Crowds Demand a Sign from Heaven

¹⁴ Now Yeshua was driving out a demon, and it was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute one spoke and the crowds were amazed. ¹⁵ But some among them said, “By beelzebul, the ruler of demons, He drives out demons.” ¹⁶ Others, testing Him, were demanding from Him a sign from heaven.

¹⁷ But Yeshua, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and a house against a house falls. ¹⁸ Now if satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say by beelzebul I drive out the demons. ¹⁹ But if by beelzebul I drive out demons, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason, they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if by the finger of God^[a] I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

³⁵ “This Moses—whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who appointed you as ruler and judge?’—is the one whom God sent as both ruler and redeemer, by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶ This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years. ³⁷ This is the Moses who said to Bnei-Yisrael, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’^[a]

³⁸ “This is the one who was in the community in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living words to pass on to us. ³⁹ Our fathers did not want to be obedient to him, but shoved him aside. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, ⁴⁰ saying to Aaron, ‘Make gods for us who will go before us. For this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt—we have no idea what has happened to him.’^[b]

⁴¹ “And they made a calf in those days, offered a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. ⁴² But God turned and gave them over to serve the host of heaven, just as it is written in the book of the Prophets:

⁴⁴ “Our fathers had the Tent of Witness in the wilderness—just as the One speaking to Moses had directed him to make it according to the design he had seen. ⁴⁵ Our fathers received it in turn and brought it in with Joshua when they took possession of the land of the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it remained until the days of David, ⁴⁶ who found favor in God’s sight. He asked to find a dwelling place for the God^[d] of Jacob. ⁴⁷ But Solomon built a house for Him. ⁴⁸ However, Elyon does not dwell in man-made houses. As the prophet says,

⁵¹ “O you stiff-necked people! You uncircumcised of heart and ears! You always resist the Ruach ha-Kodesh; just as your fathers did, you do as well. ⁵² Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed the ones who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. Now you have become His betrayers and murderers— ⁵³ you who received the Torah by direction of angels and did not keep it!”

⁵⁴ When they heard these things, they became enraged and began gnashing their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But Stephen, full of the Ruach ha-Kodesh, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God—and Yeshua standing at the right hand of God. ⁵⁶ And he said, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

⁵⁷ But they covered their ears; and crying out with a loud voice, they rushed at him with one impulse. ⁵⁸ Driving him out of the city, they began stoning him, and the witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ They went on stoning Stephen as he was calling out, “Lord Yeshua, receive my spirit!” ⁶⁰ Then he fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” After he said this, he died.^[f]

Saul Persecutes Messiah’s Community

8 Now Saul was in agreement with Stephen’s execution. On that day a great persecution arose against Messiah’s community in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria, except the emissaries.

Warnings from History

10 For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea. ^{[a] 2} They all were immersed into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. ³ And all ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink—for they were drinking from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the Rock was Messiah. ^{[b] 5} Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert.^[c]

⁶ Now these things happened as examples for us, so we wouldn’t crave evil things, just as they did. ^{[d] 7} Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” ^{[e] 8} And let’s not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day 23,000 fell. ^{[f] 9} And let’s not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were destroyed by serpents. ^{[g] 10} And let’s not grumble, as some of them did—and were destroyed by the destroying angel. ^{[h] 11} Now these things happened to them as an example, and it was written down as a warning to us—on whom the ends of the ages have come. ¹² Therefore let the one who thinks that he stands watch out that he doesn’t fall. ¹³ No temptation has taken hold of you except what is common to mankind. But God is faithful—He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can handle. But with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape, so you will be able to endure it.

Feast with the Lord—Not with Idols

¹⁴ Therefore, my dearly loved ones, flee from idolatry.

A New Covenant on Hearts of Flesh

3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you? ² You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. ³ It is clear that you are a letter from Messiah delivered by us—written not with ink but with the Ruach of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.^[a]

⁴ Such is the confidence we have through Messiah toward God— ⁵ not that we are competent in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God. ⁶ He also made us competent as servants of a new covenant^[b]—not of the letter, but of the Ruach. For the letter kills, but the Ruach gives life.

