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**beseder** · 11-10-2003, 12:25 PM

continued

26.

Matt 6:1-4 ... do not your alms before men, to be seen of them ...
Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 17b - Don't do good deeds to be noticed.

Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 9b - He who gives alms in secret is greater than Moses

Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 10b - The greatest form of charity is when you give and do not know to whom you give, and the recipient takes and does not know from whom he takes.

27.

Matt 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions

Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 55a - One who prays too intensely and too lengthily brings on himself heartache.

28.
Matt 6:9-13 "The Lord's Prayer"

a. Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Our Father who art in heaven (Babylonian Talmud; Yoma 85b, Sotah 49b, Avot 5:20; Vayikra Rabbah ch 32.)

b. Thy kingdom come,

May God's kingdom be established during the days of your life. (Kaddish prayer)

c. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.

Do thy will above and give comfort to those below, and to everyone his need. (Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 29b)

d. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

One who is merciful toward others, God will be merciful toward them. (Babylonian Talmud, Shabat 151b)
e. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

Bring me not into temptation, and lead me away from iniquity ... and save me from the evil one. (Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 80b)

f. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

For Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty (Tanakh, 1 Chronicles 29:10)

29.

Matthew 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses ...

Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 17a - Only if you forgive others will God forgive you.

Babylonian Talmud, Shabat 151b - One who is merciful toward others, God will be merciful toward him

30.

Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth ...

Jerusalem Talmud, Pe'ah 15b - It happened that manobaz had squandered his father's wealth to charity. His brothers admonished him: "Your father gathered treasure and you wasted it all!" He replied: "My father laid up treasure where human hands control it; I laid it up where no hands control it. My father laid up a treasure of money; I laid up a treasure of souls. My father laid up treasure for this world; I laid up treasure for the heavenly world."

31.

Matthew 6:25-31 Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat ...

Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 48b - He who has what to eat today, and says, "What shall I eat on the morrow?" has little faith.

32.

Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow ...
Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 9b - Each day has enough of its own troubles.

33.

Matthew 7:1 Do not judge, or you too will be judged ...

As throughout this midrash, Yeshua's admonition is a reflection of Pharasaic opinion:

Babylonian Talmud, Avot 2:14 - Do not judge your fellow until you have been in his place.

Babylonian Talmud, Avot 4:10 - Do not be a judge of others, for there is no judge but the one (God).

34.

Matthew 7:2 ... with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again

This is the same standard as found in the Talmud:

Babylonian Talmud, Mishnah Sotah 1:7 - By a person's standard of measure, is he, too, measured.

Babylonian Talmud, Shabat 127b - How you judge others, does God judge you.

Sanhedrin 100a, attributes to Rabbi Meir the saying: "The measure which one measures will be measured out to him."
(Rabbi Meir was born after this statement was uttered by Y'shua)

35.

Matthew 7:3-5 Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye ...

Paul and James had similar messages about double standards:

Romans 2:21-23 - Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?

James 2:1-4 - My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
Again, Yeshua's words are a reflection of the teachings of the Pharisees:

Babylonian Talmud, Er'chin 16b - Rabbi Tarfon said, "I wonder if there be anyone in this era who will allow himself to be reproved. If someone says to another, 'Cast out the speck that is in your eye!' he will retort, Cast out first the beam that is in your own eye!'"

Babylonian Talmud, Kidushin 70a - He who condemns others, sees in them his own faults.

Babylonian Talmud, Bava Mezia 59a - Do not rebuke your fellow with your own blemish.

I'll be posting more soon

**beseder** · 11-10-2003, 01:30 PM

continued

36.
Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs
What is it that is "Holy" that we can misuse? The topic has not changed -- it is the Torah.

A similar sentiment is found in the Talmud:
Babylonian Talmud, Ket. 111a - R. Levi said: "God made Israel swear that they should not reveal the [Messianic] end, and should not reveal the secrets of [of the Torah] to the idolators."

37.
Matthew 7:12 Do to others what you would have them do to you ...

This time Yeshua is directly quoting Hillel, the grandfather of Gamliel, who taught Paul:

Babylonian Talmud, Shabat 31a - What is hateful to you, do it not unto others -- this is the entire Torah, and the rest is commentary.

38.
7:26 every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not ...

Yeshua concludes His midrash about the Torah (that began in Matthew 5:17-20) with a warning to those listening. His words about the house being knocked down, mirror those found in the Talmud, which equates "these sayings of mine," to the Torah:

Babylonian Talmud, Avot 3:17 - One who studies Torah but does not do good deeds is likened to one who builds with a foundation of straw, so that even a minor flow of water will destroy it.

