Our weekly midrash is now posted to our YouTube page. Topics include fall witnesses against Yeshua, the denials of Kefa/Peter, and the Field of Blood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz2l8oSe1Hk&t=728s

A short midrash on the end times and rapture doctrine. The Scripture readings, taken from Week 13 of the Ketuvim Netzarim one year reading plan, are shown below:

The video was recorded live at Beit Tefillah Messianic Fellowship’s weekly Shabbat meeting on 12/25/2021. We encourage you to read these texts, and then view the midrash. Comments are welcome and encouraged so you can also join in the midrash. Click the link underneath the image below to watch the End Times Midrash and Rapture Doctrine video on YouTube:

We received the following question via our Facebook page:

Q: May I know the mode and name in which baptize? in which name you give water baptism (immersion)?

A: I suspect your question is really: “Do you use Matthew 28:19 as a ‘formula’ for baptism?” I am attaching a picture file of the Hebrew DuTillet text of Matthew 28:19, where the the text translate to “immerse them in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and Set-Apart Spirit.”

In the text, it is the word “Shem” (Name) and not “Shemot” (Names), so we can understand that the Father, Son, and Set-Apart Spirit have but one name (YHWH). Looking at it another way, the concept of “name” can also denote “authority.” A messenger coming in the name of the king, comes in the authority of the king. However, the talmidim did not use Matthew 28:19 as a “formula” for tevillah/mikveh. Rather, they immersed in the name of Yeshua (see Acts 8:12 and Acts 10:48). It doesn’t mean that immersing “b’shem ha’av, haben, v’Ruach HaQodesh” (from Matthew 28:19) should not be done, and if the one being immersed has a strong preference for that terminology, we will oblige. However, immersing in the name or authority of Yeshua HaMashiach seemed to be the practice in the 1st century, CE.

Prisons in Oklahoma are still locked down, but I was able to provide this short midrash to the chaplain at Lawton Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility (LCRF) to provide to the congregation there:

Shalom! Shalom!
This week we read and study Torah portion Noach (Noah), B’reshiyt/Genesis 6:9-11:32. Let’s discuss some of the life lessons from Torah portion Noach. The man Noach is described as tamiym (perfect, complete, entire, whole) in his generations. The medieval Jewish commentator Rashi notes: “Some of our Sages interpret ‘generations’ favorably: How much more so if he had lived in a generation of righteous people, he would have been even more righteous. Others interpret it derogatorily: In comparison with his generation he was righteous, but if he had been in Abraham’s generation, he would not have been considered of any importance.” I take the former view based on Hebrews 11:7. Noach is mentioned in the great faith chapter of the Scriptures as a man of belief (or faith), who was warned by Yah about things yet unseen and took appropriate action in obedience. Therefore, he “became the heir of righteousness which is according to belief” (Hebrews 11:7b, ISR 2009).
Noach was righteous in a generation that was wholly unrighteous, entirely corrupt (Gen. 6:12). Noach was called to be faithful even among a people that was entirely faithless. We, too, live in a corrupt generation. It may seem, at times, that the faithful today are outnumbered as much as “Noach vs The World.” Yeshua HaMashiach even asked the question: “But when the Son of Adam comes, shall He find the belief [or faith] on the earth?” (Luke 18:8b, ISR 2009). One lesson from Torah portion Noach is to answer the Master’s question with a resounding “Yes!” There are many times the number of believers in LCRF today than existed in Noach’s time. Like Noach, we must answer the Master’s call to faithfulness with simple obedience, despite our surroundings in a corrupt generation: “And Noach did according to all that Elohim commanded him, so he did” (Gen 6:22, ISR, 2009).
Yet….even though Noach was called perfect in his generations, and that he obeyed all that Elohim commanded him, and he is prominently listed in the faith chapter of Hebrews 11, we know that he was not always sober-minded (1 Cor 15:34). As recorded in Genesis 9, Noach was once found drunk and inappropriately naked. What should we do with that? What life lesson should we learn from that? The Bible tells the truth about even those who are faithful. Noach is characterized as obedient and faithful, despite this “out of character” reminder that “wine is a mocker” (Proverbs 20:1) and that even the obedient and faithful can fall prey to it. Despite falling victim to too much wine, Noach is still counted among the faithful in Hebrews 11. Let’s remember the words of the Messiah: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they
shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6, ISR 2009). We know that no one is righteous in and of themselves (Psalm 14:1-3, Psalm 53:1-4, Romans 3:10). But, the Messiah did not say: “Blessed are the righteous” in this passage. Rather, the Messiah said this: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” This is a huge difference. Since no one but Yeshua HaMashiach was completely without spot or blemish, how can it be that others are called obedient, faithful, and even righteous before Elohim (for example, Yochanon haMatbiyl’s/John the Baptist’s parents). Is there a contradiction? A life lesson from Torah portion Noach is that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed. They are characterized as faithful and obedient, even if they do not always attain the absolute standard of righteous behavior. Noach hungered and thirsted for righteousness, and even if he did not always live up to that standard Noach serves as an example to us of a person of faith in a corrupt generation.
May you be blessed as you hunger and thirst for righteousness,
Wayne

Join us for Sukkot at the Impact Community Center!

