RECOGNITION

2. RECOGNITION THE MESSIANIC PROPHECY BIBLE PROJECT http://www.messianicbible.com HEAR O ISRAEL www.hearoisrael.org SHEEPFOLD GLEANINGS WRITTEN BY JULIE PARKER www.sheepfoldgleanings.com MESSIANIC ISRAEL ALLIANCE http://www.messianicisrael.com AZAMRA TORAH FOR OUR TIME – RABBI AVRAHAM GREENBAUM http://www.azamra.org

3. 8th Day - SHEMINI TORAH:Lev. 9:1-11:47 HAFTARAH: 2 Samuel 6:1-7:17 B’RIT CHADASHAH: Mark 7:1-23, Acts 5:1-11, 10:1-35, 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 Galatians 2:11-16, 1 Peter 1:14-16 All references: The Scripture 1998+ unless otherwise noted

4. ON THE EIGHTH DAY On the eighth day, … (Leviticus 9:1) Where did this eighth day come from? What is it doing here? Of course, on the literal level, Torah is referring to the day following the seven day inauguration of the Tabernacle in the desert. The first seven days were a dry run, a full dress rehearsal minus the presence of יהוה’s Indwelling, the Shechinah. On a deeper level, the eighth day referred to by Torah is not simply the day following the first seven. It is, in fact, and by virtue of what took place on that day, on what was made manifest that day, a brand new day in creation. The day that יהוה’s presence made itself manifest in our world was a day like no other day before. It was an entirely new reality. The first seven days weren't built for this. So יהוה in a manner of speaking, had to necessarily create a new day in order to accommodate this new reality in the world. This is the eighth day that parashatShmini is referring to.

5. EIGHTH DAY Leviticus 9:1 The rabbis teach that this “eighth day” was the “First of Abib or Nissan”. The month Abib, meaning (sprouting, budding, green ears) is the first month of the Biblical Year (Ex 12: 2; 13:4). For the previous seven days, Moshe, acting in the office of High Priest, began to “set-apart” (consecrate) Aharon and his sons, in preparation for this “eighth day”. It is taught that during each of these seven days Moshe erected the Mishkan, performed the service and disassembled it. However, on the Eighth Day, the first of Abib / Nissan and first day of the New Year, the Sanctuary was left standing and remained for as long as the Children of Israel stayed in the same wilderness encampment. The number eight, refers to an even higher level of holiness the Godly light which transcends the limits of our world. Indeed, it eclipses the number seven to the extent that our Rabbis state that "the number seven is always mundane, while the number eight is holy."

6. TEN CROWNS The rabbis stated that the first day of Nissan "took ten crowns": The first day of creation; First day of the first of the months of the year; The first day of the priesthood; The first day of the Sanctuary service; The inauguration sacrifices of the princes of the twelve tribes; First day for the descent of fire from heaven on the altar; The first day that sacrifices were eaten; The first day that all other altars (such as private altars) other than the Sanctuary altar became forbidden; The first day that the Divine Presence dwelled in Israel; The first day on which the priests blessed the people.

7. INAUGURATION DAY This inauguration day is so significant that Torah speaks of it in several books: in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. Remember, there is no “before” and “after” in the Torah. In Exodus 29: 43-45 יהוה speaks of the importance of what is happening here: “And there I shall meet with the children of Yisra’ĕl, and it shall be set apart by My esteem. “And I shall set apart the Tent of Meeting and the altar. And Aharon and his sons I set apart to serve as priests to Me. “And I shall dwell in the midst of the children of Yisra’ĕl and shall be their Elohim. This parsha, Shemini, narrates how Moshe, Aharon and his four sons inaugurated the Mishkan with special offerings and how יהוה ’s fire from heaven descended onto the altar and His Divine Presence was manifest before the people.

8. SEVEN & EIGHT “Seven” is the number of completion of יהוה creation “Eight” is the number of new beginnings and revelation. First, we have the 6 days, or 6,000 years, of the creation. Then we have the 7th day (Shabbat) or the Messianic 7th millennium. Finally, the 8th day or 8th Millennium, when יהוה comes down into the New Jerusalem to physically dwell with His people forever. On that “eighth day” Elohim moves all creation to bring the spiritual and physical worlds together, for those who follow His Word, into His Divine Presence. But, beloved ones, let not this one matter be hidden from you: that with יהוה one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (2 Peter 3:8)

