We are going to look at some passages here from the book of Hebrews, some of which are used by those in traditional Christianity to support the idea that Yahweh’s Law has been set aside or abolished.

Now, I have never done a specific study on the book of Hebrews. It is not found anywhere on the website. So, this is a brand new study into this book. We are not going to cover the entire book, but we are going to cover some of the more controversial passages.

And so, what we are going to find as we go through these passages is we are going to find that the book of Hebrews absolutely– 100%– supports the idea that Yahweh’s Law stands. And so, the topic for today is: The Book of Hebrews Teaches Torah Observance.

We have another study called: “The Book of Galatians Proves We Should Observe the Torah.” And this one is called: “The Book of Hebrews Teaches Torah Observance.” And we are going to start by pulling some passages from the book of Hebrews you may have read before or perhaps had people quote to you.

The first one– and most of these come from Hebrews 7– it says:

Hebrews 7:11 – Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law, what further need [was there] that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?

12 – For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.

There we go.

Another passage here:

Hebrews 7:15 – And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest

16 – who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.

There is another verse where people quote, and say, “Well, that is a fleshly commandment. Those laws, the Old Testament, they are all concerned about the flesh.”

Verse 18 and 19:

Hebrews 7:18 – For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness,

We have former commandments being annulled because of their weakness and unprofitableness.

Hebrews 7:19 – for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, [there is the] bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to Elohim.

And so, what do these passages mean? What are these scriptures saying to us? That is part of what we are going to do. We are going to examine these, but we like to go in context. We do not like to just pull things out of nowhere. As the saying goes, “A scripture without context typically ends up pretext.”

But with these scriptures, some have suggested that Messiah came to give us a brand new Law. They say there has been a change of the Law now. This new Law does not contain fleshly commandments. Now, they say, we follow the Spirit and the Spirit of the Law rather than the letter of the Law.

And so, we are going to address these claims in light of the full counsel of Yahweh– not just the book of Hebrews, but the full counsel of Yahweh. And so, what we find in the book of Acts, chapter 20, when Paul is departing from the Ephesians, he says that he is free from the blood-guiltiness of all men because of this reason:

Acts 20:27 – For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of Elohim.

The full counsel of Elohim. And so, rather than pulling a verse out of here, out of there, out of context, we are going to look at the full counsel of Elohim. We are going to look into the Psalms. We are going to look into the book of Ezekiel. We are going to look into the Torah, and so on.

So, we are going to look into the full counsel of Elohim and seek to understand what it is Paul is actually saying… or whoever wrote Hebrews.

We are not really sure who wrote the book of Hebrews, but if it was Paul… perhaps it was Barnabas. I don’t know who it was. They are unnamed. But we are going to try to get the full counsel of Yahweh’s Word in this book of Hebrews.

And so, we will start here with chapter 6. It says:

Hebrews 6:1 – Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary [principles] of Messiah, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward Elohim,

2 – of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

3 – And this we will do if Elohim permits.

All right. So, in the beginning of the book of Hebrews, the author, who is unnamed, basically spends five chapters laying the foundation that Yahushua is superior to angels and to any other man who has ever walked the earth. And he talks about the importance of repentance. He talks about the importance of faith in Messiah Yahushua.

And here in chapter 6 he begins to take us more deeply into the things of Elohim. And we are graduating now from the elementary things, the elementary principles, and now we are going on to some more deeper things of Elohim.

Once again, he reiterates the importance of the foundation of repentance because he goes on to say in the next verses:

Hebrews 6:4 – For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,

5 – and have tasted the good word of Elohim and the powers of the age to come,

6 – if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of Elohim, and put [Him] to an open shame.

They crucify, or impale, again the Son of Elohim, and put Him to open shame.

And so, reiterating the statements earlier regarding the importance of repentance, we are warned here about crossing the line of where it is impossible to renew a person again to repentance. Impossible. The point of no return. The point at which a person has lost their salvation and it can never be retrieved.

That is a horrific, horrific condition for a person to be in. And he goes on to say, in verse 7:

Hebrews 6:7 – For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from Elohim;

8 – but if it bears thorns and briars, [it is] rejected and near to being cursed, whose end [is] to be burned.

You know, in the book of Hebrews, we have some of the most strongest, I mean, some of the most powerful statements about the importance of repentance. I mean, look at here in chapter 3, verse 17. It says:

Hebrews 3:17 – Now with whom was He angry forty years? [Was it] not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?

18 – And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?

19 – So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

So, it is a lack of obedience here that is connected to a lack of belief. And we are warned to not be like them, to not be like those who did not believe and/or obey.

And so, there are some very, very strong statements. Look at this one here in Hebrews 10. It says:

Hebrews 10:28 – Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on [the testimony of] two or three witnesses.

29 – Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of Elohim underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

A person who rejects the Law of Yahweh is in a better condition than the one who rejects the Savior.

Hebrews 10:30 – For we know Him who said, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says YAHWEH. And again, YAHWEH will judge His people.

31 – It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living Elohim.

So, we have some very damning statements regarding sinners, unrepentant sinners, regarding those who might see Yahweh’s grace as an opportunity for continuing in sin or going back to their former way of life.

This is called “trampling the Son of Elohim underfoot.” This is called “counting the blood of the covenant by which you are sanctified a common thing and insulting the Spirit of grace.” And so, very, very strong statements about this.

And the key is repentance. And we know that we are not supposed to be continuing and practicing sin as believers in Messiah. And we know from other scripture that sin is the transgression of the Law. And so, by the Law is the knowledge of sin. I would have not known sin except by the Law.

And so, just this, in and of itself, demonstrates that the book of Hebrews does teach Torah observance, does teach us to obey the Law of Yahweh, because it is teaching us repentance. And so, the key, though, is repentance.

And looking back at this Hebrews 6, I have met people who have lost confidence in Yahweh’s grace. They do not feel that they are accepted by Him. They fear that maybe they have fallen away to that point of no return, and they don’t feel forgiven inside. They lack confidence that they are cleansed of their sins.

And they will ask me sometimes, “Could I have committed, perhaps, the unpardonable sin?” and when we are having these heart-searching conversations. But I want you to notice some things about this verse here. If you break it down, those who this is talking about have certain attributes.

The one who is unrecoverable– the one who cannot come back to Yahweh and expect to see forgiveness of sin– first of all, they were once enlightened. There is a certain level of enlightenment that they have to attain.

