PART 17 A

ENTRY INTO YERUSHALAYIM

When Yeshua came near Yerushalayim to Beit-Phagey, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples, telling them to: "Go into the nearby village and as you are entering you will find a donkey and her colt tied there, which has never been sat on. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone asks you, 'Why did you untie them?' you are to tell them, 'Because YHVH needs them.'" This all was done so the scripture might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, "Tell the daughter of Tzyon, 'Look, your King comes to you humble and riding on a donkey and upon a colt, the foal of the donkey.'" The disciples went and found them just as Yeshua had described. As they were untying the animals, the owners of them asked, "Why do you untie them?" “YHVH needs them," they answered. So they brought the donkey and colt to Yeshua and put their tallits [prayer shawls] upon them. Then Yeshua sat on them. As He rode, a large crowd of people spread their tallits on the path and others cut branches from the trees and put them on the path. When Yeshua came near to the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to celebrate and loudly praise Elohim for all the mighty works which they had seen. They cried out, "Hoshanna Ben David [Save us son of David]! Baruch Melech haba b'hashem Adonai [Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of YHVH]! Shalom b'shamayim v'kavod l'ha'Elyon [Peace in Heaven and glory to the Most High]”. Some of the P'rushim in the crowd said to Yeshua, "Rabbi, rebuke your disciples." "I tell you," He warned, "that if these kept quiet, the stones would immediately cry out." {This all happened on the 10th of Abib/Nisan, when Yisrael was commanded that each household was to take a lamb into their home in preparation for Pesach. Therefore, Yeshua came to Yerushalayim to be the received Lamb.} When He was very near; He beheld the city and wept over it, saying, "This is your day. If you had only known what would bring you peace! Now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come to you that your enemies will bring a siege against you and circle around you and hem you in on every side. They will pull you down to the ground and your children within you and they will not leave one of your stones stacked on another, because you did not know the time of your visitation." Yeshua entered into Yerushalayim and into the Mikdash [Holy Temple]. The entire city was excited, saying, "Who is this?" Many people answered, "This is the Prophet Yeshua, from Natzeret in the Galil." Yeshua looked around at everything. Afterward it was evening, so He went out to Beit-Ani again with the twelve. {This closed the first day in Yerushalayim.}

FIG TREE CURSED

The next day, as they returned from Beit-Ani, He was hungry. Seeing a fig tree with leaves far away, He came to it seeking to find fruit on it. But when He arrived He found nothing but leaves, for it was not yet time for figs. "No one will eat fruit from you from now on, forever," Yeshua said, speaking to the tree and His disciples overheard it.

SECOND CLEANSING OF THE MIKDASH

After entering Yerushalayim, Yeshua went into the Mikdash and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the Mikdash. He turned over the tables of those who exchanged money along with the seats of those who sold doves. He would not allow any man to carry a vessel through the Mikdash. Then He began to teach them, "Isn't it written, 'My house will be called by all the nations the Beit Tephillah [House of Prayer]? But you have turned it into a den of thieves." The blind and the lame came to Yeshua in the Mikdash and He healed them. When some chief Kohenim and Soferim saw the wonderful things He did and the children crying in the Mikdash, "Hoshanna Ben David [Save us son of David]!" they were extremely displeased. They said to Him, "Do you hear what they are speaking?” "Yes," Yeshua answered. "Haven't you ever read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and infants You have perfected praise?'" These Soferim and chief Kohenim and other principle men of the city sought for a way to destroy Him. But, they could not figure out a way, because all the people were amazed at His teachings and crowded around Him and they feared Him. When evening came He left the city and went out to Beit-Ani again and lodged there. {This closed the second day in Yerushalayim.}

FIG TREE SHRIVELED

In the morning, as they walked the same path {to Yerushalayim}, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. Kefa remembering what He had done said, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered away." "Trust in Elohim," Yeshua said. "Amen! I tell you, whoever will say to this mountain, 'Move from here and be thrown into the sea' and will not doubt in his heart, but will trust that those things he speaks will happen; he will have whatever he speaks. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you seek when you pray {in the way I have taught you to pray} trust that you will receive and you will receive. But when you stand praying, {you must} forgive if you have anything against anyone. Through this your Father in Heaven can forgive you your trespasses. However, if you do not forgive, your Father in Heaven will not forgive your trespasses."

YESHUA'S AUTHORITY CHALLENGED

They came to Yerushalayim again and as He was walking in the Mikdash, chief Kohanim, Soferim and Zakenim asked Him, "By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?" "I will ask you one question first," Yeshua said. "Answer Me and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. The mikveh of Yochanan, was it from Heaven or from mankind? Answer me." They reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say 'from Heaven,' He will say, 'why then did you not trust him?' But if we say 'from mankind,' well, the people do not accept this." They feared the people, for all counted Yochanan was a surely a prophet. So they answered Yeshua, "We cannot tell." "Then neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." said Yeshua.

WARNINGS NOT TO REJECT HIM

He began to speak to them in parables. "A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, 'Son, go work in my vineyard today.' The son answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he did t'shuvah, then he went. The man came to the second son and said the same thing. The second son answered and said, 'I will go, adon,' but he didn't. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They answered, "The first one." Yeshua said to them, "Amen! I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes will go into the Kingdom of Elohim before you. For Yochanan came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not trust him. Yet, the tax collectors and the prostitutes trusted him. But when you saw {my miraculous deeds}, you did not do t'shuvah and afterward show your trust in him. A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it. He dug a place for the wine to flow and built a tower. He rented it out to farmers and then went into a far country. At the season he sent to the farmers a servant, in order to receive the fruit of the vineyard from the farmers. But the farmers arrested him and beat him up, then sent him away without anything. So again the owner sent them another servant. The farmers threw stones at him and wounded him in the head, then sent him away in shame. Again the owner sent a servant and they killed him. Again and again he sent them, but they beat up some and killed some. The owner had one son, his well beloved, so he sent him as the last resort to them, thinking, 'They will reverence my son.' But the farmers said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and then the inheritance will be ours.' They took him and killed him, then threw him out of the vineyard. Therefore, what will the adon of that vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers and will give the vineyard to others. Have you never read this scripture? 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is performed by YHVH and it is wonderful in our eyes?'" Then they sought to arrest Yeshua, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. But, they feared the people, so they left Him.