The Testimony of Yeshua

Matthew 17: Six days later, Yeshua (Jesus) took Cephas, James, and his brother John and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 Yeshua underwent a supernatural metamorphosis [Gr. metamorphoo] in front of them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothing became as white as light. 3 Then Moses and Elijah just appeared and began talking with Yeshua!

4 Then Cephas told Yeshua, “We’re honored to be here. If you want, I’ll set up three booths—one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when a bright cloud overshadowed them. Then a voice came from the cloud and said, “This is My dearly loved Son, who I’m very pleased with. Listen to Him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground in terror. 7 Yeshua came up to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up they didn’t see anyone except Yeshua by Himself.

9 On their way down the mountain, Yeshua instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone about the ecstasy you have witnessed until the Human Son has arisen from the dead.” 10 So the disciples asked Him, “Why do the Torah teachers say that Elijah must come first?” 11 Yeshua answered, “Elijah is indeed coming, so that everything [prophetic] will be fulfilled [1]. 12 But I tell you that Elijah already came and they didn’t recognize him, but treated him any way they wanted to. In the same way the Human Son is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then it dawned on the disciples that He had spoken to them about John the Immerser.

Epileptic Boy Healed

14 When they returned to the crowd, a man came up to Yeshua and bowed down in front of Him 15 and said, “Master, have mercy on me, because I have a son who is an epileptic and suffers terribly. He often falls into fire or into the water.” 16 I brought him to Your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him. 17 Yeshua answered, “You unbelieving and antagonistic race [Gr. genea]! How long must I be with you? How long must I bear with you? Bring him here to Me!” 18 Yeshua rebuked the demon and it came out of him, and the boy was immediately healed.

19 Then the disciples came to Yeshua privately and asked Him, “Why couldn’t we heal [2] him?” 20 Yeshua told them, “Because you don’t believe. But I can tell you with certainty that if you had in you faith like a grain of mustard, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move, and nothing would be too difficult for you. 21 But this kind of demon doesn’t leave without prayer and fasting.”

Yeshua Predicts His Death and Resurrection Again

22 When they returned to Galilee, Yeshua told them, “The Human Son is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. 23 They’ll kill Him, but in three days He’ll be raised from the dead.” This deeply saddened them.

On Paying Taxes

24 When they came to Capernaum, those who collect the silver coins came to Peter and asked him, “doesn’t your Teacher give His two zuzeen?” 25 He answered “Yes.” And when Cephas entered the house, Yeshua anticipating his arrival and asked, “What do you think, Simon? Who do the kings of the earth collect sales taxes and property taxes from—from their sons or from 'strangers?'”

26 Simon replied, “From 'strangers'”. Then Yeshua said, “Then the sons are exempt.” 27 But so that we don’t offend them, go to the sea and throw in a fishing hook. Open the mouth of the first fish that comes up, and you’ll find a silver stater. Take it and give it to them for Me and you.”

Matthew 18: Just then the disciples approached Yeshua and asked, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of the Heavens?”

2 Yeshua called a child, and had him stand among them. 3 Then He said, “I am certain that unless you change your course and become like little children, you’ll never enter the Kingdom of the Heavens. 4 Those who humble themselves like this little child are the greatest in the Kingdom of the Heavens. 5 And whoever befriends a child like this in My name befriends Me.

Offending a Little One

6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to be ensnared—it would be better for them to be plunged in the depths of the sea with an ass powered millstone hung around their neck! 7 I pity the world because of its snares! Snares will certainly be set, but I pity the person who sets the snares! 8 So if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter Life maimed or crippled than to have both hands or both feet and be thrown into the fire of the Ages [1]! 9 And if your eye is causing you to sin, rip it out and throw it away, because it is better for you to enter eternal Life with one eye than to have both eyes and be thrown into the fire of Gehenna. 10 See to it that you don’t look down on any of these little ones, because I tell you, their messengers in Heaven have continual access to My Father in the Heavens. 11 The Human Son came to Rescue the lost!

Analogy of the Lost Sheep

12 What do you think? Suppose someone has a hundred sheep and one of them strays. Won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that strayed? 13 If he finds it, I am certain that the shepherd is happier about that than about the ninety-nine that didn’t stray. 14 Similarly, your Father in the Heavens doesn’t want even one of these little ones to die.

