The Two Temples
(A Christian Workbook)
Section 1: Chapter 1 – The Foundation: Who is Yahweh?
hen our
merciful Father in Heaven heard the cry of His people, bound in slavery by the
idolatrous nation of Egypt, He sent a messenger to deliver them. He raised up a
man named Moses, who was called, and chosen, and faithful, to be a witness in
the earth that Yah was the Almighty One, that He was sovereign over the designs
and plans of even the leader of one of the earth’s greatest kingdoms.
As
providence would have it, however, there was an obstacle. As both a religious
and state figure in Egypt, the Pharaoh was no respecter of the God of the
Israelites. In response to Moses’ request that the Hebrews be released, the
king of Egypt said, “Who is Yahweh, that I should obey His voice to let Israel
go? I know not Yahweh, neither will I let Israel go.” (Exodus 5:2)
The
king of Egypt was not an unintelligent man. As a result of his royal education,
he was a capable politician, and he was surrounded by some of the greatest
minds of the ancient world. In spite of this, Pharaoh could not be considered,
from a spiritual viewpoint, a wise man. The Scriptures tell us that,
“The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy
is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10) Without knowledge of the Almighty One, the
Creator of Heaven and Earth, and without a clear understanding of His character
as revealed in these latter days through His Son Yahshua, we cannot be wise.
Any examination of what Yah wants for our lives must begin ironically with a
question first posed in the Bible by a heathen king. “Who is Yahweh?”
Pharaoh’s
answer came in the form of plagues upon his land. Yahweh is both the Redeemer
and Judge of men, and the lesson for Egypt was a harsh one, because they
rejected the gentler lesson that was initially offered to them in mercy. Moses
did not come up to the palace with war in his heart; indeed, he had every
reason to be sympathetic to the royal family, having been raised within the
culture of the nation of his people’s captivity, and having been shown love and
maternal protection by a princess of the land. (Exodus 2:1-10) Had Pharaoh
given respect to the servant of Yah, his nation and his own firstborn son would
have been spared. Yet Pharaoh hardened his heart, (Exodus 8:15) and Yah allowed
it to happen (Exodus 10:1) in order to bring His people out with a mighty hand,
and as a testimony against both the false gods of Egypt and the mighty armies
of men.
“Who is
Yahweh?” It is a question upon which hangs our eternal salvation. Yahshua the
Son spoke of this, saying, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee
the only true God, and Yahshua the Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3) In
these very last days the question has come up again, for many who claim to know
Him – who cry out “Lord, Lord” at the thought of His salvation – do not know
Him, or they would accomplish His will. (Matthew 7:22, 23) This is the reason
why, within the last message of the Gospel to the world, called by some the
“Three Angels’ Message,” the character of Yahweh is described for the benefit
of those who dwell on the earth. “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of
Heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the
earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a
loud voice, ‘Fear Yah, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is
come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the
fountains of waters.” (Revelation 14:6,7) It is a call to know Yah, to have
reverence for Him, and thus to be wise. It is only the wise virgins, after all,
who enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; the others are not known by the
Bridegroom. (Matthew 25:1-12)
From the
first third of the Everlasting Gospel, we learn several things about who Yahweh
is. First, we see that He is to be revered or, in the language of the
Authorized Version, “feared.” There is a holy fear that is associated with
understanding who Yah is. When Isaiah encountered a vision of the Most High
upon His Throne, he fell on his face and declared, “Woe is me! For I am undone;
because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of
unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:5)
No one, upon encountering the presence of Yahweh, will feel justified or
righteous based on his own merits. No matter how victorious they are over sin,
they must acknowledge that it is only by the life of the Son within them that
they live, and that they have no “goodness” of themselves. Yah is holy, and the
only acceptable response, the only possible response, to His presence is
overwhelming awe.
Second,
we see that He is Judge. The first of the angels declares that “the hour of His
judgment is come.” Yah is the source of all righteousness. Our morality, our
ethics, our concept of right and wrong, all these spring from, and must be
brought into harmony with, the judgments of the One who has come indeed to
judge, if we wish to claim a relationship with Him.
