Well are you ready to get in YAH's Word today?
I am as well. I want you to open your Bibles with me to Colossians chapter 2, we're going to
begin with verse 16 in just a moment and I'm calling this message today "Yom Teruah: Rehearsing
Messiah's Return." All right so, all of the feasts are rehearsals. Of course, Yeshua fulfilled all of the
spring feasts and the fall feasts represent what He's going to do when He comes in His second
coming, so we're going to be rehearsing those events in our fall festivals. So we're gonna
start with Colossians chapter 2 and verse 16 and it says, "Let no one therefore judge you in
eating or in drinking," Talking about celebratory eating or drinking. "or in respect of a festival,"
That's the feast. "or a new moon or Sabbaths," Look at verse 17. "which are a shadow of what is to come."
So our festivals, the new moons, and the Sabbaths all picture something. I just mentioned a moment
ago that the festivals all pertain to Yeshua and what He would accomplish in His first coming and
then in His second coming. The new moons represent resurrection. How many of you are excited about
the prospect that when Yeshua returns you are going to be resurrected, amen? That's a wonderful
thought and it's a truth. And then, the Sabbaths of course, all of our weekly Sabbaths point to the
establishment of the Millennial Kingdom. So six days of human labor, a day to the Master's like
a thousand years, a thousand years as a day that's written in Psalms, it's also quoted again in one
of the letters of Peter, and so there's been six thousand years of human labor if you track back
all the genealogies from present all the way back to Adam you'll see it's right at 6000 years
so that represents six days what comes after the sixth day? The seventh day. Alright? And what is
the seventh day? It is the Millennial Kingdom and it is a literal Kingdom of a thousand years where
Yeshua will rule and reign from Yerushalayim, this earth, for a thousand years of Shalom. So
that's why if you move the Sabbath day to Sunday, or Monday, or Wednesday, or Thursday you totally
destroy the prophetic picture, we have to leave the pictures alone. The Sabbath has always been
the seventh day and it will always be the seventh day. As a matter of fact, the scripture tells us in
the prophetic passages that we are going together to worship YAH from new moon to new moon and
from Sabbath to Sabbath. So we have the Sabbath, originally it's established in creation, we see it
run through all of the Hebrew Scriptures, we see it also in the Apostolic Writings but because of
religious teaching it's not as clear as it should be but we see it again then in the Millennial
Kingdom and beyond, and so don't think that it was in the Almighty's plan that in this little
sliver of time, in the middle, that the Sabbath was to be abolished or the Sabbath was to be moved
to some other day. It makes absolutely no biblical sense. That's what religion does, can you say amen?
What are we going to be talking about today? We're talking about Yom Teruah - "Yom"
being the day of and "Teruah" the day of soundings and this is a day that we find written of in
Leviticus chapter 23 and verse 23. Let's take a look at that. It says, "And YAH spoke to Mosheh,"
Or Moses. "saying, "Speak to the children of Israel,"" How many of you have been born again? How many of
you know that you've been grafted into Israel? So whenever it says, speak to the children
Israel you need to pay attention. Speak to the children of Israel saying, in the seventh new moon,
or in the seventh biblical month on the first day of the new moon you have a rest, that's a special
Sabbath, an annual Sabbath, a remembrance of Torah. In other words, remember to make soundings.This is
a day written in the scripture where the Almighty wants His people to make a lot of noise, to make
a lot of noise. It's a day of noise, it's a day of shouting, it's a day of blessing to shofar, it's
a day of making soundings, a remembrance of Teruah. It is a set-apart gathering. Now that word in
Hebrew is, it means a rehearsal - so all of the feasts are rehearsals. So think about it,
all of those years the Hebrew people had these rehearsals and when they were in the spring feast,
they were rehearsing when Yeshua would come in His first appearing and then when they got to the
fall, they were rehearsing what would take place when Yeshua came back in His second appearing. These are rehearsals and so Yom Teruah is a rehearsal, it's important for the body of Messiah
to know what we are rehearsing. We are rehearsing the second appearing of Yeshua. Now think about it,
He's going to come back with what a shout and the voice of an archangel and the what? Shofar blast
of YAH. So what are we supposed to be doing on Yom Teruah? Rehearsing that by shouting and blowing the
shofar the Bible is filled with significance, it's only religion that robs the scripture of its true
meaning and significance, amen? So we're supposed to remember to rule on that day. We're supposed to
have a rehearsal, a rehearsal of Messiah's return. And then it says in verse 25, "You do no servile
work," It is a special Sabbath and you shall bring an offering made by fire to YAH. So we've talked
about this being a rehearsal of Messiah's return. So I want to get right into the Brit Hadashah
are what's called the Apostolic writings or the New Testament and take a look at what is
written there concerning the second coming of Yeshua. Let's go to 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 and
pick up with verse 1 and it says, "As to the coming of our Master Yeshua Messiah and our gathering
together to Him," The coming of our Master Yeshua Messiah and the gathering of the