A Beit Tefillah Midrash

Click the photo below to take you to the YouTube video of this midrash.

•Squirrels are not specifically mentioned in Vayyiqra/Leviticus 11.  They are smaller than conies, hares and rabbits, and are not mice (all of which Leviticus 11 tells us are unclean).  Does this mean that squirrels are considered “clean,” and the Almighty made them for “food” for the Children of Israel?

•After we read Vayyiqra/Leviticus 11, lets midrash!

What’s Next?
Events Prophesied to Happen Before
the Messiah’s Return
PART 1: THE APOSTASY

This was recorded during the Monday evening Bible Study from a Hebraic Perspective on 6/14/2021.

The short slide show is here as a pdf, and the video of the study/midrash is posted below.

Several things are prophesied to happen prior to
the return of Messiah Yeshua, including:
• A 7 year covenant with Israel (Daniel 9:24 27)
that is cancelled (Isaiah 28:17)
• Revealing the man of lawlessness and the great
apostasy (2 Thes 2:3)
• A functioning Levitical priesthood, the
establishment of the altar service, the altar
service being shut down, and setting up the
abomination of desolation (Dan 11/Matt 24)

Bible Study from a Hebraic Perspective, 6/14/2021 – YouTube

The Accusation

The Curse of Jeconiah:

Yeshua cannot be the Messiah because of the
lineage recorded in Matthew 1:12. This verse
records that Yeshua is a descendant of King
Jeconiah/Coniah/Jehoiachin. However, Scripture
says that Jeconiah’s descendants will never sit on
the throne of David. Therefore, if the genealogy in
Matthew is accurate, Yeshua cannot be the
Messiah.

Jeremiah 22: 24 -30
The Curse is Pronounced
Jeremiah 22: 24 – 26 (JPS’99) 24 As I live
declares the LORD if you, O King Coniah, son
of Jehoiakim, of Judah, were a signet on my
right hand, I would tear you off even from there.
25 I will deliver you into the hands of those who
seek your life, into the hands of those you
dread, into the hands of King Nebuchadrezzar
of Babylon and into the hands of the
Chaldeans. 26 I will hurl you and the mother
who bore you into another land, where you
were not born; there you shall both die.

Jeremiah 22: 27
30 (JPS’99) 27 They shall not
return to the land that they yearn to come back
to. 28 Is this man Coniah A wretched broken
pot, A vessel no one wants? Why are he and
his offspring hurled out, And cast away in a
land they knew not? 29 O land, land, land, Hear
the word of the LORD! 30 Thus said the LORD:
Record this man as without succession, One
who shall never be found acceptable; For no
man of his offspring shall be accepted To sit on
the throne of David And to rule again in Judah .

Another Jewish Translation
Jeremiah 22: 24 – 26 (Soncino) 24. As I live,
says the Lord, though Coniah the son of
Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon
my right hand, yet I would tear you off.

25 And I will give you to the hand of those who
seek your life, and to the hand of those whose
face you fear, to the hand of Nebuchadrezzar
king of Babylon, and to the hand of the
Chaldeans. 26. And I will cast you out, and your
mother who bore you, to another country,
where you were not born; and there shall you
die. 27 But to the land to which they desire to return, there shall
they not return. 28. Is this man Coniah a
despised broken vessel? An object that no one
cares for? Why are they cast out, he and his
seed, and banished to a land which they know
not? 29. O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of
the Lord. 30. Thus says the Lord, Write this
man down as childless, a man who shall not
prosper in his days; for no man of his seed
shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David,
and ruling any more in Judah.

But Jeconiah Was Not Childless
He had a Succession

1 Chronicles 3: 16 – 19 (JPS’99) 16 The
descendants of Jehoiakim: his son Jeconiah,
his son Zedekiah; 17 and the sons of Jeconiah,
the captive: Shealtiel his son, 18 Malchiram,
Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and
Nedabiah; 19 the sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel
and Shimei; the sons of Zerubbabel:
Meshullam and Hananiah, and Shelomith was
their sister.

