Parashat 14 Portion 53 ‘’Va Yera’’ Ex 7:8 – 8:15 Joel 3:3-4:6, 16

 Blessed are You YHVH our Elohim - Creator of the universe, whose blessings have come to rest upon us through Moshiach Ben David – The Tree of Life – who establishes the everlasting root and fruit of Your Torah in our lives and in this age and in the age to come and through which all the families of the earth are blessed forever and ever.

Please, YHVH, our Elohim, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our hearts and in the hearts of Your people, the family of Israel. May we and our offspring and the offspring of Your people, the house of Jacob – and all Jacob’s adopted family – know Your Name and study Your Torah, for the sake of the Torah- empowering us to sincerely love one another and to love You above all. Please uncover our eyes and open our hearts that we may carefully examine and understand the marvels and mysteries of Your Torah- Amein.

 כי ידבר (vs 9) ‘’when he will speak’’ the most powerful human leader on earth spoke then and he will speak again in the last days.

 Our previous Torah portion (Portion 52) YHVH introduces Moses  to His covenant name ‘’ And Elohim spoke to Mosheh and said to him, “I am יהוה.’’ (I will do whatever I need to do to save My people from complete destruction)

 This week’s Torah portion (Portion 53) Pharoah and his demonic magicians challenge YHVH’s authority and ability to save His people from complete annihilation –

 In the last days the anti-Christ and all the demons of hell will team up and attempt to ‘’finish the job’’ that Pharoah and others like him throughout history have attempted but failed to finish.

 A prophetic word of warning: this final attempt to destroy YHVH’s people may appear at times to have almost succeeded.

 Exo 7:8  And יהוה spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon, saying, 

Ex 7:9  ‘When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Show a miracle for yourselves,’

 In the last days YHVH will once again produce two witnesses to challenge a ‘’Pharaohs arrogance”

 Rev 11:3  “And I shall give unto my two witnesses, (possibly Moses and Elijah) and they shall prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clad in sackcloth.” 

Rev 11:4  These are the two olive trees Ezk_4:3 and the two lampstands that are standing before the Elohim of the earth. 

Rev 11:5  And if anyone wishes to harm them, fire comes out from their mouth and consumes their enemies. And if anyone wishes to harm them, he has to be killed in that way. 

Rev 11:6  These possess authority to shut the heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy.  And they possess authority over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they wish. 

Rev 11:7  And when they have ended their witness, the beast coming up out of the pit of the deep shall fight against them, and overcome them, and kill them, 

Rev 11:8  and their dead bodies lie in the street of the great city (Jerusalem)which spiritually is called Seḏom and Mitsrayim, where also our Master was impaled, 

Rev 11:9  and some of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations see their dead bodies for three and a half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be placed into tombs, 

Rev 11:10  and those dwelling on the earth rejoice over them and exult. And they shall send gifts to each other, because these two prophets tortured those dwelling on the earth. 

Rev 11:11  And after the three and a half days a spirit of life from Elohim entered into them, and they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. (Scholars believe this co insides with the first resurrection some believers call the rapture)

 Exo 7:9  “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Show a miracle for yourselves,’ then you shall say to Aharon, ‘Take your rod (symbol of divine authority) and throw it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.’ ” 

In the last days Satan will do ‘’great signs’’

Rev 13:13  And he does great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from the heaven on the earth before men. 

 Rev 19:20  And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he led astray those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. The two were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulphur. 

 YHVH shortens this final period of persecution - Mat 24:22  “And if those days were not shortened, no flesh would be saved, but for the sake of the chosen ones those days shall be shortened. (Bowls of wrath – Rev 16)

 Exo 7:10  So Mosheh and Aharon went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, as יהוה commanded. And Aharon threw his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. 

Exo 7:11  But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the practisers of witchcraft. And they, the magicians of Mitsrayim, also did so with their magic. 

Exo 7:12  And they, each one, threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But the rod of Aharon swallowed up their rods. 

 Exo 7:13  And Pharaoh’s heart was strengthened, and he did not listen to them, as יהוה had said. 

 First, YHVH reveals His true Covenant identity to His prophets. Then, Pharoah challenges YHVH’s covenant identity and authority by using occultic power and forces of darkness that Pharoah firmly believes are superior to YHVH’s authority – in the last days these same forces of darkness are convinced that they will finally succeed where Pharoah and others like him, have failed to completely destroy a people who carry YHVH’s covenant promise - it is profoundly astonishing that there exists in the world today a demonic agenda that is determined and extremely confident that the time has come to finally destroy YHVH’s presence from this earth along with everyone who in any way shape or form joined to YHVH’s and His people.