They had to have tasted the heavenly gift. They had to have been partakers of the Holy Spirit. And they had to have tasted the good word of Elohim and tasted the powers of the age to come.

Attributes of the unrecoverable: * Once Enlightened. * Tasted the heavenly gift. * Partakers of the Holy Spirit. * Tasted the good word of Elohim. * Tasted the powers of the age to come.

This is paramount, and there are a number of people who are in our walk who have not yet received the fullness of these five things. We have certain levels of enlightenment in which we have not attained. And if you are wondering if this could be you, there are two more things we need to look at.

First of all, falling away. And second of all, they cannot be renewed again to repentance. It is impossible according to these scriptures.

Now, the ones I have talked to most of the time have had harsh and critical parents. And it is really because of how they were introduced to authority as children that might cause them to feel as though Yahweh the Father, the heavenly Father, is looking at them the same way.

But listen, if you even care that you might be one of these, if it even concerns you that this might be you, if you fret over it and you worry about it and you feel like you are scratching and clawing and fighting against temptations, and you wonder if you will ever get free– but you want to be free– look, you cannot be one of those people.

Because if you were one of those people, you would not be worried about it, because what it says here is you cannot renew them again to repentance. Their heart cannot be brought to a condition of where they are concerned about their sin anymore.

One who is repentant is one who has made a decision that they want to do the will of Yahweh. They do not want to do sin any longer. Now, none of us are perfect. Not one of us has reached utter, complete, total perfection. And so, who is this?

It can only be those who have not any desire whatsoever for Yahweh’s Word, because a repentant one is not necessarily a perfect one. A repentant one is one whose heart is yielded to the Father’s will.

And so, if you desire Yahweh’s will for your life, if you have a compelling within your soul to love Yahweh and desire for righteousness, this cannot be you because these are manifestations of a repentant heart.

If there is something compelling within your soul to love Yahweh, that is a repentant heart. If you have a desire within your mind to do what is right for Elohim– to turn away from sin and to turn toward Yahweh’s ways– that is a repentant heart.

And as far as temptations and weaknesses, while the book of Hebrews has some of the strongest statements about repentance, the book of Hebrews also has some of the strongest statements about the power of Yahweh’s grace.

Hebrews 4:15 – For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all [points] tempted as [we are, yet] without sin.

16 – Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

How is that for a wake-up call? Boldly, BOLDLY to the throne of grace. Yahushua knows what we are going through. He faced the same temptations. That is why He can be our intercessor. He faced the same flesh, the same challenges, and more so. More than what we ever possibly received. And yet, He overcame all of them.

And because of this, we need to realize it is not we who live anymore. It is Yahushua who lives in us. And if He could overcome these things on the earth, He can overcome these things in you. And He can be our intercessor, our advocate with the Father. And maybe He can say to the Father, “You know, that is a real tough one. I remember.”

And He not only grants us mercy, but also, more importantly, help. He wants to help us overcome. And as far as the strong statements against sin, these are directed at those who are unrepentant and think they can just use Yahweh’s grace as a “Get-out-of-Hell-Free card” they hand to Him on the Day of Judgment. It doesn’t work that way.

You don’t trample Yahweh’s grace underfoot. You don’t count the blood of the covenant by which you are sanctified just some common thing. The goodness of Yahweh leads us to repentance. And so, otherwise, we are among those who are despising Him.

And so, if we have a reverence and a concern and a love for Yahweh and for what He has done for us in Messiah, then we have a repentant heart and we do not have to be concerned about that.

So, we are talking the book of Hebrews, and the book of Hebrews doesn’t just talk about the Law and the priesthoods and things. It is talking about these other things. And so, we have to talk about these things as well that he is discussing as we go through chapter 6.

Hebrews 6:9 – But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner.

10 – For Elohim [is] not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, [in that] you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

11 – And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end,

Hebrews 6:12 – that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

And so, the recipients of this letter are encouraged and clearly told that the warnings of judgment are not directed at them, but toward those who are unrepentant in their attitude and actions, because he says, “We are confident of better things concerning you.” And he recalls their labor of love.

I like how he puts this labor of love in the context of showing love toward Yahweh’s name. Do we understand that, that their labor of love was a love for the name of Yahweh? And it is manifested in ministry to believers, this love for Yahweh’s name. Think about that.

Do we want the name of Yahweh to be glorified on the earth? I certainly hope we all do. I think we all do. And so, for this reason, we do not want the name of Yahweh to be associated with unrighteousness.

And so, whenever we see unrighteousness among the saints, we have this desire for helping them, for bearing their burdens, for seeing the name of Yahweh being associated with righteousness, with goodness, with love.

And so, when people look at us, you know, we are among the few people on the earth who are calling upon the name of Yahweh. And so, when they think about us and they talk about us, a lot of times, you know, I have heard people call us, “Well, those Yahweh people over there,” or something along those lines.

And so, when they think about us, we are using this Hebrew name, Yahweh, Yahushua– and people are going to associate the holy name of Yahweh with our actions. And they are going to say, “Well, the people of Yahweh are… ” What? What are they? What are we?

I hope they are saying that we are a lovely light, a loving people, a caring people full of grace and kindness, and yet, unyielding passion toward obedience. And so, if there are weaknesses among us that do not manifest those things, we minister toward the saints in this labor of love toward the name of Yahweh.

We do not want His name to be associated with anything contrary to righteousness. And so, when we do this kind of labor for Yahweh’s name, it says that He is not unjust to forget the things that we are doing. He remembers.

And so, we want His name to be associated with serving, with blessing the afflicted, with visiting and caring for the sick, with loving those and visiting those in prison, the elderly, the little ones among us, with the strong bearing the burdens of the weak, caring about one another.

I mean, that is what I am seeing here. And it is followed by this admonishment here to not become sluggish in this in our walk with Yahweh and imitate those who are walking by faith and inheriting those promises. Imitate them! And one of those men he is talking about imitating is Abraham.

Hebrews 6:13 – For when Elohim made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,

14 – saying, Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.

15 – And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

Hebrews 6:16 – For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation [is] for them an end of all dispute.

I probably shouldn’t have gotten into this yet, but I want to point out that it was after he had patiently endured that he obtained a promise, this thing where Yahweh swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” And He swears this oath.

