Holy Scriptures and Israel

Voiceover: Shalom! Holy Scriptures and Israel is a ministry designed to share with the Jewish people the good news of the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah and to instruct Christians on the Jewish roots of their faith. And now, teaching God’s word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective, here is Gideon Levytam.

Gideon Levytam: The study of the book of Malachi, chapter 2 and chapter 3. And he was penalized for the sins of Israel and the sins of all the world. And after he died, he was buried, and he rose, and he went back to heaven. And now for the last 2,000 years about, Yeshua the Messiah is at God’s right hand, waiting for the day when he is going to come again at his second coming.

But beloved, the second coming, he’s not going to come anymore as a lamb, but he’s going to come as the Lion of the tribe of Judah to execute judgment upon a world that rejected him and that did not accept his sacrificial work for them when he died for them on the tree. And so, it is so interesting. The first verse of Malachi chapter 3 is filled with information.

Now, if you read the verses here, Malachi chapter 3, verses 1 and then you flow down to verses 2, 3, and 4, you do not see quite clearly that there is two comings here of the Messiah. First coming and second coming. You don’t see it because when you read the text, it flows very nicely and it seems like he’s talking about the same timing. But while verse 1 speaks about the first coming of the Messiah, from verse 2 to verse 6, it speaks about the second coming of the Messiah.

Now, let me show you something, and I hope you will bear with me. Go to the prophet Zechariah, just one book back. Zechariah. This is extremely interesting, and I think it helps us to understand the word of God better. In Zechariah chapter 9, I want you to notice what we read there in those verses, Zechariah chapter 9, verses 9 and 10. I want you to notice that verses 9 and 10 speak about two comings of the Messiah, and it flows one after another.

Unless you understand the scripture, you will never be able to grasp it. It says, "Rejoice greatly, oh daughter of Zion. Shout, oh daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, thy king cometh unto thee. He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding upon an ass and upon a colt, the foal of an ass." This is the first coming of the Messiah who came riding on a donkey, presenting himself before the people of Israel, coming presenting salvation, coming in humility, lowly and riding upon a donkey.

This is Zechariah chapter 9 and verse 9. But then immediately, if you read the next verse, you find out that he now does not speak about the first coming in humility, but in the next verse he speaks about his second coming in judgment. Notice verse 10: "I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off. And he," this is the same one, the king of verse 9, now here the same king, "he shall speak peace unto the heathen, and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth."

When do we see the dominion of the Lord from sea to sea? Where do we have Shalom here in this world? Where do we have the Gentiles, the nations of the world, have accepting him? When do you have Jerusalem and Israel is finally accepting him? We don’t have it today. It’s already 2,000 years passed by. Oh yeah, but we look back in Zechariah 9:9. He once came, and he rode upon a donkey. He humbled himself.

He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He died, he was buried, he rose again, and the last 2,000 years we are still waiting for Zechariah chapter 9 and verse 10 to be fulfilled. In the meanwhile, the assembly is born. Jew and Gentile are united in Messiah, and the gospel is being preached all over the nations of the world, including the people from Bhutan who accepted the Messiah.

Jews and Gentiles who have accepted the Messiah become part of this company that is called in scripture "ecclesia." But he’s going to come again. Go back to Isaiah for a moment. I want to show you one more verse just to clarify, and then we’re going to move along. In Isaiah chapter 9, look at this, very interesting. It helps in understanding the scripture better. Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6. "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given."

Now, if you look at this verse and you look at history, we know that a child was born by the name of Yeshua in Bethlehem about 2,000 years ago. And you know that this child is actually the Son of God. As a son he was given, as a child he was born. But then immediately in verse 6b it says, "And the government shall be upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

"Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, and upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." Well, where did it ever happen as yet? We are still waiting for Yeshua the Messiah to sit upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom. He is still rejected today, beloved brothers and sisters.

So you see what we really learn. Zechariah 9, verses 9 and 10, first coming, second coming. Isaiah chapter 9, verses 6 and 7, first coming, second coming. Malachi chapter 3, verse 1, first coming. And now in verses 2 to verse 6 is the second coming of the Messiah. So back to Malachi chapter 3, and from verse 2 to verse 5, the messenger of the covenant here—notice how interesting—the messenger of the covenant right now is going to come again and he will judge the world.

He will refine the nation of Israel and eventually will restore Israel back to himself. That’s what Malachi is teaching in this third chapter. So now quickly, in verse 2, God is asking: "Whom may abide and who shall stand at the time where this messenger of the covenant will come the second time?" Notice that. It says in verse 2: "But who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner's fire and like a fuller's soap."

In verse 2, God is saying, declaring, who is going to be able to stand? Who is able to abide in the day when the messenger of the covenant, Malakh Ha-Brit, will come now, not at his first coming, but at his second coming? Who is going to be able to stand? Who is going to be able to abide? You know the word here "to abide" comes from the Hebrew word "mekhalkel." Who can figure out how things will develop at the time when he is going to come?

