In Nazarene Israel we explain how the house of Israel (Ephraim) went into spiritual captivity in the Assyrian Dispersion, but how one day they would return. Amos also prophesies of this. Amos tells us that the rebels of Yahweh’s people will be utterly destroyed (in the Great Tribulation), and yet at the same time, Yahweh will sift with a sieve among all the nations, such that not even the smallest grain (i.e., not the least of the Ephraimites) will fall to the ground. Yahweh will bring Ephraim back to His land, to dwell in it forever. But what we need to see here is that the way Yahweh plans to bring this sifting about is by re-establishing the Tabernacle of David. Here is how the New King James Version reads, with the set-apart names corrected.

Amos 9:9-12
9 “For surely I will command, And will sift the house of Israel among all nations, As grain is sifted in a sieve; Yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.
10 All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, Who say, ‘The calamity shall not overtake nor confront us.’
11 “On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old;
12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,” Says Yahweh who does this thing.”

There is an important discrepancy in verse 12. This is because while most mainstream versions are generally accurate (with the exception of the set-apart names), there are some errors, or suspected errors. And many of these errors have to do with the fact that these mainline versions translate their Older Covenant sections directly from the Hebrew Masoretic Text, assuming that it is the original. However, while many Orthodox Jews will claim that the Hebrew Masoretic Text is the original, the truth is that it is not. It is merely the best that we have.

Even the name Masoretic Text belies the fact that there are alterations to the text, because the term Masoretic comes from the Hebrew word Masorah, which means “tradition.” Thus, the Hebrew Masoretic Text is literally the Traditionalist Hebrew text. Further, Yeshua spoke out against the scribes (Karaites) and the Pharisees for the fact that their traditions make void the word of Elohim.

Mattityahu (Matthew) 15:3
3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of Elohim because of your tradition?”

The reason we have a Traditionalist Hebrew Text is that as good as the Jewish scribal techniques are, over the centuries, errors crept into the text. For that reason, in the Middle Ages there were a number of different texts, and a group of Karaite (Sadducee) scribes called the Masoretes undertook to standardize the text. And, as one might expect, while they were standardizing it, they standardized it to fit their tradition (i.e., to their liking).

The Masoretes also added a system of vowel points, which did not exist in written form before the Middle Ages. (For example, there are no vowel points in the Dead Sea Scrolls.) The reason this matters is that in Hebrew (as in other languages), if you add vowels, or change the vowels, you change the meaning of the words—and when you change the word meanings, you change the meaning of Scripture. This may be why Yahweh says that the scribes (Karaites) and the wise men have rejected His word.

Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 8:8-9
8 “How can you say, ‘We are wise, And the Torah of Yahweh is with us’? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood.
9 The wise men are ashamed, They are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of Yahweh; So what wisdom do they have?”

History records that there were other alterations prior to the Masoretes. (Those interested can search for the 134 Emendations of the Sopherim, and the 18 Emendations of the Sopherim). But what we need to see here is that Amos tells us that the reason Yahweh is raising the Tabernacle of David back up is so the house of Israel can possess the remnant of Edom (i.e., Esau), and all of the Gentiles who call upon His name. Except, this reads very differently than how it is quoted in Acts 15:14-17. Acts 15:14-17 says that the reason Yahweh will raise the Tabernacle of David back up is so that the rest of MANKIND can seek Yahweh.

Ma’asei (Acts) 15:14-17
14 “Simon has declared how Elohim at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.
15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
16 ‘After! this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up;
17 So that the rest of mankind may seek Yahweh, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says Yahweh who does all these things.’”

In Hebrew, the difference between Edom (אֱדוֹם) and Adam or mankind (אָדָם) is essentially the written vowels (which were only written down after Amos’ time). Yet if it is Adam and not Edom, the difference is huge.

In that light, we should also point out that the LXX or Septuagint was an official translation of the Tanach into Greek. It was commissioned by the rabbis a few hundred years before Yeshua’s arrival. In Amos 9:12 it uses the word anthropon, which means “mankind.”

Amos tells us in verse 9:9 that Yahweh’s purpose in setting the Tabernacle of David back up is to sift the house of Israel (Ephraim) out of all nations, as grain is sifted with a sieve.

