Exodus 26: Abode, Curtains, Loops and Cuttings

The Abode, Curtains, Loops and Cuttings

 

 

Background and printed text: Exodus 26

 

Exodus 26:1 And thou shalt make the Abode ten curtains: twisted byssus and blue and purple and earthworm crimson. Thou shalt make them Crooveem, work of a thinker. 2Length of the one curtain is eight and twenty via a forearm. And breadth is four via a forearm. The one curtain is one measure to all the curtains. 3Five of the curtains shall be friends, a woman unto her sister. And five curtains are friends, a woman unto her sister.

 

4And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the lip of the one curtain from the edge via a friend [female]. And established, thou shalt make via the lip of the edgemost curtain, via the second friendship. 5Thou shalt make fifty loops via the one curtain, and thou shalt make fifty loops via an edge of the curtain that is via friendship of the second. The loops are receiving, a woman unto her sister.

 

6And thou shalt make fifty clasps of gold. And thou shalt ‘friendship’ the curtains, a woman unto her sister, via clasps. And the Abode will be one!

 

7And thou shalt make curtains of goats to the Tent upon the Abode. Thou shalt make them eleven curtains. 8The length of the one curtain is 30 via a forearm, and the breadth is 4 via a forearm. The one curtain is one measure to eleven curtains. 9And thou shalt ‘friendship’ five of the curtains alone and six of the curtains alone. And thou shalt double the sixth curtain unto the circumcision, the faces of the Tent.

 

10And thou shalt make fifty loops upon the lip of the one edgemost curtain via ‘friendshipping’ and fifty loops upon the lip of the second ‘friendshipping’ curtain. 11And thou shalt make fifty clasps of copper. And thou shalt bring the clasps via loops. And thou shalt ‘friendship’ the Tent. And he shall be one!

 

12And the spread/diffusion of the excess is via the curtain(s) of the Tent. Thou shalt spread/diffuse half of the excess curtain upon my After of the Abode. 13And the forearm from this and the forearm from this is via the excess, via the length of the curtain. The Tent will be spread/diffused upon sides of the Abode from this and from this to blanket-cover him!

 

14And thou shalt make a blanket-covering to the Tent: skins of red rams and a blanket-covering of skins of takhashes from above.

 

15And thou shalt make the cuttings to the Abode trees of standing acacia. 16Ten forearms is the length of the cutting and a forearm and a half of the forearm is the breadth of the one cutting. 17Two hands are to the one cutting; they [the hands] are connecting, a woman unto her sister. Established, thou shalt make to all cuttings of the Abode. 18And thou shalt make the cuttings to the Abode twenty, a cutting to an extremity southward, rightward.

 

19And thou shalt make forty lords of silver under twenty: the cutting, two lords under the one cutting to two of his hands and two lords under the one cutting to two of his hands. 20And twenty cutting(s) are to the north extremity to the second piece of the Abode. 21And forty are their lords of silver. Two lords are under the one cutting and two lords are under the one cutting. 22And thou shalt make six cuttings to the sides of the Abode seaward. 23And thou shalt make two cuttings to the cut-outs of the Abode via the two sides. 24And they shall be their twin from below. And they shall be unified perfect-[ones] by his head unto the one sunk-impression. He will be established to two of them! They shall be to two of the cut-outs! 25And eight cuttings shall be. And their lords are silver. Sixteen are lords; two lords are under the one cutting and two lords are under the one cutting.

 

26And thou shalt make their bar trees of acacia. Five are to cuttings of one piece of the Abode, 27and five are their bar to cuttings of the second piece of the Abode. And five are their bar to cuttings of a piece of the Abode to two sides seaward. 28And the middle bar in the midst of the cuttings is fleeing from the edge unto the edge. 29And thou shalt observe the cuttings: gold. And thou shalt make their sunk-impressions gold: houses to their bar. And thou shalt observe their bar: gold!

 

30And thou shalt make-stand the Abode according-to his justice that thou wast shown in the mountain!

 

31And thou shalt make a Divider of blue and purple and earthworm crimson and twisted byssus, a making of thought. He shall make her—crooveem! 32And thou shalt give her upon four pillars of acacia, observances: gold. Their hooks are gold upon four lords of silver! 33And thou shalt give the divider under the clasps.

 

And thou shalt bring the Box of the Testimonies to there from inside to the divider. And the divider shall separate to you between the Holy and between Holy of the Holies! 34And thou shalt give the cover upon the Box of the Testimonies in Holy of the Holies. 35And thou shalt put the Table from outside to the divider, and the Menorah straight-in-front-of the Table upon the piece of the Abode southward. And thou shalt give the Table upon the north piece.

 

36And thou shalt make camouflage to the opening of the Tent blue and purple and earthworm crimson and twisted byssus, doing of variegation. 37And thou shalt make to the camouflage five pillars of acacia. And thou shalt observe them: gold! Their hooks are gold. And thou shalt melt-pour to them five lords of copper!

 

 

 

I. The Abode and its Curtains (verses 1-3)

 

Yehovah commanded Moshe to make the Abode, the structure that will be called the Tent of Appointment, ten curtains. These curtains must be made of byssus: a fine linen cloth made from thread (which is made of fibers twisted together).

 

The colors of this byssus must include blue, purple, and earthworm crimson. These are used to pattern Crooveem, Cherubim, the work of a thinker!

 

One curtain’s length is 28 forearms (cubits).

 

Its breadth is 4 forearms.

 

All the curtains have the same measure as the one curtain.

 

Five of the ten curtains are friends, connected so that a woman is connected unto her sister curtain.

 

The same is true of the other five curtains.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is an abode?

 

2.    What is this Abode?

 

3.    How can an abode be made of just curtains?

 

4.    Why must there be ten curtains?

 

5.    What is byssus?

 

6.    What is twisted byssus?

 

7.    What does byssus typify?

 

8.    What does blue typify?

 

9.    What does purple typify?

 

10. What is earthworm crimson, and what does it typify?

 

11. What are crooveem?

 

12. Identify them in, “Thou shalt make them Crooveem…”:

 

13. How will these objects be made cherubim?

 

14. Why must they be the work of a thinker? What does that mean?

 

15. If the length of one curtain is 28 cubits, what does the number 28 typify?

 

16. Why is this the length of the curtain?

 

17. Why is the length of 28 via a forearm? What does the forearm typify?

 

18. What does the breadth typify, and why is it 4 via a forearm?

 

19. What does a curtain typify?

 

20. Why must all the curtains be one measure if the types proposed above are true?

 

21. If five of the curtains will be friends, as a woman unto her sister, what does this indicate?

 

 

 

II. Loops (verses 4-5)

 

Yehovah commanded Moshe to make loops of blue. These loops must be connected upon the lip of the one curtain from the edge, and this connection must be via a friend.

 

The same procedure is established: Moshe must make the same via the lip of the edgemost curtain via the second friendship.

 

Moshe must make 50 loops by means of the one curtain. He must also make 50 loops by means of an edge of the curtain that is by means of friendship of the second curtain.

 

The loops are receiving! They receive, a woman unto her sister!

 

Questions

 

1.    What is a loop, and what does it typify?

 

2.    What does blue typify?

 

3.    What is the lip of a curtain?

 

4.    Who is this friend by which the loops will be made?

 

5.    The text states, “thou shalt make via the lip of the edgemost curtain, via the second friendship.” It doesn’t state what must be made. So, what must be made?

 

6.    Why must the loops be made from the curtain itself?

 

7.    What is this second friendship, and what does it portray?

 

8.    What is “friendship of the second”?

 

9.    The text states, “The loops are receiving, a woman unto her sister.” What does this mean?

 

 

 

III. Clasps (verse 6)

 

Moshe must make 50 clasps out of gold.

 

The curtains must be ‘friendshipped’ together, a woman unto her sister, by means of the clasps. Once this is done, the Abode will be one!

 

Questions

 

1.    What are these clasps?

 

2.    Why must the clasps be gold?

 

3.    What does “And thou shalt ‘friendship’ the curtains, a woman unto her sister, via clasps” mean?

 

4.    The declaration, “And the Abode will be one!” tells about what event?

 

 

 

IV. Goat Curtains (verses 7-9)

 

Next, Moshe must make curtains using goats; these curtains are to the Tent that is upon (above) the Abode. The number of goat curtains is eleven.

 

The length of the one curtain is 30 forearms (cubits), and the breadth is 4 forearms (cubits).

 

The eleven curtains must all be the same measure as the one curtain.

 

Five of the curtains are ‘friendshipped’ together alone, and six of the curtains are ‘friendshipped’ together alone.

 

Moshe must double the sixth curtain unto the ‘circumcision’ (the very frontmost) of the faces of the Tent!

 

Questions

 

1.    What does a goat typify?

 

2.    If the above answer is true, what does ‘curtains of goats’ typify?

 

3.    What is a curtain made of goats?

 

4.    What is so important about the curtains of goats being made into a tent that is upon the Abode?

 

5.    Does eleven typify anything?

 

6.    Does the number 30 represent a type?

 

7.    Why is 30 the length of the curtain?

 

8.    Why is the length of 30 via a forearm? What does the forearm typify?

 

9.    What does the breadth typify, and why is it 4 via a forearm?

 

10. What does “The one curtain is one measure to eleven curtains” mean?

 

11. Again, what does this friendshipping involve?

 

12. How must they be connected together?

 

13. Does the number 6 carry a type?

 

14. Does the number 5 carry a type?

 

15. What is typified if the sixth curtain is doubled?

 

16. What does this Tent typify?

 

17. What are the faces of the Tent?

 

 

 

V. Loops and Friendship (verses 10-11)

 

Moshe next must make 50 loops. Those loops must be placed upon the lip of the one edgemost curtain by means of ‘friendshipping’ them.

 

He must make another 50 loops upon the lip of the second ‘friendshipping’ curtain.

 

Next, He must make 50 clasps of copper!

 

Moshe must bring the clasps by means of the loops! In this way, he will ‘friendship’ the Tent; and the Tent, like the Abode, will be one!

 

Questions

 

1.    Which lip of which edgemost curtain must be used to make the loops?

 

2.    How will this ‘friendshipping’ be accomplished?

 

3.    Why must the clasps be made of copper?

 

4.    What does “And thou shalt bring the clasps via loops” tell the reader?

 

5.    Explain the statement and the type found in the command, “And thou shalt ‘friendship’ the Tent”:

 

6.    The text above (verse 6) stated, “And the Abode will be one!” This text (verse 11) states, “And he (the Tent) shall be one!” Why do both say the same thing? What does this show?

 

 

 

VI. Diffusion and Excess (verses 12-13)

 

Since the curtains of the Tent are larger than the curtains of the Abode, there will be excess goat material. The spread of the excess will be by means of the curtain of the Tent. Moshe must spread half of the excess curtain upon the afterwards (back end) of the Abode.

 

There will be an excess of one forearm by means of the length of the curtain of the Tent. This excess will be spread upon the sides of the Abode from this (side) and from this (side) to blanket-cover the Abode!

 

Questions

 

1.    Explain this spread/diffusion:

 

2.    What is the excess, and what does it typify?

 

3.    What is my After of the Abode?

 

4.    Why must the excess be spread upon this After if the identification above is correct?

 

5.    What does “And the forearm from this and the forearm from this is via the excess, via the length of the curtain. The Tent will be spread/diffused upon sides of the Abode from this and from this” describe?

 

6.    What does “Thou shalt spread/diffuse half of the excess curtain upon my After of the Abode” typify?

 

7.    What will be the location of the final abode of the Messiah of Israel on this planet?

 

8.    What type ‘picture’ does “The Tent will be spread/diffused upon sides of the Abode from this and from this to blanket-cover him” give?

 

 

 

VII. Blanket-Covering (verse 14)

 

Moshe must make a blanket-covering to the Tent itself. This must be made of skins of red rams. Another blanket-covering must be made of the skins of takhashes from above the red-ram-skin covering.

 

Questions

 

1.    What do skins of a red ram typify?

 

2.    Why is this described as a blanket-covering?

 

3.    What are takhashes?

 

4.    What do takhashes typify?

 

5.    Why are these two groups (covered by the descriptions of “skins of red rams and a blanket-covering of skins of takhashes” mentioned together?

 

6.    Why must these blanket-coverings be made from above?

 

 

 

VIII. Cuttings (verses 15-18)

 

Moshe next must make wood cuttings (logs) to the Abode. They must be made from standing acacia trees.

 

The length of one cutting is 10 forearms (cubits).

 

The breadth of one cutting is 1 and ½ forearms.

 

There are two hands to one cutting. Those hands are connecting, a woman unto her sister.

 

Established, Moshe shall make all the cuttings of the Abode the same way.

 

There will be 20 cuttings to the Abode. One cutting goes to a corner southward and to the right.

 

Questions

 

1.    What are these cuttings?

 

2.    How tall are these acacia logs?

 

3.    How broad are these acacia logs?

 

4.    How much would an acacia log of this size weigh?

 

5.    Why did Yehovah desire them to be so big?

 

6.    What does acacia typify?

 

7.    The text describes two hands to each cutting. What are these hands, and what is their purpose?

 

8.    What does “they are connecting, a woman unto her sister” tell the reader?

 

9.    What does “Established, thou shalt make to all cuttings of the Abode” mean?

 

10. How many of these cuttings will there be?

 

11. Why did Yehovah insist upon this structure being designed and made according to directions of east, west, south, north? Couldn’t it have been set up facing any direction?

 

 

 

IX. Lords of Silver and Twins (verses 19-25)

 

Moshe must make 40 lords of silver under the twenty cuttings. As for the cutting: two lords are under the one cutting to two of the cutting’s hands, and two lords are under the one cutting to two of the cutting’s hands.

 

There will be twenty cuttings going to the north corner for the second piece of the Abode. This will make a total of 40 of their lords of silver. Again, two lords are under the one cutting, and two lords are under the one cutting.

 

Next, Moshe must make six cuttings to the sides of the Abode toward the sea (westward).

 

Moshe must make two cuttings to the strippings-off (the disconnected section) of the Abode by means of two sides. Those two cuttings will be their twin from below. The two cuttings will be unified perfect ones upon the Abode’s head all the way unto the one sunk-impression. He will be established to two of the cuttings! They shall be to two of the strippings-off!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is a lord of silver?

 

2.    Why must there be forty lords of silver?

 

3.    What does twenty typify?

 

4.    The text next describes the cutting. What does this cutting typify?

 

5.    Why are two lords under the one cutting?

 

6.    Why are these silver lords under one cutting to two of his hands?

 

7.    What does the wording, “two lords under the one cutting to two of his hands and two lords under the one cutting to two of his hands” show?

 

8.    Why is the Abode divided up into two pieces?

 

9.    What does the Abode typify?

 

10. What is the north extremity?

 

11. Why will the twenty cuttings in the north also have forty lords of silver?

 

12. What is the purpose of six cuttings (parts of standing Acacia trees) being made to the sides of the Abode toward the sea (and what sea is this)?

 

13. What are these cut-outs?

 

14. What does “they shall be their twin from below” mean?

 

15. Explain, “And they shall be unified perfect-[ones] by his head…”

 

16. The next text refers to them as being unified “unto the one sunk-impression.” What is a sunk-impression?

 

17. What does a sunk-impression typify?

 

18. How will they be unified unto the one sunk-impression?

 

19. What does “He will be established to two of them” mean?

 

20. What does “They shall be to two of the cut-outs” mean?

 

21. Why is “And eight cuttings shall be” so important?

 

22. What information can the reader obtain by learning that their lords are silver?

 

23. Does the number sixteen typify anything?

 

24. What does “two lords are under the one cutting and two lords are under the one cutting” mean?

 

 

 

X. The Acacia Bar (verses 26-29)

 

This text always describes one bar. Moshe must make their bar (the bar is for the cuttings) trees of acacia. Five are to cuttings of one piece of the Abode, and five are to cuttings of the second piece of the Abode. Then, five are their bar to the cuttings of a piece of the Abode to two sides, seaward (westward).

 

The middle bar in the midst of the cuttings is fleeing from the edge unto the edge!

 

Moshe shall observe the cuttings: gold! He must make their sunk impressions gold; they are houses to their bar!

 

Moshe shall observe their bar; it is gold!

 

Questions

 

1.    Who is their in, “thou shalt make their bar trees of acacia”?

 

2.    Why is bar singular when the text describes five in one part, five in another part, and five on another side?

 

3.    What does this bar typify?

 

4.    Propose an arrangement of these bars so that what the text describes is in the pictures:

 

5.    Why must the middle bar flee from the edge unto the edge?

 

6.    Why will the cuttings be observed as gold?

 

7.    Why must their sunk-impressions also be lined with gold all the way through?

 

8.    Why does the text say, “Houses to their bar”?

 

9.    What might be an image of this sunk-impression?

 

10. Why must the bar be observed as gold?

 

 

 

XI. Standing Abode (verse 30)

 

Moshe must cause the Abode to stand according to the Abode’s justice that Moshe was shown in Mount Sinai.

 

Questions

 

1.    Yehovah commanded Moshe to make the Abode stand according to his justice. What does this mean?

 

 

 

XII. Divider and Crooveem (verses 31-33)

 

Yehovah next commanded Moshe to make a divider using blue, purple and earthworm crimson. The divider must be made of twisted byssus, and it must be a making of thought! Moshe must make her crooveem (cherubim).

 

Moshe must give her upon four pillars of acacia; when anyone observes, the person will see gold.

 

Their hooks are gold upon four lords of silver!

 

Moshe must give the divider under the clasps.

 

Questions

 

1.    What is the purpose of this divider?

 

2.    What do blue, purple, and earthworm crimson typify?

 

3.    What does this divider typify (besides being what it obviously is: a divider)?

 

4.    What does byssus typify?

 

5.    Why does the text state that this divider must be made, and that it is a making of thought?

 

6.    Why must this divider be made cherubim? What does that mean?

 

7.    Why must she be given upon acacia?

 

8.    Why must there be four pillars?

 

9.    Why will the pillars appear gold?

 

10. What do these hooks typify?

 

11. Why are they upon four lords of silver instead of eight?

 

12. Why must the divider be under the clasps?

 

 

 

XIII. Holy of Holies (verses 33-35)

 

Moshe next must bring the Box of the Testimonies to there, from inside, and to the divider. That divider will separate to the Israelis between the Holy and between the Holy of the Holies!

 

Moshe must give the divider upon the Box of the Testimonies in (or via) Holy of Holies.

 

Moshe next must put the Table from outside to the divider.

 

The Menorah must be straight in front of the Table upon the piece of the Abode, southward.

 

Moshe must give the Table upon the north piece of the Abode.

 

Questions

 

1.    Why must the Box of the Testimonies be brought specifically from inside to the divider?

 

2.    Why will the divider separate to you (whoever they are) between the Holy and the Holy of the Holies?

 

3.    Why must ‘thou’ (whoever he is) give the cover upon the Box of the Testimonies in Holy of the Holies at this time?

 

4.    Why must the Table be outside to the divider (and thus, in the Holy chamber and not the Holy of Holies chamber)?

 

5.    Where is the Menorah if it is straight in front of the Table and upon the piece of the Abode, southward?

 

6.    What does the Menorah typify?

 

7.    Why must the Menorah be placed directly in front of that Table?

 

8.    Why must the Table be put upon the north piece?

 

 

 

XIV. Camouflage (verses 36-37)

 

Moshe must make camouflage to the opening of the Tent! That camouflage must be blue, purple, and earthworm crimson, and made of twisted byssus. The construction must be of variegation.

 

Moshe must make five acacia pillars for this camouflage. When he observes these pillars, he must see gold! Their hooks are gold.

 

Moshe must melt/pour to the pillars five lords of copper!

 

Questions

 

1.    Why must there be a camouflage to the opening of the Tent?

 

2.    What does five typify?

 

3.    What do the acacia pillars typify?

 

4.    If the pillars of acacia are gold when observed, what does this show?

 

5.    Why are their hooks made of gold?

 

6.    What does copper typify?

 

7.    Why must these five lords of copper be melted/poured?

 

Exodus 25 Box Table Light QA

Sunk Impressions

Box, Table and Light

With Questions and Proposed Answers

 

 

Background and printed text: Exodus 25 

 

Exodus 25:1 And Yehovah spoke unto Moshe to say, 2 “Speak unto the children of Israel. And they took an uplifting to me. Ye shall take my uplifting from with every man whose heart will prod him. 3And this is the uplifting that ye shall take from with them: gold and silver and copper 4and shell-fish-cerulean-purple and purple and two earthworms and byssus and goats 5and skins of red rams and skins of seals/badgers and the trees of acacia, 6oil for the light-emanator, spices for the oil of the anointing and for the incense of the sweet-things, 7stones of the onyx and stones of the fillings for the Girding and for the Adornment.

 

8 “And make-ye a sanctuary to me. And I will abide in your midst. 9According to all that I am showing thee, the building of the abiding-place and the building of all of his utensils, and established, ye shall do.

 

10 “And ye shall make a trees-of-acacia collection-box. Two forearms and a half is his length and a forearm and a half is his breadth and a forearm and a half is his standing. 11And thou shalt observe him. Ye shall observe pure gold from within and from without.

 

“And thou shalt make upon him a gold wreathed-work around.

 

12 “And thou shalt pour out to him four sunk-impressions of gold. And thou shalt give upon four of his impellings, and two sunk-impressions upon his one side and two sunk-impressions upon his second side.

 

13 “And thou shalt make members of trees of acacia. And thou shalt observe them: gold. 14And thou shalt bring the members via/into the sunk-impressions upon the sides of the collection-box to carry the collection-box via them. 15The members shall be via/into the sunk-impressions of the collection-box! They shall not depart from him!

 

16 “And thou shalt give the testimonies that I will give unto thee unto the collection-box.

 

17 “And thou shalt make a pure gold cover: two forearms and a half her length and a forearm and a half her breadth. 18And thou shalt make two Crooveem. Thou shalt make them gold, hard-turned-work from the two edges of the cover. 19And make one Croov from the edge from this and one Croov from the edge from this. Ye shall make the Crooveem from the cover upon two of his edges. 20And the Crooveem shall be spreaders of wings to an ascension interweaving via their wings upon the cover. And their faces are a man unto his brother. Faces of the crooveem shall be unto the cover.

 

21 “And thou shalt give the cover upon the collection-box from above. And thou shalt give the testimonies that I will give unto thee unto the collection-box. 22And I will make known to thee there. And I will speak with thee all that I will command thee unto the children of Israel from upon the cover from between two of the Crooveem that are upon the collection-box of the testimonies!

 

23 “And thou shalt make a table the trees of acacia: two forearms his length and a forearm his breadth and a forearm and a half his standing. 24And thou shalt observe him: pure gold. And thou shalt make to him a wreathed-work of gold around. 25And thou shalt make to him a handbreadth enclosure around. And thou shalt make a wreathed-work of gold to his enclosure around.

 

26 “And thou shalt make to him four sunk-impressions of gold. And thou shalt give the sunk-impressions upon four of the corners that are to four of his feet. 27The sunk-impressions shall be to the communion [union] of the enclosure to houses to the members to carry the table.

 

28 “And thou shalt make the members trees of acacia. And thou shalt observe them: gold. And he shall carry the table via them.

 

29 “And thou shalt make his deep-bowls and his palm-of-the-hand-spatulas and his stripped-cups and his innocence-bowls that he will pour via them. Thou shalt make them pure gold.

 

30 “And thou shalt continually give bread of faces upon the table to my faces!

 

31 “And thou shalt make a pure gold light-emanator. The light-emanator shall be made hard-turned-work. Her thigh and her acquisition-reed, her pitchers, her hand-guides and her buddings-forth shall be from her!

 

32 “And six acquisition-reeds are exiting from her sides: three acquisition-reeds of the light-emanator from her one side and three acquisition-reeds of the light-emanator from her second side.

 

33 “Three watching pitchers are in her one acquisition-reed, a hand-guide and a budding-forth, and three watching pitchers are in her one acquisition-reed, a hand-guide and a budding-forth established to six of the acquisition-reeds exiting from the light emanator.

 

34 “And four watching pitchers, her hand-guides and her buddings-forth are in the light emanator. 35And a hand-guide is under two of the acquisition-reeds from her, and a hand-guide is under two of the acquisition-reeds from her, and a hand-guide is under two of the acquisition-reeds from her to six of the acquisition reeds exiting from the light emanator. 36Their hand-guides and their acquisition-reeds shall be from her. All of her is one pure gold hard-turned-work.

 

37 “And thou shalt make her lamps: seven. And he shall make-ascend her lamps. And they shall lighten upon-across her faces.

 

38 “And her takers and her seizers are of pure gold. 39He shall make her a pure gold orb with all these utensils.

 

40 “And see and make via their building that thou art seeing in the mountain!”

 

 

 

I. Items for the Uplifting (verses 1-7)

 

Yehovah spoke unto Moshe so that Moshe would tell these things to the children of Israel. His first directive was, “Speak unto the children of Israel.” He then gave the result of that communication: “And they took an uplifting to me.” (This is like an adult receiving from the hands of a child.)

 

Yehovah didn’t desire that just everyone would give: “Ye shall take my uplifting from with every man whose heart will prod him.”

 

He then gave the contents of that uplifting: “And this is the uplifting that ye shall take from with them: gold and silver and copper and shell-fish-cerulean-purple and purple and two earthworms and byssus and goats and skins of red rams and skins of seals/badgers and the trees of acacia, oil for the light-emanator, spices for the oil of the anointing and for the incense of the sweet-things, stones of the onyx and stones of the fillings for the Girding and for the Adornment.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. Why did Yehovah speak unto Moshe so that he would speak unto the children of Israel (instead of speaking straight to them)? The Israelis already indicated that they desired Moshe to speak to them instead of Yehovah! They became terrified at His voice!

