New Moon Meeting: July 2005, 3:15 EST
The Avenger

Qinael: Our loving and heavenly Father,

We thank you for another day of gathering you have provided for your people... We thank you for this time we may search ourselves in light of your Word and the vision of our brethren to see if there is any room for growth, into the fullness of the stature of your Son.

We pray for open minds and hearts to the message you have for us today, for wisdom to understand it, for humility to apply it, and for zeal to share it with those in need. In Yahshua’s name, amen.

Pastor “Chick”: Amen.
Crystle: Amen.
Zahakiel: Amen.
Barb: Amen.
Dumah: Amen.

Zahakiel: This month I’d like to go over a concept that I’ve never seen studied formally before. We’re going to look at the Sabbath rest principle on two sides of the same coin.

Now, to get right into it, we know that there were many things that Yahweh allowed under the Old Covenant, before perfect faith came. (Heb 11:40) Some examples of this principle are: divorce for reasons other than adultery, (Mat 19:8) divinely sanctioned warfare, (Joshua 24:12 gives us the original plan) polygamy (Gen 30:26), the use of intoxicating wine – though it was already beginning to be understood that it was really only for those who were “ready to perish,” (Pro 31:6) and so on.

Now, one of the most often cited examples of these permissive commandments is the idea of “an eye for an eye,” first mentioned in Christ specifically addresses this topic during His sermon on the mount. “Ye have heard that it hath been said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.” (Matthew 5:38-42)

Now, according to our teachings, and the way we have applied this to issues such as Victory over Sin and the Trademark apostasy, anyone who’s been studying with the Church for any length of time can easily see that the Messiah is introducing here the Sabbath Rest Principle.

Why were there “permissive” commandments in the Old Covenant? Any ideas?

Dumah: Perfect faith had not yet come.

Crystle: Was it because of the sinful state that they were in already?

Zahakiel: Well, there was faith in individuals... but in general there was a problem.

Yahshua said, “for the hardness” of the people’s hearts.

Jeanie: The level of maturity of Yah’s people wasn’t where it needed to be yet?

Zahakiel: That’s part of it, but if you think about it, men in those days lived longer than we do now. As individuals, they certainly had more of an opportunity to develop that perfect faith than we will. But we believe that we will succeed, and have succeeded, whereas they had not. And truly, in the Christendom of today in general, this situation has not changed… except for the True Remnant, those who actually have the faith of Yahshua.

The Bible tells us in Hebrews why there were permissive commandments given in the Old Testament, and consequently why many (when the permissive commandments are taken away) now say, “We aren’t what Christ wants us to be.” We read: “And to whom sware [Yah] that they should not enter into His rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:18, 19) The root of it was unbelief. Plain and simply stated.

And what was it that the people did not believe? Any thoughts on that?

Crystle: That He would take care of all their needs.

Zahakiel: Yes, that’s it. That He would take care of them. Basically: they did not believe the promises He had made.

There’s a clear example of that in the Scriptures: Canaan was to be the “inheritance” of the earthly Jews, to prepare them for their Heavenly inheritance. But due to their rebellion, the Scriptures tell us, Yahweh “removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets.” (2Kings 17:23)

Remember, Yahweh doesn’t just surprise people with His actions. We’re always given warnings in due season, in adequate time to prepare even if we’ve missed something important. “Surely Adonai Yahweh will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7)

So Israel had enough opportunity to see the course of its actions and repent; this is why the Messiah testified against the cities of Judea that Nineveh would rise up in judgment against them, because this heathen people actually repented (at one warning) when Israel stood firm in its unbelief after centuries of hearing the oracles of Elohim. (Mat 12:41)

But we were talking about Canaan, to see how it is that Israel’s unbelief was in the promises given to them by the Most High. This was the promise, from the very beginning of the post-flood era: “Blessed be Yahweh, Elohim of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.” (Gen 9:26) The land in which Canaan would dwell would come under the dominion of Shem’s offspring, the Hebrews. But more clearly we are told this, lest any should think it was mere symbolic language: “And I will give unto thee [Abraham], and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their Almighty One.” (Gen 17:8)

