REF: TR1EN
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room.
In the context of biblical faith, this refers to a reality that many perceive, yet very few are willing to examine honestly: the main religions that claim to be based on the Bible are not teaching the Scriptures as they were originally understood.
This is not an attack, but an invitation to reflect with humility and return to the source.
The Problem: Interpretations Removed from the Original Context
Over the centuries, human interpretations—whether through ignorance, tradition, or in some cases convenience—have gradually moved people away from the original purpose of Scripture.
Scripture itself warns us:
“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men… and not according to Christ.”
From the beginning, the call has been clear:
👉 Not to follow human traditions, but the Word of God.
Foundational Principles We Cannot Ignore
God Does Not Change
“For I am the Lord, I do not change…”
If God does not change, then His instructions are not temporary or subject to human modification.
Nothing Can Be Added or Taken Away
“You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it…”
👉 No one has authority to alter what God established.
The Torah Is the Foundation
The word “law” comes from the Hebrew Torah (תּוֹרָה – Torah), meaning instruction or teaching.
“…believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.”
The faith of the apostles was fully grounded in the Torah and the Prophets.
Did Yeshua Abolish the Torah?
This is one of the most misunderstood topics.
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets… I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
If Yeshua had abolished the Torah, He would have contradicted God’s Word and could not be the Messiah.
What Was Actually Nailed to the Cross?
“…having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us… having nailed it to the cross.”
What was nailed to the cross was not the Torah, but the record of debt—the penalty for breaking it.
Like in a courtroom:
- The law remains
- The guilty deserve judgment
- But someone else pays the sentence
Yeshua Corrected Man-Made Traditions
“…laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men…”
Yeshua did not change God’s instruction—He corrected human distortions.
The Sabbath: A Perpetual Command
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy…”
“…the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath… as a perpetual covenant.”
The Hebrew word olam (עוֹלָם) implies continuity.
👉 There is no biblical text that says the Sabbath was changed.
The Biblical Feasts: God’s Appointed Times
“The feasts of the Lord… these are My feasts.”
They are not “Jewish feasts.”
They belong to God.
They are prophetic. The spring feasts point to His first coming:
- Pesach (Passover) → death of Yeshua
- Matzot (Unleavened Bread) → burial
- Bikkurim (Firstfruits) → resurrection
- Shavuot (Weeks) → outpouring of the Spirit
In the same way, the fall feasts point to His second coming:
- Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets) → The announcement of the King / His return
- Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) → Judgment and national repentance
- Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) → God dwelling with His people (the Kingdom established)
No One Knows the Day or Hour… But We Know the Times
“Of that day and hour no one knows…”
This verse is often used to support the idea that Yeshua could return at any random moment—today, tomorrow, next week, or next month. However, one of the most important things we must understand as believers is that God does not operate randomly. He works according to His appointed times (moedim – מועדים), which He established from the beginning.
The biblical feasts are not symbolic traditions—they are prophetic appointments.
The spring feasts were fulfilled with precision in Yeshua’s first coming:
- Pesach (Passover) → His death
- Matzot (Unleavened Bread) → His burial
- Bikkurim (Firstfruits) → His resurrection
- Shavuot (Weeks) → The outpouring of the Spirit
In the same way, the fall feasts point to His second coming.
This means that although no one knows the exact day or hour, we are not left completely in the dark.
👉 We can reasonably expect that Yeshua will return during Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets)—on a future year, at a time known only to God.
This understanding helps us make sense of His warning:
“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”
And also the parable of the ten virgins:
“Therefore watch, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”
Some were prepared… and some were not.
👉 The issue was not ignorance—it was lack of readiness.
Understanding the prophetic nature of the feasts allows believers to remain watchful and aligned with God’s timing, rather than living in vague expectation.
For this reason alone, the biblical feasts should be of utmost importance to every believer.
However, instead of studying and observing them, many have dismissed or even criticized those who do—often labeling them as “Judaizers.”
In reality, those who understand the feasts are recognizing their prophetic significance and their connection to the full message of Scripture, just like any other instruction found in the Torah.
Food: Clean vs Unclean
This is another major area of misunderstanding.
“To distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten.”
👉 Not everything that exists was created as food.
When Scripture speaks about food, it refers only to clean animals (tahor – טָהוֹר)—those designed by God for human consumption.
Unclean animals (tame – טָמֵא) are never called food in Scripture. They serve different purposes in creation, such as:
- Consuming waste
- Cleaning the environment
- Processing decay
Because of this, they are not suitable for human consumption.
👉 Naturally, most people would not consider eating rats or bats, even though some cultures do.
In the same way, Scripture places animals like pork, shrimp, and others in that same category.
👉 The mistake has been assuming that “everything is now food,” when in reality:
👉 God never redefined as food what was never food to begin with.
Understanding Yeshua’s Words About Food
“Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him… because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated?”
👉 Here, Yeshua is referring to what they already understood as food—coming exclusively from clean animals.
Within their culture and understanding of Scripture, they would never have considered unclean animals as food.
It is precisely this type of misunderstanding that has led many preachers, theologians, and scholars to misinterpret biblical texts.
With all due respect, many have been trained within systems that have passed down distorted interpretations for centuries—whether by overlooking these principles or, in some cases, due to the influence of individuals or institutions that, from the early centuries, began to shift the original meaning of Scripture.
Peter’s Vision: Properly Understood
Many interpret this vision as a change in dietary laws:
Peter sees a sheet with all kinds of animals and hears a voice saying, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” He refuses, saying he has never eaten anything unclean. The voice replies, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”
But Peter himself explains the meaning:
“…God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.”
👉 The vision was not about food—it was about people.
God was correcting a cultural barrier, not changing the Torah.
Warning About “New Revelations”
Scripture warns us about messages that lead people away from God’s commandments—even if they appear spiritual.
The Real Problem
The problem is not the Bible.
The problem is:
- Interpreting it outside its context
- Separating what God never separated
- Replacing divine instruction with human tradition
“…blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
An Invitation
This is not a call to change religions.
It is a call to:
👉 Return to Scripture
👉 Understand it as in the first century
👉 Live according to God’s will
Practical Application
Before accepting any teaching, ask:
- Is it truly in Scripture?
- Does it respect the original context?
- Is it aligned with the Torah, the Prophets, and Yeshua?
Glossary
- Torah (תּוֹרָה – Torah): Divine instruction
- Shabbat (שַׁבָּת – Shabbat): Sabbath, day of rest
- Olam (עוֹלָם – Olam): Perpetual, continuous
- Tahor (טָהוֹר – Tahor): Clean, fit
- Tame (טָמֵא – Tame): Unclean, not fit
- Moedim (מוֹעֲדִים – Moedim): Appointed times
All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV).
God bless you,
Ed S.