bride is the subject of these verses, alright? It is the context, you have to keep that in mind. So as to the coming, let's talk about the coming of Yeshua and the bride being gathered
together to Him. Sha'ul says, "We asked you brothers not to become easily unsettled in mind," In your
mind. "or trouble either by spirit," Something that spirit, a spirit might say. "or by words," Somebody's
speaking. "or by some letter or by letter." It says, "as if from us," Obviously somebody had been writing
some forged letters. "as if the day of YAH has come." So what was the issue here? That somebody was
teaching that the day of YAH had already come that the day of the Master had already come so Sha'ul
was gonna set the record straight here, he's gonna let him know - no, the day of the Master has not
come so don't listen to any spirit, don't listen to any person, don't take to heart any letter
that you might get that's been forged with my name on it because certain things have to happen
before the day of the Master actually happens. And so what are those things? Look at verse
3. "Let no one deceive you in any way because the falling away," Everybody say the falling away. "the
falling away is to come first," Now this is the great deception that's going to come upon those
who claim to be believers, you can't fall away from something that you don't have.
You have to possess something to be able to fall away from that thing so this is talking about
those who consider themselves believers or you could say those who are part of the
"Church". There's going to be a great deception that takes place in those days and by the way, it's
already begun, folks. It's already begun. Sha'ul says the mystery of lawlessness is already in effect
and he said that was happening back in his day so 2,000 years later it's only gotten stronger,
amen? But it's going to lead up to a a blanket deception of what's called the "church", so we've got
to pay attention to what Yeshua said when He said, broad is the way that leads to destruction and
there are many that are on that path but narrow and difficult is the way that leads to life and
there are few find it. You don't want to do anything because everybody else is doing it,
you don't want to follow the mainstream doctrines just because everybody else is doing it. You better
check those things out in the scripture because Yeshua said narrow and difficult, hard-pressed is
the way that leads to life and there are few who find it. So if you're gonna find life you're
gonna be with the few. Amen, go ahead and say amen. It goes down easier when you say amen.
Alright. The falling away must come first. We're not talking about a small falling away, we're not
talking about some small obscure group of people, we're talking about a very large body of people
who claim to be believers in the church. Now, we already see a lot of that taking place, now we have
whole denominations that are completely forsaking what the scripture says about certain abominations
and they are not shaping the culture but they're being shaped by the culture and they're turning
away from the scripture, can you say amen? So it's happening already, the stage is being said. "the
falling away is to come first and the man of lawlessness is to be revealed," And isn't interesting
that Yeshua is defined in the scripture as the Righteous One but the anti-messiah is defined as
the lawless one? The Righteous one obeyed completely and he said follow me, the lawless one lives like
there is no law because, in essence, he wants to be the law, he wants to be Elohim, and so there's two
camps that I see in the world - those who follow Yeshua, who are walking in righteousness and
who are obeying the scripture and those who say - oh, there is no law when when Yeshua died He did
away with the law. You cannot support that idea whatsoever in Scripture. You have to cherry-pick
a very small portion of Scripture, what I call the little sliver in the back of the book to be able
to come up with a doctrine like that but it is a doctrine of convenience and it does please the
flesh. We like to hear there are no laws because we want to live the way we want to live, but again,
you cannot support it in Scripture. Can you say good amen? So the man of lawlessness is going
to be revealed it says. So the implication is that those who claim to be believers in Messiah will
fall away from the law of Elohim because they're going to be quick to follow the lawless one.
Just think about the spiritual environment when the lawless one arrives and so many people think
he's Messiah, anti-messiah doesn't mean that he's just against Messiah, anti-messiah means he wants
to be Messiah, he sets himself up as Messiah, not just that he's out preaching against Messiah, he
wants to be Messiah and so we need to be very very careful because in these last days the difference
between light and darkness is not going to be so great that everybody can tell very easily. It's
the deception that's going to exist, people are not going to be able to discern the difference
between light and darkness because we're going to read here in this passage and in others that
that when the anti-messiah arrives he's going to come with all power of Satan with false miracles
and signs and wonders and the deception is going to be tremendously great. That's why if you don't
have a love of the truth now then you are postured to be deceived later. Amen. You cannot get your word
once a week by going to church, listening to some pastor. If that's all you're getting, your postured
for deception. It is time now to start studying the scripture out for yourself, can you say amen?
