reaching a conclusion “… Nevertheless, we must, for our own Eternal welfare, regardless of our present so-called Church affiliation, keep an open mind to proven facts, which Satan, the Adversary, who was created to oppose the TRUTH, is always present to influence us in the wrong direction. Did it ever occur to you that we remain ignorant of attested TRUTH and scientifically proven facts, most particularly because we fail to make a PERSONAL, detailed INVESTIGATION of important matters? This failure to investigate positively retards the progress of our understanding and knowledge in every vocation and phase of life, both physical and spiritual. Sometimes, stopping and thinking for a moment over the essential things of life eliminates many regretted years of poverty, sickness, humiliation, embarrassment sometimes, death and destruction. Therefore, we should learn to pause and TRY TO THINK INTELLIGENTLY before we finally conclude affirmatively or negatively. We should do this before an ultimatum or final decision is rendered on any secular subject. The majority of us are, to some extent, guilty of this negligence.” (Elohim, the Archetype Original Pattern of the Universe, Introduction, paragraph five, page 1)

Introduction

One of the most common abuses Christian Churches make is to demand tithes from their congregations. In fact, it is impossible to be a member in most churches without giving tithes. Those who do not tithe are condemned and shamed before the congregation. Recent scandals of various famous TV ministers flaunting their wealthy lifestyles and revealing their hypocrisy have caused people to reduce their tithe.

Part One of an article on tithing, called “Can Tithing Cause Blessings?” written in the first issue of “PLIM REPORT,” proved that according to the scriptures tithing was a part of the Law of Moses or the Old Covenant. Under this covenant, the priests received tithes because they did not receive an inheritance or land since their services were to offer animal sacrifices for Israel’s sins and to perform other services in the tabernacle. The Torah states: “To the Levites I have assigned all tithes in Israel as their heritage for the service they perform in the sanctuary (Numbers 18:21).” The term “ma’aser” (tithe) denotes a tenth part. Yahshua the Messiah’s mission was to fulfill or abolish this Old Covenant (Mt. 5:17-18 Rom. 10:4; Heb. 10:1-17).

Under the New Covenant no one is required to give tithes, for the Old Levite priesthood was abolished (Heb. 7^th chp.). This does not mean that one cannot donate to a ministry. However, one is led by the heart (Rom. 8:14), not the dictates of Laws, to contribute for the perpetuation of a ministry or other charitable endeavor.

What is the purpose of this article?

The intent of this article is to show that there was another component of tithing that few Christian churches practice. It was the giving of the tithe to the poor. A certain portion of the tithe was given to unfortunate people, such as the widow, the poor, and the fatherless. In fact, few Christians know about this fact. It also shows that Christian ministers are picking and choosing what ordinances of the Law of Moses they want to keep. This article will also examine the number of tithes under the law.

How many tithes are there according to the Law of Moses?

For at least two thousand of years no one was sure of the number of tithes required by the Law of Moses. There is no consensus among various Biblical scholars on how many tithes were to be given. Some Biblical scholars say there were three tithes, while others say that were two.

This is basically due to the discrepancy between the accounts of tithing recorded in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. According to the International Standard Bible Encylopaedia, (Electronic Database © 1996 by Biblesoft), this discrepancy was harmonized in the Jewish tradition. This means that the tradition of the various Jews is used because of the ambiguity of the scriptures.

What types of tithes were given?

There were three categories of tithes practiced under the law. According to A Book of Jewish Concepts by Philip Birnbaum, they were the First Tithe, Second Tithe, and Poor Tithe. The three tithes are called in Hebrew: ma’aser rishon, ma’aser sheni, ma’aser ‘ani, respectively. Israelites were also required to contribute terumah (gifts to the priests) from the fruits of their fields before they paid their tithes to the Levites.

Now the First Tithe consisted of one-tenth of the whole produce of the soil which was to be assigned for the maintenance of the Levite priests and out of this the Levite priests were to dedicate a tenth to God for the use of the high priest.

Now 2) second tithe which the owner must consume in Jerusalem (Deut 14:22-27); Now the actual second tithe of produce could be converted into money, plus a fifth of its value, and reconverted into food in Jerusalem (Deut. 14:24-27).

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, further elucidates this subject. It states: “the second tithe was the remaining nine-tenths had to be set apart and consumed in Jerusalem. Those who lived far from Jerusalem could change this Second Tithe into money with the addition of a 5th part of its value. Only food, drink or ointment could be bought for the money (Ma`aser Sheni 2:1; compare <Deut 14:26>). The tithe of cattle belonged to the Second Tithe, and was to be used for the feast in Jerusalem (Zebhachim <5:8>).”