He swears by Himself, swearing by the greater. (I guess it does fit in here.) And, you know, I tell you what: When Yahweh speaks, we need to listen, but when He swears an oath, you better have your ears on because He is saying something significant. Something major is happening.

He is drawing our attention to something He is about to do, and it is going to be a huge part of what Yahweh is doing or wants to do in our lives.

And so, this particular oath that He gave to Abraham as a result of his obedience, of his faith, was this (Genesis chapter 22, verse 15). This was after Abraham was willing to offer up his own son and give Yahweh his own son, and the angel stopped him.

Genesis 22:15 – Then the Angel of YAHWEH called to Abraham a second time out of heaven,

16 – and said: By Myself I have sworn, says YAHWEH, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only [son] —

Because He cannot swear by anyone greater than Himself.

Genesis 22:17 – blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which [is] on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.

18 – In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.

That is faith. That is obedience. They are connected. And so, it was after Abraham was willing to be obedient and give up his own son. When Abraham, by faith, patiently endured, he received this promise. And this promise was accompanied with an oath. Yahweh swore by Himself because there is no one greater.

And this is significant because this is a prophecy that actually speaks about the Messiah. Notice this last verse 18: “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” That Seed is Messiah.

In the book of Galatians, here, it says:

Galatians 3:16 – Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, And to seeds, as of many, but as of one, And to your Seed, who is Messiah.

And so, Abraham’s actions, which involved his willingness to give up his only son, compelled Yahweh to also offer up His only Son in service to us. And, in reality, Yahushua is the Seed of Abraham. He is Abraham’s Son as well. And so, Abraham showed Yahweh that he was willing to let his son go.

And being one in authority as a father, that was important. And it was this that apparently opened the door for Yahweh to allow Yahushua, Abraham’s Son, to die for the sins of the world. And that is why Yahweh gave Abraham that test. He was not going to actually allow Abraham to offer up his son, but Abraham in his heart was willing to.

And for that reason, He knew He could offer Messiah, Abraham’s Seed, so that all the nations of the world would get a blessing. And that is exactly what happened. All the nations of the world got blessed because of what Yahushua has done for us. And this oath to Abraham is an important and integral part of Yahweh’s plan of salvation.

Yahweh needed an obedient and faithful father for later generations to look to and look up to and follow the example of. And Yahweh selected Abraham to be that father of many nations through that obedience. And that is what he is talking about here in the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 6:17 – Thus Elohim, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed [it] by an oath,

This “immutability” means “unchanging.” It cannot be changed.

Hebrews 6:18 – that by two immutable things, in which it [is] impossible for Elohim to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before [us].

See, Yahweh’s counsel is faithful. Yahweh’s oath to Abraham is true. And these two are immutable. They are unchangeable things called this hope we have as an anchor of the soul.

Hebrews 6:19 – This [hope] we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the [Presence] behind the veil,

20 – where the forerunner has entered for us, [even] Yahushua, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

And so, we are hanging onto this oath. This oath is called the “anchor of the soul.”

And if you are looking for something to grab onto, if you are looking for something solid in your life today, this unchanging word– this unchanging oath of Yahweh– is the place to go because we live in a changing world where news becomes old news. There is always something new going on. Just turn on the news and you will see.

But here is something we can grab onto, something solid in our life today, something we can find refuge in. And that is the oath of Yahweh given to Abraham, which is this promise of the Seed of Elohim, the Son of Elohim, the Son of Abraham, the One through whom we can receive a blessing. And that blessing is eternal life.

He became the forerunner for us. He entered that holy of holies. He entered that fellowship with the Father. And through Him, we can enter that holy of holies, that fellowship with the Father.

He was the Righteous One without sin who could enter the holy of holies and the heavenly places, becoming the High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. He is part of that priesthood that Abraham himself paid homage to, a priesthood that predated the priesthood of Aaron.

Hebrews 7:1 – For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High Elohim, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

Hope you remember the story, that Abraham saw that Lot was carried away along with the spoil and everything. And he went and took 318 men who were trained fighters and fought against those four kings that came against Sodom and those other nations. And he recovered them.

And he returned from the slaughter of the kings, and then Melchizedek met him on the way.

Hebrews 7:2 – to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, meaning king of peace,

This is Melchizedek. “Melchi” would be “king.” And then, “zedek” would be “righteousness.” So, Melchizedek is king of righteousness. And then, also, he is king of Salem. This word “Salem”– some suggest that this Salem was actually the ancient site of Yerushalayim that we now understand is the place where Yahweh will reign from in the age to come.

So, king of Yerushalayim, or king of Salem. And this word “salem” is from “shalom” meaning “peace.” And this Melchizedek figure, his genealogy is not given. We do not know where he came from or where he went.

Hebrews 7:3 – without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of Elohim, remains a priest continually.

And so, before there was ever a Levitical priesthood, before there was ever an Aaronic priesthood, we have this mysterious Melchizedek figure who just shows up in the text.

Now notice that this high priest was also a king– because he was king and he is also a priest. Whereas, there are high priests under the order of Aaron, and then there is a kingship being given to the sons of David. At one time they were two separate entities. There is a priesthood over here and there is a royal throne over here.

But Melchizedek is a priest on the throne. And Yahushua is the One who brings us under this order of Melchizedek. He is the One who brings us righteousness. And He is the One who brings us peace. And He is the One who is the King and He is the One who is the Priest. And so, that is the connection there.

He has become our righteousness, and without His righteousness, we do not have peace with the Father. But because of His righteousness (He was without sin), He is able to make peace between us and the Father.

At one time we were Yahweh’s enemy because of our unrighteousness, but now we are at peace with Him. And that is why He is called the Prince of Peace, the King of Peace, a Ruler of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 – For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty Elohim, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

He is “Sar Shalom”– Prince of Peace. All the ways of peace and righteousness are under His rulership. And He is King of both because He is the One that brought us both righteousness and peace.

So, continuing in the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 7:4 – Now consider how great this man [was], to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils.

5 – And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham;

6 – but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.

This is referring to the time when Abraham defeated those four kings and came back to Melchizedek, and Melchizedek meets him along the way. It says:

Genesis 14:18 – Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he [was] the priest of Elohim Most High.

19 – And he blessed him and said: Blessed be Abram of Elohim Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;

20 – And blessed be Elohim Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand. And he gave him a tithe of all.