Amos 9:9-12
9 “For surely I will command, And will sift the house of Israel among all nations, As grain is sifted in a sieve; Yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.
10 All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, Who say, ‘The calamity shall not overtake nor confront us.’
11 “On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old;
12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom [i.e., Adam], And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,” Says Yahweh who does this thing.”

Because of this, it makes sense that verse 12 should read “remnant of mankind” (i.e., Adam), rather than just the remnant of Edom (Esau), since the objective is to possess the remnant of all mankind.

Why a Tabernacle of David?

In earlier chapters we saw that King David was not a Levite, but a Jew, and that he may also have been born out of wedlock. Because of this, there was no way that he or his sons would have served as cohenim (priests, ministers) in the Levitical tabernacle. However, King David and his sons could officiate in the Tabernacle of David, because it was of the Melchizedekian order.

Shemuel Bet (2 Samuel) 8:18
18 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were cohenim [כֹּהֲנִים].

This is why the Tabernacle of David was important: just as David and his sons were able to serve as priests [cohenim] after the order of Melchizedek, so too would King David’s descendant Yeshua the Messiah be able to serve as (the High) Priest.

Tehillim (Psalms) 110:4
4 Yahweh has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

Now let us consider that the rabbis consider Yeshua to have been born illegitimately, and they also consider the Ephraimites to be illegitimate at this point. For example, Babylonian Talmud Tractate Yebamot 17a tells us that when the Ephraimites went into Assyria, they did not move from Assyria until after they had begotten “strange children” (בנים זרים).

When I mentioned the matter in the presence of Samuel he said to me, they [the Ephraimites] did not move from there until they [the Jewish sages] had declared them [the Ephraimites] to be perfect heathens; as it is said in the Scriptures, They have dealt treacherously against the Lord [sic], for they have begotten strange children [בנים זרים].
[Talmud Tractate Yebamot 17A, Soncino]

In Hebrew the phrase “strange children” is “b’nim zarim” (בנים זרים). This term “zarim” (strange) is related to the Hebrew word for a bastard, which is a “mamzer” (מַמְזֵר), as we saw in the chapter on King David. Yet from at least one perspective, Ephraim’s children truly are illegitimate at this point, seeing as Ephraim has been put away (whereas Judah is at least technically still married to Yahweh).

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 54:1
1 “Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate [Ephraim] Than the children of the married woman [Judah],” says Yahweh.

Notice also the thematic relation to the fact that Yahweh told Hoshea (Hosea) to take a harlot for a wife, so that he could have children of harlotry.

Hoshea (Hosea) 1:2
2 When Yahweh began to speak by Hoshea, Yahweh said to Hosea: “Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry And children of harlotry, For the land has committed great harlotry By departing from Yahweh.”

Ironically, the Orthodox consider Yeshua to be born out of wedlock, when instead He was born of the Spirit (just as we also seek to be born of His Spirit). Can we see the parallel?

In the Levitical tabernacle, only the High Priest could approach the Ark, and even then, only once a year, with blood. Yet in King David’s tabernacle, everyone was free to come before the Ark, which is symbolic of Yeshua (who dwells on the Mercy Seat).

It is also interesting that when Yeshua died, the veil of the second temple (which separated the Set-apart Place from the Most Set-apart Place) was torn in two from top to bottom, leaving the temple (as it were), a kind of giant tabernacle of David, without separation between the places.

Mattityahu (Matthew) 27:50-51
50 And Yeshua cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split….

Further, the Babylonian Talmud records that during the last 40 years before the destruction of the temple (from Yeshua’s death circa 30 CE to the destruction of the temple in 70 CE) the doors of the temple would open on their own, as if signaling that Yahweh wanted to remove any barriers and obstacles between Himself and the people.