Who is going to be able to stand before God during the time where the Lord Yeshua the Messiah will come at his second coming? Because he is no longer going to come as this humble man who suffered and died on a Roman cross. No, he is going to come as a judge, and he’s going to judge the world in righteousness. He’s going to be, notice it says here in verse 2, "He is like a refiner's fire." In Hebrew it says "ke-esh metzaref."

In other words, someone who wanted to purify the gold, he will place the gold underneath a fire, and the fire will purify the gold. All the chaff, all that which is not real will be destroyed. That’s what he’s really saying in verse 2. "Who may abide and who will stand at the time where the messenger of the covenant will come at his second coming?" And you see, brothers and sisters, look what is going to happen. God will purify this world.

And the question that the people of Judah asked: "Where is the God who’s judging? Where is he?" The world says: "Where is the promise of his coming? He’s not going to come. He delayed his coming. He’s only talking and he doesn’t do it. He doesn’t have any action." Doesn't it remind us of the day of Noah when men mocked God, mocked Noah, saw Noah building an ark and laughed at him?

But beloved brothers and sisters, when the flood came, they were running to the mountains and to the hills, trying to find a place to escape. And they couldn’t find a place to escape because the only place of escape is found in the ark, in the ark that Noah built in obedience to God. And the ark is a picture of the Messiah, a place of safety, a place of protection, a place of assurance of salvation.

And they were knocking on the door: "Noah, let us in! Let us in!" But it was too late. And the judgment of God came during the days of the flood, where only eight souls remained alive. I don’t know if you have seen some of the videos about the tsunamis that happened in certain islands just a few years ago. Believe me, the pride of man disappeared when God comes in judgment.

And all those who say: "Where is the promise of his coming? Where is the God of judgment?" God says: "I will show you that day. I can assure you that I as a holy and a righteous God, who sent the Messiah, the messenger of the covenant in the first coming, who died for you, for your redemption, I will send him again. But this time he’s no longer going to come to die for sin. He is coming to judge."

Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? Abraham asked Jehovah, the Lord, when he stood before the Lord. God will do right. And so in verse 2, beloved brothers and sisters, really he is speaking about the tribulation period, where God is going to come in judgment upon this world that rejected him. In Daniel chapter 12 and verse 1, Daniel said, "Listen, Michael," he said, "and at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people."

"And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time." God is going to bring a terrible time. It’s called Jacob's trouble, Tzarath Ya'akov, in the prophet Jeremiah in chapter 30 and verse 7. This is what he is speaking about, where the Messiah at his second coming, this messenger of the covenant, will come and he will be like a refining fire, a fire of God’s judgment upon the face of this earth.

Terrible just to think about these events that are going to happen here in this world. In Matthew chapter 24, Yeshua said in verse 21: "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." Verse 22: "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved, but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." Matthew 24, verses 21 and 22. This is what he is speaking about.

So the people of Judah said, "Where is the God of judgment?" And God is saying, "I will bring the judgment. I will come to discipline you and the whole world who rejected me. But before I’m going to come in judgment, I’m going to send the messenger of my covenant or of the new covenant, that he will accomplish redemption. He will pay the price for sin. If you only trust in him and accept him, he will forgive your sin."

"But at his second coming, he’s going to come as a refiner's fire." And notice the second thing: "like a fuller's soap." It’s like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. He will make things pure. The world will learn righteousness when the Messiah will come at his second coming. In the next verse, beloved brothers and sisters—I didn’t read so many verses that we can read—in Revelation 8, verses 7, 8, 9, and 10, how the judgment will come upon the face of this world during the tribulation.

In Zephaniah chapter 1, verses 12 to 18, it’s going to be a horrible day in this world when Yeshua the Messiah is going to come at his second coming as the judge of all the earth. In 2 Peter chapter 3, God reserved this world into an everlasting fire, a time of judgment when he is going to come. Then will the world seek to ask this question: "Where is the God of judgment?"

And if they didn’t turn to the Lord, they will experience the judgment of God as a refining fire and a strong soap that bleaches clothes to that extent that he will purify this world from the sin that came into this world. Now notice that in the next verse, in verse 3, that messenger of the covenant, Yeshua the Messiah, what he is going to do: He will purify the sons of Levi. You see, the Levites, the Levi'im, the priest, was supposed to serve him.

But what do they do? According to this chapter 2, instead of offering sacrifices that are honoring to the Lord, they offered all that which is dishonoring unto the Lord. And they violated the covenant that God made with the tribe of Levi. They offered all that was lame, all that was sick, the blind. But God wanted them to offer sacrifices that are pleasing to him. So in verse 3 of Malachi chapter 3: "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness."

God hasn’t finished with Israel. Because he is planning at the second coming to refine the sons of Levi and to restore them into a relationship with him, that they will now offer to the Lord offering in righteousness. This is why God has promised the coming of the Messiah in his first coming to deal with sin, in his second coming to judge. But it is always in view of restoration of his own people.

So the tribe, he will purify the sons of Levi. In the previous chapter we read what Levi have done. "Oh ye priests," he says to them. You remember what he said to them? "Hear ye the word of the Lord," he said to them, and he was accusing them in breaking "my covenant with Levi," says the Lord of hosts. "My covenant was with him of life and peace, and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me and was afraid before my name."