When a Friend Sins

15 If your neighbor sins against you, go and confront them privately. If they listen to you, you have won your neighbor back, 16 but if they don’t listen, then take one or two others with you so that any accusation can be verified by two or three witnesses. 17 If the person ignores them, tell it to your Jewish assembly. [2] If they ignore the assembly as well, regard them just as you would a heathen or a tax extractor.

18 I assure you that whatever you forbid on earth will have been forbidden in Heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will have been permitted in Heaven. 19 Further, I am certain that if two of you agree on earth about anything that you request, it will be done for you by My Father in the heavens, 20 because where two or three have assembled together in My name, I’m among them.

The Neighbor Who Keeps Sinning

21 This is when Cephas approached Him and asked, “Master, if my neighbor sins against me, how many times must I disregard it. As many as seven times?” 22 Yeshua replied, “I tell you, not just seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

23 This is why the Kingdom of the Heavens can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began to settle accounts, they brought in a debtor who owed him ten thousand silver coins. 25 But he didn’t have the means to repay, so his master ordered that he be sold, as well as his wife and his children, and everything that he owned to repay the debt.

26 So the servant fell to the ground and bowing before him said, ‘Have patience with me and I’ll pay everything back.’ 27 The master of that servant was moved with compassion and set him free, canceling his debt. 28 But as the servant was leaving, he found a fellow servant who owed him one hundred denarii [a few cents]. He grabbed him and began to choke him and said, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell at his feet and began begging him, ‘Have patience with me and I’ll repay you.’ 30 But he refused, and went and had him thrown in prison until he could repay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were extremely angry. They went and explained to their master everything that had happened.

32 Then his master sent for him and said, ‘You wicked servant! I canceled your entire debt because you begged me. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 Then his master became greatly incensed and handed him over to the jailor/torturers until he could repay his entire debt.

35 My Father in the Heavenly realm will treat each of you the same way unless you endeavor to disregard your neighbor’s shortcomings.”

Matthew 19: When Yeshua finished saying these things, He left Galilee and came to the region of Judea on the other side of the Jordan. 2 A huge number of people followed Him and He healed them there.

3 Some Pharisees came to Him attempting to entice Him to sin. They asked, “Does the Torah allow a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”

4 He replied, “Haven’t you read that the One who originally created them made them male and female?” 5 He said, “That’s why a man leaves his father and mother and is glued to his wife, and the two will be one 'entity'. 6 So they are no longer two, but one entity. So no one should separate what Yehovah has yoked together.”

7 Then they asked Him, “Then why did Moses direct us to deliver a written bill of divorce and send her away?” 8 He replied, “Because of your hardened mindset, Moses was instructed to allow you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not that way. 9 I tell you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason other than sexual immorality, and marries another woman is committing adultery.” 10 His disciples replied, “If that is the situation between a man and his wife, it’s better not to get married.” 11 But he told them, “Not everyone can accept celibacy other than those who have that gift. 12 There are some men who are celibate because they were born that way. Some are celibate because they were castrated. Still others live in celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom of the Heavens. Anyone who is able to accept this should accept it.”

Blessing the Children

13 Children were being brought to Him so that He could lay His hands on them and pray, but the disciples began to stop them, 14 but, Yeshua said, “Allow the little children to come to Me, don’t hinder them, because the Kingdom of the Heavens belongs to people like these.” 15 He laid His hand on them before he left.

How to Inherit Eternal Life!

16 Someone came to Him and asked, “Good Master, what good thing should I do to have eternal Life?” 17 He replied, “Why are you calling Me good? No one is good but One, namely Aloha [God]. But if you want to enter into eternal Life, OBEY THE COMMANDMENTS” [1].

18 Then he asked, “Which ones?” So Yeshua told him, “Never murder. Never commit adultery. Never steal. Never give false testimony, 19 honor your father and your mother, and you must love your neighbor as yourself”.

20 The young man told Him, “I have obeyed all of these since childhood. What else do I need?” 21 Yeshua told him, “If you want to become perfect, go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven, then come right back here and accompany Me”!

22 When the young man heard this he went away in sorrow, because he owned a lot of property. 23 Yeshua told His disciples, “It is certainty difficult for a rich person to gain entry into the Kingdom of the Heavens. 24 Yes, I tell you, it is easier to pass a rope [2] thru the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to gain entry into the Kingdom of Yehovah.”

