Those of you who remember doing algebra at school will doubtless remember simultaneous equations which are characterised by having multiple variables, both of which can be solved using two equations. If you've ever wondered what use they would ever be to you, hopefully I can persuade you that Scripture study is one of them.

Many of the Bible's mysteries open up to us when we are able to look at a question on two or more levels by analogy. For instance, we are taught in Scripture that the relationship between Yahweh and 12-Tribed Israel, as between Yah'shua (Jesus) and the Messianic Community (Body or Church) (known by us as the Mystical Marriage of Messiah (MMM)) - is to be understood in terms of human marriage. By understanding facets of each of these three 'equations' in each of the three relationships we can work out any 'missing bits' from the others. It is this principle which has been such an enormous blessing to this ministry in understanding the divine tavnith (pattern) which unlocks so many of the apparently 'confusing' aspects of Scripture.

The divine tavnith (pattern) of the Temple of Yahweh is so large and intricate that many books could be written on it. Today I want to look at just one part of the puzzle, namely, what Yahweh meant when He said that His Name or Shem would dwell there, how His Name is supposed to dwell in the New Covenant Temple, how the Name of Messiah dwells in the Messianic Bride, and how the name of a husband dwells in his wife...and what that means in practice.

As we survey the B'rit Chadashah Scriptures (New Testament) on the subject of the temple, we discover that they refer to two things:

• 1. The Mishkan (Temple, Tabernacle); and
• 2. The People of Yahweh, that is, the Bride of Messiah.

"Our fathers had the mishkan (tabernacle) of witness in the wilderness, as He appointed, instructing Moses to make it according to the tavnith (pattern) that he had seen, which our fathers, having received it in turn, also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles, whom Elohim (God) drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of David, who found favour before Elohim (God) and asked to find a dwelling for the Elohim (God) of Jacob. But Solomon built Him a house. However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says:

'Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says Yahweh, or what is the place of My rest? Has My hand not made all these things?'" (Acts 7:44-50, NKJV).

• 1. In individuals who have been regenerated and are in a personal, covenantal relationship with Him;
• 2. In marriages where both spouses are regenerated and under covenant (and by extension, their home along with their children); and
• 3. In Messianic Israel as a whole - the regenerated, covenantal Body of Messiah.

The writers of the B'rit Chadashah Scriptures (New Testament) all teach that the New Covenant Temple is now the believer individually, and the Messianic Community (Church) corporately is the true Temple. Ezekiel and Isaiah pointed to Messiah as "a little sanctuary" to His people wherever they are scattered:

"Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet I shall be a little sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone" (Ezek.11:16, NKJV).

"'He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel (Israel and Judah), as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble; they shall fall and be broken, be snared and taken.'" Bind up the testimony, seal the Torah (Law) among my talmidim (disciples). And I will wait on Yahweh, who hides His face from the house of Jacob; and I will hope in Him. Here am I and the children whom Yahweh has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel from Yahweh of hosts, who dwells in Mount Zion" (Isa.8:14-18, NKJV)

"But I saw no temple [building] in [the New Jerusalem], for Yahweh-Elohim Almighty and the Lamb are its temple" (Rev.21:22, NKJV).

"Thus says Yahweh: 'Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,' says Yahweh. 'But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My Davar (Word)" (Isa.66:1-2, NKJV)

"Do you not know (haven't you yet realised) that you are the temple of Elohim (God) and that the Ruach Elohim (Spirit of God) dwells in you?" (1 Cor.3:16, NKJV).

"Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Elohim (God)" (Matt.19:23-24, NKJV).

"Then Yah'shua (Jesus) said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no chayim (life) in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal chayim (life), and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the lechem (bread) which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this lechem (bread) will live forever' These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

"Therefore many of His talmidim (disciples), when they heard this, said, 'This is a hard saying; who can understand it?' When Yah'shua (Jesus) knew in Himself that His talmidim (disciples) complained about this, He said to them, 'Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Ruach (Spirit) who gives chayim (life); the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are ruach (spirit), and they are chayim (life). But there are some of you who do not believe.' For Yah'shua (Jesus) knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, 'Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father (Patriarchal toqef/authority)'" (John 6:53-66, NKJV)

"Then Yah'shua (Jesus) looked around and said to His talmidim (disciples), 'How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of Elohim (God)!' And the talmidim (disciples) were astonished at His words. But Yah'shua (Jesus) answered again and said to them, 'Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of Elohim (God)! It is easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Elohim (God).' And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, 'Who then can be saved?' But Yah'shua (Jesus) looked at them and said, 'With men it is impossible, but not with Elohim (God); for with Elohim (God) all things are possible.' Then Peter began to say to Him, 'See, we have left all and followed You.' So Yah'shua (Jesus) answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the besorah's (gospel's), who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal chayim (life). But many who are first will be last, and the last first'" (Mark 10:23-31, NKJV).

