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Yeshua (Jesus) spoke of the blind leading the blind into a ditch (Matthew 15:14; Luke 6:39). Many people believe that the ditch is hell, but this is not the case. When someone falls into a ditch, it is something that they can get themselves out of. When a person is sentenced to hell, there is no escape. This video will clarify what Yeshua (Jesus) meant by falling into this ditch and how to avoid doing so.

ditch:
A ditch is a long, narrow channel cut into the ground at the side of a road or field.[i]

HEBREWS 9:27 (NKJV):
It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

It has been taught for millennia, and many believe that when a person dies, he or she is immediately judged to heaven or hell. Scripture declares that for most people, this is not the case at all. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) is not a literal account and should not be used to overturn scores of verses that proclaim that the dead are resting in peace, their souls are asleep, and are awaiting the resurrection. The dead know nothing and do not praise YHWH (the Lord), nor do they sense the passage of time (Ecclesiastes 9:5; Psalm 115:17).
The initial judgment, for most people, is whether a person is deemed worthy to be a first fruit saint, an inheritor of the kingdom of God, or not. Those who do not receive the kingdom of God as an inheritance will spend 1,000 years in the ditch (grave), missing out on the Millennial Kingdom reign of Yeshua (Jesus).

DANIEL 12:2 (NKJV):
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.

ISAIAH 26:13-14:
O YHWH (Lord) our God, masters besides You have had dominion over us; but by You only we make mention of Your name. They are dead, they will not live; they are deceased, they will not rise. Therefore you have punished and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.

There are four classifications of the dead:

1. Those who will awake to everlasting life.
2. Those who will awake to shame, repent, and will be granted everlasting life.
3. Those who will awake to shame, but will not repent, and will receive
everlasting contempt and perish in hell.
4. Those who will not rise, as these were so wicked that they have already been
judged to hell (everlasting death).

One such person who we can know will not rise from the grave is Judas Iscariot.

MATTHEW 26:24 (NKJV):
“The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”

THE FIRST-FRUIT SAINTS WHO INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Those who awake to everlasting life are the first-fruit saints of the kingdom of God.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:20-23 (NKJV) [WITH INTERPRETATION]:
But now Messiah (Christ) is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep [DIED]. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Messiah (Christ) all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Messiah (Christ), the first fruits, afterward those who are Messiah’s (Christ’s) at His coming.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:42-44,51-52 (NKJV) [WITH INTERPRETATION]:
So also is the resurrection of the [RIGHTEOUS] dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.  It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.  It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. …
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We [BELIEVERS] shall not all sleep [DIE], but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the [RIGHTEOUS] dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

To find the way that leads to eternal life, a person must search for it. Far too many people aren’t searching for the way that leads to eternal life and are content to be led by blind guides in various denominational churches.

MATTHEW 7:7-8 (BSB):
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

THE NARROW AND THE WIDE GATES

The first-fruit saints are those who enter the kingdom of heaven by the narrow gate.

MATTHEW 7:13-14 (NKJV):
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

What is the narrow gate that leads to eternal life? The answer is simple, yet eludes many who possess the Scriptures, Jews and Christians, who have difficulty finding the narrow gate that leads to eternal life. The narrow gate that leads to eternal life is believing in Yeshua (Jesus) for salvation and obeying God’s commandments for righteousness, to be acceptable to God.

REVELATION 14:12 (NKJV):
Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Yeshua (Jesus).

Judaism emphasizes keeping the Ten Commandments and all the laws of the Torah, but rejects Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah and Savior.

JOHN 14:6 (NKJV) [WITH COMMENTARY AND INTERPRETATION]:
Yeshua (Jesus) said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one [INCLUDING THE JEW] comes to [GOD] the Father except through Me.”

Catholicism, Protestantism, and mainstream Christianity emphasize that belief in Jesus alone is sufficient for salvation and that the laws of the Torah and God’s feasts have been abolished. Catholicism, Protestantism, and mainstream Christianity also honor Sunday, the first day of the week, as the Sabbath day and have replaced God’s feasts with Christian-adapted pagan holidays.

1 JOHN 2:3-6 (NKJV):
Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Mainstream Christianity proclaims that Jesus kept the law, so that we don’t have to. This stands in stark contradiction to 1 John 2:6, which states that believers should walk (live) just as Yeshua (Jesus) walked (lived). Yeshua (Jesus) kept the commandments of God, the laws of Torah, all of them, and so should those who proclaim to believe in Him.

