Messiah in Sukkot Chapter 21
- Closing Reflections on the Messiah in Sukkot
- The Vain Imaginings and Man-Made Traditions of the Bramble Bush King
- Moses Predicted Messiah would be Rejected by His Own People
- Why is the Light of Adonai’s Presence hated?
- The Bramble Bush claims to be Righteous are False
- Freedom to believe: The 21st Century demise of the Bramble Bush King
Closing Reflections on the Messiah in Sukkot:
בחצי ימי החג עלה ישוע לבית המקדש ולמד. תמהו היהודים ואמרו: היאך זה יודע ספר בלי שלמד? השיב להם ישוע ואמר: תורתי אינה שלי כי אם של שולחי. הרוצה לעשות את רצונו ידע אם תורתי מאלהים היא או אם מעצמי אני מדבר. המדבר מתוך עצמו מבקש את כבוד עצמו, אבל המבקש את כבוד שולחו נאמן הוא ואין עולה בו. פ
בַּחֲצִי יְמֵי הֶחָג עָלָה יֵשׁוּעַ לְבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ וְלִמֵּד. תָּמְהוּ הַיְּהוּדִים וְאָמְרוּ: הֵיאַךְ זֶה יוֹדֵעַ סֵפֶר בְּלִי שֶׁלָּמַד? הֵשִׁיב לָהֶם יֵשׁוּעַ וְאָמַר: תּוֹרָתִי אֵינָהּ שֶׁלִּי כִּי אִם שֶׁל שׁוֹלְחִי. הָרוֹצֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת רְצוֹנוֹ יֵדַע אִם תּוֹרָתִי מֵאֱלֹהִים הִיא אוֹ אִם מֵעַצְמִי אֲנִי מְדַבֵּר. הַמְדַבֵּר מִתּוֹךְ עַצְמוֹ מְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת כְּבוֹד עַצְמוֹ, אֲבָל הַמְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת כְּבוֹד שׁוֹלְחוֹ נֶאֱמָן הוּא וְאֵין עַוְלָה בּוֹ. פ
[Tishri 18] But when it was now the middle of the Feast [of Sukkot, Tishri 18] the Salvation of Yeshua went up into the temple, and began to teach. The (religious) leaders of the Yehudim then were astonished, saying, “How has this man become learned, having never been educated?” So Yeshua answered them and said, “My teaching is not mine, but His who sent me. If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from myself. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but he who is seeking the glory of the One who sent him, he is true, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
He was missing for 3 days: Because of plots to kill him the Messiah ben Yosef (Suffering Messiah) made a covert entry into the city of Jerusalem. It was not yet time for his appointed appearance at Sukkot. Therefore, the first three days of Sukkot had past (15-17 Tishri) without anyone seeing the Salvation of Adonai (Yeshua). The people wondered if Rabbi Yeshua would come and publicly declare that he was the Messiah.
On the 4th day He appeared: Then halfway through the feast (Tishri 18), the Faithful and True One (נאמן ואמיתי) began teaching in the temple courts. As his enemies, the established religious leaders listened to him, along with the crowds. They were all amazed. His teaching was like no other. His words were incredibly powerful, authoritative and spiritually penetrating. Yet He had never been a talmid in any Rabbinic school. They asked themselves, “How could this be possible?”
Eved HaKadosh: The rabbinical leaders believed that either a person studied in a traditional school or else he was self-taught. To be self-taught was dangerous. If one were to be self-taught then the continuity and greater validity of religious unity, corporate consensus, would be lost. The rabbinic leaders had not considered Yeshua ben Yosef ben David was different from all other men. He was a one-of-a-kind special envoy. As the “Holy Servant” his teaching was directly from Adonai.
Voice of Adonai: The Messiah was not a voice among many other voices of God. He was the Voice of Adonai (‘קול ה). He was superior to the cumulative authority of the priests and rabbinic leaders that opposed him. If these leaders really wanted to do the will of the Father in heaven then they would publicly acknowledge him as Messiah and obey his teaching. For only he who wills to do the will of the Father is the one who can know (experience) the true teaching.
They did not Hear: The religious leaders trusted in themselves. This made it impossible for the Jerusalem leaders to hear, understand and obey anyone or anything but their own human reasoning and will. This allowed no room for them to trust in and hear God. Shema Yisrael: If the religious leaders had put their trust in Adonai they would have believed in the Messiah when he first appeared to them. Get ready! Their will soon be a second appearance.
The Vain Imaginings and Man-Made Traditions of the Bramble Bush King:
They did not Hear the Prophets: In the first century (CE) report of the Messiah teaching at Sukkot we observe the skillful social and psychological manipulations of the Bramble Bush rabbinate (Jewish year 3790, fall 29 CE). The self-proclaimed Separate Ones (i.e. holy ones) of the first century had successfully led the common people to follow their teachings rather than the directives of Adonai our Father; as given by His holy prophets and His Messiah.
