Chapter Seventeen
When Yeshua came near Yerushalayim to Beit-Phagey, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples, telling them to: "Go into the nearby village, and as you are entering you will find a donkey and her colt tied there, which has never been sat on. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone asks you, 'Why did you untie them?' you are to tell them, 'Because YHVH needs them.' "
This all was done so the scripture might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, "Tell the daughter of Tzyon, 'Look, your King comes to you humble and riding on a donkey and upon a colt, the foal of the donkey.' "
The disciples went and found them just as Yeshua had described. As they were untying the animals, the owners of them asked, "Why do you untie them?"
"YHVH needs them," they answered.
So they brought the donkey and colt to Yeshua and put their talitot [prayer shawls] upon them. Then Yeshua sat on them. As He rode, a large crowd of people spread their talitot on the path and others cut branches from the trees and put them on the path. When Yeshua came near to the descent from the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to celebrate and loudly praise Elohim for all the mighty works which they had seen.
They cried out, "Hoshanna ben David [Save us son of David]! Baruch Melech haba b'hashem Adonai [Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of YHVH]! Shalom b'shamayim v'kavod l'ha'Elyon [Peace in Heaven and glory to the Most High].
Some of the P'rushim in the crowd said toYeshua, "Rabbi, rebuke your disciples."
"I tell you," He warned, "that if these kept quiet, the stones would immediately cry out."
{This all happened on the 10th of Abib/Nisan, when Yisrael was commanded that each household was to take a lamb into their home in preparation for Pesach. Therefore, Yeshua came to Yerushalayim to be the received Lamb.}
When He was very near He beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, "This is your day. If you had only known what would bring you peace! Now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come to you that your enemies will bring a siege against you and circle around you, and hem you in on every side. They will pull you down to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one of your stones stacked on another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."
Yeshua entered into Yerushalayim and into the Mikdash [Holy Temple]. All the city was excited, saying, "Who is this?" Many people answered, "This is the Prophet Yeshua, from Natzeret in the Galil."
Yeshua looked around at everything. Afterward it was evening, so He went out to Beit-Ani again with the twelve. {This closed the first day in Yerushalayim.}
The next day, as they returned from Beit-Ani, He was hungry. Seeing a fig tree with leaves far away, He came to it seeking to find fruit on it. But when He arrived He found nothing but leaves, for it was not yet time for figs.
"No one will eat fruit from you from now on, forever," Yeshua said, speaking to the tree, and His disciples overheard it.
SECOND CLEANSING OF THE MIKDASH
After entering Yerushalayim, Yeshua went into the Mikdash and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the Mikdash. He turned over the tables of those who exchanged money along with the seats of those who sold doves. He would not allow any man to carry a vessel through the Mikdash.
Then He began to teach them, "Isn't it written, 'My house will be called by all the nations the Beit Tephillah [House of Prayer]? But you have turned it into a den of thieves."
The blind and the lame came to Yeshua in the Mikdash and He healed them. When some chief Kohenim and Soferim saw the wonderful things He did, and the children crying in the Mikdash, "Hoshanna ben David [Save us son of David]!" they were extremely displeased. They said to Him, "Do you hear what they are speaking?
"Yes," Yeshua answered. "Haven't you ever read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and infants You have perfected praise?' "
These Soferim and chief Kohenim and other principle men of the city sought for a way to destroy Him. But, they could not figure out a way, because all the people were amazed at His teachings and crowded around Him, and they feared Him. When evening came He left the city and went out to Beit-Ani again and lodged there. {This closed the second day in Yerushalayim.}
In the morning, as they walked the same path {to Yerushalayim}, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. Kefa remembering what He had done said, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered away."
"Trust in Elohim," Yeshua said. "Amen! I tell you, whoever will say to this mountain, 'Move from here and be thrown into the sea' and will not doubt in his heart, but will trust that those things he speaks will happen, he will have whatever he speaks. Therefore I tell you, whatever you seek when you pray {in the way I have taught you to pray} trust that you will receive and you will receive. But when you stand praying, {you must} forgive if you have anything against anyone. Through this your Father in Heaven can forgive you your trespasses. However, if you do not forgive, your Father in Heaven will not forgive your trespasses."