Third,
we come to understand that Yahweh has a right to judge the universe – the
universe is His. He is the Creator of all things, “the heaven, the earth, the
sea and the fountains of waters.” Of Yahshua the Son, through whom the Father’s
creative acts were accomplished, it is said, “by Him were all things created,
that are in Heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they
be Thrones, or Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers: all things were created
by Him, and for Him.” (Colossians 1:16,17)
Now
that we see some of what the Bible says about Yah, that He is the Creator and
Judge, and thus worthy of our highest respect and reverence, what does the
Record tell us about His nature, His character?
Since
we began by looking at the Exodus, it might be beneficial to draw something
more from that topic which has already been introduced. When Moses was being
called to deliver the Israelites, the Heavenly King said to him, “I am the God
of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. I
have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard
their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am
come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them
up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk
and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the
Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Now therefore,
behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen
the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.” (Exodus 3:6-9)
We may
parallel that with the character of the Son, as described in New Testament,
“For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let
us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15,16)
We see
from these things that Yahweh, though different from mankind, is nevertheless
the pattern after which men were created. Our emotions, our desires, our
motivations and feelings, all these have counterparts in the divine mind, though
His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9) It is written,
“Gracious is Yahweh, and righteous; yea, our Almighty One is merciful.” (Psalm
116:5) What we find in these passages is that we have a Father who is very personal.
That is to say, He represents His purposes toward us by means of emotions that
can be considered very “human.” He hears the cries of His servants who are
afflicted. He knows their sorrows; He desires the peace and happiness of His
creation, made in His image. He says to us, “I know the thoughts that I think
toward you, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end [or
“the end for which you are hoping”]. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall
go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and
find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13)
Our Father, Yahweh, is personally interested in us as individuals, for again it
is written: “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them
is forgotten before Yah? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6, 7)
It
should not be thought that Yah’s love is reserved only for those who actively
obey Him. Though He can only directly and consistently bless the lives of those
who seek Him, His love extends even to those who will ultimately be lost
through their own rejection of His mercy. In no place is the love and tender
character of Yah more eloquently expressed than by the gracious way in which He
treats even the unrepentant sinners. Yahweh mourns over those who do not accept
His salvation, as He once did over Ephraim, the tribe which exemplified the
rebellious nature of Northern Israel: “I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them
by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them. I drew them with cords of
a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on
their jaws, and I laid meat unto them. And my people are bent to backsliding
from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt Him.
How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel? How shall
I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeboim? Mine heart is turned
within me, my repentings are kindled together.” (Hosea 11:3, 4, 7, 8)
In
Hosea, chapters 11-13, we see Yahweh lamenting over His rebellious people,
seeming at times even hesitant to execute the judgment they have brought upon
themselves. (Hos 11:9,10) Yet ultimately sin and love cannot coexist, for they
are true opposites, and it is written: “For so it was, that the children of
Israel had sinned against Yahweh their Elohim, which had brought them up out of
the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared
other gods, Yet Yahweh testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the
prophets, and by all the seers, saying, ‘Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep
my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded
your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.’
Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck
of their fathers, that did not believe in Yahweh their Almighty One. For the
children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam [an evil king] which he
did; they departed not from them; Until Yahweh removed Israel out of His sight,
as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out
of their own land to Assyria unto this day.” (2 Kings 17:7, 13, 14, 22, 23)
For
those who are tempted to think that Yah is an impersonal Creator, that He
simply set the universe in place and then hid His face in a cloud of stars, the
touching appeal recorded in Hosea, and the books of the other prophets, should
be testimony enough to merit rethinking that concept of the Father and Son. As
a man appeals to his wife whom he loves, so does Yahweh appeal to His people;
and as a man would sacrifice himself for the good of his beloved, so Yahshua
was given – yielding up His life as a ransom for our own. That is who our
Father is.
Of
course, no discussion of Yahweh’s character would be complete without an
examination of how He set the universe in place, and we read from the passages
in Revelation and 2 Kings that there is a “judgment.” The basis of this
judgment is the idea that there is a divine will our Creator has for us; and
our response to that will for our lives indicates to others, to Heaven, and to
ourselves, what the quality of our faith truly is. Some believe that it is impossible
to know if we are living up to Yah’s expectations. Paul tells us differently.
