For All of Your Generations Forever
By
James Scott Trimm

In studying the so-called New Testament we must ask ourselves “can you get here from there?” (“there” being the Tanak (Old Testament)). If we understand something in the so-called New Testament in such a way that it contradicts the Tanak, then we must be misunderstanding it. Now there are many who understand many New Testament passages in such a way as to believe and teach that the Torah has been abolished. Let us be like noble Bereans and let us look in the Tanak to see if this is so (Acts 17:11). After all Paul tells us that the Tanak is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, [and] for instruction” (2Tim. 3:16). So what does the Tanak say? Was the Torah to be for all generations, forever? or would it one day be abolished? If the Torah would one day be abolished, then we should be able to find this taught in the Tanak. As Noble Bereans we should be checking to see if the things we have been taught can be found in the Tanak. By contrast, if the Torah would not be abolished, but would be for all generations forever, then we should be able to find that information in the Torah as well. Since the Tanak is profitable for doctrine and correction, perhaps we can seek the truth on this issue from the Tanak:

“…it shall be a statute forever to their generations…” (Exodus 27:21)

“…it shall be a statute forever to him and his seed after him.” (Exodus 28:43)

“…a statute forever…” (Exodus 29:28)

“…it shall be a statute forever to them, to him and to his seed throughout their generations.” (Exodus 30:21)

“It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever.” (Exodus 31:17)

There is no shortage of passages in the Torah which specify that the Torah will not be abolished but will be for all generations forever. (For more see: Leviticus 6:18, 22; 7:34, 36; 10:9, 15; 17:7; 23:14, 21, 41; 24:3; Numbers 10:8; 15:15; 18:8, 11, 19, 23; 19:10 and Deuteronomy 5:29)

Moreover the Psalmist writes:

Your word is truth from the beginning:
and every one of your righteous judgements endures forever.
(Psalm 119:160)

Furthermore the Tanak tells us that the Torah is not to be changed or taken away from:

You shall not add to the word which I command you,
neither shall you diminish a thing from it,
that you may keep the commandments of YHWH your God which I command you.
(Deuteronomy 4:2)

Whatever thing I command you, observe to do it:
you shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
(Deuteronomy 13:1(12:32))

So if we are “Noble Bereans” we will find that the Tanak teaches that the Torah will not be abolished but will endure for all generations forever. This teaching from the Tanak is profitable to us for doctrine, for reproval and for correction.

The Messiah echoes this teaching:

Do not think that I have come to destroy the Torah or the Prophets.
I have not come to destroy but to fulfill.
For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away,
one yud or one mark will by no means pass from the Torah till all is fulfilled.
Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments,
and teaches men so, he will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven;
but whoever does and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
(Matthew 5:17-19 see also Luke 16:17)

As does Paul:

Do we then abolish the Torah through trust?
Absolutely not! We uphold the Torah!
(Romans 3:31)

Despite the fact that David was saved by faith alone (Romans 4:5-8) he loved the Torah and delighted in it (Psalm 119: 97, 113, 163). Paul also delighted in the Torah (Romans 7:22) and called it “holy, just and good.” (Romans 7:12). There is nothing wrong with the Torah that Elohim should want to abolish or destroy it, in fact both the Tenach and the New Scriptures call the Torah “perfect” (Psalm 19:7; James 1:25).

The Torah is even called in the so-called New Testament “the Torah of Messiah” (Galatians 6:2). To say that the Torah was not forever and is not for all generations, is to call Elohim a liar.

ANTI-TORAH TEACHERS ARE ALWAYS FALSE PROPHETS

Now let us return to Deuteronomy 13:1(12:32):

Whatever thing I command you,
observe to do it: you shall not add thereto,
nor diminish from it.”
(Deuteronomy 13:1(12:32))

If we look at this passage in context, we can learn a great deal:

1 (12:32) All this word which I command you, that shall you observe to do; you shall not add thereto nor diminish from it.
2 (13:1) If there arise in the midst of you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give you a sign or a wonder,
3 (13:2) And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spoke unto you, saying, Let us go after other gods which you have not known, and let us serve them …
4 (13:3) You shall not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or unto that dreamer of dreams. For YHWH your Elohim puts you to proof, to know whether you do love YHWH your Elohim, with all your heart and with all your soul.
5 (13:4) After YHWH your Elohim shall you walk, and Him shall you fear, and His commandments shall you keep, and unto His voice shall you hearken, and Him shall you serve, and unto Him shall you cleave.
6 (13:5) And that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken perversion against YHWH your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to draw you aside out of the way which YHWH your Elohim commanded you to walk in. So shall you put away the evil
from the midst of you.
(Deut. 13:1-6 (12:32-13:5) HRV)

You may notice there is a difference between the chapter and verse divisions in the original Hebrew (and Jewish editions) and in Christian translations of this text. The Christian translations have moved the chapter division so that it separates 13:1 from 13:2-6 when in fact Deut. 13:2-6 carries forward the thought presented in Deut. 13:1.

The text of this passage tells us that after the Torah was given to Moses, anyone who would come along later and diminish from the Torah telling us not to keep any of His commandments, must be rejected as a false prophet, even if they make prophecies that come true with 100 percent accuracy and even if they perform signs wonders and miracles.

If you could prove that either Yeshua and/or Paul taught that any of the other 613 commandments of the Torah should no longer bo observed, you would not be proving that the Torah should no longer be observed, you would only be proving that Yeshua and/or Paul were false prophets.

Of course neither Yeshua nor Paul were false prophets, because neither of them ever taught that any commandment of the Torah should no longer be observed.

The Torah is for all generations forever and every one of its commandments will endure forever.

 

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