About The Writer
Biography
Phillip Stiefel’s father returned from the great war in the winter of 1945, and nine months later, Phillip was born in North Wildwood, New Jersey. He was born into a secular Christian family and was baptized as an infant in the Methodist church.
He graduated from Lower Cape May Regional High School (1964) and began his apprenticeship in the carpentry trade. Following his apprenticeship, he became a residential building contractor. Having experienced a life-changing encounter with The Creator, he set his course to learn the ways of the Creator. He began his Biblical studies at Asbury College in 1975 and eventually received his BA in Bible from Oral Roberts University in 1987. He later received a Virginia teacher’s certification from Norfolk State University and taught in elementary school for seven years.
It was during his studies at ORU that he realized that the traditional Christian faith was incompatible with his feelings, and his desire to study Hebrew and Torah began to consume him. He investigated the Hebrew roots movement, the messianic Jewish movement, and the Noahide movement, and soon realized their shortcomings when compared to the standards of the Torah. Some are satisfied with shades of grey, but not him. He considered converting to Judaism, but even that failed to satisfy his inner yearnings. He set his face to the Torah, solely to the Torah, and the marvelous truths that are presented here and in his other studies have taken his relationship with his Father far beyond what he ever could have dreamed. Blessed be HaShem, my Father, my Master, and my God!
Throughout his entire working life, he continued his connection with the building trades, working his way through college, and even while teaching. The whole of his vocational skills has prepared him for the task at hand, understanding and illustrating the numerical structure of the Torah.
Currently, Phillip is a Torah observant gentile with no religious institutional connections.
My Father, My Master, and My God
In the early seventies, due to the Arab oil embargo, the economy went disastrously south. Phillip lacked the capital to survive, and ultimately cried out to his Father, The Creator in desperation. His Father was anxiously waiting for his cry.
Will you not from this time cry to me; My father, you are the guide of my youth:
Jeremiah 3:4
That experience forged a loving father-son bond that has that has continued for over forty years.
My Father’s Hebrew
Herein is what I lovingly call my Father’s Hebrew. In the early winter of 1975, I received an inkling of something unique that I would be privileged to share. The journey from inkling to reality encompassed over forty years. I have been blessed like Caleb and Joshua to have stood the test of time and behold the promise in this life. I would not let go of him, and he would not let go of me! What is expressed herein is not result of any academic credentials or linguistic talents on my part; it is merely a loving Father teaching his son the marvelous truths of his Torah in a uniquely powerful manner. I never could vision myself in a heaven. I could not imagine a stained soul such as myself living in the presence of a Holy God. Therefore, I put little stock in a place called heaven. My Father’s Hebrew brought the realm above to my earthly soul, here and now, on earth. As far as death, the afterlife, or maybe even a place called heaven, they are hardly a concern, for as my Father said long ago concerning Adam “It is not good for man to be alone.” Therefore, I shall never be alone. Blessed be my Father, my Master, and my God!
A Maskil
At this point in the journey of life, one thing is certain, Phillip is a “maskil;” a man of understanding who seeks The Creator, his Father. The term “maskil” can be applied to any understanding son of Adam, who seeks The Creator.
A Man of the Covenant
For over forty some years Phillip has kept the testimony of the covenant (The Ten Words) close to his heart in spite of the many religious voices who would advise gentiles otherwise. It was only ignorance and not rebellion that prevented him from fully embracing the covenant.
Judaism Is Not the Whole of Israel
Neither Judaism or the modern state of Israel comprise the national covenant between The Creator and the nation of Israel. The whole of the nation of Israel is scattered among the nations of the world and are living in exile. The promises that are assumed to be related to the Jews apply to the whole of Israel. One cannot be certain of their heritage, but one can be certain about the inner voice of The Creator, his Torah, and the messages of the prophets. All thirteen tribes are going to return to the land along with others of the nations. The real key is one’s attachment to the covenant. The covenant can be kept both in and outside of the land of Israel, by both Israelite and gentile. When Israel is restored the Torah, which contains the covenant, shall be heralded throughout the world.
The covenant states that The Creator shows mercy to the thousandth generation of those who love him, and keep his commandments (Ex. 20:6). If one assumed that the duration of a generation was minimally thirty years then that promise is good for 30,000 years. If the Creator is tugging at your heart then perhaps there is a distant ancestor who may have forwarded that blessing onto you. The Torah is meant for the whole world, and Phillip has accepted that reality, and embraced that commission.
About The Site
Mission Statement
This site is dedicated to understand the truth of The Creator solely from the Hebrew Torah Text and its numerical structure with minimal references to other sources.
The Founder
For reasons that I cannot explain, I have been blessed from my childhood to know God as my loving Father. I was not raised in any form of religious culture, but somehow, I always knew that I am not alone, and he is there for me.
My life has been full of problems, some of which I could control, and some which were beyond my ability to control. It is those problems which were beyond my control, that I know now, were special blessings in disguise. Those problems caused me to turn my whole being towards my loving Father, and as any good father should, he came to my rescue with love, discipline, and respect. I have and always shall expect to hear the voice of my Father (avi) in response to my requests. He is first my Father; secondly, he is my Master (my Teacher), and most certainly, he is my God.
We both have high expectations of each other, I am all about the here and now, and so is he. I expect him to be a father to me here and now, and I know that he expects me to be a son to him, here and now. I am talking about what a son should be, not just a son because I exist. The first son, Cain, did not respect the counsel of his Father, and he was banned from the presence of his Father. He was also deleted from the family genealogy. His family tree consists of the sons of men.
I am only one of a multitude of people in whom the voice of the Creator is making himself known. People who desire his parental instruction. Why all of this is coming about, I can only guess. The religious hurdles that these returning pilgrims encounter are formidable, but their Father is waiting for them with an outstretched arm. It is their Father whom they seek, and no present religious institution can afford them the truths concerning the relationship, which they so desire. From the great religions of the world, they are coming, and their desire is for his teachings (Torah).
The Mission
Avi Publications is dedicated to learning the Torah solely from the text of the Torah, utilizing the numerical structure of the Torah as our guide. Avi Publications has high expectations of ourselves as sons and daughters, and of The Creator as our Father. These expectations are a family matter, and as loving, functional family members, we shall become shinning reflections of our Father's glory.
The Avi Family of Websites
Please visit avipublications.com, thenumericalstructureoftheTorah.com, learnnumericalHebrew.com, and YOUTUBE channel Torah123 for more new articles, and videos related to the numerical structure of the Torah.
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