 The ancient Hebrew prophets inform us that this diabolical agenda will appear at times to have ‘’almost’’ succeeded – Isa 1:9  Unless יהוה of hosts had left to us a small remnant, we would have become like Seḏom, we would have been made like Amorah. (Is 6:12,13 – Zech 13:8,9 – Is 13:12 – Jer 30:11) This is what is going to make the last days so terrifying for those who don’t understand how YHVH makes a complete end of His enemies. We must take careful note that is by no means a ‘’fair contest’’ – Satan doesn’t have a ‘’snowballs hope in hell’’ of presenting any form of challenge to YHVH’s authority.

 Commentators like the Ramban emphasize that the enemy's challenge was an intentional test allowed by YHVH. YHVH gave the magicians just enough leeway to mimic the first two plagues so that Pharaoh's heart would harden, ensuring that when their final defeat came, the entire world would see how pathetic and impotent Pharoah and his demonic systems truly are.

Isa 14:16  “Those who see you stare at you, and ponder over you, saying, ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook reigns, 

 In these last days we are witnessing a repeat of this ancient demonic challenge.

YHVH’s selection of judgments then and in the last days are not co incidental or random, they are strategically aimed at dismantling and destroying every dark force that has been instrumental in attempting to destroy and keep YHVH’s chosen people in bondage.

The foundation of this ‘’challenge’’ is firmly revealed by the very first contest – ‘’The rod transformed into a serpent’’ Ex 7:8-13.

It is not by accident that the gematria of ‘’serpent’’ or ‘’nachash’’ in Hebrew is 358 – the same gematria as ‘’Moshiach’’ in Hebrew. It is also not by accident that this same pattern is repeated in the last days –-

Rev 12:9  And the great dragon was thrown out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who leads all the world astray. He was thrown to the earth, and his messengers were thrown out with him –

 It is important to note that the Greek word ‘’kosmos’’ (or world) is not used here – instead the Greek word ‘’oikomenon’’ is used meaning  ‘’the inhabited, organized systems of humanity, rather than the physical globe itself’’

 All of YHVH’s people have been captured by the ‘’ organized systems of humanity’’ in this world.

 Understanding that the Israelites were Pharaoh's legal property gives deep meaning to the Hebrew concept of Redemption (Geulah) – The Redeemer - “the act of buying back."

 2Co 4:4  in whom the god of this world (Greek ‘’aion’’ or age) hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Goodnews of the esteem of Messiah, who is the image of YHVH, should not shine upon upon them. 

 The "God of this Age" (Aion): In 2 Corinthians 4:4, the Apostle Paul uses the Greek word aion (age/era) rather than kosmos (the physical world).

This implies that Satan’s authority is strictly temporary and bound by time. He governs the current moral, philosophical, and spiritual system of an unredeemed, humanity.

 Even the faithful end time remnant will be captured by this evil world system and will need to be redeemed and set free from its bondage.

 Jer 50:20  “In those days and at that time,” declares יהוה, “the crookedness of Yisra’ěl shall be searched for, but there shall be none; and the sin of Yehuḏah, but none shall be found. For I shall pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.

 Yes, Jeremiah 50:20 means that even the most faithful, preserved remnant still possesses a baseline of iniquity that requires radical divine redemption. This shatters the misconception that some groups escape the fire because they are naturally better than others.

 Even, the 144,000 refined "firstfruits" in Revelation are called "blameless" (Revelation 14:5), but the text carefully notes they were "redeemed from the earth" and "purchased" (Revelation 14:3-4). Their blamelessness is a direct product of the Redeemers (Geulah’s) payment, not their own intrinsic nature.

 The Apostle Paul was a master of both Torah law and Greco-Roman legal systems. When he describes what Yahshua accomplished by His death, he clearly explains in religious terms the real-world legal system of how slaves could gain their freedom.

His primary word for this is Apolytrosis (απολύτρωσις), a technical term in the ancient Greco-Roman world that literally meant "buying back a slave through the payment of a ransom."

 Paul applies this exact legal structure to the execution of Messiah in 1 Corinthians 6:20: "For you were bought with a price; therefore esteem YHVH in your body." He repeats this in 1 Corinthians 7:23: "You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men" (or their religious systems) The "price" paid was the life of Messiah to set us free.