False-Teachers: These false-teachers taught the common people who followed them that salvation would come to them by obeying their man-made interpretations and hyper-complicated applications of the Torah of Moses. In this counterfeit way of the oral traditions of the Bramble Bush these invalid false-teachers ultimately replaced the Divinely ordained directives of the prophets, priests, and kings of Israel whose valid institutions were established by God.
A Great Falling-away: The prophets of the Tanakh foretold that this great falling-away of Israel would inevitably occur. However, they also promised that Israel would eventually return to a right relationship with the Holy One. This revival would occur “after” the people returned to the Land of Israel a “second” time (i.e. 1948 Modern Israel; cf. Isaiah 11:11):
וְהָיָה בַּיֹּום הַהוּא יֹוסִיף אֲדֹנָי שֵׁנִית יָדֹו לִקְנֹות אֶת־שְׁאָר עַמֹּו אֲשֶׁר יִשָּׁאֵר מֵאַשּׁוּר וּמִמִּצְרַיִם וּמִפַּתְרֹוס וּמִכּוּשׁ וּמֵעֵילָם וּמִשִּׁנְעָר וּמֵחֲמָת וּמֵאִיֵּי הַיָּֽם׃
Until the Return: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that Adonai shall set his hand again the “second time” to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
Fake vs. Real Torah: In the first century the false teachers claimed that the one the Holy One blessed forever was demon-possessed. Then they significantly altered the original meaning and purpose of the writings and prophecies in the Tanakh. How did they do this? They simply replaced God’s real written Torah with their fake, manufactured oral torah.
“Bramble Bush” Prophecy: The Bramble Bush who would be Ruler over all the trees, therefore, all of the institutions of Israel was trying to change himself and everybody else from the Outside-in; according to the motivations of men’s own vain ambitions. This was the opposite of what Moses and the holy prophets taught. The true kedoshim taught us that we have to be changed from the Inside-out; (a new heart) according to the pure motives that only the indwelling Presence of Ruach HaChesed, the “Spirit of Grace” can produce.
The Fake Prophet, Priest and King has failed! The Bramble Bush King who has ruled over all of the institutions of Israel for almost twenty centuries has repeatedly beaten, killed and stoned to death the original God-given meanings and purposes of all the offices and institutions God-established long before their takeover in the 1st century (CE). These are the offices and institutions symbolized in the “Trees” that the invalid Bramble Bush KIng has in different times and ways “ruled” over.
They Stoned the Prophets: The Bramble Bush King stoned the holy prophets when they blasphemed the King of Glory whom all of the prophets of Israel in their written testimony clearly bear witness to. The Bramble Bush King declared war on the holy prophets when they called the one who the Holy One blessed forever “demon possessed.”
Blasphemed the Spirit of Adonai: They took it upon themselves to do what cannot be done: They declared Kedosh Ha-Elohim, the “Holy One of God,” was indwelt with Satan. Not the Spirit of Adonai. Tragically, these foolish national leaders had called the Spirit Adonai, “Ha-Satan.” A blasphemy that will never be forgiven.
Moses Predicted Messiah would be Rejected by His Own People:
Prophecies of Mosheh Eved HaKadosh: God’s Servant Moses knew this would happen and prophesied as much. He prophesied that when the Messiah ben Yosef would appear his own Jewish brothers would violently rebel against him. In over one hundred ways the prophecies of Moses in Bereshit outline how the Beloved Son Yosef’s life parallels the life of the Suffering Servant Messiah ben Yosef.
He will be Abused, Hated and Betrayed: Aware of this fact from the Torah the Messiah ben Yosef informed his Jewish countrymen that initially the world (system) would “hate” him; the same world system that presently rules over both Jew and Gentile. Similarly, after Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery his new Gentile masters only kept him alive because of the wealth and power his wisdom brought them. The truth is until the Pharaoh of Egypt noticed Yosef everyone—both Jew and Gentile–treated Yosef in an unfair, abusive and hateful manner.
Envy, Jealousy and Pride: Moses predicted that instead of embracing the teaching of the Suffering Servant Messiah ben Yosef the proud leaders of Israel and the Gentiles (Romans) would only insist on hatefully exploiting him. The world has rejected his call to teshuvah. We bear false witness when we refuse to confess that we have all sinned and are in need of God’s salvation. Our ceremonies and traditions won’t save us; only our believing in the Word of Adonai can.
The Unreachable Standard of Perfection: Our insistent claim that we are sufficient in our own self-works, without the ‘help’ of the Messiah is a lie. Messiah ben Yosef called this claim of self-sufficiency “evil.” Why? Because the evil deeds in view are the vanity of spiritually imperfect human beings proclaiming to El Shaddai, the “All-Sufficient One” that we are sufficient; when in truth “we have all sinned” and come short of the unreachable standard of perfection that God requires.