25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and asked, “Then who can receive eternal Life?” 26 Yeshua looked at them intently and said, “It is impossible for people, but anything is possible with Yehovah.” 27 Then Cephas said in reply, “Look, we’ve forsaken everything to follow You. What is in store for us?”

28 Yeshua told them, “I assure you that when the Human Son sits on His magnificent throne on the Renewed Earth, those of you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, presiding over the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 Anyone who has had to abandon their homes or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields because of My name will receive a hundred times as much, and inherit eternal Life. 30 But many who are first in influence will be last, and many who are last will be first.”

Matthew 20: The Kingdom of the Heavens is like a property manager who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 He contracted with the laborers for a denarius a day, and sent them into his vineyard.

3 He went out at the third hour [9:00] and saw others standing around in the market place. 4 He told them, “You go into my vineyard, too, and I’ll pay you whatever is fair.” So they went. 5 He went out again at the sixth and ninth hours [12:00, 3:00], and did the same. 6 About the eleventh hour, he went out and found others who were standing around, and he asked them, “Why have you been standing here all day and not working?” 7 They told him, “Because no one hired us.” So he told them, “You go into the vineyard too, and you’ll receive what is fair [1].”

8 That evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his property manager, “Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last hired and ending with the first.”

9 Those hired about the eleventh hour came, and they each received a denarius. 10 When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they complained to the householder. 12 They said, “These last men have only worked an hour, but you have treated them just like those of us who have endured the scorching heat all day.” 13 But he said to one of them, “Friend, I’m not treating you unfairly. Wasn’t our contract for a denarius? 14 Take your money and go. I want to give the last men hired as much as I gave you. 15 Isn’t it legal for me to do what I want to with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because of my generosity?” 16 So the last will be first, and the first last, because many are invited, but few have chosen to participate [2].

17 As Yeshua was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took His twelve disciples aside on the way and told them, 18 “We’re going up to Jerusalem, and the Human Son will be handed over to the high priests and Torah teachers, and they’ll condemn Him to death! 19 They’ll hand Him over to the heathen to mock and scourge and crucify Him, but on the third day He’ll be raised from the dead.”

Servant Leadership

20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Yeshua with her sons. She bowed down to ask Him for something. 21 He asked her, “What is it you want?” She said to Him, “Declare that one of these two sons of mine will sit on Your right side and the other on Your left in Your Kingdom.” 22 But Yeshua replied, “You don’t realize what you’re asking for [3]. Are you able to drink the cup that I’m about to drink, or be immersed with the immersion that I’m immersed with?” And they told Him, “We can”. 23 He told them, “You certainly will drink from My cup and will be immersed with the immersion that I’m immersed with. But whether you’ll be seated at My right hand or at My left isn’t for Me to decide. 'Those determinations' are made by My Father.

24 When the ten heard this, they were angry with the two brothers. 25 Yeshua called them and told them, “You know that the rulers of other nations are tyrants and their great men have authority over them. 26 It won’t be that way with you, because whoever wants to become great among you will be your steward [Gr. diakonos], 27 and whoever wants to be foremost among you must be your servant, 28 just as the Human Son didn’t come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as the price for freeing many servants.”

Two Blind Men Healed

29 As Yeshua was leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. 30 Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Yeshua was passing by, they shouted, “Have mercy on us, Master, Son of David!” 31 The crowd scolded them, insisting that they be quiet, but they called out all the more, “Master, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 32 Yeshua stopped and called out to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 33 They told Him, “Master, we want to be able to see again.” 34 He was moved with compassion for them and touched their eyes, and immediately they were able to see and they followed Him.

Matthew 21: As He was approaching Jerusalem and had arrived in Bethphage, beside the Mount of Olives, Yeshua sent two of His disciples ahead, 2 and had told them, “Go into this village ahead of you, and immediately you’ll find a donkey tied and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to Me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, tell them, ‘The Master needs them’, and he will send them here at once.”

4 This all took place in fulfillment of what the prophet had spoken when he said, 5 “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Your King comes to you, humble, and riding on an donkey along with a colt, the foal of a pack animal.’”