And so, Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek and was blessed by Melchizedek, as it says in verse 7 of Hebrews 7.

Hebrews 7:7 – Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better.

In other words, Melchizedek was the one giving the blessing, and therefore, he was in a greater position of high priest.

Hebrews 7:8 – Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he [receives them], of whom it is witnessed that he lives.

9 – Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak,

10 – for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

And so, in a sense, not only did Abraham pay tithes to Melchizedek, but Abraham’s offspring, the Levites, also paid tithes to Melchizedek because Levi’s seed was still in Abraham, Levi being a grandson (I don’t know how many greats there were) of Abraham.

So, the Melchizedek priestly order, and what is a consistent theme throughout the book of Hebrews, is a superiority of Messiah over any man who has ever lived, over any angel– that He is superior to all of them.

And so, He is demonstrating here that this Melchizedek priesthood is in a loftier position than that of Abraham himself because Abraham is paying tithes to Melchizedek. And in a sense, Levi also is paying tithes to Melchizedek through Abraham, being in Abraham’s loins at the time.

Now, I noticed here that Melchizedek is bringing out this bread and wine as a Melchizedek priest. Yahushua also, we know, brought His disciples the same thing and asked that both of them and us would partake of that at Passover.

But I just notice here that here is this concept of tithing predating the Law given through Moshe. And we also know that Jacob also paid tithes, according to, I believe, Genesis 28:22. But he is paying tithes and who he is paying tithes to is Melchizedek.

And for this reason, I do not think it is wrong for a believer to pay tithes to those who are operating in the Melchizedek priesthood. Who is that? We know Yahushua is, but who are we as believers in Yahushua? Well, according to 1 Peter, chapter 2 and verse 9, it says:

1Peter 2:9 – But you [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

The only priesthood that is also a part of royalty, a part of kingship, would be the Melchizedek priesthood, because the Levites were not kings. The Aaronites were not kings. The sons of David were kings.

But we are called, as believers in Messiah, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

And so, in light of the fact the Levitical priesthood is not a royal priesthood and its duties are strictly limited to the service of the earthly tabernacle, the earthly temple, here we have a royal priesthood that would be a priesthood functioning in a heavenly temple and in the office of a king.

We also see in Revelation chapter 1, verse 4– it says:

Revelation 1:4 – John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,

5 – and from Yahushua Messiah, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,

6 – and has made us kings and priests to His Elohim and Father, to Him [be] glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

And so, we are members of the Melchizedek priesthood.

And so, for that reason, I don’t see– or have an issue or have a problem with– those who are operating in this royal priesthood, those who are functioning as proclaimers of the good news of Messiah, who are proclaiming this priesthood, this Messiah, this Torah, and all these things, to the people.

I don’t have a problem with people functioning in that and receiving tithes. I think that is appropriate. 1 Corinthians chapter 9, and verse 11, says:

1Corinthians 9:11 – If we have sown spiritual things for you, [is it] a great thing if we reap your material things?

12 – If others are partakers of [this] right over you, [are] we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Messiah.

13 – Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat [of the things] of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of [the offerings of] the altar?

1Corinthians 9:14 – Even so YAHWEH has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.

Or the good news.

So, it is a commandment that those who preach the good news should live from it. But he says:

1Corinthians 9:15 – But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it [would be] better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void.

Interesting. And so, Paul, while he recognized it was expected that those of the Melchizedek priesthood would receive contributions, he did not take it. He chose not to use it. He just continued his occupation as a tentmaker so he would not be accused of only preaching Messiah for the sake of monetary gain.

See, he was formerly a persecutor of believers, and maybe one would accuse him of joining so he could get something from it monetarily. But being that he continued his occupation while proclaiming the good news, he could prove that his motive was not riches, his motive was not to get money.

His motive was strictly a love for Yahweh and a love for his fellow man rather than a love for money.

Now, I, myself, wanted to go Paul’s route and I did so for 17 years ministering online. And I continued my normal occupation while doing ministry here and elsewhere. But recent circumstances here at home and in the growth of the ministry, and so on, have kind of brought me to a place where it is no longer possible.

And so, about two months ago, I started offering a way for people to contribute not only to the ministry of EliYah.com, but also to me and my family personally. But I keep those things separate. The EliYah ministry is in one place and any contributions made to me and my family are separated.

But we see that Paul did not want the good news to be hindered. And neither did I. And that is why I did what I did. But it is not wrong for one who is preaching the good news, teaching it, to live from it.

And so, where would they get that? From the same place Melchizedek did– from contributions of those who want to do as Abraham did and tithe to Melchizedek. But what I do not believe is right, and Paul did not practice, was charging someone for hearing the word of Yahweh. And I will not do that.

Yahushua never did it. Paul never did it. And I am not going to do it. And that is why you will never see a teaching being offered on EliYah.com for a fee. I do not want the poor being at a disadvantage when it comes to hearing the Word of Yahweh.

Now, there were some, even as Levites, who were practicing this concept of: “Yes, I will teach you if you pay me.” And you can read this in the book of Micah chapter 3, verse 11, where it says:

Micah 3:11 – Her heads judge for a bribe, Her priests teach for pay, And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on YAHWEH, and say, Is not YAHWEH among us? No harm can come upon us.

12 – Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed [like] a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, And the mountain of the temple Like the bare hills of the forest.

Wow! There was nothing wrong with the Levites receiving tithes from a general fund. It was actually commanded. But what is going on here? They were receiving payments for specific judgments– and that is called a bribe– or receiving payments for specific teachings.

And just as receiving payments for specific judgments had the potential to corrupt the judgment of those who were judging, receiving specific payments for specific teachings had the potential to corrupt the teaching, to give the people what they want.

And so, it was not wrong for a Levite, who was operating in a function of priesthood, to receive tithes or to be a judge of their land and to be operating under the general fund of tithes, but for them to offer specific judgments for pay was wrong, because it had the potential to corrupt the judgment.

Or for one to teach for pay– in other words, to receive payment for a particular teaching– has the potential to corrupt the teaching. And that was the problem.

And so, Yahushua and His disciples received donations. I mean, Judas had the money box, right? But they never engaged in the practice of charging people to hear Yahweh’s Word because this has the potential to corrupt the teaching if you start charging people.

I mean, someone can offer “x” amount of dollars to the teachers so they can hear what they want to hear just as easily as a bribe can cause a judge to judge what someone wants them to judge. And that is what is happening here in Micah chapter 3.