9. PREVIEW OF Y’SHUA Man alone is not able to mix the earthly (matter) and the spiritual. Just as He breathed life (spiritual) into Adam (earthly), our Heavenly Father has His ways of joining the two. When a man follows יהוה’s commandments to perform a particular task, we witness an incredible fusion of the earthly with the spiritual. The 613 commandments are the 613 bridge between “seven” and “eight”. Thus we can say that it is through the observance of His commandments that His Spiritual Presence will become visible within this physical world. This gives even more significant meaning to the description of Yeshua: And the Word (Spiritual) became flesh and pitched His tent among us, and we saw His esteem, esteem as of an only brought-forth of a father, complete in favour and truth. (John 1:14) Through the keeping of the commandments, we also enter into and reflect the spiritual realm. This is why יהושע pointed us in the direction of obedience as an expression of our love for Him: “If you love Me, you shall guard My commands.(John 14:15)

10. AARON OFFERING Leviticus 9:1-14 – Aharon brings a sin and burnt offering The Hebrew word used here for “sin offering” is “chatta‟ah” (Strong‟s #2403), spelled “chet-tet-aleph-hey”. While it means “sin offering”, it also means “the habit of sinning” (sinfulness). So, Aharon brought his “sinfulness” and laid it on the altar to be burned. Then he offered his burnt offering, his “olah” or “ascension” to ascend as on a stairway. When Aharon brought his sinful nature to the altar, יהוהburned it up and thus he could now ascend to יהוה. As a Kingdom of Priests, we are to bring our sinful nature and lay it on Elohim’s altar to be burned, and then help others do the same. That’s what the love of יהוה is. And if I give out all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but do not have love, I am not profited at all. (1 Corinthians 13:3)

11. PEOPLES OFFERING Leviticus 9:15-24 Offering of the peoples: sin offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings. Deeper meaning: The “fat”, in Hebrew is “cheleb” #2459 means “abundance”. The “kidneys” or “kilyah” #3629 means the “seat of our desires and affections” or “reins” (that which steers or drives us). Now, the “lobe of the liver” or “yothereth min qabed” #3508, 4480 & 3516 translates as “the leftover of heavy grieving”. In simple terms, this is our “guilt”. “I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and remember your sins no more. (Isaiah 43:25) Then יהוה washes our personality, our “qereb” and our worship, our “qara” will be clean and acceptable.

12. OUTSIDE THE CAMP And the flesh and the skin he burned with fire outside the camp. (Leviticus 9:11) We read something that is often overlooked, as verse 11 tells us that Aharon took the “flesh” (basar) and the “hide” (owr) and “burnt” (saraph in this case) with “fire” (aish) “outside the camp”. “Basar” (flesh) also translates “to announce” or “preach” as in the “Good News” or “Gospel of the Kingdom”. How pleasant upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings good news, who proclaims deliverance, who says to Tsiyon, “Your Elohim reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7)(Nahum 1:15) “Owr” (hide) which is Strong‟s #5782, 5783 & 5784, also means “arouse”, “awaken”, “raise up” as from slumber, (Ephraim); also “to provoke” as to jealousy (Yehudah); also, “to be made blind” (as in both houses) and “to be made naked” (aware of sin) and to “rejoice” (be glad). All reference to the Gospel of the Kingdom. It brings all of these to “light”.

13. OUTSIDE THE CAMP con’t “saraphaish” (burned with fire or burning fire). This is where the word for “seraphim” comes from. Seraphim literally means “burning ones”. After our altar experience, our “chatta’ah” to יהוה, we are to go outside the camp and “basar”, announce the Gospel of the Kingdom, arouse Ephraim from his slumber, provoke Yehudah to jealousy, help remove the blindness of both houses and rejoice with our brothers and “light their fire”. Ahmein? To say it more correctly, be and make others “servants of fire”. At this, the Kavod, the Esteem and Presence of יהוהTzva’ot came down and consumed the fat (the abundance) on the altar. And the people cried aloud and fell on their faces. A better translation here for “cried aloud”, or “ranan” in Hebrew, would be that they “sang out with joy” as they fell on their faces.

14. GLORY OF ELOHIM And Mosheh and Aharon went into the Tent of Meeting, and came out and blessed the people. And the esteem (glory) of יהוה appeared to all the people, (Leviticus 9:23) On the 8th day, the “glory of Elohim” appeared to all the people. We would expect then, that with other mentions of the number eight in Scripture, we would see a spiritual connection. Here are a few examples: • “And a son of eight days is circumcised by you, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with silver from any foreigner who is not of your seed. “He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your silver, has to be circumcised. So shall My covenant be in your flesh, for an everlasting covenant. (Genesis 17:12-13) The earthly picture of circumcision on the 8th day links a child to the everlasting (spiritual) covenant.

