Flesh and Blood

The Covenant of Peace

 TIn our previous chapter, we saw that Yeshua is the Word and He became flesh.  We also discussed that in this same Word are two covenants.  Two covenants were placed in Yeshua.  In Luke 22:20(NASB), Yeshua said, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” The new covenant was placed in His blood. Where was the first or, what we call the old covenant placed? We see a picture of the two covenants when the Roman soldier speared Yeshua in the side and both blood and water came out.  John 19:34(NASB) "But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out."  A perfect picture of two covenants –the first, being the water and the new, being blood.  The apostle John also confirms this same principle.  1 John 5:6-8(NASB) "This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth."

 Throughout both the Old Testament and the New Testament, we are told that water is symbolic of the Word.  Sometimes it is called “living water”. Yeshua said in John 7:38 (KJV) He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.. We are shown another picture of water being symbolic of the Word. Ephesians 5:25(NASB) "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless."  Remember, in a previous chapter, we talked about the word that was
translated as "church" into English and was first used to describe Israel at Mt. Sinai. Israel, including the "whosoevers", is to be washed by the water of the Word – specifically, the first covenant.

 There is a beautiful picture of this in the book of John as Yeshua (the Word) washes His twelve disciples’ feet – a picture of both houses of Israel.  John 13:5-6, 8(NASB) “then he poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, "Lord, do You wash my feet?" …Peter said to Him, "Never shall You wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."  Why just the feet? Our feet determine where we are going to walk. Psalm 119:105 (KJV) Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. We are to be washed with the water of the Word.  As we begin to follow the laws in Torah, we are giving our permission to be cleaned up.  Sin is the transgression of the Law or Torah. Please notice that this definition did not change in the New Testament. 1 John 3:4(NASB) "Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness."  Sin is “Torahlessness”.  As we begin to follow all of God’s laws in Torah, we are being washed of our sins. Paul tells us that without the Law, we wouldn’t even know what sin was. Romans 7:7(NASB) "What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET." 

 The word that has been translated as law in the Hebrew is torah.  It literally means direction or instruction and shouldn't have been translated as “law”, in our opinion.  This word comes from the root Hebrew word yarah, which means to throw or sprinkle with water, or to shoot as in an arrow.  Here, we see that Torah is the water.  Torah is also the target with which we are to take aim with our arrows.  The Hebrew word for sin is chata’, which literally means to miss, to miss the way or miss the mark.

 Sometimes, the Torah is referred to simply as Moses, since he is considered the author of all five books of the law, although he was writing about Yeshua.  It is very interesting to see that the word Moses, or in Hebrew, Moshe means to draw out, specifically, from water. We see that Pharoah’s daughter named him in Exodus 2:10(NASB) "And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water."

 Again, we see that water is symbolic for Torah, or the Old Covenant.  The Old Covenant was placed in Yeshua’s flesh in the form of water and the New Covenant was placed in His blood.  

 In the Old Testament, we see pictures of water turning into blood.  We see this in the plagues that were sent on Egypt at the Nile river in Exodus 4:9 (NASB) “But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”.  We also see this same picture in a story in 2 Kings. The Moabite kings looked out over the valley filled with water and on the other side, it looked like blood.  2 Kings 3:22 (NASB) They rose early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood. This is a picture of the first covenant turning into the New Covenant.  We believe it will be seamless.  Nothing would be in existence if we were in between the two covenants.  There wouldn’t be a current heaven and there wouldn’t be a new heaven. There wouldn't be a current earth and there wouldn't be a new earth. We see this same picture of water turning into blood when Yeshua was praying on the Mount of Olives and in Luke 22:44 (NASB) And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.  Water turns to blood. This also brings to mind Yeshua’s first miracle.  He turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana.  Wine is symbolic of blood and it is also called the “blood of grapes”.   Genesis 49:11b (NASB)…He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes. When Yeshua handed the cup to the twelve disciples, inside the cup was not blood- it was wine, but it was a picture of the blood of the New Covenant. 

