Glad-U-See

Turnovers . . . . . . . . . . 30 Shekels

The controversy about accepting re-TURN-ing Israelites:

Act 15:14 Shimeon Kefa hath declared how YHVH at the first did visit the nations, to take out of them a People with his Name (Isa 43:1-7; Eze 37:21; Amo 9:9).

Act 15:15-17 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written in Amo 9:11-12, "After this I will return, and will rebuild the Tabernacle of David, which is fallen down (1Kin 11:29-33); and I will rebuild the ruins thereof, and I will set it up again; that the Remnant might seek after YHVH, even all the gentiles upon whom my Name is called (Deu 28:9-10; Mic 5:7-8), saith YHVH, who doeth all these things".

Act 15:18-20 Known unto YHVH are all his works from the beginning. Wherefore my sentence is that we trouble not the Remnant, who from among the gentiles are returned to YHVH (Eze 11:16). But that we write unto them, that in order to avoid the temptation to return to idolatry (1Cor 10:13-15), they refrain from eating food offered to idols (Act 15:29), and from harlotry (Israel's violent inclination toward idolatry was described as "the spirit of whoredom" in Hos 4:12), and from eating anything that has been strangled or not drained of blood (Act 15:29; Deu 14:21; Lev 7:26; Hos 9:3).

Act 15:21 And that they may continue to attend synagogues, because Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, the Torah being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.

Act 18:4-7 And Paul reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Judeans and the Hellenists (the Assimilated). But when Silas and Timothy were come from Macedonia, Paul was motivated by the urgency of the message, and testified to the Judeans that Yeshua was the Messiah of Israel. And when the Judeans in the Corinthian synagogue resisted and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, "Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto these gentiles" (the Hellenized Israelites in the Corinthian synagogue). And he relocated their Sabbath service when he entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped YHVH, whose house was next door to the synagogue in Corinth.

"Hellenist" was a term that became vogue during the cruelty of the Seleucid occupation. It was used for the people of Israel who had been lost through assimilation into the Assyrian, Babylonian, Thracean, Seleucid, and Ptolemaic cultures. The word "Hellenist" is derived from a Macedonian mythological character Hellen, son of Deucalion. The birth place of Hellenism was in Bergama, Turkey. Bergama is the city of Pergamum mentioned in Rev 2:12-17. Pergamum held the throne of the satan (the enemy), so called because Israel's enemy was idolatry, which encouraged committing sexual immorality and eating meat slaughtered to idols (see Act 15:18-20 above).

Humble Pie . . . . . . . . . . 30 Shekels

The controversy about eating meat:

Rom 14:1 Him that is weak or new to the community of Netzerim (see Sidebar above right) receive ye, but not to debate opinions.

Rom 14:2-3 For example, one believes that he may eat all (both meat and vegetables), and another, who is new to the community of Netzerim, eats only vegetables. Let him that eats meat and vegetables not despise him that does not eat meat; and let him who does not eat meat not judge him that eats; for YHVH hath received him.

Rom 14:4 Who art thou that judges another man's servant (an idiom for an opinion)? To his own master (conviction) he stands or falls. Yea, he shall stand; for YHVH is able to make him stand.

Rom 14:5-6 Here’s another example of opinions not to debate; one man esteems one market day above another (that is, he avoids the day that food-offered-to-idols is sold at the market, see 1Cor 10:25 below); others esteem every market day alike. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind. He that regards this market day, regards it unto YHVH; and he that regards not that market day, to YHVH he doth not regard it. He that eats food purchased on the day that food-offered-to-idols is sold, eats to YHVH, for he gives YHVH thanks; and he that does not eat that food, to YHVH he eats not, and gives YHVH thanks.

Rom 14:14-17 I know, and am persuaded by Adoneinu Yeshua, that there is no food unclean of itself (that is, if it is kosher it is clean, regardless of what day it was purchased); but to him that esteems any food purchased on the day that food-offered-to-idols was sold to be unclean, to him it is unclean. And if that brother be grieved with thy meat choice, you are not behaving charitably. Destroy not him with your choice of food, for whose sake the Messiah of Israel died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of; for the Kingdom of YHVH in Israel (1Chr 28:5; 2Chr 13:8) is not about our opinions regarding meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in a set apart spirit.

Rom 14:20-21 Personal opinions about food should not destroy the work of YHVH. All kosher food indeed is pure; but it is unclean for that man who eats with offence. It is good neither to eat food assumed to be meat offered to idols (from Thayer’s Greek Definitions for the word “flesh”) nor to drink wine assumed to have been offered to idols, nor any food whereby thy brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak.