Zahakiel: Down through the ages, right down to this day, the Hebrews have always known that Abraham was their father. (John 8:53, 56) But they did not fully inherit the land, and when they did set up their kingdom, they did not maintain it “for an everlasting possession” as the Scriptures promised. Well, we understand that prophecies concerning the actions of men are always conditional, (Exodus 18:23) and so obviously the conditions for Israel permanently inheriting Canaan were not met. The reason why is the same as we were discussing before, because they did not believe in the promise of Genesis 17:8.

We read of their first attempt to enter their intended home: “And Moses by the commandment of Yahweh sent [twelve men] from the wilderness of Paran; all those men were heads of the children of Israel. And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, ‘Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain. And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many.” (Numbers 13:3, 17, 18)

Zahakiel: For forty days, those men went through Canaan, looking around and assessing the situation. Thereafter, they returned to tell Moses what they had seen – and let me know when you’ve read the following: “And they told him, and said, ‘We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak [i.e., the Anakim giants] there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.” (Num 13:27-29)

Qinael: Done.
Barb: Finished.
Crystle: Finished.
Pastor “Chick”: Finished.
Dumah: Ok.
Jeanie: Done.

Zahakiel: So, essentially, they said, “Yes, the promise Yahweh has made to us is a wonderful promise. Truly, the land He has intended for us is good, but there are so many obstacles to get there and possess it!” Now, which of us has not heard some Christian saying these very words?

“Yes, the idea of living without sin is wonderful, and we certainly see the apostles talking about freedom from unrighteousness, but we have all these problems…” And they proceed to list them: the sin nature, the flesh, the temptations of the devil, the addictions, the natural foolishness of humanity, the seventh chapter of Romans…

Dumah: And they add that no one has done it but Christ.

Zahakiel: Right. And notice, even the very words of the Bible, because they are poorly understood, are used as an excuse for unbelief. But it’s just an echo of what these men were saying, spewing words of doubt and fear. They did not believe that Yahweh would really give them what He had promised to give them. And they can’t enter in, because of their unbelief. But as we’ve seen, our Father does not leave His people without a true witness.

“And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, ‘Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.’ But the men that went up with him said, ‘We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.’ And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, ‘The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.’” (verses 30-33)

Zahakiel: Say when.

Qinael: Finished.
Barb: Finished.
Crystle: Finished.
Jeanie: Done.
Dumah: Ok.
Pastor “Chick”: Finished.

Zahakiel: You see how the howling of the flesh tries to drown out the Spirit, the voice of one crying as in the wilderness. In Christianity today, there is one gentle Spirit saying, “Come up, and take the promise. Yahshua has paid the price. Yahshua has given you victory!” But there is a multitude of wicked spirits, the chaos of Babylon, saying, “Don’t be so sure of that. You can’t really live without sin, creature of flesh. But don’t worry about that, put your mind at ease – Yahweh is too merciful to cleanse His universe of pain and iniquity… you will not surely die!”

“The wages of sin is death,” if for no other reason than that sinners are truly in pain. They may be so desensitized that they no longer feel it, but all will be restored to perfect clarity on the Day of Judgment, and all will see what they have truly done with their lives. When Yahshua comes to judge, He will do nothing but remove the veil from veiled eyes, and then show us the Father in His glory. For some, it will be the event that they have waited for. Paul says, “the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together” for this occasion. (Rom 8:22)

For others, the prophet tells them, “That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness.” (Zeph 1:15) But Yahweh will not leave His people unwarned, and as we saw in Numbers; He will send a witness. In fact, in matters as important as this, He will generally send two.