The third tithe called the poorman’s tithe which takes the place of the second tithe in the third and sixth year of the seven-year cycle culminating in the sabbatical year, according to A book of Jewish Concepts (p. 383 ). It should also be noted that the kings sometimes neglected to follow the Law of Moses and did not always keep the tithing system.

What commentaries have been written on tithing?

According to New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Josephus, the Jewish historian, states distinctly that there are three tithes. He says that “one-tenth was to be given to the priests and Levites, one-tenth was to be applied to feasts in the metropolis, and that a tenth besides these was every third year to be given to the poor (cf. Tob. 1:7-8).

On the other hand, Maimonides says that there are only two tithes “…the third and sixth years’ second tithe was shared between the poor and the Levites, i.e., that there was no third tithe. Of these opinions, that which maintains three separate and complete tithing seems improbable (p. 1291).”

Did anyone else receive tithes besides the priest?

As shown by this article, people other than the priests received the tithe. These other people were the poor, the strangers, the orphans, and the widows who had access to the tithe every third year, which was called the “year of tithing.” Yahweh instituted tithing in the Wilderness of Sinai after Israel was delivered out of Egypt.

Moses wrote the following:”When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled (Deu. 26:12).” All of this has great spiritual significance, which will be discussed later.

What happened during the third year of tithing?

New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Moody Press © 1988) states the following about tithing in the third year. “4) … at the end of three years all the tithe of that year was to be gathered and laid up within the “gates” and that a festival was to be held in which the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, together with the Levite, were to partake. (5) Last, it was ordered that after taking the tithe in each third year, “the year of tithing,” every Israelite had to declare that he had done his best to fulfill the divine command (Lev. 26:12-14).” This has special significance for it represents the Messiah’s resurrection, which will be explained later in this article.

Did Yahshua the Messiah tithe?

The Messiah’s purpose was to fulfill the law and the prophets (Lk. 24:44-46; Mt. 5:17-18), so during His lifetime since He was born under the Law, He kept the Law of Moses (Gal. 4:4). This simply meant that He was bringing an end to this old form of ritualistic worship and animal sacrificing to Elohim. Thus, mankind could worship the Creator Elohim in Spirit and Truth (Jn. 4:21-41).

Now tithing was a great source of revenue for the priests at the time of the Messiah. He told the religious leaders the following about tithing. “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 (Mt. 23:23).”

In short, Yahshua the Messiah told the religious leaders of Israel that their focus was on earthly assets and they were more interested in money than on the principles of righteousness, such as “law, judgment, mercy, and faith.” This fact is still true today with the Christian religions of the world.

How was the year of tithing fulfilled?

Yahshua the Messiah told the people of Israel that the scriptures testified of Him (Jn. 5:39). What this means is that such things as animals sacrifices testified of His death, since according to John the Baptist He was the real lamb sacrificed for the sins of the world (Jn. 1:29). His death brought an end to all forms of animal sacrifices for sin.

What is the spiritual reality of tithing?

Now tithing has a great spiritual significance that most Christians do not know. The key to understanding the spiritual reality of the tithe comes from the fact that the Israelites had to give to the priests “a tenth” of all that they produced from the ground or from animal multiplication.

The Levite priesthood, who received the tithes, was a mediator between Israel and Yahweh, and symbolically represented Yahshua the Messiah who is the mediator between mankind and the Father Yahweh (1 Tim. 2:5). Now the tithe from the earth spiritually represents the souls that resurrected with Yahshua. Clearly, when the Messiah, the true high priest, resurrected from the grave with human spirits (Mt. 27: 51-53) following Him, this is the “true tithe.” Yahshua figuratively gave His father a tenth of the souls of men, as Israel gave the Levites a tenth and the Levites gave a tenth to the High Priest.

Also the resurrection of Yahshua from the grave occurred on the “third day” beginning with His death. According to Hebrew divine calculation 1 Year equals 1 day (Num. 14:34). Thus, the 3 days equals 3 years. Since the “day of the resurrection” symbolically represents the third year, this makes it the true “year of tithing.”

The resurrection took place in Jerusalem where the year of tithing was celebrated, which was where the fatherless, the widows, the orphans, and poor ate the tithe. Now the fatherless, widows, orphans, and the poor represent all mankind spiritually for we all manifest these qualities until our minds are transformed. We are all poor in spirit until we have faith, trust, and hope in Yahweh, which allows us to partake of the abundant riches our creator provides for His creation (John 10:10). We are all fatherless in spirit until we recognize are true spiritual origin (Gal 4:6-7). We are all widows until we become married to the Messiah, our Husband (Isa. 54:5), who is the Way, Light and the Truth. All of Israel and the world must eat the words of the Messiah, for they are the life of the soul (Jn. 6:63). The “year of tithing” typifies this spiritual operation of feeding the soul who is the resurrection and Life (Jn. 11:24-26).

Conclusion