Rom 14:22-23 Hast thou a firm belief about what to eat? Keep it to thyself and YHVH. Happy is he that condemns not himself in the foods he approves. And he that caves in and eats something he considered unclean opposes his own convictions, because he eats without a firm belief; and abandoning your firm belief is sin (a mistake).

Bread of Idol-ness . . . . . . . . . . 30 Shekels

The controversy about food-offered-to-Idols:

1Cor 10:1-4 Moreover, brethren (Deu 17:15), I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the Sea; and they all did tevilah (performed a ritual bath) by the hand of Moses in the cloud and in the Sea. And did all eat the same energizing meat and did all drink the same refreshing drink; for they drank of that refreshing Rock that followed them; and that Rock was anointed. (Exo 17:6).

1Cor 10:5 But with many of them YHVH was not well pleased; for they were scattered in the wilderness. (Num 14:32).

1Cor 10:6-7 Now these things were our warning, to the intent we should not lust after evil things (idols), as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, “the People sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play in strange service (from the Aramaic Targums, Exo 32:6)”.

1Cor 10:8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed. And in one day fell: 23,000 followers executed (Num 25:5) plus 1000 ring-leaders hanged (Num 25:4) for a total of 24,000 (Num 25:9).

1Cor 10:9 Neither let us challenge YHVH, as some of them also challenged, and were destroyed of serpents (Num 21:4-9).

1Cor 10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. (Num 14:36-37).

1Cor 10:11-12 Now all these things happened unto them for a warning; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom have arrived at the end of the Ages. So then let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

1Cor 10:13-15 There hath no temptation to return to idolatry taken by you but such as is common to everybody; but YHVH is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation to return to idolatry (1Cor 12:2) also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to endure. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, avoid things pertaining to idolatry (introducing the subject of idols and food-offered-to-idols, as we’ll see in vs. 18-19 below). I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.

1Cor 10:16a Apart from the question of controversial meat -- during a meal, the cup of wine which we bless (blessed are You, Adonai, our Elohim, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine), is it not the participation of the Messiah's Blood of the Covenant?

Mat 26:28-29 "For this wine is my Blood of the Covenant. The Blood of the Covenant is bestowed as a new start for the many who are without an allotmen (Zec 9:11)."

1Cor 10:16b The loaves, which we break and bless (blessed are You, Adonai, our Elohim, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth), is it not the participation of the body of the Messiah of Israel?

The body of the Messiah is the Congregation of Israel, Col 1:18; Act 7:38.

1Cor 10:17 For we being many are one bread, even one body (one nation, Eze 37:22); for we are all partakers of that one bread (the Commonwealth of Israel, Eph 2:12-15).

1Cor 10:18-19 Israel, contemplate as far as concerning the subject of meat, are not they who eat meat offered to idols partakers of the altar of idols? What say I then, 'since the idol is a no-thing then meat offered to idols is nothing'?

A word for "idol" in Hebrew is 'elyil (Strong's #457). It means nothing or naught, because idols represent something that does not exist.

Psa 96:5 For all the gods of the nations are idols ('elyil = nothings); but YHVH made the heavens.

Act 14:15 We warn you, return from these nothings to the Living Elohim, Who made the Heaven and the Earth and the sea, and all that is in them.

1Cor 8:4 About eating food offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no Elohim but one.

1Cor 10:20-22 No! I say, that the things which the gentiles slaughter, they slaughter to daimoniois, that is, to a no-god (see Deu 32:16-21 below), and I would not that ye should have fellowship with a daimonion. Ye cannot drink the cup of Elohim and the cup of a daimonion; ye cannot be partakers of Elohim's table, and of the table of the daimonion. Do we provoke YHVH to jealousy? are we stronger than He?

Isa 65:11 (Septuagint) But you who abandon YHVH, who forget My holy Mountain, who prepare a table for daimonia and fill bowls of mixed wine for M'niy.

Daimonion (Thayer's Greek Definitions: a god, divinity, a being inferior to GOD but superior to men).

A daimonion is a god:

Act 17:18-22 Then also, some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers argued with Paul. Some said, "What is this plagiarist trying to say?" Others replied, "He seems to be a preacher of two new daimonion (gods)"--because he was telling the good news about "Yeshua" and "The Resurrection". They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, "May we learn about this new teaching you're speaking of? For what you say sounds strange to us, and we want to know what these ideas mean." Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent their time on nothing else but telling or hearing something new. Then Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious and pious in every respect".

Socrates was censured for believing in supernatural things of his own invention instead of the gods recognized by the State. Socrates had introduced new gods called xenon daimonion (strange gods). Socrates attributed intuition to the daimonas.

