Torah Cycle – March 8, 2008

By Paul Sides

Exodus is describing the making of the Temple Service articles of closing and the veil that covered the Ark in the Tent of Meeting.

1 Kings deals with bringing the Ark from the Tent of Meetings into the Holy of Holies in the newly built Temple for the first time and covering it again with a Veil.

Now we get to 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 below which I want to address specifically.  Namely, what passed away, what was the veil, and what progressed from Glory to Glory?

2 Corinthians 3:7-18 (New King James Version)

Glory of the New Covenant   
7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit (of life) not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness (obedience to The Law) exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.
12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— 13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Messiah. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to YHVH, the veil is taken away. 17 Now YHVH is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of YHVH is, there is liberty (Grace in light of failing to keep His Law perfectly). 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of YHVH, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of YHVH.

This passage is almost always mis-taught within the Christian community to imply the Torah, prophets, and writings (commonly known as The Old Testament) and specifically The Law of YHVH has faded away and abolished.  But is that what Paul is really saying, or is that a false doctrine taken out of context to violate the Messiah’s own words… “I did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it”?  So what exactly is Paul referring to that faded away if not The Law?  That is what I want to explore and in fact, what ties this Torah reading together.

The Surpassing Glory of the New Covenant

The Abolishment of the Penalty of Sin

Fading Glory of the Old Covenant – The Certificate of Debt = Death

The Glory of the Covenant of Moses that was “fading away” was the role of The Law to identify sin outside of Grace and specifically the condemnation to death for disobedience found within The Law call The Certificate of Debt. 

In The Covenant YHVH made with Moses between Himself and the Children of Israel, the mysteries of what YHVH was performing with all the physical types and shadows were hidden behind both a physical veil that hid the Ark of the Covenant and a Spiritual Veil over the mind until such time as the Truth was revealed in the Messiah Yahshua and YHVH offered Yahshua as a sin offering (Passover Lamb) to fulfill the requirements of The Law.

We must be vigilant to build our understanding line upon line letting scripture illuminate scripture and never take any one or two verses out of context of the entire revelation of YHVH.  So let’s let Paul further define EXACTLY what was abolished within The Law.  And let us establish firmly that The Law is not what Paul is referring to in 2 Corinthians when he referenced the passing Glory of the Old Covenant of Moses.

We know for certain The Law as not abolished and it did not fade away, Yahshua expressly stated that as fact:

Matthew 5

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works (as you keep YHWH’s Commandments, Sabbath, and Feasts), and glorify your Father which is in heaven (if you love Him... KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, FEASTS, SABBATHS). 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law (the Torah, Feasts, and Sabbath), or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law (Torah, Feasts, and Sabbath), till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness (obedience to The Law) shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

We know The Law lives! It is now written on the hearts of the redeemed:

Jeremiah 31

    33But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel: After those days, says YHVH, I will put My law within them, and on their hearts will I write it; and I will be their YHVH, and they will be My people.

We know The Law was given to identify sin, which is by definition is the violation of The Law and we know that the penalty of sin is Death… It was the stipulation of The Law that if you sinned you died that faded from Glory (Law of Sin and Death), replace by Life through Grace by way of obedience to His Law that surpassed it in Glory.  It wasn’t The Entire Law that faded away, only the ordinances within The Law that demanded our death that faded away!

Romans 8

Life Through the Spirit

 1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Yahshua the Messiah, 2 because through Yahshua, the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, YHVH did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering (Passover Lamb). And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met (not abolished) in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit (of The Law of YHVH).

 5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to YHVH. It does not submit to YHVH’s law, (as compared to those who live by the Spirit who DO submit to YHVH’s Law) nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please YHVH.

How do we please YHVH? There is no righteousness (right standing before YHVH) outside of His Commands, obedience to His Law:

Romans 2:13 (New International Version)

13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in YHVH's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.

You cannot know YHWH outside His Commands:

1 John 2:4

"He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments (Torah/Law), is a liar, and the truth is not in him."    