And that is what I honestly see happening on Christian television and in some Nazarene Messianic circles today. Requiring payments for each teaching creates this marketplace atmosphere where, you know, competitors are all vying for the people’s money.

No, thanks! I don’t want any part of that.

So, we see, here, this kind of thing going on, and I don’t want any part of that.

And so, 2 Corinthians 2:17 (I guess I don’t have it up on the screen), but it says:

2Corinthians 2:17 – For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of Elohim; but as of sincerity, but as from Elohim, we speak in the sight of Elohim in Messiah.

So, I do not see an issue with the Melchizedek priesthood receiving tithes, as Paul, in fact, said Yahweh had commanded that it be done, but I don’t like the way it is done with some ministries. Now, I am not trying to pick on anybody or say that their teachings are bad or wrong or evil. It is just the process by which they fundraise that is the issue.

It is not how Yahushua did it. It is not how Paul or any first century teacher of the Word did it. It is done by modern Christians and it has kind of picked up in the Messianic circles, but it is not the Biblical pattern.

If somebody has a DVD and it cost them 50 cents to create the DVD and they want to charge somebody 50 cents and some postage to send it out to them, that is one thing. But 100 bucks for a DVD series on some topic? That is not how Messiah would operate.

So, certainly Abraham’s example of paying a tithe to Melchizedek, along with Jacob’s example in Genesis 28:22, does demonstrate tithing was a concept long before there was a Levite.

Anyway, going back to Hebrews 7, as he discussed tithes. It says:

Hebrews 7:9 – Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak,

10 – for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

11 – Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law, what further need [was there] that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?

That is the question– if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood. That is the question of Hebrews 7. And so, it is made very clear that perfection is not accomplished through any function of a Levitical priest. We cannot be made perfect by any sacrifice performed by a Levite.

And we cannot be made perfect by any law or commandment that Yahweh gives us. Why? Because the Law only tells us what righteousness is. It does not make us righteous.

If I said to my daughter, “Bring me a glass of water,” does that make her perfect? No. She is not going to be perfectly obedient unless she actually does it, right?

If she performed all my commands, then she would be doing what’s right. She would be righteous. But we have not done all Yahweh commands. And so, perfection cannot be made by the Law. The Law cannot make us perfect.

Just because Yahweh commanded it, doesn’t make us perfect. And the sacrifices never made anyone perfect, either. They were just pointing to the One who can.

And so, the question that is being addressed in Hebrews 7 is this: How can we achieve perfection? Is it through the Levitical priesthood or through a more superior priesthood? It is NOT saying, “What commandments do I get to disobey now that Messiah has come? It is not even the question it is asking.

The question is: Where is perfection coming from, and what priesthood and ministry will perfect me?

All right. Moving on to verse 12.

Hebrews 7:12 – For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.

13 – For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.

14 – For [it is] evident that our Master arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.

Now, notice that there is mentioned a change here in relation to the priesthood. Because the priesthood changed, there is also a change of the law.

Now, some believe that this is not just a change in the high priest– this is a wholesale change in a system of law. In other words, the entire Law has been changed rather than a specific commandment in the Law that is dealing specifically with the high priesthood.

But we have to remember, you cannot say that the entire Law has been changed. You cannot say that because other Scripture would forbid us from saying that.

In Romans 3:31, it says:

Romans 3:31 – Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

In other words, you do not void out the old Law to create a new one by faith. And so, that cannot be a legitimate interpretation. According to this Scripture, the Law has not been voided out because of our faith in Messiah. Actually, just the opposite.

By our faith, we are establishing the Law. And this word translated “establish” comes from the Greek word “histemi,” which means “to cause” or “make to stand.” Thayer’s Lexicon: 2476 histemi {his’-tay-mee} Meaning: 1) to cause or make to stand, to place, put, set.

It is Greek word #2476 in your Strong’s. Strong’s Lexicon has: means to stand (transitively or intransitively), used in various applications. And it is translated: abide, appoint, bring, continue, and so on.

Strong’s Lexicon: 2476. histemi his’-tay-mee.

A prolonged form of a primary stao {stah’-o} (of the same meaning, and used for it in certain tenses); to stand (transitively or intransitively), used in various applications (literally or figuratively):– abide, appoint, bring, continue, covenant, establish, hold, lay, present, set (up), stand (by, forth, still, up). Compare 5087.

So, these things are standing. The Law is abiding. It is not going away. It is still here. And so, we cannot say that the Law has been voided out in favor of a new one that is different from the old one wholesale.

The reason why the Law would be established by our faith is this:

James 2:17 – Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

And so, it is by our works of obedience to the Law of Yahweh that the Law is established as being necessary and good and spiritual and holy and right. It does not go away. And so, our faith is going to be a living faith, not a dead faith. A dead faith would not have any obedience in it at all, any good works.

But a living faith would have obedience to the Law of Yahweh as part of its ingredients.

And so, going back to Hebrews 7.

Hebrews 7:12 – For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.

And so, it cannot be a wholesale change of the entire Law being voided out and a new one taking its place. It is specifically speaking of a particular commandment within the Law. And the context dictates that because he says, “The priesthood being changed, there is a change in the Law.”

Now, the word translated “change” is also actually translated “translated” in Hebrews 11, verse 5, in the KJV here – “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because Elohim had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased Elohim.”

That is the same word translated “change” in the previous verse. So, what happened to Enoch? He went from earth to heaven, right? And the Greek word here is “metathesis.” It means “to transfer from one place to another,” “of things instituted or established,” “a change.”

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon: 3331 metathesis {met-ath’-es-is} Meaning: 1) transfer: from one place to another 2) to change 2a) of things instituted or established. Origin: from 3346; TDNT – 8:161,1176; n f. Usage: AV – change 1, translation 1, removing 1; 3.

And that is the meaning. And so, we have this change, this translation taking place from earthly to heavenly. And the priesthood on the earth, the Levites, they function in the earthly tabernacle. Yahushua the Messiah functions in the heavenly tabernacle and will have access to the earthly as well, which we are going to see.

But this is the context. This is the reason why a translation, or a change, is taking place. Hebrews 7:13 – “For (in other words, because of this) He of whom these things are spoken…” What things? The things regarding the Melchizedek priesthood.

Hebrews 7:13 – For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.