6 The disciples left and did as Yeshua had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put their coats on the colt, and Yeshua sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their coats on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowd that went ahead of Him and those who followed Him shouted, “Aloha save the son of David, blessed is the One who comes in the name of Yehovah. Aloha in the highest Heaven save Him.”

10 As He entered Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken with commotion and they asked, “Who is this?”

11 The crowd was saying, “This is Yeshua, the Prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Yeshua Cleanses His Fathers Temple

12 Yeshua entered Yehovah’s Temple and drove out those who were buying and selling in the Temple, and overturned the tables of the bankers [1], and the chairs of those who were selling doves. 13 He said, “The Scriptures say, ‘My house will be called the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.’”

14 Blind and lame people came to Him in the Temple and He healed them. 15 When the high priests and Pharisees saw the amazing things that He was doing and the children shouting in the Temple, “Aloha save the Son of David”, they were incensed. 16 They asked Him, “Do You hear what they are saying?” Yeshua replied, “Yes, haven’t you read, ‘Out of the mouths of children and infants You receive due praise?’” 17 He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he stayed the night.

Yeshua and the Fig tree

18 In the morning, as He was returning to the city He was hungry. 19 He saw a fig tree along the way and went to it but found nothing on it except leaves. He said to it, “There will never be fruit on you anymore.” Immediately the fig tree withered. 20 When the disciples saw that, they were astonished and said, “Look how fast the fig tree withered!” 21 Yeshua replied, “Assuredly, if you have unwavering faith, without doubts, you’ll not only do something like this to a fig tree, but also, if you say to this mountain, ‘Get up and throw yourself into the sea’, it will happen. 22 Whatever you ask for in prayer you’ll receive if you believe.”

Yeshua’s Authority

23 When Yeshua came to the Temple, the high priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching and asked Him, “By whose authority are You doing these things and who gave You this authority?” 24 Yeshua replied, “I have a question for you too, and if you answer Me then I’ll explain by what authority I’m doing these things. 25 Where was the authority of John’s immersion from? Was it from Heaven or from men?” They deliberated [Gr. dialogizomai] among themselves and concluded, “If we answer, ‘From Heaven’, He’ll ask us, ‘Then why didn’t you believe Him?’ 26 But if we answer, ‘From men’, we’re afraid of the crowd, because they all consider John to be a prophet. 27 So they told Him, ‘We don’t know.’” Yeshua replied, “Then I won’t explain to you by whose authority I’m doing these things either.

Analogy of the Two Sons

28 What do you think about this? A man with two sons went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 He replied, ‘I won’t go’. But afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 He went to the other and told him the same thing. He replied, ‘Yes master, I’ll go’, but he didn’t go. 31 Which of these two did what their father wanted?” They answered, “The first”. Then Yeshua said, “I am certain that tax extractors and prostitutes will enter the Kingdom of Yehovah before you do. 32 John came to you as a 'role model' of righteousness and you didn’t believe him, but tax extractors and prostitutes believed him. And when you saw this you still didn’t change your minds and believe him.

Parable of the Sharecroppers

33 Here’s another analogy. “There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, enclosed it with a hedge, dug in a winepress and built a tower. Then he leased it to sharecroppers and traveled abroad. 34 When it was time to harvest the fruit, he sent his servants to the sharecroppers so that they could collect his share of vintage.

35 The sharecroppers grabbed his servants and beat one, stoned another and killed another. 36 So he sent another group of servants, more than the first time, and they did the same thing to them. 37 Finally, he sent his son to them, because he thought, ‘Surely they’ll respect my son.’ 38 But when the sharecroppers saw his son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they grabbed him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 Now when the owner of the vineyard COMES [His Father!], what will he do to those sharecroppers?” 41 They replied, ‘He’ll utterly destroy them and lease the vineyard to other sharecroppers who will give him his share of the harvest.’

42 Yeshua asked them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, this is from Yehovah and we see it as amazing?’ 43 That’s why I’m certain that the Kingdom of Yehovah will be taken away from you and given to people who will produce fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this Stone will be broken, but anyone it falls on will be ground into powder.”

45 When the high priests and Pharisees heard His analogies, they understood that He was talking about them. 46 They wanted to arrest Him, but they were afraid of the crowd because they considered Him to be a prophet.