39.
9:14 ... Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?

9:17 ... new cloth unto an old garment ... new wine into old bottles
There is a teaching in the Talmud that compares an experienced Torah teacher to a wineskin and his knowledgeable teaching to "old wine."

Mishna Avoth 4:20 - ... he who learns from the young, unto what is he [to be] compared? Unto one who eats unripe grapes, and drinks wine from his vat; and he who learns from the old, unto what is he [to be] compared? Unto one who eats ripe grapes, and drinks old wine. ... regard not the container but that which is therein: there is a new container full of old [wine], and an old [container] in which there is not even new [wine].

40.
10:21 ... brother shall deliver up the brother to death
The prophet Micah spoke of this in His day:

Micah 7:6 - For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.
The Talmud connects such family disloyalty to the time of Messiah:
Soncino Talmud 49b - In the footsteps of the messiah, insolence will increase and honour dwindle; the vine will yield its fruit [abundantly] but wine will be dear; the government will turn to heresy and there will be none [to offer them] reproof; the meeting-place [of scholars] will be used for immorality; galilee will be destroyed, gablan desolated, and the dwellers on the frontier will go about [begging] from place to place without anyone to take pity on them; the wisdom of the learned will degenerate, fearers of sin will be despised, and the truth will be lacking; youths will put old men to shame, the old will stand up in the presence of the young, a son will revile his father, a daughter will rise against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man's enemies will be the members of his household; the face of the generation will be like the face of a dog, a son will not feel ashamed before his father. So upon whom is it for us to rely? Upon our father who is in heaven.

41.

Matthew 11:5 - The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them

Isaiah 35:5-6 - Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

The key difference between these two Scriptures is the issue of "the dead being raised up." Isaiah does not mention this. Yet, in the scrolls found at Qumran, is one that relates the raising of the dead to the Messiah.

The Qumran Redemption and Ressurection scroll says of the Messiah:

4Q521 - For He will honor the pious upon the throne of His eternal kingdom, setting prisoners free, opening the eyes of the blind, raising up those who are bowed down ...
... and the Lord shall do glorious things which have not been done, just as He said. For He shall heal the critically wounded, He shall revive the dead, He shall send good news to the afflicted ...

42.
Matthew 11:14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.

Luke 1:17: And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Midrash Zuta, shir haShirim 2:8 - The voice of my beloved, behold it cometh (Songs 2;8). These are the voices which will come in the future before the Messiah ... For the door (of Redemption) will not be opened completely at once, but Elijah will come to one city and remain hidden to another, and will speak to one man and remain hidden to his neighbor ...

Seder 'Olam Rabba, ch. 17 - In the second year of (King) Ahazia, Elijah was hidden, and he will not be seen again until King Messiah comes. And then he will be seen but will be hidden a second time, and seen again only when Gog and Magog come.
This second section (above) is especially interesting, as Elijah comes with Messiah the first time and returns a second time at "Gog and Magog."

Yet we know that "Gog and Magog" is directly associated with Messiah, hence He must come twice as well:

Talmud, Mas. Avodah Zarah 3b - ... but when the battle of Gog-Magog will come about they will be asked, ‘For what purpose have you come?’ and they will reply: ‘Against God and His Messiah’

Soncino Zohar, Shemoth, Section 2,Page 57b - “Thy right hand, O Lord, glorified in power”, refers to this time, to this world; the words “Thy right hand will dash the enemy” to the time of the Messiah; “ln the fulness of thy majesty thou wilt overthrow thine opponents” to the time of Gog and Magog;

(See also: Talmud; Berachoth 10a, Shabbat 118a; Sanhedrin 94a; Leviticus Rabbah 30:5, Song of Songs Rabbah 4:20)

43.

Matthew 11:25 thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent ...

Talmud, Baba Batra 12a - Prophecy has been taken from the wise and given to the babes

44.
Matthew8:26 ... Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea

There is an interesting section found at Qumran, in a fragment that deals with a priest that is to appear in the future, whose righteousness brings light to his generation, but who also arouses fierce opposition (1):

4Q541 - The hid(den mysteries) he shall reveal (...) (for the one) who does not understand he shall write (...) the Great Sea shall be quiet because of him.

The Dead Sea Scrolls a New Translation, Wise, Abegg and Cook, 1996, HarperSanFrancisco, p. 260.

44.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
--Matthew 5:7

He who is merciful to others, shall receive mercy from Heaven.
--R. Gamaliel Beribbi, 3rd century C.E., Shabbat 151b

45.
Freely you receive, freely give.
--Matthew 10:8

Just as I teach gratuituously, so you should teach gratuitously.
--R. Judah, 299 C.E., Bekoroth 29a

46.