John 1:1(NASB) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  In the beginning, the entire earth was created out of water because it was created with the Word – the first covenant.  Genesis 1:2 (NASB) The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.  Peter tells us the same thing in 2 Peter 3:5b (NASB) … by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water…  

 It is interesting to note that our bodies, or our flesh, is made up of a very large percentage of water.  Infants have as much as seventy-five percent of their make-up as water. As adults, we have less.  The average adult has around sixty percent of their body is water. We think this is why we are to come to the Father as children – full of the water of the Word.  The first covenant was placed in Yeshua’s flesh in the form of water.  The New Covenant was placed in His blood.  Could this be why the Scriptures say that the life is in the blood? Leviticus 17:11 (NASB) For the life of the flesh [is] in the blood…  Or, this Scripture could be saying “the life of the gospel (basar) is in the blood, since it is the blood of Yeshua that provides eternal life in the New Covenant. Remember, it is the same Hebrew letters in the word for flesh as in the word for gospel – basar. 

 Eternal life is in the New Covenant, or the blood.  Zechariah 9:11 (NASB) As for you also, because of the blood of My covenant with you, I have set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.” In order for us to be resurrected, the “curse” must first die. Scripture tells us that all of us, because of sin, are under a curse and this curse is of death.  Isaiah 24:6a (NASB) Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who live in it are held guilty. Why is the entire earth and everyone in it under a curse?  Deuteronomy 27:26 (NASB) 'Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.'

 So, the Father, in His ultimate wisdom, condemned sin in the flesh.  Romans 8:3 (NASB) .. sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh”, This includes our flesh. As long as flesh is alive and walking on the face of the earth, it is condemned because of sin.  It is under a curse.  We can see this today as our loved ones are still getting illnesses and still dying. This is why Paul tells us to walk in the Spirit and not according to the flesh.  If we walk in the Spirit, we are walking in the New Covenant, since our spirits are also seated in the heavenly with Yeshua and no longer fulfilling the desires of the flesh, which is sin.  Ephesians 2:6 (NASB) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”.  Paul tells us that we must crucify our flesh daily.  He is not EVER telling us not to follow Torah.  If he were, he would be a false prophet because he would be saying something against what God says and what Yeshua says. Instead, Paul says in Romans 7:22-23 (NASB) For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members (flesh).  Paul is speaking of two very different laws here.  He says he delights in the law of God or the Torah, but he sees the law of sin working in his flesh.  Once we have the Holy Spirit, our spirits love the laws or the Torah of God, but our flesh will always rebel.  Paul further says in Romans 8:2 (KJV) "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." When Satan first sinned, he introduced a new law onto the earth through disobedience. Adam followed those same steps and set into motion the "law of sin" that would lead to death for all humans. God's law or the Torah is not "the law of sin and death". Anytime Paul talks about being "set free from the law", he is talking about the law of sin and death - not Torah. Remember, Torah was the ketubah that was lovingly given to the bride at Mt. Sinai. The law of sin is the antithesis of Torah. (We will study these principles further at a later time in the study of "The Two Trees" of Genesis.) Paul also says in Romans 3:31 (KJV) Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. We are to establish or uphold the law or the Torah. When we accept Yeshua as our Savior, we are accepting both the first and the new covenants. If we love Yeshua, it will lead us to the Torah.  If we love the Torah, it should lead us to Yeshua.  They are one in the same. However, we cannot accomplish any of this without the Spirit. It is the Spirit that leads us on how to follow the laws. It is also something that does not happen overnight. This was the argument that the disciples had with the Pharisees. The council announced that all Gentiles that were coming to God were not "saved" unless they were following all of the laws of Moses. Since Paul knew that it was out of our love for Yeshua and being led by the Spirit that would lead us to follow the laws, he and the disciples decided instead to give these new believers only four laws to concentrate on. Then, as they attended the synagogues, they would hear the other laws and would be compelled to start following each of them as the Holy Spirit leads them. Act 15:19-21 (KJV)Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