Matthew 22: Once again, Yeshua spoke in analogies, He said, 2 “The Kingdom of the Heavens can be compared to a king who prepared a banquet [1] for his son. 3 He sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the banquet, but they refused to come.

4 Then he sent more servants instructing them to tell the prospective guests, “I’ve prepared my dinner, my oxen and my cattle have been butchered and everything is ready. Come to the banquet.” 5 But they were contemptuous, and went away, some to their farms, and others to their businesses. 6 The rest grabbed his servants, abused them and killed them. 7 When the king heard about it he was furious, so he sent his military forces and destroyed those murderers and burned their town.

8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The banquet is ready, but those who were invited were unworthy. 9 Now go to the main street intersections and invite everyone you find to the banquet.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and brought in everyone they could find, both bad and good, and the banquet hall was filled with 'guests'.

11 When the king came in to see the guests he saw a man there who wasn’t wearing festive clothes. 12 He asked him, “Friend, how did you get in here without festive clothes?” But he was speechless.

13 Then the king told his “deacons”, “Tie his hands and his feet and throw him into the outer darkness, there will be crying and grinding of teeth. 14 Many guests are invited [Gr. kletos], but few have chosen to participate.”

Should We Pay Taxes?

15 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted how they could entrap Him by His words. 16 They sent their disciples to Him along with Herod’s partisans. They said to Him, “Master, we know that You are absolutely credible and that You teach the way of Yehovah truthfully without discriminating between people because You are impartial. 17 So tell us what You think. Does the Torah instruct us to pay tribute money to Caesar or not?” 18 But Yeshua recognized their wicked scheme and said, “Why are you trying to entrap Me you pretenders? 19 Show Me a tribute denarius.” So they brought Him a denarius. 20 Yeshua asked them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”

21 They said, “Caesar’s”. So He said, “Then give Caesar’s things to Caesar and Yehovah’s things to Yehovah.

22 When they heard that they were amazed. So they left Him alone and went away.

Sadducees and the Resurrection

23 That same day some Sadducees came to Him insisting that there is no resurrection from the dead and they had contrived a question for Him. 24 “Master, Moses told us that if a man dies childless, his brother must marry his widow and raise a family for his brother. 25 Now there were seven brothers. The oldest brother married a woman and died, and since he had no children he left his wife to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second, and the third, down to the seventh. 27 Last of all the woman herself died. 28 So in the resurrection, which of the seven will she be married to since they all had married her?”

29 Yeshua replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t understand the Scriptures or the power of Yehovah. 30 In the resurrection of the dead, men don’t take wives, nor are wives married to husbands, but they are like the messengers of Yehovah in Heaven. 31 As for whether there will be a resurrection of the dead, haven’t you ever read what was spoken to you by Yehovah when he said, 32 ‘I’m the Aloha of Abraham, the Aloha of Isaac, and the Aloha of Jacob?’ He isn’t the Aloha of the dead, but of the living.

33 When the crowd heard this, they were amazed at His teaching.

Which is the Greatest Commandment?

34 When the Pharisees heard that He had 'muzzled' the Sadducees, they gathered around Him, 35 and one of them who was a Torah teacher tested Him by asking, 36 “Master, which is the greatest Commandment in the Torah?”

37 Yeshua told him, “You must love Yehovah your Aloha with all of your passion, with all of your consciousness [psyche, Gr: psuche], with all of your ability and with all of your mind. 38 That is the greatest and most primary Commandment. 39 The secondary Commandment is similar, ‘You must love your fellow man as yourself.’ 40 The entire Torah and the Prophets are predicated on these two Commandments.”

David and the Messiah?

41 While the Pharisees were gathered around, Yeshua asked them a question: 42 “What do you have to say about the Messiah? Whose Son is He? They replied, “The Son of David”. 43 He replied, “So then why does David, inspired by the spirit, call Him Yehovah? Because he said, 44 “Yehovah said to His Word [Targum of Jonathan (Aramaic) Psalm 110:1—Gill’s Commentary], ‘Sit at at My right hand side until I put Your enemies under Your feet.’” 45 So if David calls Him Master, how could he be His son? 46 No one was able to answer Him. And from that day on no one even dared to question Him.

