Vayakhel ויקהל

1. Vayakhelויקהל “and he gathered” Exodus 35:1-38:20 1 Kings 7:40-50

2. Bezalel בְּצַלְאֵל Exodus 35:30-31 See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel…And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; Tzal Shadow El God

3. Oholiab אָהֳלִיאָב [Exd 35:30, 34 KJV] 30 And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; ... 34 And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, [both] he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. Ohel Tent Av Father(’s)

4. Moses gathered/assembled   וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה אֶֽת־כָּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה יְהוָה לַעֲשֹׂת אֹתָֽם׃ Exod. 35:1 And gathered Moses all the assembly of the children of Israel… • They gathered or assembled because of Moses • They gathered to hear instructions about the Sabbath day • They gathered to bring contributions to build the tabernacle

5. Moses Read on Sabbath Day [Luk 16:31 KJV] 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. [Luk 24:27 KJV] 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. [Act 15:21 KJV] 21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

6. TaNakh Ta Na Kh Torah Neviim K’tuviim

7. When did the church begin? When did the church begin? Did it start when Jesus told Peter that “upon this rock I will build my church” or was it what Paul built when he started the Christian movement? Could it be possible that the church began long before Peter and Paul? Let’s start out by examining the word, “church.” The Greek word for church is, ἐκκλησίαekklēsia, which like a lot of other Greek definitions that we have looked at before; very ambiguous. Let’s look at three possibilities that the Strong’s Concordance gives us: • a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly • an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting • the assembly of the Israelites

8. When did the church begin? The first definition is vague but describes what an ekklesia is. A church or ekklesia is a gathering of people. The second definition is more specific by saying it is a gathering or assembly of Christians. The third definition eludes to the root of the word by pointing to it’ s origins in Hebrew by saying it is the gathering or assembling of the Israelites. Take note that none of these options of definitions for church means a building or structure! Why is it that the first thing we think of when we hear church is the building that Christians meet at? • What is Church? • The building • The people • How many times have you said or heard it said that we are “going to church?”

9. When did the church begin? We think about the religious institution and the ceremonies and pious protocols but could our definition be inaccurate? Could the picture in our heads be wrong? If it is a building or system or organization then we have a problem. If the Catholic system is the church and the Protestant system is the church and the Latter Day Saints system is the church then which church should I go to? Whether it started with Constantine, Martin Luther, or Joseph Smith…Peter, Paul or Mary I assure you that the definition for church is not left up to a man but God himself. In order to find out the real definition we have to peel away the programs and systems to find the people beneath. Behind the flesh and blood is a heartbeat and that heartbeat is the church of God, the body of Messiah and goes far further back than 1,700 or so years ago.

10. When did the church begin? Eph 5:23 KJV - For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Messiah is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Rom 12:1 KJV - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. Rom 12:4 KJV - For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: Rom 12:5 KJV - So we, [being] many, are one body in Messiah, and every one members one of another. We can see in the context of these examples written by Shaul that the church is looked at symbolically as the body of Messiah made up of bodies of believers. Never is it mentioned as a building or religious system. Let’s look at a few more examples:

11. When did the church begin? Col 1:24 KJV - Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Messiah in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: Rom 16:3 KJV - Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Messiah Yeshua:16:5 KJV - Likewise [greet] the church that is in their house… Notice in Romans 16:5 that the church was in Priscilla and Aquila’s house. This is clearly not talking about a building or even a religious system within the house of these faithful disciples of Yeshua. The Hebrew word that ekklesia comes from is the word edah, which speaks nothing about a building but a people. Edah means a congregation or gathering and is used when speaking of the congregation or assembly of Israel such as these verses:

12. What is the synagogue then? Synagogue- συναγωγήsynagōgē a) an assembly of Jews formally gathered together to offer prayers and listen to the reading and expositions of the scriptures; assemblies of that sort were held every sabbath and feast day, afterwards also on the second and fifth days of every week; name transferred to an assembly of Christians formally gathered together for religious purposes. b) the buildings where those solemn Jewish assemblies are held. Synagogues seem to date their origin from the Babylonian exile. In the times of Jesus and the apostles every town, not only in Palestine, but also among the Gentiles if it contained a considerable number of Jewish inhabitants, had at least one synagogue, the larger towns several or even many. These were also used for trials and inflicting punishment.

13. What is the synagogue then? Notice that the definition of synagogue in version (a) states there was a transfer from the Jews to the Christians. In the days of Shaul and the apostles there were no “church buildings” to speak of. There were orthodox or non-believing Jewish Synagogues and Messianic Synagogues. What happened? Definition (b) states a more accurate definition of synagogue in that it is a building and NOT the assembly themselves. They are the buildings that the edah or church assembles. Mark 1:21 KJV - And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. Luke 4:16 KJV - And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. Luk 7:2,4,5 KJV - And when they came to Yeshua, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.

14. Church Synagogue

16. The Church- A brief History Edah Congregation • Judges • Kings • Prophets

17. The Church- A brief History Temple Destroyed 70AD Apostolic Period 100AD Post Apostolic Period • Pharisaical Judaism turns into Rabbinic Judaism • Messianic Believers • The Remnant • Tremendous persecution by Pagans & Pharisaical

18. The Church- A brief History • Counsel of Nicea 325AD • Emperor Constantine • New Testament canonized 200-300 AD • 1054 AD Catholic Church breaks from orthodox church

19. The Church- A brief History • Oct. 31, 1517 Reformation • Protestant Movement According to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC) at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, there are approximately 41,000 Christian denominations and organizations in the world.

20. When did the church begin? Jer 31:31,33,35-37 KJV - Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, [and] the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts [is] his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, [then] the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. Thus saith the LORD; for all If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel that they have done, saith the LORD.

21. When did the church begin? Yes Israel made mistakes and yes they were dispersed and judged by God throughout history as a result of their unfaithfulness. Did you know that there has always been a faithful remnant that has kept the commandments of God with faith that pleased Him? Not only have they always existed but they are spoken of in the end of days as well: Isa 10:20-22 KJV - And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant shall return, [even] the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, [yet] a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

22. When did the church begin? Isa 11:11,16 KJV - And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the Lord 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. And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt. Isa 46:3 KJV - Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne [by me] from the belly, which are carried from the womb: Jer 23:3-4 KJV - And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD. Rev 12:17 KJV - And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Yeshua Messiah.

23. Havdilah Blessing