 

2. What is an uplifting? This is a ‘childism’ in the Bible: something to which a child can relate. When a young child desires to give something to an adult (or anyone older than the child), the child will lift the item up to the person. This shows total willingness to give the item.

 

3. What does “whose heart will prod him” mean? This means that the person’s mind (called the heart in most texts of the Bible) will push the person to do something (to give, in this case). The person has a real desire to give.

 

4. Every item typifies something, and every material typifies something. What does gold typify? Its most obvious property is that is doesn’t rust; in scientific terms, it doesn’t naturally oxidize. When metals oxidize, they can easily wear away, and become corrupted—that is, ruined, of no use, rotted. Thus, gold typifies incorruption: the inability to rot and deteriorate. This will be very important as we continue with the rest of the items.

 

5. What does silver typify? I figured this out by reading that silver was used when something was being redeemed for a price. Something has been redeemed if a price has been paid for its release from some type of captivity.

 

(There is another word for redeem that indicates taking something or someone from captivity by force. That isn’t used here.

 

6. What does copper typify? It typifies justice; it also typifies the result of justice if a person is condemned! Thus, it will also connect with wrath (extremely strong anger)!

 

7. What does shell-fish-cerulean-purple typify? It typifies completion (since the word itself is rooted in a word meaning to finish).

 

8. What does purple typify? From the word argemon, ‘arag’ means to weave, braid. The Greek word arachnid comes from this, weaving its web. Ragam means to heap, pile up, accumulate. It also indicates to throw, and is used to mean to translate (as in, to interpret other languages on the fly). Yet, it again has one other significance: to throw colours; to paint.

 

Determining typology is a matter of considering what words and their pictures mean. Here is a word that means, “I will translate,” that also gives the idea of weaving together, forming a web to catch, accumulating, translating, collecting colours. I propose, then, that this describes those groups that will be formed during the Tribulation, and that will be made of folks from various cultures and colours with various languages who are accumulated and whose speech Yehovah will translate.

 

9. What do two earthworms typify? This is one of the lowliest creatures that produces a red blood substance. It is an almost powerless (feeble) creature, and despised; yet, it goes through soil with great power.

 

Two earthworms typify to beings who fit the above description.

 

10. What is byssus, and what does it typify? Byssus is a fine linen cloth. Linen is made from flax, a plant that produces fibers that can be used for thread.

 

Byssus typifies the righteousness of Saints.

 

11. What does a goat typify? It typifies strength. Now, goats don’t have much strength, but they use what they have! Thus, they typify a little strength!

 

12. What do skins of red rams typify? Ram typifies might (which is greater than the strength shown by a goat; rams are much larger and more powerful). Skin typifies being awakened, aroused, be brought to excitement and action. Red is the same spelling as Adam. Put together, and looking at the Hebrew expression, it means the awakening of their might from Adams—thatis, from men of various races and peoples.

 

13. What do seals/badgers typify? It seems that identification of this animal has been temporarily lost. (It can be found if writing and a drawing are found together.) That doesn’t mean that one cannot find its type. The word takhash is the right form to mean, thou wilt hasten, thou wilt flee, along with the idea of great passion (intensity of desire). If skin typifies being awakened, aroused, be brought to excitement and action, the two together indicate being awakened and excited to action to hasten and to flee.

 

14. What do trees typify? They are the opposite of gold: they typify the ability to rot, decay; therefore trees picture mortality and corruptibility.

 

Also, a tree is a picture of a stable, well-rooted person (distinct from a briar that can be ‘whacked’ down with ease) who is able to give shade and bear fruit.

 

15. What do trees of acacia typify? The word for acacia in Hebrew, shōt, means to fly at high speeds. It describes the end of a whip or of a flagellum (a microscopic whip of a one-celled creature that uses its whip to swim). (I propose that the branches of the acacia are very good for making a scourge/a whip!)

 

If this is correct, trees of acacia typify stable, potentially fruit-bearing mortals (humans who could be killed) who will be able to travel at very high speeds (and, if the whip enters in, will be quick and strong to chastise those who don’t cooperate!). That travel, if this is correct, will occur during the Tribulation as groups of these folks go toward Mount Zion during a time when travel will be the most dangerous it has ever been, and when there are more obstacles to travel than there has ever been. These folks will be able to continue traveling as if there are no obstacles and few dangers.

 

16. What does oil typify? It is typical of fatness (not the Holy Spirit)—what gives individuals or groups the wherewithal to continue to do what is right and beneficial when no external resources are available. That extra provides all that is necessary and more than what is necessary to do what is right for others.

 

17. What is a light emanator? It is an object that emanates light (that is, it gives off light; it is a source of light). The word in Hebrew means ‘light giver-offer;’ I would rather use a better word: emanator.

 

18. What do spices typify? They give a sweet fragrance. Yehovah appreciates when behaviours are very good; He can smell works that are excellent and in the fear of Yehovah, and works that are evil!

 

These spices will be used for the oil of the anointing and for the incense of the sweet things so that their fragrances will be so good!

 

19. What does anointing typify, and how is it Biblically done? To anoint is to identify (usually by pouring oil over the head) one as determined and fully equipped for a particular work/function (whether that work or function will be for good or for harm). The oil pouring is a picture. Some shepherds put oil over the heads and in the ears of Sheep and goats to minimize bug problems so that the sheep and goats can graze with fewer distractions and irritations, so that they can produce more wool and milk. A person who is anointed will also be less distracted by external forces in the assigned field of service (or the doing of destruction) than would normally be the case.

 

20. What is incense? It used to be made from tree or bush resins (the liquid that flows from a cut tree or bush), and it was placed on hot coals to give a good-smelling smoke. Incense can now be made of many different things. Incense in the Bible can typify the prayers of Saints (and folks who aren’t yet Saints, but who desire to have the power to do what is right, especially on the behalf of others).

 

21. What is an onyx stone? Hebrew is a curious language. The very same spelling can sometimes be rendered with a very different meaning. This is how types can be found. The words avney-shoham in Hebrew that mean stones of an onyx can also be read as, “My stone is their lamb.” This speaks of the Lamb of God, the Passover Lamb, who is also the stone that the builders rejected:

 

 

Psalm 118:22 “The stone the builders rejected is become the head stone of the corner! 23This is Yehovah’s doing! It is marvellous in our eyes!”

 

 

Thus, this statement tells careful and observant readers that Yehovah’s stone is the Lamb of the Israelis, the Lamb Who takes away the sin of the world. 

 

 

22. What is a filling? It is a setting in these texts: a place where precious stones are set and secured (like what one normally sees in a necklace and earrings).

 

23. What is a Girding? It is a wrap-around piece of cloth that we will consider when we come to it.

 

24. What is an Adornment? It is something that helps something else look fancy, dressed up, special, nice, etc. We will consider this when we come to it.

 

 

 

II. The Sanctuary (verses 8-9)

 

Yehovah next told the Israelis, “And make-ye a sanctuary to me.” He told them why: “And I will abide in your midst.”

 

His directions were very specific: “According to all that I am showing thee, the building of the abiding-place and the building of all of his utensils, and established, ye shall do.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What is a sanctuary in the Bible? It is a place that is owned. In this case, Yehovah will be the owner.

 

The word sanctuary in English normally refers to a place of safety; a place of refuge (from danger or trouble). This is not how it is used in the Bible. Instead, it is a place that is owned.

 

2. What will Yehovah do with this sanctuary? He will abide there in the midst of the Israelis.

 

3. What does abide mean, and how does it differ from dwelling in a place or living in a place? While abide, dwell and living in are similar, the Bible makes distinctions.

 

To abide is to spend time at a particular place. It can be for a short period of time, or it can be for a long period of time. It includes both day and night periods of time, and therefore can be one’s residence, but normally it will be more like the city or village in which a person will stay for an entire period of time.

 

To dwell in a place normally indicates a longer period of time, and it usually indicates the place where a person spends the night. It is more like a residence. To dwell on something in English is to remain there until one is either satisfied or has given up.

 

To live in a place again shows one’s residence: where one normally spends nights and does morning preparations.

 

In Yehovah’s case, He will abide in this sanctuary no matter where the Israelis travel and move the sanctuary. He will be there night and day.

 

4. If Yehovah is everywhere, why does He need or want to abide in the midst of the Israelis? From the beginning, Yehovah desired to abide in the midst of a group—not just any group, but a group that feared Him and consistently did what was right. He chose Israel to be that group. (Because He is everywhere, He can abide in the midst of another group at the same time!) He knew that Israel will eventually become all righteous, and will stay that way as long as the Earth lasts.

 

At this time in the Bible, however, Israel is a group of idolatrous pagans with many different faiths and gods. Yet, Yehovah is setting the stage for the time when Israel fears Him in righteousness with full faith in Him and in Him alone. That way, He can do excellent things for Israel and for all others who come to fear the Gods of Israel no matter from what race they come; that way, the Israelis can go out and serve the other races as faithful slaves to teach them about Yehovah, about righteousness, justice, grace, and every good thing: to teach them the Speeches of Yehovah and His ways.

 

5. What is Yehovah stating when He says, “According to all that I am showing thee, the building of the abiding-place and the building of all of his utensils, and established, ye shall do”? He is telling Moshe to make sure to do/make the construction of the abiding place and the construction of every utensil (every item that serves a useful purpose: every tool) exactly according to the way that Yehovah is showing Moshe. Not one item is to vary in any way from what Moshe is seeing. Everything must be exactly perfect.

 

 

 

III. The Collection Box (verses 10-11)

 

Yehovah told them what next to make: “And ye shall make a trees-of-acacia collection-box.” He gave the dimensions: “Two forearms and a half is his length and a forearm and a half is his breadth and a forearm and a half is his standing.”

 

He then told him [who?] what to do with it: “And thou shalt observe him.” Then switching to the Israelis, He said, “Ye shall observe pure gold from within and from without.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What is a collection box? It is a box in which items are collected and stored.

 

2. What is the purpose of this collection box? It will house special items that typify very important things.

 

3. Why does it have to be made of trees of acacia? I proposed that trees of acacia typify stable, potentially fruit-bearing mortals (humans who could be killed) who will be able to travel at very high speeds (and, if the whip enters in, will be quick and strong to chastise those who don’t cooperate!). If this is correct, a collection box made of what this typifies will have within it certain items to guard: items that will save lives.

 

4. How long is a forearm? It is approximately 18 inches (1 ½ feet).

 

5. How long is two forearms and a half? This would be 18 inches + 18 inches + 9 inches, or 45 inches: a little under 4 feet.

 

6. How long is a forearm and a half? It is 27 inches, or a little over two feet.

 

7. Why did Yehovah choose these particular dimensions? Some of the types will be difficult to figure; they will take much thought.

 

The same word used for forearm also means mother, and refers to a mother with fondness: Ima (pronounced eemah).

 

The same word used for half means my arrow.

 

The Hebrew text appears to be saying, “Two mothers: and my arrow is his length! And a mother: and my arrow is his breadth! And a mother: and my arrow is his standing!” It is as if all for which the box stands will stand for one mother, since Yehovah’s arrow will be there to maintain his standing. (I will later propose that the box typifies Israel during the Tribulation.) It is as if saving the life of each mother in Israel will be what will keep all Israel alive. The same will be true of two mothers of Israel traveling together. This is all a proposal; I have much more certainty in the other types.

 

8. Why is the word standing used instead of height? Yehovah designed the language and these statements for types. The word height would only indicate how high it was; the word standing speaks of an event that will occur in which a group will stand even the faces of terrible opponents, and this weak and small group will not fall!

 

9. The word observe isn’t in any translation anywhere. Why is it in this translation instead of the word overlay, or something like that? Again, Yehovah designed the language and the statements to indicate types. The word normally rendered overlay is rooted in the verb to observe, to look very closely. Thus, I put what the text actually says, and not what translators and scholars have thought that it meant.

 

10. Who is thou in, “And thou shalt observe him,” who is him, and what is the benefit of observing him? Thou is either Moshe or Israel; the practical answer is Israel, since the observation will lead to the Salvation of many in Israel. Him refers to the collection-box. The timing is much later than our time; it is during the Tribulation. Israel will observe what this box typifies, though the Israelis will likely not think of this until much later. They will then observe pure gold from within and without what the box typifies.

 

11. What does this collection box typify? I will give this answer away now, though it would be much better if the reader were to figure this out. However, figuring it out will require reading about the pure gold cover with the cherubs, and figuring out the purpose of that lid! Since that would require much thought, and not many are willing to give the thought necessary, I will talk about this collection box.

 

The collection-box is made of wood (which typifies corruption) and pure gold (the gold typifying incorruptibility and therefore, immortality; the pure part of the gold shows that it is absolutely crystal-glass-clear). Thus, the box shows corruption having put on incorruption. This describes Saints.

 

Now, this box will hold items given to Israel. The cover will be over the box; the box will be carried. This box typifies Israel! (There. I have given the type away.) I will discuss this much more as more of the types of the items described are discussed.

 

12. Does pure gold exist today anywhere on earth? I expect that it does, though one who finds it wouldn’t know that it is gold (the metal) at all. Gold is normally yellow, and it isn’t see-through unless it is extremely thin foil. Even then, it isn’t clear. The yellow seems to be from polluting sulfur that cannot be removed by normal means today. (Folks could do things with metals in the past that they cannot seem to be able to presently do. Perhaps they will discover how to do these things in the not-too-distant future.) Were one in possession of a piece of pure, clear gold today, it wouldn’t be worth merely $1,500 an ounce; it would be worth millions per ounce.

 

 

 

IV. Gold Wreathed Work (verse 11)

 

Yehovah next told him, “And thou shalt make upon him a gold wreathed-work around.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What is wreathed work? It is like the construction of a wreath, which is made by entertwining a vine or something like a vine (flexible branches, say,) with another vine or branch, or with other vines, branches, etc. The idea is to make a structure that shows interweaving (weaving things together).

 

The word for wreathed work is also the Hebrew word for a stranger, a foreigner to faith (and thus, a foreign follower of false gods, being a foreigner because of being from other races), a non-Israeli sinner.

 

Look at this text:

 

Ephesians 2:11 Remember that ye, once the races in the flesh—who are called uncircumcision by that called circumcision in the flesh made by hand—12that ye were at that time apart from Messiah, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promise, not having hope and without God in the world, 13but now in Messiah Yeshua, ye who once were afar off are become near by the blood of the Messiah! 14For He is our peace Who made both one! And He broke down the middle wall of the fence—15having annulled the enmity via His flesh, the teaching of commandments in decrees, in order that He will create the two into one new man via Himself, making peace! 16And He will reconcile both to God in one Body through the cross, having slain the enmity by it! 17And having come, He announced the beneficial-proclamation: peace to you who are afar off and to those near! 18For we both have access to the Father via one Spirit through Him! 19So, then, ye are no longer strangers and sojourners, but-rather fellow citizens of the Saints and of the household of God, 20being built up on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Messiah Yeshua Himself being the cornerstone 21in whom all the building fitted together increases to a holy Temple in Yehovah 22in whom ye are also being built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit!

 

I underlined certain words that I saw connected this text with the text we are considering in Exodus!

 

2. What does this wreathed work typify? I propose that it typifies non-Israeli strangers who are followers of false gods and who have pagan practices who become completely connected to Israel by saving lives of Israelis (and others) during the Tribulation. Some will take Israeli children and babies, some will take very old Israelis, some will take Israelis who cannot walk or who are sick—but all will include at least one Israeli in their works of heroism during the Tribulation to bring them to Mount Zion. They will become totally intertwined with Israel by this means, and will be part of those who are incorruptible (what gold typifies), being like a border of gold around the cover of Israel!

 

 

 

V. Sunk Impressions for the Box (verse 12)

 

Yehovah taught them to form shapes that will teach them about things to come: “And thou shalt pour out to him four sunk-impressions of gold. And thou shalt give upon four of his impellings, and two sunk-impressions upon his one side and two sunk-impressions upon his second side.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What is a sunk impression? When I considered the Hebrew word behind this, I realized that the word indicated two things at the same time: something sunk into something else (that is, it is as if it has been pressed into place deep into something else), and something impressed or pushed down until its shape is inside something else. Thus, I translated the word as sunk-impression.

 

2. How does a sunk impression look? I propose that these sunk impressions of gold are made like sockets to fit into holes in the box so that bars (described later) can be pushed into the box. Here is a proposed picture:

 

 

Sunk Impressions

 

 

These are sunk into the box and made of gold to act as shaft holders for the rods (described later) that go into them.

 

3. What does a sunk impression typify? There are four of them. Four normally indicates universality—that is, that something is true from all four directions: north, south, east and west.

 

These four are sunk into the box that is a type of Israel, and therefore are part of the box, while still being separate from the box in make-up. They are impressions in the box, and they are beautiful, always showing their connections to the box and going through the two sides of the box. They leave four holes in the box by which other structures (that will typify other groups) will be able to connect into the box. Since they are gold, they typify incorruptibility. I propose that they typify groups of persons who gave their lives so that others can be connected into the box of Israel—others who will help carry the box!

 

If these things are right, whatever is made of gold like this will typify either persons who heroically died in faith (and thus, the picture of wood covered with gold, which would be a picture of a living mortal person who has put on incorruption, isn’t used, but just gold since the person is incorruptible, but physically died), or God. These heroic persons left lasting and vital impressions in Israel that remind the Israelis and others of the Messiah.

 

4. What is an impelling, and what does this typify? The Hebrew word paam normally refers to the beating of a clock (even though they never had clocks that beat when this was written!). It shows the rhythm of time. This word means to thrust, impel, push, beat persistently.

 

During the Tribulation, there will be a universal impelling of the Israelis and their friends to move from wherever they are to Mount Zion. No matter where they start out, they will all be impelled to go, and many will be internally impelled to aid the Jews, including saving their lives at the risk or loss of their own lives, just like Yeshua did.

 

5. Why are there two sunk-impressions on one side, and two on the other? One reason is for rods that will be installed, two per side, to carry the box. (I can’t think of another; perhaps you can!)

 

 

 

VI. The Members (verses 13-15)

 

Yehovah told Moshe, “And thou shalt make members of trees of acacia.” He then told him what to do with those members: “And thou shalt observe them: gold.” (Translations use overlay, referring to the gold; I am giving an alternate rendering.)

 

Moshe was to now connect these members to the box: “And thou shalt bring the members via/into the sunk-impressions upon the sides of the collection-box to carry the collection-box via them.”

 

Yehovah explained their vital location: “The members shall be via/into the sunk-impressions of the collection-box! They shall not depart from him!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What are these members? They are parts that are separate, and yet they are joined to the box. They will be extendable/retractable into the box.

 

2. What do these members typify? They typify others who will be joined into the box, yet will be separate from the box. (The box typifies Israel; the cover typifies Yehovah.) Thus, these members will typify non-Jewish folks who will be used to carry the box!

 

3. If Israel observes them, and sees gold, what does this tell? It tells that they will be/become incorruptible; therefore, they will be/become Saints, those who are born of God.

 

4. The wording, “And thou shalt bring the members via/into the sunk-impressions,” permits two different wordings. Why are two different wordings permissible, and what does each wording indicate? When the Hebrew letter bayt is attached to a noun at the beginning, it can mean via, which means by means of, or it can mean into, which shows a location or a location change. Readers can usually easily tell which meaning needs to be used in texts; one will make sense, and the other won’t make as much sense. There are texts, however, where the reader won’t be able to tell which meaning is the best or right. This is because there are quite a few texts in which both meanings are exactly right! I propose that this is such a text.

 

One reading, then, is, “And thou shalt bring the members via the sunk-impressions,” showing that those who typify those sunk-impressions will be the very persons whose heroism will directly ‘lead’ to non-members among the races becoming attached to the box that typifies Israel.

 

The other reading is, “And thou shalt bring the members into the sunk-impressions,” showing that non-members among the races will come into the very place where those who typify the sunk-impressions are already located so that the members and the ‘sunk-impression’ persons will help carry the box that is Israel during the Tribulation.

 

5. What does, “shalt bring the members … upon the sides of the collection-box” mean and indicate? The Hebrew word that means upon also means next to. (It also means a few other things that wouldn’t make as much sense in this text. For example, it can mean concerning, as in this sentence: “I wrote to you concerning the events we are planning.” Thus, concerning in English can mean about: “I wrote to you about the events we are planning.”) I propose that this text shows that these members must be attached to the box by being placed into the sunk-impressions, and these members are attached inside the box, being attached to the sides of the box.

 

If this is correct, it indicates that these members are separate from Israel, but are connected totally within Israel. (Their connection will be permanent.) They are thus under the cover of the box and are visible from the cover.

 

6. What is the purpose of these members? The text explains: they are “to carry the collection-box via them.” That tells two separate things: the members are designed to be handles to carry the collection box, and others use the members to carry the collection box!

 

7. The text states, “The members shall be via/into the sunk-impressions of the collection-box.” What does this mean? The first wording is, “The members shall be via the sunk-impressions of the collection-box.” That shows how the members will become … members! Those who represent the sunk-impressions in Israel will be the ones by whom these persons represented by the members will become members! Heroism on the part of the ‘sunk-impression’ folks will lead to non-Jewish folks becoming members.

 

The second wording is, “The members shall be into the sunk-impressions of the collection-box.” Thus, those members will become connected into Israel by their locations being where the sunk-impression folks were in Israel. This will become obvious to all Israel (if I am right).

 

8. What does “They shall not depart from him” mean? Once those members become connected to Israel by means of the sunk-impression heroes and heroines, they will never depart from Israel for the rest of their lives. That connection will be permanent for the entire Millennium (thousand years during which the Messiah of Israel reigns).

 

 

 

VII. Placement of the Testimonies (verse 16)

 

Yehovah told Moshe, “And thou shalt give the testimonies that I will give unto thee unto the collection-box.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What are these testimonies? They are items that will be placed into the box. Each one testifies (that is, gives a statement as if it is a sworn statement of fact) to something that Yehovah considers very important. These items will be listed later, but I will give them now:

 

  • Aharon’s dead-stick-rod that buds, producing almond buds, almond flowers, and almond fruit
  • A gold jar
  • Manna that is inside the gold jar
  • Two slates that have the Ten Statements (‘Ten Commandments’) written on them with the finger of Yehovah
  • Later on, a copy of the first five, and then, the first six scrolls of the Bible: Genesis through Joshua

2. Yehovah stated, “And thou shalt give the testimonies that I will give unto thee unto the collection-box.” Why did Yehovah employ the wording, “give unto,” as if the testimonies became the property of the collection box? That is exactly what will occur! That collection box typifies Israel! The testimonies will be given to Israel! Moshe will be the one entrusted to give those testimonies to Israel.

 

 

 

VIII. Cover and ‘Crooveem’ (verses 17-20)

 

“And thou shalt make a pure gold cover.” This was the cover for the box. He gave the dimensions: “two forearms and a half her length and a forearm and a half her breadth.”

 

Yehovah told Moshe, “And thou shalt make two Crooveem.” Crooveem are cherubs; cherubs are angels with a high rank among angels and with great power.

 

Of what were they to be made? “Thou shalt make them gold, hard-turned-work from the two edges of the cover.” (See questions for what this describes.)

 

Yehovah then specified from where to make the crooveem: “And make one Croov [one cherub] from the edge from this and one Croov from the edge from this. Ye shall make the Crooveem from the cover upon two of his edges.”

 

In what pose were the crooveem? “And the Crooveem shall be spreaders of wings to an ascension interweaving via their wings upon the cover.”

 

Where were they to be facing? “And the faces of the Crooveem will be their faces, a man unto his brother unto the cover.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. If the cover is pure gold, what does that mean? It means that it is clear, like crystal glass!

 

Revelation 21:21 The street of the city is pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

 

Since the cover has no wood, it portrays no mortal person (person capable of dying). It instead only portrays immortality. God alone is strictly immortal by nature.

 

2. Why must this cover be two forearms and a half by a forearm and a half? It must exactly fit the top of the collection-box.

 

I proposed above that the forearm is also the Hebrew word for mother, and that two forearms can represent two mothers, with the word half in Hebrew also meaning my arrow. If this is at all right, it would read, “Two mothers and my arrow are her length, and a mother and my arrow are her breadth.” I proposed above that these refer to women during the Tribulation who represent all of Israel, since all of Israel will be saved by these women being saved from death.

 

3. What are crooveem? The word crooveem is plural. It is normally spelled cherubim. The singular form is caroov, and it is normally spelled cherub.

 

While there are angels that are crooveem, in this text the crooveem are not regular angels; they are Yehovah Himself. Yet, there are two of them. They are made of gold, showing both immortality (the inability to die) and incorruptibility (never rotting, decaying, never being harmed, hurt, sick, etc.).

 

These ‘angels’ cannot be formed and then connected to the cover; they must be formed while connected to the cover! They must be formed from the two edges of the cover. Thus, whatever the cover is, these crooveem are exactly the same in substance (that is, in the stuff of which they are formed).

 

4. What do the cover and the two crooveem typify? They are made of one piece of pure gold. The cover itself is over all Israel, since the box typifies Israel. The crooveem have their wings spread over the cover and ascending; the wings are also interwoven over the cover. Thus, the crooveem are in a protective position above the cover and above the box that typifies Israel. The two crooveem are facing each other and the cover.

 

When I considered what this cover and crooveem typified, I thought of a text:

 

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hearken, Israel! Yehovah, our Gods, Yehovah is one!

 

I then knew what this cover and crooveem typified.

 

One Caroov is Yehovah the Father.

 

The cover is Yeshua Who is one with the Father.