14 – For [it is] evident that our Master arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.

The Master arose from Judah, not from the Levites. And so, Yahushua, being the High Priest of the heavenly Temple, He is going to function. He is from Judah, right? The Law itself does not ever talk about some priest coming from the line of Judah. Never talks about it.

But it is evident that He is in that Melchizedek priesthood position. That is plain and obvious. And so, we have a dilemma here. We have a change that is going to have to take place where a particular commandment in the Law forbidding one from entering the holy place, unless they are a son of Aaron, would have to be adjusted.

We are going to see this here as we continue reading Hebrews 7. It says:

Hebrews 7:15 – And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest

16 – who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.

17 – For He testifies: You [are] a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:18 – For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness,

This annulling, this change, is “commandment” singular. One specific commandment, one specific precept in the Law, has had to be annulled or changed in some fashion.

Hebrews 7:19 – for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, [there is the] bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to Elohim.

Again, we are talking about whether the Law makes you perfect or not, not whether you obey it. So, we do have a specific commandment in the Torah that has to be set aside in order for an oath to Yahweh to be performed.

It doesn’t say “commandments” are annulled. It doesn’t say the whole Law has been annulled. It says “commandment” singular. And so, what commandment is he speaking of?

Numbers 3:10 – So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to their priesthood; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.

In other words, only the sons of Aaron can attend to the priesthood of the earthly tabernacle.

Numbers 18:7 – Therefore you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything at the altar and behind the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood [to you] as a gift for service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.

And so, the commandment here has to do with who is forbidded to enter this temple. The outsider who comes near shall be put to death. This commandment has to be dealt with in regards to other things we see in the so called Old Testament. Like how do we reconcile that with Psalm chapter 110?

Yahweh is in heaven, right? He is talking to someone, saying, “Sit at My right hand.” Well, that would mean whoever is sitting at Yahweh’s right hand would also be in heaven.

Psalms 110:2 – YAHWEH shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!

This is a Ruler, a King, who is sitting at Yahweh’s right hand.

Psalms 110:3 – Your people [shall be] volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth.

4 – YAHWEH has sworn And will not relent, You [are] a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.

And so, what we have here in Psalm chapter 110 is a man who was both a Ruler and a Priest. That is none other than Messiah. And therefore, obviously, since He is in the throne room– He is sitting at the right hand of Yahweh– He obviously would have access to the holy of holies in the heavenly places.

This same Messiah will also have access to the holy of holies that is on the earth when He returns in the one-thousand year reign. If you read the book of Ezekiel (start it about chapter 40, or so, and read to the end), you are going to read some pretty awesome things– I mean, mind-blowing things happening.

And one of the things that is happening here in this book of Ezekiel is in chapter 43.

Ezekiel 43:1 – Afterward he brought me to the gate, the gate that faces toward the east.

These are things that have never been fulfilled. They have never happened.

Ezekiel 43:2 – And behold, the glory of the Elohim of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice [was] like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory.

He is bright.

Ezekiel 43:3 – [It was] like the appearance of the vision which I saw — like the vision which I saw when I came to destroy the city. The visions [were] like the vision which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face.

4 – And the glory of YAHWEH came into the temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east.

Wow! He saw some pretty awesome things. And this glory here is like the glory he saw by the River Chebar. That is in chapter 1 of Ezekiel.

Now, this glory of the Elohim of Israel is described in different ways. First of all, here are the Attributes of Yahweh’s Glory: * A voice sounding like many waters. (Ezek. 43:2). That is verse 2. * Shining the earth His brightness (Eze. 43:2). So, it is the brightness of Yahweh’s glory.

And if you check this vision here in Ezekiel chapter 1, it says:

Ezekiel 1:26 – And above the firmament over their heads [was] the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne [was] a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it.

Kingship. Who is this man?

Ezekiel 1:27 – Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around.

Wow! Awesome scene!

Ezekiel 1:28 – Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so [was] the appearance of the brightness all around it. This [was] the appearance of the likeness of the glory of YAHWEH. So when I saw [it], I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.

So, let’s add these characteristics here to our list, these attributes. * The likeness and appearance of a man sitting on a throne (Eze. 1:28). * From His waist upward, amber colored fire (Eze. 1:28). * From His waist downward, the appearance of fire and rainbow colored brightness (Eze. 1:28).

I am picturing Yahweh just always this rainbow here because of the covenant He made. Now, this vision that he saw of the man sitting on this throne, I recall what Yahushua said in John 1:18. He said:

John 1:18 – No one has seen Elohim at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared [Him].

No one has ever seen Elohim.

John 6:46 – Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from Elohim; He has seen the Father.

No one has seen Elohim at any time. No one.

1John 4:12 – No one has seen Elohim at any time. If we love one another, Elohim abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.

And so, who was this man? Who did Ezekiel see? Well, in Hebrews, chapter 1 and verse 3, describing Messiah, he says:

Hebrews 1:3 – who being the brightness of [His] glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

He obviously is in a powerful Being, “upholding all things by the word of His power.” Just knowing of His power, all things are upheld.

So, He is the brightness of Yahweh’s glory. And so, the One that Ezekiel was describing… I mean, connect the dots here. It is Messiah! Who else could it be?

And so, Yahweh, who dwells between the cherubim, and Messiah is entering this temple with Him– but the Father Himself is invisible. We only see the brightness, this bright glory of shining the earth, His brightness, this likeness of the glory of Elohim here.

And so, it seems to me that Yahushua Himself will be that Man sitting there. He is going to enter that future temple, that Ezekiel temple, and enter that holy place as both Priest and King, seated at the right hand of the invisible Father.

And it says in Zechariah chapter 6, verse 13 (talking about Messiah, the Branch):

Zechariah 6:13 – Yes, He shall build the temple of YAHWEH. He shall bear the glory, And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.’

He is going to bear the glory of Elohim. The counsel of peace will be made between the priesthood and the throne, kingship. So, Yahushua will have full rights to the holy of holies on earth, just as in heaven, when He returns. That is where He will reside.

The Law only allowed for a descendant of Aaron to enter in, but now Yahushua, a descendant of Judah who is a priest after the order of Melchizedek, He will reside there. And Yahweh the Father will reign there with Him. But Messiah is manifesting this glory. He is bearing this glory, this image of the invisible Elohim, to man.

