Halloween is almost here, and social media is buzzing. Some believers say stay away. Some say it's harmless. Others say it's fine as long as we bring it into the church and call it a "fall festival" or "trunk-or-treat." But can we take something unholy and make it holy just by renaming it? In this teaching, Mikha'el sets the origin stories aside and lets the Scriptures speak. We walk through the Torah's commands to Israel not to walk in the ways of the nations, then through the warnings of the prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos and Micah), and land on Paul's call in 2 Corinthians 6: "Come out from among them and be separate." Along the way: - Avodah zarah (Hebrew, "foreign worship" or "strange service"): the term for any idolatrous practice. - Kadosh (Hebrew, "set apart" or "holy"): what it means to belong to Yehovah, and why separation from forbidden worship is one expression of holiness. - Belial and anomia (Greek, "lawlessness," literally "without Torah"): what fellowship does Yeshua (Jesus) have with lawlessness? - One law for the native-born and the stranger. These commands were never "just for Israel." - Why "the building sanctifies it" has no Scripture behind it. Whether you're settled on this or still wrestling with it, we pray this blesses you and helps you walk in the light. Scriptures in this episode - Leviticus 18:1–5, 18:24–30 - Leviticus 19:26, 19:31 - Leviticus 20:6–7, 20:26–27 - Deuteronomy 12:1–5, 12:29–31 - Deuteronomy 18:9–14 - Isaiah 1:21–29; 2:6–8; 44:9–20; 57:3–13; 65:2–7; 65:11–12; 66:3–4 - Jeremiah 2:5–13; 3:6–10; 7:9–11; 7:17–20; 10:1–16; 11:9–13; 17:1–4; 19:4–6; 32:29–35; 44:15–25 - Ezekiel 6:3–7; 8:3–18; 14:1–8; 16:15–22; 20:27–32; 36:16–18; 44:23 - Hosea 2:5–13; 4:6–10; 4:12–14; 4:17–19; 9:10; 10:1–8; 11:1–2; 13:1–4; 14:1–3 - Amos 2:4–5; 3:14; 4:4–5; 5:21–27 - Micah 1:5–7; 3:5–7; 5:12–14 - Song of Songs 2:15 - 1 Corinthians 6:12, 10:23 - 2 Corinthians 6:14–18 - Revelation 12:17, 14:12 > "Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness and lawlessness? And what fellowship has light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14, TS2009) > "Therefore, “Come out from among them and be separate, says יהוה, and do not touch what is unclean, and I shall receive you." (2 Corinthians 6:17, TS2009) > "And they are to teach My people the difference between the set-apart and the profane, and make them know what is unclean and clean." (Ezekiel 44:23, TS2009) > "Do not do as they do in the land of Mitsrayim, where you dwelt. And do not do as they do in the land of Kena‛an, where I am bringing you, and do not walk in their laws." (Leviticus 18:3, TS2009) *Scripture quotations from The Scriptures (TS2009), copyright Institute for Scripture Research. Used by permission.* A few small corrections In the flow of teaching, a couple of references came out a little differently than intended. The passage on the cakes for the queen of heaven is Jeremiah 7:17–20, and the verses about those who keep the commandments and hold to their faith in Yeshua are Revelation 12:17 and 14:12. The Halloween quote around 36 minutes blends language published by the Church of Satan and The Satanic Temple, two separate groups. Also, our email is the weekly Monday Meditation, and you can sign up at https://torahawakenings.com. Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:23 Welcome and what's new at Torah Awakenings 01:10 The Halloween buzz: "fall festival," "trunk-or-treat," and rebranding 03:16 A different angle: letting the Tanakh speak for itself 05:03 How does Yehovah see paganism? Avodah zarah 05:58 Leviticus 18: Don't walk in their laws 09:28 Divination, mediums, and being kadosh (Leviticus 19–20) 12:07 Deuteronomy 12: Don't even ask how they served their gods 14:59 Deuteronomy 18: Abominations to Yehovah 17:04 The prophets' warnings: Isaiah 19:14 Jeremiah 22:12 Ezekiel 24:25 Hosea 26:14 Amos 27:20 Micah, and why Israel went into exile 29:16 The holy and the profane (Ezekiel 44:23) 30:21 2 Corinthians 6: "Come out from among them" 31:36 Separate vs. holy, Belial, and lawlessness 34:46 Is God in it? Trunk-or-treat and the four walls 36:07 What Halloween means to those who celebrate it 37:21 Final thoughts: Can you say yes to God on this? 38:45 "Why don't you do a teaching on that day?" 40:34 Closing and blessing 🌐 Website and mailing list: https://torahawakenings.com ▶️ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@torahawakenings?sub_confirmation=1 Shalom, and Yehovah bless you. Send us Fan Mail