And we've always encouraged you to do that when I bring a word it's to wet your appetite, make you
go home and study it out if I make you mad about something I said. If I challenge your tradition you have
to go home and study it out because brother Gary must have been wrong about that. Well go ahead,
I don't care why you study, I don't care what the motive is, try to prove me wrong if you
want, just study. Amen? "and the man of lawlessness is to be revealed, the son of destruction,"
Well he's going to be destroyed and everybody that follows him. Notice. "who opposes and exalts
himself above all that is called Elohim or that is worshiped," He wants to be worshipped. He's full
of Satan and Satan wanted to exalt himself above Elohim, isn't that right? And Satan even said
to Yeshua out in the wilderness, I'll give you all the kingdoms of the world if you'll just bow down
and worship me. So do you hear the hiss of the serpent right here? I mean, the anti-messiah is gonna
have all these same qualities about him, he wants to exalt himself and he wants to be worshipped.
"so that he sits as Elohim in the dwelling place of Elohim," That's talking about the rebuilt temple. If
you think there's not gonna be another temple rebuilt on temple mount that's not what scripture
says. There will be another temple on temple mount in the future and this anti-messiah is going to
establish himself, he's gonna sit as Alohim in the dwelling place of Elohim showing himself that
he is Elohim. Alright. And that's what's known as the abomination of desolation spoken of by the
prophet Daniel. Now let's take a break from this passage and run really quickly over the second
Peter chapter 3 picking up with verse 14 and then we'll get back to that passage we were in.
Notice what Peter says here. "So then beloved ones looking forward to this," He was talking about the
new heavens and the new earth where righteousness dwells. "do your utmost to be found by Him," Found
by Yeshua, talking about when He comes in peace spotless and blameless. Spotless means without
transgression. Well if there's no law there's no transgression, so obviously there's
a law because Peter is saying when Yeshua comes back do your utmost to be found spotless,
and blameless, and reckon the patience of our Master as deliverance. What does that mean? He's
giving people time to repent. "as also our beloved brother Sha'ul wrote to you according to the wisdom
given to him," Sha'ul is the Apostle Paul. "as also in all his letters speaking in
them concerning these matters in which some are hard to understand," Isn't that interesting that Peter
says in the scripture that some of Paul's writings are hard to understand? I mean, he's an emissary
himself and he's saying, I admit it, some of this stuff that Paul writes by the influence of the
Ruach is hard to understand. "which those who are untaught and unstable to twist to their
own destruction." Now right in Scripture we have a warning from Peter that people throughout the
generations who are unthought and unstable are going to twist Paul's writings and make them say
things that Paul didn't say and this twisting is to their own destruction as they do also the other
scriptures. "you then beloved ones, being forewarned," Everybody say forewarned. "watch, lest you also fall
from your own steadfastness being led away with the delusion of the lawless." So what's the
delusion that will cause the great falling away of what's called the church and precipitate the
appearance of the anti-messiah? It is the delusion of the lawless, those who say there is no law that
the law has been abolished, they're under a delusion. You want to know about what religion will do to
you? It'll make you delusional. The delusion of the lawless, the delusion of those who say there is no
law. So back to second Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 5, "Do you not remember that I told you this
while I was still with you," This is Sha'ul speaking to those in Thessalonica. "and now you know what
restrains," Now let me help you with this because it's been taught by religion that the one who
restrains is the Holy Spirit, you've heard that? The Holy Spirit has to be removed for the anti-messiah to be revealed, that's not what this says. Look at verse 6. "and now you know what restrains,"
What restraints from what? What restrains the coming of the Master because that's the context
of these verses. What keeps the Master from coming? "for him, the anti-messiah, to be revealed in his
time." Remember there has to be a falling away first and then the anti-messiah must be revealed.
Those things have to happen before Messiah comes back so don't let anybody deceive you and tell
you the day has already happened - that's what he's saying in context here. Verse 7 "For the secret
or the mystery of lawlessness is already at work only until he who now restrains," Speaking of the
anti-messiah, he's the one who restrains the coming of Messiah. "comes out from the midst," He's got to come
out from the midst of the people. Verse 8 "and then the lawless one shall be revealed." In other words,
you will come to know him, you will see him or he will be made known. "whom the Master shall consume
with the Spirit of His mouth," That's a quotation of Isaiah 11 verse 4. "and bring to naught with
the manifestation of His coming." All right. The Master is gonna do this so when the anti- messiah,
the one many will assume is the Messiah takes his place on the world stage Yeshua then will return
to destroy him and establish His, the Messiah's, earthly kingdom. Alright. Look at verse 9. "The coming
of the lawless one," And he's going to deceive the world including most of what's called the church.
