This weeks Sabbath thought.... Christianity today does not know the Truth concerning the in depth teachings found in YHWHs Word. Nor do they truly know their Messiah who Himself took this vow. By abolishing the Old Testament they are left struggling to understand the New Testament in isolation and as a result end up not knowing YHWH or Yahshua and following tradition and every pagan doctrine passed down by Rome. This is one very good example of just that. The short answer to this question is Yes. But the Christian would scream ABOMINATION... Jesus did away with Temple Sacrifice! Right?... Wrong! Paul, John the Baptist, Sampson, and like many of the Apostles, and yes even Yahshua, had taken what is called a Nazarite Vow. Nazarites are a special and most sacred order of Priests if you will, who are consecrated to YHWH and YHWH considers them purer than driven snow: Lamentations 4:7 (KJV) 7 Her (Israels) Nazarites (concentrated ones) were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire: This most special service to YHWH was defined in Numbers below and unlike Levitical or Aaronic Priests... it was voluntary... Numbers 6:1-6 The Nazirite 1 YHWH said to Moses, 2 Speak to the Israelites and say to them: If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of separation to YHWH as a Nazirite, 3 he must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or from other fermented drink. He must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. 4 As long as he is a Nazirite, he must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins. 5 During the entire period of his vow of separation no razor may be used on his head. He must be holy until the period of his separation to the LORD is over; he must let the hair of his head grow long. 6 Throughout the period of his separation to YHWH he must not go near a dead body. 7 Even if his own father or mother or brother or sister dies, he must not make himself ceremonially unclean on account of them, because the symbol of his separation to YHWH is on his head. 8 Throughout the period of his separation he is consecrated to the LORD. So as we see, the first step in taking the Vow of a Nazirite is to (vs. 5) shave your head. Then during the entire period of the vow you cannot cut your hair at all, the hair that grows during this time is your gift to YHWH as you go to the Temple and cut it off at the end of the vow and offer it as a sacrifice to YHWH. Did Paul take this vow? Did he shave his head? Acts 18:18 18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken. Paul was not the only one, many of the early sons of YHWH took this vow in obedience to the Torah or Law of YHWH: Acts 21:23-24 23so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. 24Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. Already, we see how obedient Paul and all these early believers were to the VERY LAW the Christian Church abolished. Interesting isnt it? Back to the point... did Paul offer sacrifices in the Temple... YES. Upon completion of the vow he and others took of a Nazirite, they had to go to the Temple and cut their hair and offer the proper sacrifices in order to end their period of purification and consecration to YHWH: Acts 21:26 26The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date (the Nazarite vow is for a set period) when the days of purification (the duration of the Nazarite Vow) would end and the offering would be made for each of them. Yahshua too... took this vow and it continues for Him even this day until His Second Coming. This is why he refused to drink wine at the last Passover until He returned again and why he refused vinagar on the cross and why Yahshua died BEFORE the other two thieves (he couldnt be in the presence of a dead body) etc. etc... The Significance of The Nazirite Priesthood The significance of the Nazarite Priesthood has long interested me; since I have come to realize that our Creator never performs anything through ancient Israel (physically seed of Abraham) without both a physical and a Spiritual purpose (for the Spiritual seed of Abraham). So what was the purpose of the Nazarite priesthood? After all, Yahweh had already put into place the Levitical Priesthood. So what special purpose could the Nazarite priests have served, then and NOW? It is interesting to note that Yahshua Messiah was reported to have spent part of his life in the City of Nazareth. Now we must make a distinction between the City of Nazareth and the Nazarite Priesthood. The City of Nazareth appears from historical records to have gotten its name from the fact that many Nazarite priests resided in the area, BUT most residents were not Nazarites priests; therefore, anyone who had lived or grown up in this city would not qualify as a Nazarite priest without taking the VOW of a Nazarite priest. Of course, anyone (male or female) could take that VOW no matter what city they were from. So was Yahshua a Nazarite priest from childhood, adolescence or from birth as Samson was? Absolutely Not! Because he would have sinned for breaking the requirements of the Nazarite Vow. However, this does not mean that Yahshua could not have taken the vow (a covenant with YHWH) later in his life, and as we shall see, it appears that he did. But first, we must understand the difference between a Levitical priest and a Nazarite priest. In order to be a Levitical priest one would have to have been born of the Tribe of Levi. Those who were born into the Tribe of Levi were Set Apart by birth for the express purpose of serving as sacramental priests. BUT if you were not born of the Tribe of Levi you could still become a priest by taking the VOW of the Nazarite priesthood. There is a significant distinction to be made here; the Levites had no choice in the matter, BUT the Nazarites CHOSE to become priests. Because of this distinction the Nazarites were especially favored (given Grace) by Yahweh. They were considered by Yahweh to be Holy and more pure than the driven snow. And it is this distinction that not only set them apart before Yahweh, but also, sets Messiah Yahshua apart as well. After all, Yahshua was of the Tribe of Judah and not Levi. Numbers 6:1-6 (The elements of the Nazarite vow) Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, When either man or woman shall make a special vow, the vow of a Nazarite, to separate himself (or herself) to Yahweh, 3 (The Main Element of the vow) he (or she) shall separate himself (or herself) from wine and strong drink; he (or she) shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any juice of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried (symbolic of the Spiritual fruit of the vine). 