 In Colossians 2:14, Paul explains how the old master's right of possession (Pharoah and the anti christ) will be cancelled, He writes that Yahshua "...cancelled the handwritten bill of debt because of our disobedience that accuses us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross." Please note it is absurd and wicked to suggest the Yahshua nailed the Torah to the cross. Yahshua paid the penalty that the law (Torah) demanded for the violation of its laws. Torah is the supreme law of the universe – violating any part if it brings ‘’imprisonment’’ for the offender. Yahshua took the judgment for that imprisonment upon himself – it is handwritten because Torah scrolls were all handwritten – violation of any part of the Torah incurred severe cursing and death – See Deut 28 and Num 26.

 We should stop ‘’messing around’’ and take YHVH’s laws and the penalty incurred for violating His laws very seriously – however the majority of mankind don’t think its that serious breaking a ‘’little’’ commandment here and there. Yahshua warns us in this regard when he says –

 Mat 5:27  “You heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ Exo_20:14, Deu_5:18. 

Mat 5:28  “But I say to you that everyone looking at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 

Mat 5:29  “And if your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is better for you that one of your members perish, than for your entire body to be thrown into GěHinnom. 

Mat 5:30  “And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you. For it is better for you that one of your members perish, than for your entire body to be thrown into GěHinnom.

 Pirkei Avot 1:1 says: “Make a fence around the Torah.”

This means taking precautions to avoid even getting close to violating YHVH's commandments. Matthew 5:29–30 can be understood in a similar way: remove or avoid whatever repeatedly leads you toward wrongdoing.

The idea is to avoid circumstances or behavior that could lead to violating a Torah commandment. Yahshua’s' teaching in Matthew 5 can be understood as intensifying the command by addressing the roots and pathways leading toward transgressing the Torah.

 Rabbinic literature also sometimes uses strong, hyperbolic language to emphasize the seriousness of avoiding wrongdoing. However, Jewish interpretation generally did not treat such moral warnings as instructions for literal self-injury. Jesus' language is commonly understood similarly—as forceful Semitic hyperbole emphasizing decisive rejection of what leads a person into sin.

 If there is no redemption for violating YHVH’s laws – we will all have to face the severe consequence of our transgression.

 Rom 7:22  For I delight in the Torah of Elohima according to the inward man, Footnote: aSee Psa_119:16. 

Rom 7:23  but I see another torah in my members, battling against the torah of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the torah of sin which is in my members. 

Rom 7:24  Wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death? 

Rom 7:25  Thanks to Elohim, through יהושע Messiah our Master! So then, with the mind I myself truly serve the Torah of Elohim, but with the flesh the torah of sin. 

 The Torah was given to show us the exceeding sinfulness of sin – Rom 7:13

Rom 7:22  For I delight in the Torah of Elohima according to the inward man, Footnote: aSee Psa_119:16. 

Rom 7:23  but I see another torah in my members, battling against the torah of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the torah of sin which is in my members. 

Rom 7:24  Wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death? 

Rom 7:25  Thanks to Elohim, through יהושע Messiah our Master! So then, with the mind I myself truly serve the Torah of Elohim, but with the flesh the torah of sin. 

 The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood

Exo 7:14  And יהוה said to Mosheh, “The heart of Pharaoh is hard, he refuses to let the people go. 

Exo 7:15  “Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he goes out to the water, and you shall stand by the river’s bank to meet him. And take in your hand the rod which was turned into a serpent. 

Exo 7:16  “And you shall say to him, ‘יהוה the Elohim of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, “Let My people go, so that they serve Me in the wilderness,” but see, until now you have not listened! 

Exo 7:17  ‘Thus said יהוה, “By this you know that I am יהוה. See, I am striking the waters which are in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and they shall be turned to blood, 

Exo 7:18  and the fish in the river shall die. And the river shall stink, and the Mitsrites shall find it impossible to drink the water of the river.” ’ ” 

Exo 7:19  And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, “Say to Aharon, ‘Take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Mitsrayim, over their streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, that they become blood. And there shall be blood in all the land of Mitsrayim, both in wooden and in stone containers.’ ” 

Exo 7:20  And Mosheh and Aharon did so, as יהוה commanded. And he lifted up the rod and struck the waters that were in the river, in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants. And all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. 

Exo 7:21  And the fish that were in the river died, and the river stank, and the Mitsrites were unable to drink the water of the river. And the blood was in all the land of Mitsrayim. 

Exo 7:22  And the magicians of Mitsrayim did the same with their magic. And the heart of Pharaoh was strengthened, and he did not listen to them, as יהוה had said. 

Exo 7:23  And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and his heart was not moved by this either. 

Exo 7:24  And all the Mitsrites dug all around the river for water to drink, for they were unable to drink the water of the river. 

Exo 7:25  And seven days were completed after יהוה had struck the river. 