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
--Matthew 23:12

He who humbles himself for the Torah in this world is magnified in the next; and he who makes himself a servant to the Torah in this world becomes free in the next.
--R. Jeremiah, died 250 C.E., Baba Metzia 85b

47.
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the beam that is in your own eye?
--Matthew 7:3

Do they say, take the splinter out of your eye, he will retort: "Remove the beam out of your own eye."
--R. Johanan, surnamed Bar Napha, 199-279 C.E., Baba Bathra 15b

48.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
--Matthew 5:10

Be rather of the persecuted than of the persecutors.
--R. Abbahu, 279-310 C.E., Baba Kamma 93a

47.
Do not be anxious, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?"
--Matthew 6:31

Whoever has a piece of bread in his basket and says, "What shall I eat tomorrow?" belongs only to them who are little in faith.
--R. Eliezer, died 117 C.E., Sotah 48b-

48.
The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
--Mark 2:27

It (the Sabbath) is committed to your hands, not you to its hands.
--R. Jonathan ben Joseph, flourished after the destruction of the Temple, Yoma 85a

49.
The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
--Matthew 9.37

The day is short, and the work is much; and the workmen are indolent, but the reward is much; and the Master of the House is insistent.
--R. Tarfon, 120 C.E., Aboth 2:15

**beseder** · 11-10-2003, 01:32 PM

continued

50.
"…it happened that a certain heathen came before Shammai and said to him,'Take me as a proselyte, but on the condition that you teach me the entireTorah, while I stand on one foot.' Shammai instantly drove him away with a builder's measuring rod he happened to have in his hand. When the heathen
came before Hillel, Hillel said to him, 'What is hateful to you, do not do
to your fellow man. This is the entire Torah. All of it; the rest is
commentary. Go ahead and study it.'"
(Shabbat 31a)

"Then one of the scribes [in Matt. 22:34-40, the Pharisees and Sadducees; in Lk. 10:25-28, a lawyer], who had been listening to these discussions and had observed how well Jesus answered, came forward and asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments? He answered, 'The first is, 'Hear O Israel:
the L-rd our G-d is the one L-rd, and you must love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: 'You must love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these.'" (Mark 12:28-31)

51.
"At the approaching of Messiah, insolence will increase and honor will be held in contempt…The young will cause the faces of their elders to go pale, and the great will wait upon those of little worth. A son will revile his father. A daughter will rise up against her mother, a daughter-in-law
against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies will be the inmates of his own house."
(Sotah 49b; Sanhedrin 97a and Ein Ya'akov, as loc.)

"I have come to set man against father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother in law; and a man will find his enemies
under his own roof."
(Matthew 10:35-36)

"… I have come to bring dissension. From now on, a family of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother,
mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
(Luke 12:51-53)

51.
"Abbaye asked Rabbah: What is your reason for not wanting to see him [the Messiah]? Should you say, 'Because of the birth pangs preceeding the Messiah's coming,' have we not been taught: R. Eliezer's disciples asked
him, 'What should one do to be spared the pangs of the Messiah?' 'Let him engage in study of Torah and in good deeds.'"
(Sanhedrin 98b)

"R. Isaac taught: In the year when the King Messiah reveals himself, all the kings of the nations of the earth will be agitated and frightened; they will fall upon their faces and be seized with pangs like the pangs of a woman in labor."
(PR, Piskas 35-37; Yalkut, Isa., ~499)

"For nation will go to war against nation, kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in many places; there will be famines. These are the first birth-pangs of the new age."
(Mark 13:8)

"In very truth I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will be glad. But though you will be plunged in grief, your grief will be turned to joy. A woman in labor is in pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish in her joy that a child has been born
into the world."
(John 16:20-21)

52.

"R. Yose bar Simon said: The nations of the earth will bring gifts to the
Messiah."
(MTeh 87:6)

"Jesus was born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of Herod. After his
birth astrologers from the east arrived in Jerusalem, asking, where is the
new-born king of the Jews?… they set out… entering the house, they saw the
child with Mary his mother and bowed low in homage to him; they opened their
treasure chests and presented gifts to him…"
(Matthew 2:1-11)

53.
THE FIFTH AND SIXTH PARABLES (Matthew 13 v. 44 & 45-46)
Yeshuah's reference to a "pearl" is based in Jewish mystical teachings:
Bahir 72 - Another explanation of "Bring to life Your works in the midst of Years": What is this like? A king had a beautiful pearl, and it was the treasure of his kingdom. When he is happy, he embraces it, kisses it, places it on his head, and loves it.
The Bahir: Illumination, Translation Introduction and Commentary by Aryeh Kaplan, Samuel Weiser, Inc. York Beach, Maine, 1979, p. 26. The Bahir is one of the oldest texts in Hebrew mystical literature. Aryeh Kaplan's comments to this verse state that "the pearl" is a reference to the Kingdom. Kaplan's comments also indicate that "the field" is a reference to the spiritual world around us, within which one finds the Kingdom, a treasure.