Peter's dream in the book of Acts is also used in religions to say that we shouldn't be following God's dietary laws anymore, but Peter realizes later that the vision has nothing to do with food at all. Act 10:9-14(NASB) On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and the birds of the air. A voice came to him, "Get up, Peter, kill and eat." But, Peter said, "By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy or unclean."  First, we would like to point out that at this point, Yeshua had already died and resurrected and still the apostles are abiding by the dietary laws. Act 10:15 (NASB) Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy." This happened three times. Peter is very perplexed by this. He knows that God cannot possibly be telling Peter that it is okay for him to be disobedient to Torah. So, what was this vision all about? It wasn't until the next day that Peter finally understood what the vision meant. Act 10:28 (NASB) And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean." So, was the dream about Peter being able to eat a pulled pork sandwich now? No. It had nothing to do with food. Peter finally understood that the vision was about people. Every good Jewish boy knows that there is a law in the Talmud (not the Torah) that forbids them from even entering a Gentile's home, let alone to eat with them. This was a law given by men to keep people from violating the Torah. It is called a "fence" and these fences were built by the Rabbis around God's laws to make it more difficult to sin. If they didn't even eat with a Gentile or a former Gentile, they would have a smaller chance of being served something unclean. Another example is that they were only permitted by the Talmud to even walk a certain amount of steps on the Sabbath. God simply told us to rest on this day, but the Talmud added laws upon laws to ensure that this was done. This is called by the Jews, the "oral law". God said that we were to not kindle a fire on that day, so the Rabbis added that because electricity is fire, you cannot turn on a light switch or push an elevator button on that day. They added so many laws that a person was unable to even remember them all let alone follow them. This was the argument that Yeshua had with the Pharisees over and over. We can see this in Mark 7:1-5(NASB) The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?” Yeshua is not teaching His disciples to not wash dishes or their hands. This was another "fence" or a new law added by the Talmud to the Torah. It was a ceremonial act - not just a simple washing of the hands as we do before we eat. They had a specific pitcher that they were required to use with two spouts - one for the washing of the left hand and one for the washing of the right. They were required to run the water over each hand a certain number of times or they were considered "impure". Yeshua replies in Mark 7:6-8 " And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’“Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”  Going back to Peter's vision, how was he to "go into all the world and preach the gospel" if he couldn't even walk into the home of someone that was called a Gentile? He would have been neglecting the commandment of God to hold to the Talmudic tradition of men. This was the fight between Paul and Peter later. Here Peter understood what the vision meant, yet, as they were all eating together, as soon as the Pharisees walked in, Peter separated himself from the people that the Pharisees called the Gentiles and moved to sit by the Pharisees. Paul was furious with him. First of all, it was only the Pharisees that called these new believers "Gentiles", which means foreigner. Paul and the other disciples saw these people as being grafted into Israel and were no longer foreigners, but the Pharisees said that first, they must abide by all of the laws and convert to Judaism before they would not be considered "Gentiles". Secondly, there was no law in Torah that kept them from entering a Gentile's home or eating with them.

Yeshua is separating the Talmud from the Torah. It is the Torah that is the living water. Blood also contains water.  Approximately seven to eight percent of the water in our bodies is contained in our blood.  If Yeshua’s body was designed like ours, this tells us that the New Covenant will certainly have some of the first covenant in it.  Can we “accept” Yeshua’s blood, but not His flesh?  Yeshua said in John 6:54 (NASB) "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” We believe we must have both.  If we truly believe in Yeshua, we also believe in the Word.  The entire Word.  That is why, the first thing we do when we become believers, is to get baptized. The Hebrew word is a mikvah.  We are immersed or washed with the water of the Word or the Old Covenant.  This is how we are cleansed from unrighteousness. We must allow ourselves to be washed with the water of the Word.  The apostle John also says in 1 John 3:5-6 (NASB) You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.  This is not thinking that our works will earn our salvation.  It is not possible for us to earn it since it is the New Covenant in Yeshua’s blood that provides eternal life, but once we believe in Him, we will certainly want to obey Him.  Yeshua tells us in John 14:15 (NASB) "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”  Which commandments did Yeshua give?  ALL of them. He is the Word.  James 4:12a (NASB) There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy… Who is the only one that is able to save?  Yeshua. Yeshua is the lawgiver.  Yeshua, as the Word out of God’s mouth, gave the Torah at Mt. Sinai. In fact, anytime we see the words "the word of the Lord ....", we could insert the Name Yeshua. Genesis 15:1 "After these things, the word of the LORD (Yeshua) came unto Abram..." or Numbers 3:16 And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD (Yeshua), as he was commanded. Yeshua is the "word of the Lord".