"is according to the working of Satan, Hasatan, with all power how much power? "and signs, and wonders of
falsehood," Now do you think the nominal believer who has about an inch worth of depth in the
scripture is going to be able to stand against the anti-messiah who comes with all power and signs
and wonders of falsehood? Do you think religion and it's teaching of people is going to be able
to stand against the anti-messiah who comes with all power, and signs, and wonders of falsehood? You
see, it's going to take a whole lot more than just being the average "believer" for us to be able
to discern and to navigate through these troubled times and don't think for a second you get the
get-out-of-jail-free card and Yeshua is going to come back early and take everybody out that's
walk denial and repeated a prayer and you're going to get to escape all these troubled times. Again,
that's the teaching of religion it can't be backed in all the scripture. Now I realize that I just
said some things that have set several of you in a whirlwind of thought. Well you keep coming,
we'll get to that subject here soon. "The coming of the lawless one is according to
the working of Satan with all power and signs and wonders of falsehood and with all deceit of
unrighteousness in those perishing he's going to deceive the masses into unrighteous or lawless
behavior." How? Because they did not receive the love of the truth. Now Psalm 119:142 says, "Your
righteousness is righteousness for ever and your Torah is truth or your law is truth and
they did not receive the love of the truth. The Torah is the foundation for all Scripture. If you
don't have a solid understanding of the Torah, the first five books of Moses, you will not be able to
interpret scripture correctly and people who just live out of the little sliver in the back of the
book when they come to certain places that need a greater depth of understanding of scripture
because they don't have a foundation in Torah, they use their own natural minds, they try to
process it through what they know in their own brains, and they end up what? You know what
I say. Making stuff up, and that's what religion has done over the past 2,000 years. It's made
up a lot of stuff. Alright so you have to have a love of the truth not a love of tradition
and not a love of religion, can you say amen? "Because they did not receive the love of the truth
in order for them to be saved," Well think about it. If there's such a great delusion people say well, I
just walked on out and repeated a prayer and I'm saved. You have to be saved from this delusion that's
coming. You have to be saved from the deception. You have to be saved from what the anti- messiah
is going to do on the earth and you're only going to be saved from that not by walking and I'll
and repeating a prayer but by spending time in God's Word and loving every word. What did Yeshua say when He faced off with the enemy? Men shall not live by bread alone but by every
word that proceeds from the mouth of YAH and by the way, at that time when He was facing off with
the enemy, had the Brit Hadashah been written? So when He said "every word" He was actually making a
reference to all of the original Hebrew Scriptures. Amen. Now that doesn't mean that the Apostolic
writings are not Scripture, I'm just saying at that point in time, the Apostolic writings had not
been written, so people that say I just live out of this little portion in the back, they don't
even realize what Yeshua made reference to there. Verse 11 "and for this reason," Now this
is really interesting because they didn't love the truth. "for this reason Elohim sends them a
working of delusion," I'll tell you, if it's not enough to be deceived by the anti-messiah because
you resisted the Ministry of the Spirit in your life and you didn't come to a love of the truth
this passage tells us that Elohim turned you over to deception. "for this reason because you lack
a love of the truth Elohim sends them a working of delusion for them to believe the falsehood," Oh,
you didn't want to believe the Word? See, the Bible definition of belief is a belief unto obedience.
You can't separate the two, not in the scripture. Religion does it, that belief is just a mental
ascension. I just mentally ascend that Jesus is the Christ but it doesn't have any real impact
on the way I behave, but that's not Bible. Bible belief always implies obedience to the scripture.