4 All the days of his (or her) separation shall he (or she) eat nothing that is made of the grape-vine, from the kernels even to the husk. 5 All the days of his (or her) vow of separation there shall no razor come on his (or her) head: until the days be fulfilled, in which he (or she) separates himself (or herself) to Yahweh, he (or she) shall be Holy; he (or she) shall let the locks of the hair of his (or her) head grow long. 6 All the days that he (or she) separates himself (or herself) to Yahweh he (or she) shall not come near to a dead body (while the Nazarite priest is living). Scripture records that one can become a Nazarite Priest at birth, if the mother follows certain procedures. Judges 13:2-5, 13-14 2 There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, (not levites) whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and didnt bear. 3 The angel of Yahweh appeared to the woman, and said to her, See now, you are barren, and dont bear; but you shall conceive, and bear a son (SAMSON). 4 Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and dont eat any unclean thing: 5 for, behold, you shall conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head; for the child shall be a Nazarite to G_d from the womb: and he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. 13 The angel of Yahweh said to Manoah, of all that I said to the woman let her beware. 14 She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; all that I commanded her let her observe. Judges 16:17 He (SAMSON) told her all his heart, and said to her, No razor has ever come on my head; for I have been a Nazarite to YHWHfrom my mothers womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will go from me, and I will become weak, and be like any other man. NOTE: Technically, neither scripture nor the epistles have to call a Nazarite a priest. The definition of a priest is anyone who performs a service to/for Yahweh such as Baptism, teaching the Gospel, healing the sick without surgery or medicine, casting out demons, perform sacriments OR WHO HAVE CONSECRATED THEMSELVES TO YHWH, etc... . (cont) Leviticus 21:10 10 He who is the high priest among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head go loose, nor tear his clothes. Priestly service can be exactly the same as JOHN the BAPTIZER who was a NAZARITE from birth. So, Are all Nazarites Priests? Actually, yes. Not ALL priests (ministers) have sacrimental duties. As a matter of fact, sacrimental duties have nothing to do with the teaching or preaching of the Gospel, but have everything to do with physical examples of Spiritual truths. Such as the physical sacrifice of animals are a physical example of Spiritual sacrifice (living sacrifice or selflessness). See The Day of Atonement. What we do NOT want to do is compare Yahwehs Nazarite priests with pagan-Christian priests or sacrimental priests. Additionally, we must not confuse the duties of Levitical priest with that of ministers of the word or those that have been consecrated to any other form of service to Yahweh. How else could the Messiah (who was NOT a levite by birth) become our HIGH PRIEST? Yet he IS our High Priest. This train of thought, also, brings us to the the fact that, according to Hebrews chapter 5, Messiah was made a High Priest after The Order of Melchizedek. Melchezidek was and apparently is a physical to Spiritual parallel (anthropomorphism) that portrays A or The King of Righteousness. A physically understood example of a human being having been made into The Spiritual Image of YHVH (The True King of Righteousness). Melchizedek is not so much a name, as it is a title or designation of honor. It is a position or office that has to be filled by a worthy candidate. The term is a transliteration of two Hebrew words, melek and tsedeq . The Hebrew melek means king and tsedeq means righteousness. Therefore, the term melchizedek means literally, King of Righteousness. Because a king is always preeminent in his jurisdiction, whoever Melchizedek was, he had to be preeminent in righteousness. He had to be righteous king. Therefore, if one of us becomes OR is After The Order of Melchezedek, THEN we have been made Righteous by YHVHs Holy Spirit (made in the Image of G_d). I believe that All True Nazarite priests fall into this category too, as well as, ALL True worshippers of YHVH. In other words, The Chosen Few are of the order of Melchizedek, BUT Messiah Yahshua is THE Highest Priest OR (in other words) Our ELDER BROTHER, and also a Nazarite Priest. Hebrews 3:2 Therefore, Holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Yahshua (Messiah); 2 who was faithful to Him who appointed him, as also, was Moses in all His house. Lamentations 4:7-9 7 Her NAZARITES (Strongs #5139 NAZIYR, meaning CONSECRATED TO YAHWEH) were purer than snow (Spiritually), they were whiter than milk (Spiritually); They were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was as of sapphire. 8 Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: Their skin cleaves to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick (a living self-sacrifice). See The Sacrifice of Messiah 9 Those who are killed with the sword are better off than those who are killed with hunger; For these pine away, stricken through, for want of the fruits of the field. Could it be that Messiah Yahshua pines away even now for his fruit of the vine? After all, doesnt he tell us that Yahweh prunes the vine, Yahshua is the vine, and The Chosen are the branches of the vine (branches of Yahshua) that bear the Fruit of the Vine. Are we beginning to see the Spiritual significance of the Nazarite priests? After all they have CHOSEN to follow their VOW (covenant) with Yahweh of their own free will, they are SET APART, they are Holy unto Yahweh (pure) and they suffer as the Nazarites in Lamentations 4:7-9 desiring the Fruit of the field (field of grapes). Note: Not only does Yahshua Messiah pine away for the Fruit of the Holy Spirit of Love to be fully ripe, but All True Believers and followers of Yahshuas (Yahwehs) teachings (John 7:16), also, pine away earnestly desiring to bring forth much good fruit unto salvation. John 15:1-9 I (Yahshua) am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman (pruner). 