 The Torah was not given for eternal life.  When you read through it, not once does it promise that if you obey it perfectly, you will have everlasting life.  It only promises a longer life in your fleshly bodies, here on earth.  It promises blessings and prosperity for following it, but never eternal life.  It does, however, promise death for disobedience. Think about this picture that God gave us of the Israelites.  When God “saved” them out of Egypt (a picture of the world), did He send in a list of all of His laws first and IF they obeyed them perfectly, then He would save them from Egypt?  No.  He first saved them simply because they believed in Him and applied the blood of the lamb to the doorpost.  After their salvation, He then brought them to Mt. Sinai and gave them the Law or the Torah so that they would know how to live on a daily basis.  It is exactly the same for us.  It is the blood of the lamb that is our salvation, but once we are saved, we are to believe in Yeshua enough to obey His Word. If we love Him, we will keep His commandments.  Unfortunately, those same people that were brought out of Egypt did not actually all make it to the Promised Land.  In fact, only two of them crossed the Jordan river from the original group. The reason is because of what is says in Psalm 106:24 "Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe in His word." So, what happened to them? Psalm 106:26 Therefore He swore to them that He would cast them down in the wilderness...

Belief in Yeshua is good, it is the first step, but remember, what the apostle James said. James 2:19-20 (NASB) "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?”  The demons believe.  What separates us from the demons?  Our obedience.  When we believe in Yeshua, we believe in ALL of Him and are willing to obey Him.  He is the Word.  We would like to also touch on the word “believe”.  After all, Yeshua said in John 3:16 (NASB) “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  We are taught that to believe in something is an emotion, mainly because the Greek word here is pisteuo Strong’s #G4100 and means “to think to be true”. The Hebrew counterpart is the word aman, where we get our word for “amen”.  It is an action verb as it is a root word and Strong’s #H539 gives the meaning as “to support, confirm, be faithful, uphold” and is the same word used for pillars that support a door.  This is not an emotion.  It is an action.  Let’s take a look at how God uses this word.  2Kings 17:13-14 (NASB) Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah through all His prophets and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments, My statutes according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you through My servants the prophets.” However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God.  He says they didn’t “believe” in Him and showed this by not keeping His commandments.  Could Abraham have just had an emotion of belief, but said “No,” when God asked him to take his only son to the mount in Moriah?  No, because his actions confirm his emotions.  We can’t be pillars that hold up the door with only our emotions.  How can we say we believe in someone, but not be willing to obey them?  If I were to tell you, “Stop running!  There is a cliff ahead!”  And you yell back, “I believe in you! I have faith in you!” as you keep running, what good will this do you?  This isn’t believing or having faith.  That is why James tells us in James 2:14 (NASB) What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?  No. Faith without works is dead. When Yeshua says we must believe in Him, He is not asking for our emotions.  He is asking us to uphold and support His Word just as pillars uphold and support a door.  We tend to quote Paul’s words frequently in Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB) For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.  But, we never make it to verse 10, which says “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  We were created for good works that God prepared “beforehand”. In the beginning. We were created in Yeshua for the good works of the Torah that God prepared in the beginning.

Now that we have seen that the first covenant was placed in Yeshua’s flesh in the form of water and the New Covenant, or the Covenant of Peace, was placed in His blood, what happened on the day He was crucified on the tree?  Did the Father send His Son (the Word) in the flesh to be crucified, to end the first covenant at that moment? After all, we can see that in the book of Zechariah, God certainly does end the first covenant. Zechariah 11:10-12 (NASB) I took my staff Favor and cut it in pieces, to break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples.So it was broken on that day, and thus the afflicted of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word of the LORD. I said to them, "If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!" So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages. Then the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them." So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD.  When Yeshua came to earth, Judas, weighed out thirty pieces of silver to betray Him. Yes, we believe the Father sentenced the first covenant to death on that day. But...

