Guest Post: Torah, Covenants, Messiah and the Kingdom of Heaven

My younger brother guest posts today. I've read through it - I won't lie to you, fine blog readers, it's a tough read. It's deep. We're so used to our simple grace teachings in Christianity; the Jewish understanding of Torah and the Kingdom of Heaven goes into such great detail.

I hope you all can absorb some of this deep teaching on malkhut Elohim (the kingdom of Heaven)! Messiah talked so much about the kingdom of heaven, yet we often do not realize this has long been a Jewish concept.

Shalom fine readers, and thanks, bro, for the guest post!

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In Judaism, there are said to be 4 levels of understanding Torah: p'shat (literal), remez (hint; elevated), drash (search; explanation), sod (hidden; spiritual). The Hebrew word "pardes" is a notarikon/acronym of these 4 levels (PaRDeS). Pardes means orchard or garden in Hebrew, and is the direct ancestor of the English word "paradise". Pardes can easily be correlated in name for Gan Eden (Garden of Eden), out of which flowed 4 rivers. The Mishkan (Tabernacle) and Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple) are both replicas of the same pattern of Gan Eden. In Gan Eden, there was located in the most holy place the Etz Chayim ("Tree of Life", symbolic of the 10 Emanations/Spirits of Elokim), akin to the Aron HaBrit (Ark of the Covenant) where the Spirit of Elokim descended from the Shamayim (Heavens), in the most holy place of the Mishkan/Beit HaMikdash. To make a greater connection, Beit El, where Ya'akov saw the ladder to the Shamayim, is actually the place where the actual Beit El (House of God), Beit HaMikdash, was built in Yerushalayim. It is likely that the same place of land where the holy place of Gan Eden existed is the same place of Beit El, where the Beit HaMikdash was built, in Yerushalayim. It should be no surprise this is the place Adonai chose to be his dwelling place on earth.

The restoration of the Malkhut-Adonai (Kingdom of Adonai), which is correlated in the Tanakh with Sukkat-David (Tabernacle of David), Malkhut-David (Kingdom of David), has everything to do with restoring Gan Eden, Pardes, Paradise, and the understanding of the Torah (as it was known by Adam in Gan Eden). In fact, from the time of the sin of Adam and Chavah, a series of covenants were made with the offspring of the righteous leading up to the final return back to Gan Eden which will begin to take place at the coming of Mashiach ben David who will restore Sukkat/Malkhut-David.

As time continues, things become more dense and more detailed because of the ever-increasing number of b'nei-Adam (sons/children of Adam; human beings). What began as a personal relationship between Adam and Adonai eventually became much more at Sinai, when the descendants of the chosen righteous ones had been established through the passing of the righteous seed. From Noach all the way down to Avraham, then down to Ya'akov/Israel and all his sons and their offspring. Very physical, but yet very spiritual. As the pattern of exile and redemption cycled for the first major time (besides that of Adam's exile from Gan Eden), was the eventual bondage of the Yisraelim in eretz-Mitzrayim (land of bondages; land of Egypt). When they had lost the divine knowledge of the Torah as was passed from Adam to Noach, from Noach to Shem, from Shem to Avraham, from Avraham to Yitzchak, Ya'akov and his sons, the Israelites needed to be refined. They were brought out of Mitzrayim by the hand of Adonai, and brought to Har-Sinai where the Torah was first delivered to mankind since the creation of Adam.

At the split of the two kingdoms of Israel, north and south, Ephraim and Judah, the righteous remnant remained Judah while Ephraim became entirely integrated with the goyim (gentiles). "Jew" is Yehudi in Hebrew, which means Judaite, a member of the House of Judah, the righteous remnant of Israel. Not that the House of Ephraim would be forever lost, but Judah carried the authority of Israel since it was the only part of Israel which remained Israel and loyal to Adonai and his Torah. Mashiach would come from Judah. So, as time goes on, things become more detailed. The Rabbis of Judah begin expounding upon the Torah as did the Mashiach, and building upon the Torah a beautiful house of customs, so long as none of them contradict the Torah. The Oral Instruction passed down from Moshe at Har-Sinai and the halachic authority passed from him to the elders who were appointed (Ex. 18:13-26; Dt. 1:9-18). These elders showed the people the way in which they must "walk", i.e. halacha (from the Hebrew "holech"="walking"; Ex. 18:20). Their judgments were regarded as the judgments of Adonai himself (Dt. 1:17), and even regarded as Torah itself (Dt. 17:11). First their authority was in small matters (Ex. 18:22, 26; Dt. 1:17) but later expanded into greater matters (Dt. 17:8), they were later known as the Great Assembly which Adonai had placed his Spirit upon (Num. 11:16-17; 24-25). Upon Judah's return from Babylonian exile, Ezra established the council of elders (Ezra 7:25; 10:14, 16) and they began making halachic decisions (Ezra 10:10-19). At this point, since only Judah remained as Israel, the observances of Israel became known as Judaism, named after Judah, the Jewish people. This would be the faith and people that Mashiach would come from and graft the lost Israelites back into.

So from Adam to Judah, one thing remained the same - personal relationship with Adonai amidst all the increasing details. It still is just as simple, yet that simplicity is expounded upon greatly and it is a great blessing for a man to be able to take upon himself the task of building a personal relationship with Adonai, walking (holech; halacha) righteously in his sight, and delving into the knowledge and understanding of the ever increasing details, which like the Jewish traditions and halacha, are built upon the rock-solid foundation of the beginning and the Torah.