 

The other Caroov is Yehovah the Spirit.

 

The two Carooveem are pictured as angels because the Angel Yehovah is Yehovah, and yet He appears and acts like an angel (a messenger, since the same word that means angel also means messenger).

 

Yeshua is the Cover because He covers over Israel in so many ways. His blood was shed in order for Him to be the covering for Israel, as well as to remove the sin of Israel.

 

All of Yehovah is involved in protecting Israel (even though Yehovah’s wrath against Israel at various times has brought Israel nearly to extinction).

 

5. What is hard-turned-work? When I considered this Hebrew word, I found that it meant both hard and turned work. Thus, I rendered it hard-turned-work. It describes forming something without any shavings by turning it. It is a process that I don’t understand. It wasn’t done by melting the gold and pouring it into forms; it was done by somehow turning the metal to form the shapes as if the metal were clay. Yehovah gave instruction for doing this; two men were instructed on how to do this, and they did it exactly right. They were also able to teach others how to do this.

 

6. Since the crooveem were made from opposite edges of the cover, what does this show? This shows that Messiah Yeshua, the cover, is both one with Yehovah the Father and Yehovah the Spirit; He is directly connected to both. Yet, He appears separated by shape, but not separated because of the one piece of undivided gold.

 

7. What does “their faces are a man unto his brother” mean? This means that the crooveem are facing each other; they aren’t facing in some other direction.

 

8. What does “Faces of the crooveem shall be unto the cover” mean? This means that they are looking at the cover while they are facing each other.

 

9. Why is the position of their faces so important? This shows that Yehovah, Yeshua, Yehovah are coordinated in all that they are doing while they watch and guard Israel, and while Yeshua covers for all Israel. The plan of God was not broken when Yeshua gave His life to cover Israel! He humbled Himself to become a mortal while He continued to be one substance with Yehovah the Father and Yehovah the Spirit! He thus also became a hero! As a cover, He faced down to the box and up to the two crooveem!

 

Also, Yehovah the Father and Yehovah the Spirit never turned at any time from Yeshua the Cover. (Thus, Yehovah the Father never “turned His back” on Yeshua as some wrongly suppose.)

 

 

 

IX. The Cover, Contents, and Yehovah (verses 21-22)

 

Yehovah stated, “And thou shalt give the cover upon the collection-box from above.”

 

He said what to do with the testimonies: “And thou shalt give the testimonies that I will give unto thee unto the collection-box.”

 

Yehovah promised where and what He would communicate to Moshe: “And I will make known to thee there. And I will speak with thee all that I will command thee unto the children of Israel from upon the cover from between two of the Crooveem that are upon the collection-box of the testimonies!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. Why is Moshe told to “give the cover upon the collection-box from above”? Moshe is acting in the role of Yehovah the Father. Yehovah the Father gave Yeshua, the cover upon Israel, from above—that is, from the heavens:

 

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…

 

John 3:13 No man has ascended up to the heavens except He Who came down from the heavens: the Son of Adam Who is in the heavens!

 

2. Again, why is “And thou shalt give the testimonies that I will give unto thee unto the collection-box” worded that way? Those testimonies mentioned earlier in this chapter will be given unto Israel, the great collection box of Yehovah, to hold them and show them to the world. (We will discuss the items when we come to them.) Please notice how often the word give is used in these texts.

 

3. Yehovah stated, “And I will make known to thee there.” What will He make known? He will make known the testimonies, and He will make many other things known to Israel from the cover of that collection box. He will also make Himself known to Israel from that Cover (that is Messiah!).

 

4. Yehovah stated, “And I will speak with thee all that I will command thee unto the children of Israel from upon the cover from between two of the Crooveem that are upon the collection-box of the testimonies!” What does this show? Since the Cover is between two of the Crooveem, Yehovah will speak with Moshe all that He will command Moshe to tell the children of Israel using Yeshua! This is explained in another text:

 

Revelation 19:10 The testimony of Yeshua is the spirit of prophecy!

 

 

 

X. The Table (verses 23-25)

 

“And thou shalt make a table the trees of acacia.” He again gave dimensions: “two forearms his length and a forearm his breadth and a forearm and a half his standing.” He also again said what to do with the table: “two forearms his length and a forearm his breadth and a forearm and a half his standing.”

 

This table had a particular design around it: “And thou shalt make to him a wreathed-work of gold around.” It also had another structure around it: “And thou shalt make to him a handbreadth enclosure around.” There was then a third structure: “And thou shalt make a wreathed-work of gold to his enclosure around.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What does a table typify? A table is a place for food and for communication. It is a gathering spot for meals and for making decisions. I propose that a table typifies these things.

 

This table has no chairs. Thus, it doesn’t typify sitting, giving me the impression that participants at this table are on the move.

 

If what we proposed above holds, and trees of acacia typify stable, potentially fruit-bearing mortals (humans who could be killed) who will be able to travel at very high speeds, those who typify this table will be ‘gathering spots’ for meals, for decisions and for communication. This table will be made of folks who fulfill the following text:

 

Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of lives! And he who acquires beings is wise!

 

The measure of these folks will again be seen as two forearms as his length and a forearm his breadth and a forearm and a half his standing. If forearms (in Hebrew also meaning mothers) indicates mothers, there will be two mothers who make up the length, one mother who takes care of the breadth, and a mother and “my arrow,” the standing of the table. (I propose that this shows Yehovah’s protection for the table.)

 

I don’t see that the table is identified particularly with Israel. I therefore propose that it refers to non-Jewish Saints who will be saving the lives of Israeli and non-Israeli children (see below).

 

2. What does observing the table to be pure gold indicate? Since wood indicates corruptibility (the ability to rot and decay, and therefore, to die), and gold indicates incorruptibility (showing that beings that are described by this along with wood have been changed from corruption to incorruption, and thus showing that they have been born of God), these who make up this table will be born of God; that will be observable.

 

3. What does wreathed work of gold typify, and what is this? Whatever is wreathed is intertwined, meaning that it is wrapped together as in orbs to form a bond. Think of a wreath where flowers or vines are set in a orb.

 

Each orb being made of gold, I propose that it refers to Yehovah Himself as in this text:

 

Psalm 34:7 Angel Yehovah camped around to His fearers! And He extricated them! [That is, He pulled them out quickly from a deadly situation!]

 

The wreathed work of gold, if this is correct, shows the work of the Angel Yehovah in all the individual cases of the persons who make up this table. The Angel camped around them!

 

4. What is this handbreadth enclosure? The Hebrew word for handbreadth has the following acceptations: to extend, spread, trip, take quick little steps; to spread out; to carry on the palms, dandle; to rear children. The word has everything to do with very young children. Even the word dandle pertains to children, since it means to move a baby or child up and down lightly on one’s knee or in one’s arm (from Dictionary.com).

 

Thus, this table is surrounded and enclosed by little children (Jewish and non-Jewish).

 

5. What is the purpose of this wreathed work of gold that surrounds this enclosure? If what I proposed above is true, again, the Angel Yehovah is completely surrounding the entire enclosure of children and adults who are on the move toward Mount Zion. This reminds me of the sheepfold in John 10!

 

 

 

XI. The Table’s Sunk Impressions (verses 26-27)

 

“And thou shalt make to him four sunk-impressions of gold.”

 

Yehovah told Moshe where to place these: “And thou shalt give the sunk-impressions upon four of the corners that are to four of his feet.”

 

He told what their purpose was: “The sunk-impressions shall be to the communion [union] of the enclosure to houses to the members to carry the table.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What are these sunk-impressions, again? There are four of them. Four normally indicates universality—that is, that something is true from all four directions: north, south, east and west.

 

These four are sunk into the four corners of the Table that is a type of non-Jewish Saints, and therefore are part of those non-Jewish heroic Saints, while still being separate from the Table in make-up. They are impressions that are to four of the Table’s feet, and they are beautiful, always showing their connections to the Table and going through the corners of the Table. They leave four holes in the Table by which other structures (that will typify other groups) will be able to connect into the Table. Since they are gold, they typify incorruptibility. I propose that they typify groups of persons who gave their lives so that others can be connected into the Table of these Saints—others who will help carry the Table!

 

If these things are right, whatever is made of gold like this will typify either persons who heroically died in faith (and thus, the picture of wood covered with gold, which would be a picture of a living mortal person who has put on incorruption, isn’t used, but just gold since the person is incorruptible, but physically died), or God. These heroic persons left lasting and vital impressions in these Saints that remind these Saints and others of the Messiah.

 

Now, there is more to these sunk impressions. They “shall be to the communion [union] of the enclosure to houses to the members to carry the table.” (See the next question.)

 

2. What do these sunk impressions typify?

 

Since their purpose is “to the union of the enclosure,” they will help keep the enclosure intact—those who are enclosing these children and bringing them safely to Mount Zion.

 

Since their purpose is to be “to houses to the members to carry the table,” I propose that they will provide shelter (houses) for the groups that make up this table. They will risk (and often give) their lives in the process of this service; yet, Yehovah will make sure that they will always remain connected to this table; therefore, they will be in the resurrection of the dead Saints. (If I am right, they will come to faith before they die.)

 

3. Who are these members who carry the table? They are akin to the other members that connect into the box: non-Jewish non-saints who will become Saints who are traveling with the Table to carry those who represent the Table.

 

 

 

XII. The Table’s Members (verse 28)

 

“And thou shalt make the members trees of acacia.” He told what to do with them: “And thou shalt observe them: gold.” He also told their purposes: “And he shall carry the table via them.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. Who is he who will carry the table via the trees of acacia members? This is singular, while the table will be carried by priests (plural). Therefore, this isn’t referring to those priests. I propose that this refers to the Messiah of Israel, Yeshua. He will use these acacia-tree-members to carry the table.

 

2. Where else might this table be mentioned? I cannot dismiss the following text from describing this table, since the timing is the same:

 

Psalm 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.

 

In this psalm, the enemies will be able to view this table, but then won’t be able to interfere in any way with what they see.

 

3. Why would the Messiah use these members who are not necessarily yet born of God to carry the table? Yehovah will reward them with life for what they have done, and He will grant them everlasting life by His fervent and burning zeal that prods Him to take action on their behalves because they were willing to take action for His property at the risk of their own lives! Thus, He will use them in order to everlastingly bless them for doing good and what is right!

 

 

 

XIII. Bowls, Spatulas, Cups and Bowls (verse 29)

 

“And thou shalt make his deep-bowls and his depressed-spatulas and his collections-cups and his innocence-bowls that he will pour via them.” He told of what these items must be made: “Thou shalt make them pure gold.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What is this “deep bowl,” and what does it typify? The Hebrew word for bowl is related to a word meaning to cut in a mark. It also contains another Hebrew word that means to empty a vessel so that its inside bottom is made bare. Put together, it describes a person (or a group) that is marked as emptied. I propose that this describes a person or group that has lost a family/families. This person (or group) is very ready to be filled, including to take on responsibility for others to fill the void.

 

2. What is this “palm-of-the-hand spatula,” and what does it typify? The Hebrew word describes the palm of the hand. The palm of the hand is used to grasp. I propose that this describes a person whose hand is now empty, and the person desires to grasp to another.

 

3. What is this “stripped cup,” and what does it typify? The Hebrew word describes stripping bark from a piece of wood, and lathing it until it is a cup-shaped piece (that is therefore hollowed out). This idea of stripping off and hollowing, I propose, describes a person who will be stripped of all cover and possessions, and who will be hollowed out and ready to contain what is necessary for others and their needs.

 

4. What is this “innocence bowl,” and what does it typify? This is another kind of bowl. Inside the word for bowl is the word for innocence. I propose that it describes innocent ones who are ready to be filled, and from which pouring will take place.

 

5. What do these four items have in common? They all have been emptied, and they all are ready to be used and to be filled in order to be poured for others.

 

6. Why must they be made of pure gold? They will reflect only incorruptibility.

 

I have proposed that pure gold either typifies deity or a person/group that is righteous and that will die.

 

I am not comfortable with the second consideration at this time: that it represents deceased heroes/heroines.

 

If I will take these items to be the first consideration, that they represent deity only, and if I look at the attributes of each of these items, I see that Yeshua was marked and cut out from Yehovah to be emptied:

 

Philippians 2:5 This mind shall be in you that was also in Messiah Yeshua 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Himself the form of a slave, and was made in the likeness of men. 8And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death: even the death of the cross.

 

It is Yeshua’s hand that grasps those that the Table represents.

 

He gave Himself to be stripped of all things pertaining to His deity that stopped Him from being in the form of a human slave, and He emptied Himself of all His reputation in order to drink of the cup of the wrath of Yehovah for Israel. He was absolutely innocent. He will pour out wrath on those who try to destroy Israel and Israel’s friends.

 

7. These items are made for use with what structure? They are made for use with the table. Thus, they will serve the table (and what the table typifies). If I am right, and they all represent different kinds of works that Yeshua will do, they show the different forms of action that Yeshua will take on behalf of the Table, what the Table represents.

 

 

 

XIV. Bread of Faces (verse 30)

 

“And thou shalt continually give bread of faces upon the table to my faces!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What is “bread of faces”? The following text gave me the needed clue:

 

Exodus 18:12 And Jethro father-in-law of Moshe took an ascension and sacrifices to Elohim. And Aharon came, and all elders of Israel, to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moshe to the faces of the Elohim.

 

There are times when eating is just normal and regular, and there are times when eating is being done as part of an event done to Yehovah and in front of Yehovah. When eating is done in this second manner, the ‘bread’ (food) is being eaten before the faces of Yehovah, and is termed the bread of faces. I propose that this connects with the following texts:

 

Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.

 

Luke 11:3 Give us day by day our daily bread.

 

If Moshe is a type of Yehovah, the text, “And thou shalt continually give bread of faces upon the table to my faces,” shows what Yehovah will do (or perhaps Moshe is a type of Yeshua!—after all, it is Yeshua’s Kingdom that will come!).

 

Thus, the bread of faces is the food that is eaten directly before Yehovah/Yeshua as part of one of Yehovah’s events.

 

2. Why is to my faces so important in the statement, “And thou shalt continually give bread of faces upon the table to my faces”? These are events in the Tribulation—events that will give the impression that God has turned away from them, except for the miracles that He will regularly do for them. They won’t necessarily know at first that the faces of Yeshua are toward them and for them; they will learn this as time goes on and as they are rescued over and over again from enemies.

 

 

 

XV. The Menorah (verse 31)

 

Yehovah commanded Moshe to build the Menorah: “And thou shalt make a pure gold light-emanator.” He told the process that must be used to make her: “The light-emanator shall be made hard-turned-work.”

 

She has parts; Yehovah told from where they must originate: “Her thigh and her acquisition-beam, her pitchers, her hand-guides and her buddings-forth shall be from her!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What is a light emanator? It is a structure that emanates (radiates, gives off) light. A flashlight (torch) is a light emanator. A lit candle is a light emanator. The sun is a light emanator.

 

2. How will this light emanator appear if it is pure gold? It will appear like crystal glass!

 

3. If it will “be made hard-turned-work,” what does this indicate? It won’t be melted and poured, and it won’t be cut into pieces to make the various parts; it will be fashioned while being one piece, turning the shapes from the one piece of gold. (Again, I do not know the process that a human could do to do this; the Spirit of Yehovah taught men how to do this.)

 

4. What is the thigh of this light emanator? It is like the hip. Consider a proposed picture of this light emanator (also called the Menorah in Hebrew):

 

 

Menorah with Pointer

 

 

The thigh, then, is the central shaft. The other shafts come from this one central shaft.

 

5. What is her acquisition reed? A reed is a plant part that is hollow and liquid-filled (until the liquids dry). Once it is dry, it can be again filled with liquid. Plant reeds of some plants are natural ‘straws’ (like for drinks).

 

I translated the Hebrew word used here as acquisition-reed because the same word that means reed also is the Hebrew word meaning to acquire, to get, to obtain, to purchase.

 

This Menorah has seven acquisition reeds; oil for the Menorah can be added to any of these seven reeds, and they meet together in such a way that when one is filled, all will be filled.

 

6. What is her pitcher? This pitcher is a container for the oil that will supply the flame with fuel. The Hebrew word describes a hill or a city built on a hill. It also is used to describe a cap on one’s head: high up and exposed for all to see.

 

7. What is her hand guide? When I saw this Hebrew word, I wondered why it had four Hebrew letters as its root (instead of the normal three). I then divided the word into two words. When I did, I saw that the first word means the palm of the hand, and the second word means to go on a tour; to guide.

 

The reader needs to know one detail: The entire Menorah is based on the almond tree. (Another text shows this.) Everything described, if this is true, is describing parts of an almond tree. Yet, everything described is a type of things to come.

 

While translators figured that this “hand guide” referred to ‘knops’ (that is, to buds of a plant), the type of this hand guide shows the work that what this Menorah represents will do!

 

8. What is her budding forth? These are blooms (flowers!)

 

9. What does the Menorah typify, and why is the Menorah described as feminine? While this is too early in this text to be able to show what it typifies, I thought that it would be wise to explain this now. The Menorah typifies the seven Spirits of Yehovah, which together are one Spirit! There are seven branches to this pure gold structure, and it gives light. The seven Spirits are described in the following text:

 

Isaiah 11:2 And the spirit of Yehovah shall rest upon Him: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Yehovah.

 

Here is the list:

 

  • The Spirit of Yehovah
  • The Spirit of Wisdom
  • The Spirit of Understanding
  • The Spirit of Counsel
  • The Spirit of Might
  • The Spirit of Knowledge
  • The Spirit of the fear of Yehovah

The central shaft is the Spirit of Yehovah. The other six are connected to the Spirit of Yehovah, and are therefore parts of the Spirit of Yehovah.

 

The seven Spirits are also mentioned in this text:

 

Revelation 4:5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices and seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

 

The Menorah is described as feminine because she will be so much like a woman and a mother in what she does.

 

  • Women have thighs upon which they can carry children
  • Women can acquire both children and what is necessary for children
  • Women so often carry pitchers and provide what is necessary to drink
  • The palms of the hands of women are great guides for children
  • Women can bud forth and produce newly birthed children

I am not saying that men can’t do most of these things, but truly a woman can do all of them if she is wise, resourceful (able to obtain and do what she needs to obtain and do), and in good enough health.

 

Another woman, Wisdom, will be featured in other parts of the Bible. She shows the seven Spirits of Yehovah; she is the Messiah!

 

10. Why must all these things specifically “be from her”? She is the central shaft: She is the Spirit of Yehovah! All of her attributes come from the Spirit of Yehovah!

 

 

 

XVI. Acquisition Beams (verse 32)

 

“And six acquisition-beams are exiting from her sides: three acquisition-beams of the light-emanator from her one side and three acquisition-beams of the light-emanator from her second side.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What is the practical benefit of an acquisition reed? Replace the word reed with straw, referring to a drinking straw. What would be the purpose of an acquisition straw? Isn’t it to obtain juice or some drink from another source (like a cup)? I propose that these reeds typify how different persons or groups will obtain various parts of the Spirit of Yehovah during the Tribulation!

 

1 Corinthians 12:13 For we are all baptized into one body by one Spirit, whether we are Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free, and all have been made to drink into one Spirit!

 

2. Why are there just two sides instead of the reeds being arranged in a complete orb? I don’t know. It is as if she, the Menorah, is designed like a human, but instead having six arms (like some of the angels who have six wings).

 

 

 

XVII. Watching Pitchers, Hand Guides, Budding (verse 33)

 

The Menorah has six acquisition beams. In each are three watching pitchers, a hand guide and a budding forth. The acquisition beams all exit from the light emanator.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What is a watching pitcher? The Hebrew word for almond also means to watch, be alert and wakeful (for something or someone). Now, this Menorah will use these containers (pitchers) that are shaped exactly like almond fruit (not the seed, but the entire fruit, which means that they look like peaches) to store the olive oil that fuels the wick flames. Those pitchers of oil will be watching as if on a hill. Another text refers to this:

 

Matthew 5:14 “Ye are the light of the world! A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15And men don’t light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a lampstand. And it gives light unto all that are in the house! 16Let your light so shine before men so-that they will see your good works and will glorify your Father Who is in the heavens!”

 

The word for pitcher can also refer to a city on a hill! If that city on a hill is watching and alert, it will be able to make beneficial decisions if a friend or an enemy approaches. The Spirit of Yehovah will give groups just such an ability.

 

2. Why did Yehovah design this with three watching pitchers? (Unless He tells me, I don’t know.) The number does tend to correspond to Yehovah the Father, Elohim the Son, and Yehovah the Spirit Who are One, and Who are watching those who have His Spirit in their midst.

 

3. What picture is obtained when the acquisition-reed, the hand-guide and the budding-forth are put together? The work of the Spirit of Yehovah is to acquire (and give), to hand-guide, and to cause to produce fruit (the result of budding-forth when it is completed). These things will be life-saving during the Tribulation when the dangers all around are greater than they have ever been at any time in the history of the planet.

 

4. What is the total number of watching pitchers so far? Three times six is eighteen. I don’t know of that number being significant. I only know that there are three for each reed (for each branch of the Menorah).

 

 

 

XVIII. The Main Beam of the Menorah (verses 34-36)

 

Yehovah explained, “And four watching pitchers, her hand-guides and her buddings-forth are in the light emanator.”

 

He then explained where the hand guides must be located: “And a hand-guide is under two of the acquisition-beams from her, and a hand-guide is under two of the acquisition-beams from her, and a hand-guide is under two of the acquisition-beams from her to six of the acquisition beams exiting from the light emanator.”

 

A vital part of the construction of the Menorah is explained: “Their hand-guides and their acquisition-beams from her will be all of her: one pure gold hard-turned-work.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What are these four watching pitchers (that are shaped like almond fruit), and how are they different from the ones above? They aren’t different except in number. They are located on the central branch.

 

2. What do they typify? What might give me a clue is their number: four. That number usually indicates north, south, east and west. If that is the case, and if they represent Yehovah as I proposed above, their number might represent all the directions that Yehovah is watching as He hand-guides and gives the ability to produce good fruit (from the ‘buddings forth’) to groups who have His Spirit.

 

3. Why is there one hand-guide under two acquisition reeds from her? The same palm-of-the-hand guide is for two acquisition reeds. I propose that this will connect with the following text in which Peter is discussing non-Jewish folks obtaining the Spirit of Yehovah:

 

Acts 11:17 “Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us who believed on the Lord Messiah Yeshua, what was I that I could withstand God?” 18When they heard these things, they held their peace and glorified God, saying, “Then God also granted repentance unto life to the Gentiles!”

 

God had granted repentance unto life to the Gentiles; He had also given those non-Jewish Saints ministerial gifts (miraculous abilities to do what was both impossible and necessary, and do it with ease) by giving them from His Spirit!

 

The one hand guide joins two, and the text tells how they join:

 

The Spirit of Wisdom is joined with the Spirit of Understanding, with one hand guide.

 

The Spirit of counsel is joined with the Spirit of might, with one hand guide.

 

The Spirit of knowledge is joined with the Spirit of the fear of Yehovah, with one hand guide.

 

In each of these cases, the Spirit of Yehovah will give light to groups of the ‘good guys’ going toward Mount Zion, and His Spirit will personally guide them.

 

4. What does “Their hand-guides and their acquisition-reeds shall be from her” mean? This means that no other pieces of pure gold can be used; all the structures must be made from just one piece of pure gold that makes up the base and central shaft.

 

5. What does “All of her is one pure gold hard-turned-work” mean? The entire Menorah must be made from this one piece of pure gold using the form of workmanship that is done by turning. (This sounds like they would be working the gold as if it were clay. This would be miraculous.)

 

6. Why is making the whole thing out of one piece of pure gold so important? This, too, is a type! It shows that the seven Spirits of Yehovah cannot be divided, and the work that they do cannot be divided!

 

 

 

XIX. The Menorah’s Lamps (verse 37)

 

“And thou shalt make her lamps: seven.” Those lamps must ascend (they must go up): “And he shall make-ascend her lamps.” Yehovah explained why: “And they shall lighten upon-across her faces.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What are these seven lamps? I use the following text to give me a clue:

 

Revelation 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars that thou saw in my right hand, and the seven gold lamps: The seven stars are the messengers of the seven congregations, and the seven lamps that thou saw are the seven congregations.

 

If this is correct, there will be seven congregations that each show especially one of the seven Spirits of Yehovah.

 

2. Why must her lamps ascend? Consider this text:

 

Judges 13:20 And he was in the ascension of the flame from upon the altar the heavensward! And Messenger Yehovah ascended in the flame of the altar! And Manoah and his wife are seeing! And they fell upon their faces landward!

 

I propose that this shows that Yehovah will make appearances to the seven congregations in order to tell them very important things, and then He will ascend. He will then cause the light from the seven congregations to ascend in order to give light that will lighten both upon and across the faces of the Spirits of Yehovah.

 

If these things are true, and the Menorah (I know) is the Spirit of Yehovah, the congregations will give light, and this will cause the entire Menorah to radiate light, thus causing others to see the light from the Spirits of Yehovah that are working through these congregations.

 

 

 

XX. The Pure Gold Orb (verses 38-39)

 

This Menorah must have takers and seizers: “And her takers and her seizers are of pure gold.” They will be suspended on a pure gold orb: “He shall make her a pure gold orb with all these utensils.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What are her takers? These are the Menorah’s instruments for taking. Since the Menorah typifies the Spirit of Yehovah, the takers will typify the work of the Spirit of Yehovah to take folks and groups from one place to another in order for them to benefit others.