⁷ Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that Bnei-Yisrael could not look intently upon Moses’ face because of its glory^[c]—although it was passing away— ⁸ how will the ministry of the Ruach not be even more glorious? ⁹ For if there is glory in the ministry of condemnation,^[d] the ministry of righteousness overflows even more in glory. ¹⁰ For even what was glorious is not glorious in comparison to the glory that surpasses it. ¹¹ For if what is passing away is glorious, much more what remains is glorious.

¹² Therefore, having such a hope, we act with great boldness. ¹³ We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face in order for Bnei-Yisrael not to look intently upon the end of what was passing away. ¹⁴ But their minds were hardened. For up to this very day the same veil remains unlifted at the reading of the ancient covenant, since in Messiah it is passing away. ¹⁵ But to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart. ¹⁶ But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ^{[e] 17} Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Ruach Adonai is, there is freedom. ^{[f] 18} But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory—just as from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Messiah Enters the Heavenly Holies

9 Now even the first one had regulations for worship and the earthly sanctuary. ^{[a] 2} For a tent was prepared: in the outer^[b] part were the menorah, the table, and the presentation of the bread^[c]—this is called the Holy Place. ³ Beyond the second curtain^[d] was a dwelling called the Holy of Holies. ^{[e] 4} It held a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant, completely covered with gold. In the ark was a golden jar holding the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant^[f]— ⁵ and above it, cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat.^[g] But it is not now possible to speak in detail about these things.

⁶ Now with these things prepared this way,

the kohen gadol alone^[j]—and not without blood which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins^[k] of the people. ⁸ By this the Ruach ha-Kodesh makes clear that the way into the Holies has not yet been revealed while the first tent is still standing. ⁹ It is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly, gifts and sacrifices are being offered that cannot make the worshiper perfect with respect to conscience. ¹⁰ These relate only to food and drink and various washings^[l]—regulations for the body imposed until a time of setting things straight.

¹¹ But when Messiah appeared as Kohen Gadol of the good things that have now come, passing through the greater and more perfect Tent not made with hands (that is to say not of this creation), ¹² He entered into the Holies once for all—not by the blood of goats and calves but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. ¹³ For if the blood of goats and bulls^[m] and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled^[n] sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more will the blood of Messiah—who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God—cleanse our^[o] conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Two Witnesses

11 Then a measuring rod like a staff was given to me, saying, “Get up and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count those worshiping in it. ^{[a] 2} But do not measure the court outside the Temple—leave it out, because it has been given to the nations, and they shall trample the holy city for forty-two months. ^{[b] 3} And I will grant authority to My two witnesses and they will prophesy for 1,260 days,^[c] dressed in sackcloth.”

⁴ These are the two olive trees and the two menorot that are standing before the Lord of the earth. ^{[d] 5} If anyone wishes to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and consumes their enemies. If anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. ^{[e] 6} These two have the power to shut the heavens, so that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying.^[f] And they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.^[g]

⁷ When they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the abyss will make war on them, and overcome them and kill them. ^{[h] 8} And their corpses will lie in the open street^[i] of the great city that figuratively is called Sodom and Egypt—where also their^[j] Lord was crucified. ⁹ Some from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their corpses for three and a half days, not allowing them to be placed into a grave. ^{[k] 10} Those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them. They will celebrate and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

¹¹ But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet;^[l] and great fear fell on those who were watching them. ¹² Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them.^[m]

¹³ At that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed.^[n] Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

¹⁴ The second woe is past. The third woe is coming soon.

The Seventh Trumpet

¹⁵ Then the seventh angel trumpeted, and there were loud voices in heaven saying,

¹⁶ And the twenty-four elders seated on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, ¹⁷ saying,

¹⁹ Then the Temple of God in heaven was opened, and the Ark of His Covenant appeared in His Temple. And there were flashes of lightning and rumblings and clashes of thunder and an earthquake and heavy hail.^[s]