Our Rabbis taught: During the last forty years before the destruction of the Temple the lot [For the Lord (sic)] did not come up in the right hand; nor did the crimson-coloured strap become white; nor did the westernmost light shine; and the doors of the Hekal [Temple] would open by themselves, until R. Johanan b. Zakkai rebuked them, saying: Hekal, Hekal, why wilt thou be the alarmer thyself?
[Babylonian Talmud Tractate Yoma 39b]

A Place of Praise and Worship

There still had to be a priesthood in David’s tent, but the people were free to enter the tent and offer praise and worship directly before the Ark (which symbolizes Yeshua).

Tehillim (Psalms) 27:6
6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Yahweh.

There was also all manner of musical instruments.

Tehillim (Psalms) 150:1-6
1 Praise Yahweh! Praise Elohim in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
2 Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
3 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp!
4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
5 Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
6 Let everything that has breath praise Yahweh. Praise Yahweh!

Many of the Psalms were written for the Tabernacle of David. Because the service focused on praise and worship, the Spirit was more joyful there.

In King David’s tabernacle, the people offered sacrifices of joy (Psalms 27:6, above). Further, they clapped their hands and shouted.

Tehillim (Psalms) 47:1
1 Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to Elohim with the voice of triumph!

They lifted their hands in worship in the sanctuary, and blessed Yahweh.

Tehillim (Psalms) 134:2
2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless Yahweh.

They also danced.

Tehillim (Psalms) 149:3
3 Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.

And because these things were appropriate in David’s tabernacle, they are also appropriate in our services.

Gathering the Gentile Ephraimites

Many of the Psalms were written for David’s tent, and the psalmists also mention how the gentiles would come into the Kingdom of Elohim, since there was no more separation between the Ark of Elohim and mankind. Here are two examples:

Tehillim (Psalms) 18:49
49 Therefore I will give thanks to You, Yahweh, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name.

Tehillim (Psalms) 117:1
1 Praise Yahweh, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!

Psalms 47:8-9 also mentions the princes of the people of the Elohim of Avraham gathering together. Because this is in the plural, it speaks of more than one nation being gathered before Him.

Tehillim (Psalms) 47:8-9
8 Elohim reigns over the nations; Elohim sits on His set-apart throne.
9 The princes of the people have gathered together, The people of the Elohim of Avraham. For the shields of the earth belong to Elohim; He is greatly exalted.

And because more than one nation can be gathered before Him, this means the Tabernacle of David (i.e., Yeshua’s body, Nazarene Israel) will grow until it has reached all four corners of the earth. And then, Isaiah tells us that the Messiah will rule over all the earth, from David’s tent (i.e., Nazarene Israel).

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 16:5
5 “In mercy the throne will be established; And One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, Judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness.”

And as we have seen in many other places, when the Scriptures speak of the Messiah ruling and reigning over the earth, what this really means is that we as Yeshua’s body will be doing the ruling and reigning for Him. This is because after Trumpet 7, when Babylon falls, the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High (i.e., Nazarene Israel)—and yet this still qualifies as all people serving and obeying Him.

Daniel 7:27
27 “Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.”

What this means is that our focus should be on setting the Tabernacle of David back up, so that the rest of mankind has a place to go where they can seek Yahweh, even all of the returning Gentile Ephraimites who are called by His name, in order to please Yahweh.

Ma’asei (Acts) 15:14-17
14 “Simon has declared how Elohim at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.
15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
16 ‘After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up;
17 So that the rest of mankind may seek Yahweh, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says Yahweh who does all these things.’”

We can do this by focusing on the Great Commission and the Fivefold Ministry. If we will spread Yeshua’s true worship to the four corners of the earth in joy and in love, then we and our children will eventually rule and reign for our King, as His body. And the peoples can be brought to the faith through joyful praise and worship, and Hebraic song and dance. And along the way they will learn how to keep the Torah.

After Armageddon and the Ingathering, the order of Melchizedek will be merged with the Levitical order (Isaiah 66:20-21), and Ezekiel’s temple will be built (Ezekiel 45-46). Interestingly, the sacrificial law for Ezekiel’s temple will be slightly different than the sacrificial law for the Tabernacle of Moshe, although the precepts will remain the same. But right now, those things are future concerns. Right now our job is not only to survive the coming New World Order and the Great Tribulation, but also to expand Yeshua’s kingdom in the process. And this we can do by following the principles of the Tabernacle of David.