15. MORE EXAMPLES – 8TH DAY “Likewise you are to do with your oxen, with your sheep. It is to be with its mother seven days. On the eighth day you give it to Me. (Exodus 22:30) “And he (THE LEPER) who is to be cleansed shall wash his garments, and shall shave off all his hair and wash himself in water, and shall be clean. Then after that he comes into the camp, but shall stay outside his tent seven days. “And on the eighth day he … shall bring a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. “And he shall bring them to the priest on the eighth day for his cleansing, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, before יהוה. (Leviticus 14:8-23). After 7 days of counting his purity, on the 8th day he is able to be cleansed and come before the presence of יהוה. ‘Until the morrow after the seventh Sabbath you count fifty days, then you shall bring a new grain offering to יהוה. (Leviticus 23:16). Shavuot (Pentecost) is the same day that יהוה’s glory was revealed on Mount Sinai and centuries later in the upper room.

16. MORE EXAMPLES – 8TH DAY And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Festival of Booths for seven days to יהוה. …On the eighth day there shall be a set-apart gathering for you, and you shall bring an offering made by fire to יהוה. It is a closing festival, you do no servile work. (Leviticus 23:33-36) The 8th day following seven days of Sukkot is called “HashminiAtzeret. Since we know that a day is likened to a thousand years, HashminiAtzeret”can be seen as a picture of the eternity that occurs after man’s 7,000 years on earth. It is the time of the New Heavens and the New Earth that we read about in Revelation 21 and 22. The 8th day represents a level of holiness that transcends normal time and space. You could think of it as a time of becoming “one with the Almighty” versus being “one with the world”. Exactly what יהושע prayed: “And I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Set-apart Father, guard them in Your Name which You have given Me, so that they might be one, as We are. (John 17:11)

17. REVELATION 20-21 SATAN locked and sealed in the abyss for a 1000 years Appointment of judges The first resurrection of the just (cohanim) Second battle with Gog and Magog against God’s people and the city he loves. Eternal judgement White throne judgement New heaven and a new earth New Jerusalem - God's Sh'khinah gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. Nothing impure may enter it, nor anyone who does shameful things or lies

18. A NEW DISPENSATION and fire came out from before יהוה and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. And all the people saw and cried aloud and fell on their faces. (Leviticus 9:24) From this day: The sacrifices could no longer be eaten anywhere, but only in their prescribed locations. Private altars became forbidden, since now sacrifices could be brought to the opening of the Appointed Tent. Until this point, it was permissible to build an altar and sacrifice to יהוה just about anywhere one wanted. However, once the Mishkan was operative, that was no longer so. It was the first time since Torah was given that Rosh Chodesh Nissan, the New Year of the months, came around. In Egypt, Moshe received the mitzvah to start counting the months and the years (Exodus 12:1), and this Rosh Chodesh Nissan was the completion of the first cycle.

19. RESURRECTION So now the big question…which day of the week did יהושע resurrect on? Was it the 7th day (Sabbath) or the 1st day of the week, which could also be seen as the 8th day? Remember that seven is a picture of the creation week…this represents the earthly. Eight brings us to a connection with the spiritual. Since we’ve “been crucified with Messiah”, we have crossed over with Him from the earthly into the spiritual. We have become “set apart”…that is, “holy”. Isn’t it logical to think that after יהושע completed His final week of seven days which ended on Shabbat (in the same way man will have seven thousand years ending with the Shabbat Millennium), that at the moment the 7th turned into the 8th day….RESURRECTION!!

20. CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART The priests who have just spent seven full days learning every minute detail of יהוה’s Tabernacle and their role in the rituals that will be performed there. It is a time of “circumcision of the heart” as they put away every fleshly inclination that will prevent them from properly performing their spiritual duties. As the Tabernacle is a picture of the perfected body of Messiah, the unity and the bonding that occurred there must have been incredible. They were prepared to be the vessels used by יהוה to draw all of Israel nearer to the Kingdom, or were they And Naḏaḇ and Aḇihu, the sons of Aharon, each took his fire holder and put fire in it, and put incense on it, and brought strange fire before יהוה, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from יהוה and consumed them, and they died before יהוה. (Leviticus 10:1-2)