But look what happened. The Levites had turned away against the Lord. But in the future, the Levites will be restored, and the tribe of Levi will be used by the Lord. But not only the tribe of Levi. Notice in verse 4, Judah, Jerusalem, the rest of the Jewish community, eventually will be refined. Verse 4 says: "Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord as in the days of old as in former years."

Now when Judah, when the people of Judah, the people of Yerushalayim, will come with an offering to the Lord, it will be pleasing to the Lord. He will accept it. Not like the way it is now in the day of Malachi, but in the future day at the second coming of the Messiah, after at the end of the tribulation, Israel will realize that Yeshua is the Messiah. And not only the Levites but also the tribe of Judah and the rest of the nation, including the city of Yerushalayim, will be pleasant unto the Lord—"Arevah L'Adonai," as it says here in verse 4.

And you notice in verse 5, the messenger of the covenant will come. Notice to this world, he’s going to come to judge swiftly. That’s where verse 5 said: "I will come near to you to judgment, and I will be a swift witness against," and who he is going to go against? Number one: the sorcerers, in verse 5. Number two: the adulterers, in verse 5b. Number three: against the false swearers. Number four: against the oppressors.

These are the four groups of people that the messenger of the covenant will deal with: the sorcerers, the adulterers, the false swearers, and the oppressors. All those who rejected God and followed Satan’s way here in this world. The sorcerers are those who teach false teaching. In Hebrew we call it "mekhashefim." The adulterers are those who live a life that is immoral. We call it "noafim."

The false swearers are those who are swear, who are liars. We call it "nishba'ei sheker." And the oppressors, those who are "oshkim" in Hebrew, those that are oppressing the women, the children, the innocent ones, the the one that are in need. Those who oppress them, those are the evildoers here in this world that the second coming will deal with them as well, those four groups that are mentioned here in chapter 3 and verse 5.

Notice that it says those who oppress the hireling in his wages, they don’t give them a fair wage. Those who oppress the widows, they don’t treat the widows right. Those who oppress the fatherless, those that have no fathers to take care of them. And those that turn aside the stranger from his right way. They will turn aside the stranger who need to come in and learn of God’s word. They will turn him aside and lead him astray.

He says, "They are the ones that I’m going to deal with at the second coming." And you asking me, "Where is God, who is a God of judgment?" You will see, God is saying to Israel through the prophet Malachi. And finally, brothers and sisters, in verse 6 is a beautiful verse. Verse 6, the Lord says: "I am Jehovah, I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed."

Here is what we call the election of the nation of Israel. God have chosen Israel to be his people. God is not going to change. "I change not." "Ani Adonai Lo Shaniti," he says. "I didn’t change. You changed. I don’t change." In Hebrews 13:8 we read Yeshua Ha-Mashiach the same yesterday, today, and forever. He never change. He’s the same. He’s holy, and he’s gracious. He’s love.

And if he will change, then Jacob will be consumed because of all the sins that they have committed, that we have committed. If God will change, if the Lord Jesus the Messiah will change, where would you and I be? He will change his opinion about you, his plan for you and for me. Where would we be? So here is an assuring beautiful verse: "I am the Lord, I change not. And because I change not, Israel, Jacob, because this ye sons of Jacob are not consumed."

People try to consume Jacob from generation to generation. There is always a man that is rising to say: "I will destroy the people of Israel." Whether Hitler, or whether Haman, or whether Pharaoh, or whether Herod, or whether anyone in all the history of Israel, men rose to seek to consume the sons of Jacob. And God says: "I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed."

God has a plan for his people of Israel. He will punish his own people, but eventually he will restore Israel back to himself. Romans teach us that all Israel, one day, in a future day at the end of the tribulation—Romans 11:25 and 26—all Israel eventually will come to acknowledge Yeshua the Messiah. And those who will remain at the end of the tribulation will be a nation that will be saved and will enter into the Messianic kingdom to bring a blessing to the world, to be a light to the world in a Messianic kingdom.

"I change not," God says. "Therefore ye sons of Jacob change not." Thank God for the promises of God for you and I today. Jesus the Messiah is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and he changes not in a relationship to you and I as believers today. And that’s why our salvation is secure. That’s why we belong to him for time and for eternity.

We need to be, you might say, in fellowship with him to enjoy him. But he will discipline us when he needed, when we are going astray. But he change not. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. So he want us to have healthy spiritual with him so we can enjoy him until he going to come to take us to be with him at home. Can we say amen to that?

Voiceover: You have been listening to the Holy Scriptures and Israel with Gideon Levytam. Gideon teaches God’s word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective. For more information about this ministry, write to Holy Scriptures and Israel, Box 1411 Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, L0S 1J0 or visit our website at holyscripturesandisrael.com. You are also invited to Gideon’s weekly Bible teaching on Fridays at 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM and Saturdays at 1:00 PM at Willowdale Christian Assembly Hall, 28 Martin Ross Avenue in Toronto. Holy Scriptures and Israel is made possible by your prayers and financial support. If you would like to support the program, visit holyscripturesandisrael.com. God bless you, Shalom Shalom.