Yeshua (Jesus) came as the Messiah to live a perfect life and die to atone for the sins of mankind, so that we who believe in Him and live according to His commandments may have eternal life.

There are many warnings given throughout Scripture as to which sins will keep a person from inheriting the kingdom of God.

1 CORINTHIANS 6:9-10 (NKJV):
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous (greedy of gain), nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

GALATIANS 5:19-21 (NKJV):
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, drug sorcery, hatred, quarrels, jealousies, fits of rage, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

EPHESIANS 5:5 (NKJV):
For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Messiah (Christ) and God.

THE 1,000-YEAR DITCH

MATTHEW 15:14 (NKJV):
“Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

LUKE 6:39 (NKJV):
And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?”

When Yeshua (Jesus) spoke of the blind falling into a ditch, He was not referring to hell. When a person is sentenced to hell, there is no escape from it. If a person falls into a ditch, they can climb out of it and come to understand the error that caused them to fall into the ditch in the first place. The same applies to many Catholic, Protestant, and mainstream Christian believers, who will fall into the 1,000-year ditch, representing their time in the grave and missing out on the Millennial Kingdom reign of Yeshua (Jesus). Upon emerging from this 1,000-year ditch, the people of the second resurrection will have one last chance to repent, obey God’s commandments, and worship God in spirit and truth.

THE PEOPLE OF THE SECOND RESURRECTION, THOSE WHO SPENT 1,000 YEARS IN THE DITCH (GRAVE), WILL BE AFFORDED ONE FINAL PERIOD TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD AFTER THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM REIGN OF YESHUA (JESUS)

Those who are part of the second resurrection and awaken to shame, then afterward repent and live according to God’s commandments, will be granted entry into the kingdom of God and receive everlasting life.

REVELATION 20:5 (NKJV) [WITH INTERPRETATION]:
But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years [MILLENNIAL KINGDOM REIGN OF YESHUA (JESUS)] were finished.

When the rest of the dead, those of the second resurrection, attempt to enter the kingdom of heaven, many will be initially turned away by Yeshua (Jesus).

MATTHEW 7:21-23 (NKJV) [WITH INTERPRETATION]:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will [OBEYS THE COMMANDMENTS] of My Father in heaven. Many [CHRISTIANS] will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your [JESUS’] name, cast out demons in Your [JESUS’] name, and done many wonders in Your [JESUS’] name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you [CHRISTIANS] who practice lawlessness!’

1 JOHN 3:4 (NKJV – Condensed):
Sin is lawlessness.

Many people, including professing Christians, will not inherit the kingdom of God as first-fruit saints. Many Catholics, Protestants, and mainstream Christians, even those who prophesy, cast out demons, and do many wonders in the name of Jesus, will not inherit the kingdom of heaven, according to Matthew 7:21-23.

This does not mean that all Christians will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. God knows the heart of every believer. God will be gracious and have mercy and compassion on whomever He chooses (Exodus 33:19; Romans 9:15).

While Yeshua (Jesus) tells many of the second resurrection to depart from Him, He is not sentencing them to hell. He is giving them one final chance, one final season, to repent and live according to God’s commandments.

THE PARABLE OF THE BARREN FIG TREE

LUKE 13:6-9 (NKJV):
He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it  use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ”

The man with the fig tree planted in his vineyard represents Yeshua (Jesus).

The keeper of the vineyard represents the first fruit, righteous saints.

The barren fig tree represents professing believers of Yeshua (Jesus) and others of the second resurrection, who have not obeyed His commandments, and thus they bear no fruits of righteousness (Matthew 7:23; Luke 6:46; 1 John 2:3-4).

The three years represent a person’s lifespan, let’s say 75 years, and the one additional year that is afforded the fig tree to bear fruit, the people of the second resurrection to repent and bear fruits of righteousness, is approximately 25 years.

The keeper of the vineyard who digs around and fertilizes the barren fig tree represents the first fruit saints ministering to the people of the second resurrection who were turned away from entering the kingdom of heaven. It will be the job of the first fruit saints to minister to those of the second resurrection about how to live righteously according to God’s commandments, to be acceptable to God, and to be able to enter the kingdom of heaven and receive eternal life.

As Moses once pleaded with YHWH (the Lord) to spare his Hebrew brethren from annihilation (Exodus 32:11-14), it will be the righteous saints of the first resurrection who will plead with Yeshua (Jesus) to have one more period to reform the people of the second resurrection.

