Will the real Messiah please stand up?
In this parable we will look at the differences in the how the Messiah is perceived from three perspectives.
Students please open your books to chapter four and begin reading. We will discuss the content once everyone is finished reading.
Chapter 4 The Manufacturing Plant
The manufacturing plant owner called all His employees into a meeting. He told the assembled workers “ I have a wonderful idea, in three weeks we are going to begin manufacturing a new product”. “This product will allow billions of lives to be saved”. Many of the employees were skeptical, some voiced their opinions out loud and were fired on the spot, others muttered under their breath imagining in their minds 'how ludicrous this idea had to be'. After all what could He possibly have come up with that would allow that many lives to be saved?
The plant owner passed out copies of His plan to the employees. He then proceeded to outline His plan, going over the basic principles until all who were present understood the concept of the plan. Now it was up to the employees to turn the outline into a working product. With an unlimited budget and no time constraints the task shouldn’t have been overly difficult.
The employees worked together for a few years on the plans, but were not successful in developing the product into a working model. The owner seeing the stagnation of the employees decided to have His bright and intelligent son try to inject some enthusiasm and bring a fresh perspective to the workers.
The son began in earnest, having a perfect grasp of his Father’s plans. He chose a few of the hardest workers to teach, he also hired new workers. He invited all of the employees, old and new to train under his guidance. Very few accepted the offer, most preferring to continue working on the designs that continued to show no progress. After a few years the son was called to company headquarters to help take care of his fathers business.
Three groups formed at the factory after he left. Those who never listened to the owner’s son, who continued working on their own idea of how the product should be designed. Those who heard the owner’s son, but decided that his way was not the right way of designing the product, and began designing their own product which was loosely based on the original. And the employees who learned from the son, who were eventually able to produce the new product.
The company owner had compassion for the two groups that struggled with their own designs. Hoping that they would eventually see the error of their designs.
Despite staggering losses, the company to this day still manufactures this life saving product. Very few people want to purchase this amazing product despite its lifetime guarantees. Most of the potential buyers being concerned more with the short-term benefits of the available products than the long-term effects this one has.
Chapter review:
Key words:
The Chapter: The Scriptures, which includes the Torah, writings, prophets, and apostolic writings in their unaltered, properly translated form.
The Owner: The One Creator of all that was, all that is, and all that shall be.
The employees: All who profess a belief in the G_d of Isra'El.
Those who worship the Almighty using their own fleshly understanding. Denying the teachings of Messiah as if he had never come.
Those who worship the Almighty according to their own desires. Twisting the teachings of the Messiah to fit their own personal wants and desires.
And those who worship in truth and understanding. Those who look to the teachings of the Messiah as expanding upon the Fathers word.
The Son: The Hebrew prophet Yahshua the first born of many.
The design: Each man or groups understanding of the Truth.
The product: Eternal life with the Father and Son, living in a world of reverence, respect, and love for the Father of all creation and His created ones.
Questions:
Did you read the beginning and the end of the chapter?
If you did do you probably believe that the Messiah has not yet come and that the teachings of the Messiah and his followers are the fabrications of men.
Did you skim over the entire chapter and come up with a completely different understanding than what was intended?
If you did you probably believe that the Messiah came to do away with his Fathers archaic laws and other unscriptural ideas.
Did you read the whole chapter beginning to end?
If you did you probably believe in the Messiah who was born of flesh, as we all are, who is the first-born of many. And that Messiah Yah'shua taught that the Torah, writings, and prophets were created for us to have a proper understanding of the wonderful plan the Father has for mankind and that these guidelines (commands) were not to be used in a legalistic manner.
Answers:
Revelations 22:16-19
16“I, Yah’shua, have sent My messenger to witness to you these matters in the assemblies. I am the Root and the Offspring of Dawid, the Bright and Morning Star.” 17And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And he who hears, let him say, “Come!” And he who thirsts, come! And he who desires it, take the water of life without paying!
18For I witness to everyone hearing the words of the prophecy of this book (scroll): If anyone adds to them, Elohim shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book (scroll),
19and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, Elohim shall take away his part from the Book (scroll) of Life, and out of the set-apart city, which are written in this Book (scroll).
Comments:
Who are those who take away from the words?
Those who reject the teachings of the Messiah and his followers.
Who are those who add to the words?
Those who believe the interpretations of men and follow their ways, rather than following the true intent of the scriptures which is the way of the Father.
Shalom & Agape in YHWH's precious name