Matthew 23: Then Yeshua conversed with the crowd and His disciples. 2 He told them, “The Torah teachers and Pharisees have seated themselves in Moses seat [1]. 3 Now everything that they tell you to obey [people didn’t own copies of the Torah], you must practice, but don’t do what they do, because they don’t 'practice what they teach'. 4 They bundle heavy burdens and load them on people’s shoulders, but they won’t lay a finger on them themselves.

5 Everything that they do is done for appearances, like when they broaden their tefillin and extend the tzitzits [tassels] of their clothing. 6 They love the best seating at suppers and the best seats in the synagogues, 7 and salutatory greetings in the market places, and being addressed by people as Rabbi [my great one]. 8 Don’t let anyone call you Rabbi, because there is only One Rabbi and you are all His Friends. 9 Don’t call yourselves Father on earth, because there is only One spiritual Father—the Heavenly One. 10 Don’t be called guides [2], because there is only One spiritual Guide—the Messiah. 11 The greatest person among you will be your servant. 12 Anyone who exalts themself will be humbled and anyone with a modest opinion of themself will be honored. 13 I pity you Torah teachers, because you block the entrance to the Kingdom of the Heavens right in front of people. You aren’t coming in yourselves and you prevent those who are beginning to come in from entering [3]. 14 I pity you Torah teachers, Pharisees and pretenders, because you devour widows houses under the pretext of long prayers. This is why you’ll receive greater condemnation.

15 I pity you Torah teachers, Pharisees and pretenders, because you traverse land and sea to make a single convert to Judaism, and when they become one, you make them twice the son of Gehenna as yourselves.

16 I pity you blind guides, because you say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple is doing nothing wrong, but whoever swears by the gold that’s in the temple is bound by the oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that causes the gold to be dedicated? 18 And you say, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is doing nothing wrong, but whoever swears by the offering lying on it is obligated.’ 19 You blind fools, which is greater—the offering or the altar that dedicates the offering? 20 So anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything that’s on it. 21 Anyone who swears by the temple, swears by it and by the One who lives in it. 22 Anyone who swears by Heaven swears by Yehovah’s throne and by the One who sits on it.

23 I pity you Torah teachers, Pharisees and pretenders, because you give a tithe of your mint, dill, and cumin, but you neglect the weightier requirements of the Torah: judgment, mercy, and fidelity. You should do those things without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides strain out gnats and swallow camels!

25 I pity you Torah teachers, Pharisees and pretenders, because you clean the outside of cups and dishes while inside you are full of plundering and self indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisees, first clean the inside of the cups and dishes so that the outside will be clean as well.

27 I pity you Torah teachers, Pharisees and pretenders, because you’re like whitewashed tombs that appear beautiful on the outside, but are full of dead people’s bones and every kind of uncleanness. 28 Outwardly you certainly appear to people to be righteous men, but inwardly you are against the Torah [Gr. anomia]—fully committed con men!

29 I pity you Torah teachers, Pharisees and pretenders, because you rebuild the tombs of the prophets and you decorate the monuments of the righteous. 30 You say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors we would never have taken part in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you are witnesses against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 You’ll finish the measures that your ancestors started!

33 You serpents, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to Gehenna [4]? 34 That’s why I’m sending you prophets and eloquent speakers and Torah teachers. Some you’ll kill and crucify and some of them you’ll scourge in your synagogues and persecute from town to town. 35 Consequently, you’ll be held responsible for all the blood of the righteous that’s ever been shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah, son of Barachiah, who you killed between the temple and the altar. 36 I assure you that all of these things will unexpectantly happen to this present generation.

O Jerusalem

37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who murder the prophets and stone those who have been sent to you. How often I wanted to gather your children like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you refused! 38 Now your house [the temple] is left abandoned! 39 I assure you that you won’t see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the One who comes in the name of Yehovah.’”

Matthew 24: As Yeshua left the Temple and was going on His way, His disciples approached Him and acknowledged the wonder of the Temple buildings. 2 He told them, “Do you see all of these? I assure you not one stone here will be left on another that isn’t demolished.”