54.
Matthew 22:1-14 - And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.

Matthew 25:1-12 - Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

Here is the teaching from the Midrash Rabbah on the book of Ecclesiastes. This teaching seems to be a synthesis of the parables in Matthew 22:1-14 and 25:1-12, above:

Midrash Rabbah – Ecclesiastes IX:7 - To a king who made a banquet to which he invited guests. He said to them, ‘Go, wash yourselves, brush up your clothes, anoint yourselves with oil, wash your garments, and prepare yourselves for the banquet,’ but he fixed no time when they were to come to it. The wise among them walked about by the entrance of the king's palace, saying, ' Does the king's palace lack anything?’ The foolish among them paid no regard or attention to the king's command. They said, ‘We will in due course notice when the king's banquet is to take place, because can there be a banquet without labour [to prepare it] and company?’ So the plasterer went to his plaster, the potter to his clay, the smith to his charcoal, the washer to his laundry. Suddenly the king ordered, ' Let them all come to the banquet.’ They hurried the guests, so that some came in their splendid attire and others came in their dirty garments. The king was pleased with the wise ones who had obeyed his command, and also because they had shown honour to the king's palace. He was angry with the fools who had neglected his command and disgraced his palace. The king said, 'Let those who have prepared themselves for the banquet come and eat of the king's meal, but those who have not prepared themselves shall not partake of it.’

55.

Matthew 17:12 That Elias is come already, and they knew him not
Seder 'Olam Rabba, ch. 17 - In the second year of (King) Ahazia, Elijah was hidden, and he will not be seen again until King Messiah comes. And then he will be seen but will be hidden a second time, and seen again only when Gog and Magog come.

**beseder** · 11-10-2003, 01:33 PM

56.

Mathew 21:5 thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass ...

One of the problems posed by the Tenakh's prophecies, regarding the Messiah, is that He would arrive both on the back of a donkey as well as in the clouds of glory. As it did not seem possible for one person to fulfill both prophecies, there developed a theory that if the people were righteous, Messiah would come on the clouds, if they were not, He would arrive on a donkey:

Talmud, Sanhedrin 98a - R. Alexandri said: R. Joshua b. Levi pointed out a contradiction. it is written, in its time [will the Messiah come], whilst it is also written, I [the Lord] will hasten it! — if they are worthy, I will hasten it: if not, [he will come] at the due time. R. Alexandri said: R. Joshua opposed two verses: it is written, And behold, one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven whilst [elsewhere] it is written, [behold, thy king cometh unto thee . . . ] lowly, and riding upon an ass! — if they are meritorious, [he will come] with the clouds of heaven; if not, lowly and riding upon an ass.

However, even the Talmudists recognized that Scripture did not truly offer an "if-or" option, hence the idea of two Messiahs came into being. The first, Messiah ben Joseph would be more of the humble suffering servant. He would in fact be killed. The second, Messiah ben David, would come, avenge the death of Messiah ben Joseph and usher in the Millennial Kingdom.

57.

Matthew 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

This teaching (verses 37-40), is reflective of the thought of Rabbi Hillel as well as Paul:

Talmud, Mas. Shabbath 31a - What is hateful to you, do not to your neighbour: that is the whole Torah, while the rest is the commentary thereof; go and learn it.

Romans 13:8-10 - Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

58.

Mathew 23:37 even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings,

It is easy to overlook the fact that Yeshuah uses a feminine analogy here. Yeshuah’s sad words relate back to the previous parables, which though spoken more directly to the Pharisees, were also a condemnation of the people who blindly followed them.

It is interesting to note that Yeshuah, who says he broods like a hen in this verse, was instrumental in creation. (John 1:3). The language of the Genesis account similarly states that the Spirit of God “Ruach El” (ruach being feminine in Hebrew) also "brooded" over the waters at creation. Bringing these two together, is the Talmud, that says this Spirit of God is the spirit of Messiah:

Midrash Rabbah, Genesis II:4 - AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD HOVERED: this alludes to the spirit of Messiah, as you read, And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him (Isa. XI, 2).

59.