 In ancient Egypt, the Nile River was not just a body of water; it was considered the literal heartbeat of the empire and was personified by powerful water spirits and gods. Turning the water to blood directly targeted and defeated these spirits

 The Second Plague: Frogs

Exo 8:1  And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus said יהוה, “Let My people go, so that they serve Me. 

Exo 8:2  “But if you refuse to let them go, see, I am smiting all your border with frogs. 

Exo 8:3  “And the river shall swarm with frogs, which shall go up and shall come into your house, and into your bedroom, and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants, and on your people, and into your ovens, and into your kneading bowls, 

Exo 8:4  and the frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants.” ’ ” 

Exo 8:5  And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Say to Aharon, ‘Stretch out your hand with your rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Mitsrayim.’ ” 

Exo 8:6  So Aharon stretched out his hand over the waters of Mitsrayim, and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Mitsrayim. 

Exo 8:7  And the magicians did so with their magic, and brought up frogs on the land of Mitsrayim. 

Exo 8:8  Pharaoh then called for Mosheh and Aharon, and said, “Pray to יהוה to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I shall let the people go to slaughter to יהוה.” 

Exo 8:9  And Mosheh said to Pharaoh, “Explain yourself to me: When am I to pray for you, and for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, and remain only in the river?” 

Exo 8:10  So he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “Let it be according to your word, so that you know that there is no one like יהוה our Elohim. 

Exo 8:11  “And the frogs shall turn aside from you, and from your houses, and from your servants, and from your people – they shall remain in the river only.” 

Exo 8:12  And Mosheh and Aharon went out from Pharaoh. And Mosheh cried out to יהוה concerning the frogs which He had brought against Pharaoh. 

Exo 8:13  And יהוה did according to the word of Mosheh. And the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields. 

Exo 8:14  And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 

Exo 8:15  And when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, as יהוה had said. 

 The plagues forced the Egyptians to look at their sacred symbols and demon gods with horror. For example, frogs were considered so holy that harming them was a crime, yet the second plague forced the Egyptians to pile up millions of rotting, frogs throughout the land.

So, YHVH says if you want worship frogs, I will give you millions of them to worship.

Was YHVH being evil? No, He was merely giving them the thing they greatly desired and worshipped.

 Psalm 106:15: “And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.”

Sadly, this verse is not directed to the Egyptians but to the grumbling Israelites in the wilderness, but the same principle applies to everyone.

 Why is this Torah portion so important for believers in Yahshua?

Because the teachings and doctrines of the early believers came from the Torah and were explained and elevated in the apostolic writings.

 Act 24:14  “And this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the Elohim of my fathers, Exo_3:15 believing all that has been written in the Torah and in the Prophets, 

 No Other Gospel

Gal 1:6  I marvel that you are so readily turning away from Him who called you in the favour of Messiah, to a different ‘Good News,’a Footnote: a 2Co_11:4. 

Gal 1:7  which is not another, only there are some who are troubling you and wishing to pervert the Good News of Messiah. 

Gal 1:8  However, even if we, or a messenger out of heaven, bring a ‘Good News’ to you beside what we announced to you, let him be accursed. 

Gal 1:9  As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone brings a ‘Good News’ to you beside what you have received, let him be accursed. 

Gal 1:10  For do I now persuade men, or Elohim? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I should not be a servant of Messiah. 

 Paul went on to urge unity in the Body of Messiah

Eph 4:1  I call upon you therefore, I the prisoner of the Master, to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, 

Eph 4:2  with all humility and meekness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 

Eph 4:3  being eager to guard the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace – 

Eph 4:4  one body and one Spirit, as you also were called in one expectation of your calling, 

Eph 4:5  one Master, one belief, one immersion, 

Eph 4:6  one Elohim and Father of all, who is above all,a and through all, and in you all.

 There is not a Jewish way and a Christian way of getting saved and liberated from this world system.

 Scripture explicitly rejects the idea of a "dual-covenant" theology—the belief that Jewish people are saved through keeping the Law of Moses while Gentiles are saved through Christ.

According to biblical doctrine, there is only one way of salvation, justification, and liberation from the world system for both Jews and Gentiles alike: through faith in Yahshua the Messiah – who has redeemed us the curse of the Law – we brought upon ourselves by our disobedience to the Torah – Gal 3:13

Gal 2:16  knowing that a man is not declared right by works of Torah, but through belief in יהושע Messiah, even we have believed in Messiah יהושע, in order to be declared right by belief in Messiah and not by works of Torah, because by works of Torah no flesh shall be declared right.

Blessed are you YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth and have planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the Torah – Amein.