Jeconiah’s Grandson is Chosen
Jeconiah’s Great Grandson Zerubbabel gets the Signet Ring

Haggai 2: 23
23 (JPS’99) 22 And I will overturn
the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the might
of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overturn
chariots and their drivers. Horses and their
riders shall fall, each by the sword of his fellow.
23 On that day declares the LORD of Hosts
I will take you, O My servant Zerubbabel son
of Shealtiel declares the LORD and make
you as a signet ; for I have chosen you
declares the LORD of Hosts.

Jeconiah Was Forgiven, According to the Talmud

Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 37b
38a (Soncino translation, w/footnotes)
R. Johanan said: “Exile atones for everything, for it
is written, Thus saith the Lord, write ye this man
childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days,
for no man of his seed shall prosper sitting upon
the throne of David and ruling any more in Judah.
Whereas after he [the king] was exiled, it is written,
And the sons of Jechoniah, the same is Assir
Shealtiel his son etc.(1)

Note (1) I Ch. III, 17. “Notwithstanding the curse that he should be childless and not prosper, after being exiled he was forgiven.

Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 37b
38a (Soncino translation,
w/footnotes)
(Continued) [He was called] Assir, because his mother
conceived him in prison. Shealtiel, because God did
not plant him in the way that others are planted. We
know by tradition that a woman cannot conceive in a
standing position. [yet she] did conceive standing.
Another interpretation: Shealtiel, because God
obtained [of the Heavenly court] absolution from His
oath.”(2)

Note (2) Which He had made, to punish Jechoniah with childlessness.”

Jeconiah Was Pardoned, According to the Midrash Rabbah

Leviticus Rabbah XIX:6 (Soncino translation)
“The Holy One, blessed be He, then said: ‘In Jerusalem
you did not observe the precept relating to issues, but now
you are fulfilling it,’ as it is said, As for thee also, because
of the blood of thy covenant I send forth thy prisoners out
of the pit (Zech. IX, 11) [which means], You have
remembered the blood at Sinai, and for this do ‘I send forth
thy prisoners’. R. Shabbethai said: He [Jeconiah] did not
move thence before the Holy One, blessed be He,
pardoned him all his sins. Referring to this occasion
Scripture has said: Thou art all fair, my love, and there is
no blemish in thee (S.S. IV, 7). A Heavenly Voice went forth
and said to them: ‘Return, ye backsliding children, I will
heal your backslidings'” (Jer. III, 22).

The Curse was Annulled, According to the Midrash Rabbah

Numbers Rabbah XX:20 (Soncino translation)
“…no sooner had they repented, than the danger was
averted, And the Lord repented of the evil (ib. XXXII, 14).
And so in many places. For example, He said about
Jeconiah: For no man of his seed shall prosper (Jer. XXII,
30) and it says, I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms,
and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the
nations . . . In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take
thee, O Zerubbabel, My servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith
the Lord, and will make thee as a signet (Hag. II, 22 f.).
Thus was annulled that which He had said to his
forefather, viz. As I live, saith the Lord, though Coniah the
son of Jehoiakim King of Judah were the signet upon My
right hand, yet I would pluck thee thence” (Jer. XXII, 24).

Conclusions
Does the curse on Jeconiah still stand?

Jeconiah had descendants, one of whom,
Zerubbabel, was chosen by Yah to receive
the signet that had been removed from
Jeconiah. From Scripture, the curse on
Jeconiah was annulled.
Jewish tradition (Talmud and Midrash)
agrees that the curse was annulled , and
Jeconiah was pardoned and forgiven.

Accusers Exposed: Don’t those that make
this accusation already know it is refuted by
Scripture, Talmud and Midrash?

Why We Count the Omer Like Paul (and Not the Sadducees)

How You Count the Omer Determines When You Celebrate Shavu’ot/Feast of Weeks, aka Pentecost

Premise 1:  Pharisees used the Pharisaic method of counting the days/omer to Shavuot.
Premise 2:  Paul was a Pharisee.
Conclusion:  Paul used the Pharisaic method of counting the days/omer to Shavu’ot. 

There is a lot more to it than that, of course, so please check out the slide show at the link: Why we count the omer like Paul (and not the Sadducees)

Shalom, here is the video of the Beit Tefillah midrash on Torah portion Terumah. It was streamed on Shabbat, 2/20/2021. Let us know what you think about the midrash, and let us know any prayer requests you may have.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysy3rN9gLA0