The Beginning of Sorrows

3 As Yeshua sat on the Mount of Olives, His disciples approached, conversing among themselves and asked, “Tell us when will these things happen and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age [Gr. aion].” 4 Yeshua told them, “Be careful not to let anyone deceive you. 5 Many will come in My name and acknowledge that I’m the Messiah, and they’ll deceive many. 6 You’ll hear of wars and the rumors of battles. Don’t be frightened because all of these things must happen, but it’s not the end yet. 7 Nations will rise against nations and kingdoms against kingdoms [World War/s]. There will be famines, epidemics, and earthquakes in various places. 8 Yet all of these events are only the beginning of sorrows.

9 They’ll hand you over to be tortured and killed, and you’ll be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 Then many will fall away and they’ll hate each other and betray each other. 11 Many false prophets will appear and they’ll delude many. 12 Because of the plethora [Gr. plethuno] of Torah breakers, the love of many will decline. 13 But anyone who perseveres to the end will receive eternal Life. 14 THIS Good News of the Kingdom will be announced thruout the world as a witness to every nation and then the end will come.

The Great Tribulation

15 When you see the sign of the detestable desolation mentioned by the prophet Daniel, standing in the 'Special' Place—may the reader discern!—[1] 16 then those of you who are in Judea should escape to the mountain/s [2]! 17 No one on the roof should come down to get anything out of their houses, 18 and no one in the fields should return to get their clothing. 19 But I pity pregnant and nursing mothers in those days. 20 Pray that your flight won’t be during foul weather or on the Sabbath. 21 There will be Great Tribulation then, such as has never occurred from the beginning of the world until now, and will by no means ever happen again. 22 If it weren’t for those days being terminated, no one would survive. But for the sake of the select those days will be terminated [3]. 23 Then if anyone tells you, ‘Messiah is over here’, or ‘He’s over there’, don’t believe them. 24 False Messiahs and false prophets [Gr. pseudoprophetes] will appear and perform great miracles to deceive, if possible, even the select. 25 Remember, I told you this in advance!

26 So if they tell you, ‘Look, He’s in the desert’, don’t go there, or, “Look, He’s in a secret room”, don’t believe them. 27 Like lightning coming out of the east and flashing into the west, that is how the coming of the Human Son will be. 28 Wherever the carcass is, that’s where the eagles are gathered.

After The Tribulation

29 Immediately after the time of Tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon won’t shed her light and stars will fall from the sky [See footnote on Isaiah 34:4], and the inherent power of the skies will be shaken.

30 Then the miraculous sign of the Human Son will be seen in the sky, and then all the nations on earth will mourn when they see the Human Son coming on the clouds in the sky with great power and splendor. 31 Then He’ll send out His spirit messengers with a loud shofar blast [4] and they’ll gather together His selected people from the four winds [north, south, east and west], from one farthermost bound of the horizon [heaven] to the other.

Analogy of the Fig Tree

32 Learn from an analogy about the fig tree. As soon as its branches become tender and it produces leaves, you know that summer is imminent. 33 Similarly, when you actually see all of these things, you know that He is near the door! 34 It is certain that the Israelite nation [Aramaic Sharebtha: tribe, people, nation] will not disappear before all these things have taken place. 35 Heaven and earth will arrive [5], and My words will never disappear. 36 But no one knows the day or hour, not even the messengers in Heaven, but the Father alone. 37 At the advent [Gr. parousia] of the Human Son, it will be just like it was in the time of Noah. 38 Just like before the flood, people were eating and drinking, taking wives and giving them to husbands right up until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were clueless until the flood came and swept them all away. That’s how it will be at the advent of the Human Son. 40 Then two men will be in the field. One will be taken and one will be left behind. 41 Two women will be grinding grain at the mill, one will be taken and one will be left behind.

42 So watch, since you don’t know the exact time when your Master is coming [6]. 43 But be assured that if the manager of the home had known in which watch the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 So remain prepared, because the Human Son will arrive at a time when He’s 'least expected' [7].

Wise and Wicked Servants

45 So who is the faithful and wise servant who was put in charge of the household by the master, to give them their food at the appointed time? 46 Blessed is the servant who will actually be prepared for work when his master appears. 47 I am certain that He’ll place him over everything He has. 48 But IF that servant is evil and thinks to himself, “My master has delayed his return”, 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and begins eating and drinking with drunkards, 50 THEN His master will arrive on a day when he isn’t expecting him and at an hour that he isn’t considering, 51 and will cut him in pieces and assign him his destiny with the pretenders. There will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

 

The Testimony of Yeshua was tweaked January 6, 2012