A daimonion is an idol:

Psa 106:34-39 They did not destroy the nations as YHVH had commanded them, but mingled with the nations and adopted their ways. They served their idols, which became a snare to them, in that they slaughtered their sons and daughters to demons (shadim - the Idols of Canaan), that is to say, they shed innocent blood--the blood of their sons and daughters whom they slaughtered to the Idols of Canaan; so the land became polluted with blood. They defiled themselves by their actions and prostituted themselves by their own inventions.

Rev 9:20 The rest of the people, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, to stop worshiping the daimonia (even idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood) which are not able to see, hear, or walk.

A daimonion is a fabrication:

Psa 115:4-8 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by their hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk. They cannot make a sound with their throats. Those gentiles who make them are just like them (deaf, dumb, and lame), as are all who trust in them.

Deu 4:27-28 YHVH shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number (fragmented) among the gentiles, whither YHVH shall lead you away. And there ye shall serve gods, the work of their hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell (1Cor 12:2).

Isa 37:18-20 Of a truth, YHVH, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no-gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them. Now therefore, O YHVH our Elohim, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art YHVH, even thou only.

A daimonion is imaginary:

Deu 32:16-21 They roused Him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations did they provoke Him. They slaughtered unto demons (shadim - the Idols of Canaan; see Psa 106:34-39, above), that is, no-gods, gods that they knew not, new gods (Act 17:18-22) that came up of late, which your fathers dreaded not. Of the Rock that begot thee, thou were unmindful, and did forget Elohim that bore thee. And YHVH saw, and spurned, because of the provoking of His sons and His daughters. And He said, "I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be; for they are a very perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness. They have roused Me to jealousy with a no-god, that is, they have provoked Me with their vanities; and I will rouse them to jealousy with a no-people; I will provoke them with a foolish nation".

In Hebrew, the word "vanity" is habel, which means a transitory or fanciful idea. All the gods are fanciful, fictitious, no-gods; 1Kin 18:26-29.

Deu 32:39 See now that I even I alone am He; there is no god but Me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal. No one can rescue anyone from My hand. (Note: He alone determines life and death, He alone controls man's fate; Exo 4:11. To attribute calamity, tribulation, sickness, or death to another god is idolatry).

The daimonia are idols and therefore they are a product of a fanciful imagination (Act 19:26). In the Torah-Prophets-Writings (Tanach) there is no mention of a daimonion possessing anyone. There are no exorcisms in the Tanach.

There is mention of familiar spirits, which is ventriloquism. Evil and lying spirits are messengers and events under the direct control of YHVH (1Sam 16:14; 1Kin 22:23; see Job 42:11). And unclean spirits are lies (Zec 13:2-4). An example of this analogy of unclean spirits as lies is illustrated in Rev 16:13-14: "And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet three lies, analogous to frogs" (in Classical Greek, the word for frog implied a problem with the tongue; and the root word for frogs in Hebrew means dubious or untrustworthy). "Because these three lies are spirits (characteristic motives, Pro 16:2-3 NASB) of daimonion (the character of idolatry is fanaticism), performing signs to rouse the kings of the whole earth (the empire of the beast as described in the chapter called "666") together, to the battle of the Great Day of El Shaddai".

Toward the end of the Second Temple period, the word "daimonion" was used Socratically to attribute culpability to internal influences. The Greek text for the Book of James used it as a slur, to demonstrate that even daimonia (the lunatics who show partiality, Jam 2:4) acknowledge the truth of the 4th verse of Deuteronomy Chapter Six (Jam 2:19). It was used as a colloquialism to describe physical or mental illness (much like the word "influenza" which means influenced by the planets or "lunatic", which is still in use, but no longer calls attention to someone effected by the phases of the moon, Mat 4:24). In the Greek text of John 10:19-21 we read, "Again a division took place among the Judeans because of Yeshua's sayings. Many of them were saying, 'He has a daimonion, that is, he is mad! Why do you listen to Him'? Others were saying, 'These aren't the words of someone that is daimonizomai (has a madness). Can a daimonion (a madman) open the eyes of the blind'?"

In Mark Chapter Three, we read, "When Yeshua's family heard this, they set out to restrain him, because his family said, 'He's out of his mind'. The Talmudic teachers who had come down from Jerusalem said, 'He has Beelzebub in him’ (he has a madness attributed to his association with idolaters) and, 'He drives out this daimonion (madness) by the ruler of the daimonia' (under the influence of idolatry)" (Mar 3:21-22).