“And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes; and they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, ‘The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If Yahweh delight in us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against Yah, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and Yahweh is with us: fear them not!’” (Num 14:6-9)

Zahakiel: If the people who claimed to be Christ’s people had this kind of faith, how different would our world be? They would see the obstacles. They would see the sin nature, the flesh, the temptations of the devil, the addictions, the natural foolishness of humanity, and they would say, “What a wonderful Creator we serve, who makes all these mountains tumble into the sea.” But this is how Israel reacted to the testimony of the two witnesses, who said, “Let us enter into the promises of Yahweh.” We are told, “But all the congregation bade stone them with stones.” (Numbers 14:10)

A few people wanted to stone them with stones?

Jeanie: No; all the congregation.

Zahakiel: Right... All. All, and yet people are amazed when we tell them, “There is only one true Church.” People get angry when we repeat the words of Christ, “few there be” who will find the way of life.

All the world hates the doctrine of Righteousness by Faith, of Victory over Sin, the song of the 144,000. It is, I believe, the last of the “Seven Thunders” that John heard in Revelation… but not yet, for that message :) In any event, it is thunder in the ears of flesh, and they cannot understand, because of unbelief.

They fear that Yahweh will not fulfill what He has promised, but some do not want to say that, and so they manipulate the words of Scripture in an attempt to make it look like Yah has not truly promised us Victory over sin. This is an evil report of the land. Does everyone see how that is?

Qinael: <nods.>
Barb: <nods.>
Crystle: Yes.
Dumah: Yeah.
Pastor “Chick”: Yes.
Jeanie: Yes.

Zahakiel: Okay. And are there any questions so far? This has thus far been similar to a sermon pastor gave some time ago, “Giants in The Land.” So it shouldn’t be any new teaching at this point.

Barb: No.
Crystle: No.

Zahakiel: All right :)

So we see that because of unbelief, Israel had to wander for forty years before it entered its inheritance, even temporarily. Not until every last one of those who took up stones to throw at Joshua and Caleb had died, not until then would their children see the green grass, and breath the fresh air of Canaan. And how will it be for us?

I am going to that good land :)

Barb: :)

Zahakiel: So let’s apply this more directly to the Sabbath rest.

When Yahweh said, “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,” (Exo 21:24) He was doing it because the people were not prepared to enter into Sabbath rest. He gave them the Seventh Day, true enough, but let’s continue with what we were looking at in the Book of Hebrews. We have already learned from chapter 13 that the reason people do not enter into the promises of Yah is because of unbelief. But there is more clarity yet to come. Here is most of Chapter 4… so let me know when you’ve read it all :)

“Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them [of the Old Testament]; but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as He said, ‘As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.’ “For He spake in a certain place of the Seventh Day on this wise, ‘And God did rest the seventh day from all His works.’ And in this place again, ‘If they shall enter into my rest.’ Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief. Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, ‘To day, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.’

“For if Joshua [this appears as “Jesus” in the KJV] had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest [literally: “a Sabbathkeeping] to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as Yah did from His. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” (Hebrews 4:1-11)

Zahakiel: Take your time with it, scroll back if you have to... make sure you get what it’s saying, then let me know.

Pastor “Chick”: Finished.
Jeanie: Done.
Barb: Finished.
Crystle: Finished.
Dumah: Ok.

Zahakiel: We’ve looked at this passage before. But today I want us to notice how closely linked the concepts of “unbelief” and failure to enter into the Sabbath rest are linked.
We speak of “three Sabbaths” in the CSDA Church:

There is the Sabbath of the world/paganism, which is Sunday.

There is the Sabbath of the Jews, which is the Seventh Day, yet this keeping is not “mixed with faith in them that heard it.” Those who kept this kind of Seventh Day were yet able to crucify the Lord of the Sabbath.

But their remaineth a Sabbathkeeping for the people of Yah, and we teach of this Sabbath.

It is ceasing from your own works, and entering into the work of Yah which was completed from the foundation of the world. Yahshua was sacrificed for us about 2000 years ago; yet, His Sacrifice was ordained from the foundation of the world, and this is why Hebrews tells us that “the works were finished from the foundation of the world.” This is both the physical work, and the work of Redemption. It was made seen, made known, about 2000 years ago, but as we have been taught by the lives of faithful men, death does not make a man a martyr, it reveals that he has already given his life for the service of Yahweh.