If this is the 'tough' part for the men, what is the 'tough' part for the women? And what is it that will qualify them for the Kingdom of Heaven?

The eyes of Western Christians are heavily veiled because they have neutered the Scriptures in the name of political correctness and feminism. They have not only redefined gender rôles but they have tampered with the very message of salvation itself!

Do you want to know the true tavnith (pattern)? Are you willing to have the lies of the 'Church' and 'Synagogue' challenged and risk losing everything to follow Messiah's Emet (Truth) - eating His flesh and drinking His blood - or will you cling on to the falsehoods of the traditions of men and miss the way?

The tavnith (pattern) is explained clearly at the very beginning of Scripture but it is missed because moderns refuse to accept the plain sense (p'shat) of Yahweh's Davar (Word). They would rather believed in the Cosmic Fairy Godmother called 'evolution' (even though it can never explain how male and female 'evolved' side by side). I am going to state this 'flesh-and-blood' emet (truth) and you can test it for yourself to see how it dovetails into all Scripture. I shall do so by means of some simple statements:

• 1. Eve (X) was orginally a part of - echad (one) with - Adam (Y). And they were both called Adam and they were 'he' (XY);
• 2. Yahweh took Eve (X) out of Adam (XY) for Himself;
• 3. Then He gave Eve (XX) back to Adam (XY) as Adam's wife, two yet one (echad), two names (Adam and Eve) yet also both being Adam.

• 1. Every man, born into this world, and already divided from His wife/wives in mortality (as Eve was divided from Adam) must go alone to Yah'shua (Jesus) to be saved;
• 2. Every woman, thus separated in mortality, must go alone to Yah'shua (Jesus) to be saved (as Yahweh took Eve to Himself after removing her from Adam's rib cage);
• 3. Every married woman in Messiah, separated and thus saved, is then given back to Adam as His possession, required by Yahweh to give Him the same obedience and submission as she gave to Yah'shua (Jesus) and required to seek echad (oneness) with her husband in the same way that the husband seeks echad (oneness) with Messiah - through emunah (faith) and obedience.

"Wives, likewise (like believers), be submissive [and obedient] to your own husbands (as to Messiah), that even if some [husbands] do not obey the Davar (Word - won't surrender to Messiah), they, without a davar (word - in silence), may be won by the conduct (behaviour) of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear (deep respect)" (1 Peter 3:1-2, NKJV).

"Therefore, just as the messianic community (church) is subject to Messiah (Christ), so let the wives be [subject] to their own husbands in everything" (Eph.5:24, NKJV).

Those who know Yah'shua (Jesus) know that He was willing to give everything that He had, even His own chayim (life), in order to redeem us as His allegorical Bride - the Messianic Bride, and once we have that lev (heart)-knowledge of Him is is easier - though still difficult because of the flesh - to yield total sovereignty to Him. He is worthy to demand everything from us given that He has given everything to us. A man is in the same position to his wife, as we have seen. However, a man who is not willing to give everything of himself to Messiah - his allegorical Bridegroom - is by the same token not worthy to receive a wife willing to give everything of herself to her husband, as the Davar (Word) of Yahweh demands.

Few wives believe - or are willing to accept (because they are poisoned by the philosophies of the world) that they have been so totally given to their husbands by Messiah who saved them that they are to treat their husbands as Messiah Himself...because of Messiah in him and because the the nature of the eternal covenant of marriage. She is the 'little branch' grafted (through marriage) into the 'branch' (her husband) who is grafted into Messiah (the Vine Tree, who in turn is "The Branch" (Zech.6:12) of Yahweh the Father).

Miss this fundamental tavnith (pattern) and you will fundamentally miss and understanbing of both gender rôles in marriage and in sanctification and the proper relationship we are supposed to have with Elohim (God). This is the great revelation given to this ministry upon which all other biblical principles hang since as we show elsewhere Yahweh-Elohim is a Family and marriage lies at the heart of every family. The whole of existence is one great marriage story. Understand what marriage is and you have understood everything [2].

We will continue this series tomorrow by taking a look at the seven women of Isaiah 4.

Endnotes