They came to Yerushalayim again and as He was walking in the Mikdash, chief Kohanim, Soferim, and Zakenim asked Him, "By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?"
"I will ask you one question first," Yeshua said. "Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. The mikveh of Yochanan, was it from Heaven or from mankind? Answer me."
They reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say 'from Heaven,' he will say, 'Why then did you not trust him?' But if we say 'from mankind,' well, the people do not accept this." They feared the people, for all counted Yochanan was a surely a prophet. So they answered Yeshua, "We cannot tell."
"Then neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." said Yeshua.
He began to speak to them in parables. "A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, 'Son, go work in my vineyard today.' The son answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he did t'shuvah, then he went. The man came to the second son and said the same thing. The second son answered and said, 'I will go, adon,' but he didn't. Which of the two did the will of his father?"
They answered, "The first one."
Yeshua said to them, "Amen! I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes will go into the Kingdom of Elohim before you. For Yochanan came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not trust him. Yet, the tax collectors and the prostitutes trusted him. But when you saw {my miraculous deeds}, you did not do t'shuvah and afterward show your trust in him.
"A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it. He dug a place for the wine to flow and built a tower. He rented it out to farmers, then went into a far country. At the season he sent to the farmers a servant, in order to receive the fruit of the vineyard from the farmers. But the farmers arrested him and beat him up, then sent him away without anything. So again the owner sent them another servant. The farmers threw stones at him and wounded him in the head, then sent him away in shame. Again the owner sent a servant, and they killed him. Again and again he sent them, but they beat up some and killed some. The owner had one son, his well beloved, so he sent him as the last resort to them, thinking, 'They will reverence my son.' But the farmers said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, then the inheritance will be ours.' They took him and killed him, then threw him out of the vineyard. Therefore, what will the adon of that vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to others. Have you never read this scripture? 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is performed by YHVH, and it is wonderful in our eyes?' "
Then they sought to arrest Yeshua, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. But, they feared the people, so they left Him.
Some P'rushim and Herodians were sent to Him to trap Him in His words. They said to Him, "Rabbi, we know you are right and affected by no one, for you are not impressed by the position of people, but you teach the way of Elohim that is not forgotten. Is it proper Torah then, to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Shall we pay it, or shall we not pay it?
Knowing their two-faced way He said to them, "Why do you test me? Bring me a coin to look at."
They brought it and He asked them, "Whose image and writing is on it?
They answered, "Caesar's."
"Then pay Caesar the things that belong to Caesar and pay Elohim the things that belong to Elohim." Yeshua said.
HYPOTHETICAL RESURRECTION QUESTION
They were amazed at Him. Then Tzaddikim came to Him, who say there is no resurrection. They asked Him, "Rabbi, Moshe wrote to us, 'If a man's brother dies and leaves his wife with no children, his brother should take his wife, and raise up offspring for his brother.' Now there were seven brothers and the first took a wife and died without offspring. The second brother married her and died without offspring, also. The third brother did the same. All seven married her and had no children. Ultimately the woman died also. In the resurrection therefore, when they will rise, which one of the brothers will have her as his wife, for all seven had her as a wife?"
Yeshua answered, "Are you not in error, because you do not know the scriptures or the power of Elohim? For when they rise from the dead they do not marry, nor are they given away in marriage, but they are like the messengers in Heaven {who have no sexual intercourse}. As concerning the dead, they will rise. Have you not read in the book of Moshe, how in the bush Elohim spoke to Him, saying, 'I am the Elohim of Avraham, and the Elohim of Yitzhach, and the Elohim of Ya'akov?' He is not the Elohim of the dead, but rather the Elohim of the living. Therefore, you are greatly in error."