 

2. What are her seizers? They are instruments of the Spirit of Yehovah used to take hold of persons and permanently remove them from earth and life:

 

Psalm 52:7 Indeed, Mighty-[One] will- everlastingly -break-thee-down! He will seize thee! And He has-torn-thee-away from the Tent and thy root from the land of living-[ones].

 

This Psalm is about bad guys, and it describes how Yeshua will take hold on them, He will remove them, and He will destroy them.

 

3. What are all these utensils? It refers to the entire Menorah and all things related to the Menorah.

 

4. What is an orb? It is a ball-shaped item.

 

5. What does “He shall make her a pure gold orb with all these utensils” mean? He must start out with one ball of pure gold; he must fashion all the parts of the Menorah from that single orb (ball)!

 

 

 

XXI. Exactly Copy the Pattern! (verse 40)

 

Yehovah warned, “And see and make via their building that thou art seeing in the mountain!”

 

Questions

 

1. What must Moshe see? He must see the patterns of everything—of every item that the Israelis will be making. He must remember every item, every item’s size, shape, color, material, etc. in order to perfectly match these things.

 

2. What does “make via their building” mean? This means to make each item exactly the way that Yehovah has built them in the heavens. Every item that the Israelis will make on earth is already made in the heavens!

 

3. Did Moshe see these items in the heavens, or did he see them in the mountain? Moshe was shown the heavenly items while he was in the mountain. Yehovah made sure that Moshe could see them all in the greatest detail so that he could confirm that they are being made exactly correctly!

 

4. Was Moshe able to touch the items that he saw in the mountain? The text doesn’t give this information. I cannot tell how Moshe was able to view the items from all sides (including below them); it sounds as if he would have been able to handle them in order to study them in detail, but Yehovah could have caused the items to be seen, to be turned, and to be viewable from all angles without touching them.

 

Exodus 25 Box Table Light

Box, Table and Light

 

 

Background and printed text: Exodus 25 

 

Exodus 25:1 And Yehovah spoke unto Moshe to say, 2 “Speak unto the children of Israel. And they took an uplifting to me. Ye shall take my uplifting from with every man whose heart will prod him. 3And this is the uplifting that ye shall take from with them: gold and silver and copper 4and shell-fish-cerulean-purple and purple and two earthworms and byssus and goats 5and skins of red rams and skins of seals/badgers and the trees of acacia, 6oil for the light-emanator, spices for the oil of the anointing and for the incense of the sweet-things, 7stones of the onyx and stones of the fillings for the Girding and for the Adornment.

 

8 “And make-ye a sanctuary to me. And I will abide in your midst. 9According to all that I am showing thee, the building of the abiding-place and the building of all of his utensils, and established, ye shall do.

 

10 “And ye shall make a trees-of-acacia collection-box. Two forearms and a half is his length and a forearm and a half is his breadth and a forearm and a half is his standing. 11And thou shalt observe him. Ye shall observe pure gold from within and from without.

 

“And thou shalt make upon him a gold wreathed-work around.

 

12 “And thou shalt pour out to him four sunk-impressions of gold. And thou shalt give upon four of his impellings, and two sunk-impressions upon his one side and two sunk-impressions upon his second side.

 

13 “And thou shalt make members of trees of acacia. And thou shalt observe them: gold. 14And thou shalt bring the members via/into the sunk-impressions upon the sides of the collection-box to carry the collection-box via them. 15The members shall be via/into the sunk-impressions of the collection-box! They shall not depart from him!

 

16 “And thou shalt give the testimonies that I will give unto thee unto the collection-box.

 

17 “And thou shalt make a pure gold cover: two forearms and a half her length and a forearm and a half her breadth. 18And thou shalt make two Crooveem. Thou shalt make them gold, hard-turned-work from the two edges of the cover. 19And make one Croov from the edge from this and one Croov from the edge from this. Ye shall make the Crooveem from the cover upon two of his edges. 20And the Crooveem shall be spreaders of wings to an ascension interweaving via their wings upon the cover. And their faces are a man unto his brother. Faces of the crooveem shall be unto the cover.

 

21 “And thou shalt give the cover upon the collection-box from above. And thou shalt give the testimonies that I will give unto thee unto the collection-box. 22And I will make known to thee there. And I will speak with thee all that I will command thee unto the children of Israel from upon the cover from between two of the Crooveem that are upon the collection-box of the testimonies!

 

23 “And thou shalt make a table the trees of acacia: two forearms his length and a forearm his breadth and a forearm and a half his standing. 24And thou shalt observe him: pure gold. And thou shalt make to him a wreathed-work of gold around. 25And thou shalt make to him a handbreadth enclosure around. And thou shalt make a wreathed-work of gold to his enclosure around.

 

26 “And thou shalt make to him four sunk-impressions of gold. And thou shalt give the sunk-impressions upon four of the corners that are to four of his feet. 27The sunk-impressions shall be to the communion [union] of the enclosure to houses to the members to carry the table.

 

28 “And thou shalt make the members trees of acacia. And thou shalt observe them: gold. And he shall carry the table via them.

 

29 “And thou shalt make his deep-bowls and his palm-of-the-hand-spatulas and his stripped-cups and his innocence-bowls that he will pour via them. Thou shalt make them pure gold.

 

30 “And thou shalt continually give bread of faces upon the table to my faces!

 

31 “And thou shalt make a pure gold light-emanator. The light-emanator shall be made hard-turned-work. Her thigh and her acquisition-reed, her pitchers, her hand-guides and her buddings-forth shall be from her!

 

32 “And six acquisition-reeds are exiting from her sides: three acquisition-reeds of the light-emanator from her one side and three acquisition-reeds of the light-emanator from her second side.

 

33 “Three watching pitchers are in her one acquisition-reed, a hand-guide and a budding-forth, and three watching pitchers are in her one acquisition-reed, a hand-guide and a budding-forth established to six of the acquisition-reeds exiting from the light emanator.

 

34 “And four watching pitchers, her hand-guides and her buddings-forth are in the light emanator. 35And a hand-guide is under two of the acquisition-reeds from her, and a hand-guide is under two of the acquisition-reeds from her, and a hand-guide is under two of the acquisition-reeds from her to six of the acquisition reeds exiting from the light emanator. 36Their hand-guides and their acquisition-reeds shall be from her. All of her is one pure gold hard-turned-work.

 

37 “And thou shalt make her lamps: seven. And he shall make-ascend her lamps. And they shall lighten upon-across her faces.

 

38 “And her takers and her seizers are of pure gold. 39He shall make her a pure gold orb with all these utensils.

 

40 “And see and make via their building that thou art seeing in the mountain!”

 

 

 

I. Items for the Uplifting (verses 1-7)

 

Yehovah spoke unto Moshe so that Moshe would tell these things to the children of Israel. His first directive was, “Speak unto the children of Israel.” He then gave the result of that communication: “And they took an uplifting to me.” (This is like an adult receiving from the hands of a child.)

 

Yehovah didn’t desire that just everyone would give: “Ye shall take my uplifting from with every man whose heart will prod him.”

 

He then gave the contents of that uplifting: “And this is the uplifting that ye shall take from with them: gold and silver and copper and shell-fish-cerulean-purple and purple and two earthworms and byssus and goats and skins of red rams and skins of seals/badgers and the trees of acacia, oil for the light-emanator, spices for the oil of the anointing and for the incense of the sweet-things, stones of the onyx and stones of the fillings for the Girding and for the Adornment.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. Why did Yehovah speak unto Moshe so that he would speak unto the children of Israel (instead of speaking straight to them)?

 

2. What is an uplifting?

 

3. What does “whose heart will prod him” mean?

 

4. Every item typifies something, and every material typifies something. What does gold typify?

 

5. What does silver typify?

 

6. What does copper typify?

 

7. What does shell-fish-cerulean-purple typify?

 

8. What does purple typify?

 

9. What do two earthworms typify?

 

10. What is byssus, and what does it typify?

 

11. What does a goat typify?

 

12. What do skins of red rams typify?

 

13. What do seals/badgers typify?

 

14. What do trees typify?

 

16. What does oil typify?

 

17. What is a light emanator?

 

18. What do spices typify?

 

19. What does anointing typify, and how is it Biblically done?

 

20. What is incense?

 

21. What is an onyx stone?

 

22. What is a filling?

 

23. What is a Girding?

 

24. What is an Adornment?

 

 

 

II. The Sanctuary (verses 8-9)

 

Yehovah next told the Israelis, “And make-ye a sanctuary to me.” He told them why: “And I will abide in your midst.”

 

His directions were very specific: “According to all that I am showing thee, the building of the abiding-place and the building of all of his utensils, and established, ye shall do.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What is a sanctuary in the Bible?

 

2. What will Yehovah do with this sanctuary?

 

3. What does abide mean, and how does it differ from dwelling in a place or living in a place?

 

4. If Yehovah is everywhere, why does He need or want to abide in the midst of the Israelis?

 

5. What is Yehovah stating when He says, “According to all that I am showing thee, the building of the abiding-place and the building of all of his utensils, and established, ye shall do”?

 

 

 

III. The Collection Box (verses 10-11)

 

Yehovah told them what next to make: “And ye shall make a trees-of-acacia collection-box.” He gave the dimensions: “Two forearms and a half is his length and a forearm and a half is his breadth and a forearm and a half is his standing.”

 

He then told him [who?] what to do with it: “And thou shalt observe him.” Then switching to the Israelis, He said, “Ye shall observe pure gold from within and from without.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What is a collection box?

 

2. What is the purpose of this collection box?

 

3. Why does it have to be made of trees of acacia?

 

4. How long is a forearm?

 

5. How long is two forearms and a half?

 

6. How long is a forearm and a half?

 

7. Why did Yehovah choose these particular dimensions?

 

8. Why is the word standing used instead of height?

 

9. The word observe isn’t in any translation anywhere. Why is it in this translation instead of the word overlay, or something like that?

 

10. Who is thou in, “And thou shalt observe him,” who is him, and what is the benefit of observing him?

 

11. What does this collection box typify?

 

12. Does pure gold exist today anywhere on earth?

 

 

 

IV. Gold Wreathed Work (verse 11)

 

Yehovah next told him, “And thou shalt make upon him a gold wreathed-work around.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What is wreathed work?

 

2. What does this wreathed work typify?

 

 

 

V. Sunk Impressions for the Box (verse 12)

 

Yehovah taught them to form shapes that will teach them about things to come: “And thou shalt pour out to him four sunk-impressions of gold. And thou shalt give upon four of his impellings, and two sunk-impressions upon his one side and two sunk-impressions upon his second side.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What is a sunk impression?

 

2. How does a sunk impression look?

 

3. What does a sunk impression typify?

 

4. What is an impelling, and what does this typify?

 

5. Why are there two sunk-impressions on one side, and two on the other?

 

 

 

VI. The Members (verses 13-15)

 

Yehovah told Moshe, “And thou shalt make members of trees of acacia.” He then told him what to do with those members: “And thou shalt observe them: gold.” (Translations use overlay, referring to the gold; I am giving an alternate rendering.)

 

Moshe was to now connect these members to the box: “And thou shalt bring the members via/into the sunk-impressions upon the sides of the collection-box to carry the collection-box via them.”

 

Yehovah explained their vital location: “The members shall be via/into the sunk-impressions of the collection-box! They shall not depart from him!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What are these members?

 

2. What do these members typify?

 

3. If Israel observes them, and sees gold, what does this tell?

 

4. The wording, “And thou shalt bring the members via/into the sunk-impressions,” permits two different wordings. Why are two different wordings permissible, and what does each wording indicate?

 

5. What does, “shalt bring the members … upon the sides of the collection-box” mean and indicate?

 

6. What is the purpose of these members?

 

7. The text states, “The members shall be via/into the sunk-impressions of the collection-box.” What does this mean?

 

8. What does “They shall not depart from him” mean?

 

 

 

VII. Placement of the Testimonies (verse 16)

 

Yehovah told Moshe, “And thou shalt give the testimonies that I will give unto thee unto the collection-box.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What are these testimonies?

 

2. Yehovah stated, “And thou shalt give the testimonies that I will give unto thee unto the collection-box.” Why did Yehovah employ the wording, “give unto,” as if the testimonies became the property of the collection box?

 

 

 

VIII. Cover and ‘Crooveem’ (verses 17-20)

 

“And thou shalt make a pure gold cover.” This was the cover for the box. He gave the dimensions: “two forearms and a half her length and a forearm and a half her breadth.”

 

Yehovah told Moshe, “And thou shalt make two Crooveem.” Crooveem are cherubs; cherubs are angels with a high rank among angels and with great power.

 

Of what were they to be made? “Thou shalt make them gold, hard-turned-work from the two edges of the cover.” (See questions for what this describes.)

 

Yehovah then specified from where to make the crooveem: “And make one Croov [one cherub] from the edge from this and one Croov from the edge from this. Ye shall make the Crooveem from the cover upon two of his edges.”

 

In what pose were the crooveem? “And the Crooveem shall be spreaders of wings to an ascension interweaving via their wings upon the cover.”

 

Where were they to be facing? “And the faces of the Crooveem will be their faces, a man unto his brother unto the cover.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. If the cover is pure gold, what does that mean?

 

2. Why must this cover be two forearms and a half by a forearm and a half?

 

3. What are crooveem?

 

4. What do the cover and the two crooveem typify?

 

5. What is hard-turned-work?

 

6. Since the crooveem were made from opposite edges of the cover, what does this show?

 

7. What does “their faces are a man unto his brother” mean?

 

8. What does “Faces of the crooveem shall be unto the cover” mean?

 

9. Why is the position of their faces so important?

 

 

 

IX. The Cover, Contents, and Yehovah (verses 21-22)

 

Yehovah stated, “And thou shalt give the cover upon the collection-box from above.”

 

He said what to do with the testimonies: “And thou shalt give the testimonies that I will give unto thee unto the collection-box.”

 

Yehovah promised where and what He would communicate to Moshe: “And I will make known to thee there. And I will speak with thee all that I will command thee unto the children of Israel from upon the cover from between two of the Crooveem that are upon the collection-box of the testimonies!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. Why is Moshe told to “give the cover upon the collection-box from above”?

 

2. Again, why is “And thou shalt give the testimonies that I will give unto thee unto the collection-box” worded that way?

 

3. Yehovah stated, “And I will make known to thee there.” What will He make known?

 

4. Yehovah stated, “And I will speak with thee all that I will command thee unto the children of Israel from upon the cover from between two of the Crooveem that are upon the collection-box of the testimonies!” What does this show?

 

 

 

X. The Table (verses 23-25)

 

“And thou shalt make a table the trees of acacia.” He again gave dimensions: “two forearms his length and a forearm his breadth and a forearm and a half his standing.” He also again said what to do with the table: “two forearms his length and a forearm his breadth and a forearm and a half his standing.”

 

This table had a particular design around it: “And thou shalt make to him a wreathed-work of gold around.” It also had another structure around it: “And thou shalt make to him a handbreadth enclosure around.” There was then a third structure: “And thou shalt make a wreathed-work of gold to his enclosure around.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What does a table typify?

 

2. What does observing the table to be pure gold indicate?

 

3. What does wreathed work of gold typify, and what is this?

 

4. What is this handbreadth enclosure?

 

5. What is the purpose of this wreathed work of gold that surrounds this enclosure?

 

 

 

XI. The Table’s Sunk Impressions (verses 26-27)

 

“And thou shalt make to him four sunk-impressions of gold.”

 

Yehovah told Moshe where to place these: “And thou shalt give the sunk-impressions upon four of the corners that are to four of his feet.”

 

He told what their purpose was: “The sunk-impressions shall be to the communion [union] of the enclosure to houses to the members to carry the table.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What are these sunk-impressions, again?

 

2. What do these sunk impressions typify?

 

3. Who are these members who carry the table?

 

 

 

XII. The Table’s Members (verse 28)

 

“And thou shalt make the members trees of acacia.” He told what to do with them: “And thou shalt observe them: gold.” He also told their purposes: “And he shall carry the table via them.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. Who is he who will carry the table via the trees of acacia members?

 

2. Where else might this table be mentioned?

 

3. Why would the Messiah use these members who are not necessarily yet born of God to carry the table?

 

 

 

XIII. Bowls, Spatulas, Cups and Bowls (verse 29)

 

“And thou shalt make his deep-bowls and his depressed-spatulas and his collections-cups and his innocence-bowls that he will pour via them.” He told of what these items must be made: “Thou shalt make them pure gold.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What is this “deep bowl,” and what does it typify?

 

2. What is this “palm-of-the-hand spatula,” and what does it typify?

 

3. What is this “stripped cup,” and what does it typify?

 

4. What is this “innocence bowl,” and what does it typify?

 

5. What do these four items have in common?

 

6. Why must they be made of pure gold?

 

7. These items are made for use with what structure?

 

 

 

XIV. Bread of Faces (verse 30)

 

“And thou shalt continually give bread of faces upon the table to my faces!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What is “bread of faces”?

 

2. Why is to my faces so important in the statement, “And thou shalt continually give bread of faces upon the table to my faces”?

 

 

 

XV. The Menorah (verse 31)

 

Yehovah commanded Moshe to build the Menorah: “And thou shalt make a pure gold light-emanator.” He told the process that must be used to make her: “The light-emanator shall be made hard-turned-work.”

 

She has parts; Yehovah told from where they must originate: “Her thigh and her acquisition-reed, her pitchers, her hand-guides and her buddings-forth shall be from her!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What is a light emanator?

 

2. How will this light emanator appear if it is pure gold?

 

3. If it will “be made hard-turned-work,” what does this indicate?

 

4. What is the thigh of this light emanator?

 

5. What is her acquisition reed?

 

6. What is her pitcher?

 

7. What is her hand guide?

 

8. What is her budding forth?

 

9. What does the Menorah typify, and why is the Menorah described as feminine?

 

10. Why must all these things specifically “be from her”?

 

 

 

XVI. Acquisition Reeds (verse 32)

 

“And six acquisition-reeds are exiting from her sides: three acquisition-reeds of the light-emanator from her one side and three acquisition-reeds of the light-emanator from her second side.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What is the practical benefit of an acquisition reed?

 

2. Why are there just two sides instead of the reeds being arranged in a complete orb?

 

 

 

XVII. Watching Pitchers, Hand Guides, Budding (verse 33)

 

The Menorah has six acquisition beams. In each are three watching pitchers, a hand guide and a budding forth. The acquisition beams all exit from the light emanator.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What is a watching pitcher?

 

2. Why did Yehovah design this with three watching pitchers?

 

3. What picture is obtained when the acquisition-reed, the hand-guide and the budding-forth are put together?

 

4. What is the total number of watching pitchers so far?

 

 

 

XVIII. The Main Beam of the Menorah (verses 34-36)

 

Yehovah explained, “And four watching pitchers, her hand-guides and her buddings-forth are in the light emanator.”

 

He then explained where the hand guides must be located: “And a hand-guide is under two of the acquisition-beams from her, and a hand-guide is under two of the acquisition-beams from her, and a hand-guide is under two of the acquisition-beams from her to six of the acquisition beams exiting from the light emanator.”

 

A vital part of the construction of the Menorah is explained: “Their hand-guides and their acquisition-beams from her will be all of her: one pure gold hard-turned-work.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What are these four watching pitchers (that are shaped like almond fruit), and how are they different from the ones above?

 

2. What do they typify?

 

3. Why is there one hand-guide under two acquisition reeds from her?

 

4. What does “Their hand-guides and their acquisition-reeds shall be from her” mean?

 

5. What does “All of her is one pure gold hard-turned-work” mean?

 

6. Why is making the whole thing out of one piece of pure gold so important?

 

 

 

XIX. The Menorah’s Lamps (verse 37)

 

“And thou shalt make her lamps: seven.” Those lamps must ascend (they must go up): “And he shall make-ascend her lamps.” Yehovah explained why: “And they shall lighten upon-across her faces.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What are these seven lamps?

 

2. Why must her lamps ascend?

 

 

 

XX. The Pure Gold Circle (verses 38-39)

 

This Menorah must have takers and seizers: “And her takers and her seizers are of pure gold.” They will be suspended on a pure gold circle: “He shall make her a pure gold circle with all these utensils.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What are her takers?

 

2. What are her seizers?

 

3. What are all these utensils?

 

4. What is an orb?

 

5. What does “He shall make her a pure gold orb with all these utensils” mean?

 

 

 

XXI. Exactly Copy the Pattern! (verse 40)

 

Yehovah warned, “And see and make via their building that thou art seeing in the mountain!”

 

Questions

 

1. What must Moshe see?

 

2. What does “make via their building” mean?

 

3. Did Moshe see these items in the heavens, or did he see them in the mountain?

 

4. Was Moshe able to touch the items that he saw in the mountain?

 

Exodus 24 Forty Days and Nights

Forty Days and Nights

 

 

Background and printed text: Exodus 24 

 

Exodus 24:1 And He said unto Moshe, “Ascend unto Yehovah—thou and Aharon, Nadav and Avihu and seventy from elders of Israel. And ye shall worship from a distance. 2And Moshe to his alone shall come-close unto Yehovah. And they, they shall not come-close. And the people—they shall not ascend with him!”

 

3And Moshe came. And he scrolled to the people all the speeches of Yehovah and all the justices. And all the people answered, one voice. And they said, “We will do all the speeches that Yehovah spoke!”

 

4And Moshe wrote all the speeches of Yehovah. And he early-rose in the morning. And he built an altar under the mountain, and twelve pillars to twelve of the tribes of Israel. 5And he sent youths of the children of Israel. And they ‘ascended’ ascensions. And they sacrificed ‘peaces’ sacrifices to Yehovah: bulls. 6And Moshe took half the blood. And he put into basins. And he sprinkled half the blood upon the altar.

 

7And he took the scroll of the Covenant. And he called into ears of the people. And they said, “We will do all that Yehovah spoke! And we have hearkened!” 8And Moshe took the blood. And he sprinkled upon the people. And he said, “Behold blood of the Covenant that Yehovah cut with you concerning all these speeches!”

 

9And Moshe ascended, and Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, and seventy from elders of Israel. 10And they saw Gods of Israel! And under His feet is as the work of a brick of the sapphire and as a bone of the heavens to cleanness! 11And He didn’t send His hand unto the ‘proximitous’-[ones] of the children of Israel. And they envisioned the Elohim! And they ate, and they drank!

 

12And Yehovah said unto Moshe, “Ascend mountainward unto me. And be there! And I will give her to thee—blackboards of the stone—and the Teaching and the Commandment that I wrote to teach them.”

 

13And Moshe arose, and Yehoshua [Joshua] his minister. And Moshe ascended unto Mount The-Elohim. 14And he said unto the elders, “Sit-ye to us in this until-that we will return unto you. And behold, Aharon and Hur are with you. Who is a master of speeches will come-close unto them!”

 

15And Moshe ascended unto the mountain. And the cloud blanket-covered the mountain. 16And Glory Yehovah abode upon Mount Sinai. And the cloud blanket-covered him six of the days. And He called unto Moshe in day the seventh from the midst of the cloud. 17And the appearance of Glory Yehovah is as a fire eating in the head of the mountain to the eyes of the children of Israel. 18And Moshe came into the midst of the cloud. And he ascended unto the mountain. And Moshe was in the mountain forty day and forty night. 

 

 

 

I. Ascending, Worshipping, Coming Close (verses 1-2)

 

Yehovah told Moshe, “Ascend unto Yehovah—thou and Aharon, Nadav and Avihu and seventy from elders of Israel.” He then told them what to do: “And ye shall worship from a distance.”

 

Yehovah continued to specify: “And Moshe to his alone shall come-close unto Yehovah. And they, they shall not come-close.”

 

He then stated regarding the Israelis: “And the people—they shall not ascend with him!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why did “He” say unto Moshe to ascend unto Yehovah if He is Yehovah?

 

2.     Why did Yehovah desire 74 persons to ascend to Him (even if most of them had to keep a distance)?

 

3.     What does worship mean?

 

4.     Why did Yehovah tell them to worship? What was the purpose of their worshipping?

 

5.     Who are Nadav and Avihu?

 

6.     What does “Moshe to his alone” mean?

 

7.     Why did Yehovah desire Moshe to come close to Him, while desiring the others to stay back?

 

8.     Why was a command against the people ascending given?

 

9.     Since Yehovah is everywhere, why wouldn’t there be just as much danger being anywhere and not being right before Yehovah?

 

 

 

II. Speeches and Justices (verse 3)

 

Moshe came. He then detailed in order to all the people of Israel all the speeches of Yehovah and all the justices of Yehovah.

 

The people of Israel answered with one voice! They said, ““We will do all the speeches that Yehovah spoke!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Verse 3 states, “And Moshe came.” Where did he come?

 

2.     What does “he scrolled to the people” mean?

 

3.     How many speeches did Yehovah give?

 

4.     What are the justices of Yehovah?

 

5.     What does “And all the people answered, one voice” mean?

 

6.     The people of Israel agreed to do all the speeches that Yehovah spoke. Will they follow through and do all?

 

7.     Why did they promise to do all the speeches of Yehovah, then?

 

 

 

III. Writing Speeches and Sacrificing ‘Peaces’ (verses 4-6)

 

Moshe wrote down all the speeches of Yehovah.

 

He rose up early in the morning. He built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and he built twelve pillars corresponding to twelve of the tribes of Israel.

 

He then sent youths of the children of Israel to cause ascension sacrifices to ascend (on the altar). They sacrificed ‘peaces’ sacrifices to Yehovah; those sacrifices were bulls.

 

Moshe then took half the blood and put it into basins. He then sprinkled half the blood upon the altar.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Where did Moshe write all the speeches of Yehovah?