Yahshua’s death revealed to us a love that was always there… the Father did not begin to love us when the Son said, “It is finished.” There was always a Sabbath into which humanity could enter. But in taking “an eye for an eye,” we understand that this was a permissive command, because when Yahshua revealed to us the perfect faith, He said, “it was said,” but no more. The Avenger, a concept we’ll study here, is someone who makes himself the judge of another, and truly places himself in Yahweh’s place.

He does not enter into Sabbath rest, but rather “wrests.” He wrests the job of vengeance from the Perfect, and places it firmly into his own, erring hands. And why? Because of unbelief. In the Bible, an Avenger was often used in reference to someone who was given the responsibility of giving justice for someone who was slain. The most common word used for “avenger” is ga’al. It does not, however, necessarily mean what it would have the connotation of meaning in English. When we hear “avenger,” we think of one who exacts punishment on someone who has wronged another. In Hebrew, the word is the same used for “Redeemer.” Specifically, it is “kinsman redeemer,” one of the family of the injured, who makes things right.

When Boaz purchased Ruth to be his wife, fulfilling the Levirate marriage, the Bible says he did “the kinsman’s part,” (Ruth 3:13) and the same word is used there. He was, in its most pure sense, the “Avenger” of the situation.

Now, we know that this also was a symbol of Christ, who, as our Kinsman, Redeemed us from death. Unfortunately, humanity does not have much of a taste, in its natural state, for an Avenger who does not always hurt our enemies. When the natural man seeks vengeance for a hurt he has endured, he does not seek what Yahweh seeks: to reconcile both parties to righteousness and joy. Yet Yahshua does this, and would save even enemies.

It is interesting to think of David and Uriah meeting in Heaven, or the prophet Isaiah and Manasseh, the wicked (but ultimately repentant) king who ordered him to be sawn in half. But we will be witnesses of these scenes.

To tie this in to what we were talking about before... because of the hardness of men’s hearts, Yahweh endured men taking His authority, and avenging their own hurts. The ideal was that they should “rest” in Him, but as a permissive commandment, He allowed this institution to exist.

Everyone following so far?

Qinael: Yes.
Clair: Yes.
Pastor “Chick”: OK.
Crystle: Yes.
Dumah: Ok.
Barb: Yes.
Jeanie: Yes.

Zahakiel: Okay, now... we read that He also made provisions for those who should accidentally slay another. Lest innocent blood be spilled, we read that the Almighty ordained a place of sanctuary… but with an exception. “He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death. And if a man lie not in wait, but Elohim deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee. But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.” (Exo 21:12-14)

Should a man be proven guilty of murder, even the very horns of the altar, the edges of the mercy seat, these would not afford protection from justice. Here is an example of sanctuary being bestowed upon one who asked for mercy:

“And Adonijah [who had planned rebellion] feared because of Solomon [the true heir of David], and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. And it was told Solomon, saying, ‘Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon; for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, “Let king Solomon swear unto me to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword.”’ “And Solomon said, ‘If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth; but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.’ So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, ‘Go to thine house.’” (1Kings 1:50-53)

Say when you’ve read.

Qinael: Done.
Crystle: Finished.

Dumah: Yes...that happened with Joab as well.

Jeanie: Done.
Clair: Done.
Barb: Done.
Pastor “Chick”: OK.

Zahakiel: Ah, I am about to talk about Joab. But you will see a different result there :) Joab had done many acts of unrighteousness, and was guilty of slaying both the unarmed and the unsuspecting. We read of his end:

“Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of Yahweh, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of Yahweh; and, ‘behold, he is by the altar.’ Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, ‘Go, fall upon him.’ And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of Yahweh, and said unto him, ‘Thus saith the king, “Come forth.”’ And he said, ‘Nay; but I will die here.’ And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, ‘Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.’ And the king said unto him, ‘Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father.’” (1Kings 2:28 – 31)

The innocent may find sanctuary in Yahweh. All are guilty when they come to Him, this is true, yet not all let themselves be cleansed. They are like Joab, clinging to the altar, yet unwilling to surrender the sin that made it necessary to cling. This is the false Sabbath… it is going through the motions. But there is no merit in merely clinging to the altar. There is no virtue in the commandments, or claiming the name of Christ, if there is no innocence of heart. Christ offers us innocence, His very own righteousness, and then He offers us sanctuary. Let none of us fail to claim this true protection because of unbelief, because of fear that Yahweh does not fulfill His promises.

