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Discussions Prophets and Writings Tabernacles Torah

‘You will call His name Immanuel’: Heaven’s desire has always been to be with us

At Sukkot (Festival of Tabernacles), we celebrate Heaven’s work to heal the breach between the God and humanity, so that once again, the Creator can live with His creation. And one of the most enduring and repeated reassurances the Holy One is Immanu El — God with us.

In the Torah reading שמות Shemot (“names,” Exodus 1:1–6:1), we see Heaven’s revelation of “the Name,” translated as “I am” or “I will be.” But in this passage, we also see a foreshadowing of the “name above all names”: God With Us. This study explores the “now and not yet” prophecies of Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) in the “Book of Immanuel” (Isaiah 7–12).

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Discussions Torah

Wandering heart, where treachery starts (Deuteronomy 21:10–14)

We may think that faith and belief are wishy-washing things that can change with our mood or socio-economic situation. But the way the Bible uses those concepts, the clearer translation may be “trust” or “dependable.” We trust in God’s words, find the promises of Heaven dependable.

But the flip side of that is, are we trustworthy? Are we dependable? Are our desires, lives and resources following after Heaven’s instructions? Or are they wandering back and forth between God’s rules and the Zeitgeist, the Spirit of the Age, what’s trendy and popular.

Those questions are behind the instructions about marriage and adultery in the Torah passage כי תצא Ki Tetze (“when you go forth,” Deut. 21:10-25:19).

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Discussions Torah

Numbers 23–24: Balaam’s 4-fold warning for the end-times generation

The New Testament has multiple warnings about the “error of Balaam” (Jude 11) and “teaching of Balaam” (Rev. 2:12–17), specifically for the Body of Messiah at the apocalyptic time around the Day of the LORD.

But what does the amazing account in Torah reading בָּלָק Balak (Numbers 22:2–25:9) of a talking donkey and double-agent prophet have to teach us today? In short, remember who we are as “treasures” of the Kingdom of Heaven, why that’s special, and whether we are being transformed into people who have the character and heart of the Messiah.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 28:10–32:2: Messiah seeks ‘the lost sheep of Israel’

https://hallel.info/wp-content/uploads/171125-Parashat-07-Vayetze-Genesis-28v10-32v2.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:51:58 — 32.0MB)Subscribe: RSSThe Torah reading ויצא Vayetze (“and he went out,” Genesis 28:10–32:2) is another example of how all the Scriptures testify of the Mashiakh (Messiah). The account of Ya’akob’s (Jacob) using striped sticks to encourage breeding among livestock and separating livestock sounds like archaic superstition, […]

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 41:1-44:17: Yitzkhak’s and Yosef’s extended passion play

Torah section Miketz (“from the end,” Genesis 41:1-44:17) is a passion play of the Mashiakh. The suffering Yosef puts his brothers through was not only a recollection of Yosef’s own sufferings but also a foreshadowing of the suffering of the future Anointed One.

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Discussions Torah

Numbers 1:1-16: Meaning behind the names; Moses’ first census teaches us about Yeshua’s burdensome cup

Numbers 1 foretells Yeshua’s burden, the burden He tried to give up three times in the garden before His crucifixion (Matt. 26:39–44). That message is embedded in the meanings of the names of the tribes and clans, and that message becomes clear when the meanings are read together.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Prophets and Writings

John 13:36-38: Shepherd Friend of God

In a sobering interchange between the Messiah and one of His closest students during a pinnacle Pesakh (Passover) celebration, Yeshua challenged Simon Peter to truly become a key shepherd, foretold by prophet Zechariah, by becoming such a friend of God that he wouldn’t fear being persecuted to death.