In other words, if you don't obey, you don't really believe. To say I believe but I don't obey that's
an oxymoron, to say you believe but you don't obey. All right. To believe is to obey, that's why
James could say in his writings if you have belief without obedience your belief is dead. As a
matter of fact, he says that kind of belief belief without obedience cannot save you. You say is that
really in there? Yeah, now go read James, it's there. So Elohim is going to send a working of delusion
to those who did not love the truth so that they believed the falsehood. Verse 12 "in order that
all should be judged who did not believe the truth belief under obedience but have delighted
in the unrighteousness." They have delighted in Torah less-ness or disobedience. Look at verse 13,
we've got to have a little something positive here. Verse 13 "But we ought to give thanks to Elohim
always for you brothers beloved of the Master because Elohim from the beginning chose you to
be saved," It was His purpose and plan that there would be a body who would believe unto obedience
and aren't you glad you believed and are obeying? "because Elohim from the beginning chose you to
be saved in set-apartness of Spirit and belief in the truth unto which He called you by
our good news for the obtaining of the esteem of our Master Yeshua Messiah." Verse 15 "So then
brothers stand fast," Everybody say, stand fast. How are you going to keep from getting deceived?
Stand fast. How are you going to be able to stand against the onslaught of the anti-messiah? Stand
fast. Right? How are you going to keep from being harmed in some way or another with the power
and the false signs and wonders that are to come? Stand fast. "So then brothers stand fast and
hold to the traditions," A better way to translate that is teachings or instructions. "which you were
taught whether by word or by our letter for our Master Yeshua Messiah Himself and our Elohim and
Father who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good expectation through favor
encourage your hearts and establish you in what every good word and work." That means obedience.
Amen? All right. Quickly, let's go to the prophet Daniel, Daniel chapter 11. We're gonna pick up with
verse 36 because Daniel speaks a lot about the anti-messiah and we want to know what he had to
say. Daniel 11:36 "And the sovereign or the anti- messiah shall do as he pleases and exalt himself
and show himself to be great above every mighty one," So he's going to exalt himself above every
so-called deity. "and speak incredible matters against the EL of mighty ones or against YAH
Himself," So he's going to be speaking incredible matters against YAH. "and shall prosper until the
wrath has been accomplished," Because there is wrath coming for him. "for what has been decreed
shall be done." And then, look at Daniel chapter 9 picking up with verse 27. It says, "Then he (the anti-
messiah) shall confirm a covenant," This is possibly talking about a peace treaty between Israel and
those who follow Islam. "the anti-messiah shall confirm a covenant with many for one week," That's
talking about seven years and in the middle of the week three and a half years into it. "he shall put
an end to slaughtering and meal offering," Okay so, this appears to be talking about the reality that
the temple had been rebuilt or was in the process of being rebuilt and the daily offerings, the
morning and evening offerings started up. That's going to be part of the Covenant, the anti-messiah makes is that he's going to allow Israel to rebuild the temple on Temple Mount and they can
start up their daily sacrifices. Okay so, it's going to go pretty well for three and a half years but
three and a half years into it, he's going to stop the daily sacrifices and then things
get really rough. It says, "and on the wing of abominations he shall lay waste," He's
going to ultimately lead a multinational military force to Israel to destroy Israel for her defiance
against his decrees. "even until the complete end and that which is decreed is poured out on the one
who lays waste." There's other things that we can read about in Daniel concerning the
anti-messiah but let's go to Matthew and let's find out what Yeshua said about the anti- messiah.
Matthew chapter 24 starting with verse 15, Yeshua said, "So when you see the abomination that lays
waste," He's quoting Daniel chapter 11 verse 31. "spoken of by Daniel the prophet," He's
talking about the image of the anti-messiah. "set up in the Set-apart Place, he who reads let him
understand." So when you see the image of the anti-messiah set up in the Set-apart Place
then you got to be where it's time to act, you got to move quickly. Verse 16 "Then let those who
are in Yehudah or Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not come down to take
whatever out of his house. And let him who is in the field not turned back to get his garments
and woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing children in those days," Verse 20
"and pray that your flight does not take place in winter or on the Sabbath." Isn't that interesting
that Yeshua is telling His disciples pray that at the end of days, when all these things
happen, that it doesn't fall on the Sabbath so that implies that Yeshua's expecting his
followers to be keeping the Sabbath in the end of days and I'm not talking about Sunday or Monday
or Thursday, I'm talking about the seventh-day Bible Sabbath. Amen? Verse 21 "For then there shall
be great distress such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time no nor
ever shall be," Verse 22 "and if those days were not shortened no flesh would be saved but for the
sake of the chosen ones," How many of you want to be a part of that group? "those days shall be shortened."
Now quickly, we're going to talk about a few events that take place during that period, we're going
to go to Zechariah chapter 13 and pick up with verse 7. So the anti-messiah is going to attempt
to destroy the nation of Israel because of her defiance so he wants to be worshipped, the Jews
are not going to worship Him, they are going to resist Him in the same way that they did during
the Maccabean Period which was a picture of what's going to happen here in the end of days when
Antiochus Epiphanes erected a statue of himself in the Most Set-apart Place and defiled the temple,
and the Maccabees of course rose up and drove out the enemy invaders and rededicated the temple so
the anti-messiah is going to follow suit. Nothing new under the sun, he's going to do the same thing.