You cannot Love YHWH outside His Commands:

1 John 5:3

For this is the love of YHVH, that we keep His commandments; 

His Law/Commands are vital aspects of Grace which is defined as forgiveness in light of transgression of those very commands.  You cannot have Grace with no Law... you have anarchy:

Rom 4:15 - KJV

15 Because the law worketh wrath (for disobedience): for where no law is, there is no transgression (sin).

If there is no sin, there is no need for a Savior and the Messiah died in vain outside of The Righteous Law of YHVH which demanded a sin offering as shown above.

The Apostle Paul fully understood exactly what I am attempting to communicate to you now.  And this is the topic of his letters.  Paul was obedient to the Torah and Prophets and the Feasts EVEN AFTER the death of Yahshua and taught them in light of the Messiah:

Acts 24:14 - Complete Jewish Bible

“But this I admit to you: I worship the God of our fathers in accordance with the Way (which they call a sect).  I continue to believe everything that accords with the Torah and everything written in the Prophets.”

Paul was blameless in keeping the Torah:

Acts  28:17 - Complete Jewish Bible

Brothers, (speaking to the local Jewish leaders) although I have done nothing against either our people or the traditions of our fathers…

If Paul believed The Torah/Law had been abolished and faded from Glory as Christian’s teach, he would never have went out of his way to get to Jerusalem for Shavu'ot to celebrate the giving of the Torah!

Acts 20:16 - Complete Jewish Bible

For Shaul had decided to bypass Ephesus on his voyage, in order to avoid losing time in the province of Asia, because he was hurrying to get to Yerushalayim, if possible in time to celebrate Shavu’ot.  (Celebrate WHAT?, Paul went out of his way to celebrate Shavu'ot which is THE CELEBRATION OF THE GIVING OF THE TORAH!!!!) 

That's exactly what it says.  Paul CELEBRATED the Torah.  He kept the Torah.  He taught the Torah.  So something is wrong with the way Paul's writings have been translated and taught by the Christian Church. Paul wasn't alone, every man of YHVH kept His Commandments.... the man chosen by YHWH to heal Paul's vision was Hananyah... a keeper of the Torah!

Acts 22:12 - Complete Jewish Bible

A man named Hananyah, an observant follower of the Torah (why would he add that statement?) who was highly regarded by the entire Jewish community there, came to me, stood by me and said “Brother Shaul, see again!”.

And in the coming Kingdom... The Torah flows forth from Jerusalem as THE STANDARD of righteousness in that coming Kingdom... just as it does now and as it did then and always will forever.

Zechariah 14:16,17

"And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, The Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.  And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, The Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain".

Isaiah 2:2-4

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of YHVH's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of YHVH, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the Torah, and the word of YHVH from Jerusalem. 4 And he shall judge (using the Torah) among the nations, and shall rebuke many people (for not keeping the Torah):

Now that I have hopefully clearly demonstrated that The Torah is perfect and The Law lives.  And Paul was obedient to The Torah.  We need to fully understand what faded away from Glory and the significance of the lasting Glory of the New Covenant.  To do that, we must have a firm grasp on the Covenants of YHVH and how they progressed over time.  And what “a covenant” consisted of!

The Torah ... The Mosaic Covenant ... The Law ... Are they equivalent?

The Christian Church has lumped The Torah, The Law, and the Mosaic Covenant all together with the Prophets and Writings, called it The “Old” Testament and swiftly abolished it all!  Leaving the entire body of “Christians” damned to be quite honest.  Because as we saw above, it is obedience to His Commandments that please YHVH and bestow righteousness.  This fatal flaw in the Christian Church is known as Replacement Theology.  It is a lie.

The Torah is the first five books in Volume I (Old Testament if you must) of your Bible.  The Torah covers multiple covenants including the Everlasting Covenant of the Sabbath, The Edenic, The Adamic, The Noahic, The Abrahamic, The Mosaic, and The Davidic as well as many stories of the mighty acts YHWH performed for His People.  And most importantly The Torah foreshadows the Yahshuaic Covenant, known as The New Covenant.

The Torah is NOT the Mosaic Covenant at Sinai.  The Mosaic Covenant is NOT The Law.  The Law is a "term and condition" of The Mosaic Covenant which is one of many covenants covered in The Torah.  My point is:

The Law of Sin and Death called The Certificate of Debt is a subset of The Law.  It is the ordinances levied against us for disobedience to The Commands.  The Law is a “term and condition” of all covenants including The Mosaic and the New Covenant.  The Mosaic Covenant is a subset or one of many covenants covered in The Torah.