21. 1ST DAY CREATION AND FIRE On the 1st day of the creation week, Elohim said: Genesis 1:3 … "Let there be light"; and there was light. The light of the 1st day is the illumination the Almighty created. The light of the 8th day is the illumination that He teaches US to make. Our oneness with the Messiah and with each other creates a Tabernacle that illuminates and gives light to the world! Elohim began with light, and then He created the earth as a dwelling for mankind. Now the Israelites have built the Tabernacle as a dwelling for יהוה. Then, on the 8th day, this dwelling will be filled with light and with the Presence, in the form of the fire that consumed the sacrifices, and the light of the Menorah! This episode will repeat at the end of the 7th day or the 7 thousand years, and it will usher us into the 8th: And when the thousand years have ended, Satan shall be released from his prison, and he shall go out to lead the nations astray which are in the four corners of the earth, Goḡ and Maḡoḡ, to gather them together for battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. ..And fire came down from Elohim out of the heaven and consumed them. (Revelation 20:7-9)

22. NADAB AND ABIHU And to Mosheh He said, “Come up to יהוה, you and Aharon, Naḏaḇ and Aḇihu, .. they saw the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, and under His feet like a paved work of sapphire stone, and like the heavens for brightness. .. And they saw Elohim, and they ate and drank. (Exodus 24:1-11) These two men, who had been privileged to see God face to face, were perhaps so dazzled by the Holy Presence that they thought that they could once again approach the Holy One and present an offering of their own. The sages offer many explanations for their failures: 1. They drank too much wine 2. They entered the Holy of Holies 3. They were not wearing the proper clothing 4. They took fire from somewhere besides the Altar 5. They went outside of Torah commands 6. They were attempting to exalt themselves as leaders

23. STRANGE FIRE “Strange”, or “zuwr” in Hebrew is #2114 which means to be estranged, loathsome, to turn away from or become a foreigner. Also translated as “alien fire”, “unfitting fire”, or “profane fire”. Simply put, this fire is something that is outside the realm of what is permitted…that is to say, they have failed to observe a boundary. And יהוה spoke to Aharon, saying, “Do not drink wine or strong drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the Tent of Meeting, lest you die – a law forever throughout your generations, so as to make a distinction between the set-apart and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean, (Leviticus 10:8-10) Chasidic thought explains that while they may have drank wine, their desire was not for the wine per se but rather, the heightened spiritual awareness that they thought could be obtained through drinking wine. So, not only did they enter the Sanctuary to be close to the Almighty, but they did so under the influence of alcohol, as they felt this would help them to come even closer by heightening their spiritual sensitivity.

24. ANANAIS AND SAPPHIRA In the case of Ananais and Sapphira, we see another case of individuals perishing while in the act of giving an offering (Acts 5:1-11).  The early Believers in Jerusalem, who were of one mind and heart, held their possessions loosely. It was not unusual for members of this tight-knit group to sell their land and give the proceeds of the sale to the Apostles. Ananais and Sapphira also sold a piece of property but unlike the others, they brought part of the proceeds to the Apostles, presenting their offering as the entire proceeds. Like Nadav and Avihu, they were offering up a sacrifice. The problem with their offering, however, was that they were misrepresenting it. They were giving, but they were giving with a deceitful heart. They may have thought they were only deceiving their follow ‘congregants’ about giving all the proceeds from the sale of their property, but the Apostle Peter made it plain to them that they were in fact, lying to God.  While this couple was under no obligation to sell their property, or to give any money, the moment they declared they were going to give the money, it became God’s property. Because of their deceit, the Lord struck them down.

25. WERE NADAV AND AVIHU REBELLIOUS Rebellious to the extent of disobeying an explicit command of יהוה is hard to imagine, especially in light of their background and function as priests. Let’s turn our attention to their possible motives. The Sifra offers the following explanation: “ ‘And Aharon’s sons Nadav and Avihu each took his censer’ – They, in their joy, since they saw a new fire (the heavenly fire), they came to add love to love.” It is most likely that Nadav and Avihu misunderstood their task as priests. They were searching for self-expression and an outlet for their creativity. As a result, they became absorbed in their own ideas, as they sought to continue their worship. They did not understand that it was יהוה , and only יהוה , who determines the framework for His worship. The Torah describes for us in great detail all the laws for worship. When we stray from these forms of worship, we offer up “strange fire”…even when it is through ignorance.