 

2.     Why did Moshe wait for a day when Yehovah told him to ascend to Yehovah?

 

3.     Why did Moshe rise early in the morning?

 

4.     The text states, “he built an altar under the mountain.” What does that mean?

 

5.     Why did he build an altar?

 

6.     Why did he build twelve pillars, and how did these pillars appear?

 

7.     What was the purpose of these twelve pillars?

 

8.     Why did Moshe send youths?

 

9.     What does “they ‘ascended’ ascensions” mean?

 

10.  What does “they sacrificed ‘peaces’ sacrifices to Yehovah: bulls” mean?

 

11.  Why did Moshe take just half of the blood to put into basins?

 

12.  How much blood was there?

 

13.  What is the purpose of sprinkling blood upon the altar?

 

 

 

IV. Blood of the Covenant (verses 7-8)

 

Moshe took the scroll of the Covenant. He then called its contents into the ears of the people of Israel.

 

They responded, ““We will do all that Yehovah spoke! And we have hearkened!”

 

Moshe took the blood; he then sprinkled that blood upon the people. And he said, “Behold blood of the Covenant that Yehovah cut with you concerning all these speeches!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is this scroll of the Covenant?

 

2.     What does “he called into ears of the people” mean?

 

3.     The Israelis responded, “We will do all that Yehovah spoke!” Is that true?

 

4.     The Israelis also said, “And we have hearkened!” Had they hearkened?

 

5.     What does hearken mean?

 

6.     Why did Moshe sprinkle the blood of the bulls upon the people? Wouldn’t that stain their clothing?

 

7.     Moshe then stated, “Behold blood of the Covenant that Yehovah cut with you concerning all these speeches!” Is a covenant cut?

 

8.     When did Yehovah cut this Covenant with the Israelis?

 

9.     What does “Behold blood of the Covenant that Yehovah cut with you concerning all these speeches” mean?

 

 

 

V. Seeing and Envisioning the Gods of Israel (verses 9-11)

 

Moshe now ascended along with Aharon, Nadav, Avihu, and seventy from the elders of Israel. And they saw Gods of Israel! Under His feet is as the work of a brick of the sapphire, and as a ‘bone’ of the heavens for its cleanness! During this time, Yehovah didn’t send His hand unto those who had come close to Him from the children of Israel! Thus, they envisioned the Gods (the Elohim)! Yet, they still ate and drank!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What did Moshe, Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, and seventy from elders of Israel ascend?

 

2.     Why did Yehovah desire seventy from the elders of Israel?

 

3.     Did these men directly see Gods of Israel?

 

4.     Why would Yehovah desire these men to see Him if He desires that they will live by faith, and not by sight?

 

5.     What is a brick of the sapphire?

 

6.     What is a bone of the heavens?

 

7.     What does “as a bone of the heavens to cleanness” mean?

 

8.     Was what was under His feet pretty?

 

9.     What is a “proximitous” one (seeing that the word proximitous is made up)?

 

10.  Who are these ‘proximitous’ ones?

 

11.  Why does the text specify that He didn’t send His hand unto them, and what does this mean?

 

12.  What does “they envisioned the Elohim” mean?

 

13.  Why does the text add, “And they ate, and they drank”?

 

 

 

VI. The Teaching and the Commandment on Stone Blackboards (verse 12)

 

Yehovah now had more instructions for Moshe: “Ascend mountainward unto me. And be there! And I will give her to thee—blackboards of the stone—and the Teaching and the Commandment that I wrote to teach them.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Yehovah said unto Moshe, “Ascend mountainward unto me.” Wasn’t Moshe already ‘mountainward’—that is, hadn’t he already gone toward and up the mountain?

 

2.     What is her in, “And I will give her to thee—blackboards of the stone—and the Teaching and the Commandment that I wrote to teach them”?

 

3.     What are blackboards of the stone?

 

4.     Why did Yehovah specify that these blackboards will be made of stone (instead of wood, for example)?

 

5.     Both words Teaching and Commandment are singular. Yet, there appears to be quite a few teachings and quite a few commandments. Why did Yehovah make those singular?

 

6.     When did Yehovah write the blackboards to teach ‘them,’ and who are ‘them’?

 

 

 

VII. Moshe, Joshua, Aharon and Hur (verses 13-14)

 

Moshe arose to do as he was told. Yehoshua his minister also arose.

 

Moshe ascended unto Mount The-Elohim.

 

Moshe commanded the elders, “Sit-ye to us in this until-that we will return unto you.”

 

Moshe then told them how to handle things: “And behold, Aharon and Hur are with you. Who is a master of speeches will come-close unto them!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why does the text record that Yehoshua also rose with Moshe?

 

2.     What is a minister as it is used in this text, and as it is used in modern Christianity?

 

3.     What is Mount The-Elohim?

 

4.     Moshe said unto the elders, “Sit-ye to us in this until-that we will return unto you.” Identify us and we:

 

5.     What is this in, “Sit-ye to us in this until-that we will return unto you,” and what does “Sit-ye to us” mean?

 

6.     Why did Moshe mention that Aharon and Hur are with them?

 

7.     Moshe next stated, “Who is a master of speeches will come-close unto them!” What does this mean?

 

8.     How could anyone who is a ‘master of speeches’ come close unto Aharon and Hur if Yehovah explicitly commanded the Israelis to not even touch the mountain, and Aharon and Hur are part way up the mountain and in sight of Yehovah?

 

 

 

VIII. Glory, Cloud and Mountain (verses 15-18)

 

Moshe now ascended unto the mountain.

 

The cloud blanket-covered the mountain.

 

Glory Yehovah abode upon Mount Sinai. The cloud blanket-covered him six of the days!

 

Yehovah called unto Moshe in the seventh day from the midst of the cloud.

 

Glory Yehovah’s appearance is as a fire ‘eating’ at the top of the mountain; this was visible to the children of Israel.

 

Moshe came into the midst of the cloud. He ascended unto the mountain.

 

Moshe was in the mountain forty days and forty nights!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     The text states, “And Moshe ascended unto the mountain.” Wasn’t he already there?

 

2.     What cloud blanket-covered the mountain, and what does blanket-covered mean?

 

3.     Why did Yehovah make sure to entirely blanket-cover the mountain?

 

4.     The next statement is, “And Glory Yehovah abode upon Mount Sinai.” What is Glory, and what is Glory Yehovah?

 

5.     What does abode mean?

 

6.     Who is him in, “And the cloud blanket-covered him six of the days”?

 

7.     What was occurring during that six-day period?

 

8.     Why did Yehovah wait six days before calling to Moshe?

 

9.     Where was Moshe when Yehovah called unto him from the midst of the cloud?

 

10.  Did the rest of the Israelis hear Yehovah call Moshe?

 

11.  The text describes the appearance of Glory Yehovah being like a fire eating. What does this mean?

 

12.  What was the fire eating?

 

13.  What is the head of the mountain?

 

14.  What does “to the eyes of the children of Israel” mean?

 

15.  Why did Yehovah desire the Israelis to see these things?

 

16.  What does “And Moshe was in the mountain forty day and forty night” mean, and why aren’t day and night plural?

 

17.  Didn’t Moshe get hungry and thirsty?

 

Exodus 24 Forty Days and Nights QA

Forty Days and Nights

With Questions and Proposed Answers

 

 

Background and printed text: Exodus 24 

 

Exodus 24:1 And He said unto Moshe, “Ascend unto Yehovah—thou and Aharon, Nadav and Avihu and seventy from elders of Israel. And ye shall worship from a distance. 2And Moshe to his alone shall come-close unto Yehovah. And they, they shall not come-close. And the people—they shall not ascend with him!”

 

3And Moshe came. And he scrolled to the people all the speeches of Yehovah and all the justices. And all the people answered, one voice. And they said, “We will do all the speeches that Yehovah spoke!”

 

4And Moshe wrote all the speeches of Yehovah. And he early-rose in the morning. And he built an altar under the mountain, and twelve pillars to twelve of the tribes of Israel. 5And he sent youths of the children of Israel. And they ‘ascended’ ascensions. And they sacrificed ‘peaces’ sacrifices to Yehovah: bulls. 6And Moshe took half the blood. And he put into basins. And he sprinkled half the blood upon the altar.

 

7And he took the scroll of the Covenant. And he called into ears of the people. And they said, “We will do all that Yehovah spoke! And we have hearkened!” 8And Moshe took the blood. And he sprinkled upon the people. And he said, “Behold blood of the Covenant that Yehovah cut with you concerning all these speeches!”

 

9And Moshe ascended, and Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, and seventy from elders of Israel. 10And they saw Gods of Israel! And under His feet is as the work of a brick of the sapphire and as a bone of the heavens to cleanness! 11And He didn’t send His hand unto the ‘proximitous’-[ones] of the children of Israel. And they envisioned the Elohim! And they ate, and they drank!

 

12And Yehovah said unto Moshe, “Ascend mountainward unto me. And be there! And I will give her to thee—blackboards of the stone—and the Teaching and the Commandment that I wrote to teach them.”

 

13And Moshe arose, and Yehoshua [Joshua] his minister. And Moshe ascended unto Mount The-Elohim. 14And he said unto the elders, “Sit-ye to us in this until-that we will return unto you. And behold, Aharon and Hur are with you. Who is a master of speeches will come-close unto them!”

 

15And Moshe ascended unto the mountain. And the cloud blanket-covered the mountain. 16And Glory Yehovah abode upon Mount Sinai. And the cloud blanket-covered him six of the days. And He called unto Moshe in day the seventh from the midst of the cloud. 17And the appearance of Glory Yehovah is as a fire eating in the head of the mountain to the eyes of the children of Israel. 18And Moshe came into the midst of the cloud. And he ascended unto the mountain. And Moshe was in the mountain forty day and forty night. 

 

 

 

 

 

I. Ascending, Worshipping, Coming Close (verses 1-2)

 

Yehovah told Moshe, “Ascend unto Yehovah—thou and Aharon, Nadav and Avihu and seventy from elders of Israel.” He then told them what to do: “And ye shall worship from a distance.”

 

Yehovah continued to specify: “And Moshe to his alone shall come-close unto Yehovah. And they, they shall not come-close.”

 

He then stated regarding the Israelis: “And the people—they shall not ascend with him!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Why did “He” say unto Moshe to ascend unto Yehovah if He is Yehovah? This occurs quite a few times in the Bible: Yehovah refers to Himself as if He is referring to someone else. This is one of the ways that Yehovah gives readers a clue that He will show Himself as more than one being throughout the texts!

 

2.    Why did Yehovah desire 74 persons to ascend to Him (even if most of them had to keep a distance)? This was very important for the Israelis to experience. When Yehovah comes at the end of the Tribulation, those who await His coming must understand how that coming will be and how they will be affected. The Israelis in Moshe’s day also needed to hear from these 74 folks that they truly saw Yehovah since the rest of the Israelis will not be able to see Yehovah in this way.

 

3.    What does worship mean? It means to lie flat before another, and it either indicates surrender or the willingness to serve. It can also indicate that the person lying flat has an urgent request.

 

4.    Why did Yehovah tell them to worship? What was the purpose of their worshipping? This was vital for all Israel to know; they prostrated before Yehovah showing their willingness to serve Him.

 

5.    Who are Nadav and Avihu? They are two sons of Aharon who will function as leaders of the priests of Israel.

 

6.    What does “Moshe to his alone” mean? This is what the Hebrew expression literally means. We would say, “Moshe alone,” but the expression indicates something even stronger. A person could be ‘alone’ in a crowd. This expression indicates that absolutely no one else can accompany him.

 

7.    Why did Yehovah desire Moshe to come close to Him, while desiring the others to stay back? Yehovah knew the characters of each of these men. He knew that Moshe feared Him and was willing to do as He commanded. He also knew that the other men did not need to physically come close to Him. Yehovah had things to say and to give to Moshe; the other men just needed to witness Moshe’s going and coming, and Yehovah’s appearance.

 

8.    Why was a command against the people ascending given? The Israelis were pagan idolaters. Had they ascended, Yehovah would have had cause to harm them. Instead, He made sure that they remained a short distance from the mountain.

 

9.    Since Yehovah is everywhere, why wouldn’t there be just as much danger being anywhere and not being right before Yehovah? There is just as much danger; only, Yehovah has determined to give time to individuals to come to fear Him. He has made sure that they don’t feel the great danger, though He has warned them that the danger is real. Turning to Yehovah in fear of the great danger is fine, but it doesn’t necessarily lead to faith in Him. Faith comes by hearkening, and hearkening comes by the speech of God, not by fear of His danger.

 

 

 

II. Speeches and Justices (verse 3)

 

Moshe came. He then detailed in order to all the people of Israel all the speeches of Yehovah and all the justices of Yehovah.

 

The people of Israel answered with one voice! They said, ““We will do all the speeches that Yehovah spoke!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Verse 3 states, “And Moshe came.” Where did he come? He came to the Israelis. He didn’t yet ascend to Yehovah. He first had to inform the Israelis about what was going to occur and where he was going. He had to give all the speeches and all the justices of Yehovah to the Israelis.

 

2.    What does “he scrolled to the people” mean? This means that he spoke to the people the details of the record he had written on the scroll in order. Think of a scroll and how it is constructed. Think of keeping a written record on the scroll. As the scroll is turned, the next sentences can be read; they come before the reader in order.

 

3.    How many speeches did Yehovah give? The text doesn’t give this information. It instead gives all the speeches that Yehovah said since Moshe recorded them, and the Bible is the record. There are quite a few speeches.

 

       Do not assume that the texts are written in the order that events occurred. They will sometimes be in order, but they will sometimes not be in order. Instead, they are written by topics. This particular topic is about Moshe’s going to Yehovah to obtain things directly from Him.

 

4.    What are the justices of Yehovah? If justice is rendering (deciding) a right decision based on all facts, the justices of Yehovah must be the renderings of right decisions based on all facts. As we come to the justices, I will point out some of them.

 

5.    What does “And all the people answered, one voice” mean? The Israelis answered what Moshe said with total unanimity—that is, unanimously, meaning that they were all in perfect agreement! Thus, they all said the very same thing as if they together had just one voice and view.

 

6.    The people of Israel agreed to do all the speeches that Yehovah spoke. Will they follow through and do all? No.

 

7.    Why did they promise to do all the speeches of Yehovah, then? All these things sounded exciting to them! They felt that they would greatly enjoy living under this arrangement. They didn’t know that the speeches of Yehovah included doing some things that were frightening at first—things that would increase their boldness and fighting skills, and that would test them so that they would become strong.

 

 

 

III. Writing Speeches and Sacrificing ‘Peaces’ (verses 4-6)

 

Moshe wrote down all the speeches of Yehovah.

 

He rose up early in the morning. He built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and he built twelve pillars corresponding to twelve of the tribes of Israel.

 

He then sent youths of the children of Israel to cause ascension sacrifices to ascend (on the altar). They sacrificed ‘peaces’ sacrifices to Yehovah; those sacrifices were bulls.

 

Moshe then took half the blood and put it into basins. He then sprinkled half the blood upon the altar.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Where did Moshe write all the speeches of Yehovah? He wrote them in scrolls that are called the Torah (the Teaching), and consist of the first books of the Bible. (Moshe wrote up to Deuteronomy; Joshua continued through the book of Joshua. Moshe probably wrote other books of the Bible. He certainly wrote some of the Psalms.)

 

2.    Why did Moshe wait for a day when Yehovah told him to ascend to Yehovah? Moshe knew that he had to prepare the Israelis so that they didn’t try to follow him; he didn’t want them to be killed. Moshe was a prophet; he knew that the command to ascend didn’t imply ‘right now!’

 

       Whenever Yehovah gives a command, there are always two parts: the details of the command, and when the command must be carried out. Assuming that the timing is ‘right now’ is just wrong. Think of the military to understand this. If orders come for a soldier to ship out to a location (like Iraq, say), that soldier must wait for the next orders, and just make sure that he has packed. The next orders will tell the soldier where to go to be taken to Iraq. If the soldier were to obtain a ticket to fly to Iraq on his own, he would be considered in violation of military conduct!

 

3.    Why did Moshe rise early in the morning? He had many things to do that day! He desired to get started early!

 

4.    The text states, “he built an altar under the mountain.” What does that mean? It means that he built it at the foot of the mountain—at its base. He didn’t build it on the mountain. (He didn’t build it in a cave; the smoke would have made a mess!)

 

5.    Why did he build an altar? He will be doing animal sacrifices on the altar. Those animal sacrifices are types—show-and-tell-styled pictures of what others will heroically do!

 

6.    Why did he build twelve pillars, and how did these pillars appear? He built them to each represent one of twelve of the tribes of Israel.

 

       Yehovah divided up Israel so that there were 13 tribes by splitting Joseph’s tribe into two parts. This way, the Levitical tribe could be reserved for Spiritual service to Yehovah, and 12 tribes were still present for war and for other responsibilities.

 

       I am thinking that these pillars were made of stacked stones, but I don’t know.

 

7.    What was the purpose of these twelve pillars? A pillar is a structure that is positioned in order to support something else. Pillars are normally set to work together to support a structure (like a ceiling).

 

       These twelve pillars are “to twelve of the tribes of Israel,” as if they represent twelve supports of the tribes of Israel. Those supports together, I propose, represent the Covenant. The following text gives me a little evidence of this:

 

       Deuteronomy 29:8 And ye shall guard the words of this Covenant. And ye shall do them so that ye shall-be-prudent with all that ye shall do. 9Ye are positioned today, all of you, to the faces of Yehovah your Gods, your heads, your tribes, your elders and your officers, every man of Israel, 10your little-one, your women and thy sojourner who is in the midst of thy camp, from a hewer of thy trees unto a drawer of thy waters 11to pass thee into the Covenant of Yehovah thy Gods and into His oath that Yehovah thy Gods cut with thee today 12in order that He will make-thee-stand today to Him for a people. And He will be to thee for Gods just as He spoke to thee and just as He swore to thy fathers, to Avraham, to Yitzkhak and to Yaakov.

 

       I underscored the words “are positioned” because those words are the verb from which the noun pillar comes.

 

8.    Why did Moshe send youths? They had ascensions of bulls! Rounding up the bulls, slaughtering them, draining them of blood, skinning them, piecing them into pieces, and placing them on the altar was a lot of work! Youths had the strength and vigour to do these things without difficulty.

 

9.    What does “they ‘ascended’ ascensions” mean? I am using the verb to ascend in a way that doesn’t work in English. It isn’t normally transitive—that is, it normally doesn’t take a direct object. One doesn’t ‘ascend’ something (that is, send it upward) in English. This is what the Hebrew says, however; the youths ‘ascended’ ascensions—that is, sacrifices of bulls. They did this by placing the pieced bulls on the altar, and cooking them. This is a normal animal sacrifice. The smell of the burning fat that drips into the fire smells so good!

 

10. What does “they sacrificed ‘peaces’ sacrifices to Yehovah: bulls” mean? Each separate sacrifice was a peace sacrifice typifying one or more forms of peace with Yehovah and with others. (I have not yet discovered the various forms of peace, but I suspect that you can.) These sacrifices were bulls that were slaughtered as described above.

 

       The bulls normally typify larger groups. These larger groups of heroes and heroines will give their lives in order for various forms of peace to finally come to Israel. The text doesn’t tell how many bulls were sacrificed; that would indicate how many groups of heroes and heroines will give their lives during and just before the Tribulation.

 

11. Why did Moshe take just half of the blood to put into basins? He used half to sprinkle upon the altar; he used the other half to sprinkle upon the people of Israel!

 

12. How much blood was there? There were at least two bulls; a bull has a lot of blood! It would be measured in gallons!

 

13. What is the purpose of sprinkling blood upon the altar?

 

       Exodus 29:21 And thou shalt take from the blood that is upon the altar and from the oil of the anointing. And thou shalt sprinkle upon Aharon and upon his garments and upon his sons and upon garments of his sons with him. And he: he shall be holy, and his garments and his sons and garments of his sons with him!

 

       Blood, then, causes something to be holy—that is, to be owned. Who, then, is the owner?

 

       If a person risks his or her life to do something for another, the person for whom the action is done drinks the blood of the person who does the action. This is because the life of the flesh is in the blood; risking one’s life for another (for any reason) is offering one’s own blood (and life) to that person. If the person receives the action, that person has drunk the blood of the one who did the action. The same is true of a group; if a group risks its life for another or for others, and if the person or persons receives whatever was obtained by the risk, he/they drink(s) the blood of those who took that risk.

 

       The one who risked or who gave his/her life for another/for others therefore owns the recipient(s) of the heroic action.

 

       An example is what the heroic Yeshua did:

 

       Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Spirit of the Holy-[One] has made you overseers to feed the congregation of God that He purchased with His own blood.

 

       In the case of our text, the bulls typify groups of heroes and heroines who voluntarily gave their lives—that is, volunteered their blood to death (at some point far into the future), and the altar typifies the place where they died as a sacrifice. Thus, they own that altar.

 

 

 

IV. Blood of the Covenant (verses 7-8)

 

Moshe took the scroll of the Covenant. He then called its contents into the ears of the people of Israel.

 

They responded, ““We will do all that Yehovah spoke! And we have hearkened!”

 

Moshe took the blood; he then sprinkled that blood upon the people. And he said, “Behold blood of the Covenant that Yehovah cut with you concerning all these speeches!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is this scroll of the Covenant? It is what is known as the Torah, and it is what you are presently considering! However, it wasn’t yet finished. When it will be finished, it will encompass the Biblical books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and Joshua.

 

2.    What does “he called into ears of the people” mean? That means that he read the words of the Covenant out loud (calling them) and into the ears of the people of Israel (so that they could hear them well).

 

3.    The Israelis responded, “We will do all that Yehovah spoke!” Is that true? They thought that they would, but they won’t! It won’t be because doing what Yehovah spoke is hard, because it isn’t; it will be because the Israelis just won’t want to do what Yehovah spoke. They will want to be pagans like their neighbours!

 

4.    The Israelis also said, “And we have hearkened!” Had they hearkened? They worded it this way because this is the way the Hebrew language works. What they said was this: “We will do all that Yehovah spoke! And we have hearkened!” The first sentence is in the future tense, because that is their intention. The second is in the past tense because that will be the result if they do what they promised in the first sentence. Hebrew often places things that are results in the past tense.

 

5.    What does hearken mean? It means all of the three following things: to hear, to listen, to do or to believe.

 

6.    Why did Moshe sprinkle the blood of the bulls upon the people? Wouldn’t that stain their clothing? He sprinkled the blood upon the people for the very same reason that he sprinkled the blood upon the altar. This showed that the people of Israel are owned by what the bulls typify: groups that will heroically give their lives to save the lives of the Israelis (during the Tribulation)!

 

       The blood did stain their clothing! It also served as a reminder (if they understood what the blood typified, which I doubt they did). It also showed that the groups that the bulls typify will shed their blood for others.

 

7.    Moshe then stated, “Behold blood of the Covenant that Yehovah cut with you concerning all these speeches!” Is a covenant cut? It is, because it normally involves an animal sacrifice, and the animal’s throat is cut! The animal typifies persons (or Yeshua) whose innocent lives are given to guard the covenant.

 

       Hebrews 13:20 And the God of peace Who again brought our lord Yeshua, the great Shepherd of the sheep, from among the dead perfect you in blood of the everlasting covenant in every good work in order to do His will doing in you what is well pleasing before Him through Messiah Yeshua to Whom glory is to the ages of the ages.

 

8.    When did Yehovah cut this Covenant with the Israelis? He is cutting it right then by type—that is, using bulls whose throats are being cut. The contents of the Covenant are the speeches that Yehovah is giving. Yet, this Covenant was made with Avraham, confirmed and made also with Isaac, and confirmed and made also with Jacob. Still, there is another whose blood was shed for this Covenant: Yeshua Himself. Therefore, the blood of many will end up being shed in order for this Covenant to stand. (There will be many heroes and heroines who give their lives or risk their lives to guard this Covenant!)

 

9.    What does “Behold blood of the Covenant that Yehovah cut with you concerning all these speeches” mean? All these speeches of Yehovah are part of this Covenant’s vow! They teach, direct, explain and warn.

 

 

 

V. Seeing and Envisioning the Gods of Israel (verses 9-11)

 

Moshe now ascended along with Aharon, Nadav, Avihu, and seventy from the elders of Israel. And they saw Gods of Israel! Under His feet is as the work of a brick of the sapphire, and as a ‘bone’ of the heavens for its cleanness! During this time, Yehovah didn’t send His hand unto those who had come close to Him from the children of Israel! Thus, they envisioned the Gods (the Elohim)! Yet, they still ate and drank!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What did Moshe, Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, and seventy from elders of Israel ascend? They ascended the base of Mount Sinai. They went up a little distance, but they didn’t get close to the Gods of Israel.

 

2.    Why did Yehovah desire seventy from the elders of Israel? I can observe these things: The number 70 is quite large, and they will be quite a few witnesses of what they saw. A smaller number might give the Israelis the impression that they made up what they saw, but a larger number is much harder to dispute.

 

       I propose that the number 70 is a type. If 7 typifies completion, as in the number of days to a complete week, and if 10 typifies a test (which is what I propose that it represents, since the Israelis tested Yehovah ten times in a later text), and if numerical (number) types include numbers that are multiplied (in other words, this is 7 X 10 = 70), 70 typifies a complete test. If all this is true, Yehovah is testing Israel using these 70 men.

 

3.    Did these men directly see Gods of Israel? Yes, they did!

 

4.    Why would Yehovah desire these men to see Him if He desires that they will live by faith, and not by sight? Yehovah is giving a preview of how He will appear when He comes to earth to reign over all kings and lords! This preview is very important so that others who will try to feign (fake) His coming won’t be able to match these descriptions.