He says, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own
selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Yahshua the Messiah is in you,
except ye be reprobates?” (2 Corinthians 13:5) Unless we are “reprobates,” or
worthless individuals, we are capable of knowing whether or not we are in the
faith. Although no man can be righteous before Yah, if we are “in the faith,”
and living up to the light we have, holding on to the grace of Yah that keeps
us from all sin, then Yah Himself is our righteousness. (Jeremiah 33:16) That
is also who Yahweh is – for the believer, He is our righteousness.
The
expectations Yah has for us are simple: they are that we love Him, and we love
our fellow man. (Matthew 22:37-40) If we are doing these things wholeheartedly,
we have certainly accepted Yahshua as our Savior and Substitute, for no man can
perform these things unless the Spirit of Yah is within him. The means by which
we define that “love” are pointed out by the Ten Commandments and the testimony
of His messengers. If we understand the nature of Yah, and His character, we
will never see the things He tells us to do as a restriction on our freedom, or
a painful and burdensome duty. The apostle John, who wrote the most eloquently
about the love of the Father, tells us, “He that loveth not knoweth not Yah;
for Yah is love... By this we know that we love the children of Yah, when we
love Yah, and keep His commandments. For this is the love of Yahweh:
that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not grievous.”
(1 John 4:8; 5:2,3)
If
we find our delight in serving others, and in the law that Yah has given to us for
our own good, (Deuteronomy 5:29) then we acknowledge that Yahweh is love, and
we can say with the Psalmist, “O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all
the day. Thou, through thy commandments, hast made me wiser than mine enemies,
for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for
thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because
I keep thy precepts. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might
keep thy word. I have not departed from thy judgments, for thou hast taught me.
How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
(Psalm 119:97-103)
Those
words were written by a man who knew Yahweh. Because of His knowledge of the
Creator he had more wisdom than the ancients, including the Pharaoh of Egypt.
Because of his knowledge of the Creator he had understanding, and he had joy in
the law of Yah. Indeed, he rejoiced that the Almighty had given him guidelines
to ensure his continued happiness and prosperity. The judgment of Yahweh,
rather than a thing to dread, became a blessing from which he had no desire to
depart. The words of His mouth, which will serve to condemn the unrepentant
sinner, were “sweeter than honey” to His servant. The Psalmist knew the love of
Yahweh, and therefore His commandments were not grievous to him.
Had
Pharaoh only known Yahweh in this way, and His character, he would not have
hesitated to release the Hebrew slaves. What would the loss of some of his
labor force mean, in light of the plans that the Almighty had for establishing
a kingdom on earth to teach eternal salvation to every kindred, and tongue, and
nation? Pharaoh himself would have directly benefited from his submission to
the will of Heaven, a course of action he eventually undertook anyway – after
great personal tragedy. If we know Yahweh today, we will not hesitate to seek
out and perform His will, no matter what the cost appears to be at the
time, for His will is truly sweet to those who know Him and trust in His
purposes. In the end “every knee shall bow,” (Romans 14:11) and acknowledge
that Yahweh only gave us good instruction, laws not only to protect us from
harm and develop us for eternity, but to enable us to be everlasting blessings
to those with whom we are to have contact. “O that there were such an heart in
them, that they would fear me,” says Yahweh, “and keep all my commandments
always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!”
(Deuteronomy 5:29) That is what He wants for us, and this is who He is.