Now, when Mashiach came, he established among the sects of Judaism which was right. This established an elite sect of followers of this great Jewish teacher and Mashiach who were zealous and tenaciously observant of the mitzvot of Torah. These were called the Netzarim, named after their great teacher, Yeshua HaNetzer. It is no coincidence Netzer means offshoot branch. Halachic authority was handed from Mashiach to Kefa ("Peter") and the later-established Netzari Beit Din.

As time has continued, the astounding understanding of the Torah, on all 4 levels becomes more and more revealed. The studies of the Jewish Rabbis and Masters in the Talmud, Khetuvim Netzarim, Zohar, Bahir, Tanya, Sefer Yetzirah, and other Jewish writings have expounded upon the teachings and understandings of the Torah greatly. They are there for us to benefit from, not for us to reject in the ignorance of a mere talmid (disciple). The teachings of Yehoshua/Yeshua must be viewed in the lenses of these ancient Jewish teachings of his time and before, not in a modern and non-Judaistic view. This great Mashiach taught teachings that stressed complete Chassidut (Piousness) and complete submission to the Torah and to Adonai's will. Yeshua's taught his talmidim to observe the mitzvot of Torah zealously both outward and inwardly. Much later, a sect of Judaism arose called Chassidism. This sect stresses observing the mitzvot with complete contentment and submission, in every way. In fact, Chassidut explains that it is a mitzvah in itself to go above and beyond just simply obeying the Torah mitzvot. Precisely what Yeshua taught. In this comes the concept of tikkun haolam, the repair of the world.

When the Ba'al Shem Tov, Rabbi Yisrael ben El'azar had his soul ascend into Shamayim and went to the "palace of Mashiach", the Beit HaMikdash in the Shamayim, he asked Mashiach "when will you come?" and the response was "when your wellsprings of Torah will overflow". Compare this to the words of Mashiach in Yochanan (John) 4:11,14. Like other Jews who were told either by Adonai himself or their Rabbis to keep quiet about Yeshua, could Rabbi Yisrael have been told by Mashiach to keep quiet about him publicly, because the time of Ephraim to come out of the goyim hadn't happened yet? Who can be sure? I will never dismiss the language and teachings of Chassidic Judaism as nothing significant or non-inspired. I think over the years as the blindness to both houses of Israel existed, those who honestly sought Elokei-Yisrael had mercy in his sight.

So what is the purpose of all the covenants that add upon one another, covenants made with mankind, other covenants made with Avraham, Israel, David, and so on? To restore the world with the establishment of Malkhut-Shamayim (Kingdom of Heaven), establishing pardes (Paradise) on earth once again as it was in Gan Eden. And as time continues, new situations and problems arise, the need for halacha is there; not only for those reasons, but also to instruct us in the proper ways to carry out the mitzvot of Torah. When it is all boiled down to a base level, our actions should be based out of this motive (as Hillel and Yeshua both taught): to love Adonai your God with all of your heart, soul, and might. On that principle the rest of the Torah is based upon.

As Hillel said, "Be of the disciples of Aaron--a lover of peace, a pursuer of peace, one who loves the creatures and draws them close to Torah" and as Yeshua said, "happy/blessed are those who make peace for Malkhut Shamayim is theirs". This making of peace has to do with peace between the righteous. As for the wicked who oppose the teshuvah (repentance) and aliyah of Israel and oppose the advancement of Malkhut Shamayim and the work of Mashiach, they should be destroyed and "peace" made with them is a false peace. As the Torah tells us "destroy the seed of Amalek". This mitzvah can be applied spiritually and physically.

It is through the observance of Torah and obedience to Adonai that advances Malkhut Shamayim, therefore all who follow HaAdon (the Master), Yeshua, should be the most zealous for the Torah and to understand p'shat, remez, drash and sod, and to apply the mitzvot to their daily lives on all levels. Unfortunately, 'Akel Kartza (HaSatan) has been able to take Yeshua's tallit off and replaced it with the garments of a Roman king. No more do people associate the Living Torah with the Torah, instead calling him a son of Z--s, a pagan Greek god, a christ. Let us fix the image of the Image of Elokim, Yeshua, first by removing his pagan name and removing the pagan garments off his back and replacing them with his real name and with his tallit.

Through the observance of Torah, the world becomes fixed. We are acting way of our Master when we do this. Tikkun haolam comes about through all who observe the Torah and become chassidim who draw people to the Torah. It is not done through some fake "love" or tolerance, it is done through true ahavah, the love of the Torah which is different from the definition of love as defined by all the goyim. When Mashiach ben David comes to do his work, he will not display the love and tolerance of the goyim and he will rule with an iron rod and restore the Torah to the supreme righteous standard that it is and through this he will establish peace.

When he does this, the world will be established in peace as it was in Gan Eden. We will be returned to that state. The Temple will be rebuilt in Yerushalayim where Gan Eden was built, and the 4 rivers of Pardes will flow from it, meaning the Torah will go forth from Zion and the Word of Adonai from Yerushalayim. The yetzer hara of a man will be annulled as the Ramban states, and some of the writers of the Khetuvim Netzarim allude to. Then, the Torah will be written on our hearts and you will not have to tell your brother to know Adonai, because all will know him.

That is the final outcome and purpose of all the convenants, and the summation of all the details and complexities that time brings on and all the halachot and Torah-amplifications of the Torah teachers. May we see this redemption and restoration soon in our days, and may we act our part in the observance of the Torah and the carrying out of the truth on earth. As Rabbi Yossei would say, "All your deeds should be l'shem Shamayim (for the sake of Heaven)".

L'shem Shamayim!