 

5.    What is a brick of the sapphire? A sapphire is a blue stone (since the Greek word means blue stone), and it looks like this:

 

 

Logan Sappire

 

 

Logan Sapphire, National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC by Thomas Ruedas

 

       Imagine one beautiful and shining brick made of material that looks like this.

 

6.    What is a bone of the heavens? I am guessing on this; I don’t know. So, I will guess. In a very clear sky at night when there is no moon, one can see the Milky Way Galaxy (the galaxy of stars in which we are located). It is like a rib across the sky. The following is a picture of it:

 

Milky Way

 

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ESO_-_Milky_Way.jpg

 

by European Southern Observatory, S. Brunier

 

7.    What does “as a bone of the heavens to cleanness” mean? The word clean (versus unclean, and not versus dirty) normally refers to anything or anyone that isn’t contaminated by an impurity that is totally contrary to or different from its normally pure state. (Imagine finding a dead mouse in a glass of milk; that is a picture of unclean milk.)

 

       This bone of the heavens, then, is without any contaminant that ruins, alters or diminishes its beauty.

 

8.    Was what was under His feet pretty? It was very pretty!

 

9.    What is a “proximitous” one (seeing that the word proximitous is made up)? This is a person who is nearby—that is, in proximity to something or someone; it doesn’t necessarily mean very close. (I could have just used the word nearby, but the Hebrew word was very specific. Another Hebrew word means nearby, and indicates very close.)

 

10. Who are these ‘proximitous’ ones? They are Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, and seventy from elders of Israel.

 

11. Why does the text specify that He didn’t send His hand unto them, and what does this mean? Sending the hand implies destruction! Had Yehovah sent His hand in a case like this, it would have been to do harm or kill.

 

       Noting that Yehovah didn’t send His hand is important for several reasons. One of the reasons has to do with other texts that tell readers that certain folks who see God will not live! Look at the following text to see an example:

 

       Exodus 33:20 And He said, “Thou wilt not be able to see my faces! For the adam will not see me and live!”

 

       Our Exodus 24:11 text states that Yehovah didn’t send His hand. Yehovah knew that the two texts will appear to be in total conflict. (Can you figure out the differences so that you can see that the texts don’t conflict? See if you can.)

 

12. What does “they envisioned the Elohim” mean? The word vision in the Bible has a slightly different meaning from the meaning in English. When one has a vision, that person can see and is able to fully participate in what is being seen using all the senses (touch, taste, smell, feel, hear, see, converse). Thus, the person could hug another who is in the vision. Now, a vision in the Bible isn’t some sort of foggy event; it is extremely clear to the participants!

 

       Thus, they very clearly saw and heard the Elohim! They were a distance from Him (so that they couldn’t hug Him), but they saw Him with the greatest clarity.

 

13. Why does the text add, “And they ate, and they drank”? This is the Biblical way to indicate that they didn’t freeze with terror or die. They were able to continue with normal life after envisioning the Elohim!

 

 

 

VI. The Teaching and the Commandment on Stone Blackboards (verse 12)

 

Yehovah now had more instructions for Moshe: “Ascend mountainward unto me. And be there! And I will give her to thee—blackboards of the stone—and the Teaching and the Commandment that I wrote to teach them.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Yehovah said unto Moshe, “Ascend mountainward unto me.” Wasn’t Moshe already ‘mountainward’—that is, hadn’t he already gone toward and up the mountain?

 

2.    What is her in, “And I will give her to thee—blackboards of the stone—and the Teaching and the Commandment that I wrote to teach them”? Her refers to the Teaching (the Torah), which is feminine in gender.

 

3.    What are blackboards of the stone? They are slates—thin and flat rock structures upon which one can write. (Yehovah’s method of writing will be somewhat unusual.) Humans used such structures as chalkboards for several centuries. These blackboards were not large; Moshe will easily carry two of them.

 

4.    Why did Yehovah specify that these blackboards will be made of stone (instead of wood, for example)? The answer to this will come later in texts. Had they been made of wood, they would have shown that the Teaching is corruptible—that is, that it is capable of rotting and disappearing, since wood is a type of corruptibility. Being made of stone instead shows a hard surface on which the Teaching and the Commandment will be written. Later, Yehovah speaks about writing these things on the hearts of the Israelis—on hearts of flesh—so that they will do all these speeches. In the meantime, stone pictures the heart of Israel: hard and impervious (that is, water, including the waters of lives, cannot soak in). Thus, He matched the slates with the Israelis.

 

5.    Both words Teaching and Commandment are singular. Yet, there appears to be quite a few teachings and quite a few commandments. Why did Yehovah make those singular? There is actually just one Teaching. All of its parts still work together for just one Teaching, and not for many. Thus, the reader cannot view them as many separate teachings (without being wrong and without bad results). Whenever folks start taking apart the Torah (Teaching) to treat its parts as separate, they run the risk of viewing some parts as more important than other parts. Many who claim to believe the Bible today have the very wrong view that parts of the Teaching have been abolished—that is, that those parts are no longer active! This is a great error!

 

       The same is true regarding Commandment. All of the Torah is one commandment! Taking the Torah apart runs the risk of viewing certain of the Torah’s commands as more important than the other commands, and many hold the view that some of the commands have been abolished! This is a great error!

 

       Matthew 5:17 Don’t think that I am come to destroy the Torah or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill! 18For I say faith unto you, until heavens and earth pass, one ‘yod’ or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Torah until all be fulfilled! 19Therefore, whoever shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of the heavens! And whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of the heavens!

 

6.    When did Yehovah write the blackboards to teach ‘them,’ and who are ‘them’? He is about to do this! Them refer to the Israelis! (The Israelis are then responsible to live out the commands as a show-and-tell for the various races of the world.)

 

 

 

VII. Moshe, Joshua, Aharon and Hur (verses 13-14)

 

Moshe arose to do as he was told. Yehoshua his minister also arose.

 

Moshe ascended unto Mount The-Elohim.

 

Moshe commanded the elders, “Sit-ye to us in this until-that we will return unto you.”

 

Moshe then told them how to handle things: “And behold, Aharon and Hur are with you. Who is a master of speeches will come-close unto them!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Why does the text record that Yehoshua also rose with Moshe? It is introducing Yehoshua as one who tails Moshe everywhere that he can. This will later be one reason for Yehoshua’s being placed in Moshe’s position when Moshe is gone. Yehoshua loved the things of Yehovah, and desired to be with Moshe whenever he could. I haven’t seen a text where Moshe said anything about this, and where Yehovah commented on its goodness or badness; I only know that a comment without any disapproval shows that it was fine. (Indeed, it is very good!)

 

2.    What is a minister as it is used in this text, and as it is used in modern Christianity? A minister as it is used in this text is one who serves another by doing needed tasks, by giving aid, by taking notes, and by just being helpful.

 

       In modern Christianity, it is one who has been ordained by a church, by a denomination or by a school in order to function as a member of the clergy (religious leadership) and to conduct religious worship. (The Bible doesn’t use it that way.)

 

       A minister who isn’t part of any religious group is one who has been appointed to some high governmental office to oversee a government department.

 

3.    What is Mount The-Elohim? That is another name for Mount Sinai in the region known as Horeb. Mount The-Elohim means Mount The-Gods, or Mountain of the Gods.

 

4.    Moshe said unto the elders, “Sit-ye to us in this until-that we will return unto you.” Identify us and we: Us and we refer to Moshe and Yehoshua!

 

5.    What is this in, “Sit-ye to us in this until-that we will return unto you,” and what does “Sit-ye to us” mean? This refers to the place where they presently are—that is, within sight of Yehovah and on Mount Sinai, but at a distance. I propose that “Sit ye to us” in English would be more like, “Sit ye for us,” as in, “Stay here and wait for us.”

 

6.    Why did Moshe mention that Aharon and Hur are with them? Aharon and Hur were now both able to lead the Israelis and to give wise counsel as well as to judge matters and conflicts. Thus, Moshe left Aharon and Hur in charge while Moshe (and Yehoshua!) ascended to Yehovah.

 

7.    Moshe next stated, “Who is a master of speeches will come-close unto them!” What does this mean? I propose that a master of speeches is a person who feels very strongly to speak and to speak out regarding an issue. If I am right, this describes a person who is very upset about something that appears to be unjust, and who will therefore come to the leaders of Israel to address this issue.

 

8.    How could anyone who is a ‘master of speeches’ come close unto Aharon and Hur if Yehovah explicitly commanded the Israelis to not even touch the mountain, and Aharon and Hur are part way up the mountain and in sight of Yehovah? I propose that they came down from the Mountain and returned into the camp! They had seen enough to testify to the Israelis that Yehovah was there. Now, Moshe and Yehoshua will ascend, and these other men will remain in camp to take care of any problems among the Israelis.

 

 

 

VIII. Glory, Cloud and Mountain (verses 15-18)

 

Moshe now ascended unto the mountain.

 

The cloud blanket-covered the mountain.

 

Glory Yehovah abode upon Mount Sinai. The cloud blanket-covered him six of the days!

 

Yehovah called unto Moshe in the seventh day from the midst of the cloud.

 

Glory Yehovah’s appearance is as a fire ‘eating’ at the top of the mountain; this was visible to the children of Israel.

 

Moshe came into the midst of the cloud. He ascended unto the mountain.

 

Moshe was in the mountain forty days and forty nights!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    The text states, “And Moshe ascended unto the mountain.” Wasn’t he already there? He came back down from the mountain in order to prepare the Israelis and the elders for his more lengthy departure up the mountain.

 

2.    What cloud blanket-covered the mountain, and what does blanket-covered mean? The same cloud that led the Israelis from place to place, that was a fire and light by night and gave them protection from the intensity of the sun by day, now covered the mountain.

 

       Blanket-covering is a different word in Hebrew from just covering. It covers like a blanket instead of being a type of the coverings of Yehovah (for example, instead of being a type of the covering of sin that one sacrifice pictures). The entire mountain was completely covered like under a blanket by the cloud with which the Israelis were familiar by now.

 

3.    Why did Yehovah make sure to entirely blanket-cover the mountain? Yehovah desired to keep the Israelis from coming near to the mountain; He didn’t desire to have to kill any of them. That cloud was on one hand very securing to them; on the other hand, the cloud frightened them because it wasn’t natural, and because it had frightened the entire Egyptian army.

 

4.    The next statement is, “And Glory Yehovah abode upon Mount Sinai.” What is Glory, and what is Glory Yehovah? Glory means importance. Thus, the very importance of Yehovah abode upon Mount Sinai.

 

       The Importance of Yehovah is demonstrated by the Salvation that Yehovah has provided to humans. I propose that Glory Yehovah refers to Yeshua Himself since He is the Salvation of Yehovah! I propose that He abode upon Mount Sinai!

 

5.    What does abode mean? It is the past-tense form of abide, which means to come and to stay for a while—to make a residence. The amount of time can be short, but it can also be very long.

 

6.    Who is him in, “And the cloud blanket-covered him six of the days”? It is either the mountain or Glory Yehovah!

 

7.    What was occurring during that six-day period? The Israelis were just waiting and going about their regular business. Six days, they saw the cloud and they went with life as normal.

 

8.    Why did Yehovah wait six days before calling to Moshe? I propose that this is a miniature of what will occur in the Tribulation; only, it will occur on Mount Zion, a different mountain. The call for all the Israelis to come up to Mount Zion’s summit at that time will occur in the seventh year. Glory Yehovah will be seen before that seventh year, but the call to ascend will especially come at the seventh year of the Tribulation.

 

9.    Where was Moshe when Yehovah called unto him from the midst of the cloud? Moshe was in the camp of Israel.

 

10. Did the rest of the Israelis hear Yehovah call Moshe? The text doesn’t say. When one Israeli hears the call to proceed toward Mount Zion during the Tribulation, will others hear the very same call, or will the call be individual? All I know is this: When Moshe heard the call, he hearkened to the voice of Yehovah.

 

11. The text describes the appearance of Glory Yehovah being like a fire eating. What does this mean? A fire that is eating is an intense fire that is rapidly burning things up! A candle’s fire also eats, but very slowly; that isn’t a good picture of what occurred on the mountain. Think more of a forest fire that races through the woods and eats whole trees! This fire was of that nature.

 

12. What was the fire eating? This is what is so unusual. The fire wasn’t eating the mountain; its appearance is as a fire eating, but it wasn’t. Had it been eating the mountain, it would have been like the fire on the surface of the sun! Moshe would have been killed even getting close to it! Instead, it hurt no one, but its appearance showed everyone there that Yehovah is a ‘consuming’ (eating) fire!

 

13. What is the head of the mountain? The head of anything is its top or its leader!

 

14. What does “to the eyes of the children of Israel” mean? This means that these things were done not only in front of the children of Israel, but right in their eyesight!

 

15. Why did Yehovah desire the Israelis to see these things? He desired them to fear Him (so that they wouldn’t do wrong); He showed them His appearance when He will come to Mount Zion in the future; He wanted them to know about His wrath against all enemies (including them if they prove to be His enemy); He wanted the future Israelis to have confidence in Him because of His great power!

 

16. What does “And Moshe was in the mountain forty day and forty night” mean, and why aren’t day and night plural? Moshe remained under the cloud and with Yehovah for a full forty days and nights.

 

       Since the number of days is more than a few, Hebrew sometimes switches to the singular. Also, it is as if it is describing one day and one night for Moshe!

 

17. Didn’t Moshe get hungry and thirsty? No, he didn’t! Even Yeshua hungered when tempted for 40 days in the wilderness, but Moshe seems to have been totally unaffected by the length of time.

 

Exodus 23 Neighbours Solemnities and The Messenger QA

Neighbours, Solemnities, and The Messenger

With Questions and Proposed Answers

 

 

Background and printed text: Exodus 22  

 

Thou shalt not carry an empty report.

 

Thou shalt not carry thy hand with a guilty-[one] to be unto violence!

 

2Thou shalt not be after many to bad-do. And thou shalt not humble concerning a multiple [many] to incline after multiples to cause inclining.

 

3And thou shalt not honour a poverty-stricken-[one] via his fight.

 

4If thou meet an ox of thine enemy or his ass wandering, returning, thou shalt return him to him.

 

5When thou wilt see an ass of thine enemy couching under his burden and thou wilt desist from loosening to him, loosening, thou shalt loosen with him!

 

6Thou shalt not incline justice of thy poor-[one] via his fight.

 

7Thou shalt distance from a speech of a lie. And thou shalt not slay an innocent-[one] and a righteous-[one]. For I will not justify a culpable-[one]!

 

8And thou shalt not receive a bribe. For the bribe will blind perspicuous-[ones] and has subverted speeches of righteous-[ones].

 

9And thou shalt not oppress a sojourner. And ye, ye knew the being of the sojourner! For ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt!

 

10And thou shalt sow thy land six years. And thou shalt gather her bringing. 11And the seventh, thou shalt release her and thou shalt abandon her. And poor of thy people shall eat. And a living-[one] of the field shall eat their excess. Established, thou shalt do to thy vineyard, to thine olive.

 

12Thou shalt do thy doings six of days. And in day the seventh thou shalt cease in order that thine ox will rest, and thine ass. And the son of thy slavewoman has been ‘re-beinged,’ and the sojourner.

 

13And ye shall guard via all that I said unto you. And ye shall not remind-of the name of other gods. He shall not hear upon thy mouth!

 

14Thou shalt solemnize three feet to me in a year. 15Thou shalt guard the solemnity of the Matzahs seven of days—thou shalt eat Matzahs just-as she commanded thee to an appointment, month of the spring. For thou exited from Double-Adversity (Egypt) in him. And they shall not see my faces, their emptiness!— 16and the solemnity of the harvest, firstborn-[ones], thy doing—what thou wilt sow in a field; and the solemnity of the gathering via exiting of the year, via thy gathering thy doing from the field! 17Three strokes in the year, Mighty-[One], Faces of the Lord [sing.] Yehovah, will see each: thy male!

 

18Thou shalt not sacrifice blood of my sacrifice upon vinegar. And fat of my solemnity shall not lodge unto morning!

 

19Thou shalt bring beginning of firstborn-[ones] of thy soil House of Yehovah thy Gods.

 

Thou shalt not boil a goat-kid in the fat of his mother!

 

20Behold, I am sending a messenger to thy faces to guard thee in the way and to bring thee unto a place that I prepared. 21Be-thou-guarded from his faces! And hearken via his voice! Do not embitter thou via him! For he will not carry to your transgression! For my Name is via his approach! 22For if, hearkening, thou shalt hearken via his voice, and thou shalt do all that I will speak, and I ‘will enemy’ thine enemies and I will ‘tribulate’ thy tribulators! 23For, my messenger will walk to thy faces. And he will bring thee unto the Emori and the Khiti and the Preezi and the Canaani, the Khivi and the Yevoosi. And I will obscure him!

 

24Thou shalt not prostrate to their gods. And thou shalt not serve them. And thou shalt not make as their makings. For smashing, thou shalt smash them, and shattering, thou shalt shatter their pillars!

 

25And ye shall serve Yehovah your Gods. And He will bless thy bread and thy waters. And I will forefend sickness from thy approach! 26A bereaved-[woman] shall not be, and a barren-[woman], in thy land. I will fill a scrolling of thy days! 27I will send my terror to thy faces. And I will hum [buzz] every people that thou wilt come via them. And I will give all thine enemies unto thee: neck! 28And I will send the hornet to thy faces. And she will expel the Khivi, the Cnaani and the Khiti from thy faces. 29I will not expel him from thy faces in one year lest the land will be a desolation, and a living-[one] of the field will multiply upon thee. 30I will expel him a little, a little from thy faces until-that thou wilt be fruitful. And thou wilt inherit the land. 31And I will set thy border from Ending Sea and unto Palestinian Sea, and from the desert unto the river. For I will give inhabitants of the land into your hand. And ye shall expel him from thy faces! 32Thou shalt not cut a covenant to them and to their gods! 33And they shall not dwell in thy land lest they will sin-cause thee to me! For thou shalt serve thy Gods! For he will be to a snare to thee!

 

 

 

I. An Empty Report (verse 1)

 

Yehovah commanded each Israeli: “Thou shalt not carry an empty report.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is an empty report? It is a report without backing. It is a form of gossip. It is telling things about others that haven’t been substantiated (that is, haven’t been checked to be certain that they are true).

 

2.    What does “carry an empty report” mean? The means to hear it in one place, and deliver it to another place and another person or group.

 

3.    What is wrong with carrying an empty report if the first thing said is, “Now, I don’t know this for sure, but this is what I heard”? Making excuses for carrying the empty report, or claiming that it isn’t necessarily true while still carrying it are not only just as wrong as carrying the report, but this is even more wrong! This teaches others techniques for carrying lies, gossip and rumours while looking innocent!

 

4.    Who is thou? This refers to each Israeli. (I had to go back to Exodus 21:1 to see this.)

 

 

 

II. Joining in Violence (verse 1)

 

He continued, commanding each Israeli to not “carry thy hand” with one who is guilty so that the hand will be unto violence.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does “carry thy hand” mean? A person’s hand is a tool of that person’s works (even if the person doesn’t have hands that function). This is written for young children; their hands show them how much power they have to grasp, control, and even throw things. Carrying the hand is going somewhere, and taking his/her hand (and therefore, his/her power to do anything) with him/her.

 

2.    Explain the entire command: An Israeli must not go (carrying his/her hand of power) with a guilty person who is planning violence. If he/she does go, he/she must not carry his/her hand with this guilty person, but must leave the power to do violence behind. (It is possible to refuse to carry the ability and power to do wrong!) Thus, the Israeli must never participate with a guilty person in doing violence.

 

 

 

III. Yielding to the Majority (verse 2)

 

Yehovah command each Israeli to not be after a large group to do bad. Also, each Israeli must not humble himself or anyone in matters of many in order to bend anyone or any group to go after large groups to bend others to do something. (See questions.)

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does “be after many” mean? It describes accompanying a large group. Being after indicates following them.

 

2.    What does “Thou shalt not be after many to bad-do” mean? This command is for every Israeli: No Israeli is to accompany or follow a large group to do any form of harm. (Doing harm is bad-doing.)

 

3.    Suppose that the Israelis are grouping to rightly and properly execute a person who has done a death-penalty offense; if another Israeli accompanies this large group, is this group about to ‘bad do’? No. Doing justice is not considered ‘bad-doing’ even when it puts a person to death for a death-penalty offense.

 

4.    What does “thou shalt not humble…” mean? I have formerly proposed that humility means to know where one stands before God and man in terms of rank and responsibilities, and to live that way. I have also stated that the same Hebrew word that means humble also means humiliate or be humiliated, since a person in this case is being forced to realize his/her true rank before others—or at least, the rank that another is trying to force on him/her.

 

       In this text, humbling oneself is voluntarily taking on the rank assigned by the group—the rank as one who is cooperating with this group. (If a person refuses to do this, members of the group will sometimes accuse the person of being arrogant or ‘stuck up’ when in fact the person is being wise and humble before God and not the group.) Thus, humbling concerning a multiple in this case is giving in to a group in order to be accepted by the group and to go along with the group. This is a great evil, and it is very common.

 

5.    What does incline mean in this text? An incline is a surface that is tilted toward one direction. If the incline is great enough, anything on it will slide in the direction of its tilt. An example of an inclined object is a teeter-totter in which one person is down and the other person is up.

 

       To be inclined, then, is to be leaning in a direction—to feel a strong pull to go into that direction.

 

6.    This command has several parts. What is being commanded by “thou shalt not humble concerning a multiple [many] to incline after multiples to cause inclining”? First, “thou shalt not humble concerning a multiple” means that the Israeli is being commanded to refuse to give in when it comes to issues in which a multiple (a group of folks) has decided to go in one direction together. This has to do with a group that is about to do what is wrong.

 

       The next part, “to incline after multiples” means that there are other groups that are determined to join together to do something (which will be an injustice). The Israeli must not join in with the first group to lean toward these other groups. It may feel like it is the right thing to do, but it is sin, and will lead to violence.

 

       The last part, “to cause inclining,” shows that all the groups are now gathering other persons and pressuring them to bend in the direction that the groups have determined to pursue (in a case of injustice).

 

       Great movements have often started exactly the way this text describes: one person speaks to another, and soon there is a group. That group pressures another person to become part of the group. In the meantime, other groups that are similar (with some more violent in their approaches) have formed, and those groups are pressuring the first group to take the same stands. Soon, great injustices are done for the sake of the great movement, and those who desire to remain with good consciences either greatly suffer or are killed because they didn’t go along with the majority.

 

       Yehovah warns the Israelis to refuse to join in with these groups even though they might be inclined to do so.

 

 

 

IV. Honouring the Poor (verse 3)

 

Each Israeli must never honour another who is very poor by means of the fight of that poor one. (See Questions.)

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is a poverty-stricken person? It is a person who is very, very poor; this person seems to be unable to escape from being poor.

 

2.    Why would a poverty-stricken person have a fight? What is this fight? The poverty-stricken person is being treated in a way that he/she believes is without justice. Therefore, he/she has taken the issue to others to judge and to give help. He/She is therefore fighting for his/her cause. (This isn’t usually a physical fight, though it can be; it is usually a court-type of a fight.)

 

3.    Shouldn’t a person stand up for a poverty-stricken person who is being mistreated? Standing up for a person isn’t the same as honouring the person. Standing up for a person who is being mistreated is right (if the person needs aid). Honouring a person just because the person is poverty-stricken is a violation of the Torah (Teaching).

 

4.    What is wrong with honouring a poverty-stricken person by means of his fight? Justice in any fight isn’t about the monetary status of anyone; it is about what is right and what is wrong shown by evidence or proof. The idea isn’t equal justice; it is just justice: rendering a right decision based on all pertinent facts (all facts that have to do with the case). Thus, bending justice for the sake of a person who is poverty-stricken is corrupting justice. That must not be done.

 

 

 

V. Meeting a Wandering Ox and Ass (verse 4)

 

Yehovah commanded each Israeli to return a wondering ox of an enemy or a wandering ass of an enemy to the enemy owner.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Why must an Israeli return to an enemy an animal that isn’t his own and that belongs to the enemy? This will be a demonstration of loving one’s enemy as himself/herself. Yehovah has commanded each Israeli to love his/her neighbour as himself/herself.

 

       Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge or bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. I am Yehovah!

 

2.    Does this command only have to do with wandering animals of enemy neighbours? All of these commands are given in the form of individual cases. The Israelis were taught these cases so that they could determine other cases based on them. This is the briefest way to teach correct behaviour.

 

       Thus, this command has to do with many other cases that are not mentioned in the text. For example, based on this command, suppose that an Israeli finds a tool that she knows belongs to another Israeli who has been unkind to her; suppose that she knows that this unkind Israeli lost this tool, and might not be able to find it. What must she do? You are right! She must return the tool to the unkind Israeli based on this Teaching!

 

3.    Suppose that the enemy Israeli accuses the Israeli returning the item of stealing it; what must the Israeli do, and should the Israeli refuse to return another lost item or animal next time? If the mean-spirited Israeli formally charges the returning Israeli with theft, the Israeli will go before the judges at the city gates and will testify what happened. If the same loss occurs again, the obedient Israeli will again return the item or animal, but this time might take another as a witness so that the accusation won’t even begin to hold.

 

4.    Suppose that the Israeli returning the wandering ox just takes the ox directly to the stall, and then leaves without seeing the owner; would that be sufficient? It might be sufficient, or, if the owner sees the person with the ox, this might raise suspicions. The Teaching states to return the animal to the owner. That way, the owner will know that the animal got out of the property, so that the owner can secure the animal.