26. OVERFLOWING LOVE A further quote from Rabbi Zvi Shimon: “Nadav and Avihu were so overjoyed by God’s acceptance of the sacrifices that they decided to add another offering. Their enthusiasm and excitement led them to instinctively perform deeds without contemplating their desirability and taking the proper precautions. The awesome love of God that Nadav and Avihu possessed overshadowed their fear of God. This imbalance, the overflowing of love unchecked by the restraining influence of the fear of God, led to the sin of Nadav and Avihu. In contrast to the ecstatic frenzied states characteristic of modes of worship in Eastern religions, the worship of God, as prescribed by the Torah, warns against a loss of control. Love must always be accompanied by the fear of God. It is the combination of the two which creates the desirable state of mind necessary for a close relationship with God.”

27. KNOWING יהוה AT A PRICE Proximity to holiness demands utmost care. Sins committed by the priests in the Tabernacle (unified body of Messiah) are especially dreadful: “But he who did not know, yet did what deserved flogging, shall be beaten with few. And everyone to whom much is given, from him much shall be demanded. And to whom much has been entrusted, from him much more shall be asked. (Luke 12:48) Because of their training and the holiness that they were to exemplify, mistakes could not be made. When in the Presence of the Almighty, His commands must be followed precisely. There is no room for human initiative, arising from human feelings. יהוה dealt with them sternly for an offence prompted by the love of and yearning for Him. Thus we learn the lesson that our Elohim is holy. Men tend to favour and excuse those near to them, but our יהוה increases His expectations of His chosen ones: “You alone have I known of all the clans of the earth, therefore I punish you for all your crookednesses.” (Amos 3:2)

28. LIVING OUT HOLINESS Our very election as partners in the covenant puts us in a position of living out holiness: So that, my beloved, as you always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much rather in my absence – work out your own deliverance with fear and trembling, for it is Elohim who is working in you both to desire and to work for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13) Because it is time for judgment to begin from the House of Elohim. And if firstly from us, what is the end of those who do not obey the Good News of Elohim? (1 Peter 4:17) .., “Be set-apart, for I am set-apart.” And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear, (1 Peter 1:16-17)

29. DECLARED RIGHTEOUS So they came near and took them by their long shirts out of the camp, as Mosheh had said. (Leviticus 10:5) We are told that Nadav and Avihu were carried out “by their shirts (tunics)” indicating they were not completely consumed by the fire, their clothing was left intact. What type of clothing were the sons of Aharon wearing? “And you shall weave the long shirt of fine linen... (Exodus 28:39) The shirts of Nadav and Avihu were made of white linen. And to her it was given to be dressed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the set-apart ones. (Revelation 19:8) So….if the fine/white linen is a picture of the righteous acts of the saints, and the linen garments of Nadav and Avihu were not consumed by the fire, then their works survived the judgment! The good works that they had already done would not be forgotten by the Almighty Judge, despite the error they had made!

30. OUR WORKS TO BE JUDGED According to the favour of Elohim which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But each one should look how he builds on it. For no one is able to lay any other foundation except that which is laid, which is יהושע Messiah. And if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work shall be revealed, for the day shall show it up, because it is revealed by fire. And the fire shall prove the work of each one, what sort it is. (1 Corinthians 3:10-13) For we all have to appear before the judgment seat of Messiah, in order for each one to receive according to what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (2 Corinthians 5:10) As believers inיהושע a, our faith has gained us forgiveness and acceptance by the Father. However, there is still this matter of being judged for our works. “For the Son of Aḏam is going to come in the esteem of His Father with His messengers, and then He shall reward each according to his works. (Matthew 16:27)

31. MIDDEL OF THE TORAH And Mosheh diligently looked for the goat of the sin offering and saw it was burned up. And he was wroth with Elʽazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aharon who were left, saying, (Leviticus 10:16) (Leviticus 10:16) ואתH853 שׂעירH8163 החטאתH2403 דרשׁH1875 דרשׁH1875 משׁהH4872 והנהH2009 שׂרףH8313 ויקצףH7107 עלH5921 אלעזרH499 ועלH5921 איתמרH385 בניH1121 אהרןH175 הנותרםH3498 לאמר׃H559 If we look at Leviticus 10:16 we see the middle words found in the Torah. There is not one middle word in the Torah, since the total number of words in the Torah is even. The centre of the Torah in terms of words comes between the words DaroshDarash which literally, in context, would read “and Moshe searchingly searched”. Darash is the word from which we get “midrash”. Only by searching can we penetrate to the real truth!