He's going to let them build the temple because he wants to be worshipped in the temple so he's
going to go ahead and let him build the temple, he's going to let him start their sacrifices but
ultimately, he wants to be sacrificed too. So three and a half years into it he's going to go erect
a statue of himself in the Most Set-apart Place and he's going to demand that he's worshipped. Well,
the Jews aren't going to worship Him and neither are the followers of Yeshua and that's going to
infuriate him and he's going to put together a multinational military force and he's going to
attack Israel, he wants to totally wipe out the nation of Israel. Zechariah chapter 13 verse 7,
"O sword awake against my shepherd against the man who is my companion," And this is a prophetic
speaking of Yeshua. "declares YAH Hosts, "Strike the shepherd and let the sheep be scattered," This
is foretelling the execution of Yeshua. "but I shall turn my hand upon the little ones." In other
words, there's going to be a judgment of Israel for rejecting the Messiah. "and it shall be throughout
all the soil or all the land of Israel," declares YAH, "that two thirds therein are cut off and die
and one-third is left there in," That's the remnant. "and I shall bring the third into fire and refine
them as silver is refined and try them as gold as tried, they shall call on my name," Yeshua means "the
salvation of YAH". "they shall call on my name and I shall answer them. I shall say,
"This is my people"
while they say, "YAH is my Elohim."" This is YAH's purpose for allowing the anti-messiah
to attack Israel, he wants to save the remnant of Israel. Before you get to thinking
well, you know, only the remnant of Israel is going to be saved, let me tell you the truth - only the
remnant of the nations will be saved. So you want to be apart of the remnant. Again, I want to warn
you, don't follow the many. You know that message I preached? Be aware of the many. It's not about
the many, it's about the remnant. You want to be a part of the remnant. Hallelujah.
So the purpose that YAH has in allowing the ante Messiah to attack Israel is so that He could
save the remnant of Israel. And then the scripture tells us that Jerusalem will be attacked, we see
in Zechariah chapter 12 beginning with verse 2. "See, I'm making Yerushalayim a cup of reeling to
all the people all around and also against Yehudah, it is in the siege against Jerusalem," So there's
gonna be a siege against Jerusalem. "and in that day, it shall be that I make Yerushalayim a heavy,
a very heavy stone for all peoples all lifting it are severely injured and all the nations of the
earth shall be gathered against it." And then look at Zechariah 14 and verse 2. "and I shall gather
all the nations to battle against Jerusalem and the city shall be taken, the houses plundered, and
the women ravished half of the city shall go into exile and be captured but the remnant," Everybody
say, "the remnant". "but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city and YAH shall
go forth and He shall fight against those nations as He fights in the day of battle I tell you what
it's something else to have the almighty fighting your battles for you and then that day His feet
shall stand upon the Mount of Olives which faces Jerusalem on the east," And this is a reference to
Yeshua's return, He's the one who fully represents the Father on the earth and He will fight against
the enemies of Elohim and deliver the remnant of Israel who calls upon His name. Alright look at
Zechariah chapter 12 and verse 9. "And it shall be in that day that I seek to destroy all the
nations that come against Jerusalem and I shall pour on the house of Dawid," Or the house of David.
"and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of favor," And prayers your Bible may
say supplications. "and they shall look on me whom they pierced and they shall mourn for Him
as one mourns for his only son," This is talking about the remnant of Israel. They're going to see
Yeshua, the one they pierced and they're going to mourn for Him as one mourns for His only Son.
"and they shall be in bitterness over Him as a bitterness over the firstborn." Now let me show
you a passage that I think you'll find really in Matthew chapter 23, picking up with verse 37.