2 Every branch in me that doesnt bear fruit, he takes away (cuts off). Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already pruned clean because of The Word which I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch cant bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine (Yahshuas Ministry), so neither can you, unless you remain in me (follow my example and teachings your whole life). 5 I (Yahshua) am the vine. You (the chosen) are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If a man doesnt remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire (Gehenna Hell), and they are burned (completely up). 7 If you remain in me, and my words (teachings of Yahweh) remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done to you. 8 In this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples (students of The Word of G_d OR future ministers of The Word of YHWH). 9 Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. 2 Peter 3:10-12 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the Earth and the works (creations of man) that are in it will be burned up (destroyed forever). 11 Therefore, since all these things are thus to be destroyed, what manner of persons ought you to be in Holy living and G_dliness, 12 looking (to pine) for and earnestly desiring the Coming of the Day of YHWH, by reason of which the heavens being on fire will be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? So then, the question remains, Did Yahshua take the VOW of a Nazarite priest? I am Spiritually certain that he did! It was and is just too Spiritually significant for him not to have done so! Mark 14:23-25 23 He (Yahshua) took the cup (of wine), and when he had given thanks, he gave to them. They all drank of it. 24 He (Yahshua) said to them, This (wine) is my (Spiritually symbolic) blood of the new covenant (a marriage vow), which is poured out for many (not the whole world). 25 (Beginning of Yahshuas Nazarite Vow) Most assuredly, I tell you, I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine, until that day (when the end of the Vow occurs) when I drink it anew in the kingdom of G_d (ON EARTH). Further evidence of his Nazarite vow was the Messiahs refusal to allow vinegar to enter his mouth while he was being crucified even though it was placed to his lips. Some of the verses in the epistles of Matthew, Mark and John make it appear as if Yahshua may have consumed vinegar, but Luke says they only offered it to him. Additionally, another verse in Matthew explicitly denys that he drank vinegar. Furthermore, I do not believe that he actually drank any vinegar, because he would have died a liar (Mark 14:25 - above). Luke 23:36 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar, Matthew 27:34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. Therefore, Yahshua is presently a Nazarite priest, Set Apart, pure, and Holy unto Yahweh. I say this because he most assuredly kept the rest of the Nazarite vow; because he made this vow approximately 24 hours prior to his death on the cross (it would have been foolish to waste time getting a haircut), he never ate anything unclean, swallowed wine or vinegar, and since he died prior to the other two thieves next to him, he did not violate the being near any dead thing requirement. Now pay particular attention to these next verses. Revelation 14:14-18 14 I looked, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud one sitting like a son of man (Yahshua), having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle (time to harvest the Fruit of the Field). 15 Another angel came out from the temple (with a message from Yahweh), crying with a loud voice to him (Yahshua), who sat on the cloud (and we will meet with him in the clouds), Send forth your sickle, and reap; for the hour to reap has come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe! 16 He (Yahshua), who sat on the cloud, thrust his sickle on the earth, and the Earth was reaped (The Resurrection or Regeneration occurs). 17 Another angel came out from the temple (of Yahweh) which is in heaven. He also had a sharp sickle. 18 Another angel came out from the altar, he who has power over fire, and he called with a great voice to him (Yahshua) who had the sharp sickle, saying, (Yahshua) Send forth your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe! Now recall Mark 14:25. Mark 14:23-25 25 (Beginning of Yahshuas Nazarite Vow) Most assuredly, I tell you, I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine, until that day (when the end of the Vow occurs) when I drink it anew in the kingdom of YHWH (ON EARTH). One more topic for thought: Could it be that John the Baptist was Set Apart from the womb, as a Nazarite priest, so that Messiah Yahshua could be baptized by a priest that was Holy unto Yahweh; after all, the Levitical priesthood had long since fallen from Yahwehs Grace (favor)? Answer: Most Probably! Luke 1-11-15 11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him (Zacharias), standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell on him. 13 But the angel said to him, Dont be afraid, Zacharias, because your request has been heard, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 You will have joy and gladness; and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mothers womb (just like SAMSON). 16 He will turn many of the children of Israel to YHWH their Elohim. SO, was John the Baptist a Nazarite priest? I repeat, Most Probably! Of course, my personal belief is Absolutely! Therefore, I believe that Messiah is both a Nazarite Priest and Our High Priest, after The order of Melchizedek.
Posted on: Fri, 08 Nov 2013 21:27:06 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015