32. MIDDLE LETTER OF THE TORAH ‘Whatever crawls on its stomach, and whatever goes on all fours, and whatever has many feet among all creeping creatures that creep on the earth, these you do not eat, for they are an abomination. (Leviticus 11:42) גחוןH1512 The Hebrew thought about this is that it “alludes to the humiliation of the serpent who was cut down to size and made to go on his belly (Genesis 3:14). Only by humiliating the serpent and rejecting evil is it possible to connect with יהוה.” It is interesting that this letter is found in the word for “belly” in the midst of the food laws. As we consider our own bodies as Tabernacles of the Most High, it seems logical that we should proceed to chapter 11 to learn of the foods which we are allowed to bring into our personal sanctuaries to achieve holiness and unity with the Spirit.

33. A MATTER OF WHAT YOU "EIGHT" This fusion of transcendence (A state of being or existence above and beyond the limits of material experience) and immanence (The state of being within or not going beyond a given domain) is also alluded to by the name Shemini. Shemini shares a root with the Hebrew word shemen, meaning "oil." Oil has two tendencies. On one hand, it floats above other liquids, to the extent that if an impure person touches oil floating on another liquid, the lower liquid is not rendered impure, for the two are not considered to be joined. On the other hand, oil permeates the entities on which it is placed. Therefore, if a non-kosher substance which is fat or oily is roasted together with other food, it makes the entire quantity of food non-kosher, although ordinarily only the food actually touching the non-kosher substance would be tainted. Similarly, with regard to the subject at hand, the essential light associated with the eighth day transcends the limits of our material realm. Nevertheless, יהוה's intent is not that this light remain in a sublime state, but that it permeate the material world, endowing it with holiness.

34. I ST COMMAND The first command that Elohim gave the first human was a dietary law with a restriction: And יהוה Elohim commanded the man, saying, “Eat of every tree of the garden, but do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it you shall certainly die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) We have been commanded from the beginning to sanctify the activity of eating. Chasidic thought explains that unclean foods are “spiritual parasites” that target specifically those areas which are potential places of holiness. The food laws are about the hallowing of every day. They are about our minds and our stomachs. They teach us concerning the curbing of our appetites: Their end is destruction, their mighty one is their stomach, and their esteem is in their shame – they mind the earthly. (Philippians 3:19)

35. WORSHIP “Who sets our standard for what’s permissible in worship, יהוה or man?” Is it about what makes us feel good, what will bring in more sheep? What we all need to ask ourselves is; “What does יהוה want?” “All the words I am commanding you, guard to do it – do not add to it nor take away from it. (Deuteronomy 12:32) Nadab and Abihu added to the commands of יהוה; David added to the commands in 2 Samuel 6 and Uzziyah paid; Kain added to the commands and his sacrifice was not accepted. so as to make a distinction between the set-apart and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean, (Leviticus 10:10) Avoiding unclean foods helps establish controls and boundaries in our lives. Not every appetite is worthy of being satiated. Controls and boundaries are sadly lacking in our world. We gravitate towards comfort, convenience, and gratification, but we should be focused on covenant, community, and being set apart.

36. WHY? Many explanations have been given for the dietary laws. Some see them as rules of hygiene. Potentially disease-ridden animals should be avoided. The greatest reason for keeping these commandments, however, are purely for the reason that they were given by the Almighty. ‘For I am יהוה your Elohim… (Leviticus 11:44) And He said, “If you diligently obey the voice of יהוה your Elohim and do what is right in His eyes, and shall listen to His commands and shall guard all His laws, I shall bring on you none of the diseases I brought on the Mitsrites, for I am יהוה who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26) If we hearken to the voice of יהוה we will not receive the diseases God places on our enemies (Deuteronomy 28)

37. TRANSLATION Modern day American Christianity (with a few exceptions), teaches that Yahshua of Nazareth came so we could ignore the Creator’s commands to not consume unclean foods, while picking a numbered sound byte out of the New Covenant called a “verse” to justify this teaching. Religious gurus love to bring up instances where Apostle Paul says “Let all meats be received with thanksgiving” The word for “meat” in the Greek is a specific Greek word which means “Clean according to Torah law”. G1033 brōma From the base of G977; food (literally or figuratively), especially (ceremonial) articles allowed or forbiden by the Jewish law: - meat, victuals. Verses like this are translated in a very deceptive way to promote disobeying the Creator and conforming to church Dogma. Let us read this same verse correctly translated. “Let all meats that are clean according to the Torah, be received with thanksgiving”.