 Is this really the end of the first covenant?  If it were, the heavens and the earth would have died that day. Remember, Genesis chapter one is where God speaks this earth into existence.  No, the covenant  did not end that day. The key here is that Yeshua’s flesh (the first covenant) does not see decay.  Psalm 16:10 (NASB) For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.  Also, in the book of Acts, the author is talking about David’s prophesy and says in Act 2:31 (NASB) he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY.  It is written again in Act 13:37 (NASB) but He whom God raised did not undergo decay. This is why, in Hebrews 8:13(KJV) , it says, In that he saith, A new [covenant], he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old [is] ready to vanish away.  In other words, it will vanish away -  at some point. Yeshua’s flesh did not see decay for the three days he was in the grave and when He arose, He appeared unto His disciples several times over a forty day stretch and most of the time, his disciples did not recognize Him, showing us, again, that the first covenant and the New Covenant will be seamless.  We realize that this does get confusing. So, the old covenant was broken the day that Yeshua was crucified, but it did not see decay...yet. It is waxing old and is ready to vanish away, but not yet.

Most of us really do know that God’s laws have not been done away with even today.  It is not ever going to be legal in God’s eyes for you to commit murder or commit adultery.  In most of our religions, the laws are just picked through and some are kept and some are tossed out.  Some people would not vote for same sex marriages, but might eat pork. Even among the Ten Commandments or as God calls them, the “Ten Words”, some are kept and some are not and some are changed by man, such as the day of the Sabbath or the holy days (which is where we get our word for holidays). The Ten Commandments are a snapshot of all six hundred and thirteen laws.  According to the Rabbis, they use gematria to show this (please note, this is not numerology used to predict your future.  God was simply the greatest mathematician to ever have lived.)  The Rabbis teach that you can take those 613 laws and add each digit together - 6 + 1 + 3 = 10. The ten commandments are simply a snapshot of all 613 laws. The two laws that Yeshua gives are also a snapshot of all of the laws.  If we are going to love God with all of our heart, soul, strength and mind, we will treat Him the way He has asked us to do in His laws and if we love our neighbor as ourselves, we will abide by all of the laws that pertain to our neighbor. This is why Yeshua says in Matthew 22:40 (KJV) "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." 

Yeshua gives us a hint on the timing by telling us in Matthew 5:18 (NASB) "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”  Not all has been accomplished yet. We still have to receive the new heavens, new earth and the New Covenant!  All of this is written in the TaNaKh, or Old Testament.  Do not let anyone tell you that God threw out the Old Testament.  If He had, He would have also thrown out the New Covenant and, the world would have ceased to exist.

 What happened on the tree that Yeshua was crucified on?  First of all, we know that sin was condemned in the flesh. 1 Peter 2:24 (NASB) says, “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” Our sins were placed upon his flesh, so that someday, when we receive the New Covenant, God will remember our sins no more. This is the part of the New Covenant that allows for eternal life. Remember, sin is death. Romans 5:12(NASB) Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— Without death, so without sin, our souls could live forever. Jeremiah 31:34b (NASB) … and their sin I will remember no more." But, remember, this promise will be given to us in the New Covenant.  We do not have this yet.  How can we have a Judgment Day, when God can’t remember our sins? Revelation 20:12 (NASB) And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.  Right now, He knows all of your “deeds”.  He gives us a reminder in each of the letters to the seven churches as He says, “I know your deeds…”

 So, what happened to Yeshua’s flesh and blood?  When He arose from the grave, the grave was empty. Luke 24:2-3 (NASB) And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. His old body was gone.  What happened to it?  Paul tells us that He became an offering and a sacrifice.  Ephesians 5:1-2 (NASB) Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.  We know that His flesh and His blood was not taken to the altar in Herod’s Temple that was standing in Jerusalem. He was not a sacrifice on earth. Where did He go?