Yeshua said this, "Yerushalayim, Yerushalayim, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to
her, how often I wished to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her chickens under
her wings but you would not you weren't having it. See your house is left to you laid waste." That's a
quote of Jeremiah 22 and verse 5. "For I say to you, from now on you shall by no means see me this is
right before His execution until you say blessed is He who is coming in the Name of YAH." How He was
quoting Psalm 118 verse 26. So He said, you should have known the time of your visitation but you
didn't, you weren't paying attention. You weren't Torah obedient because the Torah in Deuteronomy
18 commands Israel to shema the Prophet like Mosheh and that is Yeshua and they didn't
shema - that's a Hebrew word that means, here and obey Yeshua and so Yeshua said you're not going
to see me anymore not until you say, blessed is He who is coming in the Name of YAH so Yeshua
is going to come back and He is going to step down on the Mount of Olives and He is going to fight
for the remnant of Israel and they're going to see the One, they're going to look upon Him whom
a pierced, and they're going to cry out in that moment because they're just about to face utter
destruction, they're gonna cry out in that moment "Blessed is He whose come in the Name of YAH." I
mean, if you were about to be destroyed and someone showed up to save you I bet you could bless that
person too? So things are looking really bad, really dark, and in that moment Yeshua arrives
and they notice that He's been pierced and they realized that Yeshua is Messiah and they cry out,
blessed is He who comes in the Name of YAH and a spirit of favor and supplication had been poured
out upon them to prepare them for that moment and they call upon the Name of Yeshua and they are
saved, and the salvation of Israel takes place at that moment and all of Israel is saved
in that moment. Hallelujah. So the remnant of Israel will see Him and they will call upon His name and
they'll be saved and then the scripture tells us that Yeshua will utterly destroy the multinational
military force that came against Israel and Jerusalem. He may have come as the
suffering servant the first time, He certainly did, but He's not coming back as the suffering servant.
He's coming back as the conquering King and He's gonna rule the world with a rod of iron a man.
So quickly, let's talk about the gathering of the bride. You guys have been really, really attentive
and listening well. I have a few more verses here, Matthew chapter 24, we'll pick up with verse 29. Yeshua said, "And immediately after the distress of those days the sun shall be darkened and the moon
shall not give its light and the stars shall fall from the heaven and the powers of the heavens
shall be shaken and then the sign of the Son of Adam shall appear in the heaven," He's gonna show
up. "and then all the tribes of the earth shall mourn and they shall see the Son of Adam," The Son
of man, your Bible may say. "coming on the clouds," Well Daniel prophesied that in Daniel chapter
7 verse 13. "coming on the clouds of the heaven with power and much esteem." Or much glory. Now,
it says that the anti-messiah was operating by the power of Satan and it talked about all power, how
much more power is Yeshua going to have? You might say ultimate power, amen? Verse 31 "and
He shall send His messengers (or His angels) with a great sound of a trumpet," Or you could say a great
sound of a shofar. You want to know why we rehearse, you want to know why we shout, you want to know why
we blow the shofar, you want to know why we get all excited and dance and rejoice, you you want to know
why we have a joy that the world didn't give and the world can't take away, you you want to know
why we celebrate like we do in the world looks at us and says those people are crazy? It's because
we know something you don't. Now, we're charged to make sure everybody hears so we're going to do our
best to make sure everybody hears, but that's why we celebrate the way we do. Can you say amen? So
people that have a hard time getting excited about Yom Teruah and the rest of the fall festivals,
I want to encourage you to get in the Word and get a revelation of what it's all about because if
you get a revelation you will rejoice and it truly will be the time or the season of your greatest
joy, amen? Hallelujah. Well go ahead and rejoice. Verse 31 "And He shall send His messengers (or
angels) with a great sound of a trumpet," He's quoting Isaiah 27 verse 13. "and they shall gather
together His chosen ones from the four winds," He's quoting Daniel 7:2. "from one end of the heavens
to the other," And that's a quotation of Deuteronomy 4:32. Don't tell me Yeshua isn't the living Word.
When He speaks, He quotes the Bible all over the place because He is the living Torah, He is
the living Word, amen? Yeshua said, get ready there's going to be a trumpet blast and
when He comes there's going to be this great sound of a trumpet and all of His chosen ones, His
select ones gonna be gathered up. Now quickly, first Thessalonians chapter 4 beginning with
verse 13 and this is Sha'ul telling us these same things. "Now brothers, we do not wish you to
be ignorant concerning those who have fallen asleep or those who have died in Messiah lest
you be sad as others who have no expectation," Or others who have no hope. So when our loved ones
who believe in Yeshua pass, we experience grief, that's natural, but we don't sorrow as those
who have no hope because we have hope, we have expectation, our expectation is in Yeshua. Verse
14 "For if we believe that Yeshua had died," And we do. "and rose again," And we do. "so also Elohim
shall bring with Him those who sleep," Or those who have died in Yeshua. "for this we say to you, by
the Word of the Master, that we, the living who are left over at the coming of the Master shall in
no way go before those who are asleep or those who have died in Yeshua because the Master
Himself shall come down from heaven with a shout with the voice of a chief messenger," Your
Bible may say archangel. "and with the trumpet of Elohim," The shofar of Elohim. "and the dead in
Messiah shall rise first then we, the living, who are left over shall be caught away together with
them in the clouds to meet the Master in the air." Where we going to meet Him? In the air. Doesn't
say that we're going to be suddenly in a place called heaven and we're going to spend eternity
in heaven, that's a religious doctrine, it's not a Bible doctrine. We're going to be gathered
up from the four winds of the earth, we're going to meet Messiah in the air and it goes on to say, "and
so we shall always be with the Master." Where does He go at that time? Yerushalayim. Where are we
gonna go at that time? Yerushalayim. That's why it says, and so we shall always be with the Master.