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful that promised.” (Heb 10:23)

Again, men were able to avenge themselves, to take others before judges, to right their own wrongs, because of the hardness of their hearts. Those who do these things in this last day have not entered the Sabbath; they do not serve the Lord of the Sabbath, and so we see the teachings of the Adventist pioneers brought out with Biblical certainty: to seek to impose your will upon another human being by means of force, be it physical or legislative, is a blatant violation of the Creation Seventh Day.

In the old days, if someone slew my relative, I was permitted, almost obligated, to take his life. If I did this today, I would be guilty under the laws of both Heaven and earth. And again, Yah knew that this particular brand of unbelief had eternal consequences for the souls of those slain, and so, while He “endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself,” (Hebrews 12:3) He provided cities of refuge.

We read of these: “Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which Yahweh thy Elohim giveth thee to possess it. Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which Yahweh thy Almighty giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither. And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past; as when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live: Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.” (Deu 19:2-6)

Say when.

Qinael: Done.
Pastor “Chick”: OK.
Crystle: Finished.
Clair: Ok.
Dumah: Yeah.
Jeanie: Done.

Zahakiel: Those guilty of accidental transgression were to live. As it was then, so it is today in this respect: the blood of Yahshua cleanses us of those sins from which we repent – or “turn away” when we see their true nature. (Num 15:27-31, 1John 5:16) But again, like the Altar itself, these cities would not protect the truly malevolent, the unrepentantly sinful. “But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities, then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.” (Deu 19:11, 12)

The guilty were not to remain in the Cities of Refuge.

Now, in the beginning, I said we would look at the Sabbath Rest Principle from two sides of the same coin, that of The Avenger. From the avenger’s point of view, he was permitted this action because the faith of humanity was not yet made perfect by the teachings and example of the Messiah, as the Epistle to The Hebrews tells us plainly. The men of national Israel did not enter into the true Sabbath, and thus they were not of the sort to “turn the other cheek” and pray for the soul of one who had slain their kindred.

They did not believe fully in the promises of Yah, of which we are told, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath, for it is written, ‘“Vengeance is mine; I will repay,” saith Yahweh.’” Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:19-21) This is the Sabbath to which we are called.

Pastor “Chick”: Amen.

Zahakiel: Put away idea of “vengeance” as inflicting pain; it is redeeming the situation and making all things right, even among enemies.

Dumah: Amen.

Zahakiel: Yah is able to turn enemies into allies, and those who hate into those who love, if they will permit their hearts to be changed by Him who first loved us.

The Avenger puts himself in Yah’s place… because he does not fully believe that Yah will avenge him. It was a form of idolatry, you see. When we seek to avenge ourselves, we are making an idol of our wrath, and bowing to it as the image of God. “Away with this now,” the Messiah says, “At the time of such ignorance Yah winked, but now commandeth men everywhere to repent.”

“And [Yahshua] spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint, saying: “There was in a city a judge, which feared not Yah, neither regarded man, and there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, ‘Avenge me of mine adversary.’ And he would not for a while, but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I fear not Yah, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ “And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not Yah avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?’” (Luke 18:1-8)

Do you see how “faith on the earth” ties into this issue?

Qinael: <nods.>

Dumah: Yes...we can’t keep Sabbath without faith.

Zahakiel: Right. We can’t have true rest if we do not believe our needs will be provided. And also, we see how if we have Sabbath, we understand that Yah will avenge us of our enemies… and perhaps by converting them... so that both they and we shall be saved.