Savior of all the Human Race: When we persist in claiming the opposite of what the Messiah ben Yosef has said who is the voice of Adonai, we are calling God a liar. Adona’s truth is we are all in need of the One who is HaMoshia l’chol Adam; who is the Savior of all of the human race. Otherwise we have been warned: Everyone who does evil, who bears false witness to God, by proclaiming you are righteous before Him when He has clearly told you, “you are not,” you will be judged.
Why is the Light of Adonai’s Presence hated?
Hatred of the Light of Adonai: Those who hate the Light refuse to come to the Light. Why is the Light of Adonai’s Divine Presence hated? The Light of Adonai is hated because it proclaims the truth that we are all imperfect sinners whose lack of a truly perfect and blameless life keeps us from fellowship with Him. The horrible truth is that we are all, therefore, condemned by our works. We are not vindicated by our works. Even though we sinfully keep saying otherwise.
Exposure of bad deeds: It is a hateful, evil deed to lie to the Holy One and say to Him, “I am justified by my works.” People reject God’s truth because it exposes their sin and makes them feel guilty. No one will ever be proclaimed righteous by the Holy One because their good deeds outweighed their bad deeds. Facing the light forces people to confront their guilt, pride, and need for change.
God Lacks Nothing; He is Complete: There is no such thing as the Balancing of the Scales. Adonai will never proclaim anyone righteous before Him by their works other than Messiah ben Yosef. He will not accept our imperfections. We must become perfect (shelamim) as our heavenly Father is perfect (Shalem).
Adonai is Shalem: Shalem (שָׁלֵם) An adjective or verb meaning complete, full, finished, unblemished, or whole (derived from the same root as shalom). When applied to God, it means He lacks nothing; He is entirely complete and harmonious in His character.
Be an Offering of Well-being: Shelamim (שְׁלָמִים): Translated as “peace offerings” or offerings of well-being (zevah sh’lamim). God’s wholeness, completeness calls us to live in a restored, communal, and complete (perfect) state of peace where nothing is broken or missing between Him and ourselves.
Moving Beyond Flawlessness: In English, “perfect” often implies a rigid, error-free standard that creates exhausting legalism or guilt. The Hebrew meaning of shalem and shelamim reframes it as spiritual maturity, integrity, and total integration of heart and action.
Loving the Light of Adonai: Just as Adonai Avinu operates out of a complete, undivided nature characterized by unconditional love and impartiality, we are “called” to have an undivided heart that is completely devoted to His ways. This means seeking (loving) the Light of Adonai implies a state of being completely at peace, harmonious, and brought into full alignment—spirit, soul, body, and mind—with Him.
The Bramble Bush claims to be Righteous are False:
The Call to Teshuvah: When the Messiah ben Yosef rebuked the Jewish leaders for their evil deeds the leaders of all of the sects hated him. They plotted as a group to kill him. They insisted that the Gentiles (the Romans) take the lead in helping them murder him. They hated the Messiah of God because he told them that their deeds were evil. In their extreme self-vanity they hated his convicting message. They were elitists.
Who Accepted the Call: Messiah ben Yosef told these prideful men that the prostitutes and the treasonous tax collectors were entering the kingdom of Adonai before them. In their strong delusion of exclusivity, entitlement, authority, and power they wickedly chose to align themselves with Caesar to kill the One who was a threat to them personally and to their continued rule over the nation and people of Israel.
Freedom to believe: The 21st Century demise of the Bramble Bush King:
So now what? We Jews are divided about the question of what to do next. In the twenty-first century Am Israel is divided about all religion and its place in our lives. In this century we are flooded with an unlimited supply of theistic, agnostic, and atheistic options. Today we are not severely ostracized and punished for exercising individual freedom of belief. So now there exists a plurality of belief.
Freedom to Believe: In the twenty-first century Jews around the world have embraced the notion that one is a Jew by virtue of one’s physical ancestry and not one’s religious beliefs. Am Israel is no longer allowing the Bramble Bush King or anyone else to define who is and who is not a Jew!
The Thought Monopoly: A Jew is no longer whatever the hyper-orthodox religious leaders define us to be. Based on the thought monopoly of the the last (almost) twenty centuries, the Yehudim were given a very simple choice: accept the systematic theology (false oral law) of the Bramble Bush King and remain in the Jewish family or be completely disowned!
The Threats Don”t Work Anymore: In spite of this history a majority of the Jews in the world today could care less about the empty threats of the Bramble Bush King. More and more Jews in the twenty-first century are defying the Bramble Bush King’s ultimate demand. We are once again openly seeking (freedom) answers in the twenty-first century to the same questions and beliefs that our ancestors asked (in fear) and held in the first century.