Hebrews 9:11-12 (NASB) But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.  He entered into the tabernacle in heaven.  That is where He became a sacrifice.  Not here on earth.  That tabernacle contains His blood.  It is that tabernacle that has the New Covenant in His blood. Remember, when Moses was instructed on how to build the tabernacle, he was given plans to follow. It was to be a replica of the heavenly tabernacle.  

By the way, Yeshua’s blood was not human blood – that would defile the altar.  When a woman is pregnant, she does not contribute any blood to her fetus.  Here is an example from a book by Batya Wootin, (although she was quoting from a doctor) that you can see firsthand.  When you buy eggs from the grocery store, they have not been fertilized by a rooster.  That is why there is no blood contained in that egg. Every once in a while, you will crack open an egg and there is blood in the yolk. This egg has been fertilized inside the hen and is beginning the process of becoming an embryo.  Mary (Miriam in Hebrew) did not contribute blood to her fetus, the blood comes from the father and in this case, it was from God Himself.  God’s blood flowed through Yeshua.  He was the only man to ever walk the face of the earth that did not have Adam’s blood running through His veins like the rest of us. That blood would have been defiled by sin. This is why Yeshua could be an offering and a sacrifice – He did not have human blood.

 This is only a theory, but it is possible that Yeshua’s flesh was indeed burned or will be burned in the future, just as the flesh of the sacrifices were burned.  He literally was or will be a burnt offering, or in Hebrew, an olah. When Yeshua was on the tree, we read in Matthew 27:46 (NASB) About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" He was quoting something from the book of Psalms and we would imagine that at some point, his disciples understood this.  Let’s look at just a few verses. Psalm 22:1, 6-8, 14 (NASB)… My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning… But I am a worm and not a man, A reproach of men and despised by the people. All who see me sneer at me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying, Commit yourself to the LORD; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him."… I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me.”  This is a Psalm of David that is commonly referred to as a Messianic Psalm because it sounds as if David is quoting the Messiah.  There are more Psalms also that sound as if someone is being burned.  Psalm 102:1 (NASB) A Prayer of the Afflicted when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD! And let my cry for help come to You. Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress; Incline Your ear to me; In the day when I call answer me quickly. For my days have been consumed in smoke, And my bones have been scorched like a hearth.  We know that David was not burned.  Could this be about Yeshua?  When Abraham took Isaac to the mount in Moriah, he was to offer him as an olah, or a burnt offering. This was a picture of Yeshua. Again, this is only a theory.  If this is true, we believe that it is quite possibly a future event and has not happened yet.  Since Yeshua IS the Word, He has to be every single sacrifice and offering in Scripture.  Could it be that it will be His ashes that are mixed with water and sprinkled on the people for their cleansing rather than the ashes of a red heifer?  Just a thought.

 There are Scriptures that also describe an encounter between God and the high priest, Joshua, which, in Hebrew would be Yeshua. It sounds like this encounter could have very well taken place in the heavenly realm.  Zechariah 3:1-7  (NASB) Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. The LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?" Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, "Remove the filthy garments from him." Again he said to him, "See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes. Then I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the LORD was standing by. And the angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'If you will walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here. "

 We can see that Yeshua’s blood was definitely taken into the Holy of Holies in the heavenly temple. Remember that in our Scripture in Jeremiah about the New Covenant, he said, Jeremiah 31:24 (NASB) "They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."  The author of Hebrews tells us that Yeshua did not have to offer himself as a daily sacrifice as the high priests here on earth have to do.  First, they would make an offering for their own sins and then they would offer for the sins of the people.  Yeshua was perfect. He only had to offer himself once.  Hebrews 7:27 (NASB) who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.    