38. THE LAW “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets.1 I did not come to destroy but to complete. Footnote: 1The Law and the Prophets is a term used for the pre-Messianic Scriptures. “For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done.. “Whoever, then, breaks one of the least of these commands, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the reign of the heavens; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens. “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall by no means enter into the reign of the heavens. (Matthew 5:17-20) Note: When Jesus said this the New Testament was not Written

39. PROHIBITION Leviticus 11: God tells us which animals we are allowed to eat and which animals are not acceptable as food for humans. Many Christians believe that in the New Covenant God removed this prohibition and all animals are now acceptable as food.   The first comprehensive listing of clean and unclean animals we have is recorded in Leviticus 11. However, the list was not created as a new law just for the Hebrews. The Bible clearly reveals that Leviticus 11 only confirms a previously established situation. More than one thousand years prior to the Exodus God told Noah to take seven pairs of clean animals and two pairs of unclean animals in the Ark. (Genesis 7:2, also note Genesis 8:20) Even further back, probably only a few decades after Creation, Abel sacrificed a clean animal, one of his first-born sheep, to God. (Genesis 4:4)

40. REVELATION Unclean birds (and unclean spirits) are mentioned in Revelation showing that unclean animals will still be unclean even near the end of the coming Great Tribulation: And he cried with a mighty voice, saying, “Baḇel the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, and a haunt for every unclean and hated bird, because all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her whoring, and the sovereigns of the earth have committed whoring with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the power of her riotous living.” And I heard another voice from the heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. (Revelation 18:2-4) We must abandon such practices if we do not want to suffer the plagues which God will send against Babylon.

41. PROPHECY those who set themselves apart and cleanse themselves at the gardens after ‘One’ in the midst, eating flesh of pigs and the abomination and the mouse, are snatched away, together,” declares יהוה. “And I, because of their works and their imaginations, am coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My esteem. (Isaiah 66:17-18) The prophecy reveals some aspects of what true worship of God will be like at that time. But in the context of this article it demonstrates that God will destroy those eating swine and mouse, both unclean animals, and following pagan religions. Leviticus 11:11, 13, 20, etc show us that unclean animals are abominations. As Christ's Return is still future, this prophecy proves that God has not repealed His laws relating to unclean animals.

42. UNCLEAN UNIMALS CAMELS - The camel has no split or cloven hoof, making it unclean. However, this animal has a similar digestive system to the clean animals; so what is the problem? The camel had to adapt to a desert environment in order to survive. It underwent a physiological adaptation where instead of sweating and losing its body water, the camel’s body temperature rises to higher levels than before. This, unfortunately, allows the level of toxins in its body to rise to very high levels as well. This coping mechanism makes the camel unfit for human consumption. CONEYS - The coney, or dassie, is unclean. It is herbivorous, but has a poor thermo-regulator. Its body temperature does not remain constant throughout the changes in the weather during the year, and this causes its enzymes to be unstable, resulting in intestinal fermentation. This means that the coney’s meat is very acidic.

43. UNCLEAN UNIMALS RABBITS - Even though the rabbit is herbivorous, Leviticus 11:6 states that it is unclean. The rabbit has a very enlarged caecum. In order for the rabbit to obtain sufficient nutrients from the plants it eats, it has to ferment the material. This requires a fermentation chamber with an alkaline environment. Since the rabbit does not have a pre-stomach, like the cow does, it has to use its enlarged caecum. However, its caecum is sandwiched between its gut and rectum and most of the absorption of the nutrients takes place there. When the rabbit re-digests this material, it becomes coprophagous. In other words, it eats its own excrement. Consequently, the level of toxins in its tissues is far higher than in other herbivores. Bile salts, fatty acids, gases, and ammonia levels are all at unacceptable levels for human consumption. All rodents, and even the horse, fall into the same category.

44. UNCLEAN ANIMALS SWINE- Pigs have very high histamine levels. The connective tissue is very rich in sulfur, leading to increased blood acidity and osteoporosis because of the loss of calcium along with the sulfates. Research indicates that high sulfate levels, especially in meat-rich diets, are responsible for osteoporosis. Research has found that at the time when pigs leave the farms, 56% of all pork samples are contaminated with salmonella (Rod-shaped Gram-negative enterobacteria; cause typhoid fever and food poisoning; can be used as a bioweapon).When "clean" animals leave the farms, only 15% of the meat is contaminated. When the pig meat leaves the abattoir, 80% is contaminated, and when it reaches the butcher, the level of contamination is virtually 100%. The "clean" animals have only a 40% contamination level by this stage. The pig is certainly responsible for much disease. Many people are allergic to pork because of the high histamine levels, and pork also encourages the formation of excessive amounts of mucous in our bodies. God warns us in Leviticus 11:26 to not even touch the carcass of a pig.