Genesis 41:52: And the name of the second he called Ephraim: "For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

Midrash Rabbah Exodus I:33: It is the custom of the righteous to name their children from some event which has occurred. What does it say in the case of Joseph? And he called the name of the first-born Manasseh, for God hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house (Gen. XLI, 51). And the name of the second called he Ephraim; for God hath made me fruitful in the land of my affliction (ib. 52), so that he should always be mindful of the miracles God had done unto him.

There is an interesting teaching in the Zohar concerning a vision of the future that Jacob had at the time he blesses the two boys. Jacob sees that through Ephraim, Israel would fall into terrible idolatry:

Soncino Zohar Volume I p. 228a - When Jacob was about to bless Joseph's sons, he saw by the Holy Spirit that Jeroboam the son of Nebat would issue from Ephraim, and he exclaimed, “Who are these?”, the word “these” (eleh) being an allusion to idols. The reason is that besides the evil serpent there is one that rides on it, and when they are joined together they are called “these”, and they visit the world with all their hosts.

It is also interesting to note in the above quotation from the Zohar, that there is an evil entity (spiritual idolatry) that rides upon the back of the serpent. This is similar language to Revelation chapter 17, where the "whore" (spiritual idolatry) rides upon the beast.

60.

There is an interesting verse in the Zohar that links Ephraim to the "church" at Laodicea found in chapter three of Revelation:

Soncino Zohar Volume II p. 67b - “And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out power”, namely, the celestial unholy power which presided over the act of idolatry committed by Jeroboam (I Kings XII, 28), without which he would not have been able to succeed. Now, when this king and this priest of the “other side” are subdued, and their power broken, all the “other sides” follow suit, and are also subdued and broken, and acknowledge the sovereignty of the Holy One, and in this way He alone rules above and below, as it is written: “And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day” (Isa. II, 11). The phrase "... I am become rich" is quite similar to Revelation 3:17, and is related to the last days when the Lord's name will be made one (echad See also the book of Hosea, especially chapters 11-13.)

61.

Hebrews 8:5 - "... who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the Tabernacle. For He said 'See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain'."
Soncino Zohar, Shemoth, Section 2, Page 149a - "... the structure of the Tabernacle corresponds to the structure of heaven and earth."

Soncino Zohar, Shemoth, Section 2, Page 231a - "Now, the Tabernacle below was likewise made after the pattern of the supernal Tabernacle in all its details. For the Tabernacle in all its works embraced all the works and achievements of the upper world and the lower, whereby the Shekinah was made to abide in the world, both in the higher spheres and the lower. Similarly, the Lower Paradise is made after the pattern of the Upper Paradise, and the latter contains all the varieties of forms and images to be found in the former. Hence the work of the Tabernacle, and that of heaven and earth, come under one and the same mystery."

Soncino Zohar, Shemoth, Section 2, Page 235b - "Now, the lower and earthly Tabernacle was the counterpart of the upper Tabernacle, whilst the latter in its turn is the counterpart of a higher Tabernacle, the most high of all. All of them, however, are implied within each other and form one complete whole, as it says: "that the tabernacle may be one whole" (Ex. XXVI, 6). The Tabernacle was erected by Moses, he alone being allowed to raise it up, as only a husband may raise up his wife. With the erection of the lower Tabernacle there was erected another Tabernacle on high. This is indicated in the words "the tabernacle was reared up (hukam)" (Ex. XL, 17), reared up, that is, by the hand of no man, but as out of the supernal undisclosed mystery in response to the mystical force indwelling in Moses that it might be perfected with him."

Menacoth 29a - "It was taught: R. Jose b. Judah says, An ark of fire and a table of fire and a candlestick of fire came down from heaven; and these Moses saw and reproduced, as it is written, And see that thou make them after their pattern, which is being shown thee in the mount. Will you then say the same [of the tabernacle], for it is written, And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which hath been shown thee in the mount! — Here it is written ‘according to the fashion thereof’, whilst there ‘after their pattern’."

Soncino Zohar, Shemoth, Section 2, Page 164a - Then he began to expound to them this verse: A song of degrees for Solomon (li-shelomoh). Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it; except the Lord guard the city, the watchman waketh but in vain (Ps. CXXVII, 1-2). Said he: ‘Was it Solomon who composed this Psalm when he built the Temple? (for li-shelomoh could be understood to mean "of Solomon"). Not so. It was King David who composed it, about his son Solomon, when Nathan came to him (David) and told him that Solomon would build the Temple. Then King David showed unto his son Solomon, as a model, the celestial prototype of the Temple, and David himself, when he saw it and all the activities connected with it, as set forth in the celestial idea of it, sang this psalm concerning his son Solomon.

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