One of the Soferim came up, hearing them reasoning together. Thinking that Yeshua had given a good answer to the Tzaddikim, he asked Him, "Which commandment is primary over all of them?
"This is the primary commandment," Yeshua said. " 'Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheynu Adonai Echad. [Hear O Yisrael, YHVH our Elohim, YHVH is One]. And you shall love YHVH your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the primary commandment. The second in primacy is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There are no other commandments greater than these."
The Sofer said, "Rabbi, you have remembered it correctly, for there is one Elohim, and there is no one else except Him. And to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is more than all whole offerings made by fire and sacrifices."
When Yeshua recognized that he had answered discreetly, He said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of Elohim." Then after that, no one dared to ask Him anything.
While He taught in the Mikdash Yeshua said, "How can the Soferim say that Mashiach is the son of David? For David himself said by Ruach HaKodesh, 'YHVH said to Adonai: Sit here at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.' David therefore himself calls him {his son} YHVH. How can He {Adonai} be his son?
WOES AGAINST RELIGIOUS LEADERS
The common people {of Yehudah} listened gladly to Yeshua. So He said to them while teaching, "Beware of those Soferim who love to walk around in special clothing in order to receive greetings in the marketplaces, and the seat of honor in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at the appointed holy feasts; those who consume the houses of widows and make pretentious long prayers. Those who do this will receive a greater condemnation.
"The Soferim and the P'rushim sit in the place of Moshe. "Therefore, all that they instruct {in the Torah} you should observe and perform it. But do not follow their ways. For example: they speak but do not act on it themselves. For they bind with heavy burdens which are difficult to carry and put them on men's shoulders, yet they will not help them carry it with one of their fingers. Because all of their works are done to be seen by people. They fashion large tephillin [Torah bindings], and lengthen the tzitzit of their talitot, and love the uppermost rooms at appointed holy feasts, and the places of honor in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and for people to call them, 'great one, great one.'
"Do not be called 'great one,' for One is your Great One, the Mashiach, and you are all brothers. Call no man your Abba upon the Earth {in context of your Creator and Sovereign}, for One is your Abba, who is in Heaven. But the one who is greatest among you is your servant. Whoever will exalt himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. {In this way Yeshua warned against using titles for the purpose of making one person more important than another.}
"Trouble will come on you Soferim and P'rushim who are two-faced. For against mankind you lock up the Kingdom of Heaven. You do not go in, nor do you allow those in who want to enter. Trouble will come on you Soferim and P'ruishim who are two-faced. For you consume the houses of widows and make long pretentious prayers. Therefore you will receive the greater condemnation. Trouble will come on you Soferim and P'rushim who are two-faced. Because you travel over land and sea to make one convert, and when he is made a convert, you make him two times greater a child of sheol than yourselves. Trouble will come on you blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the Mikdash, it is nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the Mikdash, he is a trespasser.' Foolishly blind! Because what is greater, the gold, or the Mikdash which makes the gold holy? You say, 'Whoever will swear by the altar, it is nothing, but whoever swears by the gift upon it, he is guilty.' Foolishly blind! For what is greater, the gift, or the altar which makes the gift holy?
"Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears by it and by all that is on it. And whoever swears by the Mikdash, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. The person who swears by Heaven, swears by the throne of Elohim, and by Him who sits there. Trouble will come to you Soferim and P'rushim who are two-faced, for you pay tithe from your mint and dill, but you have omitted the more important parts of Torah: judgment, mercy, and trust. You should have done this and not to leave the other undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel. Trouble will come on you Soferim and P'rushim who are two-faced. Because you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but within, you are full of covetousness and over-indulgence. Blind P'rushim, clean the inside the cup and plate first, then the outside will become clean also.
"Trouble will come on you Soferim and P'rushim who are two-faced. For you are like white-washed tombs, which are outwardly attractive, but within are full of dead bones, and all uncleanness. In like manner you also appear to be righteous to people, but within you are fully two-faced and against the Torah. Two-faced Soferim and P'rushim! You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the cemeteries of the righteous, then say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.' So you witness to yourselves that you are the children of those who killed the prophets. Then fill up the measure of your fathers! Serpents, offspring of snakes! How can you escape the condemnation of sheol?
