Many times as a christian, I have heard people say that the Torah, eg 'old testament' was just a foreshadowing of the coming of the Messiah. That much is correct. The Torah was a foreshadowing of the Messiah... but it was far from 'just' a foreshadow.
John writes;
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
"There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
"That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
" And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
"John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, 'This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
" For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. "No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."
That was John 1:1- 18. I did not put the numbers by the verses for the reason that when the books were written (gospel or otherwise) they were not chaptered, nor did they have verse numbers on them. It is most inconvenient for those of us who want the whole story to have a chapter plopped right in the middle of a story... and I find it sad that many teachers and pastors stop at the end of the chapter, usually leaving a good portion of the story out. But I'll not go on about that.
Note that the first verse says 'Word' and is capitalized. Yes, Word is capitalized because it refers to Yeshua Messiah. But something you will find interesting to know, is that the original word there, in the original text, was not 'word' but 'Torah'. The Torah being YHVH's instructions given in the front of the book on how to serve YHVH God in and with our lives.
It is interesting to find that, not only was Yeshua in the beginning with YHVH, and that He was YHVH, but also that He was the Torah. The Torah became flesh and dwelt among us!
Furthermore, the Torah is called the light on a dark path MANY COUNTLESS times in the 'old testament' by writers all throughout the history of Israel. Don't believe me? Read Psalm 119 and highlight every time that David mentions the Law (Torah).
In Psalms 119 Verse 105: " Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
Here is a foretelling of the coming of the Messiah:
Isaiah 9:1-6
"1 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. 2 Thou hast multiplied the nation, Thou hast increased their joy; they joy before Thee according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 3 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, Thou hast broken as in the day of Midian. 4 For every boot stamped with fierceness, and every cloak rolled in blood, shall even be for burning, for fuel of fire. 5 For a child is born unto us, a son is given unto us; and the government is upon his shoulder; and his name is called Pele-joez-el-gibbor-Abi-ad-sar-shalom; 6 That the government may be increased, and of peace there be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it through justice and through righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts doth perform this."
Yeshua=Torah.
Everything that was commanded in the 'old testament' was NOT JUST a foreshadowing of Yeshua. It WAS Yeshua.
Yeshua was in the beginning, and was with YHVH, and was YHVH. Yeshua Himself states, 'I and my Father are one." and "I am the true light."
Most importantly of all, (the point I want to get to) was that Yeshua said: "If you love me, keep my commandments."
If Yeshua is Torah, then has Yeshua done away with Torah? How in the world could Yeshua have done away with Torah since He WAS Torah?!? He was Torah, and He was YVHV, thus the Torah was not just YHVH's commandments, but Yeshua's as well. The evidence is scattered thickly all throughout the Word of YHVH...the Bible. It is everywhere! If you were to try and remove every mention of Torah, you would be left with few precious pages of the Truth... not to mention you would be judged severely for tampering with the Word of YHVH.
What were the commandments that Yeshua was referring to? There were over 800 laws and commandments throughout the Torah. ( you think that's a lot? there are over 2000 laws in the USA today, and we live under every one of them. And if you don't... you see the inside of a jail cell or pay a lot of cash. btw,obeying the laws of the land in which we dwell is one of the commandments of YHVH)
Now, before you click the red X button, I want to let you know that some of the law was not necessary after Yeshua came. The Levitical law, concering washings and sacrifices and certain others, was not needed once the priesthood was no longer Levitical after Yeshua's death, but was after the order of Melchesidec. Yeshua paid the price completely, totally, with no refunds and the only return being His to claim His children. (Hebrews 4:14-5:11)
Circumcision was another law that was not needed anymore. (Galatians 2:1-10, 5:1-13) And the bulk of the Moral law was summed up in one commandment... To love your neighbor as yourself. After all, if you love somebody are you going to steal from them or fornicate with their wife/husband or gossip about them and slander them? No. And if your answer was 'yes' then I'll tell you now ...that's not love.
The Dietary law was semi done away with. We are not to eat anything offered to idols (1 Cor. 8:1-13) and while we may eat whatever we like otherwise, not everything is good for us to eat.
When we go to another person's home, we are told to eat whatever they serve us, not asking what they prepared or what's in the food. But if they tell us that it is food sacrificed to idols (eg pork) that we must not eat it.
The law concerning blood in the meat is still strict. We must not eat anything with the blood still in it because it's physically and spiritually unhealthy.
The Sabbath, however, has not been set aside. It is confirmed countless times in the 'new testament' by Paul, Peter, John, and Yeshua Himself. (Hebrews 3:11-4:11)
http://www.apostolic-churches.net/bible/books/hebrews.html
Hebrews 3:11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
Hebrews 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Hebrews 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
Hebrews 3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Hebrews 3:16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
Hebrews 3:17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? [was it] not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
Hebrews 3:18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
Hebrews 3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Hebrews 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left [us] of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
Hebrews 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard [it].
Hebrews 4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Hebrews 4:4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh [day] on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
Hebrews 4:5 And in this [place] again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Hebrews 4:6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Hebrews 4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Hebrews 4:8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Hebrews 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Hebrews 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [did] from his.
Hebrews 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
This is not the only example of scripture (don't worry... it's 'new testament') that encourages us to take Sabbath day Rest. I encourage you to do a search for yourself.
I hope that you have taken these scriptures to heart, and have, at the very least, a curiosity to find what the Word of YHVH Really says.
There is much more to this topic, but I feel that this is perhaps too much meat for us in one day, and that I should save the rest for another post.
So in closing, yes, the 'old testament' was a foreshadowing of Yeshua's coming... but not JUST a foreshadowing, but the Torah WAS Yeshua. When He tells us to keep His commandments, He is telling us to obey the Torah. Anything not done away with or revised, remains for us to obey in faith.
Read the Torah my friends. and have an open mind to the Will and guidance of YHVH.
Also I want to say that if anybody finds a mistype or scriptures to uplift the above or tear it to shreds, or if you have a better definition of the words used, feel free to comment. I will not be angry if you disagree. All I ask is that you do not post foul language or suggestive comments.
Thank you for reading my blog.