45. UNCLEAN ANIMALS FISH - Those fish that do not have fins and scales are either scavengers or pure carnivores, and are unclean. The common snoek has scales, but as it is taken out of the water the scales fall off, so it cannot be classified as clean. Each snoek is also home to thousands of bladder worms, which are full of urea. This urea is what gives the snoek its distinctive tangy flavour that many people enjoy. Urea: The chief solid component of mammalian urine; synthesized from ammonia and carbon dioxide and used as fertilizer and in animal feed and in plastics THE BLOWFISH - The blowfish has fins but does not have scales. Thus, it would not have been edible under the Old Testament laws—fortunately for the Israelites. The blowfish can contain toxin in its ovaries, liver, and other organs that is highly potent and deadly. This toxin, called tetrodotoxin, is thought to be “1250 times more deadly than cyanide” and 160,000 times more potent than cocaine. A tiny amount of it can kill 30 grown adults (Dilion, 2005).

46. UNCLEAN ANIMALS SHELLFISH - Although shellfish are edible today, there are inherent dangers in eating ill-prepared types such as oysters. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has produced a twelve-page tract warning people about the dangers of eating raw or partially cooked oysters (“Carlos’ Tragic...,” 2003). In the tract, the FDA warns that some raw oysters contain the bacteria Vibriovulnificus. Eating raw oysters containing Vibriovulnificus is very dangerous for those with pre-existing medical conditions such as liver disease, diabetes, hepatitis, cancer and HIV.... 50 percent of people who are infected with Vibriovulnificus as a result of eating raw contaminated oysters die (2003).

47. UNCLEAN ANIMALS REPTILES– The large lizard, gecko, monitor lizard, sand reptile, sand lizard, and chameleon “Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening” (11:31). Interestingly, reptiles have a much higher rate of carrying Salmonella bacteria than do most mammals, especially those listed as clean in the Old Law. In summarizing the CDC’s 2003 report, over 70,000 cases of human Salmonella infection a year are related to the handling of reptiles and amphibians (2007). The CDC recommends that homes with children under five should not have reptiles as pets.

48. UNCLEAN ANIMALS BATS AND RABIES - Moses specifically forbade the Israelites to eat bats (Leviticus 11:19). The wisdom of this instruction is demonstrated by the fact that bats often carry rabies. While it is true that many animals are susceptible to rabies, bats are especially so. Rabies passed from bats caused 24 of the 26 human deaths from rabies in the United States (“Human Rabies...,” 2002). In the Science Daily article describing this research, Moses’ instruction to avoid bats coincides perfectly with modern research. Once again, the super-human wisdom imparted through Moses by God cannot be denied by the conscientious student of the Old Testament.

49. SALMONELLA Reptiles are natural carriers of Salmonella bacteria, harbouring strains specific to reptiles without any symptoms of disease in the reptile. Salmonella contamination can occur without even touching a reptile. If a person touches something that has touched a reptile the bacteria can spread. The ARAV (Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians) made this statement: “Salmonella bacteria are easily spread from reptiles to humans. Humans may become infected when they place their hands on objects, including food items, that have been in contact with the stool of reptiles, in their mouths” Leviticus 11:32-34

50. BE HOLY ‘For I am יהוה your Elohim, and you shall set yourselves apart. And you shall be set-apart, for I am set-apart. And do not defile yourselves with any creeping creature that creeps on the earth. ‘For I am יהוה who is bringing you up out of the land of Mitsrayim, to be your Elohim. And you shall be set-apart, for I am set-apart. (Leviticus 11:44-45) Or do you not know that your body is the Dwelling Place of the Set-apart Spirit who is in you, which you have from Elohim, and you are not your own? For you were bought with a price, therefore esteem Elohim in your body and in your spirit, which are of Elohim. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) If anyone destroys the Dwelling Place of Elohim, Elohim shall destroy him. For the Dwelling Place of Elohim is set-apart, which you are. (1 Corinthians 3:17) Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the esteem of Elohim. (1 Corinthians 10:31)