Quotations:
Yahweh is gracious and merciful:
“Our God should be regarded as a tender, merciful father. The service of God
should not be looked upon as a heart-saddening, distressing exercise. It should
be a pleasure to worship the Lord and to take part in His work. As the people
of God meditate upon the plan of salvation their hearts will be melted in love
and gratitude.” [That I May Know Him, page 263, paragraph 2]
“Thousands
have a false conception of God and His attributes. They are as verily serving a
false god as were the servants of Baal. Are we worshiping the true God as He is
revealed in His Word, in Christ, in nature, or are we adoring some
philosophical idol enshrined in His place? God is a God of truth. Justice and
mercy are the attributes of His throne. He is a God of love, of pity and tender
compassion. Thus He is represented in His Son, our Saviour. He is a God of
patience and long-suffering. If such is the being whom we adore and to whose
character we are seeking to assimilate, we are worshiping the true God.” [The
Faith I Live By, page 59, paragraph 8]
“Although
Satan has misinterpreted God’s purposes, falsified His character, and caused
man to look upon God in a false light, yet through the ages God’s love for man
has never ceased. Christ’s work was to reveal the Father as merciful,
compassionate, full of goodness and truth. The character of Christ represented
the character of God. The only begotten Son of God sweeps back the hellish
shadow in which Satan has enveloped the Father, and declares, ‘I and My Father
are one; look on Me and behold God.’” [Manuscript Releases Volume Thirteen,
page 243, paragraph 3]
“In
redemption God has revealed His love in sacrifice, a sacrifice so broad and
deep and high that it is immeasurable. ‘God so loved the world that he gave his
only begotten son...’” [Sons and Daughters of God, page 11, paragraph 2]
We
have a Father who expresses loving emotions:
“There is nothing so great and powerful as God’s love for those who are His
children.” [Sons and Daughters of God, page 192, paragraph 5]
“Christ
wept at the sight of woe. Let His tenderness come into your hearts. Practice
self-denial that you may have wherewith to relieve the sufferings of God’s
children.” [Our High Calling, page 198, paragraph 3]
“Tender,
compassionate, sympathetic, ever considerate of others, [Christ] represented
the character of God, and was constantly engaged in service for God and man.” [The
Faith I Live By, page 17, paragraph 5]
“The
tender compassion of God is toward His people. Faith, wondrous faith--it leads
the people of God in straight paths. Without this faith we shall certainly
misunderstand His dealings with us, and distrust His love and faithfulness.
Whatever may be the trials and sufferings, ... let there be no faintheartedness,
no peevish repining, no complaining.” [Our High Calling, page 323,
paragraph 4]
“He who
could not see human beings exposed to destruction without pouring out His soul
unto death to save them from eternal ruin, will look with pity and compassion
upon every soul who realizes that he can not save himself.” [Sons and
Daughters of God, page 22, paragraph 5]
The
Laws of Yahweh are expressions of His character, and were provided for our
blessing:
“The law of God requires that man shall love God supremely, and his neighbor as
himself. When through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, this is perfectly
done, we shall be complete in Christ.” [God’s Amazing Grace, page 145,
paragraph 6]
“Man
gains everything by obeying the covenant-keeping God. God’s attributes are
imparted to man, enabling him to exercise mercy and compassion. God’s covenant
assures us of His unchangeable character.” [God’s Amazing Grace, page
158, paragraph 3]
“God’s
law is the security of life and property and peace and happiness. It was given
to secure our present and eternal good. The antediluvians transgressed this
law, and the earth was destroyed by a flood.” [The Upward Look, page
294, paragraph 4]
“If the
law given by God for the benefit of the poor had continued to be carried out,
how different would be the present condition of the world, morally,
spiritually, and temporally! Selfishness and self-importance would not be
manifested as now, but each would cherish a kind regard for the happiness and
welfare of others; and such widespread destitution as is now seen in many lands
would not exist.” [Patriarchs and Prophets, page 536, paragraph 1]
Questions:
1) Do I search the Scriptures with the intention of discovering who my Creator
is?
2) Do I
look for the beauty of my Father in the works of nature?
3) Do I
see the effects of rebellion against Yahweh’s law manifest in some aspects of
the natural world?
4) Do I
ever make a distinction in my mind between the character of the Son and the
character of the Father?
5) Have
I ever had the thought that Yah is not personally interested in my happiness?
6) Do I
sometimes feel prompted by my circumstances to doubt that the Father is in
control?
7) Do I
remember to reflect on the miracles that Yah has performed on behalf of His
people in the past in order to deliver them from great trials?
8) Do I
remember to reflect on the trials of those whose history is recorded in the
Bible, such as Job, and the blessings they gained from their experiences?
9) Do I
love my enemies in the same way that my Father loves His?
10) Do
I view the misfortunes of others as I understand the Almighty to view them?
11) How
do I deal with the temptation to consider the leadings of Yah burdensome?
12) Do
I understand that the universe Yah created will naturally work for those who
work with it, and against those who work against it?
Exercise:
After contemplating and, if possible, discussing with others the above
questions, find a verse or passage of the Bible that gives a promise or an
answer for each.
