Kollel Shelach LeCha
Kollel Shelach LeCha
Second Thessalonians chapters 2 & 3
Second Th 2:1 Now, brothers, concerning the coming of Adonai Yeshua the Messiah, and our gathering together to him, we ask you
Second Th 2:2 not to be quickly shaken in your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by letter as from us, saying that the Day of Messiah had come.
“Our gathering” refers to the prophecies of the Ingathering, found throughout the prophets, which is represented by Sukkot on Elohim’s calendar. After the second advent, Yeshua will visit those Torah True Jews in Southern Jordan (probably Petra) who fled Jerusalem at the Abomination of Desolation and make his case to them. Then will come the judgement of the sheep and the goats, wherein all the survivors of the Tribulation/WW III will be judged. The goats, as it says in Matthew, will be destroyed in the lake of fire. The sheep will enter the Kingdom as mortal subjects (the immortal rulers will be those included in the Parousia prior to the Trib and the Resurrection of the Just at Yom Kippur afterward). Yeshua’s inaguration as King of Kings will be held in Jerusalem, and the nations will bring their offerings and accept him as their ruler at Sukkot. On the 7th day of Sukkot, the water-pouring ceremony will take place and the River of Life will spring from the Temple Mount. On the 8th day, Simchat Torah, the nations will all begin learning in a new Torah cycle of readings. On Chanukkah, the Shekinah will return to the Temple, and at the New Year of Trees (Tu B’Shvat), the Trees with fruit and leaves for the healing of nations along the River of Life will be mature. It’s all right there on Elohim’s calendar. We are supposed to learn and rehearse these events every year of our lives.
Second Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be, unless the departure comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction,
Second Th 2:4 he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called Elohim or that is worshiped; so that he sits as Elohim in the temple of Elohim, setting himself up as Elohim.
The man is the False Messiah, aka the Beast, and the event described here is the Abomination of Desolation, both spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, and referred to by Yeshua as not yet having its final fulfillment (though Antiochus did foreshadow it during the time of the Macabees).
Paul’s message to them here is plainly that they can’t possibly be in the Day of Adonia, or they would have seen these things happening. Ergo, they have NOT missed the Parousia, and it is not yet time for the Tribulation or the Messianic Kingdom to begin. The “Day that dawns in darkness” is the Day of YHWH. In Hebraic reckoning, a day begins at sundown the evening before. Night is the beginning of a day, not sunrise. Every year on Elohim’s calendar has the Tribulation as its first seven regular days after Rosh HaShanah, and then Yom Kippur and Sukkot. So the Tribulation will actually be the first seven years of the 7th day, the “nighttime” of the Sabbath day, which will last 1000 years. The rest is all daylight – sunshine, or “son” shine, if you will.
Thessalonians, continued:
Second Th 2:5 Don’t you remember that, when I was still with you, I told you these things?
Second Th 2:6 Now you know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season.
Second Th 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way.
Second Th 2:8 Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom Adonai will kill with the breath of his mouth, and destroy by the manifestation of his coming;
This passage has produced a great deal of speculation as to who or what it is exactly that restrains the False Messiah from appearing. Some consider it to be the Ruach HaKodesh, but that cannot be correct, because those who become Obedient Believers during the Tribulation are sealed with the same Spirit as the rest of us, and those who become martyrs are able to watch the persecution and deaths of their friends and family (and endure it themselves) and still be strong through the strength and peace of the Ruach.
The word translated as “taken” in most English Bibles is very complex.
G1096 γίνομαι ginomai ghin’-om-ahee
A prolonged and middle form of a primary verb; to cause to be (“gen” -erate), that is, (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literally, figuratively, intensively, etc.): – arise be assembled, be (come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, be done, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.
It might be more correct to say “becomes” out of the way, rather than “taken.” Alternately, “fulfilled” to be out of the way works well in this passage which is clearly discussing yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecy. All we can know for sure is that at a pre-ordained set of events, Elohim will arrange for the False Messiah to appear.