"Notice this! I {am the One who} sent to you the prophets and wise men and Soferim, and some of them you killed and executed on a stake, and some of them you flogged in your synagogues and persecuted from city to city. So, that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Avel until the blood of Zacharyah son of Barachyah, whom you killed between the Mikdash and the altar. Amen! I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
"Yerushalayim, Yerushalayim! You kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you. How often I would have gathered your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under its wings, but you would not! Watch now, your house is being left to you desolate. For I tell you, 'You will not see me from now on until you shall say, "Baruch haba b'hashem Adonai [Blessed is He who comes in the Name of YHVH]."
Yeshua sat down close to the treasury and watched how the people threw their money into the treasury, and many who were rich put in large amounts. A poor widow came and threw in two very small coins, which amount to less than a penny.
Then Yeshua called his disciples together and said, "Amen! I tell you, that poor widow has put more in than all those who have thrown their money into the treasury. For all others contribute from their abundance, but she contributed all she had, yes, all her livelihood, because of the need she had.
Some Greeks were among those who came up to worship at the appointed holy feast. They came up to Philip, of Beit-Zaddai of the Galil, and asked, "Sir, we would like to see Yeshua." Philip goes and tells Andrew, then Andrew and Philip tell Yeshua.
Yeshua said, "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. Amen, amen! I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies it yields much fruit. The one who loves his life will lose it, but the one who despises his life in this world will keep it until eternal life. If anyone serves me, let him follow me, and where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. Now my soul is troubled, and what will I say? 'Father, save me from this hour.' It is for this purpose that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your Name."
Then a voice from the heavens said, "I have been glorified and will be glorified again."
The people that stood there and heard it said that it thundered. Others said, "A messenger (of Heaven) spoke to Him.
"This voice did not come for my sake, but for your sakes," Yeshua said. "Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be thrown out. If I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to me." He said this to signify what kind of death He would die.
The people asked, "We have heard in the Torah that Mashiach abides forever, so why do you say, 'The Son of man must be lifted up?' Who is the Son of man you speak about?"
"Only a little while longer is the Light with you. Walk {in trust} while you have the Light, or else darkness will come upon you. For the one who walks in darkness does not know where he goes. While you have Light, trust in the Light, so you may be the children of Light."
Yeshua shouted, "The one who trusts in me, does not trust in me, but in Him who sent me. He who sees me, sees Him who sent me. I am here as the Light into the world, so that whoever trusts in me will not dwell in darkness. And if any man shema's my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him, because I did not come to judge the world, but rather to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not accept my words has One who judges him: the Word which I have spoken [from the beginning of time}, the same {perpetual Word} will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken from myself, but the Father who sent me gave me a commandment of what I should say and what I should speak. I know that His commandment is eternal life. Whatever I speak, I speak as the Father has told me."
Though He had done so many miracles in front of them, many still did not trust in Him. Therefore, the scripture of the Prophet Yesha'yahu was fulfilled, which he spoke, "YHVH, who has trusted our report? To whom has the Arm of YHVH been revealed?" Therefore they could not believe, because Yesha'yahu also said, "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so they could not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and do t'shuvah, so I would heal them." Yesha'yahu said this when he saw His glory and spoke about Him.
Despite this, many of the top leaders {of the Yehudim} trusted in Yeshua, but because of the P'rushim they did not confess it openly, for fear they would be put out of the synagogue. It seems they loved the praise of men more than the praise of Elohim.
When Yeshua had finished all this teaching, He said unto his disciples, "You know that after two days is the appointed holy Feast of Pesach, and the Son of man will be betrayed to be executed on a stake."
Then Yeshua departed and hid Himself from them. {This closed the third day in Yerushalayim.}