This is the point I wanted to make and below we will explore the Truth behind it.  That The Torah, The Mosaic Covenant, and The Law are not equivalent and cannot be used interchangeably. 

The Basic Elements of Any Covenant/Agreement/Contract

Like modern day agreements or contracts or covenants, the covenants of the Bible consist of:

 

• The signatories – those representing the parties bound by the covenant

• Terms and conditions – that define the responsibilities of both parties

• Goal – the planned or promised outcome if the terms and conditions of the agreement is met by both parties

 

The Mosaic Covenant is an agreement between two parties, YHWH and the Nation of Israel.  This Covenant or Agreement includes "terms and conditions" one of which is The Law.  As we see below the Mosaic Covenant included His Commands, His Decrees, and His Laws.

Deut. 5

 30 "Go, tell them to return to their tents. 31 But you stay here with me so that I may give you all the commands, decrees and laws you are to teach them to follow in the land I am giving them to possess."

We see here an agreement between YHVH and Israel, and the terms and conditions consist of “commands”, “decrees”, and “laws” and a goal of a “promised land” between YHVH and Israel.  Again we see a distinction made below between commandments, Laws, statues, judgments, etc:

 

Gen 26:5 – KJV

 

5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws .

 

Ps 147:19-148:1 – KJV

 

19 He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. 20 He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye YHVH.

 

This is extremely important when we get into understanding "what changed" or what “faded from Glory” from the Mosaic Covenant to the New Covenant with Yahshua. 

Why there are many covenants in the Torah

You see, any time there was a change in the parties involved in a covenant between YHWH and mankind, or the terms and conditions changed or, man violated the covenant... YHWH established a new modified agreement. 

This is why we have 7 covenants over time as things changed and YHVH progressively disclosed Himself to man.  Only one was Everlasting, that was The Sabbath Covenant as the Sabbath Covenant was not made between YHWH and mankind, but rather between YHWH and CREATION... and it was made FOR mankind (not with).  So man could not mess that one up.  But that is outside the scope of this discussion. 

 

The other 6 were with mankind and over time required changes, amendments, additions, etc.  Below are the 7 covenants 6 of which are covered in The Torah and the 7th is what we call The New Covenant or the New Testament or The Yahshuaic Covenant:

 

1. The Sabbath Covenant - The Everlasting Covenant between YHWH and Creation.

2. The Edenic Covenant - Between YHWH and mankind signed with Adam in the Garden of Eden. Adam broke it requiring a new agreement.

3. The Adamic Covenant - Between YHWH and mankind signed with Adam after the fall.  Over time, the terms and conditions expanded and the scope was limited to a single family requiring a new agreement.

4. The Abrahamic Covenant - Between YHWH and the descendants of Abraham signed with Abraham.  Over time, the terms and conditions expanded and the scope expanded to a nation requiring a new agreement.

5. The Mosaic Covenant - Between YHWH and the Nation of Israel signed with Moses.  Over time, the people of Israel demanded a human King violating the terms and conditions requiring a new agreement.

6. The Davidic Covenant - The Mosaic was amended with promises of a Righteous Eternal King, an eternal Kingdom, Jerusalem, the Temple, etc. and a new agreement was signed with King David.

7. The Yahshuaic Covenant - The promises made in all previous covenants were fulfilled in the Messiah, the Certificate of Debt or "His Decrees" levied against us in the Mosaic were paid, so the terms and conditions changed.  The Glory of Death had fade away.  His Decrees were replaced with Grace and the Laws were strengthened and transposed from stone to the hearts of man, and His Commands were strengthened to attitude of heart not physical act.  The Priesthood was transposed from earth to Heaven, and the physical Temple destroyed and the Spiritual Temple’s chief cornerstone laid.  All requiring a new agreement signed between YHVH and His sons, with Yahshua the mediator called The New Covenant.  Truth in Spirit has arrived.

 

That in a very simplistic nutshell is the story told in the Bible from the standpoint of covenants.  As you can see, the page that separates Volume I and II in your Bible that says OLD and NEW should be torn out.  We really have one revelation consisting of progressive covenants.  But the false doctrine of "Replacement Theology" prevailed and we now have Old and New and false teachers everywhere declaring the Old Testament abolished.  Amazing.  That too is another story and outside the scope of this discussion.