Pastor “Chick”: We are avenged already :)

Zahakiel: Amen :)

If we do see these things, our eyes see as Yah sees, and our hearts hate what He hates… and if men take vengeance into their own hands, by the sword or by the courts of this world, they are rejecting the Lord of the Sabbath as did the religious leaders of His day. And the reason is the same; they did not enter into His rest, because of unbelief.

Pastor “Chick”: Amen.

Zahakiel: And within ourselves (as the “slayers” in times past), we see the other side of the coin. Yahshua is the true Kinsman Redeemer, the true Avenger, and we read that Yahweh will “by no means clear the guilty.” (Exo 34:7) Notice that, like John in 1John 2:1, I said “and,” not “but” :) They are not in opposition, these two ideas.

If we come to Christ nominally, but do not enter into His Rest, we are as one clinging to the Altar while guilty of blood. We are as one seeking refuge in the Appointed City, when we are unrepentantly worthy of death. This is the meaning also of the parable of the wedding garment in Matthew 22. We haven’t the time to read it here, but when you go over it, see if it is not so. Those who have no wedding garment say, “The promises are beautiful, and the land is a good land, but oh… the giants, we are as grasshoppers in their sight!” These are they who constantly talk about the stains on their own clothing, because they have not received the right attire for the Wedding. These are the false witnesses, and in these last days they outnumber us far more than 10 to 2. But let every man be false, that Yah be true.

Pastor “Chick”: Amen.

Zahakiel: Let us come to the Altar of Yahweh, and let us not do so in unbelief. Let us come “boldly” to the Throne of Grace and receive pardon, as the Scripture encourages us to do, (Heb 4:16) believing that He who has promised is faithful. Let perfect love cast out all fear of failure, all whisperings of the enemy that we cannot take the inheritance; and, for the sake of both others and ourselves, let us be true witnesses to the Heavenly Canaan.

Finally...

In these last days, Yahweh is being true to His word. He is doing nothing without first revealing His will to His servants. He is calling out, “Come. Take the land; take the life that I have prepared for you, free of sin, and the stain of guilt.” There are witnesses in the earth today, though they are few, and despised by the majority of the camp of spiritual Israel. But they are not dissuaded from their job, for Agape’s sake. May we all be found in the day of reckoning to have stood with the Bride, saying with the Spirit, “Come, come and see.” The Avenger is nearing, but for we who are innocent by the merits of His own Blood He will be no wrathful Judge, but the Lord of the Sabbath. He will be ga’al in the purest meaning of the word: our Kinsman Redeemer.

Are there any questions, before we close?

Pastor “Chick”: No.
Crystle: No.

Zahakiel: All right, let us pray, then.

Dear Father in Heaven,

We thank you for the love that you have shown us in that, while we were yet sinners, you loved us. While we were yet thankless, and fleshly minded, you sent your Son to die on a cross, to surrender His own flesh for our sakes, and to bear the burden of sin. We thank you for the gift of grace by which we may lift up our eyes to the Cross, and see what you have done. And we thank you for the faith to grasp this treasure, and to hold it without letting go.

We thank you for providing us a settled place, the Sabbath Rest, and for giving us a day to remind us weekly of this principle. We thank you for the continued blessing of drawing near to us, and drawing us near each other, to partake of your glory, that we may be witnesses to the Kinsman Redeemer while we are yet on the earth.

We ask that your Spirit go ever before us, though all the congregation of this world may take up stones against us, because we have seen the Good Land, we have seen the City of Refuge, and we are sounding the invitation, “Come and enter in, and leave your burdens outside the gates.”

Pour out your grace upon us, even as it is being withdrawn from the world, that the light may shine in the darkness, and that your love may be known through our faith, and our unity, and the garments of innocence that we wear. Dismiss us in your joy, and peace, and your true Sabbath. We ask all these things in the holy name of Yahshua. Amen.

Qinael: Amen.
Pastor “Chick”: Amen.
Barb: Amen.
Crystle: Amen.
Dumah: Amen.
Clair: Amen.