He will be a Ruler and an Intercessor on the earth. And He will not only be in the temple of heaven as the Father will be. He will also simultaneously dwell on the earth. Why? Because He does have omnipresence just as the Father does. He said:

Matthew 18:20 – For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.

So, Yahushua is also omnipresent. That means He can be in more than one place at the same time. So, He will dwell simultaneously in heaven and on earth just as Yahweh did in Exodus, and so on.

But Yahweh will dwell in the holiest place of the Temple. Yahushua will be seated at the right hand at this Temple. He is the visible image of Yahweh’s glory, whereas the Father Himself is not visible.

And so, that is why we see Colossians 1:15 saying:

Colossians 1:15 – He is the image of the invisible Elohim, the firstborn over all creation.

And so, this commandment here in Hebrews chapter 7 that is set aside is a specific commandment in the Torah– that only a son of Aaron can function or enter this holy place. And so, that is the commandment that is annulled because of its weakness and unprofitableness.

Hebrews 7:15 – And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest

16 – who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.

17 – For He testifies: You [are] a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:18 – For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness,

The command regarding that only the sons of Aaron can enter in was weak and it was not profitable because it required a succession of when one priest dies, a new one would take its place.

And it was called a “fleshly command” because it involved and required the expectation that someone is going to die, and then someone else is going to have to take the place of the other.

Whereas, Yahushua, He is a High Priest. He has an endless life. And therefore, He is not subject to that.

Hebrews 7:19 – for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, [there is the] bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to Elohim.

We have already established the Law did not make anyone perfect. But we do have a better hope– the One who can make us perfect, through whom we can draw near to Elohim.

And so, it was not the commandment itself that was carnal. It was the fact that man’s flesh is carnal, and therefore, it is weak. Yahushua’s endless life solves the problem.

Now, does this mean that the covenant that Yahweh made with the Levites– His covenant with Levi– has now been annulled? Now, that is how many would interpret that.

Some would say, “Well, now that Yahushua is here, we don’t need the Levitical priesthood. We don’t have this covenant with Levi any longer.” That is the way a lot of people would interpret it. But that is not based on all the Scriptures. It is not based on the full counsel of the Word of Elohim.

You can’t just pick one verse out of Hebrews and interpret it without considering other things that have been spoken beforehand. We have to bring the whole Word of Yahweh together, to speak one sweet, unified word of truth.

So, let’s look at Jeremiah. Well, first, I want to read the remainder here of Hebrews 7.

Hebrews 7:20 – And inasmuch as [He was] not [made priest] without an oath

Remember, we talked earlier about when Yahweh says an oath– look out! Something significant is going on.

Hebrews 7:21 – (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: YAHWEH has sworn And will not relent, `You [are] a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek ‘),

So, He is a priest by an oath.

Hebrews 7:22 – by so much more Yahushua has become a surety of a better covenant.

Which we will get into in future studies here.

Hebrews 7:23 – Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing.

That is why it was weak.

Hebrews 7:24 – But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.

So, He will continue forever. He will not one day no longer be a priest because He is not going to die. Death had no power over Him. And so, that is the weakness of the Levitical priesthood, that it was prevented by death from continuing.

But that does not mean that the covenant with Levi is now no more, because Yahweh said (looking at the full counsel of His Word):

Jeremiah 33:14 – `Behold, the days are coming,’ says YAHWEH, `that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah:

15 – `In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David A Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.

This is Messiah.

Jeremiah 33:16 – In those days Judah will be saved, And Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this [is the name] by which she will be called: YAHWEH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’

That is Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 33:17 – For thus says YAHWEH: `David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel;

18 – `nor shall the priests, the Levites, lack a man to offer burnt offerings before Me, to kindle grain offerings, and to sacrifice continually.’

Do you get that? In the same way David will never lack a man to sit on the throne, the Levites will never lack a man to “offer burnt offerings before Me, to kindle grain offerings, and to sacrifice continually.”

As sure as Yahweh’s covenant with David that of his Seed every nation would look to Him as being a King– Yahushua is the Seed of David– in the same way, His covenant with Levi is solid. And, in fact, He says this:

Jeremiah 33:19 – And the word of YAHWEH came to Jeremiah, saying,

20 – Thus says YAHWEH: `If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, so that there will not be day and night in their season,

21 – `then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levites, the priests, My ministers.

Jeremiah 33:22 – `As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.’

So, this is FOREVER, brothers. Put it this way: As long as day and night are happening, Levites will be His priests.

In fact, in the future times, it says:

Ezekiel 44:15 – But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood, says the Master YAHWEH.

This is future. This has never happened. Read it– Ezekiel 40 to the end.

Ezekiel 44:16 – They shall enter My sanctuary, and they shall come near My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge.

And so, Yahweh’s covenant with Levi still stands. It is just that the Law which had forbidden an outsider from coming and entering this temple has been set aside to allow for the Son of Judah, the priestly King, to enter in the holy of holies, take residence there, make intercession for us and rule on the earth.

And He does not need to enter that holy of holies once a year with some other blood. He enters that holy of holies with His own blood. And so, this covenant with Levi is not going anywhere.

Isaiah 66:21 – And I will also take some of them for priests [and] Levites, says YAHWEH.

22 – For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me, says YAHWEH, So shall your descendants and your name remain.

23 – And it shall come to pass [That] from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me, says YAHWEH.

See, if we get our nose out of Hebrews for a second and look into the Prophets and what they are saying, you cannot interpret the book of Hebrews as having taking away the New Moons and the Sabbaths and all these other things and the Levites. You have to look at the whole counsel of His Word.

And so, when we read this:

Hebrews 9:11 – But Messiah came [as] High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.

That is the millennium time– the 1000 year reign. He is going to build that Temple.

Hebrews 9:12 – Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

And so, when He returns and He sets up His reign on the earth, He will enter this earthly temple as is pictured here in the book of Ezekiel. And that will be all right. The Law does not speak about whether or not Yahushua can enter the holy places in heaven. It only speaks about the holy temple on the earth.

And the Law forbidding Him from entering it will have to be annulled so that other commandments and prophecies can be fulfilled.

Now, what about Matthew 5:17? Yahushua said:

Matthew 5:17 – Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

18 – For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

19 – Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches [them], he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Now how can we reconcile the words of Messiah here, which says not one jot or one tittle will pass from the Law, with the fact that the Law itself– while limiting the sons of Aaron from functioning in the tabernacle– also speaks in the book of Genesis about a Melchizedek priesthood?