My point here is that The Laws are a subset of the Mosaic Covenant which is one of many covenants in The Torah.  In fact, The Law is a basic term of all covenants!  The Law and The Torah cannot be used interchangeably.  Neither can The Law and the Covenant of Moses.  They are not the same thing.  Let's move on... fully understanding The Torah was not abolished and neither was The Law. 

So what “faded away”?  That is the question we need to answer to understand this Torah Cycle.

We need to understand, there were changes required leading from the Mosaic Covenant to the Yahshuaic Covenant as the scope had changed, the Nation of Israel was disobedient, and the terms and conditions strengthened and transposed from physical types and shadows to Spiritual Truths.  There was even something abolished!  And that is where the confusion comes into play as to “what Glory faded away”?

So WHAT exactly was abolished?  What Glory has faded away?

The Torah?... absolutely not.  The Mosaic Covenant?... not really it just needed to be amended.  The Law?... no it was strengthened to attitude of heart not merely the physical act.  His Commandments?... no they were transposed from written in stone to Spiritually written on our hearts. 

So WHAT WAS ABOLISHED???  What was it that totally went away never again to exist in any form?

The Certificate of Debt Nailed to the Cross

The Certificate of Debt in the Mosaic Covenant that required our death for disobedience WAS nailed to the cross and "abolished".  It was DEATH that has faded away!

This is where the confusion is.  False Teachers in the Christian Church today lump all the "terms and conditions" together into the Mosaic Covenant and then lump all the covenants between YHWH and man together into The Torah and in one fail swoop abolished the entire Torah.  Ridiculous I know!  But such is the state of things when you have prophets for profit teaching the masses.

When the only thing that WAS abolished was His Decrees against us found in the "terms and conditions" of the Mosaic Covenant called The Certificate of Debt. 

Remember, laws are different from “ordinances/decrees”,

Deut. 5

 30 "Go, tell them to return to their tents. 31 But you stay here with me so that I may give you all the commands, decrees and laws you are to teach them to follow in the land I am giving them to possess."

Difference between Laws, Commands, and Ordinances/Decrees

Laws - Binding customs enforced by a controlling authority

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Law

1 a (1): a binding custom or practice of a community : a rule of conduct or action prescribed or formally recognized as binding or enforced by a controlling authority (2): the whole body of such customs, practices, or rules

Ordinances/Decrees - A Divine Decree for violating Laws/Commands - penalties for disobedience

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ordinance

1 a: an authoritative decree

2: something ordained or decreed by fate or a deity

Commands - The direct orders through which YHVH exercises direct authority over our lives, mainly 10 Commandments

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commanded

1: to direct authoritatively : order2: to exercise a dominating influence over

The Divine Decree of Death was set forth in “ordinances” found in The Law, together the ordinances/decrees against us for violating His Commands and Laws amounted to a Decree of Death call by Paul The Certificate of Debt.  This Certificate of Debt was replaced by the Blood of the Lamb.  Grace replaced The Certificate of Debt.  The Glory The Law had to pronounce a decree of death in the form of ordinances for disobedience faded into an Everlasting Glory of Grace as the blood of the Lamb was fulfilled and covered the Certificate of Debt... Paid in full.  That is what Paul is saying in 2 Corinthians 3-7-18.

You see YHWH included in the Mosaic Covenant at Sinai the following "terms and conditions":

• His Commandments (10 Commandments)

• His Laws (Dietary, Priestly, Sacrificial, Ritual Purity, Sacrificial, Judicial, Moral, Agricultural, Business, Sabbatical, Community, Prohibition, Tithes/Offerings, etc.)

• His Decrees (Judicial Judgments or ordinances amounting to a Certificate of Debt against us for our disobedience to His Commandments and His Laws)

Let me side track while I am on this topic to go ahead and cover a verse sure to come up in this discussion.  His Decrees were basically judicial judgments for breaking His Commandments and His Laws which amounted to a "Certificate of Debt" we all owed to YHWH.  Which in short required our deaths to pay it back.  Since no one could keep all His Commandments and His Laws... the Certificate of Debt was in effect issued to every man, woman, and child keeping us all in bondage to Sin and Death NOT in bondage to The Torah or His Law or His Commandments.  This is very important! 