Beelzebub is a pagan god (2Kin 1:2). He is another of the "vanities" mentioned in Deu 32:16-21. He is imaginary! Belief in the existence of either Beelzebub or the daimonia is idolatry (2Kin 17:34-39).

Using terms associated with a daimonion as medical euphemisms was Galilean slang.

Mat 8:5, 16-17 And when Yeshua was entered into Capernaum ... when evening came, they brought to him many who were daimonizomenous (sick). He drove out the spirits (healed them) with a word, that is, he healed all who were sick, so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be realized (cp. Mat 15:30-31): He Himself took away (healed) our weaknesses and carried away (healed) our diseases.

There are two other events in the northern kingdom of Israel, associated with a daimonion, that should be considered:

1. Having a session with a patient who exhibited multiple personality traits (Mat 8:28-29) was therapeutic (see Luk 8:35). In Luk 8:30, Yeshua asked, "What is your name?" And the man with severe mental disorders said, "Legion", because he had imagined many daimonia.

“Imagine” comes from the Greek word eiserchomai, used in Classical Greek for something that originated from within the individual, such as a thought: "even though he was in such a wretched position it occurred to him", Herodotus Histories 1.86.

2. To infect 2000 pigs being raised in the Land of Israel was recognized as irony (Mar 5:13), but for the tomb-dweller, it was closure (Mar 5:15).

Isa 65:3-4 (Septuagint) These people continually provoke Me to My face, sacrificing in gardens, burning incense on bricks to daimonion, which exist not, sitting among the graves, spending nights in secret places, eating swine's flesh, and putting polluted broth in their bowls.

1Cor 10:23-24 You say, “All kosher food, whether it was purchased on the day that food-offered-to-idols is sold or not, is permissible”, but I say, “All kosher food is not expedient”. You say, “All kosher food is permissible”, but I say, “All kosher food edifies not”. Let no one seek his own personal interest, but everyone another's interest.

1Cor 8:8-13 Food choices will not make us acceptable to YHVH; because neither, if we eat meat purchased on the day that food-offered-to-idols is being sold shall we have more acceptance; nor, if we don't eat, shall we have less acceptance. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours to purchase meat on the day that food-offered-to-idols is being sold become a stumbling block to them that are new to the community. For if someone new to the community, who has knowledge that you are to refrain from eating meat offered to idols (Act 15:29), see thee dining by the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him who is new be motivated to eat meat which are offered to idols; and despite your knowledge, you shall ruin that weak brother for whose sake the Messiah of Israel died? Because, when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against the Messiah of Israel. To sum up, if eating meat assumed to have been offered to idols offends my brother, I will never eat meat with that brother, lest I offend him.

1Cor 10:25-26 Any kosher food that is sold in the market, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake (that is, do not ask the seller if the food was offered to idols); because the earth is YHVH's, and the fullness thereof.

1Cor 10:27-28 If any of them that believe not that food offered to idols should not be eaten (see 1Cor 10:20-22 above) bid you to a feast, and you agree to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake (do not ask the host if the food was offered to idols).  But if any man volunteers to tell you, “This is offered as a slaughter unto idols”; eat not for his sake that disclosed it, even for conscience sake; for the earth is YHVH's, and the fullness thereof.

1Cor 10:29-30 Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other; for why is my liberty to purchase meat on the day that food-offered-to-idols is being sold, judged of another man's conscience?  For if I inadvertently am a partaker of food offered to idols, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?

1Cor 10:31-32 Whether therefore ye inadvertently eat or drink food offered to idols, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of YHVH. Give none offence, neither to the Judeans, nor to the Hellenists (Israelites who lost their identity through assimilation), nor to the Congregation of Elohim (Israelites who regained their identity through the Messiah).

1Cor 10:33 Even as I adapt myself to all men in all things, not seeking mine own advantage, but the advantage of many, that they may be saved (that is, saved from being spoken evil of, vs. 30).

Diet-Right . . . . . . . . . . 30 Shekels

The controversy on who has authority on what to eat or drink:

Col 2:14-18 Blotting out the handwriting of our debts (from the Aramaic Peshitta -- a handwritten list of ordinances that Israel violated), that condemned us, and took it out of the way, nailing it on his gallows (cp. Mat 27:37a); having taken spoil from principalities and powers (that is, seizing the House of Israel from her enemies, Mal 1:3-5), he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it (Eze 11:16-21). Therefore, let no adherents of the oral law (Col 2:8) judge you and make decisions for you about eating or drinking, or in the matter of an appointed festival or a new moon or the Sabbaths (which are shadows of future events); let the adherents of the Messiah judge(Col 1:18).