 Now remember, it is in the New Covenant where God will remember our sin no more and we have not received this covenant yet.  Yes, it has already taken place in the heavens and that is why Yeshua tells us to pray in Matthew 6:10 (NASB) 'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.”  On the second day of creation, God separated the heavens from the earth.  Genesis 1:7-8 (NASB) God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.  What takes place in heaven does not take place on the earth yet, but it will. On every other day of creation, God said “it is good,” but not on the second day.   On the second day, He says “and it was so”. Why? God knew He had to separate His dwelling from ours. Revelation 21:2 (NASB) And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. When the New Jerusalem comes down to earth, then His will shall be done on earth as it is already in heaven.  Then, God's dwelling will be with us. This is actually why we are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.  Psalm 122:6 (NASB) Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you.  The word for “pray” here is sha’al and it means to “ask, enquire, beg”. We are not really asking for the peace of current Jerusalem.  The prophet Daniel tells us in Daniel 9:26b (NASB) … even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.  We are instead, asking for the Covenant of Peace to come down along with the New Jerusalem.   The word Jerusalem in Hebrew means “teaching of Peace”. We believe that is the main purpose of the one thousand year millennial reign.  It is to teach us of the Covenant of Peace. 

 To take this a step further, on earth, right now, the priesthood still belongs to Aaron and the Levites.  In heaven, it belongs to Yeshua. We are still operating under the Old Covenant here on earth.  The author of Hebrews tells us that if Yeshua was on earth right now, He could not be a priest.  Hebrews 8:4 (NASB) Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law…”  The New Covenant has not been given yet on earth as it is in heaven.  Yes, Yeshua is the High Priest in the heavenly temple right now, but because the earth and the heavens have been separated, He cannot be a priest on earth because He was born from the tribe of Judah, not Levi. How do we know that there is a priesthood involved in the New Covenant? Before God ever spoke about this covenant to Isaiah and to Jeremiah, He spoke about it in the book of Numbers, which is in the Torah. As the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they began to "play the harlot" and started worshiping the gods of Moab. At one point, an Israelite brings a Midianite woman into the tent of meeting. We will pick up the story at Numbers 25:7-8 (NASB) When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked. Skipping down to verse 11, 12 and 13, "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy.“Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give him My covenant of peace;and it shall be for him and his descendants after him, a covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel.’” Before the new covenant was ever even mentioned, in it, contained a priesthood. Who are Phinehas' descendants? The sons of Zadok. In English, this would be "the sons of Righteousness". Yes, Zadok was indeed a Levite and they were the priests during the time of Nehemiah. These people will also be the priests in the temple listed in Ezekiel, but is it possible that this is where our priesthood is located, in the Covenant of Peace? Exodus 19:6 (NASB)and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” We know that at the time God spoke these words to all of Israel, not just anyone could be a priest. They must be a Levite. This was a hint of the promise that would be realized in the new covenant - The Covenant of Peace. Israel will be a kingdom of priests. Yes, the veil was rent in the temple on the day that Yeshua was placed on the tree, but it was a picture of the good things to come. It was a picture of the day that we receive the New Covenant, then we will be a kingdom of priests. While Yeshua was here on earth, according to the author of the book of Hebrews, He could not have walked into the temple and officiated at the altar. He could have sat in Moses' seat, which He did, but He did not have the priesthood here on earth. Neither do we.....until we are given the Covenant of Peace. We believe that what the author of the book of Hebrews is saying in Hebrews 4:16 (NASB) "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." is talking about our spirits only. Only in the heavenlies, are we priests and able to come before the throne. This is not a physical action here on earth....yet. Yeshua is a high priest after the order of Melchizedek, which are two Hebrew words melech, which means king and zadok, which means righteousness. He was the "King of Righteousness" and we will be the "sons of Zadok".

 We are told by the author of Hebrews in 9:28 (NASB) so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. It is at Yeshua’s second coming that we will receive the New Covenant.  This is the entire reason that we must have faith.   You certainly do not need faith for something you have already received.  He will indeed come a second time and it will be for salvation!  This is why we love using the name, Yeshua. This Hebrew word literally means "God is our salvation".

  If Yeshua accomplished something on earth that has not even taken place yet, why would He be sent so far ahead of the receiving of the New Covenant?  It has been almost two thousand years since He was placed upon the tree and we still have not been given this covenant.  Why not just send Him at the end?