 

 

 

VI. An Enemy’s Couching Ass (verse 5)

 

When an Israeli will see an enemy’s ass couching (that is, setting itself down on the ground) under his burden, and when the Israeli will desist (stop participating in action) from loosening to him—that is, from helping to unload the ass’s burden, the Israeli instead must loosen the ass with the enemy.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does couching mean? It is when an animal settles down on the ground with its paws or hooves in a forward position as if it is at rest.

 

2.    Why would an animal couch under his burden? If the load is very heavy, and therefore uncomfortable, the animal might just couch on the ground. Once it does this, it might not be able to get up.

 

3.    What does “desist from loosening to him” mean? To desist is to cease to proceed or to act (Mirriam-Webster). Thus, it is to begin to do something (to help, in this case), and then to stop (realizing that the animal belongs to an enemy).

 

       The purpose of loosening the animal is to remove enough of the burden for the animal to rise on its hooves.

 

4.    What does this text command the Israeli to do? The Israeli must help his enemy Israeli by working with him to loosen the burden from the animal so that it can get up.

 

5.    Does this command only cover animals and burdens? It doesn’t! It is just one case; the Israelis are responsible to consider this one case, and to determine what to do in any other case that is at all similar. For example, if an Israeli sees the oxcart of an enemy broken down, a wheel being broken, and the enemy is trying to unload the oxcart in order to put another wheel on it, the Israeli must help unload the oxcart.

 

6.    Suppose that the Israeli has an appointment that he must keep, and time is very important; can he go on his way, and leave his enemy in order to keep his appointment (including keeping his word that he gave when he made the appointment)? A wise Israeli will make appointments, but will always include a statement that he might be late if he is delayed because of a Torah command! Yehovah has commanded the Israeli to loosen with him—with the enemy Israeli. His command is intentional. He knows all the various circumstances that can occur; His command still stands.

 

 

 

VII. Inclining Justice of the Poor (verse 6)

 

No Israeli is permitted to incline justice (that is, to make justice go in a particular direction) of the Israeli’s poor one by means of the poor one’s fight.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Isn’t this command the same as the one in verse 3? No. They differ. Honouring a poverty-stricken one in his fight is helping the poverty-stricken one win by showing greater respect for him/her than for justice; it is perverting justice by viewing that person as high-ranking. In verse 6, inclining justice is tilting the balance of justice of a poor person so that he/she will win without considering his/her supposed rank for being poor. Thus, verse 3 has to do with respect of persons—viewing folks as high in rank, and making sure they win for that; verse 6 has to do with perverting justice by giving a poor person a win by any means.

 

2.    Why is Yehovah so against helping poor folks win in cases of justice? Yehovah isn’t against others helping poor folks to win in a fight; He is against perverting justice to do so. Yehovah is the One who sets the ranks of all humans; He is the One who gave the poor person that rank! He could have easily had that person be born wealthy or obtain great riches and rank. Instead, He set the rank of that person (and He can change that rank at any time that He chooses). Justice, however, must never be perverted. Justice is a reflection on Yehovah; perverting justice would be perverting Yehovah’s reputation!

 

3.    Suppose that someone wealthy and very intelligent takes advantage of the ignorance of a poor person, and by that means cheats the poor person using legal means; wouldn’t giving the poor person a justice advantage be the right thing to do? The right thing to do is to expose what the other did to the poor person, and then to take care of the poor person using the Torah (instead of perverting it). The ‘intelligent’ person will not outsmart Yehovah Who will hear the shouts of the poor person; Yehovah will avenge His Torah (Teaching)! That vengeance will be far better than whatever could be accomplished by perverting (twisting, bending and ruining) justice.

 

 

 

VIII. Distancing from Injustice (verse 7)

 

The Israeli must distance himself/herself from a speech of a lie. The Israeli must not slay one who is innocent and one who is righteous. Yehovah will not justify (declare righteous) one who is guilty!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is a speech of a lie? It is what someone says (usually giving details) that just isn’t true. Now, it might be partially true, but partial truth is far worse than a total lie. Partial truth employs what is true in order to make a lie sound true.

 

2.    What does “Thou shalt distance from a speech of a lie” mean? This is a command to get far away from such a speech! When the Israeli hears such a speech and knows that it is a lie, the Israeli must get away from the person and the speech. (If he/she cannot get away, at least he/she can tune the person out!)

 

3.    What is an innocent one? That is a person who is being accused and who is not guilty. If the Israeli knows that the person isn’t guilty of a crime charged against that person, he/she must refuse to slay that person.

 

4.    What is a righteous one? That is a person who has done what is right (in the eyes of Yehovah). Every Israeli is commanded to refuse to slay one who is righteous.

 

5.    Was Yeshua righteous? He was.

 

6.    Did the Israelis have to slay Yeshua? Yes! They had to slay Him. Had they not slain Him, no one (Jew or Gentile) would have obtained everlasting life. Now, Yehovah Himself was the One who slew Yeshua. Yet, the Israelis were the only humans who were responsible to offer Yeshua as a sacrifice for sin. Still, the Romans put Him on the cross, and Israeli priests participated in perverting Roman law by blackmail; yet, all Israelis and all non-Israelis of all time were responsible for Yeshua’s death. Yeshua offered Himself up, so that He was responsible for His death. Thus, all humans and the Gods of Israel were responsible for His death. That being said, Yehovah commanded the Israelis to not slay an innocent one and a righteous one (Yeshua was both).

 

7.    Why must the Israelis refrain from slaying an innocent one and a righteous one? The text explains: “I will not justify a culpable one!”

 

8.    What does justify mean? It either means to cause an unrighteous person to now be righteous, or to declare a righteous person as righteous (because the person did what was right).

 

9.    What does culpable mean? This means guilty or responsible for a wrong.

 

10. Yehovah stated, “I will not justify a culpable one.” If this is true, how can a person who is guilty before Yehovah ever become righteous? This answer has several parts.

 

       First, the text refers to a person who slays an innocent person and a righteous person knowing that the person is innocent and that the person is righteous. (If he/she doesn’t know, he/she cannot obey this command!)

 

       Secondly, Yehovah won’t view the killing of an innocent person or a righteous person ‘for the greater good of all’ as a reasonable excuse, and therefore He won’t declare a participant in such a killing as a righteous person. (Folks who have committed racist murders have thought that they had this excuse, thinking that their ‘greater good’ was for their own people’s supremacy, but they will find out that they were both dead wrong and damnably wrong.)

 

       Thirdly, Yehovah doesn’t justify anyone who is culpable. He has given that position to Yeshua who took sins upon Himself in order to justify those who believe in Him and who turn to Him for that justification.

 

 

 

IX. The Bribe (verse 8)

 

An Israeli must not receive a bribe. A bribe blinds folks who normally see very well so that they won’t see well. A bride has subverted (turned into the opposite) speeches of righteous ones (so that the speeches are those of guilty ones).

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is a bribe? It is a payment paid in advance so that a person will do what the person knows is wrong.

 

2.    What is wrong with receiving a bribe? The text explains, “The bribe will blind perspicuous-[ones] and has subverted speeches of righteous-[ones].” (We will discuss what these mean in future questions.)

 

3.    Is offering a bribe wrong? It is wrong for an Israeli to offer a bribe to an Israeli, because it is tempting the Israeli to sin! (These commands do not hold for Israeli spies in other lands! Spies can do what would otherwise be wrong if they are spying on an enemy land, and they are heroes and heroines—just as long as they don’t deny Yehovah!)

 

4.    What does perspicuous mean? It means having the ability to see clearly through a situation and through the actions and reactions of others. A person who has perspicuity will therefore understand what is occurring and why, when others won’t understand, and this person will also often be able to be of benefit to others even to the saving of lives.

 

5.    What occurs if a perspicuous one receives a bribe? That person becomes blinded—that is, that person loses the ability to demonstrate perspicuity (the ability to see clearly through a situation and through the actions and reactions of others). Thus, the person becomes part of the causes of problems, and isn’t helpful to solutions to problems.

 

6.    What does subvert mean? It means to undercut by making good and helpful actions and views look like the wrong answer. Sub means under, and vert means turn. It is turning under (like overturning) what is good.

 

7.    Explain “the bribe has subverted speeches of righteous-[ones]”: Righteous persons have spoken what is right and what is true. Yet, the bribe has paid others to argue against what is right and true, making them look like what is wrong and false. This has led to harm and death of innocent folks.

 

       Hate bribes!

 

 

 

X. Oppressing a Sojourner (verse 9)

 

An Israeli must not oppress a sojourner. The Israelis knew the being (body, soul and spirit) of the sojourner! They were sojourners in the land of Egypt!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does oppress mean? It means to unjustly hassle, torment, humiliate, and keep from doing well.

 

2.    Why would a person desire to oppress a sojourner? A sojourner doesn’t have family or friends to help, and a sojourner is usually not familiar with the justice system of the location in which the sojourner is sojourning. Thus, mean-spirited folks might seek to mistreat the sojourner figuring that they can get away with this, and figuring that they can make much money off of the sojourner.

 

       An excellent example of a sojourner is a foreign worker; another example is a foreign girl tricked into the sex-traffic trade. Both are sojourners. Yehovah watches.

 

3.    What does “ye knew the being of the sojourner” mean? Since the being includes the body, the soul and the spirit, this includes all of the person and what the person experiences. The Israelis knew what it was like to exist as a sojourner since they were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

 

4.    Why were the Israelis sojourners in the land of Egypt? Their forefathers came to Egypt during a great famine, and the Israelis stayed. Egypt wasn’t their native land, however, and they always were eventually going home to the Land of Israel. Yehovah temporarily brought them to Egypt so that they would grow very large as a group, and very strong.

 

 

 

XI. Releasing the Land and Vineyard (verses 10-11)

 

An Israeli will sow his/her land six years. He/She will gather what the land brings. The seventh year, the Israeli must release the land, and the Israeli must abandon the land. The poor of the Israeli’s people will eat, and a living one of the field will eat their excess (their leftovers). It is established also that the Israeli must do the same to his/her vineyard and to his/her olive.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Who must sow the land six years? This isn’t a command to sow (that is, put seed into) the land for six years; it is a command of the maximum number of years in a row that the land can be sown. This command is for every Israeli who will put seed into the land of Israel.

 

2.    What does “And thou shalt gather her bringing” mean? This means that the Israeli who sows seed (puts seed) into the soil of Israel can gather whatever the soil gives from that seed (for six years in a row).

 

3.    What does “thou shalt release her and thou shalt abandon her” mean? In the seventh year (after six years of using the land to grow crops), each Israeli must let go of the land and must abandon the land. This doesn’t mean that he/she must move; it means that he/she must not even try to grow any crop in the soil in the seventh year. Just leave the soil alone, and let it go wild for one year.

 

4.    If plants that produce food grow on their own in the seventh year, what can be done with that crop? The person who holds that land (who previously grew crops on it) is not allowed to touch any of the crops in the land. The poor of the people of Israel can freely come and eat from the land; all the produce belongs to the poor and to the wild animals.

 

5.    What does “a living-[one] of the field shall eat their excess” mean? The living one of the field refers to each wild animal, bird, etc. This crop is for them and for the poor; not for the one holding title to the land.

 

6.    Suppose that a person has many grape vines or has an olive orchard; should the person gather from those? The person holding title to the land is not permitted to touch any of the fruit growing on the vines or trees! The seventh year’s crop is strictly to others who are poor (that means that a neighbour who isn’t poor also isn’t allowed to come to gather the fruit).

 

7.    What is the holder of the land supposed to eat if he/she cannot eat from anything growing on his/her own land? Yehovah elsewhere promises the Israelis that He will give a triple crop in the sixth year if all Israel will do as He said regarding the treatment of the land!

 

       Leviticus 25:20 And when ye shall say, “What will we eat in the seventh year? Behold, we won’t sow and we won’t gather our produce!” 21And I will command my blessing to you in the sixth year and to make the produce to three of the years! 22And ye shall sow the eighth year. And ye shall eat the ‘dormant’ {that is, what has been stored as is ‘sleeping’} from the produce unto the ninth year until the produce comes. Ye shall eat the ‘dormant!’

 

8.    Why did Yehovah command this seventh year release and abandonment? This gives the land the ability to totally recuperate from being used. It gives wild creatures a year to grow without being bothered, and it gives insects opportunity to grow (including creatures that eat troublesome plant insects). What the poor take from the land doesn’t hurt the land in any way.

 

       When folks sow and take produce from the land without a break, the land becomes worn out. Just one year out of seven gives the land a chance to rest.

 

       Yehovah will do such a miracle during the seventh year of the Tribulation. No one will be sowing anywhere on earth, and no vineyards or fruit trees will be tended; yet, the poor who fear Yehovah and who do what is right will obtain what they need.

 

 

 

XII. Ceasing for Others (verse 12)

 

Each Israeli must do his/her doings six of the days (of a week). Each must cease from his/her doings in order that his/her ox and ass can rest. Even the son of his/her slavewoman has been ‘re-beinged,’ and the sojourner, from this ceasing.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    The text states, “Thou shalt do thy doings six of days.” What are these doings? They are the normal work functions that folks do. Some will farm; others will have cattle; others will make pottery; others will trade with foreigners; others will build homes for a living, etc.

 

2.    Must the Israelis work six days? They are free to do their work and errands six of the days of the week. That doesn’t mean that they must work six days, but Yehovah did set up a six-day work-week. (They can take vacations.)

 

3.    What must occur on “day the seventh”? Each Israeli must cease (from errands and from work) in order that the Israeli’s ox and ass will rest, and in order that the son of the Israeli’s slavewoman will have been ‘re-beinged,’ as well as the sojourner.

 

4.    Why would an ox need to rest? Won’t it still eat grass in the field? The ox can eat the grass, but the ox won’t be used as a farm tool (pulling and carrying things) on this day.

 

5.    Why does the text mention the son of the slavewoman instead of the slavewoman herself? Doesn’t she get to cease from working on this day? Indeed, she must! Her son is mentioned, however, because Yehovah knew the way that the Israelis would think: they would give their slavewomen rest, but would demand that children of their slavewomen still serve them. Thus, Yehovah worded it this way to avoid such ideas.

 

6.    What does re-beinged mean? Since the being consists of the body, soul and spirit, if any of these three becomes tired or worn down, being re-beinged means to have the body, soul, and/or spirit re-energized, refreshed, and ready to fully function.

 

7.    Why is the sojourner also mentioned? The Israelis might have thought that the sojourner wasn’t included because the Torah wasn’t given to the sojourner. Therefore, the Israelis might have thought that the sojourner didn’t need to cease, and could even serve the Israelis while the Israelis ceased from their labours and errands. (Even today, Orthodox synagogues hire non-Jewish workers to function in the kitchens of the synagogues on the Sabbath—the day of ceasing; this is a blatant violation of the Torah.)

 

 

 

XIII. Guarding and Not Naming (verse 13)

 

The Israelis must guard (and will guard) all that Yehovah said unto them. They must not remind of the name of other gods! He shall not hear that name upon an Israeli’s mouth!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Why did Yehovah command at this point, “And ye shall guard via all that I said unto you”? He is warning the Israelis to leave out no detail from all that He said to them. If they leave out a detail, and if they consider that detail a small point, it will end up being the most important detail for some of the Israelis: a matter of life and death. (The Israelis have certainly not guarded by means of all that Yehovah said unto them. They have therefore put themselves into Yehovah’s wrath.)

 

2.    What does “And ye shall not remind-of the name of other gods” mean? Every false god has a name. It is against the commandment of Yehovah for one Israeli to remind another Israeli (or anyone) of the name of other gods. Thus, they must not speak the name of a deity that Isn’t Yehovah, since that is reminding another of the name.

 

3.    Aren’t the names of other gods mentioned in the Bible? Isn’t the Bible designed and meant to be read out loud (besides reading it in private?)? The names of other gods are mentioned in the Bible! The Bible is designed and meant to be read out loud!

 

       Now, the Orthodox Israelis do the following: When they read Yehovah in Hebrew, they replace this with Ha Shem (meaning the name), or with Adonai (meaning my Lords). When they read Elohim, they replace this with elokeem or elokeen, which has no meaning and is an intentional mispronunciation of Elohim (where Elohim means Gods, and it is a title for the Gods of Avraham, Isaac and Jacob). These are violations of the Torah which commands the Israelis to swear (vow) using His Name. If they find replacing the Name and titles of the True Gods of Israel with other titles or false names so easy to do, when it is a violation of the text, they certainly can replace the names of false gods with other things like abbreviations, etc. For example, when I see the false god called Baal, when I read it out loud, I replace Baal with “the B-god.”

 

4.    What does “He shall not hear upon thy mouth” indicate? This indicates that the Israelis have no business pronouncing those names, since Yehovah won’t hear those names upon the mouth of any Israeli! (That is, it is a command for the Israelis to make sure that Yehovah never hears it.)

 

 

 

XIV. Three Feet: Matzahs, Harvest, Gathering (verses 14-17)

 

Each Israeli must guard the solemnity of the Matzahs seven of the days. He/She will eat Matzahs just as she commanded each Israeli for an appointment, the month of the spring. This is because each Israeli exited from Egypt in the month of the spring.

 

The Israelis will not see Yehovah’s faces along with their emptiness!

 

They must also guard the solemnity of the harvest: the firstborn ones, the doing of each: what each will sow in a field.

 

They must also guard the solemnity of the gathering by means of the exiting of the year, by means of each person’s gathering from the field what he/she is doing.

 

Mighty One, Who is the Faces of Lord Yehovah, will see each—the male of every Israeli—three strokes (times) in the year.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What are feet in, “Thou shalt solemnize three feet to me in a year”? The foot pictures the walk (since those who can walk use their feet to do so). The three feet, then, have to do with transportation.

 

2.    What does “Thou shalt solemnize three feet to me in a year” mean? The Israelis must transport themselves to a location that will be specified three times in a year in order to keep a particular solemnity. (Yehovah will explain if there will be exceptions—cases where individual Israelis must not come.)

 

3.    What is Matzah? It is bread that has been made without leaven and without vinegar; it is made only from flour and water.

 

4.    How can one guard the solemnity of the Matzahs? The text explains: “Thou shalt eat Matzahs just-as she commanded thee to an appointment, month of the spring.” Eating the Matzahs in this way will be guarding the Matzahs. (Another question will look at what this typifies.)

 

5.    Who is she in, “just as she commanded thee…”? She, I propose, is the statute (which is feminine) mentioned in Exodus 12:14. The statute tells exactly how to do this.

 

6.    What is this appointment? An appointment, in general, is a set time for a meeting.

 

       The Torah (Teaching of Yehovah, Genesis through Joshua) teaches the numerous appointments that Yehovah has set to meet with Israel (and to those who will be true friends of Israel) in the End Times. These appointments won’t only benefit Israelis/Jews; they will benefit all Saints of all time. One of those appointments is Yeshua’s arrival with all resurrected Saints!

 

       Eating the Matzahs is doing a show-and-tell of one of those appointments. In order to figure out what this appointment is, the reader must know what matzah, in general, typifies (pictures). (That will be the next question.)

 

7.    What does matzah, in general, typify? Consider what matzah is. Think about flour: how it is the crushed seed of wheat (or of some similar grain). It is crushed to a powder. It is then mixed with water, making a dough ball. (You can do this to see how it is made.) It is then rolled out flat and quite thin. It is then baked in an oven or on a hot stone (a frying pan can be used). Now, consider each grain of flour before the water is added. Think of that as one person. When the water is added, the grains stick together to form something like a body: a dough ball. Yet, the dough ball can be easily divided. Once it is rolled flat, it is then baked using heat (or, using fire). That makes the separate grains disappear into one matzah unit that is quite firm, and the grains can hardly be seen. This body, formed by heat, can then be broken into pieces (as Yeshua said: “This is my Body that is broken for you.” Since there is no leaven and no vinegar, and since leaven is a type of sin (when it is used as a type), and vinegar is a type of violence, matzah typifies a body of Saints that is without sin. All have been put through the fire, and all refuse to sin.

 

       Now, anyone eating the matzah typifies those who will take good advantage of the Saints in this entirely righteous Body in order to live, since food gives life. They will not only eat this to live, but they will also be making the Body of the matzah a part of themselves, thus becoming one with the matzah!

 

       When the Israelis eat the matzah and do as this type pictures in the Tribulation, they, too, will become unleavened (freed from sin and sinning), and they will fulfill the appointment that Yehovah has set for all Israel to become righteous. This will occur in the month of the spring in one of the years of the Tribulation many centuries from now.

 

8.    What event will mark the time of the appointment being fulfilled? It will be an event that will remind the Israelis of a historical event! Israel will again exit from Egypt in the spring of the year during one of the latter years of the seven-year Tribulation! This time, the Israelis who exit from Egypt (with Egyptian help!) will be entirely righteous!

 

9.    Yehovah now inserts a threat. What is the threat, and why does He threaten using this? The threat is this: “They shall not see my faces, their emptiness!” It is a warning to all Israelis (and to others): They will not be permitted to see Yehovah’s faces if they arrive empty—that is, if they arrive without bringing someone else whose life they are saving! They must arrive with others! If they attempt to come (to Mount Zion in Israel) without bringing someone else, they will not be permitted to come up Mount Zion, and they will not gain refuge (a place of safety from attack) on Mount Zion; and they will not see Yehovah’s faces (meaning that they will be turned away from Him)!

 

10. Explain the solemnity of the harvest: The text explains it. When the Israelis do a harvest of what they have done—that is, what they have planted, some of the harvest will come ripe before the rest. Those are the firstborn ones. The firstborn belong to Yehovah!

 

       How to do this is explained in the following text:

 

       Leviticus 23:9 And Yehovah spoke unto Moshe to say, 10 “Speak unto the children of Israel. And thou shalt say unto them, ‘When ye shall come unto the land that I am giving to you, and ye shall reap her reaping. And ye shall bring a first binding of your reaping unto the priest. 11And he shall wave the binding to the faces of Yehovah to your desirability. The priest shall wave him from tomorrow of the ceasing.’”

 

       Now, there are more instructions after this. Each of these instructions is a show-and-tell of events to come, and this makes up another appointment of Yehovah.

 

       The priest participates in this, because Israeli priests will do exactly what this pictures, but they will do it with humans, and not with plants (which typify humans). They will do this with Israelis. The first Israelis (of all the Israelis) to come to faith and to produce fruit will often be killed by the priests of Israel at the beginning of the Tribulation and just before it begins. The priests will think that they are doing right, when they are not; and some priests will know that they are doing wrong, but will still do it. (Other priests will know of this violence against believing Israelis, and will take sides with the believing Israelis.) Yehovah therefore has given a show-and-tell of what the priests did by bringing the first of the harvest of Israeli Saints before Yehovah under arrest, and to put them to death as sacrifices (though the priests will see them as evildoers, thinking that their faith in the Salvation of Israel is actually idolatry).

 

11. Explain the solemnity of the gathering: This event takes place “via exiting of the year”—that is, as the Biblical year is ending (which means that it is in the spring of the year). It will take place “via thy gathering thy doing from the field,” picturing Israel’s gathering what Israel has done (including saving lives of Israelis and others who will help save the lives of other Israelis) “from the field”—that is, from all over the world. (Yeshua explained that the field is the world in Matthew 13:38.)

 

       Yeshua mentioned this gathering in several texts. For example,

 

       Matthew 24:31 “And He shall send His angels with a trumpet, and a great voice! And they shall gather His elect together from the four winds: from one end of the heavens to the other! 32Now learn a parable of the fig tree: When his branch is yet tender, and he puts forth leaves, ye know that summer is near. 33So likewise ye—when ye shall see all these things, know that he [the Gathering] is near: even at the doors. 34I say faith unto you: this generation shall not pass until all these things are fulfilled! 35The heavens and the land shall pass away, but my speeches shall not pass away! 36And no one knows of that day and hour—no, not the angels of the heavens, but-rather only my Father!”

 

       It is such an important event in the future!

 

12. What are strokes? They are times (as if a clock is beating out its rhythm).

 

13. Who is this Mighty One? He is described as Faces of Lord Yehovah. That describes One Who said,

 

       John 14:9 Yeshua says unto him, … “He who has seen me has seen the Father!”

 

       Thus, it is Yeshua, the Salvation of Yehovah!

 

14. How often will this Mighty One see every male of Israel? He will see them three times in the year! Each time is a picture of the times that He saw the Israelis during the heroic events of the three solemnities described above!

 

15. Why will He only see the males? Aren’t the females important to Him, and won’t they be heroic? Indeed, they will be heroic! I expect that there will be at least as many heroic women during the Tribulation as men, and perhaps more!

 

       The females are every bit as important to Yehovah as the males! They are equally made in His image, and they both reflect Him and His attributes (His good characteristics)!

 

       I propose that He only sees the males because He knows that the females will be active, heroic and willing to do what is right during the Tribulation, whereas some of the men will require being commanded to do what is needed. The men need to give the example, and so often the women will have to do what the men are too afraid to do. If I am right, this can give one reason why Yehovah commands that the males will come before Him during these three times. (I am certain that there are other reasons.)

 

       Also, the Israeli males will be the ones saved when Yeshua skips over during the Tribulation. All the males of the bad guys will be slaughtered. Therefore, in remembrance of this slaughter, the males will appear before Yehovah to show that they were not slaughtered when Yehovah skipped over.

 

 

 

XV. No Sacrificial Vinegar or Lodging Fat (verse 18)

 

No Israeli is permitted to sacrifice the blood of Yehovah’s sacrifice upon vinegar.