Because it was this Certificate of Debt consisting of His Decrees against us for our transgression that Paul said was "nailed to the cross" in Col 2:14-16:

Col 2:14-16

"Having canceled out the certificate of debt (levied against humanity) consisting of decrees (penalties for transgressing His Commands and His Laws) against us (only those decrees against us, not His Commandments) and which (these decrees which amounted to a certificate of debt) was hostile to us (because we did not keep His Commandments); and YHWH has taken it (the certificate of debt not the Torah) out of the way (sacrificing His Passover Lamb to cover us), having nailed it (the Certificate of Debt... THE DECREES AGAINST US for falling short of His Commandments and His Laws... NOT the entire Torah) to the cross.

You see, YHWH nailed that Certificate of Debt which were His Decrees against us found in the "terms and conditions" of the Mosaic Covenant to the cross and said "PAID IN FULL" by the Blood of the Passover Lamb, Yahshua.  Requiring a New Agreement or New Covenant since now the "terms and conditions" had changed.  He paid the debt we owed for violating His Commands and His Laws.  He didn't nail The Torah OR His Commands OR His Laws to the cross.  He nailed His Decrees to the cross.  And they are not the same things...

Deut. 5

 30 "Go, tell them to return to their tents. 31 But you stay here with me so that I may give you all the commands, decrees and laws you are to teach them to follow in the land I am giving them to possess."

I just wanted to clear that up before I continue.  Demonstrating the Mosaic Covenant is not The Torah.  And the "terms and conditions" of that covenant are separate from the Covenant itself which is an agreement between two parties to abide by the "terms and conditions" which are His Laws, His Commands, and His Decrees.  And it was ONLY His Decrees that were apposed to us that were abolished.  And ONLY His Decrees against us known as the Certificate of Debt has been abolished.  Nothing else. Everything else (His Laws, His Commandments) strengthened and transposed. 

So what “faded away from Glory” was DEATH.  Not The Law.  What abides in everlasting Glory is LIFE!  That is what Paul was referring to in 2 Corinthians.  And the veil that once covered the face of Moses, the minds of Israel, and the Ark of the Covenant has been torn, lifted, and removed by the Spirit of YHVH in the Messiah for those who believe.  The Bondage of Sin then you die has been replaced with Freedom for Obedience in Faith and you live… Grace replaced the Certificate of Debt we owed to YHVH.

The concept that the ONLY thing that changed was “the blood of the Lamb replaced the certificate of debt” is firmly taught throughout scripture.  Again in 1 John we see the same exact thing taught, that Law without Grace has faded into darkness and The Law with Grace now shines:

1 John 2

⁶   He that saith he abideth in him (is in covenant with Yahshua) ought himself also so to walk (be doers not talkers), even as he walked (follow Yahshua’s example… by keeping YHWH’s Commandments).
⁷   Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning (at the time there was no New Testament, 1 John is teaching the Torah). The old commandment (Torah/Law) is the word which ye have heard from the beginning (given in covenants, commandments, feasts, Sabbath and that word is the Commandments of YHWH).
⁸   Again (here is the only new one), a new commandment I write unto you (you must believe in and be in covenant through Yahshua the Messiah), which thing (Spirit) is true in him (Yahshua) and in you (the Spirit of Truth): because the darkness (of Law without Grace) is past (shadows/portraits/prophesies concerning the coming Messiah), and the true light now shineth (the Messiah has COME!  And shown us the way unto salvation providing Grace to fulfill and make whole the Law/Torah).

In fact, Paul taught the Torah/Law WAS PERFECT and makes you wise unto salvation defining the role of the Passover Lamb and pointing to the redemption through the Messiah…

1 Timothy 3:14-17

But continue in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing of whom you have learned them; And that from a child you have known the holy scriptures (Torah, is HOLY), which (Torah) are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Messiah Yahshua. All scripture (Torah, there was no NT) is given by inspiration of YHVH, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of YHVH may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

I hope that help clear up all the bad teaching we all suffer from concerning what Paul REALLY said in his writings.

HBS,

Paul