And, in fact, the Old Testament itself, or the Prophecies itself, speak of a Melchizedek priesthood entering the holy of holies, this throne room. How do we reconcile the two?

Now, in Scripture, sometimes there are commandments which may seem to conflict with one another– for instance, John chapter 7.

Yahushua pointed out here in John 7:22:

John 7:22 – Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.

That involves work.

John 7:23 – If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?

And, also, Matthew 12:5. It says:

Matthew 12:5 – Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?

Now, in both of these instances, the commandment regarding the Sabbath had to be set aside in order for another commandment to be observed. They were commanded to operate in the temple, right? They were commanded to circumcise. And so, the law regarding the Sabbath had to be set aside.

Unless someone were there to circumcise on the Sabbath, the commandment to circumcise on the eighth day would be broken. Likewise, unless the priests were there making offerings in the temple on the Sabbath, those commandments regarding those offerings would be broken.

And so, there are these, what would seem to be, conflicting commandments. And so, although they do technically profane the Sabbath in terms of working, they are blameless. And so, the Sabbath commandment is withdrawn for them on that day. They are not commanded to rest on that day. Why? Because Yahweh told them to go do this.

And so, the commandment regarding rest on the Sabbath in these particular instances was overridden, was set aside. Or for them in their specific instance, annulled by another command that Yahweh had given regarding circumcision and regarding sacrifices. It doesn’t mean it is annulled for everybody, but for them it was.

Now, the Law given by Moshe does not speak about the Melchizedek priesthood coming along and this priest entering the holy of holies. If the Law had actually said so, “Oh, except for Melchizedek priesthood,” there probably would have been a lot of unqualified candidates claiming access, and so, it was not included.

But we do need to keep in mind that this phrase “the Law” can be inclusive of other parts of the Old Testament which were not written by Moshe. For instance, 1 Corinthians 14:21:

1Corinthians 14:21 – In the law it is written: With [men of] other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me, says YAHWEH.

In “the Law” it is written. What is he quoting from? He is quoting from Isaiah.

Isaiah 28:11 – For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people,

And so, the Law that he is referring to is from Isaiah. This is not from Moshe. This is from Isaiah. And so, prophecy is every bit as much considered to be Law as words uttered by Moshe.

Same source. It is Yahweh speaking. It is all His Law. Yahweh is the one talking, right? And so, it is all His teaching. It is all His instruction.

And so, what we have concerning the Messiah and the Melchizedek priesthood is this law in the Torah preventing non-Aaronites from entering the tabernacle and the temple area. But then, there is this other law, this oath in fact, that Messiah would be in the throne room at Yahweh’s right hand functioning as High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

And so, one commandment in the Law would need to be overridden so that another commandment in the Law may be fulfilled. Do we see that? It is no different than a priest entering the temple on the Sabbath when Yahweh said rest or a priest circumcising a man.

Here we have a High Priest entering a place where otherwise would be forbidden. And so, that is the commandment. And that commandment and that commandment alone in that specific instance would be annulled– not in any other instance.

You know, the common people are not going to just walk right in to the holy of holies. When Yahushua died, it did not give everyone permission to enter the earthly temple grounds. Only the sons of Zadok are permitted in this Ezekiel temple, to have access.

Ezekiel 40:46 – The chamber which faces north [is] for the priests who have charge of the altar; these [are] the sons of Zadok, from the sons of Levi, who come near YAHWEH to minister to Him.

Ezekiel 44:15 – But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood, says the Master YAHWEH.

Yes, sacrifices are coming back. That is a whole other topic we are going to be talking about in the future studies here from the book of Hebrews.

And, in fact, not even the prince of Ezekiel is mentioned as having access to this holy place, the temple, the inner court. He has to stop and worship at the east entrance there at the inner court. We will probably get into that next week.

But in the case of our own observance of the Sabbath, the Festivals, the clean and unclean, and these things, unless we might be faced with a dilemma of setting aside another command in order to keep another, which hasn’t happened to me, these commandments still stand.

And it is very evident that when I read scriptures like Zechariah 14 and Isaiah 66:23, and so on, they do stand.

And so, continuing here and examining Hebrews chapter 7:

Hebrews 7:20 – And inasmuch as [He was] not [made priest] without an oath

This is the oath that overrides the commandment of Yahweh previously.

Hebrews 7:21 – (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: YAHWEH has sworn And will not relent, `You [are] a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek ‘),

And so, the oath overrides the earlier commandment forbidding a non-Aaronite from entering the holy place. This is a conflict within the Old Testament itself. It is not a conflict between the Old and the New Testament. Okay?

Hebrews 7:22 – by so much more Yahushua has become a surety of a better covenant.

23 – Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing.

24 – But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.

Yahushua is this Son who continues in His unchangeable priesthood.

Hebrews 7:25 – Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to Elohim through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

26 – For such a High Priest was fitting for us, [who is] holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;

27 – who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

28 – For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, [appoints] the Son who has been perfected forever.

That is why the command is weak. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law– specifically the Law given through Moshe– appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.

And so, Yahushua is able to save us and make intercession for us in the throne room of Yahweh. And He is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, not needing an offering for His own sins at all. He was able to offer up Himself and enter the holiest place with His own blood and be accepted by Yahweh.

He is better than a son of Aaron or a son of Zadok in that He is not a sinner. And death did not have a grip on Him. He is the resurrected Son of the living Elohim, who upholds all things by the word of His power. He is the express image of His person. He bears the glory of the living Elohim, who was and is perfect.

He is the One who fulfills that prophecy that came, that appoints the Son of the living Elohim as being a priest after the order of Melchizedek.

And so, that will do it for this week. Next week we will continue our study into the book of Hebrews where we will also be discussing this mysterious prince in the book of Ezekiel. Some people think he is the Messiah. I am going to show you why he is not the Messiah.

And we will also be discussing in future broadcasts, maybe this week coming up next, some details on the New Covenant. And so, I look forward to sharing that.

And in the meantime, brothers and sisters, may Yahweh guide us to be a partaker of this New Covenant. As a royal priesthood, may we proclaim the praises of Him, who endures forever. In Yahushua’s name, blessed be the name of Yahweh.

May Yahweh bless you, and may Yahweh have mercy on us all.