Sukkot rehearses the marriage supper of the Lamb, amen? This is the gathering,
this is when the bridegroom comes to receive His bride, hallelujah, and escort us to His Kingdom.
Praise YAH and what are the elements of this moment? The elements of this moment happened to
be a shout, the voice of an archangel. How many of you know if an archangel is shouting that's gonna
be a lot of noise? We thank YAH for the rain and we had a little lightning, a little bit of thunder
out there where I live, how many of you have ever had a lightning strike fairly close?
It's close when you see the flash and then you hear the boom, like immediately? And the boom, when
it's that close, can be so terrifying. I mean, it's so loud and it shakes your house if you're in your
house. Can you imagine the shaking that's gonna take place when Yeshua comes back and the
archangel shouts and blasts the shofar, amen? You remember when the Almighty delivered the the Torah
to Mosheh on the mountain? You remember when He brought all the people to the foot of the mountain,
and there was fire on the mountain, and then there was a shofar blast and it got louder, and louder,
and more intense, and more intense? See, the best of us, if we try to blow the shofar here today
we'll start out strong, but as we continue on we start running out of breath and so the blast
gets softer and softer, quieter, quieter, weaker and weaker, but that's not how the Almighty does it His
blast, gets louder and louder. These are the elements - shouting, blasting, the voice of
an archangel rejoicing knowing that we're being gathered. Now I've never been a bride, in the sense
of a natural bride, obviously, I'm a man. So I'll have to rely upon those of you that have
been brides to tell me whether or not the day that your groom came for you was a good day. Now, most
of you I think would nod your head yes - I see a few of you smiling and wondering - We'll get
to that sermon too at some point. But the way it was designed is that that day is supposed to be
a good day, a happy day, a joy-filled day, a day that can hardly be contested as it relates to
other days and other events of your life. It's a beautiful day. That's what happens when He comes
back. It's the day that our bridegroom comes for His bride, amen? And some of you men are saying
you mean I'm a bride? It's interesting how the Bible works. We, men, are the brides of Messiah
and you, women, are the sons of Elohim. How about that? Amen. So these are the elements and this is
why we celebrate as we do. Now, I want to close by just giving a small caveat at the end of this
message and say that the period that we're in right now is the prophetic period between Yom
Teruah and Yom Kippurim because Yom Kippurim or you may have heard it said "Yom Kippur" the
scripture actually puts it in the plural because there were more than one atonement that was made
that day so we say Yom Kippur in because that's what the Bible says, but Yom Kippurim represents
the judgment of the nations and so, we are in that period between Teruah and Yom Kippurim
prophetically. What I mean by that, this is the period when we as the body of Messiah are supposed
to go out and proclaim and declare and shout from the rooftop the Good News of Yeshua Messiah, that
He's coming and He's coming soon and He's coming to establish His Kingdom and people need to repent
for the Kingdom of Elohim is at hand. Amen? So we literally are the shofars. Let me give you one
scripture, Isaiah 58:1 says, "Cry aloud do not spare lift up your voice like the shofar, declare to my
people their transgression and the house of Ya'aqob their sins." And so, that's why Yeshua said go into
all the world and preach or proclaim or declare the Good news to every creature. Yom Teruah is a
time of blasting the shofar and it is a rehearsal of the second coming of Messiah but it's also the
shofar is the sound of a call to repentance, a call to repentance, and so on Yom Teruah in the next
couple of days, if Yeshua doesn't come then we realize that we're in that prophetic season that
we are to be the shofar so we have the message, the message of reconciliation. We are the ones called
to cry aloud and spare not, to lift up our voices like the shofar, to declare to YAH's people their
transgression into the house of Ya'aqob their sins. Actually, Yeshua tells us to go into
all the world and preach the Good News to every creature, amen, to make disciples of all the nations.
Hallelujah, and that's what Yom Teruah is all about.