GOD’S PEOPLE, FOR HAVING FORGOTTEN GOD’S LAWS, ARE REJECTED

HOSEA 4:6 (NKJV) [WITH INTERPRETATION]:
My people [CHRISTIANS] are destroyed for lack of knowledge [OF MY COMMANDMENTS]. Because you have rejected knowledge [THE TORAH (LAW)], I also will reject you from being priest for Me [IN MY MILLENNIAL KINGDOM]; Because you have forgotten the law [COMMANDMENTS] of your God, I also will

PRIESTS OF THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM AND BEYOND

PROVERBS 11:30 (NKJV):
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

DANIEL 12:3 (NIV):
Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

REVELATION 2:26 (NKJV) [WITH INTERPRETATION]:
He who overcomes [SIN], and keeps My works until the end [OF THE AGE], to him I will give power over the nations—

Unlike during the age of man’s rule, an age of sin and lawlessness, when Yeshua (Jesus) commanded us to go out as sheep among wolves (Matthew 10:16), the first fruit saints will be given supernatural powers to rule over the nations with power granted to them by Yeshua (Jesus) (Revelation 2:26).

When those of the second resurrection come to realize the lies of their false Catholic, Protestant, and mainstream Christian teachers, many will acknowledge their errors as lies, worthlessness, and unprofitable things.

JEREMIAH 16:19 (NKJV) [WITH INTERPRETATION]:
The Gentiles [CATHOLICS, PROTESTANTS, MAINSTREAM CHRISTIANS] shall come to You from the ends of the earth and say, “Surely our [CHURCH] fathers have inherited lies, worthlessness and unprofitable things.”

YESHUA (JESUS) TAKES NO PLEASURE IN THE DEATH OF THE WICKED AND WILL GIVE FALLEN HUMANITY EVERY CHANCE TO REPENT AND LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY

EZEKIEL 33:11 (NKJV):
“As I live,” says YHWH (the Lord) God, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die…?”

THE LESSON OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS, ALSO KNOWN AS ‘DOUBTING THOMAS’

JOHN 20:24-29 (NKJV):
Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Yeshua (Jesus) came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Yeshua (Jesus) came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
Yeshua (Jesus) said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Many will not give up their church traditions and falsehoods, even when shown the truth from Scripture, and will not believe in the unchanging word of God until they see the kingdom of God on Earth and are excluded from it.

Why? The First Commandment.

EXODUS 20:2-3 (NKJV – Condensed):
“I am YHWH (the Lord) your God. … You shall have no other gods before Me.”

Many are content to remain with their churches and teachings, even when they are shown to be false through Scripture. They trust their church, minister, priest, or reverend, rather than the word of God. When people place their denominational church doctrines, teachings, and traditions, which are contrary to the word of God as recorded in the Scriptures, before God, they are breaking the First Commandment by placing others before Him.

PSALM 118:8 (NKJV):
It is better to trust in YHWH (the Lord) than to put confidence in man.

Blessed are those who believe in the unchangeable Holy Scriptures and are not misled by blind guides whose teachings and practices contradict the word of God.

THE UNREPENTANT

REVELATION 22:14-15 (NKJV):
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

Even after Yeshua (Jesus) returns to Earth to establish His Millennial Kingdom, there will be some who refuse to repent and will remain living lives of sin outside of the kingdom. The destiny of the unrepentant, who will not be found written in the Book of Life, is to be cast into the lake of fire and perish in the second death (Revelation 20:15, 21:8).

MARK 6:4 (NLT):
Then Yeshua (Jesus) told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own relatives and in his own family.”

A final note to Messianic and Hebrew Roots believers of this age, who have, in extreme frustration, attempted to reason, through Scripture, with family and friends who are blinded by Catholic, Protestant, and mainstream Christian teachings. When you’ve done all you can do to teach the word of God and spare them from the false teachings that they have accepted as truth, Yeshua (Jesus) said, “Let them alone.” – Matthew 5:14. In other words, do not waste a lot of your time and energy on people, even relatives, who are not receptive to the word of God during this age.

In the age to come, the true believers of God, those who worship Him in spirit and truth, will not be marginalized by organized religion and the traditions of men, but will be priests empowered by God to rule over the nations and over all those who were rejected from inheriting the kingdom of God. It will be the job of the first fruit saints, those who inherit the kingdom of God, to be priests and minister to those who are outside of the kingdom; to be fishers of men for one big final catch.

[i] Collins Dictionary, https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/ditch#google_vignette