Thessalonians, continued:
Second Th 2:9 even he whose coming is according to the working of Hasatan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
Second Th 2:10 and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn’t receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Second Th 2:11 Because of this, Elohim sends them a working of error, that they should believe a lie;
Second Th 2:12 that they all might be judged who didn’t believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Like Pharoah’s heart was hardened, so will theirs be – not because Elohim would not want them to repent and be saved, but because they had no intention of doing so, but rather would capitulate and despise the False Messiah for the wrong reasons, not because of his teachings and his position towards Elohim. He will seem wonderful at first – a smoothe talking fellow who wins the hearts and minds of countless millions. Those who have to endure the events of the Tribulation, however, might be minded to renounce him only to spite him and hopefully alleviate their own suffering, not because they truly repent and turn to Elohim.
Thessalonians, continued:
Second Th 2:13 But we are bound to always give thanks to Elohim for you, brothers loved by Adonai, because Elohim chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth;
Second Th 2:14 to which he called you through our Good News, for the obtaining of the glory of Adonai Yeshua the Messiah.
Second Th 2:15 So then, brothers, stand firm, and hold the traditions which you were taught by us, whether by word, or by letter.
Second Th 2:16 Now our Adonai Yeshua the Messiah himself, and Elohim our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,
Second Th 2:17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word.
The true traditions and interpretations of the Written Torah, as opposed to the Oral Law of the Pharisees.
Thessalonians, continued:
Second Th 3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of Adonai may spread rapidly and be glorified, even as also with you;
Second Th 3:2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men; for not all have faith.
Second Th 3:3 But Adonai is faithful, who will establish you, and guard you from the evil one.
Of course, trails and tribulations and birth pangs will be suffered by all of us. But truly Obedient Believers are promised to be kept from the very hour that wrath is poured on the earth, removed from normal space and time by Yeshua himself to spend out 7 day wedding festival in his chambers with him in Heaven while the earth is refined like gold for 7 years.
Thessalonians, continued:
Second Th 3:4 We have confidence in Adonai concerning you, that you both do and will do the things we command.
Second Th 3:5 May Adonai direct your hearts into the love of Elohim, and into the patience of Messiah.
And what is our Love of Elohim? That we obey His Commandments. 1Jo 5:3 For this is the love of Elohim, that we keep his mitzvot. His mitzvot are not grievous.
Thessalonians, continued:
Second Th 3:6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of Adonai Yeshua the Messiah, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks in idleness, and not after the tradition which they received from us.
Second Th 3:7 For you know how you ought to imitate us. For we didn’t behave ourselves idly among you,
Second Th 3:8 neither did we eat bread from anyone’s hand without paying for it, but in labor and travail worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you;
Second Th 3:9 not because we don’t have the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, that you should imitate us.
Even those who have committed themselves to teaching Torah and faith in Yeshua HaMashiach are supposed to have a “day job” and not be a burden to the community. We are to eat our own bread and work with our own hands, as Paul continually writes to us and gave as his own personal example.
Thessalonians, continued:
Second Th 3:10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: “If anyone will not work, neither let him eat.”
Second Th 3:11 For we hear of some who walk among you in idleness, who don’t work at all, but are busybodies.
Second Th 3:12 Now those who are that way, we command and exhort in Adonai Yeshua the Messiah, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
This is a very plain teaching – those who won’t pull their weight deserve no charity. We must be careful to discern between those who are truly in hard times through no fault of their own as opposed to those who feel they are entitled to live at the expense of the congregation. The former we help, the latter we shun.
Thessalonians, continued:
Second Th 3:13 But you, brothers, don’t be weary in doing well.
Second Th 3:14 If any man doesn’t obey our word in this letter, note that man, that you have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed.
Second Th 3:15 Don’t count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Admonish him using the proper procedure given to us by Yeshua – confront him privately, then if that doesn’t help bring two or three witnesses, and if that still does not convince him of the error of his ways, he should be confronted in the presence of the entire congregation and rebuked for his idleness and/or Torahlessness.
Thessalonians, continued:
Second Th 3:16 Now may Adonai of shalom himself give you shalom at all times in all ways. Adonai be with you all.
Second Th 3:17 The greeting of me, Sha’ul, with my own hand, which is the sign in every letter: this is how I write.
Second Th 3:18 The grace of Adonai Yeshua the Messiah be with you all. Amein.
Next week: Parashat Korach.
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