 

The fat of Yehovah’s solemnity shall not lodge (spend the night) unto morning!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does vinegar picture (when it pictures anything in the Bible)? It pictures violence. When juices ferment, they usually produce wine. If the fermentation continues, the bubbling process occurs, and soon vinegar is produced. That bubbling is like what happens inside of a person or a group that is becoming more and more angry until the pressure builds and the acidity level also builds. When vinegar finally reaches its greatest level, all fermentation stops because the organism (the microscopic creature that makes the wine and the vinegar) is dead.

 

2.    What does blood typify? Since the life of the flesh is in the blood, it is offered as a picture of one (or a group) giving his/its life for another.

 

3.    What is wrong with sacrificing blood upon vinegar? Blood has everything to do with life, while vinegar has everything to do with violence. (Violence often results in the lives of innocent ones being involuntarily taken.) Those two cannot go together, since it would portray Yehovah’s sacrifice as murderous (that is, due to violence).

 

4.    Why did Yehovah refer to the sacrifice as “my sacrifice”? Not only does He own the sacrifice (in the form of the animal) that a person is about to sacrifice to Him, but He also owns (or is) what the sacrifice typifies!

 

5.    What is the fat of Yehovah’s solemnity? It is the fat of the animal being sacrificed at Yehovah’s solemnity, or it is the rich excess of what has been produced in the field. Yet, more importantly, it is what that fat typifies.

 

       Fat is the excess of anything—what is extra beyond what is presently being used. This word either describes productivity (as in the case of a field) or abundance (either plenty or too much).

 

       It signifies the rich excess and increase to Yehovah.

 

       The Israelis are not allowed to eat fat from any kind of animal species that is sacrificed; such fat belongs to Yehovah.

 

       When animals were sacrificed, the fat was burned, and the smell was and is very pleasant. (It is what makes a cook-out smell so good!)

 

       Joseph said to his brothers,

 

       Genesis 45:18 And take your father and your households, and come unto me! And I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.

 

6.    What is wrong with permitting the fat to lodge (to stay overnight) unto morning? Since the fat of the land is what the land produces in abundance, I propose that bringing the fat to Yehovah can typify bringing both the Israelis and those who have helped the Israelis to Mount Zion. Leaving them behind would be leaving them to lodge where they are unto the morning. Instead, they must be brought as a sacrifice to Yehovah for a savour of restfulness (a smell that reminds Yehovah of the rest that He will provide). (It is like the very good smell of a steak cooking over a fire.)

 

       Thus, once the Israelis harvest their crops, they must not delay bringing them for even one day; they must bring them right away. (This will be the difference of life and death during the Tribulation.)

 

 

 

XVI. Firstborn of Soil (verse 19)

 

The Israeli must bring the beginning of all firstborn ones of his/her soil, the House of Yehovah, His/Her Gods!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is the “beginning of firstborn-[ones] of the soil”? The firstborn of the soil are also called the firstfruits since they are the first-ripened fruits. The rest of the fruits will ripen later, but these have come ripe first in that year. There will be other firstfruits to that crop that come even before the main crop, but these are the very first of the first-ripened fruits! They must be brought!

 

2.    The text doesn’t say, to the House of Yehovah thy Gods.” Is this an error, or is it intentional? It is intentional. If the text had said, “Thou shalt bring beginning of firstborn-[ones] of thy soil to the House of Yehovah thy Gods,” it would have only been communicating about the location: where to bring them. With it worded as “Thou shalt bring beginning of firstborn-[ones] of thy soil House of Yehovah thy Gods,” it shows the careful reader that the beginning of the firstborn ones from Israel’s soil, whether Jewish or not, are the House of Yehovah Gods of Israel! They are not just spectators; they are a vital part of Yehovah’s House!

 

3.    Who is thou in, “Thou shalt bring…”? From verse 20 and on, I can tell that thou refers to all Israel.

 

4.    What does “Thou shalt bring beginning of firstborn-[ones] of thy soil House of Yehovah thy Gods” typify? If I am right about the types, Israel is responsible to bring the very first of the non-Jewish ones who have produced fruit to Israel and to Yehovah (by willingly risking their own lives to save Israelis), since they are also the House of Yehovah Gods of Israel.

 

       That House pictures all the Israeli Saints, all the non-Israeli Saints, and all those who aren’t (yet) Saints who will be helping Israel during the Tribulation.

 

 

 

XVII. No Kid-Boiling (verse 19)

 

An Israeli must never boil a goat kid in the fat of his mother!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Why would anyone want to boil a goat kid (baby or young goat) in the fat of his own mother? This was one of the idolatrous practices that pagans around Israel did. From the text, I see that they would slay the mother, take its milk and its fat (since both are forms of fat), get it boiling, and then put the baby goat into that fat to cook it. This was a sacrifice to a mother-son/goddess-god set of deities. Yehovah strictly forbade Israel from doing this practice.

 

2.    Orthodox Jews believe that this command means that no meat should ever be cooked with dairy, and that no meat should ever be eaten with dairy. They even believe that this command disallows eating meat on a dairy dish with dairy utensils (that is, with silverware that has been dedicated to use only with dairy products), etc. Is this what this command is saying? No! Had Yehovah desired to command all that, He would have done so. He is commanding against idolatry; He isn’t commanding against eating meat with dairy.

 

       While the rabbis in Judaism thought they were helping the Israelis avoid sinning by adding all those commands, including commands against eating meat with dairy, they were actually distracting the Israelis from reading Biblical texts entrusted to them. Even Avraham and Yehovah ate meat and dairy together (see Genesis 18:8)!

 

 

 

XVIII. The Messenger (verses 20-23)

 

Yehovah next announces that He is sending a messenger to the faces of Israel to guard Israel in the way and to bring Israel unto a place that Yehovah prepared.

 

Israel must be guarded from his faces! Israel must hearken to his voices! Israel must refrain from embittering by means of him! The reason: this messenger will not carry to the transgression of the Israelis! Yehovah’s Name is by means of his approach!

 

Now, if Israel will truly hearken by means of his voice, and if Israel will do all that Yehovah will speak, Yehovah will ‘enemy’ Israel’s enemies, and He will ‘tribulate’ Israel’s tribulators! For, Yehovah’s messenger will walk to Israel’s faces. He is the One who will bring Israel unto the Emori and the Khiti and the Preezi and the Canaani, the Khivi and the Yevhoosi.

 

Yehovah will conceal this messenger!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is a messenger? It is anyone sent with a message or to do an errand on behalf of another.

 

       Every angel is a messenger; the Hebrew word for angel is also the Hebrew word for messenger.

 

2.    What will this messenger do? This messenger will guard Israel in the way; this messenger will bring Israel unto a place that Yehovah prepared.

 

3.    What does “to thy faces” mean? It means straight in front of thee.

 

4.    Will Israel be able to see this messenger? The text to this point doesn’t tell us. (If you read ahead, you will see that the messenger will be quite visible.)

 

5.    Where is this place that Yehovah has prepared? Another text refers to the same place and its preparation:

 

       John 14:1 “Your heart shall not be troubled. Ye believe in God. Also believe in me! 2There are many abodes in the House of my Father; otherwise, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again, and I will take hold of you to myself so that ye shall be where I also am. 4And ye know where I go; and ye know the way.”

 

       This place is Mount Zion in Israel.

 

6.    Is this place already prepared at this very time (in 2011)? It isn’t yet prepared, and the messenger hasn’t yet been sent. By the time the messenger has been sent, the place will be prepared.

 

7.    Who is thou in, “Be thou guarded from his faces”? This still refers to Israel as a group.

 

8.    Why must Israel be guarded from his faces? The text explains: “He will not carry to your transgression!” (The expression, carry to, means forgive, among other things.) This messenger must be exactly obeyed, and thus Israel must be very guarded in all that Israel does.

 

9.    The next statement is, “And hearken via his voice.” What does this command mean? The Israelis must hear, listen, and do all that he communicates.

 

10. What does “Do not embitter thou via him” mean? This can carry two meanings, and both will fit. The first meaning is this: Don’t cause bitterness to him by means of what he will do and command; this would occur if Israel were to disobey him. The second meaning is similar: “Don’t cause bitterness to each other by means of what he will do and command; this would occur if the Israelis were to murmur against what he is commanding.

 

11. What does “he will not carry to your transgression” mean? This messenger will not forgive any transgression of the Israelis. He will also not bring any sacrifice to the Israelis for their transgression, should they transgress (that is, should they go beyond and violate what will be commanded them). This messenger is very different!

 

12. Yehovah then stated, “For my Name is via his approach!” What does this mean? Yehovah’s Name always carries two significances. One is in the meaning of His Name: He will be, He is, He was. The other refers to the Person Who is His Name. I am referring to Yeshua. The statement, “For my Name is via his approach,” refers to Yeshua: For Yeshua, that is, Salvation, is by means of his approach! This is why Israel must be so careful. This messenger’s approach to the destination of Mount Zion carries Israel’s Salvation in it! Thus, the Israelis must exactly obey this messenger. If they do, they will all be physically saved from the terrible danger of the Tribulation, and they will also be everlastingly saved from sin and the everlasting death that is the result of sin once they have believed the Truth that the messenger will also demonstrate.

 

13. Yehovah makes this statement: “For if, hearkening, thou shalt hearken via his voice, and thou shalt do all that I will speak…” Yehovah combined hearkening via his voice with “do all that I will speak.” What does this show? This messenger will be a prophet: he will speak the speeches of Yehovah exactly as Yehovah will give those speeches. Therefore, hearkening to this messenger will be the same as hearkening to Yehovah!

 

14. What will be the results of hearkening to this messenger, according to verse 22? If Israel will hearken to this messenger, Yehovah will be an enemy to Israel’s enemies, and Yehovah will ‘tribulate’ (that is, cause continuing trouble to) Israel’s tribulators—those who continuously trouble Israel. Obviously, Israel’s enemies and tribulators will be too busy to harm Israel at that time!

 

15. Why doesn’t Yehovah just turn these enemies and tribulators of Israel into friends? Yehovah never forces humans to believe in—that is, to have faith in—Yehovah, in Truth, in His speeches, etc. He will force all humans to behave right during the Millennium, but He never forces faith. That is an area that belongs to humans. If anyone believes, that is strictly voluntary!

 

16. Why does Yehovah again state that His messenger will walk to Israel’s faces? This shows that the messenger will be in front of Israel. It also gives a little evidence that the messenger will be visible. Since the messenger will be sent to Israel while part of Israel still isn’t in faith, that messenger has to be visible (since faith has to do with what is not seen, and the messenger will give directions to the Israelis both in faith and not in faith).

 

17. Verse 23 states, “And he [the messenger] will bring thee unto the Emori and the Khiti and the Preezi and the Canaani, the Khivi and the Yevoosi.” The text didn’t say, “unto the land of,” but instead mentioned six races. Is this event the historical event in Joshua’s day, or is this referring to another event in a future day? While this sounds like the historical event, it is placed in texts that have never occurred! (Read verses 25 and on!) I propose that this is a future event, and that these races will again be trouble to Israel!

 

18. At the end of verse 23 is the statement, “And I will obscure him!” Who is him, and what will occur that is described by obscuring him? I propose that this refers to this messenger. If I am right, Yehovah will cause Israel to not see this messenger, his characteristics, and other things about him in a clear light.

 

       This obscuring has already happened. Many who read these texts and other texts related to this messenger think that this messenger is Yeshua. They are not right, but they think that they are right. If this messenger were Yeshua, Yehovah would have stated either that His (Yehovah’s) Name is in Him (in Yeshua), or that He is Yehovah. Instead, Yehovah has carefully described the messenger as different. Texts in other places describe him as being like Moshe. (Yeshua and Moshe did very different things and were not alike in their assignments.)

 

       This messenger is therefore already obscured.

 

19. Why does Yehovah desire to obscure him? If I am right that the one being obscured is the messenger, this is to protect the messenger from being recognized until the right time. It also guarantees that most Israelis educated in the Bible won’t figure out who this messenger is, and will therefore assume that he fits what they already believe (which isn’t Biblically correct). That way, the Israelis can continue in their own faiths and in their own ways until they are ready for Truth only. (Individuals from Israel will believe Truth; and all who care at all about the Truth of the Bible will desire to see Israelis come to true Biblical faith.)

 

 

 

XIX. Dealing with Other Gods (verse 24)

 

Israel must not prostrate to the gods of the races mentioned above. Israel must not serve them. Israel must not make as they make. Instead, smashing, Israel must smash those gods! And shattering, Israel must shatter their pillars!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does prostrate mean? It means to lie face-down before another. This can show several things:

 

  • One’s willingness to serve another
  • One’s surrender to another
  • One’s recognition of another’s much higher rank
  • Making a very urgent request to another who can grant the request

2.    Why would anyone prostrate himself/herself to false gods? If the person believes that the gods are not false, and if the person believes that the gods can do something for him/her, the person will probably prostrate before those gods.

 

3.    Why would Yehovah have to command Israel to refrain from prostrating to the gods of the Emori, Khiti, Preezi, Canaani, Khivi and the Yevoosi, and who are these folks? Yehovah knew that the Israelis would quickly prostrate to the gods of these folks! The Israelis are quick at getting into idolatry!

 

       The Emori is one person who is of the race of the Emoreem (called the Amorites in most Bibles). In the same manner, the Khiti is one person who is of the race of the Khiteem (called the Hittites in most Bibles). Thus, Yehovah spoke of one person from each of these races, making it very personal.

 

 

 

XX. Results of Serving Yehovah (verses 25-33)

 

The Israelis shall serve Yehovah their Gods. Yehovah will bless Israel’s bread and Israel’s waters. Yehovah will fend off sickness in advance from Israel’s approach.

 

There won’t be a bereaved woman in the Land of Israel, and there won’t be a barren woman in that Land.

 

Yehovah will fill a scrolling of Israel’s days.

 

He will ‘buzz’ every people that Israel will come by means of them. Yehovah will give all Israel’s enemies unto Israel: the neck!

 

Yehovah will send the hornet to Israel’s faces. She, the hornet, will expel the Khivi, the Canaani and the Khiti from Israel’s faces. Now, Yehovah won’t expel one of these races from Israel’s faces in one year; that would cause the land to become desolate, and every living creature of the field would multiply upon Israel. Instead, Yehovah will expel him a little at a time, a little at a time from Israel’s faces until Israel will be fruitful.

 

Israel will inherit the land.

 

Yehovah will set Israel’s border from Ending Sea (‘Red Sea’) unto Palestinian Sea (the Mediterranean), and from the desert unto the river. Yehovah will give inhabitants of the land into Israel’s hand. And the Israelis will expel ‘him’ from Israel’s faces.

 

Israel must not cut a covenant to them and to their gods. And they must not dwell in Israel’s land lest they will cause Israel to sin to Yehovah! Instead, Israel shall serve Israel’s Gods! For ‘he’ will become to a snare to Israel!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    When will the Israelis serve Yehovah their Gods? They will do this in the last part of the Tribulation, and throughout the Millennium. There may be occasions where many of the Israelis do this before the End Times, but those occasions, if any, will be followed by the Israelis going after other gods.

 

2.    What must the Israelis do to be serving Yehovah their Gods? They must treat the Land of Israel right according to Yehovah’s commands. They must treat fellow-Israelis, sojourners, widows and orphans right according to Yehovah’s commands. They must do what is right before Yehovah in all things, according to Yehovah’s commands. Now, Yehovah’s commands are not numerous or hard. Israeli difficulties when it comes to doing Yehovah’s commands have to do with the Israelis desiring to live another way; there aren’t difficulties if folks desire to do what is right before Yehovah. He just didn’t make it all that hard. Living according to regular rules of societies is usually far more difficult, and sometimes impossible.

 

3.    What does bless mean? To bless is to give something or someone to another so that what is given will be used to benefit others (besides the person to whom the blessing was given). This is not the same as gift-giving, since a gift is given for the person’s own usage, and not for the benefit of others. Thus, a blessing may have only a little benefit on the one to whom it was given, but it will potentially greatly benefit others.

 

       Blessings always come with responsibilities. They must be used in the right way.

 

4.    What will occur if Yehovah blesses bread and waters? Items (like bread and waters) are not usually blessed in the Bible; persons are, and Yehovah can be blessed. This is a rare text.

 

       Since bread in the Bible can also refer to food, this is a text in which food can be blessed. This isn’t referring to what is done at the time of a meal, and it doesn’t refer to a prayer over the meal. If Yehovah blesses Israel’s food, He is giving gifts to that food so that it can give to others! I propose that Yehovah will give that food the ability to benefit others outside of Israel in special ways, including providing more healing benefits than what food should be able to provide. There are other ways in which the food of Israel can do much more for others than what it would normally be able to do. For example, it might have tastes that are very good to folks in distant and very different cultures. (Humans eat so many different kinds of things throughout the world; what tastes very good to one culture might make the other culture sick!)

 

       The same will be true of Israel’s waters. Yehovah will give those waters abilities that far exceed what normal very good waters could do. Thus, Israel will be able to benefit folks from all the races with the food and waters that Yehovah will bless.

 

5.    What does forefend mean? It means to fend off in advance; to prevent and to stop something from coming.

 

6.    What does “I will forefend sickness from thy approach” mean? Yehovah will stop sicknesses (like disease outbreaks) from approaching Israel. Thus, Israel will not experience disease outbreaks that are traveling throughout the world.

 

7.    What is a bereaved woman? She is a woman who has lost a child—that is, her child died.

 

8.    Why won’t a bereaved woman be in the Land of Israel? Every woman in the Land of Israel will experience all of her children living.

 

9.    What is a barren woman? She is a woman who is unable to conceive, and therefore she cannot produce a child.

 

10. Why won’t there be a barren woman in the Land of Israel? Every woman who desires to conceive and birth a child will be able to do that! Yehovah will make sure of that.

 

11. What does “I will fill a scrolling of thy days” mean? A scroll is a record that is continuous from page to page (unlike a book that has two continuous pages, and then it discontinues until the page is turned). a person’s life, including the records of the person’s days, is recorded on a scroll. A document that is very brief doesn’t fill a scroll’s pages. Thus, a life that is very short doesn’t have much information in that person’s scroll.

 

       If Yehovah will fill a scrolling of the person’s days, that shows that the person will live a long time!

 

12. What will occur if Yehovah will send His terror to Israel’s faces? Will He terrorize Israel? He will terrorize Israel, but in a good way! He will put a great fear into Israel! This terror, however, is intended for Israel’s enemies! Yehovah will send a terror into them that will cause them to want to run! That terror will be to Israel’s faces because it will be in front of Israel, preparing the enemies of Israel to run like… like Sheol!

 

13. What occurs if Yehovah hums (buzzes) every people to which Israel will come? When He ‘hums’ a people, he makes them talk to each other in great fear, wondering what they are going to do, where they are going to go, how they are going to live, etc. Their conversations with each other together sound like a hum. Yehovah will cause them to act as if they have the buzzing of a bee in their clothing! (That is rather frightening.)

 

14. What does “And I will give all thine enemies unto thee: neck” mean? The enemies will be delivered into the hands of Israel (either in defeat or surrender). When they give the neck, it will be Israel putting Israel’s foot on the enemy’s neck! That is a total surrender position, and one in which the enemy will have no will to resist!

 

15. Yehovah next states, “I will send the hornet to thy faces.” What is this hornet? A hornet is like a bee, but much, much more frightening. Yehovah easily can send a hornet (the real insect) before Israel’s faces to destabilize and frighten an enemy. When a word like hornet is used in the singular form in texts like this in the Bible, it often indicates a huge number! Yehovah can send swarms of attacking hornets! Armies will run from hornets, and they won’t be able to fight!

 

       Yehovah can also send the sound of hornets when there are none! This sound will have the save effect, except that there will be no need to sting! Enemies will still run with terror!

 

16. What will be the effect of sending the hornet? Three of the six races (Khivi, Cnaani and Khiti races) will run and be gone!

 

17. Yehovah next states, “I will not expel him from thy faces in one year…” Why will Yehovah not do it in a year? Will He take two years to do this? Yehovah does not desire for the land to return to desolation (since the land requires tending to keep it from returning to its wild state), and He does not desire that the living one (the animal, referring to all the animals) of the field to multiply to the point of their becoming either a nuisance or dangerous for the Israelis.

 

       Since Yehovah will do the expelling, He will do it in a way that will permit the Israelis to take and move in to one section, take and move in to another section, etc.

 

18. Where will the inhabitants of the land go as their homes and their lands are taken from them? They won’t go! They will fight! Therefore, they will have war, and Israel will slaughter them when they attack Israel!

 

       It may seem as if Israel will attack them, but that isn’t the way it usually works. Whoever attacks is considered to have the advantage. Also, whoever knows the land the best is considered to have the advantage. Thus, as Yehovah drives them to leave, they won’t leave, but will come with great force against Israel. Yehovah will make sure that Israel has the victory (as long as Israel is doing right), and then the Israelis will slaughter all remaining inhabitants.

 

19. Doesn’t Yehovah love the little children of the world, including the children of the Canaanites? No text states that Yehovah loves the little children of the world; that is from a song that someone wrote.

 

       The Canaanites and these other groups became very vile, and did things like sacrifice their children on burning statues, burning their own children alive so that they could get the attention of their false gods to have good crops (for example). They horribly murdered many of their own children. They did many other things that texts describe, and Yehovah hated them for their sinfulness and violence against the innocent. Yehovah also gave them much warning and much time to turn, but they only became worse. Yehovah finally determined to stop these races: kill these races. (That is called genocide.)

 

       Yehovah commanded the Israelis to leave nothing alive. They had to slaughter children, babies, cattle, sheep, etc. (They were not to touch the fruit trees.)

 

       While the young children and the babies had done nothing wrong, Yehovah knew that they would grow up to be worse than their parents. (Yehovah knows all things that will occur.) He therefore determined to kill them, also—not to have the Israelis adopt them, since they still would grow up to be just like their dead parents!

 

       Now, young children and babies who die, not having sinned, are not under any accusation by Yehovah. Everlasting Salvation from sin is by His Grace, and His Grace is toward such children and babies. 

 

20. If Yehovah is just expelling the Hivite, won’t he live and move to another location? If any of the members of these races had just left, they would have lived! I see no indication that Yehovah would have chased them down. Instead, they stayed to fight! Now, Israel was outnumbered, and these races had more gods than the Israelis. They should have easily been able to win! Instead, Yehovah drove them into the hands of Israel with the command to leave none of them alive.

 

21. Yehovah stated that He will expel him (the inhabitant of the land) a little, a little “until that thou wilt be fruitful.” What does that last part mean, and why will He stop doing what He is doing when they are fruitful? The Israelis will take over the lands of these other peoples. Israel will get crops from the plants that these races planted. Yehovah will continue to expel these other races until the Israelis have good crops, plenty of children, and multiplication of sheep and cattle.

 

       The word until in Hebrew does not mean the same thing as it does in English. In the English language, until means that whatever is occurring will stop at that point. In Hebrew, it doesn’t indicate that anything stops. Thus, Yehovah will expel them until Israel is fruitful, and He will continue to expel them even afterward until they are all gone!

 

22. Who will inherit the land, and what land is this? Israel, the whole group, will inherit the land of Canaan—the land where the Canaanites, the Hivites, the Amorites, the Jebusites, the Hittites, etc. are living.

 

23. What sea is Ending Sea? It is what is normally called the Red Sea. Look on a map to find it.

 

24. What is the Palestinian Sea? It is the Mediterranean Sea. Look on a map to find it.

 

25. What desert is mentioned in verse 31? It is the desert called the Negev, and the word Negev means south. It ends at the Red Sea on both sides.

 

26. What is the river mentioned in verse 31? I understand it to be the Euphrates River. (Find that river on a map.)

 

27. If Yehovah gives the inhabitants of the land into the hand of the Israelis, who does the expelling? Yehovah does it; the Israelis do it. Thus, credit is given to both for doing it.

 

28. Explain the wording, cut a covenant: Normally when two or more made covenants, they did an animal sacrifice. The animal’s throat was cut to both kill the animal and to drain the blood so that the animal could be cooked on the altar, and the participants would eat. (Thus, it was like a barbeque.)

 

       A covenant is like a vow, and a vow is much stronger than a promise.

 

       A promise is a statement in which one or more persons says that he or she will or won’t do something, or it is a statement in which a person guarantees that something will or won’t happen.

 

       A vow is a promise made with a higher power, authority or rank as a witness and whose reputation is used to guarantee that the one making the vow absolutely will or won’t do something, or that something will or won’t happen.

 

       A covenant is a vow made before a deity (a god or God), usually including an animal sacrifice, in which the deity acting as the guard of the covenant will avenge any break in the covenant!

 

       Thus, a covenant is cut, referring to the animal that is sacrificed.

 

29. What is wrong with cutting a covenant to the inhabitants of the land of Canaan? Yehovah desires them expelled from the land. Any covenant cut with them will include their staying on the land!

 

30. What is wrong with cutting a covenant to the gods of Canaanites, etc.? Cutting a covenant to the false gods is idolatry!

 

31. What is wrong with permitting these other races to stay where they are, while the Israelis move in? The text explains: “They shall not dwell in thy land lest they will sin-cause thee to me!” In other words, they will end up being a cause of Israel sinning! The Israelis will do as they do, and the Israelis will practice idolatry.

 

32. Can one person really cause another person to sin? The only way one person can cause another person to sin is by both of them being willing to sin in the first place. Now, one person may be deceived, thinking that a particular act isn’t a sin, but that person is still willing to do the sinful act (while thinking it isn’t sin).

 

33. Who is he in, “For he will be to a snare to thee,” and what is a snare? A snare is a trap designed to fool what is being caught into being entangled. He is each individual person from the races that Yehovah commanded to be expelled from the land of Canaan. Every Canaanite person will be a personal trap to Israel!